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Nyhetsbrev District 1 Newsletter August 2016
Executive Board &
Board of Directors
Seated: Mark Haugen, Ronald Stow, President Dennis Rusinko, Claudia Bomier, Earl Rogers, Andrew Halvorson Standing: Marilyn Syverson, Diane Halvorson, Alan Beck, Richard Phillips, Talleiv Vollen, Jerry Wright, Dorothy Zimmerman, Gina Pockrandt; Missing from photo: Gloria Coulter.
Installation was held at the District 1 Cedar Rapids Convention
On June 11th, the election was held at the convention and the following
were elected by the delegates to positions of leadership for the District:
President: Dennis Rusinko; Vice President: Ronald Stow; Secretary: Earl Rogers;
Treasurer: Claudia Bomier; Sports & Recreation Director: Talleiv Vollen;
Youth Director: Dorothy Zimmerman; Social-Cultural Director: Marilyn Syverson;
Publicity Director: Diane Halvorson.
Zone Directors are: #1 (position open); #2: Mark Haugen; #3 : Andrew Halvorson;
#4: Jerry Wright; #5: Gloria Coulter; #6: Richard Phillips; #7: (position open);
#8: Alan Beck; and #9: Gina Pockrandt.
The term for the officers, directors, and zone directors runs from July 1, 2016 thru
June 30th, 2018.
Thirty one (31) delegates will represent District One at the
International Convention to be held in Tacoma Washington, August 24 – 28, 2016.
Your Zone Director will be able to share their impressions of the convention
and any new changes that affect the lodges in our District.
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Contact Information for Officers 2016-2018
Pres. Rusinko - [email protected] V.P. Stow - [email protected]
Sect’y. Rogers - [email protected] Treas. Bomier - [email protected]
Sports/Rec Dir. Vollen - [email protected] Social/Cult. Dir. Syverson - [email protected]
Youth/Framtid Dir. Zimmerman - [email protected]
Pub. Dir. D. Halvorson - [email protected]
Zone 1 Director (position open) Zone 2 Dir. Haugen - [email protected]
Zone 3 Dir. A. Halvorson - [email protected]
Zone 4 Dir. Wright - [email protected] Zone 5 Dir. Coulter - [email protected]
Zone 6 Dir. Phillips - [email protected] Zone 7 Director (position open)
Zone 8 Dir. Beck - [email protected] Zone 9 Dir. Pockrandt - [email protected]
Website: http://sofn-1.org/ sofn-1.com
[either address will bring you to the website]
Sons of Norway Headquarters 1455 West Lake Street
Minneapolis MN 55408-2666 Phone: (612) 827-3611
Toll Free: (800) 945-8851 Website: www.sofn.com
Sons of Norway Mission Statement
The mission of Sons of Norway is to promote & preserve the
heritage & culture of Norway, to celebrate our relationship with other Nordic countries, & to provide quality insurance &
financial products to its members.
Fra Presidenten
Let me begin by saying this will probably be the most difficult part of my job as your President. Writing articles for any subject is not my strong point. But since it is one of the duties
as President I will try to accomplish my duties to the best of my ability. Since my election to the presidency of District #1, our District is now involved in the process of placing a bid for the International Convention for 2018. This bid must be ready for presentation at the International Convention in Tacoma, WA in August. Thanks to Claudia, Ron Stow, and Karl Hella for meeting with me to check out the hotel we are considering for the International Convention in 2018. We are in negotiations with a hotel and hope to have a contract before we get to Tacoma. We met for the first time on July 23rd as a full board for the Training Seminar in Morton MN. This gave us an opportunity to get to know each other since the District Convention. And The new board members had an opportunity to learn their duties and ask questions about anything they would like to know to help them carry out their duties. One thing I always look forward to is the Oslo Lodge 1-2-002 holding its annual picnic at Wabun Park in Minneapolis, MN. on July 26th. As I write this, I can already taste the barbequed ribs and chicken, along with the baked beans and potatoes. I will report on the results of the picnic in my next article!
