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Aldie Ruritan Club is a Local Institution
Aldie Ruritan Club is a Local Institution
By Ronen Feldman
In 1952, in the small town of Dublin, Virginia, a group of farmers created a club to help other farmers and millers with anything they might need to cope with an increasingly modernized world.
Some seven decades later, the Aldie Ruritan Club persists, with members from all walks of life contributing to the club, and benefiting from it.
“All our founding members are gone, but the club’s commitment to community service is stronger than ever,” said Tucker Withers, the club’s former president and 42-year member. “There are very few farmers left, but our efforts to educate and nourish are available to all Aldie residents.”
Originally from Bethesda, Withers was once dubbed “The accidental native” after finding out many of his past family members actually came from Aldie. He moved there at age 30 and has lived in the village ever since.
Withers breathes Aldie. In addition to the Ruritan Club, he volunteers for a number of good causes, advocates preserving open land as an Institute Farm board member, and has even worked with a local water company to install a 10,000-gallon water tank for the town.
“When you love your home, you never run out of energy to protect it,” he said. He and his wife Mary Ann are happy to share their love for the town that’s been their home for the past 40 years. They own and operate the popular bed and breakfast Little River Inn as well as the nearby Mercer Tavern Antiques.
“We have visitors from all over, looking for a serene, back country experience,” he said. “This place has everything, that is, that most people don’t have back home. Horseback riding and rabbit and hound chasing in a picture-perfect Virginia setting are just part of it. It’s mostly about the peacefulness this place brings, untouched by the times.”
According to Withers, the Ruritan Club is the backbone of the community, with one and all welcome for their monthly meetings and ensuring social interaction.
They meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Aldie United Methodist Church, with speakers usually providing information about food banks and local markets, as well as a variety of volunteering opportunities and collaborations with organizations like the Aldie Heritage Association, the Aldie Horticultural Society and others.
These days, club members include small business owners, retired military, high-tech workers and many other Aldie and other Loudoun residents. The club finances school projects and provides scholarships, and has people of all ages involved in its mission.
“This is a special place, and it’s worth our best efforts,” Withers said. “Some properties still go by their original names instead of a modern address, and our way of life, while comfortable and inviting, never lost its authenticity and charm.”
