Shad Planking
Encyclopedia
The Shad Planking is an annual political event in Virginia
which takes place every April near Wakefield
in Sussex County
. It is sponsored by a chapter of the Ruritan
s, a community service organization which was originally founded in the small town of Holland
about 30 miles to the southeast.
Ostensibly an event to celebrate the James River
running of shad
, at a shad planking, the oily, bony fish are smoked for the occasion on wood planks over an open flame. The events held near Wakefield began after World War II
, and were long a function of the state's Conservative Democrat
s, whose political machine dominated Virginia politics for about 80 years from the late 19th century until the 1960s.
However, both Virginia and the Shad Planking had evolved into a more bipartisan environment by the 1980s. In modern times, would-be candidates, reporters, campaign workers, and locals gather to eat shad, drink beer, smoke tobacco, and kick off the state's electoral season with lighthearted speeches by politicians in attendance.
Sponsored by the Wakefield Ruritan Club, Shad Planking serves as the organizations primary fundraising event for the year. All of the funds raised from the event are invested within the Wakefield Community and support such community organizations as baseball teams, the fire department, and other groups.
The name "The Shad Plank" was adopted by the political blog of the Daily Press
newspaper based in Newport News
.
, beginning as a small gathering of friends to celebrate the James River
running of shad
-- the oily, bony fish smoked for the occasion on wood planks over an open flame. The unique shad cooking technique that is enjoyed today traces its roots to Mr. Paul Cox, of Surry County, Virginia
. Mr. Cox, along with several Ruritan
s including Dr. E.C. Nettles and Mr. Richard Savedge, invited twenty-five of their friends to historic Wrenn's Mill in Isle of Wight County, Virginia
for their first Shad Planking. Having attended similar functions in the deep South, Mr. Cox introduced the group to the intriguing process of cooking 15 shad they had caught earlier in the day from the James River on hardwood planks over an open fire.
With Dr. Nettles' suggestion and help, the Wakefield Ruritan Club later adopted this time honored tradition as an annual community and fund raising function in 1949. The event has been held on the third Wednesday in April each year ever since to herald the arrival of spring, with attendance increasing in size from the original 300 guests to over 2000 today. The site is the wooded property of a sportsmen's club near U.S. Route 460
near the incorporated town
of Wakefield
in Sussex County
, about an hour southeast of the Virginia State Capitol
at Richmond
.
Originally a purely social affair, it soon gained a political function, a development credited to State Senator Garland Gray, a local lumberman. In its early years, Democratic party
bosses used the Shad Planking (event) as an opportunity to select the next governor. Harry F. Byrd, Sr.
and the Byrd Organization
dominated Virginia politics into the 1960s. In his 1977 novel, "The Shad Treatment," legal scholar, novelist, and journalist Garrett Epps
called the event "a yearly gathering of the white men in Southside [Virginia] -- no blacks, no women allowed -- where the shirt-sleeve politicians . . . gathered to look over the political leadership."
That has changed and all are welcome now. Many think that in 1977, then-state State Senator L. Douglas Wilder (D) became the first black to attend. Also that year, Washington Post reporter Megan Rosenfeld was the first woman to attend. Over the years, the gathering has evolved into a political gossip festival—a place for candidates to see and be seen and for the curious to speculate about the likely winners and losers of the year's coming campaign season. As Virginia became more Republican after the decline of the Byrd Organization, by the late 20th century, the event became dominated by Republican
s. In recent years, especially as the Republicans lost power again after the gubernatorial administration of Jim Gilmore, the Shad Planking has seen substantial representation by all parties, including the Libertarian Party
.
spoke at the 2005 Shad Planking. Virginia State Senator Russ Potts
was not allowed to speak, so his supporters passed out stickers, "Let Russ Speak". Potts had a bluegrass band "Lagerhead" from Winchester play at his tent. "Go Russ Go" Pott's campaign song was played live at the Shad Planking.
Bob McDonnell
.
Bill Bolling
, wearing a Virginia Tech tie, was the main speaker. The colors of Virginia Tech were on display, with many attendees wearing Virginia Tech hats and t-shirts, since the event occurred two days after the Virginia Tech massacre
. Rather than giving a political speech, Bolling focused on the events at Virginia Tech. Bolling's son graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006.
and coincided with the reconvened session of the Virginia General Assembly
. The featured speakers were the candidates for Virginia's open U.S. Senate seat, Mark Warner
, the Democratic candidate, and Republican contenders Del. Robert G. Marshall
and former governor Jim Gilmore
.
Each candidate opened with comments on the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech Massacre
. Warner spoke of bipartisan cooperation and pledged to become a "radical centrist" if elected. Marshall, who was facing Gilmore for the Republican Party nomination, emphasized his conservative voting record and strong stance against abortion
and gay marriage. He also highlighted his role leading the legal challenge to the regional transportation authorities in Hampton Roads
and Northern Virginia
. Gilmore emphasized his connection to John McCain
and Warner's connection to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
. He characterized Warner as an untrustworthy, "tax-and-spend" liberal who wanted to set a withdrawal date for the war in Iraq
.
.
