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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 78
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to |
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recognize the State of Texas Anniversary Remembrance Day |
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Foundation's Texas Bison Student Study Group for its efforts to |
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launch the Official State Bison Herd of Texas Fund; and |
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas Anniversary Remembrance Day |
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Foundation, also known as the STAR Day Foundation, was organized |
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on July 31, 1998, as a nonprofit organization to carry out the |
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legislative intent of the STAR Day bill, S.B. 1656, Acts of the |
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76th Legislature, 1999, which was filed at the request of a |
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Galveston County seventh grade student and originally proposed |
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in a Texas history class paper; the foundation's mission is to |
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plan, develop, and conduct an appropriate and patriotic State of |
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Texas birthday celebration on February 19 of each year in |
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partnership with Texas schools and other organizations to |
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inspire a greater appreciation for the history of the state; and |
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WHEREAS, The STAR Day Foundation has since 2000 organized |
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and sponsored student study groups as after-school enrichment |
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programs to provide students with the opportunity to plan and |
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conduct STAR Day celebration programs at their respective schools |
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and to study topics related to conservation, preservation, and |
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restoration; and |
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WHEREAS, Among those study groups are the Texas Silver |
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Student Study Group, which was organized in the Presidio |
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Independent School District at Lucy Rede Franco Middle School in |
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2006 to explore and discover the science, technology, |
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engineering, and mathematical principles of mining being |
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implemented at the Shafter Silver Mine in Presidio County; the |
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study group worked to effect the designation of silver as the |
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official State Precious Metal of Texas during the 80th Texas |
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Legislature in 2007; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Bison Student Study Group was organized |
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at the same school on September 12, 2010, to study the history and |
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origin of the Texas Plains bison, especially the official State |
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Bison Herd of Texas at Caprock Canyons State Park; additional |
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goals of the group were to study the history and culture of Native |
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American people who hunted bison, to study and evaluate the |
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feasibility of the use of Texas bison meat as a component of |
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school lunch programs, to investigate and propose ways to raise |
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funds to support the conservation work of the official State |
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Bison Herd of Texas management team at Caprock Canyons State |
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Park, and to plan, develop, and conduct expeditions to visit the |
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state park and Texas bison ranches to see bison and experience |
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bison ranching firsthand; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Bison Student Study Group worked with |
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legislators to achieve the designation of the Goodnight Texas |
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Plains Bison Herd at Caprock Canyons State Park as the official |
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State Bison Herd of Texas during the 82nd Texas Legislature in |
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2011; during the 83rd Texas Legislature in 2013, the group also |
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successfully advocated for the designation of September 12 as |
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Mary Ann "Molly" Goodnight Day and March 5 as Charles Goodnight |
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Day to honor and recognize both individuals for leading the |
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effort to save the herd now known as the official State Bison Herd |
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of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, The Official State Bison Herd of Texas Fund was |
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proposed by the Texas Bison Student Study Group in 2012 as a |
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collaborative long-term statewide fund-raising effort to |
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establish and maintain a permanent endowment fund whose annual |
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interest shall be presented as a grant by the STAR Day Foundation |
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on September 12 each year to the management team at Caprock |
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Canyons State Park to assist in their efforts to save the |
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official State Bison Herd of Texas as a state treasure for the |
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people of Texas; the fund was formally announced during the |
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annual Spirit of STAR Day celebration conducted on STAR Day, |
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February 19, 2013, in the Texas State Capitol Rotunda; and |
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WHEREAS, Since silver is now the official State Precious |
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Metal of Texas, the STAR Day Foundation is initiating an economic |
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development effort to create an Official State Bison Herd of |
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Texas Donation Coin minted from pure silver mined from the Shafter |
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Silver Mine in Presidio County to be offered as a donation premium to |
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donors supporting the Official State Bison Herd of Texas Fund; and |
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WHEREAS, The Official State Bison Herd of Texas Fund is |
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being formally launched by the STAR Day Foundation and its |
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volunteers on Mary Ann "Molly" Goodnight Day, September 12, 2013, |
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at Caprock Canyons State Park; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd |
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Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commend the STAR Day |
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Foundation and congratulate the Texas Bison Student Study Group |
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and its volunteers on their efforts to launch the Official State |
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Bison Herd of Texas Fund and extend to all sincere best wishes for |
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success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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the Texas Bison Student Study Group and the STAR Day Foundation |
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as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate. |
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Rodriguez |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on July 25, 2013. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |