H.R. No. 207



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, On April 28, 2006, the El Paso Mission Trail 
Association is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the group's 
founding; and
	WHEREAS, This notable community organization has spent two 
decades promoting and preserving the historical resources of the El 
Paso area and educating the public about the forces and events that 
have shaped the region; and
	WHEREAS, The centerpiece of the association's activities is 
the El Paso Mission Trail, a renowned sightseeing route that 
includes the historic sites of the Ysleta and Socorro Missions, 
both originally established in 1682, which were the first permanent 
European settlements in Texas; moreover, the Mission Trail also 
includes the Chapel of San Elizario, another important site, which 
was founded in 1789; and
	WHEREAS, Among the association's many other accomplishments 
is its role in the creation of the well-known First Thanksgiving 
reenactment that is held each year at San Elizario to commemorate 
the arrival of Juan de Oñate and other Spanish colonists, who passed 
through the area in 1598 on their way to found settlements in New 
Mexico; and
	WHEREAS, Successful initiatives such as these were due in 
large part to the enlightened foresight of the men and women who 
founded the organization and served on the original board of 
directors: Sheldon Hall, who was the group's first president, Pat 
Brink, H. W. (Skip) Clark, Ann Enriquez, Cynthia Faran, Leon Metz, 
Frank Smith, and John West; and
	WHEREAS, These industrious community leaders and the other 
members of the El Paso Mission Trail Association have done a great 
service for El Paso and the State of Texas by presenting history in 
a lively, firsthand manner, and in so doing, they have made a 
generation of Lone Star residents and visitors more aware of the 
region's poignant past; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor the 20th anniversary of the founding of 
the El Paso Mission Trail Association and extend to its members 
sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.

                                                                     Quintanilla

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 207 was adopted by the House on April 
27, 2006, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House