The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1955, Qupperneq 17

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
15
Oat Scelandlc J4exitag,e
Rev. S. T. Guttormsson
A speech to THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN CLUB, January 21, 1955.
Rev. S. T. Guttormsson
There are several reasons why it is
an honor for me to speak here tonight.
First, while I am not much of an Ice-
lander, you have invited me to speak
to your Icelandic Canadian Club. I
am reminded of the time my wife and
I attended a certain function. While
we were there, an elderly gentleman
came up and introduced himself. In
the course of our short conversation,
he asked my wife if she were an Ice-
lander. My wife, of course, said that
she was not, and before she had a
chance to say what she was, the old
man shook his head and said, “Ya, that
is too bad;” He then went away, saying
it over and over to himself. Others
have said the same to me when I have
been forced to admit that I could
neither speak, understand, read nor
write Icelandic. I have been told, time
and again, that I am a poor Icelander.
1> °u do me an honor to consider me
worthy to address your Icelandic Can-
adian Club.
Second, I am a foreigner in yout
midst, a stranger within your gates; I
am not a Canadian. Yet you of the Ice-
landic Canadian Club have received
my wdfe and me with the warmest
hospitality. That is an honor.
Finally, I am a minister. I have
heard it is a risk at any time to ask a
minister to speak. They are notorious-
ly ready and willing, but not always
able! And there is the added risk that
if a minister does speak, he is likely
to preach a sermon. Realizing this,
and knowing that leopards cannot
change their spots, you have taken the
risk. I consider that an honor, and a
privilege I will try not to abuse.
In all sincerity then, let me thank
you for these honors. But above all.
I am grateful for the opportunity you
are giving me to express some of my
feelings and thoughts about our Ice-
landic heritage. This is an opportunity
I have long coveted.
There are some elements of that
heritage that we merely accept or en-
joy. There are other elements that
present responsibilities to us. After all,
our Icelandic heritage is a channel
through which some tremendously
valuable gifts have come to us. It is our
responsibility to use them well and
to pass them on—untarnished and un-
dimmed by misuse or neglect. We
need to understand and use these gifts
properly today because the world is
in need of them.
First among the gifts we have