Reunion 1995
Looking back with pleasure on third reunion
Many of the approximately 250 participants of the third Vreugdenhill family reunion, like myself, will look back with pleasure on that Saturday in De Brug in ‘s-Gravenzande. On September 23, 1995, this pleasant gathering in the Westland was an event where many (distant) relatives and acquaintances reunited after sometimes a long time. Well before half past nine on that fateful Saturday morning, the hall of De Brug gradually filled up. The buzz of more and more voices was practically in the air. Organizer Job Vreugdenhil had two interesting and educational excursions in store for the morning program. Around ten o’clock, the buses of VreugdeTours were ready to transport groups of Vreugdenhills, young and old, to the Fort at den Hoek van Holland or to the Westland Museum. It is pleasant to note in retrospect that all participants returned enthusiastically after the excursions.
Puppet show
There was plenty to do at De Brug. Secretary Aat and librarian Tom Vreugdenhil were busy in one of the rooms, informing interested parties about our extensive Vreugdenhill library, or – and that was primarily Aat’s task – selling some family articles. In another part of De Brug, the children present were kept entertained in a fun way by Valery Preston with stories, puppet shows, magic tricks, and balloons. And for those who gradually got hungry, there was soup, bread, and drinks; all well taken care of by the staff of De Brug.
Foreign guests
The official part of the day began at half past one with a welcome speech from master of ceremonies Job Vreugdenhil. He expressed his delight at the presence of Vreugdenhills from the United States, Canada, South Africa, Spain, and Austria, among others. Chairman Dirk Vreugdenhil immediately followed up on this in his opening speech by warmly welcoming these foreign guests individually in their own language. This gesture was rightly greeted with applause. Later, the master of ceremonies added that Dirk had been able to welcome his mother, who was born in Hungary, in her own language in the hall. The chairman’s opening speech had a classic division into past, present, and future. As far as the past is concerned, the efforts, activities, and perseverance of Koos Verhulst were mentioned, whose years of collecting data and setting up family trees ultimately resulted in our Vreugdenhil Book. Dirk Vreugdenhil also thought he should highlight the current active board members. He mentioned secretary Aat first, who meticulously maintains the entire address database in the computer and processes all changes therein. The treasurer, Jaap, also passed by. He is the man who not only keeps the finances in order, but also keeps a close eye on the expenditures. Finally, he came to Tom, the librarian, who manages an extensive collection of books, texts, articles, and other items by the Vreugdenhills. There was also praise for the editorial staff of the Vreugdeschakel, for whom – according to Chairman Dirk Vreugdenhil – it is quite a task to fill a pleasant and readable magazine every time. For the future, the speaker called on those present to remain interested and active.
Experiment
The chairman’s position on stage was then taken over by Jack Vreugdenhil, still known from the previous reunion. He recited a self-made poem, which was based on the name Vreugdenhil Bundeltjes, a collection of his poems could be purchased and signed during the break. Before that break, there was still an opportunity to listen to a performance by the six-man band Oversized. Not everyone found the music presented purely enjoyable to listen to, but as an experiment, the performance could still be considered successful. Several more well-known melodies were accompanied by hand clapping.
Flowers
At the end of the enjoyable family day, Mrs. Aben-Nederpeld drew the attention of those present with her talk on genealogy and what to do next? She enthusiastically and amusingly told many details about her own genealogy. Using ten points, she convincingly urged her audience to continue with an ‘active’ foundation. Especially the elderly should record memories from their past; not only interesting for the family newspaper but also for future generations. In his concluding words, the master of ceremonies thanked everyone for their presence. The staff and people from De Brug were presented with flowers. In turn, the chairman Job Vreugdenhil and his staff were thanked for their tremendous efforts. Flowers were also given to them. It was the end of a great day. We are looking forward to the next reunion.
Until the year 2000 !!!
Tiemen