[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 13 (Monday, January 23, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      TRIBUTE TO GOOD CITIZEN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER MARY ELLEN GREER

                                 ______


                           HON. CHARLIE ROSE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 23, 1995
  Mr. ROSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great achievement 
by a young person from North Carolina's 7th Congressional District, Ms. 
Mary Ellen Greer.
  On Saturday January 21, I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon in 
Southport, North Carolina, sponsored by the National Society of the 
Daughters of the American Revolution. This purpose of this luncheon was 
to honor the winners of the Good Citizens Scholarship Competition. I 
cannot tell you how encouraging it was to see so many patriotic young 
people with such a clear understanding of the responsibilities of 
citizenship.
  The winner from District IX was a young lady named Mary Ellen Greer, 
of Whiteville, North Carolina. Ms. Greer wrote an extraordinary essay 
entitled ``Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility to Preserve 
It.'' Mr. Speaker, I would like to share this essay with all of my 
colleagues, and, therefore, ask that it be printed in the Record.
      Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility To Preserve It

                         (By Mary Ellen Greer)

       In the early sixteenth century, a group of weary British 
     pilgrims landed on the Eastern shore of the New World. The 
     voyage had been a difficult one, the first of a long series 
     of hardships that would define the establishment of these 
     people as inhabitants of the 
     [[Page E160]] New World. Starvation, Indian attacks, and 
     disease wrecked havoc on the lives of these settlers. 
     Nevertheless, the pressed on, inspired by the promises of 
     this new land. They wanted to have a fresh start, to create a 
     way of life for themselves free of religious persecution and 
     oppressive royal rule. And they did survive, sowing the seeds 
     of a nation that would come to represent throughout the world 
     freedom, optimism, and equality.
       Well over three centuries have passed since these pilgrims, 
     full of hopes and dreams for the future, settled this new 
     land. During this time, a nation has emerged, larger and more 
     complex than its early settlements, but with the same dreams. 
     The United States of America has been built upon a foundation 
     of hard work, optimism, and trust in God. Its citizens are 
     valued as individuals, but it is cooperation that has made it 
     great. And now it has survived the test of time, standing as 
     a testament to the power of its dreams for all to see.
       Americans today not only have the responsibility to 
     preserve this rich heritage, but to learn from it also. 
     Unfortunately, as the nation has grown larger, so have its 
     problems. Today's Americans do not necessarily posses the 
     concern, hard work, and optimism of their forefathers. Many 
     have become apathetic, concerned only about their own lives 
     and believing that they cannot aid in the solutions to bigger 
     problems. The government has begun to lose touch with the 
     people, creating feelings of hostility and distrust between 
     citizens and their leaders. Persecution, too, exists here. 
     Americans are judged and treated unfairly by their fellow 
     Americans because of their religion, their color, or their 
     economic status. It seems as if, in some ways, America has 
     become just the thing from which its forefathers wished to 
     escape.
       There is hope, however, for there is one thing that this 
     nation cannot lose. And That is its heritage. This 
     ``heritage'' is not just a group of historical events. It is 
     not about wars, or presidential terms, or laws passed. Yes, 
     these events, good and bad, are important. They have shaped 
     this nation. But it is something much deeper, much more 
     timeless, that has really created this nation and kept it 
     alive through the centuries, and that is the American spirit. 
     The American spirit is a desire and a commitment to improve, 
     it encompasses qualities such as determination, cooperation, 
     integrity, and most of all, hope. It was alive in the hearts 
     of those first settlers even before they landed on this 
     continent, for the American spirit is not about the land, or 
     about the government and the historical events. It is about 
     the people, and that is the heritage of the United States of 
     America--the people.
       It is each person's realization of his or her individual 
     importance to this nation that will preserve this heritage 
     and enable the spirit of America to live on. Therefore, it is 
     every American's duty to support and aid in the institutions 
     that instill this heritage and responsibility--families, 
     schools, churches, civic groups, and the government itself.
       However, learning from the past does not mean living in the 
     past. Changes may be needed as the United States enters into 
     the twenty-first century, individual changes, and perhaps 
     more widespread changes also. Americans will not be 
     abandoning the past by considering small or even radical 
     changes, for that is exactly what its forefathers did when 
     they created this nation. It is by applying the attitudes and 
     dreams of our forefathers to ourselves today that we can 
     truly preserve the American heritage.
  


