Viking Magazine - May 2015 - 32

Pictured left to right:
Tom Maxson wearing a
Telemark bunad sewn
by wife Lynn. Ladies
in Illinois gather for a
picture in bunads.
A Team Effort
Congratulations to six Chicago-area lodges that won the 2014 Spotlight on Volunteerism contest.
BY RILEY BEGGIN
ast summer, the members of Trollhaugen 5-417, Skjold
5-100, Leif Erickson 5-097, Elvesund 5-593, Polar Star
5-472 and Cleng Peerson 5-525 organized an inspiring
volunteer project on Norwegian art and culture with the help
of the Norwegian National League. The exhibit, " Norwegians
in Chicago, Past and Present, " took place in Chicago's
Norwegian Memorial Church in August, and drew several
hundred visitors over the course of five weekends.
The exhibit coordinator, Lynn Søve Maxson of
Trollhaugen, drew inspiration for the project from the 200th
anniversary of the Norwegian constitution. She wanted to
host an event that would celebrate Norwegian history and
culture, so she decided to see if her lodge would be interested
in working with other lodges. " My mission statement was to
share with everyone the culture and history of Norwegians
past and present in Chicago, " says Maxson. " The lodges
were all enthusiastic about sharing their roots. "
Collaboration with other organizations was the key to
their success. The Norwegian National League reached out to
the area lodges and the other local Norwegian organizations
for help planning the event. The Vesterheim NorwegianAmerican
Museum in Decorah, Iowa, loaned several
artifacts and works of art. " We all had to work together, "
says Maxson. " Everybody was more than happy to loan us
everything, and members donated their time-it was a work
of love. "
Many of the objects loaned by Vesterheim were originally
acquired from the Norske Klub, an organization that was
central to the lives of Chicago-area Norwegians during
the 20th century. Among those artifacts were the skis that
32 VIKING MAY 2015
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belonged to Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, which he
donated to the Norske Klub.
The lodge members donated their talents, including
demonstrations of traditional Norwegian knitting, weaving,
embroidery, rosemaling and woodcarving. Barb Johnson, the
cultural director of Polar Star Lodge, even presented a bunad
inspired by the nature of Illinois that she had created with her
mother, sisters, cousin and Norwegian teacher.
While planning the project, the lodges included activities
that were appealing to a variety of age groups, such as
making Norwegian culture and history coloring books
available for young visitors. " It's important to utilize the time
and space for all ages, " says Maxson. " We're very
proud of the exhibit, and it was a really positive experience
for everybody. "
In addition to the artifacts and demonstrations, the
volunteers set out information about their lodge activities and
how others could get involved. " Promoting our culture is the
reason we are members of Sons of Norway, " says Johnson.
" Don't hesitate to organize an event that showcases the fun
we have and the history that brought us all together. "
SONS OF NORWAY'S SPOTLIGHT ON VOLUNTEERISM CONTEST
is a search for the very best volunteer experiences from lodges
across the organization. If you want to see your lodge's volunteer
work featured in Viking next year, be sure to check out the May
e-Post for exciting changes to Spotlight on Volunteerism. For
more information on the contest, or volunteering, contact Joe
Eggers, Membership Coordinator, at membership@sofn.com or
(800) 945-8851.

http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - May 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - May 2015