THE NOR-BU NEWS NOR-BU UP-COMING EVENTS SUNDAY DINNERS. January 2015 Lodge web address Lake Telemark, NJ Volume 11 Number 1

Transcription

1 THE NOR-BU NEWS January 2015 Lodge web address Lake Telemark, NJ Volume 11 Number 1 B.U.L Cabin Lake Telemark, New Jersey Pen and Ink Sketch by Don Tripp 94 NOR-BU UP-COMING EVENTS President... Audun Gythfeldt Vice President... Barbara Johanson Counselor... Evelyn Hammaren Secretary... Peg Gerding Financial Secy... Joan Cosgrove Cabin Director... Richard Olsen Social Directors... Ingunn Pedersen Kari Brescher Patti McGowan Treasurer... Anne-Lise Meisner West Shawnee Trail, Wharton, NJ anne@smallworld-travel.com MEETINGS HELD AT BUL CABIN 21 Oslo Dr., Lake Telemark, NJ, ONLY FOR GPS NOT MAIL Deadline for submission of materials for publication is the 20 th of the month prior. PLEASE NOTE! Nor-Bu is on Facebook at Nor-Bu Lodge. SUNDAY DINNERS January 11th, 2pm January 11th 2:00pm Sunday Dinner Filet Mingon See next column Filet Mignon Dinner with trimmings January 14th 7:30pm Board Meeting January 17th 6:30pm Meeting and Installation of Officers Please consider coming out and supporting our new officers. They have taken on these position to keep our lodge going and can use the support of our members. Barbara Berntsen is coming to install our officers and Roy is coming to talk about LOV. February 8th 2:00pm Sunday Dinner February 21st 6:30pm Monthly Social Prepared by Nor-Bu Men $18.00 and BYOB Contact Ingunn for Reservations Next dinner will be on February 8th

2 92 W Shawnee Tr. Wharton NJ anne@smallworldtravel.com Are you intested in a group tour to Norway next year? Let me know, perhaps we can get one set up. It is not too early to plan your own journey to Norway. GOD BEDRING We would like to send get well wishes to Emma Osvold, Joe Bakos, Gladys Stene, Peter Johanson, Arne Landvik Larsen, Ellen Tonnesen, Ken Arntzen and John Jenkins. NOTIFY our Sunshine Lady, Sister Evelyn Hammaren, ASAP if you know of anyone who is sick, or if you wish to extend congratulations to someone, for whatever reason It only takes a minute to call. GRATULERER MED DAGEN Irma Bergland Lafko 1/ 2 Sonja Johnsen 1/ 2 Juan Borrero 1/ 3 Alek Brescher 1/ 3 Cheryl Knudsen 1/ 3 Eugene Randazzo 1/ 4 Ruth Murray 1/ 5 Elizabeth Fox 1/ 8 Jannan Marie Joseph 1/ 8 Heidi Walsh 1/10 Patrick Deo 1/ 11 Grethe Zarnitz 1/ 12 Thelma Thompson 1/ 12 Betty Karlsen 1/ 14 Yvonne Forsythe 1/ 14 Wayne Ring 1/ 14 Gerda Lindstrom 1/ 15 Link Landvik Larsen 1/ 15 Dawn Green 1/ 18 Douglas Eike 1/ 23 Jim Baadshaug 1/ 24 Anita Volz 1/ 24 Esther Santos 1/ 27 Marilyn Pettersen 1/ 28 Evelyn Karpack 1/ 26 Anna Marie Osvold 1/ 30 Kimberly Samuelsen 1/ 30 As you should all know, Nor-Bu Lodge has a a Junior Lodge, although it has not been active in the past year. The member, who was the Junior Lodge Director has been unable to meet with our juniors and will not be able to in the future. We, therefore, implore upon a parent or other member to step up and try to get our Junior Lodge up and running again. Please don t let our youngsters loose out. If you can help contact Audun HELP THE NEEDY Nor-Bu Lodge has started a program to help the local food bank. We will have a box set up in the lodge for food collection. Whenever you come to the lodge, if you have a spare can/box of non perishable food, please bring it with you and place it in the box. Please help your Editor keep this list updated. Thank you

3 December 2014 MESSAGE Reading my local newspaper this morning, I enjoyed an article by one of my favorite syndicated writers, Clarence Page. He was considering which word to use, to best describe the year 2014, and ended up with awesome. He went on to explain that to the new generation, the world boils down to two extremes: everything is either awesome or it sucks. No longer is awesome reserved for those people or things that inspire awe. Looking back at 2014, trying to find a word that best describes the year for me, and what I am involved in, awesome is certainly not the word. I have had my health setbacks, but I m still around and kicking. Yes, it could have been better, but I am optimistic about the future. Could difficult be the word I am looking for? When it comes to Sons of Norway, we have certainly had our problems. At the District level, Land of the Vikings is an example. I readily admit that years ago when I was involved at the District level, a larger number of members made it easier to operate LOV. Losing members certainly made it more difficult for our leaders over the years, but unfortunately the problems were exacerbated by poor, even disastrous decisions. It was certainly a difficult year. At the International level all we have to do, is to think of the unfortunate situation at the International Lodge meeting in Jacksonville when the Lodge confirmed the removal of one of the officers. A most difficult time I would say. For Nor-Bu Lodge it hasn t been easy either. For us real estate has been the issue. It is difficult to understand that something that for years has been our strength, owning property and our own building, now is being turned into a big problem. But to say that this is difficult for Nor-Bu, is probably an understatement. As I am optimistic when it comes to me personally, I have confidence in our leaders on the International Board and their ability to guide the organization, although I am troubled by their rejection of Nor-Bu s application for a waiver from the real estate provision in the Constitution. The new District leadership team has taken some encouraging steps, and I am more hopeful than I was a few months ago, that something positive will come out of the situation at LOV. And I am sure my lodge is behind me when I say that we stand ready to help as much as we can. So is difficult the word I am looking for? Maybe. But why not say what we do in Norway at the beginning of a new year, takk for det gamle, meaning thanks for the old (year). We can always hope that the new year will be better, whether the old one was difficult or not. Audun

4 The folks that help bring you the newsletter. Booster Club Members Stuart & Eileen Anderson...11/2015 Holger & Eleanor Arnell...,.3/2015 Dorothy Furst Bahnatka...7/2017 Eric Barman... 1/2016 Sigrid Bjelland...2/2015 Kari & Frank Brescher...5/2015 Anne Carlsen...1/2015 Joe Carlsen... 11/2015 Marga Conn..9/2016 Artie Crane...9/2015 Ellen & Art Crane..9/2015 Judy Eriksson... 2/2015 Debbie Landvik-Larsen Fellner 11/2015 Eduardo & Rosanna Fernandez 9/2015 Gail Garnett /2016 Peg Gerding /2015 Audun & Margaret Gythfeldt.4/2015 Earl S Hansen... 1/2015 Grunde R Haugeto... 1/2016 Vega & Arthur Hendela...04/2016 Audrey Holt...12/2014 Lillian Jensen...12/2015 Barbara & Peter Johanson...12/2015 Sonja Johnsen...5/2015 Stan & Hessie Kjekstad... 12/2015 Ranveig & Svein Klinge...5/2017 Irma Lafko... 4/2016 Joseph & Barbara Lehner...9/2015 Bjorg & Danny Lema... 9/2015 Gerda Lindstrom... 10/2015 Claire & John Loken... 7/2017 Margit & Bert Mattson... 4/2015 John MacDougall...12/2014 Marit & Per Mikalsen...12/2016 Doris & Russell Nelson... 1/2016 Bill & Agnes Nostrand...1/2015 Agnes & Sig Nystol...3/2015 Mary & Harry Ostevik... 1/2016 Emma Osvold...12/2015 Katheryn Peake... 1/2016 Marilyn Pettersen...12/2015 Judy and Eugene Randazzo 12/2014 Ruth Ruediger... 11/2016 K Marian Sanders... 5/2015 Gunvor Satra... 11/2015 Raymond & Carol Schutz...3/2015 Thor & Gladys Stene... 05/2019 Mari Svensen-Macpeek...10/2015 Joyce Svendsen...1/2016 Angie Thompson....11/2015 Austin Thompson...11/2015 Joanne Thompson /2015 Robert & Mary Thompson...1/2016 Gwyn Anne Thompson 1/2016 Mary Ellen Thompson..1/2016 Garth Eric Thompson...1/2016 Cindy Dale Thompson.1/2016 Garon Keith Thompson...1/2016 Gayle Elaine Thompson..1/2016 Heather Thompson..1/2016 Jason Thompson..1/2016 Laura Thompson 1/2016 Thelma Thompson... 1/2020 Barbara & Karl Peter Thorsen 4/2019 Britt & Jan Thorsen, Norway... 2/2015 Ellen & Richard Tonnesen...3/2015 Solveig Walaas.1/2018 Heidi Walsh..10/2015 You can be a booster too! $ donation to the Treasurer will put you on the list! Make Check out to Nor-Bu Lodge. Mail to: Anne-Lise Meisner 92 West Shawnee Trail, Wharton, NJ If your name is missing and you have sent in your booster, please let me know, Thank you. Memorial Boosters William & Marit Laber May 2017 Daniel Lema October 2015 Arne & Ingebjørg Strom-Henriksen April 2015

