[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6119]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            CELEBRATING BETHESDA ACADEMY'S 275TH ANNIVERSARY

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                     HON. EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2015

  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the 
275th Anniversary of Bethesda Academy, Savannah's iconic boarding and 
day school for boys in grades six through 12.
  Bethesda Academy was founded in 1740 by Reverend George Whitefield as 
a home for boys, and it has the distinction of being America's oldest 
child caring institute. This values-laden educational institution has 
raised the bar when it comes to educating Georgia's young men, strongly 
emphasizing Whitefield's founding mission to teach ``a love for God, a 
love of learning and a strong work ethic.'' Today, Bethesda Academy is 
an AdvancEd accredited institute with 95 percent of its students 
graduating on time and 87 percent going on to higher education.
  Designing its curriculum around the way that the boys learn most 
effectively, Bethesda Academy features a wildlife management program, 
an on-site video production studio, an organic farming program and a 
nationally-ranked chess team. Bethesda does not receive any state 
funding to operate and depends largely on private donations, external 
scholarship programs such as the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program, 
annual fundraising, and a collection of on-campus business enterprises 
that cumulatively help meet the school's annual budget. Though the 
school has faced many challenges over the years due to funding, 
Bethesda has evolved into a thriving and award-winning middle and high 
school.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to commemorate 
the 275th Anniversary of Bethesda Academy. With a wide range of 
academic, athletic, vocational and spiritual development opportunities, 
there is no doubt that Bethesda is preparing these young men for future 
success in life.

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