Rector, Arkansas

The Rector Saddle Club recently conducted a committee meeting on August 10th at the Community Center to discuss many improvements as well as issues concerning the arena in Rector.  Currently the saddle club is welding larger piping in the back holding areas for rodeo events.  They are making improvements to the bleachers, announcers stand, concession stand and overall maintenance of the arena grounds which include lighting issues. 

The Clay County ARTS Council is committed to presenting arts experiences in the local communities and schools. The council is committed to fund-raising for the organization to provide those experiences and to act as a clearing house for the arts.

The council is a non-profit organization; with support of the communities of Rector and Piggott, $1,000 in scholarships are provided to students who are actively pursuing the arts and to provide scholarships for students to attend the council's sponsored workshops.

The past year the council sponsored a dance workshop, two community events, The Night of Chocolate in Rector with such entertainment as the Delta Symphony Strings, a Holiday Fashion Show, the Dance for the Arts Contest, the Arts in the Air contest, the Celebration of the Arts in Piggott in June with the Sons of the Western Bootheel and the Arts Council Dancers.

In addition, the council provides scholarships for outstanding arts students in both the Rector and Piggott school districts and provides scholarships for costumes and registration for the dance workshops. With the help of comunity auctions, the council is able to provide dance and music scholarships, as well as art materials for area schools.

Everyone is invited to be a member of the council. The membership fees are student $15, individual $25 and family $50. The patrons of the arts provide the council with much-needed funds to sponsor all the events with donations starting at $75 and going to $500.

The council meets the first Thursday of each month in alternating community centers of the Rector and Piggott communities. Persons wanting more information may contact 870-595-1444.

The Rector Garden Club was established in 1997 by a group of women interested in gardening and community beautification.

The club maintains five flower beds at Rector Memorial Park and also plants approximately 44 flower pots in the downtown area.

The club has a work meeting at 5:30 p.m. every fourth Monday of each month from April through September. In March, the members start cleaning flower beds and planning flowers and plantings for the season.

The Garden Club maintains 15-20 members, but are always encouraging others to join. "We have a lot of fun and are always learning something new," a member said.

Current officers are Linda Robinson, president; Rheba Scobey, vice president; Theresa Gatewood, secretary-treasurer, and Rena Snow, reporter.

Persons interested in becoming a member or who want more information may contact Linda Robinson at 870-595-3591 or 870-595-3238.

The Rector Saddle Club has been in existence since the 1960s.The club originally was host to some of the AQHA and Northeast Arkansas Best Horse Shows.

The Saddle Club is now enjoyed by local residents who practice, show and enjoy visiting with other equestrians.

To kick off the year, the club has a chili supper, awards banquet and membership drive. The club has an average of seven horse shows a year o the third Saturday of each month. The public is invited to attend all events and banquets.

The Saddle Club also sponsors the annual Labor Day Weekend Rodeo, which gathers quite a large crowd.

The club has held two demolition derbies as fund raisers in the last two years with the help of the local FFA chapter.

The arena is not in its original location, but was moved to allow expansion of the local parks and recreation area. It is now located in the southwest corner of the parks and recreation area of Rector Memorial Park. The club sees the need for expansion of the facility in the future.

In 2007, the club, with the help of president Michael Hollis, vice president David Miller Jr., secretary Gail Miller and treasurer Jasa Haney-Hollis and voting members, were able to purchase a new concession stand which is being installed for the 2008 show series.

The 2008 Rector Saddle Club officers are president Wes Harmon, vice president Michael Dudley, secretary Dana Harmon, treasurer Jasa Haney-Hollis and reporter Jacinda Welch.

The Saturday night shows draw a large number of spectators, with a charge at the gate of $2, with children 6 and under free. The charge for each event is $2, with approximately 26 events in a regular show. One of the new events in 2007 was mounted shooting.

The past two years the club has been able to give away a new custom-engraved saddle to the high point all-around winner, with Carhart jackets given to the winners and reserves in each age division.

Through the efforts our members and local sponsors, the Rector Saddle Club has been working to improve shows and facilities each year.