H.R. No. 137 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) 1-2 is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping older 1-3 Americans achieve lives of independence, dignity, and purpose; and 1-4 WHEREAS, Founded in 1958 by the late Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, 1-5 the AARP is today the nation's oldest and largest organization of 1-6 older Americans, with a membership of more than 33 million 1-7 nationwide and nearly three million members in Texas alone; the 1-8 organization is open to anyone age 50 or older, both working and 1-9 retired, and more than one-third of its members are currently 1-10 active in the nation's workforce; and 1-11 WHEREAS, The organization's motto, "To serve, not to be 1-12 served," and its vision statement, "Bringing lifetimes of 1-13 experience and leadership to serve all generations," are supported 1-14 by the involvement of its members in community, state, and national 1-15 affairs; and 1-16 WHEREAS, The AARP strives to achieve a number of long-range 1-17 goals for older Americans, including universal access to 1-18 comprehensive and affordable health care, enhanced dignity and 1-19 equality for older Americans in the workforce, more research 1-20 designed to understand and meet the needs of an aging population, 1-21 and a reduction in poverty and increased economic security for 1-22 individuals as they age; and 1-23 WHEREAS, While working toward these worthy aspirations, the 1-24 association is providing valuable assistance to older Americans 2-1 each day in countless ways; the organization provides its members 2-2 with the nation's most widely circulated magazine, Modern Maturity, 2-3 and the AARP Bulletin throughout the year as well as a wide range 2-4 of specialized publications designed to cover topics of import to 2-5 its membership; and 2-6 WHEREAS, The organization also plays a pivotal role in 2-7 educating voters on issues of concern to senior citizens and the 2-8 community at large and develops legislative policy recommendations 2-9 that are intended to unify the objectives of its members into a 2-10 strong, collective voice that will command the attention of state 2-11 and federal leaders; and 2-12 WHEREAS, The AARP provides numerous other valuable services 2-13 to its members, including special group rates for various types of 2-14 insurance coverage, investment and travel programs, a vast array of 2-15 educational resources, health advocacy services, criminal justice 2-16 services, housing assistance, and a wide range of activities 2-17 designed to promote the concept of productive aging; and 2-18 WHEREAS, With their wisdom and experience, our state's older 2-19 citizens represent one of Texas' most precious resources and it is 2-20 indeed fitting that they be honored on this day, together with the 2-21 American Association of Retired Persons, for their many 2-22 contributions and accomplishments toward ensuring a brighter future 2-23 for all Texans; now, therefore, be it 2-24 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-25 Legislature hereby recognize Wednesday, February 8, 1995, as 2-26 American Association of Retired Persons Day at the Capitol and 2-27 encourage citizens from throughout the state to honor this esteemed 3-1 organization and the senior citizens of our state and nation for 3-2 their outstanding service to our society.