MAXWELTON W.Va. (WVDN) – The Maxwelton Ruritan Club met on Feb. 26 at the Henning Church of God. Willa and Pat Izzo from the Greenbrier Valley Master Gardeners were the guests for the evening.
Willa told the members about the Master Gardeners program that is offered through the WVU Extension office. Online training started in January and is offered in 18 weekly sessions for 54 hours to complete certification. In exchange for 40 hours of training, participants volunteer 40 hours of service to the Master Gardener program.
The Greenbrier Valley chapter maintains the demonstration garden at the State Fair of West Virginia and teaches children about gardening through the Junior Master Gardener training program. The Master Gardeners program is offered in 46 of West Virginias 55 counties. They offer classes that are open to the public. The next class is on Saturday, March 28, from 1-4 p.m, which will be about pruning. The Master Gardeners have a yearly plant sale during the giant Flea Market at the State Fair of West Virginia fairgrounds and will be hosting the state conference April 17-18.
During the meeting, donations were approved to the Red Cross, Wellspring, National Eastern Regional Limousine Cattle Show (sponsorship), Northern Greenbrier Latchkey program and Project Graduation.
Scholarship applications are due by March 15 to the Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation, which will forward the applications to the club. Member Larry Bowman presented information regarding bylaw changes that were voted on at the National Ruritan Convention held in January in Lexington, KY. Everyone was encouraged to attend the 2027 Ruritan National Convention.
Several members of the Maxwelton Ruritan Club serve on the Lower West Virginia District cabinet for 2026. Bill Zink was elected as Zone 7 Governor, Larry Bowman is the Growth and Development chairman and Debbie Bowman is the chair of the National Ruritan Foundation for the Lower West Virginia District. They attended the District cabinet meeting on Feb. 21 and updated the members on Ruritan events happening in our area.
Members were reminded of the Friday Night Fish Dinners sponsored by the Knights of Columbus in White Sulphur Springs at the community center beside the Schoolhouse Hotel. The Greenbrier Valley Sportsman Alliance dinner is on March 7. The club sponsored a bucket to support this organization that provides funds to local schools for archery programs and other activities.
The Maxwelton Ruritan Club is currently seeking new members and more ways to support the community. If you would like more information about Ruritan and the Maxwelton Club, please follow on Facebook or email ldbowman84@hotmail.com.
