January is a great time to look back on 2021 and also look forward to 2022. This type of introspection gives us an idea of how far we’ve come and also reminds us of what is yet to be done.
I enjoyed my lodge’s 45th anniversary/ Juletrefest and hope you also have had some pleasant times whether with your lodge, family, church or friends. I want to wish you and yours a prosperous and Happy New Year. As we leave the year there are reasons to be optimistic. Multiple COVID-19 vaccines are approved and are available to the public. As you gather for the holidays, I hope you are taking all the precautions that are available and warranted. Let’s keep everyone safe. This should put us on a path to a degree of normalcy as the year progresses looking forward to our in-person lodge meetings, events, dinners out, and of course our convention in Jacksonville. If you are interested in being considered for a leadership role, please contact a current officer or nominating committee members Barbara Berntsen at , or Gail Martinsen at to better understand the commitment.
The District Board approved the motion that each and every lodge in our District receive a check from the Third District to go toward any kind of Lodge event or used to cover operating expenses. We want you to know even with how bad things had gotten during this pandemic, when push came to shove your lodge members came through and your lodge is prevailing. Let us know what you found your lodge using this little bit of “Good will” for.
Keeping the lodges informed is essential to developing and maintaining strong membership participation. We are working hard on a District level and are also keeping in touch with the International Board to keep out Sons of Norway 3rd District’s membership informed about what’s going on in Sons of Norway. It’s an ongoin process and the updating of the Sons of Norway Bylaws is continuing.
Following, I’m repeating what our District Secretary Jeanne Addison has to say about important deadlines. Please have your lodges follow-through with these.
You can find a good list of yearly important deadlines for Lodge business on the Sons of Norway website www.sofn.com. Go to Log In/Member Resources/ Lodge Leadership Resources/ Administrative Resources/ Important Deadlines.
IMPORTANT 2021-2022 DEADLINES:
- December 2021– D17 and D18 forms, instructions, and timeline sent to lodge treasurers
- Dec. 16, 2021 – Application deadline for Sons of Norway Foundation Community Partnership Grant
- Dec. 31 or sooner, 2021 – Lodge Officer Update/ D63 form due to Sons of Norway Membership Services. All lodges, whether in an election year or not, must complete.
- Dec. 20, 2021 – Mail an expense receipt and a brief statement to District Secretary for the $100 Fraternal Fund reimbursement.
- Dec. 31, 2021 – 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, 2022 – Some Sons of Norway Foundation Scholarship applications due.
- Jan. 10, 2022 – Third District Directory Order Form due to District Secretary.
Over the next few months, lodges will begin for preparations for the 2022 3D convention. This will include selecting and voting for delegates, looking into fundraisers for your elected delegates, writing resolutions that you may want your lodge to present, getting your folk-art crafts ready for competition, donations to the Viking Auction, journal ads, etc. I recently traveled to the Jacksonville Hotel chosen for the convention and what a wonderful site it is, right on the St. John’s River and the Riverwalk. The water taxis that pick up just out the door and the riverside pool and sundeck. It’s going to be a great couple of days doing District 3’s business, seeing some old friends, making new ones, and having some fun while working for the betterment of our lodges and District 3.
Finally, for the majority of calendar year 2021 the focus has been on navigating the pandemic and incorporating safety measures throughout Lodge operation and social activities. The last 20 months have been hard on all of us but it is so wonderful to see how much we have accomplished together. Thanks to you all we’ll be going into the new year with strength to build on. A new year that will bring new opportunities and challenges.
In closing, please stay safe, look out for family and friends.
“Let our new year’s resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word.”
Hans Göran Persson, former Prime Minister of Sweden
Fraternally, Kathy Dollymore