Not because her life lacked activity. Because civic-mindedness has always been for her not just beautiful words, but a way of life, according to a press release.
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We contact Giedrė Vasilijevaitė-Jackienė while she is staying in Nida. You can’t call it a vacation – at one point she has to coordinate several projects, plan the coming weeks, and answer client calls. This has been her daily routine for more than twenty years.
Many people in Jurbarkas know Giedrė. Some as a businesswoman who has created several successful businesses – from a gift shop, café to beauty services, event decoration, and the first 24/7 self-service flower shop in Lithuania. Others see her on the Konstantinas Glinskis Theatre stage, hosting cultural events, decorating weddings in various corners of Lithuania. It seems hard to find an initiative in Jurbarkas to which Giedrė has not contributed.
Therefore, the question of why, among such a multitude of activities, she also joined the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union seems quite natural. Giedrė just smiles.
“It was a very natural step for me.”
When values align, the decision comes naturally
She had been thinking about the Riflemen’s Union for many years. National holidays, fostering historical memory, and community building were important to her long before she took the rifleman’s oath. More than once, at a neighbor’s request, she helped organize riflemen’s events, interacted with riflemen, saw their activities up close, and gradually realized that the values she lives by are very similar to those guiding the organization.
“I thought I was too old to start something new. But then I realized that being a rifleman is not about age. It’s about commitment.”
She took the rifleman’s oath in a symbolic place – by the Vytautas the Great monument in Jurbarkas, on March 11. She walked to the square wearing national clothes: “It was very important to me. It felt like everything just came together as one.”
She also recalls her first steps in the organization. “I passed the weapon handling test,” she laughs. “And until I was sixteen, I played with dolls. I was very girly.”
Today she often hears the same reaction: “You – a riflewoman?” “Yes, a riflewoman,” Giedrė smiles. “People imagine the Riflemen’s Union is only about shooting. I always say: come and see for yourself. There are so many activities that everyone can find their place.”
Patriotism in the family was never just a word
When asked where such a strong connection to the state came from, Giedrė doesn’t hesitate: “My father was not a soldier, but both my parents were very patriotic. I brought that from home.”
Later she spent ten years working in Sweden, but she never considered staying there: “It was always clear to me that my place is in Lithuania.”
She talks about patriotism not as a duty, but as a natural part of family life.
“My mother comes from a family of twelve children. We all communicate very closely, so such topics come up constantly in our meetings. Young people serve in the army, others are preparing for it. One relative lives in Sweden but says: ‘I want to be ready. If needed – I will return.’ I think that says a lot,” says Giedrė.
She says she has never aimed to educate others: “At least I try to have conscious people around me.” She raised her sons the same way: “Not by pressure, but by example.”
Example works stronger than calls
Giedrė does not hide that she often talks about riflemen’s activities. She shares photos from national holidays on social media, tells about events or exercises, invites people to come and see for themselves what the organization is about: “I never persuaded anyone. I just showed what I live by myself.”
The result surprised even her. “After me, four more women – friends, clients – joined the Riflemen’s Union. I guess I am somewhat of an influencer,” she laughs. According to Giedrė, it is important for people to see that a riflewoman can also be a businesswoman, a theatre actress, and a mother. “When they see that you live a normal life and being a rifleman is part of it, many stereotypes simply disappear,” the riflewoman pointed out.
The most important thing is not to panic
The war in Ukraine has made many Lithuanians talk more often about preparedness. This topic has not bypassed Giedrė’s family either: “That calmness is among close ones. They know I understand how to act in various situations. That alone is enough to feel calmer.”
She admits she sometimes likes to ask herself difficult questions.
“I analyze people. I think – how many would stay, how many would not retreat, how many would not run away, how many would not betray? We discuss this with the unit commanders. I think the most important thing is to nurture motivated people,” Giedrė said.
She often recalls the same thought at work: “There are seven women in my team. Sometimes they say: ‘We have you. You will tell us what to do.’ I realized that it is very important for people to know that there is someone nearby who will not get lost.”
Not about the numbers
Speaking about the Riflemen’s Union, Giedrė never mentions the number of members: “I don’t want people to join just for the numbers. Better four motivated ones than forty random ones.”
That is why she spends a lot of time with children and youth. Through education in schools, kindergartens, or city events, she allows them not only to hear about riflemen but also to touch the equipment, try various tasks, and ask questions.
“A child needs to see and try for themselves. Then the desire arises. After one such meeting, four boys joined the young riflemen. And they are among the most active! That is much more important to me than big numbers,” she is convinced.
This year Giedrė was recognized for business initiatives and multifaceted support to the Jurbarkas region. She actively supports educational, cultural, and health institutions, contributes to the city’s aesthetic development, and for her merits to the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, she was awarded the Third Degree Riflemen’s Union Distinction Badge. Earlier, she was recognized as the most civic-minded riflewoman of the Jurbarkas region.
However, talking with her makes it clear that awards are not the most important:
“If you can do something for your city, your people, or your country, you just have to do it.”
That probably best explains why, alongside businesses, theatre, events, and many other activities, seven years ago another one appeared – riflemanship. Not because she needed another occupation. Because it was a natural continuation of the life of a person who cares about their community and country.
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