SACHF Nordic Spirit Update August 2016
Anita's President's Column for August 2016

Greetings!

     Time to share some news about our organization, its various parts and people, and also time to share about myself.
      My news is that after serving on the Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation Board of Directors for 14 years as Scandinavian Center Co-Director, I have recently been elected to be the President of this organization!
      This position gives me an opportunity to serve the organization-its members and friends-in new ways, while continuing to plan and direct the Center's activities, in partnership with my husband, Dick.

Not every "New Year" starts on January 1, because July 1, 2016 began SACHF's new fiscal year, which will run through June 30, 2017. [Should we have a Happy New Year party next June 30th?]
  • Before the old fiscal year ended, at the SACHF (Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation) Annual Meeting, four new members of the Board of Directors were elected by the General Membership who attended that happy, eventful day.
     
  • Their names are Britta Grampp, Katherine Reaves, Eric Renn, and Nancy Truex.
     
  • As a "historic first," we elected TWO California Lutheran University students-Britta and Katherine. Both are members of the Cal Lutheran Scandinavian Student Club, which SACHF supports in several different ways, and Katherine is the President-elect of the Club for Fall/Spring 2016-2017.
     
  • Eric graduated from Cal Lutheran in May 2014 and is already an Adjunct Professor in the CLU Multimedia department. He'll maintain the webpages for SACHF and the Scandinavian Festival
     
  • Nancy brings years of various teaching experiences after earning her PhD at UCLA in Linguistic Anthropology. Plus she has studied Old Icelandic! In addition, Nancy graciously serves on the Coffee Team that provides beverages and treats for Wednesday Brown-Bag Lunch programs.
     
  • Re-elected Board members are Michael Hart, Lana Lundin, and Knut Oxnevad.
     
  • Not to be overlooked are "Continuing" Board members Larry Ashim, Jack Holmgren, Ingrid Isaksen, Gary Lindgren, Dick Londgren, Dennis Mattson,Howard Rockstad, Elaine Williams, and Anita Londgren.
WELCOME or Welcome Back to each of you! Thanks in advance for all you are or will be doing for our organization!

  • June 11's Annual Meeting also included two musical treats: Torkil Hammer played some Scandinavian tunes on his well-respected  nyckelharpa, and Katherine Reaves sang a variety of songs for us to enjoy-before we shifted focus to some proposed Bylaw changes to vote on.
  • Thanks were also offered to those who decided not to continue on the Board:Joann Scott, Doug Askegaard, Steve Kimbrell, Fred Tonsing and Dave Wender.
     
  • OFFICERS for the SACHF Board were elected at the Board meeting following the Annual Meeting: President, Anita Londgren; Vice President, Elaine Williams; Secretary, Joy Brooks; and CFO Gary Lindgren.
Next month we'll give you an update on the Scan Fest plans, and also a short report about the next Symposium. Other SACHF-sponsored activities will be included, as well. Then in the Fall, various ways to support this organization whose "Mission is preserve and promote Scandinavian Heritage and Culture" will be highlighted-welcoming your involvement.

Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer!
Exercise Science Project
Starting in June, when the Scan Center shifted from the weekly Brown-Bag Lunch programs to "Coffee and Conversation" noontime sessions, two CLU students, Brittany Davis and Sarah Pappas, dropped in looking for some senior-type people to participate in their Exercise Science project. Look who qualified-Dick and Anita Londgren, the Co-Directors of the Scandinavian Center! 

Scandinavian Center Remodeling
Remodeling inside the Scandinavian Center by Cal Lutheran Facilities staff began June 27 on the "bedrooms/offices" side of the house. More extensive than we on the Scan Center side expected, it resulted in several weeks of no activity on our side, as well. But, when you see the redesigned front bathroom, new hall door, and fresh paint you'll appreciate all the work of the CLU staff!
Scandinavian Center Photo Exhibit
Scan Center's "Art Wall" has a New Photo Exhibit. Over the past several years of taking pictures at most of our Wednesday Brown-Bag Lunch programs, Fred Tonsing has become the unofficial photographer. [Thank you, Fred!] We refer to those weekly programs as "learning opportunities--with a Scandinavian emphasis." In an effort to share those photos with the people who attend, as well as other people who visit the Center for various reasons, Dick Londgren had dozens of the prints framed by Cal Lutheran Printing Services, and then placed about 20 on the photo racks (built by Torsten Olsson) prior to our Annual Meeting on June 11. The exhibit will be switched occasionally so all the prints can be enjoyed by those who come for meetings in the "Community Room," as I like to call it. 

Stop by and have a look!

Viking Ship Out of the Gray Fog
SACHF's backyard Viking ship recently emerged from the "gray fog" that left it nearly invisible! 

A few weeks ago, after Torsten Olsson  and Jan Wennberg  painted the gray fence behind the Viking-ship profile, with bright white paint, the difference was amazing! Like Viking ships of old, sailing in the gray fog until they emerged into the bright sunshine, so has our colorful "ship" come more clearly into view!


Thank you Torsten and Jan!
Next month we'll give you an update on the Scandinavian Festival plans, and also a short report about the next Nordic Spirit Symposium. Other SACHF-sponsored activities will be included, as well. Then in the Fall, various ways to support this organization whose "Mission is preserve and promote Scandinavian Heritage and Culture" will be highlighted-welcoming your involvement.

Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer!

Anita Londgren, SACHF President
Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation