What Is A Ruritan?
To be a Ruritan is...
to be one of nearly 30,000 members throughout the United States, that work to improve more than 1,100 local communities. Since Ruritan National’s beginning in 1928, Ruritan Clubs have served America with Fellowship, Goodwill, and Community Service. Ruritan is a civic service organization made up of local clubs in urban areas, small towns and rural communities.
Ruritan National'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, Ruritans 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.
Sterling Ruritan History
The Sterling Club has served the community by providing those services needed by the community, and especially services needed by the youth of our area. This was our goal in the 1950s and continues to be our goal.
The most important accomplishment is the Club’s ability to attract and keep membership that commits itself to providing for the needs of our community.
Second must be the Charter Members knowledge that to support the community, the community must have a place in which to meet. This task was accomplished in 1956 when the Club purchased the building known as Bowman’s Tavern at a cost of $8,000. The first meeting was held in our clubhouse in February 1959 and in 1963 ground was broken for the 36 x 80’ building addition.
The cost of this addition was estimated at $17,000 and was scheduled to be completed by November 23, 1963. Before the County could provide a community center, the Sterling Ruritan Club provided their building to the community. Until 1966 the Club provided free use of our facility, in 1966 the cost was set at $50 dollars to rent and $10 for clean up. The Club has continually improved its facility and though higher than the 1966 rates, rates charged today for use of our facility are kept at a minimum.
The Club then, as we do today, financed the procurement of our building through fund raising efforts. In the past we have had dances, raffles, benefit dinners, turkey shoots, and the Salvation Army kettle bell ringing. Today we use such fund raisers as Bingo, trailer food sales, and club rentals.
We welcome you to hear from one of our Ruritan Forever Members, Tom Hummer and his story of growing up in the Sterling community
Ruritans In Action
