Cementing New Friendships
Members of SI Leicester visit SI Skjern-Tarm, Denmark
Presidents Josephine and Karen with International President Hanne
From the moment we were welcomed in Tarm in bright sunshine on the Friday evening of June 4th by Karen Teglgaard, President of S.I. Skjern-Tarm, we had a real sense of hospitality and friendship.
Karen had prepared a superb meal with wine at her home and we ate this in her garden’s marquee, getting to know our new friends who then took eight of us to their homes.
Peggy and I were the guests of Annelise Thomsen and her husband, Jan, who could not have been more hospitable, showing us their small holding with its beehives, vegetable and strawberry plot, fruit trees and hens with pride, and we know that Kathryn, Helen, Josephine, Vivienne, Hilary and Brenda had similar experiences of hospitality. Joan, Pat, Melanie and Jacky were likewise very comfortable in The Bechs Hotel in Tarm.
Saturday had been meticulously planned for us. This part of West Jutland is a rural area, but also very much a tourist area with its miles of sandy beaches, sand dunes and holiday homes facing the North Sea coast. Of course there is wind, hence the Wind Farms and wooded parts for wind breaks; and there is an abundance of fish, as we discovered at our fish restaurant lunch at Hvide Sande. This is situated on the narrow strip of land which runs for miles, with the North Sea on one side and Ringkøbing Fjord on the other. Before lunch we had walked round the old fishing village of Ringkøbing with its cobbled streets, now a conservationist area, and the small seaside resort of Sondervig and even climbed to the top of the Lyngvig Lighthouse. There were marvellous views from there. After lunch there was a bracing walk on the superb sands and a stop for coffee and biscuits, all prepared by our Danish friends, and, of course, we were being driven around by them in their own cars in great comfort.
In the evening we went to what had been described as ‘an ordinary meeting of the club’ at The Bechs Hotel, but to our surprise we found our hostesses elegantly dressed for a three course meal, with candles and flowers, wine and good conversation. Candles of friendship were lit and after dinner we had an eminent speaker: Danish and European M.P. Hanne Severinsen, who spoke of her experiences observing the elections and new democracy in the Ukraine for the Council of Europe. Clearly she had observed the flaws. She stressed that the essence of a properly functioning democracy is the maintenance of human rights, the rule of law and transparency, but all too often some element of this had been missing. In the Ukraine political parties seem not to be value based but power based. There is too often a virtual self censorship, with the media courting the approval of the powerful. The justice system is not immune to corruption and there is the danger of the rise of nationalism. This talk was particularly apt for June 5th is Constitution Day in Denmark when they celebrate the establishment of their own freedoms. 1849 and 1902 are significant years in this context.
In her thanks to both President Karen and our distinguished speaker, President Josephine hoped that we might find a common cause with our fellow Soroptimists, either in a joint project or in lobbying. She was also delighted to thank all our Danish friends for their kindness and to present them with our gift. One other delightful feature of the evening was the singing: not necessarily the quality of our voices but the meaning of the words written in 1967 by Dorothy Vale Kissinger in her Soroptimist Symphony which expressed the essence of Soroptimism and the sisterhood we were experiencing. Likewise the joining of hands and singing of Auld Lang Syne was entirely appropriate as a finale to a delightful evening!
Sunday was a day of contrasts. In the morning we had the privilege of looking round a modern residential and nursing home for the elderly, including the wing for those with dementia/Alzheimer’s. The building itself was impressive: light and airy with attractive paintings, plants and other design features. We learned that residents paid a rent, but this seemed within their means and they were allocated a place on the basis of their need, as assessed by a doctor. The treatment of those suffering from Alzheimer’s was particularly impressive. Again we had been given much hospitality: coffee and apple cake and also another opportunity to sing! This time we sang from the residents’ own song/hymn book, in Danish, a hymn to the morning and sunshine, again entirely appropriate.
