[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 65 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E858-E859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LADY OF THE HAMPTONS

                                 ______


                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 7, 1995
  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the exceptional 
students at Our Lady of the Hamptons Regional Catholic School in 
Southampton, Long Island, NY, who will be inducted into the National 
Junior Honor Society on April 26.
  It comes as no surprise to me that the parents, teachers, and 
students at Our Lady of the Hamptons have produced such outstanding 
scholars and future community leaders. For years, Our Lady of the 
Hamptons has been known throughout eastern Long Island as an 
institution unrivaled for its dedication to educating young adults and 
providing them with the moral compass they will need to navigate their 
way through the rough seas of life. Last year, the President of the 
United States likewise recognized the accomplishments of this fine 
institution and named Our Lady of the Hamptons a Blue Ribbon School of 
Excellence.
  [[Page E859]] As a ``blue ribbon school,'' Our Lady of the Hamptons 
is a model for the entire Nation. While violence wrecks classrooms in 
other parts of the country and drugs infest school yards in both cities 
and suburbs, Our Lady of the Hamptons is a beacon of responsibility and 
success that shines as an example for students and teachers everywhere.
  What makes Our Lady of the Hamptons so unique, I believe, is its 
conviction that education is more than a matter of books and tests or 
homework and quizzes. Education at Our Lady of the Hamptons is 
ultimately about character. It's about morals and values. It is about 
learning the difference between right and wrong.
  At Our Lady of the Hamptons, success is not necessarily defined as a 
straight A-plus average. Rather, success is a combination of academic 
excellence and responsible leadership.
  These students chosen for membership in the National Junior Honor 
Society are certainly very intelligent, but more importantly, they are 
also role models for their peers. They are examples of decent and 
generous young adults.
  They have helped with lunch duty and they have organized food drives. 
They have made AIDS quilts to show their compassion for their brothers 
and sisters who are suffering, and they have distributed milk to their 
classmates during lunchtime. They have collected clothes and toys to 
send to their adopted classmates in Ecuador and they have helped their 
teachers on countless occasions just by their very example of good 
conduct.
  Through all of these acts of generosity both big and small, these 
exceptional students have proven that true leadership is about service. 
I was once told that the strongest people are those who share their 
strength with others. If that really is the case, and I do believe it 
is, these are some of the strongest people on the planet.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope the entire House of Representatives joins me in 
expressing well-deserved congratulations to these terrific students as 
well as their families, their teachers, and everybody else who makes up 
the wonderful community at Our Lady of the Hamptons. On behalf of all 
of our neighbors throughout eastern Long Island, I am truly proud to 
represent them in Congress.


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