More from Kvinesdal Coming Soon.

As you may have noticed there haven't been too many updates from the Kviesdal Emigration Festival. Unfortunately, we had some technical difficulties, which hampered our intentions of posting even more video from the event. However, once our traveling ICEO is back in the office, I'm hoping there will be plenty to share.


Until then, enjoy this video of a street musician in Oslo.

Kvinesdal Emigration Festival: Day 1

Today's events for the Kvinesdal Emigration Festival include a Grand Re-Opening ceremony for the Lister Emigrants Museum. Here's some video of Mayor Omland og Thoralf Haugland at the ceremony. Here's some video of Toralf Haugland opening the festivities.

Then, in about an hour or so (9:30 p.m. Norway time) there is going to be a get-together of Sons of Norway members who are in town for the celebration. I may get a report afterwards, so make sure to check back in a few hours to see if we have more info about todays happenings.

Kvinesdal Emigration Festival: Prelude

Today is the beginning of the Kvinesdal Emigration Festival being held in Kvinesdal, Norway. Sons of Norway's Interim CEO, Eivind Heiberg is over there now preparing to give a welcome speech. I've had the good fortune to have seen an earlier draft and it's going to be great. I believe he's going to talk about Norway and America's strong relationship and how emigration has created a bond between the two countries and intertwined their modern histories together.

This, I think, is a very unique experience for modern countries like ours. I mean, even in this age of globalism, there is still an overriding sense of isolation amongst first world countries, making them more business partners than brothers and sisters. Thanks to our shared histories, U.S. and Norway, however, have a relationship more like the latter than former. Definitely something worth celebration, don't you think?

Uh...ahem...[quietly steps down from pulpit]

Anyhow, this is a very unique and special festival. I'm glad Sons of Norway is participating. I spoke with Eivind yesterday about his experiences so far and as of last night he'd had dinner with Toralf Haugeland, one of the main organizers of the festival, and some film makers. I guess that in addition to a good meal they discussed the possibility of our acquiring some new, hard to get, fils for our media lending library. That'll be very cool!

In the mean Eivind sent some video of the Utsikten hotel. Here's some video of the hotel itself. Then, in this video and in this one, too, you can see why the hotel is call Utsikten (translated to English means "the view").

Ok, more later about today's festivities, including the grand opening ceremonies for a new wing on the Listes Emigration Museum.

Språk og kultur / Language and Culture

Today we've got a great post from Cultural Advisor Colin Thomsen, wherein he discusses the meaning of the Norwegian word, nærgående.

nærgående (adjective)
prononunciation: nair-GO-en-eh

There’s no way to sum up the meaning of the Norwegian adjective nærgående with just one word in English. To say that someone is nærgående is to say that they are a little obnoxious, too personal, or too interested in other people’s business. The person who tells you their whole life story in line at the supermarket? You could call them nærgående. The nosy neighbor who asks how much you paid for your new car? Nærgående again. Translated literally, nærgående means ”close-going” and the fact that it’s used to describe such people shows that in Norwegian culture, it’s polite to maintain a little more personal distance than what most Americans are used to. While Americans are generally accustomed to making small talk with total strangers, that’s much less common in Norway. For example, while many Americans (especially Midwesterners) are known for greeting strangers passing on the street, the Norwegian custom is to walk by without saying a word or exchanging a glance. Even clerks and waiters – to make a broad generalization – rarely go out of their way to chat with their customers. But it’s not that Norwegian society is unfriendly, it’s that the standards of when it’s appropriate to be friendly are a little different. If you meet an acquaintance on the street in Norway, the general expectation is to stop and have a fairly involved conversation. For Americans, to tell a friend “we should get together some time” doesn’t necessarily call for making a plan. For many Norwegians, it sounds like an invitation. Friends and family are treated with special attention in Norway, and if you’ve ever spent a holiday with Norwegian relatives, you know what that means. And that’s not nærgående at all.

Production has Started on a History Channel Documentary about the Kensington Runestone

I just got confirmation that there is a new documentary, focusing in part on the Kensington Runestone, in production over at the History Channel. According to reports Committee Films, along with a crew of about 30, spent the day at Kensington Runestone Park recently – filming the story of the Kensington Runestone.

From what I understand about the documentary, the main story revolves around a new theory that the Kensington Runestone may have been a coded message related to the Knights Templar, rather than Viking explorers. Apparently stones with similar markings have been found on the east coast and across the Atlantic, implying that there may actually be something to the authenticity of the artifact.

