The Black River American Legion Post No. 149 of New Zion has announced its delegates for 2015 Palmetto Boys State, which will be held June 7-13 at Anderson University in Anderson.
“There will be more than 1,000 delegates arriving to register beginning at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, and they will be released the following Saturday at 10:30 a.m., after graduation exercises, room inspections and room keys are turned into their counselors,” according to a release from the legion post.
Candidates announced include Connor Edward Floyd, Stephen James Lambert Jr., Curtis “Tripp” Lynn Mason III, Walker Christian McKenzie, Glynn “G” Worrell Webster III and Dylan Joseph Matthews.
“The delegates will have a vigorous week of intense training in local, county and state government,” according to the release. “Before the week is over, they will elect a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, state comptroller, Supreme Court justice and members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.”
In addition, candidates will have classes in law, newspaper editing and also a PBS band, should they decide to take those extra classes.
Floyd is the son of Chuck and April Floyd of New Zion, and attends The Carolina Academy in Lake City. Active in football, baseball and basketball, he has been named Offensive Player of the Year for all three sports since his freshman year. He was also the Farmers Telephone Defensive Player of the Year in football.
Floyd has received the Coach’s Award in baseball, along with being the High School Sports Report All-state athlete in all three sports. He has been ranked the 16th best South Carolina Independent School Association Athlete by the High School Sports Report.
Most recently, he was named All-State in football for his junior year.
Floyd has also been active in academic groups, including as vice-president of Student Council, and as a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Block Carolina Academy Club and the Beta Club. He also performs in on-stage productions with his theater class. He recently played a main character in one production, and is currently rehearsing for another main role in another.
He is an active member of Pine Dale Pentecostal Holiness Church, where he is a member of the youth group. He has an older sister who attended Palmetto Girls State prior to her senior year in high school.
Lambert is the son of Mary Eva Baker Lambert and Stephen James Lambert Sr. of New Zion, and attends East Clarendon high School in Turbeville. He is a member of the Bible Club, the Wildlife Club and the Future Farmers of America, and is also on the Academic Challenge Team.
He attends New Zion United Methodist Church in New Zion.
Mason is a son of Curtis Lynn and Ann Player Mason of Manning, and attends Laurence
Manning Academy in Manning. He plays varsity baseball and football. He is a member of the Beta Club and the National Honor Society. He is an active member of Greeleyville Baptist Church in Greeleyville.
McKenzie is the son of Wayne and Stacy McKenzie of New Zion, and attends East Clarendon High School in Turbeville. He played baseball and was in the school band in seventh grade, where he played the saxophone. He is a teacher cadet and is a member of the Beta Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He plays guitar in the youth ministries group at Great Commission Ministries Church in the Barrineau community. He is also on the school’s Prom Committee.
Webster is the son of Glynn and Shannon Knowlton Webster of Turbeville, and attends The Carolina Academy in Lake City. He previously attended East Clarendon Middle-High School before enrolling in CA, where he maintains an A-B average. While at East Clarendon, he was the class president and led the group in a homeless campout in cardboard boxes in the Turbeville IGA parking lot on a cool night, and collected canned goods for a local homeless shelter.
He is an active member of the Block Carolina Cademy Club and holds a starting position in baseball, basketball and football. He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. His hobbies include hunting, fishing and sports.
He is an active member of Turbeville Southern Methodist Church, where he was baptized. He identifies as Christian and strives to make daily decisions based on Biblical principles. He has participated in visiting shut-ins with the youth of his church, as well as fundraisers to support mission trips. He adopted needy families for Christmas, providing gifts and food for the families.
He also attends the youth program at Pine Dale Pentecostal Holiness Church in Turbeville, where he participates in Praise and Worship skit services. He participated in the preparation and production of the plays “Oliver Twist” and “The Wizard of Oz,” where he performed as a main character. He is currently enrolled in the theater class at CA, where he performed as Schroeder in “Charlie Brown,” which was held for the school and Lake City community. He continues to work with this class as they plan the production of the musical “Seussical,” in which he has a speaking part.
“Webster is good-natured, easy to relate to and works well with others,” said the legion’s release. “He was active clearing and cleaning debris in the community following last year’s ice storm.”
Matthews is the son of Vera Meree Harper of Manning, and attends Laurence Manning Academy. He has played baseball for 15 years, and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Relay for Life, the Boy Scouts, his church youth group and also plays the guitar. He is a volunteer with the Clarendon County Clemson Extension Service in Manning.
