Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge #1-008 January 2014

SynNor Brevet
Published monthly by
Synnøve-Nordkap
Lodge #1-008
WEB SITE: http://synnove1.com
District 1 Family Lodge
of the Year 2006, 2008
January 2014
Number 14:1
Skiing. Sharing. Learning. The mission of Ski for Light is to enhance the quality of
life and independence of visually or mobility-impaired adults through a program of
cross-country skiing. Come to our January 14, 2014 Lodge Meeting at
7:00 p.m. to listen and learn about this inspiring program !
Ski for Light, Inc. is an all-volunteer non-profit organization founded in 1975 that
teaches the basics of classic cross-country skiing to adults who are visually- or mobility-impaired, while giving participants who have already learned the basics the
chance to improve their skills or just have fun on the snow. All of this takes place
during an annual week-long event at a U.S. location that changes from year to
year, and is made possible by the volunteer sighted and able-bodied experienced cross-country skiers who attend as
guides and instructors. But Ski for Light is much more than a learn-to-ski program.
During the Ski for Light week each disabled skier is paired for the entire week with an experienced, sighted, able-bodied
cross-country skier who acts as ski instructor and guide. The disabled person skis in tracks or grooves in the snow, while
the guide skis in a parallel set of tracks. The guide informs the skier about upcoming changes in the terrain and trail, offers
instructional tips and suggestions, support as necessary, encouragement, and describes the countryside.
The visually- and mobility-impaired adults who attend each Ski for Light week come from all over the U.S. and from several
foreign countries. Many of them come to Ski for Light with a desire to become more physically active and fit, and to find
recreational opportunities that are lacking at home. Most of these skiers discover, in the process of learning how to crosscountry ski, that they can accomplish much more than they believed. They leave Ski for Light with a sense of accomplishment and motivation that carries over to every aspect of their lives back home. Most of the guides discover that in the process of giving of themselves they are getting as much or more back in return. Many of them return to each event, year after
year.
Ski for Light relies on the generosity and support of individuals, corporations, fraternal groups and foundations to keep the
cost of each event affordable. Sons of Norway members and lodges have played a major role in the evolution of Ski for
Light. In the very beginning, in 1975, the Sons of Norway Foundation worked in concert with Olav Pedersen and others to
bring the idea of Ridderrennet to America. Sons of Norway members and leaders such as Bjarne Eikevik worked tirelessly
during the years that followed to make sure the idea took root.
Over the years countless Sons of Norway members have supported SFL by participating as guides, and many local lodges, have provided significant financial and other support to our activities, including Synnove-Nordkap Lodge #1-008!
Did you use your Norwegian Holiday words? There’s still time to impress friends and family!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!= God jul og godt nytt år (goo yuhl oh goot neett ohr)
New Year’s Eve = nyttårsaften (neett ohrs af-ten)
Christmas gifts = julegaver (yuh-leh-gah-vehr)
Patterned cardigan sweater = kofte (kaf-ta)
Coat, scarf, gloves, boots = frakk, skjerf, hansker, kalosjer (frak,share-ff, hahns-kaer,kal-ah-shaer)
Scandinavian Culture and News
Editor’s note: We are looking for someone to help us with this page. Lodge member Judy Stanke did a great job for
the last two years, but is no longer available. Can you help? Contact one of the editors to find out more.
The following article recently appeared in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and contains food for thought.
In Norway, it's a less-stressful classroom atmosphere
[Article by: REBECCA LOWEN; November 7, 2013 - 8:25 PM]
This past July, our family moved to Oslo for six months. We left behind our 9-year-old son’s
ADHD medication, which he started taking last year. The medication did wonders for his
standardized test scores, which our suburban school district seems to care about a lot. But we
wanted to give him a break from the side effects, and we did not have high expectations about
what he or his sister would learn in the classroom in Oslo, where instruction would be in
Norwegian, a language new to them.
