History of the Order of Runeberg
Lodge No. 8, Dollar Bay, Michigan
A group of 17 Swedish-speaking Finns founded a Temperance Society called Norstjarnan (The North Star) in Dollar Bay on February 5, 1899. The next year a second temperance league named the Templars of Temperance was formed. These two societies joined in November 1902 under the name Syskonringen (Brotherhood Circle).
During the summer of 1903, The Syskonringen built a hall so the society could hold meetings, socials, gym classes, concerts, and plays. A brass band named the Vassa Band was formed, as was a children society.
In August 1903 a Sjukhjelpsforening (mutual aid) society was formed in Dollar Bay. Members would help each other in times of illness or death since employers near the turn of the century rarely provided such benefits.
These two organizations co-existed in Dollar Bay for 15 years with many members belonging to both organizations. In 1920, prohibition came into effect and the main purpose of Syskonringen’s existence was eliminated. In 1920 the annual meeting of both national societies: The Swedish-Finnish Benevolent and Aid Association of America and the Swedish-Finnish Temperance Association met in Waukegan, Illinois.
They merged under the name of the Order of Runeberg, in honor of Johan Ludvig Runeberg, one of Finland’s greatest men, known throughout Scandinavia as a poet, teacher, and statesmen. The ideals as portrayed by this man, to a great extent, formed the foundation for the organization, which now bears his name.
This new fraternal organization combined the aims of the two previous societies to encourage unity, friendship, helpfulness, and honor. At the time of its formation it had a national membership of 4,500 people. At this time the membership consisted almost exclusively of people who came to this country from the Swedish-speaking parts of Finland.
The International Order of Runeberg disbanded in 2015, however, individual Lodges continue today as non-profit fraternal organizations in Finland, Canada, and the U.S. The US lodges are located in Massachusetts, Washington, Michigan, California, Oregon, Connecticut, and Montana.
Dollar Bay Lodge No. 8 continues today as a cultural, historical, and social organization. The membership is comprised of people from many ethnic backgrounds. The whole family can belong to the Lodge from the age of four.
Originally many (most) Lodges had their own hall. Today only two Lodges still own a hall. The Lodge in Eureka, CA, and the one in Dollar Bay. As recently as 1998, there were four Lodges in Michigan located in Bessemer, Dollar Bay, Escanaba, and Muskegon; today only Dollar Bay remains in the entire central United States.