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There has always been a close connection between Danes and Norwegians. Therefore when a number of Norwegians in Oslo – all members of Christian the Fourth´s Guild in Aalborg – thought there should be a similar guild in Oslo there was not far between thought and action. The 15th of May 1991 it became a reality. With Jahn Otto Johansen as vice chief bencher a Christian the Fourth´s Guild in Oslo was established in close cooperation with the guild in Aalborg. There is of course only one chief bencher at any given time, and that is Niels Voss Hansen from the guild in Aalborg. That is why the guild in Oslo is led by a vice chief bencher.
In all the years the two guilds have visited each other many times and always in an enjoyable and brotherly fashion. All initiations in the guild in Oslo are performed by the guild brothers from Aalborg – either in Aalborg or in Oslo.
That’s why the board in Oslo thought that the 25th anniversary should be celebrated in Aalborg in connection with the annual Norwegian visit to Aalborg and the initiation of new guild members. The attendance at the celebration was high – 154 participated in the tour to Aalborg. The festivities began on Stortorvet in Oslo where the Norwegian vice chief bencher Helge Qvigstad placed a wreath at the statue of Christian the Fourth. The Danish chief bencher Niels Voss Hansen – who together with vice chief bencher Kaj Handberg participated in the event – also made a speech.
The actress Berrit Kvorning recited a text before the whole procession with music and escorted by mounted police marched along the main street Karl Johan to Oslo Military Establishment – and later on to the ferry to Denmark.
Next morning all arrived in Aalborg. 26 new Norwegian brothers were initiated into Christian the Fourth´s Guild. As usual the initiation was held in Duus´ Vinkjælder in Jens Bangs Stenhus on Østerå in Aalborg. Also as usual the crowd in the cellar was very cheerful – and the participants who could not get a seat in the cellar could enjoy a mug of beer outside – entertained by the jazz orchestra brought with them from Drøbak.
After the traditional initiation almost all the participants were gathered for a group photo in front of the old city hall and near the guild tree. The anniversary present from the guild in Aalborg was an impressive cannon salute from Aalborg Cannon Guild.
The celebration in Aalborg ended with a lunch for all the Norwegian guests and the guild brothers from Aalborg. During the lunch the guests were entertained by the guild troubadours and by Berrit Kvorning. The Norwegian vice chief bencher Jahn Otto Johansen told anecdotes about Christian the Fourth. The thank-you-speech was made by vice chief bencher (hon.) Trygve Sødring who in connection with the visit was honored with Christian the Fourth´s Guild´s gold medal.<<<
Photo: Fini Ryming
It was a happy Bo Rosbjerg who at a gathering in Christian the Fourth´s Guild was presented with the Prize of Honor for 2016. Bo Rosbjerg should have received the prize at the Guild meeting in February, but at that time he was out of town.
Instead he received the honor – and a modest check – in the Guild´s meeting room in Jens Bang´s Stenhus. Bo Rosbjerg is the man who in November 1993 was active in creating the first interest for getting the Tall Ships´ Race to Aalborg, after having been skipper on the FDF sailing ship “Jens Krogh” and there had experienced the great sailing ships´ gathering – at that time known as Cutty Sark Tall Ships´ Race. Bo Rosbjerg succeeded in the mid-1990s to turn around the sceptic feelings of both the City and private sponsors, and Aalborg became host for the Tall Ships´ Race for the first time in 1999 - the same year as it was 100 years ago the sailing ship “Jens Krogh” was built.
The visit of the many ships in 1999 was a huge success – for both the ships´ crews and for Aalborg. Since then the Tall Ships´ Race has visited Aalborg on several occasions, and Aalborg will in July 2019 once more host the race for the fifth time.
- “It was you – who in spite of scepticism and adversity – in the beginning woke the City´s interest in getting all these wonderful ships to Aalborg, and it has every time been a tremendous success with lots of guests to Aalborg. and that work do we in Christian the Fourth´s Guild want to reward” said chief bencher Niels Voss Hansen, when he and some of the Guild brothers handed the Prize of Honor to Bo Rosbjerg, who – together with his wife Kirsten - visited the Guild.
