Spiran Lodge No. 98
Vasa Order of America

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Rules for Officers The Chairperson shall have charge of the meetings, keep order, put all questions before the meeting and give results of same. He shall have the interest of the Lodge at heart, and fulfill such duties as his office demands. The Chairperson shall appoint the majority of all committees, sign all bills that have been accepted by the Lodge, and call extra meetings when seven (7) members so decide. The Vice Chairperson shall assist the Chairperson and, in his absence, take his place. He shall serve as the Chairperson of the Sick Committee, and as such, take responsibility that the sick are not neglected by the Sick Committee. The Vice Chairperson shall appoint the minority of the committees and have charge of the Guards. The Recording Secretary shall keep the records of each meeting. The Seal of the Lodge is in his care, with which he shall stamp all bills and official documents accepted by the Lodge. He shall, at the end of each term, make up the report which is called for by the Constitution, keep a detailed record of the members of the Lodge and the dates of their initiation and exclusion, take care of all correspondents with the exception of what lies within the jurisdiction of the Financial Secretary. He shall keep a copy of the records of all amendments to the By-Laws that have been introduced by the Lodge. He shall, after balloting, notify the candidate whether or not he/she has been accepted. The Financial Secretary shall keep accurate accounts of all money belonging to the Lodge, receive all initiation fees and annual dues, and all other money coming into the Lodge. He shall give a receipt to those he receives money from He shall, for the last meeting of each term, make out and read a full report on the number of members on good standing to the Lodge, and also of the number of members who are in arrears. He shall notify a suspended member before he is crossed off the books. He shall immediately notify the Chairperson of the Sick Committee of incoming sick reports and note the time of the acceptance of the same. He shall deposit all monies in the bank and keep the Treasurer abreast of deposits. The Treasurer will pay all bills that have been accepted by the Lodge and signed by the Chairperson He shall assure the money of the Lodge is always at a level to meet all bills incurred by the Lodge. He shall invest the Lodge's money at the highest earning interest rate available. He shall only invest the Lodge's money at the direction of the Chairperson and Trustees. He shall have his records in balance with the Financial Secretary, at the end of their term, to be audited by the Lodge's Auditors. His records must be balanced before turning over the books at the end of his term (a) Both the Financial Secretary and Treasurer shall be bonded at the expense of the Lodge. The Master of Ceremonies shall have charge of the regalia, song cards, handbooks, Constitution and initiation blanks. He shall, before the beginning of each meeting, distribute song cards and regalia to the members and, during the meeting, obey such requests as the Chairperson shall make. The Chaplain shall, after the meeting has been opened by the Chairperson, read from the handbook the prescribed article, assist at initiations and fulfill such obligations as may be required by the Lodge. The Inner and Outer Guards shall be in charge of the entrance of the Lodge rooms, and during the meeting, admit no one who is not in possession of the proper password, and note that each member that seeks admittance after the meeting is opened be clad in the proper regalia. The Past Chairperson shall assist in the initiations and in the absence of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, officiate for them, and in general, assist the officers with good advice.

