December 2020- January 2021
Dear Lodge Secretaries of the Third District,
I hope that you, your families, and your friends are healthy during this devastating pandemic of Covid-19. I also want to thank you for the work that you did in 2020 for Sons of Norway whether it was doing minutes, sending cards, participating in your lodge’s board and lodge meetings, or completing Sons of Norway forms.
Below, I have listed some important items for you at this time of year. If you have any questions, contact me at Jeanne Addison, 717-793-7428, , or 1574 Rosewood Lane, York, PA 17403, and I will try to help.
Lastly, I wish everyone “God Jul og Godt Nytt Ar” and may you enjoy your Norwegian Christmas traditions!
Sincerely,
Jeanne
FORMS
Any forms that you may need are either on the Sons of Norway website www.sofn.com under Log In/ Member Resources/ Lodge Leadership Resources/ Administrative Resources/ Lodge Forms (more items under Governance, too) OR on the Third District website www.3dsofn.org under “Forms and Documents”. Please look at these areas to familiarize yourself with what is available.
You can find a good list of yearly important deadlines for Lodge business on the Sons of Norway website www.sofn.com at Log In/Member Resources/ Lodge Leadership Resources/ Administrative Resources/ Important Deadlines.
IMPORTANT 2020-2021 DEADLINES:
November 2020 – Lodge elections completed.
December 2020– D17 and D18 forms, instructions, and timeline sent to lodge treasurers
Dec. 16, 2020 – Application deadline for Sons of Norway Foundation Community Partnership Grant
Dec. 31 or sooner, 2020 – Lodge Officer Update/ D63 form due to Sons of Norway Membership Services. All lodges, whether in an election year or not, must complete.
Dec. 31, 2020 – Application deadline for Sons of Norway Foundation’s Lodge Helping Hands to Children Grant, Lodge Culture and Heritage Grant, and Lodge Vitality Grant.
Jan. 1, 2021 – Some Sons of Norway Foundation Scholarship applications due.
Jan. 15, 2021 – Third District Directory Order Form (on www.3dsofn.org) due to District Secretary.
Jan.-Feb.-March, 2021 – Lodge Installation Form (on www.3dsofn.org) sent to District Secretary after Lodge has installation ceremony.
Feb. 15, 2021 – American Fraternal Alliance (AFA) form, that will be mailed to you, is due if your lodge does not record volunteer hours on www.fraternalsgive.org
Feb. 25, 2021 – Fraternal Funds application (on www.3dsofn.org) due to District Secretary.
ELECTIONS
Every two years, lodges have an election of officers. Hopefully, if this is the year that your lodge must do so, it has already had its election. Earlier in the Fall, though, Fraternal Director David Crabbe and International President Ron Stubbings informed us that, due to Covid-19, lodges had the choice of having their biennial election of officers in the Fall, keeping the present officers in place for 2 more years, or keeping the present officers in place for 2 more years and replacing the few who need to step down. Also, local lodges could determine how to do their nominating and casting of votes, using electronic means if necessary. Whatever method was adopted by your lodge, a D-63 officer update must still be completed. See below.
D-63 FORMS
This Officer Update form must be completed by every lodge every year, even if the lodge did not have an election. Before completing it, verify all officers’ names and contact information, because many people are changing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses these days. The form can be found at www.sofn.com, and you can complete it either online or by printing and mailing it to Sons of Norway headquarters. If you complete it by hand, please be as neat as possible. The form is due by December 31, but I, as District Secretary, am asking you to submit earlier because I am composing the District Directory with the information that Sons of Norway then sends to me. Thank you.
FRATERNAL FUNDS / Even Virtual meetings
Think about whether your Lodge would like to apply for Fraternal Funds provided by the Third District. These funds are given for lodge cultural activities that have already occurred and for which you have expense receipts. The next deadline is Feb. 25 because the funds will be voted upon at the next Third District Board meeting which will be held on the first weekend of March. The Fraternal Funds form is located on www.3dsofn.org . Receipts must accompany the form. Funds are voted upon based on merit, partial or whole amounts, and timing of receipt of the application.
Remember that this year during Covid, if your lodge needs to purchase a Virtual format like Zoom for your meetings, the expenses can qualify for Fraternal Funds. Again, an expense receipt must be sent with the application.
SONS OF NORWAY FOUNDATION AND NEW DISTRICT 3 FOUNDATION DIRECTOR
Sons of Norway’s Foundation Director Ann Olsen has taken a different job, so Connie O’Brien will be filling in on an interim basis. A search is on for a new Foundation Director.
The Foundation’s 2020 campaign raised over $109,000 this year with 75 lodges participating.
