Turkey with Norwegians

We attended our second Sons of Norway meeting this afternoon, and it doubled as the lodge's Thanksgiving meal. It was only the second meeting that we have attended (or been members for--remember?), so we didn't know quite what to expect. Neither did our daughters, who attended the meeting with us. The first part of the event was similar to last month's regular meeting: an agenda, parliamentary procedure, reports, old and new business, etc. The girls enjoyed the singing of the national anthems (Canada, Norway, and the United States of America) that opened the meeting and then sat patiently throughout the rest, but the dry content and the very leisurely pace did not give our daughters a thrilling first impression of being new Sons of Norway members.

However, the meeting was followed by an absolutely delicious meal: thick slices of juicy, savory turkey (perhaps the tastiest I have ever eaten), dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, side dishes and salads and crudités--the works. We were all seated at round tables and invited one table at a time to go through the buffet line, and for once at such an event we managed to sit at the table that was selected to go first! (I think having our kids at the table is what got us chosen. A roomful of grandparents and great-grandparents isn't going to make the youngsters sit right beside the food and wait!)

There was coffee and pumpkin pie for dessert, and as we finished our meals, some members went to the stage area to sing and play music for us on the accordion, violin, and guitar. There was one other child (well, a junior high school-aged student) in attendance, and her mom invited Susan and the girls over to their table to see the Norwegian knitting that the daughter was learning (the mom is the lodge member in charge of programming for children and was thrilled to learn that we, with our children, had joined). I enjoyed visiting with an in-their-seventies couple seated at our table and kept conversing with the wife even after the husband left us to go play accordion with the other musicians.

The December meeting will double as the lodge's Christmas meal, and the children's programmer, knowing that we'll be there, plans to have Norwegian Christmas craft projects available for the girls to work on with her daughter. We're looking forward to another delicious meal. It would be nice, too, if some Norwegian foods were included. Today's meal was fantastic, but it was prepared by the kitchen staff at the Elk's Lodge (where the Sons of Norway meetings are held)--no Norwegian foods in sight. I wonder if members will supplement the meal by bringing homemade Norwegian Christmas baking . . . or if, in the future, the lodge ever sponsors potluck meals to which members bring Norwegian dishes to eat. I mean, the Norwegian music and cultural events and craft projects and so on are great, but isn't Scandinavian food really the main point of joining this organization? (Ha!)