September Lodge Meeting - September 20 at 5 PM
Washington Lodge Website Version 5.9a September 8, 2025
Welcome to our website.
If you have questions about lodge membership please contact Vice President Linda Hestvik VP@NorwayDC.org
For all other questions or concerns please contact President Jeff Jorgenson President@NorwayDC.org
We have had the following activities (Cooking and Baking, Music Appreciation) in the past and would like to have them in the future. Are you interested? Contact Lodge President Jeff Jorgenson President@NorwayDC.org
The Restauration voyage of 1825 marked the beginning of organized Norwegian emigration to America — a courageous chapter in history that saw countless individuals leave their homes, families, friends, and familiar language in pursuit of a new life in a foreign land.
Saturday, September 20 Lodge Meeting
In the first of our programs, we will look at this story from the viewpoints of our three special interest groups: the Reading Circle, the Genealogy Interest Group, and the Norwegian History Roundtable. The Genealogy Interest group will dicuss the Restauration Voyage. THe Reading Circle will present mini reviews of notable books that cover lesser known aspects of Norwegian immigration. The History Round tabel will discuss Norwegian Immagration in general. Additionally, Program Chair Bill DeRoche will discuss the history of Norwegian Immigration to the US and share the story of his grandparents’ journey to America. If you would like to share your ancestors’ stories, email Bill at Programs@NorwayDC.org. All are welcome. Please bring a dish to share for potluck. The doors will open at 5, potluck starts around 6, and the presentation around 7. A Zoom link for the 7 p.m. presentation will be emailed closer to the meeting date.
Saturday, October 18 Lodge Meeting:
Amy Boxrud, Executive Director of the Norwegian American Historical Association, will speak about the historical factors behind Norwegian immigration.
Saturday, November 15 Lodge Meeting:
Thomas Loftus, U.S Ambassador to Norway from 1993 to 1997, will relate his experience representing the United States in Norway and his participation in the Crossing 200 project..
December 5 – 7: Our Lodge’s 55th Annual Christmas Festival & Bazaar!
Once again, we will use Signup Genius for both guests and volunteers. We expect signup links to be available in early October. We will send an email when they become live. Watch for Festival details in upcoming newsletters -- many consider it the highlight of the year!
Brand by Henrik Ibsen
Oct. 14, 7:30 pm, Zoom
The Reading Circle continues its exploration of the works of Henrik Ibsen by reading and discussing Brand, a verse tragedy written in 1865 and first performed in Stockholm on March 24, 1867. Brand is a priest who is deeply bound to doing “the right thing.” He believes in the will of man, and he lives by the belief “all or nothing.” To compromise is, therefore, difficult or questionable. Brand’s beliefs render him lonely because those around him, when put to the test, generally cannot or will not follow his example. He is a young idealist whose main purpose is to save the world or, at least, people’s souls. His visions are great, but his judgment of others may seem harsh and unfair. Join us as we read this play and consider the consequences of Brand’s beliefs and actions.
Please RSVP to Christine Meloni, the Reading Circle Coordinator, at reading@norwaydc.org if you plan to attend so that she can send you the Zoom link. Facilitator: Lynn Juhl.
On September 27, the GIG will host Eleanor Brinsko of Genealogical Services LLC. She will discuss the famous Norwegian sloop Restauration and its passengers – the first organized group of Norwegian immigrants to arrive in the US in search of religious freedom and opportunity. We will learn about their New York landing in 1825, what they were escaping from in Norway, and what became of the passengers and their descendants.
Ms. Brinsko has given lectures for the Wisconsin Historical Society and public libraries, genealogical societies, and family reunions around the United States. She is also a contributor to the PBS show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.
For lodge members unable to attend, here are two links with more information on the ship and its passengers:
https://www.norwayheritage.com/articles/templates/norwegian_settl.asp?articleid=31&zoneid=17
https://www.restauration.no/en/skutens-historie/historie
Looking ahead, the October 25 program will feature Tone Helle, a GIG member from Norway. She is one of the co-chairs for the Family Tree DNA Norway Project. She will present a tutorial on the FTdna Norway Project and how we can provide data and receive feedback as to any ancestors identified by DNA.
