To All Club Treasurers

District dues for 2008 should be sent to Mike Ruleman, 2107 W. Beverley St. Staunton VA 24401, payable to 'Woodrow Wilson District'. Dues are $1.00 per active member, based on the club's January 1st, 2008 membership roll.

Add Club Info Here

Link here to add information on this site about your club. On the left of your screen, click on "Woodrow Wilson Clubs" and then click on the "Middlebrook Club" for an example.

Add Club EVENTS Here

Click HERE to send information about your upcoming events and they will be posted on the website.

Club Membership Night

If your club has a membership night, the District will give your club $50 towards the expenses of your event. Call District Treasurer Mike Ruleman at 540-885-2215 for your club's check or ask any member of the cabinet. This money is available once every year.

CLICK to find a club in the Woodrow Wilson District.

Copyright© 2004-2008 Woodrow Wilson District Ruritans

Growth & Development - Good Programs

Does your Ruritan meeting seem like just another Board meeting? Does your club have an interesting program at it's monthly meetings? If not, this is one reason Growth & Development is likely not occurring. Begin each year with your club calendar and fill in what type of programs you would like to have. Even if you don't know the name of a speaker, at least write down a program category. Assign different members to seek out a speaker for each program. If you run into an idea roadblock, send an email to me at TomNelson and challenge me to find you a speaker. I can pass your request onto the District if I don't have an answer. Your meeting program should take approximately 20 minutes. Present each speaker with a token thank you gift for attending. IF you plan to bring a prospective member to your meeting, find out what the program is so you can inform your guest. Growth & Development will happen when you plan ahead.

  
    God bless 
    Tom Nelson
    Growth & Development Chairman
    Woodrow Wilson District

INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL MINISTRIES (ICM)

Industrial & Commercial Ministries (ICM)
1 Court Square, Suite 280 Harrisonburg, VA 22802
ICM Headquarters Phone (540) 432-1919
Hours 8:30am-5pm; 24 hr. voice
Contact Person Dr. E. Thomas Murphy, Jr.

The organization provides volunteer Christian chaplains for places of business & industries. ICM trains, places, and supervises volunteer chaplains for businesses. The program includes a short video (VCR & DVD formats) and Q&A.

The contact person for this program is: TomNelson/Skyline Chapter or call Tom at (540) 886-4861.

Valley Conservation Council

From the Valley Conservation Council in Staunton, VA: April 26, 2004

Is your club, organization, or agency looking for dynamic and interesting presentations about issues of deep concern to everyone in the region?

Look no further.

Preserving the Quality of Life in Your Community

Educational Programs for Valley Leaders and Interested Citizens Offered by the Valley Conservation Council

The Valley Conservation Council (VCC) is pleased to offer engaging professional presentations that can help citizens and community leaders focus on the challenges of growth and development in the Shenandoah Valley. Thanks to the support of VCC's members and contributors, presentations are free of charge and can be tailored to give greater detail on a specific topic or a particular locality.

It takes planning and effort to protect the farmland, landscapes, historic sites, and the myriad features that make our communities distinct. Help your community be one that succeeds in balancing growth and quality of life.

Call or write us today to set a date for your presentation. See details below.

Email us at Valley Conservation or call (540) 886-3541 for more information. We may also be reached at: Valley Conservation Council, 17 Barristers Row, Staunton VA 24401 or visit us on our website at ValleyConservation.org to learn more about land conservation in the Valley.

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Founded in 1990, the VCC is a nonprofit citizens group and land trust serving Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Botetourt, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties in western Virginia. VCC promotes land use that sustains the farms, forests, open space and cultural heritage of the Shenandoah Valley region.

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Presenters: Sara Hollberg, AICP, is a professional planner and author of the State of the Valley report (2003) and co-author of Better Models for Development in the Shenandoah Valley (1997).

John Eckman, is Executive Director of the Valley Conservation Council

Some of our presentations include:

Better Models for Development in the Shenandoah Valley “No place will retain its special character by accident.”

This highly visual presentation gives an eye-opening look at the contrast between standard development and better ways to build. Every community in the Valley faces the choice: become "Anywhere, USA" or find a better model for development.

Like the book on which it is based, this program presents Six Principles for Better Development:

  1. Conserve Natural and Scenic Assets
  2. Maintain a Clear Edge Between Town and Countryside
  3. Build Livable Communities
  4. Preserve Historic Resources
  5. Respect Local Character in New Construction
  6. Reduce the Impact of the Car.

Slides of standard development are juxtaposed with built projects that show that a community does not have to lose its special character as it grows. With examples from around the region and across the country, Better Models helps explain the choices that can make your community more attractive and liveable.

The Better Models presentation can be tailored to give more examples and background on specific topics.

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The State of the Valley

    • “More than one third of Valley land developed as of 1997 had been developed in the previous 15 years.”
    • “An estimated 19,033 new dwellings will be needed in the region by 2010.”
    • “Nearly 94% of these are projected to be in the counties.”

    VCC’s 2003 State of the Valley report presents extensive research on the Valley's growth trends and progress regarding each of the Six Principles for Better Development. This presentation covers what needs to be done, what can be done, and who is doing what.

    Research drawn from an array of sources has been analyzed for the region providing a comprehensive picture of agriculture, forestry, housing, land use, and local plans and ordinances. This presentation draws from the more than 100 charts, maps, and graphics in the original report that give data for each of the 11 counties and 7 cities in the VCC's service region. How is your community doing? What is working elsewhere? What might you try?

    The State of the Valley presentation can be tailored to give greater detail on a specific topic (such as agricultural preservation or ordinances for protecting character) or to offer deeper analysis of a specific locality.

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    Voluntary Land Protection: Conservation Tools for Landowners

    Farmers and other landowners are curious about how they can protect the land they love. The VCC can explain tools like conservation easements, agricultural and forestal districts, and other voluntary measures that can protect working lands for future generations. Learn about how the conservation value of land and some of your options for protecting it. Lean about how a conservation easement might help one generation pass on land to the next and how Virginia has recognized the value of conservation with its tax credit program.

    The VCC can draw on a wide range of speakers for other topics concerning land conservation, wildlife conservation, community economic development, historic preservation, natural and cultural heritage, and voluntary land protection. Contact us and we'll gladly customize a presentation for your group.

    Please call or write us today to set a date for your presentation. Email us at Valley Conservation or call (540) 886-3541 for more information. We may also be reached at: Valley Conservation Council, 17 Barristers Row, Staunton VA 24401 or visit us on our website at ValleyConservation.org to learn more about land conservation in the Valley.