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President's Message

WELCOME TO THE 90TH YEAR OF VALE CLUB!

Welcome to the 90th year of Vale Club! Our next general meeting will be Tuesday, 10/8/24 at 9:15AM. This will be a celebration of VC history. Darlene Williamson, VP of Historic Preservation will be speaking to us. Betsy Rock, will present the VC financials; & Linda Iocovino will explain the purpose of the Friends of Vale Schoolhouse & financials.

This will be very informative, especially for our new members. It takes so many people, doing so much, to run this organization. Mary Valder will present a historical skit that you do not want to miss!

We started our year with a nice brunch in September. Thank you to the Hospitality Committee – Chair: Katerina Voudouris, Patricia DeTeresa, Susan Reeves, & Michelle Melinger. The schoolhouse looked lovely with tablecloths, flowers, etc. The Hospitality Committee were presented with VC aprons in appreciation for all they do. Kudos to our membership who provided a delicious array of breakfast items. Also, thank you to Leslie Dupree-Culman for providing a presentation on using SUG (SignUp Genius), which is what we use for most of our activities.

We have had a good turnout at Mulligan's, our Happy Hour on the third Monday of each month, & now, this will take place year round! We also have a Sippin' Social at Bobby's Bagels in the Oakton Shopping Center every first Monday of the month. No need to sign up for these – just show up & enjoy!

The Culinary Escapes team of Lindsey Iacovino, Eileen Kenny, & Lori Trumble arranged lunch at Korean BBQ in Alexandria. All three book clubs are in full swing. We took our first hike on 9/18, which was fun. Mahjong has started up, & classes began in September as well. Bunco Night will take place on October 23rd at the home of Carol Kelly – this requires signing up. There are just so many activities to partake in!

The Vale Club Fall Fair is coming up. Chairs, Pam Guffain & Rita Perre-Davis already have the SUG in place. Please consider helping out. This takes several members to pull this off – so much is involved: pony rides, baked goods sale, turkey raffles, face-painting, etc. Bring your Grandchildren & enjoy the day!

Remember to check the SUG's for new activities & faithfully read the newsletters for updates. Remember the Vale Club “is a place to tie to”.

Rebecca Pick
Vale Club President  

FVS History Highlights: “A Place to Tie To” 

‘Vale History —1950s’
 
In the 1950s there were 1,656 properties designated as farms in Fairfax County (in the latest census there were 2017). The Vale Community was still largely rural as its activities show. Our Schoolhouse was solidified at the center of community activities and was being actively maintained by Vale residents.
 
In 1951 a well was dug bringing a source of water to the building. In 1952 cabinets were built in the kitchen. In 1956 it was reported that “members worked without consideration of time and effort expanded scrubbing, cleaning, and reorganizing the kitchen with the result that all utensils are now stored in plastic wrapping and we have vermin-proof storage for our dishes. Members contributed several work days to making curtains for the main hall and the kitchen. We have a stove installed and we have acquired a piano.”

The Vale Club was then the Vale Home Demonstration Club, a subsidiary of the Fairfax County Home Extension Service, which then included the Grange for men, the Home Demonstration Clubs for women, and the 4-H for youth. (for those not familiar with 4H the name stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health and has a mission of engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development).
 
The Vale group was one of the most active groups in the county, sponsoring many programs for the Vale 4H Club, sponsoring a summer camp on the property at which 4-H kids learned about fitting and showing livestock, breaking calves, planting and fertilizing, and giving back to the community by raising money through bake sales and scrap paper drives. The Club also sponsored a number of dances for the teenagers, including the popularHalloween dance, attracting 75 attendees.

Labor Day was designated LABOR DAY IS NEIGHBOR DAY with festivities at the school, which included contests with awards for such projects as “the best article of clothing made from feed bags,” and “best home-made hat of flowers.” Supper consisted of sliced ham or hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, pie and cake. Sound familiar? We carry on this tradition with our annual Fall Fair.
 
The 1956 report of the Vale Home Demonstration Club contains the following (shortened and paraphrased): our contributions reflect the broad and deep scope of influence and responsibility of the Club. We feel our duty as an organization is first to the group and the community, but we also operate effectively on a family and individual basis, supporting our members. Written in 1956 – still holds true today.

Darlene Williamson
Historic Preservation Chair

Vale Club

Vale Club is dedicated to enriching the lives of women in the Vale community. Our goal is to provide our members with a variety of social, educational, and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. The majority of our members live within the Oakton community. We have multiple member activities each month, primarily scheduled from September through May, with a few Special Interest Groups meeting during the summer months ...
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Sunshine Committee

“When “I” becomes replaced by “we” even illness becomes wellness.”…… Comforting those through an injury, an illness, or loss of their loved one is a role we, as Vale Club members, have taken pride in for many years. I am very happy to be the liaison for those members who may need our support. Contact me if you hear of a member who could use a visit, a card, or other help. I will do my best to see that this is conveyed through a mass email. I will also organize meals for those who could use that gesture by setting up on SUG. Remember, I will contact the member first to get their permission to share the information. Together, we can offer our fellow members support in their time of need. April H.

Vale Schoolhouse

A brief history of The Vale Schoolhouse as recorded by the Fairfax County Public Schools of Yesteryear and Today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUOCcwvqBB0

Vale Schoolhouse, at the corner of Vale and Fox Mill Roads in Oakton, VA, was built c.1884 as a one-room public school. A second room was added in 1912. The school closed in 1931 when many Fairfax County schools were consolidated ...read more
Friends of Vale Schoolhouse, Inc. is Vale Clubs 501(C)3 charity for the maintenance and preservation of the historic Schoolhouse property which was placed on the VA Landmarks Register and the National Register ...read more