The Aldie Ruritan Club is a local service organization open to all. Ruritan is a national organization dedicated to building a better America through community service, with nearly 30,000 members throughout the United States. Ruritan members believe the most important benefit of membership is the opportunity to work in fellowship with people who, like them, have a desire to make their communities better places in which to live.

Ruritan Clubs have traditionally been small-town, rural-oriented service organizations. For many towns, the club offered one of the ways to gather together for that combination of social interaction and productive work that defined the spirit of their communities. And so it was in 1952, when Aldie Ruritan was formed. Of the 36 original members that year, 17 listed their occupation as farmers.

Today, although the surrounding area has become much more developed and there are many other venues for socializing and service, the club is still active. The population mix of the club has dramatically changed. Members are small business owners, retired military, high-tech workers, our local historian, and a mix more typical of the current population of Loudoun County. They are residents of Aldie or the surrounding area,  attracted by the sense of living history (several members from the 50’s are still active); by the opportunity to give back some of their time to the community in good works, and by the enjoyment of a monthly dinner meeting with friends.

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Have you wondered how some things get done around here? Aldie actually has no government entity responsible for the village, other than state & county jurisdictions. So some things just need to be taken care of by the community. Organizations which help include the Aldie Heritage Association; the Aldie Horticultural Society, the volunteer fire department, and the Aldie Ruritan Club. 

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Some Recent Activities around Aldie by the Ruritan:

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• Repaired washed-out footbridge near the mill, bringing in new footing and replacing timbers*

• Removed, repaired, and replaced the “Welcome to Aldie” sign which had been damaged (Twice!!)

• Gave $2,000 scholarship to John Champe graduating senior for ongoing education.

• Recognized outstanding 5th graders at Aldie School with Mary Lee awards

• Supported Sprout Therapeutic Riding with a scholarship award, and construction assistance.

• Supported Aldie School PTA

• Supported local “Odyssey of the Mind” event

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*(The footbridges were built with the assistance of the Ruritan in 1982. The large bridge, over Little River, is on the property of the Aldie Volunteer Fire Department; the small one, over the Aldie Mill tail race, is on the property of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Association. The Ruritan has assisted with maintenance, on request of the owning organizations).

The Aldie Club meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month, 7:00 PM at the hall of the Aldie United Methodist Church, except for April and August when special events are held. Meetings feature a meal and a business meeting. It’s a great way to connect with the heritage of Aldie. We are always looking for new members to continue the tradition.

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Stop by one of our regular meetings and introduce yourself. You’ll be treated to some fine country cooking as our guest; and, if you are willing to give some labor hours each year for community support, can be sponsored for a membership.        aldieruritan@gmail.com