TITLE: Commending Robert L. Garner, Jr., founder of the African American National Spelling Bee Championships, Inc.

SUMMARY: Commending Robert L. Garner, Jr., founder of the African American National Spelling Bee Championships, Inc.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Through the establishment of the African American National Spelling Bee Championships, Inc., Robert L. Garner, Jr., is making a difference in the lives of many young people in the Houston area; and WHEREAS, Mr. Garner organized the Houston Inaugural Spelling Bee to encourage African American youth to learn about the origin and spelling of words, to increase their vocabularies, and to develop confidence; the event took place on May 14, 2011, at Jack Yates Senior High School, with middle school students from a number of institutions in the area participating; seventh-graders Mary Bello, Ashley Williams, and Niaha Dyson from Girls and Boys Prep Academy in Houston earned first-, second-, and third-place honors; and WHEREAS, Mr. Garner, a successful businessman, is a community advisor for Precinct 2 in Fort Bend County and also volunteers his time with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department; as a student he struggled with reading, but found that by focusing on his spelling, he was able to improve both his comprehension and his self-assurance; and WHEREAS, Seeking to move today's youth from the video store to the bookstore, this outstanding Texan has demonstrated his praiseworthy support of African American students in his community, and his efforts to reach and inspire young people are truly deserving of commendation; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby commend Robert L. Garner, Jr., founder of the African American National Spelling Bee Championships, Inc., and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Garner as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Elkins Straus Gonzales of Williamson Morrison Aliseda Gonzalez Munoz, Jr. Allen Gooden Murphy Alonzo Guillen Naishtat Alvarado Gutierrez Nash Anchia Hamilton Oliveira Anderson of Dallas Hancock Orr Anderson of McLennan Hardcastle Otto Aycock Harless Parker Beck Harper-Brown Patrick Berman Hartnett Paxton Bohac Hernandez Luna Pena Bonnen Hilderbran Perry Branch Hochberg Phillips Brown Hopson Pickett Burkett Howard of Fort Bend Pitts Burnam Howard of Travis Price Button Huberty Quintanilla Cain Hughes Raymond Callegari Hunter Reynolds Carter Isaac Riddle Castro Jackson Ritter Chisum Johnson Rodriguez Christian Keffer Schwertner Coleman King of Parker Scott Cook King of Taylor Sheets Craddick King of Zavala Sheffield Creighton Kleinschmidt Shelton Crownover Kolkhorst Simpson Darby Kuempel Smith of Harris Davis of Dallas Landtroop Smith of Tarrant J. Davis of Harris Larson Smithee S. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons Deshotel Lavender Strama Driver Legler Taylor of Collin Dukes Lewis Taylor of Galveston Dutton Lozano Thompson Eiland Lucio III Torres Eissler Lyne Truitt Elkins Madden Turner Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey Farrar Margo Villarreal Fletcher Marquez Vo Flynn Martinez Walle Frullo Martinez Fischer Weber Gallego McClendon White Garza Menendez Woolley Geren Miles Workman Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 2367 was adopted by the House on May 26, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House