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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are pleased to recognize milestone events in | ||||||
| 4 | the history of organizations in the State of Illinois; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that the St. Ambrogio | ||||||
| 6 | Mutual Benefit Society of Rockford is celebrating its 90th | ||||||
| 7 | anniversary this year; this social organization began at a club | ||||||
| 8 | at 802 Montague Street in Rockford on May 1, 1918; today, the | ||||||
| 9 | St. Ambrogio Club is the last remaining Italian social club in | ||||||
| 10 | south Rockford of many that existed there years ago; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Immigrants from Ferentino, Italy, an ancient hill | ||||||
| 12 | town founded in 4 B.C. southeast of Rome, organized the St. | ||||||
| 13 | Ambrogio Society for fellowship and assimilation assistance in | ||||||
| 14 | a new land that was often unwelcoming to them; the | ||||||
| 15 | "Americanization Hall", previously housed at St. Anthony of | ||||||
| 16 | Padua Church, was moved to the front of the St. Ambrogio | ||||||
| 17 | Society Club in the 1920s; the hall functioned as a school for | ||||||
| 18 | the early Italian immigrants of Rockford to instruct them on | ||||||
| 19 | the English language and American culture and customs; | ||||||
| 20 | accordingly, the club and hall are important parts of | ||||||
| 21 | Rockford's history and south Rockford landmarks; and
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| 22 | WHEREAS, The St. Ambrogio Club took its name in honor of | ||||||
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| 1 | the revered and martyred saint of Ferentino, Italy; so | ||||||
| 2 | important is St. Ambrogio to Ferentino's history that he is | ||||||
| 3 | codified in its municipal laws and two official annual city | ||||||
| 4 | holiday feasts with elaborate processions and fanfare | ||||||
| 5 | commemorate him; the St. Ambrogio Club of Rockford likewise | ||||||
| 6 | honors him with its annual festivities in August; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, In recognition of the long-standing and enduring | ||||||
| 8 | ties that have existed between the people of Ferentino, Italy | ||||||
| 9 | and Rockford, Illinois, the two cities officially joined | ||||||
| 10 | together as Sister Cities on May 15, 2006; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, The St. Ambrogio stands today as a vibrant social | ||||||
| 12 | club, with weekly fish frys, lunches, special events, meetings, | ||||||
| 13 | and hundreds of bocce players in summer leagues; with over 300 | ||||||
| 14 | members ranging from age 16 to over 90 years old and an active | ||||||
| 15 | ladies' auxiliary, this club is vital to the revitalization of | ||||||
| 16 | south Rockford; the club welcomes all people and has been a | ||||||
| 17 | good neighbor and stabilizing influence on the Montague Street | ||||||
| 18 | neighborhood for 90 years; the club's banquet hall is rented by | ||||||
| 19 | people from all over the greater Rockford area for their | ||||||
| 20 | special functions and continues to draw people from throughout | ||||||
| 21 | the State for its assorted events and festivities; therefore, | ||||||
| 22 | be it
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| 23 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
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| 1 | NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 2 | congratulate the St. Ambrogio Society on the occasion of its | ||||||
| 3 | 90th anniversary; and be it further
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| 4 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 5 | presented to the St. Ambrogio Society as an expression of our | ||||||
| 6 | esteem.
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