The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1954, Side 46

44
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Spring 1954
Icelandic language, this would not be
an obstacle, but to one who does not
know the language, these terms are a
trifle confusing. These are the major
weakness in ‘Iceland’s Thousand Years’.
This book contains a great deal of
value for me. My mother is an Ice-
lander of direct descent and that is
why I am interested in Iceland, part-
icularly since my Grandparents have
just come back from a visit to Ice-
land, (their native land). I have heard
many stories about the country and
I have many relatives living there. As
you probably know, Icelanders are
very proud of their heritage and even
though I am not a full-blooded Ice-
lander, I am still proud of my Iceland-
ic heritage. “Iceland’s Thousand Years”
has made me prouder of this because I
have learned more about the culture
of these people. It is quite pleasing to
know that I have descended from such
a distinguished race.
On the whole, I believe that “Ice-
land’s Thousand Years” is a very fine
piece of literature. I thoroughly en-
joyed it and I am certainly going to
search for more information on Ice-
land.
(It might perhaps be stimulatng for young
people of Icelandic descent to hear what a
sixteen-year old girl has to say about Iceland’s
Thousand Years, which she has read many
times. When asked to write a critical book
review as an excercise in composition at her
school. Mary-Lynne Ryckman chose to review
this book. She is an outstandng student in
grade XI, at Lord Selkirk school, and this
winter took a leadng part in the school’s play
“Let’s Make An Opera", by Benjamin Britten.
In reviewing the performance, The Winnipeg
Tribune said in part “Outstanding were the
lead roles, played by Mary-Lynne Ryckman,
whose acting and gestures in the part of Mrs.
Parworthy were of top quality . . .” Mary-
Lynne is the daughter of George Ryckman
and hs wife GySa Hallson Ryckman, and is
a granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. <51i Hallson
of Eriksdale, Man.) A.V.
The Annual Dinner and Dance
On January 29th last, the Blue
Room of the Marlborough Hotel re-
sounded once more to the merrymak-
ing of Winnipeg Icelanders and their
friends. The occasion was the annual
Dinner-Dance of the Icelandic Canad-
ian Club, which year by year seems to
be growing in attendance and public
favor.
This time the committee in charge
was fortunate to get as main speaker
the Rev. Robert Jack, recently installed
as Icelandic minister at Arborg. This
“Phenomenon” ,as he has been called,
is something unique among our men
of the cloth, having as a young man
left his native Scotland to become
football coach for the youth of Iceland
and later a minister in their national
church. At the end of an able address,
partly humorous, partly reminiscent,
Rev. Jack briefly delighted the dinner
guests with a sample of his flawless
Icelandic.
Other items on the program that
night included a piano solo by Miss
Helga Baldwinson, and a vocal solo
by Miss Ingibjorg Bjarnason ac-
companied by Miss Sigrid Bardal.
Felicitations were brought from the
Manitoba Government by the Hon.
Ivan Schultz; from the Icelandic Na-
tional League by Rev. V. J. Eylands;
and from the Leif Eirikson Club by
Erlingur Eggertson. At about 9 o’-
clock the Jimmy Gowler dance band
took over.
Every year a few points outside of
Winnipeg are represented on this fest-
ive occasion, but more would be in
order. We would urge the near-lying
Icelandic communities to plan now to
organize a party of one or more car-
loads to come and join their Winnipeg
brethren at their annual fun and
frolic next January. H.J.S.