Fraternally,
Dennis Rusinko
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Treasurer Report
I hope that all of you are having a great summer. It is always a little slower for the treasurer during this time except for the years of the convention. This was a convention year! We enjoyed Cedar Rapids. Thank you Restauration Lodge!
The District Convention is now history so I can recap some of the revenues and expenses. Revenues were: $ 812 from the Scholarship walk/orienteering – proceeds for the First
District Scholarship Fund $ 2171.51 from the Silent Auction – proceeds for the Nordic Heritage Fund $6161.79 from the Biking Vikings to date – proceeds to Sons of Norway Foundation, Nordic
Heritage Fund and local lodges Expenses were: $ 22,643.98 for the District Convention Expenses will be $ 12,400 for International Convention for our 31 delegates attending
We have been working on the budget for 2017 but are waiting for the International Convention to see if there are any changes to the dues structure which will be one of the topics of discussion.
Enjoy the rest of the summer. Claudia Bomier
[email protected] 3430 rum River Dr, Anoka MN 55303
Board of Directors Reports
Vice President Report Tusen takk to all of you who encouraged me at the district convention to run for District One Vice President, especially the delegates from my home lodge, Synnøve-Nordkap 1-008 St. Paul. And thanks to Gina Pockrandt and Jan Osmonson from Vennekretsen 1-559 Anoka for taking over the Zone 9 directorship.
On July 1, I assumed the office and, with the help of past VP, Louise Bakken, and with welcome direction from District President Rusinko, I have begun to settle into the position.
Presently, my main concentration will be on the recruiting and retention of Sons of Norway mem-bers. Every lodge in the district, as in all of Sons of Norway, will need to focus in on membership. We are all in the same boat and need to row together.
I look forward to working with the district board of directors, especially with the zone directors, with whom I will have specific duties. We made a good start at the July training session, where we brain-stormed ideas on a variety of topics which concern the lodges of District One.
Fraternally, Ron Stow
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Board of Directors Reports
Social / Cultural Director Report
As the new secretary I have been meeting with President Dennis to learn the fundamentals of the job and the expectations that go along with it. The job is more complex than I anticipated and will require me to stay on top of the tasks.
President Dennis and I met in early July in Omaha and he transferred the paper documents and files to me and we discussed the various tasks I would be responsible for. We had our first teleconference executive meeting in June.
I attended the Training Seminar at Jackpot Junction, Morton, MN on 22-23 July and felt it was a seminar in which I learned a lot about the various jobs that each of the Directors are responsible for.
Currently, I am in the process of preparing for the International Convention and looking forward to the trip. The task to keep track of the District One delegates has been interesting especially when the delegate drops out and an alternate is selected to replace them. I am currently working on completing the master list of district officers, the policy and procedure manual, District Lodge meeting information and rules, and the Guidelines for Lodges Hosting the District Convention, and reviewing the 2016 Convention process.
Directing medical laboratories over the last 45 years has required me to be a stickler for details and prompt in managing tasks and I am looking forward to the job over the next two years to improve the processes of District One. Email address: [email protected]
Respectfully Submitted, Earl Rogers
Secretary Report
Sons of Norway has been an important part of my life since 1983 when Norskfødt Lodge 1-590 was instituted in Morris, MN and in 1974 a member of Bjorgvin Lodge 1-010, Benson, MN.
I have held numerous offices and been very active in our lodge. In 1990, I was elected Zone 4 Director and thoroughly enjoyed visiting the lodges. My life was very busy then as a Physical Education and Health teacher 7-10th grades for 34 yrs. and coached gymnastics, girl’s golf, and taught Community Ed. Ballroom Dance.
However, I always made time for Sons of Norway. In 1988 we started a folkdance group, Norskfødt Danseringen, and participated in 91 performances. After 10 years our group decided not to perform anymore, but I have continued to teach folkdancing and attend workshops to learn new dances. Now as a cultural skills presenter I enjoy teaching folkdance to many lodges in our district.
In 2003, I was appointed Adopt A School Coordinator for District #1 and have continued in that office until now. Some of the other District #1 offices I have served are 6 yrs. as Sports and Recreation Director and 4 yrs. Youth/Framtid Director. Now I am looking forward to being a Cultural Director. I am very interested in all the cultural skills and hope to encourage our Sons of Norway members to become a presenter in the future.
