Golden Horseshoe Presentation at Jawbone Park

2020 Upshur County Golden Horseshoe Winners, left to right: Teacher Jill Kelley, Karli Gay, Jeremy Streets, Dirk Riley, Madolyn Long, Teacher Benjamin Folks.

Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School Principal, Michael Lynch

Upshur County Board of Education President, Tammy Samples

Upshur County Superintendent of Schools, Sara Stankus

Mayor David McCauley remarks at Golden Horseshoe Day

Thursday, May 14, 2020, 2:00 p.m. – Jawbone Park, Buckhannon, WV

Good afternoon, it’s my great honor & privilege to participate in this afternoon’s ceremony honoring our four B-U Golden Horseshoe Award winners & to help induct these newest Ladies & Knights into the Golden Horseshoe Society.

We have personalized proclamations to present to each of our four students, Kari Gay, Madolyn Long, Dirk Riley, & Jeremy Streets, along with another surprise. I wonder if part of the study to achieve the Golden Horseshoe Award involves learning about the Golden Horseshoe Award itself. For instance, did you know that the award was first given in 1931? This marks the 90^th year that the award has been given. Did you know that 15,000 West Virginia students have won the award? Did you know that events from 1716 inspired the genesis of our award? Alexander Spotswood was then the Lt. Governor of Virginia, later becoming Governor. Spotswood led an expedition of 50 members, known as the Spotswood Transmontane (across the mountains) Expedition- across the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Shenandoah Valley which then was the eastern part of “western” Virginia! Upon returning home to Williamsburg, Spotswood presented each member of his expedition party with… ta-dah!… a golden horseshoe! Inscribed on each golden horseshoe was “Sic juvat transcendere montes.” This Latin phrase translates to “thus it is a pleasure to cross the mountains.” Spotswood instituted the Tramontane Order to encourage gentlemen to venture to western Virginia & make discoveries & settlements, any gentleman being entitled to wear this golden horseshoe on the breast who could prove that he had drank to his majesty’s health on Mt. George.

So- is everyone ready to do this thing? Just think of the story you students can tell your children & grandchildren someday- that during the global pandemic of 2020- some ole guy sorely in need of a haircut subbed for the governor & dubbed ye ladies & knights of the Golden Horseshoe Society in an open park while everyone was social distancing. We’ll just call this afternoon’s exercise sub & dub!

We’ll recognize our students in alphabetical order, so first up is Lady Kari Gay, Lady of the Golden Horseshoe. [read proclamation, present key to the City, dub with sword] Next is Lady Madolyn Long, Lady of the Golden Horseshoe. Next is Sir Dirk Riley, Knight of the Golden Horseshoe. And last but not least is Sir Jeremy Streets, Knight of the Golden Horseshoe. Ladies & Gentlemen- how ‘bout one more super ovation for our four newest Ladies & Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Society! Go B-U!

Kari Gay is knighted as a Lady of the Golden Horseshoe.

MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION

Whereas, West Virginia’s Golden Horseshoe Award began in 1931, & is the longest running program of its kind in the United States; &

Whereas, 2020 marks the 90^th class of honorees, during which period 15,000 students have been inducted as Knights & Ladies of the Golden Horseshoe Society, or an average of only 165 annual, student honorees throughout our 55 West Virginia counties, or about three student Award winners per year from each West Virginia county; &

Whereas, our B-U community is thrilled to feature four Golden Horseshoe award winners for 2020, all being eighth graders at our Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School; &

Whereas, due to the global pandemic, the knighting ceremony in our State capitol unfortunately had to be canceled this year for public health & safety reasons; &

Whereas, notwithstanding the cancellation of the State ceremony, our Upshur County school system & the City of Buckhannon have collaborated to sponsor their own ceremony to recognize the 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award winners, being the Knights & Ladies of the Golden Horseshoe Society, the ceremony to be held in Jawbone Park in the heart of downtown Buckhannon on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.; &

Whereas, one of our four 2020 B-U Golden Horseshoe Award winners is MS. KARI GAY, being one of our B-U community’s brightest eighth grade residents whose interests & passions include working for her family’s cattle & potato farm, i.e., Mountain Pride Farms, horses & pigs, the Frenchton Bobcats 4-H, Upshur County Youth Livestock Association, camping, & horseback riding.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID W. McCAULEY, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF BUCKHANNON, pursuant to the power & authority duly vested in me, do hereby proclaim Thursday, May 14, 2020 to be “GOLDEN HORSESHOE AWARD & INDUCTION DAY” throughout our City of Buckhannon. The Class of 2020 to be inducted into the Golden Horseshoe Society includes Lady Kari Gay.

