Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 33

she says. " I think that's been really
successful. "
No matter the activity, Thompson
attributes lodge growth to the
impression on potential new
members by sharing culture and
time with various groups in the
community. The lodge regularly
works with a local nursing home
to organize wood carving events,
coffee times featuring Norwegian
desserts and card parties with
residents. " We try to do a lot of
activities at the nursing home, " she
says. " The seniors and their kids
see how much we interact with
them, and some of those adults have
become members. "
Møllargutten's community
outreach engages other age groups
as well. The knitting group came
together to knit and donate about
250 hats for kids at a local Native
American reservation as a part of an
Adopt-a-School program.
The lodge also gives back
monetarily to the community,
which Thompson sees as another
draw to the organization. " When we
do an activity that's for the public,
we try to make it so that we can
donate whatever funds we create.
We donate it to our local school, to
our local nursing home or to the
community center where we meet, "
she says. " We're a big supporter of
our community, and that's what
brings people in. They see that we're
doing some good. "
NORSKEVENNER 3-678
Roswell, Georgia
When thinking of
areas home to many people of
Scandinavian descent, Georgia isn't
exactly the first place that comes
to mind. " Living in the southern
United States, it is sometimes
difficul to connect with my
Norwegian heritage outside of Sons
of Norway, " says Bill Browning,
president of Norskevenner Lodge
3-678. " We don't have the large
@sonsofnorway
mentioned trying to form a Zone
7 book club for members of the
lodges in our zone, " Browning says.
" We started small with a handful
of members, but then word got out
about our book club. "
Bill
Browning
Scandinavian-American population
that the Northeast and especially
the Midwest enjoys. " While the
South's Norwegian population
might look a little bit different
than other regions, the success
of the Roswell, Georgia-based
lodge comes from recognizing
and meeting a need for sharing
Norwegian culture both at home
and across the United States.
Browning has always been
interested in his Norwegian
heritage, but he didn't know much
about his family's history. As
he began to explore more of his
Scandinavian roots, he initiated
the formation of a lodge in his
local community. With the help
of other district presidents and
leaders, Browning formed what was
eventually named Norskevenner
Lodge in 2017. He took on the role
of president and newsletter editor
as the lodge began to grow.
Later, a separate organizationwide
book club was created
by Browning and other lodge
presidents in his zone as a fun
pastime to read and discuss
books about and by Norwegian
authors. " I contacted my fellow
lodge presidents in Zone 7 and
Inquiries into the book club
began to spread beyond their
zone and even their district. After
being featured in the Happenings
section of Viking magazine, the
book club received an even greater
boost. " Fairly quickly, I started to
receive requests to join from almost
every district in Sons of Norway, "
Browning says. " We are now truly a
national book club. "
With its wide-reaching audience,
the book club's monthly meetings
are set up so members in all
locations can participate. The group
meets on the last Thursday of the
month to discuss the books read
throughout the month, with two
meetings incorporating members
across time zones. The books
discussed usually include a mystery
about a Scandinavian author and a
book about an aspect of Norwegian
culture or history. Interest and
engagement in the book club
continue to grow as emails to district
leaders and other members spread.
While the book club brings in
new members from across Sons
of Norway, Browning's lodge still
focuses on its original goal of
sharing their Norwegian heritage
with interested community members
right at home. Norskevenner Lodge
currently holds monthly Zoom
meetings but plans to host similar
activities when restrictions are lifted,
including movie nights, potluck
dinners and cultural celebrations. â–¼
Interested in the book club?
Send your request to join by contacting
SonsOfNorwayBookClub@gmail.com.
May 2022
33

Viking Magazine - May 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - May 2022

Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 1
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 2
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 3
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 4
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 5
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 6
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 7
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 8
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 9
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 10
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 11
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 12
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 13
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 14
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 15
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 16
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 17
Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 18
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Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 20
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Viking Magazine - May 2022 - 48
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