South Carolina General Assembly
109th Session, 1991-1992

Bill 965


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Introducing Body:               Senate
Bill Number:                    965
Primary Sponsor:                Giese
Type of Legislation:            CR
Subject:                        Duffie, Mrs. Mary L.
                                "Betty"
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:   May 08, 1991
Computer Document Number:       CYY/18581.SD
Introduced Date:                May 07, 1991
Last History Body:              Senate
Last History Date:              May 08, 1991
Last History Type:              Received from House
Scope of Legislation:           Statewide
All Sponsors:                   Giese
Type of Legislation:            Concurrent
                                Resolution



History


 Bill  Body    Date          Action Description              CMN
 ----  ------  ------------  ------------------------------  ---
 965   Senate  May 08, 1991  Received from House
 965   House   May 08, 1991  Introduced, adopted, returned
                             with concurrence
 965   Senate  May 07, 1991  Introduced, adopted, sent to
                             House

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

TO COMMEND ONE OF THIS STATE'S MOST UNSELFISH AND CARING PERSONS, MRS. MARY L. "BETTY" DUFFIE FOR HER MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF LOVING AND INSPIRED WORK WITH THE MENTALLY RETARDED AND HANDICAPPED AS THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE BABCOCK CENTER.

Whereas, Mrs. Mary L. "Betty" Duffie is one of South Carolina's most outstanding and public-spirited citizens. As the founder and president of the Babcock Center for the past quarter century, Betty Duffie's leadership and determination has impacted the lives of thousands of South Carolinians; and

Whereas, as pioneer in her field, she was in the forefront of developing community programs for persons with mental retardation even before the creation of the South Carolina Department of Mental Retardation, and through the development of community programs and services in the late 1960's she provided an alternative to institutionalization; and

Whereas, since its inception, the Babcock Center has flourished under her leadership, determination, and guidance. Over the past twenty-five years Babcock Center has grown from a program serving a handful of children in the basement of a church, to a comprehensive network of service options including child development services, adult vocational services, and an array of residential services. Babcock Center currently serves over seven hundred clients daily, within primary service areas of Richland and Lexington Counties; and

Whereas, as a state and national leader in mental retardation, Betty Duffie is responsible for a series of "firsts". For example:

(a) In 1968, she organized the first Special Olympics program in South Carolina. For over ten years she served as volunteer executive director of the South Carolina Special Olympics, helping to organize the Special Olympics on state, regional, and national levels.

(b) In 1971, Babcock Center was the first private nonprofit agency to contract with the South Carolina Department of Mental Retardation to provide community services in South Carolina.

(c) In 1978, Babcock Center became the first agency of its kind to secure funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop group homes; and

Whereas, she was instrumental in establishing the South Carolina Human Service Providers Association, a coalition of private providers who share information and promote service quality. Mrs. Duffie helped develop the Executive Directors Academy which provides training and credentials to leaders in the field, and nationally, has served as the South Carolina Representative for the National Association of Private Residential Resources; and

Whereas, her contributions have been recognized and appreciated by her peers throughout South Carolina. Among the many awards she has received are the following:

(1) 1972 and 1981 Sertoma Service to Mankind Award;

(2) 1975 S.C. Department of Mental Retardation Outstanding Individual Leadership Award;

(3) 1979 Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award;

(4) 1987 and 1990 March of Dimes Outstanding Women of Achievement Award; and

(5) 1989 Lexington Civitans Citizen of the Year Award; and

Whereas, the members of the General Assembly, on behalf of the grateful citizens of South Carolina, would like to publicly recognize and express to this lovely lady their very deep appreciation for all that she has done for over a quarter of a century to help those citizens of this State who are mentally retarded or handicapped and who have needed her helping hand. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the members of the General Assembly hereby commend one of this State's most unselfish and caring persons, Mrs. Mary L. "Betty" Duffie for her more than twenty-five years of loving and inspired work with the mentally retarded and handicapped as the founder and president of the Babcock Center.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Mrs. Duffie.

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