VOLUME 34, NO. 4MARCH 2003

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE DUTCH INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY

d.i.s. magazine

d.i.s. Magazine2

VOLUME 34, NO. 4.MARCH, 2003

d.i.s.d.i.s.d.i.s.d.i.s.d.i.s. MagazineMagazineMagazineMagazineMagazinePublished Quarterly

PUBLISHED BYThe Dutch International Society5370 Eastern Ave., SEGrand Rapids, MI 49508-6083

Tel. (616) 531-22981-800-322-5446 (Toll Free)Office E-mail: ����������������

ALL CORRESPONDENCEREGARDING THE D.I.S. Magazine:For action by the Editor:Mr. Arend Vander Pols,1742 Cambridge DR SEGrand Rapids, MI 49506-4424.Email: vande118@msu.edu

Visit us on the World Wide Web athttp://dismagazine.xodian.net

For information on advertising & formembership dues and information:Dutch International Society, 5370 Eastern

Ave. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49508-6083.

Periodical postage paid at Grand Rapids,Michigan (USPS #103690)POSTMASTER: Send address changes toD.I.S. Magazine, c/o 5370 Eastern Ave. SEGrand Rapids, MI 49508-6083.

Dues for the Dutch International Society are$10.00 per year. This includes the $5.00annual subscription price of the D.I.S. Magazine.© The Dutch Immigrant Society 1976.

Opinions expressed in the articles appearingin the magazine are not to be construed as anendorsement by the Board of the D.I.S.

Printed in the United States of America.

DIS Flights .......................................................................................... 3Message from the Board ..................................................................... 4From the Editor .................................................................................. 4Board Member Arranges Author Meeting ............................................. 4Dutch Elections 2003 ........................................................................... 5The Holland Home ................................................................................ 9The Resistance Commemorative Cross .............................................. 13Australia Bound! (Part 3) ................................................................... 18Beter Nederlands ............................................................................ 24John Andrew Janssens (In Memoriam) ................................................ 26Never Forget ....................................................................................... 27News in Brief ........................................................................................ 28Chris Stoffel Overvoorde: A Life in Art ............................................... 30Upcoming Events ............................................................................... 31

Contents

CoverSample ballot guide,

Dutch Elections 2003.Courtesy of Dr. Herman

J. De Vries.

DIS Board Members (left to right):Rena Holst, Doug Vander Velde, Hendrika Rosema,

Al Slendebroek (President), Lucas De Vries (Secretary),Martin Rustenburg (Treasurer), Henk Nuiver (Vicar).

http://dismagazine.xodian.netThanks to Tim Hentenaar of Xodian.net for the free -

and ad-free - hosting of our site!

Join the DIS email list athttp://dismagazine.xodian.net/bedankt

March 2003 3

Book All Your Travel thru us and Support the DIS!

KLM/Northwest Round Trip Rates to Amsterdam for 2003

WINTER FARES: JANUARY 1, 2003 - MARCH 31, 2003CHICAGO - AMSTERDAM R.T. $600.00(tax incl.)DETROIT - AMSTERDAM R.T. $643.00(tax incl.)GRAND RAPIDS - AMSTERDAM R.T. $670.00(tax incl.)SHOULDER SEASON FARE: APRIL 1 - MAY 27, 2003 & SEPTEMBER 6 - OCTOBER 31, 2003CHICAGO - AMSTERDAM R.T. $835.00(tax incl.)DETROIT - AMSTERDAM R.T. $880.00(tax incl.)GRAND RAPIDS - AMSTERDAM R.T. $915.00(tax incl.)

SUMMER FARE: MAY 28 - SEPTEMBER 5, 2003CHICAGO - AMSTERDAM R.T. $1005.00(tax incl.) WEEKEND SURCHARGEDETROIT - AMSTERDAM R.T. $1050.00(tax incl.) (Fr.,Sat.,Sun.)$20.00 Each DirectionGRAND RAPIDS - AMSTERDAM R.T. $1085.00(tax incl.)

WINTER FARES: NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 11,2003 DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 25,2003CHICAGO - AMSTERDAM R.T. $625.00(tax incl.) $835.00(tax incl.)DETROIT - AMSTERDAM R.T. $670.00(tax incl.) $880.00(tax incl.)GRAND RAPIDS - AMSTERDAM R.T. $705.00(tax incl.) $915.00(tax incl.)

CHILDREN’S RATES: (age 2 - 11 yrs.) PAY 75% OF ADULT FARE (11 yrs or younger on day of departure). infant rates under 2yrs of age on day of departure available upon request. SPECIAL VERY REASONABLE FARES ALSO AVAILABLE FROM: KALAMAZOO, LANSING, SAGINAW & TRAVERSE CITY MI.,CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS & DAYTON OH., INDIANAPOLIS IN., MINNEAPOLIS, DENVER, MILWAUKEE, ST. LOUIS ETC. TOO MANY TOMENTION THEM ALL! CALL FOR INFORMATION.

The date of departure will determine the fare you pay. If you leave on any date during the low season, you pay the low fare. If you leave on a date during the high season, you will pay high fare even if you return during the low fare season.

FREE $100.000 Flight Insurance. LIMITED SPACE - BOOK EARLY!

REQUIREMENTS: MIN.STAY - 7 DAYS - MAX.STAY - 60 DAYS (3 day min.stay during winter season). Travel any day of the week.CANCELLATION: Once a ticket is issued (approx. 4 weeks before departure date) it is NON-REFUNDABLE, except in the event of the

passenger’s hospitalization or death, or that of an immediate family member or travel companion (this requires a statement from thedoctor). If cancellation is for any other reason, the value of a ticket may be applied to the purchase of a new ticket at the same orhigher value.

WHEN YOU HAVE BOOKED YOUR FLIGHT WITH US AND A CHEAPER FARE BECOMES AVAILABLE WE WILL NOTIFY YOU.SPECIAL FARES TO OTHER EUROPEAN CITIES ALSO AVAILABLE.

SPECIAL FARES AVAILABLE ON SINGAPORE AIRLINES FROM SEVERAL CITIES VIA CHICAGO TO AMSTERDAM .

——————————————————————————————----————APPLICATION FORM FLIGHT PROGRAMComplete this form and return with $75.00 per person deposit to: DUTCH INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY.

5370 EASTERN AVE., SE, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49508. PHONE: (616) 531-2298 OR 1-800-322-5446.

DEPARTURE: (City)______________________ RETURN FROM AMSTERDAMON:_(date)______________________

TO AMSTERDAM ON: (date:) _____________________________ TO CITY: ____________________________

PRINT FULL NAME OF FLIGHT PARTICIPANT(S) DATE OF BIRTH FREQUENT FLYER NO. (if available)

1. Mr./Mrs./Ms._______________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Mr./Mrs./Ms._______________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Mr./Mrs./Ms._______________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Mr./Mrs./Ms._______________________________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS:_____________________________________________Phone (Home): (_____) ___________________________________

CITY, STATE, ZIP-CODE:___________________________________________Phone (Business): (_____) _______________________FOR OFFICE USE ONLY: ALL TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHTS ARE NON SMOKING

d.i.s. Magazine4

The Board is making preliminary preparations fornominations (3 Board members are retiring) and votingbefore the next annual meeting. In that process someshortcomings became apparent that are being addressed.

The Board is working with legal advice on proposingsome changes to the by-laws to streamline the processfor becoming a Board member. We plan to have thedetails worked out and published in the June 2003magazine.

Approval of the by-law changes will be voted on bythe membership at large.

In the meantime, nominations for Board members asalways, are open to all members who submit their namewith 25 supporting signatures before June 1, 2003.

The date on our cover says March 2003, and myhope is that by the time you receive this issue it is indeedstill March! Many factors impact the timeliness of gettingout an issue of a quarterly magazine - sometimes it iscurrent events, mail delays, or simply an operation tryingto work on a shoestring budget. This time, however, Imust accept the blame and plead an overextendedagenda and an unrealistic view of what can beaccomplished in a day.

The difficulty with this issue was trying to squeeze alot of great material into thirty-two pages. We welcomeback to our pages our faithful contributors Dr. MartinBakker, Mr. Charles Baas, writers on whom I havedepended for many many issues in the past. Alsoreturning are Mr. Martin Rustenburg, and Dr. HermanDe Vries - who gives us a first hand look at the recentpolitical developments in the Netherlands. We also

From the Editor

welcome a 'new guard': Ms. Maria Mulder and Mr. RobPrince. While Rob has favored us with several piecesthe last few issues, this is the first contribution by Ms.Mulder.

And lastly, we remember the passing of John Janssens,who passed away this past year. Mr. Janssens had begunpublishing stories based on his boyhood memories -stories that I had expected to be able to compile in abook someday. The good Lord had other ideas,however, and as an editor I was proud to be able tomake 'Uncle John' a published author before he wastaken home.

Board Member Arranges AuthorMeeting with Local School

Children

A Messagefrom theBoard

Students participating in Sylvan Christian School's'GeoBee' in Grand Rapids, Michigan were able to meetwith geography scholar H. J. deBlij, thanks to the effortsof DIS Board member Martin Rustenburg this January.Dr. deBlij was in Grand Rapids for a speakingengagement in the Calvin College January Series. Thetitle of his talk was "What Ever Happened to GeographicLiteracy?" [see http://www.calvin.edu/january/2003/deblij.htm]. Dr. deBlij met with the studentsbefore his talk andemphasized the importanceof keeping a journal torecord the events of one'slife.

