DISTRICT LODGE LAKE MICHIGAN by Mike Pearson

VALTHORNET DISTRICT LODGE LAKE MICHIGAN NO. 8

October 2009

District Master’s Message The District Executive Board meeting was held Saturday, August 22 at the Clarion Inn in Michigan City, Indiana. This is also the site where Nordik Folk No. 761 will host the District Convention in 2010. This site was cost effective and centrally located for the current Board members. Your delegates will be pleased with the newly renovated rooms and the convenience to meeting / banquet rooms and restaurants. The August meeting sets the tone for the Executive Board for the following months. This year's roadmap of goals, termed our "Dashboard", was introduced and discussed. Each year convention delegates who serve on the Publicity, Membership, Culture, and Youth Committees offer suggestions to the Board that they feel will improve our District. Many of these suggestions become goals for the Board's work for the coming year. Our new District Treasurer, Lisa Cianci gave an encouraging report related to the Southside Scholarship Fund. As many of you are aware, the Southside Scholarship Fund was established many years ago by several Chicago Southside local lodges with funds received upon the sale of their meeting facility. By definition, scholarships from this Fund may only be offered from the interest on the original principal. Due to the economic situation in 2009, no collegiate scholarships could be offered. Presently the Fund has recovered its losses indicating that today scholarships could be offered. We are hopeful this recovery holds allowing the District to present scholarships from this Fund in 2010. The Board plans to develop a secondary District Scholarship and hopes local lodges will help support this program with monetary donations. Donations can be sent directly to the District Treasurer. The Policy and Procedure Committee of the Board continues to define and revise operational procedures for the District. Nineteen new procedures have been created since May. This process helps to guarantee there will be operational continuity between Boards over time. A new software program for the Hospital Fund was introduced at this Board meeting. The Hospital Fund Secretary Ted Ruser will use this program to more efficiently manage the claim process. Secretaries of local lodges with members in the Hospital Fund will be receiving new forms both for dues and claims. There are 32 members in the Hospital Fund and minimal claim activity to date. Publicity and Membership go "hand and hand" in Vasa and all organizations. Please be sure your lodge has a member serving as your webmaster using the Vasa Web site and updating your contact information often. New Membership brochures will be coming soon to your local lodge secretary. Delegates to the 2009 convention felt strongly that District members should "advertise" their interest in Swedish / Nordic culture by flying a flag or using a Swedish license plate / plate frame. Contact information regarding where to purchase these items will be coming in future issues of the Valthornet. If you or someone in your local lodge or family has an innovative idea to display our culture and heritage please get that idea to any board member and we will develop it for our District. The District Bylaw Committee reviewed the content of local lodge bylaw changes from three local lodges. After suggested revisions are resubmitted, $200.00 will be issued to two lodges to be used toward printing of the new bylaws. $200.00 is presented to local lodges who rewrite their bylaws in their entirety only. The District Bylaw Committee is now taking on the task of reviewing the Grand Lodge Constitution. Executive Board approved changes will be submitted in the form of motions to the Grand Lodge in session. Please stay alert to changes in the Grand Lodge Constitution following the upcoming Grand Lodge Convention (held every 4 years) in 2010 as these changes will need to be integrated into all local lodge bylaws --- more work ahead. Lynda Smith, DSCYC, and appointed GL Youth Director for the United States and Canada, reviewed the Children's Seminar held in Chicago, Illinois last July 2009. Look for more from Lynda Smith in the Vasa Star and the Valthornet. Bill and I and several other members of the Executive Board attended the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Linné Lodge in South Bend, Indiana on September 12, 2009. Linné Lodge No. 153 was instituted September 20, 1909. Congratulations Linné! I close each of my messages with a sincere thank you to District No. 8 for the opportunity to serve as your District Master.

In Truth and Unity Sheila Lundquist District Master

DISTRICT LODGE LAKE MICHIGAN NO. 8 EXECUTIVE BOARD 2009 - 2010 District Master: Sheila Lundquist 1456 Kennebec Road Grand Blanc, Michigan 48439 (810) 695 – 3248 (810) 845 - 5065 Email: wmlund1@aol.com Vice District Master: Tom Cleveland 1117 Foxpointe Drive Sycamore, Illinois 60178 (815) 895 – 2102 Email: tcleveland@cityofdekalb.com District Secretary: Margaret Gruel 13716 West Lilac Lane New Berlin, Wisconsin 53151 Work: (262) 544 – 4522 days Home: (262) 782 – 4522 evenings Email: mgruel@att.net; marge@gruels.com Assistant District Secretary: Joella Hultgren 13650 Amblewind Place Westfield, Indiana 46074 – 8227 (317) 733 – 3493 Email: nodjehult@att.net; nodehult@juno.com District Treasurer: Lisa Cianci 342 Beach Avenue Unit # 1 – D LaGrange Park, Illinois 60526 Home: (708) 352 – 0042 Work: (708) 236-5921 Email: lcianci@inlandbank.com Hospital Fund Secretary: Theodore Ruser 10890 North 40th Street Hickory Corners, Michigan 49060 (269) 671- 5970 Email: trus@tds.net

Executive Board Member: Susan Cleveland 1117 Foxpointe Drive Sycamore, Illinois 60178 (815) 895 – 8102 Email: mrandmrsc92@comcast.net

Master of Ceremonies: Nancy Hult 14951 South Kenton Avenue Midlothian, Illinois 60445 (708) 687 – 8943 Email: stenanhult@ameritech.net

Executive Board Member: Edward Hultgren 13650 Amblewind Place Westfield, Indiana 46074 – 8227 (317) 733 – 3493 Email: nodjehult@att.net; nodehult@juno.com

Inner Guard: Steve Westlund 55 West Joliet Street Schererville, Indiana 46375 (219) 322 – 5190 Email: plncrazy@sbcglobal.net

Supervisor Of Children’s / Youth Clubs: Lynda Smith 1502 Azalea Drive Munster, Indiana 46321 – 3812 (219) 923 – 8777 Email: lamsmith@hotmail.com

Outer Guard: Timothy Ogrentz 12849 South Manistee Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60633 (773) 646 - 0279 Email: timothy.ogrentz@gmail.com

District Cultural Leader: Andrea Wilczynski 4332 Maple Street Brookfield, Illinois 60513 Home: (708) 485-1516 Cell: (630) 750-8828 Email: andreawil@sbcglobal.net Past District Master: Sten Hult 14951 South Kenton Avenue Midlothian, Illinois 60445 (708) 687 – 8943 Email: stenanhult@ameritech.net District Historian: Iva Lynn 627 Conner Creek Drive Fishers, Indiana 46038 (317) 596 – 1496 FAX: (317) 596 - 1937 Email: ivalynn30@aol.com; lraylynn@aol.com District Chaplain: Inez Törnblom 1301 Providence Circle Elgin, Illinois 60120 - 5076 (847) 695 – 9890 Email: eskilstuna@wowway.com

HÄR OCH DÄR by Lillemor Horngren

HÄRJEDALEN Härjedalen is situated between two large rivers, the Ljunga in the north and the Ljusna in the south. Härjedalen, along the Norwegian border, is on the southwestern part of the Norrland region. During the Norwegian - Danish period, Härjedalen belonged to a Norwegian Archbishop’s diocese. Around