We have an extensive list of presenters at the present and they would love to come to your lodge for a program or workshop. If you would like to know more about it please contact me: Address: 210 South Street, Morris, MN 56267. Phone number: 320-589-1228, cell phone: 320-815-6686.
Marilyn Syverson
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Board of Directors Reports
District One encourages and supports lodges that provide youth with educational and heritage programming, and social and
cultural experiences.
The goals for the First District Youth Director are to: Share youth activities and resources with lodge leaders. Provide accessible and practical information for youth leaders.
Provide a forum for Lodge Youth Directors’ to share ideas and program materials.
Encourage ongoing and new youth groups or activities as a foundation for strong ties to the Sons of Norway fraternal heritage organization.
As the District One Youth/Framtid Director I am a resource to current Youth Directors, and will encourage development of Youth Programming to strengthen lodges, to support
local youth and create fun experiences for those involved.
My contact information: [email protected] / 3937 County Highway 7 Porter, MN 56280 or phone 507-296-4566
Fraternally, Dorothy Zimmerman
Youth/Framtid Director Report
Sports & Recreation Director Report
Are you interested in earning sports medals? Many lodges have been awarding medals to their members this past year. The International Sports Medals Program was started in 1984 and designed to promote physical activity through participation in life sports. The program is divided into four areas: Skimerke (ski medal), Sykklemerke (bicycle / wheelchair medal, Idrettsmerke (fitness & sports medal, and Gangmerke (walking medal). Sports medal forms can be found on the sonsofnorway.com website. Is your lodge interested in sponsoring a Barneløpet this coming winter? This is a children’s race developed by the Sons of Norway and there is a manual your lodge can download to serve as a guide. Or you can contact me. I can offer advice from our lodges’ experience. The added benefit besides offering something for the children ages 3-13 in your community is also credit on your Lodge Achievement Form. Email: [email protected]
Enjoy the rest of the summer! Tolly Vollen
Still time to donate funds to support the Biking Vikings which is helping to raise funds for the Sof N Foundation, Nordic Heritage Fund & your local lodge. After the expenses of the 446 mile journey from Duluth to Cedar Rapids, of each contribution: 35% goes to the Foundation, 35% to the Nordic Heritage Fund & 30 % back to the lodge of the donor! Still accepting donations: www.thebikingvikings.club or send check to Treasurer Claudia Bomier
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Board of Directors Reports
Zone 1 Director Report Zone 7 Director Report Positons not filled at the time of printing. Contact President Dennis Rusinko or VP Ron Stow for information.
Zone 2 Director Report
I look forward to being your resource person– please feel free to contact me with your
questions and comments! Mark Haugen
Contact Information:
Mark Haugen 11513 23rd Avenue South
Burnsville, MN 55337 612-850-3312
The Lodges in our zone are:
Oslo 2, Minneapolis, MN
Draxten 464 , Minneapolis, MN
Vonheim 108, Minneapolis, MN
Nordmarka 585, Northfield, MN
Hjemkomst 599, Hastings, MN
Vestland 601, Minnetonka, MN
Norsota 602, Apple Valley, MN
Krakeelva 676, Hutchinson, MN
Scandia 680, Waconia, MN
Publicity Director Report As this is my first newsletter as the recently installed Publicity Director for the District, consider the Nyhetsbrev a work in progress.
If there is specific information you would like to ‘hear’ from your District Board, please send me an email. Suggestions and comments are welcome! And if you do not wish to receive the newsletter or are receiving it twice, dare I say three times, please let me know that too; or if you share it with members of your lodge and they wish to receive it, let me know that too. I apologize for any duplicate mailings.
