Girls who were selected to attend Keystone Girls State recently were feted at the annual Keystone Girls State Tea held at the Lehighton American Legion Post 314.

This annual event is held to acquaint the girls with the program and prepare them for the week of learning how their government operates.The girls will attend Keystone Girls State from June 22 to June 28 at Shippensburg University, Shippensburg. The girls will represent the Four County Council, which includes Auxiliary Units in Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton counties.The program opened with District President Cathy Ocker welcoming the girls and their family members to the event.Ten of the 15 girls who were selected to attend Girls State attended the tea.Ocker said the girls will make lifelong friends and will have the opportunity to campaign for various offices. During the week, the girls will elect city, county and state officials, including governor, lieutenant governor and other offices and select an outstanding citizen.Each June, approximately 150 young women participate in Keystone Girls State sessions at Shippensburg University. The "citizens" study local, county and state government by setting up their own miniature governments and administer them according to laws of Pennsylvania.After arriving, the citizens are divided into two political parties, the Nationalist and Federalists. These parties do not reflect the major political parties in today's system of government. The parties allow citizens to gain knowledge about the operation of a two-party system.The girls participate in these political parties, and elections are held to fill city and state positions. Activities include legislative sessions, campaigning, party rallies, debating and voting. They also receive special instruction in parliamentary procedure.Girls State affords participants an opportunity to live together as self-governing citizens by informing them about the privileges, rights and responsibilities of American citizenship.The girls will elect two senators who will have the opportunity to attend Girls Nation in the Washington, D.C., area.Deborah DeCinio is the Four County Council chairman of Girls State and works closely with the girls attending the event.LaRue Fritz is the chairman of the Lehighton Unit 314 Girls State and assists the local girls who will be representing the Lehighton unit. Fritz also serves as chairman of the Past Presidents Scholarship program. Scholarships are available through the American Legion Auxiliary.Schyler Cordova represented Lehighton at Girl's State last year. She shared her experiences at the tea. She said she participated in debates and ran for several offices. She was elected for "district attorney."Because of her Girls State experience, she was eligible to audition and was selected to perform with Recreation USA Show Choir, a group of young men and women, that will be entertaining throughout the United States at Veterans Hospitals.After the tour is completed, Cordova plans to attend George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.Girls participating in Girls State are: Chloe Sicignans, sponsored by Unit 922, Canadensis; Kristine Olsen, sponsored by Four County Council; Elizabeth Pope, Unit 413, Pocono Pines; Allison Thomas, Unit 426, Coplay; Madeline Aurisana, Unit 360, Weatherly; Hanna Gilbert, Unit 314, Lehighton; Alexandra Rozzi and Emily Kattner, Unit 927, Gilbert; Shannon Grundmann, Unit 922, Canadensis; and Alexa Iannace, Unit 9, Palmer Township. Also selected to attend Girls State are Katelyn Freeman, Unit 16, Slatington; Naomi Valladares, Unit 470, Bath; Riley Corrall, Four County Council; Annamarie Fiducia, Unit 899, Walnutport; and Madison Davis, Unit 470, Bath.