WHEREAS, during the week of June 19, 2013, young women from across the State of Delaware, students at the State's public and private high schools, have come to Legislative Hall in Dover to participate in the 2013 session of Delaware Girls State; and

WHEREAS, during their stay here, these young women will receive valuable hands-on training and experience in the legislative process and the ways of State government, which will serve them in good stead in their later lives; and

WHEREAS, the experience they receive during Girls State will prove especially useful to those among their number who go on to assume leadership roles in government or seek elective office in the future; and

WHEREAS, the participants in Delaware Girls State have, during their session, elected from among their ranks a Governor, a Lieutenant Governor, a State Treasurer, a State Auditor, a State Insurance Commissioner, and members of both houses of the General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, the young women participating in the 2013 session of Girls State include:

Mary Farrell of A.I. DuPont

Casey Geiser of Appoquinimink

Cao Zixin-Shing-Shing of Archmere

Terri George of Brandywine

Sydney Hastain of Cab Calloway

Nina Krauss of Cab Calloway

Gabriella Patone of Cab Calloway

Amber Cluesman of Cape Henlopen

Kyle Manganiello of Cape Henlopen

Cassidy Blevins of Cape Henlopen

Brigitte Anderson of Charter School

Shraddha Damaraju of Charter School

Princess Diaz of Charter School

Carly Fabian of Charter School

Gabrielle Hunt of Charter School

MaryRose Mangan of Charter School

Rachel Pennington of Charter School

Melissa Glazar of Concord

Elizabeth Trachtman of Concord

Beatrice Fontano of Conrad

Madeline Williams of Conrad

Jennifer Shellenberger of Delaware Military

Christiana Taylor of Delaware Military

Erica Apgar of Delmarva Christian

Jayne Stevens of Delmarva Christian

Racquel Joseph of Indian River

Logan Robinson of Indian River

Nell Weaver of Indian River

Erin Baker of Lake Forest

Katherine Meadow of Middletown

Anna Mooney of Middletown

Veena Patel of Middletown

Hira Peracha of Middletown

Katherine Richard of Milford

Elizabeth Doggett of Newark

Vanessa Marianiello of Newark

Jessica Bursler of PolyTech

Briyana Chisholm of PolyTech

Idalis Stamas of PolyTech

Altair Dubé of St. Elizabeth

Gabrielle Kohl of St. Elizabeth

Lindsey Blair of St. Mark’s

Hannah Falchuk of St. Mark’s

Dana Mangrelli of St. Thomas More

Olivia Smith of St. Thomas More

Amira Hannon of Sanford

Radhika Malhotra of Sanford

Diana Wilson of Smyrna

Ashley Berry of Sussex Central

Ashlyn Ludwig of Sussex Central

Alyssa Moore of Sussex Central

Bansri Patel of Sussex Tech

Natalie Sava of Sussex Tech

Dorian Zimmerman of Sussex Tech

Kaitlin Fischer of Tatnall

Tara Keller of William Penn

Devin Nichols of William Penn

Alexis Bynum of Wilmington Christian

Gabrielle Smith of Wilmington Christian

Micala Polite of Woodbridge; and

WHEREAS, during their week-long session these young women have learned many of the details of the process whereby a bill becomes a law, and have debated and discussed many issues both timely and of great importance to the State of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, throughout the week the Girls State delegates have been deeply involved in a study of such subjects as conduct of elections, the operation for the legislative caucus and committee systems, majority and minority positions, and many other aspects of the political process, all of which will give them valuable knowledge of the manner in which the American system of representative democracy operates; and

WHEREAS, the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Delaware has once again sponsored this important educational program, as it has done for many years, thereby displaying a deep dedication to the American system of government and to the essential task of ensuring that our youth understand and appreciate that system;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 147^th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate thereof concurring therein, that its members do hereby commend each of the participants in the 2013 Girls State session for their hard work and extend to each sincere congratulations on a very successful session at Legislative Hall.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate do hereby extend to every participant sincere best wishes for success in all her future endeavors, together with the hope that at least a few of these fine young Delawareans may one day find themselves again in the House or Senate chamber as duly elected representatives of their fellow citizens.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate do hereby commend and thank the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Delaware for its sponsorship of this outstanding program.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution shall be presented to each of the delegates of the 2013 Session of Girls State, and to the sponsor of the event, the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Delaware.

SPONSOR:	Rep. Walker & Rep. Briggs King & Rep. Bolden, on behalf of all Representatives & Sen. Hall-Long & Sen. Simpson & Sen. Lawson & Sen. Townsend, on behalf of all Senators