WHEREAS, Every successful person in the Ocean State, and in this chamber, as a matter of fact, owes a great measure of that success to the dedication and hard work of the teachers who inspired their young charges to find the very best in themselves and to make the most of that discovery; and

WHEREAS, Learning is a process of discovering just who and what we are, and it is the teacher who puts before us the promise of who and what we may become. "The future," in the wise words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." It is, and always has been, the mission of our teachers to urge us on to the realization of our dreams, and for that we owe these fine dedicated people a debt beyond reckoning; and

WHEREAS, "A teacher affects eternity; no one can tell where his influence stops." We are who we are because at least one teacher in the past ignited a spark within us, illuminating a previously shadowy area in our minds and spirits, and carried before us the torch to light the way to knowledge and fulfillment; and

WHEREAS, Many of these superb educators, though now retired, continue to deserve our admiration and heartfelt thanks; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby honors the achievements of a lifetime by remembering and saluting the retired teachers of the State of Rhode Island on April 3, 2002; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Retired Teachers' Association, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers.