08/16/2026
Saturday morning at our Underwood Optimist Club meeting, we had the privilege of hearing from Charlie Myers, Landon Leaders, and Nolan Baker about their experiences at American Legion Boys State of Iowa.
Boys State is an immersive, hands-on leadership and civic program where young men spend a week learning how government works—from the city level to the state level. Participants create their own cities and political parties, campaign, hold elections, debate issues, work with legislation, and experience the democratic process firsthand. Along the way, they also participate in sports, activities, and opportunities to connect with students from across Iowa.
🇺🇸 Charlie Myers was grateful for the opportunity and described the week as action-packed, challenging, and a lot of fun. He was selected as his party’s chair, and spoke in front of approximately 150 students while also preparing speeches for candidates.
Charlie was also chosen to serve as commander of the Air Guard, giving him the opportunity experience a helicopter flight simulator. He also enjoyed playing football, meeting a military officer whom he continues to stay in contact with, and connecting with a law student from Notre Dame.
Charlie’s advice to other upcoming juniors: Take advantage of the opportunity and build your network!
🇺🇸 Landon Leaders emphasized that one of the most important parts of Boys State was simply going up and talking to people and meeting someone new.
From the very first night’s carnival and campaigning to being elected to the House of Representatives, Landon met students from communities all across Iowa with different experiences, opinions, and perspectives. He participated in discussions and debates on issues such as data centers and experienced the excitement—and sometimes chaos—of trying to pass bills.
Sports and games also provided opportunities to meet people outside of the government activities. For Landon, Boys State opened the door to conversations and friendships he may never have experienced otherwise.
🇺🇸 Nolan Baker focused on one of the biggest lessons he took away: getting out of your comfort zone.
Nolan talked about how breaking the ice with a simple question or small conversation can eventually lead to friendships with people from all over Iowa. He learned that everyone has a story to tell, and while you won’t always agree with everyone, you can still find something in common.
He also emphasized that leadership isn’t always about getting your own voice heard—it’s about listening to others, too.
His biggest takeaway: You may not remember everything that happened, but you’ll remember the people you met.
We were also honored to hear from Ron Kerber of the American Legion, who has been involved with Boys State for an incredible 37 years.
Ron shared that Boys State has been around since 1935, originally created by a couple of college professors who wanted to educate young people about the democratic process. He explained that the program packs an incredible amount of learning and experiences into one week, including government, elections, military experiences, sports, and opportunities to form lifelong friendships.
Ron encouraged upcoming juniors to participate and help keep this important program going. He shared that 18 students from the surrounding area participated in Boys State and Girls State this past year.
👏 We are incredibly proud of Charlie, Landon, and Nolan for representing our community and sharing their experiences with us!
A special thank you to Ron Kerber and the American Legion for their dedication to this program and allowing the Underwood Optimist Club to help sponsor these young men and invest in the next generation of leaders.
Interested in learning more about Boys State? Check out their website here: https://iowaboysstate.org
