Community Gatherings
Old
English gadrian, gædrian
"unite, agree, assemble; gather, collect, store up" (transitive and
intransitive), used of flowers, thoughts, persons; from Proto-Germanic *gaduron "come or bring together, unite"
(cognates: Old English gæd "fellowship,
companionship," gædeling
"companion;" Middle Low German gadderen;
Old Frisian gaderia; Dutch gaderen
"to gather," gade "spouse;"
German Gatte "husband;" Gothic gadiliggs), from PIE *ghedh-
"to unite, join" (see good
(adj.)). Change of spelling from -d- to -th- is 1500s, reflecting earlier change in pronunciation
(as in mother, weather,
father). Related: Gathered;
gathering.[1]
Indigenous people
gather in circles to share stories and spirituality. Several tribes come together to share
resources and socialize and to hold competitive games. Such simple gatherings evolved to organized activities
for economic, political, and social purposes.
Who knew that when two unrelated individuals first decided to formalize a
relationship for economic and/or social purposes the meeting would eventually
expand into gatherings - like the Olympics or a fair - in which the world
could participate? History tells us the ancient
Roman calendar was loaded with at least weekly public sponsored feriae (holidays) to honor different gods. Meetings at east-west trading junctures in the
eastern Mediterranean lead to the creation of permanent agoras and souks for the
trading of goods and for exchanging ideas and events.
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| Art by Dan Escott |
The adoption of
Christianity throughout Europe, after the fall of the Roman Empire, resulted in
the adaptation of Roman collective activities to the purposes of the Christian church. Religious institutions were well aware of the
value of honoring saints and ritualizing practices suitable to their
constituents in rural communities. Sundays
became the day people came to pray and trade Gatherings that were located at
crossroads often helped to establish and grow towns that attracted traveling
peddlers and entertainers. As both the
exchange and the town grew, the markets became more organized and regulated, of
course, by guilds and by governments.
agriculture and domestic
goods.
In the medieval
period, fairs were popular. These were
held less often than markets, were larger, and lasted several days. In large communities, local governments or
religious organizations organized these events.
The merchandise at the fair was more varied and often more valuable than
in simple market places. Visitors and
entertainers came from greater distances. Contests, both scientific and
physical, were featured and later, as representative governance became a
reality, political stump speeches became a feature at markets.
These gatherings,
small and large, were incorporated into the culture of the new world. The
first North American fair was held in Windsor,
Nova Scotia in 1765. It is
still operating 250 years later. Reflecting
the rural nature of early America,
the first U.S. agricultural
fairs were in New England but they spread
rapidly throughout the States. Elkanah Watson, a New England farmer, earned
the title, "Father of US agricultural fairs" by organizing the
Berkshire Agricultural Society and “creating an event (known then as a Cattle
Show) in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in September 1811. It was more than just an
exhibit of animals – it was a competition, with prize money ($70) paid for the
best exhibits of oxen, cattle, swine and sheep.”[2]
Though these fairs evolved into large county
and State sponsored events, local small town community group gatherings flourished
in America under the sponsorship of church, civic, and school
organizations. These groups gathered the
community through the sponsorship of ice cream socials, holiday bazaars, rummage
sales, health screenings, and so forth. One
civic organization especially focuses on the small communities. The first Ruritan club was chartered in 1928
in
The Ruritans (meaning rural and small town life) is a volunteer
organization that often works with youth - FFA, 4-H, and Boy and Girl Scouts –
and is active in Rockingham
County.[3]
Our local area has
always had competitive, innovative, and proud agriculture and animal husbandry
traditions. The many small villages in Rockingham
County that once held events to bring the community together have now turned these
gatherings into once a year community celebrations and encourage outsiders to
come into their midst. Also, now once a
year, we celebrate “Court Days” a relic from the early 1800s that provided a once-a-month
place around the Courthouse for people to sell horses and agricultural
products, settle legal affairs, and indulge in hard drink with companions. Today, Court Square is a place to gather the
community for the 4th of July and New Year’s Eve celebrations. The agricultural aspect of Court Days evolved
in 1892 into the first agricultural fair at Assembly
Park north of Harrisonburg.
After several incorporations and relocations, it moved in 1980 to its
present location on Route 11 south of Harrisonburg.[4] The Rockingham County Fair is one of
approximately 3,200 agricultural fairs in the U.S and is the largest Virginia
agriculture county fair. In 2015, the
Fair is August 17 to 22.
by Diane Rafuse and C. Metz
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