INFORMATIONAL

 Attached is a copy of House Joint Resolution No. 817, passed by the 1999 General 
 Assembly, recognizing October 21, 1999 as the Day of National Concern About Young 
 People and Gun Violence in Virginia. The President of the Board of Education has 
 asked that copies be sent to you to apprise you of the sense of the General Assembly, 
 so that you could include the Day of National Concern About Young People and Gun 
 Violence in your 1999-2000 school calendar, and so that students would be afforded 
 the opportunity to sign the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence. A copy of the 
 student pledge is attached. 

 The Day of National Concern is supported by many organizations, and is sponsored by 
 Mothers Against Violence in America (MAVIA). Additional information can be requested
 by contacting MAVIA at 105 14th Street, Suite 2-A, Seattle, WA 98122. The telephone 
 number is 1-800-897- 7697, the e-mail address is maviaus@aol.com, and the website 
 can be found at www.mavia.org. 

 In Virginia, the Day of National Concern is sponsored by Virginians Against Handgun 
 Violence (VAHV), P. O. Box 271, Norfolk, Virginia 23501. The telephone number is 
 (757) 623-7918, the e-mail address is VaPledge@vahv.org, and the website can be 
 found at www.vahv.org. Alice Mountjoy, the Virginia Coordinator for the Student 
 Pledge and the Education Chairman of the Virginia PTA, has provided the attached 
 information about the 1998 Day of National Concern. She and Linda Hall, the PTA 
 Juvenile Protection Chairman, are the Virginia contacts for this important initiative.

 Alice Mountjoy can be reached at (757) 622-1238, and Linda Hall can be reached at 
 (757) 930-2533. 

 I join with the Virginia PTA in encouraging you to continue to promote school safety
 and reduce the incidence of gun violence. We appreciate the work you are doing to 
 ensure safety in Virginia's schools. 

 Should you have any questions about this initiative, please contact Marsha Hubbard,
 School Safety Specialist, at (804)225-2928. 

 Attachments: A hard copy of this memo and its attachment will be sent to the 
 superintendent's office.

 c:
      The Honorable James F. Almand
      House of Delegates