INDEX (click on a topic to go directly to that news item)

March-April Newsletter available soon! Skjold Lodge Moves To New Location Leif Erikson Lodge Corn Beef Dinner Obituary - Lance David Amack New Honorary Consul General in Minneapolis

Travel to Norway SON Foundation needs your help Tell Us about your Scandinavian Activitiy Event MORE PHOTOS! 5 New Members Join Skjold Lodge

NEWS ITEMS

MARCH-APRIL ISSUE OF SKJOLD NEWS AVAILABLE SOON!  

The March-April issue of Skjold News is at the post office and should be arriving in homes soon.

CAN'T WAIT? - <Click Here> to view an on-line version.  But you have to wait for your paper version to get your next set of raffle tickets.  We are also including another reservation form for our upcoming Centennial celebration in case you need another.

SKJOLD LODGE MOVES TO NEW LOCATION

Our meetings will be held at a new location (approximately 1 mile north of our current meeting location of Bethel Lutheran church.

Our meetings continue to be held at 3:00PM on the 4th Sunday of each month:

Our new location is:

The center is the focus of Ukrainian educational, cultural and social programs for youth of Ukrainian descent and serves suburban Chicago.

AUYA is located mid-way between South Hicks Road and South Plum Grove Road on the north side of East Illinois Avenue.

Directions to the AUYA Ukrainian Center:
From Highway 53, Exit west on West Euclid Avenue and take the first right to Hicks Road.

Travel north approximately 3 blocks and turn left (west) on East Illinois Avenue.
Travel approximately 3 blocks.

AUYA Center is on the north side of East Illinois Avenue, half way between S. Hicks and S. Plum Road.

New construction, recently completed at AUYA, has significantly expanded this facility with additional meeting facilities and a new gymnasium we hope to use for our Heritage Fest.  This facility has handicap access with ramps and an elevator, expanded lighted parking next to the building, a full kitchen and a bar which can be open for selected events.

We share a common bond with AUYA as they have cultural enrichment programs, a school of Ukrainian dance, language classes, community events, concerts and gatherings, as well as inter-mural soccer and athletic activities.  On a Saturday you might find 200 children at the center, participating in their programs.

Please join us for our meetings and events at this new location.

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Leif Erikson Lodge Annual Corn Beef Dinner

Annual Corn Beef Dinner
Svithiod Hall
5516 W. Lawrence Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
Catered by Ray Harrington - Family Style
Social and Meeting 2:00 P.M.
Dinner Served 4:00 P.M.
$25.00 per person



Plenty of Free Parking on the street, behind the hall and at Jewel

Place your reservations - ASAP with:
Vi Convington 708-788-0316
or
Lee Hardison 773772-8821

Obituary: LANCE DAVID AMACK  

Lance David Amack, 66, beloved fiance of Debbie Saunders, stepfather to her son, Thomas Trierweiler Jr., cousin and uncle to dozens, died Feb. 11, 2010. He was born Dec. 20, 1943, in Evanston, Ill., and had lived in Elgin in recent years. Lance was a lifelong musician, playing guitar in several rock bands. He was also an avid camper, canoeist and fisherman, stemming from his youth when he made many camping trips with his dad around Dowagiac, Mich. He is survived by his brother, Lester Amack, and preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Frances Amack, his brother Lawrence Amack Jr., and his sister, Lois Foster. He will be cremated and a memorial service will be arranged later this spring.

New Norwegian Honorary Consul General in Minneapolis  

     
Mr. Gary Gandrud has been appointed new Norwegian Honorary Consul General in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He follows Vice President Walter Mondale who made the decision to step down as of January 15th.


“I welcome Mr. Gary Gandrud as new Consul General in Minneapolis.  Attorney-at-Law Gary Gandrud has served as Norwegian Honorary Consul since 2007. Gandrud has been instrumental in the establishment and support of a number of Norwegian American institutions, and has a very high standing in the community,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

“I fully understand that Consul General Mondale, now 82 years old, has decided that he wants to retire as Consul General for Norway," Mr. Støre said.

"I would like to thank Consul General Mondale for his outstanding service and his many contributions to US-Norwegian relations. Under his leadership the Consulate General has supported the expansion of business and educational collaboration, and has been actively involved in the promotion of cultural exchange. With his hard work and dedication to public service, Consul General Mondale represents the best of the Norwegian American heritage,” the Norwegian Foreign Minister said.

CREDITS: The Norway Post

TRAVEL TO NORWAY - June 16, 2010

One of the benefits of belonging to Sons of Norway is learning about travel opportunities in Norway.

Tronderlag of America (a bygdelag) is sponsoring a heritage tour of Trøndelag and north, across the Arctic Circle.

