Dear Vesterheim Members and Friends: MAY - JUNE 2014

Dear Vesterheim Members and Friends: MAY - JUNE 2014   Our 35th Anniversary was a rousing success with 64 members and guests in attendance. This yearʼ...
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Dear Vesterheim Members and Friends: MAY - JUNE 2014   Our 35th Anniversary was a rousing success with 64 members and guests in attendance. This yearʼs committee deserves much of the praise.   Please offer your appreciation and gratitude to Addy Martinez, Cathy Allen, and Joy Gundersen for making the silent auction and anniversary luncheon a smashing success. In addition, I would like to thank each and every SON member for coming out and supporting Vesterhiem Lodge this past Saturday, without your participation and years of support our lodge would not be where it is today.   For those of you who could not make the anniversary luncheon, you missed hearing John Thompsonʼs story about the Norwegian Table Prayer, greetings from district, zone, and visiting lodge dignitaries, a letter from Ole and Sven read by Ras Erdal of Stein Fjell Lodge, and Barbara Robbʼs “Readers Digest” condensed version of milestones and history of Vesterhiem Lodge.   With May upon us, our thoughts turn to 17th of May – this year is an extremely important year in Norwegian history as this Syttende Mai represents the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Norwegian constitution.  We have invited students from CU Nordic program to join us in our celebration. Please take the time to come out and join us in celebrating this momentous event. This will be the last organized general meeting until fall as we are committed to supporting the new Scan Fest in Estes Park.   Please save the following dates and come out and help the lodge:   Saturday, 3 May  – 23rd annual Jay Road Cleanup              Meet in the parking lot Greek Orthodox Church on Jay Road at 9   Saturday, 17 May   – Vesterheim Lodgeʼs Syttende Mai celebration   Saturday, 14 June  - Lefse bake at the home of Garry and Carol Gorsuch             Help make lefse to sell at the Scan Fest.   Saturday & Sunday, 28 & 29 June – Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Estes Park.  Vesterheim Lodge will be assisting with food sales on Sunday, please email me if you can volunteer for a 2-hour shift. Support the Scandinavian Community by attending the festival.   Mange hilsen,   Erik Peters, President

CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY May 3

9 am

JAY ROAD PICK-UP. Meet at St. Peter & Paul Church on Jay Rd. Brunch & coffee at Dotʼs Diner afterwards. See p.8 for details.

May 4

Sun 5 pm

TRØNDERTUN FOLKEHØGSKOLE & BOULDER JAZZ CONCERT E. Town Hall, 1535 Spruce Street. $10. See p.8 for details.

May 13

Tue 7 pm

VESTERHEIM BOARD MEETING at Atonement Lutheran Church, Baseline and Inca Parkway. Meeting is open to all members.

May 17

Sat 4-7

17 MAI CELEBRATION. Atonement Lutheran Church, Baseline & Inca Parkway. Potluck, music, dancing, Vikings. See Cultural Corner on p.3 for details.

May 20

Tue 1-4

HÅNDARBEIDER at LaVonne Petersonʼs. 303-465-5070.

May 28

Wed 10-12:30

BOOK CLUB at “The Egg & I”, Basemar Shopping Center. Discussing “The Pillars of Society” by Henrik Ibsen. See Cultural Corner p.3 for details.

JUNE Jun 10

Tue 7 pm

VESTERHEIM BOARD MEETING at Atonement Lutheran Church, Baseline and Inca Parkway. Meeting is open to all members.

Jun 14

Sat 2-5

LEFSE BAKE. Carol & Garry Gorsuchʼs. 2443 Kalmia, Boulder. RSVP 303-443-3380. Making lefse for Scandinavian Festival.

Jun 17

Tue noon

HÅNDARBEIDER going out for lunch. Phone Joy Gundersen at 303-664-1023 for details.

Jun 25

Wed 10-12:30

BOOK CLUB at “The Egg & I”, Basemar Shopping Center. Reading “Witchesʼ Rings” by Kerstin Ekman. See Cultural Corner p.3 for details.

