Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 13

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 13-Senators Mathews, Adler, Augustine, Coffin, Jacobsen, James, McGinness, Neal, O'Connell, O'Donnell, Porter, Raggio, Rawson, Regan, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Titus, Townsend, Washington and Wiener

February 26, 1997
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Read and adopted

SUMMARY--Commemorates the 100th anniversary of Parent-Teacher Association. (BDR R-1477)

EXPLANATION - Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is material to be omitted.

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION--Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Parent-Teacher Association.

Whereas, The National Parent-Teacher Association was founded by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst under the name "National Congress of Mothers" in 1897, in Washington, D.C.; and
Whereas, The National Parent-Teacher Association is the oldest and largest volunteer association in the United States working exclusively on behalf of the youth of our nation; and
Whereas, The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) was established in the State of Nevada in 1940; and
Whereas, During its first year as an organization, the PTA promoted cooperation between parents and teachers, advocated sex education and lobbied for a national health bureau; and
Whereas, Throughout 1910 to 1919, the PTA urged that kindergarten be included in the educational system, asked parents to supervise their children when attending moving pictures and began to serve hot lunches to children during school through its local chapters; and
Whereas, In the 1930's, the PTA sponsored a special nutrition project and emergency services aimed at preventing children from suffering from hunger during the Great Depression, and it also conducted studies of automobiles and school buses with regard to the safety of children; and
Whereas, In the 1940's, the PTA launched a nationwide school lunch program, became one of the first nongovernmental organizations to support the establishment of the United Nations and created a new university project to instruct teachers in methods of enhancing relationships between schools and parents; and
Whereas, In the 1950's, the PTA called a national conference to address the use of narcotics and drug addiction in youth, helped field test and win support for the Salk Polio Vaccine and promoted health supervision of children from early childhood through high school; and
Whereas, In the 1960's, the PTA publicized the dangerous effects of smoking, helped enact legislation in child protection and toy safety, promoted education in the arts through a nationwide cultural arts program and focused on improved relations between parents and schools in low-income areas; and
Whereas, In the 1970's, the PTA expanded its outreach program to include information to combat alcohol abuse by the youth of our country, called upon parents to share in decision making in schools, began a project to oppose violence on television, opened its Office of Governmental Relations in Washington, D.C., and invited students to sit on the National PTA Board of Directors; and
Whereas, In the 1980's, the PTA fought for legislation requiring automobile safety belts and child restraint devices, created a project for the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse, focused more attention on children and families in the inner cities and created the national HIV/AIDS educational program for parents; and
Whereas, In the 1990's, the PTA convened a national summit on parental involvement and became a major force in adding such involvement to the National Education Goals calling on local school districts to make parents equal partners in their children's education; and
Whereas, National concern about children is essential, but ultimately the responsibility for keeping children safe and healthy continues to fall on each parent; and
Whereas, The PTA fulfills the greatest need by providing a link between parents and educators, parents and government and parents and the legal system, to ensure that the best interests of children are served; and
Whereas, Seven million members nationwide and 30,000 members statewide will continue advocating on behalf of children, education and parents into the next century; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly Concurring, That the members of the 69th session of the Nevada Legislature do hereby commemorate the Parent-Teacher Association on its 100th anniversary as a national organization; and be it further
Resolved, That the Parent-Teacher Association is hereby commended for its support and efforts on behalf of our youth before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting the youth of our country; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a copy of this resolution to Debbie Smith, President of the Parent-Teacher Association of Nevada and Joan Dykstra, President of the National Parent-Teacher Association.