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
which takes place every April near Wakefield
Wakefield, Virginia
Wakefield is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.Wakefield is famous for being the "Peanut Capital of the World" and the location of the famous , as well as the site of Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center...
in Sussex County
Sussex County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,504 people, 4,126 households, and 2,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 4,653 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
. It is sponsored by a chapter of the Ruritan
Ruritan
Ruritan National is a service club located in small towns and rural areas in the United States. It aims to achieve "Fellowship, Goodwill and Community Service". The local clubs are autonomous from the national organization...
s, a community service organization which was originally founded in the small town of Holland
Holland, Virginia
Holland, Virginia was an incorporated town in the southwestern section of Nansemond County, Virginia. Since 1974, it has been a community in the independent city of Suffolk, Virginia following a [political consolidation which formed Virginia's largest city in geographic area.-History:Holland is...
about 30 miles to the southeast.
Ostensibly an event to celebrate the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
running of shad
Shad
The shads or river herrings comprise the genus Alosa, fish related to herring in the family Clupeidae. They are distinct from others in that family by having a deeper body and spawning in rivers. The several species frequent different areas on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea....
, at a shad planking, the oily, bony fish are smoked for the occasion on wood planks over an open flame. The events held near Wakefield began after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and were long a function of the state's Conservative Democrat
Conservative Democrat
In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a Democratic Party member with conservative political views, or with views relatively conservative with respect to those of the national party...
s, whose political machine dominated Virginia politics for about 80 years from the late 19th century until the 1960s.
However, both Virginia and the Shad Planking had evolved into a more bipartisan environment by the 1980s. In modern times, would-be candidates, reporters, campaign workers, and locals gather to eat shad, drink beer, smoke tobacco, and kick off the state's electoral season with lighthearted speeches by politicians in attendance.
Sponsored by the Wakefield Ruritan Club, Shad Planking serves as the organizations primary fundraising event for the year. All of the funds raised from the event are invested within the Wakefield Community and support such community organizations as baseball teams, the fire department, and other groups.
The name "The Shad Plank" was adopted by the political blog of the Daily Press
Daily Press (Virginia)
The Daily Press is a morning newspaper located in Newport News, Virginia, that covers the Hampton Roads metro area of Virginia. It was established in 1896 and has been owned by the Tribune Company since July 1986...
newspaper based in Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
.
History
The traditional event was originally a tribute to the start of the fishing season. The planking dates to the 1930s near Smithfield, VirginiaSmithfield, Virginia
Smithfield is a town in Isle of Wight County, in the South Hampton Roads subregion of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia in the United States. The population was 8,089 at the 2010 census....
, beginning as a small gathering of friends to celebrate the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
running of shad
Shad
The shads or river herrings comprise the genus Alosa, fish related to herring in the family Clupeidae. They are distinct from others in that family by having a deeper body and spawning in rivers. The several species frequent different areas on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea....
-- the oily, bony fish smoked for the occasion on wood planks over an open flame. The unique shad cooking technique that is enjoyed today traces its roots to Mr. Paul Cox, of Surry County, Virginia
Surry County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,058 people, 2,619 households, and 1,917 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile . There were 3,294 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
. Mr. Cox, along with several Ruritan
Ruritan
Ruritan National is a service club located in small towns and rural areas in the United States. It aims to achieve "Fellowship, Goodwill and Community Service". The local clubs are autonomous from the national organization...
s including Dr. E.C. Nettles and Mr. Richard Savedge, invited twenty-five of their friends to historic Wrenn's Mill in Isle of Wight County, Virginia
Isle of Wight County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 35,270 people, 11,319 households, and 8,670 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile . There were 12,066 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
for their first Shad Planking. Having attended similar functions in the deep South, Mr. Cox introduced the group to the intriguing process of cooking 15 shad they had caught earlier in the day from the James River on hardwood planks over an open fire.
With Dr. Nettles' suggestion and help, the Wakefield Ruritan Club later adopted this time honored tradition as an annual community and fund raising function in 1949. The event has been held on the third Wednesday in April each year ever since to herald the arrival of spring, with attendance increasing in size from the original 300 guests to over 2000 today. The site is the wooded property of a sportsmen's club near U.S. Route 460
U.S. Route 460 in Virginia
U.S. Route 460 in Virginia runs east–west through the southern part of the state. It has two separate pieces in Virginia, joined by a relatively short section in West Virginia...
near the incorporated town
Incorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
of Wakefield
Wakefield, Virginia
Wakefield is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.Wakefield is famous for being the "Peanut Capital of the World" and the location of the famous , as well as the site of Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center...
in Sussex County
Sussex County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,504 people, 4,126 households, and 2,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 4,653 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
, about an hour southeast of the Virginia State Capitol
Virginia State Capitol
The Virginia State Capitol is the seat of state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in Richmond, the third capital of Virginia. It houses the oldest legislative body in the United States, the Virginia General Assembly...
at Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
Originally a purely social affair, it soon gained a political function, a development credited to State Senator Garland Gray, a local lumberman. In its early years, Democratic party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
bosses used the Shad Planking (event) as an opportunity to select the next governor. Harry F. Byrd, Sr.
