[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 22, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S3462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE'S SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, the Most Worshipful Grand 
Lodge, Masonic Architects of the Universe, Inc., Ancient Free and 
Accepted Masons, Electa Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star of 
Newark, NJ, will be awarding scholarships to at least 16 deserving 
students at its second annual Scholarship Banquet on May 18. Young 
people from New York; Connecticut; Washington, DC; and Essex and Hudson 
counties in New Jersey will be recognized during the evening's 
ceremonies. I congratulate all the scholarship recipients, and I 
encourage them to always strive for academic excellence. In the words 
of poet Muriel Ruyskier, I urge them to ``reach the limits of 
themselves, to reach beyond themselves.''
  Mr. President, education is the key that unlocks the door to the 
future. By the year 2000, 60 percent of all new jobs in America will 
require advanced technology skills. Anyone who does not have the 
required education will not be able to compete. Education isn't a 
luxury, it's a necessity.
  I know that the scholarships awarded by the Most Worshipful Grand 
Lodge will help the recipients face tomorrow's challenges. But I also 
hope that these awards will instill in the winners a love for 
education. In the 19th century Jewish ghettos of Eastern Europe, 
mothers used to pour a little honey on a book, in order to demonstrate 
to their children the sweetness of learning. And learning is sweet, 
because it enriches our lives; it opens our minds to new possibilities, 
and it allows us to fully enjoy the wonders of the universe.
  Mr. President, as we honor this year's scholarship winners, I also 
want to commend the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge for its outstanding 
community work, particularly in the area of education. Through its 
actions, the Grand Lodge demonstrates that not only does it take an 
entire village to raise a child, it takes an entire community to 
educate a child.
  I again congratulate all of the scholarship winners, and I wish them 
continued success as they continue on the path of knowledge and the 
path of life.

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