[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 23, 1999)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 33737-33738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-16160]



[[Page 33735]]

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Part XI





The President





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Proclamation 7205--Father's Day, 1999
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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 23, 1999 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 33737]]

                Proclamation 7205 of June 18, 1999

                
Father's Day, 1999

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Each year on Father's Day, Americans take special joy 
                in remembering the many cherished moments they have 
                shared with their fathers through the years. Reading 
                stories before bedtime, playing catch after dinner, 
                camping out in the backyard, sharing driving lessons--
                at these moments and countless others throughout a 
                lifetime, devoted fathers are there to guide their sons 
                and daughters, to instill confidence in them, and to 
                provide for them and protect them in times of need.

                The impact of these moments on children's development 
                and future is immeasurable. Although children may not 
                understand it until they become parents themselves, 
                these are the times when fathers impart to their sons 
                and daughters strong values and teach them important 
                lessons about love, responsibility, faith, hard work, 
                and determination. In these moments, fathers imbue in 
                their children the strength and self-esteem they need 
                to achieve their full potential.

                As children grow and mature--from toddlers carried on 
                their fathers' shoulders to teenagers who need help 
                navigating the challenges of adolescence to young men 
                and women who need guidance on life, love, family, and 
                career--their relationships with their fathers change 
                as well. Yet, the need for a father's friendship and 
                wisdom continues to grow; and throughout all the 
                seasons of life, fathers remain role models, teachers, 
                heroes, and friends.

                Vice President Gore and I have challenged fathers to be 
                actively involved in their children's lives and to 
                provide both emotional and financial support. Last 
                June, the Vice President released a report showing that 
                children who grow up without fathers are more likely to 
                do poorly in school, to get into trouble with the law, 
                and to have difficulty in getting and keeping a job. 
                But our fathers cannot always meet their 
                responsibilities to their children without help. That 
                is why it is crucial that we lift up our fathers 
                through efforts like the reauthorization of the 
                Welfare-to-Work program so that more low income fathers 
                can work, pay child support, and become more involved 
                with their children.

                We can never truly repay our fathers--whether 
                biological, adoptive, foster, or stepfather--for their 
                many precious gifts to us, for their steadfast faith in 
                our potential and abilities, for their unwavering 
                devotion and unconditional love. We can, however, 
                express our deep appreciation for all they have done 
                and thank them for the many sacrifices they have made 
                to create a better life for us. There is no more 
                fitting national tribute to fathers than reserving a 
                day in their honor, and there is no more appropriate 
                celebration of their profound impact on the lives of 
                their children and the strength of our Nation.

[[Page 33738]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, in accordance with a joint 
                resolution of the Congress approved April 24, 1972 (36 
                U.S.C. 142a), do hereby proclaim Sunday, June 20, 1999, 
                as Father's Day. I invite the States, communities 
                across the country, and all the citizens of the United 
                States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies 
                and activities to express our deep appreciation and 
                abiding love for our fathers.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord 
                nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the 
                Independence of the United States of America the two 
                hundred and twenty-third.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 99-16160
Filed 6-22-99; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P