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Chapter 7 Inside The Club

The Ruritan National hierarchy consists of zones composed of three to ten clubs; districts composed of several zones; and the national level. Each Ruritan club can send delegates to the annual national convention to elect a national Board of Directors and national officers, and to change the national constitution or bylaws. Each club secretary reports monthly on membership and quarterly on the club’s activities.

Ruritan National has a variety of awards programs and presents certificates and plaques annually to clubs that have the highest attendance, perform the most community service projects, produce the best newsletters or other communications, or sponsor the most new clubs; and to officers for outstanding service. Over the years the Fulks Run club has won many of these awards; some are displayed in a cabinet on the picnic shelter side of the Lantz building in the park, while others hang in the hallways at the elementary school.

Inside the club is where the "Goodwill” and “Fellowship” part of the Ruritan slogan is best exemplified. Jokes, laughter and the occasional prank seem to have enlivened club gatherings from the earliest days. The club hosted a variety of activities for club members in the early decades, such as bowling teams, golf tournaments, and fishing trips, although these events declined as transportation improved and lives became ever busier. But laughter continues to ring out at every club meeting, and when differences of opinion arise, as is inevitable in any group, the club handles them with calm orderliness. Today, many Fulks Run Ruritans are raising third and fourth generations of potential Ruritan members.

April 7, 1959 Drawing for the prize, no. 30 was drawn, Harry Trumbo’s no.

Sept. 3, 1963 Bill Bare stated that if the club wanted to enter the Ruritan Bowling League he would need to notify Bill Hiser President of the league soon. After a number volunteered to bowl the Club decided to enter a team.

March 1, 1966 Lt. Gov. Thompson spoke about the club becoming incorporated to avoid club members being liable for accidents that may occur. Lt. Gov. Thompson presented the club with an Honor Roll Certificate.

June 4, 1968 Carroll Miller, Recreation Chairman, announced that the club’s Bowling Team won the Championship Trophy. Paul Wilkins, Fellowship Committee, presented 10 year perfect attendance pens to 5 Charter members: Kermit Custer, Gerald Custer, Garnett Turner, Lloyd Turner and Carroll Yankey.

July 1, 1969 Bob Mitchell tried to get a fishing party together with a later date to be set.

Aug. 5, 1969 The fishing trip was planned again and 8 members were interested in going.

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Ruritan National placed heavy emphasis on attendance. The Fulks Run club kept careful records and won many attendance awards.

1969 Perfect Attendance William Bare, Jr. 5 yrs Ernest Branner 7 Branson Conley, Jr. 2 Richard Cooper 6 Charles Crider 10 Barry Custer 3 Gerald Custer 11 Kermit Custer 11 Galen Fulk 8 Harrison Fulk 10 Maynard Fulk 6 Maynard Hoover 6 Kermit Hottinger 6

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF FULKS RUN RURITAN CLUB, INC.

THIS IS TO CERTIFY that we, the undersigned, do hereby associate ourselves to establish a non­stock corporation under the provisions of Chapter 2 of title 13.1 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, and to that end, we do, by these Articles of Incorporation, set forth as follows:

(1) The name of the corporation is to be FULKS RUN RURITAN CLUB, INC.

(2) The purposes for which the corporation is formed are as follows: To operate a Ruritan Club in the general area of Fulks Run, Rockingham

County, VA; to hold, sponsor, direct and promote all kinds of civic and community enterprises and entertainment, including, but not by way of limitation, athletic events, horse shows, scholastic events, and social and community events of all kinds.

(3) Charter members of the corporation shall be the members in good standing of the unincorporated Fulks Run Ruritan Club. Any adult male person of good reputation and moral character shall be eligible for future membership.

Membership will be acquired by invitation only. Any member of the corporation in good standing may present to the President of the corporation in writing the name of any persons proposed for membership which proposal for membership shall be endorsed by at least one other member of the corporation in good standing. Any such person proposed for membership must be approved by a majority vote of the members present at any regular meeting of the corporation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands this 18 day of May, 1966. Robert J. Mitchell, Nelson Trumbo, Gerald Custer, Incorporators.

