Viking Magazine - November 2022 - 4

VELKOMMEN
By Ron Stubbings, International President
WITH RESOLVE FOR LONGEVITY
n May of this year, the
International Board reviewed the
annual budget with the long-term health
of Sons of Norway in mind. As you may
have noticed in the Sons of Norway
Annual Report, our fraternal member
numbers have been steadily growing,
while our fi nancial product sales have
declined over the past decade-see the
Executive Ideas column on page 30 for
additional details on this topic. Our
budget analysis resulted in the diffi cult
decision to change the frequency in
which Viking magazine is published
from 12 issues to six per year.
What was the rationale behind this
decision?
Over the past two years, the
organization has cut $2 million in
operational expenses and the Board
has sought other ways to scale back the
budget. It is good business practice to
vet all expenditures and analyze how
they fi t into the overall picture.
While other fraternal organizations
are shrinking, Sons of Norway's
membership continues trending
upward. This is great news, but our
membership growth does come with
a cost. If you read the fi ne print on the
opposite page, you'll see that $6 of your
annual Sons of Norway membership
is allotted to the production of Viking.
This amount does not refl ect the true
cost of the subscription, which is off set
by advertising revenue and Sons of
Norway's insurance sales.
Nearly every fraternal organization has
migrated to 100% digital publishing, but
knowing how much members appreciate
receiving Viking, we are glad that we can
still off er bi-monthly print editions of the
magazine.
What would happen if we hadn't made
these changes?
It is necessary for us to change the
frequency of Viking in order to be one of
the fraternal organizations that survive.
We want Sons of Norway to be around
another 50 years. I applaud the Board
for thinking strategically and for taking
action to ensure the longevity of Sons of
Norway.
What will the new Viking look like?
Viking will be 36 pages and six issues a
year, starting with the January/February
issue which will be mailed late January
2023. We have heard from members that
the cover page oft en arrives damaged,
so the cover paper will be a more
substantial weight.
CONNECT WITH US
Will there be other changes?
You may have noticed that our
Fraternal department has increased
production of digital content over the
past few years-from enriching social
media off erings to interactive cultural
solitaire, Viking for Kids, fi lm events,
how-to videos on Norwegian baking
and even more cultural nuggets. These
off erings will continue so that members
can engage with Sons of Norway's
cultural content in a variety of ways.
How can you help?
To help Sons of Norway continue
to be a growing member-centric
organization, there are a few ways
to take action. Recruit members,
especially from younger generations,
who are vital to carry the organization
forward. Tell others about Sons of
Norway insurance products and
look into them yourself. Go to sofn.
com/fi nancial_products/ and set up a
fi nancial consultation. Connect and
interact with us on sofn.com and social
media channels (see below) to discover
all the cultural resources that are
included in your membership.
We are in this together-for the long
haul. ▼
sonsofnorway.com
youtube.com/
user/sonsofnorwayhq
@sonsofnorway
linkedin.com/
company/sons-of-norway
To change your mailing address, go to sonsofnorway.com to easily update your member profi le information.
4
November 2022
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sonsofnorway.com/blog

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Viking Magazine - November 2022

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