H.R. No. 8

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, America's first Greek-letter organization
	established by and for African American college women, Alpha Kappa
	Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, was founded on January 15, 1908, at
	Howard University; and
	WHEREAS, Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, along with 19 other courageous
	women, organized the social and service group, and today, the
	founders are affectionately known as the 20 Pearls; the sorority's
	official colors are salmon pink and apple green, and the ivy leaf
	and the AKA shield are its symbols; AKAs are known for their
	intelligence, beauty, elegance, charm, and quiet strength; and
	WHEREAS, The purpose of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is to
	cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to
	promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help
	alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve
	their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college
	life, and to be of service to all mankind; AKA is a member of the
	National Pan-Hellenic Council; and
	WHEREAS, For more than 100 years, sorority members have
	fulfilled their mission to serve others through a network of over
	200,000 women in more than 975 chapters in the United States, the
	Caribbean, Canada, Germany, Korea, and Japan and on the continent
	of Africa; together they have made a positive difference in the
	areas of civil rights, education, economic empowerment, and health;
	and
	WHEREAS, In 2008, AKA implemented a National Voter
	Registration Blitz and "Take Five" Program, which resulted in the
	registration of more than 120,000 voters nationwide; during those
	campaigns, 1,350 Texas Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members contacted
	some 60,000 potential voters and distributed 11,250 voter
	registration cards; in the end, more than 6,000 Texans were
	registered to vote, thanks to the efforts of AKA members, who also
	provided transportation to the polls for approximately 5,000
	voters; and
	WHEREAS, Barbara A. McKinzie, who serves as the 27th
	international president, works to promote the sorority's current
	theme of ESP: Economics, Service, and Partnerships; she is
	supported by several regional directors, including Gwendolyn J.
	Brinkley of Houston, who serves as the 23rd director of the South
	Central Region; and
	WHEREAS, AKA counts among its membership Texas state
	representative Dawnna Dukes, District 46; Texas state
	representative Dr. Alma Allen, District 131; Texas state
	representative Senfronia Thompson, District 141; retired Texas
	state representative Wilhelmina Delco, District 50; Denise Davis,
	Texas House parliamentarian; United States congresswoman Sheila
	Jackson Lee, 18th Congressional District of Texas; and former Texas
	state senator and Texas state representative and current United
	States congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, 30th Congressional
	District of Texas; and
	WHEREAS, The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority continues to prove
	its relevance and its ability to stand the test of time with grace
	and strength, and it is indeed a pleasure to commend its members for
	their many outstanding endeavors; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
	Legislature hereby recognize April 27, 2009, as Alpha Kappa Alpha
	Day at the State Capitol and extend to all Texas AKA members sincere
	best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, as an
	expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
	Dukes
	Thompson
	Allen
	Straus Gattis Menendez
	Allen Geren Merritt
	Alonzo Giddings Miklos
	Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
	Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
	Anderson Guillen Moody
	Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
	Berman Hamilton Naishtat
	Bohac Hancock Oliveira
	Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
	Bonnen Harless Orr
	Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
	Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
	Burnam Hernandez Patrick
	Button Herrero Paxton
	Callegari Hilderbran Peña
	Castro Hochberg Phillips
	Chavez Hodge Pickett
	Chisum Homer Pierson
	Christian Hopson Pitts
	Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
	Cook Hughes Riddle
	Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
	Crabb Isett Ritter
	Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
	Creighton Jones Rose
	Crownover Keffer Sheffield
	Darby Kent Shelton
	Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
	Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
	Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
	Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
	Edwards Legler Thibaut
	Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
	Eissler Lewis Truitt
	Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
	England Madden Turner of Harris
	Farabee Maldonado Vaught
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Marquez Villarreal
	Fletcher Martinez Vo
	Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
	Flynn McCall Weber
	Frost McClendon Woolley
	Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 8 was adopted by the House on April
	27, 2009, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House