Auditor: Paula Stopka – 3 years 115 Crissey Avenue Geneva, Illinois 60134 (630) 208-9850 Email: plundberg1066@aol.com Auditor: Eric Swanson – 2 years 8433 North McKinley Road Flushing, Michigan 48433 (810) 639 – 6705 Email: ceswan@centurytel.net Auditor: Herb Smith – 1 year 1502 Azalea Drive Munster, Indiana 46321 – 3812 (219) 923 – 8777 Email: lamsmith@hotmail.com VALTHORNET Editor: Joella Hultgren 13650 Amblewind Place Westfield, Indiana 46074 – 8227 (317) 733 – 3493

Email: nodjehult@att.net; nodehult@juno.com

1450 it was ruled by Sweden. In a peace agreement in 1645, Denmark ceded Härjedalen to Sweden. It is a sparsely populated province with about 13,000 people where bears and wolves roam freely in the mostly mountainous and forested areas. It is also on the most southern edge of the reindeer herding area. The mountain Helagsfjället, close to 1800 meters in height, is a popular area for skiing enthusiasts and other tourists. Härjedalen’s flora and fauna are: Flower Mosippa Pasque flower Animal Björn Bear Bird Kungsörn Golden Eagle Fish Harr Grayling Mushroom Gullkremla Golden Russula

CHAPLAIN’S CORNER KAPLANENS HÖRNA I spent the month of July in Mariefred, Sweden, the beautiful little town on the South shore of Lake Mälaren, where both my parents grew up. The town is dwarfed by Gripsholm Castle where kings lived from Gustav Vasa on. I had a room right by the lake. The first week it rained so much that the walkway outside my door was flooded and only the mallard ducks were happy. I looked out over the bay - where were all the sailboats? probably at anchor over in the guest harbor with their crews sitting hunched in their galleys with playing cards and coffee cups, or shot glasses, wishing for wind and sun. All was gray. But that changed. Aaah, this is what I came to Sweden for! Cycling in sunshine, exploring, finding the cottages where my ancestors had lived. I sat on the "Liars´ Bench" with the other old Mariefred originals at 1:30 when Maja, the little steamer, came in with all the tourists from Stockholm. Late evening. The bay is dark blue, the shadows long. All colors are so sharp and the light is almost painfully piercingly clear. Dark green spruce to the East. The sun goes low. I sit at Mälaren - early - the little town sleeps behind me. In this lovely Mälar Valley my family has lived and worked and loved and born children and sometimes frozen and starved for more than 500 years, until I, one of their daughters, moved to a continent out West. They worked and saved and lived honorable lives - honest, careful and obedient. And when they made a common effort through the labor movement, they achieved justice and peace. Finally they had a good life. Besides my own aberration, in the year 1700 there came a short man, named Meijer from Antwerp, Belgium. He had dark brown curly hair and skill in silversmithing. As part of a government undertaking, he settled in the West end of our valley and taught the Swedes how to work with silver. He married Anna Maria Andersson in Köping - a sturdy peasant girl with apple round cheeks and light blue eyes. They had 6 children of which 4 survived. Generation followed generation and, when Maria Christina Meijer, my great grandmother, at age 65 in 1904 died in Fredrikshall, Mariefred, she was the last with that name. She had blue eyes, dark blond hair and she had been a stately woman. Her hair was a little thicker and slightly curly, but otherwise she looked typically Swedish. Her daughter was raising a lively brood of flaxen-haired children. Unless one of her progeny searched carefully in the church ledgers, there was no visible sign that the swarthy little man had ever ventured North. Inez Törnblom, Viljan No. 349 Chaplain, District No. 8

Under juli månad var jag i Mariefred, Sverige, den vackra lilla staden på sydstranden av Mälaren, där båda mina föräldrar växte upp. Stan ser speciellt liten ut bredvid det imponerande Gripsholm Slott, där kungarna bodde från och med Gustav Vasa. Jag hade hyrt ett rum vid sjön. Första veckan regnade det så mycket att stigen utanför min dörr svämmade över och bara änderna var glada. Jag tittade ut över fjärden - Var var alla segelbåtar? - antagligen förankrade i gästhamnen medan deras besättningar sitter i kajutorna med spelkort och kaffekoppar eller snapsglas och hoppas på vind och sol. Allt var grått. Vädret bytte om. Aaah, det var det här jag kom till Sverige för! Jag cyklade i solsken, letade, hittade stugorna där mina förfäder har bott. Jag satt på Ljugarbänken med de andra gamla mariefredsoriginalen kl. halv två, när Maja, ångbåten, kommer in med alla turister från Stockholm. Sen kväll. Fjärden är mörkblå, skuggorna är långa. Alla färger är så skarpa och ljuset är nästan pinsamt skärande klart. Mörkgröna furor vid östra horizonten. Solen går lågt. Jag sitter vid Mälaren - tidigt - den lilla stan sover bakom mig. I denna sköna Mälardalen har min släkt levt och arbetat och älskat och fött barn och ibland frusit och svultit i mer än 500 år, tills jag, en av deras döttrar, flyttade till en kontinent västerut. De arbetade och sparade och levde ärbara liv ärliga, försiktiga och lydiga. Och när de gjorde en gemensam ansträngning genom arbetarrörelsen, nådde de rättvisa och fred. Äntligen hade de ett gott liv. Förutom min avvikelse, år 1700 kom en kortväxt man, som hette Meijer, från Antwerpen, Belgien. Han var mörklockig och duktig silversmed. Genom en regeringsplan slog han sig ner vid silvergruvorna i västra änden av vår dal och lärde svenskarna hantera silver. Han gifte sig med Anna Maria Andersson i Köping - en präktig bondflicka med äppelrunda kinder och ljusblå ögon. De fick 6 barn, av vilka 4 levde. Generationer senare, när Maria Christina Meijer, 65 år, min mormorsmor, dog 1904 vid Fredrikshall, Mariefred, var hon den sista med det namnet. Hon hade blå ögon, mörkblont hår och hon hade varit en ståtlig kvinna. Hennes hår var litet tjockare och aningen lockigt, men annars såg hon typiskt svensk ut. Hennes dotter var mor till en livlig skara lintottar. Om inte en av hennes ättlingar noga hade forskat i kyrkböckerna, skulle det nu inte finnas något synligt tecken på att den mörkhyade mannen någonsin hade satsat på att migrera norrut. Inez Törnblom, Viljan No. 349 Kaplan, District No. 8

********************************************************************************************* The Valthornet is available on the VOA web site. To access the quarterly Valthornet newsletters on the web, go to: www.vasaorder.org; click on "Lodge Directory" (left side); click on "DL Lake Michigan No. 8" (left column); click on "Lake Michigan No. 8"; click on "Newsletters"; then click on the date of the Valthornet desired.