Supposedly this documentary is even speculating that if the Templars are behind the Runestone there may be a chance that they also brought the Holy Grail over with them.

Yeah, I think it’s a stretch, too. But whatever, if researchers can prove the stone is actually from the 1300’s as has been posited, then it’s one more example of pre-Columbian exploration of the new world. An idea that science has been slow to recognize as both possible and probable.

What’s that? You aren’t familiar with the Kensington Runestone? Oh, well here’s the skinny:

The Kensington Runestone is a slab of greywacke covered in runes on its face and side which, if it is genuine, would suggest that Scandinavian explorers reached the middle of North America in the 14th century. It was found in 1898 in the largely rural township of Solem, Douglas County, Minnesota, and named after the nearest settlement, Kensington.

Depending on who you ask, it could be a 19th century forgery or an important archaeological find from the 14th century. Those who ascribe a Scandinavian origin to the stone claim it shows evidence of obscure medieval runes and intersecting word forms that would have been unknown to potential forgers in the 1800s. These advocates tend to be enthusiastic but often lacking in professional credentials (Viking-origin proponent Keith Massey holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where Erik Wahlgren taught). Interested professional archaeologists, historians, and Scandinavian linguists generally question the stone's provenance.

Here's a good video on the Runestone and some info on its possible link to the Knights Templar. Anyone have any thoughts on what the Runestone could be? Share them in the comments section.

Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival

So far we've had a great time at the Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival. Yesterday was the first day of the event and there was a lot going on. The morning started with a welcome ceremony where various dignitaries and sponsors gave messages of congratulations and, of course, welcome. On hand were some folks from the local media, the honorary Finnish counsel and yours truly.

It was a fun experience standing in front of a packed room, welcoming everyone and discussing how the goals of the festival and Sons of Norway were very much in sync. "The Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival is committed to the celebration of all Scandinavian cultures and the preservation of their unique traditions, but at the same time the festival builds a bridge that spans the differences between the cultures. This event connects us by our common experiences and strengthens our shared Nordic pride." Just as the Sons of Norway's mission is to celebrate our relationship with other Nordic countries, so too is it the mission of the Scandinavian Hjemkomst festival.

After that, it was back to booth, where I talked with a lot of different people from all over the U.S. It was very cool to meet folks from as far as California and Florida who had made the trip north just for the festival.

Then, today it was more time at the booth meeting with current and prospective members. Each had their own story about how much they were into their Norwegian heritage and culture. Even District 1 President, Bob Hoover, stopped by for a bit to say hello and to help recruit some new members. Good times had by all.

Oh, and as if that weren't enough, our booth backs up against the IcelandAir booth, which was staffed by some corporate folks and Linda from Borton Overseas. So even during the slow times, it's been nice to have good people like them around to chat with and discuss ideas for the future.

Well, it's late and I have the early shift tomorrow at the booth. I'll write more tomorrow or Monday to wrap up the festival.

Subscribe Today!

If you haven't seen it already, I've added a couple new tools to the blog that will make it even handier for those of us on the go. Starting today you can now sign up to receiving the Sons of Norway blog by e-mail! It's a great option if you're traveling or don't have a lot of time for web surfing.

In addition, I've also added a way for those of you with RSS readers to subscribe to the Sons of Norway blog RSS Feed! Get the latest info from Sons of Norway delivered to you along with all your news and important updates!

If you're interested in either of these options, they are both available in the right hand column of the blog. Just scroll down a bit until you see "Subscribe to the Sons of Norway Blog" for the RSS feed. Then click the link and follow the super-simple instructions.

Or, for the e-mail option (which is one of my favorites), scroll down to where it says "subscribe via e-mail." Once there, just fill in your e-mail address and you'll be all set.

Impressions of John

Today we've got a post from Nichole, our membership coordinator, wherein she thinks back on her warm memories of our retiring CEO, John Lund.

I don’t recall the first time I met John Lund. No doubt, it had something to do with the obligatory march around the office we all take at HQ upon starting. I do remember my first impressions, though – a formidable man, somber and a little intimidating. Turns out, however, that I was quite wrong. I’m sad to be wishing my favorite Sons of Norway employee farewell.

