June 2013
Volume 43
Issue No. 6
Published monthly
September thru June
The lodge newsletters are available in color online at
www.ronneberg.org/lodge89.html
Well here we are in June. Half way through the year already. I
can’t believe where time goes.
Sons of Norway
Viking Lodge #6-89
Chico, California
Juni
I am sorry we had to cancel our May Parade. I know there were many that look forward to
it. It just couldn’t be helped.
10 - Business meeting 7,
Urness home
I am sure that most everyone knows that my wife Louise, fell and broke her hip on April,
25th. The day before our 51st wedding anniversary. It has been just a little over a month and she
is doing Great. But she still has a ways to go. Louise and I want to thank everyone for their
prayers and many cards. This truly has helped with her recovery. Tusen Takk!!!
14 - USA Flag Day
15 - Ice Cream Social
We are looking forward to the Ice Cream Social at the Ronneberg’s. Look for more
information in this newsletter. We hope to see everyone there. It is always fun.
23 - Midsummer Day
16 - Father's Day
We have been enjoying our daughter Kristine and her family who are visiting us from
Casper, Wyoming. They are here for a week. They have helped with Louise also to keep her
spirits up.
I do hope to see lots of you at the ice cream social. Also I hope you all have a healthy and
good summer.
Tusen Takk,
Harold A Urness
Juli, August
4 - 4th of July
Ice Cream Social
Saturday, June 15, 2013, 2pm
at the Ronneberg home
2299 Burlingame Dr Chico
Please bring something to drink and
your favoriate topping to share.
TROLLFJELL LANGUAGE AND
HERITAGE CAMP
No events scheduled for August
President: Harold Urness - Vice-President: Bobbie Ronneberg - Secretary: Louise Urness - Treasurer and Editor: Skip Ronneberg Cultural
Director: NancyJo Mathison - Historian: Louise Urness - Marshal: Bobbie Ronneberg - Cheer: Shirley Prestesater
Contact the Lodge: 530-342-8663 or email: [email protected]
The Last Hero of Telemark
Remembered 70 Years Later
Editor's note: Joachim Ronneberg is a relative of both Chico Viking lodge
members Skip Ronneberg and Terry Ronneberg. Visit www.ronneberg.org for
more about Joachim Ronneberg.
May 8, 1945 is a day that has gone down in history as VE
Day, the end of World War II in Europe. This year however
we also acknowledge and honor Norway's resistance
fighters for the heavy water sabotage at Vemork.
In February of 1943 Joachim Ronneberg, now 93, led one of the most heroic
and successful operations of World War II called Operation Gunnerside. 70
years later, the secret mission remains one that many say altered the course of
the war.
The secret Allied operation was prearranged by Winston Churchill and the
Special Operations Executive (SOE) in London, England. Many Norwegian
resistance fighters fled to England at the onset of the war to train in hopes of
returning and fighting against the Nazis. Ronneberg was one of those resistance
fighters and he was called on by the SOE to lead this secret mission.
The Vemork hydroelectric plant (now a museum) was opened in 1911 by Norsk
Hydro, a renewable energy company for the purposes of producing artificial
fertilizer. When the Nazis took over the plant during their occupation of Norway
the heavy water being produced became a liability. The SOE's task was to
sneak into the Vemork plant, outside of Rjukan in a remote part of Telemark,
Norway and sabotage Hitler's production of heavy water, which he needed to
produce nuclear weapons. Following an unsuccessful operation just three
months earlier, the SOE had high hopes that Ronneberg's team would get the
job done. The plot was for the men to get dropped by plane in Telemark's
Hardangervidda Plateau and unite with the other half of the resistance group by
way of skis.
Operation Gunnerside was officially underway on February 16, 1943. After days
of hiding out in the mountains of Telemark and making final preparations the 12
men arrived at Vemork on a cold night in late February. The plant sat among
perilous cliffs above the deep gorges of the Vestfold Valley that embraced the rushing river below. "When you look at the gorge where we
climbed down, you feel it is impossible," recalls Ronneberg. Although the conditions were treacherous they agreed climbing up through the
gorge was the smartest route to take in order to avoid encountering any Nazi guards.
Using wire cutters to get through the outside fence Ronneberg snuck through a small access tunnel and made his way into the electrolysis
chamber room that produced the delicate heavy water. Only one man was encountered during the sabotage, a Norwegian worker who
willingly obeyed their orders. The charges were spread among the machines and the men escaped just before a small series of explosions
tore through the facility. They had successfully completed their task but the most remarkable part of the mission was still ahead of them,
their escape.