When our son started school in August, we weren’t sure what to expect. We didn’t anticipate
that his ADHD would disappear, but this is what seems to have happened. It isn’t that ADHD
is unknown here; 3 percent to 5 percent of Norwegian schoolchildren have it. But our son’s
behavior no longer fits the condition, and his teacher here sees no evidence of it. The
characteristic signs — fidgeting, inattention in the classroom, weepiness over homework,
trouble falling asleep at night — are gone.
Incredibly, he cannot wait to get to school each day. He is rapidly learning Norwegian. He is
happy to do homework and, in fact, sometimes works ahead or asks his sister to make up math
problems for him to solve. At night, he readily reads before falling asleep, something he would
never do back home.
What accounts for this dramatic change? Neither his diet nor the amount of “screen time” —
two factors sometimes implicated in the rise in ADHD — has changed significantly.
What has changed is his school experience. He has three recesses here, rather than just one,
as in Minnesota. The school day is about an hour shorter than at home, giving him extra time
to play before doing homework. He enjoys nearly two hours of unstructured, outdoor play
every day.
His classroom experience is also very different here. His classroom is virtually free of technology. There is an interactive whiteboard, but it is not used much. The teacher has no computer;
she is thus liberated from the tyranny of endless e-mail messages that teachers back home
receive. She also does not grade assignments during class; with the shorter day, that can wait.
The entire day, she is both physically and mentally present with her students.
Education here focuses on the “whole child.” So while most of the week, our son gets
instruction in the three Rs, he is also learning to cook, do needlework and dance. And every
other week, regardless of weather, his class takes a half-day field trip. This usually involves a
long walk to a park where they grill hot dogs and play.
Perhaps the field-trip time could be better spent in the classroom. But a recent study by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development suggests that Norway’s education
system is doing an excellent job producing a population with high literacy and numeracy.
Norway ranked sixth among industrialized countries in both these categories. The United
States, in contrast, ranked 16th in literacy and 21st in numeracy.
Building camaraderie, as opposed to competition, is also a goal here. This is a main reason
for the field trips, the teacher explained to me; group cohesion is considered important to
learning in school. This contrasts with school back home, where the kids talk about who is in
which math track and at times even know each other’s test scores.
The group esprit among Oslo classmates has nothing to do with ethnic homogeneity. None of
the children in my son’s class are native Norwegian speakers. At home they speak, variously,
Urdu, Russian, Icelandic, Polish, Chinese, English and Spanish. This diversity is reflective of
Oslo itself, where 30 percent of the population is composed of immigrants or children born in
Norway to immigrant parents.
The day I observed our son’s class, the teacher focused
almost entirely on reading and writing. The students sat
at their desks most of the day, with periodic breaks for a
song or game. The teacher moved around the room,
taking time to sit with each child and talk about his or her
work. In Minnesota, our son’s classroom bustles with
activity, as the students move from subject to subject
and from individual work to group work, to rug time, and
to other classrooms. The Oslo classroom, in contrast,
was placid.
In Oslo, the teacher knows each child well, in part
because she has just 13 students and a full-time aide.
The teacher-student ratio in our son’s classroom back
home is good by American standards, but twice that of
his Oslo classroom.
One more difference: Our son has taken no standardized tests here and won’t, as students learning Norwegian take these tests only in their second year in the
school. So we only have his enthusiasm, and his teacher’s evaluation of his abilities, by which to judge his
educational experience here.
In January, we will return to Minnesota and to our kids’
routine of testing, competitive pressures and a long
school day with little play time. We’re hoping that our son
can somehow hang onto the love of learning that he
discovered in Norway.
Rebecca Lowen teaches American history at Metropolitan State University.
Nobel Peace Prize 2013 received by OPCW Director-General: “Working Together for a World Free
of Chemical Weapons, and Beyond”
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü this afternoon
accepted the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of
the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW).
The United States Permanent Representative to
the OPCW has the rank of Ambassador and is
based in The Hague, Netherlands, the seat of the
OPCW. The current permanent representative is
Robert Mikulak, who has been a member of our
lodge since 1971. He was in Oslo recently with the
OPCW delegation to receive this prize.
Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge normally meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM At Gustavus Adolphus Church
1669 Arcade Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55106
For information, contact one of our officers. (See back cover for list.)
Web Page: <http://synnove1.com>
Sons of Norway International: <http://www.sofn.com>
SynNorBrevet, Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge, Issue 2014-1 Page 2
Lodge News
Fra Presidenten
PASS IT ON! It's obvious you value your Norwegian Heritage. Grow that love in your children and grandchildren. Apply for a scholarship to Skogfjorden. Our lodge has the funds to help with the cost. Give them
the opportunity to learn what it means to be Norwegian and enjoy a wonderful outdoor experience at the
same time. Contact Kathy Manderscheid for more information.
Cut out all those Christmas stamps and give them to Mary Beth Mutchler. She will get them to Tubfrim.
You can do good for a very little effort.
Be sure to put January 19 on your calendar. The Stoughton Dancers are coming to town. These young
dancers are amazing. You'll be learning more about that event.
Thank you to everyone who helped make our lodge successful in 2013.
Soon it will be a new year. Make a New Year's resolution to be more active in your lodge
Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Kathy
Scholarship Opportunities for Member Families
Snakker Norsk? Once again your lodge will be helping with part of the cost for your camper. Thanks to a gen:erous donation from Meredith Berg we know we can offer support. And it’s not too early to think about language camp? Concordia Language Villages Skogfjorden program schedule is already available on their website
www.concordialanguagevillages.org.
Norwegian
Norwegian
Norwegian
USA: Bemidji, Minn.
USA: Bemidji, Minn.
USA: Bemidji, Minn.
Youth Exploration
Youth Exploration
Youth Immersion
1 Week Jun 09-Jun 14, 2014
1 Week Jun 16-Jun 21, 2014
2 Weeks Jun 09-Jun 21, 2014
Ages 7-11
Ages 7-11
Ages 8-12
Norwegian
Norwegian
USA: Bemidji, Minn.
USA: Bemidji, Minn.
Youth Immersion
Youth Immersion
2 Weeks Jun 23-Jul 05, 2014
2 Weeks Jun 23-Jul 05, 2014
Ages 12-18
Ages 12-18
Norwegian
USA: Bemidji, Minn.
Youth Immersion
2 Weeks Jul 07-Jul 19, 2014
Ages 11-18
Please go ahead and register your camper directly with Concordia so that you might take advantage of any early regis-
Sunshine News
Our bell-ringers collected $602.85 for the Salvation Army
on December 7. Thank you for ringing on the coldest day
of the season. Guess that’s what we’d expect from hardy
Norwegians, but it is much appreciated!
One of our bell-ringers was Sharon Kalmes, pictured at
left.
Another of our members whose
name was in the news recently is
Bob Smith. He had an article printed in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on
December 27. Titled “The Great
Minnesota Exodus Tax Acts of
2013”, the article may be found
on our website with this newsletter.
Bob has been an Auditor for our
lodge for many years.
Gratulerer, Bob!
HELP US KEEP TRACK OF OUR MEMBERS!
Mary Beth Mutchler is our sunshine person. If you know of someone who is sick, had surgery, etc.,
please call her at 651-484-8872 or email her at [email protected] and she will send a card from the
lodge.
Also, if your phone, e-mail, or address change, please let us know 651-484-8872 or
[email protected]. - Thanks!
SynNorBrevet, Synnove-Nordkap Lodge, Issue 2014-1 Page 3
Lodge News
Board Meeting Minutes, December 3, 2013
Attendees: Kathy Stevens, Ron and Susan Stow, Linda Holmstrom, Laura Sherman, Sharon Kalmes, Mary Beth
and Dave Mutchler.
We began by reviewing the November meeting; $330 was collected and donated to the Foundation.
We set updated goals for 2014; they will be published in the January newsletter.
