House Resolution 42

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE GFWC-MISSISSIPPI FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS, INC., FOR ITS DILIGENT SERVICE TO THE MISSISSIPPI AUTHORITY FOR EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION.

WHEREAS, in and before 1969 GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs, Inc., recognized the need in Mississippi for a statewide system of educational television in order to bring instructional television to the schools and students of this state, as well as the desirability of allowing educational, literary, historical and similar programming which was not then being offered by commercial stations and further realized the availability of television licenses for that purpose; and

WHEREAS, GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs, Inc., formed a consortium with educators and others interested in a better and more efficient instruction of our children in order to foster the establishment of statewide educational television for the state and secure for the state the available licenses; and

WHEREAS, GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs, Inc., along with its consortium partners began a campaign to inform the public and the Legislature of the desirability of establishing a system of statewide public television and radio; and

WHEREAS, the efforts resulted in the establishment of the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television under Chapter 31, Laws of 1969, Extraordinary Session; and

WHEREAS, GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs, Inc., continued its interest in educational television through the construction of the basic statewide system beginning with the Jackson station and ending with the Booneville station; and

WHEREAS, the work and foresight of the consortium of which GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs, Inc., was a part, along with the legislative committees, resulted in the location of eight television transmitters in a manner to provide coverage to the entire state with the fewest transmitters feasible; and

WHEREAS, this transmitter location was available to allow the addition of statewide public radio when it became feasible to do so, in addition to also allowing the establishment of the Radio Reading Service of Mississippi, which provides audio services, including the reading of the daily newspapers to the blind and print-handicapped citizens of the State of Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, for the services it has provided, GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs, Inc., has allowed Mississippi to become among the first states to have such statewide service, further allowing the establishment of the first state-wide system of National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio stations, which provide tornado and other warnings as well as weather and related hazard alerts and bulletins; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize the efforts of GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs, Inc., which have over many years been greatly beneficial to the schools, students and citizens of this state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs, Inc., on its diligent service to the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television, the citizens of this state, in the area of educational television, public radio and related endeavors and extend our heartiest wishes for success in all its future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the officers of GFWC-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs, Inc., on behalf of its members and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.