On August 26, 2023, our lodge - Gudrid the Far-Traveler Lodge #56 - was officially instituted into the Daughters of Norway organization!
After four years of planning and hard work, our sisterhood in the Omaha area was thrilled to finally see the dream of having our own Daughters of Norway lodge become a reality! The dream began shortly after Janna Armbruster moved to Omaha in 2019, and joined the local Sons of Norway lodge (Elveby Lodge, Omaha) as well as a local rosemaling group. Through these groups, Janna began to connect with other women who had a love for their Norwegian heritage, and as these friendships grew the possibility of forming a Daughters of Norway lodge in Omaha began to take form. As Janna recalls, "I belonged to a lodge in Southern California and really missed the sisterhood I had in that lodge. Having been National Grand Lodge President of this great organization, I knew there had to be other women with similar interests like me. I shared my dream with some of the other women at Elveby Lodge, and we started meeting at my home."
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Thus, the sisterhood began to come together! As word spread and the number of interested members grew, it was decided the group would begin to hold their meetings in the Fellowship Hall at Lord of Love Lutheran Church. These meetings featured various cultural programs, as well as discussions about how to reach the goal of one day being instituted into the broader organization, including what our lodge should be called. Upon taking a vote during one of the meetings, it was decided that our lodge would be named Gudrid the Far-Traveler. Finally, in 2022, the Omaha lodge had enough members to sign a charter, and plans began to be made for our Institution Day!
The festivities for our lodge Institution Day began the day before (August 25, 2023), when participants met at the Fellowship Hall at Lord of Love Lutheran Church to decorate for the reception, and to rehearse for the ceremony. It was a good time to have a meet-and-greet with fellow sisters who had traveled far to celebrate with us, and to get to know other invited guests. After rehearsal, many of the sisters and guests went to a Hygge Fiering (Cozy Gathering) at Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano, where we ate a delicious meal in their dining hall and many meaningful conversations were held around the dinner tables.
On the Institution Day, a light breakfast of donuts and coffee was served preceding the ceremony. As members began to assemble for the ceremony, Janna shared the exciting news that Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, Ambassador of Iceland to the United States, sent Gudrid Lodge a letter of congratulations upon our institution, as Gudrid the Far-Traveler was her own direct ancestor! Our sisters were thrilled by Ambassor Ellertsdóttir's well-wishes, and her words helped us feel even more connected to the legacy of the kvenskörungur (a woman leader of great force) for whom our lodge was named.
After Janna read Ambassador Ellertsdóttir's letter, the institution ceremony officially began. Those officiating the ceremony included:
Joy Cook - Grand Lodge President, Installing Officer
Perralina Palm - Past Grand Lodge President, Installing Marshall
Norma Barnes - Chair of the Organization Committee, Mistress of Ceremonies
Escort Team:
Shan Ray Ray - Escort Leader, President of Embla Lodge #2, Washington State
Sharon Knudsen - Past President of Eva Nansen Lodge #46, Des Moines, IA
Sharon Jordan - Grand Lodge Secretary
Karen Freeman - Grand Lodge Trustee
Hardanger Fiddler - Shan Ray Ray
Pianist - Jan Braden
Chaplain - Rev. Becky Sell
The Gudrid Lodge officers who were installed during the ceremony included:
Janna Armbruster - Lodge President
Linda Ray - Vice President
Sandra Heggen - Secretary
Kathryn Larson - Assistant Secretary
Kerry Judge-Hendry - Financial Secretary (in absentia)
Yvonne Wolsmann - Treasurer
Karen Mullen - Cultural Director
Becky Lowell - Marshall (in absentia)
Judi Bergjord - Assistant Marshall
Mary Holoun - 3-Year Trustee
Linda Iske - 2-Year Trustee
Marty Antonson - 1-Year Trustee
Sandy Olsen - Greeter
Cyndi Matteson - Greeter
The Institution Ceremony went smoothly, included unique Norwegian rituals, and also had memorable moments of heartfelt words and laughter. Our lodge members were so grateful for the efforts of everyone who participated, and to everyone who helped make our Institution Day such a special occasion for our sisterhood!
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After the ceremony concluded, everyone in attendance was invited to celebrate further with a reception prepared by the members of Gudrid Lodge, and featured a great smörgåsbord of Scandinavian foods! Skål!
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Reflecting on the Institution Day, President Janna Armbruster said:
"The institution of Gudrid Lodge #56 certainly was the culmination of four years of planning and gathering women who shared an interest in learning more about their Scandinavian ancestors and their heritage. I wanted these women to experience the closeness of the sisterhood that I had come to love. The day was actually a homecoming as many who took part in the ceremony were special friends from the many years I have been in the Daughters of Norway and the nine years I spent on the National board. My dream was to start a lodge when I moved to Omaha in 2019. The fulfilling of that dream has become my legacy. There are two moments in life - the one that you miss and the one that you seize."
Tusen takk to everyone who celebrated with us during our lodge institution, and to those who helped bring us to where we are today! May we have many more adventures together as a sisterhood, and many more sagas to tell in the future!
Thank you Kathryn for writing such a lovely article describing this event! This blog may become very poplular among our members and hopefully others will find it as well!!