Susan gave a Junior Lodge report. The dancers will again be in the Winter Carnival parade; we approved the
$60 registration fee and the cost of renting a better loudspeaker system for the float. Our dancers will be ushers
when the Stoughton dancers perform at Concordia College in St. Paul on January 19. We will have a table for
publicity at this event.
Ron gave a brief report on the Middel-Lag activities. See their Facebook page for information.
We discussed our needs for the 2014 slate of officers. Ron Stow graciously agreed to serve as Vice President
for 2014, but with no commitment to then become President (again).
We are still looking for two hostesses for the January meeting.
We discussed our coming programs for 2014. Ski for Light will be the January program.
We also discussed how to get more feedback from our members. After considering a survey, we are now leaning
more toward a kind of icebreaker to allow more member interaction while still getting the information we need.
Submitted by: Dave Mutchler, Secretary
The next board of directors meeting will be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, January 7 at the Shoreview Library
conference room, as the usual meeting site is not available.
Lodge Meeting Minutes December 10, 2013
92 lodge members and guests attended our December Julebord at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church. We
began at 6:00 with hors d’oeuvres and hot glog, which went over well on a snowy night. That was followed by
the main feast of Scandinavian delicacies prepared by our members at this “organized pot-luck” dinner. We
extend our thanks and gratitude to Sharon Kalmes who again organized this event. Mange tusen takk, Sharon!
And thanks too to all of you who helped with table setup, serving, cleanup, etc.
After dinner, President Kathy Stevens held a brief meeting, at which the 2014 slate of officers was approved.
We welcomed new members Bill Lund and Kathy Fischer, who joined that evening. Bill knows several lodge
members including Axel Torvi and Bob Barduson. Kathy came with Erna McGuire.
Again this year, member Lowell Johnson graced us with some goofy, Norwegian-style songs. He then teamed
with Susan Stow to lead the group in singing Christmas carols. Later, Susan and Ron led a dance too.
Kathy gave a PowerPoint presentation prepared by Headquarters on Sons of Norway.
Of course, dessert and coffee and conversation followed, as usual.
Everyone seemed to have a good time enjoying the festive evening and the good food and fellowship.
Submitted by Dave Mutchler, Secretary
SynNorBrevet, Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge, Issue 2014-1 Page 4
Reminder!
Synnøve-Nordkap Board Meeting
Shoreview Library conference room
4570 Victoria St. N (just north of Hwy 96)
7:00 PM
to
9:00 PM
Tuesday
Jan. 14
Synnøve-Nordkap Social Event
Program: Ski for Light
Luther Hall at Gustavus Adolphus
7:00 PM
Sun.
Jan. 19
Stoughton Dancers in St. Paul!
Beutow Theater; Concordia University
1282 Concordia Avenue in St. Paul
Come early for the exhibits and demonstrations
Our Peer Gynt dancers were asked to usher.
See next page or our website for the flyer for this event.
Sat.
Jan. 26
St. Paul Winter Carnival Grande Day Parade
Again this year we will have a float and our
dancers will be in this parade.
2:00 PM to
4:00 PM
Tues.
Feb. 4
Synnøve-Nordkap Board Meeting
Shoreview Library conference room
4570 Victoria St. N (just north of Hwy 96)
7:00 PM
to
9:00 PM
Tuesday
Feb. 11
Synnøve-Nordkap Social Event
Video & Chili Dump: Member Biographies
This is Part 2 of the video that Ron Kvaas
made for the Landmark Center exhibit,
Featuring some of our lodge members, it is
different than the video shown last year.
Luther Hall at Gustavus Adolphus
6:30 PM
Tues.
Jan. 7
Members Providing Lunch for the
January 14th Lodge Meeting: Pat
Carlson & Diane Anderson
Genealogy Group
The January 4 meeting will be from 10 to 12 am
at the Stillwater Library, 224 – 3rd Street North,
Stillwater. One block north of Myrtle, on street
parking is available on both 3rd and 4th Streets.
