“Without an informed populace, a democracy is worthless.” E.A. Rogers

The founder of the Junior Statesman of America program, E.A. Rogers long maintained that one of the primary needs of a democracy was to train its youth in the essentials of good government.

Rogers and his students decided upon an educational project to create the statesman and citizen of the future. The junior government would be a non-partisan, non-sectarian and non-profit organization designed to rise above the evils of propaganda and dirty politics.

The central goal was to have the students learn and practice democracy amongst themselves. Popularity of the project grew quickly and has maintained its integrity over the past sixty years. A significant credit to its success was in getting Congressional approval for the lowering of the voting age.

As a student-run organization, Junior Statesman of America is led by national student leaders and governed by a National Constitution. It’s a government governed completely by and for the students with a popular summer school program.

Fifteen outstanding students from five insular areas – The U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Republic of Belau, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas – are selected for scholarships, which cover full tuition and round trip airfare to the junior Statesman Summer School session of their choice. The scholarships are based on the student’s academic achievements, leadership potential and interests or involvement on community affairs.

The JSA Summer School curriculum for the four-week sessions is held at Northwestern, Princeton, Stanford and Yale, include the core AP American Government program, several advanced concentrations including AP Economics, AP Comparative Government and Constitutional Law. The students enroll in two college-level courses; government and speech.

The course work is extremely rigorous demanding that only the best academic students are accepted for admissions. Therefore, English speaking - straight “A”- socially mature - self-confident students leaders are highly sought after for participation to attend the school.

At the end of the summer session, a student walks away with a better understanding of the political system of the United States and the foundation of democracy. They are better able to think and analyze situations carefully, have sharpened their speaking skills through debates and speeches and trained to be responsible political leaders.

This year, 45 Guam high school students were selected to attend the above programs. Three (3) of the 45 students were winners of the Department of Interior Scholarships. Here is the breakdown of school/student ratio of this year’s summer school hopefuls.

The Junior Statesman program has been available to students on Guam since 1991 as an institutionalized way to help students attend the Junior Statesman off-island program through Government of Guam financial support, subsidizing the cost of travel and airfare of the participants. “Government of Guam has subsidized as much as $40-$80,000 to assist the Junior Statesman specifically from 1992- 2001,” said Karen Prosser, National Director for the program.

“After the real flush 90’s,” Prosser said, “The specific amount of financial support would depend on how much the government could afford. In the late 90s, the funding came through KAHA for transportation. If the students could raise the full amount of their tuition fees, KAHA would pay half of their travel and Continental would reduce the ticket amount by half, taking care of the tickets.”

Full support for the Junior Statesman of America came from former Governor Carl T. C. Gutierrez and former Lt. Governor Madeleine Z. Bordallo while they were in the legislature and as governor and lieutenant governor. However, in 1999, the financial situation of the Government of Guam worsened and support continued but not in the amounts that had been there in the past.

“Guam supports its kids as no other place does,” says Prosser. There is support for kids in the states, but not in the numbers that is done out here. It is just a different attitude; there are fewer students and bigger communities’ stateside. In 1999, the students went out and raised funds and Governor Gutierrez matched their efforts with about $30-$40,000 that year. In 2000, he came across with about $14,000 and in 2001, they asked him for a lot of money and he said, “No.”

Prosser explained that Gutierrez told the students to go out and raise the funds they needed and to return to him before they were to leave. “They returned providing him with a list of students and their shortages prepared by Dan Camacho, Social Studies consultant for curriculum and instruction at the department of Education. The list presented the governor with the name of the student, the amounts they were able to raise and the balance they needed for either travel or tuition – the way he’d done in previous years,” Presser said.  “Gutierrez said OK and gave them the $25,000 balance needed to help the students realize their hope of attending summer school in 2001.”

Because of the difficulty of the times, Prosser said, “JSA paid Continental for the tickets because Continental would not take the Government’s word that they’d pay.” JSA fronted the $25,000 for ticket and tuition monies for the students in 2001 that GovGuam Gutierrez said he would provide.

Now, exactly two years later, Prosser is still attempting to collect the monies owed to JSA and Prosser said she has met with numerous GovGuam officials over a two-year period attempting to collect the money. “I’ve met with Rosie Tainatango, Lt Governor Kaleo Moylan, Senator(s) Larry Kasperbauer & Carmen Fernandez, & Rory Respicio, former Lt. Governor Madeleine Bordallo, Narissa Britania-Shafer and former senator Eddie Calvo and nine other senators of the 26^th Guam Legislature during session, suggesting different ways to support the effort to pay the outstanding amount.”

The failure of the Government of Guam to make good on the $25,000 commitment caused the removal of an employee in the JSA program whose salary was equal to the amount owed.

Prosser has complied with and satisfied all requirements raised by government heads for documents needed to process the check. “They’ve asked for letters of authorization so different ones can pick up the check since I was off-island. And, while they have informed her that the government is having a difficult time with its finances – continue to give her assurances that the money is there and, Prosser says, “There is no reason why I should be waiting this long to get the money. The money is there… I am always told and that I’d get it soon.”

After exactly two years, the money is still owed to Junior Statesman of America.

It is ironic that Karen Processor witnesses tremendous support for the program on Guam. She is complimentary regarding the support of elected officials of a program that will assist Guam youths in understanding the government process and structure. Yet, elected officials on Guam continue to besmirch the reputation and structure of government operations on Guam.

Young people associated with the organization are aware of government official’s lethargic attitude and continued sidestepping of the outstanding balance. Prosser said, Senators Kasperbauer (former chair) and Carmen Fernandez, the current chair of the Department of Education told her this administration did not feel the obligation to pay because it is the prior administration’s obligation.  

Prosser also met with the Lt. Governor Kaleo Moylan and spoke to him about the situation. Prosser said Moylan told her to suggest Fernandez call him so he can tell her how to get the matter addressed on the floor during budget discussions.

Prosser said Fernandez discounted the Lt. Governor’s influence and authority over the legislature and said the Co-Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means & Vice Speaker, Senator Frank Aguon Jr. was not allowing any matter to be discussed on the floor other than issued related to the budget.

This afternoon, Prosser will be meeting with Lt. Governor Kalo Moylan again on the matter of JSA issues. Only time will tell what other tales of remedying this problem government leaders will dish out to the Junior Statesman of America director.

Karen Prosser is dismayed with the way elected officials handling the matter and said, “This is not the way things are done in America.”

Wait!

Karen… this is America!