On the fourth of July 2012 the “Rebild National Park Society” celebrated its 100th anniversary as a Danish-American friendship organization at the American independency day festivities in Rebild Hills. On this occasion Christian The Fourth´s Guild carried out two initiations in Aalborg.
On the 3th of July 42 persons from both USA and Denmark were initiated – among them “Mayor for a Day” Curtis LeRoy Hansen and his wife Ruth Hansen.
On the 4th of July the American main speaker, the actor Keith Carradine, was initiated. Keith Carradine is a great- grandchild of the Danish American Max Henius who was the founder of the “Rebild National Park Society” in 1912. The king – His Majesty Christian the 10th – were presented with a deed of gift for the “Danish-American National Park”, as it was called at that time.
Among the other persons initiated at the celebration were several descendants of Max Henius, among them the Danish writer Suzanne Brøgger.
The initiation was attended by the American Ambassador to Denmark, Laurie S. Fulton, who herself was initiated at an earlier 4th of July celebration.
After the initiation the celebrations continued with a tent-lunch for more than 1,000 participants. During this lunch the Chief Bencher Niels Voss Hansen presented Keith Carradine and Curtis LeRoy with the Guild- necktie and Suzanne Brøgger with the Guild scarf.
The celebrations in the Rebild Hills were attended by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, her sister Her Royal Highness Princess Benedikte and the Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Smitdt, who was the Danish main speaker.
Foto: Fini Ryming