March 2003 5

I had the unexpected pleasure of observingnational elections in the Netherlands this pastJanuary. I say unexpected because when I

first began planning—about a year ago—to takea group of students to the Netherlands the Dutchwere gearing up for the scheduled elections ofSpring 2002. Those were the scheduledelections that normally happen every four years.But the past 12 months of politics in theNetherlands have been anything but normal. Thefollowing discussion offers the D.I.S. reader asummary of the election results and an overviewof the current political climate. My aim is not somuch to review party agendas and differencesbut rather to offer observations on the politicsof the recent elections for the Dutch TweedeKamer (Lower Chamber).

BackgroundThe elections of May 2002 closed an eight-

year era of Paars government (a coalition calledpurple because of the color combination of itsnon-confessional parties). The purple coalitionwas known, among other things, for its liberalsocial agenda. Its era saw, for example, thelegalization of controversial social practices suchas prostitution, homosexual marriage, andeuthanasia.

Dutch Elections 2003 by Dr. Herman J. De Vries Jr.

Toward the close of eight-years of Paars,the Rotterdam politician Pim Fortuyn enteredthe national political scene. Fortuyn was acharismatic and controversial politician in his ownright, who wanted to both press forward with aliberal agenda and at the same time roll parts ofit back. Although a vigorous proponent of civilliberties, Fortuyn also was at home with right-wing anti-immigrant (anti-allochtonen) rhetoric,claiming that “Nederland is vol”—a sloganemerging from the Leefbaar Nederland partyfrom where Fortuyn originally came. Rather un-Dutch in his brash rhetoric and flashy style,Fortuyn was a populist who found an audiencein varying segments of the political spectrum.

Then, only weeks before the spring 2002elections, the unthinkable happened. Whilewalking to his car following an interview inHilversum, Fortuyn was gunned down in broaddaylight. The Netherlands, where no governmentofficial in modern times had ever been murdered,had thought itself immune to American-stylepolitical assassinations. Holland found itself facinga shattered illusion of security—an experienceakin to the shaken confidence in the U.S. afterSeptember 11.

Even though the elections were then

Overview of Political Parties in The Netherlands

CDA Christelijk Democratisch Appèl — a fusion of major confessional partiesPvdA Partij van de Arbeid — laborVVD Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie—libertarianSP Socialistische PartijLPF Lijst Pim Fortuyn—populist partyGroenLinks — Environmental-SocialistD66 (Democratisch 1966)—neutral, non-confessional partyChristenUnie — recent fusion of Reformed Calvinist parties;SGP Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij—orthodox CalvinistLeefbaar Nederland — populist.

d.i.s. Magazine6

postponed by a week to give the LPF time to regroup,and even though the party’s namesake was now dead,the campaign momentum carried LPF to an astonishingelection success, garnering 26 seats, making them thesecond largest party in parliament—second only to theCDA. Respecting the voters’ voices, a coalitiongovernment of CDA, LPF, and VVD was formed. Theunion was, however, challenged and probably doomedalmost from the get-go. Aside from the vast differencesof political platform, an insurmountable obstacle provedto be the vast inexperience of the LPF parliamentarians.The coalition government was thus declared a failureand re-elections were scheduled—as per law—for some80 days hence. Thus the January 2003 elections.

In the allotted two-and-a-half months before the newelections the reality of the LPF’s decline becameapparent. The party that rocketed to popularity behindFortuyn would descend just as quickly without him. Theonly questions were: by how many seats? and who willfill the vacuum? And the campaigning began...

Debates, polls, and personalitiesPolls and personalities assumed a prominent role in

the recent campaigns—features normally low key intypically sober and content-based Dutch politics. Criticshave lamented this trend as a dangerous Americanizationof the Dutch political landscape. Numerous debatesbetween the party leaders (lijsttrekkerdebatten) andfollow-up opinion polls fuelled media predictions andultimately confused the public since the results rollercoasted almost daily.

Critics have also lamented the adverse effect ofdebates on party loyalty as voters have begun to thinkless of party and more of personality. This shift has provedunfortunate for lame-duck premier Jan Peter Balkende(CDA). Balkenende, who is a former lecturer at the FreeUniversity, often received mediocre reviews because hisdebating style came across as stiff and academic. WouterBos, lead man for the PvdA, on the other hand, faredquite well in post-debate polling. In fact, the media hada field day with Bos because numerous polls revealedparticularly high ratings amongst young women voters.Such observations even began taking on absurddimensions as some fellow politicians—in a gesture ofironic self criticism—began making public comments onthe apparently pleasant shape of Wouter Bos’s derrière.

Some claim that the media obsession with polling didmore than shift the general focus from party towards

March 2003 7

still fall four seats short of a majority. Taking in then LPFwould give a necessary majority, but Balkenende haspublicly dismissed the union as improbable. At this pointno bets are safe (although a CDA / PvdA would notsurprise anyone) and the informateur has his work cutout for him. The only thing certain right now is that theforming of coalition cabinet will probably take quite sometime yet.

Post ScriptFollowing political developments is quite manageable

via the internet. Most major newspapers have a handylink to a dossier on the elections and cabinet formation.For example, NRC Handelsblad (www.nrc.nl); Trouw(www.trouw.nl); Nederlands Dagblad (www.nd.nl).The Radio Netherlands (www.rnw.nl) also offers a goodsource of information and summary.

Dr. Herman De Vries teaches Dutch at CalvinCollege, Grand Rapids, Michigan and is the holderof the Queen Juliana Chair of the Language andCulture of the Netherlands.

personality. The charge is that the incessant polling hasdamaged smaller parties—an outcome referred to asthe Balkenende-effect. The phenomenon worked asfollows: as polls increasingly showed the PvdA gainingground on the CDA, some marginally loyal voters of,say, GroenLinks, VVD, or the ChristenUnie abandonedtheir parties to vote CDA in a strategic effort to ensurea Balkenende (CDA) victory.

Winners & LosersThe election results, along with a comparison to the

2002 election, can be seen in the following table:

Results 2002 20031. CDA 43 442. PvdA 23 423. VVD 24 284. SP 9 95. LPF 26 86. GroenLinks 10 87. D66 7 68. ChristenUnie 4 39. SGP 2 210. LN 2 2

It is possible to speak in the plural of winners of theJanuary 2003 elections. Having won the most votes,44, the CDA is the outright winner—but barely. PvdAcan also claim a victory too since they made up so muchground since the May elections. Clearly, the PvdA wonback most of the disgruntled voters whom they had lostto the LPF the year before. Perhaps due the“Balkenende-effect,” smaller parties like GroenLinks andthe ChristenUnie suffered significant losses. TheChristenUnie, for example, lost 25% of their impact inshrinking from four to three seats.

CoalitionAt the time of this writing, the formation of a coalition

cabinet still remains uncertain. The queen-appointedinformateur, Piet Hein Donner (CDA), is currentlyperforming his duty to deliberate with party chairpersonsand negotiate coalition possibilities. A CDA-PvdAcoalition would certainly do justice to the overall votingresults, but the largest party, CDA, has the right to insistupon unity of party content and platform in the coalition.Balkenende has made no secret that he would gladlyally with the VVD, but a CDA-VVD coalition would

d.i.s. Magazine8

Vander Veen’s Vander Veen’s The Dutch Store2755 28th Street SW • Grand Rapids, Michigan 49509 • Phone 616 531 4224 • Fax 616 531 3511

®®

Doing Some Spring Redecorating?Remember, VanderVeen's Carries

A Complete Line of Dutch Curtain Lace!

Visit our Web Site At: http://www.thedutchstore.com

Hours: Monday - Saturday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm • Thursday Nights until 7:30 pm

CAKES & COOKIES09190 Krakelingen .................................... 1.5909102 Gevulde Koeken ............................. 1.5909166 Hazelnut Zandjes ........................... 1.9909613 Butter Almond Spiced Cookies ....... 1.9904123 Frisian Ginger Cakes ...................... 1.99

MISCELLANEOUS05346 Venco Drop Mix (Mixed Licorice) .... 3.49

500 gr07149 Mini Gold Chocolate Bars - 6 pack . 1.8902203 Honig Butter Cake Mix ................... 1.8902204 Honig Apple Cake Mix .................... 1.8915200 Jonker Fris Kapucyners .................. 99¢05309 Zwart/Wit Kogel Candies ................ 1.5905323 Wilhelmina Peppermint .................. 1.39

7 oz. Bag03217 DE Silver Select Coffee - 8.8 oz. .... 3.69

March 2003 9

Sometimes an experience can providebenefits beyond expectation. This wasthe case in my internship this summer at

Holland Home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Desiring to gain some writing experience, Igladly accepted the opportunity to researchand outline Holland Home’s 110-year history.The surprising but very enjoyable aspect ofthe project was the occasion it provided touse my knowledge of the Dutch language andculture. After studying Dutch for foursemesters at Calvin College, I welcome anyproject that allows me to do this. To be ableto study the history of an organization that hadits beginning within the Dutch communityprovides evidence as to how the Dutch andAmerican cultures met.