Robert Lam 3 Leon Liskey 2 Delmas Miller 6 Owen Miller 5 Paul Miller 5 Russell Miller 6 Trovillo Miller 6 Robert Mitchell 9 Harlan Mongold 10 Shirley Morris 7 Orie Mumbert 6 Garland Reedy 4 Owen Reedy 7

Charles Shoemaker 6 Delbert Slater 10 Nelson Trumbo 10 Harry Trumbo 6 Garnett Turner 11 Lloyd Turner 11 Miles Turner 1 Dale Warner 6 Paul Wilkins 10 Carroll Yankey 11 C.T. Yankey 1 Harold Yankey 4 Vance Miller 4

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February 3, 1970 Mensel Dean, District Governor, gave the oath of office to Larry Custer in which Larry promised to give ½ of his worldly possessions to the Ruritan Club. Mensel Dean then reluctantly let Larry revoke the pledge.

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Ruritan National Annual Reports

1971 The Recreation Committee sponsored a bowling team with 12 members participating. The club paid a $10 fee for the team. Eleven members went on a one‐day fishing trip to Coles Point. The members rented two boats and equipment for a day at $110. Many who went on the trip were young members in whom we hope to create enough interest so that they continue to do good work with the club. The club had 100% attendance for the year. Four new members were added to the rolls. Many of these are young men. The average age of the club is now 38.

1973 The FRRC sponsored a bowling team consisting of five club members. The club sponsored a ladies softball team, with 23 ladies from the community participating. Several members of the club played basketball with other local Ruritan clubs.

1983 Sponsored delegates to National Convention, $692. Gave prize for Rur. Pin worn to meet. 6 hours, $75. Observed Ruritan Sunday, 6 mem. Att. $100.00 to Ruritan Nat. Conv.

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By Larry Custer, Joined 1970; President 1979, 1995

I remember going with dad to Sons and Daughters Night, in the church basement. I remember some of the old folks, I remember Maynard Hoover was an officer when I went. You couldn’t wait, my goodness, they got a Ruritan Club going and us kids get to go! It was a big deal, Sons and Daughters Night. Up until recent years, Sons and Daughters was hot dog night. Whoever was serving on Sons and Daughters Night always had hot dogs.

There wasn’t much else going on in the early years, you know, you looked forward to the first Tuesday night of the month, it was someplace to go. Our meetings weren’t till 7:30 in the summer because all the farmers needed time to get in from the fields. We were used to eating when you get done, that’s the last thing you do.

Ruritan had a bowling league, Thursday night, and we competed against other clubs. Bergton, they were the worst losers. The champion bowling team was me, Fred Dove, Ralph Reedy, Bill Miller and Orie Mumbert. We bowled duckpins, the little ones. We carried the trophy out of there quite a few times.

March 1, 1983 District Governor Cecil Wampler gave a speech and presented Distinguished Service certificates to charter members and gave 25‐year perfect attendance awards to Carroll Yankey, Kermit and Gerald Custer.

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By Ronnie Fulk, Joined 1975; President 1980, 2004

We used to sponsor fishing trips for the members that wanted to go. About twenty­four of us, we’d get about four boats, six to a boat. And the club would pay, it was about $500. We’d leave here about 11 o’clock on a Friday night, drive down, and we’d fish all day, then about 3:30, 4 p.m., start back. Coles Point was one place, Reedsville was another. One time we were eating shrimp down there, and Dave Baker, he said, I’m going to go get some more. I said, I don’t like them, a man’d starve to death trying to peel them, and Dave said, what do you mean, peel them? I said you’ve got to peel the shells off them and he said Well, I thought they were awful scaly.

The fishing trips were quite an experience. One year Orie Mumbert caught a sting ray, 47 lbs. The Captain told us it was good to eat. Well, we thought we’d try it. He said cut the wings off and they’re the best filet you’ll ever have. We put it in a trash bag so we wouldn’t get the smell in the car. The sting ray poked his tail thru the trash bag and all the juice got into the car. Orie let the car sit for a week with all the doors open. He called him Flipper. We brought Flipper up to the store that night we got home and laid him out in the parking lot. Who’s going to butcher this thing? Twenty­four of us stood around in a circle. Well, we gave up eating it. Orie said, I’ll take it up on the hill, buzzards will eat it. Orie said buzzards wouldn’t even pick at that thing. It laid up there and dried up like a piece of leather.

