Governor Mark Warner (served 2002 – 2006) poses with a city on the steps of Jarman Auditorium after speaking to the assembly.
The newly elected Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General are sworn into office during the inauguration ceremony in the 80s.
A picnic was an annual occurrence after the inauguration ceremony. In the early 2000s, the “picnic” was moved into the dining hall to avoid problems with weather. The menu remains the same and cities aren’t required to sit with their cities during this meal.
Convention, 2017
Counselors and Staff from 1996
Lewis City 1996
The mayors from each city, the sitting governor and the ALA Girls Nation senators participate in the POW/MIA Ceremony. This ceremony specifically remembers those from Virginia who served in the Vietnam War and are still listed as POW/MIA. At the close of the ceremony, the assembly is asked to return to their dormitories in silence.
An American Legion Post from the surrounding area is invited to demonstrate the proper method of flag disposal. Here, citizens who are also members of a JROTC unit assist in the disposal ceremony.
Members of the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate visit on Wednesday morning and meet with smaller groups of 2-3 cities. These smaller sessions allow for more questions from the citizens and allow the elected officials to expand on what they do in the Legislature.
Hazel Mills from Danville Unit 325 and Delores Smith from Lynchburg Unit 16 operate the store, our source for ALA VGS merchandise and everything else we could possibly need. And if they didn’t have it, the shoppers made daily trips to find whatever we had forgotten. Forgotten toothbrushes are a common thing.
Dolf Droge was a frequent visitor at ALA Virginia Girls State. Dolf worked in the United States Information Services, served in the diplomatic corps and was an advisor to several Presidents and spoke on the importance of informed voting and civic responsibility.
Jane Woods was a longtime staff member at ALA Virginia Girls State. Her “day jobs” included Virginia State Senator and Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resource, and she brought her knowledge with her to help shape the program. She was instrumental in getting the Office of the Virginia Senate Clerk’s assistance with the program, a legacy which is felt today.
Move in day is always a little chaotic. Virginia State Troopers have been sending 5-6 troopers to assist during the week. They have led athletic activities, judged ALA Girls Nation and Scholarship forms and (most importantly) overseen the safety of all the participants during the week — including directing traffic.
