Former primary school director Roelof Beek from Dalen was surprised tonight with a royal award. The 78-year-old Beek thus became a Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau. Mayor Renze Bergsma of the municipality of Coevorden handed him the ribbon during the annual meeting of Village Interests Dalen.
Dirk Jan Oostenbrink, who is friends with Beek, thinks he deserves the award and therefore nominated Beek. “From the moment he became director of public primary school Burgemeester Wessels Boer in 1978, he has been committed to the community of Dalen and the municipality of Coevorden,” Oostenbrink explained.
In addition to his work as a primary school director, Beek performed various volunteer positions. From 1980 to 1987 he was a board member of the then tourist office and from 2008 to 2014 Beek was chairman of the Red Cross (Coevorden-Dalen department). Since 2010 he has been active as a board member of the Duofietsen Coevorden Foundation, just as he is a board member of the Village Interests Dalen Foundation for the sixth consecutive year.