The website is also a work in progress! Thank you, Carolyn Townsend for helping me to learn a bit more about posting, etc.! Going forward, between the two of us, we should be able to ‘tweak’ the site to make it easy to navigate and give you the information you wish to see. Recently, I sent out to each Lodge Publicity Director or other lodge officer, the criteria for submitting photos for the Viking Magazine. Each lodge is encouraged to take photos and send them to me. Our district is able to submit 4 photos each month as well as one member profile, you have a great chance to get one published. They must be submitted to me by the 14th of the month as my deadline is the 15th. And the photo must be a .jpg/.jpeg, or sent to me by USPS – original only please. Cell phone printed photos do not have a high enough resolution for publishing in the Viking. Making a copy on your home printer on photo paper is not being accepted.
My goal is to publish the newsletter – Nyhetsbrev – 4 times per year. Board members ~~ your next article deadline: October 28th, for a publish date the first week of November.
Thank you for your patience and I look forward to hearing from you and your lodge!
Diane Halvorson Contact information on page 10
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Board of Directors Reports
My first update as Zone 4 Director. Thank you to the Zone 4 Lodge delegates at the District Convention for their support and confidence in me to serve as the Zone 4 Director. A sincere THANK you to Pauline Hoffman for her past 4 years as Zone 4 Director. Pauline has gathered many insights over these years and I am excited to have her serving as my alternate Zone Director and mentor.
I attended the District officers’ training session in July to better understand the roles of each of our District Lodge officers including the responsibilities of a Zone Director. District one has a great team of skillful officers for this biennial.
I am looking forward to visiting each of the Zone 4 Lodge Boards to learn about their goals and planned activities that will bring excitement to membership and other community folks to participate in their respective Lodges’ activities. I welcome the president of each Lodge to contact me by email with some possible dates for me to set up my first Board visit.
I will be attending the SofN International Convention at Tacoma along with 4 other delegates from Zone 4 (Dorothy Zimmerman, Betty Knutson, Barbara Olson, Marilyn Syverson) and the District #1 other 25+ delegates. I also will be attending the Wednesday Leadership Conference before the convention.
I am looking forward to learning some new leadership tips and management approaches to assist others as well obtaining a better understanding of the mission and goals of Sons of Norway…..
Tusen takk og ha en godt sommer
email: [email protected] Jerry Wright
Zone 4 Director Report
Zone 3 Director Report
The Lodges in the Zone are:
Tordenskjold 55, Halstad, MN
Snorre 70, Thief River Falls, MN
Granlund 240, Fosston, MN
Morgensol 458, Crookston, MN
Nordland 492, Twin Valley, MN
Vikingland 495, Detroit Lakes, MN
Nordlys 498, Roseau, MN
Bemidji 500, Bemidji, MN
Nordskogen 626, Park Rapids, MN
I look forward to working with each of you!
Andrew Halvorson
Contact Information:
Andrew Halvorson
14766 138th Avenue NE
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
218-684-1810
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Board of Directors Reports
Zone 6 Director Report
After the convention in Cedar Rapids, our newly elected Zone 6 Director, Kendall Kjerstad resigned as his wife was promoted and it in-volved a move to Colorado. As I was a delegate to the District Conven-tion, President Rusinko appointed me to fill the Zone 6 Director position in June 2016
I am a member of Gjoa Lodge 1-065, Sioux Falls, SD and have been a Sons of Norway member since October 1984. and I am a Charter Member Hovedstad Lodge 1-597, Pierre, SD.
Lodge positions held: Financial Secretary, President, Treasurer and District and International Convention delegate. Alternate Sub-district Director and Zone Director. I will be attending the International Convention in Tacoma later this month.
I am available as a resource for the lodges in our zone and feel free to contact me at: [email protected]
Best regards, Rich Phillips
Zone 5 Director Report My name is Gloria Coulter and I am a charter member of the Nortonna Chapter #638 in Owatonna, MN. This year our lodge celebrated our 20th anniversary, inviting the community to join us in a Scandinavian Festival.
My husband and I have just returned from a family reunion in Custer, S.D., celebrating 112 years since my grandfather and family arrived in America from Norway. Our Norwegian heritage is very important and joining the Sons of Norway organization continues to encourage and strengthen that bond. I am looking forward to attending my second International Sons of Norway Convention.
Accepting various positions in the lodge has given me different views of what it takes to build and maintain a great organization. Now, in my new position as director of Zone #5, I will have the opportunity to visit eleven lodges in south-central Minnesota and observe the planning, programs and leadership that makes a successful lodge.
