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, contact Shelley Mitchell (703-815-4367) or vp@norwaydc.org .
To Join Washington Lodge Click Here
For other information, contact Dave Brown President@norwaydc.org .
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.
Norwegian Language Classes start Thursday, Jan. 19 at Norway House
The Language Classes Language classes began at the end of January at Norway House in Fairfax but it’s never too late to join in. Classes are open to lodge members and the community at large. We meet every Thursday evening: beginners at 6 pm, intermediate at 7 pm, and advanced at 8 pm.
Our wonderful instructor, Anne-Grethe Phillips, is returning to teach the classes. Anne-Grethe is a native Norwegian speaker who has many years of experience as a certified Norwegian/English teacher. She was born and raised in Norway, where she lived until she moved to Virginia eight years. ago. She is a graduate of the University of Oslo and has worked as a high school teacher in both Norway and the US. She is now working as a language instructor in Washington, DC. Anne-Grethe is looking forward to helping everyone in her classes enjoy their studies. Welcome back, Anne-Grethe!
Students can work with the instructor to determine which level works best for them. Lodge members pay $15 per evening to the instructor. Non-members pay $20 (which includes $5 to the lodge). Students pay only for the evenings they attend. Students may attend more than one level per evening for the same price — e.g. you may attend both the beginning and intermediate classes. Contact instructor Anne-Grethe Phillips at language@norwayedc.org for more information
Saturday March 18, Lodge Meeting Scandinavian Modern Design in Norway
Description: Norway’s contributions to the Scandinavian Modern Design movement were many, even though the artists and products were not as well-known as their Danish, Swedish, and Finnish counterparts. Meet some of the most important designers of the mid-twentieth century and learn about their work in furniture, textiles, silver, glass, ceramics, and enamel. We are pleased to have Laurann Gilbertson, Vesterheim Chief Curator, give this presentation. We have enjoyed Laurann's presentations in the past.
Laurann holds a BA in Anthropology and an MS in Textiles & Clothing, both from Iowa State University. She has worked at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa, for 30 years. She worked as the Textile Curator for 19 years and is now the Chief Curator. Among her duties are overseeing the collection of more than 30,000 artifacts, creating exhibitions, and leading Textile Study Tours to Norway.
Hybrid Meeting Doors open at 4 pm, potluck at 5, presentation at 7 Norway House. Zoom information will be provided by email prior to the event.
Saturday March 25, Genealogy Interest Group (GIG): Stories of Our Ancestors
Joel Myklebust and Alexis Steen will present information about their immigrant ancestors.
Members are invited tell interesting stories of the ancestors. Also, we would like to hear how you were able to find the necessary information, to help all of us to learn. Co-Chair, Alexis Steen, has prepared a presentation template to use for this purpose
Get the template for "Ancestor Dectection" at the lodge genealogy website https://sites.google.com/view/norwegian-genealogy/norwegian-genealogy-home-page
This will be a hybrid meeting starting at 3 PM. Zoom information will be provided later.
Sunday March 26, Norwegian Roundtable Meeting (NHR): The Tragedy of Telavåg
Norwegian resistance fighters often suffered brutal reprisals. In April of 1942, the Gestapo destroyed the town of Telavåg and killed or imprisoned its inhabitants for the killing of two Gestapo agents who had stumbled upon a boat that was part of the Shetland Bus and some recently arrived Norwegian resistance workers. The Shetland Bus was comprised of small fishing vessels that supported the Norwegian resistance by covertly traveling between Norway and Shetland, Scotland.
Lodge member Janet Oakley has written two historical novels about the Norwegian Resistance and has been researching this tragedy. She will talk about this tragedy and how it affected the resistance movement. The meeting will be by Zoom only on March 26 at 3 PM. We will provide the Zoom link in an email closer to the presentation date. Contact Bill DeRoche for more information. programs@norwaydc.org
Saturday April 1, Lefse Workshop
We are fortunate to have the talented team of Lynn Rundhaugen and Erik Larsen lead a lefse workshop at Norway House, where participants will learn how to prepare lefse from scratch. Please join us on Saturday, April 1 at 10am for the 2nd lefse workshop sponsored by the Lodge. The March Newsletters has more information on this event.
Saturday April 15, New Member Brunch
The Lodge invites new members to a welcome brunch on April 15, 10 am to 12 noon, at Norway House. We will email invitations to members who’ve joined since the last brunch, one year ago. We ask that you reserve a place for each person in your group so that we can plan adequately. This is not potluck — just sit back and enjoy brunch and learn about all the lodge has to offer. Given space constraints, we can only invite 50 attendees. After new members have had two weeks to reserve their spots, invitations will be issued to the rest of the membership if space allows. So watch your inboxes!
Tuesday April 18, Reading Circle
The Grandmaster: Magnus Carlsen and the Match That Made Chess Great Again by Brin-Jonathan Butler
A firsthand account of the dramatic 2016 World Chess Championship between Norway's Magnus Carlsen and Russia's Sergey Karjakin, which mirrored the world's geopolitical unrest and rekindled a global fascination with the sport. Contact Christine Meloni for more information. reading@norwaydc.org
Sunday Mar 21,Syttende Mai in New York
Join us for Syttende Mai in New York? The Norwegian-American 17th of May Parade Committee will be sponsoring a May 17th (Constitution Day) parade in Brooklyn on Sunday, May 21st. The parade takes place in the (formerly) very Norwegian neighborhood of Bay Ridge. In fact, one of the main streets was nicknamed "Lapskaus Boulevard."This will be the 67th Syttende Mai parade in the area. We are exploring the possibility of hiring a bus to take us to and from the parade on the day of the event. Please respond to Kristine Hansen at hospitality@NorwayDC.org if you would like to join us. All responses must be received by March 15th
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.