Jun 28-29

Sat 9:30-5 Sun 9:30-4

SCANDINAVIAN MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL. Bond Park, Estes Park. Come visit the SON lefse booth! Please read p.9 in this newsletter for details and how you might help out.

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CULTURAL CORNER 17th OF MAY   Vesterheim Lodge will celebrate Norwegian Independence Day on May 17 at 4:00 PM at Atonement Lutheran Church, Inca Parkway and Baseline Road. 2014 is a special year for Norwegians as they celebrate 200 years of independence. Norwegian representatives from all of over Norway gathered at Eidsvoll, near Oslo, and declared their independence on May 17, 1814. The May Viking magazine has several interesting articles on May 17 and the historical events leading up to this day. We plan to enjoy music and dancing in addition to performances by the Fjellborg Vikings.  Hot dogs and ice cream will be served and a delicious potluck meal. Please bring a side dish or dessert serving 8-10 people.  We will eat around 5:00 PM so your dish should be there by that time. We hope all of our members will come for this festive event and invite friends and neighbors to come also.

35TH ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON THANK YOU We want to thank all those who worked so hard to make this day a success. Thanks especially to our committee:  Cathy Allen, Joy Gundersen, and Addy Martinez. Thank you also to our members who decorated the tables and helped with the Silent Auction. We appreciated Barbara Robbʼs history of our lodge and the music provided by Jeff Barton and Dave Morton. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary and enjoy a delicious meal and fellowship.

SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL   The Scandinavian Festival will be held in Estes Park, CO June 28-29. Our Lodge will participate in a food booth with three other Lodges:  Trollheim, Fjelldalen, and Fjellheim.  We hope to see a good turnout from our members and help make this Festival the best ever.

BOOK CLUB                     The Vesterheim Book Club will meet May 28 at the Egg and I in Boulder.  The time has been changed to 10:00 AM. Our May selection is Henrik Ibsenʼs drama: The Pillars of Society. This is considered his first contemporary realist drama and was published and performed in 1877. Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th century Norwegian playwright, theater director, and poet. He is often referred to as “the father of realism” and is one of the founders of Modernism in theater.  Henrik Ibsenʼs plays are performed today worldwide and his play, A Dollʼs House became the worldʼs most performed play by the early 20th century. The June 25 selection is Witchesʼ Rings by Kerstin Ekman, a Swedish novelist. Kerstin  Ekman wrote a string of successful detective novels but later went on to psychological and social themes. She was elected a member of the Swedish Academy in 1978. Witchesʼ Rings is set in a Swedish village in the 1870ʼs as an excited and suspicious citizenry await the first train to arrive at their newly constructed station. It is a town full of hardy and endearingly eccentric souls. Again, all are welcome to join our book club.  Feel free to come one time or several times and join us for a stimulating discussion!

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OPEN FACE SANDWICH WITH PICKLED HERRING (SURSILD) Firm dark rye or pumpernickel bread Butter, unsalted is best Bibb lettuce Pickled herring Apple slice Sour cream Fresh dill or parsley

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FINANCIAL BENEFITS

Butter coarse, dark rye or pumpernickel bread lightly. Top with Bibb lettuce leaf. Cover generously with herring and onion slices from the pickled herring. Add a dollop of sour cream, an apple slice and a sprig of dill or parsley.

Living too long or dying too young are dilemmas we may face with family, friends, and even ourselves. Living too long can bring about lengthy illness, debilitating health concerns and outliving our money. Up until now, long term care insurance was the go to way to protect yourself and assets from such issues. Sons of Norway has just added a Chronic Illness Accelerated BenefitsRider to include in a life insurance policy with us.  We also have a Terminal Illness Rider.   This means you can now have protection from dying too soon, living with a chronic illness and having the money to help cover such expenses and even receiving money if you are deemed terminally ill, all from one life insurance policy.   Do yourself and your family a favor, check into this with your F i n a n c i a l B e n e fi t s Counselor and see how this may work for you.

