Swedish Club News Vol. 57, Issue 11: November 2018 Swedish Club . Seattle . Washington A home for the Nordic-American community Prince Arthur: Story of a Norwegian Shipwreck he night was young and the weather Twas foul on January 2, 1903, when the Norwegian-flagged, three-masted barque Prince Arthur neared the Strait of Our Mission Juan de Fuca en route from Valparaiso, To promote better understanding Chile, to Esquimalt, British Columbia. between the United States and She was one of a fleet of ships owned the Nordic countries, with by P. H. Roer of Christiania, Norway, used to haul lumber from the Pacific emphasis on Sweden, and to Northwest to ports around the world. perpetuate Nordic culture Disaster struck on the Olympic and traditions through the Peninsula when the lookout, spotting a teaching, observance, practice light he judged to be the lighthouse and celebration of this culture marking the strait’s entrance, told the and its traditions. helmsman to turn to starboard. Unfortunately, the light was only that of At our Members & Friends Dinner a homesteaders’ cabin, and the ship hit a Nov. 14, Norris Comer (right) will tell us about the 1903 wreck of the brutal reef 10 miles south of Cape Alava. Norwegian vessel Prince Arthur. Of the 20-man Norwegian crew, only The ship’s memorial is maintained two survived. On shore, they were by Scout Troop 100 Seattle (above). assisted by local Native Americans and Paul Hendricks has the homesteaders from the cabin, who also helped been chair of the Prince to bury the victims of the shipwreck. Coinciden- Arthur Memorial tally, the homesteaders were three Norwegian Committee for decades. brothers, Iver, Ole and Tron Birkestol. He’s also Scoutmaster of At our Members & Friends Dinner on Wednes- Troop 100 Seattle, which day, Nov. 14, Norris Comer, editor of Northwest has visited and cleaned Yachting magazine, will tell the fascinating story of the memorial annually for many years. Paul can’t join how the local Norwegian community responded to us at the Members & Friends Dinner, but his son Sean this tragedy by establishing a monument. Wanting Hendricks and members of Troop 100 will be here no Norwegian mariner lost at sea to be forgotten, to be recognized and thanked for their dedication. and showing true Norwegian grit, they lugged a Chef Malin will prepare salad with beets & 10-foot granite monument, including a five-foot feta cheese, and Swedish kålpudding (beef & obelisk, through the rainforest to the rugged cabbage) served with potatoes, gravy and veg- coastline. Due to the protected status of the etables. For dessert, ice cream and strawberry jam. Olympic National Park, no highway will ever reach Social hour 5:30, dinner 6:30. $22. RSVP: rsvp@ the monument. Instead those who wish to visit it swedishclubnw.org or 206-283-1090. Reservations must make a rugged hike. after Monday, Nov. 12, are charged $25. If you can’t After inviting Norris to come and tell us about attend, but want to learn more about the Prince this story, we discovered that Swedish Club member Arthur, visit www.historylink.org/File/8998. www.swedishclubnw.org Swedish Club Club Notes 1920 Dexter Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 our Board has been busy. After months of 2. We know that the common good actively considering developing our parking trumps individual needs. We’re 206-283-1090 Club Business Y 206-283-1078 Rentals lots into residential housing, and then the May peace-loving and committed to equality. Since 206-283-2970 FAX vote to hold off on a decision for up to a year, Viking times, Nordic people have organized [email protected] they’ve been interviewing consultants to help themselves in flat hierarchies and cooperated [email protected] write a business plan and develop mission and across social divisions. We pay attention to [email protected] www.swedishclubnw.org vision statements. (New to the topic of potential what’s good for all our members, and we Office Hours parking lot development? Visit swedishclubnw. don’t let a pojka or a flicka with a loud horn Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. org/Development to read my columns from call the shots. The politics that divide people Board of Directors December 2017 through May of this year, which and generations in our society are dropped President Gary Sund Vice President Mary Hillman discussed it at some length.) In our conversations when a member or a guest comes through the Secretary Mary Emerson with consultants, the question of what it means doors of the Swedish Club. Interim Treas. Don Wahlquist Directors: Janice Bogren, Dave Enfield, to be a home for the Nordic-American commu- 3. Beauty belongs to everyone, and it’s Jen Friedman, Paul Heneghan, Monica nity comes up. I used the phrase “we’re an important to maintain beauty in our Grafstrom Hinckley, Chris Jones, Ib