Upcoming Events at Nordtex Lodge
For more info contact
Arne Hatlestad, President
All of our newsletters are now on line.
Click here to read the newsletters.
February 24, 2002:
Regular Meeting, 3:00 p.m. at the Wooden Spoon.
Ed Fjordback, Honorary Norwegian Consul for Dallas, will be our speaker.
If you like, bring some food to share after the meeting.
April 27-28, 2002:
Viking Fest 2002 at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown, Texas.
Once again Viking descendants in Texas and guests from worldwide,
will gather to celebrate their Scandinavian heritage. The fourth Viking
Fest will be held in Georgetown, Texas, on Sat. April 27, 2002 from 10 a.m.
to 10 p.m. and Sun. April 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in San Gabriel Park. Click
Viking Fest Website for more information.
Nortex Lodge members will be attending this 2-day festival and this will take
the place of our regular meeting in April. So there will NOT be a meeting at
the Wooden Spoon in April.
Previous Events at Nordtex Lodge
Our Christmas party last year was a BIG success!
We had the most wonderful food plus we were entertained with live singing of
Norwegian Christmas songs by our new members.
For a pictorial look at our meeting
click here.
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Arne Sivertsen from Stavanger |
Bjørn Heyerdal, son of Thor Heyerdal |
Many of our members are interested in genealogy research. We have hosted many
experts from Norway who have shared their extensive knowledge with the
beginner and seasoned genealogists of our lodge. Arne Sivertsen works closely with the Norwegian
Emmigration Center in Stavanger
and has helped many Norwegian-Americans by e-mail plus visits to the US. Bjørn
Heyerdal has done extensive work on his own family and brought an elaborate
chart to our meeting to explain his research. John Føllesdal spoke about genealogy at our meeting.
John has a very
comprehensive web site with information for beginners and seasoned genealogists at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~norway/index.html .
A julenek is a sheaf of oats put out for the birds during the holiday season
in Norway. Usually decorated with red bows, it is found outside every farm,
suburban home and apartment.
Texas is part of a major migration route for birds heading to and from the
south. Don't forget to feed our feathered friends!
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Young Norwegian Skier |
Our own President! |
Norwegians are born with skis on their feet. Holmenkollen Day is celebrated
near Oslo in March.
Suzanne Katz, a rosemaling instructor at the Wooden Spoon, shares the history
and styles of this type of Norwegian painting. It is wonderful to have this
great talent in Plano.
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Opening parade |
Accordion band |
Ft. Worth Sons of Norway |
Tug of war |
Viking Fest
Texas Style
Every two years Texas is host to two days of nonstop Scandinavian music, food
and fun. These pictures are of the 2000 Viking Fest on April 29 -30. Click on
the picture for a full-size picture. Nordtex lodge members also use this time to get together with other Sons of
Norway members from across the state.
| Syttende Mai Celebrations |
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Hurrah for Syttende Mai! We celebrate Norway's Constitution Day with parades,
music and good food!
Click here for more photos from the May 17, 2000 celebration.
| District 1 Convention, June 8-10, 2000 in Cedar Rapids, IA
(Click here for more photos) |
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Texas Posse |
At our work table |
Marvin & Famie Berkeland w/John |
| Previous Sons of Norway Conventions |
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Norway Delegate |
Bruce Allen |
International Convention in Anaheim |
District Convention in Brookings, SD |
Sons of Norway holds District and International conventions every two years.
Our lodge sends delegates to both of these conventions.
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The kids made Viking Ships |
Young musician getting a lesson |
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Our Midsummer celebration is a Norwegian tradition with a Texas twist.
We do
our best to brave the heat and head outside for food, games, music and
dancing.
The young and young-at-heart agree this is a great day.
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Kids doing their crafts |
Dancing to live music |
Tug-of-war |
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Secret Garden in Dallas |
Jarle Fjeldheim from Norway |
It is always a thrill to have such great musical talent visit the Dallas
area. Our members always enjoy the performances as well as the personal
visits with international artists Secret Garden and Jarle Fjeldheim. Nordtex
Lodge members worked the phones at the PBS TV station in Dallas during the
promotion of Secret Garden.
