Vrijheid Urmond Historical Festival (2 & 3 June 2012)

On Saturday and Sunday, 2 & 3 June 2012 there will be a historical (Middle Ages) festival at Urmond, NL. Urmond is ten minutes away from Schinnen if traffic is light. Below is the schedule and my best translation.

Zaterdag 2 juni 2012 Saturday 2 June 2012

11.00-17.00 uur (gratis entree): Vrijmarkt/rommelmarkt, kunstmarkt in theetuin van de Protestantse kerk, tentoonstelling "Urmond Toen" in Protestantse kerk. From 11:00 to 5:00 (free Entry) is a Craft, art, and flea market in the Tea garden of the Protestant church. There is also an exhibition "Urmond Then" in the church.
19.00-23.00 uur (entree 2 euro): optreden De Maasbuben in Herberg De Vrijheid op Het Bath met om 20.00 uur het spectaculaire RIDDERTOERNOOI.From 7:00 to 11:00 PM (entry is €2) Best guess is this says a musical group called De Maasbuben will play at the festival tent called Herberg de Vrijhied on the street called "De Bath" on the Maas river side of town and then at  8:00 PM the spectacular Knights tournament.
Zondag 3 juni 2012 Sunday 3 June 2012

9.00 uur: Entree open (entreeprijs 5 euro inclusief gratis consumptie; kinderen tot 16 jaar gratis entree). Start doorlopende Middeleeuwse markt.9:00 (AM) Entrance is open (Entrance price is €5 which includes one free "consumptie" [food or drink chip or ticket]; children up to 16 are free) The Middle Ages market is open to walk through.
10.00 uur: zedenpreek door Middeleeuwse pastoor (Het Bath) 10:00 Sermon by a Middle Ages pastor at Het Bath)
10.30 uur: Middeleeuwse brunch in Herberg De Vrijheid op Het Bath. Deelname alleen mogelijk na inschrijving vooraf (inmiddels uitverkocht!). Muziek door Krebbel, troubadour Sjeng Fransse en minstrelen This Middle Ages brunch is already sold out so you can skip it
11.45 uur: optocht met bezoekers, fanfare, schutterijen, ridders, notabelen, Middeleeuws volk en personages vanaf Het Bath naar de Kooipoort 11:45 Parade with visitors, fanfare (marching band), shooting clubs (usually dressed in traditional garb), knights, notables, medieval people and characters from the Bath to the Kooi gateway (can't find it on a map but I guess there will be signs).
12.00 uur: opening Kooipoort door de schout (Burgemeester A. Barske) 12:00 Official opening by Major A. Barske.
12.15 uur: optreden muziekgroep Krebbel (podium kerk)12:15 performance by musical group "Krebbel"
12.30 uur: optreden drumband St. Martinus (Het Bath) 12:30 performance by drumband St. Matinus
12.45 uur: optreden muziekgroep Kapriol' met balfolk (podium kerk) 12:45 Performance by musical group Kapriol with folk dancers
13.30 uur: binnenkomst hertog van Gulick en HISTORISCH SPEL door Middeleeuws volk en personages (podium bij kerk) 1:30 Entrance of Duke van Gulick and a historical play with Medieval characters and persons (podium by the church)
13.30 uur: optreden 2 of a kind (Het Bath)1:30 performance by "2 of a Kind" at Het Bath
14.15 uur: optocht vanaf podium bij kerk naar riddertoernooi op Het Bath 2:15 Parade from the church podium to the knights tournament at Het Bath.
14.15 uur: optreden Krebbel (podium kerk) 2:15 performance by "Krebbel" at the church podium
14.30 uur: RIDDERTOERNOOI op Het Bath2:30 Knight's Tournament at Het Bath
14.50 uur: optreden Kapriol' met balfolk (podium kerk)2:50 Performance by Kapriol with folk dancers at the church podium
15.30 uur: 2e opvoering binnenkomst hertog en HISTORISCH SPEL bij podium kerk 3:30 second performance of the entrance of the Duke and a historical play by the church podium
15.45 uur: optreden 2 of a kind (Het Bath)3:45 performance of "2 of a Kind" at Het Bath
16.30 uur: 2e opvoering RIDDERTOERNOOI op Het Bath 16:30 second performance of the knights tournament at Het Bath
16.30 uur: optreden Krebbel (podium kerk)4:30 performance or Krebbel at the church podium
17.00 uur: optreden Kapriol' met balfolk (podium kerk)  5:00 performance of Kapriol with folk dancers at the church podium
17.15 uur: optreden 2 of a kind (Het Bath) 5:15 performance of "2 of a Kind" at Het Bath
19.00 uur: sluiting historisch festival met heksverbranding op Het Bath 7:00 closing of the historical festival with a wirch burning at Het Bath
9.00-19.00 uur: doorlopend Middeleeuwse markt met diverse kramen, historische groepen, personages en activiteiten, optredens van diverse muziekgroepen, kinderspelen, ponyrijden en springkussen op Het Bath, roofvogelshow, boogschutter, ganzenhoeder etc. 9:00 to 7:00 PM continuous medieval market with diverse stalls, historical groups, persons and activities, performances by diverse musical groups, children's games, pony rides, and bouncing house at Het Bath, birds of prey show, archery, goose herder, etc.
s' Middags lezingen en tentoonstelling "400 jaar Schippershuis" in het Schippershuis. All afternoon (both days I think) of lectures and exhibit of the "400 Years Shipper's House" at the Shipper's house.

