HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE WOLFIN. 2179H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT Relating to the Seal of Civic Recognition award.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
WHEREAS, the state of Missouri recognizes the core importance of education 2 focused on patriotism, ethics, morality, and civics; and 3 4 WHEREAS, the state celebrates commitment on a local, state, and national level on 5 the part of our state's graduating seniors; and 6 7 WHEREAS, the state desires to support such education and graduating seniors by 8 awarding a "State of Missouri Seal of Civic Recognition" to each senior who graduates from a 9 public school, private school, parochial school, or home school and who meets the specific 10 criteria for various levels of the Seal of Civic Recognition; and 11 12 WHEREAS, the state hopes and expects that such award will garner recognition of 13 such student's efforts in the form of scholarships, financial assistance, internships, 14 apprenticeships, and other similar awards to aid such student's pursuit of future education 15 and vocational or professional career opportunities; and 16 17 WHEREAS, to further support the state's matriculating students' embrace of a strong 18 ethical civic education, the state exhorts nominating entities and individuals to assist 19 recipients of a Seal of Civic Recognition in efforts to further vocational or professional 20 preparedness; and 21 HCR 16 2
22 WHEREAS, the state of Missouri desires to commend a commitment to our beautiful 23 state and this nation through service in the Armed Forces of the United States, with the full 24 and joyous expectation that, after such student's term of service to this state and our nation, 25 the student will be heartily welcomed home with open arms by a grateful citizenry: 26 27 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the House of 28 Representatives of the One Hundred Third General Assembly, First Regular Session, the 29 Senate concurring therein, hereby create the "State of Missouri Seal of Civic Recognition" 30 program; and 31 32 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that nominations for consideration for a Seal of 33 Civic Recognition may be filed: 34 35 (1) By civic or veteran organizations, businesses, or interested individuals; 36 37 (2) At any time after a student's progression from grade six upward in participating 38 public schools, private schools, parochial schools, or homeschools; 39 40 (3) Before such student's graduation from grade twelve in a participating school; and 41 42 (4) By the nominating entity's or individual's submission of documentation that the 43 student qualifies for a Seal of Civic Recognition under the program; and 44 45 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a graduating senior shall be eligible for a 46 designated level of the Seal of Civic Recognition if such senior accomplishes the following: 47 48 (1) Complete at least two, four, or six school years of documented combined academic 49 instruction in functional moral and ethical local, state, and national governance, national and 50 world history, or related curricula; 51 52 (2) Engage in active participation in school governance and community civic 53 engagement through civic, veteran, and other community organizations; 54 55 (3) Participate in mentorship programming offered by local, state, and other 56 government officials and civil servants; 57 HCR 16 3
58 (4) Participate in a school-, community-, or church-sponsored "Seal of Civic 59 Recognition Club" focused on reinforcing and building on such educational instruction and 60 participatory activities; and 61 62 (5) Make a formal commitment to, upon graduation, participate for at least one year in 63 some form of community or national civic or military service; and 64 65 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a graduating senior who accomplishes the 66 requirements to be eligible for a Seal of Civic Recognition shall be awarded such Seal in the 67 following designations: 68 69 (1) For completing at least two but fewer than four school years of the required 70 instruction, a Bronze Seal of Civic Recognition; 71 72 (2) For completing at least four but fewer than six school years of the required 73 instruction, a Silver Seal of Civic Recognition; and 74 75 (3) For completing at least six school years of the required instruction, a Gold Seal of 76 Civic Recognition; and 77 78 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a Seal of Civic Recognition will accompany 79 such student's high school diploma; and 80 81 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state encourages entities that nominated a 82 student who receives a Seal of Civic Recognition to provide some level of agreed-upon and 83 stipulated support for such student's future vocational or professional preparedness after the 84 student's matriculation, which support may be in the form of direct scholarship assistance, 85 mentoring, accommodations, apprenticeships, internships, or other similar incentives to aid 86 such student's progress toward professional or vocational advancement; and 87 88 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a student who is a recipient of a Seal of Civic 89 Recognition and who commits to serve our nation in military service directly or through 90 enlistment in a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program will receive a "Letter of 91 Congratulations, Commendation, and State Gratitude" signed by the Governor, the Speaker of 92 the House of Representatives, and the Lieutenant Governor of the state of Missouri; and 93 HCR 16 4
94 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be sent to the Governor for his 95 approval or rejection pursuant to the Missouri Constitution. ✔