Proclamation 4691

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

Active, growing youngsters need good food to do well in school. And since the eating habits established in childhood affect later tastes and practices, school meals also provide a unique opportunity to understand and enjoy good nutrition. The National School Lunch Program, established in 1946, now provides nourishing lunches to 26 million school children each school day. The United States Department of Agriculture sets nutritional standards to these meals but the quality and appeal of school lunches depend on another vital ingredient: people who care.

Therefore, I want to pay special tribute to the thousands of people-parents, teachers, principals, school food service workers, State and local officials-who make the school lunch program work in 94,000 schools across the country. They determine whether the cafeteria is a pleasant and welcoming place, whether the food served is actually eaten, whether children come to think of good nutrition as punishment or pleasure.

In recognition of the School Lunch Program's contribution to America's youth, the Congress, by a joint resolution of October 9, 1962 (76 Stat. 779; 36 U.S.C. 168), has designated the week beginning the second Sunday of October in each year as National School Lunch Week, and has requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance.

Now, THEREFORE, I, JIMMY CARTER, President of the United States of America, do hereby urge the people of the United States to observe the week of October 14, 1979, as National School Lunch Week and give special attention to activities that will promote good nutrition for America's youth.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourth.

JIMMY CARTER

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 2:29 p.m., September 20, 1979]