By Hunter                                              H.R. No. 846

         75R13807 JHS-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, For 75 years, the Chisholm Trail Council has

 1-2     overseen the activities of the Boy Scouts of America in Texas' Big

 1-3     Country region, and this organization continues to play a vital

 1-4     role in the lives of the residents of the city of Abilene and the

 1-5     surrounding counties; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, The seeds of the council's history date back to

 1-7     March 1912, when Boy Scout Troop 1 was organized under the guidance

 1-8     of R. M. "Bob" Wagstaff, the troop's first scoutmaster; the success

 1-9     of this venture and the keen interest exhibited by the many young

1-10     men in Abilene led to the creation of a second troop in July of

1-11     that year; and

1-12           WHEREAS, The Chisholm Trail Council was officially

1-13     established on June 16, 1922, by three local leaders, Dr. Ray

1-14     Maddox, Sr., Dr. Willis P. Gerhart, and Mr. Fleming James; the

1-15     council expanded in 1926, becoming an area council, and today this

1-16     body oversees Boy Scout troops in the counties of Nolan, Fisher,

1-17     Stonewall, Taylor, Shackelford, Haskell, Jones, Callahan and

1-18     Coleman, as well as the northern part of Runnels County; and

1-19           WHEREAS, The dedicated members of this organization, both

1-20     past and present, have nurtured the scouting tradition in the Big

1-21     Country, allowing this unique opportunity to be experienced and

1-22     appreciated by a great many individuals, and this willingness to

1-23     make a commitment to our state's young citizens and to provide them

1-24     with valuable guidance is an example to Texans everywhere; now,

 2-1     therefore, be it

 2-2           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

 2-3     Legislature hereby honor the Chisholm Trail Council of the Boy

 2-4     Scouts of America for 75 years of service to the youth of the Big

 2-5     Country and commend the many fine individuals who have contributed

 2-6     to the success of this outstanding organization; and, be it further

 2-7           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

 2-8     prepared for the Chisholm Trail Council as an expression of high

 2-9     regard by the Texas House of Representatives.