Milford chronicle., 1959-04-03


Ruritan Club sponsored the FELTON,
Chapter of the F. F. A. to their an
nual Parent and Son Banquet held
in FELTON, School cafeteria. The
main speaker for the Ruritans was
Tom " Downing, of Franktown,
Virginia.
Tom, continuous leader of Ruri-
tan and a person who has devoted
the major portion of his life to
civic work, was born in Washing
ton County, Maryland, on October
81, 1892.
Tom was educated at the Uni
versity of Maryland and Cornell
University. He is a Past President
of Ruritan National and has served
Ruritan as Executive Secretary.
Tom was the Father of the Rural
Needs committee idea, and during
his administration as president,
the first Rural Needs meeting was
held and a comprehensive report
was compiled which is the basis
of the activities of these commit
tees today.
Tom is known as the one in
dividual in Ruritan who has done
more than any other to spread the
Ruritan story. His contacts with
various agriculture teachers and
supervisors have made this possible.
He had the constitution of the first
Ruritan Club in Holland in the
hands of every teacher of Agricul-
ture in Virginia during the first
year of the clubs existance.
Tom helped organize the first
Ruritan Club, in Virginia, the first
club in North Carolina, the first
club in Maryland, the first club
in Alabama and the first club in
Georgia. Tom is truly First" in
Ruritan. He has served the organ1-
zation as secretary since 1945.
Tom also we'll known in FLA ac-
tivities, serving and helping them
for more than thirty years. He was
working with the FLA before it
was a National Organization. Re-
firing few months ago, he was
presented with an honorary men,
bership to the F. F. A. of Virginia.
He spoke on the benefit of Ruri-
tan Club in a community and what
it can do to help other organiza-
tions such as the F. F. A.
Beside the members of the V. G..
F. Ruritan Club attending the ban
.quet were other local, district, and
national men. They were Tommy
Thompson, National Board of Di-
rector from Oceanic, Virginia; Her
bert v. Ewell, Delmarva District
Governor of Bloxom, Virginia;
Robert Bundick, Past District
Governor of Holland District from
Accomac, Virginia, Jack Manahan,
President Caesar. Rodney Ruritan
Club of Dover, Delaware, Olin
Gooden, 1t. Governor of Delmar-
va District and member of the
Caesar Rodney Club from FELTON,,
Delaware and George Tarburton,
Past 1t Governor of Delmarva Dis
trict and also a member of Caesar
Rodney Club from Wyoming, Della
ware.
Three new members joined the
". C. F. Ruritan Club at this meet
ing. They were were William M.
Chambers, Jr., Viola, Delaware,
Charles Hoff, Principal, of FELTON,
High School, FELTON,, Delaware and
Claude Peterson also a member of
the FLA, FELTON,, Delaware.
Also guests of the Ruritan Club
were Francis Rogers, County Agent
from Denton, Maryland, Chris Lee,
Goldsboro, Maryland, Kenny Walls
and Lester Mitchell, Pennington,
Delaware.
v. G. F. President Kenneth j.
Martin introduced the guests and
explained the committee setup of
the club. The Agriculture commit
tee under the direction of Chair
man Gardner Kersey was in charge
Of the March meeting. On the COM
mittee with him are Norman w.
O'Day and Charles FARRELL. Next
month the Youth Committee will
be in charge of the meeting with
chairman Clarence Hurd and VIM.
Edgar Dill. The club will put on
turkey supper on April IL, 1859
at the Viola Community Building,
in Viola, Delaware, from 4:30 to
500 p. m.
The main speaker for the F. F. A.
was Clark w. Davis, General Man.
ager, Grasselli Chemicals Depart
ment, e. I. Dupont De Nemours
and Company, of Wilmington, Del; !;
Wallace Caulk, Jr., of Woodside,
Delaware, President of the FELTON,
Chapter of the F. F. A. was Master