Lögberg-Heimskringla - 29.04.1994, Blaðsíða 4

4 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 29. apríl 1994
INL Presidents
Helgi Austman
First, a sincere welcome
to all. It is indeed grati-
fying to see a good
turnout to this, the 75th
Convention of the Icelandic
National League of North
America. I am honoured to be
your President, and particular-
ly in this important anniver-
saiy year.
This 75th year has been
quite eventful and has seen
some new and signifícant pro-
jects undertaken. A major one
is the Guttormur J. Guttorms-
son commemorative memorial
which will be erected in the
Centennial Park at Riverton,
in clear view of the Guttorms-
son homestead across the
Icelandic River. Oli Narfason
heads that Committee and it
held a Guttormsson Apprecia-
tion Day in Winnipeg which
helped to raise money and
numerous generous donations
from individuals and INL
Chapters, Clubs and Affiliates
have made the project finan-
cially feasible. We have had
Greetings from the
Board of Directors
of Lögberg Heims-
kringla, the Icelandic Weekly.
Since the last report to the
INL, the paper has had a
financially secure year and
has experienced a modicum
of growth in subscriptions.
We have experimented with
several different formats,
some successful, others not so
successful. Page seven has
met with much approval with
the recipes and Icelandic
lessons. Editorial comment
has met with mixed reviews.
The contents of the paper
pleased those that were pub-
lished and annoyed those
who were not published.
The controversy over who
we really are was a good
example of now the paper
should be used to create rich
discussion and debate. We
have a new Icelandic editor
in Gunnur Isfeld and we have
gained some interesting con-
tributing editors from B.C.
and New York to add to the
faithful few whose stories and
anecdotes are of broad inter-
est. Einar Arnason is one
such contributor who will
have space in the paper over
the next while to see what
reaction there is to this type
of by-line.
Our editor, Tom Oleson,
has met with the board on
two occasions to discuss edi-
torial policy. He has satisfied
the board members as to his
competence, joumalistic inte-
help from an excellent design-
er and full co-operation from
the Village of Riverton and
very good help and participa-
tion from the Guttormsson
family. The Committee plans
to have it ready for unveiling
for the long weekend in
August.
The Committee arranging
and planning for the Inter-
national Icelandic Conference
in Iceland is chaired by Stefan
Stefanson and that event is
also of special historic signifi-
cance. It is the second one of
its kind and this year the 75th
anniversary of the INL coin-
cides with the 50th year of
complete independence of
Iceland. No doubt an interest-
ing and valuable event, a good
building block in our quest for
greater knowledge and appre-
ciation of our culture and her-
itage. I have promised Jón
Ásgeirsson, who heads the
planning in Iceland, that all
registrations will be forwarded
to him after this Convention.
grity and ability to put the
paper together in the best pos-
sible manner given the materi-
al that he has to work with.
Some of you obviously do not
share the board’s faith in Tom
and I suggest that you contin-
ue to send in your letters and
we will continue to print them
because it is only in this man-
ner that the paper will contin-
ue to evolve toward being a
forum of thought and opinion
for the Icelandic community
of North America.
The board of the paper met
the board of the Icelandic
Canadian magazine recently
and a joint committee was put
in place to explore avenues of
reducing duplication and per-
haps working in closer har-
mony. The point was strongly
made, however, that the mag-
azine and paper serve two dif-
ferent mandates in the com-
munity and the independent
posture of each publication
would be guarded vigilante.
Our Icelandic connection,
Birgir Brynjolfsson, has made
great strides in securing adver-
tisement and joumalistic con-
tent for the paper. He is in
Iceland and is working with
Thjorad, a company interested
in creating strong ties with off-
shore Icelanders.
Our office staff, led by
Laurie Oleson, has managed
the affairs of the paper in an
exemplary manner over the
year. We have temporarily
taken over the phones for the
Consulate office in Birgir’s
Report
We look for a large attendance
from North America.
