Lögberg-Heimskringla - 04.11.2005, Qupperneq 5

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 4. nóvember 2005 • 5
PHOTO: STEFANIE INGALLS
A landmark that can be seen from nearly everywhere in town, Selkirk’s water tower is a distinctive part of the community’s skyline.
Brúin: Selkirk’s active,
historic INL Chapter
Maxine Ingalls
The Brúin Chapter in Sel-
kirk is one of the oldest
chapters of the Icelan-
dic National League in North
America. It was established in
the early 1920s. Brúin stands
for “bridge” in Icelandic, and
was likely chosen to represent
the link or bridge between
Canada and Iceland. The logo
used by the club was designed
by Lawrence Johnson’s son-in-
law, Dan Dahlin. The logo has
the map of Canada linked by a
bridge to the map of Iceland.
Each country is draped in the
colors of their respective flags.
The first president of the
Brúin Chapter was Klemens
Jonasson. There have been nu-
merous presidents: Leifi Skag-
fjord, JackBjornson, Lawrence
Johnson, Mac Dryden, Maxine
Ingalls, and Maria Bear, with
Jack Bjomson being the lon-
gest-serving. Mac Dryden was
a lifetime member, an active
participant in Icelandic class-
es, presided as president at the
age of 83, and was of Scottish
descent, not Icelandic.
There have been twofjall-
konas chosen from the Brúin
chapter. Lillian Murdoch,
daughter of Grimur Gislason
Eyman and Jonna Olavia Nor-
dal, in 1937, and Sveinbjorg
Bjomson, daughter of Jakob
Gudjonsson and Sigridur Al-
bertsdottir, in 1983.
Two scholarship funds
were set up by the Ella Swan-
son family in the early 1970s
for Icelandic students from the
Lord Selkirk Regional High
School who were pursuing
university education. Brúin
has continued to present those
scholarships. Each year or
two, the name of the scholar-
ship changes in memory of a
former member of the chapter.
If possible, a family member
will present the scholarship.
This past year, the “Runa
Magnusson” award was giv-
en out by her two daughters,
Elaine Donnelly and Carmen
McKay. The “Kristin Stefans-
son” award was also part of
last year’s scholarship. Kristin
was an active member of the
club since 1960 until her recent
death at age 102. When asked
how she was feeling at a meet-
ing a couple of months prior
to her death, she remarked, “I
am well, except I am a little
deaf!”
Selkirk has become
known for the celebration of
Sumardagurinn Fyrsti, or First
Day of Summer Concert. It
began with a group of wom-
en from the Lutheran Ladies’
Aid. They tumed the responsi-
bility over to the Brúin chapter
in the 1950s to continue the
tradition with the strict orders
that the event was to be done
appropriately. For the past 113
years, on the Thursday clos-
est to April 19, a celebration is
held which includes a night of
entertainment, Icelandic sing-
ing, silent auctions, raffles,
fun, fellowship and Icelandic
food. Rúllupylsa and brown
bread, pönnukökur, kleinur,
vínarterta and coffee provide
visitors with an opportunity to
experience Icelandic culture.
In 2003, the club spon-
sored Intemational Exchange
candidate Ruth Christie to Ice-
land. Ruth is First Nations, an
aboriginal story teller, and a
member of the Brúin Chapter.
Her grandparents were John
and Betsy Ramsey, who were
instrumental in assisting the
first Icelanders to New Iceland.
Without their help, many more
immigrants would have died.
Tricia McKay, Brad Hirst,
and Courtenay Johnson were
Snorri Program participants in
2001 and 2002.
The Brúin Chapter meets
regularly to encourage and
maintain Icelandic heritage
through the leaming of Ice-
landic language, and the con-
tinuance of the traditions that
make us uniquely Icelandic.
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