Bob and I have four sons and one daughter in the states of Idaho, Texas, Iowa and Minnesota. We live on an acreage south of Owatonna in a village called HOPE.
And my HOPE is that the Sons of Norway will continue to nourish our heritage with the love and
friendship we enjoy in our organization.
Fraternally, Gloria Coulter
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Board of Directors Reports
Zone 8 Director Report
Let me introduce myself: I am a second generation Norwegian-American. Born in Redwood Falls, Minnesota and raised in “Nordeast” Minneapolis. I have lived in Plano, Texas for the past 33 years with my wife and daugh-ter. And proud to say, a retired elementary school teacher. I am a past-President and Vice-President of Nordtex Lodge 594 in Plano.
Hobbies include: playing the accordion, rosemaling (Blue Ribbon, Texas State Fair), playing Kubb, and experimenting with Norwegian cooking. Ever the teacher, I have taught classes in making lefse, goro, and kransekake. And I value the Sons of Norway’s focus on cultural skills preservation.
As the resource person for the lodges in Texas, you can contact me at:
[email protected] or [email protected]
Fraternally, Alan Beck
Zone 9 Director Report
As a newly elected Zone 9 Director, my goal is to visit every lodge in the zone at least once a year. I look forward to getting to know people at the various lodges and sharing in our appreciation of Nordic culture and heritage.
I have been a member of Sons of Norway since 2004, and the lodge positions I have held as a member of Vennekretsen Lodge (1-559) in Anoka., have been : President, VP and Counselor, and now, Newsletter Editor.
Currently, I am employed fulltime at a major National Bank. Right now, I serve on the committee for the annual GALA 4 HOPE to be held
in October, to benefit HOPE 4 Youth. This non-profit is a service provider for youth experiencing homelessness in our area.
The Geving Ancestors hail from the Trondheim area in Norway. My hobbies include a variety of needlework crafts including hardanger, photography, travelling, baking pies and doing things with family. One interesting hobby I have is a collection of Native American pottery, art and artifacts.
My hope is that we can work together to help your lodge thrive in your community.
I am looking forward to meeting all of you in Zone 9! Gina Geving Pockrandt
Editor Note: in our effort to have Gina take photos in Morton, we forgot to take one of her! Update in color by next issue.
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Football season starts soon! a fun fact to share with your friends….
Viking Fact or Fiction? Horned Helmets
Everyone has seen them – Vikings wearing done-shaped metal helmets (helms) with bull’s horns attached. The helmets appear in advertisements, are part of sports team logos, and with every Viking costume. Even the cartoon figure Hagar the Horrible wears one. Yet scientists believe Vikings never wore them at all. No horned helmets have ever been found where Vikings lived or traveled. Nor do they ap-pear on marauders in Viking artwork. The few metal helmets that have been found have no horns. But these facts alone don’t mean such helmets never existed. That’s where scientists rely on common sense. No warrior, they say, would wear a heavy helmet with points that could be grabbed by the enemy and yanked off, or caught on tree branches or clothing.
So where did the horned helmet idea come from? Most likely from writers and artists in the 1800’s. They copied horned and winged helmets
from the artwork of other ancient cultures. The horns captured people’s imaginations, and
so they remain popular, if inaccurate, part of Viking history. [article in Viking for Kids, Summer 2007, a Sons of Norway Publication]
I didn’t want the whole newsletter to be just reports… so …..
2016
Publicity Director Contact Information: Diane S. Halvorson
10728 Toledo Lane North Brooklyn Park MN 55443
Email: [email protected] Cell Phone: 612-840-2051
If the creek don’t rise and heaven willing, the publication plans for the District 1 Newsletter will be for four (4) issues per year Deadline dates: October 28th, 2016 January 29th, 2017 April 28th, 2017 July 28th, 2017 Anticipated publication dates: By August 8th, 2016 By November 8th, 2016 By February 8th, 2017 By May 8th, 2017 By August 8th, 2017
Always feel free to contact me with questions and friendly suggestions! Diane