Welcome to our Abingdon Ruritan Club web site, where we invite you to get to know us by browsing our pages. Our club is located in the Bena area of Gloucester County, in coastal Virginia.
61 years ago, men from various faiths and occupations joined together dedicated to making our community a better place to live and raise families, applying the values of fellowship, goodwill, and community service. Today our club remains vibrant, vigorous, and robust, with men and women of the community working together to continue the vision of our founders by continuing to work hard for our community throughout 2017.
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News You Can Use
Fall Seafood Festival–October 18, 2017
Tickets are on sale on now! Get them while you can. Visit our Seafood Festival Page for purchasing information.
On October 2, a public forum will be held at our club building for the purpose of introducing all candidates for election to the Gloucester County School Board and to the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors. This forum is sponsored by the club’s Public Services Committee and is not an endorsement of any candidate.
American Red Cross Blood Drive, November 28, 2017, at our club house. Plan now to join us to “Give the gift of life.”
2017-18 College Scholarship Application Forms are posted on our Scholarship Opportunities Page. Share them!__________________________________________________________________________
Our 2016-17 technical scholarship winner, Nicole Groen, joined us for at our July meeting. Club President Mike Davis and Scholarship Committee Chairman Don Sandridge presented Miss Groen a check for $2,000. She will attend ECPI University to obtain an Associate of Applied Science degree.
Davis, Groen, Sandridge
Our four-year, $4,000 scholarship winner, Sydney Cook, received her award at our August meeting. She will attend Bridgewater College to major in Biology and minor in Spanish.
Davis, Cook, Sandridge
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In August, our Gloucester County Director of Planning and Zoning, Anne Ducey-Ortiz, gave a very detailed and comprehensive report on the future siting of solar energy farms in the county. She pointed out that both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors have held public hearings and that additional public input will be sought as applications to site solar farms are received.
Anne Ducey-Ortiz
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At our July meeting, club president Mike Davis presented a check for $1,000 to Master Deputy Bill Davis for the Gloucester County Project Lifesaver. The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, and other related conditions or disorders.
Davis, Adams
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Membership in a Ruritan Club is by invitation. We welcome anyone who is interested in working and giving time to our community projects to let us know of your interest. We meet monthly for dinner and a program.
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Did you know that we have a Can Cottage on our grounds that benefits The Giving Garden, a local charity serving cancer patients? Giving Garden volunteers collect and sell the aluminum cans that people donate in the cottage, and they use the proceeds to assist cancer patients with unmet financial needs. Why not bag up your empty aluminum cans and bring them to the Can Cottage?
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We are a working club!
Visit our Community Services Committees page for project details, or take a quick look below at some of our ongoing projects:
Spring and Fall Seafood Festivals – We give back to the community over $60,000 each year.
Clam Chowder Sales – Offered in winter months with profits going back to the community.
College Scholarships – The Club awards $6000 in renewable Scholarships each year.
Gloucester Schools – We support Ruriteens, Boys and Girls State, Junior Law Cadets, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Little League Baseball, the STAR program, and the back-pack program.
Rudy Bears – “Rudy” distributes Rudy Bears to Children and Senior Adults. Bears are given to the Sheriff’s Office for distribution to children in accidents or in vulnerable situations.
Support Veterans – We participate with Veterans groups and Gloucester County on Memorial and Veterans’ Days and deliver care packages to VA Hospitals.
Support for the Homeless – Our Club participates with Community Churches in the GUEST program by providing meals and hands-on assistance for homeless individuals.
Christmas for Kids – Every December we host a party for all children, ages 8 and under, followed by a special party for Foster Kids of all ages. Santa and Mrs. Claus preside over both parties with lots of food, entertainment, fun, and presents. We also sponsor an Angel Tree for needy children with their personal “wishes” including clothes and shoes by size.
Protecting the Environment – We participate in Gloucester County Clean Up and help plant Sea Grass to save shorelines from erosion.
Benevolence – A fund is set up to help Gloucester citizens with special financial needs.
Special Emphasis – We work closely with our local Sheriff’s Office; provide our facilities for Blood Drives and local, state, and national elections; promote and provide a team for Relay for Life; and participate annually with the Guinea Jubilee. We collect and deliver food to local churches to stock their food pantries, make special deliveries to the Laurel Shelter, participate in Meals on Wheels, and donate pet food to the Humane Society.
Teamwork – We send cards and visit members who are sick and honor those with birthdays and anniversaries. All members share in cooking meals for monthly meetings, as well as working the Seafood Festivals to set up, advertise, sell tickets, cook, serve, and clean up. Members also maintain and repair ARC buildings and grounds. Programs for monthly meetings are used to inform, train, and entertain our members.
Visit our Community Services Committees page to learn more.
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