North Fork Journal Nov. 27­Dec.3, 1991

Teen Becomes Youngest Ruritan Jeff Crider has added one more thing to his long list of interests and activities – he is now the youngest member of the Fulks Run Ruritan Club. Jeff, 13, also enjoys basketball, acting in plays, playing pony league baseball with the Broadway Giants and hunting deer, bears, rabbits and raccoons with his father and his Beagle hound. He is a member of Mt. Grove Church of the Brethren, president of the FFA at John C. Myers Middle School and on the eighth grade A­B honor roll at Myers.

When Jeff first mentioned becoming a Ruritan, his father, Elwood Crider, was concerned Jeff had too much to do. “He started on me a year ago – right after I joined,” said Crider. The other Ruritans kept saying, “Let Jeff join,” since he always helped them with everything, Crider said. His father still thought he had too much going on to keep up with his homework, but since Jeff has joined, Crider says, “It’s all right now.”

“I wanted to be in it for a long time,” Jeff said. He had helped with club activities for four or five years and gone to the monthly Ruritan dinners with his two cousins who are in the club. They really influenced me,” he said. Another reason Jeff wanted to join the Ruritans was because, “I liked what they did for the community.”

Jeff has been an official member of the club for two months, since his initiation in October. He said, “It’s kind of a privilege. I’m glad to be in it.” He said one of his friends, who is one or two years older, is thinking about joining the Ruritans. But Jeff would still be the youngest member. The next youngest person is in his 20s, but the membership is made up of mostly middle­aged people. However, the Ruritans are looking for younger faces now. The only real requirements for being a member of the club are to be responsible and able to pay the yearly dues, which are $59.

Jeff’s big brown eyes recently won him the title of “Prettiest Eyes” at the Fulks Run Ruritan Womanless Beauty Contest and his banners and trophies are displayed in his room.

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Perhaps the most controversial issue the club ever dealt with was the admission of women as members. According to Ruritan National officials, in 1984 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Minnesota Supreme Court in a lawsuit against the Jaycees that exclusion of women was a form of sex discrimination. The Rotary Club was also sued for sex discrimination and forced to admit women. Seeing this, in 1985 the Ruritan National Board allowed 25 clubs to change the membership requirements of their individual club constitutions from “males” to “persons.” A similar amendment to the national constitution was ratified in 1986. In 1993, Kristi Cooper Shoemaker raised the issue at the Fulks Run club.

By Kristi Cooper Shoemaker (Daughter of Member Richard Cooper and Granddaughter of Charter Member B.O. Cooper), Joined 1993; President 2001

When I was little, I always wanted to be in the Ruritan Club, because it was a family thing. I’ve always helped them with the lawn party, from when I first learned how to start counting change, still in elementary school, doing whatever I could do to help. And at a lot of the pot pie suppers, I would do whatever I could do, it wouldn’t be much, I think I started out at pot pie suppers just making sure there was bread out on the table for people to eat. I think the May meeting was always Sons and Daughters Night, and I always looked forward to that. And the Family Picnic in June or July, I always looked forward to that one, too. We’d go to the meetings and sit there and I’d think, some day I’m going to be in the Ruritan club, someday I’m going to be president.

So when I decided to join ­­ I think it was right out of high school that I tried to join ­­ I really hadn’t even thought about a woman not getting in, to tell you the truth. In this modern world, you don’t think about things like that. I went to a meeting, and dad announced to them that I’d like to join, and nothing more was done about it. I think it was kind of a shock to them. It was kind of zipped right there. But I filled out my application at that meeting, and then I didn’t go to the next one. They brought it up at the Board of Directors meeting, and then they presented it at the next meeting. It was by secret ballot, I don’t think they’d ever had a secret ballot for any of the men that wanted to come in, but somehow it got to be a secret ballot for that, so nobody knows who voted which way. All it took was four votes to keep me out.

When dad came home that night and said they would not let me in, I was just in shock. I couldn’t believe it. I was very upset. I’ve got a stubbornness to me, and I was bound and determined to be in, because, you know, it wasn’t right. It was one of those things, I made up my mind that I was going to do what I had to do to be in. And if it came to all the women not helping at the lawn party, then that’s what it was going to be. There was some way I was going to get in. That was never anything that I said, but it was something in the back of my mind I had pretty much decided that before the lawn party I was going to go to the women and say, hey, they won’t let us in, why should we help them?

