LEIF ERICSON VIKING SHIP NORSEMAN 4919 Township Line Road, #303 Drexel Hill, PA 19026-5017 (302) 762-2645 Honoring America’s First Hero - 1000 A.D. Leif Ericson Day, October 9 www.vikingship.org December, 2004 Dear Readers, It is that time of year when we must alert all those interested in the Leif Ericson Viking Ship program to renew their membership. First, we do thank you for your past support - it is our membership support base that allows us to function as an organization. Indeed we depend heavily on your generosity and participation. As you know we have a beautiful longboat as well as a large trailer and tow truck which enables us to travel extensively to spread our message. Our stated mission is to educate the public on the achievements made by early Scandinavians, most notably those of the Viking age in the discovery and development of North America. To fulfill this mission it takes significant energy and therefore a strong membership. You, our supporters, are extremely valuable to us - we draw our talent, ideas and financial support from our membership. Therefore please take an extra moment to analyze where you want to fit into our efforts. Consider joining in our activities; add your particular skill to helping maintain our physical assets; send us the largest donation you can manage - but please sign up or renew your membership, because we do need you. Our activities at public events are very well received and they are certainly joyful experiences for each of us. This takes money, however, and our organization must be ready for ongoing expenses as well as emergencies. A special donation or a higher level of membership will always be welcome. We are already building our event schedule for 2005 and it promises to be both interesting and fun. We welcome your membership and above all your participation. Our sincere thanks, The Officers and board of Leif Ericson Viking Ship, Inc. P.S. Your feedback is essential to our ability to plan and serve you properly. We’ve included a few questions on the back of this letter. Please answer the questions, and return it to us at the address listed above. If you would like to include your membership information, there is space provided as well. Thank you in advance for your input! Survey Questions Thank you in advance for answering these questions… (If you need more space, please use a separate sheet of paper, and mail it in together.) 1. What is it that originally brought LEVS to your attention? 2. What do you expect as a member? 3. What do you believe we do best? 4. What should we be doing differently? 5. What intrigues you most? (Check one) __ Viking lore __ Scandinavian impact on world history __ Early explorations by Viking longboats Membership Request/Renewal Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________ Phone: ______________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ City: __________________________________________ State: ______ Zip: ______________ Level of Membership (please check one) Leif (life) member ................ $1,000.00/year “Norstead” member ...................$50.00/year Sustaining member .................. $500.00/year Voting/Crew ..............................$30.00/year Contributing member............... $100.00/year Friend of the Norseman.......... $20.00/year This is a New or Renewal membership request I would also like to make a donation toward the LEVS Operating Expenses $___________ I am interested in joining the crew. I'd prefer to receive my copy of the Norseman News via email. Signature ________________________________________________ Date _____/_____/_____ My check for $_____________ is enclosed. (Checks, in US Dollars, should be payable to "LEVS, Inc.") Norseman News Leif Ericson Viking Ship Norseman Vol. 12 No. 4 Winter 2004/2005 Edition www.vikingship.org What's Inside A Living History Event in Cecilton Elem. School Focus On: n November, LEVS brought the A Persistent Viking . .2 Norseman to the Cecilton Board Meeting Info . .2 IElementary School in Cecilton, MD, for a Living History event. The A Viking Night school “discovered” our organization Before Christmas . .3 with the help of Mary Segermark Word Search Puzzle . .3 (Captain Dave Segermark’s wife) who A Picture is Worth substitutes there on occasion. She had a Thousand Words . .4-5 donated one of the books we sell, Yo, Vikings, which then brought about the 2005 Wish List . .6 question, “Why a book on Vikings?” Leif Ericson Day, 2004 . .6 which turned into a discussion about our organization and its mission, and Raffle Ticket Winners . .6 then the invitation from the school as a Rune Scratchings . .7 way to augment what the students were learning in their history class. This picture, as well as a lengthy article on Word Search Solution . .7 our event, appeared on the front page of “Wolf” Sutton