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Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesNot for Profit: Friends of Denmark Society

Not for Profit: Friends of Denmark Society

Past and current board members of the St. Thomas/St. John Friends of Denmark Society include (from left) Gail Shulterbrandt-Rivera, Ellen Lockhart, Pat Jones, Cathy O'Gara, Marlene Boschulte, Tony Boschulte; and seated, Ronnie Lockhart.On Saturday, the St. Thomas/St. John Friends of Denmark Society (FDS) will hold a beach party at Magens Bay for the 95th anniversary of Transfer Day, and among those invited are about 30 Danish students who are visiting the V.I.

“[The students] are here because of a sabbatical between their college years and doctorate years,” said Ronald Lockhart, FDS president. “They take off and do crazy things and travel around the world. Men usually go on their own, and parents hire tour guides for their daughters.”

The FDS and its St. Croix chapter help to foster positive relations between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Denmark. The St. Thomas/St. John group has around 100 members.

In the past, the FSD has done a student exchange program which they are trying to reinstate. They do, however, continue to host and entertain Danes who wish to visit. Typically, they’ll host a party or event, often taking the visitors sightseeing and giving them an opportunity to experience local culture.

Transfer Day is celebrated every March 31 to recognize the official transfer of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States in 1917. In the past, locals have celebrated Transfer Day with ceremonies, festivals, parades, and more. The FDS is currently preparing for the centennial celebration in 2017.

The society was founded in 1967 when then-Gov. Ralph Paiewonsky wasn’t sure how to entertain his Danish visitors, so he asked another government official, Louis Shulterbrandt, to have his wife throw parties for the Danes. The organization developed to take over entertaining and educated Danish guests.

The FDS has a sister organization in Denmark, Dansk Vestindisk Selskab (DVS). Although they only see each other every two years, staying in one another’s houses and learning about culture, food and language, the groups communicate frequently about ways to form closer relations. Lockhart said that while the Danes speak great English and enjoy the opportunity to speak it, the locals in the FDS do not speak Danish, but do know a few useful words and phrases.

“A lady staying with me and working on her Ph.D. had a girlfriend visit, and it was the first time I heard her speak Danish and her octave level went up,” Lockhart said. “She said she was speaking English with me so much, her throat hurt because it takes more effort … to speak Danish than English.”

The current board of directors for the FDS includes President Ronald “Ronnie” Lockhart, Vice President Marlene Boschulte, Secretary Ellen Lockhart, Treasurer Carmen Benjamin, as well as other contributing members. The approximately 100 members in the FDS vote in October and meet about four times a year, not including three celebrations each year and interactions with Danish tourists.

The FDS celebrate three shared holidays with the DVS: Transfer Day, Sankt Hans aften, and Mortensaften. Transfer Day is a local holiday and the other two are Danish.

Sankt Hans aften, meaning St. John’s Eve, is a Danish holiday celebrated the evening of June 23 before the summer solstice. The Danish typically build a bonfire on a beach where they burn witch dolls as well as pieces of paper with problems and anxieties written on them. According to Lockhart, superstition states that problems are supposed to resolve themselves or disappear altogether when thrown into the fire.

Mortensaften, which means the night of St. Martin, is similar to Thanksgiving in America. Danish celebrate on the eve of November 10 each year with traditional meals to honor Sankt Morten, or Saint Martin of Tours.

Lockhart notes that the FDS is having trouble getting the word out about their organization, and they’re looking for people of all ages to join. Anyone who wants to participate may contact Lockhart at 777-2277 or e-mail ronusvi@aol.com .

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