By Youth Gov. Hudson Campbell
Good morning delegates! I’m so glad each of you could make it. I hope you are excited about this wonderful weekend and conference we have ahead of us. We would not have this amazing opportunity without the help of the YMCA, college staffers, officers, and delegation advisors as well as the stewardship of the Embassy Suites and the Alabama State Capital.
Whether you are a first-year delegate or a senior senator, you are in store for a lot of fun this weekend. You will get a close and personal look of the interworking of government and discover the importance of our democracy. Hopefully, you will make some friends along the way. I know that I have remarkable friendships from this program.
Each year this conference amazes me. It’s incredible that we can bring all the bright minds from across the state and debate within the same walls of our elected counterparts. Each and every one of us is different with diverse backgrounds, views, beliefs, etc. We have this remarkable opportunity to express and debate these diverse ideas respectfully and civilly.
But what truly makes Youth Leg special doesn’t end when a round of debate finishes. It doesn’t end when you leave your chamber. It doesn’t end when you even leave this conference. And that is the fact that here, people and treated as people.
It doesn’t matter how much we disagree. In this community, Youth Leg, we can see people before politics. We can still be friends. We can still lunch together. We can still dance together at the Gov Ball. We can see people before politics.
That being said, I encourage you to lean in this weekend. Be a sponge. Soak up all the learning and friendships ahead of you. Be confident. Don’t be afraid to raise your placard and speak.
This wouldn’t be a classic YIG speech if I didn’t mention the Y core values. Those being Honesty, Caring, Respect and Responsibility. I know these words might seem cliche or overused, but they truly are vital to this conference. This conference has been around since 1949. This program has endured wars, recessions, and pandemics because of those values and the people who practice them. So this weekend, practice them yourself. Be honest and fair when debating. Be caring to your peers when they need help or a friend. Be respectful when others are sharing their ideas and opinions. Be responsible when borrowing the State House.
I’ll leave you with this. This is your conference. My cabinet, these officers, these staffers, your advisors, and I are all here to serve you, so if you have any needs, please don’t hesitate to ask help. This is your conference. Our days in this town together are finite, so raise your placard, seize your moment, and speak your mind. and most importantly have fun.
Thank You.