As of: January 29, 2024, 1:31 p.m
By: Antonia Reindl
Comments
Press
Split
The former and the new: Michael Montag (r.) congratulates the newly elected first chairman Hans Jais (l.).
© Antonia Reindl
Murnau – An emotional evening for Michael Montag.
Last Saturday, his successor as club boss of the Murnau Volunteer Fire Department was elected at the annual general meeting in Zum Murnauer.
Last September, Montag announced his resignation as first chairman.
The Murnauer held the office for more than two decades.
During his farewell speech, Montag's voice initially broke.
Mayor Rolf Beuting (ÖDP/Citizens' Forum) spoke of very big shoes to fill that are left behind.
The office is more than a label, it means and requires a lot of time and no less responsibility, said the deputy district administrator Dr.
Michael Rapp (CSU) clearly.
This work, 22 years as first chairman, cannot be added up, said district fire inspector Andreas Weiß.
Commitment over so many years for the benefit of a club is a rarity, said second chairman Klement Eibl.
They all said goodbye with gratitude to Michael Montag, the man who led the fire brigade association for more than two decades and shaped the Murnau fire department.
A long time, as Montag discovered not only for himself, but also at the lectern.
At the beginning of his speech, he was visibly struggling to keep his composure.
“There's already a lump in my throat, I have to admit,” said Montag, before his voice failed for a moment.
The activist certainly gave reasons for his resignation, although he avoided anything specific.
He listed administrative matters, legal regulations, certain differences and his littleness.
He also spoke of social change.
He longed for the camaraderie that he once experienced and felt.
You shouldn't forget being together.
For him, sticking together means more than driving out and returning together “in the red car,” emphasized Montag.
It's also about being there for each other when you're feeling bad and having fun together.
However, Montag was confident that things would continue to go well with the club – when he looked at “the bunch”.
Otherwise he wouldn't have come.
For his successor, Montag would prefer to see a passive, not an active member in this office, and he announced “boxes of things” that he would store at home and hand over.
Then Montag left the lectern.
“That's it.
22 years.” But he didn’t stay in his seat for long, shortly afterwards he stood up again and thereby illustrated his “point of view”.
He spoke out in favor of this and advised electing a person as chairman who was close to the association and knew what to expect.
In his eyes, this is Fabian Sperer, who has already been second chairman and who currently lives in Austria and, according to his own statement, will continue to do so for the next ten years.
In addition to Sperer, platoon leader Hans Jais was nominated for election.
The latter was elected as the new chairman with 64 yes votes – Sperer got 24.
But he won't last 22 years, joked Jais.
Looking to the future, he said that the tasks and challenges will not become less.
But together we will manage to have a “good future for the fire service”.
Of course, they didn't want to let Monday go without a parting gift.
Treasurer Astrid Dodel picked up a sculpture of Saint Florian and drew a parallel between the patron saint of firefighters and the former club boss.
Saint Florian stood up for others as a martyr until the end.
The end is on Monday, unlike the saint, but only the end of the term of office, emphasized the treasurer.
Monday, said Dodel and handed the saint to the former chairman, but he wasn't leaving now, he was just taking a few steps back.