| Välkommen SVEA LODGE #296 VASA ORDER OF AMERICA A Swedish-American Fraternal Organization Instituted May 20, 1914 Erie, Pennsylvania Photo: | Log in to your Member account: |
From the chair - pat bellingham
Svea Lodge has a calendar filled with wonderful activities, dedicated members, new members, and a renewed sense of our purpose; bringing the Scandinavian culture to our community. There is a lot happening so you'll need to visit our website often to keep up!
It's also that time of year when the Scholarship applications become available. This year Youth AND Adult scholarships are being given out. Please check out the link under the Scholarship tab to get the information and applications for both. DISTRICT #9 SCHOLARSHIPS The deadline is February 15, 2026 so don't delay if you are interested.
We are a cultural society but always look to see how we can impact our community in positive ways. Two things are resuming:
a. Benevolence - our committee chair, Karen Lundwall, has teamed us up with Our Neighbor's Place, a shelter for people who need a warm place to stay on cold winter nights. One of the trials for people experiencing homelessness, is cold feet - frostbite, blisters, sores, toenail growth. Our Neighbor's Place offers foot care through the Lecom podiatry program. To that end, we are asking our members to bring in white cotton crew socks for individuals to wear after they have undergone foot care. Socks will be collected from now until the March meeting.
b. Birthday greetings - Lorraine Johnson has offered to reestablish the practice of sending birthday cards to our members. One such member, Glenn Barthleson, will be celebrating his 100th birthday soon! If you have any extra birthday cards, please contact Lorraine! We will need 60+ cards! Lorraine is willing to come and get them or you can bring them to the next February meeting!
The Board met in January - a budget was formed and the calendar of events for 2026 was organized. Come to the next meeting to see what we have accomplished!
The Grand Lodge will be meeting in July 2026. One of the budget items under consideration is the Vasa Star, the quarterly magazine all Vasa members receive. The cost of printing and mailing is getting prohibitive. A questionnaire was sent out in January asking members' opinion about continuing to get the USPS printed copy or receiving the publication through email. If you haven't responded to the survey yet, please do. I will be sending the results to the Grand Lodge Secretary in mid February. Your opinion matters.
Be kind to your neighbors, you never know who may need a kind word.
Pat
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The Swedish Embassy, Washington, DC | The Third in the Series: Wednesday Night Get Togethers March 11, 2026 7:PM This will be an interview with the Deputy Ambassador to the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC. The Zoom Invite will be available soon on the District website Note: If you missed any of the previous programs; Swedish Flower Hens or the interview with our Grand Master, Jack Hanright, check out the District Website: |
Vasa BreakfastOn a winter hiatus! Check it out again in the Spring 2026.
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| Join us now to become a member. Members must be 14 years of age but younger children are always welcome to participate! You can attend all of our activities. You will receive our Newsletter so you can stay informed about what is happening within the Svea Lodge. Check out Our Story - Member Benefits to see what's in it for you! Join us now!
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OTHER INTERESTING EVENTS TO DO WITH SVEA FRIENDS IN NWPA OHIO & NY
Learn a new language - Elfdalian! Ovdalian or Elfdalian is a North Germanic Language spoken by around 3,000 people who live or have grown up in the locality of Alvdalen, in the south east of Dalarna, Sweden. (wikipedia) Check out the youtube video to get started! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxB4FLUKDT8&t=19s
Phrase of the Month in Elfdalian:
Gusin! Hey/Hello!
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Not a member yet?Active communication is very important to grow our Svea Lodge and make a difference. If you have not signed-up yet, here is your chance to become a member in Svea Lodge. Click and Sign-up below Click to sign-up and become a member in Svea Lodge |
Local Lodge Svea #296 meets on the third Sunday of the month at Luther Memorial Church, 225 West 10th Street, Erie, PA for general business meetings. General meetings include a short cultural program and of course, Fika! From May - August our meetings involve cultural activities in various community locations. We celebrate Walpurgis, Midsummer, Kraftskiva, Leif Erickson Day, and Santa Lucia Festival of Light. The Mission of Vasa Order of America is to promote our Scandinavian heritage. Our Order does not conflict with religious beliefs or common law - ALL are welcome!