" IT MAKES YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHAT IT IS. " -SAUL LOGAN Below: The 102 delegates pose for a photo in front of the White House. Below left: Gretchen House hugs Ryland Oakes during a farewell party the final night of Youth Tour. Bottom left: Saul Logan is congratulated after he was named Missouri member on the national Youth Leadership Council. Saul will serve for a year and represent Missouri at the NRECA Annual Meeting in Atlanta. and applied for the YLC. " The prompt said they wanted to see our personality and I focused on that, " he says. " I tried to stand out and I'm glad I did. I was expecting a lot out of this trip based on my friend's experience, but this was way more than I could've thought. " The Youth Tour was inspired by then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson in 1957 when he asked rural electric leaders to " send youngsters to the national capital where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents. " The following year, electric cooperatives in Iowa accepted that challenge and sent the first group of young people on a weeklong tour of our nation's capital. Missouri followed suit in 1964 with 22 Show-Me State electric cooperatives sending 58 students to Washington, D.C. The 2024 trip was the 59th time Missouri's electric cooperatives have stepped up to send the state's youth to the capital. Though the week was full of unforgettable visits, Saul says it's the memories he forged with his fellow delegates that he'll keep with him far past the experience. " I've definitely learned that people are more genuine than we might give them credit for, " he says. " I'm not sure I've felt this open around a group of people I just met a week ago in my entire life. I can't wait to see what everyone from this trip does in the future. " VIEW PHOTOS For more information on the Missouri Youth Tour and the youth programs offered by Missouri Electric Cooperatives, visit www.moyouthtour.com. 16 RURAL MISSOURI | AUGUST 2024 Scan to see highlights of the week in D.C.http://www.moyouthtour.com