LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Arlene Marie Francis upon the occasion
of receiving the 2011 Athena Award from the Geneva Area Chamber of
Commerce

WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative Body to take note of and
publicly acknowledge individuals of remarkable integrity and character
who have inspired and brought pride to our majestic Empire State with
their strong contributions to the community and model citizenship; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Arlene Marie Francis upon the occasion of receiving the 2011 Athena
Award from the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce, to be celebrated on
Thursday, September 8, 2011; and
WHEREAS, Since coming to the Boys & Girls Club of Geneva, Arlene Fran-
cis has been the driving force behind the programs and opportunities
offered to the Club's members and their families; as Program Director of
the Boys & Girls Club of Geneva since 1996, she has been responsible for
developing and implementing a comprehensive youth development program,
supervising paid staff as well as volunteers, and spearheading major
events such as the "Day For Kids"; in addition, she has been the princi-
ple liaison with the Club's grant agencies, and in doing so, gained
their trust and recognition; and
WHEREAS, Donors and grantors give to the Boys & Girls Club of Geneva
in large part because of Arlene Francis' honesty, integrity, and atten-
tion to detail in appropriating funds and in reporting expenditures and
outcomes; and
WHEREAS, For the past 15 years, Arlene Francis has worked long, hard
hours to keep the organization moving forward, serving and making a
difference in the lives of thousands of young people; as a result, she
has been designated as its Executive Director; and
WHEREAS, Arlene Francis has also shown remarkable creativity seeking
new ways to connect with the youth, and revealing their hidden talents,
such as: forming mime groups, plays, "black light" performances, poetry
groups and dance groups; and
WHEREAS, Prior to coming to the Boys & Girls Club of Geneva, Arlene
Francis served for nine years in various capacities with the Boys and
Girls Club of Kalamazoo, Michigan; while there, she was a part of the
Kid's Campus University program, and she then brought this outstanding
idea to the Boys & Girls Club of Geneva; and
WHEREAS, The concept is to plant the seed of passion for higher educa-
tion in the minds of underprivileged young people early who, because of
their socio-economic background would never dream of going to college;
and
WHEREAS, Arlene Francis' success is not limited to her work directly
with the kids, she has also established strong relationships with the
community at large, and especially with sister agencies and organiza-
tions in Geneva and across Ontario County; she has partnered with Coun-
cil On Alcoholism, Catholic Charities, the Youth Bureau, the YMCA, and
the Geneva City Recreation to develop community-wide programs and initi-
atives to improve the quality of life in Geneva and for its youth; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Arlene Marie Francis upon the occasion of receiving the 2011 Athe-
na Award from the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Arlene Marie Francis.