House Resolution 50

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING CHARLES "SMARTY PANTS" KING, JR., FOR HIS MANY YEARS OF PASSIONATE DEDICATION TO ENLIGHTEN AND INSPIRE YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI AND CONGRATULATING HIM UPON HIS RETIREMENT.

WHEREAS, for over 30 years, Charles "Smarty Pants" King, Jr., has inspired youth throughout this state by teaching them the importance of having an education, the importance of loving themselves, and giving practical life surviving techniques; and

WHEREAS, on December 17, at 10:30 a.m., "Smarty Pants" said goodbye at the Global Connection Daycare Center located in the Jackson Medical Mall, and announced his retirement; and

WHEREAS, in 1980, Charles King created Smarty Pants Educational Services using his unique techniques to teach children and chose the elephant as the face of the organization because in his words, "It's the largest land mammal,"; and

WHEREAS, "Smarty Pants" uses magic, brain teasers and art work to teach, as his business is so unique to him that he legally added "Smarty Pants" to his name, thus placing Charles "Smarty Pants" Henry King, Jr., on his birth certificate; and

WHEREAS, also an artist, he utilizes his artistic skills to use many of his 2,000 pieces of artwork to teach children by disguising puzzles or riddles or symbols in his artwork; and

WHEREAS, one of his pieces, for example, is an elaborate collage illustration of objects and symbols, each object carrying a tiny letter, each letter corresponds to a key, which accompanies the piece and touts a historical event or fact and Mr. King says he used this piece to teach gang members black history; and

WHEREAS, he is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, but spent much of his childhood in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he did not feel like he learned to think in school, and was an optimistic kid with a lot of imagination who believed his teachers stifled his creativity by telling him, "No, you can't do it that way."; and

WHEREAS, these experiences motivated him to create a business that allowed him to teach children to think—not more like him, but think using their own imagination; and

WHEREAS, he moved to Mississippi to care for his grandfather, but continued to grow the company and took the "catch them where they are" approach to teaching children, understanding that each child learns differently and that teachers must adapt; and

WHEREAS, visiting schools around the state, Mr. King teaches kids everything from how to stay drug free to techniques that maximize learning, teaching by his guiding principle: "If a child can't learn the way I teach, then I must learn to teach the way he can learn."; and

WHEREAS, it is most appropriate that we celebrate the efforts of Mississippians who teach and inspire our youth, who are this state's future:

NOW, THEREFORE, on behalf of the House of Representatives of the State of Mississippi, we do hereby commend Mr. Charles "Smarty Pants" King, Jr., for his dedication to educate and inspire Mississippi children and congratulate him upon his retirement.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Mr. Charles "Smarty Pants" King, Jr., and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.