| 1 | 1 | | By: Hegar S.C.R. No. 11 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (Morrison) |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Accomplished Texans who serve as positive role |
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| 7 | 7 | | models for today's youth are deserving of special recognition, and |
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| 8 | 8 | | one such individual is Shiner native William Elmo Merrem, the first |
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| 9 | 9 | | person in the Lone Star State to become an Eagle Scout; and |
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| 10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Born on May 22, 1897, Mr. Merrem was the son of Edgar |
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| 11 | 11 | | Jacob Merrem and Willie Crane Merrem and grew up in Shiner alongside |
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| 12 | 12 | | his three siblings; he joined the town's first Boy Scout troop as a |
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| 13 | 13 | | charter member, and on July 3, 1913, he was awarded the Eagle Badge; |
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| 14 | 14 | | not only was he the first Texan to receive the highest rank that |
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| 15 | 15 | | scouting offers, he also was the first person west of the |
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| 16 | 16 | | Mississippi River to do so, and he joined that elite group when |
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| 17 | 17 | | there were fewer than 50 Eagle Scouts in the entire United States; |
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| 18 | 18 | | and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, The leadership and dedication that Mr. Merrem |
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| 20 | 20 | | demonstrated as a Boy Scout served him well throughout his life; a |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1914 graduate of Shiner High School, he served his nation during |
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| 22 | 22 | | World War I as a pilot in the United States Marine Corps; after |
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| 23 | 23 | | completing studies at Southwestern University, he went on to earn |
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| 24 | 24 | | his law degree at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law |
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| 25 | 25 | | and embarked on a distinguished career in business; he served as |
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| 26 | 26 | | vice president of the Houston Oil Company, president of the |
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| 27 | 27 | | Southwestern Settlement and Development Company, and founder and |
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| 28 | 28 | | vice president of the East Texas Pulp and Paper Company, and he held |
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| 29 | 29 | | prominent positions in the Texas and American Forestry |
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| 30 | 30 | | Associations; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Merrem and his wife, the former Mary Elizabeth |
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| 32 | 32 | | Caldwell, were longtime residents of Houston and active members of |
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| 33 | 33 | | the congregation at Saint Luke's United Methodist Church; through |
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| 34 | 34 | | the years, he volunteered his time to assist various civic |
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| 35 | 35 | | initiatives, and he was a 32nd-degree Mason who devoted more than 50 |
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| 36 | 36 | | years to the charitable work of the Shriners; after a lifetime of |
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| 37 | 37 | | service and achievement, he passed away on June 29, 1982, at the age |
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| 38 | 38 | | of 85; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | WHEREAS, A pioneering figure among the Boy Scouts of Texas |
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| 40 | 40 | | and a successful business and community leader, William Elmo Merrem |
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| 41 | 41 | | stands as a meaningful source of inspiration for young people, and |
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| 42 | 42 | | it is indeed appropriate that his legacy be celebrated and |
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| 43 | 43 | | appreciated throughout the Lone Star State on the anniversary of |
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| 44 | 44 | | his birth; now, therefore, be it |
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| 45 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 46 | 46 | | hereby designate May 22 of each year from 2011 through 2020 as |
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| 47 | 47 | | William Elmo Merrem Day in honor of the first Eagle Scout from |
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| 48 | 48 | | Texas. |
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