A Vibrant Community Life in Doel in the 1950 and 1960's.

The village was a close-knit community, kept alive by various clubs and societies. These clubs organized various events, thereby strengthening the village community bounds.

Numerous events were organized in Doel: markets, annual fairs, the eel parties and processions. These events were organized by local associations such as the National Guild and the local brass band.

Associations such as the local brass band had separate club rooms, often set up on their own. These associations had a permanent bar, for example De Sportvriend, which served as a meeting place for various clubs and societies.

The local pub 'De Sportfriend' was managed by the Adriaansens family for five generations. It was a meeting place for numerous associations such as the Pigeon Association and the Knalclub.

The local brass band participated in the annual funfair and accompanying procession. They rehearsed on Saturday in a small room called 'at Keul'. In the 1960's the marching band was led by postman ‘Specht’, who was also the sacristan of the Doel church.

The skippers' guild was founded in 1860 as a form of mutual social assistance for the various skippers during the cholera epidemic of that time. Later, they became very active in the organisation of various village festivities. 

Doel was an agricultural village, which had a large number of institutions and societies associated with the profession of farmer such as the Lady Farmers  Association (Boerinnenbond) and  the National Farmers Guild (Landelijke Gilde).

One of the larger farms was the Van Mieghem farm on the English Steenweg. The Van Mieghems were the first in Doel to breed the Belgian White-Blue breed in the 1960s

The Lady Farmers Association (Boerinnenbond) was a Catholic women's association. The association was founded in Doel in the 1930's. The last members still meet regularly at the mill of Doel, a local restaurant.

The farmers' children had their own association, the Farmers Youth Association (BJB). From 1965 this would be called the KLJ. The BJB was an association for young people from the age of 16. 

Doel also had an active Chiro, with members recruited from the local middle class. They built their own club room. The clubroom was located on the Engelsesteenweg.

Some festivities in Doel arose as a form of political protest in response to the threat of Doel due tot the Antwerp harbor extension. 

The annual funfair was a four-day celebration on the first Sunday of July. The fair stalls and the mill of Doel opened on Sunday. On Monday people commemorated the deceased, on Wednesday the annual market was organised.

The Eel Festival (Palingfeesten) took place on Ascension Day. During this period, the festivity participants, both villagers and tourists, ate kilos of eel in the local pub 'Saxonia'.

In the 1970's the village community started with the Scheldt ordination festival to show that the village was very alive and well. These actions were largely supported by local associations such as the National Farmers Guild (Landelijke Gilde). 

In the 1950s Doel was a polder village with a lively community that lived, lived and worked there. Now Doel is a community of which only a few have known village life in Doel, but of which everyone knows the village. Some associations still come together in the polder village, such as the members of the Boerinnenbond.