ORDER-2016-203 : A Resolution in Recognition of the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School students for their hard work and efforts as members of the Operation Respect Club.

Transcript (~12 min @ 5:18)

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▶ 5:02 Speaker 1: this order from the table mr. president Alderman Mortimer moves to remove what a 2016-188 from the second the motion seconded by Alderman Forbes on the motion all those in favor aye anyone opposed the order is before you what's Mr. President, I'd like to make a motion to change the order of business that we may hear the veteran's order first.

▶ 5:23 Speaker 2: Second.

▶ 5:25 Speaker 1: Alderman Mortimer is moving that we change the order of business to consider order 2016-203 at this time. The motion is seconded by, I believe, Alderman Medeiros, or Alderman McAteer-Margolis. On the motion, all those in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Motion passes, and we're going to consider a resolution in recognition of the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School students for their hard work and efforts as members of the Operation Respect Club.

▶ 5:54 Scott M. Forbes: Motion for immediate consideration, Mr. President?

▶ 5:57 Speaker 1: Alderman Forbes asks for immediate consideration of the order. Is there an objection to immediate consideration of the order? There is not.

▶ 6:06 Scott M. Forbes: Motion to suspend the rules. Can I approach the podium and read the recognition?

▶ 6:10 Speaker 1: Second. Forbes moves to suspend the rules for the purpose of reading the resolution. Motion is seconded by Alderman Inferno. On the motion, all those in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Motion passes. Alderman Forbes? Thank you.

▶ 6:34 Scott M. Forbes: If I could also have all of the members of Operation Respect join us at the podium as well, that would be great.

▶ 6:44 Speaker 3: I know we may need a bigger podium.

▶ 7:01 Speaker 3: And we have plenty of room on the other side.

▶ 7:11 Scott M. Forbes: thank you first and foremost as as a veteran and as a member of the Board of Aldermen this is one of the more prouder moments more rewarding experiences that I have being able to speak amongst my peers about this hard-working group of medical middle school students I have before me it's one of the reasons why I am proud to say that I live from Melrose so operation respect marks the five-year anniversary of our operation missions. What started out as a concept or an idea just a few years back has turned into one of the most successful community outreach programs we have in the city of Melrose. To the members of our Melrose

