What do we want from the Grand Lodge?

​

Minutes, reports, by-laws, charters, pictures, convention materials, event flyers or handouts, pins and regalia, correspondence, scholarship winners, award winners, correspondence, information on old age, death or sick benefits, publications, financial documents, Vasa National Archives, and Grand Lodge history.

​

What do we want from District Lodges?

​

All of the above plus correspondence, membership information and clubs or organization information.

​

What do we want from Local Lodges?

​

Membership lists, minutes, reports, by-laws, charters, pictures, conventions, information on events, pins and regalia, correspondence, scholarships, awards, information on sick, death or old-age benefits, history and any special committees within the lodge. We're also collecting genealogy information on members. You can get a genealogy form here or from the Vasa National Archives.

​

Other items we're interested in

​

Swedish books published in America, genealogical information, materials and information related to Scandinavian (particularly, Swedish) immigration, 

​

How many copies do we want?

​

We want to keep 4 copies of everything listed above. This allows us to have a Use copy, a couple of Reserve copies, and a Master copy. Often you will find more than 4 copies of a particular material. Choose the copies with signatures, notes, or other items that makes the item unique. Then choose the 4 most "valuable" copies.

​

What to do before you send your treasures?

​

Contacting us before shipping is strongly suggested. If you are sending us materials as a representative of the Grand Lodge, District or Local lodge, download and complete the Transfer of Records form. If you are sending us material as an individual, download and complete the Deed of Gift form. Print one copy for your records and enclose a copy with the materials. We'll let you know when the materials arrive. It is very helpful to the archive's staff and researchers if you identify people, places and events in images.

​

How you plan on sending your items to us determines how they should be packaged. USPS, UPS, FedEx and other carriers may not notice any Fragile labels and may not have time to gently load their trucks. Even if they do take all precaustions, boxes in the trucks or airplanes may shift during transit and damage anything breakable. So If you are in doubt, add another layer or two of bubble wrap, newspapers, or other packing materials.

​

Things not to send to the Vasa National Archives

Bibles, framed items (unless it is a specailty frame, very delicate, or an oversized item), financial records, and select Vasa publications. Contact the archives for a list of publications we need.

​

If you think you have an item on this list that you think deserves to be kept, please contact the archives and let us know about it. The above list is a guideline and we recognize exceptions exist. 

​