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HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to congratulate the members of the 
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Jesse White Tumbling Team on the occasion of the team's 50th 
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anniversary in 2009; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team has thrilled 
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audiences since September 26, 1959, when Illinois Secretary of 
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State Jesse White, the team's founder and coach, created the 
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team to provide a recreational, athletic, educational, and 
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cultural enrichment experience for young people throughout the 
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State; the team makes over 1,000 appearances each year; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team's acrobatic 
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performances can frequently be seen during half-time shows for 
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the National Basketball Association, the National Football 
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League, and Major League Baseball games; the team has appeared 
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on numerous television programs, including Late Night with 
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David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, The 
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Jenny Jones Show, the Mickey Mouse Club, and How'd They Do 
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That; the team entertains at business and sporting events 
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year-round, including colleges and universities nationwide; 
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the team also performed during the 52nd and 53rd Presidential 
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Inaugural Parades; and
  
 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team also has an 
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international following; the team's fans can be found from 
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Tokyo, Japan, to Hong Kong, China, Bermuda, Jamaica, and 
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Canada; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, A number of the Jesse White Tumblers, some of whom 
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are as young as 6 years old, are residents of Chicago's Cabrini 
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Green and Henry Horner housing developments; other members of 
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the team are residents from 10 communities within the Chicago 
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metropolitan area; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team was designed to be a 
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juvenile delinquency prevention program that helps youngsters 
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"grow tall and straight"; the members are required to abide by 
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Jesse White's strict rules, which include staying in school, 
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maintaining a "C" average in academic coursework, and staying 
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away from gangs and drugs; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, Due to Jesse White's "tough love" approach and his 
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active involvement as coach, teacher, friend, mentor, 
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confidant, and surrogate father to the members, over 11,500 
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young men and women have benefited from the program since the 
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team's inception; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The Jesse White Tumbling Team will celebrate the 
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50th anniversary of the creation of the team during a reception 
 


 






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and dinner on February 23, 2010 at the United Center in 
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Chicago; therefore, be it
  
 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate the members of the Jesse White Tumbling Team on 
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the occasion of the team's 50th anniversary and thank Illinois 
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Secretary of State Jesse White for his involvement with this 
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wonderful program; and be it further
  
 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White as a 
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symbol of our esteem and respect.