Moeder Cicindria
Moeder Cicindria was a regional student club for men studying in Leuven. In the 1980s, it continued as a home club in Sint-Truiden.
History
In the 1990s (probably 1898), the first Truien "High Student Club" was founded with the name Moeder Cicindria. It was named after the river of the same name that flows right through Sint-Truiden, below the Beekstraat and the St-Trudo Abbey. It is the oldest student club in all of Limburg (Hesbania was founded in 1899). In the following decades, it made all of South-West Haspengouw unsafe.
Unfortunately, because of the outbreak of World War I, activities were stopped and not resumed afterwards.
Until 1980, when Miel Goris, together with some 15 enthusiastic high students from Sint-Truiden, revived the club as a home club. They united all high students from Sint-Truiden, wherever they studied. The people from Sint-Truiden studying in Leuven were then members of (Hesbania (during the week in Leuven), and at the same time of Cicindria (during the weekend), which created a healthy competition between the two clubs.
Immediately, the club grew to become the Limburg club with the largest gala ball (400 participants). Before the gala ball started, a photo was taken every year and the photo of that first year still hangs in Den Boule, on the steps next to the bar up, right in front of you. Another highlight was the annual participation in the Sint-Truiden carnival procession on Lost Monday with a float that they built themselves. During the gala ball, everyone was gallant in evening dress, during carnival in lab coat and beer pot around the neck.
During the Lustrum year (1982-83), a record was recorded with a self-composed carnival song on the A-side, and the club song on the B-side ("The cicindria song"). It sold very well and brought in a lot of cash. That year, Luc Heylands was senior.
There was also a fraternisation with a Dutch club from Maastricht at the time, called "De Bok". The Dutch always came en masse to the gala ball. Many people from Sint-Truiden retain excellent memories of that fraternisation to this day.
Moeder Cicindria remained a truly traditional club. Girls were not allowed at club evenings, and they strictly followed the Leuven codex. Club evenings initially took place in the "Vogelstruys" in the Rijschoolstraat (next to hall Manège), then in the basement of café "The Pub" on the Grote Markt, and finally in the scout hall by the park. Nevertheless, the club would again cease to exist in 1988.
Colours
The colours are said to have been Blue-Yellow-Blue.
Sources
- Huys, Jan & Stefan Van de Weyer, De studentikoze erfenis van Rodenbach, Acco Drukkerij, Belgium, Leuven, 2006.
- KVHV Leuven, Studentencodex, Belgium, Leuven, 1959.