I wanted to share a few of my impressions of John, and encourage fellow members and readers to do the same. With his long years of service as CEO and general counsel and countless visits to lodges across this organization, I’m sure that many of us have a great anecdote to share.

John has a candy dish outside his office that he graciously fills with all manner of sugary items, and many of us can be seen sneaking away from our desks to take a break, beelining straight for that dish. My trips, frequent and daily, afforded me the opportunity to take in chats with John, sometimes laughing at a cartoon in the New Yorker, or not seeing eye-to-eye on some daily news event. What these conversations revealed is the respect he shows his employees. Whether arguing about pop culture as he listens to one of his special mix CDs (to Liz’s pleasure, often at top volume, replete with sing-a-long), or politics, John has always listened to what I’ve had to say without chastising a stance. I admire that quality and think that’s why he’s been a pleasure to work for. He’s gone to bat for me on a professional level many times, and knowing that he unwaveringly supports his employees has given me a level of confidence in my job I didn’t know I could have.

Thank you, John, for all that you’ve done for us. I wish you well….and hope you’ll often stop by to replace the candy that Eivind sets out for us.

And, finally, a top five (of sorts) of John:
- The socks. So colourful, striped, checked or plaid.
- He and Eivind dressing up one Halloween as a giant, hot pink gorilla and a
banana.
- Showing us how he’d bash in the heads of would-be muggers with his cane,
with panache.
- The videos he emails, always providing a bit of wit and whimsy.
- His claims, whilst volunteering for the Draxten Lodge food booth, about the heritage of
vikings on a Stick. Did you know that’s what initially drew the vikings to America?

Sons of Norway CEO John Lund Announces His Retirment

Monday was a sad day for all of us on the Sons of Norway HQ staff. During a monthly all-staff meeting, John Lund announced his retirement from the position of CEO after nine and a half years. The announcement came as quite a shock to everyone at Headquarters and I imagine it was a surprise for our board of directors as well.

In an e-mail that went out yesterday from International President Dan Rude it was stated:

It is with a great deal of regret that I must inform you that John Lund had decided to retire. We have indeed been extremely fortunate to have John as our CEO for the past 9 years and before that as Legal Counsel. His leadership skills, his people skills, his wealth of knowledge about Sons of Norway and the Norwegian Community, and his great sense of humor will be missed by us all. We retired folks welcome him to our ranks and know he will enjoy retirement as much as we do! John's last day in the office will be July 31, 2009.

President Rude has appointed Fraternal Director Eivind Heiberg as the Interim CEO in accordance with the succession plan that was updated during the recent board meeting this past April. President Rude is also appointing a search committee to begin reviewing candidates for a new CEO.

The last couple of days have been full of of mixed feelings for me. I spent all day yesterday vacillating between being ecstatic about Eivind being appointed Interim CEO (because he’s got a lot of great ideas and is a wonderful guy to work for), and feeling a great sense of loss over John’s departure. I’ve been with Sons of Norway for almost 9 years myself and John has been one of the few constants during my tenure. It’s a difficult thing saying goodbye to that.

I'd like to add to President Rude's comments by saying that John has been a leader and a role model for so many of us at Sons of Norway. His tireless efforts have made Sons of Norway a stronger, better organization for everyone. His constant leadership through good times and bad have been a beacon of stability. But above all, John has been the best role model I ever could have hoped for.

The lessons I've learned from John are legion. Watching John over the years I've learned that it's best to lead by example; to be honest, modest and decisive; to be open to different voices and new experiences because you never know what might learn from them. Above all, I've learned that change can be a good thing; change is life; change is what makes each new day new, and worth getting up for.

That being so, please join me in celebration of all John’s accomplishments and contributions to Sons of Norway, and in wishing him well in his retirement! We’re all going to miss the heck out of him!

Remember how I was talking about the cool stuff planned for the upcoming Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival? Well, I've got an update with more info about what's going to be going on.

As part of the festival's “Nordic Spirit Rocks!” theme, the teenage band KEHO, from Finland, “ROCKS” and will be in Fargo-Moorhead for a week holding workshops, working with Trollwood students and participating in the Festival. Along with new music styles, there’ll be the traditional Finnish sounds of Kanteleen Soittajat kantele group and Järvenpää Singers; the sweet vocals from Saana Ensemble and the danceable music of Finn Hall Band. Kisaret Finnish Folk Dancers will make your toes want to dance and the Sumolainen Sisters (the Finnish version of Those Lutheran Ladies) will laugh you “off of your rocker”.

