Gildebroeder

Tough, proud, and ready to take on the world. Since 1995, the Guild Brother has been watching over Dorpsstraat, standing in front of the old maypole at Het Heuveltje. The statue was donated by guild brother Toon Pennings. Sculptor Joep van Hout recreated a drummer from the Onze Lieve Vrouwe guild in Aarle-Rixtel in bronze. The logo on the stone was designed in 1988, 40 years after the revival. 

Occasionally, the guild brother wears a red handkerchief, a playful jab at the other guild in the village, the red shield. But most of the time, the drummer of the blue shield, as the Our Lady Guild is popularly known, stands proudly on his pedestal. He is dressed in the costume that the ‘blue’ guild brothers also wear when they parade through the streets of Aarle-Rixtel, with blue naturally predominating. The costume was designed when the guild was re-established shortly after the Second World War (1948). The color blue owes its name to its patron saint, Our Lady. Her image can be found everywhere in the guild, right down to the pedestal on which the guild brother stands.

Like so many guilds, the Our Lady Guild has a rich history. It was even founded as a church organization in 1324. Over 700 years later, the guild's footsteps can still be traced, with the guild brother as proof.