It looks like a fun two days and fairly cheap. I always suggest you carry some snacks and drinks because they tend to be very expensive at these festivals but certainly treat yourself to something there. You can't properly enjoy a fest without eating fest food.

2012 Schuttersfeest in Schimmert

Today was the annual Oud Limburgs Schuttersfeest (Old Limburger Shooting Festival); held at the Schimmert Sports Field. The Schuttersfeest is a competition between the various shooting organizations in south Limburg (The Netherlands and Belgium). These clubs, called "Schutterijen" in Dutch, are remnants of the old Shooting Guilds or Militias that defended the towns and villages in the old days. 

The schutterij, civic guard, or town watch, was a defensive military support system for the local civic authority. Its officers were wealthy citizens of the town, appointed by the city magistrates. In the Northern Netherlands, after the formal changeover in civic authority after Beeldenstorm, which depending on the town, was sometime between 1566 and 1580, the officers had to be a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. Its captain was usually a wealthy inhabitant of the district, and the group's ensign was a wealthy young bachelor (often recognizable in group portraits of Schutterijen by his particularly fine clothes and the flag he is carrying). Joining as an officer for a couple of years was often a stepping-stone to other important posts within the city council. The members were expected to buy their own equipment: this entailed the purchase of a weapon and uniform. Each night two men guarded their district in two shifts, from ten till two, and from two till six, closing and opening the gates of the city. At a set time each month, the schutters would parade under the command of an officer.

The idea was that, for every hundred inhabitants, three would belong to the schutterij. The Dutch Mennonites were excluded from a position in the schutterij in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and paid a double tax in lieu of service. Roman Catholics were permitted in the lower regions. Persons in the service of the city (such as the minister, the city-physician, the teacher, the sexton, the beer-bearers and peat bearers), and the city's Jews, did not need to serve. The beer and peat bearers had to serve as the town's firefighters instead.

In 1748 the Doelisten demanded that stadholder William IV allow the bourgeoisie to appoint the militia's officers, but William refused, since in some towns the bourgeois could not even be considered as candidates for these offices. By the second half of the 18th century the schutterij were inactive (sometimes only exercising once a year and with the ill or rich buying their way out of service) and only of importance to Orangists.  Patriots tried to breathe new life into the schutterij in 1783 or to create an alternative - in many cities, exercitiegenootschappen (military-exercise societies), vrijcorpsen (free corps) or voluntary schutterijen arose which anybody could join and with officers chosen democratically. 

The system of schutterijen no longer worked after five hundred years, but survived the French occupation until finally king William I set up professional police forces. In 1901, the schutterijen were abolished but they still sort of exist in the Limburg region as private clubs.

Many of the clubs today proudly trace their heritage back to the authentic organizations and in many cases there was no loss of continuity. So you'll see on their signs dates as far back as the origins of the village's militia. I saw one Schutterij today with the date 1553 on its sign.

The Schuttersfeest begins with a march through the town or village. Each club is led by a young boy or girl carrying a sign indicating which guild it is. The sign usually shows their Patron Saint, town of origin, and date of origin. They are followed by the bielemannen or sappers carrying large axes. They function in the old days was to clear the way of obstacles. They wore false beards to hide their identity because these militias were often used to put down local civil unrest and riots.

They were followed by the Drum-Major and the marching band. The Drum-Major uses his staff and hand gestures to control the band; not just their music but also their marching. He indicates when to start, stop, makes turns, etc.

