ACR 155: Native Sons of the Golden West and Native Daughters of the Golden West.

This measure would honor the Native Sons of the Golden West and Native Daughters of the Golden West for their continual financial support of the well-being of Californias children and the successful preservation of Californias history.

WHEREAS, Residents of California established two of the states oldest fraternal organizations, the Native Sons of the Golden West (NSGW), in 1876, 150 years ago, and the Native Daughters of the Golden West (NDGW), in 1886, 140 year ago; and

WHEREAS, Both the NSGW and NDGW were founded on the principle that Californias communities, people, especially children, historical sites and buildings, and eventually its state parks must be protected and preserved; and

WHEREAS, Since the founding of NSGW and NDGW, all Californians have benefited from their members perpetual commitment and dedication to enhancing the numerous interests of California taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, The NSGW and NDGW are currently comprised of 7,671 members and 128 Parlors statewide; and

WHEREAS, The NSGW and NDGW have acquired, reconstructed, restored, and preserved buildings and sites of statewide historical significance in virtually every county of the state without the use of tax dollars, including Sutters Fort State Historic Park in the City of Sacramento, the Custom House and Colton Hall in the City of Monterey, Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park in the City of Petaluma, San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park in the City of Escondido, Mission San Antonio de Padua in the County of Monterey, Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park in the County of Napa, and other structures and sites, many of which have become the backbone of the California State Parks system; and

WHEREAS, The NSGW and NDGW provide support, time, funding, and resources statewide to countless local nonprofit organizations for the benefit of California communities and children; and

WHEREAS, NSGW and NDGW members continue to dedicate and volunteer their time and talent to the service and welfare of Californias children by seeking to improve the quality of their lives; and

WHEREAS, The NSGW and NDGW have raised and donated more than $13,100,000 to the children of California in need of medical services and shelter, as well as other services for children with special needs, and have assisted over 7,000 children since 1953; and

WHEREAS, The NSGW and NDGW have been dedicated to their humanitarian efforts throughout their history, including their joint venture, the NSGW and NDGW Adoption Agency, that operated from the 1930s to 1950; and

WHEREAS, The NSGW has contributed more than $8,100,000 through its charitable foundation to the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, Providence Saint Johns Health Center in the City of Santa Monica, and Sutter Medical Center in the City of Sacramento to help children from all social and economic backgrounds who are born with cleft palate and other craniofacial anomalies. Consequently, all three medical centers have deemed it appropriate and deserved to honor the NSGW by prominently identifying and displaying acknowledgments of appreciation at their medical center hospitals; and

WHEREAS, The NDGW Childrens Foundations mission is to enrich the lives of children in need from their birth to their 18th birthday, who live in California; and

WHEREAS, The NDGW Childrens Foundations assistance programs are numerous and include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(a)Programs specifically designed to help foster children.

(b)Funding for campers to attend 1 of 20 special needs camps throughout California.

(c)Funding for a special HIV program at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Benioff Childrens Hospital in the City of Oakland and the Wellness Center for Youth with Chronic Conditions at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital in the City and County of San Francisco.

(d)Sponsoring book fairs, including providing funding for the purchase of over 70,000 books for the Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital Stanford and the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

(e)Community heart and vision screenings for children.

(f)Assistance to children who lost everything during the Palisades and Eaton Fires.

(g)Funding for tuition at the John Tracy Center in the City of Los Angeles for children three to five years of age, inclusive, with hearing loss, preparing them for mainstreaming education, and for early intervention school for children recently diagnosed with hearing loss.

(h)Financial support for childrens special needs sports teams.

(i)Financial support of individual cases for children needing emergency services, hearing aids, or physical therapy; and

WHEREAS, The NDGW continues its long-standing mission to preserve Californias history and better the quality of life through active participation in education and community service; and

WHEREAS, The NSGW has been governed by the precepts of friendship, loyalty, and charity since its foundation and is open to all Californians 18 years of age or older, including men and women of all ethnic backgrounds; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature honors the Native Sons of the Golden West and the Native Daughters of the Golden West for their continual financial support of the well-being of Californias children and the successful preservation of Californias history; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.