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100 merry Norwegians were a festive part of the life in the city when they visited the Guild of Christian the Fourth in Aalborg. For more than 25 years has the Guild had a branch in Oslo, and one of the popular traditions of this branch is the annual summer visit to Aalborg. The Norwegians go by night ferry to North Jutland and then by coach to Aalborg.
The morning was spent in or near Duus’ Vinkjælder in Jens Bangs Stenhus. The Norwegians had brought their own jazz band, which played out-of-doors in Østerå – while the Norwegians enjoyed that they in Danmark could have a cold beer and a potato-juice (as “snaps” is called in the Guild) and happy jazz music in the sunshine.
16 new members were initiated into the Guild, where the benchers on this day were joined by the Norwegian vice chief bencher Helge Qvigstad.
After the initiation and the visit to the Guild in Aalborg the Norwegians spent the rest of the day in Aalborg City Centre, until they late in the afternoon returned to Oslo.
Christian the Fourth´s Guild in Aalborg was founded in 1942 in Duus´ Vinkjælder as a “key-club” in order to avoid soldiers from the occupation forces entering the wine cellar.
Today the Guild has more than 8,000 members living in 125 different countries. The Guild and its Foundation every year donate more than 100,000 DKK to social, humanitarian and cultural activities in Aalborg City and its surroundings. <<<
This title means that on Friday the 23rd of June a great number of staff members from the building society “Himmerland” were initiated into the Guild.
Because of the great number of persons – 98 in all - wanting to be initiated, it was necessary to go through the ceremony twice in the same morning, and it was necessary to make the guests in Duus’ Vinkjælder stay seated while the ceremonies took place.
The initiations were at first held secret. The building society ”Himmerland”, which is perhaps the biggest one in Aalborg, held a company-day, but in the agenda nothing was mentioned about initiations into the Guild, so it was a surprise for all the participants.
The guests were welcomed in the usual way, and there were many staring eyes when it was shouted: ”Our thirst first!” In spite of the crowded room – or maybe because of the crowded room - there was a really nice and warm atmosphere, while the popular chief bencher went through the rituals - a good atmosphere that lasted through both the initiations. The traditional walk went well with our fine musicians in front, only there were some small difficulties with the singing at the end of the “crocodile”, because the music was too far away and because the old song was unknown to many.
Back in Duus’ Vinkjælder the new members of C4 were met with red sausages, potato juice and drinks. There were lots of loud talking and laughter among the tables, and undoubtedly the object of the talk was the initiation ceremony.
When the brethren made their exit they were accompanied by merry farewells, and when the C4-pins were handed out and the “treasurer” made his round with his collecting box, he was well received.<<<
Photo: Fini Ryming
One of them is the initiation into the Guild of guests to the festivities in Rebild Hills. Of cause again this year such a ceremonial initiation took place.
Chief bencher Niels Voss Hansen led the new members expertly through the initiation rituals, according to which they have to take a walk around Jens Bang’s Stenhus in order to reach the secret back passage to Duus´ Vinkjælder and try their newly received keys in the lock, to make sure that they – as all other members of the Guild – may get into the cellar on their own. Afterwards they got the traditional menu: Danish red sausages, bread and the absolutely necessary “potato juice”.
Among the initiated were the keypersons from the festivities in Rebild Hills: Chargé d’ Affaires Laura Lochman, who is acting USA-ambassador to Denmark, the American head speaker Rene Gross Kærskov, the adventurer etc. and rector dr. Lyle Loelofs from Berea College, who was also a speaker at the Rebild festivities. The Danish head speaker was former Danish prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who was initiated into the Guild on a former occasion.
Then everyone went to Rebild Hills to the traditional “tent- luncheon” on the parking area in front of Rebildhus. Here the Guild again had a role to play, and the benchers entered the tribune accompanied by the grand and forceful tones from the Guild’s music-director, solo trumpeter Per Iversen’s “lure” - and then the chief bencher donated scarves to the ladies and ties to the gentlemen.
After the luncheon people went out to find themselves seats on the hillsides surrounding the open air scene, and it was soon obvious that – presumably thanks to the fine weather - the number of guests were greater than last year - and that is a fine thing for the 105 years old tradition. <<<
Photo: Jens Morten og Fini Ryming
It has for decades been a tradition that at the beginning of the annual general meeting in Christian the Fourth´s Guild a greeting is sent by telegram to Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II and the royal family and nearly every year an answer from the Majesty is received before the annual meeting is over. >>>
Three small girls had their pension schemes started when they got the Triplet Grant from Christian the Fourth´s Guild.
The Grant was founded in 1943 and all triplets born in Aalborg has since then received the Grant which time and inflation has raised to 1,500 DKK to each.
The small girls in Storvorde – now 5 months old – are Alma, Liva and Agnes, and they are daughters of Nana Kanstrup and Kasper Knuth Hansen. Four Guild benchers visited the family and presented the Grant and the money (and at the same occasion put a little something in the piggy bank of the triplet´s 5-year old sister).
Ib Regnarsson, Niels Voss Hansen and Tom Thylkjær with the small girls, left Svend Aage Suhr. The parents seem remarkably relaxed.
Photo: Fini Ryming