And then at the next meeting, when they voted it wasn’t a secret ballot, they had to sit right there and raise their hands. So somebody had decided they weren’t going to do secret ballot, you had to raise your hand. A bunch of the guys must have gotten together and told their wives about it, and some of the wives decided they were going to come in, too. So then the next meeting we all came together, there were five or six of us women ­­ Lena and Marcella Turner, Eleanor Yankey, Shelby Custer, Crystal Parker, Carla Shoemaker, Patricia Ritchie ­­ I know there were a bunch of us, and it was kind of like, the men didn’t have a whole lot of choice then.

(Continued on next page)

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There was a little bit of controversy. Five members left. One of them might have written a note to resign, but I’m not sure about the others, they just disappeared. There’s probably some that still don’t like me, but nobody was rude to me. If I had to do it all over again I would still do it.

As soon as I joined, it was one of my goals to be president. I did three or four years as secretary, and kind of worked my way through to see how everything worked. I was vice president, and one year Vernon was supposed to be Zone secretary, and he was having some things going on, and lots of times I would fill in at zone meetings for him. I wanted to have a Blue Ribbon for attendance while I was president, and just to do a good job. I got married, moved to Mathias and had a daughter, but drove in for the meetings. I also had my little boy while I was president, in 2001.

I finally had to drop out when my daughter joined the Girl Scouts and her meetings were always the first Tuesday and the third Tuesday of the month. I would try and make my meetings up at the Directors’ meeting and it just got to be so much, I couldn’t keep up with it. And both of them were getting older and getting into more and more stuff, it just got to be too much to keep up with. But both of my kids go to the lawn parties, and they like to help. The boy’s turning seven soon so there’s not a whole lot he can do but he does like to try and do something, and my daughter tries to help out the best way she can.

Oct. 4, 1993 Board of Directors meeting: Due to lack of help to not have a ham supper in October but to schedule it for January 15, and a pot pie supper for February 19. The directors voted unanimously for the following persons to be members, Kristi Cooper, Crystal Parker, and Bradley Parker.

Oct. 5, 1993 It was reported that the club has lost 12 of our workers during the year and that the club needs new members and workers if we continue to do the fund raising activities we presently engage in. The club then voted and turned down 3 young proven workers as members. The vote was 27 for and 4 against. This was the number needed for rejection as provided by the by‐laws.

Nov. 1, 1993 Board of Directors: We voted to amend the by‐laws regarding membership to make it easier to get new members voted in. The board of directors voted unanimously for the following persons to become members: Eleanor H. Yankey, Shelby Custer, Crystal L. Parker, Bradley L. Parker, Kristi Cooper, Carla M. Shoemaker, Marcella Turner, Patricia Turner Ritchie, Lena A. Turner.

Nov. 2, 1993 The club voted to amend the by‐laws regarding membership to make it easier to get new members in the club. The members voted 24 to 1 to extend membership to the following persons: Shelby Custer, Crystal L. Parker, Bradley L. Parker, Kristi Cooper, Carla M. Shoemaker, Marcella Turner, Patricia Turner Ritchie, Lena A. Turner.

Nov. 2, 1993 The board of directors held a special meeting after the regular meeting at 9:15 PM with all members of the board present. It was voted and passed unanimously to rescind the motion to change the by‐laws.

Dec. 7, 1993 Miles Turner presented Bill Miller with a trophy for being one of the best players at a recent tournament for Seniors at Lexington, Va. The club voted to donate $100 to the fax machine at the school. Bobby Good of the expansion committee took in the following new members: Kristi Cooper, Marcella Turner, Lena Turner, Crystal Parker, Bradley Parker and Carla Shoemaker.

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By Lena Turner, Joined 1993

I was one of the first women members in 1993, but I was a “behind the scenes” member since the beginning of the club. I helped cook and serve the very first meal. I remember we had Western ham, baked with pineapple juice and brown sugar and mustard and the pineapple slices scattered among the slices of ham. I bargained with somebody if they’d make the scalloped potatoes, I’d make the rolls. I could not make scalloped potatoes to save my life. And we had green beans, more than likely. There was another Sunday School Class of older ladies and we took turns feeding the Ruritans.

