Spring 2026 President’s Message
Spring is almost here and I hope the winter we had is over, and everyone can enjoy nice spring weather for a change. Lodges will be celebrating spring with St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage dinners and Easter dinner celebrations.
The Third District is getting ready for the district convention in Virginia Beach, Virginia, June 4th to 7th, at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center. I hope your lodges will send your full delegation to the convention so they can hear and vote on resolutions and other matters that come up. Remember your delegates are your lodge’s representatives to the district meeting (convention), so if you want a say in what is happening at the convention, you should be sending delegates.
Going forward after the convention is the Third District Youth Camp which is from July 26th to August 1st, so if you have children that would like to attend camp, please send in an application which can be found on the Third District Website or contact District Vice President Katie Brink.
Following Youth Camp, there is Cultural Camp September 16th to 20th. For more information, contact Third District Cultural Director Cheri Johnson.
Speaking of Cheri Johnson, as I have done in some of my past president’s messages, when I highlighted some of the Third District Board members, I am introducing Cheri Johnson to everyone now. Cheri has been a member of the district board since the 2024 convention and has been the perfect person for the Cultural Director’s position. Here is what she has to say about herself in her own words.
It is my pleasure to be involved in the Sons of Norway as Cultural Director of the 3rd District and President of Bla Fjell Lodge in Salem, VA near Roanoke. When I was a teenager, in a suburb of Chicago, I wanted to be an archeologist because I loved studying cultures of people. I ended up as a Special Needs teacher for 38 years, a profession I loved very much.
During those years I was fortunate to be an exchange teacher through our United States Gov’t to Russia, Sweden, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and The Netherlands. At night I taught classes at Roanoke College, UVA, and Radford University in Special Education and Global Studies. My Lutheran church needed a missionary, so I made seven trips to Central and South America to teach children alongside a medical team. 20 years ago, I became interested in my ancestry. My Norwegian and Austrian grandparents shared their past with me, and I found myself tracing my roots to Telemark, Norway, the Heddal Church, and Vienna, Austria.
Deep down I knew I had the “Viking Spirit” to travel.
I feel very blessed because my wonderful husband, Don of 45 years, and my three children, Theresa, Scott, and Tiffany have supported these endeavors. I loved having my youngest daughter, Tiffany, accompany me on several exchanges and missionary trips.
I love my position as Cultural Director in SON. I work with wonderful and talented people and can share in the joy of learning about our Nordic countries. Our Bla Fjell Lodge has two Adopt-a-Schools, where I share lessons on the Vikings, Sami of the Northern Cap, and all the Nordic Countries. This is my 20th year at Bla Fjell Lodge, and I love sharing Cultural programs with fellow members, colleagues, and our satellite Lodge, Hardrada, in Charlottesville, Va. My Virginia friend, Katie Brink, and I have worked with the Youth Camp at Koinonia in New York and started a Cultural Camp in Isle of Palms, SC for adults and children. We are all learning from each other and enjoying our love of Norway. I love doing research on many countries, reading, and trying cultural recipes to share with my 74 Cultural Studies students at Cornerstone Classical Academy one day a week. They love it too.
Thank you, Stephen Helmold, for giving me this opportunity to share my cultural experiences with 3rd District, all my Nordic friends, and fellow lodges. Please consider coming to our Cultural Camp in Isle of Palms, SC for fellowship, fun, the beach, and the “joy” of learning with each other from talented instructors in September 2026.
Thank you, Cheri. Karen and I, and the rest of the district board, are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Cheri. She has been tremendous in her position, and is always willing to step up to the plate and lend a hand to help out.
Until my next message in May, Karen and I and the rest of the district board would like to wish you all a Happy St. Patrick’s Day and a very Happy Easter.
Fraternally,
Stephen Helmold