--- title: SR 358. Copeland, Alvin J.; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr358 cite_as: SR 358, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr358 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr358.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr358/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71195 date: 2025-03-10 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-11 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr357.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr359.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr358.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 358 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-10 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - David Lucas - Matt Brass - Bill Cowsert - Steve Gooch - John Kennedy text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR358/2025 upstream_id: 1994330 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Senate resolution - education honors - Georgia high school athletics - Macon Georgia --- # SR 358. Copeland, Alvin J.; recognize ## Text 25 LC 112 3308 Senate Resolution 358 By: Senators Lucas of the 26th, Brass of the 6th, Cowsert of the 46th, Gooch of the 51st and Kennedy of the 18th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Alvin J. Copeland; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Alvin J. Copeland has dedicated 47 years of service to the field of education2 and athletics, shaping the lives of countless students as a teacher, coach, and mentor; and3 WHEREAS, he began his distinguished career with the Monroe County Board of Education4 at Hubbard High School in Forsyth, Georgia, serving from 1964 t o 1967 as a health and5 physical education teacher, assistant coach for football and basketball, and head coach for6 track and field; and7 WHEREAS, he joined Northeast High School in Macon, Georgia, in 1970, where he taught8 health and physical education until 2000, served as department chairman from 1973 to 2000,9 and worked as athletic director and head coach for cross country, girls basketball, and girls10 and boys track and field until his retirement in 2011; and11 WHEREAS, his teams achieved remarkable success, winning five Ge orgia State12 Championships in girls basketball in 1975, 1981, 1982, 1985, an d 2002, as well as state13 runner-up titles in 1980 and 2001 and third-place finishes in 1974 and 1976; and14 S. R. 358 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3308 WHEREAS, he led his boys track and field teams to state championships in 1975 and 1977,15 a state runner-up title in 1974, and girls track and field teams to six state championships in16 1979, 1982, 1986, 2000, 2001, and 2002; and17 WHEREAS, his teams further secured numerous regional championsh ips, with the girls18 basketball team earning 16 regional titles between 1972 and 2011, the boys track and field19 team securing eight regional titles between 1970 and 1977, and the girls track and field team20 winning 28 regional titles between 1979 and 2009; and21 WHEREAS, he was inducted into multiple prestigious halls of fam e, including the Fort22 Valley State University Hall of Fame in 1981, the Southern Inte rcollegiate Athletic23 Conference Hall of Fame in 2000, the Macon Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, the Georgia24 Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame and the Georgia High School Coaches Hall of25 Fame in 2012, the Fort Valley State University Athletics Hall o f Fame in 2015, and the26 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024; and27 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this distingu ished individual be28 appropriately honored during this special time.29 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body30 recognize and commend Alvin J. Copeland for his extraordinary c areer in education and31 athletics, honor his lasting contributions to student-athletes across Georgia, and extend best32 wishes for future health and happiness.33 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed34 to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Alvin J. Copeland.35 S. R. 358 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors Alvin J. Copeland, a longtime Macon area teacher and coach, for 47 years of service to education and athletics in Georgia schools. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes Alvin J. Copeland for his 47 year career as a teacher, coach, and mentor, starting at Hubbard High School in Forsyth and continuing at Northeast High School in Macon until his retirement in 2011. The resolution details his coaching record, including multiple state championships in girls basketball and track and field, and his induction into several athletic halls of fame. The Senate formally commends him for his contributions to student athletes across Georgia and directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide him a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Alvin J. Copeland for 47 years of service in education and athletics in Georgia. - Recounts his career at Hubbard High School and Northeast High School, including his roles as teacher, coach, and athletic director. - Lists his teams' state and regional championship titles and his inductions into several halls of fame. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Copeland. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors one individual, Alvin J. Copeland. It has no regulatory effect on other Georgians, though it reflects on students and athletes he taught and coached in Monroe and Bibb counties over his career. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial effect and changes no Georgia law. Its significance is symbolic: it places an official Senate tribute to Copeland's decades of work in education and coaching into the public record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses detail Copeland's career timeline, from 1964 at Hubbard High School to his 2011 retirement from Northeast High School. - The whereas clauses list specific championship years and hall of fame inductions as the factual basis for the recognition. - The resolved clause formally commends Copeland for his career and contributions to student athletes across Georgia. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available to Copeland. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-10) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-03-10) - Sponsors: David Lucas, Matt Brass, Bill Cowsert, Steve Gooch, John Kennedy - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71195 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr358.md?full=1