In what follows, I aim to provide a briefhistory and show how the Dutch in GrandRapids sought to provide for those in needaround them.

Established in 1892, Holland Home’s namewas derived from its mission – to provide carefor “aged Hollanders.” The idea of HollandHome was conceived by the Dutchman, Rev.Adrian Kreikard, pastor of the ThirdReformed Church in Grand Rapids, and otherconcerned members of his congregation. “TheHolland Union Benevolent Association” wasformed in March of 1892 and a home on thecorner of Michigan Street and College Ave.was purchased that summer and opened inDecember to Holland Home’s first eightresidents, or “inmates” as they were referredto at that time.

The composers of the 50-year anniversarypublication were good enough to print all oftheir resident’s names. From this informationalone, it was easy to see that the majority ofHolland Home’s population consisted of menand women of Dutch descent. In the first 20years, almost 90% of all the listed surnames

The Holland Homehe Holland Homehe Holland Homehe Holland Homehe Holland HomeGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, Michigan

by Maria Mulder

d.i.s. Magazine10

were Dutch. This number actually increasedover the years to a Dutch population of 95%by 1912. Almost 90% of those who servedon the Board of Trustees from 1892 to 1922were Dutch while all who held positions asassociate officers were Hollanders. Such menas Rev. Matthew Kolyn, Sipke Postma andJohn Kloote followed Rev. Kriekard aspresident of the Association.

The original eight residents must have feltcontent living with other individuals of a sharedheritage, history and language. All boardmeetings were held in Dutch, and the minuteswere written in Dutch, until the year 1930when a motion was passed to continueexclusively in English. Although the books thatthese minutes were written in are falling aparttoday, they tell a rich history and give us aglimpse of Holland Home over 100 years ago.With the help of my mother, a native Dutchspeaker, I perused a few of those early pageswritten in Dutch and discovered someinteresting facts, both significant and trivial. Atthe Board of Trustees meeting on May 27,1897, the members decided to requestfinancial support from the Christian ReformedChurch’s Synod that was scheduled to meet inJune. Also at that meeting, it was decided thatMr. And Mrs. van der Wiere would become

the Superintendent and Matron of the Home inJanuary 1898. They were each to be paid$16.67 per month. In every meeting, thedonations received that month were noted. InMay 1897, $88.26 was received fromindividuals and companies, including $20.40from the Johnson Cigar Company. Theminutes from the December 4, 1902 meetingnoted that $45.00 was spent on groceries thatmonth. In other financial business, the specialcommittee reported that Holland Home’s cowwas sold for $25.00. A better cow was thenpurchased for $45.00.

Among the staff and residents, the use ofthe Dutch language continued for many years.In the “Holland Home News,” the Home’smonthly newsletter, publication began in Dutchalone. After some years, a mix of Dutch andEnglish was used beginning in 1915 and untilthe mid 1970’s, the regular column“Meditatie” was seen within its pages.

As the waiting list grew, the Homecontinued to construct new buildings andexpand its services. By 1954, Holland Homeconsidered itself to house the largest numberof Dutch Christians throughout the UnitedStates among all retirement facilities createdfor and by the Dutch community. But in 1966,

Postcard: HollandHome, Grand Rapids,

Michigan

March 2003 11

Holland Home changed its admission policy and theirservices were now available to the broader GrandRapids community. So as to comply with the CivilRights Act, Title VI, Holland Home would no longerprovide its services only to members of a Reformeddenomination. Churches in the Reformeddenomination were where Holland Home receivedsuch a large number of Dutch people as theircongregations also had a high concentration ofHollanders. As the facility was opened to other

denominations, people of other cultural backgroundsbegan to enter Holland Home. Today, it is not as easyto determine the number of Dutch people residing inHolland Home as there are no readily availablenumbers, but with a quick glance at many of thepublications Holland Home puts out today, it is evidentthat there is still a notable representation. In a list ofresidents moving into Holland Home’s newest facility,Breton Terrace, a majority of the surnames still attestto their Dutch heritage.

d.i.s. Magazine12

Although Holland Home was opened to a widergroup of individuals, Holland Home continued to inoccasional efforts to honor and celebrate the heritageof its founders as well as many of its residents today.Such occasions as Dutch Heritage Day in May of1980 allowed all to celebrate that heritage. A film wasshown and keepsakes from the old country such asDelft pieces were displayed. The activities helped tobring back memories and the residents began toreminisce and share together. The staff evenparticipated by serving meals to the residents whileadorned in wooden shoes and native dress.

Holland Home’s history with the DutchInternational Society has also continued over theyears. The Society has held many of their holidayservices at the Raybrook Chapel. Holland Homereceived with much appreciation the gift of 12,000flower bulbs donated by the DIS in 1982.

Today, Holland Home is still flourishing andgrowing as it ministers to all of the Grand Rapidscommunity. With three campuses, each providing avariety of housing options, the Home has sought to

meet the needs of the aging. The people of GrandRapids should be grateful for its Dutch founders whosought to care for the elderly in their community 110years ago. Their concern and hard work so manyyears ago laid the foundation for the now flourishingorganization that Holland Home has become.

Maria Mulder is National/World News Editor forChimes, the student newspaper of Calvin College.

March 2003 13

Het VerzetWie was hij, die onbekende ventDie, toen ons land bezet werd, heel patentEr voor ging zorgen dat ‘t Nederlandse volkNiet te gronde ging onder die donk’re wolk

Wie was het die er voor zorgdeDat de Duitse stropdas ons niet worgdeDie de illegale krant verspreiddeDie de Duitse censuur omzeilde

Wie was het die de valse “ausweis” drukteWaarmee menig illegale reis gelukteOf die bonkaarten ging stelenOm aan onderduikers te verdelen

Wie was het die de bemanning deed verdwijnenVan de “bomber” die niet weer thuis zouverschijnenMaar op Hollands grondZijn laatste rustplaats vond.

Wie was die snuiterDie ging speuren bij de DuitsersNaar versterkingen die zij bouwdenOm een invasie terug te houden

En wie was het die steeds gevaar liepAls hij zijn contact in Londen opriepOm te melden wat er plaats vondOp Neerlands dierb’re grond

Wie was het die op de bres stond voor de JoodDie aan zijn deportatie weerstand boodDoor het vinden van kwartierVoor het opgejaagde dier

Wie was het die tenslotte vochtAls de list niet baten mochtOm een makker uit het gevang te lossenOf een “drop” beschermde bij de bossen

Wie was dat meisje, die vrouw of moederDie mee streed naast vader, zoon of broederDie op de fiets de “post” besteldeDie de mannen hunne taak vermelde

En wie was die dokter, die zonder vragenZich aan “reparatie” durfde wagenAls stiekum, in de nachtEen gewonde strijder bij hem werd gebracht

Dat was de verzetsmens, al of niet erkendDat was ‘”het Verzet”, velen zagen nooit het endHun verzet kostte levensMaar “het Verzet” is toch in stand gebleven

Jan, of Piet, of Miep of KoosVelen meestal naamloosBij voorkeur een leger van onbekendenDat zich tot bevrijding van “t vaderland wenden

Doel was toch “De Tyranny Verdrijven”Dat ‘t bezet ons trachtte aan te wrijven‘t Ging niet om loon of onderscheidingMaar om behoud van leven en bevrijding

Het Verzetsherdenkingskruis

The ResistanceCommemorative Cross

by Charles Baas

d.i.s. Magazine14

Beleefde u de bezettingsjaren in Holland(1940-45) en herkent u zichzelf inhet gedicht Het Verzet, dan buigt

schrijver zijn hoofd in eerbiedige erkenningvoor uw participatie in het verzet. Het warenbange, onzekere tijden die we beleefden. Hetoptreden van de Duitse bezetter bracht hetNederlandse volk tot een saamhorigheid dieschrijver voor de oorlog niet kende. Beternog, het bracht menig Nederlander tot open oflijdelijk verzet. Ons land had in geen honderdjaren oorlog beleefd; de eerste Wereld Oorlogwas buiten de deur gebleven. Dus er wasweinig ervaring in verzet. In het begin werdenveel fouten gemaakt. Mensen werden gesnapten verdwenen. Maar steeds kwamen erplaatsvervangers. Kleine “cellen” werdengroot. Er kwamen gespecialiseerde groepen:knokploegen om daadwerkelijk slag televeren, spionage ploegen om gegevens teverzamelen voor de oorlogsvoering inEngeland, en voor de voedsel voorziening(bonkaarten roof) voor onderduikers, voor devervaardiging van valse papieren, de illegalepers, enz. Van Duits standpunt waren datallemaal “terroristen”.

Ondanks alle pogingen om dezeterroristenbenden te onderdrukken en uit teroeien slaagde de Duitse macht daar niet in.Het verzet kostte vele mensenlevens, hetzij inopen gevechten of door het nazi gespuis nagevangenneming vermoord. Maar hoeveelleden het verzet ook verloor, het verzet konniet worden uitgeroeid (een goede les voorvandaag?)

