Cultural Skills

Sons of Norway Cultural Skills Program

What is the Cultural Skills Program?

The Cultural Skills Program is open to all Sons of Norway members, both through their lodges or as individual participants. Your camper will be eligible to earn pins and medals as a youth member. Youth membership is FREE for children (15 and under) whose parents or grandparents are active members of Sons of Norway. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (800) 945-8851

To apply for Youth Membership, fill out the Heritage Membership form and send it to:

Sons of Norway Headquarters

Attn: Membership

1455 W. Lake Street

Minneapolis, MN 55408-2666

The Cultural Skills Program serves a variety of purposes:

To encourage active participation in both traditional and contemporary Norwegian-North American pursuits;
To enrich the lives of members of all ages;
To provide the basis for special interest clubs within our lodges
To provide new reasons for people to join Sons of Norway.

The awards are as follows:

Specialist: One who wishes to go in depth in one area, e.g. Hardanger embroidery or genealogy, etc.
Generalist: One who samples several skills and qualify for the basic level in each, for example: stamp collecting, crafts, and Norwegian foods.
Mentor: One who is skilled in activities offered in the Norwegian Cultural Skills Program can do a different challenge: mentor others who need formal or informal instruction. The mentor is an extremely important person in passing on the Norwegian heritage to others.
Master of Cultural Skills: One who has completed at least three levels of three different skills, or nine individual basic activities.

Stay Involved During the Year

Campers will have the opportunity to participate in selected units of the Cultural Skills Program each summer while they are at camp. It is our hope that when campers return home, that they will continue to work on these units to earn the pins and recognition.

Please keep in mind that campers are only eligible to receive credit for completeing these activities if they are Youth Members of Sons of Norway. However, they are fun activities to do with your family to learn more about your heritage or about the culture of Norway.

Cultural Skills / Sports Medals Units offered at Masse Moro To Date:

-Figure Carving

-Folk Dancing

-Idrettsmerke

Youth Cultural Skills

30. Folk Dancing

31. Figure Carving

32. Handknitting

33. Norwegian and North American Stamps

34. Hardanger Embroidery

Units Include:

1. Traditional Norwegian Cooking (Revised 10/2010)

Level 1--Your Favorites
Level 2--Baked Goods and Desserts
Level 3--Meat or Fish Dishes

2. Reading Norwegian and Norwegian-American Authors

Level 1--Your Favorites
Level 2--Fiction
Level 3--Nonfiction

3. Collecting Norwegian and North American Stamps

Level 1--Collect General Norwegian and North American Stamps
Level 2--Specialize Your Stamp Collection
Level 3--Complete a Collection of a Ten-Year Period

4. Norwegian Rosemaling

Level 1--Basic Strokes, Flower Form, and Scroll
Level 2--Completed Design Level 3--Create an Original Design

5. Genealogy--Family History

Level 1--Complete people 17 on a four-generation ancestor chart, etc.
Level 2--Complete four more people on the ancestor, family group chart, and document
Level 3--Complete all information for 15 people on the charts--document and write an essay

6. Hand Knitting

Level 1--The Basics
Level 2--Knit with Two Colors
Level 3--Create a Two or Multicolored Sweater (Based on Norwegian Designs)

7. Norwegian Language and Culture

Level 1--The Basics of Norwegian Language
Level 2--A Sampling of Norwegian Culture
Level 3--A Topic from Norwegian Language or Norwegian Culture

8. Hardanger Embroidery (Revised 10/2010)

Level 1--The Basics
Level 2--Complete a Larger Item
Level 3--Using Your Skills in Creative Ways

9. Figure Carving

Level 1--The Basics
Level 2--Complete a Detailed Carving
Level 3--Complete an Original Carving

10. Weaving

Track I

Level 1--The Basics-Make a Sampler
Level 2--Inkle or Card Weaving or Rigid Heddle--Complete a Project
Level 3--Create an Original Design

Track II--Floor or Table Loom Weaving

Level 1--Produce a Sampler
Level 2--Make a Finished Project
Level 3--Create an Original Design

11. Ornamental Woodcarving

Level 1--The Basics
Level 2--Flatskurd
Level 3--Carve the Acanthus

12. Chip Carving

Level 1--The Basics
Level 2--Carve Borders
Level 3--Carve Rosettes

13. Folk Dancing

Level 1--Easy Dances
Level 2--Intermediate Dances
Level 3--Advanced Dances

14. Music and Musicians of Norway

Level 1--Folk Music: Roots of Norwegian Music
Level 2--The Nineteenth Century: Edvard Grieg & Contemporaries
Level 3--The Twentieth Century: Composers, Performers, Conductors

Sons of Norway District Five

MASSE MORO Norwegian Heritage Camp