Florida Senate - 2010 (Corrected Copy) SR 108 By Senator Bullard 39-00182A-10 2010108__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution expressing affection for and gratitude to 3 all fathers. 4 5 WHEREAS, in 1909 Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, 6 first had the idea of a “father’s day” while listening to a 7 Mother’s Day sermon, and 8 WHEREAS, Sonora Dodd realized the strength, courage, and 9 selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a 10 single parent, and thus chose to hold the first Father’s Day 11 celebration in Spokane, Washington, on the 19th of June, 1910, 12 and 13 WHEREAS, in early times, wearing flowers was a traditional 14 way of celebrating Father’s Day, and 15 WHEREAS, in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge recognized 16 Father’s Day as a national event to “establish more intimate 17 relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon 18 fathers the full measure of their obligations,” and 19 WHEREAS, in 1926, a National Father’s Day Committee was 20 formed in New York City, resulting in a Joint Resolution of 21 Congress in 1956 recognizing Father’s Day, and President Richard 22 Nixon signed the law that finally made Father’s Day a permanent 23 holiday in 1972, and 24 WHEREAS, Sunday, June 20, 2010, has been designated as 25 Father’s Day in the United States, and 26 WHEREAS, the American tradition of a productive society and 27 a secure home has depended in great part on the hard work and 28 sacrifice of fathers who tirelessly seek for their children a 29 better life and greater opportunity than they themselves have 30 known, and 31 WHEREAS, fulfilling the demanding roles of fatherhood, as 32 provider, teacher, role model, comforter, and protector, is an 33 act of true heroism in today’s world, and 34 WHEREAS, each new generation looks to its fathers for 35 courage, strength, and understanding, and 36 WHEREAS, the enduring affection between fathers and their 37 families is recognized and appreciated as one of the most 38 positive elements upon which our future as a nation depends, and 39 WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate that the members and 40 staff of the Florida Senate recognize the immeasurable debt of 41 gratitude owed to fathers for their strength, guidance, 42 understanding, and love, NOW, THEREFORE, 43 44 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 45 46 That the members of the Senate do hereby express to their 47 own fathers and to all fathers, on behalf of the people of the 48 State of Florida, personal affection and heartfelt gratitude. 49 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be spread upon 50 the Journal of the Senate as a tangible token of the love and 51 respect that the members hold for all fathers.