As an alternative, try this combination: bibb lettuce, slices of boiled potato, pickled herring, red onion slices, fresh dill. Sliced hard boiled eggs, chopped scallions and capers are also good alternatives/additions, and use sliced lemons as a garnish.

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PICKLED HERRING ! ! MARINADE 6 pickled herring fillets, rinsed and cut into 1 inch !pieces 3 tbsp sour cream 2 tbsp mayonnaise 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 shallot, finely diced  1/2 apple, diced 1 tsp pepper 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

LaRue Hanson, FBC 2523 Shalimar Dr. Colorado Springs 80915 Office 719-599-8546 Cell 719-237-7314 [email protected]

Combine ingredients in a bowl and chill for several hours to blend the flavors. Serve on buttered rye bread or rye crisp and garnish with chopped chives.

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flights to Norway. Tuftin also shares that internal research by Innovation Norway is indicating that more families with children are looking to Norway for travel. In addition, data collected by Skyscanner comparing flight searches from the U.S. to Norway showed a 153 percent increase over the same time period last year.

“FROZEN” DRIVES INCREASE IN NORWEGIAN TOURIST INDUSTRY

It remains to be seen whether the boost in travel searches to Norway will translate to booked flights, however Overgaard points to a similar scenario enjoyed by Scotlandʼs tourism industry after the success of Disneyʼs “Brave” in 2012. “That country embarked on a similar partnership with Disney upon the release of ʻBraveʼ in 2012, Now tourism officials there say ʻBraveʼ-related visits are expected to bring in $200 million over the next five years.” Disneyʼs latest box-office hit, “Frozen,” has been collecting accolades and breaking records, landing in the top spot on a list of the highest grossing animated films and winning an Oscar for Best Animation Feature and another for Best Original Song for “Let It Go.”

A Few of Frozenʼs Scandinavian Influences: •Sámi culture inspired several different aspects of the film including Sven the reindeer, decorations on the sled that mimic duoji décor and the clothing style of the ice cutters.

Inspired by H. C. Andersenʼs story, “The Snow Queen,” and taking its art cues for the fictional kingdom of Arendelle from Bergen, Norway, “Frozen” offers moviegoers many Nordic influences they will recognize. Art director Mike Giaimo explains, “Norway offered a cultural backdrop weʼd never explored before and we thought ʻWouldnʼt it be great to blend its dramatic environment, architecture and folk costume aesthetic?ʼ It feels like a world from a classic Disney film, but itʼs completely new.”

• Sámi musician Frode Fjellheim's “Eatnemen Vuelie” is the film's opening song. It contains elements of the traditional Sámi singing style, joik. • Art directors were inspired by elements of Akershus Fortress, Nidaros Cathedral, Bryggen, Stave churches and Viking ships.

As a result of the filmʼs Nordic styling and record-breaking popularity, Innovation Norway, Norwayʼs official tourism organization, and a joint partner in Disneyʼs marketing efforts for the film, is reporting a 350 percent increase in viewership of their website in the U.S. Per Arne Tuftin, Innovation Norwayʼs director of tourism, and Sidsel Overgaard, a Scandinavian journalist, identified other significant increases for Norwegian tourism as a result of the film in an interview with NPR in March. According to Overgaard, the travel site, Kayak is reporting a 14 percent increase in Americans searching for

• The setting for the filmʼs fictional kingdom of Arendelle mimics the Nærøyfjord. • Arendelleʼs royal castle interior borrows from hand painted patterns found decorating castle walls in Oslo. The exterior design of the castle references the triangular rooflines and shingles found in stave churches. Source: Sons of Norway Newsletter Service 5

MAGNESIUM AND HIP FRACTURES

NORWAYʼS DESIGNER JAILS ARE ALMOST A VACATION

Norway has one of the highest levels of hip fractures in the world. Each year about 9,000 people in Norway have a fracture. Many risk factors are involved, such as diet, vitamin D levels, smoking, weight to height ratio and physical activity. However, there is a relatively large variation in the incidence of hip fractures between different regions in Norway.

