 The Daughters of Norway was officially formed in 1908, at a time when the Sons of Norway was for men only. The first lodge, Seattle's Valkyrien lodge #1 was actually begun in 1905 with a charter from the Sons of Norway Leif Erikson lodge. Today, 12 of the 26 Daughters of Norway lodges are in Washington state. As with the Sons of Norway, the Daughters of Norway focuses on maintaining the history, culture, and language of Norway. Lodge locations The Seattle chapter of the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce was established in 1969. It is dedicated to serving the needs of the Norwegian-American business community. The Norwegian American Foundation is based out of Seattle. It was founded with the vision of increasing the visibility and furthering the cooperation among Norwegian Americans for the purpose of strengthening the ties between modern Norway and people throughout the United States. They produce the Norwegian American Weekly newspaper.  The Norwegian Commercial Club in Seattle promotes commerce, culture, and social connections through dinner meetings and other events. The club hosts a Fishermen's Night dinner each year, and offers scholarships for those with interest in civic and commercial studies. The Peninsula Nordic Study Circle is a private, non-profit community lecture series for anyone interested in North European history, culture, and institutions. Meetings are usually held at the Pierce County Library in Gig Harbor. Nordlandslaget Nordlyset of Tacoma, originally for people with relatives or attachments to Northern Norway, now offers membership to anyone with an interest in Norway. Meets the second Friday of the month at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 3315 South 19th Street Tacoma, WA 98405, at 7:00 PM. Phone: (253) 531-3806 The Karmøy Club of Washington is a group of emigrants and their descendants ~ who come together preserving and celebrating the traditions from the island of Karmøy, Norway. |