HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

313

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

RECOGNIZing, ACKNOWLEDGing, AND COMMENDing THE Young Women's Christian ASSOCIATION OF OAHU FOR ITS OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR THE PAST ONE HUNDRED YEARS AND FOR CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN'S GROWTH, LEADERSHIP, AND POWER IN PURSUIT OF PEACE, JUSTICE, FREEDOM, AND DIGNITY FOR ALL PEOPLE.

 

 

WHEREAS, passionate, caring women who seek a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities are at the heart of the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu; and

WHEREAS, in 1900, fifty-nine women gathered on the lanai of Mrs. Emma Dillingham's home and established the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu in Honolulu as an organization vital to the personal development and professional growth of women; and

WHEREAS, over a century later, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu is currently the largest and oldest women's membership organization in the State, whose mission is to empower women and eliminate racism; and

WHEREAS, a new cadre of women are preparing for Hawaii's future and are committed to reinventing the Young Women's Christian Association for the twenty-first century so that the organization is relevant to all women as their lives and needs change; and

WHEREAS, as women's lives expand and change and as their multi-faceted needs grow while they take on multiple roles over their lifetime as students, leaders in their families, working professionals, mothers, caregivers, and contributors to the broader community, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu has provided a continuum of services to meet their needs; and

WHEREAS, women today still face the challenges of economic self-sufficiency, given that they often earn less than men, leave their careers early to care for children or parents, save less, have fewer assets, live longer than men, and tend to feel they are not very knowledgeable about financial management and legal information; and

WHEREAS, the need for women and girls to learn and practice leadership skills has not diminished throughout the years, and the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu provides them with opportunities to develop these skills by ensuring access to leadership training, skills development and by offering role models and mentors, hands-on, experiential learning and community service activities; and

WHEREAS, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu is committed to improving the economic status of women and girls by providing opportunities to ensure that they are financially secure and able to support themselves and their families; and

WHEREAS, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu is committed to continue developing programs that:

(1) Remove barriers to employment and economic self-sufficiency;

(2) Train for higher wage, higher-demand jobs; and

(3) Educate and develop a woman's ability to effectively manage money; and

WHEREAS, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu seeks to build on Hawaii's rich multi-cultural society to strengthen Hawaii's youth and adults through opportunities that promote a greater sense of self and independence, as well as foster pride and respect for one's self, others, and their environment; and

WHEREAS, racism can undermine a person's quality of life--from jobs held, to income earned, to the ability to fully enjoy the privileges and freedom that come with being a full member of American society--and the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu has a long history of offering programs designed to achieve racial justice and embrace diversity; and

WHEREAS, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu envisions a community that appreciates its own cultural diversity and rich heritage and works to improve race and ethnic relations towards the greater goal of racial justice; and

WHEREAS, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu is developing culture-based programs rooted in its belief that as people grow to understand and appreciate their own cultures and cultures around them, that they will be better able to minimize racial and cultural conflict and improve race relations; and

WHEREAS, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu will continue to create programs that:

(1) Build on the knowledge, skills, values, and traditions of Hawaii's culture for greater cultural competency among youth and adults;

(2) Increase self-awareness to develop a healthy positive identity; and

(3) Increase understanding and appreciation of positive values that guide individual choices; and

WHEREAS, the future success of Hawaii's communities depends on the next generation of leaders, especially women leaders who, because of their inherent strengths, are outstanding leaders and stewards of our community, even though women continue to hold a small percentage of the leadership positions in the private and public sectors; and

WHEREAS, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu envisions a world-class leadership center for the purpose of advancing women to leadership positions and sustaining these leaders with a lifelong, comprehensive support system; and

WHEREAS, the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu supports the development and practice of individual and community leadership through expanded mentoring experiences, volunteerism, networking, peer-to-peer sharing, role modeling, training programs, and workshops; now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu is recognized, acknowledged, and commended for its outstanding service to the community for the past one hundred years and for creating opportunities for women's growth, leadership, and power in pursuit of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Legislature supports the efforts of the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu in its pursuit of revitalizing its Laniakea facility as a self-sustaining, world-class leadership center for women's social and economic advancement, as a place of learning and growth that encourages and offers women the "power to change" to build future generations of women leaders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Young Women's Christian Association of Oahu