There is a parking ramp that can be entered from
the 3rd Street side. The meeting room (Margaret
Rivers Room A) is on the top floor of the
library. After the meeting the group will select a
restaurant in Stillwater for those who desire to go
out to lunch.
The February 1 Genealogy Meeting will be at the
White Bear Lake Library, 4698 Clark Avenue,
White Bear Lake from 10 to 12 am. Dave Hegdahl
will be sharing information about his family tree.
The genealogy group assisted Dave in his investigation to learn more about his ancestors. During
a recent trip to Norway, Dave was able acquire
further details.
2:15 PM
Mindekirken Events:
Go to http://www.mindekirken.net for
more information on activities.
Beginning Rosemaling—A Vesterheim/Sons of Norway’s Collaboration Class in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for Cultural
Skills - Instructor: Shirley Evenstad
This is the third year we are offering Beginning Rosemaling Class-- a collaboration between Vesterheim Museum and the Sons of Norway--as a way
to further promote our Norwegian heritage and also a means for people in the Sons of Norway Cultural Skills Program to earn their rosemaling pin.
Class will be held at Church of the Good Shepherd, 48th and France, Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 19, 26, and February 2, 9, 2013 four Saturday
mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Price is $85 per members for Vesterheim and Sons of Norway members and $105 for non-members. For more
info, contact Vesterheim Museum at 563-382-9681, or [email protected].
Norwegian Language Classes
(1) "Norwegian In Five Minutes A Month" series. Class 6:30-7:00 PM
Tuesdays before lodge meetings. January 14: Lessons 14 & 16.
(2) "Norsk Nordmenn og Norge" Class 6:30-7:45 PM Thursdays, 1/mo.
NEW LOCATION: Hayden Heights Library, 1456 White Bear Ave., 55106,
between Larpenteur Ave. E. and Arlington Ave. E. Date: January 16: Chapter 26 p. 448.
For information, contact class co-facilitators: Crystal Bloecher 651-774-8545 and Sheryl
Hove 651-738-4908 (Thursday class). New participants welcome!
Cultural Skills Unit 7: Language and Culture Group
January 14: No meeting.
Location: Eat lunch together at the back corner table. Discuss Level 1 test.
SynNorBrevet, Synnove-Nordkap Lodge, Issue 2014-1 Page 5
COME, Share in the Fun...
Stoughton Hi School Norwegian
FOLK DANCERS
Performing Sunday, January 19 at 2:15 pm
Concordia University, St Paul
Beutow Theater, 1282 Concordia Av, St Paul - FREE PARKING
OPEN at 1:15 - EXHIBITS, DEMONSTRATIONS, BOOTHS
Adults: $8.00, Students: $5.00, Children under 6, $1.00
For more info: sofn-1.com or 218-769-4296
Plans are being made by lodges to arrange buses to this event --- from the North, the west and
the Northeast . . . plan now for a Big Day for DISTRICT ONE and the
STOUGHTON HI SCHOOL NORWEGIAN DANCERS
More about the high school dancers:
The Norwegian Dancers have strong tradition at Stoughton High School, and there are signs of this
written on the walls. The group practices every morning in the high school in the same room. This room
is technically shared with other groups at the school, such as the cheerleaders and the baseball team,
but the room clearly belongs to the Norwegian Dancers. Decades of Dancers have left their names and
doodles on the walls, giving the room a distinct character. Over 30 plaques featuring an annual picture
of the Norwegian Dancers line the hallways. This presence has helped give the Norwegian Dancers a
sense of prestige. Being a Norwegian Dancer improves your social status in the school, despite how
many other teenagers would consider wearing a “bunad” in public to be a fashion disaster.
Currently, up to 40 students try out for the 9-10 spots left by graduating seniors (Heimsoth).
