[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E825]]
     A TRIBUTE TO MAGGIE STEWART FOR 50 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 12, 2004

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure 
today to pay tribute to a dear friend, Margaret Stewart of Upland, 
California, who has spent more than 50 years improving the lives of 
everyone around her as a selfless volunteer and inspirational community 
activist in San Bernardino County.
  Born and raised in Ontario, CA, Margaret married citrus rancher 
Walter E. Stewart, and raised three daughters in and near their 
hometown. She began her civic volunteering in 1949 with the Upland 
Junior Welfare League, and has been seemingly working harder ever year 
since that time.
  Maggie Stewart got her start in local politics in 1950, when she and 
Walt chartered the Chaffey District Young Republicans. That same year, 
they helped organize a sewer bond election, and two years later she 
helped organize a door-to-door campaign for a school bond election. 
Since that time, she has served as a campaign worker every 2 years for 
candidates for mayor, Assembly, Congress, governor and president.
  Her stature within our local Republican Party has grown to such an 
extent that she is often identified as the driving force in keeping the 
party growing and strong. She has been a member of the California State 
central committee since 1980 and served twice as the chairman of the 
county Republican Party. She has been president of the local Republican 
Women and has served as a Regent for the National Federation of 
Republican Women. And she was a delegate to three Republican National 
Conventions.
  Maggie has also spent nearly 50 years working with the Girl Scouts, 
representing U.S. Scouts in New Zealand, serving as Girl Scout Council 
president serving 26,000 Scouts, and organizing a national conference 
to help scouts learn public relations. She has been almost as active in 
the Parent-Teacher Association, serving as local president and in many 
other roles. The West End United Way presented Maggie with its 
leadership award for more than two decades of service in a variety of 
top positions.
  Mr. Speaker, as you can imagine, Maggie Stewart's awards and public 
recognition are numerous and substantial. She has been Scout of the 
Year, Woman of the Year, Senior Citizen of the Year, and a Woman 
Achiever. She received many justly deserved awards in 1983 for co-
chairing the year-and-a-half-long Centennial Celebration for the City 
of Ontario. For her latest tribute, she will be honored for 30 years of 
service to the San Antonio Community Hospital Auxiliary.
  There is little doubt, Mr. Speaker, that Maggie Stewart is the 
epitome of social service and volunteer activism. She has registered 
thousands of new voters, contributed many thousands of hours of time, 
and helped create a real spirit of community in one of the fastest-
growing areas of our nation. Please join me in saluting Maggie Stewart 
for her years of service, and wishing her well in all of her future 
endeavors.

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