Because of the Iceland
Conference our youth have
two great opportunities this
year to enjoy and learn about
our heritage. A group of about
28 will go to Iceland on the
charter to partake of Iceland’s
hospitality and learn about
their roots. Then also the regu-
lar Icelandic Language Camp
will be held at Sunrise Camp
after the Icelandic Festival.
Some real advantages have
been evident from the expan-
sion of our executive body
from 10 to 14. We have, for
example, had many positive
comments about Eddafication,
the INL Newsletter created by
Director of Public Relations,
Norma Godavari.
The Heritage Calendar
appears to have taken on a
new life, being seen as more of
a collectors item and as a trea-
sure to be kept rather than dis-
carded with other calendars.
Hopefully it will continue to
flourish as an important her-
absence and those involved
have received high praise
from Ambassador Einar
Benedictsson for providing
this service. Gunnur Isfeld
has provided a very useful
information service about
Iceland in Icelandic for those
seeking help.
The Gislason’s, Ray and
Barbara, are responsible for
getting the paper out regular-
ly, every week, on time,
which is no mean feat. Their
professional approach to mat-
ters conceming the paper is a
great asset to us.
Fred and Rosemary Isford
have worked as a team in
providing the paper with a
valuable service of taking
minutes at our board meet-
ings and looking after the
treasury under Gordon
Thorvaldson’s guidance from
fortress Bahamas. Fred has
also taken over the advertis-
ing sales in Birgir’s absence.
We are delighted to have
Gordon back from the
Bahamas and sitting at his
itage item and also as a fund
raiser for Chapters, Clubs and
Affiliates.
In Membership Develop-
ment we would like to help
our member groups to grow in
membership and in services.
Our Membership Director,
Susie Erickson is prepared
and willing to help in any way
bean counting desk at 699
Carter Ave. once more.
I want, at this time, to
thank each and every member
of the board of directors for
their collective efforts in guid-
ing the paper through another
year. We have, on the board,
the most articulate and intelli-
gent members of the Icelandic
community and their wise
counsel has been a source of
great help for the paper.
Finally, representatives to
the paper’s board from other
Icelandic organizations are
the barometer that we use to
measure the response of those
organizations to the paper.
Norma Godvari has been a
faithful member of the board,
representing the interests of
the INL. Should there be
concems from the INL about
the paper, Norma is the per-
son to convey such concems
to the L/H board.
Respectfully submitted,
Neil Bardal
Lögberg-Heimskringa
Chairman
she can. She is preparing an
information package for
Chapters, Clubs and Affiliates
to use and she seeks your
advice and participation. Our
Membership Director elected
last year, Ken Halldorson, had
to resign early in the year and
fortunately Susie was willing
to shift from Director at Large
to Membership Director.
Other Directors an the
Executive all did their share of
work and service to the INL. I
could go into more detail here
but many of you have read
about their contributions in
the Eddafication and other
sources.
To those who have served
their maximum of three years
in a director position and will
leave the Executive after this
Convention, on your behalf
and my own I express sincere
thanks for their services. They
are Elva Simundsson, Bill
Perlmutter and Gunvör
Ásmundson. Also unfortu-
nately we will also lose
Norman Dalman as he will
not be able to continue
because of his work demands.
To him and all the others on
the Executive I also extend
sincere thanks for their inter-
est, support and services.
Special thanks to our
Executive Secretary, Raelene
Johnson, who works hard at
keeping our records right, get-
ting meetings organized and
following up on the numerous
enquiries and requests that
arrive at the office. The num-
ber of hours that we pay her
for per week is seldom enough
to get all the work done - but
she gets it all done and very
well too.
And now I invite all of you
to participate fully in this
75th Convention, meet your
fellow INL members and
enjoy the camaraderie. My
thanks to the Bruin Chapter
of the INL for their excellent
arrangements and we look
forward to joining them in
their lOOth First day of
Summer — Sumardagurinn
Fyrsti — Celebrations this
evening.
Lögberg-Heimskríngla
gives status report
Neil Bardal