All meetings are at 3:00 pm on Zoom. To receive GIG emails and meeting links send an email to genealogy@norwaydc.org
Tubfrim Report
Pat DeRoche recently sent off over two pounds of used stamps to Tubfrim. Over a pound were foreign, mostly Norwegian. Thanks to everyone who saved those stamps.
Welcome to our Website
Are you interested in Norway Literature, History, Folklore, Genealogy, Food, or Language? Do you want to connect to your roots, study the Viking age or the Norwegian Resistance in WWII, or discuss the latest in Norwegian culture?
The Sons of Norway members in the nation's capital, representing a diversity of background and nationality, share an interest in Norwegian and Scandinavian Culture. We trust that all ages will find something of interest -- in our web site and in our lodge. We have almost 400 members. Most are from the local area of DC, Maryland, and Virginia, but we also have members from another 16 states as well as Norway, Canada, and Great Britain.
For information on membership, please contact Vice President Linda Hestvik at VP@norwaydc.org . For all other questions or concerns please contact President Jeff Jorgenson president@Norwaydc.org .
To join the Washington Lodge click the "Join Our Lodge" button under the Picture at the top of this page.
Hint: When you push a brown button, it will open a new tab on your screen. However, if you close the tab, it will return you to the previous screen.
The Norwegian Embassy and local organizations celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day, Syttende Mai (17th of May) every year with a picnic at Carderock Recreation Area in Potomac, Maryland (directions). This year’s picnic will be Saturday, May 17 1-3 pm. Enjoy free hotdogs, ice cream and popcorn under picnic pavilion. There will be games for the kids and music by the Rockville Brass Band. A keynote speaker will address the crowd followed by a flag-filled parade around the picnic area.
Please RSVP so that food can be adequately planned: www.norchamdc.org/events/syttende-mai-picnic-in-the-park- 2025 One of our jobs is handing out popcorn (we bring a popcorn machine!). It’s great fun. If you’d like to help at the picnic please email VP Linda Hestvik at VP@NorwayDC.org. Or just stop by and enjoy the celebration. There is more information on Page 19 of the May Newsletter.
Since the lodge will be busy with this event and the Embassy Open House (below), we will not hold a regular meeting this month. Watch for information on our summer picnics, starting in June.
The arrival of the Restauration in New York Harbor on October 9, 1825, marked the beginning of documented Norwegian American history. Our Lodge is excited to join the broader Sons of Norway community — along with the Norwegian Embassy, The Norwegian American newspaper, the Norwegian American Historical Association, and other organizations — in celebrating the bicentennial of this historic event. The Crossings 200 Committee will coordinate our observation plans. If you're interested in helping out, please contact Bill DeRoche at Programs@NorwayDC.org.
Restauration played a central role in what is widely considered the first organized emigration from Norway to America. On July 4, 1825, the sloop departed from Stavanger with 52 passengers on board—many of them Norwegian Quakers. It is likely that several of these emigrants were also part of the Haugean movement, a Lutheran revival inspired by Hans Nielsen Hauge. Led by Cleng Peerson, the group arrived in New York City on October 9, 1825, after a three-month journey across the Atlantic.
Their voyage was later chronicled in Amerika-boka (The America Book, 1838) by Ole Rynning. Due to its small size, the Restauration exceeded the legal passenger limit under American maritime laws. This led to a steep fine, confiscation of the ship, and the arrest of its captain, L. O. Helland. However, President John Quincy Adams intervened on November 15, issuing a pardon that released both the captain and the vessel, and canceled the fine. The passengers, often referred to as "Sloopers," eventually made their way to their first settlement in Kendall, Orleans County, New York.
Cultural Skills
This fall the lodge is running a Cooking Pin Challenge. Photograph the Norwegian treats and main dishes you cook this fall, and let’s see how many lodge members can earn a first, second, or third cultural skills pin before the end of the year! Email culturalskills@norwaydc.org to find out more about the Cultural Skills program.