[[Page E161]]

                       SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate on February 
4, 1977, calls for establishment of a system for a computerized 
schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate committees, 
subcommittees, joint committees, and committees of conference. This 
title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate 
Daily Digest--designated by the Rules Committee--of the time, place, 
and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled, and any cancellations or 
changes in the meetings as they occur.
  As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this 
information, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this 
information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the 
Congressional Record on Monday and Wednesday of each week.
  Meetings scheduled for Tuesday, January 24, 1995, may be found in the 
Daily Digest of today's Record.

                           MEETINGS SCHEDULED

                               JANUARY 25
     9:30 a.m.
       Budget
         To hold hearings to review the Congressional Budget 
           Office annual report.
                                                            SD-608
       Finance
         To hold hearings to examine the national economic 
           outlook.
                                                            SD-215
       Governmental Affairs
         To hold hearings to examine Federal Government reform 
           issues, focusing on welfare reform.
                                                            SD-342
       Rules and Administration
         Business meeting, to mark up proposed legislation 
           authorizing biennial expenditures by standing, select, 
           and special committees of the Senate, and to consider 
           other pending legislative and administrative business.
                                                            SR-301
     10:00 a.m.
       Judiciary
       Constitution, Federalism, and Property Rights Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on S.J. Res. 19, proposing an amendment 
           to the Constitution of the United States relative to 
           limiting congressional terms.
                                                            SD-226
     2:00 p.m.
       Foreign Relations
         To continue hearings on the United States-North Korea 
           Nuclear Agreement.
                                                            SD-419
       Select on Intelligence
         To hold closed hearings on intelligence matters.
                                                            SH-219

                               JANUARY 26
     9:30 a.m.
       Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
         To hold hearings on proposed legislation authorizing 
           funds for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
                                                            SR-332
       Appropriations
       VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies Subcommittee
         To resume hearings to examine the management and 
           budgetary situation at the Department of Housing and 
           Urban Development.
                                                            SD-192
       Armed Services
         To hold hearings on the security implications of the 
           Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement with North Korea.
                                                            SR-222
       Budget
         To hold hearings on the nation's economic and budget 
           outlook.
                                                            SD-608
       Finance
         To hold hearings to examine the Federal budget outlook.
                                                            SD-215
       Labor and Human Resources
         To hold hearings on activities of the National Endowment 
           for the Arts.
                                                            SD-430
     10:30 a.m.
       Judiciary
         Business meeting, to consider pending calendar business.
                                                            SD-226
     2:00 p.m.
       Commerce, Science, and Transportation
         To hold oversight hearings on activities of the National 
           Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak).
                                                            SR-253
       Foreign Relations
         To continue hearings to examine the Mexico economic 
           situation and U.S. efforts to stabilize the peso.
                                                            SD-419

                               JANUARY 27
     9:30 a.m.
       Budget
         To hold hearings to examine government restructuring 
           proposals.
                                                            SD-608

                               FEBRUARY 1
     9:30 a.m.
       Governmental Affairs
         To continue hearings to examine Federal Government reform 
           issues, focusing on information management systems.
                                                            SD-342

                                MARCH 2
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Department of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192

                                MARCH 9
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the National Transportation Safety Board.
                                                            SD-192

                                MARCH 16
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Federal Highway Administration, 
           Department of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192

                                MARCH 23
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Federal Railroad Administration, 
           Department of Transportation, and the National 
           Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak).
                                                            SD-192

                                MARCH 30
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Federal Aviation Administration, 
           Department of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192

                                APRIL 27
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Federal Transit Administration, 
           Department of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192

                                 MAY 4
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the United States Coast Guard, Department 
           of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192

                             CANCELLATIONS

                               JANUARY 26
     10:00 a.m.
       Foreign Relations
         To hold hearings to examine the Mexico economic situation 
           and U.S. efforts to stabilize the peso.
                                                            SD-419
Vol. 141


WASHINGTON, MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 1995

No. 13


House of Representatives