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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Former students and staff of the G. B. Bennett |
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| 6 | 7 | | School in Buffalo are gathering together on June 17, 2017, for their |
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| 7 | 8 | | biennial reunion and banquet; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The G. B. Bennett School traces its roots back to |
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| 9 | 10 | | July 3, 1939, when the Buffalo Independent School District Board of |
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| 10 | 11 | | Trustees decided to apply to the Works Progress Administration for |
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| 11 | 12 | | funds to build a public school for local African American students; |
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| 12 | 13 | | construction began on a site secured from the Negro Baptist |
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| 13 | 14 | | Association, and the facility, named in honor of the Reverend G. B. |
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| 14 | 15 | | Bennett, pastor of New St. Holland Baptist Church, opened its doors |
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| 15 | 16 | | in 1942; following the integration of Buffalo ISD, the school was |
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| 16 | 17 | | permanently closed in 1969, after 27 years of operation; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, The 2017 G. B. Bennett School alumni banquet offers |
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| 18 | 19 | | former Bulldogs a welcome opportunity to reflect on the knowledge |
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| 19 | 20 | | and skills they acquired as students, as well as on their fond |
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| 20 | 21 | | memories of Bennett's many extracurricular activities and events, |
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| 21 | 22 | | which included basketball games, May Day festivities, socials held |
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| 22 | 23 | | in the auditorium, and plays staged at the beginning and end of each |
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| 23 | 24 | | school year; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Receiving special recognition at this year's |
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| 25 | 26 | | reunion are the school's five surviving faculty members and staff: |
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| 26 | 27 | | fifth- and sixth-grade teacher Ralph Cormier; fourth- through |
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| 27 | 28 | | sixth-grade teacher Margaret Heggins; music teacher Bobbye |
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| 28 | 29 | | Bullock; homemaking and language arts teacher Birdene Perry; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | teacher's aide Lillie West; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, During the nearly three decades that it was open, |
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| 31 | 32 | | the G. B. Bennett School gave numerous area youth a strong academic |
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| 32 | 33 | | foundation on which to build, and in so doing, it had a positive and |
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| 33 | 34 | | lasting impact on the Buffalo community; now, therefore, be it |
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| 34 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 35 | 36 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 2017 G. B. Bennett School |
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| 36 | 37 | | reunion and extend to all those in attendance sincere best wishes |
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| 37 | 38 | | for a meaningful and memorable event. |
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