Scandinavian American. [volume], May 07, 1952, Image 1

About Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
Swedish Incomes
Increased 42%
During l945-’50
, H-“ _ - _ - - -
Real incomes in Sweden in
creased conslderably during the
period 1945-1950. The average
income rose from 4.023 to
5,098 kronor, or by forty-two
per cent, while the decrease in
the purchasing power of the
krona corresponded to ten per
cent. Since 1950, incomm have
continued to increase. but at
the same time the decline in the
monetary value has been swift-
Vol. 8, No. 9.
NORSE INDEPENDENCE DAY
FEST IN SEATTLE ON MAY 17
The annual 17th of May Nor
wegian Celebration in Seattle will
be held this year at 7:80 p. m.,
May 17, in Civic Auditorium. A
large and varied program In plan
ned. These tents usually attract
between three and four thousand
persons.
An innovation this year will be
hundreds of "Blaaveis" roots and
all, flown from Norway especially
for the May 17th fest through the
courtesy of Gunnar Rasmussen.
local representative of Pan Amer
ican World Airways.
The program will include, sever
al selections by an orchestra con—
ducted by Emil Hansen. welcome
by Chairman Frode Frodesen. in
vocation by Dr. H. A. Stub, child
ren‘s pageant led by Consul C. A.
Stang with boy scouts and drill
teams and orchestra. This will be
followed by Greetings from Nor
way by Consul Stang and greet
ings from the Norwegian-Ameri
can Congressman Henry Jackson.
The Norwegian Ladies Chorus.
led by Gertrude \Verner, will pre-
Sent three selections. “Norge
Norge.” “Nordhavet and Linnea"
with Betty Matthias as soloist.
The main address will be given by
Dr. S. C. Eastvold, president of
Pacific Lutheran College. Harald
Sorbo. accompanied by Mrs. An-
Scandinavian Festival In Everett
May 8-10 Features Six Main Events
Featurlng a variety of events.
this year's Scandinavian Festival
will he held May 8. 9 and 10.
Frank Ferrura. general director.
annonm-os. The festival is of a
county-wide nature.
The festival opens at S p.m..
May 8. in civic auditorium with a
pageant of progress. at which
Governor Arthur B. Langlie will
present awards to oldest residents
of various counties. Slides showing
scenes from Everett 40 and 50
years ago will also be shown.
On May 9 at 8 p.m. the county
music festival will be held in civic
auditorium. School orchestras and
bands from the county will pre
sent musical entertainment and
Sven Male Chair’s Concert May 10
C. H. Stalled-Id
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drew Haug, will present 'three vo
cal selections, Grieg's "Varen,"
“17de Mai-Sang” and “O Baer Mig
Over Bolgen Bla." Leikarringen is
to perform Norwegian Folk Danc
es. instructed by Anne Freeman
with the assistance of the Norwe
gian Ladies Chorus in the foliow
ing selections: "Matvisa." “Per
Spelman" and “Kjora Vatn 0g
(Continued on Page 8)
(‘onsul C. A. Stang
L vie for honors.
The county track meet is slated
Ifor 1:30 p.m. May 10 in Memorial
fstadium. After the termination of
the parade that day a festival ex
itravaganza will be held in Mem
lorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m.. at
Iwhich trophies will be awarded to
ibest entrants‘ in the parade. There
zwill also be three or four acts of
!entertainment. The all-city square
[dance is scheduled for 10 p.m.
‘ that evening.
! Highlight of the festival is the
larts and crafts exhibition. open
;daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the
Bon Marche Farm Store. It will
ibe better than last year's. Fer
? rarra said.
The Swedish Svoa Male Choir of
Seattle. directed by C. H. Suther
land. presents its 47th annual
spring concert Saturday. May 10
at 8:15 p. m. in McKinley Audi
torium. on the campus of Seattle
Pacific College, 3rd Ave. W. and
W. Bertona St.
Guest artist is Ema Scholin
Soter, who will appear in a group
of solo numbers, but also in duets
with her violinist-husband Mr. So
ter. Both are members of the Se
attle Symphony Orchestra. -
W. 0. Hedberg will be heard in
”Mitt Hemlands Dal" with the
Choir. Oscar E. Thumqulst ls
chairman of the committee in
charge.
Oslo ls gemng ready to (‘f'fi
brute the annual Song and Music
Day on May 25. As part of the
elaborate program. 10.000 alng‘ers
and about 80 bands will parade
through the streets to give a con
cert In the new Town Hall square.
Seattle, Washington, May 7. 1952
Young People’s Part In Scandinavian
Societies Hinges on Building Projects
The dashing headline above is
odd, unfortunate. but largely
true. Now that developments at
Norway Center have borne out
its validity — with most new
members of Nonveglan organi
lzation societies reportedly com
prising younger people, or deo
cendants of Scandinavian immi
grants -— it is encouraging. It
makes a case for all Scandinav
ian organizations. It vigorously
backs up the argument favor
lng thocurrent Sweden House
building campaign in Seattle—
3 new building to attract young
people to bolster Swedish or
ganizations.