5 Fra Presidenten, Mary B. Andersen January 2015 Complacency is the eighth deadly sin. Author Unknown It is a New Year! Happy New Year to all! I love the start of a New Year. It is a time to think about all the things you would like to accomplish in the coming year trips to plan, books to read, people to see, the list goes on. The New Year can also be a time for reflection. I heard the phrase complacency is the eighth deadly sin awhile back. An internet search revealed that phrase used in a number of situations with no known author. But, I like it. It can apply to a number of things in our daily lives e.g., New Year s resolutions start off with a bang but fizzle out, just like our diet and exercise plans that last for a few weeks but then become history. We sometimes become complacent without realizing it or perhaps we realize it too late. Does complacency happen to your lodge and even to our Order? There are a few people who seem to respond to the call for help every time a call goes out. Each year the same dedicated people handle the Julebord. Each month the same people set up the lodge meeting room. What if those people move away? Have we allowed our thinking to become complacent because we know they will always do it? If they move away, will anyone know what they did or how they did it? To paraphrase the US Marine Corp, we are always looking for a few good people. I know we have them. I work with a group of them. I can t say enough about our District Board members and local Lodge Board members. Board members give us their most precious possession, personal time. We learn; we do our best to take care of the business of District and we try to have some fun doing it. We often forge lifelong friendships in the process. Many District Board positions are term limited. Some local lodge positions are vacant or are filled by members who have held the position for years. Let s be careful about the eighth deadly sin rearing its head in our wonderful Third District. We need all hands on deck and rowing to keep our strong Viking ship afloat and moving forward. If your lodge has a vacant position, pick up an oar and help row the boat! Think about a District Board position in If complacency rears its head, there may be no boat to row. I know you can do it! Vinter hilsener, Mary Celebrating the New Year and the End of Christmas As in many countries, in Norway the change from one year to another is celebrated on both New Year s Eve and New Year s Day. New Year s Eve is celebrated with a party or get-together either at home or out on the town, which often culminates with counting down to the new year s beginning at midnight. On the table one typically serves among other things lamb ribs (pinnekjøtt), pork ribs or turkey on New Year s Eve. In olden times New Year s Day was an important day for the whole country to look for signs of how the new year would be. The signs people looked for had mostly to do with how the crops would do, or what the fishing would be like. The weather on New Year s Day was also taken as a sign of how the weather would be for the rest of the year. Today New Year s Day is an official holiday and is usually celebrated at home and is for many people a day of rest after New Year s Eve. The Prime Minister gives a speech, called the New Year s Address. The thirteenth day of Christmas (January 6th) is called Helligtrekongersdag ( Three Holy Kings Day ) in honor of the three kings who came to Jerusalem to honor Jesus. In the Catholic era a pageant was performed on this day, a living demonstration of the three kings journey, but today it is more of a symbol that Christmas has come to an end. Adapted from the book Merkedager av Ann Helene Bolstad Skjelbred

6 From your editor/redaktøren. Don t forget our ongoing sale of Shop-Rite cards. This is an ongoing successful fundraiser. Please consider purchasing for yourself or for gifts. If you wish to purchase some gift cards, contact Evelyn Karpack at or just mail a check for your order to Nor-Bu Lodge, PO Box 317, Hibernia, NJ and let us know the amount you wish. TUBFRIM This is an ongoing project through Sons of Norway and Richard Olsen is the 3rd district representative. This is where you collect all the stamps that you got on your Christmas and other mail and give or send them to Richard. His address is 44 Claude Ave., Denville, NJ The stamps get sent to Norway where they help needy children. Richard has sent many pounds of stamps to Norway. It is with sadness that Nor-Bu Lodge sends it s condolences to the family and friends of Anne Flannegan, who peacefully entered the Lodge Eternal on Dec. 10. A Memorial service was held at the lodge on As I am sitting here trying to fill the newsletter with necessary information and hopefully some of interest to our members, I find myself at a loss and lack of ideas. I have never been a person of creative writing or with good ideas for new information and yet, here I am as editor of your newsletter. It would be a great help, if some of our members could perhaps come up with an article or two to help this editor with some new ideas. Of course, the best solution would be if another member might consider being the editor. In the meantime, I could use some help. On another subject, there are some of our members, who receive very little recognition for all that they quietly do for the lodge. We all know that Richard Olsen has been taking care of our building for many years both inside and out. Irma Lafko is also one who shows up in the spring and summer, to help take care of the garden area. Ingunn Pedersen is one who loves to decorate and this year was the main person to take care of decorating the lodge for Christmas. Our Junior Lodge used to do that, but now that the juniors are no longer active, Ingunn stepped up to the plate. I know that there are some others that pitch in and help now and then and I wish to extend our thank you to those of you who come and help. We all have busy lives, but as Evelyn says in her article, many hands make light work. It would also be nice to see more members come out to our meetings. It s only once a month. Happy New Year. Anne-Lise