Did you experience the years ofoccupation in Holland (1940-45) anddo you recognize yourself in the

poem Het Verzet on the previous page? If so,this writer nods his head in gratefulacknowledgement of your participation in theResistance. They were scary, uncertain years.The actions of the German occupiers unitedthe Dutch people to an extent this writer hadnot seen before. Better yet, it led many aDutchman to open or passive resistance. Ourcountry had not experienced war for ahundred years; World War II had remainedoutside our doors. So there was littleexperience for resistance. Many mistakeswere made at the outset. People were caughtand disappeared. But there always appearedreplacements. Small “cells” grew into big ones.Specialized units were formed: combat teamsfor actual combat, espionage teams to gatherinformation for the war offices in England, forcapturing ration cards for “onderduikers”(people in hiding from the authorities and thusnot able to get ration cards the regular way),and for creating false documents, and last butnot least the underground press. From aGerman point of view they were all terrorists.

In spite of all their efforts to suppress androot out these bands of terrorists, the Germansnever succeeded. The resistance cost manylives, either in actual combat or murdered bythe nazi hoodlums after imprisonment. Butregardless of their losses, Resistance could notbe rooted out (a good lesson for today?).

Armband:NederlandBinnenlandseStrijdkrachtenTe Utrecht.

March 2003 15

Naarmate het verzet groeide, groeide ookde behoefte aan een centrale organisatie vande verschillende speciale groepen. Die kwamuiteindelijk tot stand na 6 Juni 1944 (D-day)toen de groepen bijeen gebracht werden in deNederlandse Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten enonder bevel van Z.K.H. Prins Bernhardgesteld werden. Erkende leden van het verzetkregen een armband uitgereikt ter identificatie.Niet, natuurlijk, voor openbaar vertoon, maarom in geval van actief optreden tegen debezetter het “uniform” ( een blauwe overal) tecompleteren.

Instelling van het kruisOnze Beatrix, toen nog kindMet Grootmama aan het bewindHeeft nu stand genomenOm Verzet ‘s lands dank te tonen

Het Verzetsherdenkingskruis werd in 1980bij Koninklijk Besluit gesticht en doorH.M.Koningin Beatrix ondertekend. DatKoningin Beatrix en de regering besloten hetverzet alsnog wel-verdiende erkenning tegeven kwam voor velen te laat, maar isniettemin een prijzenswaardig besluit dat indank aangenomen werd.

Het Kruis mocht geen frivool versierselworden, wel een betekenisvolle uitdrukkingvan dank voorgetoonde liefde vooreen vrij vaderland,waarvan de toekenningberustte opbetekenisvolleweerstand tegen debezettingsmacht, met inde waagschaal stellingvan eigen leven enveiligheid. Vooral destrijders die in opengevechten met debezetter hun leven ophet spel zetten, maar

As the Resistance grew, so did the needfor a centralized organization to coordinate alloperations. It came to be after June 6 (D-day), when all groups were brought togetherinto the Dutch Forces of the Interior, andplaced under command of H.R.H. PrinceBernhard. Recognized members of theresistance were issued an armband foridentification in case of action against theoccupation.

Establishment of the CrossThe Resistance Commemorative Cross

was established on 1980 by Royal Decreeand signed by H.M.Queen Beatrix. Thedecision by Queen Beatrix and theGovernment to belatedly offer well-deservedrecognition to Resistance came too late formany, but nevertheless was a praiseworthydecision.

The Cross was not to become a “frivolousornament” (the Queen’s words), but ameaningful expression of thanks fordemonstrated love for a free fatherland. Theawarding should be based on meaningfulresistance to the forces of occupation,including placing one’s life in jeopardy.Especially the combat teams , but also the“silent” fighters that risked their lives, forexample the “koeriertsters” (the ‘lettercarriers’

for the undergroundmovement), the newsgatherers anddistributors, all whocontributedsignificantly inresistance to theGerman enemy. Alsothe Japanese in theformer Dutch EastIndies. For all theawarding was not“payment”, but arecognition and

Herdenkingsbordje "Verzet Ontmoet Bevrijding." Verzetsman en Soldaat vanPrinses Irene Brigade op de Verslagen Nazi Draak. (Auteur Onbekend).

d.i.s. Magazine16

ook de “stille” strijders die even grootlevensgevaar liepen, zoals b.v. de koeriersters,(de “brievenbestelsters” van de ondergrondsebeweging), de trainers, de nieuwsverzamelaars en verspreiders, kortom allen dieeen waardevolle bijdrage hebben geleverd tothindernis van de Duitse vijand. Ook deJapanse, in het toenmalige Nederlands Indie,hoewel de toekenning voor hen op ietwatandere criteria berustte. Voor allen was detoekenning en uiteindelijke uitreiking geen“beloning” maar wel een erkenning enuitdrukking van dank.

Velen hebben de dag van uitreiking nietbereikt, of omdat zij het leven lieten voor debevrijding, of omdat zij stierven in de periodetussen bevrijding en uitreiking. Er hebben veleposthume uitreikingen plaatsgevonden.

Om te verzekeren dat het Kruis geen“frivool versiersel” werd, doorliep deafwikkeling van de uitreiking drie hoofdphases:1 De aanmelding, waarin allen die meendenaanspraak te mogen maken op een kruis eenbreedvoerige vragenlijst moesten completerenen indienen, 2 Een onderzoek aan de hand vande vragenlijst en andere “input”, 3 Toekenningen uitreiking.

Het KruisHet kruis bestaat uit een vierarmig kruis, 40

mm lang en breed, uitgevoerd in gebrandzilver. Op de verticale armen ligt eengetrokken zwaard met vlammen uit het gevestkomende. Onder de greep de jaartallen 1940,1945; boven het zwaard een koninklijkekroon. Op de horizontale armen een banderolwaarop de tekst “De Tyranny Verdryven”, eenregel uit het “Wilhelmus”. Op de keerzijdebevindt zich op het kruispunt de klimmendeleeuw uit Nederland’s wapen. In het bovenstegedeelte van de verticale arm is het jaartal1980 aangebracht, het jaar van instelling. Opde horizontale armen de uiteinden van debanderol aan de voorkant.

Het kruis is door middel van een ring

expression of thanks.

Many have not reached the day of issuingthe Cross, either because they lost their livesbefore the liberation, or because they passedaway in the period between liberation andissuance. There have been many posthumeawards.

In order to assure that the Cross would notbecome a frivolous ornament, the awardprocedure consisted of three main phases: 1Application, in which anyone who thought heor she might qualify for a cross had tocomplete a penetrating questionnaire, 2 Astudy of qualifications based on thequestionnaire and other inputs, 3 The grantingand awarding.

The CrossThe cross consists of a four-armed cross,

40 mm high and wide, cast in “burnt” silver.On the vertical arms lies a drawn sword,flames coming out of the hilt. Under the gripare the dates 1940,1945; above the sword aroyal crown. On the horizontal arms abanderole on which the text “De TyrannyVerdrijven” a line from the “Wilhelmus” (DutchNational Anthem). On the reverse side the“Rising Lion” of the Dutch Coat of Armsappears at the cross of the arms. The date1980 at the top of the vertical arms is that ofthe creation of the Cross.

The Cross is attached to a ribbon bymeans of a ring. The ribbon has four colorbands: red, white, blue and orange.

A baton was also made available.

At the time the commemorative book wentto press, the number of crosses expected tobe awarded had grown to be in excess of15000. The book contains, in addition to thehistory of the Cross, also the names and datesof birth of the recipients. In as much as thenumber of surviving recipients continues todwindle, writer would encourage them to weartheir cross at every appropriate occasion, so

March 2003 17

that it will not become “a forgotten ornament”.So, comrade from the resistance, do notallow your cross to lie in a drawer, collectingdust. Avoid having your grandchildren laterasking “What was that for?

verbonden aan een lint van 45 mm breedte,met in het midden de banen rood, wit enblauw( elk 9 mm) en een oranje baan (27mm)

Ook werd een baton van dezelfde kleurenverkrijgbaar gesteld, alsmede een miniatuurkruis.

Bij het ter perse gaan van het gedenkboekbij het kruis was het aantal verwachteuitreikingen uitgegroeid tot boven de 15.000.Het genoemde boek bevat niet alleen degeschiedenis van het kruis, maar ook denamen en geboortedatums van de recipienten.

Daar het aantal der recipienten,gemachtigd tot het dragen van het Kruis,steeds minder wordt, acht schrijver het toe tejuichen dat deze recipienten het Kruis zoveelmogelijk dragen opdat het geen “vergetenspeldje” word en om het verzet in herinneringte houden om onze jongere generaties teleren wat bezetting door een vijandelijkemacht met zich brengt. Dus, waarde makkeruit het verzet, laat uw Kruis niet in een laatjeliggen zodat uw nazaten later moeten vragen“Waar was datvoor?” Waarde makker uit ‘t Verzet

Draagt trots uw kruis, het is uw rechtMaar gedenk dan ook diegenenDie reeds op hun laatst appèl verschenen.

