Editor, The Smithfield Times:

I have been a member of the Carrollton Ruritan Club for several years. As most are, our club is struggling to resume our pre-COVID level of activity. We have lost several members in the last couple of years, and attendance is — well, pitiful — at our meetings.

May I take a minute to explain why we are important to the community? And why we are still relevant?

The Carrollton Ruritans have been in the community since the 1950s. We are a group of people who choose to serve the community we live in. We work to improve the quality of life in our community, through fellowship, goodwill and networking with local businesses and professionals. The purpose of Ruritan is to create a better understanding between people.

Unfortunately, Ruritan and other civic groups are often assumed to be a “bunch of old men.” Currently, our four offices are all held by women, and one of our three board members is a woman. This means that five of our seven decision-makers are women. We are vibrant, professional women; our president is a local teacher, our vice president is a lawyer, and our secretary is a nurse.

So what do we do to help our community? We are the charter sponsor for Scout Troop 36. Our fundraising efforts help our community directly, through donations to our local food bank, the summer reading program at our library and Christian Outreach, among others.

We award scholarships to graduating high school seniors who have exhibited volunteerism and academic prowess. We have filled and donated backpacks for students in need at Carrollton Elementary School. And we are committed to cleaning trash off of Brewer’s Neck Road twice a year.

We want to continue to make a difference in Carrollton, but it’s getting harder and harder. Our community always rallies behind us and supports our twice-yearly fish fry, and we are so grateful to you for continuing to do so! But we need more help. We need people — people who want to make a difference in the community they live in.

We are extending this invitation to join us at an upcoming meeting. We meet every fourth Tuesday at the Ruritan Clubhouse on Norsworthy Road (white cinderblock building), at 7 p.m. Come meet us, talk with us and tell us your vision for community service. We hope you’ll consider joining us on Oct. 26.

 

Laurie Mercer 

Secretary

Carrollton Ruritan Club