To us it is news —- news of
a sort that looks like. a mile
stone in the annals of local
Scandinavian activities — that
the Norwegian organizations
have been able to make good
membership gains among young
people as mwer before. But —
and all Scandinavians take note
—-it wouldn’t have happened
without Norway Center.
WinfieEhAnfo}
xSweden House In Top Position
Central Lobby In Theater Style Is Suggested
The second one-ration also has a
stake in the proposed SWeden
House (or Whatever the name will
be) which so many of the older
boosters of the project point out
through the “heirs” themselves sel
dom speak up. It is estimated thai
about 350 Swedish Americans 0‘
the second generation belong to
Swedish organizations in Seattle,
excluding churches.
When they happen to emerge in
a top position like Roy Lundberg.
they become particularly important
spokesmen for the “lost genera
tion." Lundberg is now president
of the largest organization of
Swedes in Seattle. The Swedish
Club. with a total membership Oi
about 800. He can influence the
project in its cradle. How will it
grow and how will it look when it
Seaflle Swede
Speech Winner
Carl Bergman. the West Seattle
toastmaster who copped Seattle
speech honors. climbed another
rung on the ladder of success re
cently by winning a district con
test in which choice representa
tives of 1.300 toastmasters com
peted. The district comprises an
area west of the Cascades from
the Canadian border to the south
King County line.
The affable Swede, who has not
yet been in Seattle two years,
spoke on the subject ‘Mr. Alien.
Meet America." at the Seattle
Chamber of Commerce. ,
Next on Bergman's speech agen
da is the zone contest in Yakima
June 14. Mien six contestants
from all the Northwestern states
will vie for the representational
i honor at international competitions
in Chicago.
Increased Memberships, More
Activities Thru Norway Center
Bond Interests Paid OH Twice Since January, 1951
Norway (‘enter Inc. in Seattle ends its firnt rim-a] year of operation
May 31, but already it has paid off the My”, interest on its $225,000
bond issue not once. but twice. The first payment came before the
building was in actual operation. Also. then- has been a significant:
and linprecedentml surge of increased activities and memberships on
the part of all Norwegian organizations in the city. Norway (‘onter
in booked for events far into the fall of 19.-53.
“We are doing things today that
we couldn‘t do in the Past." says‘
one prominent informant. "Young-{
er people of the second and thirdi
generations now comprise the ma-l
pority of new members of biggest‘
Norwegian organization. Leif Erik- ‘
‘son lodge, Sons of Norway. Since
Norway Center Inc. started. Leif
\Erikson’s membership has increas
ed by about 300 to a total of 1,100
'members. Other prominent organ
izations such as Sunnmorslaget.
Roy Lundberg
gets big? Lundberg takes a look
at the crystal ball and tells how
he sees it. and would like to see it.
Lobby: (‘omblm-d Lounge.
Disphy Boom
Lundberg imagines an entrancel
to the building that is both attrac-‘
tive and practical. He sides in wth‘
the idea of having a “central lob-i
by“ on the first floor. The business
establishments likely to be housedj
in the building should form a chain ;
of quarters on at least tWO sides]
of the lobby with large plate glass 7'
windows facing the interior. Those .‘
windows could be used as display‘
windows either for the firms or for
exhibition of imported Swedish
arts and crafts. etc. In addition,l
the lobby would resemble a theatre '
lobby with modern Swedish furm- ,
ture of the distinguished type that
is being imported. This would pro
(Continued on Page 8) ‘
"@14
Valkyrien lodge. Daughters of Nora
way and Nordlandslaget have
made nice gains with memberships
of about 300. 500 and 300 respect
ively. The Norwegian Male Chor—
us and Norwegian Ladies Chorus
have also boosted their total of
active singers. now roughly 150
loombined.“
I Doubled Banquet Attendance
‘ To illustrate the Significant
”rend. our informant points out
ithat Nordlandslugot. for instance,
lis making plans for an annual.
,banquet that will accommodate
trtwice as many people as was com
;mon ‘in the old days‘. “Before. 300
.‘persons was the normal figure. but
last year there were 450 in attend
‘ance and still “'0 could have sold
(many more tirkets. This year we
plan to seat 600 in the main aud
6itorium. On an ordinary meeting
,‘night recently. Nordlandslaget had
:257 in attendance Leif Eriksou
E (Continued on Page 8)
lbsen's Plays
To Be Filmed
James B. Cassily. independent
American movie producer, has se‘
cured rights to film all of Henrik
Ibsen‘s play. Under a contract re
cently signed in Oslo with Tan
cred Ibsen. film director and the
grandson of the Norwegian play
wright. the film versions will be
made in both English and Nonve
gian. The plan is to produce one
Ibsen play a year, with as many
of the outdoor scenes as possible
to be shot in Norway.
Mr. Cassidy has just spent‘ five
weeks in Norway shooting exter
iors for his forthcoming produc<
tion of IMen‘s “A Doll‘s Home."
Next on his production achedulo
will be “An Enemy of the People,‘
find then “Hedda Gabler.“ .
10¢ a Capy