The Chairman's Message Brothers 'and Sisters, It takes a hardworking Scandinavian Lodge to make a successful `Swedish Pancake Breakfast'. The Spiran Lodge #98 held their `First Annual Fall Swedish Pancake Breakfast' on October 6th. It was wildly successful thanks to Committee Chairman Claire Franklin and the team effort of 26 workers; Eva Korpi, John Korpi, Janice Ramsden, Judy Williams, Peg Leeco, Joanne Peterson, Susan Lovasco, Judi Harris, Ray Reyes, Jane Reyes, Susan Glasser Mel Olson, Heidi Weller, Susan Mart, Lee Mart, Herman Lilja, Bill Holmes, Muriel Lovasco, Elana Brink, Nikki Korkatti, Carolyn Rask, Jessica Matus, Austin Matus, Cameron Diaz, and myself. We served 110 regular and 36 kids' breakfasts. There were 4 people turned away at the door because we ran out of food. `Thanks' to everyone that supported this event by volunteering to help, contributing supplies, or enjoying the breakfast itself! The success of this event is the result of a great job done by our `Press Committee' with excellent news coverage, and for the first time using social media; bearskinneck.net and Facebook, to spread the word. At the October 16th Activities Meeting, plans for the `Fall Harvest Fair' were fine tuned. Committee Chairman Claire Whitten reported that 10 tables had been rented already by several venders with baked goods, crafts, and attic treasures. The Lodge will have a table to sell donated items that will be collected at the November 1s` meeting. There will be a Scandinavian Gift Table, and `Donuts, Apple Cider, and Coffee' for sale. Jul Fest planning has started as well and I am pleased to announce that Matthew Rask and Herman Lilja will co-chair the Jul Fest Committee. Please give them your help and support. We need baskets donated to decorate for the `greens table' at the Fest. They may also be brought to the November 1st meeting. A suggestion was made to organize a long overdue Lodge sponsored field trip for members to take place sometime in January or February. Bring your ideas for a destination or an activity to discuss so we can begin planning the event. The election of officers for 2014 will take place as always at the December meeting. The Nominating Committee chaired by Judi Harris will be canvassing current officers to learn if they are interested in reelection. If you are interested in serving as an officer of the Lodge please contact Judi at 978-546-7146. There are 14 board positions, 4 trustee positions, and 3 auditor positions that may be up for election. This Speaker edition will contain descriptions of job responsibilities for half of the offices and the December issue will provide the remaining half to provide answers to questions about job responsibilities. The November 1st meeting will be a `pot luck supper' beginning at 6:30PM. This is also a Scandinavian Heritage Night. You are invited to relate a story, bring an article to describe, or tell an entertaining anecdote about your heritage to those at the meeting. Please limit yourself to no more than 5 minutes to leave time for others. The refreshment Chairman for November is Peg Leeco. See you there! Fraternally, Eric Rask Chairman

Brothers and Sisters, We are off to a good start with planning this fall and winter's activities. At the Activities Meeting held September 18th we put the finishing touches on the `First Annual Fall Swedish Pancake Breakfast' that will take place on Sunday October 6th. We have cooks and servers but, Committee Chairman Claire Franklin needs help with Nisu baking. Please e-mail her at, [email protected], to help or to donate necessary items for the breakfast. The success of this breakfast will depend on your participation and local advertising. Please set aside the date and bring your children, grandchildren, neighbors, and friends. We have `kids portion prices' for the first time. This is a family affair! The Lodge is going to host a `Fall Flea Market' that will be open to the public, on Saturday, November 9 . To reserve your table, contact committee Chairman Claire Whitten at, [email protected] or call 978-546-7949. The cost to rent a table is $25. This is an opportunity to get rid of some old or unwanted `stuff or buy some new `stuff. There will also be a Lodge table where you can donate an item for the Lodge to sell. Cider, donuts, and coffee will be available for sale. The Lodge will also have a Scandinavian gift table and baked goods for sale. Again, the success of this event will depend on your participation. Please contact Claire to help with the baked goods. Planning has also begun for Jul-Fest that will take place on Saturday, December 14th at the Lodge. It was suggested at the Activities Meeting that a co-chaired committee be established that would consist of someone with past experience and someone that has never chaired the Fest before. It is so important to enlist the participation of our ewer members. The same few cannot do everything. Please volunteer to help. One of the more enjoyable and entertaining evenings we have had has been our Scandinavian heritage night. Members bring with them a story about their family's origin, or an heirloom that has been passed down from generation to generation. The November 1st meeting will be a pot luck supper and you are again invited to tell a story or bring an item that has special significance to you and your family. If you didn't get a chance to speak last time, now is the time. Please plan a five minute limit so others have an opportunity to speak. Another idea is to hold a `Monte Carlo Night'. This sounds like great fun. If anyone has experience planning something similar with another organization please share it with me. There will be a `Celebration of Life' held for Dave Harris at the Pigeon Cove Circle, 6 Breakwater Ave. on October 26th from 11AM until 3PM. This is an open house and everyone is invited. The next meeting is October 4th. Mary Johnson is the Refreshment Committee Chairman. See you there! Fraternally, Eric Rask Chairman

Spiran is upgrading their website, from this current format to their very own website, coming very soon!! Their new website, is located at http://www.spiranlodge98.org Their new website that you are looking for can be found via the link above or by going back to http://vasaorder.com/ and then selecting their link under Massachusetts District #2.