Since its inception in the 1950’s, the Norwegian Dancers group has undergone significant changes. In
1994, the group transitioned from the music being provided by accordions to electronic keyboards, as
finding accordion-playing high school students became increasingly difficult. The group has added to
their list of dances as new ones were discovered. In the summer of 1998, the group traveled to Norway
and met with another Norwegian folk dance group who taught them a new dance. The costumes have
also evolved throughout the years as old ones wear out and new ones are made. Originally, none of
the costumes were authentic. Girls wore black skirts, white blouses and whatever sort of a vest they
could find. Now all the costumes come from Norway but are assembled by trained seamstresses in
Stoughton. The teacher, Staci Hemsoth, is a former dancer now teaching the group each day.
SynNorBrevet, Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge, Issue 2014-1 Page 6
Lodge News
GOALS FOR 2014
Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge 1-008
Sons of Norway
These goals were set by our Executive Board; as lodge members we are counting on
you to help us achieve them. Our lodge is only as good as our members make it.
(New goals for this year are printed in green.)
1. Increase net membership by 5 by 12/31/14. This will include new or transferred members:
a. Assign a mentor to each new member who will call or email member after joining to welcome
them, plus continue contact with them each month for a year.
b. The Membership Secretary will send a membership packet to each new member.
c. Encourage all members to invite a guest to a meeting or event.
d. Sponsor a Membership Dinner and apply for MAP Grant.
2. Retain current membership:
a. Sponsor a minimum of one summer social gathering / meeting of members.
b. Offer two (2) cultural activities or outings which would be of interest to the members and/or community by the end of the year.
c. Set up a new member table at meetings to help newer members get to know other members.
d. Ask in the Brevet who needs a ride to meetings, and help to organize car pools to help members
come to meetings, especially in inclement weather.
e. Ask members who dropped if they were dissatisfied; what could we have done to keep them?
f. Survey our members to see what they like most about our lodge. What would they like to see
added or dropped?
3. Increase visibility of our lodge in the community:
a. Continue to support the lodge museum project which was cosponsored with the Ramsey County
Historical Society as it continues its travels across Minnesota.
b. Provide publicity of our social programs and events given to the newsletter editor by social director and/or event chairpersons.
c. Increase our exposure in neighborhood newspapers and library/other bulletin boards.
d. Utilize social media sites to promote programs and events i.e. Facebook, Meet-up, etc.
e. Be involved in at least two community events.
4. Involve Youth and Members in Sons of Norway and Synnøve-Nordkap through cultural
skills, sporting events and service opportunities:
a. Continue to sponsor a Junior Lodge with monthly meetings, indoor and outdoor activities, and
dancers.
b. Sponsor a group of young adults who meet for social activities and to promote their increased
appreciation of Norwegian culture and activities.
c. Provide support for members of all ages to complete requirements for cultural skills and sports
d. Include a table for displays of cultural skills sub-groups at the Membership Dinner in April.
5. Support Sons of Norway District 1 and International:
a. Donate a minimum of $200 to Sons of Norway Foundation.
b. Give presentations to at least one other lodge to help them start a Genealogy group.
c. Continue to support Tubfrim.
SynNorBrevet, Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge, Issue 2014-1 Page 7
Benefit News
Count Down To Retirement
These days, turning 65 doesn’t have to mean hanging up your career. But it does represent one big milestone: Medicare eligibility. In most cases, signing up for Medicare Part
A, is a no-brainer. This coverage pays for in-patient care in the hospital. There’s generally no premium, although you do pay a deductible and share other costs.
You can sign up as early as three months before you turn 65 and as late as three months
after your 65th birthday month. To avoid any delay in coverage enroll before you turn 65.
At the same time, you can also enroll in Medicare Part B, which covers doctors’ visits and outpatient care.
This coverage exacts a monthly premium ($104.90) plus a deductible and coinsurance. If you’re collecting
Social Security when you turn 65, you will automatically be enrolled in Part A and Part B and the premium will
be deducted from your benefits. If you still have health coverage through work or are covered by your
spouse’s employer, you may be better off keeping that coverage and delaying Part B.
For more information schedule a complementary Sons of Norway financial review.
