By Counts                                              H.R. No. 109
       74R4236 SRD-F
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Since 1958 the World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up
    1-2  has taken place in Sweetwater, Texas, on the second weekend in
    1-3  March; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, Sponsored by the Sweetwater Jaycees, the event is
    1-5  held annually at the Nolan County Coliseum and attracts some 35,000
    1-6  visitors to Sweetwater each year; this year's round-up will be held
    1-7  on the weekend of March 10-12; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, Conceived by a group of area farmers and ranchers
    1-9  plagued by an abundance of rattlers, the event has grown over the
   1-10  past 30 years to be the world's largest round-up, with over 100
   1-11  tons of western diamondback rattlesnakes turned in to date; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, Highlights of the round-up include the rattlesnake
   1-13  review parade, snake handling demonstrations, snake hunting trips,
   1-14  the Rattlesnake Run, the Men's Beard Growing Contest, and a beauty
   1-15  contest where contestants compete for college scholarships donated
   1-16  by the Jaycees as well as for the title of Miss Snake Charmer; and
   1-17        WHEREAS, Snake milking techniques are also demonstrated
   1-18  continuously throughout the round-up, and the venom collected is
   1-19  used for medical cancer research and as an antidote to snakebite;
   1-20  and
   1-21        WHEREAS, In addition, the Sweetwater Jaycees sponsor dances
   1-22  held on Friday and Saturday nights and a cook shack that
   1-23  specializes in deep-fried western diamondback rattlesnake meat;
   1-24  over 4,000 pounds of rattlesnake meat are served annually; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, The uniqueness of the rattlesnake round-up regularly
    2-2  draws attention from media nationwide; the Sweetwater Jaycees are
    2-3  truly deserving of special legislative recognition for their
    2-4  sponsorship of this popular event; now, therefore, be it
    2-5        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th
    2-6  Legislature of the State of Texas hereby commend the Sweetwater
    2-7  Jaycees on their sponsorship of the World's Largest Rattlesnake
    2-8  Round-Up and extend to the Jaycees best wishes for a successful
    2-9  round-up this year; and, be it further
   2-10        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-11  prepared for the Sweetwater Jaycees as an expression of esteem by
   2-12  the Texas House of Representatives.