Youth Governor Clyde Carter the third urges delegates to keep working after closing address

At the closing joint session of the 2024 YMCA Youth Legislature, Youth Governor Clyde Carter the third delivered a wide-ranging address thanking his GovCab and program volunteers and calling on delegates to continue their civic work after the session ended.

"The final few moments of session are upon us, and I could not be more proud of you all," Governor Carter said, thanking recipients of the Delegate of the Future Award and the governor's staff. He urged participants to act beyond the program: "When you walk away from here, the issues that you have fought for will still persist. They will persist in the future as well if we do not act and act soon." Carter encouraged delegates to find ways to engage at local, state and national levels, naming youth advocacy programs and school boards as options.

Carter recognized a long list of staff and volunteers by name and described the experience as both memory-making and a door to future opportunities. He closed by asking delegates to remember the program's values—respect, responsibility, honesty and caring—and to carry them into public life.

The address was part of a ceremonial closing that also included multiple awards and the announcement of leadership for the next session; the session adjourned after a motion from the floor.