It’s fair to say that most residents of St. Clair County have never attended a meeting of the county commission. That’s not a criticism — after all, we elect the commissioners to take care of county business for us while we go about earning our living. But last week a select group of high school students did visit the commission, not only attending the regular meeting but also spending part of the day with individual commissioners.

The students were participants in the annual Student Government Day and had been elected county Commissioners from their schools. Being chosen for the program was an honor for the students, but with it came an introduction to one of the responsibilities of citizenship and an opportunity to see their government in action that is, perhaps, more rare than it should be.

Congratulations to all the students who took part. We hope to see some of you back in the courthouse in a few years, taking your seats on the commission, but this time elected by your fellow citizens.