Message of Thanks and Accountability I had the honor of attending the recent District Lodge Lake Michigan # 8 Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a delegate from Bishop Hill Lodge # 683. It was an interesting meeting where we reviewed important proposals affecting the entire district, including a thorough revision of the district bylaws. I was glad to have participated as a delegate, but during the course of the meeting I felt it was also appropriate to address the group as archivist of the VOA National Archives. District Master Sheila Lundquist was gracious in allowing me to do that. What follows paraphrases the content of that message. Everyone understands that the Archives is a facility serving the entire Order, but something I have learned to appreciate is the intimate relationship the Archives has with DL # 8. After all, the Archives came into existence thanks to many people, but to none more than Bertil Winstrom, active member in this district. Because of its location here, members of lodges in our district have easiest access to it. The first full time archivists, Richard and Lillemor Horngren, again, came from DL # 8. The board of directors is largely populated by people from this district, and let me tell you it is a wonderful board indeed. All along the course of its life, the Archives has received significant financial support from the district as well as from individual lodges in our area. As representative of the Archives today I wish to express great thanks to DL # 8 for all that it has made possible. Most recently, thanks to contributions from the district, we have been able to renovate the Lower Level of the facility, the Districts Gallery, to make it all the more welcoming and useful to Vasa Order people and others to hold meetings and events there. Since District # 8 lodges are relatively close to the Archives, consider taking advantage of the facility and plan activities to hold here. The larger projects in the Districts Gallery are now completed, and they have allowed better physical access to visitors. Our next project is to improve access to the records we hold here. The amazing store of information we have on microfilm, the minutes and other records from most all of the lodges in the Order from their beginning through the 1980s, is a treasure. But the equipment we currently use to access the film is now very out â&#x20AC;&#x201C; of - date. Therefore we would like to work toward raising money to purchase a piece of equipment, called a microfilm scanner, which allows reading, copying, and digital transfer of the information we have. With this scanner we will have a clearer view of the images on microfilm, quicker browsing capability, the ability to make paper copies of information, and best of all, pdf transfers that in an instant can be sent to researchers via email.

Imagine being able to see pages of original minutes from anytime in your lodgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history as an email attachment. You will have the answer to your question right there on your computer monitor in the secretaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original handwriting. The district has put the Archives into its budget again this year and set aside money to use for important projects. The money will now be put toward getting the microfilm scanner that we need. Thank you. Lars Jenner Archivist Vasa_archives@hughes.net

CULTURAL CORNER Greetings from your District 8 Cultural Leader! I would like to share a game that you might find both fun and educational. Stump the Scandinavian (The name is based on that Johnny Carson game, Stump the Band). It is something that we have played in our Lodge and everyone seemed to enjoy it. First you will have to ask all the members to do a little research and bring some form of trivia or fact (Scandinavian of course) to your meeting. We have played this game during our socializing time and have had lots of fun with it. It is something that can be used over and over with new information. You can take this basic idea and build on it to come up with other forms of the game. For example ask your members to research something specific, such as music or art / artists. It gets everyone involved in a cultural program. Each member will take a turn asking a question(s) and the person who correctly answers will receive a point. If no one can correctly answer the question then the person who asked the question receives a point. This goes on until there are no more questions to ask or you can set a point limit and the person who reaches that limit first wins. The cultural leader can keep score. I have provided little prizes (not necessary) for the winner. I would like to hear from you about some programs that you have done in your Lodge. It would be nice to share ideas with one another. I can be reached by email at AndreaWil@sbcglobal.net or at my home address 4332 Maple Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513. I look forward to hearing from you. In Truth and Unity, Andrea Magnuson Wilczynski District 8 Cultural Leader

DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIP FUND Fellow Vasa Vänner, For many years now, District Lodge Lake Michigan No. 8 has been providing college scholarships to deserving young Vasa members. This has been a source of pride for our District and a real help to the recipients and their families. I have written before about the situation with our current South Side Chicago scholarship…..how the endowment was severely decreased during our most recent economic downturn. At this year’s convention, when we discussed the fate of our Scholarship program, there was a suggestion from PDM Linda Christensen – member of Svea Lodge No. 253. She proposed that the District could offer a different scholarship…..from a different fund! Her suggestion was brilliant and I believe, very easy to accomplish. She proposed that we ask each local lodge in our district to do some sort of fund raising each month (nothing big, just some small means of collecting money) to try to come up with $5.00 to $10.00 each month. If this was done at every meeting (through a 50 / 50 raffle, donation, or other means) then at the end of their 9 meetings for the year, this could total $90.00. This money would be sent to a newly created DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIP FUND. If each of the Local Lodges in our district would pledge to do this, it would allow us to offer scholarships. (A form, the Scholarship Fund Donation Form, has been sent to each Local Lodge, that can be used by each lodge to forward the funds collected to the District Treasurer prior to our next budget meeting in February 2010.) Another possible way to support our youth would be if an individual would like to personally sponsor a scholarship for $1,000.00. The scholarship would be offered in the NAME OF THE DONOR and it could have specific requirements as decided by the donor (for example, if could be just for music, engineering, teaching, or nursing students, if so desired). Any member who would like to make such a personal difference in the life of one of our Vasa youth is welcomed to contact me for more information. I am urging you to share this information with all of the members of your lodge. Please let them know that our support of the young achievers of our Order is a most worthy endeavor. These young Vasa members will someday be our leaders…..we should be proud to help them as they further their education. If we all pull together in small ways, the result can be something big! Won’t you please help us with this? Thanks again to Linda Christensen for the great idea, and thank you to all of the lodges that will help us to once again be able to offer college scholarships for our deserving youth. College is more expensive now than ever! If we can lighten the load and help our young people with their education, it will keep the

vision of Vasa glowing in their hearts for years to come. APPLICATIONS: Applications will be available on the Vasa Order website as of 1 October 2009! Look under District No. 8 information. (Applicants must have been a member of a local lodge from January 2009 or sooner in order to be eligible.) Please inform all of your members of this. Tusen Tack. In Truth and Unity, Lynda Ann Smith District Lodge Youth Supervisor / Scholarship Committee Chair

GRAND LODGE SCHOLARSHIP WINNER This spring 2009, Elizabeth Stopka, Viljan No. 349, District Lodge Lake Michigan No. 8, won The Oscar And Mildred Larson Award , a scholarship of $3,000.00. Elizabeth “Lizzy” Stopka graduated from Geneva Community High School in the spring of 2009. She plans to major in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Minnesota, and will pursue a career in International Law or Business. Lizzy was highly involved in band and many clubs inside and outside of school. She has shown consistent achievement in the most rigorous coursework offered in high school and has set standards rarely seen for a high school student. Lizzy has been active with Vasa and was a frequent student at Sjölunden Language Camp. In Lizzy’s own words: “I'm really looking forward to attending the University of Minnesota. I'm planning on majoring in Scandinavian Studies with a minor in Spanish. I hope to be able to study abroad while in school. I have enjoyed my participation in Vasa in the past years and I really appreciate their support in my educational endeavors. It was such a great honor to win this scholarship.” The recipient of The Oscar And Mildred Larson Award may apply for renewals of the award in each of three years following the initial award for a total amount of $12,000.00 over a four-year period.

NEWS FROM LOCAL LODGES SILJAN-MORA-TUNA # 134 20 September 2009: A Pizza Party and White Elephant Sale were held.

LINNÉ # 153 12 September 2009: Linné Lodge No. 153 celebrated its 100th Anniversary on September 12, 2009 at the Elk’s Lodge in South Bend, Indiana. The Cocktail hour was observed with accordion music provided by Lyle Anderson. Herring, cheese, lingonberry punch, and pear punch were served during the social time. This was followed by a delicious Scandinavian buffet of poached salmon, roast pork, meatballs, potatoes with dill or parsley butter, bruna borna, red sweet and sour cabbage, corn, limpa bread, rice pudding with lingonberry sauce, and cake and ice cream. After dinner entertainment was provided by the Nordikids of Munster, Indiana, under the direction of Linnea Sinwelski. They sang inspirational, traditional, and fun songs, and performed several ring dances, including one involving members of the audience. Our guest speaker was archivist Lars Jenner from Bishop Hill, Illinois. He read minutes of Linné Lodge No. 153, which gave the history of the first meeting, and gave an overall view of what information is available for the lodges at the National Archives. Helge Swanson, age 103 years old and an 80-years member of Vasa, was honored; unfortunately he was not feeling well enough to attend. Thelma Nelson was recognized for her long - standing 58 years membership in our lodge. Guests included dignitaries from the Grand Lodge and District Lodges: Nancy and Sten Hult, Rosanna and Swan Swanson, Sheila and Bill Lundquist, Joella and Edward Hultgren, Judy and Ted Ruser, Lynda Smith, and Linnea Ogrentz. Additional guests were Marv and Lou Anderson from Svea Lodge No. 253 in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Charles and Marilyn Elston from Nordik Red Rock Lodge No. 760 in Arizona. Telegrams from the Grand Lodge and District Lodges, Siljan – Mora – Tuna No. 134, and Svea No. 253 were presented to our lodge congratulating us on our 100 years. A raffle was held, and the winners were: 1st Place Winner $300.00 - Jack Grandin (Viljan Lodge No. 349); 2nd Place Winner $200.00 - Elinor Huggett (Linné Lodge No. 153); and 3rd Place Winner $100.00 - Bob Anderson of Skokie, Illinois. It was an enjoyable evening, and fun was had by all.

