On the eve of the three day South of England Agricultural Society Show at Ardingly we profile one of the Eurlolink members, Niek Ruyter (President of Eurolink Agricolae Club) – Niek Ruyter’s Award
We have great pleasure in informing you all that our President, Niek Ruyter, has received an award from the Queen of the Netherlands.
He was nominated as a Member of Orange-Nassau for his services to the Dutch dairy industry, and to local community life.
This consisted of Niek being a member of the local cattle breeding organisation and then later its Chairman. He was Chairman of the Dairy Farmer’s Union of North Holland (NFU) as well as chairman of a 300 member milk cooperative with 1400 members, and was a delegate member of the top board representing 9,000 members. The board consisted of 100 delegates.
As if this was not enough, Niek is a member of the Research and Development for dairy farmers, which considers the planning of landscape, greenhouses, green land, fruit farmers and “places for living”.
Niek is also a member of an organisation, which controls milk for all of the Netherlands, a member and chairman of a Government organisation giving advice and information to dairy farmers.
However, Niek has just not been involved at National Level. He is Chairman of all Sports in his municipality, a Commissioner for Sports, Chairman of a show for young people and young cattle, and also – for fun as he says – Chairman of a local organisation to celebrate Queen’s Day, with games by day and a party in the evening.
As you can now all fully understand, with such a busy person, I was delighted when he accepted to be our Club President five years ago, and even more delighted that he has accepted to carry out a second term.
It is fitting that being such an eminent agriculturalist in his own country, that Niek should be the first person from mainland Europe to hold an official role in the South of England Agricultural Society.
Many Congratulations on being given your Royal Award Niek. We only heard about this three days before the Summer Show. We hastily arranged a champagne reception in the International Pavilion on the Showground at which the Deputy President of the Society, Christopher Hall, the Chairman of the Society David Allam, and the Vice Chairman of the Society Meg Stroude – incidentally a former Agricolae – all attended. The Chairman, David Allam gave a congratulatory speech to Niek and we all enjoyed the champagne.
Well done Niek – we are delighted for you and your family that you have received this award.
Article originally published in the Eurolink Newsletter in 2005
