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It is great that the influence of the Corona era is almost over. In Christian the Fourths Guild, we have the pleasure of carrying out 7 initiations in one month.
On August 22nd fifteen persons from Operators Hockey Club were initiated. It is an American veteran organization, who plays Ice hockey.
There were about seventy bystanders, so there were a lot of activities and humor in the Wine Cellar.
On the 7th of September we took up twenty-eight persons from Unmilpoc, a military police course, including two Officers from Ukraine. As usual with Unmilpoc it was a nice initiation.
September 10th initiation of twenty-eight engineers from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. They were attending a seminar in Aalborg, and everybody understood Danish. The initiation was performed in a particularly good spirit.
21st of September seventeen retired persons from Siemens Gamesa had gathered in the Wine Cellar and we had a nice afternoon – there were many Ladies amongst them, so the songs sounded better than usual.
Thirty-two members of the Crew and Officers from the Danish frigate Absalon were initiated on the 24th of September. Absalon is adapted by the City of Aalborg. It was a fine day, and the Chief Bencher remembered the first time the Crew were initiated in 2008 and handed over our C 4 crest.
See the photos HERE
The U.S. Ambassador took office on July 1st, and on July 4th, he was initiated in Christian the Fourth Guild.
This year's Rebildfest 2022 was one of the very first tasks for Ambassador Alan Leventhal and his wife Sherry. It also meant initiation in Christian the Fourth Guild on the very day that America's Independence Day is being celebrated.
A total of seventeen people were initiated as new members of Christian the Fourth Guild.
The company were introduced to the guild's history and were presented with the conditions for becoming a member of the guild - luckily, everyone said yes.
After the ceremony, it was time for the obligatory walking tour of the old and new Aalborg and watering the tree.
After this, the guild's beautiful dinner, consisting of two wonderful red sausages a piece of bread, beer, and a glass of akvavit, were served and enjoyed, and as usual, the guests were introduced to the rituals of the akvavit by singing it down.
The ceremony ended at 11 a.m. when everybody took off for the festivities in Rebild Hills, this year even with the participation of Her Majesty, Queen Margrethe the 2nd.
Here the Rebild Society had arranged a tent luncheon, consisting of herrings, meatballs, potato salad, beer and akvavit, for more than six hundred people.
During the luncheon, the Chief Bencher awarded:
Ambassador Alan Leventhal, Danish main speaker Jens Bjerg Sørensen, American main speakers Casper Phillipson and Anders Agner, each a Christian the Fourth Tie.
Just when this year's Rebild luncheon was over, a terrific rain and thunderstorm broke out. It delayed the start in the hills with about 45 minutes. Some people where happy, that they had remembered their umbrella/raincoat!!
Photo: Jens Morten
See the pictures HERE
After 25 years as a popular chairman, former mayor Kaj Kjær had chosen to resign.
Newly elected to the Foundation is Michael Slavensky Dahl, and Vibeke Gamst was elected new chairman. Other members are Ernst Trillingsgaard, Jens-Christian Schmidt and Niels Voss Hansen.
Normally the distribution of donations has been held in early December.
Now everybody is served “red sausages” with beer/water or wine instead of “æbleskiver og Gløgg”
Jens-Christian Schmidt, Fund Administrator, welcomed the recipients, and gave the word to “Naturhornsblæserne” who gave a nice concert.
Thereafter the 18 recipients were called up and received their donation.
The various donations varied from dkr 1.980 to dkr 5.000, covering many good causes, all within the Foundation’s statutes.
Some of the recipients were:
“Obelpigerne” dkr 2.000
The author Uffe Westerberg, who publishes a new book about the “Churchill Club” dkr 5.000
Hospice Vangen, dkr 5.000
Lungeforeningens netværksgruppe dkr 3.000
The knitting girls at Vestergaarden” dkr 2.500
In addition, fourteen other good causes.
As something new, the Foundation had allied itself with Aalborg Kloster (Aalborg monastery) which had an exhibition about the Churchill Club, the first Danish resistance group, during the second world war.
At 16.45 we all went via the secret passage, to the monastery, where chairman Søren Wormslev told us about the monastery, as well as the exhibition.
Here the author Uffe Westerberg could supply with further facts.
Around 6 o’clock we could thank Søren Wormslev for a great experience.
Photo: Jens Morten
See the photos here
This time the students from the military police course came from the following countries:
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, Poland, Germany, Latvia and Denmark.
In his welcome speech, the Chief Bencher mentioned, that normally there would be participants from Ukraine. We miss them and hope they soon will participate again. We wish them all the best for the future.
The Chief Bencher asked major Kristian Henningsen to bring our wishes to his colleges in Ukraine.
The initiation went along fine. Everybody was in a good mood, and the sausages, beer and snaps went down, apparently with pleasure.
Also, the trip around the Stonehouse, watering the tree, on a sunny day, was perfect.
Our three-man Band ended the initiation with a little concert.
Photo: Private
General assembly was held 23rd of February in Duus’s Winecellar.
The Cellar was full of happy members, who enjoyed that we finally could meet again.
The Chief Bencher mentioned, that we have had 6 initiations in 2021, but the foresight for 2022 is much better.
Our Master of ceremonials Karl Salling Møller passed away in April, at the age of 96 years. Karl had been a member for 46 years, 40 of them on the Board.
Bencher Per Svensson, has after 37 years in the Guild, 25 of them on the board, decided to retire. Per has during all the years made a great effort for the Guild.
Henning Kaastrup was initiated as a new board member. Amongst all his good qualities, he is playing the guitar very well.
The Foundation of the Guild has had a good year, we paid out dkr. 54.000 to several good purposes. This year we expect to donate up to dkr. 80.000.
The Foundation has this year existed for 25 years and has during the years donated dkr.1.6 million.
The chairman of the Foundation through all the years, former mayor Kaj Kjær, has wanted to retire, and was duely thanked for his great effort, done to the Foundation.
New member on the Board of the Foundation is Michael Slavensky Dahl.
Following prices was awarded:
Laugets Hæderspris (Honorary Award): Knud Christensen
Aalborgprisen: Aalborg Garden, represented by Cecilie Laustsen and Michael Christensen
Soldier of the year: David Gerdt
4. Maj Kollegiet: Frida Rosenlund Falk Thøstesen and Magnus Neve-Græsbøll.
Finally, we had a very special donation. A young man, Philip Park Nielsen, had last weekend saved a man from drowning in the Limfjord. He received a modest cheque, and great applause from the public.
After the Chief Bencher had thanked the board, and the hosts in Duus’s Winecellar Peter and Lene Kragh for a splendid cooperation during the year, the evening continued with a initiation of 12 persons.
Photo: Fini Ryming