| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Through the establishment of the African American |
|
|
National Spelling Bee Championships, Inc., Robert L. Garner, Jr., |
|
|
is making a difference in the lives of many young people in the |
|
|
Houston area; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Garner organized the Houston Inaugural Spelling |
|
|
Bee to encourage African American youth to learn about the origin |
|
|
and spelling of words, to increase their vocabularies, and to |
|
|
develop confidence; the event took place on May 14, 2011, at Jack |
|
|
Yates Senior High School, with middle school students from a number |
|
|
of institutions in the area participating; seventh-graders Mary |
|
|
Bello, Ashley Williams, and Niaha Dyson from Girls and Boys Prep |
|
|
Academy in Houston earned first-, second-, and third-place honors; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Mr. Garner, a successful businessman, is a community |
|
|
advisor for Precinct 2 in Fort Bend County and also volunteers his |
|
|
time with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department; as a student |
|
|
he struggled with reading, but found that by focusing on his |
|
|
spelling, he was able to improve both his comprehension and his |
|
|
self-assurance; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Seeking to move today's youth from the video store |
|
|
to the bookstore, this outstanding Texan has demonstrated his |
|
|
praiseworthy support of African American students in his community, |
|
|
and his efforts to reach and inspire young people are truly |
|
|
deserving of commendation; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby commend Robert L. Garner, Jr., founder of the |
|
|
African American National Spelling Bee Championships, Inc., and |
|
|
extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for Mr. Garner as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
|
|
House of Representatives. |