C. Baas, 1983

Residential - CommercialPoured Walls - Flatwork - Excavation

CHERRY VALLEY CONCRETEPhone (616) 261-8100

FAX (616) 261-01305151 South Division

Grand Rapids, MI 49548Dennis Schreur

AOW EN BEDRIJFSPENSIOEN

DUTCH RETIREMENT CONSULTING AGENCY

Als U na 1 januari, 1957 bent geemigreerd heeft Umogelijk recht op AOW (pensioen).Heeft U of Uw partner in Nederland gewerkt, danheeft U mogelijk recht op BEDRIJFSPENSIOEN.Wenst U hulp, contact:

Dutch Retirement Consulting AgencyP.O. Box 7544, Grand Rapids, MI 49510...of bel een van de volgende nummers: (616) 245-9911, (616) 531-4046/res.

d.i.s. Magazine18

IntroductionFor those who have not read my previous

articles* in this series, let me give somebackground. My wife and I made a journey toAustralia in March & April of 2002. While thereI met and interviewed a number of individualswho were post war immigrants from theNetherlands. I wrote about many of theirexperiences and perspective on what they wentthrough. I also did extensive reading on thehistory of that Continent, in particularresearching the relationship with the Netherlands.As part of that process, I was privileged to havean interview with His Excellency, Dr. H.H.

Sondaal, Ambassador to Australia from theNetherlands, who provided me with somevaluable information and contacts.

As with all history connected to Europeanand Western history, religion, in particularChristianity, played an integral part. The lateManning Clark, son of an Australian Clergyman,wrote a penetrating history of Australia. Hisbook was one of the many I read while there(fortunately, a local library had a copy to helpme refresh my memory). Another valuableresource has been the book A Church EnRoute, which is a compilation of chapters writtenin commemoration of the 40 year anniversaryof the Reformed Church of Australia, now calledthe Christian Reformed Church of Australia(thank you John Rietveld for both those

Australia Bound!Dutch Immigration Experiences (part three)by Martin Rustenburg

*Parts 1 and 2 appeared in the June& September 2002 issues of dismagazine: Ed.

Typical oldAnglicanchurch in thecountryTasmaniancountryside.

March 2003 19

resources!). The latter book sites the religiousbreakdown of the immigrants from theNetherlands as: Roman Catholic - 39%; DutchReformed (NHK) - 26%; Christian Reformed(GKN) - 14%; other - 5%; none/unknown -16%.

For this article I address the question of whatis the current status of these churches/denominations and what do the presentadherents see as their relevance to the future ofAustralia. I posed this question to six individualsand received five responses, adding theirresponse to my research.

Religious RootsThe postwar immigrants did not land in a

place where there was a religious void. Theestablished churches had a long and stormyhistory. Let me begin by sketching a briefoverview as best I can from the limitedresources.

The penal colonies were like self-supportingcities, which included elaborate buildings ofworship. We saw the ruins of the chapel in PortArthur. In the later colonies as well as the penal

centers, there was a constant call for skilledtradesmen and agricultural laborers. All whoresponded brought their religious affiliation withthem.

Arthur Phillip was appointed governor of thefirst penal colony at Botany Bay. He had acontempt for religion but felt the establishedchurch had value “as a means to promotesubordination of the lower orders of society.”(Manning, p22) The chaplain, Rev RichardJohnson, had the opposite view. A product ofthe revival in England, he was the first of manyparsons who’s work and influence madeProtestant Christianity the dominant church inthe 19th century. As the colonies grew inpopulation, education became a concern. Thereligious leaders were originally in charge ofestablishing educational institutions. It was alsothe church leaders that took the lead inhumanizing the prisons, both in England and thecolonies, calling for an end to the cruel anddemeaning handling of the prisoners.

From the beginning, there were serioustensions between the Roman Catholics andProtestants. To quote Manning again: “Althoughthe Australian colonies and the United States ofAmerica were the best cures the English everdiscovered for Irish lawlessness, colonial societybecame the setting for a desperate confrontationof the Catholic and Protestant views of theworld.” (p87).

Convict Church:Tasmanian Museum andArt Gallery. The largeChurch was built in 1836-7 by the convicts but thestone and some of thefittings were made by theyouths from the boys'prison at Point Puer. Itwas never consecrated,as all religions used it.Fire gutted the church in1884.*

* Photo and text taken from visitor'sbrochure, Port Arthur Historic Site 1830.the Australian Convict Experience. Allother photos property of the author.

d.i.s. Magazine20

Unfortunately, the political struggle that grewbetween the religious factions had a negativeimpact on the quality of education, forcing thecreation of a “national” or public school system.This weakened the influence of the Churchleaders in society. In later years, the effects ofthe “higher criticism” of the 1870’s found theirway to Australia. Darwin’s On the Origin ofSpecies (1871) influenced many to questionreligious assumptions. Rome, in turn, blamed thedecadence of society on those who refused toaccept the authority of the Church, which, it said,started with the Reformers.

The depression of the 1890’s forced the issuefor a need to control banks federally. So the“Nation” of Australia emerged. Also during thisdepression, serious strife grew between businessand labor unions. Church leaders called forrepentance and reconciliation but by this timereligion had lost most of its influence in society.The exception to some degree was within theRoman Catholic Church. It still had the loyaltyof the members. Gradually the Irish Catholicsbecame the majority in the Labor Party and thechurch views dominated the party platform. Thisview gradually became Socialist. For decadesthe power shifted back and forth between theNationalist and Labor. Both political parties,however, shared a protectionist view of

immigration that was in effect quite racist. In1939 it was boasted that 98% of Australianswere either directly from or descended fromfamilies in the British Isles. By 1979 theimmigration from Europe’s refugees had changedthe composition to where almost 12% had noBritish connections.

International commerce had already begunchanging some of the protectionist attitudes. Evenbefore the war, no one wanted to speak tooloudly about “White Australia” so as not tooffend Asian trading partners. Japan, forexample, was buying a substantial amount ofwool. But the war itself was as much a catalystin opening up society to the “non British” world.It became a reality that without opening up andencouraging immigration, the population wouldnot be able to push Australia into self-sufficiency,both militarily and commercially. It was this worldinto which the European immigrant entered.

Roman CatholicFor this part I am primarily indebted to Lou

v. Westende, our gracious host in Canberra, whowrote to me about his experiences. The southernpart of the Netherlands was liberated already in1944. This area is predominantly RomanCatholic. Young men were eager to enlist andvolunteered. Those that joined from theProtestant areas, which was liberated thefollowing Spring, tended to be more conscriptedrather than volunteers. This resulted in a higherproportion of RCs among these Dutch troops.The military training and outfitting was primarilydone in the USA. These were then sent to thePacific theater to fight in the final efforts to defeatthe Japanese and then later against the uprisingin Indonesia. As is still common, religiousaffiliations tend to blur in the military. Chaplainsof various persuasions often would worktogether.

Many, if not most, of those that served in theDutch military in Indonesia ended up emigrating.Australia was the usual choice of those whopreferred a climate more like that of Indonesia.This was one of the contributing factors why ahigh ratio of Dutch immigrants were RomanCatholic.

Christian Reformed Churchof Tanilba Bay nearNewcastle.

March 2003 21

Immigrants that came as part of the AssistantMigrant Program were sent to various campsto await processing. The largest of these campsin the early ‘50s was the Bonegilla Camp on theborder of Victoria and New South Wales states.This camp is mentioned among Protestantsources too. According to Lou v. Westende,these camps had, among others, Priests of dutchnationality. In Melbourne there was a FatherMaas who was appointed and paid by the Dutchgovernment for the specific purpose of caringfor the new immigrants. In a rural area betweenMelbourne and Dandenong, Father Maasconverted chicken barns into accommodations.They also used campers (called caravans, inAustralia). This was called the Noble Park.

After doing this for five or six years, FatherMaas was reassigned to the Parish of Kew inthe center of Melbourne. He conducted servicesin the Dutch language and established a Churchchoir that is still operating today.

The Roman Catholics have a museum/archive with a part time curator by the name ofsister Carmel Hall. There is also a FatherSoutherwood who is considered the residenthistorian among the RC clergy. I wasunsuccessful in making contact with eitherperson. Their insights would no doubt haveenriched my presentation.

ProtestantAs I mentioned earlier, the mainline

denominations could not avoid being dominatedby events and ideas in Europe. The liberalinfluences of higher criticism found its way intoAustralia. This resulted in a polarization thataffected how new immigrants went about findinga church home. Although the mainlinedenominations still officially held to the historicaldogma, it was not much more than lip service inmost cases. Most Dutch immigrants coming outof the Reformed or Calvinistic churches at firstjoined congregations that they expected to beof like mind. Had that been the case, the culturalhurdles might have been easier to overcome.When, in fact, they sensed the liberal trends, thatwas for them just as much a justifiable reasonfor starting up Reformed congregations.Statistically, only five percents of the ProtestantDutch immigrants that indicated church affiliationwere of non-Reformed background. Perhapsthat is the reason I did not read anything aboutany from Baptist or other Evangelicalpersuasions.

Lou Westende, my RC friend in Canberra,made this interesting observation: “For theProtestant denominations, they mainly concernthemselves with secondary education and assuch have probably missed out on theopportunity of converting the early minds of theirpupils.” The postwar immigrants that formed theChristian Reformed Church of Australia cameout of the Abraham Kuyper tradition which hada strong emphasis on parental day schools. Butmainline Protestant denominations in Australiadid not share that conviction. Instead they hadyielded by default to the creation of publicschools.

