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Two new citizens of Aalborg, who just recently moved into the 4th of May College, got a little extra money to spend on worthy and less worthy purposes. True to tradition the students in the Churchill room and the Toldstrup room in this college received a small check at the Guild meeting in Christian The Fourth´s Guild. The two rooms are sponsored by the Guild, and their inhabitants, Laura Kristoffersen and Rune W. Larsen, were at the same time initiated into the Guild.
At the Guild meeting, which in fact is Christian The Fourth´s general assembly, other prizes were handed out: pfc Niclas Kirkedal got with the praise “professionally capable, diligent, always ready to help and always cheerful” a check and the honour as “the Soldier of the Year”. “The Cannon Guild of Aalborg”, represented by the Guild´s master, Bernt Jensen, got the the year´s Aalborg Prize for the Cannon Guild´s “visible and audible efforts to celebrate special persons and special events in Aalborg – and for keeping the old Danish tradition of salutation alive”.
This year´s Initiative Prize was given to Dorte Christensen for her initiative and commitment in making a narrative of the Churchill-club and arranging conducted tours 70 years after the club´s creation during the German occupation. Dorte Christensen was out of town and will receive her prize later.
Retired director of the AaB football club, Lynge Jakobsen, still a very busy man, got the Prize of Honour for his lifelong commitment to AaB and for being an outstanding ambassador for Aalborg both home and abroad. Lynge Jakobsen had another obligation on the night of the Guild´s assembly, but turned up later in the evening and received honour and check.
During the assembly a new member of the Guild´s board was initiated. It is Jens–Chr. Schmidt – former managing director for Rambøll and present chairman for Aalborg Tourist board. In the future he will have an extra role to play in connection with the many Norwegian members of the Guild as he is also Norwegian consul.
The Guild had 22 initiations in 2013, and chief bencher Niels Voss Hansen said at the assembly that these many initiations help to make Aalborg known – and that the initiations also help to finance the Guild´s Foundation so that it every year can donate about 100,000 DKK to different worthy social, humanitarian and cultural initiatives and institutions.
Photo: Fini Ryming
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The Good-Spirit-Prizes are each year given out to one student in each of Aalborg´s colleges. But this year the Guild´s board had decided that also an apprentice craftsman should receive one of the Guild´s Good-Spirit-Prizes.
It is a rather modest check which necessarily should not be given to the most hard-working and diligent student, but to a student who is a good mate with a positive attitude and a cheerful disposition.
“But if a student can be found who combines all these things, then it is great” as chief bencher Niels Voss Hansen said when he – escorted by three benchers gave the prize to apprentice carpenter Rasmus Lyngbak Søgaard.
Besides the diploma and the check Rasmus also received a fanfare from the Guild´s troubadour Per Iversen.
The ceremony took place in front of Rasmus´ classmates, when the Guild representatives surprised them all in the carpentry hall at the Construction College in Aalborg (former the Technical School). As usual it was the teachers of the college who had chosen the right student for the prize. Even though the prize is given for good spirit and may be spent on any kind of festivities, Rasmus seemed inclined to use it to buy a good piece of a carpenters tool.
Rasmus is an apprentice at the carpenter firm Bjarne Brath in Hadsund.
Photo: Arne Mathiesen
Even though the rate of interest is low these years the foundation of the Guild was able to donate 100,000 DKK to social, humanitarian and cultural activities in the municipality of Aalborg. Every year the foundation gives away the yield from the capital – but this year a little help from the Guild was needed in order to secure the 100,000 DKK.
“And once again we have decided to give out many but more modest amounts of money, so that we can reach far out and reward as many as possible” said the chairman of the foundation´s board, former lord mayor Kaj Kjær, when he distributed checks to 24 applicants.
It is the 16th time the foundation gives out donations – and true to tradition it took place in a good Christmas-mood with glögg (mulled wine) and apple-dumplings in Duus´ Winecellar in Jens Bang´s Stonehouse in Aalborg. The foundation´s capital comes from the work of the Guild and from it´s members all over the world.
Earlier in the year seven other applicants have received donations from the foundation. It has been to special projects which were in need of immediate financial support and could not await the December distribution. All the 31 recipients are from organizations and groups where the board has decided that they contribute to “the voluntary and unpaid work for the lesser privileged groups and members of our society”.
The 31 recipients cover a wide field: Kamillus (which is a support group for Kamilianergaardens Hospice), Hassinghave, which is a residential home for elderly and disabled people in Vester Hassing, the Danish Red Cross, The Athletic Association for the Disabled in Aalborg – but also the Pensioners Orchestra, the “Multisingers”, a club for retired “Tobacco Girls” from the former Obel tobacco factory and Aalborg Minitown got their share of the money the foundation was able to give out in 2013.
Besides Kaj Kjær the board of the foundation consists of the former Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs, author Mette Madsen, CEO Ernst Trillingsgaard (AKKC), chief bencher Niels Voss Hansen and the daily administrator Per Svensson, the last two also members of the board of the Guild.
Photo: Jens Morten
Every year in December a Good-Spirit-Prize is donated by Christian the Fourth´s Guild to a student at each of the colleges in Aalborg. It is up to each college to decide which student is worthy of the prize – but every year the Guild itself wants to present the prize at one of the colleges.
This year a group of the benchers went to the Commercial College for the presentation of the prize (and a check) to student Jacob Østergaard Nordtorp from Gistrup.
To get the prize the receivers are expected to be cheerful and positive persons with a sense of good fellowship. The applause when the prize was presented at the Commercial College seemed to indicate that Jacob Østergaard Nordtorp was the right choice.
The money that comes with the prize is not meant for books, pens and erasers, but for the more cheerful aspects of student life – as the chief bencher pointed out.
Jacob Østergaard Nordtorp receives the prize check from chief bencher Niels Voss Hansen, who is escorted by the guild clerk Henrik Jensen, the Guild´s treasurer Ib Regnarsson and one of the Guilds troubadours, Per Iversen, who blew a fanfare.
Photo: Jens Morten