Thousands of Germans were sent to search the 2,500 square miles of the Hardanger Mountains. Ronneberg and his team had to flee the
grounds and ski 200 miles through Norway's southern snow-covered mountains to safety in Sweden. On skis the German troops were no
match for the Norwegians and the entire Norwegian team escaped to safety. Mr. Ronneberg remembers that although it was an extremely
dangerous escape he said it was "the very best skiing weekend I ever had."
Ronneberg, the last surviving member of the mission recently returned to London to lay a wreath at a memorial held for the SOE. The
memorial honored the organization alongside Norway's great hero for leading one of the most daring secret operations of World War II.
The Saboteurs of Telemark, was made into a thrilling BBC documentary in 1973.
Editor's Note: Below is a letter from Kristine Dent, Chico Viking lodge member and chair of the District 6 Campership Committee.
Dear Viking Lodge 6-089 & Annika Wolfe:
I am excited to inform you that Annika Wolfe has been awarded a $375 scholarship to
Camp Trollfjell. The information has already been shared with Mary Beth Ingvoldstad.
She will be handling the money and tuition. She would like me to remind you that the
deadline is May 7th for pre registration. The fee goes up after that. The Campership
Committee would also like to remind the lodges that this scholarship will be voided if the
lodge has already paid money to the camper.
As a reminder to the camper, the committee would like to remind the camper that she will
be willing to attend the local lodge meeting to tell about your experience at Camp
Trollfjell.
Congratulations Annika!
Hilsen,
Kristine Dent
Can
You
Help?
A few years ago the Chico Unified School District
ended elementary instrumental music within Chico
schools. Now the board of the Bidwell Junior High
School Foundation has restored teaching music in an
after-school program for the students of BJHS and
McManus Elementary.
This is where you can help! They are in need of
additional instruments and you may have a band
instrument tucked away in a closet that is no longer
being used. If you would like to help by donating a
used band instrument or by making a cash donation,
please contact John at [email protected].
Let's help keep this program alive and successful.
Thank you for your help.
Scandia'Camp
Every&June&there&is&a&week&long&event&in&the&Redwoods&
near%Mendocino%where%over%one%hundred%people%gather%
with%a%focus%on%Scandinavian%music%and%dance.%Teachers%
from%Norway%and%Sweden%lead%classes%and%workshops%in%
dancing'and'playing'musical'instruments.''The'campers'
stay%in%rustic%cabins%located%at%the%Mendocino%Woodlands%
and$gather$in$the$dining$hall$and$dance$hall$for$activities.
It#is#a#wonderful#way#to#experience#Nordic#culture.#There#
will$be$teachers$from$Norway$who$will$be$sharing$with$campers$about$dance$
traditions)from)Hallingdal)as)well)as)Hardingfele)(Hardanger)Fiddle))and)
Swedish(teachers(teaching(fiddle(and(nyckelharpa(tunes(as(well(as(dances(from(
Sweden.''Everyone'is'welcome'to'join'in'with'the'music'and'dances'and'we'
always&dance&to&live&music.&&Many&campers&bring&traditional&folk&costumes&and&
much%of%the%food%is%based%on%Scandinavian%foods.
This%year%camp%will%be%held%June%8%5%15%and%is%the%next%best%thing%to%travelling%
overseas,(as(it(is(held(in(our(own(back(yard.((The(opportunity(to(meet(and(
interact(with(many(people(from(around(the(world(is(a(great(experience.((The(
deadline'to'apply'to'camp'is'April'15,'and'I'hope'that'one'or'some'of'your'
members&might&join&us.&There&is&more&information&online&at&
www.scandiacampmendocino.org./You/can/call/me/if/you/have/any/questions./
Laurel'Paulson,Pierce'533,3666.
Want to lean more about current events in Norway?
June 16 - Betty Rollag, 18 - Dorothy Jackson, 20 - Dianne
Wilkinson, 24 - Connor Anderson, 24 - Ron Estensen
July 5 - Carl Colbie, 8 - Terry Ronneberg, 9 - Kristine Dent,
22 - Louise Urness, 28 - Jeanette Morrison
August 15 - Allison Dent, 21 - Jean Ronneberg
Visit http://www.newsinenglish.no/
for the latest news of Norway in English
Business Meeting Minutes,
Viking Lodge 6-89, Sons of Norway
May, 2013
No Business meeting was held during May,2013
Hurrah – for what? On the meaning
of the Syttende Mai celebration
Northern California Kretsstevne
Labor Day Weekend at Camp Norge
August 31, September 1-2, 2013
The Northern California Kretsstevne Committee invites the
members of all Sons of Norway Lodges to join them in a weekend of fellowship,
friendship and fun. Whether you come in your RV, stay in the
dorms or bring tents, we know you will have a great time.
