As a former elementary teacher who minored in history
As a research writer and compiler of Swedish Smoky Valley Lindsborg & Bethany College history
Getting student participation is the way that this will be ongoing at least to
Especially if the professor include these needs through incorporating there learning experience with them. The skills
A bronze statue of a Kanza warrior was added to the state capitol dome in 2002. Sculpted by Kansas artist Richard Bergen, the statue is named "Ad Astra" after the state motto ("Ad Astra per Aspera" meaning "to the stars through difficulty"). The warrior's bow points to the north star as a symbol of finding one’s way.
Ad Astra Per Aspera (meaning "To the Stars Through Difficulty").
Swedish and Swedish American Components for the Bethany College 5 year Master Plan
2023-2028
Submitted by Swedish and Swedish American Bethany College Alumni
many of whom are Swedish American descendants of Swedish immigrant pioneers who established Swedish Lutheran Lindsborg and/or Swedish Lutheran Bethany College,
both of which were part of the
1860 Swedish Lutheran Synod,
which became part of the
1962 Lutheran Church of America (LCA)
that became part of the present day
1988 Evangelical Lutheran Church of American (ELCA)
In your strategic plan you must include a space and place for the Swedish and Swedish American history and cultural heritage your leadership inherited when you assumed your positions of leadership of this college that was founded and developed by Lutheran Swedes.
When you do this, you will be looked upon by leaders from Sweden, Swedish America, and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as a leader college taking total ownership of this incredible piece of American Swedish history and cultural heritage, seeing you as the first administration officially taking on the “caretaking” responsibilities, before the last-living-links to this heritage are gone, quite possibly in 25 years or so.
You will be the model of which other academic institutions found by European immigrants will look to for finding ways to hold onto and caretake their own history and cultural heritage.
For your administration and faculty, this will not be an overtaxing task. It will be spread out beyond your 5 year strategic plan onto mark the College 150th sesquicentennial celebration. That is nearly 8 years to get this solidly underway. In addition, volunteers from Bethany College alumni living locally in the Smoky Valley or in nearby Kansas communities including the areas from and around Topeka to Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri, could be available to help. (over night stays in college housing and food from the Pihlbald would be available for them when working on a project and reimbursement for their gas if they would like)
This new position of becoming the “caretakers” of Bethany College History and Cultural Heritage will make it more likely to receive endowments and grants for certain projects and perhaps large endowments as well, with the bonus of maintaining alumni interest, participation, and donating for many years after they have left Bethany and for sure, I would say, to be a part of the Sesquicentennial, especially if they were in the start-up phases of beginning with the Class of 2023.\
The goal would be looking toward the completion of these projects by 2031 and 2032 –
Easter 2031 – 8 years and to Easter 2032 – 9 years when the Bethany College Oratorio Society marks its 150th sesquicentennial celebration.
There could be a KANSAS rally call for this that would bring on the Kansas City Star to report positively and apologetically for its “has been” college description on Dec. 18, 2022. “
By _________Dudley
What are some Initiatives
The kick off initiative A global EASTER Messiah performance invitation (to continue for 9 years)
Invitation to Sweden Abroad Representatives, Swedish America, and ELCA member to Easter livestream Messiah performance.
Reaching out to Sweden, Swedish America, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) by inviting them to this year’s livestream performance
With student involvement – (Music, History, Art, Computer, English departments)
Reaching out to SWEDEN and to the KING OF SWEDEN:
The creation of a business mailing address and an email address list would come from the Embassy of Sweden -------- which has an ON-LINE list of 285 Sweden representatives abroad in the world.
The list would have to be created to use for this invitation so that it could be used for a YEARLY invitation up and through 2032 – the 150th celebration of the founding of the Bethany College Oratorio Society.
Reaching out to SWEDISH AMERICA:
The creation of this list would come from the SwedishAmericana website which is located in the SWEDISH AMERICAN ENTITIES section.
There would have to be more research and inquiry to create this list, it might be too frustrating and difficult for students, but adults (retiree singers, maybe) with computer searching, word document creation and typing experience could create this list. Omitting the Lindsborg entity listings, there are approximately 95 Swedish American entities from which to create this list.
Reaching out to the ELCA headquarters and their Central State Synod and their churches.
The Messiah and Bethany Lutheran Church could provide addresses on campus Pastor, or just a phone call 913-948-9701 or email to communications@css-elsa.org or mail to
the Central States Synod, 420 W 14th St Ste 101, Kansas City, MO 64105
------ could provi with an invitation and then to the Central State Synod located in Kansas City, Missouri with an invitation for their member churches.
