Albany, NY Darwin Day Proclamation
Albany joins a growing list of municipalities, including cities, states, and Canadian Provinces that have officially recognized the birthday of the father of evolutionary biology, Charles Darwin.
Proclamations
A proclamation is a written document, usually authorized and signed by an elected official, which will declare a special status to a day, month or event. In the U.S., elected officials from town board members up to the president of the United States have the ability to issue proclamations.
A state resolution carries a little more weight than a proclamation because it must be sponsored by an elected official, submitted to and approved by a committee, and then passed by one or two bodies of the legislature. Though resolutions are not signed into law, they are official public documents.
For those seeking to have Darwin Day proclamations issued in their regions, IDDF suggests that people contact local officials. Start with the mayor or town supervisor's office and ask who handles proclamations. You'll have better luck getting a proclamation passed if you write and submit a draft of the proclamation using the language from existing Darwin Day Proclamations as a starting point.
Be aware that your original language may be altered. If groups are successful in getting Darwin Day Proclamations issued, they should be sure to invite the official who signed the proclamation to attend their Darwin Day event and read the proclamation.
New Orleans, LA Darwin Day Proclamation
New Orleans is not just a place for Mardi Gras and the Saints; it’s a place where secular values are being honored by the local government.
Saint Paul and Minneapolis, MN Darwin Day Proclamations
Minnesota Atheists president, August Berkshire, drafted a Darwin Day Proclamation which was signed by Saint Paul Mayor, Chris Coleman and Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak.
Cincinnati, KY Darwin Day Proclamation
The Free Inquiry Group of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, Inc. (FIG) is pleased to announce that the Honorable Mark Mallory, Mayor of the City of Cincinnati, has proclaimed February 12, 2008 as “DARWIN DAY.”
