Seattle Lodge | ||
Meets 2nd Sunday | Time: 12:30 pm | Place: Finnish Lutheran Church 88504 13th Ave NW Seattle, WA 98117 |
Annual Events: Juhannus bonfire picnic in June; Buckley Hall Picnic in July; Bazaar in Nov; Christmas Party in Dec | ||
Special Projects & Events: | ||
President Name: Lynn B Wirta | ||
[ 206-920-2890] | [ P O Box 1961 Port Orchard, WA 98366] | |
Additional Contacts:
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History of the Lodge: | ||
Lodge Mission Statement for Today’s Modern World: | ||
Additional Notes: Purpose: The Lodge was formed in the early 1900s for the purpose of uniting people of Finnish origin, their families and friends to promote the Finnish cultural achievements; to preserve the high ideals, traditions and heritages of our Finnish forefathers and to aid the sick, injured or members otherwise in need of aid.
Membership Criteria:18 years of age
Dues: $25/person annual dues
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Seattle Lodge # 11 has hosted the Grand Lodge Convention 3 times in the last 20 years (1992, 2002) as well as the very first convention in 1904 and numerous times in the previous 80 years. FinnFest USA, another national festival celebrating the regional cultural elements of Finnish heritage, has been hosted at the University of Washington twice in its 30 year history. (1989, 1999). UFKBS #11 volunteers staffed the registration and exhibit booths.
From Andy Nestingen, Professor of Finnish Studies University of Washington
It’s a pleasure to send greetings to you from the Finnish Program at the University of Washington. It’s amazing to see that the Seattle UFKBS Lodge #11 hosted the first Grand Lodge Convention in 1904, and has since hosted your meeting numerous times. It’s also amazing to see how the United Finnish Kalevala Brothers and Sisters have preserved and sustained Finnish heritage through your activities and Grand Lodge Meeting. The sisu of the United Finnish Kalevala Brothers and Sisters shines through. For me, the Kalevala Brothers and Sisters always brings to mind the late Leo Utter. Leo organized the Finnish Bazaar the first Saturday in November every year until his death. His smile and laugh warmed the old gym at the Nordic Museum on those often chilly and foggy mornings in Ballard, where the Bazaar is held – it doesn’t hurt that there has always been delicious kahvia, pullaa, kraavilohta, and much more, too!
We’re especially thankful to members of Lodge #11, and the Lodge itself, for financial support of UW Finnish Studies. Such generosity has helped us build an endowment, which we use to send our students to Finland. This summer, we sent our students Rosie Leung, Saiaontoni Sarkar, and Coleen Griffin to study intensive Finnish. We couldn’t have done that five years ago, but our endowment has grown. We continue to build. One way we’re building this year is by welcoming a new Finnish lecturer from the University of Turku, Ilmari Ivaska. Our lecturer is paid by the UW and the Finnish government.
Finnish Consul, Norman Westerberg and his wife, Benita, were long time honorary lodge members until Norm’s passing in 2014.
Seattle Lodge 2015 Officers
Lempi Wilson, Ritva and Raimo Kivinen, Ruth St Hilaire
Lynn B Wirta, Rauni and Paavo Sillanpaa, Leo Nalli, Ed Payne, Tuuli Haigh, Aino Ottelin