| Välkommen SVEA LODGE #296 VASA ORDER OF AMERICA A Swedish-American Fraternal Organization Instituted May 20, 1914 Erie, Pennsylvania Photo: | Log in to your Member account: |
From the chair - pat bellingham
Svea Lodge has a calendar filled with wonderful activities, dedicated members, new members, and a renewed sense of our purpose; bringing the Scandinavian culture to our community. There is a lot happening so you'll need to visit our website often to keep up!
We said Good Bye to Winter and Welcomed Spring on April 30th at the beautiful Sommerlyst Park with our Danish friends. Hot dogs, soup, snacks, and lots of brownies were enjoyed by all. The fire was blazing by 7PM with our own rendition of Helan Gar and Du Ska Fa Mitt Gamla Snapsglas! Picture below.
Our annual May Banquet is scheduled for May 17th, at noon, at the Shrine Club on West 38th Street. Be sure to make your reservations soon. The count has to be in by May 7th. We will be having a delicious buffet, great company, and lots of fun.
June 13th is Midsommar at Presque Isle State Park, Runner's Pavillion. Festivities start at 11AM. Bring a dish to share, chairs, and fresh flowers.
On a website: sweden.se, the article gave 5 must-do's for a proper Midsommar.
Raise the maypole! 
It’s not Midsummer until the leafy pole is up and proud. Once it's raised, dance around it like you mean it! (our maypole is always gorgeous)
Dance the 'Frog Dance'! 
('Små grodorna' in Swedish) Yes, you must hop in a circle pretending to be a frog. We don’t question it.
Make a flower wreath! 
Crown yourself in wildflowers – and feel like a Scandinavian woodland fairy.
Feast on 'sill och potatis' 
– that's Swedish for pickled herring and boiled new potatoes! Then as many strawberries as you like for dessert. Trust the tradition!
Sing schnapps songs ALOUD!! 
Every sip deserves a song, if you ask us. Bonus points for dramatic eye contact during the toast.
OHIOPYLE STATE PARK - A District wide camping weekend is planned for July 17-19. Our three lodges - Svea, Drott, and Nobel Monitor will be gathering up our s'mores, hot dog skewers, and firewood at the beautiful Ohiopyle State Park. Some of us are tenting, glamping, or maybe staying at one of the local hotels for a few days of outdoor fun. Although this will be a casual, relaxing weekend, we may be planning a few group activities - picnic together Saturday dinner, short hikes around the State Park, perhaps a tour of Fallingwater. Emma Hedman, Drott Lodge, is coordinating the weekend. Make sure you contact her at elouise.bmc@gmail.com so she can include you in the plans. Each family is responsible for making their own site reservations. Craig and I have site #37 (we are glampers). Join us for a great weekend.
July 18-19 is a busy weekend! Jamestown Scandinavian Festival is also happening close to home. We are looking for several people to share the duties of manning a Membership table for that event. You can spend all day or just a few hours helping folks learn about Svea Lodge #296! The Festival is always well attended by Scandinavians wanting to know more about our heritage. Let Pat know if you have a few hours to spend.
September seems like a long way away! Yikes, we haven't even had summer yet. However, September 25-27 is the 61st District convention and it will be held in Erie at the Ambassador. Plans are in the making and we need you! One of the things that will be important is for us to have delegate representation for Svea. We are eligible to have 4 delegates based on our membership numbers. If you would be interested in representing our Lodge in the business of the District, please let me know. You're going to be hearing more about this throughout the summer but please consider taking an active part in the Convention.
Be kind to your neighbors, you never know who may need a kind word.
Pat
 | Odin's Ravens sharing our Viking history! | Stay tuned to learn about Huginn and Muninn! |
Valhalla, the Hall of the Slain, is a warriors paradise located in 'Asgard; the realm of the god's'. It is the afterlife paradise for warriors who died heroically in battle. Valhalla is ruled by Odin, the Norse god of war, wisdom, and death. Those who enter Valhalla are called 'Einherja', elite warriors chosen personally by Odin. They feast and prepare to fight Ragnarok (more on Ragnarok later) with Odin.
Prior to any earthly battle or a celebrated feast of victory, vikings would beat their chests and yell "To Valhalla!" meaning - Fight the good fight with honor, Until we meet again. It is used as a respectful farewell to fallen comrades and depicts a place of honor, glory or ultimate victory.
contributed by Kevin Soles
Mark Steg attended Gannon University, in Erie, PA from which he received a BA in History and MS in Counseling Psychology. He served as an Air Defense Artillery Officer in the US Army and ultimately retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs where he worked as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Local history holds a special interest for him and he has served on the board of the Hagen History Center, Erie, PA. He cotinues to represent HHC on the City of Erie Design Review Committee and serve on the Collections Committee. | The Fourth in the Series: Wednesday Night Get Togethers May 13, 2026 7:PM This will be an interview with a local historian from Erie, PA MARK STEG The Zoom Invite will be available on the District and Svea websites under the Events tab. Note: If you missed any of the previous programs; Swedish Flower Hens, the interview with our Grand Master, Jack Hanright, or the Swedish Embassy Representative, check out the District Website: |
Vasa BreakfastOn a winter hiatus! Check it out again in the Spring 2026.
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| Join us now to become a member. Members must be 14 years of age but younger children are always welcome to participate! You can attend all of our activities. You will receive our Newsletter so you can stay informed about what is happening within the Svea Lodge. Check out Our Story - Member Benefits to see what's in it for you! Join us now!
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OTHER INTERESTING EVENTS TO DO WITH SVEA FRIENDS IN NWPA OHIO & NY
The French Creek Immigration Project is a grassroots effort to collect and share stories about the immigrant experience in Northwestern Pennsylvania. What stories have been passed down from your immigrant relatives? What prompted your relatives to leave their native countries to come to America? How did they adjust to new customs, schools, workplaces and neighborhoods in a foreign land?
To submit a reflection please email: FCIwritingproject2026@gmail.com Stories should be no longer than 750 words. If possible, please include a photo of yourself and any other photos that depict your family's immigrant experience.
Note: Writings may by publicized in the news or online. There is no specific deadline. Depending on how many articles are submitted, the goal is to publish one article per month for 12 months. If there are more than 12 people writing, there will be a new schedule so everyone's story is heard.
Phrase of the Month:
Glad Påsk! - Happy Easter!
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Local Lodge Svea #296 meets on the third Sunday of the month at Luther Memorial Church, 225 West 10th Street, Erie, PA for general business meetings. General meetings include a short cultural program and of course, Fika! From May - August our meetings involve cultural activities in various community locations. We celebrate Walpurgis, Midsummer, Kraftskiva, Leif Erickson Day, and Santa Lucia Festival of Light. The Mission of Vasa Order of America is to promote our Scandinavian heritage. Our Order does not conflict with religious beliefs or common law - ALL are welcome!