Northern California Spelmanslag Annual Report 2000-2001

The Northern California Spelmanslag is a non-profit public benefit corporation which aims to promote Scandinavian music, dance and culture through special workshops, regular meetings, concerts and performances. The organization consists of a central organization and four member groups: the Mid-Peninsula Scandinavian Dance Group, Nordahl Grieg Leikarring (and Nordahl Grieg Spelemannslag), Nordic Footnotes, and Scandiadans Scandinavian dance class. The Spelmanslag also contains many individual members who are active in dancing or in playing Scandinavian music, loosely organized in groups by locality.

The Spelmanslag publishes the Northern California Spelmanslag News quarterly. The first volume was issued in September of 1990 and this issue completes our twelfth volume. The newsletter keeps musicians, dancers, and members of the Scandinavian community informed regarding our activities. The newsletter includes a calendar of Scandinavian folk music and dance activities as well as related cultural events in northern California and elsewhere, news about the Spelmanslag organization, and articles of general interest.

The Northern California Spelmanslag maintains an internet web page at <http://members.aol.com/jg little/ncs.html>. Besides basic information about the spelmanslag organization, this page includes a regularly updated calendar of Scandinavian events in northern California, the US, and, to some extent, in Scandinavia. It also includes an online version of the Northern California Spelmanslag Newsletter, links to other web sites, a list of members of the board, their phone numbers and email addresses, and tips for planning events and submitting event ideas to the board for approval.

The Spelmanslag has worked with other Scandinavian organizations in promoting Scandinavian culture. We have maintained contacts with numerous Scandinavian organizations and agencies, promoting communication and informing them of our activities. We have also sought to promote communication and cooperation between various groups across the country which promote Scandinavian culture. We mail copies of our newsletter to individuals and groups across the United States who are involved in organizing events which promote Scandinavian folk music and dance. The newsletter keeps them informed regarding Scandinavian folk dance and music activities in Northern California, and provides an outlet for them to inform others of their local special events. We have cooperated with several groups around the country in organizing tours of Scandinavian guest instructors of both music and dance. 

In future years, we intend to continue striving towards our goals of promoting Scandinavian folk culture and cultural exchange. We will remain active in bringing instructors from Scandinavia to teach folk dance and music, and will continue to hold regular meetings for musicians and dancers. We hope to further develop the sense of community among local musicians and dancers, and will continue to work together with the larger Scandinavian community both locally and across the country.

The Board and Board Meetings

The Northern California Spelmanslag has a board of 11 directors. Current members are:

Jeanne Sawyer, President, (408) 929-5602
Betsy McKone, Vice-President, (415) 368-8006
Jim Little, Treasurer, (650) 323-2256
Frank Tripi, Secretary, (510) 654-3636
Fred Bialy, (510) 215-5974
Sarah Kirton, (650) 968-3126
Ginny Lee,  (707) 428-4366
Linda Persson, (650) 323-2256
Henry Sawyer, (408) 929-5602
Mikkel Thompson, (408) 998-2076
Jane Tripi, (510) 654-3636

If you would like to offer input regarding Spelmanslag activities or would like to become actively involved, please contact one of the directors with your ideas and suggestions. You are welcome to attend board meetings.

If you are interested in being a board member, please let one of our current directors know. Normally, elections for the board take place on the first Saturday of October. Call Jeanne Sawyer for the time and place of board meetings

Organizational Affiliations

Folk Dance Federation of California.
The Northern California Spelmanslag is a club under the Folk Dance Federation of California. The Spelmanslag obtains its liability insurance through the Folk Dance Federation.

The Northern California Spelmanslag cooperates with other Scandinavian organizations such as the Swedish and Norwegian consulates, The Norway Day Festival, local Sons of Norway and VASA lodges, and the American Scandinavian Foundation.

The Year in Review: 2000 -2001

During the 2000/2001 fiscal year, NCS has held regular meetings for musicians in two Northern California locations where Scandinavian folk music has been taught and shared. The NCS also sponsors regular Scandinavian dance classes via the MidPeninsula Dancers, Scandiadans, and the Nordahl Grieg Leikarring.  The NCS sponsors monthly Saturday dance parties via Nordic Footnotes.  The NCS provided these groups with non-profit status and insurance coverage. Through these regular activities, we have been successful in introducing newcomers to Scandinavian music and dance.

In April 2001, the NCS in cooperation with Nordic Footnotes, arranged a music and dance workshop, a concert and a dance with Värmland fiddlers Mats Berglund and Karin Olsson. 

The Nordahl Grieg Leikarring and Spelemannslag hosted weekend workshops at the Sons of Norway Camp near Alta, California in November 2000, and March-April 2001. 

NCS have also provided performances of Scandinavian folk music and dance for other Scandinavian organizations and for the general public (see the table of activities and performances included in this report). The Nordahl Grieg Leikarring continues to be a busy performing group with over 20 appearances.

Financial Policies

All activities of the Northern California Spelmanslag are organized and provided by volunteer services. Board members receive no compensation for their services. Volunteers do not typically receive free admission to events.

The Spelmanslag does pay guest instructors to cover their expenses; typically we are able to cover airfare and a stipend which should cover their ground travel and per diem expenses while in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Admission costs to special event workshops are based at cost divided by expected attendance. Admission to concerts and dances is based at or slightly above cost. Any profit above expenses is deposited in Spelmanslag accounts for use in future special events. There is no admission charge for regular musicians’ gatherings.

Financial policies may vary somewhat for member groups.

Financial Goals

Our financial goal as an organization is to develop a reserve fund equivalent to the total budget for a special event festival (typically $8,000 to $12,000), plus the annual budget for the newsletter (approximately $2,500). This brings our goal to about $15,000 for the central NCS account. Having this amount in our account would allow us more leverage in organizing special festivals, and would allow us to take risks such as sponsoring a festival of music and dance from less-known regions of Scandinavia. Our financial reserve allows us to pay for up-front expenses (airfare, hall deposits,
publicity) as they occur.

The central NCS account has continued to obtain contributions from members and individuals who wish to promote Scandinavian folk music and dance. However, these contributions do not yet cover the annual cost of producing the NCS news. We hope in future years to increase contributions in order to fully support the newsletter and to increase our reserve fund. §

Financial Report

The Northern California Spelmanslag operates on a fiscal year which runs from October 1 through September 30.

The treasurer, Jim Little, has prepared the financial statement for the Northern California Spelmanslag. This report is a consolidated report reflecting the activities of the central NCS organization, Nordic Footnotes, Mid-Peninsula Dancers, Scandiadans, and the Nordahl Grieg Leikarring and Spelemannslag. Please note that only the income and expenses which fall in the fiscal year of 10/1/2000 - 9/30/2001 are reported.
 
 

Donors

Sponsors ($100 and up)

Fred Bialy
Karen Myers
Allen & Shirley Hansen
Margaret & Walker Fillius
Ann Tennis
Liberty Elyash
Hazel Olsen
James Little & Linda Persson
Carolyn Hunt
Zena Corcoran

Patrons ($25 to $99)

Martha & Eric Van Dyke
Jeanne & Henry Sawyer
Mark & Mary Wegner/Korn
Anja Miller
Tom Smithberger
Claire & David Elliker-Vågsberg
Jenny Valcov
Kathi Ploeger & Don Meyers
Berit Leonard
June (Edith) Morledge
Ned & Marion Gault
Nancy Linscott
Keith and Lena Rodgers
Ted Martin
Chris Gruber
Carol & Bob Olson
Britt O'Grady

Supporters ($10 to $24)

John Hennings
Tom Roby/Margorie Nugent
Mark Ellen Daly
Marina Troost
Wilma Andersen
Dean & Anita Linscott/Engberg
Trella Hastings
 

Activities of Northern California Spelmanslag Member Groups

Abbreviations:
NCS: Northern California Spelmanslag NGS: Nordahl Grieg Spelmanslag NGL: Nordal Grieg Leikarring
BL: Barneleikarring MPSD Mid-Peninsula Scandinavian Dancers NF Nordic Footnotes

Weekly   Open Sessions for Fiddlers, usually Monday evenings in El Cerrito, organized by Fred Bialy.
Weekly  Nordahl Grieg Leikarring, beginning Norwegian dance class and performing group meetings, Wednesdays and                 4th Sundays, organizedby Mikkel Thompson.
Weekly  Scandidans, Scandinavian Dance Class in Oakland, organized by Jane and Frank Tripi.
Weekly  Nordic Footnotes Scandinavian Fiddle Class, Friday evenings on the Peninsula, organized by Sarah Kirton and                 Jeanne Sawyer.
Weekly  Scandinavian Fiddle for Beginning Fiddlers - on the Peninsula, organized by Sarah Kirton.
Bi-Weekly  Mid-Peninsula Scandinavian Dance, Scandinavian dance class on 2nd & 4th Fridays in Atherton, organized                 by Linda Persson and Henry Sawyer.
Twice monthly  Nordahl Grieg Spelemannslag meetings
Monthly  Nordic Footnotes Dance Party, 3rd Saturdays in Palo Alto, with live music by Nordic Footnotes and other                       Bay Area musicians. Organized by Jeanne Sawyer and Nordic Footnotes.
Monthly  Barneleikarring, Norwegian dance for children, various locations, organized by Ginny Lee and others.