Lively Danish folk music will make you hop with Denmark’s fiddle-accordion duo Jensen & Bugge. Icelandic-Canadian multi-media performance artist Freya Olafson will intrigue you with her interpretation of the life of her ancestors. Arna Rennan will sing sweet ancient and traditional Norwegian songs of the past. Swedish fiddle tunes by a group of the American Swedish Institute’s Spelmanslag will make your heart sing. The ancient sounds of Saami Yoik music will be shared by Nathan Muus and the Saami Siida Camp will feature the Lake Crystal Reindeer, Saami lavvu (tents) and displays.

If that weren't enough, Beatrice Ojakangas, author of many amazing Scandinavian and other cookbooks including Scandinavian Feasts, will whet the appetites of attendees by sharing genuine recipes during the Cooking School and be the guest chef for a dinner at HoDo Restaurant during Nordic Nightlife in Downtown Friday night. Musicians will also be featured in downtown establishments during Nordic Nightlife Take the Traditions Tour and fill up your passport with stamps as you explore the Nordic cultures.

I'm pretty stoked about this event! Any readers out there who are planning on coming to the festival should stop by one the Sons of Norway booths and say hi!

Norwegian Football

Today we have a post from Colin, Sons of Norway's Cultural Advisor, on Norway's run for the WC (pun intended as either interpretation may be applicable) and some info on Norwegian football.

Last week we blogged about Norway’s national soccer team and their bid to qualify for next year’s World Cup in South Africa. Sadly, with a draw against Macedonia and a loss to the Netherlands, Norway’s chances of making it into the tournament are looking dim.

No one seriously expected Norway to beat the Dutch team – which is consistently ranked as one of the best teams in the world – but the scoreless tie to tiny Macedonia was a major disappointment. You can read analysis of the Macedonia match here and the Dutch game here. The Norwegians will have to win against the tough Scottish team in August and the feisty Icelandic squad in September to keep their World Cup dreams alive.

For some sunnier news then, we’ll turn to Norwegian professional soccer.

Norway’s top-level soccer league, formally called Eliteserien but also known as Tippeligaen, consists of 16 teams from around the country. Over the course of the season, which lasts from spring to autumn, the teams each play each other twice, once at home and once away. As with most soccer leagues, league standing is determined by a point system, where a win is worth three points, a draw is worth one, and a loss is worth zero. At the end of the season, the team with the most points is the winner – which is to say that there isn’t really a post-season or playoff tournament to decide the league champion.

Another major difference between North American professional sports and Norwegian professional soccer is the system of promotion and relegation, common to soccer leagues around the world. At the end of the season, the bottom two teams in the league are kicked out and sent down – relegated - to the next-lowest division, while the top two teams in the lower division are moved up – promoted – to the top league. There are several divisions included in the system, which means that in theory, over the course of years a wealthy team can be relegated to a semi-pro division, while a local amateur team can turn itself into a professional powerhouse. In practice, a small handful of teams have tended to dominate the top league, but it does happen frequently that teams from small towns do well at the top level. A case in point would be Molde FK, hailing from the small city in Møre og Romsdal, which began its current spell in the top league only two years ago and is currently ranked #2, beating out far wealthier teams from Oslo and Bergen.

Here’s a list of the current top-level teams and where they come from:

Tromsø IL: Tromsø
Bodø/Glimt: Bodø
Molde FK: Molde
Aalesunds FK: Ålesund
SK Brann: Bergen
Viking FK: Stavanger
IK Start: Kristiansand
Strømsgodset IF: Drammen
Stabæk Fotball: Bekkestua (Bærum)
Lillestrøm SK: Lillestrøm
Vålerenga: Oslo
Lyn: Oslo
Fredrikstad FK: Fredrikstad
Sandefjord: Sandefjord
Odd Grenland: Skien

Got Scandi-Folk?

For those in the Midwest Region this weekend, specifically the Brainerd Lakes region, consider getting in a healthy dose of Scandinaviannocity at the Nisswa-Stämman Scandinavian Folk Music Festival.

Now in its tenth year, the Nisswa-Stämman offers visitors two days of music, dancing and Scandinavian culture. With three stages, a “dance barn” and a children’s area, there’s plenty for the Sons of Norway family to enjoy.

