Four South Whidbey teens recently tried their hands at faux governance.

Jake Baesler, Josef Jackson, Jaiden Jones and Gavin Imes represented a city, a county and two state districts at the Evergreen Boys State gathering last month. The leadership conference teaches youths how the federal republic works in the United States of America.

At the 2013 meeting, the four South Whidbey High School students participated in simulated government with more than 200 other teenage boys from across the state.

The young politicians are elected to various positions of government at the conference. Jones was voted to the Birch City Council; Baesler to the Puget County Council; and Jackson and Imes were voted to be state representatives. Imes was also nominated as his political party’s convention chair.

Operated by American Legion at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, the leadership camp is open to any high school boy who completed 11th grade and has at least one semester of high school remaining. Student nominees are expected to demonstrate outstanding leadership, character, scholarship and loyalty and service to their school.

Each participant at the meeting is eligible to receive four college credits and scholarships. South Whidbey’s participants had their tuition, room and board and transportation covered by American Legion Post 141 and Sons of American Legion Squadron 141.

Washington’s Boys State has convened annually since 1940.