SVEA # 253 28 June 2009: Several members of our lodge dance with Dans Norden, a Scandinavian Folk Dancing Group, who performed at the Chellberg Farms Midsummer Celebration at the Indiana Dunes. The dancers included: Frances Brown, Bill Burrell, Joyce Carlile, Rose Anne and Jerry Fohey, Olga and Bob Hackenberg, Edward and Joella Hultgren, Marie Lawlor, Director John Seest, and Sylvia Swanson. In addition to the traditional procession, dancing around the Majstång, and the Grand March which involved Nordikids and almost everyone in the audience, Dans Norden performed many Scandinavian folk dances and invited the audience to join in a few classic mixers. 8 August 2009: Our annual celebration of the crayfish season, or, Kräftskiva, was once again held at the beautiful home and lovely garden of Past Chairman Charlotte Swenson. A delicious buffet table overflowing with hors d’oeuvres, smoked salmon, ham,

potatoes, cucumber salad, four bean salad, fresh garden tomatoes, dessert, and other dinner favorites was complemented with beer, wine, and summer beverages. Of course, we enjoyed the Kräftor och Akvavit Salute! Table candles, lawn torches, and table flowers helped to add Swedish atmosphere to this well attended event. We welcomed guests Ashton and Laura Duff from Greenwood; Yvonne and Neal Feola from Muncie; Jay Hook from Cicero; and Craig Lindgren from Indianapolis, Indiana. Tack Så Mycket to Sarah and Eric Swanson for decorating with colorful lights, and to Lou Anderson, Jean Bang, Dennis Danielson Edward Hultgren, Iva Lynn, Rosanna Swanson, Charlotte Swenson, and all the other cooks, hosts, and hostesses. 16 August 2009: Once again, our Scandinavian Folk Dancing Group Dans Norden was invited to perform at the Clarion Pavilion at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis, Indiana. The dancers who participated in this annual event were: Frances Brown, Bill Burrell, Joyce Carlile, Jennifer Coons, Rose Anne and Jerry Fohey, Holly Hendrickson, Edward Hultgren, Marie Lawlor, Duane Leatherman, Lisa Retzner, Stephen Rhonemus, Director John Seest, and Sylvia Swanson. They danced traditional folk dances from the Scandinavian countries, and invited members of the audience to join them on stage for several easier dances. 13 September 2009: This first meeting after the summer break was held at the Carmel Clay Government Center. Our Swedish Royal Family expert Jenne Swain presented a program on “Sweden’s Castles”, which included a colorful digital video show. It was nice to see member Darlene Gilbert again, and to welcome guests Jean Engstrom and Eija Vesterqvist. The host and hostesses for the meeting were David Duff, Esther Schoonmaker, and Charlotte Swenson, and Gevalia coffee was provided by Eva Berglund. 22 September 2009: The first “fourth Tuesday” luncheon of the season was held at Rick’s Boatyard, a perennial favorite. Tack Så Mycket to Eva Berglund and Patricia Hoffman for arranging the outing.

VILJAN # 349 28 May 2009: Tack Så Mycket to Florence Olson and Dorothy Patzer for coordinating the delicious treats at the May Memorial Meeting. The annual Memorial Service is always a wonderful time to reflect on Vasa, its Founders, and the footsteps of those we follow. 29 – 31 May 2009: Kudos to the following Viljan members on their election to serve Vasa District Lodge Lake Michigan No. 8: Tom Cleveland – Vice District Master; Susan Cleveland – District Executive Board Member; Paula Stopka – District Auditor; and Inez Törnblom – District Chaplain. Tom Cleveland was also elected to be a District Delegate at the National Grand Lodge Convention in Washington, D. C. next summer 2010. 27 June 2009: The Scandinavian Midsommar Picnic and Maypole Decorating Celebration was held at Vasa Park, in South Elgin, Illinois. Viljan members continued their tradition of decorating the Maypole for the Midsommar festivities. Thank you to Ken Johnson for supplying grapevines for the Midsommar Maypole, and to Dorothy Patzer, Florence Olson, Lynn and Chelsea Stolar, and Elizabeth and Susan Cleveland for decorating the Maypole. In addition, there were pony rides, traditional music and dancing, games for the children, luminaria, craft projects for the children, a bonfire, and lots of fellowship. Whether members brought their

7 own picnic baskets, or purchased good food from various Scandinavian organizations, it was a lovely day at Vasa Park. Many people also commented on the new Heritage walkway with its newly installed benches and lovely flower garden. 23 July 2009: 18th Annual Scandinavian Fish Boil was held at Vasa Park. The Viljan menu included: Icelandic Cod, Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Assorted Salads, Apple Slices, Coffee, Soda, and Water. A beautiful event in a beautiful location with good food and great friends is the best way to spend a summer evening, and our fish boil fits that bill perfectly! Thank you to all the Viljan members who helped make the fish boil a success, especially the Villwocks, Stopkas, Becks, Olsons, Paul Anderson, Mary Jean Nystedt, and the Clevelands! 27 August 2009: The meeting and Ice Cream Social were held at the Batavia Civic Center. This is an end of summer tradition for Viljan, and a fun way to round out the Summer and welcome in the Fall. Thank you to the coordinators for the event, Maxine and Bob Villwock, and we also thank the other Viljan members who brought treats. Lots of delicious sundaes were made and enjoyed along with cookies and breads. There was a short meeting to discuss business and the Scandinavian Day Festival, which was coming soon! During the “dog days of summer”, members caught up on the summer’s activities and renewed their commitment to Viljan and Vasa! 13 September 2009: The Scandinavian Day Festival was held at Vasa Park. This was a fantastic event! There was great Scandinavian entertainment, food, and Scandinavian vendors and their wares, all under the oaks at Vasa Park. This was also Viljan’s big fundraiser for the year and is always a crazy, fun time in the kitchen. Many members joined Viljan Lodge in the kitchen and helped with våfflor och glass (waffles and ice cream), och köttbullar (meatballs). They also enjoyed the day at the beautiful Vasa Park. Tack to Ruth Beck and Mary Jean Nystedt for coordinating our volunteers for our largest fundraiser. 24 September 2009: The September meeting went to the dogs…..Scandinavian Dogs, that is. You’ve probably heard of the Norwegian Elkhound, but did you know there are many more dog breeds specific to Scandinavia? Our cultural leader Paula Stopka dug up the scoop on these not so mangy mutts and shared their finer points with us. The refreshment coordinators were Doris Carlson, Susan Duffy, and Dolores Salak. 22 October 2009: Wanted – White Elephants! Do you know of any white elephants? They tend to lurk in dark closets and recesses of your homes. [They’re not to be confused with pink elephants, 300 pounds gorillas, or flying pigs.] They are perfect for our upcoming October Sale, the proceeds of which will be donated to the District Scholarship Fund. We would ask that you limit your herd to 5 or less, due to time constraints. This event will be at the Batavia Civic Center at 7:00 pm.

