NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT
As I write this, spring is coming to us. Our long winter is ending, and I’m looking forward to warm sunny weather! In the spirit of looking forward, our board is working hard to facilitate our activities for the coming year. We have a full calendar of events for 2025, and they are highlighted by the annual Danish Day celebration in June.

We are well into the planning stages for Danish Day. Committees have been formed to manage the event planning and food planning. At the end of Danish Day last year, we circulated a survey among the volunteers. We have tabulated those responses, and mixed them with feedback that we received from our guests. The celebration was wonderful in 2024, but there is always room for improvement. We are using the feedback to evaluate the site layout and improve the foot traffic flow. We are also reviewing the food stand situations, in an effort to manage the flow of foot traffic to the food and also to help manage the quantities and availability of popular items like hotdogs! While this may seem like tedious work, we are doing everything we can to learn from past experience and make this 2025 celebration just that much better. I am grateful for our teams of volunteers who literally spend months working on the plans and arrangements for this annual event.

In addition to event planning, we are always evaluating the use of our DAC facility on the River Parkway. Over the past couple of years, we have had an evolution in the way that we use spaces in the DAC. Our Atrium has always been popular for hosting events, and this is a good thing. However, it puts pressure on some of the other spaces in the building, notably the Tivoli lounge, and the Kaffestue. I have asked the building committee to evaluate some possible improvements that might help us create additional space for large gatherings and activities. Bathroom space is also at a premium, so we are taking a look at some options to make our Atrium and first floor space more hospitable to big groups. We have also made some subtle improvements, in the form of new building security initiatives. We added cameras to many of the main gathering spaces, and alarm sensors to our doors to help us be secure and to monitor activity inside and outside of the building. We want to make sure that our DAC property is safe and welcoming for all our members and guests.

As always, I am grateful for the support of this Danish community. Happy spring!
Pete Gantriis