Their customized tour, created with the help of one of their Norwegian members, travels through Trøndelag and parts of Norway many have not seen.  Beginning June 16, 2010, you travel north of Trøndheim for a combination of mountains, valleys, coastal area, fjords, and hopefully a chance to see the Midnight Sun.

The bus tour portion of the trip ends in Trøndheim for research at the archives, sightseeing, and visits to relatives in the area.  If your heritage is from Trøndelag, Tronderlag of America hopes to be able to help you make contact with relatives connected to the farm or place of your Trønder heritage. Return dates for the trip are June 28 or July 1.  Reservations for the trip are currently being accepted.

While the trip is for Tronderlag of America members, others can enjoy this tour.  In 2005, individuals joined Tronderlag of America for the modest dues of $12 just to be included in that tour.  If your Norwegian heritage is from mid-Norway this may be the trip for you.  Learn more by contacting president@tronderlag.org  or visiting  www.tronderlag.org.

This tour information is provided as general information only.  Skjold Lodge does recommend or endorse specific travel opportunities.

Does your lag have a special event you want us to feature?
Skjold Lodge members belong to several different bygdelags.  Please contact the Webmaster and we would be happy to feature your event.

SONS OF NORWAY FOUNDATION - will you help?

"Focused on the future - Building on our history"
October is "Foundation Month" at Sons of Norway.  While you can make a donation at any time of year, we give the Foundation special focus in the month of October.

More than ever, Sons of Norway Foundation needs your help this year!

GRANTS
From General Heritage & Culture grants like the one we received in Chicago to help raise money for the preservation of the 1893 Viking ship, Lodge Partnership grants, Helping Hands to Children grants, or Helping Hands to Member grants to assist Sons of Norway members who lose their homes due to natural disasters. the Sons of Norway Foundation helps members in many ways.

SCHOLARSHIPS
Another way the foundation helps, is by granting scholarships to deserving students.  In 2008 over $100,000 in scholarships were awarded.  The Foundation is focusing on the future through our scholarship recipients as they learn Norwegian history and language and keep us up to date on the Norway of today.

If you would like to you can target your giving to a specific type of scholarship.

Read more about the different scholarships by <clicking here>.

Not to favor any one scholarship, but as an example, each year my wife and I donate to the Foundation with the money designated to go to the Nancy Lorraine Jensen Memorial Scholarship Fund and women majoring in science.

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur S. Jensen established this fund in memory of their remarkable daughter, Nancy Lorraine Jensen, an aerospace engineer/chemist at NASA, who died unexpectedly at age 35. The fund encourages female American citizens between 17 and 35 to apply for financial assistance for programs in chemistry or physics, or in chemical, electrical or mechanical engineering. The candidate, or parent/grandparent of the candidate, must be a current member of Sons of Norway.

As a further example you can read more about this year's awards for this scholarship and the accomplishments of these young women at the Sons of Norway web site by <clicking here>.

Emily Santee (left) is a junior at the University of Washington, where she studies chemical engineering.

Amanda Sorensen (right) is a sophomore Honors Program Aerospace Engineering major on the Dean’s List at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.







Amanda Lund (left) is a physics major and member of the honors college at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who just finished her third year as an undergraduate. She is currently doing research with one of her professors for the Borexino Solar Neutrino Detector, which is located at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy (the largest underground lab in the world).

Kristin Ward (right) is a freshman at Villanova University, where she is taking introduction to engineering courses, including engineering computation, physics (mechanics), and chemistry.


Read about these scholarships and find one which matches your desire to help.

Please consider giving to the Sons of Norway Foundation this year.  The current worldwide financial situation has also affected the Foundation and this year they need your help more than ever to continue their worthwhile efforts.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EVENT

Skjold lodge will post information about your Norwegian or Scandinavian themed event on our Programs and Events page

Members of Sons of Norway lodges:  Please let us know about your activities.  Skjold Members attend meetings and activities of other lodges.

Members of bygdelags:  Please let us know about your activities.  Skjold members have ancestors from all over Norway.  Many would be interested in what your lag is doing.

MORE PHOTOS are available!

Mange Tusen Takk to Lorrie Brenner who has been busy and made even more photos of lodge and related events available.  Go our Photo Gallery Page to view.  Members - please join us at events, there are a lot of fun and interesting things going on.  Not a member?  Please consider joining Skjold Lodge - Learn more on our Membership Page.

Skjold Lodge Welcomes 5 New Members

Skjold lodge is proud to have 5 new members joining the lodge.  All 5 were recognized with an initiation ceremony Friday, April, 24, 2009.  WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! From left to right: Sara Costello, Nancy Ferris, Ray Syverson, Paul Abrahamsen, Robert Cummings
Click on the picture for a larger version.
We had good food, good entertainment and topped off the meal with a welcome cake in honor of the new members.