7 TRICKY TRAY THANK YOU Our /tricky Tray this year was not quite as good as last year due to a poor attendance. We would like to say thank you to all the members and friends who donated so generously. Barbara and Evelyn would like to thank everyone who helped and a special thanks to Richard Olsen for all his work going around to local businesses and getting many gift certificate donations which are always a big draw. We also ask that you patronize the following merchants so that they know that we appreciate their donations to our Tricky Tray. Smith s Tavern Shoprite Ski Shawnee Viking Bakery Denville Foodtown The Exchange Rockaway Deli &Bagel Denville Dairy Dr. McKeever Denville Hardware Tony s Jewelers Denville Seafood Rockaway Hardware Jax Good to Go Heritage Grill Small World Travel Café Metro Telemark Auto Paintin Place Motor Masters Charlie Browns New Jersey Devils Bakers Perfection Telemark Pizza Luzzi s Blue Morel Restaurant Fossil Oil Of course we owe a big thank you to Debbie Gamble for coordinating the gifts to be brought downstairs and to Sam, Jessica, Alex and Brielle and her friend who made the trip up and down the stairs to bring all the gifts down. Thanks to all of you. And of course a big thank you to all who stayed and helped us to clean up. You know the old saying Many hands make light work. Thanks everyone. While we really do appreciate the donations we appreciate getting them in early. We have room to store them and as for cash donations we have to know what we have to spend to buy more trays.. We are hoping that next year everyone will be just as generous with the donations coming in early. Our Tricky Tray is usually the second Sunday in November so try to keep that date open for next years affair. Many thanks again Barbara and Evelyn

8 Sons of Norway Celebrates Founders Day January 14 marks Founders Day within Sons of Norway; It was on this day in 1895 that 18 Norwegian Immigrants came together to form a mutual assistance organization that would one day become an international organization. Practical, cautious, and driven to find solutions to the financial problems many Norwegian-American families faced, the founders looked to their homeland for answers. Several of them had lived in Trondheim, where for a small weekly fee, members and their families acquired free medical care. Borrowing from that plan, the men designed a mutual assistance organization to provide members with security against financial crisis, a forum to celebrate Norwegian-American nationalism, and a means to preserve the treasured literature, music, art, foods and customs of Norway. The founding charter describes the foundation of Sons of Norway and also provides a glimpse of what Norwegian newcomers strove for in America at the turn of the 20th century: This corporation is organized upon fraternal principles, for the purpose of creating and preserving interest in the Norwegian language by its members insofar as compatible with the loyalty they owe the United States of America, to labor for the development, enlightenment and progress that conduce to honest citizenship, in order that the Norwegian people in their country may be properly recognized and respected; to aid its members and their families in case of sickness and death, by according them financial assistance of such magnitude and upon such conditions, as may be determined by its bylaws. Over the next 15 years the organization grew, first within Minnesota and then the West Coast of the United States (Washington State). In the 120 years since its founding, Sons of Norway has grown into a Fraternal Life Insurance company serving more than 60,000 members in nearly 400 lodges throughout North America and Norway. In celebration of our Founders Day, all members are encouraged to wear their membership pins and any Sons of Norway clothing items you have. This is a day to celebrate your membership, so be sure to tell your friends and family about Sons of Norway and all the great things its doing in your community. Then, be sure to share your Founders Day stories with Sons of Norway on Facebook at: facebook.com/groups/ sonsofnorway

9

10 NORBU CALENDAR 2015 HIGHLIGHT Remember Jan. 17th is installation of new officers. Please come out and support them 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. Norwegian language classes are being held as the schedule of the students permit. If you are interested in joining, please call Kari Brescher to find out when the next class will be held