House Resolution 103

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH CHALLENGE PROGRAM FOR ITS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITH MISSISSIPPI'S YOUTH AND CONGRATULATING ITS 37th CLASS OF CHALLENGE FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO BECOMING MORE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS.

WHEREAS, the mission of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program is to intervene in and reclaim the lives of 16 to 18 year old high school dropouts, producing program graduates with the values, life skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as productive citizens; and

WHEREAS, the Mississippi Chapter of ChalleNGe was founded in 1994 and has graduated 7,233 cadets from the program over the past 18 1/2 years of its existence, and is now conducting its 38th class; and

WHEREAS, the Mississippi chapter's diligent commitment to the youth of this state has caused it to be recognized twice as the "Best Overall" National Guard ChalleNGe Program in the nation; and

WHEREAS, most noteworthy is the tremendous assistance provided by cadets over the years during natural disasters, such as the 1995 Jordan River flooding, the 1998 Hurricane Georges, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, the 2009 Magee Tornado, the 2011 Smithville Tornado and the 2013 Hattiesburg Tornado; and

WHEREAS, most recently, the members of the 37th class of ChalleNGe consisted of 221 graduates, who distinguished themselves by accomplishing many of the goals set by the program, 153 cadets earned GEDs, 39 cadets participated in college classes and earned up to 15 semester hours of college credits from William Carey University during the residential ChalleNGe phase, 14 cadets completed building trades, 13 cadets completed the Occupation Safety and Health Training Course with a Welding Core Certification, and 4 cadets received certification as Microsoft Word Specialists; and

WHEREAS, especially impressive and beneficial to our state were the 21,100 hours of community service performed by the 37th class, with an average of 95 hours for each graduate, with such hours of work being valued at over $153,000.00, if the hours were subject to minimum wage payment; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the community service hours, Class 37 supported the activities of notable nonprofit causes, such as the 2012 American Cancer Society "Relay for Life" and the Red Cross Blood drives, to name a few; and

WHEREAS, this noteworthy 37th class also had an outstanding drill team and drum corps, as they performed in 9 parades in various areas across the state and won second place in the 2012 Hattiesburg Jaycees Christmas Parade; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and commend organizations, especially associated with our military, that work hard with the youth of our state that are often forgotten or swept under the rug by society:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the Mississippi National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program for its many accomplishments with our youth and congratulate Class 37 for its commitment to becoming more productive citizens.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Mississippi National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.