Celebrations of who we are and what we treasure | In Our Opinion

Published 4:09 pm Thursday, June 18, 2015

This is a great time to live in Kitsap County. Celebrations are coming up that tell us a lot about who we are as a community, and about this special place we call home.

During Midsommarfest on June 20, the Sons of Norway Lodge in Poulsbo begins a year-long celebration leading up to its 100th anniversary (see the special pullout section in the middle of this edition). The Sons of Norway was organized as a fraternal benefit society by 18 Norwegian immigrants in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 16, 1895. The Poulsbo lodge was founded in 1916.

Back in the day, chances were good you worked either as a fisherman or a logger, a job that put you at high risk of being injured or worse. The Sons of Norway was founded to offer financial tools – insurance and annuities – to help protect members and their families from financial hardship during times of injury, sickness or death. As such, the lodge was an early part of the local safety net. (According to the parent lodge’s website, the Sons of Norway has 55,347 members in 380 lodges in North America and Norway, with nearly $714 million worth of life insurance in force).

Over time, the lodge’s mission has expanded into the social and educational. The forebears of today’s members hail from many cultures, but all are drawn to the lodge by common purpose: an interest in Scandinavian culture and its role in local history, and a desire to participate in endeavors that make a positive impact in the community. As one member said, the Sons of Norway is not just for Norwegians anymore.

Go to Midsommarfest on June 20 at Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park. The day begins at 11 a.m. with head wreath making. At noon, you can help raise the Maistang, or green pole. The lodge’s centennial plaque will be presented at 1:30 p.m. and traditional foods will be for sale. At 2 p.m., the lodge will present an overview of its history over the last 100 years. At 7:30 p.m., Vikings will light a bonfire at the park.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 27, the Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails Festival celebrates the federal designation of the Kitsap Peninsula Water Trail as a National Water Trail.

Take a pleasant paddle on the trail; try kayaks, standup paddleboards and other equipment; and let your children try youth kayaks. Paddles are planned at Silverdale Waterfront Park and Evergreen Park in Bremerton, with stops along the way at water-trail sites. Shuttles will take participants back to the park. A formal dedication is planned at Silverdale Waterfront Park.

This festival is sponsored by Visit Kitsap Peninsula, Silverdale Chamber of Commerce, KayakProShop.com and the port districts of Kitsap County.

The 371-mile Kitsap Peninsula Water Trail encompasses all of the Kitsap Peninsula and is one of 17 National Water Trails in the U.S. Our water trail will not only encourage recreation and introduce people to the beauty of our marine environment, it will also promote stewardship and serve as a catalyst for restoring and protecting the health of our shared waters.

That is something, indeed, to celebrate.