News
Seventy years ago on August 28 1943 Poul Edvin Kjær Sørensen was executed by the Nazi occupation forces. Therefore the Veterans of the Resistance had asked the Guild to lay a wreath on his grave in Nørresundby Cemetery.
Poul Edvin Kjær Sørensen was the first member of the Danish resistance to get a death-sentence and be executed by the Germans occupying Denmark during the Second World War. On the night of August 18 he was with a group of resistance fighters from Aalborg collecting air-dropped weapons near Madum Sø in the Rold Forest. On their way home their van was caught up by a German military patrol, and a firefight broke out. Niels Erik Vangsted was killed and Poul Edvin Kjær Sørensen was taken prisoner. The other members of the group escaped.
After the death sentence and the execution in Copenhagen a few days later Poul Edvin Kjær Sørensen was buried in Warnemünde (in Germany). It was done that way by the Germans to avoid further unrest in Aalborg. After the war the body was brought back to Northern Jutland to be reburied in the cemetery in Nørresundby beside his mother in accordance with what Poul Edvin Kjær Sørensen had asked for in a farewell letter to his father.
Benchers from the Board of the Guild accompanied Chief-bencher Niels Voss Hansen when he laid a wreath with the colors of the resistance on the grave in Nørresundby. Also present were members of the family of Poul Edvin Kjær Sørensen.
Photo: Jens Morten
International Balut Federation is a gathering of fun-loving people, so it was most appropriate that about 50 IBF-members were initiated into the Guild, when IBF held their World Champion-ship in Aalborg at the end of July.
Members of IBF are Danes living and working in other countries. There are more than fifty branches all over the world. The members are “baluteer”s, and they meet to play Balut, which is a fine game of dice. It is a network, but mostly it is fun and happiness. Fun and happiness are exactly what you find in the Guild too, and when 300 baluteers visited Aalborg for the World Champion-ship, their about 50 chairmen from all over the world were initiated.
Balut goes with cold beer, and is was a startling experience for the chairmen when they had to endure their thirst while looking at the benchers declaring: “Our thirst first!”
They had their revenge later on . .
Foto: Ajs Nielsen
According to tradition the main actors from the festivities in Rebild Hills were initiated into the Guild in Aalborg before they went away to the Rebild Hills.
The Danish head speaker, Danish Radios foreign correspondent Steffen Gram, the American head speaker, professor in economics Dale T. Mortensen and the new president of the Rebild Park Society, Jesper Jespersen, were together with several other participiants in the Rebild festivities initiated into the Guild at the traditional ceremony in Duus´ Wine Cellar in Jens Bangs Stenhus.
And they were - like all new members of the Guild - presented with a key to the wine cellars secret back entrance and treated to the Guilds traditional meal: red sausages, beer and "potato juice".
Foto: Jens Morten/Fini Ryming
There were a festive atmosphere and much laughter in front of and inside Duus’ Vinkjælder when 80 Norwegian members of the Guild visited the Guild in Aalborg on the third of June. 15 Norwegian women and men were initiated into the Guild in the traditional way in the wine-cellar . The other Norwegians were present to witness that everything was done in the proper way (as chief-bencher Niels Voss Hansen put it) and to visit our town.
The Guild of Christian the Fourth has for many years had a very active branch in Oslo with about 200 members. At least once a year the board of the Guild visits Oslo – and every summer Norwegian members of the Guild visit us in Aalborg. Because of these close connections the Guild has for many years had a Norwegian vice-chief-bencher. Since 2007 Trygve Soedring has held this position, but as he has wished to retire, Helge Qvigstad was appointed vice-chief-bencher at the visit here on the third of June. Helge Qvigstad who is already the leader of the Guilds Norwegian branch. He has had a long business-career, and is now retired. Privately, he lives with the Danish actor Berit Kvorrning - and should supposedly have a good chance of understanding the Danes!
Picture 1:
The new Norwegian vice-chef-bencher receives the cloak of the Guild from former vice-chief-bencher Trygve Soedring (midst) while chief-bencher Niels Voss Hansen (left) and vice-chief-bencher lend a hand.
Picture 2:
15 Norwegian women and men went through the traditional initiation in Duus’ Vinkjælder.
Picture 3:
The Norwegian guests enjoyed the “out of doors” refreshments in the nice summer weather – and to “Danish” prices, as they happily remarked.
Foto: Jens Morten
Prizes of Honour from Christian The Fourth´s Guild.
When two young students a couple of years ago moved into the 4. of May College they didn’t know much about Christian The Fourth´s Guild, but that was quickly changed when they found themselves living in respectively the Churchill-room and the Toldstrup-room, as these two rooms are sponsored by the Guild, and every year at the annual Guild meeting the occupants of these rooms are given a cheque as a supplement to their SU.
That is why Kathrine Størup Thomsen and Søren Windfeld Nielsen attended this year’s annual Guild meeting in Duus’s winecellar in Aalborg. The Guild meeting is the Guild’s general assembly, where the previous year is reviewed, and where – in accordance with the spirit of the Guild – donations are presented.
Senior p.f.c. Dennis Bødker Johansen was chosen by the Guild as “Soldier of the Year”. Ahmad Vakili got the “Prize for Initiative” for his engagement in the yearly “Days of the Middle Ages” in the local park - Kildeparken. This year’s “Aalborg Prize” went to Anders Hjulmand for his many initiatives to support art and culture in Aalborg, and the “Prize of Honour” was presented to Orla Kops for his great work for Aalborg Forsvars- og Garnisonsmuseum.
Then there was – somewhat delayed – the presenting of the Guild’s “Triplet Grant” . Kjeld and Charlotte Sten Christensen got their triplets more than a year ago, but only recently it came to the knowledge of the Guild, that Line, Maria and Magnus were born. Originally it was the custom that each of the triplets got a savings bank book, but these don’t exist anymore. But a cheque will do the same thing for the children’s savings – as chief bencher Niel s Voss Hansen remarked, when he presented the parents with the cheques.
The chief bencher was very pleased to note that 584 persons were initiated into the Guild in 2012: 385 Danes, 67 Norwegians and 132 persons from 33 different nations. The Guild having a branch in Norway is one of the reasons why so many Norwegians every year are initiated into the Guild.
The many initiations contribute to making a favourable impression on people visiting Aalborg – and they contribute to making the Guild and the Guild´s foundation able to make their donations. In December 2012 the Guild´s foundation donated about 80.000 DKK to charities and cultural and social institutions.
Foto: Jens Morten
See the pictures