I typed reports for Garnett and for other members who did not own a typewriter, made posters and signs, did errands, and any tasks that I could do. Women were always allowed to help with all the activities – lawn parties, suppers, filling out reports, cooking for family picnics, being responsible for the games. Bring the food in so we can eat, but don’t open your mouth when it comes to voting! It was a gentlemen’s club. Then Richard Cooper’s daughter Kristi wanted to join, her grandfather had been in, her father, and she wanted to join. She blazed the trail. And Marcella and I then said we would join in support of her. I guess I was ready for advancement!

My most exciting memory is the planning of our first lawn party. The community was involved and everyone was excited. We had no equipment of our own so a lot of borrowing had to be done. My daughters were small and this was a major event in their lives. They felt so important to be part of the activities.

I have most enjoyed the lawn parties. Even with all the long hours and hard work, fun and laughter always seems to be a part of the event! The first couple of years we pulled in a hay wagon and the musicians played on that. I cooked hams for lawn parties at the school one year, and in the chicken fryers another year. We sliced them with a knife the first couple of years. Then I started taking the bone out, and chilling them before I sliced them. Then somebody got the idea of frying ham, I don’t remember exactly when that started but I think it was when we moved to the new park. Both Garnett’s and my families butchered hogs, and flouring and frying ham was a traditional way of doing ham.

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By Jerry Shiflet, Joined 1975; President 1986, 1993

I joined in 1975 when Ronnie Fulk asked me and told what wonderful things the Ruritans did for the community. I really enjoyed the Ruritan meetings each month. I had a lot of respect and admiration for Garnett Turner, Carroll Yankey, Bob Mitchell, Bill Miller, and saw how much they loved the Ruritan Club here at Fulks Run. Everybody just seemed to get along so well. There have been so many times when we have helped those in need with paying fuel bills, hospital bills. You just felt proud to be a Ruritan. I especially enjoyed the ham potpie/ham fry suppers, donating blood, the July 4 th celebration, delivering Christmas baskets, Sunrise Service and breakfast, and anything in which Larry Custer and Robert Brady have been a part of.

The Fulks Run Ruritans are well known and respected thru out Ruritan because of the many ways in which they have reached out and helped others. When I served as Zone Governor I was especially proud to represent the FR Ruritan Club.

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North Fork Journal Oct. 29­Nov. 4, 1997

Local Ruritan Clubs Mark Year’s Achievements Ruritan members from Zone 3 recently received recognition for this year’s achievements. More than 100 members and guests from the six clubs (Bergton, Broadway­Timberville, Fulks Run, Linville, Singers Glen and Tenth Legion­Mt. Valley) attended their annual convention and banquet where they celebrated a year of community service.

Zone Governor Jerry Shiflet praised the clubs for donating more than $99,000 to the communities in which they serve and working more than 9,800 combined hours to make them stronger.

The convention also allowed the clubs to look to the future, with new zone cabinet officers elected. JoAnn Wenger of the Broadway­Timberville club became the first woman elected as Zone 3 governor. Irvin Armentrout of Tenth Legion­Mt. Valley was elected as lieutenant zone governor, and James Eckard from Singers Glen was elected secretary/treasurer.

Shiflet extended his thanks to the many businesses and individuals who supported the clubs in Zone 3 this year with donations and ads.

Memories by Robert Brady, Joined 1971; President 1975, 1984, 1990, 1996, 2000

You know it was a lot tougher years ago to get perfect attendance. Then you couldn’t make up a meeting at a Director’s meeting like you can now. You had to make it up at another club meeting. And you couldn’t work four hours and make it up either. As long as Ruritan National gave the attendance award, we got it. One or two clubs in the district would get it sometimes but we got it every year. Then they stopped giving it.

I have to say, I’ve seen a lot of the world I’d never have seen if it hadn’t been for Ruritan. I’ve been to 12 conventions.

North Fork Journal Nov. 12­18, 1997

Fulks Run Ruritans Receive District Outstanding Club Award The Fulks Run Ruritan Club was named the most outstanding large club in the district when the Ruritans of District 9 held their annual convention this month at Turner Ashby High School. The Fulks Run club was named the top club with more than 30 members, and Grottoes was the top club with less than 30 members. The district includes 30 clubs from Rockingham, Shenandoah and Page counties.