Check out the Nisswa-Stämmen site for more details on the Friday night and Saturday events! Rumour has it there may even be an appearance of the Åke UFO! Organizers beg visitors to remember one thing for this festival, though: to bring your own lawn chairs! Seating is, apparently, scarce.

Russ (Rhymes with Moose), or You Thought Senior Prank Day Was Bad?

We've got a really interesting article today from Nichole about the yearly Norwegian happening, called Russ. Enjoy!

As schools across the US begin to wind down, we thought it might be an apt time to expose our members to an interesting Norwegian end of schooling tradition…

Right about now, you’ll see stories on Aftenposten, detailing the fall out from the annual Russ celebrations.
Q: What is this Russ celebration?
A: One of Norway’s most confusing (IMO) and entertaining pastimes.

This annual tradition (russfeiring or russ celebration) surrounds the graduation of students from secondary school, who are preparing to enter university. The most striking visual component to this celebration is the red (for school of arts) and blue (for economics) coveralls that the graduates wear. Tradition dictates they wear these for over two weeks at the beginning of May.

While the donning of the coveralls marks an important rite of passage for these young adults, it can often mean mayhem for the communities of the graduates. These youngsters receive knots, which dangle from their russ caps, that connote the completion of different outlandish tasks (examples can be found in the articles).

In recent years, Russ have spent thousands of dollars outfitting party busses and pulling elaborate pranks. Communities, which would otherwise condemn their loud and constant partying seem, for the most part, to accept the weeks as an earned tradition for the students.

Next time you see Fraternal Director Eivind Heiberg, ask him about his experiences with as a Russ. Most certainly, he’ll have a yarn or two to share…

Russ in pictures:

• Typical Russ outfit
• Red and blue Russ with curious bystanders
• Russ visit the Royals

(search hard and you can even find a picture of young HRH Crown Prince Haakon!)

*Some of this information was obtained from Culture Shock! A Guide to Customs and Etiquette by Elizabeth Su-Dale.

Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival: It's almost that time of year again!

It's almost that time of year again when Nordic folk from around the Midwest will be come together and celebrate their shared heritage at the 32nd Annual Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival, being held from June 26-28 at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead.

It's always been a fun event for me, partly because the the variety that the festival is known for. Not only do vendors and entertainers change from year-to-year, so does the national focus. This year, for example, Hjemkomst is bringing some great programs highlighting Finnish culture and traditions.

I know, I know, you're probably asking yourself why the Sons of NORWAY blog is participating in an event that's focusing on Finnland, right? The answer is simple: our mission, beyong preserving Norwegian heritage and culture, is to celebrate our relationship with other Nordic countries. We all have a shared heritage and a shared pride in where we/our ancestors came from and Hjemkomst is a great event that focuses on that fact.

This year will be no different in that Hjemkomst is bringing in a lot of great traditional and modern programming and music. Think about the rocks of Scandinavia’s geology, steamy sauna rocks, stories told by grandparents in the heirloom rocking chair and electrified traditional Nordic instruments that rock! Deeply rooted Nordic arts and traditions along with the modern Scandinavian cultures will be showcased.

A variety of Scandinavian music genres from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Saamiland will provide something for everyone at the Festival. One can hear the ancient sounds of the drum and Saami Yoik, to the traditional and electrified Finnish Kantele; as well as fiddles, accordions, and songs by one voice to a full chorus.

It's going to be a really exciting event and Sons of Norway is proud to be a Festival Sponsor of this year's festival. We're all over the place at this year's event--Kringen lodge will have a booth on level 1, the Heritage Stage/Sons of Norway stage are on level 2 and Sons of Norway International will have a booth on level 3. Be sure to stop at one of our locations and say hello!

Lodges in the News

As you may remember, I posted about a lodge discovering a time capsule beneath one of its old lodge buildings There's a nice article online about the District 2 lodge that opened it up this past Saturday. According to the article, "Doug Dixon, a member of the Sons of Norway, Leif Erikson Lodge, with good-natured groans hammered at the box with a chisel, the lid gave way revealing Dec. 29, 1950, copies of what was then known as The Seattle Daily Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Washington Posten Norwegian newspaper; newsletters from Valkyrien Lodge Daughters of Norway; and documents related to the founding of the Leif Erikson Lodge, the Norwegian Men's Chorus and others."

Pretty cool stuff. I'd be interested to hear what kinds of lodge documents they found.