South Carolina S 1196: Honorable John Charles Smith

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 1196 Text of Previous Version (May. 14, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 1196

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A senate RESOLUTION

TO CONGRATULATE YMCA Camp Thunderbird UPON THE 
OCCASION OF ITS ninetieth ANNIVERSARY AND TO recognize August 28, 2026, as Camp 
Thunderbird Day in South Carolina.

Whereas, the members of 
the South Carolina Senate are pleased to recognize YMCA Camp Thunderbird as it 
celebrates this important milestone; and

Whereas, YMCA Camp 
Thunderbird was founded in 1936 as the Observer Fresh Air Camp, established to 
ensure that children, regardless of circumstance, could experience the 
life-changing benefits of fresh air, nature, and community; and

Whereas, in 1946, the 
camp was entrusted to the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, strengthening its 
commitment to youth development, character building, and providing access to 
meaningful camp experiences for children of all backgrounds; and

Whereas, in its early 
years, YMCA Camp Thunderbird served as a place of healing and hope, offering 
restorative outdoor experiences to children facing health challenges and 
limited resources, including those recovering during the polio era; and

Whereas, over the past 
ninety years, YMCA Camp Thunderbird has made an extraordinary and lasting 
impact on the region, serving more than eighty thousand overnight campers, more 
than fifty thousand day campers, and more than four hundred thousand students 
through its environmental education programs; and

Whereas, YMCA Camp 
Thunderbird has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to access and equity by 
providing more than twenty-eight thousand scholarships, ensuring that children 
from all circumstances can experience the joy, growth, and belonging that camp 
provides; and

Whereas, Camp 
Thunderbird has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to youth leadership 
development through its Counselor in Training (CIT) program, a four-week 
immersive experience that has prepared nearly three thousand teens with the 
skills, confidence, and character needed to lead and serve in their communities; 
and

Whereas, generations of 
young people have been shaped by YMCA Camp Thunderbird through experiences that 
foster confidence, independence, leadership, and lifelong friendships, while 
thousands of counselors and staff have carried the values learned at camp into 
their communities and professions; and

Whereas, through times 
of national and local challenge, including economic hardship, public health 
crises, and periods of societal change, YMCA Camp Thunderbird has remained a 
steadfast and trusted resource for families, continually adapting to meet the 
evolving needs of youth; and

Whereas, YMCA Camp 
Thunderbird has become a cherished part of family traditions across the 
Carolinas, with generations of campers, staff, and families returning year 
after year, creating a powerful legacy of shared experiences, connection, and 
belonging; and

Whereas, as YMCA Camp 
Thunderbird celebrates its ninetieth anniversary, it continues to carry forward 
its mission of strengthening youth, families, and communities while honoring 
the traditions, relationships, and values that have defined it for nearly a 
century; and

Whereas, the members of 
the South Carolina Senate greatly appreciate the dedication and commitment of YMCA 
Camp Thunderbird to serving the people and the State of South Carolina. Now, 
therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the 
South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, 
congratulate YMCA Camp Thunderbird upon the occasion of its ninetieth anniversary 
and recognize August 28, 2026, as Camp Thunderbird Day in South Carolina.

Be it further resolved 
that a copy of this resolution be presented to the leadership of YMCA Camp 
Thunderbird.

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This web page was last updated on May 14, 2026 at 02:36 PM