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In an article in 1977 celebrating the Ruritan’s 15th anniversary Mr. Terhune had likened this club “to numerous tiny streams, fed by drops of kindness, flowing into a gracious waterway that has refreshed many lives.” That waterway has gotten larger but the club still keeps with tiny streams. “Small things are testimonial to what we are all about. Community concern is our outlet,” explains Mr. Terhune. The Ruritans have always done little things that really mean a lot. Each year at Christmas they join the local churches to provide needy families with gift baskets of clothes, food and presents. They annually award a Rappahannock High School graduate with a scholarship. (The latest recipient of the Ruritans $200 award was Kenneth Jenkins).
The Ruritans have also been there in emergencies. In 1973 an elderly couple’s house burned down, they had very little insurance; their future looked bleak. But through generous community donations and the work of seven Ruritan members, a new home was constructed in three months.
On Christmas day in 1975, fire struck again, this time leaving a family of eight homeless. The Amissville Ruritans immediately contacted area radio stations and newspapers. The Ruritans collected $332 and gifts of over $1500 were made by area churches.
The Amissville Ruritans are a tightly knit group; each person enjoys the company of his comrades. “One of the things that holds us together is the meal we have at every meeting,” says Mr. Curtis. “It promotes fellowship. A combination of farmers and businessmen getting together over a meal is a cement that holds this club together. ”
Mr. Curtis says one of the. few problems with the group is that “we’re not getting younger people to carry on the tradition.” He explains that a person joins if he has some incentive to help the community. “This is the reason why older people join because they’ve lived here a while and want to give something back.”
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