Often, while we are viking about, it is difficult to get pen to paper,
paper to internet and internet to our website. Thus, it's been months
since I sat here and discussed the great frying of herring that took
place in September.

Since that time we have seen Christmas come and go and with it the
glögg season, the Tom & Jerry season and the football season.

Let me tell you, as 2008 Glögg Off Champion, that it was an exquisite
vintage! Despite Brother Zaras's post election grousing, three
wonderful interpretations of secret recipes were presented to the
judges and I am very pleased to announce that my glögg won overall
honors.

Tom & Jerry Season began with great promise and a new mix master.
Demand outstripped supply, however, and some of us were reduced to two
fisted beer bottle drinking; the sign of a true Viking! Sadly, Tom &
Jerry Season ended abruptly when Mrs. Chief found too much egg batter
in too many crevices of her kitchen.

And football, woeful football. Both the Bears and the Packers fell
upon hard times. However, Brother Williams was kind enough to include
me in his trip to Lambeau for the Bears game this season and what a
trip it was. From slumming in a Milwaukee barrio, to hobnobbing at a
fancy casino to the more normal visits to Wolski's Bar and Lakefront
Brewery, the trip north was jam packed with fun. A few weeks later,
Charlie Geske had Ken Williams as his guest to the Packer game at
Soldier Field. We had a great time in the cold.

While our pro teams were less than stellar we have two wonderful high
school football stories from the past season. Our two Junior Vikings,
Erik Hansen and Erik Hansen were both members of Illinois State
Football Championship games. Brother Erik Gordon Hansen, a senior at
Immaculate Conception High School, scored a touchdown with an
interception in his team's 2-A Championship victory. Brother Erik
Thomas Hansen, a junior at Geneva High School, participated on a team
that lost one game all season, the Championship game against East St.
Louis, the only team to beat the Vikings in two straight seasons.
Congrats to both of these student athletes without whom we could not
produce our award winning fried herring.

Welcome back to Brother Dan Kohorst who has returned to the Lodge.

Big news for us for 2009 is the upcoming Centennial Celebration this
October. We are brewing mead for this special event. Much more to
follow here at our website.

Remember, be kind to each other!

Fraternally,
Chief Hansen

Tom Hansen
thansen143@mac.com