As we enter the month of July, many Sons of Norway members in the United States are gearing up for Fourth of July
celebrations. But Americans are not the only ones to plan a big red, white and blue bash.

Surprisingly, one of the biggest Independence Day celebrations takes place at Frogner Park in Oslo, Norway. And folks have been coming out to celebrate the big event for almost 20 years.

It all started in 1985, when several small organizations, along with Christiania Lodge 8-004 in Oslo, Norway, and then–lodge president Bruce Allen, decided to work together to turn a “Norwegian” Fourth of July into a reality. The original seven to eight organizations that formed the American Coordinating Committee, which is now called the American Coordinating Council of Norway (ACCN), believed that they could do much more by working together. They were right. The ACCN now claims 23 member organizations, and what started as a celebration with 2,000 people in 1986 has grown to an event that attracts close to 25,000 celebrants. What an accomplishment!

We all can learn a valuable lesson from the above example: Through lots of hard work, a strong initiative and teamwork, we can accomplish big things.

As lodge members, one of our goals should be to attract new faces to Sons of Norway. In fact, it’s our goal to attain 5,000 new members by April 30, 2004. In this month’s Members Only (page 25), read about the efforts of two lodges and their commitment to increasing membership. To get a glimpse at how all of our hard work is paying off, view the chart on the same page. To serve as an incentive to members and lodge
presidents, an updated version of this chart will appear on a regular basis in Members Only.

On a different note, you’ll want to read the cover story on Andreas Viestad (page 8), a young Norwegian food writer who is making headlines with his modern approach to Norwegian cooking. An easy-to-prepare dish is the salmon mousse on page 12, the perfect appetizer for a summer gathering. I may even try my hand at it.

Wherever you are this Fourth of July, make sure you have a happy and safe holiday.

Fraternally,
Jim Olson