Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-06-14
VOSSELACET MEETING
HAD BIG ATTENDANCE
Organization Of NOrwegians Who
Hailed From VOss, Norway, Met
i'm DecOrah Last Thursday
and Friday.
JUDGE GRINDELAND SPOKE
ON GOOD CITIZENSHIP
City Attorney j. A. Nelson and Other
Prominent Men Gave interest
ing Talks. Meeting Big
Success.

In spite of inclement weather anC
Ideplorable roads and train connec
tions, Vosselaget met in Decorah or
last Thursday and Friday, June Stf
and 9th, and carried out an interest
ing program.
Judge Andrew Grindeland of War
rem, Mimi, the president of the so
ciety, was one of the first ones to ar
rive. The secretary, Arthur Mar
kve, of Minneapolis, was prevented
from being present, and L. l.. Thor
genson, of Keister, Minn., was elect
ed as temporary secretary. The
treasurer, o. N. Styve, of Lake
Mills, was present, and visitors from
North and South Dakota, Minnesota
and Northeastern Iowa were here, a
number coming from Britt.
A business session was held in the
afternoon of the first day with Judge
Grindeland presiding. l.. S. Dale
president of the Norske Selskab took
the floor and welcomed the visitors
to our midst, and offered them the
use of the Norske Selskab rooms for
their meetings.
City Attorney j. A. Nelson gave an
address of welcome in behalf of the
mayor.
Prof. l.. S. Reque gave a very in
talk in the original Vossa
tongue, which was listened to with
profound interest.
Rev. Knut Bjorgo, of Red Wing,
a,so gave an address.
Hans Rygg of Hanlontown, Iowa,
played, number of pieces on his vio-
lin, one of the numbers being a gen.
uine ''Vossorudl."
At four o'clock in the afternoon
the visitors were given an automobile
ride about the city, and were taken
to the College Auditorium, where a
sumptuous banquet was served at
$3.50. lao were seated at the ta-
bles and enjoyed old Morse delicacies
such as mother used to nuke. The
Synod Kvindeforening served the ban
quet in the east part of the auditor
ium which had been very beautifully
decorated for college functions held
there week or so before. Quite
a number of our townspeople attend
ed the banquet.
@n Following the banquet the people
retired to the center of the building
and an interesting and amusing pro-
gram was carried out from the stage
Here the president gave an address
and Mr.. Takle, of Albert Lea and an
assistant, clad in Norwegian costume
carried out splendid dialogue and
other readings.
Attorney ]. A. Nelson was called
upon and gave a short address to the
younger element. He pointed to Sen
ator Knute Nelson as the ideal Vos-
sing and the ideal American, whose
pluck and perseverance has placed
him in the front ranks in country
other than that of his birth. That
with the way paved, the young folks
should renew their allegiance to ira
'dition and country and press on to
better things.
Other speakers were President c.
X. Preus. of Luther College, and
and Rev. Knut Bjorgo.
On Friday morning another bust,
ness session was held. The Vossa
banner, gift from the people in th4
Voss Valley, Norway, had arrived
and it was a beautiful and costly
banner, indeed.
An election of officers was held
and Rev. Knut Bjorgo. succeeds
Judge Grindeland as president. All
the rest of the old officers were re-
elected. 1t was suggested by Rev
Bporgo, provided arrangements could
be made, that the next meeting place
might be Red Wing, MINI.
The concluding part of the pro
gram was held in the large court
room at the court house, which was
packed. AS announced Judge Grin
deland gave splendid address, en-
~.
luded to the home, the parent, the
school and the teacher, as being the
first great guiding places, and guild
ing hands in uplifting our citizenship
Next comes the ballot box and the
great democratic perogative of the
right to vote, which is the greatest
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