The forwarding companies
Four groups, the so-called forwarding companies, are active in the guild, each of them having their own particular colour: red, green, blue, and yellow, and consisting of 6 cheese carriers and a tasman. The colours are also seen in the cheese carriers’ straw hats, bow ties, and barrows. Overmannen (foremen) and their servants are the only ones wearing bow ties and are dressed in an authentic white suit. The cheese father is the head of the four forwarding companies and can be recognised by his orange hat and cane. Cheese carriers refer to him as “dad”.
Each forwarding company has their own scales (rotating weekly); the “tasman” is standing next to it to put the weights on the scales. Three forwarding companies are active on the market, meaning that one forwarding company is “free”, the men of which have “karredienst” (cart service). They help the ingooiers and take the place of the absentees of other forwarding companies. The forwarding companies play dice prior to the first cheese market of the season. The winning forwarding company can choose their spot on the market and choose the scales, which is then rotated. There used to be a fifth, orange forwarding company and five scales.