LINDE # 492 6 June 2009: Following the Executive Board meeting we had a very nice and interesting potluck luncheon. Everyone was asked to bring a dish that started with the same initial letter as their last name. Some members had some difficulties with their letter of the alphabet, but most everyone did well. Some examples were: Bruce - Brownies; Ekstrand - Egg Cake; Erickson - Cider and Potato Salad; Hendrickson - Hamburger With Wild Rice; Hummel - Hash and Ham; Jothen - Jello; Larson - Lillian’s Potato Salad; Nickolett – Noodle Salad; Stephenson - Swedish Open Face Sandwiches; and Touve / Peterson - Pudding;. We celebrated the Svenska Nationaldagen och Svenska Flaggans Dag and members brought their Swedish flags. There was a “bragging” session over each person’s flag. This meeting was a lot of fun with lots of good food.

We all congratulated and cheered for Jake Gruel, who received the Distinguished Service Award at the District Convention Banquet in May. Jake Gruel received the VASA Ring in recognition of his award. Great job, Jake! And thanks for all the help you provide in our Lodge (no matter what our questions are), our District, and in the Grand Lodge. June 2009: Congratulations and Best Wishes to our newest Linde members, Adam Myers and Catrine Andreasson who were married in Sweden during the Midsommar celebrations. May you have the best of everything!!!!!! 27 June 2009: It was a Glad Midsommar 2009. Les Touve dug the hole for the Maypole, many willing and strong helpers raised the Maypole, which turned out to be very pretty, and everyone in the audience joined in the fun on this beautiful Saturday. The Skansen Children’s Club and Lekspel joined together and danced the well known Ringlekar. See page # 12 for a photograph of this Midsommar celebration. 26 July 2009 : An Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social was held at the home of Marge and Jake Gruel. On the table was a basket for a freewill offering, all proceeds of which will be given to the District for the scholarship program. Due to the downturn in investments, the District was not able to award any scholarships this year, and all the lodges have been challenged to contribute a minimum of $50.00 to the Scholarship Fund, so the District can award a scholarship next year to a very deserving student. 10 August 2009: “Svenska Diskussions Kväll”, is a new activity organized by our newfound friend Sam Barrette, a Swedish language teacher at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and Liza Ekstrand. “Svensk Afton” was advertised as an evening for anyone to come and speak Swedish, an opportunity to see old friends and make new friends, and enjoy using our Swedish language skills. About 15 people came to this new event which was held at the Charcoal Grill and Rotisserie in New Berlin, Wisconsin. The restaurant has a nice quiet area for meeting and a reasonably priced menu. Purchasing something to eat and / or drink was optional. Everyone and anyone who can speak Swedish, from native Swedes to those rusty in skills, or those just learning, was invited. Mostly Swedish was spoken, but every now and then, we slipped into “Swenglish”. Teacher Sam Barrette said that he has recently been introduced to some members, is excited to get more involved in our Swedish community, and will join the lodge. He hoped the evening would be a chance to meet many more members and would be another enjoyable way to bring our area’s Swedish community together. 29 August 2009: The 7th Annual Crayfish party was held at the home of Liza and Rolf Ekstrand. Attendees were asked to bring a dish to share to this exceptional festival, but the “sea creatures” were provided. For the young, and the young-at-heart, we played the game of Kubb. See page # 12 for a photograph of their Kräftskiva. 2 September 2009: The Swedish members of our lodge, Elisabeth Agge and Karl-Eric Axelsson from Enköping, Hillivi and Lars Åke Sjöberg from Sorunda, and Ann-Sofie (Fia) and Håkan Hjort Enköping, arrived for a ten day visit. Everyone, except Håkan Hjort, is a dual member of Linde Lodge, and we are working on that! This is his first trip to the USA and his first airplane ride. Elisabeth Agge, Karl-Eric Axelsson, and Ann-Sofie and Håkan Hjort are also members of Enköping # 646; Hillivi and Lars Åke Sjöberg are also members of Mälardrottningen No. 563. Please read the article “Linde Lodge # 492 Vasa Friendships Across The Seas” on page # 11 about the wonderful friendships that have developed among the local members of Linde Lodge and their Vasa lodge members in Sweden.

8 12 September 2009: The Annual Picnic at Christ The Victor Lutheran Church, in New Berlin, Wisconsin, followed the short business meeting. Other Wisconsin lodges, Lindgren # 754 in Green Bay and Jubileum # 755 in Madison, were invited. The charter was draped in honor of Elsie Jorgensen who passed away this summer. New Linde member Sam Barrette was initiated. Each member brought a dish to share for the potluck lunch, and a white Elephant gift (wrapped in newspaper) for great laughs. There were some crazy gifts! The game of Kubb was enjoyed by the players and the spectators. 14 September 2009: Another gathering of “Svensk Diskussions Afton” was held at the Charcoal Grill and Rotisserie. It’s an evening in friendly company with everyone who likes to practice Swedish, or just listen to others speaking it. Please join our group for dinner, pizza, sandwich, cup of coffee, or beer. Food and / or beverages are optional, but on your own. Contact Liza Ekstrand at (262) 782-2238 or lekstrand@wi.rr.com for future events so she can plan for seating. Pass the word! Contributors Liza Ekstrand and Marge Gruel

SATELLITE # 661 12 August 2009: Planning the lodge activities for the next year took place at Theo and Stacy’s Restaurant in Portage, Michigan. Members shared ideas for new activities of interest to them and considered ways to improve our current special events such as the fish boil, Lucia, and Midsommar celebrations. 15 August 2009: The Crayfish party that was originally scheduled for September was held at the home of Holly Jensen in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Tack Så Mycket to Holly Jensen for graciously offering to host the event. Members brought beverages, salads, fruit, and dessert to complement the Crayfish. 13 September 2009: A business meeting was held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Planning was done for the Fish Boil to be held on 4 October 2009 and Lucia on 12 December 2009. There was a “show and tell” program on the various Scandinavian activities members experienced during the summer. There was a discussion concerning a dues increase for 2010 and the expenses of printing and mailing the lodge newsletter. Members are asked to consider receiving their newsletters via email. Everyone enjoyed the potluck refreshments; members brought a wide variety of tasty dishes to share, many of Scandinavian background. The programs for the remainder of 2009 were reviewed and the tentative program schedule for 2010 was developed. Any member interested in hosting a future meeting should contact Roger Drong at (269) 349-7654 or Rob Groesbeck at (269) 664-5835. Sweden.SE, the official gateway to Sweden on the internet, is providing a service called “Add the Swedish Word of the Day to Your Facebook Profile”. There are different options for beginners and advanced Svenskaspräker. Future plans include having feeds available for the Swedish Picture of the Day, and Swedish Recipe of the Day. If you are interested, go to www.Sweden.SE. Submitted by Bruce C. Muller

BISHOP HILL # 683 11 July 2009: The 18th Annual Country Antique Market included quality antiques, early country primitives, folk art, pottery, and textiles on the lawn of Colony School. It was sponsored by Bishop Hill Colony Bakery, Jim and Cheri Campbell, and the proceeds benefited Bishop Hill’s Volunteer Fire Department. 24 July 2009: A picnic and potluck supper was held at Galva Park District.

