Drizzt
Member
Board to consider if guns are ceremonial or weapons
Amanda Millard
Freedom News Service
Black-powdered muskets may no longer ring in the New Year at Rudisill Stadium next New Year’s Day, school officials said Tuesday.
The stadium, located at Cherryville High School, has been the site of the end of the night celebration of two groups of Cherryville shooters since 1991.
But the groups’ use of the stadium may be violating school system policy.
Principal Steve Huffstetler said he would probably not let the final shot from the Cherryville shooters take place on school grounds again. He has been at the school for seven years as principal but was unsure of how the shooters ever began using the school grounds.
Agreement with city?
“I thought they had an agreement with the city,†Huffstetler said. “We thought they had permission from them.â€
An agreement between the city and the high school allows the public to use the walking track around the stadium. In return, the city paid for lights around the track.
But city officials said they do not sponsor the Cherryville shooter groups and have nothing to do with the stadium’s use.
Superintendent Ed Sadler also said he thought the event was covered under an agreement with the city of Cherryville. The shooters began using the stadium for their final shot of the day before he became school superintendent 10 years ago, Sadler said.
“There are a lot of community traditions that are in place all over the county that generally have been under the jurisdiction of the municipality,†Sadler said Tuesday.
“The biggest concern I have is that it is not covered under the municipality agreement,†Sadler said. “And it becomes our responsibility.â€
Not city-sponsored
Cherryville Mayor Robert Austell and City Manager David Hodgkins said the city does not sponsor the annual New Year’s event that dates back at least 225 years.
“Cherryville Shooters have nothing do to with the city of Cherryville,†Hodgkins said. “We don’t arrange anything with them. We don’t have anything to do with their arrangements with the school for use of the stadium.â€
Huffstetler said he has never given the shooters permission to use the school’s football field.
Drinking and shooting
Both the Traditional Cherryville New Year’s Shooters and The Cherryville New Year’s Shooters acknowledge members of their groups drink alcohol during the 18-hour festivities that begin at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
The two groups travel to dozens of homes throughout the night and next day, firing their vintage muskets in a tradition that they say brings good luck and drives away evil spirits. The tradition dates back to Germans that settled in the town centuries ago, organizers of the annual event say.
Their guns do not fire projectiles, but rather explode black powder.
Two hurt this year
This year at the finale, two men were injured when a gun exploded at the stadium. Leaders of the two groups said the incident would make them look at safety issues, especially during the final shot.
Questioned about whether allowing the shooters to use school property violated the county school system’s zero-tolerance policy toward alcohol, guns and tobacco, Huffstetler said Tuesday, “They can’t go on school grounds with alcohol and liquor. We’re not going to let them. It can’t go on at the stadium because it’s against policy.
“If it’s going to happen on our school grounds, it’s going to have to follow the rules,†Sadler said. School officials will also have to discuss whether the guns are considered weapons, he said. The guns might be considered ceremonial because of their traditional use.
The two groups police themselves and do not allow members to drink alcohol in the open. But Huffstetler said Tuesday he would still be against them using the stadium next year.
The tradition of the Cherryville shooters will continue, with or without the stadium, members of the groups said.
“As far as the New Year’s tradition, it won’t affect it,†said Rusty Wise secretary of the Cherryville New Year’s Shooters. “The biggest thing it will affect is the public viewing of it.â€
Amanda Millard
Freedom News Service
Black-powdered muskets may no longer ring in the New Year at Rudisill Stadium next New Year’s Day, school officials said Tuesday.
The stadium, located at Cherryville High School, has been the site of the end of the night celebration of two groups of Cherryville shooters since 1991.
But the groups’ use of the stadium may be violating school system policy.
Principal Steve Huffstetler said he would probably not let the final shot from the Cherryville shooters take place on school grounds again. He has been at the school for seven years as principal but was unsure of how the shooters ever began using the school grounds.
Agreement with city?
“I thought they had an agreement with the city,†Huffstetler said. “We thought they had permission from them.â€
An agreement between the city and the high school allows the public to use the walking track around the stadium. In return, the city paid for lights around the track.
But city officials said they do not sponsor the Cherryville shooter groups and have nothing to do with the stadium’s use.
Superintendent Ed Sadler also said he thought the event was covered under an agreement with the city of Cherryville. The shooters began using the stadium for their final shot of the day before he became school superintendent 10 years ago, Sadler said.
“There are a lot of community traditions that are in place all over the county that generally have been under the jurisdiction of the municipality,†Sadler said Tuesday.
“The biggest concern I have is that it is not covered under the municipality agreement,†Sadler said. “And it becomes our responsibility.â€
Not city-sponsored
Cherryville Mayor Robert Austell and City Manager David Hodgkins said the city does not sponsor the annual New Year’s event that dates back at least 225 years.
“Cherryville Shooters have nothing do to with the city of Cherryville,†Hodgkins said. “We don’t arrange anything with them. We don’t have anything to do with their arrangements with the school for use of the stadium.â€
Huffstetler said he has never given the shooters permission to use the school’s football field.
Drinking and shooting
Both the Traditional Cherryville New Year’s Shooters and The Cherryville New Year’s Shooters acknowledge members of their groups drink alcohol during the 18-hour festivities that begin at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
The two groups travel to dozens of homes throughout the night and next day, firing their vintage muskets in a tradition that they say brings good luck and drives away evil spirits. The tradition dates back to Germans that settled in the town centuries ago, organizers of the annual event say.
Their guns do not fire projectiles, but rather explode black powder.
Two hurt this year
This year at the finale, two men were injured when a gun exploded at the stadium. Leaders of the two groups said the incident would make them look at safety issues, especially during the final shot.
Questioned about whether allowing the shooters to use school property violated the county school system’s zero-tolerance policy toward alcohol, guns and tobacco, Huffstetler said Tuesday, “They can’t go on school grounds with alcohol and liquor. We’re not going to let them. It can’t go on at the stadium because it’s against policy.
“If it’s going to happen on our school grounds, it’s going to have to follow the rules,†Sadler said. School officials will also have to discuss whether the guns are considered weapons, he said. The guns might be considered ceremonial because of their traditional use.
The two groups police themselves and do not allow members to drink alcohol in the open. But Huffstetler said Tuesday he would still be against them using the stadium next year.
The tradition of the Cherryville shooters will continue, with or without the stadium, members of the groups said.
“As far as the New Year’s tradition, it won’t affect it,†said Rusty Wise secretary of the Cherryville New Year’s Shooters. “The biggest thing it will affect is the public viewing of it.â€
