HR316

WHEREAS, museums preserve artistic, historical and scientific resources for current and future generations in providing access to a diverse and rich cultural heritage prompting us to expand our understanding of the world, and contribute to the quality of life in the State of Hawaii by connecting generations and bringing people together through shared cultural experience as well as introducing new ideas, providing educational resources, and contributing to the local economy; and,

WHEREAS, the MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM is part of the Hawai`i Capital Cultural District, whose mission is to nurture and promote the rich heritage of Hawai`i’s past and present by moving forward with deep respect for the past, working to preserve the area’s historical assets for future generations, create interpretive resources, develop educational programs, and cultivate an understanding of, and appreciation for, Hawai`i’s heritage by residents and visitors alike; and,

WHEREAS, the MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM is a program of the Hawaiian Mission Children’s Society, a non-profit organization founded in 1852, and was chartered in 1907 to connect the story of the American Protestant Missionaries and their descendants to the history and culture of Hawaii in order to give present generations of residents and visitors a deeper understanding of and appreciation for Hawaii's rich and complex history, and consists of three restored houses, which are among the oldest remaining structures in Honolulu, an extensive research library, a changing exhibition gallery, an orientation center and a museum store; and,

WHEREAS, the MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM offers a wide variety of public programming events and activities complemented by scholarly lectures, gallery talks, workshops and demonstrations, traditional programs such as quilting classes, lauhala weaving, the annual holiday craft fair, letterpress printing demonstrations and historic house tours with more than 15,000 people comprised of tourists, school groups and local residents visiting the Museum each year; and,

WHEREAS, the MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM continues to develop new and innovative programming, committed to give particular emphasis to native Hawaiian and Pacific Islands communities in the telling Hawaii’s rich and complex history, actively seeking to increase and diversify its local audience; and,

WHEREAS, the MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM has existed reflecting over seven generations, providing a historical reflection of the previous generations, a consolidation of the heritage which we have learned to respect and appreciate for the educational possibilities brought to the islands for its contributions in literacy, language and learning; and,

WHEREAS, the profound legacy of the Missionaries in education is most notably apparent when after having documented and bringing the oral Hawaiian language to written form or palapala, enabling the Hawaiian people to read and write in their own language, Hawai`i was formally recognized in 1842 as the most literate nation in the world, with an estimated percentage of literacy among Hawaiians to be greater than any other country in the world except Scotland and New England with three out of four Hawaiians able to read and write in their own language and record numbers of schools per capita; later, just prior to the opening of the native press, The New York Tribune reported that the literacy of the Hawaiian population had even surpassed that of New England and that Hawaii had free public schools before the rest of America and that pioneers from Oregon and California sent their children here to be educated; and,

WHEREAS, the legacy of the missionaries and their descendant families has been one of social philanthropy unrivaled in any of the 50 states among their charitable foundations being the Atherton, Fred Baldwin, Cooke, Wilcox, as well as the Hawaii Community Foundation along with many others; and,

WHEREAS, descendant families' legacy of contribution to the community has been vast and profound spanning decades in areas from conservation, preservation, education, arts, and the sciences with examples such as the Waikiki Aquarium, Honolulu Art Academy, the Contemporary Art Academy, the Daughters of Hawaii, the Lyman House Museum, the Garden Club, The Outdoor Circle and numerous other organizations dedicated to the preservation of all that is beautiful, healthy and productive for the people of Hawaii; and,

WHEREAS, in their commitment to citizenship, education, and community the MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM, their directors, volunteers and curators serve as examples to all of us and are deserving of our heartfelt praise and congratulations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that this body hereby honors and commends MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM on the occasion of their centennial charter celebration; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the MISSION HOUSES MUSEUM and the Hawaiian Mission Children’s Society, have earned recognition from the State of Hawaii for their deep contribution to the preservation of Hawaii's heritage and their support for the wellbeing of the people of Hawaii.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Mission Houses Museum; honoring

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	316
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII