Can- do and bee attitude get the job done
Joe Herndon, Ruritan District Governor
By Jackie Perrone jacper@juno.com

Joe Herndon

A can- do attitude is the main ingredient for success, according to Joe Herndon Jr. of Chapin. He should know. He is capping a successful military and business career with a two- term service as District Governor for Ruritan.

Being asked to serve a second term is not the usual, and neither is being a black man in that position. Joe Herndon is the first black to have this title and the only black in his club.

"I think my 22 years in the military, and my business experience in banking and real estate, taught me a lot of things can be accomplished if you just tackle them head- on," he says. "Almost nothing is impossible. Improbable, maybe. I have faith that God is in charge and with him leading the way, I can get a lot of things done."

Joe Herndon traveled the world during his 22 years in the Army. "I saw a lot, and I found out things can be done if people just work together."

Ruritan is a national service organization, not international like Rotary or Kiwanis. "We do some things on the national level. Scholarships and anything to do with youth are big on our agenda. And we do a lot more things on the local level. Each club serves needs in its own community. A family in need, whether its sickness or death, losing a home, needing food - we step up to help out whenever we can."

As District Governor of Ruritan, he will visit and assist all 20 clubs in the district, which includes the Midlands and the coastal area. Last year, his Chapin club raised funds for "We Care," the local food bank. This year, they are assisting a female Ruritan member in Gilbert with medical and financial needs. Women have been eligible to join Ruritan for more than 10 years. Being a member of Ruritan is not a requirement for assistance from the club.

A native of St. Louis Mo., Herndon found South Carolina as a soldier at Fort Jackson. "When I retired from the military, I was looking for a place where I could spend a lot of time outdoors, maybe Colorado or Washington state. Then somebody told me South Carolina has the longest deer hunting season in the country. That cinched it. I can be outside just about all year round here."

Herdon has been president of the Chapin Ruritan Club and president of his Rotary Club while living in France. He also served as chairman of the Chapin Chamber of Commerce, helping them get established in a new building, which was donated but had to be moved to another site.

Maybe France had something to do with his interest in winemaking. Herndon has achieved quite a local reputation as a wine maker. Just another example of can- do.