Order a Meal
Planned Activities:
Package and
Good Food—Horseshoe Tournament
SAVE!!!! See
Meadow Faire
Below!!
Games for all ages-Swimming
Dancing—Raffle—Karaoke—Bingo
Barbecue
Check out www.campnorge.com for more information
Camp Norge Room Accommodations? The rooms fill up quickly.
Call the Office at 530-389-2508. (No site reservations required for RV’s/Tents.)
Meal Packages will not be available at the event.
Meal Registration Deadline is August 23, 2013.
Questions? Dave Severson at 530-632-2115 or email at [email protected]
Cut here and return, along with payment (check made payable to NCK) to:
The Hansons, 5701 Live Oak Drive, Space 26 Kelseyville, CA 95451
Northern California Kretsstevne (NCK) 2013
Lodge Name & #__________________________ Name____________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________City_________________________Zip___________
Phone __________________________________Email______________________
Meals Purchased Individually in Advance:
Saturday Breakfast
Saturday Lunch
Saturday Dinner
Sunday Frokost
Sunday Lunch
Sunday Potluck
# of Adults______ X $6.00 =
# of Adults______ X $6.00 =
# of Adults______ X $12.00 =
# of Adults______ X $7.00 =
#of Adults______ X $6.00 =
Donation Requested
Prices at the Door
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
$ 7.00
$ 7.00
$14.00
$ 8.00
$ 7.00
Saturday Breakfast
# of Children____ X $4.00 = _________
$ 4.50
Saturday Lunch
# of Children____ X $4.00 = _________
$ 4.50
Saturday Dinner
# of Children____ X $7.00 = _________
$ 7.50
Sunday Frokost
# of Children____ X $4.00 = _________
$ 4.50
Sunday Lunch
# of Children____ X $4.00 = _________
$ 4.50
Sunday Potluck
Donation Requested
Monday Breakfast is a free smorgasbord of leftovers, with priority to meal-ticket registrants!
Save
$8.00
with an
Adult
Meal
Package
including the
Krets
Pin!
Meal Package includes $2.00 Kretsstevne Pin
Syttende Mai is
Constitution Day – the
Constitution that was
ratified by the National
Assembly at Eidsvoll in
1814, and has through
some changes seen us
through to today. As a
symbol the Constitution
represents also two great themes, national independence and political freedom – democracy and the
rights of citizenship. Norwegian patriotism of the
1800s tied these two aspects together as the idea ”
Norwegian freedom.” Later on this concept of
freedom took on new meanings, for example
international peace work.
Syttende Mai is also a family day, but the difference
from all other Norwegian holidays is first and
foremost this: it is the only day the most important
events take place out in the public space rather than
in the four walls of the home. Syttende Mai has
become a day for the children, even though it was
not originally. The children’s parades became a big
success from 1870 on, and have become the most
popular event on Syttende Mai. And with the children
in the city center, many other things follow: ice
cream, soda and sausages.
Meal Package
# of Adults_______ X $30.00 = __________
Meal Package
# of Children_____ X $18.00 = _________
(Note: Children are kids 12 and under, those 5 and under are FREE)
Day Pass
If not staying at Camp: _________# of Passes X __________# of Days @ $3.00 per day = $__________
Ole and Lena died and went to
heaven. As they experienced all
the joys of haven, Lena remarked
to Ole, "It is so vunderful here,
Ole. Yust tink...ve might have
gone here years earlier if ve
hadn't started eating all dat oat
bran."
Norwegian Proverb
En kan reise hvor en vil, men aldri fra seg selv.
Translation: One can travel anywhere, but never
from oneself.
The history of Svalbard Global Seed Vault starts as
early as 1983. In common with other big projects, it’s
been a long and not very easy journey.
Preserving seed from food plants is an absolutely essential part of the work of preserving the world’s biodiversity, adapting to climate change and global warming and
thereby ensuring food for the world’s population for the foreseeable future. There are hundreds of gene banks around the world. But some of them are vulnerable to
natural disasters, war or the lack of management or finance. The foundation of a global ”central bank” for the world’s seeds (primarily of food plants) has therefore long
been an issue.
Nordic Genetic Resource Centre in 1983
The first initiative for the creation of a safety deposit for seeds in permafrost was taken by the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NBG) as early as the early 80s.
Svalbard, along with Greenland and the Jotunheim mountains, was assessed as a possible location at an early date. NBG visited Svalbard in 1983 and it was eventually
decided to store seeds 300 metres inside a disused mine, mine 3, near Longyearbyen, where there was a permafrost of minus 3-4 degrees.
NBG’s positive experience of Svalbard led to the question of similar safety deposits being taken up by the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) and
the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and a meeting between the board and the Norwegian authorities was arranged.
