Nov 02, 2007
Jerry McGee recognized by Govenor, Mike Easley

Jerry McGee,Executive Director of the North Carolina Athletic Directors' Association
for the last 16 years has been awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Bill Owens on the NC General Assembly,
representing Governor Mike Easley.
McGee was honored for his years of service to North Carolina and his
contributions to national athletic associations. He has been named NC
Athletic Director of the Year four (4) times and has been inducted into
three (3) Hall of Fames. He has been awarded the NIAAA's Thomas E Frederick
s Award of Excellence and in July he received the NFHS's highest award; the
Award of Merit. He has also received the NFHS Citation and the NIAAA's Distinguished Service Award.
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The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is the highest civilian honor that can be
granted in the U.S. State of North Carolina. The long-leaf pine is the
official state tree of North Carolina. As of Dec 31, 2006, the Order has
been awarded to 6,672 individuals. [1]
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is among the most prestigious awards
presented by the Governor of North Carolina. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is presented to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary
service to the state. Contributions to their communities, extra effort in
their careers, and many years of service to their organizations are some of the guidelines by which recipients are selected for this award.
Past recipients include Michael Jordan, [2] Charles Kuralt, Maya Angelou,
Rev. Billy Graham, William C. Friday, novelist and cartoonist Doug Marlette,
poet Fred Chappell, university chancellor Lloyd V. Hackley [3] and artist
Bob Timberlake.
"I [the Governor of North Carolina] do by these presents confer The Order of
the Long Leaf Pine with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary, privileged to
enjoy fully all rights granted to members of this exalted order, among which
is the special privilege to propose the following North Carolina toast in
select company anywhere in the free world:"

Here's to the land
Of the long leaf pine,
The summer land
Where the sun doth shine,
Where the weak grow strong
And the strong grow great,
Here's to 'down home,'
The Old North State!

This is the first verse of the official toast of North Carolina, from a poem
by Leonora Martin and Mary Burke Kerr.
The language on the induction certificate may have varied through the years;
an induction certificate presented in 1972 to a North Carolina journalist by
former N.C. Governor Robert W. Scott begins with a preamble, "Reposing
special confidence in the integrity, learning and zeal of Stuart George I do
by these presents confer The Order of the Long Leaf Pine with the rank...."
The Order is similar to honors bestowed in other states, such as the
Kentucky colonel and South Carolina's Order of the Palmetto.