1 – 2 August 2009: The Midwest Folk Festival highlighted the ethnic and folk artists of the Midwestern states bordering the Mississippi River. There was music, dance, demonstrations by artisans, and hands-on activities. It was produced by the Illinois Arts Council in cooperation with the Bishop Hill Heritage Association and area organizations. 15 August 2009: A Pie And Ice Cream Social fundraiser was held at the Village Park benefitting the Bishop Hill Heritage Association. 15 – 16 August 2009: The Clay And Fiber Fest, and Pottery Workshop included demonstrations of pottery styles, spinning, weaving, and broom making. There were hands-on activities of weaving and spinning, and a soup supper on 15 August. The VagenHall Galleri had a Special Exhibit and Contest. This was hosted by the Prairie Arts Center. 12 September 2009: Old Settlers’ Day was the celebration of the 163rd anniversary of the Bishop Hill Colony and the 113th year of the Old Settlers’ Association. The activities included a traditional chicken dinner, the High Society Band Concert, and a program featuring speakers as Bishop Hill Colony Descendents. This was produced by the Bishop Hill Old Settlers’ Association. 25 September 2009: A wiener roast and potluck supper was held at the Vasa National Archives. The program “Vasa” was presented by Lars Jenner, archivist at the Vasa National Archives. 25 – 27 September 2009: Jordbruksdagarna, or Agricultural Days, celebrated Bishop Hill’s agrarian heritage. This event featured traditional 19th century harvest activities and demonstrations, hands-on activities, music, farm produce, vintage baseball, and Colony Stew. It was jointly planned by the Bishop Hill State Historic Site and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. If you had a chance to visit, we hope you stopped by the Vasa National Archives to see all the improvements made this past year. President Lennart Petersson and Archivist Lars Jenner were there all weekend to greet guests and answer questions.

JUBILEUM # 755 20 June 2009: Over twenty Jubileum Lodge No. 755 members and guests gathered at Arbor Covenant Church on Saturday to celebrate Midsommar. Marge and Jake Gruel, from Linde Lodge # 492, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were also in attendance, and we thank them for their interest in our Lodge and presence at many of our activities. Midsommar was one of the first really warm sunny days in what turned out to be a cool

9 summer in Madison, Wisconsin. We weren’t used to summer weather yet, so we showed a lot more enthusiasm for sitting in the shade, eating from the smörgåsbord, listening to accordionist Kjell-Erik Anderson, and talking, than we did for dancing around the Majstång, which we raised at around 4:00 pm. August 2009: As is our custom, we took the summer off from formal Lodge meetings. But in August, many of us gathered to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of our Lodge Chairman, Ralph Stromquist, and his wife, Martha. Happy Anniversary! submitted by Robert Merrill Historian

NORDIK FOLK # 761 June 2009: June was full of Midsommar Celebrations for our Lodge. On 27 June 2009 members of Nordik Folk travelled to Vasa Park in Elgin, Illinois, and on 28 June 2009 we travelled to Chellberg Farm in Chesterton, Indiana, and we had a wonderful time enjoying Midsommar activities throughout the weekend. (left) Nordik Folk Members Jean Oak (on left) and Jean Ogrentz (on right) enjoy the raising of the Maypole at Chellberg Farm in Chesterton, Indiana.

We enjoyed the raising of the Maypole and ring dancing at both locations. We also enjoyed the performance of our Children’s group, Nordikids, at both venues. August 2009: August brought our Annual End of Summer Picnic and Kubb Tournament at Community Park in Munster, Indiana.

Nordik Folk Secretary, Linnea Ogrentz, Chairman Steve Westlund, Treasurer Beth Raddatz, and Chaplain Rachel Hannigan preparing for a brief business meeting before the End of Summer Picnic.

What a Smörgåsbord! Members enjoyed a potluck dinner and lots of fun and fellowship.

****2010 CONVENTION PLANNING**** Planning for the upcoming convention in Michigan City, Indiana continued throughout the summer. The convention, set for May 14, 15 and 16 at the Clarion Inn, in Michigan City, Indiana, is themed “Nordik Folk Art”. A golf outing is being planned at the Michigan City Municipal Golf Course and the Friday night Cultural Program will be brought to us by our very own Nordikids Children’s Klubb! Nordik Folk, along with Teen members of the children’s club will host a Nordik Kids Camp for Saturday, 15 May 2009, while the District Business Meeting is taking place. We encourage all of our

District VASA Members to make this Convention a “Family” Affair and bring those children and Grandkids! Program Book Advertisement Information will be mailed out soon. Please visit the Nordikfolk website at: http://www.nordikfolk.com. The latest news on convention planning will be there as well as a copy of our online adbook. Your purchased advertisement will remain online throughout the year for free.

$ Grand Lodge OAB Fund $ The Vasa Grand Lodge maintains a fund that provides one or several payments to members who have financial difficulty. It is called the Old Age Benefit Fund, but one does not have to reach a set age to be eligible to apply for support from the Fund. See your local lodge Secretary for an application form. If the local lodge and the District Master and District Secretary approve your application, it will be forwarded to the Grand Lodge. There is a lifetime limit of $2,000.00 that each member can receive. If an application is approved, for $2,000.00 or less, a member might receive the entire approved sum at once or perhaps via payments in annual installments.

VASA Lodges On The Internet Each local lodge can have its own web page on the Internet using a template provided by the Grand Lodge. To view the Grand Lodge web site, type www.vasaorder.com into the address window at the top of your browser display. Click on “Lodge Directory” to see a list of the district lodges. Click on “DL Lake Michigan No. 8” to see a list of District 8 officers and local lodges. The local lodges are in numerical order. If your lodge has a web page, its name in the list will be underlined. As an example, 203BESSEMER indicates that this lodge has a web page. Click on BESSEMER to reach their web page. BESSEMER has information about its calendar, its officers, the latest news, its newsletter, and a gallery of photos. Click on any of the blue titles in the column on the left side of their page to choose a topic. If your lodge does not have a web page, a lodge member can email the GL webmaster, Robert Anderson, to request one. He will set up the web page for your lodge and a user account so that your lodge can keep up-to-date information on your web page. This is a great way to publicize your lodge to the Internet user world, and you can do so for free. Send an email to: webmaster@vasaorder.com. For more information, contact District No. 8 Publicity Chairman Edward Hultgren at nodjehult@att.net or nodehult@juno.com.