In 1989 IBPGR started surveying the relevant alternative sites in Svalbard. Norway offered to take care of the actual construction of the vault, whilst FAO and IBPGR
would take care of the administrative operating costs through the creation of a fund based on capital from external donors.
Who owns the worlds heritage?
In the early 90s there was heated debate between the various member countries of the FAO about patenting and access to genetic resources. Developing countries
wished to receive part of the proceeds from the commercial seed industry, since the diversity mainly came from their areas, whilst the commercial seed industry wanted
free access to such resources and the opportunity to patent the seeds. This led to a polarized atmosphere with little mutual trust regarding the administration of seed.
The lack of international agreements to regulate this area eventually became an obstacle to
realizing the plans and IBPGR and FAO eventually had to give up looking for donors.
Together with the Norwegian authorities they decided to shelve the plans for an international
safety deposit for seeds in Svalbard.
The breakthrough
The turning point came when FAO’s International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture came into force in 2004. This created a new basis for taking the plans
up again. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture and
Food took up the challenge. A group of Nordic and international experts under the direction
of Noragric at the Norwegian University of Life Scientists (UMB) were appointed to carry out
a preliminary study. In September 2004 the group put forward an unambiguously positive
report, which concluded that suitable locations were to be found in Svalbard. The report
recommended that a chamber should be built inside the mountain. It was also stressed that the storage of seeds should be done in accordance with international gene
bank standards, at minus 18 degrees, and that the seeds should be stored by the ”black box” method, that is that only the institution which deposits seeds has right of
ownership and disposition over them.
In November 2004 the report was presented at FAO’s Commission for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The Norwegian idea received a positive response
and was perceived by many countries as a most welcome contribution to the international work of preserving the world’s plant genetic resources. Some developing
countries also pointed to the earlier positive experience of development collaborations with Nordic countries and the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre in Svalbard.
The Norwegian government took the leading position
Following the FAO meeting Norway began work on financing the construction project. Since the purpose of the seed vault was multilateral, it was natural to pave the
way for making this a joint initiative between three ministries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
The government backed the initiative and in 2005 an interdepartmental steering group was set up for the project, consisting of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
(LMD), the Ministry of the Environment (MD), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD), the Ministry of Justice (JD) and the Consumer and Administration Ministry (FAD).
Statsbygg, as constructor, also participated on the steering group as an observer.
Under the chairmanship of the LMD, the steering group discussed various alternatives for the location, organisation, agreement format and operation of the seed vault,
as well as working in close cooperation with international experts in relevant fields. Statsbygg was given responsibility for building and running the technical plant.
Planning commenced in autumn 2005 and building commenced in May 2007.
The project consists of three chambers, each of which has the capacity to store 1.5 million seed samples. Even though the facility is owned by Norway, it is important to
underline that the seed samples which are stored in the vault are indisputably the property of the depositor (whether country, gene bank or institution), which has right of
ownership and disposition over them.
Owned by Norway
It is Norway which formally owns the seed vault, with LMD as the responsible authority for Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Nordic Genetic Resource Centre is responsible
for scientific operation, whilst Statsbygg operates the technical plant. Construction has cost almost NOK 50 million and has been entirely financed by UD, LMD and MD.
The Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) has also been brought in as an active partner and will finance a substantial amount of the annual operating costs of the vault.
The other operating costs will be financed by the government, through LMD. GCDT is also helping to secure operations by assisting developing countries in the packing
and despatch of seed samples to Svalbard.
Clip the stamp for Tubfrim
c/o Warren Ronneberg, Editor
2299 Burlingame Dr
Chico, CA 96928
Sons of Norway Mission Statement The
mission of Sons of Norway is to promote and
preserve the heritage and culture of Norway, to
celebrate our relationship with other Nordic countries,
and provide quality insurance financial products to its
members
Top Six Reasons to Purchase Sons of
Norway Life Insurance and Annuity
Products!!!
The Midnattsolen News is
published by the Viking
Lodge 6-89, Sons of Norway September thru June.
All submissions must be received by the Editor no later
then the 25th of the month in order to be published in the
next edition.
Please email or smail articles to Skip Ronneberg at [email protected] or 2299 Burlingame Dr, Chico, CA
95928. Phone 530.891.0606
If you have questions or comments, please contact Skip
directly.
1. Strong foundation-founded in 1895
—never defaulted on ANY Product in 117 years!!!
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4. Your Financial Benefits Counselor (FBC)—provides sound
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6. Helps provide more revenue for your local lodge in the form of
an annual lodge revenue check due each April!
Feel free to contact Carl Peter Ingvoldstad, your local
Financial Benefits Counselor, at 707-987-2404 for more
information.