Peter Barnes, a Presbyterian historian, gavea lecture recently on the current status ofProtestant Christianity in Australia titled TheState After the Union: Evangelicalism inAustralia 25 Years After the Union. Rev.Alastair McEwen, professor at the ReformedTheological Seminary in Geelong, sent me acopy of Barnes’ presentation. I quote Barnes:“The Church after W.W.II was a smorgasbord

Christian ReformedChurch of Mt. Evelyn, asuburb of Melbourne.

d.i.s. Magazine22

of various theologies - neo-orthodoxy, the positive thinkingof Norman Vincent Peale,sacramentalism, radical deathof God theology, and plain ordinary sentimentality.Throughout this period some kind of Reformed witnesswas maintained . . . Yet almost out of nowhere, by theend of the 1970s the influence of the Reformed faithseemed to be extending.”

I have the impression from Barne’s presentation thatthe union of several major denominations into the UnitingChurch of Australia was a major event in the religiousworld of Australia at that time. It involved the Anglicans,Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregationalists. In1967 there was a General Assembly that worked onputting this union together. It had a liberal flavor from thebeginning. Finally, in June of 1977 the inaugural Assemblywas held in Sydney.

Barnes then shares his view on where a lot of themajor denominations are, including those churches ofthe denominations that did not join the union. He lists sixareas where he sees internal weaknesses and externaldivisions. He concludes by quoting Manning Clark wherehe asks, since the Australians no longer hold firm religiousbeliefs, are they just “... bored survivors, sittingcomfortless on Bondi Beach, citizens of the kingdom ofnothingness, who booze and surf while waiting for thebarbarians?” Barnes responds: “That is the questionwhich Australian Evangelicalism has to answer. Indeed,the question has become more urgent in the days sinceManning Clark’s death. In 1995, before the horrors of11 September 2001, Benjamin Barber could write ofthe world in terms of Jihad vs McWorld.” The answerto that question appears to be the current challenge forboth Protestants and Roman Catholics.

This challenge is being addressed in various places.While in Tasmania, we joined Klaas and Corrie Laningin worshipping with a church plant group in Hobart calledCornerstone Church. This church plant is a combinedeffort between the Kingston CRC (Australia) andCrossroads Presbyterian Church. This Church plant is

the result of an initiative called“Vision 100”. The missionmandate of the committee isto raise up leaders to lead onehundred gospel focusedevangelical church plants inSouthern Tasmania. They beginby identifying and recruitinggifted and committedindividuals and giving them pre

theological training to do full-time work within a mentoringor apprenticeship position. Some current apprentices arefunded by the local churches but an independent fundhas been established to finance the apprenticeshipprogram. This fund raising arm of Vision 100 is calledGPS (Gospel Patrons Society). The program is calledthe Ministry Training Strategy. It also has a lunch timeprogram in the City called “Food for Thought” whereother Christians are encouraged to invite co-workers inthe business world to hear a short gospel presentationfollowed by a discussion. The results, Klaas said, arevery encouraging.

Jacob Tuit gave some additional information. Jacobis the son of Peter Tuit, a former missionary from Australiato Indonesia and now Assistant Professor of Missiologyat Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Crossroads, Jacob said, is focused on reaching universityaged students and young workers. He told of a Biblestudy group from Crossroads that was organized into anew church plant. This group is called Hobart CentralChristian Group. It reaches out to people with mentalillnesses as well as to their peers.

Crossroads is also involved in an outreach to Asianstudents. This initiative is called the "iChurch"(international Church). In the University of Tasmania (inHobart) there is also a Christian group called FOCUS(Fellowship of Christian University Students).

Another new church plant initiative, called One Way,has begun in Margate, just south of Kingston. This wasplanted by the Kingston CRC and focuses on youngfamilies. Currently about 55 people attend.

Jacob said that each of these works has its ownseparate leadership team. The team members areencouraged to serve the Church by hospitality, leadingBible study groups, serving at the book stall and whereverelse there is a need.

The ministry leaders from Crossroads, Cornerstone

Entrance to the ReformedTheological College in

Geelong.

March 2003 23

and Hobart Central meet once a week in a session called“Fight Club”. This is a time when the Church Elders trainthe other leaders in everything from prayer and holiness,Bible teaching, evangelism, leadership and strategy. TheElders of all the churches meet together several times ayear at a session called AIM (Australian Institute ofMinistry) where they are trained by seasoned Churchleaders from across the Country.

So what is the future of Christianity in Australia?Professor McEwen was cautiously optimistic. In hiscircles, he sees the biggest hurdle as that perceived tensionbetween being Reformed and being relevant. He feels itshould not be a matter of either/or but of both/and. Thecurrent culture, in Australia, as well as on the NorthAmerican continent, is focused on the experiential. Hehas observed some solidly reformed contemporary menand congregations. His concern is that unless some strongunifying leadership emerges, the CRC may drift towardsbeing a somewhat non-descript evangelical church witha “progressive worship” style. McEwen senses thatBarnes was addressing the scene accurately.

Barnes ended his presentation with these words ofwisdom of evangelicalism in Australia: “. . . if she canrecapture her vision, morale, and strength, her prospectsmay be more promising than her immediate past history.The wild card in the pack is, as always, what JonathanEdwards called ‘the surprising work of God’”.

Sources:Several personal e-mail correspondences.

The State After the Union: Evangelicalism inAustralia 25 Years After the Union. Presentation byPeter Barnes.

A Church En Route: 40 Years Reformed Churches ofAustralia. Reformed Churches Publishing House:Geelong, Victoria 1991. General Editor: J.W. DeenickB.D.

A Short History of Australia. Manning Clark. A MentorBook, Third Revised Edition 1987. NAL Penguin Inc.:New York.

d.i.s. Magazine24

Beter Nederlands door Dr. Martinus Bakker

Het gedichtje:Nogmaals het originele:

Dinsdag heb ik een droom gehadHet was zwemlesWe moesten zolang mogelijkOnder water zwemmen

Plots kwam papa in het water gesprongenIk verstond me er niet aanIk wist dat papa niet kon zwemmenHij kwam naar me toegezwommen

Hij pakte me vastHij kroop in mijn lichaamPlots kon ik ademen in het waterEn ging ik vanzelf vooruit

Twee lengtes ver kwam ik uit het waterEn zei tegen papa: bedanktPapa zei: graag gedaanEn plots was hij verdwenen

Charles Vandewiele’s translation:

I had a dream TuesdayWe were having swim classAnd had to swim under waterAs long as we could

Suddenly daddy dove into the waterI was puzzledI knew daddy couldn’t swimHe swam toward me

He grabbed meAnd crawled into meSuddenly I could breathe under waterAnd went forward by myself

Two lengths further I came out of the waterAnd said to daddy: thank youDaddy said: you’re welcomeAnd suddenly he disappeared

Here are comments by four DIS readers; first byCharles who sent in the original:

Last April our family experienced a great loss whena nephew died suddenly at the age of 39, leaving anexpecting wife and two small children behind. Mynephew died and was buried in a small town in WestFlanders, Belgium. 1500 sympathy-sharing friendsand family attended the funeral services. I was unableto travel to Belgium, but I did receive a printedprogram (Nederlands) of the ceremony, whichincluded a poem read by the oldest boy, age 9.

Next I would like to share with you an interpretationof the poem by Grace Zijlstra:

I was a bit puzzled when first reading this verse,but decided to read it again. Then I put this meaninginto it: Our Father in heaven will help us in one way oranother when we seem hopeless and lost. He will putthis extra strength into us so we will succeed! We willthank Him for making us strong and He will answer: Iwill always be there for you, my child!

Comparable to this is Neal Wagenaar’s: Yes, itmade me think of crossing the valley of the shadow.The older one gets, the more real it becomes ...

Commentaar door Afke Doran: Hierbij mijnvertaling van het gedicht. Ik vind die moderne poëziemaar raar. Geen cadens, geen rijm, geen punctuatie ...

I am sure that many readers subscribe to Afke’scomments. I hope that you also appreciate the othersthree contributions. Hoewel ik gezegd heb dat we allevertalingen zouden publiceren, zijn de vertalingen zoeender dat het saai zou zijn vier, vijf keer bijnahetzelfde te lezen. More specifically excellenttranslations were received from the contributorsmentioned above as well as from Riet Zwiep, and BartBremmer. Heel goed gedaan! Thank you very much!Ofwel ‘Heel vriendelijk bedankt!’ Dit was ‘ergens’een leerzame ervaring, niet waar?

March 2003 25

The lack of words, in any language, to cover all ourthoughts, emotions, feelings, ideas has become on theone hand an obsession and on the other a hobby forme. This apparent duality is reflected in my belief thatthe problem just mentioned can be both a curse and ablessing. Het is een vloek wanneer het leidt totmisverstanden met vaak nare gevolgen; het is eenzegen omdat het ons in staat stelt creatief te zijn.