YOUTH CORNER School has started, and going along with that, our Children’s Clubs have also started meeting. These Clubs all offer culture education to their members (and the members’ parents too) by offering language lessons, music, folk dance, craft and much more! This time of year usually involves activities and lessons that center around the upcoming holidays. Lucia and Jul are still several months away, yet our children are starting to learn songs and make crafts to be used at their upcoming Lucia celebrations. I think I can speak for all of the Club Leaders when I say a big “Tack så Mycket” to the District, for supporting our clubs financially! This semester’s supplement / support checks have already been sent out and the help this gives with teacher support, supplies, and other expenses that go with running a club, are most definitely appreciated. It is so good to know that District Lodge Lake Michigan No. 8 officers and board members value education for our youth and are so willing to continue supporting this cause! Last July the Grand Lodge sponsored a seminar for youth Leaders from around the country which was held in the Chicago area. We had leaders from Vårblomman, Nordikids, Pride of the Family, and Solstralen (inactive) representing our District. Everyone shared their success stories. All of our Clubs will benefit from the ideas that were shared by the participants! Getting to know each other was the first step in keeping the lines of communication open for the sharing of our best practices. I would encourage all Clubs to reach out to their communities by offering to visit a local nursing home or senior residence and entertain the residents during the holiday season. And, as these youth Clubs hold their Luciafests, it would be wonderful if every lodge member in our District would try to attend at least one of them. I shall list the Clubs, their location, and a contact telephone number for each in the hopes that all of you will be able to see for yourselves what wonderful things our littlest Vasa “barn” are learning! District Lodge Lake Michigan No. 8 Children's Clubs are: Vårblomman #54 - North side of Chicago, Illinois: (773) 282-9423 Förgät Mig Ej #64 - Far Northwestern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois: (847) 516-3103 Skansen #113 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin and suburban areas: (262) 782-2238 Nordikids #208 - Northwest Indiana and southern suburban Chicago, Illinois: (219) 923-8777 Pride of the Family #209 - Bishop Hill area of Illinois: (309) 375-6844 Sveaskolan #210 - Indianapolis, Indiana and suburban areas: (317) 774-3773.

Don’t have a Children’s Club in your area? I will be happy to share ideas and materials to help you start one! Just give me a call at (219) 923-8777); or you can always email me at: lamsmith@hotmail.com. (Be sure to put the word "Vasa" in the subject area). Supporting our youth is the best way to ensure that Vasa will continue into the future! In Truth and Unity, Lynda Ann Smith District Lodge # 8 Youth Supervisor / Grand Lodge Youth Director

SVEASKOLAN #210 September 2009 : We are going to start classes

again at the end of September 2009. Our teacher Sara Olsson will be in Sweden until then, so we are anxious for her return. Sarah Swanson

VASA BRIDAL CROWN Our District has a beautiful gold bridal crown available to members and their children and grandchildren. where many

This crown carries the tradition of Sweden

churches provide

such a

crown for the use

of their

congregations. An application to use it must be completed, and after the wedding, we ask that the crown be returned along with a photograph or two of the bride wearing it on her wedding day. If you or someone in your family is planning a wedding, consider taking advantage of this special opportunity. Call me at 877–923–8777 (toll free) or email at lamsmith@hotmail.com. Lynda Smith

SWEDISH LANGUAGE LESSIONS University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Did you know that the University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee School Of Continuing Education offers Swedish Language classes? The Department of Languages, Arts, Humanities, and Science offered two courses in July to August, and then another course in September through November. The course description reads: “You know about sm örgåsbord, Ikea, and the Nobel Prize, now learn the Swedish language. It is fun to speak and easy to learn. Gain basic conversational skills as you develop cultural competency. The class, in a stress-free but dynamic learning environment, gives you a practical command of the language. No textbook required; instructor for all courses is Sam Barrette, M.S.” Liza Ekstrand, Linde Lodge # 492 met the instructor Sam Barrette at Old World Wisconsin, has recruited him as a member of Linde Lodge # 492, and also introduced him to Skansen # 113 children’s group.

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UPDATE YOUR MAILING LIST! Local lodges should update their mailing list regularly. Membership lists change frequently because of initiations, moves, and deaths, and there may be errors from previous lists. Misdirected mail results in added expense for the Grand Lodge, the District Lodge, and your Local Lodge. You may request a current list of who receives the VALTHORNET and the VASA STAR by contacting Cathy Anderson, Circulation Manager, 13194 North Woosnam Way, Oro Valley, Arizona 85755; e-mail: circulationvasastar@gmail.com. Cathy Anderson will update your mailing list with your help. Please keep the list current and correct.

VASA FRIENDSHIPS ACROSS THE SEAS IN LINDE LODGE We first met Elisabeth Agge and Karl Erik Axelsson when our lodge decided to sponsor a trip some years ago. We met them for the second time in 1998. They were staying with another family from our lodge prior to going to the Grand Lodge Convention in Chicago. We received a call asking if we could take them with us to Chicago in our van. Well, we had room for one large suitcase of theirs. The van was crammed full of goody bags, 900 pounds of crystal pieces (a gift from Sweden’s glass works) plus all of our luggage, assorted raffle prizes and all the sales table stuff! We were packed in like sardines already so they decided that they would take the train to Chicago and meet us again at the hotel. We had so much fun at the convention that they decided to come in 2002 to the Grand Lodge Convention in Canada. We started discussing the 100th Anniversary of Harley and they decided that they would come to our house for all the festivities planned that year. They brought along their friends, and now ours too, Lars Ǻke and Hillivi Sjöberg. We had a fantastic ten days together. The four of them returned for our 50th Wedding Anniversary Party in August, 2004 to help us celebrate with many of our friends. Since that time they have returned annually to visit with us and many of our lodge members. Two years ago, Elisabeth Agge decided to ask her sister, Fia Hjort, to come along. Her first visit over here was not totally enjoyable for her. She worried about her English so much that she forgot to have a good time. Last summer Fia Hjort again joined the group and had a much better experience. She realized that we were not worrying whether she said the correct word or not. She returned home and began working on her husband, Håkan Hjort, to come along the next time. Elisabeth Agge got in the act and gave him a ticket to America for his 60th birthday. He could not say “no” even though he is afraid to fly. All six Vasa Vänner, Elisabeth Agge and Karl Erik Axelsson, Fia and Håkan Hjort, and Lars Ǻke and Hillivi Sjöberg were here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from September 2-12, 2009. They showed Håkan Hjort a lot of the things they enjoy over here. He wants to see the old car exhibits as he is

an old car buff. Oh yes, we went to Michael’s House of Prime so he could have a great steak dinner!!! They have the best steaks in the Midwest!!!

Pictured from left to right around the table at Michael’s Steakhouse: Karl Erik Axelsson, Elisabeth Agge, Rolf and Liza Ekstrand, Fia Hjort, Lars Ǻke and Hillivi Sjöberg, and Marge and Jake Gruel.

Jake and I were shown a tremendous time when we went to Sweden. We stayed with both families during our visit. This is a great example of the Vasa friendship that is found throughout the order. I hope you will take advantage of this kind of friendship when you are given the opportunity. We are so glad that we did!!!! Marge and Jake Gruel Linde Lodge # 492

CONVENTION 2010 DISTRICT LAKE MICHIGAN No. 8 The next District Lodge Lake Michigan No. 8 Convention will be 14-16 May 2010, in Michigan City, Indiana. Nordik Folk Lodge # 761 is the host lodge. For more information, contact Steve Westlund, Chairman, Nordik Folk Lodge # 761, plncrazy@sbcglobal.net, or Linnea Ogrentz, Convention Committee Chairman, at ogrentz@gmail.com. See more details about the Convention on page # 8.

