History
SYP first met in 1912 as the Saskatchewan Older Boys' Parliament. However, it had a shaky beginning and collapsed after a few years of existence.
In 1923, SYP was revived under the TUXIS movement as an organisation for Christian boys. That Christmas, the session was held at the Saskatchewan Legislature, where it has been held almost every year since.
There were no sessions of the SYP during the Great Depression and World War II. This resulted in a fifteen year gap between the 8th and 9th sessions of the SYP. It was not until 1945 that the SYP met again. At that time, the Saskatchewan Older Boys' Parliament began its evolution towards what is now called SYP. There were many spirited debates on whether to admit females, non-Christians and smokers. The members at the time decided to allow smokers to join but not females or non-Christians.
In 1969, the members of the Saskatchewan Older Boys' Parliament debated a resolution that would permit young women to join the organisation. One of the members at the time was former Saskatchewan premier Lorne Calvert, who gave a (reportedly tongue in cheek) speech against admitting female members. It was not until 1972 that females and non-Christians were allowed to join. At that time, the name was changed to Saskatchewan Youth Parliament.
In 1987, SYP celebrated its 75th Anniversary. To celebrate, a reunion was held which brought together different generations of SYP alumni. Soon afterward, a new draft constitution and standing orders were prepared. These came into effect in 1988.
In 2012, SYP celebrated its 100th Anniversary with a special reunion in Regina at the Saskatchewan Legislature, being the first people in Saskatchewan to use the new green carpet that had been put into the legislative chamber.
Throughout the years, a number of SYP alumni have become notable political leaders, including former Prime Minister the Right Honourable John Diefenbaker; former Clerk of the Legislature, Clerk of the Senate, Secretary of the University of Saskatchewan and Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan His Honour, the Honourable Dr. Gordon Barnhart; former MP Simon De Jong; former Federal Cabinet Minister and current Deputy Leader of the Opposition Ralph Goodale; former Premier Lorne Calvert; former MLA and cabinet minister Mark Wartman; former Reform Party National Councillor Nolan Berg; and Minister of Crown Corporations Ken Cheveldayoff. Many other former members have also made their mark on Saskatchewan and on Canada as lawyers, diplomats, and journalists.
Read more about this topic: Saskatchewan Youth Parliament
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“There is no history of how bad became better.”
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“When the history of this period is written, [William Jennings] Bryan will stand out as one of the most remarkable men of his generation and one of the biggest political men of our country.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)