Many new members in the old Guild.

558 persons from 17 different countries. That’s the number of new members initiated by Christian The Fourth´s Guild in 2010. This was announced by Chief Bencher Niels Voss Hansen at the Guild´s traditional, annual Guild Meeting on Wednesday 23rd of February in Aalborg.

The new members come from countries like Ukraine and Bosnia-Herzegovina, but also many Norwegians and of course many Danes are among the newly admitted members.

On the 7th of June the Oslo branch visited the Guild, and the same day the new dress uniforms were presented in the old City Hall. In connection with the 4th of July festivities USA´s ambassador Laurie S. Fulton, CEO Ditlev Engel from Vestas and the youth speaker Marianne Lubanski were taken up as new members.

October 19th the Guild travelled to Oslo where an initiation was performed in Oslo Military Society.

2010 also presented a rare anniversary when Karen Wøhlk - a long-time member of the Guild - celebrated her 100 years birthday. A delegation from the Guild visited her on her big day and presented her with a bottle of Guild bitter to the tune of a trumpet solo.

The Chief Bencher told the assembly that the Guild in the last year - due to the financial crisis - had lost some of its sponsors and the economy was furthermore negatively affected by an increase in the rent and by a renewal of the Guild´s website.

The Guild Meeting in Duus´ Wine Cellar in Jens Bangs Stonehouse was attended by 200 members and following the Chief Benchers statement a number of prizes and economical “pats on the shoulder” were distributed.

Kathrine Størup Thomsen and Helge W. Larsen from the 4th of May College got such a pat on the shoulder. The prize for “Soldier of the Year” went to sergeant Kim Næsager Dalum from the Medical Company of the 1. Logistic Battalion - mainly because he as instructor and leader is “extremely committed and motivating”.

The 2010 Fanfare Prize went to the chief coach for Aalborg Boldklub´s men´s hand-ball team, Peter Bredsgaard-Larsen, who led the team to victory in the Danish National Championship in 2010 and made Aalborg known world-wide through his job as assistant coach for the Danish National Team at the World Hand-Ball Games.

The Prize of Honour was donated to the author Ib Skovfoged Laursen who among other things are known and highly praised for his books based on local historical themes.