The creation of this list would come from the SwedishAmericana website which is located in the SWEDISH AMERICAN ENTITIES section.
Invitation Composition:
The invitation sent to the business address could have an example of art from a Bethany College student of the past on it, stating the student’s art professor (if there is a legal hang-up to get permission for this, you are welcome to use any of Lydia Sohlberg Deere’s works of art found in SWEDES. She was a student of Birger Sandzen. Additionally, BC would be identified with its fine renown Messiah history and that the Messiah Tradition continues, -- These invitations would come from the President Dr. Elizabeth Mauch.
Goal is to have ongoing additions to these list each year to completed by 2031 or 2032 so that Bethany College classes from 2023 to 2032 and their professor will be recognized for their restoration, preservation and promotion work for increasing the audience for each year to the 150th profromance. YET, at graduation time, that year’s class will be personally recognized and thanks during the commencement.
Invitations to contain a short version story of how the Messiah performances started
The ongoing Messiah Chorus is trued and tried with the same commitment to excellents through the decade by the professor conductors.
Suggestions;
To be read by a thearter arts student
Have the curtain up when all are in place on the stage, not showing thme slowing dragging in
Swensson did tell the story early on before the performances, I think
------ Messiah UP
-----
2. Make Bethany embrace and interact with Sweden and Swedish America through her leaders
Then her Swedish beginnings Swensson, Pihlblad,
Memorializign the others as the above 2 for 2023 Messiah at Presser Hall –
A popup museum display
A temporary rememberance for a permenant one create by the art galley through mental work and engraving by professor and students with their names for these 14 king honor individual with an accompany folding album of photos with writeups. 7 on one side and 7 on the other
A Standing Board with the Artfully written names of the 14 Lindsborg residents of the College Family
So that when
LOOKING BACK TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE Meeting 2031 and 2032 with gusto
President must look interest and no of warning of downfall of college to that of Upssullas and to fail without 4 advisors on the board that Bob Vogel wrote about:
2023 BC President to become member of Swedish Council of America in Minnesota for 1 year
Attend yearly meeting or representative would do that. With a roommate Lindsborg council member.
Share promotional information there.
---
BC Leadership takes hold of owning and embracing college’s Swedish and Swedish American foundational history and cultural heritage By researching, restoring, preserving and promoting it
Kick off Inititiateve Easter 2023
--Messiah invitation
--Review of those college members honored by one of 4 kings of Sweden
--History Club
Using websites available
Establishment of a history club on campus based on local Swedish and Swedish American history and cultural heritage
Bethany College History professor Tash Smith and Lindsborg Smoky Valley Historical Association Director
Visiting lectures:
In charge History Department Head with Smoky Valley Historical Association Head
Tash Smith and Tim Stewert
Programs, lectures and workshops provided by
Swedish-American Folklife Center, Folklife Institute Founders: Mark and Mardel Esping
Lecturer’s on Smoky Valley Swedish Lutheran History belonging to the Swedish Augustana Synod of 1860
By Tom Holmquist
Add to it aspects of connections to A. John Pearson cultural club
Here is where Bethany could claim this for herself as being the center of the SWEDISH American History through this club
Arlen Thurn, Author at Upsala Cities
------
--English and and Archives & Library and Heritage Center for Smoky Valley Studies — goal target date:
In charge of book collections of 7 books each and digitalization for Smoky Valley Studies
For a Heritage Smoky Valley Writers book collections
Upssula College downfall same for Bethany due to its student from proverty lifestyle
May 20 – 28, 2021 Emails Dr. Robert Vogel and Fran Cochran
Fran I totally agree with your statement concerning the requirements for the success of colleges. And, you have certainly proved this with the success of your Wartburg College!!
With those requirements in place at Bethany, I can so well see that it could excel and thrive once again, and even have a sustainable and substantial endowment, providing there was the right mindset among the leaders to set out a long-term plan of achievable goals over longer periods of time that would allow everyone to participate, in some degree and to give, so that they too could be recognized and be a part of this "... enterprise of great significance to Lindsborg and its future," despite the revolving door of administrations.
In short, I am very optimistic that new possibilities could lay before Bethany College that might possibly direct her into a brighter future.
When I finish SWEDES, I so hope within a couple of months, I will be writing a report about my findings and about some ideas that might be helpful to the College for its future. I plan to share this report with Bethany College President Dr. Elizabeth Mauch and with Lindsborg Mayor Becky Anderson. If you do not mind, I would like to send you a bcc of the report.