Reference: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, December 2013
Greg Hovland
Financial Benefits Counselor
651-429-2304
[email protected]
www.LtcFinancialServices.com
Ads may be purchased in this newsletter for $50 for the year (11 issues),
$25 for 4 ads, or $10 for a single ad. If purchased in groups, the ads may
change from month to month.
Junior Lodge Update
Flour, sugar, butter and eggs, all the basic Norwegian cookie recipes start the same. The fun
is in the preparation and form. We tried a few new ideas this season, like spraying the sandbakkel
tins so that the cookies practically jump out. We tried making smaller kringla, which took less baking time. Our new recipe this year was Mormor’s Syltekeks, or Grandmother’s Jam Cookies. Oh,
they were outstandingly delicious!
January will be a busy month for Junior Lodge Peer Gynt Dancers. In addition to our regular,
January rehearsal, we are looking forward to a visit from Heather Vik of Skogfjorden, Norwegian
Language Camps. Then we will usher at the Stoughton Dance Performance at Concordia
University on the nineteeth. Our Winter Carnival Parade float will be in the Grande Day Parade,
Saturday, January 25th. Let’s hope for favorable weather!
Godt Nyttar fra oss!
SynNorBrevet, Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge, Issue 2014-1 Page 8
Corner Library
By Trudi Johnson-Richards
The Land of Dreams is a mystery written by Vidar Sundstol of Norway and is the first volume in Sundstol’s
“Minnesota Trilogy.” The book was translated by Tilna Nunnally, University of Minnesota Press. This book is
the winner of the Riverton Prize for best Norwegian crime novel and named by Dagbladet as one of the top twenty-five Norwegian crime novels of all time. The author lived in Northern Minnesota for two years.
This transplanted Scandinavian thriller is set in Minnesota on the shores of Lake Superior. Lance Hansen is a police officer with the U.S. Forest Service, but his real passion is local history. While making rounds, he finds the
body of a young man who has been bludgeoned to death near the campsite of Father Baraga’s Cross at Schroeder,
Minnesota. No one can recall a murder in this part of Minnesota, and Hansen has to go back almost 100 years to
find another—oddly enough in the same area. Hansen calls the local sheriff, who refers the case to the FBI since
the murder was committed on federal land. The dead man, it turns out, was a Norwegian tourist, and the friend he
was traveling with is the prime suspect. FBI agent Bob Lecuyer flies in a detective from Oslo, Erik Nyland, who
befriends Hansen. Hansen is just as intrigued by the story of a murdered Native American in the 1800s as he is
the current murder, and finds some ominous ties to his own family.
Lance Hansen is also the archivist for the area’s historical society. While he investigates up an down the North
Shore, he wonders when the last murder was recorded in that area. Delving into county records and his own ancestors’ diaries and letters, Hansen learns that an Ojibwe medicine man, Swamper Caribou, disappeared from his
hunting cabin near the mouth of the Cross River over a century ago and was never seen again. While assisting
Detective Erik Nyland to solve the murder, Hansen digs into the local and his own history and decides Father Baraga’s Cross may be a link between the Norwegian tourist’s slaying and the mysterious disappearance of the
Ojibwe medicine man.
Lance Hansen is a fascinating and original character. He is especially fond that his only child is a “genuine son of
the North Shore” because he is a mix of Ojibwe, French and Norwegian. Divorced and lonely, Hansen finds
comfort in the lives of his ancestors. The other characters in this novel are Lake Superior itself and Minnesota
North Shore. The landscape shapes the novel’s action around Duluth to Grand Portage, encompassing “foaming
waterfalls” and tight-knit communities like Tofte and Lutsen. There is no doubt that the author, who lived there
two years, loved this land.
The Land of Dreams is a psychological study of the man and the moral problems raised by the murder and the
various discoveries. Far from rapid fire, the story progresses at a leisurely pace. Vidar Sundstol is good with details about the present as well. They eat at Sven and Ole’s, and there is a Sven and Ole joke. They visit the Duluth Aquarium and drive past the Two Harbors roadside rooster. These are realistic details that bring the novel to
life.
