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2015 SESSION

15103907D
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 80
Offered January 29, 2015
Commending the Dochiki Civic and Social Club, Inc., on the occasion of its 75th anniversary.
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Patron-- Locke
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WHEREAS, on March 15, 1940, eleven businessmen gathered in the Odessa Barber Shop at 29th Street and Chestnut Avenue in Newport News and organized “Los Amigas,” a social club for men; and

WHEREAS, in 1942, the club changed its name to “Dochiki,” a word of Chinese origin meaning “love and friendship,” and established the “Handshake” as its emblem; the men’s club is currently known as the Dochiki Civic and Social Club, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, initially, the club held its meetings alternately in members’ homes until May 1948, when the club moved its meetings to “Alley Inn,” a room over the garage of a club member; due to the increase in membership, the club had to lease property and later, on August 7, 1952, it purchased property at its present location; and

WHEREAS, since its founding in 1940, the Dochiki Civic and Social Club, Inc., has been actively involved in the community’s social, political, educational, and philanthropic affairs and has provided outstanding civic leadership in Newport News, including serving as the Chestnut Voting Precinct for many years and donating generously to charitable causes; and

WHEREAS, in April 1960, the Dochiki Wives Auxiliary, Inc., was established to complement and assist the men’s club with its scholarships and educational, social, health, and civic projects, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s to support the Daily Press Christmas Fund and in the 1980s and 1990s to aid additional charities, youth programs, and senior citizen projects in the community; and

WHEREAS, in 1970, the club purchased the Bailey house at 2709 Chestnut Avenue in Newport News and, later, property owned by club member Cornelius Glover was donated, enabling the club to build a major addition in 1985; current club facilities occupy one full city block and include many amenities, such as a 300-seat ballroom, a commercial kitchen, several restroom suites, an office, recreational and storage areas, lounges, a 24-seat bar with adjacent kitchen, an 80-space locker room, and ample parking, all of which are handicapped accessible; and

WHEREAS, throughout its existence, the club has welcomed many national leaders, state and local officials, professionals, and sports and entertainment celebrities and hosted civic night programs and public forums, such as a forum in March 2014 in which Edward Jackson, executive architect of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was the guest speaker; and

WHEREAS, today, the club’s membership includes businessmen, educators, elected officials, members of the military, and other professionals, and men throughout the community, who are devoted to supporting area children’s programs, the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, the Orcutt Avenue Senior Citizens Club, the Peninsula Sportsman Club, the Interclub senior men’s luncheon group, and candidate civic and political forums, focusing on health and vitality and emphasizing family values; and

WHEREAS, the Dochiki Civic and Social Club, Inc., a mainstay in Newport News that has contributed much to the welfare of the community, will remain a place where the city’s men can gather for fellowship, to socialize, debate current issues, and enjoy sports; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the Dochiki Civic and Social Club, Inc., hereby be congratulated on the occasion of its 75th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the president of the Dochiki Civic and Social Club, Inc., as an expression of the Senate's high regard for the club and its many years of service to the Newport News community.