Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 99 Part 2.djvu/952

 99 STAT. 2062

PROCLAMATION 5351—JUNE 14, 1985

Being a good father is an art that cannot be taught in schools. The main ingredient for success is simply a caring attitude. Fathers who love their families can never completely fail, and children will always remember the influence of a father who tries to do his best. For many children, the memory of a loving father will be the most important influence in their lives. The love a father feels for his children can take many forms. The only constant is that he shares their lives in a special and irreplaceable way. He feels their hurts as well as their joys, their pains as well as their triumphs. In this way, he plays an indispensable role in their moral development, and they return to him a love and satisfaction that cannot be found anywhere else. On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilities and joys of fatherhood. Whether our fathers are near at hand or a continent away, with their families or watching from the light of eternity, we take this day to remember them, to say our thanks for the years they have given us, and to ask that they receive God's blessings. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, in accordance with the joint resolution of the Congress (36 U.S.C. 142a], do hereby proclaim Sunday, June 16, 1985, as Father's Day. I invite the States and communities and the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies as a mark of gratitude and abiding affection for their fathers. I direct government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Federal government buildings, and I urge all Americans to display the flag at their homes and other suitable places on that day. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and ninth. RONALD REAGAN Proclamation 5351 of June 14, 1985

Family Reunion Month, 1985 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Family reunions are occasions that renew the feelings of love, pride, and support that nurture our lives. There is no more joyous and poignant family reunion than the return to the family of a child who has run away from home. The number of young people between the ages of 10 and 17 who ran away from home last year is estimated at more than one million. The heartache of such a breakdown in family relationships is incalculable. But for many thousands of families, the joy of reunion was realized with the return of a son or daughter and a resolution of the conditions that precipitated the flight of the child. In all likelihood, the return was aided by one of the professionals and volunteers who staff runaway shelters throughout the country. Last year alone, some 200,000 young Americans and their families received counseling aimed at resolving family conflicts and pressures. Almost half the young people who sought help were returned safely to their homes.

