Every day, dozens of youth visit the Capitol to see the legislative process firsthand and participate by serving as pages. These boys and girls continue a tradition that spans virtually the entire length of West Virginia’s history.
Records in the 1866 Senate Journal and the 1868 House of Delegates Journal show the appointment of two to three young men, ages 13 to 18, to serve throughout the entire regular session for $2.50 a day.
Now, 140 years later, the duties of legislative pages has changed, but they continue to serve lawmakers by volunteering for a day at the Capitol — keeping session floor traffic at a minimum by running errands and learning about the legislative process.
The West Virginia Legislature’s Page Program has become a successful and important program that takes place during the regular legislative session. The program not only serves legislators but also provides a gateway for the public to experience their government at work.
“It is always good to get young, bright people engaged in the process,” House Majority Leader Joe Delong said. “It gives them access to government, and, after they have been here for the day, they may be more likely to get involved later.”
The program gives students who are 12 or older from West Virginia’s public and private schools an opportunity to serve as pages in the Legislature. As part of their visit to Charleston, students receive a tour of the Capitol before taking to the floors of the House or Senate. They are also given a certificate of service signed by the respective clerk and their sponsoring senator or delegate, a photograph with their lawmaker and a page program book that provides information on every legislator, the legislative process and the Capitol.
Lawmakers interested in sponsoring students contact schools in their districts to request pages. The schools later get in touch with the appropriate lawmakers with the names of the children interested and establish when they can visit the Capitol. If students are interested in paging for a specific lawmaker, they also can contact the respective clerk’s office to book a certain day. There is a huge interest in the program according to House Clerk Gregory Gray.
“It’s a good program because children are exposed to their government,” he said. “The more exposure to the process, the better.”
Pages serve members of the House and Senate in a variety of ways. They can be asked to bring in a cup of coffee or to obtain a piece of legislation. If a note needs to be passed, a page will see it is delivered. While they are performing their duties on the floors of the chambers, they get a firsthand learning experience regarding the role state legislators play.
“They really get to experience history,” said Senate Clerk Darrell Holmes. “They get to hear the bills that are introduced, see the bills that are passed and just receive information that is not available in school.”
The West Virginia Page Program doesn’t just assist lawmakers, it provides the opportunity for young people to expand their knowledge and see government in action. Students who serve as pages also have the opportunity to meet with lawmakers from their districts and across the state. This time allows them to share their thoughts and concerns.
“A lot of what children read in their West Virginia History classes becomes more real,” H. Truman Chafin, Senate Majority Leader said. “To come into the chamber is just an awesome and inspiring room. You learn more in one trip to the Capitol than you do in a thousand West Virginia History classes.”