The Land of Dreams is available at the Ramsey County Libraries. The novel appeals to Scandinavian crime-fiction fans and the Minnesota setting expands its audience considerably.
The deadline to submit items to the Brevet for the coming month is normally the 20th of the previous month.
Please keep this time frame in mind, and keep those news items coming! Thanks, Lowell and Linda
SynNorBrevet, Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge, Issue 2014-1 Page 9
Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge #1-008
Sons of Norway
3496 Nancy Place
Shoreview, Minnesota 55126-8005
2013 OFFICERS & COMMITTEE CHAIRS
PRESIDENT
Kathy Stevens 457-6786 [email protected]
VICE PRES./MEMBERSHIP Ron Stow
439-7255 [email protected]
SECRETARY
Dave Mutchler 484-8872 [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP SEC. Trudi Johnson-Richards 482-0096 [email protected]
TREASURER
Laura Sherman 772-1627 [email protected]
SOCIAL DIRECTOR Pat Carlson 373-0276 (cell) [email protected]
[OPEN]
CULTURAL DIRECTOR
[OPEN]
COUNSELOR
Ron Stow 439-7255 [email protected]
JR LODGE/PEER GYNT DANCERS Susan Stow 439-7255 [email protected]
TRUSTEES
Kathy Kaluza
690-1207
LaRee Opdahl
738-6072
MARSHALL
Kathy Kaluza 690-1207
ASSISTANT MARSHALL [OPEN]
SPORTS DIRECTOR [OPEN]
HISTORIAN
Lenore Jesness 778-1421 [email protected]
MUSICIAN
Susan Stow 439-7255 [email protected]
GREETERS
Shirley Brekke
Maureen Austinson
NEWSLETTER EDITORS
Lowell Johnson
739-7440 [email protected]
Linda Holmstrom
770-8989 [email protected]
Dave and Mary Beth Mutchler 484-8872 [email protected]
NEWSLETTER MAILERS: Axel Torvi, Bob Barduson, Beryl Boe,
Lenore Jesness
NEWSLETTER STAFF: Beryl Boe, Lenore Jesness, Trudi Johnson- Richards,
Ron and Susan Stow, Mary Beth Mutchler
PUBLICITY:
Leif Erickson 439-5040 [email protected]
ADOPT-A-SCHOOL COORD. Ruth Gibson 429-5572 [email protected]
SUNSHINE
Mary Beth Mutchler 484-8872 [email protected]
LIBRARIAN
Trudi Johnson-Richards 482-0096 [email protected]
GENEALOGY
Cathie Reasoner 646-8483 [email protected]
Fred Matson
777-6108 [email protected]
NORSK CLASSES Sheryl Hove
738-4908 [email protected]
Crystal Bloecher 774-8545
WEBMASTER
Dave Mutchler 484-8872 [email protected]
FOUNDATION
Kathy Manderscheid 651-690-0208
SCHOLARSHIP Kathy Manderscheid 651-690-0208
[email protected]
AUDITORS
Bob Smith 222-6888
Linda Holmstrom 770-8989
(* All area codes are 651 unless otherwise specified).
To:
Upcoming Activities
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Tues. Jan. 12 - Ski for Light
SYNNØVE-NORDKAP
SONS OF NORWAY
LODGE #1-008
Sun. Jan. 19 - Stoughton Dancers
Sat. Jan 26 - Winter Carnival
Parade with our float & dancers
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Gustavus-Adolphus
Lutheran Church
1669 Arcade Street
St. Paul, MN 55106
More Info Inside
The Mission of Sons of Norway is to promote and to preserve the heritage and
culture of Norway, to celebrate our relationship with other Nordic countries,
and to provide quality insurance and financial products to its members.
Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge welcomes visitors and new members.
SynNorBrevet, Synnøve-Nordkap Lodge, Issue 2014-1 Page 10