Become a Senate Honorary Page
Secretary of Senate's Phone: 503-986-1851
Visit the Secretary of Senate Website
Page service is a unique honor with a rich history. The first pages were actually apprentice knights. Pages served while they received scholastic, social and military education. Pages who successfully completed their studies then became squires and were allowed to continue their education. Hardworking squires were rewarded with the honor of knighthood. Pages were first associated with lawmaking bodies when they began appearing in royal courts. The term "honorary page" is applied to our guest attendants today because it recalls the honorable status and goals of pages in history.
Pages today have somewhat different roles. This page will give you a preliminary introduction to our program. When serving as a page, we hope that you will learn about legislative procedures and see firsthand the way the state legislature functions. Have a good time!
Qualifications:
Minimum age is 12 years old.
Scheduling:
Contact the Senator that represents your district. If you are not sure who the Senator is for your district, you can enter your address into the Who Represents Me In Oregon page to find out. The phone number for your Senator can be located through our legislative information number:
1-800-332-2313 or Secretary of the Senate's Office
503-986-1851. The Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms will send out written confirmation of the date and time of your visit. The Senate schedules only six honorary pages on any one day, so your date may be a few weeks away.
Dress Code:
Senate Rule 15.05 states that a dress code is established for those positions that support decorum and protocol of the Senate. Please be aware that when the honorary pages assist in the Senate Chamber during a floor session, they are in contact with elected officials and may be on television as part of the gavel-to-gavel coverage. We recommend clean, modest clothing respectful of the Oregon State Capitol, as well as comfortable shoes.
Hours:
Check in with the Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms on the Senate Floor when coming on duty. The day will begin with a detailed historical tour of the Capitol. During the daily floor session, you will have the opportunity to meet some of our Senators. Duties for honorary pages in the afternoon vary from such tasks as using a copy machine to filing and running errands. If you become separated from the group or are unable to complete a task, report back to the Senate floor immediately.
A typical day for an honorary page is from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. with a lunch period at noon. (There are fast food restaurants nearby as well as the Capitol Cafe in the basement of the Capitol Building.)
Decorum:
We look to parliamentary custom and basic courtesy to define the conduct of pages while on duty. The President of the Senate is responsible for the decorum of all personnel in the Senate Chamber. Supervision of the honorary pages is the responsibility of the Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms. Honorary pages will primarily serve the legislative needs of the Senators while in session, but you may also assist the committee staff and Senators' personal staff.
For further information, contact the Secretary of Senate's Office.
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Become a House Honorary Page
For information on our week-long Legislative Page Program, click here
Chief Clerk of the House Phone:
503-986-1870
Visit the Chief Clerk of the House Website
The House Honorary Page Program operates Monday-Thursday, from February to the first of June in the odd-numbered years, and Monday-Friday in the even-numbered years. An honorary page may serve for one day.
Page service is a unique honor with a rich history. The first pages were actually apprentice knights. Pages served while they received scholastic, social and military education. Pages who successfully completed their studies were then squires and allowed to continue their education. Hardworking squires were rewarded with the honor of knighthood. Pages were first associated with lawmaking bodies when they began appearing in royal courts. The term "honorary page" is applied to our daily guest attendants because it recalls the honorable status and goals of pages in history.
Pages today have somewhat different duties. This web site will give you a preliminary introduction to our program. As a page, we hope you will learn about the legislative process and your place in Oregon’s rich history. Have a good time!
Qualifications:
Honorary Pages are generally 12-18 years old.
Dress Code:
We ask that you dress appropriately for the occasion. You should dress in clean, modest clothing that is respectful to the Oregon State Capitol and the Legislative process. Comfortable shoes are always a good idea! (You will be standing and walking quite a bit).
- No jeans or shorts
- No T-shirts
Hours:
A typical day for an honorary page lasts from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with a lunch period around noon. All pages should check in with the OLEOO staff on the second floor directly in front of the House of Representatives Chamber
(see reception desk) when reporting for their day. A lunch will be provided; if you have any dietary requirements, please explain at the bottom of the
application (vegetarian options will be available).
Decorum:
The House of Representatives looks to parliamentary custom and basic courtesy to define the conduct of pages while on duty. Supervision of the honorary pages is the responsibility of the Honorary Page Coordinator. Honorary pages will primarily serve the legislative needs of the Representatives but may also assist committee staff during their day as a page.
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