An example of the problem I am referring to isgiven two paragraphs back: “Dit was ‘ergens’ eenleerzame ervaring.” I put ‘ergens’ in quotation marksbecause ‘ergens’ literary (!) means ‘somewhere:’‘Somewhere’ this has been an instructive experience’sounds like nonsense, but if ‘everybody’ uses‘ergens’, there must be some justification for its use.Let me assure you, and many of you know, that theDutch would not put ‘ergens’ in quotation marks.They use it ‘all the time.’ (Not literally!)

It would be relatively easy to come up with a list ofhundreds of words which we use ‘all the time’ andwhich had better not be taken literally. Here are someanybody can come up with in ‘no time.’ I will giveyou some very common ones, first in English: He waskicked out of school; I was fired; everybody wasthere; you’re driving me nuts!; I’d do anything forthat!; he exploded (I have heard people say: heliterally exploded!); I don’t understand a word ofwhat you are saying; I’ll never talk to you again; I’mfull; Go away!; I’m freezing!; I can’t wait; I wasshocked!; the desert was heavenly. Enough? I amsure together we could fill an entire DIS issue.Literally?

Nu in het Nederlands: Ben je gek?; Dat was zalig!;Je bent een engel; Ik stik zowat!; lopende rekening;lopende ruzie; lopende band; lopend schrift; eenlopende neus; wat een puinhoop!; hij is stokdoof; eenberoerde dag; hij zit te dromen; doodeng; in hethuwelijk treden; dat zit me een beetje dwars;kletskous; een oud kreng; een gladde jongen; eenplotseling ingetrede stilte; bloemrijke taal. Zo danmaar weer, voorlopig!

I wouldn’t describe the above as sayings. Manyhave become part of the standard language and arethus not found in special sections of language books.Also, new ones are created almost daily as

circumstances and thus the need for expression anddescription change. De Dutch-Americans hebben datallemaal op hun beurt ontdekt wanneer ze Nederlandsna zoveel jaar bezochten. “Je spreekt goedNederlands, maar wel beetje ouderwets!” Dat komtonder andere door al die nieuwe woorden enuitdrukkingen.

Nu iets om te doen. Ik ga een tekst proberen teschrijven met erin enige woorden of uitdrukkingen dieniet letterlijk opgenomen moeten worden. ‘Zuiver’ detekst of maak een lijstje van de genoemde woorden ofuitdrukkingen, of vertaal hem in het Engels (quite achallenge!) en stuur de een of de ander dan op. Veelplezier en stel niet uit tot morgen wat ge heden doenkunt!

Ga buiten spelen!Ik ben er heilig van overtuigd dat kinderen in

Nederland vroeger veel meer buiten speelden danvandaag de dag. Zekere beelden uit mijn jeugd, diedat bevestigen, staan mij nog glashelder voor de geest.Ik zie mezelf nog zitten aan de kanaaloever met eenhengel: een toonbeeld van rust en vrede. Als ik dedobber zag bewegen, vloog ik overeind, vurighopende dat ik deze keer een kanjer aan de haakgeslagen had. “Weer zo’n garnaal,” zei ik wanneer hetmispunt voor het eerst van zijn leven het daglichtonverwaterd aanschouwde. “Maar vandaag ofmorgen, gaat het gebeuren,” zwoor ik bij hoog en bijlaag. “Dan vang ik een reus van een vis!” en gingweer zitten, starend naar de vuilnis waar deoppervlakte onrustbarend vol van was. Nu is dat nogduizend keer erger, natuurlijk. Je kunt je geenvoorwerp voorstellen dat je niet drijvend op het wateraantreft. Ik troostte me met het absorberen van hetwonder van de moderne scheepvaart in de vorm vangrote schepen die voorbijvoeren. Wanneer er weerzo’n drijvend kasteel de sluis uit kwam, onderwegnaar Amsterdam, droomde ik van een toekomstwaarin ik zelf aan het roer stond van zo’n monster. Ikwas namelijk destijds helemaal weg van grote botenen zeeman worden. Een stem achter me bracht meterug tot de werkelijkheid: “Zou je niet eens naar huiskomen, dromer? Anders vind je straks de hond in depot en kun je met een lege maag naar bed.” Het wasmijn zuster die me genadeloos uit mijn droom wekte.Zo gaat dat in dit tranendal.

d.i.s. Magazine26

John Andrew Janssens (In memoriam)

He came to this country several decades go -and hethanked God he did.

He looked around and saw opportunities -andrecognized God’s hand.

He worked and he learned and began to understand -and was grateful to his Lord.

Through very hard work he supported his family -andthey praised God together.

His family gave all they had which was vital for him -and they grew in their faith.

He found his place in the church and did his share thereas well -he owed it all to God.

He spoke with an accent but praised God in EnglishGod understood anyway.

He remembered his past and was faithful to it -Anothergift from God.

He grew old and retired and enjoyed all the good fruit -granted to him by God.

He fought the good fight and stayed right on the track -his eye forever on God.

He completed the course kept his eye on the goal -andis now in heaven with God.

Jan-Anne Janssens (In memoriam)

Hij kwam naar Amerika tientallen jaren geleden -endankte God ervoor.

Hij keek rond en vond werk voor zijn hand -enerkende daarin Gods hand.

Hij werkte en leerde en begreep het op laatst -nogeen weldaad van God.

Zijn kinderen deden het goed want allen werkten heelhard -en zij dankten God tezamen.

Omdat zijn vrouw altijd hielp kwam hij heel goedvooruit -zij groeiden in het geloof.

Ook met de kerk ging het goed, hij deed er meer danzijn deel -gaf erkenning aan God.

Hij behield zijn accent maar prees God in het EngelsGod verstaat alle talen.

Hij was trots op zijn afkomst en bleef Nederlandtrouw -nog een gave van God.

Hij werd ouder en ging met pensioen en was blij metzijn werk -aan hem door God gegeven.

Hij streed de goede strijd bleef het goede op hetspoor -zijn oog gericht op God.

Zijn werk is beëindigd, hij behield zijn geloof -en is nuin de hemel bij God.

Anonymous

[John Janssens was alongtime dis member and anew contributor to dismagazine who often drewupon his childhood memoriesin telling poignant stories oflife in 'the old country'. Hedied tragically while on a visitto the Netherlands this pastyear: the Editor]

March 2003 27

I was born 60 years after Hitler committed suicidein his Berlin bunker near the end of World War II.Yet when I read and watch movies about the

horrors of World War II, the stories seem so alive Ifeel as if the war is still raging today. I struggled withfeeling helpless to do anything about it until I found asolution. The mantra post-WWII was to “neverforget.” Never forget the atrocities of war andgenocide so these horrible events will never berepeated. I cannot do anything about what happened,but I can help make sure no one forgets.

In the fall of 2001 I embarked on a project todocument the stories of Dutch immigrants who lived inthe Netherlands during World War II. My goal is torecord on videotape as many people recounting theirlives during the War as I can before the stories aregone forever. These recordings will serve asdocuments of the past for future generations. But thatis the least I have planned. I intend to create adocumentary from these stories and pitch it to PublicTelevision stations in cities like Grand Rapids wherelarge numbers of Dutch Immigrants have settled.These stories are a living testament to the struggles andcourage of our little country and, in my humbleopinion, not enough is being done to keep them alive.

The path I have traveled to this point is one that stillamazes me to this day. In the spring of 2001 I made atrip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museumin Washington, D.C. The museum is unspeakablypowerful and I was moved to learn more about thestruggles of the Netherlands as it endured Nazioccupation. I asked the sales assistant at the gift shopif he had any books about the Dutch Resistance. Helooked around but could not come up with much.Finally he handed me a book entitled Things WeCouldn’t Say, the story of Diet Eman’s life during theWar. It still boggles my mind to think that less than sixmonths later through a sequence of remarkable eventsI would become friends with Ms. Eman, the author ofthe book he just happened to hand me. She agreed to

Never Forgetby Robert Prince

let me record her story on video and thus the projectwas born.

After talking with people I began to realize therewere many more firsthand accounts of life in Hollandduring the War that were not yet documented onvideo, or in some cases, not documented at all. So Idecided to ask the Dutch International Society to bethe official sponsor of my endeavor. They agreed toshow their support by publicizing the project. Anannouncement in the December 2002 magazine madeit public for the first time. Response from theannouncement was terrific and I hope to continuehearing from people. Although I am currently limitedto conducting the interviews within Michigan, I hope tohear from people in the rest of the US and Canada inthe event that I find funding to expand the project.

It still discourages me when I go to the bookstoreor the library and try to find books or videos on thissubject. A few weeks ago when I was at Barnes &Noble I asked about a book on the Netherlandsduring World War II. The assistant immediately saidhe knew he did not have anything because he hadalready been asked the day before. I recently readthat the Dutch still celebrate Liberation Day becauseto forget would be to give permission to let it happenagain. What I want most of all is to help people tonever forget.

Robert Prince is an award-winning videoproducer working for Calvin College in GrandRapids, Michigan. If you or anyone you knowwould be interested in being interviewed for thisimportant project or has pictures or film, or itemsfrom the period they would like to share, pleasecontact him at (616) 957-6335 or e-mailvideo@calvin.edu

d.i.s. Magazine28

News In Brief Compiled by Rob Prince

ZAAGMANMEMORIAL

CHAPEL, INC......