Connie O’Brien said that the Foundation is always looking for people who would like to be involved in the Scholarship review and selection group.
The Third District now has its own District Foundation Director. Dirk Hansen from Southern Star Lodge has been appointed by 3D Board President Kathy Dollymore. In addition to the Grants and Scholarships that the Foundation has given in past years, there is a new Medical Relief Grant. Applicants can receive up to $5000 to help with medical bills. Dirk can be reached at .
125th ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL EVENT
On December 8 – 10, Sons of Norway will be emailing all members to inform them of virtual events going on to celebrate the organization’s 125th anniversary. Watch for it.
2021 THIRD DISTRICT DIRECTORIES FOR SALE
Would you like your lodge officers to receive a directory? The District is selling them again. Because of printing and more mailing costs this year due to Covid, the cost will be $7.00 each after 1 free one. Fill out the Third District Directory Order Form on www.3dsofn.org under Forms and Documents. Mail a check (payable to “Sons of Norway District Three” and with “Directory” in the memo box) and the completed form to Jeanne Addison, 1574 Rosewood Lane, York, PA 17403 or before January 15, 2021.
LODGE OFFICERS INSTALLATION FORM
Fill out the Lodge Officers Installation Form, if your lodge will be having an official installation this year, perhaps by Zoom! Send it to the District Secretary by mail or scan. This form describes the date and location of your Installation of Officers. You can find the form under Forms and Documents at www.3dsofn.org .
LODGE BYLAWS UPDATES
Check with your Lodge officers that your Lodge Bylaws are up-to-date. Sons of Norway is requesting that lodges periodically check their Bylaws. This is a good time to do it, during Covid. There is a Bylaws Change Form on the Sons of Norway website. Go to this first because a template and new official wording is available. Your lodge should add a provision for voting and doing lodge business by electronic means.
VOLUNTEER HOURS
Lodge secretaries keep track of members’ hours given in service to the community or to the Lodge. This is required by the American Fraternal Alliance (AFA) which lobbies for fraternal organizations like Sons of Norway to keep non-profit status. An easy way to log the hours is via www.fraternalsgive.org. Contact to set you up as a user and give you a lodge password. Otherwise, you must fill out the AFA End-year Report Form sent to you annually in October and due Feb. 15. David Crabbe, Fraternal Engagement Officer at Sons of Norway, recently did a video about FraternalsGive that is very well done.
LODGE ANNIVERSARIES
Congratulations to the lodges with anniversaries this past year and in the new year.
2020 – Gulf Coast Vikings (10), Bondelandet (30), Morgensolen (45), Norumbega (50), Viking
World Orlando (50), Lauderdale (55)
2021 – Bla Fjell (25), Faerder (110), Gulfstream (50), Hudson Valley (75), Nordkap (100),
Noreg (65), Restauration (45), Scandinavian Heritage Society (75), Tampa Bay (50)
LAND OF THE VIKINGS
The property is still for sale and in negotiations at times. There is a 4-member negotiating team taking care of the sale. If you know anyone interested in purchasing the property, contact District Three President Kathy Dollymore ().
2022 DISTRICT AND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS
The District Convention will be held in Jacksonville in most likely June 2022. The International Convention will be held in August 2022 in the Minneapolis area, not in Norway.
TUBFRIM
Kjell Kittelsen is the District Tubfrim chairperson. He can be reached at 871 70th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11228, , or 718-680-4684 if you have questions about how to send your cut stamps.
S.O.N. 125th ANNIVERSARY IN 2020/ ALZHEIMER’S FUNDRAISER
Hopefully your Lodge got into the “1-2-5” spirit this year, whether giving, fundraising, volunteering, exercising, setting goals, or any number of other things. Sons of Norway’s website will be showcasing the activities, so take pictures and make lists of what your Lodge is doing.
The Third District got into the spirit of “1-2-5” by having a goal of raising $12,500 for Alzheimer’s. This effort began in 2019 and is continuing through the end of 2020, so there is a little more time for you to donate. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Longest Day Campaign.
The website is a little confusing, so here are the steps for how you can donate:
- Go to alz.org OR the official website of the Alzheimer’s Association.
- “Donate” box in the top right corner.
- “Donate to Longest Day” in top right corner of screen.
- Search box
- “Enter Participant, Team, or Event Name”. Put in “Sons of Norway Third District”.
- Found 1 fundraiser. Don’t click on “Kathy Dollymore”, rather click on fundraiser “Sons of Norway Third District”.
- Will see oval with $ amounts.
- Scroll down the page from the oval. Click on box “The Power of a Donation”.
- Click on “Donate” box.
- Click on “Make a team donation”
- You are making a donation on behalf of Sons of Norway…
- Brings you to donor information page…