Committee Service, Memorial Service, and Alcohol Service

The Sons of Norway District IV convention (remember?) officially begins tomorrow, but I had to be here today because I agreed to serve on a committee for the Board of Directors, and the committees' work is done the day before the convention.  So, although this is just my second year of Sons of Norway membership and my first time at a district convention, I was put to work considering and responding to resolutions to be brought forth on the floor during the convention tomorrow and Saturday.  Trial by fire!

The ladies and I started the day with a delicious breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, and then I reported for duty.  First I met all the board members and the other persons who had reported to serve on committees today.  Then one of the board members went with my committee to explain our tasks and answer our questions.  The district has combined two committees--the Committee on Resolutions and the Committee on Laws--into one, and I was one of three members of that committee.  Neither of the other two people has served in this capacity before, either; and one is a first-timer to a convention, just as I am . . . so we hardly felt like experts as we sat down to work!

We were asked to discuss and draft responses to two resolutions: one proposed by a lodge in AB asking that "Sons of Norway" be changed to "Sons and Daughters of the Vikings," and one proposed by the district board itself asking for a change of procedures for how district convention minutes are distributed.  We were told, too, that it's customary for our committee to bring forth its own resolution: the Tusen Takk ["thousand thanks"] Resolution, which is presented during the last session of the convention and which lists the many persons and organizations to thank for all their work at organizing and carrying out the convention.

So we worked and jotted notes this morning, broke for dinner with the members of the board and the other committees (and our spouses), and reconvened this afternoon to type up our Tusen Takk Resolution and our responses to the other two resolutions.  Sometime during the business sessions of the convention, our committee will be called to sit at a table before the assembly, explain our responses, and field questions from any delegates who have them.  Yikes!

While I was doing committee work, Susan and the girls did some shopping in the morning; and in the afternoon, the girls went swimming at the hotel while Susan sat at a poolside table and did some work for Bible school (which she directs for our church and which begins next Monday, the day after we get back from Missoula . . . yikes again!).

The girls were in the swimming pool about a minute before making a new friend.  Who is she?  We don't know!  But she's sitting on Abigail's shoulders (and there's Hillary on Suzanna's shoulders).

This evening the convention began with a memorial service in honor of Sons of Norway District IV lodge members who have passed away since the last convention.  That was followed by a welcome reception at which we enjoyed tasty appetizers and beverages (I had Moose Drool, a locally brewed brown ale).  We met up with the other delegates from our lodge and exchanged travel stories (one couple is traveling by motorhome and has been in ID and MT for the past couple weeks, and the other couple drove through--and got hail damage to their car from--the hail storm that we saw the results of as we drove past Columbus, MT yesterday).  I think we're all ready for the business of the convention to begin in the morning.

Dave is an alternate, and his wife Cathy (our lodge president) is a delegate; Dick is an alternate, and his wife Barb is a delegate; and Susan is an alternate, and I am a delegate.  From having attended previous conventions, Cathy knew that delegates from the same lodge often wear matching vests on opening night, so she made these vests and imprinted the back with our lodge name and logo.  Notice all the Sons of Norway pins that the non-Mobergs have earned for various reasons through the years.  Maybe at a future convention, we, too, will be able to sport some "bling" on our vests.