Pelion, SC (Paul Kirby) – To some people, the word Ruritan may mean absolutely nothing. If you Google it, the way that most get their information today, you will find a definition for Ruritan in Wikipedia. There, it says that, “Ruritan National is a service club located in small towns and rural areas in the United States. Local Ruritans aims to achieve "Fellowship, Goodwill and Community Service.” If you’re still a bit confused, let’s try to make it even easier for you. There are lots of service “clubs” in the US and across the globe. The Ruritans just happen to be one that focuses on serving others through projects in the more rural areas.
One such area in Lexington County is Pelion. The Pelion Ruritan Club meets the fourth Thursday of each month in the fellowship building behind the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. They usually start their meetings with a meal at 7:00 p.m. That’s followed by a short meeting that starts at 7:30 p.m.
The Pelion Ruritan Club’s service to the community is well-known. They are instrumental in putting on the annual Pelion P-Nut Party. Members also designed, built, raised the funding, and maintain the little town’s wonderful Veterans’ Memorial on Main Street. Currently, their meetings are focused on planning for their Veteran’s Ceremony on Memorial Day.
That ceremony is a must attend for everyone. It helps people remember those who served and died for their country in some branch of the military. During the ceremony, the flag that has flown over the memorial for the last year will be retired and a new one will be raised. It’s a truly moving experience and a great opportunity to teach your children about who and how our freedoms were bought and paid for with lives.
The Pelion Ruritan Club is actively seeking new members to bolster their ranks. Over the past few years, some of the older members have passed away and this has reduced their numbers. More than anything, they need new members under 40 that are willing to help. They would also love to have some younger people join and continue to carry the torch into the future.
In order to be a member, you just need to be 18 years old or older and have a heart to serve. There’s even a Ruritan Youth program called Ruri-Teens. You can learn more about that on their webpage at http://www.ruritan.org/dsp_pge.php?pge_nme=youth.
On the fourth Thursday, go attend and enjoy. They’d love to see you and tell you more about the Pelion Ruritan Club, what they do, and how you can be a part. Holy Trinity is located at 168 Main Street in the town of Pelion.
