1999-2000 Bill 4832: Joseph Drew Smith, Resolution; Lake Murray Marine Patrol Station

1 BIL: 4832 2 TYP: Concurrent Resolution CR 3 INB: House 4 IND: 20000328 5 PSP: Knotts 6 SPO: Knotts, Koon, Frye, Huggins, Gamble, Stuart and Riser 7 DDN: l:\council\bills\dka\3820mm00.doc 8 DPB: 20000329 9 SUB: Joseph Drew Smith, Resolution; Lake Murray Marine Patrol Station, 10 Lexington County named in honor of; Natural Resources 11 12 13 14 HST: 15 16 Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved 17 ______18 House 20000329 Received from Senate 19 Senate 20000329 Introduced, adopted, returned 20 with concurrence 21 House 20000328 Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate 22 23 24 Versions of This Bill 25 26 27 28 29 TXT: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 10 11 RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JOSEPH DREW 12 SMITH, AND HIS LASTING CONTRIBUTION TO BOATING 13 SAFETY IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, BY 14 NAMING THE NEW LAKE MURRAY MARINE PATROL 15 STATION ON BUNDRICK ISLAND IN LEXINGTON 16 COUNTY IN HIS HONOR. 17 18 Whereas, Joseph Drew Smith was only eleven years old when he 19 died on the waters of Lake Murray in the early morning hours of 20 July 19, 1997; and 21 22 Whereas, Drew’s love for life has continued to influence the lives 23 of those he touched as well as those who never knew him. Drew 24 had lived in Lexington all of his life, and that summer he had just 25 completed the fifth grade at White Knoll Elementary where he was 26 described by one teacher as a student that “just seemed to light up 27 the room”; and 28 29 Whereas, candles have been lit in his memory in cathedrals all 30 over England, a church pew in a rustic Honduran church was 31 dedicated to him, and a prayer of thanksgiving for his life has been 32 prayed at the Mount of Olives; and 33 34 Whereas, another memorial to his life is The Boating Safety Act of 35 1999, known as Drew’s Law, which was passed through the 36 combined efforts of Drew’s parents, the General Assembly, the 37 Department of Natural Resources, and concerned citizens and 38 which recognize a death at the hands of drunken boaters to be as 39 devastating as a death on our highways caused by an intoxicated 40 driver; and 41

1 [4832] 1 1 Whereas, students of the Lexington High School Swim Team 2 initiated the Lake Murray Swim to honor Drew, to focus attention 3 on boating safety, and to establish the Drew Smith Scholarship; 4 and 5 6 Whereas, all the positive results, all the ripple effects of his death, 7 speak to the fact that Drew’s life and death made a difference. 8 Last year was the safest boating season since the Department of 9 Natural Resources began keeping records; and 10 11 Whereas, it is fitting that the new Lake Murray Marine Patrol 12 facility, to be manned by officers of the Lexington County 13 Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Natural Resources, be 14 a continuing legacy of Drew’s too-short life and too-tragic death. 15 Now, therefore, 16 17 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate 18 concurring: 19 20 That the members of the General Assembly recognize the life and 21 death of Joseph Drew Smith and his lasting contribution to boating 22 safety in the State of South Carolina, by naming the new Lake 23 Murray Marine Patrol Station on Bundrick Island in Lexington 24 County in his honor. 25 26 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to 27 Drew’s parents. 28 ----XX----

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