*********************************************************************** UPCOMING EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Saturday, October 17, 2009: 9th Annual Fish Boil / Harvest Festival, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm; Boil at 2 pm, serving immediately. A great time is planned with music and entertainment. Reservations please by October 10, 2009 at (847) 695-6720. Saturday, October 24, 2009: Annual Meeting – Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Wheaton, Illinois Saturday, October 31, 2009: End of Season Clean Up; Luncheon for Volunteers; Vasa Park, South Elgin, Illinois Saturday, March 6, 2010: Scandinavian Park, Inc. NFP’s Annual Spring Dinner Dance and Fundraiser; Des Plaines Elks Club, Des Plaines, Illinois

UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2009/2010

LOCAL LODGE CONTACTS District Lodge Lake Michigan No. 8 Convention Siljan-Mora-Tuna # 134

14-16 May 2010, Michigan City, Indiana

Evergreen Park, Illinois Lisa Cianci

(708) 352 – 0042 lcianci@inlandbank.com

Siljan-Mora-Tuna #134 Thor # 147

18 October 2009 – Halloween Costume Party; Soup Supper Channahon, Illinois

(815) 458 – 0974

29 November 2009 – Holiday Party; Election Of Officers Sandra Fletcher

sandyfletcher2001@yahoo.com

17 January 2010 – Italian Party Linné # 153 South Bend, Indiana

(574) 264 – 6223

Svea #253 Russell Anderson

duhroa@juno.com

4 October 2009 – Swedish Art, by Dr. Michelle Facos Kronan # 179

1 November 2009 – International Festival Theme Program “Inspiring Places” Chicago, Illinois

(847) 877 – 5181

20 - 23 November 2009 – International Festival, “Inspiring Places”, Indianapolis, John Nygard

jenygard@comcast.net

Bessemer # 203

6 December 2009 – Saint Lucia celebration at the Latvian Center Evergreen Park, Illinois

(773) 239 – 1855

8 January 2010 – Installation Of Officers; Svea’s Swedish Language Group Program Britt Nilsson

BNils18878@aol.com

7 February 2010 – Vasaloppet by Iva Lynn Brahe # 245

7 March 2010 – Ain Haas discusses Estonian Islands and plays the Bowed Harp Rockford, Illinois

Viljan #349

(815) 877 – 5996

Charlotte Tollin

CTDT2@aol.com

Svea # 253

17 October 2009 – Vasa Park Fish Boil, at Vasa Park, Elgin, Illinois Indianapolis, Indiana

(317) 733 – 3493

Edward Hultgren

nodjehult@att.net

22 October 2009 – October Meeting and White Elephant Sale Linde #492 2 October 2009 – Coffee Social and Book Reading by a Linde member

Nobel # 288 Moline, Illinois

(309) 797 – 6914

Linda Lootens

linloots@mchsi.com

4 October 2009 – Sons Of Norway wreath laying ceremony at Leif Ericsson Statue Viljan # 349

14 October 2009 – Concert by Swedish Conductor / Comedian Magnus Mårtenson Batavia, Illinois

(815) 895 – 2102

6 November 2009 – “Miracles” movie presentation by Anne-Marie Hummel Thomas Cleveland

tcleveland@cityofdekalb.com

5 December 2009 – Swedish Christmas Julbord Smörgåsbord; Birgit & Jim Moxon Austin # 466 Chicago, Illinois

(773) 477 – 0875

5-6 December 2009 and 12-13 December 2009 – Annual Christmas Dinner Robert Oberg

Fundraiser: “A Swedish Traditional Christmas Dinner” at Old World Wisconsin. Linde # 492

13 December 2009 – Sankta Lucia Christmas Program at Whitnall Park Lutheran New Berlin, Wisconsin

(414) 962 – 8920

25 December 2009 – Julotta and Swedish-American Historical Society of Wisconsin Brent Erickson

January 2010 – Auditor’s meeting

bwerickson@wi.rr.com

Joe Harbor # 534 Saint Joseph, Michigan

(269) 926 – 6303

6 February 2010 – Installation of Officers; Coffee Social; Valentine Cards Eleanor Anderson

6 March 2010 – Breakfast and Business Meeting Satellite # 661

13 March 2010 – Pea Soup and Pancake Dinner Fundraiser with Entertainment Kalamazoo, Michigan

(269) 692-3818

10 April 2010 – Secret Lunch and Business Meeting Bruce Muller

bruflomuller@surfbest.net

Bishop Hill # 683

25 April 2010 – Valborgsmässoafton Celebration, Bonfire, Sing-A-Long, Potluck Bishop Hill, Illinois

(309) 932-3403

Satellite #661 Judy Anderson

rj3640@verizon.net

4 October 2009 – Fish Boil;UN General Secretaries Trygve Lie & Dag Hammarskjöld Hagar # 721

1 November 2009 – Election of 2010 Officers; Veterans’ Program; Military Rations Des Plaines, Illinois Carrrie/Keith Emrikson

(847) 297-4645 hagarlodge721@gmail.com

12 December 2009 – Luciafest: Pageant & Christmas Celebration; Cookies / Glögg Viking # 730

3 January 2010 – Cultural Talk by Roger Drong; Scandinavian Smörgåsbord Flushing, Michigan

(810) 639 – 6705

7 February 2010 – Trip Report by Holly Jensen; Ärtsoppa och Plättar Eric Swanson

ceswan@centurytel.net

7 March 2010 – IKEA Kitchen by Robert Groesbeck; Semlor Lindgren # 754

11 April 2010 – Textiles by Carol Hassemer; Egg Dishes by Carol Olson

Green Bay, Wisconsin Ray Suennen

(920) 662 – 1088

2 May 2010 – Swedes in Texas by Chuck Nelson; Norwegian Food Jubileum # 755

19 June 2010 – Midsommar Fest; Potluck and Berry Desserts Madison, Wisconsin

(608) 835 – 7151

August 2010 – Crayfish Party Ralph Stromquist

12 September 2010 – Planning Fish Boil and Lucia; Scandinavian Smörgåsbord Nordik Folk # 761 Schererville, Indiana

3 October 2010 – Nyckelharpa and Hardanger Fiddle; Annual Fish Boil 7 November 2010 – National Parks in Sweden / Allemansrätten

Steve Westlund

(219) 322-5190 plncrazy@sbcglobal.net

11 December 2010 – Lucia and Christmas Celebration; Swedish cookies and Glögg

LOCAL LODGE CONTACT LIST Bishop Hill #683 23 October 2009 – Cultural Report; “Voices Of The Past” by Cheryl Dowell 24 – 25 October 2009 – A Gathering Of Authors at the Colony Blacksmith Shop 20 November 2009 – Officer Elections; Variety Show Night: Krause and Anderson 27 - 29 November 2009 – Julmarknad Christmas Market; Christmas Cookie Walk 5 December 2009 – Christmas Party Smörgåsbord and Lucia Program 5 – 6 December 2009 – Julmarknad Christmas Market; Chocolate Walk 11 – 12 December 2009 – Lucia Nights; Peoria Cooperative Academy Chorale

The contact list includes a name, location, telephone number, and/or e-mail address for each of the 19 local lodges in District #8. [Some data is available on the VOA web site.] Please send your contact information to Joella Hultgren (editor) at: nodehult@juno.com or nodjehult@att.net; (317) 733 – 3493; or 13650 Amblewind Place, Westfield, Indiana 46074 – 8227.

13 District Lodge Lake Michigan No. 8 Vasa Order Of America VALTHORNET Joella Hultgren 13650 Amblewind Place Westfield, Indiana 46074 - 8227

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Indianapolis, IN Permit No. 5677

Two wonderful summertime celebrations in Sweden are Midsommar and Kr채ftskiva. Linde Lodge # 492 provided these photographs of their two festive events. VALTHORNET is the official publication of the District Lodge Lake Michigan No. 8, Vasa Order of America, and is published in Indianapolis, Indiana. The VALTHORNET is published quarterly in the months of January, April, July, and October. All news items, photographs, and regular articles should reach the editor by the 15th day of the month before the month of publication, i.e. 15 March, 15 June, 15 September, and 15 December. All address changes should be sent to: The VASA STAR, Cathy Anderson, Circulation Manager, 13194 North Woosnam Way, Oro Valley, Arizona 85755; Email: circulationvasastar@gmail.com.