Armas Irene, Andres, ja omaksed; Fraternitas Estica pere; armsad kaasleinajad!
Auvilistlane Paavo Loosberg võeti vastu Korporatsioon Fraternitas Esticasse 1945. aastal. Paavo on olnud sellest ajast saadik, s.o. 140 semestrit, aktiivne frater esticus, väga arva puudunud ei koosolekutest ega teistest üritustest. Isegi siis, kui ta elukutse viis teda aastaid kaugele USA lennuväe baasi tööle. Nagu Paavo oleks ise ütelnud, 140 semestrit on vanem kui keskmise elevandi või kilpkonna elu pikkus.
Kuna tahaksime, et Paavo järeltulijad ja mitmed leinajad saaksid aru mis korporatsioon endast kujutab, siis räägin edasi Kanada teises riigikeeles.
Paavo Loosberg was accepted as a member of the Estonian academic fraternity Korporatsioon Fraternitas Estica in 1945 in Sweden. Our fraternal organization was first registered at Tartu University in 1907, making it over a century old, older than the Republic of Estonia. It has some 450 members worldwide, most of whom are in Estonia. Paavo was conferred the title by our fraternity of “auvilistlane” – loosely translated as member emeritus; it is the highest recognition that Fraternitas Estica can bestow and a status that only a few have the honour to own. Fraternitas Estica’s motto carries the concepts of justice, honour and patriotism -- values that guide our fraternity as a group and ideals that individual members live up to.
Paavo, during his lengthy period as a frater esticus, honoured highly these values. When Estonia regained its independence in 1991, some historians and others were emboldened to vilify the pre-occupation regimes of Estonia, accusing them of authoritarianism and accepting the inevitable Soviet take-over of the Baltic states in 1940. Paavo, however, knew full well that such murmurs within our community to discredit pre-war decisions had a similar effect as the continuing Soviet propaganda against Estonia’s former President Konstantin Päts and others.
The Soviet intent has been to vilify pre-Soviet Baltic leadership.
a historian.
At a mature age, Paavo’s acceptance of an invitation to live in post-Soviet Estonia for a while, asa military officer offering one`s expertise to a young and not yet established defence force, took sacrifice and dedication. The national security of Estonia had always been close to Paavo`s heart. Helping Finland to withstand the Second World War aggression by Finland`s and Estonia`s mutual enemy at the time left a deep sense of continuing duty.
One must live up to one`s proclaimed principles. Paavo took the time and went on to serve as President Lennart Meri’s adjutant at the palace in Kadrioru and became personal friends with Estonia`s second president.
I have already mentioned honour as a quality valued in Fraternitas Estica. Honour in our organization transcends demanding satisfaction for a perceived insult and other similar wrongs.
Rather, honour means adhering to truth, fairness, tolerance and honouring patriotism. Paavo exemplified the traits.
Fraternitas Estica honoured him for this. His fraternity brothers were honoured to have had him as a brother.
To Irene, Andres, and members of Paavo`s family, our sincerest condolences.
Puhka rahus armas frater, sõber, hea eestlane.