During the past year, the clubs in the district donated more than $234,000 to individuals and organizations in their communities and spent more than 35,000 man hours on community service projects. The total value of the contributions was almost $600,000.

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By Dave Kyger, Joined 1991; President, 2002

I became good friends through hunting with a club member, Jimmy Parker. He asked me to help him with building some of the buildings they were working on and lending a hand with chicken barbeques. I really enjoyed being around the people who were there. One day around 1990 Jimmy asked me why I didn’t just join the club and I told him, “Mostly because nobody ever asked me to!” Parker laughed and said, “Well, you do need to be asked and I am asking you.” I remember the night I was accepted and I particularly remember wondering if anyone would vote against me when they led me from the room. After the meeting I took Parker aside and told him, “Jimmy, my job as a Deputy Sheriff causes me to have nothing but conflict with people all day and all night long. I will work hard in this club but I don’t want any part of the internal politics and arguments nor will I ever accept any part of a leadership role.” Jimmy assured me that would be fine.

Even thought I had insisted I would never hold office in the club, the one ray of sunshine that could melt my heart, Lena Turner, asked me if I would run for president. After much wriggling I couldn’t turn her down. It was a good experience and required a lot of work. Fortunately for me, I had the sage advice of my old classmates Larry and Robert to lean on along with Joe Emswiler as a vice president and Bob Blosser as Treasurer.

In the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, an insurance question came up at one of our meetings on whether we needed to purchase insurance for such occasions. The room got quiet as everybody thought about the proposal. Larry Custer spoke up and said, “I don’t reckon we need that insurance. Something like that comes around here, I believe we can hold them off with our deer rifles.”

I have been in the Fulks Run Ruritan Club for around seventeen years now and it is an important part of my life. The friendships and associations I have acquired are priceless. Even though the membership flows back and forth, some new people come, some old people go, I feel like I belong to a large family and support system. I can’t imagine the area without it. In 2001 I married Pirjo Nylander and became a resident of Fulks Run, living at the foot of Third Hill directly across from the Ruritan Park. Our farm runs from the old Ruritan Park beside the bridge over to the fence around the old Woodrow Turner home. Our fields curl around the old mill and back under the cliffs in the vicinity of the cross that hangs on the rocks above Valley Land Store. Many nights I take a walk down to the park to check on the place and many time have run off trouble makers. It is my park and I aim to look after it. I love living here and feel like in another 150 years or so I may be considered a native. Ha!

May 5, 1998 Steve Funkhouser presented the club with the Blue Ribbon Award and outstanding President.

May 5, 2003 Zone Governor James Driver presented the Club with the 2002 Blue Ribbon Award.

Ruritan National Annual Report

2003 Participated in Double Your Dollar Program, 1 hour, $400. Sponsored Student Members, 1 hour, $200.

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Roll for 2008. See page 87 for photo captions.

Fulks Run Ruritan Stephen Funkhouser was elected a Ruritan National Foundation Trustee at the 2001 Ruritan National Convention in Chattanooga, TN, for a five year term. Stephen served as Promotion Chair for the Foundation for his first year, putting him in charge of the Foundation auction at the National Convention. For the next two years, he served as Foundation Secretary. In 2004, he was Vice President and in 2005 he served as President of the Ruritan National Foundation.

The Ruritan National Foundation manages funds to be used for scholarship programs throughout Ruritan. The Foundation also manages Operation We Care, which is a disaster financial assistance program of Ruritan National. When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, Operation We Care responded within three days, sending financial assistance to other organizations such as Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Also in 2005, Stephen and the other four Trustees began the process of incorporating the Ruritan National Foundation, which took two years.

Ruritan National members were treated to fine food and hospitality by the Fulks Run Ruritan Club, which catered the 2005 Friday night picnic for the Ruritan National Foundation Get­Away Weekend that Stephen as president organized in Harrisonburg. Of course, the popular meats served were Turner fried country ham and the famous Fulks Run chicken BBQ. Positive comments are still being heard about the picnic!

