[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       SET A GOOD EXAMPLE CONTEST

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                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 9, 2004

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the community 
of Harlingen, Texas, where area children are recognized for doing good 
deeds in their homes, schools, and communities.
  With school resources so overtaxed, our community has partnered with 
the Concerned Businessmen's Association of America to sponsor the 
Harlingen area's Set A Good Example Contest, offered to all children 
from the surrounding communities.
  The original school contest was launched in 1982 to recognize schools 
supporting student-oriented programs that positively influence other 
students by promoting moral values such as honesty, trustworthiness, 
responsibility, competence, and fairness.
  The Concerned Businessmen's Association of America is a non-profit 
educational organization incorporating successful business strategies 
to combat the social ills and problems that face young people.
  We watch our children with new eyes every day, wondering what is 
going on inside their minds and what motivates them. The Harlingen 
community's parents, business people, educators, counselors--and most 
importantly, children themselves--are working together to ward off 
problems that are plaguing society today.
  The best messenger for young people is other young people. There will 
never be one single answer to preparing our children to withstand the 
complex social issues they encounter each day. But future behavior, 
future understanding, will be based on the foundation our communities 
provide now.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the people of Harlingen, 
Former Mayor Connie De La Garza, and Mayor Rick Rodriguez for their 
efforts to be part of the solution to a problem that affects all of us 
in America. I thank them for leading the way to a better world for us 
all.

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