| 1 | | - | R-56 Page 1 of 1 |
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| 2 | | - | 2025 |
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| 3 | | - | |
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| 4 | | - | VT LEG #382081 v.1 |
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| 5 | | - | No. R-56. Senate concurrent resolution honoring the Vermont Old Cemetery |
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| 6 | | - | Association. |
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| 7 | | - | (S.C.R.2) |
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| 8 | | - | Offered By Senators Weeks, Collamore, Williams, Baruth, Bongartz, Chittenden, |
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| 9 | | - | Clarkson, Douglass, Gulick, Hardy, Hashim, Ingalls, Lyons, Major, Norris, Perchlik, and |
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| 10 | | - | Watson, |
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| 1 | + | VTLEG#380826v.1 |
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| 2 | + | StateofVermont |
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| 3 | + | SenateChamber |
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| 4 | + | Montpelier,Vermont |
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| 5 | + | SenateConcurrentResolution |
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| 6 | + | OfferedBySenatorsWeeks,Collamore,Williams,Baruth,Bongartz,Chittenden,Clarkson,Douglass, |
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| 7 | + | Gulick,Hardy,Hashim,Ingalls,Lyons,Major,Norris,Perchlik,andWatson, |
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| 12 | | - | Whereas, the first known established cemeteries in Vermont are now into their third |
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| 13 | | - | century serving as a dignified final abode for the deceased, and |
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| 14 | | - | Whereas, in 1958, University of Vermont Professor Leon Dean formalized his passion |
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| 15 | | - | for the State’s earliest established cemeteries when he established the Vermont Old |
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| 16 | | - | Cemetery Association (VOCA), and |
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| 17 | | - | Whereas, VOCA offers specific cemetery assistance in the form of financial grants, |
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| 18 | | - | volunteer labor, and site guidance, and more broadly, the organization educates the public |
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| 19 | | - | on the centrality of Vermont’s long-enduring cemeteries, and |
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| 20 | | - | Whereas, the awarding of direct monetary support to local cemetery associations and |
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| 21 | | - | municipalities began in 1974, with a modest $25.00 donation to the Town of Halifax, and |
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| 22 | | - | since then, the organization has issued over $60,000.00 in financial grants for the |
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| 23 | | - | restoration of old cemeteries, and |
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| 24 | | - | Whereas, hundreds of old Vermont cemeteries have benefited from VOCA’s volunteer |
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| 25 | | - | guidance and restoration services that bring a new beauty and serenity to these cemeteries, |
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| 26 | | - | and these grants save local cemetery associations and municipalities expenses that might |
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| 27 | | - | otherwise not be affordable, and |
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| 28 | | - | Whereas, VOCA is especially focused on the dignity of veterans’ burials through |
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| 29 | | - | spearheading the enactment of laws ensuring their respectful interment, replacing damaged |
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| 30 | | - | monuments, and establishing new ones for those veterans who were never properly |
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| 31 | | - | honored, and |
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| 32 | | - | Whereas, as a publisher, VOCA’s informative quarterly newsletter presents |
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| 33 | | - | preservation advice and cemetery law updates; the organization’s book, Burial Grounds of |
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| 34 | | - | Vermont, is a comprehensive resource for the history and status of most Vermont |
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| 35 | | - | cemeteries; and its school course guide, Stones and Bones, is a great resource for |
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| 36 | | - | incorporating our State’s old cemeteries into a school’s Vermont history curriculum, and |
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| 37 | | - | Whereas, VOCA has served as a model for similar cemetery restoration initiatives in |
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| 38 | | - | other states, now therefore be it |
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| 9 | + | S.C.R.2.SenateconcurrentresolutionhonoringtheVermontOldCemeteryAssociation. |
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| 10 | + | Whereas,thefirstknownestablishedcemeteriesinVermontarenowintotheirthirdcenturyservingas |
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| 11 | + | adignifiedfinalabodeforthedeceased,and |
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| 12 | + | Whereas,in1958,UniversityofVermontProfessorLeonDeanformalizedhispassionfortheState’s |
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| 13 | + | earliestestablishedcemeterieswhenheestablishedtheVermontOldCemeteryAssociation(VOCA), and |
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| 14 | + | Whereas,VOCAoffersspecificcemeteryassistanceintheformoffinancialgrants,volunteerlabor, |
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| 15 | + | andsiteguidance,andmorebroadly,theorganizationeducatesthepubliconthecentralityofVermont’s |
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| 16 | + | long-enduringcemeteries, and |
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| 17 | + | Whereas,theawardingofdirectmonetarysupporttolocalcemeteryassociationsandmunicipalities |
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| 18 | + | beganin1974,withamodest$25.00donationtotheTownofHalifax,andsincethen,theorganization |
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| 19 | + | hasissuedover$60,000.00infinancialgrantsfortherestorationofoldcemeteries, and |
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| 20 | + | Whereas,hundredsofoldVermontcemeterieshavebenefitedfromVOCA’svolunteerguidanceand |
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| 21 | + | restorationservicesthatbringanewbeautyandserenitytothesecemeteries,andthesegrantssavelocal |
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| 22 | + | cemeteryassociationsandmunicipalitiesexpensesthatmightotherwisenotbeaffordable, and |
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| 23 | + | Whereas,VOCAisespeciallyfocusedonthedignityofveterans’burialsthroughspearheadingthe |
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| 24 | + | enactmentoflawsensuringtheirrespectfulinterment,replacingdamagedmonuments,andestablishing |
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| 25 | + | newonesforthoseveteranswhowereneverproperlyhonored, and |
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| 26 | + | Whereas,asapublisher,VOCA’sinformativequarterlynewsletterpresentspreservationadviceand |
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| 27 | + | cemeterylawupdates;theorganization’sbook,BurialGroundsofVermont,isacomprehensiveresource |
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| 28 | + | forthehistoryandstatusofmostVermontcemeteries;anditsschoolcourseguide,StonesandBones,isa |
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| 29 | + | greatresourceforincorporatingourState’soldcemeteriesintoaschool’sVermonthistory |
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| 30 | + | curriculum, and |
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| 31 | + | Whereas,VOCAhasservedasamodelforsimilarcemeteryrestorationinitiativesinotherstates,now |
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| 32 | + | therefore be it |
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