About Us
The Club's forty years of community service started when a group was formed to oppose the new proposed 1% wage tax. The group (MTCA) Montgomery Township Citizens Association met at the old Shimpstown School House. After the new proposed wage tax was passed, the MTCA was approached by The Edward Parnell Ruritan Club to be sponsored as a New Ruritan Club. After a meeting at the old Shimpstown School, Guy Hawbaker remarked how beautiful the Two Top Mountain looked that evening. Someone suggested why don't we call the new club Two Top Ruritan? The Charter was signed March 18, 1969 as Two Top Ruritan. These were the twenty three charter members as follows:
J. W. Youse Guy S. Hawbaker A. E. KeenerCarl
E. RockDouglas E. GroveDavid D. Angle
Russell Funk P. Nevin Binkley Clayton H. Martin
A. Preston Gerhart Haven E. Keller Russell Bricker, Jr.
Calvin E. Bricker Lloyd A. Culler Hollis M. Kimball
Paul E. Funk Thomas Seville Vincent Timmons
Robert Musselman Ralph Metcalfe Cedric Duffield
Forrest Bricker Carl L. Atherton
Early fundraisers carried over from MTCA included building and installing school bus waiting shelters. Advertising space was then sold on the sides of the waiting shelters.
After meeting at the Shimpstown School and having fundraisers for approximately 5 years, it was brought up in order to be able to move forward that the Club needed more room, therefore should purchase land to have their own facility in order to grow. At the meeting a member said, "If you go in debt borrowing money to purchase the ground, I am quitting." Russell Funk replied, "To move forward, if we don't borrow money to purchase ground, then I am quitting." The motion carried and ground was purchased on Two Top Road in 1973. Shortly thereafter, a community building was built to meet in. In Spring of 1975, a strong windstorm took the building down. Members from different Ruritan Clubs came in and help erect a new building.
Early activities included cleaning old cemeteries, festivals, shooting matches, Easter Egg Hunt, Gospel Sings, car shows, sponsored Boy Scouts, and restoring Blairs Valley Log Church. The club relied on used and donated equipment. For years, the club treasures would pay some bills out of their own pocket.
As the years passed, the building was enlarged and more land was purchased. A member, Paul Martin, rented the building and started a church. The church was called Two Top Fellowship. They met at the Ruritan building for almost 17 years before moving to their new church on Fort Loudon Road.
The club's activities today include pork sales, pot pie suppers, banquets, tractor-truck pulls, Gas and Steam Show, food stands, gate collections, fruit baskets, and an Easter Egg Hunt. Special recognition goes to Ralph and Mary Rubeck for implementing the Gas & Steam Show and the pulling track.
The Club's community service includes donations to individuals, non-profit clubs, fire, ambulance, schools, and other organization. The community building is also rented out for banquet, picnics, reunions, and receptions.
