Privacy legislation makes it difficult for the Royal Association of Members of the Dutch Knighthoods to find ribbon bearers. Due to the new law, the association cannot see the addresses of people who are pinned with a ribbon. In this way the invitations remain unsent and the association sees its membership decrease.
After a special achievement you will receive, with a bit of luck, a royal decoration: 80 thousand Dutch people already have one. Ten thousand ribbon bearers are members of the Association of Members of the Dutch Knighthoods. That number is steadily decreasing, because the association is unable to recruit new members. They have no address details.
In the past, the association approached all people who received a ribbon for King’s Day with an invitation to become a member of the association. Since the AVG, or the privacy law, has been introduced, the association can no longer use the address details of the ‘freshly’ decorated.
Forgot to sign up
In the past, the association could count on a lot of administrative pressure around the ribbon rain, but since the privacy rules have been tightened up, this has not been the case, says chairman Boni Rietveld from Aerdenhoudt. “In the beautiful blue box in which the decorated people receive their ribbon, there is a folder from the association, but in the consternation people forget it and do not register.”
The motto of the association of decorated persons is social and solidarity. This makes her an important support for members: “The people who receive a ribbon often dedicate themselves selflessly to society, sometimes they get into financial problems themselves. Our association then comes to the rescue in dire cases,” says Rietveld.
In addition, the association supports charities and members can participate in the decision-making during meetings to which social or cultural-historical Dutch charities support is granted.
ribbon rain
The association is also closely involved in organizing the festivities surrounding the ribbon rain on April 26, a moment that the members of the KVLNR look forward to. Rietveld: “The rain of ribbons is a celebration for people who receive an award, but often old decorated people are also put in the spotlight.”
Rietveld calls on all those decorated in the past to become a member of the association, the extra members are desperately needed to continue the good work within the association. Have you ever received a ribbon and do you want to become a member of the KVLNR, look via this link on the association’s website.