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Hardanger fiddles by Bud Larsen |
The Hardanger fiddle is Norway's National instrument. This unique instrument
has an equally unique sound that is an important piece of Norway's musical
culture. It has been our pleasure to host two talented Hardanger fiddle
makers to our lodge meetings to demonstrate their expertise.
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Ragnar Thorseth with Ed Fjordbak |
The exploration of America by the Vikings, especially Lief Erickson, has gained
international interest in the last few years. We commemorate Lief Erickson Day in the
month of October by presenting programs about the Vikings and their impact on
America. Present day Norwegians, like Thor Heyerdahl and Ragnar Thorseth, are
keeping the adventurous spirit of the Vikings alive through their own
research and explorations.
The Norwegian Christmas celebration is a bright spot in the cold winter
months. Family gatherings and traditions are very important. We try to
incorporate some of those traditions at our Christmas dinner.
Nordtex lodge members are active participants in national and local community
service projects.
New Lodge Update.
We are proud to announce the institution of a new Son of Norway lodge in Tyler, Texas.
We continue to be encouraged by the steady progress in the formation of new
lodges in Waco and Fort Worth. If you know people in these areas who may be
interested in joining, contact Sub-District director Phil Erickson
and he will make sure they are invited to join.
Meeting Time and Place
Our meetings usually include a short business session along with a program or
speaker related to Norwegian culture and holidays. Occasionally we attend
concerts, museums and historical sites for special events. Members are also
active in ongoing community service projects.
Meetings are usually held on the 4th Sunday of each month, with the
meeting beginning at 3:00 p.m.
Our meetings are held at
The Wooden Spoon 1617 Ave K, Plano, Texas 75074
Call 1-800-2-NORDIC or send email to twonordic@aol.com.
For information about our Sons of Norway Lodge and its activities, send
e-mail to Arne Hatlestad, President.
Heritage for the Future
- Our goal is to promote our Nordic heritage.
- Meet new friends through the lodge activities and make a positive mark on our
community.
- Network with over 400 local lodges and 75,000 members across the US, Canada,
and Norway
- Enjoy recreation and fun for the whole family with activities for young and
old
- Learn about your heritage through the Sons of Norway, North America's
greatest resource about Norway
- Receive the monthly Viking magazine, a lively look at Norwegian folk art,
history, lifestyles and modern Norway
- Have access to heritage resources and books available at discounted prices to
members
- Sons of Norway is for you if you are of Nordic birth or descent or have an
interest in the Nordic heritage
On-Line Store
Be sure to take a look at www.norskland.com. As an
exciting addition to the norskland.com site, you will notice a new online store
for Amazon.com with a list of Norwegian books and CDs that can be purchased,
resulting in a little financial help to support these web sites. Just remember to go to
the norskland.com site first then click on "On-Line Store" and then
link to Amazon.com to purchase your books/CDs. Your cost is exactly the same
either way, but if you go to norskland.com first, a small commission of the sale
will be returned to norskland.com to help pay for the costs of operating
norskland.com and this Nordtex web site.
As you can see, we do not use ANY advertising on either norskland.com or
Nordtex. Our goal is to keep these sites neat and clean without any annoying and
sometimes obtrusive ads. All costs associated with these sites are donated, so
your use of our on-line store is appreciated.
How to join
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Explore your Nordic heritage - enrich your future.
Call 1-800-945-8851
to become an instant member at an introductory price of $35 or visit their
web site at http://www.sofn.com |
For information about our Sons of Norway Lodge and
its activities, send e-mail to:
Arne Hatlestad,
President.
For Questions or Comments about this web site, send e-mail to Gus Stangeland, Webmaster |
Nordtex Lodge 1-594 was the first Continental
US/Canada Sons of Norway Lodge to be on the Internet.
You are visitor
since February 5, 1996
Created February 5, 1996 | Last updated February 22, 2002
A julenek is a sheaf of oats put out for the birds during the holiday season
in Norway. Usually decorated with red bows, it is found outside every farm,
suburban home and apartment.
