25th anniversary, Frits Hooijberg

When you addressed your rather ‘shy’ request to me to translate a couple of small stories into German for your 25th anniversary, I immediately and spontaneously agreed, without really thinking about it for very long. I thought to myself, oh well, a couple of small stories with  a maximum of a quarter or maybe half an A4, doesn’t bother me that much, as I found it almost self-evident that you help your fellow shooters out, if and when needed. We tend to think rather lightly about these things after all the years we have known each other.

We have been in contact from the outset of the sporting meetings between the Nordwestdeutscher Schützenbund and the Koninklijke Nederlandse Schutters Associatie in Seedorf and Bremen, continued at InterShoot and the International Pistol Match in Seedorf. And that has been for some years. Initially with small bore rifle than full bore rifle, and pistol until now mainly the pistol disciplines.
Many times we have participated in your match with our team of the N.W.D.S.B. Initially in the Houtzagrij, who in it self had its charms, and later in the sporting accommodation Ockenburg, without any doubt a wonderful accommodation lovely situated in the dunes near Kijkduin.
We have always participated in these matches with a lot of pleasure and we highly respect your excellent organisation of this event.
Also on behalf of the N.W.D.S.B., I congratulate you with your silver anniversary and I hope you will continue for as long as you may!

In the end it turned out to be a few stories more than I had anticipated and during my translation efforts I wondered every now and then who on earth would be reading all this! When I now see who responded to your request for a contribution I believe that we are collating a brochure that represents the high quality of your match. It is something you can be really proud of..

Without this bunch of shooting sport maniacs such a long standing and excellent organisation would not be possible and – being such a shooting sport maniac myself – I know what I am talking about. Together with this team I have had the pleasure to cooperate in the organisation of two European Championships. Through their professional attitude supported by their endless enthusiasm this team has conquered a permanent place in the world of shooting sport!

Again, congratulations and thank you for your dedication!