Sports and Recreation

A fun way to “throw out” some fun during the year as we encourage lodges and SN members to be active!
You can track any activities that involved throwing from June 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.

We encourage your Sports Directors (or other officer) to keep track of their lodges activities and then submit one report to District Sports Director Clara Solak. We will recognize lodges that participate with certificates and recognize those who are leaders in this challenge.

You should enter the minutes as a LODGE activity (i.e bowling event) with the minutes that activity or event happened.
If you have individual members throwing things by themselves and not part of a lodge event, enter those as INDIVIDUAL activities and their total minutes.

What can be thrown?
Darts, cards, bowling, softball, baseball, basketball, cornhole, ladder golf, disc golf, curling, broomball, pickleball, axe, kubb, football, badminton, tennis, dice, and more! Use your imagination!  We also encourage your members to track their individual activities to earn a Sports Medal!

Please send in a preliminary report by September 1, 2025, so we have an idea of who is participating and to help us finalize the recognition.
The reports can be emailed to District 5 Sports Director Clara Solak at clara.solak23@gmail.com or a hard copy at 836 Bennington Drive, Crystal Lake, IL 60014.
The report form can be found at
https://sonsofnorway5.com/programs/sports_and_recreation.php.

  Basic Kubb instructions by Mandt Lodge Sports Directors Jens Arneson and Todd Fossum explain the game of kubb.
  https://youtu.be/8rPFXNUxXSI

Since the Convention in 2020 for Ringsaker, Norway was cancelled, we exercised our way to Norway.  The results for the Virtual Walk to Norway showed it to be a popular activity.  Many members jumped at the chance to participate! Many people committed to a healthier lifestyle through exercise. With restrictions placed on many of us, the challenge provided motivation for many members.  Many participants earned sports medals for their efforts, too. Personal certificates were made for all members no matter the mileage they charted.  The certificates were mailed to each lodge’s president for awarding.  In addition, the power point slide show which was created for this activity is posted in the Photo Gallery. 

A total of 146 District 5 members participated in this activity. Congratulations to all who participated. Enjoy a healthy 2021!
Lodges and those reporting totals that I have are the following:

Polar Star Lodge  Montgomery, IL  walked 13,155 miles
Vennelag Lodge  Mt, Horeb, WI   logged 27,852  miles
Wergeland Lodge  LaCrosse, WI   had 9,981 miles
Mandt Lodge    Stoughton, WI
Norse Valley Lodge    Appleton, WI 
Nordkap Lodge     Farmington Hills, MI  walked 10,817 miles
Valkyrien Lodge   Woodville, WI had  6,526 miles
Grønnvik Lodge    Green Bay, WI logged  4,776 miles
Edvard Grieg Lodge    Cincinnati, OH  walked 5,268 miles
Valhall Lodge    Rockford, IL  logged in  3,575 mi
Askeladden Lodge    Kalamazoo, MI walked  2,813 mi

A new Sports Medal named the Sports Hero Pin or Idrettshellt became available in August for a fifth medal after the Enamel Sports Medal in any sports category.  One must earn twice the points or mileage of the Enamel for this new medal.  
Also an Outstanding Achievement Award medal or Hederspris is available after someone has earned three enamel sport medals.  

We can still do the Virtual Pilgrimage online which is on the International Sons of Norway website.   For those who want to continue keeping track of their walking, running or skiing, this route is from Oslo to Trondheim with info of sights along the way.   A very interesting way to learn the history and geography of Norway.  Recognition would be at the lodge level.

Click here for more informationon the Sons of Norway Sports Medal Program 
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