Dr. Vogel -- I believe our colleges need to change to meet current challenges but unless the changes are consistent with the history and traditions of the institution they will not meet with much success. New expressions of old impulses, is my credo.. And I have always wanted a core of board members who understood and represented the soul of the college as we were making decisions about the future of the college.
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BIG PROFILE SINCE 1919 Smoky Valley Historical Association to help with challenges of the day
From its 1919 Lindsborg Historical Society to its Smoky Valley Historical Society of 1926 to the 1967 Smoky Valley Historical Association this organization has played and ongoing role in history collection and history promotion but not in history restoration or preservation. Now it is time for that.
Projects:----
What is needed from the SVHA to help the Lindsborg Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum LOMSHM and Bethany College
SVHA
Archival work
What's an Archivist? | National Archives. See email
==
Projects: Volunteers are needed for ARCHIAL work:
to sort through papers and organize temporarily file and make lists for whom:
The SVHA connections to the
Bethany College professors of 1919 which organized the society/association today:
-The Bethany College Archives and Heritage Center
-BC Advance and Development Center
The Bethany College Advancement and Development Center -- Brinda Meyer Director of Development at Bethany CollegeIn charge of volunteers SUMMER help of L-L-L
-The Lindsborg Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum
This is not for my glory it is for God’s glory to HELP BETHANY COLLEGE
This is my draft that I want to share with you to create your own draft or to add to this
I would like to see Bethany College excel to the number one Lutheran college in the nation commited to its foundational history and cultureal heritage and promoting it through a museum/institute, a history club, for this will show how grateful we are for our former college family and their contributions who have paved the way for the college today.
And those today are the CARETAKERS of this history and heritage but they do not know any thing about it, have no clue or how to proceed or care for doing so.
THEY DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE discipline fields of study found at the Goucher College in Townson, Maryland, near Baltimore Directed by Amy Skillman in Smithsonian partnership with teaching professors.
-AMY SKILLMAN
-MICHAEL MASON ATWOOD
-MARCO – TEXAS A&M PROJECT
-BRIAN LEECH – AUGUSTANA
-ROBERT VOGEL – WALBORG GERMAN LUTHERAN COLLEGE
-TUSKANA INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE
- GUSTAVA ADOVLUS
--
WHY AM I WRITING THIS PLAN
This is the only way Bethany that will be noticed and admired by Swedes around the world, Swedish America and Swedish Lutheran who might give noteworthy endowments to bring Bethany up to a level she deserves as an great institution for educations and Swedish and Swedish American history and cultural heritage enrichment.
For others who are into the arts, especially art and music that would give large sums of money and even endowments as a result of the hard work that the volunteers are doing in trying to established a place and space for the already founded Swedish-American Folklife Institute of Central Kansas" 1986 which generated a great deal of international activity, interest, and participation from Sweden and Swedish America for a decade until there was no support to keep it going.
Bethany College creates partnerships and spaces and places with Swedish American alumni entrepreneurs
Mark and Mardel Esping Class of 1968
The 1986 “Swedish-American Folklife Institute of Central Kansas”
The 1992 Folklife Institute of Central Kansas of Lindsborg website
Fran Cochran, Class of 1968
The 2011 Swedes:TheWayTheyWere website
The 2015 SwedishAmerican website
The Bethany College Swedish and Swedish American Collections via Partnership with alumni
collections in partnership with alumni entrepreneurs
Hosting and housing for educational academic study devoted to the restoration, preservation and promotion of the Swedish and Swedish American Kansas Smoky Valley people
For Others who know nothing about Bethany
When donors ask: Why should I give to Bethany College?
Great professor, nurturing professor student relationships, carrying on the traditions of excellent teaching in music and art and teaching
Leading in Swedish American and Swedish cultural measurer combining archival work with the Lindsborg Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Center:
Goal to become that academic Center for the Midwest to set out to begin formal task of PROPERLY preserving the growing amount of records and artifacts specializing in Swedish and Swedish American history, language
"Dr. Beibjom is convinced that Swedish Americans need to combine their efforts and unite for the purpose of preserving the records of Swedish immigration. "There should be state or provincial bases, he said. "Lindsborg should be a Center for the Midwest. Above all you need an archivist who can set about the task of properly preserving your growing amount of records and artifacts. Such a person could also be a specialist in Scandinavian history, language, and literature," he suggested."
1977
Swedish Emigrant Institute Staff from Växjö, Småland, Visits Lindsborg
October 16-18
"to the stars through difficulties." Statue created by Swede Richard Bergman Bethany College graduate.
