On August 19, 1950, Arnold Rolkert gathered a group of friends together including Gunnar Engen, Carlo Hojsgaard, Peter Larsen Bernard, and Ulla Lindberg tto form what they called The Young Scandinavians Club of San Francisco. Thirty members attended the club's first general meeting the following January, and Arnold became its first president. The name was later changed to simply The Young Scandinavians Club.
YSC incorporated as a nonprofit organization; 10th anniversary banquet at Canterbury Hotel (anniversaries celebrated every 5 years since); first ski cabin rented at Lake Tahoe.
Lisa Gille (now Wiborg) begins four-year reign as president. She later serves another year. Started renting current Clear Lake cabin.
Clear Lake property acquired for $28,000 - $10,000 down and $200/month for 10 years. 40 members take group flight to Scandinavia.
Cabin Manager and Activities Director positions elevated to Executive Committee status.
Members make major improvements to Clear Lake property, including septic tank, parking area, and leach field.
New bathrooms constructed at Clear Lake cabin. Executive Committee status.
Clear Lake loan paid off. The cabin and it's 3/4 acre lot is ours.
New pier built at Clear Lake.
New floating dock at Clear Lake.
Formed CL Task Force to rebuild cabin. Produced architectural plans and received bids from contractors for 2-story building, cost $135 to $160K. Plans were dropped due to an existing building moratorium and resulting permit problems. It was decided to renovate instead.
Major renovations on Clear Lake cabin, with member Inge Sullivan as key contractor. Total cost $80,000. (Plumbing connections for two shower stalls and a toilet were installed in the men's dressing room)
New floating docks with new steel pilings and sea wall reconstruction at Clear Lake.
Tahoe cabin purchased for $190,000.
A Bathroom Subcommittee was charged with expanding and remodeling the bathrooms at CL. After ten different design schemes construction drawings were submitted for bidding. The plans incorporated a separate new structure complete with handicapped access and resistant to periodic flooding. At a cost of $106,000 it was decided that we might as well build a whole new cabin. Preliminary drawings for a 2-story structure were made for a presentation at our 50th anniversary. The Bathroom Subcommittee was disbanded in 1999.
Andrew Vik, 24, becomes youngest president in YSC history; changes made to the bylaws to include Tahoe Cabin Manager on the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees at six full members (formerly five plus an alternate)
YSC celebrates it's 50th anniversary with a grand party at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Guest of honor: Arnold Rolkert - the first president, flies in from Sweden and delivers this speech.
Clear Lake - Replaced 21 year old Ski Supreme with a brand new Moomba ski boat.
Bathrooms finally remodeled according to 1982 scheme - move wall to add a toilet and a shower from men's to women's room, and installing two showers in men's room using existing plumbing. Purchase new gas stove, an electric double oven and a refrigerator for the pantry.
Tahoe Cabin - After a strong fundraising drive by the Tahoe committee, the John Rollings Memorial Sauna is inaugurated in November this year.
In September, YSC celebrates its 65th Anniversary with a grand black-tie party at the Maritime Museum in San Francisco.
Clear Lake - After several dry years with many wildfires around the lake it is finally raining again. The Clear Lake cabin is again flooded with a foot of water on throughout the cabin.
With six consecutive years, Peter Nordström becomes the longest serving president of the YSC to date.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the YSC, (together with most of the world), has to freeze all operations and close our cabins.
The Board of Directors consists of up to eleven positions with a minimum of nine. In addition to overseeing the day-to-day affairs of the YSC, it also works to develop a vision for the club that reflects current membership needs and keeps the club alive, healthy, relevant and Scandinavian.
The YSC is always in need of talented, motivated members to serve on the board and/or the various committees. Annual elections take place at the beginning of each year. Click here for the latest By Laws, and here for the Pre 2010 By Laws.
Here are the members of the board of directors for YSC, for the year 2017: