[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 128 (Wednesday, October 5, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S11142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 266--DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2005, AS 
                        ``FAMILY HISTORY MONTH''

  Mr. HATCH submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 266

       Whereas it is the family, striving for a future of 
     opportunity and hope, that reflects our Nation's belief in 
     community, stability, and love;
       Whereas the family remains an institution of promise, 
     reliance, and encouragement;
       Whereas we look to the family as an unwavering symbol of 
     constancy that will help us discover a future of prosperity, 
     promise, and potential;
       Whereas within our Nation's libraries and archives lie the 
     treasured records that detail the history of our Nation, our 
     States, our communities, and our citizens;
       Whereas individuals from across our Nation and across the 
     world have embarked on a genealogical journey by discovering 
     who their ancestors were and how various forces shaped their 
     past;
       Whereas an ever-growing number of people in our Nation, and 
     in other nations, are collecting, preserving, and sharing 
     genealogies, personal documents, and memorabilia that detail 
     the life and times of families around the world;
       Whereas 54,000,000 individuals belong to a family where 
     someone in the family has used the Internet to research their 
     family history;
       Whereas individuals from across our Nation, and across the 
     world, continue to research their family heritage and its 
     impact upon the history of our Nation and the world;
       Whereas approximately 60 percent of Americans have 
     expressed an interest in tracing their family history;
       Whereas the study of family history gives individuals a 
     sense of their heritage and a sense of responsibility in 
     carrying out a legacy that their ancestors began;
       Whereas as individuals learn about their ancestors who 
     worked so hard and sacrificed so much, their commitment to 
     honor the memory of their ancestors by doing good is 
     increased;
       Whereas interest in our personal family history transcends 
     all cultural and religious affiliations;
       Whereas to encourage family history research, education, 
     and the sharing of knowledge is to renew the commitment to 
     the concept of home and family; and
       Whereas the involvement of national, State, and local 
     officials in promoting genealogy and in facilitating access 
     to family history records in archives and libraries are 
     important factors in the successful perception of nationwide 
     camaraderie, support, and participation: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the month of October 2005, as ``Family 
     History Month''; and
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
     the month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

                          ____________________