brought the ship to the Cecil Whig. Book Review . .Cover Cecilton from the Kalmar Nyckel shipyard, and met with Mary and Dave and the students looked in and around LEVS and approximately 120 fourth and the ship. Mission Statement fifth-graders, their teachers, some local The Norseman and the presentation 1. To educate Americans residents who know Mary and Dave by our crew ended up getting on the about Leif Ericson as the and a reporter from the Cecil Whig. front page news of the Cecil Whig, first European to discover Wolf, Mary and Dave discussed the which has a press run of 17,000. and settle on the North American continent. lifestyle of the Vikings, passing around Hopefully the fame won’t go to the 2. To promote knowledge samples of tools, shields and showing crews’ head. Mary hadn’t yet and a realistic historic weapons, so that the students could get substituted at the school since the image of Viking people as a first-hand look at what they have event. “I don’t know how the students merchants, navigators, shipbuilders, artists, studied. Afterwards, the students were will behave towards me, now that they explorers and warriors. able to ask questions, which ranged know I’m a Viking,” said Mary. from what livestock back then were 3. To provide sail training We have posted the article on our and practice in recreating like, how long the Vikings worked, and website at www.vikingship.org/files/ the experience of what the shields were like. traveling on water as cecilwhigarticle.html. If you would Vikings did a thousand When the presentation was like information on sending LEVS to a years ago. completed, the students were led school near you, please contact our outside where the Norseman had been organization’s event coordinator at Distributed 4 times a year set up in a dry display with the sail up, [email protected]. Norseman News ï Page 2 ï Winter 2004/2005 Edition LEVS Norseman News Focus On: Gene Martenson The Norseman News is distributed 4 times a year A Persistent Viking through mailings, our web site, and handouts at If you met Gene Martenson outside of an event, you events. Our readers consist wouldn’t picture him as a Viking – until you get him of mainly Scandinavian- talking, of course… As a founding member of our Americans including members, friends and organization, the 76-year-old Swede has had years of others who have shown learning and experience, and is always willing to promote interest in our mission, our mission of educating the public about the positive Vikings and Leif Ericson. contributions of the Vikings. Reproduction of the Norseman News is Gene has always had an interest in boating and prohibited without prior enjoyed time spent with the members of the Leif Ericson written permission. Society, International (LESI). When LESI built the Ravnen, he joined the “crew”. When the Ravnen was laid to rest and a committee was formed to build the Norseman and make Newsletter Editor LEVS its own entity, he jumped in even deeper. Gene would love to see more “young” Karen Johnson [email protected] people join LEVS and take a more active role. “It’s frustrating to arrive at a work session If you would be interested and only one other person is there.” He is quick to thank those that are involved, though, in downloading current because he knows that most people have lives outside of LEVS. issues of the Norseman News from the website after an email Gene seems to like any type of event that helps promote the Viking culture. His favorite notification, please recent event was the Viking Legacy Symposium, which he helped organize. He and other email the editor. Symposium committee members pulled together various speakers who were able to give the The Norseman News is public a more detailed view of the Vikings’ accomplishments. This format was able to draw now accepting ads! in more people outside of the Scandinavian circles. Advertising rates are: Gene thinks that the perfect land/water event was L’Anse aux Meadows. “We sailed Insert, supplied towards the landing site with beautiful choir music wafting towards us. We were by advertiser . .$300/issue (8.5X11” 1 or 2 sides) surrounded by other Viking ships, and when we landed, we were greeted very warmly by Full page ad . .$200 the event goers for presenting a visible link to their past.” (7.5”x10”) If you talk to Gene, please don’t ask him “Where’s Hagar [the Horrible]?” “That’s one Half page . .$125 of the strangest questions I’ve gotten”, said Gene. He also explains to event goers that (7.5”x5”) Vikings weren’t all marauders and rapists – that they had many amazing accomplishments. Quarter page . .$75 (3.65”x5”) Come to our events and chat with Gene! Business card ad . .$25 (3.5”x2.5” or 2.5x3.5”) Paper submissions of artwork Get More Involved; Come to Our Board Meetings! will not be accepted.