FULL  member is expected to attend all monthly meetings.  Absences may be excused under certain circumstances or made-up. Active members may vote, hold office and participate in all club business activities, or be a delegate to district or national conventions. Active members shall receive a lapel pin and the Ruritan National magazine.

ASSOCIATE  membership may be bestowed upon an individual or a business desiring affiliation with Ruritan.  An individual associate member is one who is unable to attend the minimum four meetings per year.  An individual and / or business will represent one membership for each annual dues paid to Ruritan National.  An individual associate member may not vote, hold office or participate in club business activities, or be a delegate to district or national conventions.  An individual associate member will receive a lapel pin and a business will receive either a plaque or a window static. Associate members (individual or business) will receive the Ruritan National magazine.

HONORARY  membership may be conferred upon a club member who, in the opinion of the club Board of Directors and membership, has rendered extraordinary Ruritan service.  An honorary member is not expected, nor required to maintain club attendance and is not considered in any club awards programs.  An honorary member will be exempt from the payment of club dues, but shall pay national dues and any district dues.  An honorary member shall have all rights, privileges and benefits of Ruritan membership.

RURITAN FOREVER membership is a perpetual life plan to honor either a living or deceased member in perpetuity by establishing an endowment fund that will provide dues income during and after the lifetime of the participant.  The fee for this plan is controlled by the National Board of Directors.  A Ruritan Forever plaque and a Ruritan Forever pin will be presented to a living Ruritan Forever member, and a Ruritan Forever plaque will be presented to an appropriate family member to memorialize a deceased Ruritan Forever recipient.  Ruritan Forever status may be conferred upon any active, associate, honorary or deceased member.  

PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS are those who wish to understand the Ruritan Club program prior to applying for membership the Ruritan club. A Prospective member may attend Club meetings by invitation only by a Sponsor. A Sponsor is an active club member in good standings with the club.

Meetings   We gather as a club every month on the 2nd Monday, to identify and address needs of the community.  Meetings usually begin at 7 pm, and are held at the Fort Valley Fire Hall unless otherwise specified.  The meetings last approximately 1.5  hours and for club business, including dinner and an informational program. 

Makeup Meetings    A member may make up an unexcused absence by: 

• attending the Ruritan National Convention

• attending a district convention

• attending a zone meeting

• attending a regular meeting of the club’s board of directors

• attending a regular meeting of another club

• attending a district meeting

• attending another kind of recognized Ruritan meeting

•  performing four hours of service on an approved committee project

New members will be assigned to a committee.  Each committee organizes events falling within its subject matter area.  Currently, we have the following standing committees:  Environment, Public Service, Citizenship & Patriotism, Social Development, and Community Engagement, which are standard Ruritan committees, as well as ad hoc committees such as one for the County Fair.

• All members are expected to support committee projects and may support projects sponsored by committees other than the one to which they are assigned.

• Each member is expected to report volunteer time spent on approved committee projects by submitting an hours sheet to the club Secretary every month.

• All members are expected to support to the extent possible the club’s fundraising efforts, which are used to pay for the club’s service projects.  In particular, the Fort Valley Ruritan Club operates a concession stand during the Shenandoah County Fair. This project requires significant volunteer hours to: maintain the physical facility; clean and prepare the facility for operation; operating the concession during the fair (4:00 pm – closing); nightly cleanup; and closing down of the stand at the end of fair wek.  Accordingly, active members are expected to work at least three full shifts if they are able to do so.

• Full members are expected to attend monthly meetings.  Absences may be excused under certain circumstances or made-up.

• Full members that are not going to attend the monthly meeting are expected to notify the club president on or before the Wednesday preceding the meeting.  Associate members who are going to attend the monthly meeting and eat the prepared dinner are expected to notify the club president on or before the Wednesday preceding the meeting.

• Sponsors need to notify the President if they invited a guest or Prospective member for a meal on or before the Wednesday preceding the meeting.

• Associate and Prospective Members may not vote, hold office, or participate in club business activities or be a delegate to district or national conventions.

• The monthly membership meeting includes a dinner meal, funded by member dues. Associate Members attending the dinner meeting are required to pay $9.00 for the meal. Prospective Members first meal will paid by the Club thereafter the Prospective Member will pay $9 per dinner until Club holds vote for membership. See Assistant Treasurer for meal fees.

• Members are expected to pay their annual dues.  Dues in addition to national dues are set by each club, and depend largely on the cost of meals at meetings. Clubs pay Ruritan National dues each quarter from the member dues. More information about Dues follows below on this page.

• Prospective Members will be required to attend three meetings prior to Club vote for membership, which includes two club meetings, one Board meeting. The Board and Club will hold a vote for membership. The Prospective Member will be required to be present at time of the Club vote.