Odderson, Larry Omdal, authentic community” with one consultant, and everyday surroundings, be it our home or Judith Peterick, Vi Reno, he questioned me on it. I responded that a our clubhouse. “The home is to Swedes what Bragdon Shields community of parents may form around their the waltz is to Austria.” We love our home Swedish Club Foundation President Bob Blair children being in the same nursery school, but as here at the Club, and we are working to VP/Treasurer Leif Eie the parents have only one thing in common, it’s maintain and optimize it. Secretary Berit Lehner not as authentic as the community that gathers at 4. We are honest, forthright and Club Operations Executive Director Kristine Leander the Swedish Club. Here, we rely on the Nordic dependable. The traits that Swedes, Rentals/Facil. Mgr. Doug Newlands values that underpin our culture and community. Danes, Finns, Icelanders and Norwegians of a Rentals Coord. Court Potter Staff Accountant Sue Johnson Even non-Nordic newcomers to the Club generation ago—or more—brought to the Office/Vol. Coord. Eva Larson understand that we value certain things: Northwest served to build a Seattle commu- Admin. Maggie Hawthorne Kaye 1. We respect nature and taking care of nity, that, while long on discussion, is short Nominating Committee Chair the environment. Finland, Iceland, Sweden on dishonesty. Our relationships, like our Jan Sullivan and Denmark rate as the top environmentally buildings, are built to last because they are Club Historian Aina Oscarsson friendly countries worldwide At the Club, this trustworthy. Swedish Club Guild takes the form of the enormous amount of 5. Heritage is intrinsically valuable. Vice President Carol Graves recycling we do, from composting food Ethnicity gives meaning to people’s lives, and Secretary Jan Sullivan Treasurer Judy Nilsen Cooper scraps to separating recyclables. studying genealogy is life-affirming. While Parliamentarian Jean Wirch Swedish Singers of Seattle [email protected] HOLIDAY MATINEE—Last May, a pair of traditional swedishsingersofseattle.org musicians from Voss, Norway, stunned Seattle with their Swedish Club News performance at the Nordic Museum’s opening festivities. Editor: Kristine Leander Copy Editor: Martin Stillion Now they’re back for a holiday concert at the Swedish Swedish Club News (USPS 533-750) Club on Friday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m. in the Three Crowns is published monthly as part of Room. It’s free for Club members, so have lunch in our yearly membership dues at $15 per person, per year, by the Swedish Kafé and stay for the concert. Club, 1920 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle, Soprano Reidun Horvei is a well-known expert in WA 98109-2795. Telephone is 206-283-1090. Periodicals post- Nordic folk music, with a diverse repertoire. Inger- age paid at Seattle, Washington. Kristine Riber is a classical pianist of international Inger-Kristine Riber and Reidun Postmaster: send address changes Horvei return to delight us as they acclaim. At the Club, they’ll present original arrange- to Swedish Club News, 1920 Dexter perform in their traditional folk Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109-2795. ments of traditional yuletide songs, interspersed with costumes. Deadline for material for the next issue is Nov. 15. other folk melodies and classical favorites. Bring articles into the office or fax They’ll also hold a workshop at the Club with the young fiddlers of Seattle Lilla Spelman- to 206-283-2970. You may also slag, and another concert at Ballard First Lutheran on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 3:30 p.m.—which is e-mail articles to [email protected]. free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association. 2 november 2018 we highlight the Swedish-ness or Norwe- So when consultants come to work with gian-ness of our members, we listen us, we hope and expect they will understand SC Announces respectfully and inquire with warmth and the Club’s cultural traits and will know that News about, or in the interest curiosity about the heritage and the stories we are indeed an authentic community. of our members... of others. We value the artifacts of our cul- ture, such as Dala horses, birch trees and KRISTINE LEANDER, Executive Director The Swedish Club announces 1,297 our costumed doll collection. [email protected] member households, including 79 Lifetime members and 146 Social President’s Message members. Our members’ names appear in boldface in Swedish ack in the 1970s, when there was a limpa bread—and we’ve recently added Club News. Bfull-time restaurant at the Club, it was charcuterie and cheese boards. They’re great considered one of the best in town. Times to munch on while playing Swedish bingo or New Members changed, and we had to phase out the trivia, or working on crafts.