Photo: Jens Morten
Tourists, participants in congresses and guests in Aalborg in general from 34 different countries were last year initiated into Christian The Fourth´s Guild in Aalborg. All in all the Guild got 588 new members who all were initiated during one of the initiations of the year in Duus´ Winecellar in Jens Bangs Stenhus in Aalborg. This information was given by the chief bencher Niels Voss Hansen at the Guild meeting (which is the general meeting of the Guild) and it of course was held in the winecellar.
The biggest initiation so far took place in May last year when the Guild initiated more than 100 persons in a double initiation. It was members of the staffs from several travel agencies who visited Aalborg on Star Cruise´s cruise ship “Viking Star”. It went so well that we in the Guild are looking forward to initiate passengers from several of the cruise ships that will visit Aalborg the coming summer season. This will contribute to make Aalborg better known and give a lot of Aalborg´s guests an extra holiday experience. At the same time it will bring in some extra money in the Guild´s cash box – money that will be spent on good purposes. The Guild´s foundation donates every year 100,000 DKK to social, humanitarian and cultural purposes. And the Guild itself donates for example the Prizes of Good Spirit, which at Christmas time is handed out to a student in each of Aalborg´s educational institutions. The receivers of these grants are chosen (by their educational institutions) for being cheerful and good comrades, and that is why the chief bencher always hands over the money with a warning against spending it on textbooks and other dull purposes.
At the Guild meeting Frank Wilquin also was honored with the Aalborg Prize for his magnificent model of King Christian the Fourth´s flagship “Trefoldigheden”. The model is exhibited at the maritime experience center “Springeren” (former the naval museum) in Aalborg. The Guild also honored the “Bayeux-group” who has – through many years - been working on making a wonderful copy of the famous, historical Bayeux tapestry with motives from the Viking age. The tapestry is now exhibited at “Børglum Kloster”.
At the Guild meeting was air force specialist Brian S. Israelsen honored as “Soldier of the Year”, and according to tradition the two residents of the two rooms in the “4th of May College” in Aalborg, which are sponsored by the Guild, received a small check to sweeten the springtime. This years Prize of Honor was awarded to Bo Rosberg for his work through many years for the maritime Aalborg – not least his giant work for getting “Tall Ships Race” to Aalborg. Rosberg was absent from the meeting and will at a later occasion receive his prize.
Photo: Happy receivers of honor and prizes. From left Gitte Pedersen from the “Bayeux-group”, Frank Willquin, Brian Israelsen, 4th of May residents Martin Beerman Staal og Arthur Bastrup-Birk Wachmann, chief bencher Niels Voss Hansen and Kamma Jensen from the “Bayeux-group”.
Photo: Fini Ryming
Read the Laugs-Newsletter here
Christian the Fourth´s Guild´s Foundation has as its objective to distribute each year 100,000 DKK to social, humanitarian and cultural activities in Aalborg municipality and nearest neighborhood. The principal capital is 2 million DKK and it is the yield from that which is distributed. But the present world economic crisis makes it difficult to reach this objective, and that is why the Guild has made a contribution such that we also this year can donate 100,000 DKK, said the chairman of the Foundation´s board, former mayor Kaj Kjær when he in accordance with tradition presented the checks, while glögg and dumplings were served in Duus´ Wine Cellar in Jens Bangs Stenhus.
The Guild´s Foundation distributed this year donations to 33 recipients. It is organisations, societies and a few individuals. This means relatively modest amounts – but the money is meant as a pat on the shoulder to “the voluntary, unpaid work to benefit the less privileged groups of society” as it is expressed in the Foundation´s rules.
A few applicants got their checks earlier in the year because the donation was needed then. The other applicants got their check at the Christmas gathering in Duus´ Wine Cellar. This is also the place where Christian the Fourth´s Guild has its “headquarters” and the Foundation´s capital comes from the Guild´s work – and from the many members of the Guild all over the world.
The recipients are - as always – a very different crowd. From a supporting organization for KamillianerGårdens Hospice to Danish Red Cross´ visiting service and an organization for families with cancer-sick children to Aalborg Pensioner´s Orchestra. And this year there also were money to a song group in Aalborg whose older members have had to realize that their eyesight is not what it used to be. The Foundation helped them to get songbooks with large printed text.
Besides Kaj Kjær the Foundation´s board has in 2015 consisted of former minister of ecclesiastical affairs Mette Madsen, CEO Ernst Trillingsgaard, the Guild´s chief bencher, Niels Voss Hansen and the Foundations daily administrator, bencher Per Svensson.
Photo: Jens Morten