House Resolution 73

A RESOLUTION DESIGNATING APRIL 10, 2024, AS PINEY WOODS DAY AT THE CAPITOL.

WHEREAS, in the spring of 1909, Dr. Laurence C. Jones came to a poor section of Mississippi, located approximately 21 miles southeast of Jackson, Mississippi, known as the piney woods; and

WHEREAS, born in St. Joseph, Missouri, and educated at the University of Iowa, where he graduated in 1907, Dr. Jones saw the need for schooling among poor Black people in rural Rankin County, Mississippi, and he established The Piney Woods School with one student, but soon others came, young and old alike, with only a burning desire to learn, and the people in the area saw the earnestness and honesty of the young teacher, and they contributed lumber, nails, and small amounts of goods and money to the effort; and

WHEREAS, as an independent coeducational college preparatory boarding school, The Piney Woods School prepares students for leadership through an innovative, high-quality, academic and experiential learning program, and while its campus is uniquely situated in rural Mississippi, its students hail from more than 20 national and international states and jurisdictions; and

WHEREAS, The Piney Woods School is a campus learning community that extends nearly 2,000 acres, and it includes a 65-acre main campus, a 250-acre demonstration farm, several lakes and ponds, over 1,000 acres of wildlife and renewable timber, and much more, and the school's experiential learning program seeks to leverage these physical spaces, and its development of them, as opportunities to learn through projects and problem-solving, and in doing this, the campus is the classroom, and the lands are the laboratories; and

WHEREAS, the mission of The Piney Woods School is to provide excellence in education within a Christian community, through the creation of an exceptional academic model, which supports the tenet that all students can learn, develop a strong work ethic, and lead extraordinary lives through academic achievement and responsible citizenship, but may not have the opportunity to do so for financial or other reasons; and

WHEREAS, as a residential community of adults and young people, and with a vibrant alumni network of scholar-activists, Piney Woods is more than a school, it is a family, and its primary goal is to create a campus culture in which all people feel that they have a voice, value, and visibility, and where everyone's daily experiences are rich with ritualistic reminders of why Piney Woods is the place they belong; and

WHEREAS, in using one's talents in the service of creating a more just and equitable world, Piney Woods teaches that everything that is done must have an eye towards justice: socially, in order to commit to ensuring equality among people; environmentally, in order to commit to protecting the needs of the natural world; and spiritually, in order to commit to honoring each person's liberty of faith; and

WHEREAS, Piney Woods believes that it will be an enduring culture of enlightenment and a community in which all structures and systems are intentionally designed in order to facilitate both individual fulfillment, Christian charity, and collective harmony; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to commend extraordinary Mississippi academic institutions, especially those such as The Piney Woods School, whose dedication to academic excellence and commitment to its students brings honor to this illustrious school, and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby designate April 10, 2024, as Piney Woods Day at the Capitol.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the President of The Piney Woods School, Mr. Will Crossley, J.D. and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.