I further urge all of our B-U residents to join our City employees, all members of our City government family, & me to express our most heartfelt pride for & congratulations to all four (4) of our B-U Golden Horseshoe Award winners, being the Class of 2020 Knights & Ladies of the Golden Horseshoe Society during our May 14, 2020 ceremony, including Award winner LADY KARI GAY. All hail LADY KARI as we bestow upon her full honors of the Golden Horseshoe & with the Key to our City of Buckhannon.

Given under my hand & the official seal of

The City of Buckhannon, this 14th day of May, 2020

David W. McCauley, Mayor

Madolyn Long is knighted as a Lady of the Golden Horseshoe.

MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION

Whereas, West Virginia’s Golden Horseshoe Award began in 1931, & is the longest running program of its kind in the United States; &

Whereas, our B-U community is thrilled to feature four Golden Horseshoe award winners for 2020, all being eighth graders at our Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School; &

Whereas, due to the global pandemic, the knighting ceremony in our State capitol unfortunately had to be canceled this year for public health & safety reasons; &

Whereas, one of our four 2020 B-U Golden Horseshoe Award winners is MS. MADOLYN LONG, being one of our B-U community’s brightest eighth grade residents whose interests & passions include math, reading, playing the viola, & archery.

I further urge all of our B-U residents to join our City employees, all members of our City government family, & me to express our most heartfelt pride for & congratulations to all four (4) of our B-U Golden Horseshoe Award winners, being the Class of 2020 Knights & Ladies of the Golden Horseshoe Society during our May 14, 2020 ceremony, including Award winner LADY MADOLYN LONG. All hail LADY MADOLYN as we bestow upon her full honors of the Golden Horseshoe & with the Key to our City of Buckhannon.

Given under my hand & the official seal of

The City of Buckhannon, this 14th day of May, 2020

David W. McCauley, Mayor

Dirk Riley is recognized before being knighted.

MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION

Whereas, West Virginia’s Golden Horseshoe Award began in 1931, & is the longest running program of its kind in the United States; &

Whereas, our B-U community is thrilled to feature four Golden Horseshoe award winners for 2020, all being eighth graders at our Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School; &

Whereas, due to the global pandemic, the knighting ceremony in our State capitol unfortunately had to be canceled this year for public health & safety reasons; &

Whereas, one of our four 2020 B-U Golden Horseshoe Award winners is MR. DIRK RILEY, being one of our B-U community’s brightest eighth grade residents whose interests & passions include learning all about West Virginia, soccer, & track.

I further urge all of our B-U residents to join our City employees, all members of our City government family, & me to express our most heartfelt pride for & congratulations to all four (4) of our B-U Golden Horseshoe Award winners, being the Class of 2020 Knights & Ladies of the Golden Horseshoe Society during our May 14, 2020 ceremony, including Award winner SIR DIRK RILEY. All hail KNIGHT DIRK RILEY as we bestow upon him full honors of the Golden Horseshoe & with the Key to our City of Buckhannon.

Given under my hand & the official seal of

The City of Buckhannon, this 14th day of May, 2020

David W. McCauley, Mayor

Jeremy Streets is knighted and receives a Golden Horseshoe.

MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION

Whereas, West Virginia’s Golden Horseshoe Award began in 1931, & is the longest running program of its kind in the United States; &

Whereas, our B-U community is thrilled to feature four Golden Horseshoe award winners for 2020, all being eighth graders at our Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School; &

Whereas, due to the global pandemic, the knighting ceremony in our State capitol unfortunately had to be canceled this year for public health & safety reasons; &

Whereas, one of our four 2020 B-U Golden Horseshoe Award winners is MR. JEREMY STREETS, being one of our B-U community’s brightest eighth grade residents whose interests & passions include sports, social studies, & especially traveling about West Virginia with his family learning all about West Virginia history.

I further urge all of our B-U residents to join our City employees, all members of our City government family, & me to express our most heartfelt pride for & congratulations to all four (4) of our B-U Golden Horseshoe Award winners, being the Class of 2020 Knights & Ladies of the Golden Horseshoe Society during our May 14, 2020 ceremony, including Award winner SIR JEREMY STREETS. All hail KNIGHT JEREMY STREETS as we bestow upon him full honors of the Golden Horseshoe & with the Key to our City of Buckhannon.

Given under my hand & the official seal of

The City of Buckhannon, this 14th day of May, 2020

David W. McCauley, Mayor