Oom Ben’s retirement, the end of an era

THE END of November marked the end of an era. It marked too the end of an example of dedicated voluntary service spanning half a century. Oom Ben van Eck, Mr St John Ambulance in Vryheid, retired from the organisation, and the organisation of St John retired from Vryheid with Oom Ben’s departure. The farewell function was held at Kuthangi Lodge, and it was here that St John Ambulance and Vryheid said farewell to a man who has been a presence in Vryheid since June 1962. Oom Ben, in his white St John uniform, has been seen at hundreds of community events over the years, at schools’ sports events, at sporting clubs’ games, at the Lions Club’s Mayfair, at community walks, in fact wherever there has been a possibility of someone needing his aid, Oom Ben has been there. Catherine Dedman, Officer Commanding St John KZN, said that the earliest record they had of a St John presence in Vryheid dated from 1935, and that Oom Ben had joined the Vryheid Division on June 26, 1962, and had remained a loyal and committed volunteer for the past 51 years. She praised too the support Oom Ben had received from his wife Marie, who had also been a member of St John since 1991. “During these years”, she said, both Ben and Marie have given many hours of dedicated service to both the organisation and to the community of Vryheid.” Ms Dedman said that Oom Ben had also undertaken community service and fundraising on behalf of the organisation, as well as giving up his Saturday mornings for the past seven years, to train a group of volunteers in first aid. Appointed Divisional Superintendent of Vryheid Division in 1993, and as an Officer member in the Order of St John in 2009, Oom Ben was also qualified as a lay lecturer and demonstrator and NITDP instructor. “Today,” said Ms Dedman, “we are proud to celebrate with Ben his 50 years of selfless service, and to bid him a formal farewell as an Officer of St John Vryheid. I know he will undertake some community work, and his tremendous volunteer spirit will continue for many more years. “It has been my privilege to work with Ben. His integrity, honesty and volunteer spirit is not often seen nowadays. “We will miss Oom Ben, and hope our contact will continue for many more years even though he has ‘officially’ retired. I am sure you will still see our Mr St John in and around Vryheid at community events.” Oom Ben thanked St John for the opportunity to serve in a worldwide organisation, and to the organisation’s leadership in Durban, especially Catherine Dedman for her kindness, help and support, and for her staff’s cooperation. “What a loyal and dedicated woman,” he said of Ms Dedman. “She is the backbone of St John. What a lady! I salute you.” He thanked the schools and other organisations in Vryheid, Louwsburg and Paulpietersburg for using St John’s services, and the hospital doctors and staff and NPA’s ambulance service for its cooperation in patient transfers. Oom Ben thanked his wife Marie and son Chris “without whose help I could not have done what I did”, and finally he gave “Thanks to our Heavenly Father for always bringing us home safely.”