Swedes Down Under Club Inc

26/6 Midsummer celebrations at Rochedale State School again. This year, we had a double
booking to work around, but it worked out great in the end with the initial festivities and May
Pole up on the fields above the school and the Midsummer Table in the Hall afterwards.
Swedish/Danish/Australian band “Kupaleja” performed again and we had both the
Scandinavian Singers as well as a folk dance troupe to everybody’s delight. The Midsummer
pole looked amazing and a large group joined in the dancing and singing around the pole.
There were more than 150 people attending on the day and many stayed to enjoy the herring
and potatoes in the hall. Thanks to IKEA for generously donating some of the food.
27/8 Crayfish party at the Finish Hall. This year we had a greater variety of food, including
superb entrees with skagenrora and cheese followed by prawns, smorgastarta, cheese cakes.
This was very lucky as the new supplier of our crayfish did not get the message of what
recipe to use and they were frankly tasteless albeit very fresh. But we had a very happy crowd
that participated in the singing and dressing up for the night.
There were around 90 members and guests at the Crayfish party.
14/9 movie night at Lotta’s place in St Lucia, as we could not get a working projector
organised in time for the planned movie night. We showed several of the ‘Solsidan’ episodes,
the Swedish television series. Lots of laughs, several of us had not seen any of these before
and we were treated to some delicious supper including smorgastarta.
23/10 The Moose Hunt – it is a popular event and this year we had about 30 attending the
Rifle Range and the park after for soup. After an unfortunate mix-up with the cost
(participants were asked to pay an additional $20) most decided to go ahead with the shooting
and had a lot of fun, whilst a few more joined us for the traditional pea & ham soup and
(arrack) punch in a nearby park. We had several Danes joining us, and they ended up being
the sharpest shooters on the day, taking out First and Second Price.
27/11 Christmas Market on the First of Advent at the Danish Club – the first of we hope
many markets. A very successful day organised jointly by SDU and the Swedish School with
hundreds of visitors and many stalls selling baked goods, lollies and other food, clothes,
candles, craft and many other things.
17/12 Swedes Down Under’s traditional Christmas Dinner was held at the Danish Hall.
There were around 60 people booked in for this event and we were treated to ham, Jansson,
gravlax, meatballs, beetroot salad, decorated eggs, herring and other traditional delicacies.
21/12 Seems like some people can’t stop and Bettan had organised with several members
also singers of the Scandinavian Singers to go very early in the morning to IKEA in Logan to
sing for the staff there and share in the St Lucia tradition. There would have been 300 staff
and family enjoying this treat, and feedback from IKEA is that they really appreciated this.
During 2011, Kristina initiated a book club, or rather a book-exchange, jointly with the
Swedish Church in Woolloongabba where several members have met up in the Nazareth
Lutheran Church over some lovely Swedish treats and coffee and exchanged books and
magazines.
During the year, the golf days has continues where a group of enthusiasts meet at different
golf links to play and socialise, Jonny Lange has continued to be the driving force behind the
golf days.