Delegation Chancellery visits Statia to discuss royal decorations
A delegation of the Chancellery of the Netherlands Orders (Kanselarij der Nederlandse Orden) visited Statia last Friday, November 26th, 2021 to discuss the nomination of Statian candidates for a Royal Decoration. The Chancellery is instrumental in the process of awarding Royal Decorations, on an annual basis.
Peter van der Velden, member of the Chancellery of the Netherlands Orders, said that he was deeply impressed by the people on Statia and what they do for each other. Government Commissioner Alida Francis agreed and mentioned she is proud to have a Royal Decoration Committee on Statia.
In 2021, seven persons were honored with a Royal Decoration on behalf of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Martine van Grieken (Director of the Chancellery of the Netherlands Orders) and Mischa Vos (Head of the Department of Advice and Decorations) explained that there is also a medal of honor for persons who risked their own lives to save another. The 3 members of the delegation of the Chancellery also visited Saba and St. Maarten.
Submit nominations
It was pointed out that residents in the Statian community can come forward with a candidate who, in their opinion, deserve a Royal Decoration. The Royal Decoration Committee on Statia has an email address to send in nominees: royal.dec.comm@statiagov.com .
The Royal Decoration Committee presents the nominees to the Government Commissioner who on her turn presents the candidate to the ‘Rijksvertegenwoordiger’. After this, the nominees are presented to the Chancellery. The organization works behind the scenes to ensure that the process of awarding Royal Decorations runs smoothly. It also assists the Netherlands Civil Honors Advisory Committee and the Military Order of William Advisory Committee; both are independent bodies that advise the Dutch Government on the Dutch Honors System.
Meet and greet
In addition to a meeting with Government Commissioner Alida Francis, a tour on Statia and a ‘meet and greet’ with the nominees of this year (2021) was organized. Peter van der Velden expressed his great appreciation for the work of the nominees and the often difficult conditions under which their work had to be performed.