From there we were driven to the Fahl Kro (Inn), built in 1856, where a Danish lunch had been prepared for us: aeggekage (egg cake), topped with tomatoes and bacon. This place had particular associations for S.I. Skjern-Tarm for it was where they had signed the charter of their club. Nearby was the Viking Museum and here our guide was dressed in the garb of the right hand man of his Viking chief. He certainly entered into the spirit of his role and in the course of his wide-ranging talk we realised that he was not only a skilled builder of replica Viking boats, but also someone who had sailed them as far as The Faroe Islands. We entered a replica Viking chieftain’s home with its central fire, smoke hole and enclosed beds and learned much about Viking power at its height between 793AD when the Vikings attacked Holy Island and 1066 when Norman power became dominant. Our guide, by the way, spoke excellent English.
Our next guide was yet another enthusiast, a local councillor who spoke to us about the Skjern River Delta. Soroptimist Birgithe translated as he told the extraordinary tale of how man has twice sought to change his natural surroundings in this area. The first time was 1962 when the river was straightened so that more land could be cultivated. However, the resulting pollution of the water through chemical fertilizers led to a dramatic debate and rethink between 1992 and 1998. As a result, and with some controversy and initial opposition from farmers, the river has been restored to its former state: it is now in a European nature protection area, the aim being to maintain and protect biological diversity. The Skjern River salmon have returned, there are many breeding birds and there are lakes and wetland meadows. We were indeed then able to taste at first hand the beauty and quiet of the place as we walked and crossed the river by rope ferry.
It was while we were enjoying the beauty of this area that we were privileged to have International President Hanne Jensbo with us. This was the surprise we had been promised! She accompanied us on our walk and river crossing where President Karen had prepared yet another surprise treat: schnapps in mid stream! And yes, we have managed to take photographs of Josephine with International President Hanne and President Karen.
Then came yet another meal, still in the Delta area: traditional open Danish sandwiches prepared by our Danish friends, with wine and coffee. It was after this that President Hanne spoke of her travels to Rwanda and Kenya.
In Rwanda she had witnessed the Peace Marathon, now in its 6th year, and the moving sight of 2,500 children running in their T-shirts. She also described the way in which Italian professors and students of architecture have been helping Rwandans to promote the use of natural materials: amber, banana leaves and coffee wood. In Kenya she had seen how Denmark was helping with a climate project and next week she was off to Bergen where friendship between Nordic Soroptimists was being celebrated. It was no surprise that Hanne’s key message was that Soroptimism means projects and friendship. To a question from our own Kathryn about bureaucracy, she replied that clubs have the freedom to address the problem themselves.
Finally we were given an excellent presentation by Skjern-Tarm’s next President Hannah about their support for an HIV/AIDS Grassroots Project in a very poor district of Kampala, Uganda. They pay the salary of a nurse, Sarah, involved in the project which has 800 clients, mostly women, with 87 children and there are 50 volunteers, the majority of whom are themselves HIV positive. They give holistic care: medical, community and social care, which does include income-generating activities like the making of necklaces which the club sells. All agreed that this was a very worthwhile project and we applauded our sister club.
After what had been an extraordinarily full and fascinating weekend President Josephine thanked President Karen and all our new friends for all they had organised and planned in order to give us such a special time. We had learned so much and experienced real fun and friendship. She hoped that we would work together in the future and indeed return their marvellous hospitality.
President Karen thanked us for coming and looked forward to our maintaining of this very special link.
The day ended in a spirit of genuine warmth and friendship as we were taken by our hosts to their homes and the hotel for our final night in Skjern-Tarm.
Finally, it is important to record our thanks to Josephine for all her efforts on our behalf, particularly getting us safely by train from Copenhagen to Tarm, a fascinating journey in itself, both the landscape outside but also inside the train’s family compartment, with its babies and bicycles. Thank you, Josephine, from all of us.
And one very final footnote. On the train journey back to Copenhagen Joan was chatting to a young Danish woman, told her about Soroptimism and so enthused her that she is seriously thinking about joining. Well done, Joan
Sheila Bennett