The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS” mentioning Thom Tillis was published in the Senate section on page S4517 on June 14.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
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100TH STATE ANNUAL SINGING CONVENTION
Mr. TILLIS. Madam President. I rise today in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the State Annual Singing Convention in Benson, North Carolina.
The Sing will be celebrating its centennial June 25 to 27, 2021 in the Benson Singing Grove with some of the biggest names in southern gospel music. Local choirs, gospel groups, and recording artists from near and far will be sharing their talents and memories of the Sing throughout the years.
Prior to 1921, choirs would assemble on fifth Sundays in early summer to sing in Benson. Whether in an open field or under a brush arbor, large crowds would come to hear these glorious choirs. Mr. Simon Honeycutt, a regular attendee, conceived of the idea for a singing convention and reached out to four other men--Mr. T.C. Miller, Mr. J.B. Raynor, Mr. J.V. Barefoot, and Mr. J.H. Rose--to help organize the event. The first State Annual Singing Convention was held in a tobacco warehouse in 1921. A silver cup was awarded to the best all-around group, along with prizes for the best quartette and duet. Impartial judges had to be found from a great distance away, and picnic baskets filled a table 110 feet in length as 200 people came to enjoy the wonderful singing.
After a fire destroyed the tobacco warehouse in 1922, a new location for the Sing was found in an oak-shaded grove at the center of town. This land was donated by Miss Catherine Benson, a member of the family for which the town is named. In its early years, a temporary stage was constructed and lumber stacked on pine blocks served as seating, These materials were borrowed from a local sawmill and returned at the conclusion of the Sing. permanent stage in the center of the grove was dedicated in 1950, thanks to town merchants and patrons of the Singing Convention. Folding chairs have now replaced the early lumber-on-block seating. The Singing Grove would fill to capacity long before the singing started as people reunited with old friends and relatives, caught up on the latest news, and forgot about their worries as their souls were lifted through song. For those not able to attend in person, local radio stations allowed listeners to tune in and for a time, the State Annual Singing Convention was broadcast to a national audience.
As the joy-filled weekend wound to an end, singers and spectators alike anxiously awaited judges tallying scores and winners being announced in several different categories. The people have changed, but the Sing remains because of a steadfast commitment to what it represents. As an early leader once wrote, ``The multitude of voices blend in `God be with you till we meet again' to reassure the world that there will always be a song of love in the hearts of God's people everywhere. That is the faith of the State Annual Singing Convention.''
It is my honor to commemorate this notable centennial. The State Annual Singing onvention has nurtured countless souls through song and is a testament to the faith of those who carry on its legacy. I extend my congratulations and best wishes for the next 100 years.
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