The band is followed by the "marketensters" who are sort of a "women's auxiliary". They carry a market basket with provisions and a small wooden keg filled with brandy or some other sort of distilled drink.

After the marketensters come the King and Queen of the guild and several of the higher officers and retainers. I didn't take any photos of them on the parade.

Last, come the "soldaten of fuseliers" (soldiers or fusiliers). They took commands from an officer or NCO of some sort who in turn took his cues from the marching band to their front. 

The parade, or "optocht" in Dutch, ended at the sports field shooting grounds on the west side of Schimmert. It was an unusually warm day so as soon as they were done marching most of them stripped done out of most of their uniforms to cool off. One female was a heat casualty and fell out on the sports field. Medics immediately treated her on the spot.

The Schuttersfeest had limited food available at two concession stands and there was a large fest tent with a band, food, and drinks on site. Nearer to the shooting area was another "beer tent" but no food concessions.

Every aspect of the club was judged and scored. The king and queen was judged near the gazebo. I have no idea what the criteria were but each judging took about 20 minutes so it must have been comprehensive. They were asked a lot of questions and their outfits were closely scrutinized. All the silver plates on the king are the plates from predecessors. The next pair to be judged is standing by in the background.

The Marketensters were also judged and it was also very comprehensive. They each had to show the contents of their market baskets, answer questions, show their uniforms, and then demonstrate their process for presenting a shot of brandy to one of their soldiers. All this was done in front of two judges who were keeping score. In this picture the Marketenster was tapping a shot of brandy from her keg and then she walked over to her soldier and presented it to him to drink.

The band was judged on another field where they had more room to march and play. They were judged on their uniforms, their music, their marching ability, etc. Each group marched or did in-place drill for at least twenty minutes while they were being judged.

Lastly, the soldiers were judged. They also were judged on their uniforms, static Drill and Ceremony, manual of arms, and marching.

All the while the actual shooting competition was going on. The shooters take ten shots at elevated targets ("birds"), which are small (15mm) blocks held in a frame with ten targets to a column. These frames are 20 meters high.

The shooters use huge guns weighing 15 kilograms (36 lbs). The guns have open sites so there is no magnification of the tiny targets. They fire huge lead bullets, 12 or 16 mm in diameter (.47 or .63 caliber). Most shooters would take one or two shots and then rest while someone else held the weight of the weapon.

These are big and popular events in Limburg. If you like band music, marching, D&C (drill and ceremony), and a very unique shooting sport, this might be something you would be interested in. You can view the association's calendar at this LINK. Just click on the sub-menu "kalender" and look for a "Schuttersfeest" entry. The 75th anniversary of the Oud Limburgse Schuttersfederatie will take place on 23 September 2012 at Ellikom, Belgium. It looks to be about a thirty minute drive from Schinnen.

Price Comparing - Schinnen Commissary

I tend to be a thrifty person and I always look for the best deal. So I compare prices on everything I buy. The commissary has little control over their prices; they are set at the distribution level somewhere else. Some of the prices make no sense at all so you have to be careful.

One problem with trying to compare prices is that the commissary is not consistent. Some of their products are marked in $ per ounce and some are marked in $ per kilogram. I understand how that happens but it is just laziness on the part of the commissary not to convert everything to one standard. I am fairly sure that their computerized system can do this easier than I can do it in my head. Unless you have a calculator you cannot really compare prices to get the best deal.

The commissary also utilizes the same manipulations and tricks that commercial grocery stores use. That is they move items to the ends of the aisles and make it look like they are sale. Sometimes they are indeed on sale. A few weeks ago they had a few of their energy drinks on sale for a pretty good discounted price. But today when I was there I noticed they had boxes of energy drinks out on the end of an aisle that were actually 30 cents a can MORE expensive than the normal price. A box of ten cans was "On Sale" for $14.67 ($1.47 a can) but the per can price is normally $1.19. The Shopette was selling this same product at four cans for $2.00. 

Several times recently I have been charged more than the price listed on the item in the aisle. This has happened so often that I pay close attention when I am at the register. Luckily, the store policy is to go by the price on the shelf but you have to bring it to their attention.

I'm not knocking the commissary, the people there will do everything possible for you if you ask. But the misleading pricing makes it hard to stretch your shopping dollar. Also, be careful of the fake sales. They can cost you extra money. And always remember to check prices at the shopette and the PXtra as well. Lastly, don't forget that the commissary charges you a 5% tax so you have to add that to your pricing.

Are you aware that you can use coupons up to six months after they expire? (Only at Overseas Commissaries)