HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, On January 29, 1997, participants in the Tarrant 1-2 County Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Program will be in Austin to 1-3 commemorate Children's Advocacy Day at the Capitol, and this 1-4 presents a welcome opportunity for the Texas Legislature to honor 1-5 this innovative and unique community program; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Currently operating in five Texas counties, the 1-7 Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Program offers at-risk minority males an 1-8 opportunity to broaden their horizons through education, 1-9 discipline, and community service; the program draws on the 1-10 remarkable history of late 19th century African-American soldiers, 1-11 whose courage and strength inspired native tribes to assign them 1-12 the name of their most sacred animal, the buffalo; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Through a series of field trips, tutorials, and 1-14 structured classes, participants build character and self-esteem 1-15 while learning critical life skills; special focus is put on 1-16 preserving the history and traditions of the original Buffalo 1-17 Soldiers, and to this end the program includes a week-long 1-18 encampment at one of the historic forts where the soldiers were 1-19 stationed; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Public service is also a key component, and the 1-21 young men participating in the Tarrant County program have already 1-22 had a tremendous positive impact on their community; they have 1-23 adopted a local park and a section of road, pledging to maintain 1-24 these areas and keep them free from litter, and their work with the 2-1 Heritage Estates Nursing Home and the Metroplex Food Bank has 2-2 brightened the lives of numerous Tarrant County residents; and 2-3 WHEREAS, Thanks to the hard work and dedication of its 2-4 participants, the program has already achieved great success, and 2-5 in its first year, it has been nominated as an Exemplary Program; 2-6 and 2-7 WHEREAS, The Buffalo Soldiers of the 19th century set a new 2-8 standard of honor, courage, and service for their fellow servicemen 2-9 to emulate, and today, the young men of the Tarrant County Buffalo 2-10 Soldiers Heritage Program are setting a similar example for their 2-11 peers; their commitment to excellence is a fitting tribute to their 2-12 predecessors, and they are indeed deserving of praise and 2-13 recognition at this time; now, therefore, be it 2-14 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-15 hereby honor the participants in the Tarrant County Buffalo 2-16 Soldiers Heritage Program and extend to them warmest best wishes 2-17 for continued success and happiness in the future; and, be it 2-18 further 2-19 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-20 prepared for the Tarrant County Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Program 2-21 as an expression of highest regard by the Texas House of 2-22 Representatives and Senate. Lewis of Tarrant Laney Gutierrez Oliveira Alexander Haggerty Olivo Allen Hamric Palmer Alvarado Hartnett Patterson Averitt Hawley Pickett Bailey Heflin Pitts Berlanga Hernandez Place Bonnen Hightower Price Bosse Hilbert Puente Brimer Hilderbran Rabuck Burnam Hill Ramsay Carter Hinojosa Rangel Chavez Hirschi Raymond Chisum Hochberg Reyna of Bexar Christian Hodge Reyna of Dallas Clark Holzheauser Rhodes Coleman Horn Rodriguez Cook Howard Roman Corte Hunter Sadler Counts Hupp Seaman Crabb Isett Serna Craddick Jackson Shields Cuellar Janek Siebert Culberson Jones of Lubbock Smith Danburg Jones of Dallas Smithee Davila Junell Solis Davis Kamel Solomons Delisi Keel Staples Denny Keffer Stiles Driver King Swinford Dukes Krusee Talton Dunnam Kubiak Telford Dutton Kuempel Thompson Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Tillery Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Torres Eiland Longoria Turner of Coleman Elkins Luna Turner of Harris Farrar McCall Uher Finnell McClendon Van de Putte Flores McReynolds Walker Gallego Madden West Galloway Marchant Williams Garcia Maxey Williamson Giddings Merritt Wilson Glaze Moffat Wise Goodman Moreno Wohlgemuth Goolsby Mowery Wolens Gray Naishtat Woolley Greenberg Nixon Yarbrough Grusendorf Oakley Zbranek _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 4 was adopted by the House on January 29, 1997, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 4 was adopted by the Senate on March 25, 1997, by a viva-voce vote. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________ Date _____________________ Governor