GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The lovely ladies of the Miss Butte County Scholarship program had the unique opportunity to visit the California State Capitol on February 18^th.

The scholarship program makes the trek to the capital each year to give the young royal ladies a first-hand look at how our State Government works. The trip is planned months in advanced and facilitated by our own Assemblyman Gallagher.

For about three hours, the Butte County royal court tours the Capital grounds and visits the Assembly and Senate Chambers to observe the process of how bills are made and voted on. Miss Butte County Scholarship Program Director, Kari Wheeler says that the experience facilitates the girls’ “learning about their local legislature, knowing how their Assemblyman and the Senate work” and gives them a taste of “the overall grandeur of the Capitol and the history in it.”

The royal court was invited to visit Assemblyman Gallagher in his office, who posed for photos with each of the Queens, answering questions and educating them on the political process and proceedings that take place at the Capitol. Wheeler says, “Assemblyman Gallagher, every year, has just been extremely kind to us… tells a little bit about any bills that are being written or pertinent to our county. He brings a local spin to what he does on a state level.”

Already public figures, many of the ladies of the royal court, especially the older Queens, are interested in careers at the county or state level, or as public servants. “I think it’s really eye opening for the girls,” Wheeler says, “they hear of this (legislature, bills and senate votes), but they actually get to see it first-hand.” Plus, the experience will be a memory that the 2019-2020 royal court will hold dear for many years.

Part of the Miss Butte County Scholarship Program is to expose the ladies to opportunities, be it civic duties, educational trips like the Capitol visit, and continuous service to the whole of Butte County. “The program is wonderful as far as broadening the horizons of these girls,” says Wheeler. “They work really hard… It isn’t just putting a crown on their head – they’re getting out there and serving Butte County as a whole. I love to watch their growth.”

The Miss Butte County Scholarship Program will begin recruiting for the 2020-2021 year in March. Any young ladies interested in applying and being a part of this program are asked to contact Alyssa Tomlinson for more information at (530) 353-9797.