Instead of isolating prisoners in harsh, sparse living arrangements which emphasize punishment, as we do in the US, prisons such as Halden and Bastøy have all the comforts of a college. Unbarred windows, a flat screen TV, mini-fridges and computer in every room, and attached white tiled bathrooms with fluffy white towels. There are common rooms for relaxing, and a shared kitchen. How about a gym, with a rock wall included? A pearly white dentist office. And a recording studio for the prison jazz band! Outside are wooded grounds with jogging trails and modern benches for relaxing

Researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health created a list of all hip fractures in Norway, and drew a map showing the different water utility companies which supply the various regions, and compared the two. They followed approximately 700,000 men and women over seven years and registered the number of hip fractures from these different regions.

After a days work, the “prisoners” take classes to prepare themselves for re-entry into society farming, philosophy and music are among the choices.

There are large differences in the quality of drinking water in Norway. The variations in magnesium and calcium levels in drinking water from the differing regions was studied, since these minerals have a role in the development of bone strength. The outcome of the study was surprising. The results show that drinking water with a relatively high concentration of magnesium protects against hip fractures for both men and women, but no independent protective effect of calcium was found. A higher incidence of hip fracture was also associated with urbanization, regardless of the calcium and magnesium. Further study is recommended.

In Norway there is no death penalty, and the longest sentence is 25 years. So rehabilitation has been a major force behind incarceration. The punishment is considered losing ones freedom. At Halden you find 50% of the guards are women. The guards donʼt carry guns and routinely eat their meals and play sports with the inmates. Within two years of release, as many as 60% of those released in the US and England end up back in jail. In Norway it is roughly 20%, and from Bastøy it is only 16%. Source: http://www.policymic.com/articles/ 81233jkjk; Norway News 2/6/14

The study was made in collaboration with the Universities of Bergen, Tromsø, Trondheim and Oslo, and funded by the Norwegian Research Council. Source: Norwegian Institute of Public Health 2/18/2014. image by http://www.tranquilwatergardens.ie/ 6

consist of valleys and glens separated by mountains and fjords. The population in these areas had limited contact with the outside world. As a result, cultural differences and distinct local dialects emerged. When Norway was reestablished as an independent nation in 1814, as part of creating a national identity, a decision was made to follow two paths: to develop a new written language based on Norwegian dialects, and to Norwegianize the Danish.

THE NORWEGIAN LANGUAGE Norwegian is a Germanic language along with Swedish, Danish, Icelandic and Faroese. Except for small communities of migrants, the language is not spoken outside of Norway. Norwegian has two written forms: Bokmål (literally book language) and Nynorsk (new Norwegian). Spoken Norwegian consists of a variety of different dialects. The dialects are generally broken into 4 groups based on location – E a s t e r n , Western, Trondsk, and Northern. There are many variants within each group.

Ivar Aasen (1813-1896) developed Landsmål based on extensive research on rural dialects in western and central parts of southern Norway. In 1929 it was labeled Nynorsk. Knud Knudsen (1812-1895) had the goal of altering Danish until it reflected the informal speech of the educated classes in Norway. Riksmål was established as norm by spelling reform in 1907. In 1929 this variant was labeled Bokmål. It became a political goal to fuse Nynorsk and Bokmål into one form called Samnorsk. This was abandoned in 1960s. Today Bokmål is dominant in all sections of the Norwegian society and used by 85-90% of the population. Nynorsk expanded until World War II when it was used by 1/3 of all Norwegians. Today only 10-15% of the population is using Nynorsk. Most users live in the central and western parts of southern Norway where the spoken dialect closely resembles the written form.

During the Middle Ages, Norway was an independent kingdom. The spoken language was Old Norse, the language of the Vikings. In 1349 the Black Death wiped out almost half of the Norwegian population. Only a few literate people survived, so there was no one to preserve the written Norwegian language.