Shirley Bland Elwood Custer James Rhine Bobby Blosser +Gerald Custer Clark Ritchie Christina Bolgiano Larry Custer, 3 yr. Dir. Sandy Rumer Ralph Bolgiano Lena Custer Joan Schweigert, 1 yr. Dir. Richard Brady, 2 yr. Dir. Shelby Custer Wilton Thomas Robert Brady, V.P. Joe Emswiler +Garnet Turner Michael Branner Stephen Funkhouser, Sec’y. Lena Turner *Todd Branner Sue Funkhouser, Pres. Marcella Turner *Brittany Charlton Malinda Hill Miles Turner, Treas. Richard Cooper David Kyger George VanOrden Tommy Cooper Lawrence McNally Jeanne Veney Marietta Crider Rose Oaks David Wenger

* Student Members + Charter Members

Honorary Members: Mike Cash, Larry Fulk, Delmas Miller, +Trovillo “Bill” Miller, Sherwood Riggleman.

Associate Members: Bergton Fire Dept., Broadway Fire Dept., J.M. Hulvery & Son, +Robert Mitchell, Doug Patten, Don Rhodes, Jerry Shiflet, Michael Stine, Turner Ham House, Wayne Turner.

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Current and past presidents at the 50 th Anniversary Celebration on April 1, 2008, front row, l to r: Leon Liskey, Trovillo “Bill Miller, Gerald “Jim” Custer, current pres. Sue Funkhouser, Harold Yankey, Lena Ritchie Custer. Back row: Joe Emswiler, Delmas Miller, Richard Cooper, Elwood Custer, Wilton Thomas, Fred Dove, Larry Custer, Harland Mongold, Carroll Yankey, Robert Mitchell, Richard Brady, Dave Kyger, Stephen Funkhouser.

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Captions from Left to Right, Top to Bottom

­ Lena Turner, V.P., reads a note at the 1997 Christmas dinner meeting at the Shenvalee Restaurant.

­ Carroll Yankey (Fulks Run Club), Tony VanPelt (Keezletown Club) & David Silman (West Rockingham Club) display perfect attendance plaques won by their clubs in Jan. 1972.

­ Robert Brady enjoys all the sights at the 2001 Ruritan National Convention in Chattanooga, TN, including former Miss America Kelly Cash (Johnny Cash’s niece).

­ Kristi Cooper Shoemaker, first female president of the Fulks Run Ruritans, receives a Third Generation plaque award from her father, Richard Cooper, at the Dec., 2001 meeting. Her grandfather, B.O. Cooper (a charter member), and her father had both been club president. “The plaque was one of the highlights when I was president,” she said. “I was very surprised. I’d seen them passing something around, but I had no idea. When I got that plaque, it was really special.”

­ Club members and newly­weds Lena Ritchie Custer and Larry Custer are given an old­ fashioned belling at the August 5, 2008 club meeting. Belling is a custom that Valley folklorist John Heatwole documented in western Virginia dating back to colonial times. Several club members rang cow and sleigh bells while Larry trundled Lena around the shelter in a wheelbarrow decorated with daisies.

­ In center, member Stephen Funkhouser and Ruritan National President Gary Taylor present charter members with Appreciation Plaques and Ruritan coats at the 40 th club anniversary in 1998. Trovillo “Bill” Miller stands behind Stephen and Gary, and Robert Mitchell stands at right.

­ Richard Brady receives the Ruritan of the Year award from Wayne Arbogast at the Dec. 2007 Christmas dinner meeting at Traditions Restaurant.

­ Marcella Turner prepares for the number drawing, by Brittany Charlton, for the Fellowship prize at the Feb., 2008 meeting. The member whose number is drawn must be wearing the Ruritan pin to win. Marcella has purchased the prizes and managed the drawing for many years.

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­ Members and guests enjoy the special 50 th anniversary dinner in the school cafeteria on April 1, 2008.

­ A memorial table for all deceased members at the 50 th anniversary meeting.

­ Charter members Gerald “Jim” Custer, Garnett Turner, Robert Mitchell, and Trovillo “Bill” Miller are honored at the 50 th anniversary meeting. Jim Custer was also recognized for 50 years of perfect attendance.

­ JoAnn Wenger, a Ruritan National Director, presents club president Sue Funkhouser with a framed congratulatory Certificate at the 50 th anniversary meeting.