By Phillip Balch | City of Taylor, Doolittle County

One thing all citizens have passed by and seen so far this week is the retail store.

The retail store is a small shop set up by the American Legion in a goal to get more money to the Badger Boys State program. Steven DuBois, the American Legion Polk County Commander at home and the Assistant Director of Retail Sales here at BBS, spoke about his experience with the BBS Program.

While this is his sixth-year at BBS, he never attended as a citizen in the past, something almost no one else has done. Although he has never attended, he still absorbed the pathos and ethos BBS presents while tagging along with Doolittle County his first year.

DuBois made sure to explain all the impacts and changes he gets to notice while citizens pass by. He made sure to note that with the whole year of preparation that comes in for this one week, it is all worth it to see the impact made on the hundreds of citizens that go through.

As a participant in the Boy Scouts of America, he noted that both the BBS program and the BSA have very similar teachings in morals and citizenship, with the same significant meanings in earning the Eagle Scout rank and being a BBS alumni.

With that, he added in that BBS allows him to create a forever bond with all the participants.

“We’re all here for the kids and love to see how we can impact them,” DuBois said.