Posted by Paul Rubens on Mar 29, 2019
Well it’s been and gone…. And what a whirlwind in the end.
 
The Holland Festival 2019, came to fruition on the 16th March on a perfect Autumn day.
Over 100 volunteers were resplendent in their glowing orange Tee Shirts and we were very proud to be Casey Rotarians as the day unfolded. Along the way we made lasting friendships with some awesome members of a very proud Dutch Community. We strengthened our bonds with the two Rotaract Clubs in District 9820 and the local GSW A Scouts. We wish to thank our friends and family who chipped in with help and those from other Rotary Clubs.
Well it’s been and gone…. And what a whirlwind in the end.
 
The Holland Festival 2019, came to fruition on the 16th March on a perfect Autumn day.
Over 100 volunteers were resplendent in their glowing orange Tee Shirts and we were very proud to be Casey Rotarians as the day unfolded. Along the way we made lasting friendships with some awesome members of a very proud Dutch Community. We strengthened our bonds with the two Rotaract Clubs in District 9820 and the local GSW A Scouts. We wish to thank our friends and family who chipped in with help and those from other Rotary Clubs.
 
Music played constantly from two stages, over 100 stands offered a variety of Dutch delicacies, groceries and souvenirs, ‘in costume’ photo opportunities, to name a few highlights. A few people enquired about the Dutch Clog Dancers from days gone by. They were there and in full costume but their dancing days are past them. That is why it was so pleasing to see grandchildren dressed in traditional costume. So many people used this event to teach their younger generations what life was like for them and to explain the something special that they are part of. Many of our Dutch Aussies came out after WW2 for a fresh start. One such migrant is John Berends of JBI Industries, himself a Rotarian and our major sponsor. Thank you, John and Judy. It was an intergenerational event for every age and something that had genuine cultural significance.
 
Charities we support had a public face that drew much public attention as they were able to benefit from our many hours of planning. Overwhelmingly, the day was a success. Exit Polls indicated a 97% YES to holding this event again, with 77% indicating they would love to see this as an annual event.
 
We were amazed that so many travelled from interstate – Wollongong, Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney, a bus full of Festival goers from Geelong and quite a few from Seymour. One family consisting of some 30 people celebrated their 85-year-old Grandmother’s birthday – what a lovely surprise she would have had. Claire, a 91-year-old Dutch spinner, sat quietly at her wheel, thoroughly impressing all with her talent. The place was buzzing with the ambience of happiness and chatter and then a mellow sense of contentedness decended as the sun set and it was over.