In primary education the students are taught either Bokmål or Nynorsk. In secondary education they study both.... There is no standard spoken Norwegian. The Education Act states that the teacher “should pay due attention to the vernacular used by pupils, and that he or she should not attempt to make them abandon their home dialect” (Jahr 2007).

In 1397 Norway entered a union with Denmark that lasted until 1814. Denmark dominated the union, and Danish became the primary language for the Norwegian elite. The churches used the Danish bible, the law was written in Danish, and all literature, prose, and poetry in Norway was written in Danish. This had a crucial effect on the written language.

Today about 20,000 individuals in Norway have the Sami language as their mother tongue. Sami is a member of the Finno-Ugric branch of languages, and its roots in Norway may extend as far back as Norwegian.

Early in the 19th century, educated Norwegians wrote Danish and spoke Danish with a Norwegian accent. The remaining 95% of the population spoke Norwegian dialects. The dialects had developed during the 400 years under Danish rule. Large portions of Norway

Source: quoted from Freya Lodge Newsletter 3/2014, taken from Norwegian University of Science and Technology – Trondheim 7

JAY ROAD CLEAN-UP 9 AM SATURDAY MAY 3 ST. PETER & PAUL CHURCH

TRØNDERTUN FOLKEHØGSKOLE JAZZ CONCERT

Dear Vesterheim Members,

SUNDAY MAY 4TH AT 5 PM

Our  Sons of Norway Vesterheim Lodge   has been cleaning up Jay Road since September 25, 1991. We have realized that the time has come to find more volunteers or give this Community Service Project to another nonprofit organization.   We have had faithful members all these years! I will name a few that have been the core group: Dave and Jan Rogers, Dale and Lavonne Peterson, Gary and Ellen Grabau and Lynn Anderson. Several others have joined on occasion! We have had a great time of fellowship through the years and cleaned up the road besides! We are acknowledging that our age and physical health is not what it used to be 23 years ago!   Gary knows  that I have relunctantly agreed to  give up this project because I asked for and received the first Road for Pick-up in Boulder County when I was President of Vesterheim.     On May 3, 2014 we will meet for the last time for Jay Road Clean-up! Please meet at St. Peter and St. Paul's church on Jay Road at 9 a.m. We will have brunch and coffee at Dot's Diner on 28th Street afterwards.   Sincerely, Ellen Grabau

E TOWN HALL 1535 Spruce Street, Boulder $10 Adult, $5 Student E Town Ticketing Office 303-443-8696

On Sunday, May 4th at 5 p.m. the Boulder High Jazz Band and their Norwegian guests from Trøndertun Folkehøgskole near Trondheim, Norway will present a wonderful jazz concert directed by local jazz artist, Brad Upton.   The Boulder High Jazz Band has just returned from a two week music exchange program in Norway and Germany and this concert on May 4th represents the culmination of their work with their Norwegian counterparts. Vesterheim sponsors the exchange between the two schools as part of their Adopt-A-School program.

LEFSE BAKE Saturday June 14, 2-5 pm Garry & Carol Gorsuchʼs 2443 Kalmia Ave, Boulder RSVP 303-443-3380

Tickets are $10 per adult, $5 per student and may be obtained from eTown's ticketing office at 303-443-8696 or at the door.

We will be making lefse to sell at the Sons of Norway booth at the Scandinavian Festival.

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our handarbeider sessions. Sharonʼs aunt was the original founder and director of the festival for many years.

SCANDINAVIAN MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL ZONE 8 LODGE PARTICIPATION

IF YOU WISH TO HELP: Lynne Anderson is co-chair of the Silent Auction. If you have any items to donate please give them to her. She will be looking for helpers both Saturday and Sunday.

The Zone 8 (Colorado) lodges will have a booth which will be selling pre-packaged units of lefse and also pre-packaged rosettes and krumkake.  At present Vesterheim has committed 200 lefse and Fjellheim has committed to 500. The demonstration tent adjoining the Sons of Norway tent is for making samples of lefse to distribute to attendees.  Garry Gorsuch will be in charge of this.  