▶ 7:53 Scott M. Forbes: Veterans Advisory Board, our veteran service officers Ryan McClain and Alicia Redden, and Melrose High School educator Lisa Lord, without your leadership in your guidance these missions would not be able to take place. Most importantly it's the work of our middle school students that are here tonight that truly make these missions a resounding success. The Operation Respect students successfully continued the proud tradition of recognizing the accomplishments of our local area veterans. This year, Operation Respect was no exception, as they recognized the dedicated service of our women veterans. All of the time and effort that you dedicated, in addition to your regular schoolwork, to read, to research, and to write about our women service members, as well as attend community the events and the fundraisers throughout the school year. In doing so, you were able to take the events from our nation's history from both past and present and connect them back to the people that reside here in the city of Melrose. You successfully shared the stories of our women veterans to the city for which we are all grateful and proud. Now this year the Wyoming Cemetery dedicated a new location for the flags retirement ceremonies which they actually use during Memorial Day weekend. Last year the city of Melrose dedicated the Korean War Memorial, located at the Knoll, right across the street from the middle school. And just outside these doors is the memorial recognizing the service and the sacrifice of our women veterans, which was dedicated in 2014. These are just a few examples of how Melrose continues to lead from the front when it comes to community research and recognition of our local area veterans. The amount of support that is received from these operations, including Operation Respect, one of the driving forces and how we were able to accomplish so much in our community these operations continue to bridge our veteran population bring in an already close-knit veteran community even closer together and is because of your hard work and dedication that makes you do that makes what you do for the city of Melrose so successful so I thank you very much again very proud to be standing before you here tonight the resolution reads as follows a resolution in recognition of the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School students for their hard work and efforts as members of Operation Respect Club. Whereas the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School 2016 Operation Respect Club is the fifth installment of what has become an overwhelming success story in the community. Whereas in prior years Operations Resolve, Thank You, and Gettysburg sent our local Melrose veterans on historical missions to Washington, D.C., the Liberty Bell, the battlefields at Gettysburg, and the United States Military Academy at West Point, whereas last year Operation Remember provided local Melrose Korean War veterans the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. to visit the Korean War Memorial, whereas this year the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School 2016 Operation Respects Club mission was to raise local awareness and the funding necessary to send local Melrose women veterans on a historical mission of their own to Washington, D.C. to visit historical sites which included the Women in Military Service for America Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Whereas the Operation Respect Club was praised by Donna Houle, Director of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, stating she's never heard of a group of middle school students anywhere in the country that honors and recognizes women veterans in the manner Operation Respect does. Whereas this year's mission took place in May of 2016 and was yet another overwhelming success. Whereas the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School 2016 Operation Respect Club has successfully completed their mission by raising community awareness through the recognition of our local women veterans and should be recognized for outstanding work and dedication. Be it resolved that we the members of the Board of Aldermen do hereby express our sincere appreciation to the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School students for their hard work and efforts as members of the Operation Respect Club on behalf of the City of Melrose in recognition hereof. Be it further resolved that on this 20th day of June in the year 2016, a copy of this resolution shall be spread upon the records of the Board of Aldermen. And just before I end, members of the Operation Respect Club include Maisie Anderson, Alex Coutinho, Jenna Fricasso, Katie Wright, Sierra Smith, Sarah McGuire, Brooke Borstel, Madeline Gibson, Serena Acosta, Peter Santos, Isabella Carroll, Juliana Stanton, Malika Ben-Arib, I hope I got that right, Becca Hamburg, Lydia Moroz, Marie Mar, Victoria Ackerman, and Natalie Lamas.

▶ 12:41 Speaker 3: Thank you.

▶ 12:54 Speaker 1: Just to make things last a little longer.

▶ 12:58 Speaker 3: first of all guys you got a smile you did a great thing and it's the last day of school

▶ 13:03 Speaker 1: I know it's not Elizabeth Warren thanking you by video but it's still not such a bad thing

▶ 13:08 Paul Brodeur: seriously I've had the opportunity over the last you know a couple months to go to a lot of community events and like the the flag ceremony at the cemetery the there was a relay for life up in Wakefield and what in a lot of other events like that and the common thing that I've seen at these events is the participation of students from the Norris public schools in particular the Relay for Life had seven different teams of Norris high school students walking to raise money to end cancer and that is a reflection on certainly on your parents your mom's your dad's your friends your neighbors and the community as a whole so I want to add my thanks to the to the great work you guys do but you know they're gonna take a picture

▶ 13:57 Speaker 3: later I really meant it about the smile so I have one of these for each of you I

▶ 14:01 Paul Brodeur: will read it once not 18 times this is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives be it hereby known to all that the Massachusetts House of Representatives offers its sincerest congratulations to you all in recognition in recognition of your participation in operation respect 2016 and the tribute you have paid to our women veterans the entire membership extends its very best wishes and expresses the hope for future good fortune and continued success in all endeavoured it is dated this day June 20 2016 signed by myself and the Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo and I know Senator Lewis also wanted me to express his thanks and admiration for the great

▶ 14:40 Speaker 3: work you guys did so congratulations motion for two minute recess so moved

▶ 15:02 Speaker 1: second to move for recess the motion is seconded by all the boys L on the motion to recess all those in favor aye opposed what stands in recess from a

▶ 16:57 Speaker 1: brief recess order 2016 203 is before you what is your pleasure

▶ 17:03 Scott M. Forbes: it's president must have placed order number two zero one six dash 203 on file

▶ 17:08 Speaker 1: second alderman Forbes moves to place the order on file the motion place the order on file is seconded by Alderman bus L is there any discussion relative the motion all those in favor of the motion please indicate by saying aye aye aye anyone opposed motion passes that order will be placed on file mr president make a motion that we return to the