HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 31 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE MARTIN. 6585H.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 31 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, Second 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 submitted to the Civics and Patriotic Workgroup at the Department 34 of Elementary and Secondary Education: 35 36 (1) By civic or veteran organizations, businesses, or interested individuals; 37 38 (2) By a school after a student's progression from grade six upward in participating 39 public schools, private schools, parochial schools, or homeschools; 40 41 (3) Before such student's graduation from grade twelve in a participating school; and 42 43 (4) By the nominating entity's or individual's submission of documentation that the 44 student qualifies for a Seal of Civic Recognition under the program; and 45 46 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a graduating senior shall be eligible for a 47 designated level of the Seal of Civic Recognition if such senior accomplishes the following: 48 49 (1) Complete at least two, four, or six school years of documented combined academic 50 instruction in functional moral and ethical local, state, and national governance, national and 51 world history, or curriculum selected by the Civics and Patriotic Workgroup at the 52 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; 53 54 (2) Engage in active participation in school governance and community civic 55 engagement through civic, veteran, and other community organizations; 56 57 (3) Participate in mentorship programming offered by local, state, and other 58 government officials and civil servants; HCR 31 3
59 60 (4) Participate in a school-, community-, or church-sponsored "Seal of Civic 61 Recognition Club or Team" focused on reinforcing and building on such educational 62 instruction and participatory activities, such as FFA, American Legion, Kiwanis, Adoremus, 63 and similar clubs and organizations; and 64 65 (5) Make a formal commitment to, upon graduation, participate for at least one year in 66 some form of community or national civic or military service; and 67 68 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a graduating senior who accomplishes the 69 requirements to be eligible for a Seal of Civic Recognition shall be awarded such Seal by the 70 Civics and Patriotic Workgroup at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in 71 the following designations: 72 73 (1) For completing at least two but fewer than four school years of the required 74 instruction, a Bronze Seal of Civic Recognition; 75 76 (2) For completing at least four but fewer than six school years of the required 77 instruction, a Silver Seal of Civic Recognition; and 78 79 (3) For completing at least six school years of the required instruction, a Gold Seal of 80 Civic Recognition; and 81 82 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a Seal of Civic Recognition will accompany 83 such student's high school diploma; and 84 85 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state encourages entities that nominated a 86 student who receives a Seal of Civic Recognition to provide some level of agreed-upon and 87 stipulated support for such student's future vocational or professional preparedness after the 88 student's matriculation, which support may be in the form of direct scholarship assistance, 89 mentoring, accommodations, apprenticeships, internships, or other similar incentives to aid 90 such student's progress toward professional or vocational advancement; and 91 92 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a student who is a recipient of a Seal of Civic 93 Recognition and who commits to serve our nation in military service directly or through 94 enlistment in a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program will receive a "Letter of HCR 31 4
95 Congratulations, Commendation, and State Gratitude" signed by the Governor, the Speaker of 96 the House of Representatives, and the Lieutenant Governor of the state of Missouri; and 97 98 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be sent to the Governor for his 99 approval or rejection pursuant to the Missouri Constitution. ✔