North Brabant civic shooters guilds

Description

North Brabant has more than two hundred civic shooters guilds of diverse nature. The traditions differ per guild. There are shooters guilds that welcome also female members. The key activity of all shooters guilds is bird shooting, or king’s shooting. At least once a year the members shoot at a wooden bird or parrot on a long pole, named schutsboom. The one who shoots off the last bit of the bird, becomes king. A silver bird and a silver shield are part of the new king’s dignity. If someone has become king for three years at a row, he may call himself emperor. Next to the emperor and the king there are many officers within a shooters guild. The names differ. It concerns positions like chieftain, scoutmaster, dean, commander,  captain, ensign, authority member, guild brother, squire, guild master and more. Shooters guilds are participating in processions and they are also important for a number of public official occasions in towns and villages. Very solemn is the burial, or the cremation of a shooter, with guild honour. Every shooters guild is named after a saint, whose name day is festively celebrated.

Community

In 1935 the Noordbrabantse Federatie van Schuttersgilden (North Brabant Civic Shooters Guilds Federation) was established with the aim to maintain and support the shooters guilds and to ensure a good mutual cooperation. The board of this federation is formed by the chairmen of the six circles.  After World War II former religious brotherhoods, beekeepers guilds, farmers as well as hunters guilds joined the federation. The provincial government of North Brabant, the diocese of ‘s-Hertogenbosch and municipal and parish councils in North Brabant maintain close relationships with the shooters guilds.

History

In a medieval town various kinds of brotherhoods or guilds existed. Some were religious, others were crafts guilds. Shooters guilds, or schutterijen, were guilds or brotherhoods that specifically focused on military protection – the so-called schutten – of the town. They were partly deployed to add lustre to religious and secular feasts. At the end of the eighteenth century the crafts guilds lost their function and almost completely disappeared from the scene. The shooters guilds, however, kept their – mostly dormant – existence. In the course of the nineteenth century the shooters guilds recovered. In the twenties and thirties of the twentieth century an impressive revival of the sleepy shooters guilds took place, particularly in Brabant. In the boom of general reappraisal of the identity and traditions of Brabant, they were brought into being again by descendants of former guild brothers and others who cared about the traditions. The function of the shooters guilds had meanwhile changed considerably. They naturally do not have any military significance anymore. Brotherhood, tradition and folklore are now highly valued.

Safeguarding

2022-2024

• New organizational structure for NBFSboard for more structure. 
• Share the organization plan and communication plan with the guilds. 
• Fill Work according to new communication plan. 
• See who masters the old crafts and how to transfer them. Make use of each other's 
• More digitization: method for motivating guilds, district councils and NBFS to digitally transfer material to authorities. Continue to collect videos and photos. 
• Introduce permanent portfolio holders within the new board who will maintain contacts with others. 
• Seek connection with youth with own sounding board group of own federation & youth working group of European federation. Youth should attract youth.