Charter of Freedom setting proposed in Wilkes | News | journalpatriot.com – Wilkes Journal Patriot

The Wilkes County commissioners received a proposal for establishing a display of full-scale replicas of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence at a public site here during their June 1 meeting.

Ron Lewis and David Streeter from Foundation Forward Charters of Freedom explained plans for the display (setting) and requested county government support.

Founded in 2014 by Vance and Mary Jo Patterson of Burke County, Charters of Freedom has dedicated dozens of Charters of Freedom settings across the nation and has more in the works.

According to the June 1 presentation, the Vances were inspired to set up Foundation Forward when they first saw the original U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Streeter said Foundation Forward is an apolitical, areligious, nonprofit educational organization.

Eddie Settle, chairman of the commissioners, told Lewis he was preaching to the choir and asked what was needed from Wilkes County government.

Lewis said that if the commissioners will approve a resolution saying they would like to have a Charters of Freedom setting, he will provide a memo of understanding for them to approve. Settle said he would get the resolution on the agenda for a meeting in August.

Lewis said the cost is about $75,000. According to news articles on the Charters of Freedom settings established elsewhere, each project is covered by donations of materials, labor and money from citizens and no direct tax dollars are used.

Lewis said the location in Wilkes is up to the commissioners, but Foundation Forward will provide input. He said he already had seen a half dozen potential locations, all within a rock throwing distance from the Wilkes County Office Building in Wilkesboro.

The full-scale replicas of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence are engraved on bronze tablets, placed in decorative reinforced concrete and brick settings and covered with shatterproof glass.

Wilkes County Commissioner Casey Joe Johnson, an elementary school social studies teacher, said he is excited about the information Lewis and Streeter shared. It should be a good way to teach students to respect their country. Johnson said the Wilkes Heritage Museum, which hosts many Wilkes school field trips, seemed like a good location.

Streeter asked Johnson to help arrange for him to meet with Wilkes school principals and the superintendent (Mark Byrd) to help them understand what Foundation Forward Charters of Freedom is about.

A Charters of Freedom display beside the Caldwell County Courthouse in downtown Lenoir was dedicated on July 3, 2019.

According to the City of Lenoir website, this project was led and funded by Foundation Forward Inc. and completed with the help of Caldwell County Public Schools and the City of Lenoir Public Works Department. Students from the masonry programs at Hibriten High School, South Caldwell High School, and West Caldwell High School bricked the setting.

Lewis said a Charters of Freedom setting is being completed now in the 25th North Carolina county and work will start soon on one in Alaska.

Streeter said the settings arent called monuments because theyre not erected to pay homage to a person, event or other things no longer with us. He said the Charters of Freedom arent dead.

These three documents give us many things that we enjoy each day as far as our liberties and freedoms, all the way from the lowest courts that deal with traffic issues all the way up to the Supreme Court, said Streeter.

We may not always agree with everything that comes from the courts, but we all live under those. And thats one of the reasons we live in the great land that we do.

Lewis said Foundation Forward is excited about being in Wilkes County. COVID is calming down now and were raring to go. He said there are people who live in Wilkes who are anxious to see it get started.

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Charter of Freedom setting proposed in Wilkes | News | journalpatriot.com - Wilkes Journal Patriot