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Ruritan Mission
Ruritan is a national
organization dedicated to improving communities and building a better
America through fellowship, goodwill, and community service.
The first Ruritan Club was chartered May 21,
1928, in Holland, Virginia. Since that first club, Ruritan has grown
throughout the United States of America, and in doing so, has become
"America’s Leading Community Service Organization."
Tom Downing of Suffolk, Virginia, and Jack Gwaltney of Holland, Virginia,
are known as the co-founders of Ruritan. Gwaltney and Downing recognized
the need for an organization where community leaders could meet and
discuss ways to make their community a better place in which to live.
The name "Ruritan" was suggested by Daisy Nurney, a reporter for
the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper, and the club’s charter members
unanimously adopted "Ruritan" as the organization’s name. The
word is a combination of the Latin words for open country "ruri"
and small town "tan," interpreted as pertaining to rural and
small town life.
Ruritan is a civic
service organization made up of local clubs in small towns and rural
communities. Ruritan's purpose is to create a better understanding among
people and through volunteer community service, make America's communities
better places in which to live and work. The slogan of Ruritan is
"Fellowship, Goodwill and Community Service." Club membership
represents a cross-section of the community in which the club serves, and
is not restrictive with regard to occupation, social position, or any
other specific criteria.
Unlike most civic service organizations, Ruritan rarely has national
programs. Rather, each club surveys its own community as to the needs of
that community and then works to meet some of those needs. Nearly all
clubs work locally with FFA, 4-H and other organizations serving youth.
Nearly one in every three Ruritan clubs sponsors a Scout unit.
Many clubs provide and supervise community recreational centers, sponsor
Little League and other athletic programs, involve themselves in
anti-litter campaigns, help the sick and needy, and perform a wide range
of services to help their communities.
Sixteen members are required to form a Ruritan club, usually with the
assistance of an existing club. When a club applies for membership in
Ruritan, it submits a charter application along with a charter fee. Upon
chartering, the club receives supplies and assistance necessary for its
organization and continuance.
Of special interest to young people are two growing, expanding Ruritan
programs: The Ruritan National Foundation and the Ruritan Student Program.
The Ruritan National Foundation annually provides financial assistance to
students to further their education past high school.
In the Ruritan Student Program, many Ruritan clubs select two or more high
school students and pay their entire membership (including meals) in the
club for one year. The purpose of the Ruritan Student Program is to
introduce students of all ages to the Ruritan spirit of Fellowship,
Goodwill and Community Service.
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