We are nearing the end of the 2024 Banner City/Town year. Based on 2023 summer conference and 2023 fall conference attendance, our records indicate that 87 municipalities remain in contention for a 2024 designation.  Now is the time to ensure that your city/town makes it to the finish line to receive recognition for your engagement in the League. 

We are excited to announce that all Banner Cities and Towns will be recognized in this year's Closing General Session at the summer conference. Our Closing Session will shine the light on our most engaged municipalities. Those obtaining the 2024 designation will be provided closing session details closer to the summer conference.

This year’s fourth grade "If I Were Mayor I Would..." essay contest winners were able to capture the volunteer readers and finalist judges’ attention with their dynamic essays. Volunteer readers were enlightened with new ideas to take to their own municipalities, on how to better their Maryland communities, sometimes forgetting that the ideas came from a nine-year-old.

Please join us in congratulating the eleven winners of MML’s If I Were Mayor, I Would…essay contest, their teachers, and the municipalities they represent:

There's still time to encourage your local fourth grade classes to take part in the League's oldest and most popular ambassador program. Our "If I Were Mayor" essay contest has successfully educated 55,000+ Maryland students on the role of the Mayor and how local government works. Help students from your community participate in this fun civics exercise, by encouraging them to submit an essay.

The fuel of the "If I were Mayor" essay contest is our volunteer readers.  Each year dozens of volunteers help read nearly 3,000 essays, narrowing them down to only 11 winners. The window is now open for individuals interested in joining this year's virtual reading day, scheduled for March 19 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Reading Volunteer Registration

Our Engagement and Outreach volunteer readers were not daunted by the packets and packets of essays. Among them were 11 bright spots who had dared to tackle the topic of Preserving the Past to Power the Future - specifically, what events, beliefs or traditions they believed made their community/city/town what it is today. Which would they keep and which would they change?