Harry F. Byrd
Harry Flood Byrd, Sr. of Berryville in Clarke County, Virginia, was an American newspaper publisher, farmer and politician. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia...
and the Byrd Organization
Byrd Organization
The Byrd Organization was a political machine led by former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. that dominated Virginia politics for much of the middle portion of the 20th century...
dominated Virginia politics into the 1960s. In his 1977 novel, "The Shad Treatment," legal scholar, novelist, and journalist Garrett Epps
Garrett Epps
Garrett Epps is an American legal scholar, novelist, and journalist. He is Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore; previously he was the Orlando J. and Marian H. Hollis Professor of Law at the University of Oregon....
called the event "a yearly gathering of the white men in Southside [Virginia] -- no blacks, no women allowed -- where the shirt-sleeve politicians . . . gathered to look over the political leadership."
That has changed and all are welcome now. Many think that in 1977, then-state State Senator L. Douglas Wilder (D) became the first black to attend. Also that year, Washington Post reporter Megan Rosenfeld was the first woman to attend. Over the years, the gathering has evolved into a political gossip festival—a place for candidates to see and be seen and for the curious to speculate about the likely winners and losers of the year's coming campaign season. As Virginia became more Republican after the decline of the Byrd Organization, by the late 20th century, the event became dominated by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
s. In recent years, especially as the Republicans lost power again after the gubernatorial administration of Jim Gilmore, the Shad Planking has seen substantial representation by all parties, including the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
.
2005
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore and his Democratic opponent Tim KaineTim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
spoke at the 2005 Shad Planking. Virginia State Senator Russ Potts
Russ Potts
H. Russell "Russ" Potts Jr. was a Republican state senator in Virginia from Winchester. He was an independent candidate for governor in 2005, receiving 2.22 percent of the vote in a race won by Democrat Tim Kaine. He chaired the Senate Education and Health Committee in the Virginia General Assembly...
was not allowed to speak, so his supporters passed out stickers, "Let Russ Speak". Potts had a bluegrass band "Lagerhead" from Winchester play at his tent. "Go Russ Go" Pott's campaign song was played live at the Shad Planking.
2006
The featured speaker was Attorney GeneralAttorney General of Virginia
The Attorney General of Virginia is an executive office in the Government of Virginia. Attorneys General are elected for a four-year term in the year following a presidential election . There are no term limits restricting the number of terms someone can serve as Attorney General...
Bob McDonnell
Bob McDonnell
Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...
.
2007
Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
Bill Bolling
Bill Bolling
William T. "Bill" Bolling is the current Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Running as a Republican, he was elected twice to the position by defeating his Democratic opponent in both the 2005 and 2009 general elections. He is the first Lieutenant Governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia to serve two...
, wearing a Virginia Tech tie, was the main speaker. The colors of Virginia Tech were on display, with many attendees wearing Virginia Tech hats and t-shirts, since the event occurred two days after the Virginia Tech massacre
Virginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
. Rather than giving a political speech, Bolling focused on the events at Virginia Tech. Bolling's son graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006.
2008
The 60th annual shad planking was held on April 16, the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacreVirginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
and coincided with the reconvened session of the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
. The featured speakers were the candidates for Virginia's open U.S. Senate seat, Mark Warner
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
, the Democratic candidate, and Republican contenders Del. Robert G. Marshall
Robert G. Marshall
Robert G. "Bob" Marshall is a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 13th District, currently serving his 7th term. His district includes portions of Prince William and Loudoun counties.In 2008, Marshall was a candidate for the United States Senate seat being...
and former governor Jim Gilmore
Jim Gilmore
James Stuart "Jim" Gilmore III is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia, former 68th Governor of Virginia, and a member of the Republican Party. A native Virginian, Gilmore studied at the University of Virginia, and then served in the U.S. Army as a counterintelligence agent...
.
Each candidate opened with comments on the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech Massacre
Virginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
. Warner spoke of bipartisan cooperation and pledged to become a "radical centrist" if elected. Marshall, who was facing Gilmore for the Republican Party nomination, emphasized his conservative voting record and strong stance against abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and gay marriage. He also highlighted his role leading the legal challenge to the regional transportation authorities in Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
and Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
. Gilmore emphasized his connection to John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
and Warner's connection to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. He characterized Warner as an untrustworthy, "tax-and-spend" liberal who wanted to set a withdrawal date for the war in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
2009
Wet weather early in the day cleared up before start time but there was a smaller than expected crowd. The featured speakers were the 2009 candidates for governor: Republican Bob McDonnell and Democratic contenders Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffeTerry McAuliffe
Terence Richard "Terry" McAuliffe is a longtime leader and political advisor for the United States Democratic Party. He served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. He served as Co-Chairman of President William Jefferson Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign and also...
.
2010
Because of a light rain continuing almost up to time for the speeches to start, the crowd was small. The featured speaker was former United States Senator and former Governor of Virginia George F. Allen.External links
- official event website
- The Shad Plank a political blog at the Daily Press newspaper based in Newport News, VirginiaNewport News, VirginiaNewport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...