[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 202 (Wednesday, October 20, 1999)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 56665-56666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27644]



[[Page 56663]]

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Part VII





The President





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Proclamation 7242--National Character Counts Week, 1999



Notice of October 19, 1999--Continuation of Emergency With Respect to 
Significant Narcotics Traffickers Centered in Colombia
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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 202 / Wednesday, October 20, 1999 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 56665]]

                Proclamation 7242 of October 16, 1999

                
National Character Counts Week, 1999

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The character of our citizens has enriched every aspect 
                of our national life and has set an example of civic 
                responsibility for people around the world. The 
                diligence and determination that are part of our 
                Nation's work ethic have strengthened our economy, and 
                the firm convictions of our spiritual leaders have 
                helped guide our communities, fostering unity, 
                compassion, and humility.

                In this dynamic time of unparalleled opportunity and 
                possibility, our children will encounter a variety of 
                new challenges that will test the strength of their 
                character and convictions. As the dawn of the new 
                millennium fast approaches, we must work together--
                parents, public officials, educators, entertainers, and 
                business and religious leaders--to impart to our youth 
                the core values they need to be good citizens.

                We know that parents play a critical role in imparting 
                moral values to their children. But in today's complex 
                and fast-paced society, when parents must spend longer 
                hours at work and more families are headed by a single 
                parent, parents have less time to spend with their 
                children--an average decrease of 22 hours a week over 
                the past 30 years, according to a report released this 
                spring by my Council of Economic Advisers. We must seek 
                innovative ways to address this problem and to promote 
                stronger families, including greater flexibility in 
                paid work hours, more affordable child care, and 
                increased support for low-income families.

                My Administration is committed to providing families 
                with the tools they need to fulfill their 
                responsibilities at home and at work. Our agenda 
                includes tripling our investment in after-school 
                programs through the 21st Century Community Learning 
                Center program and a historic initiative to make child 
                care better, safer, and more affordable for working 
                families. We are also working to expand the Family and 
                Medical Leave Act to cover more workers and to allow 
                leave for more parental activities, such as parent-
                teacher conferences and routine doctor visits.

                While Americans are striving to seize the opportunities 
                presented by this exciting new era, we must continue to 
                preserve the fundamental ideals and ethics that have 
                sustained our country for more than two centuries. By 
                sustaining these shared values and passing them on to 
                our children, we can realize our common hope for a more 
                just and honorable society and a brighter future for 
                the generations to come.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim October 17 through October 
                23, 1999, as National Character Counts Week. I call 
                upon the people of the United States, government 
                officials, educators, religious, community, and 
                business leaders, and the States to commemorate this 
                week with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and 
                programs.

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                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixteenth day of October, 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-fourth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 99-27644
Filed 10-19-99; 11:37 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P