I hope that everyone had a great 4th of July holiday weekend. For so much of the state and country, the idea of independence was especially resonant as we celebrate tremendous progress in dramatically reducing the risk of Covid virus given how many Americans and Marylanders are now fully vaccinated. We’re not there yet, but it’s great to be able to move about the day with a feeling of much greater confidence!
This past week’s celebration of our democracy extended well beyond marking the 245th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Last week, a group of teens from across the state gathered virtually and at Y Camp Spencer in Harford County to engage in the Conference on National Affairs (CONA), a national Y program that attracts the best and the brightest from statewide Y Youth & Government programs across 40 participating states. Y Youth & Government is an immersive experience in which participating teens recreate state government to experience first-hand how democracy works and how young people can significantly shape civic life.
CONA delegates write, debate, and vote on proposals that address national concerns. The Maryland delegation for CONA is selected through a rigorous application process that considers the assets each delegate brings to the team as well as past performance and future aspirations.
Though CONA is usually an in-person affair held at Y Camp Blue Ridge in North Carolina, this year’s event was planned to be virtual. Knowing how much young people needed to connect personally this year, the Y in Central Maryland’s Youth & Government leaders, Heather Naviasky and Ryan Novo, created a hybrid experience including in-person team building and debate at Y Camp Spencer. Thanks to Wayne Leonard, a Y community leadership board member in Harford County, they even had the opportunity to bond over an Aberdeen IronBirds baseball game.
The 24 Maryland teen leaders who participated in CONA were, in the words of Charmayne Turner (VP, Youth Development) “absolutely amazing. They presented their proposals nationally and four of them moved to the next round. Their bills were about voter suppression, banning conversion therapy, gerrymandering, and the Crown Act (which prohibits discrimination based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle.)”
Members of the Maryland delegation were also honored by their peers across the country, being voted as “Distinguished Delegate” and “Alternate Presiding Officer” from among all delegates in the country.
Here’s what two of the participants had to say about their experience:
- Ronak Tallur - Maryland’s 2021 Lt. Governor and recognized as Distinguished Delegate at CONA: “Youth & Government was the most positive experience of my life. It helped me become a better person and leader, gave me direction throughout my high school career, and led me to make some of my best friends in the world.”
- Alina Kahn - Maryland’s 2021 Governor and recognized as alternate Presiding Officer for CONA 2022: “CONA is an incredible experience because it encourages us not only to learn about different issues throughout the country, but really understand the perspectives and stories of people living in entirely different places. We debate with them during the day and then spend the evening becoming friends and talking about differences in our schools, our favorite foods, and just who we are. Making friends with people from all over the country is great, but my favorite part of CONA has to be the family that’s created by the Maryland delegation. Every year, but especially this year, the Maryland delegation was able to come together and make connections with one another that I know will last a lifetime. There is no other environment where I’ve seen anything close to the amount of love and support as there is in the MD delegation at CONA. It’s irreplaceable.”
So, as we all scramble back to work after celebrating America’s freedom and independence, let’s not just celebrate the members of the Continental Congress 245 years ago, but also the Y’s CONA delegation, who, with our collective support, just might help guide our democracy to a better place in the future.
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland