What is Project 2/60?

On November 5, 1966, a group of men and women met in downtown Salt Lake City to form the first Sons of Norway lodge in the intermountain west. They came from all walks of life--plumbers, business owners, electricians, warehouse workers--but they all shared a deep appreciation for the country that tugged at their hearts as well as the country they had adopted. Among them were the sons and daughters of immigrants who had come to Utah long before. Together, they yearned to preserve the memories and traditions they had been gifted with new friends in their adopted land.

Project 2/60 honors their efforts by looking back at the past 60 years of Sons of Norway's presence in Utah, celebrating their achievements large and small, and by looking forward to what the next 60 years could bring. Throughout 2026 and beyond, we plan to highlight the men and women who helped preserve our Norwegian heritage and build on the foundation they laid.

Join us at the Marriott Courtyard Cottonwood Heights on Saturday, January 24th at 7 p.m. to look back at highlights of the past 60 years through a presentation constructed from the Leif Erikson Lodge archives. We will also share with you our ideas for where the next 60 years could take the lodge and invite you to share your ideas as well. For more information on this Saturday's meeting, go to the Project 2/60 event page.

In the meantime, enjoy this short video of what Norway--and its reflection in Utah--meant to Randi Bjørge, one of the Leif Erikson Lodge's most devoted members.

Video production by Ron and Alyssa Hougland

Text by Randi Bjørge as recorded in The Explorer, Sons of Norway Leif Erikson Lodge 6-83 archives, June 1977

Music by Drengestumusikken, Sørensens Valse, etter Olaf Sørli

Things were fairly quiet in Salt Lake City on November 5, 1966. Kearns High School had just moved to their new building; three new sections of freeway had opened: One on I-15 in Davis County, another on I-15 from 3300 South to 5300 South, and one on I-80 at the mouth of Parley’s Canyon. Something was going on in the state legislature and someone was hurt in a car crash. The pheasant season was about to start. The Utes would be playing Arizona State and BYU would be playing West Texas that night.

There, dozens of members of the local Norwegian community gathered, with officers from District 6, to form the first Sons of Norway lodge in the Intermountain West. So eager were Utah Norwegians for the new lodge that 44 had signed up days before the event began. By the end of the evening, another 28 had become members, for a total of 72 on the day it was founded. We call this group the “Charter Members” of the lodge.

Among this group were 42 men and 30 women. The median age was 56. 31 had been born in Norway and one had been born in Sweden. The oldest, Haakon Aamodt, was 83. The youngest, Grant Birkeland, was 26 (the next youngest was Dennis Engh, at 27). The first to pay dues and officially join the new lodge was Judith Martinsen, a native of Oslo. The last charter member to pass away was Kirsten Aase, who died just last June.

The 1970s would be a productive decade for the lodge, beginning with the formation of the Blåveis Ladies Auxiliary in 1970, when it was given $25.00 from the Leif Erikson Lodge. This small donation would come back to the lodge many times, with the Blåveis auxiliary raising thousands of dollars over the years for lodge activities. For the Bauta Stone at the Norway Garden alone, the Blåveis club would raise $500 in 1971/1972. Factoring in inflation, that equates to more than $3,500 in today’s money.

Speaking of the Bauta Stone: Its unveiling would mark the physical center of the Norwegian community in Utah for decades to come. The stone was designed by Randi Bjorge and depicts iconic scenes from Norway, including: The midnight sun; snow crystals; reindeer on the mountains; a border of rosemaling; a mother and child, representing home life, surrounded by pine and birch trees; a farmer sowing the earth; the birds of the sea; a sailor at the wheel of a ship; the North Star; a border of fish with a nearby ocean wave; the inscription “Ja vi elsker dette landet.” The opposite side is covered by a dragon, whose body contains the phrase: “Erected by Norwegians in Utah in memory of the homeland and in prayer of peace.”

What is Project 2/60?

In the meantime, enjoy this short video of what Norway--and its reflection in Utah--meant to Randi Bjørge, one of the Leif Erikson Lodge's most devoted members.

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