ZAAGMAN MEMORIAL CHAPEL

Since 1890Robert K. Zaagman-Manager

2800 Burton SEGrand Rapids, MI 49546

616/940-3022

.....ZAAGMAN

MEMORIAL CHAPEL -NORTH

Ronald D. Willit - Manager3111 Leonard Street NEGrand Rapids, MI 49525

616/956-0044

Dutch Companies Continue toStruggle

The current economic downturncontinues to affect many companiesin the Netherlands. The CEO ofVolker Wessel Stevin, a Dutchbuilding group, estimates net profitsof the company could descend byup to 15% due to the poor marketconditions. Volker Wessel Stevinstock has dropped 8.8% to •18.23 on the Euronext Amsterdamstock exchange. KLM RoyalDutch Airlines is expecting anoperational loss for the current tax

year as well. KLM officials citethe economic downturn, higher fuelprices, and the threat of war withIraq as major factors. KLM stockfell 6.6% on the EuronextAmsterdam stock exchange to •9.14.

Dutch Speedskaters TakeChampionships

For the first time since 1997 thetop three medals were won byDutch skaters in the Europeanspeedskating championships inJanuary 2003. Held in the Thialfstadium in Heerenveen,Netherlands, the title was won byGianni Romme with Rintje Ritsmawinning silver and the bronze goingto Mark Tuitert. RenateGroenwold of The Netherlandstook bronze in the women’schampionships.

Dutch Still Clinging to theGuilder

A year after the Guilder wasofficially phased out of circulationover • 1.2 billion worth of the oldbanknotes and coins are still held inthe Dutch people’s possession. DeNederlandsche Bank, the DutchCentral Bank, expects that much ofthe remaining money will be foundin hidden boxes or undermattresses in coming years. Theyalso expect a total of roughly • 414million will never be changed intoeuros mainly because people liketo keep some of the old currencyas a souvenir.

Maastricht Voted MostAttractive City in The

NetherlandsMaastricht was voted the mostattractive city in the Netherlands ina recent survey of 25,000households in 20 cities. Secondplace went to Delft, followed byGroningen and Nijmegen.Maastricht earned the distinctionthrough its atmosphere, culturalattractions, hotels, shops, touristactivities and cleanliness.

March 2003 29

Schiphol Hosts Branch ofRijksmuseum

Schiphol became the first airport inthe world to house a museum whenPrince Willem-Alexander opened abranch of the Rijksmueum there onDecember 9, 2002. Works ondisplay include paintings by mastersof the Dutch Golden Age, includingRembrandt and Jan Steen.Museum hours are 7am to 8pmdaily.

Dutch Icon at RiskThe Dutch clog is facing seriousthreats in the early 21st century.The Dutch Association ofClogmakers reports that thefinancial situation of the last fiveremaining clog manufacturers is so

poor that they may very well notsurvive. Contributing factorsinclude high production costs, lowprices, diminishing demand andfierce competition from abroad,especially China.

Dutch Art Found to be VeryTasty

George Moorman’s artistic collageof 200 chocolate letters in differentsizes and tastes was eaten byexhibition visitors in a show inHaarlem. Moorman toldHaarlem’s Dagblad he was verydisappointed and didn’t know whatto do. “I took into account thatchildren might steal one or twoletters and ordered the chocolatefactory to make some 20 letters

extra. But I see now they haveeaten my whole exhibition. I can’task them to make these 200 lettersall over.” Art director Gerrit Boschadded, “On the first day, I noticedsmall teethmarks in the chocolate.But the speed by which all lettersdisappeared has surprised me.”The future of the exhibition is underdiscussion.

CARRIAGE LANE TOWNHOUSES

61 Carriage Lane, SWGrand Rapids, MI 49548-7827

Phone: 616/281-6111 FAX 616/281-76272 Bedrooms - 1 1/2 Baths - Garageover 1200 sq. ft. in Cutlerville Area

Public Transportation

d.i.s. Magazine30

Chris Stoffel Overvoorde: A Life in Art is aretrospective exhibition that will trace thedevelopment of the artist from his early yearsin the Netherlands up to his most recent work.The exhibition - at the Grand Rapids ArtMuseum, Grand Rapids, Michigan - opensJune 20, 2003 and remains on view untilSeptember 7, 2003.

Chris Overvoorde began his career bysketching the world around him as he workedon large ships as a diesel mechanic in theRotterdam harbor. Unsatisfied with hisprofession, he immigrated to the UnitedStates, attended school at Kendall College ofArt & Design and received a Master’s Degreein Fine Arts from the University of Michigan.In 1966 he began to teach at Calvin College inGrand Rapids, Michigan, where he continuesto be active as Professor of Art Emeritus. Hiswork, exhibited extensively through group andsolo exhibitions, combined with his legacy as adedicated professor and volunteer at thecollege, church, and museum levels has earnedhim an enduring reputation as both artist andeducator.

A multidimensional artist, Overvoordeworks with equal passion and dexterity in bothpainting and printmaking to createcompelling abstract and figurative work,and both small and large scalelandscape paintings. These pieces, whileseemingly disparate, combine as onelifelong investigation and celebration ofthe spiritual life. This motif, representedin prints of biblical figures and grandioselandscape paintings, continues thetradition of Christian spirituality withinDutch painting and printmaking.

Chris Stoffel Overvoorde:A Life in Art

Overvoorde is a noted artist who is, atonce, an immigrant proud of his Dutchheritage, a respected educator and volunteer,and a Christian using art to explore hisspirituality, identities recently examined in hisbook, Passing the Colors: Engaging VisualCulture in the 21st Century.

The Grand Rapids Art Museum is located indowntown Grand Rapids, Michigan at155 Division North. Tel: 616/831-1000

<www.gramonline.org>

March 2003 31

Upcoming Events

JA LEUK!Membership Form

Name ______________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________

State/ZIP/Country _____________________________________________

Enclose $10 US ($20 US outside USA/Canada) for a year's membership & subscription (4issues) and mail to:

DIS,5370 Eastern Ave. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49508-6083OR JOIN (or renew) ONLINE! Visit our website at http://dismagazine.xodian.net anduse Mastercard or Visa (US only) via Paypal.

ANNUAL DUTCH EASTER SERVICEMONDAY APRIL 21, 2003 - 7:30 PMMeditation: Rev. William BuursmaOrganist: Dick GootjesSoloist: Rena HolstRAYBROOK MANOR CHAPEL2121 Raybrook SE - Grand Rapids, Michigan

TRAVELOGUE by Fran Reidelberger“ALASKA”DIS members free, Nonmembers $3 per personCoffee and Cookies served during intermissionSATURDAY MAY 10, 2003 - 7:30 PMOTTAWA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUMCorner of Rosewood and Burton SEGrand Rapids Michigan

ANNUAL DUTCH FEST - LANDDAGSATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 200310 AM - 4 PMHUDSONVILLE FAIR GROUNDS5235 Park Street - Hudsonville, Michigan

ANNUAL MEETINGFRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2003 - 7:30 pmKELLOGGSVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL624 - 52nd Street SE - Grand Rapids Michigan

TRAVELOGUE by John Wilson“SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI”DIS members free, non-members $3 per personCoffee and cookies served during intermissionFRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2003 7:30 PMOTTAWA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUMCorner of Rosewood and Burton SEGrand Rapids Michigan

SINTERKLAAS FEEST for children ages 3-9SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2003 - 2:30 PMHERITAGE CHRISTIAN REFORMEDCHURCH FELLOWSHIP HALL3089 - 84TH Street SWByron Center, Michigan

ANNUAL DUTCH ADVENT SERVICEMONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2003 - 7:30 PMRAYBROOK MANOR CHAPEL2121 Raybrook SE - Grand Rapids Michigan

All Events held at the U.A.W. Hall3852 Buchanan SW Wyoming, Michigan

Party dates for 2003 are Apr. 26, Oct. 25 and Dec. 6.

VOOR ELK WAT WILS

I’m a Dutch journalist for the interview- anddebating televisionprogramme ‘B&W’ presented byPaul Witteman and Inge Diepman, broadcast by theVARA in the Netherlands. I am looking for Dutchspeaking parents of American soldiers/marines,that have left for the Gulf or will be/mightpossible be sent to the region (shortly). I wouldlike to get in touch with them (by mail and telephone)and possibly invite them as a guest in ourstudioprogramme in The Netherlands (we would paytheir tickets and hotel costs) later on. Marieke van Santen phone: 00 31 20 5307 511 Email: marieke.van.santen@vara.nl

���������������������� �������������

���������� ��������������������

������������������������������������������ �

���� ��������������� � ������

����������������������� ��������������������! ��������������������"#$#�%���������������&���'

���� ��������� ������� ���� !�����" #$

���%&������������������� ���%&�������������������

#�� ��!%���� �� � �& �� � '&(���)� %�� ��)*

�+��� ���������������� ����,��-�&

�����

�����

Our new retail store, deReuze Gourmet Market, opened on November 8, 2002.This spring, watch for our improved catalogs and web site. Both will offer thenewly expanded product selection that is now available at deReuze.

N^

Old 44th St

Rivertown Pkwy

I-196

Iva

nre

st

Wils

on

Rivertown CrossingsMall

Canal

Rivertown Ctr.�

D&W