Steve Persson will be manning the Icelandair Raffle Booth, and will also need help. Erik Peters will be looking for folks to fill in the Sunday afternoon shift at the lefse booth. Kristine Feste-Hanson is in charge of the Demo tent and is arranging a bunad fashion show this year. Please contact her if you can help. If you can make rosettes or krumkake for the Zone 8 booth, please let Erik or Lyle know. An old  Norskie lay sprawled across three entire seats in a movie theater. When the usher came by and noticed this, he whispered to the old man, "Sorry sir, but you're only allowed one seat."

Fjellheim is providing staff for the Friday evening set-up plus the first shift on Saturday morning. Vesterheim is providing staff for the final Sunday shift and take down of tent and supplies. Other lodges are to provide staff for the other shifts.   Sons of Norway is also joining the other Scandinavian/Nordic groups in a combined information station which will be located at the corner of Bond Park. Roland Nilsson who represents the Swedish clubs is in charge, with Lyle Berge, Sons of Norway, as assistant. Stein Fjell Lodge is providing staff for all shifts on our behalf.

The old man didn't budge. The usher became more impatient. "Sir, if you don't get up from there I'm going to have to call the manager."    Once again, the old man just muttered and did nothing. The usher marched briskly back up the aisle, and in a moment he returned with the manager. Together the two of them tried repeatedly to move the old Norskie, but with no success.  Finally they summoned the police. The officer  surveyed the situation briefly and then asked, "All right buddy, what's your name?" "Sven," the old man moaned.

Even though Vesterheim is not officially participating in the festival, we have members who have elected to volunteer their time as part of the Festival Committee: Lynne Anderson (Silent Auction), Kristine Feste-Hanson (Crafts Demonstrations), Cathy Allen (Publicity), and Lyle Berge (at large). Sharon Fullner is the Director. Her mother, Ruth Ann Fullner, has been attending

"Where ya from, Sven?" asked the police officer. With a low groan Sven replied... "Da balcony."   Submitted by Erik Peters

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VESTERHEIM LODGE 6-118 OFFICERS & CHAIRPERSONS 2014 President Vice Pres.

Erik Peters Lynne Anderson Jo Kirkenaer Secretary Esther Mills Tina Ramp Financial Sec. LaVonne Peterson Treasurer Bryan Johnson

720-524-6929 303-652-3263 303-832-2474 303-465-1221 303-443-3559 303-465-5070 303-475-5816

Adopt-a-Sch. Auditor Counselor Cultural Dir. Editor Foundation Greeters

303-870-0917 303-443-3380 303-443-3380 303-499-5589 303-449-9596 303-666-8744 303-494-5787 303-530-3570 720-398-8746 720-438-8670

Terry Holum Carol Gorsuch Garry Gorsuch Addy Martinez Cathy Allen Arla Olson Ailie Swanson Ellen Grabau Julie Horan Steve Persson

SONS OF NORWAY VESTERHEIM LODGE Editor 262 Spruce Street Boulder, CO 80302

Historian Librarian Marshals

Helen House Kathy Erickson Gary Grabau Marv Berg Bill Gjestvang Kevin Mayer Musician Lynne Anderson Miles Olson Publicity Cathy Allen Road Cleanup Ellen & Gary Grabau Social Dir. Joy Gundersen LaVonne Peterson Arla Olson Sunshine Ellen Chelesvig Trustee Roger Hanson Tubfrim Gary Grabau Youth/Sports Kristina F-Hanson Website Cathy Allen

303-442-0323 303-449-1724 303-530-3570 303-651-9939 [email protected] 303-258-0213 303-652-3263 303-666-8744 303-449-9596 303-530-3570 303-664-1023 303-465-5070 303-666-8744 303-443-3121 303-499-6273 303-530-3570 720-229-2418 303-449-9596