THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY DRUCKER, ADOLPH, LENTZ, McCALL, EACHUS, BARBIN, BARRAR, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CHRISTIANA, D. COSTA, DeLUCA, DENLINGER, DeWEESE, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, FRANKEL, GEORGE, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRELL, GRUCELA, HESS, HORNAMAN, JOHNSON, KNOWLES, KORTZ, KULA, MANN, MARKOSEK, McGEEHAN, McILVAINE SMITH, MENSCH, MIRABITO, MURT, O'NEILL, PARKER, PASHINSKI, PICKETT, PYLE, QUINN, RAPP, READSHAW, SABATINA, SANTARSIERO, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, SONNEY, STERN, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TRUE, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD, ROEBUCK, GEIST AND GIBBONS, JULY 28, 2009

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, AUGUST 4, 2009   

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Ratifying the designation of Valley Forge Military College as

the Official Military College of Pennsylvania, endorsing and

encouraging participation in the Valley Forge Military

College Legislative Appointment Initiative Program.

WHEREAS, The Valley Forge Military College Legislative

Appointment Initiative Program (Initiative Program) serves to

identify young men and women who possess or have demonstrated

the highest physical, intellectual, moral and leadership

potential and service-to-country-orientation and who have an

interest in attending the two-year, postsecondary educational

institution at Valley Forge Military College, the "Official

Military College of Pennsylvania" and to help facilitate their

receipt of financial assistance to attend the college; and

WHEREAS, The Initiative Program may be used to complement the

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and the Early

Commissioning Program (ECP), and students who are accepted into

the ECP at Valley Forge Military College are commissioned as

officers in the United States Army upon graduation and are also

awarded a scholarship and earnings; and

WHEREAS, Financial allowances and an $8,500 scholarship under

the Initiative Program can provide a student with a cost-free

postsecondary education; and

WHEREAS, This program is open to all men and women,

regardless of race, creed, ethnicity or nationality, who are

legal residents of this Commonwealth, who have successfully

completed and graduated from a secondary school and who are

believed to possess the intellectual, moral and leadership

potential and the skills or accomplishments to successfully

matriculate at the Official Military College of Pennsylvania or

who otherwise meet the academic, intellectual, moral and

physical eligibility standards of the college; and

WHEREAS, Each individual appointed who meets the minimum

standard guidelines set each year by Valley Forge Military

College is guaranteed acceptance into the Valley Forge Military

College and is academically eligible for an ECP scholarship and

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admission into the ECP; and

WHEREAS, Each senator and each representative will be

authorized to appoint a legislative appointee to the freshman

class each year, and each legislative appointee will receive an

Initiative Program scholarship for each year of their two years

of attendance at Valley Forge Military College; and

WHEREAS, Valley Forge Military College will fund and provide

the Initiative Program scholarship to each legislative

appointee, and each legislative appointee is guaranteed

acceptance to Valley Forge Military College and to receipt of

the Initiative Program scholarship; and

WHEREAS, Accepted students will officially be placed into

nomination for an ROTC scholarship; and

WHEREAS, The legislative appointee is not required to enter

the ROTC or the ECP but, by doing so, can become a commissioned

officer in the United States Army upon graduation from Valley

Forge Military College and essentially have a 100% scholarship

to Valley Forge Military College; and

WHEREAS, Upon admission, each legislative appointee will be

required to take the oath of allegiance administered by Valley

Forge Military College to support and defend the Constitution of

the United States and of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Upon acceptance, a certificate will be issued by

Valley Forge Military College evidencing the legislative

appointment and the member of the General Assembly who made the

appointment; therefore be it

RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly

endorse and support the Valley Forge Military College

Legislative Appointment Initiative Program and urge members of

the General Assembly to immediately implement the procedures

necessary to select candidates for appointment to the semester

beginning in Fall 2009; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the designation of Valley Forge Military

College, located in Wayne, be ratified and that the college be

again designated as the "Official Military College of

Pennsylvania"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That members of the General Assembly be encouraged

to appoint local selection committees to assist them in

identifying and selecting applicants for appointment and to help

ensure that the selection and appointment do not create any

conflicts of interest or otherwise violate 65 Pa.C.S. Ch. 11

(relating to ethics standards and financial disclosure).