From the Annals of Extracurricular Activities –  In 1940, 108 boys participated in the first annual Lone Star Boys’ State program. The program provides teenage boys with training in functional aspects of citizenship and teaches constructive attitudes toward the American form of government. Nationally the program was begun in the 1930s to counter Fascist-inspired Young Pioneer Freedom camps. Participants are grouped into mock cities, form a mock state government, and elect state officers. The program is held each summer, usually in June, at the University of Texas at Austin. Two boys are chosen to attend Boys’ Nation in Washington, D.C., each July.