AWC BERLIN NEWSLETTER

THE BEAR FACTS

JANUARY 2020

Dear {Contact_First_Name},

Happy New Year 2020!  The start of a new year is a time for reflection, rejuvenation, and fresh beginnings. As I begin my term as your new President, I have been doing my fair share of reflection on the start of my new role with the AWC. I am excited for the year ahead and look forward to continuing to strengthen the Club. No matter your own goals and aspirations, I wish you and your loved ones good health and happiness in the coming year!

Last month, we held our Annual General Meeting and Holiday Party at Hallesches Haus. In addition to celebrating the season, we reviewed our many accomplishments in 2019, and elected the 2020 Board of Directors. It was an informative, fun and festive evening! Speaking of the newly elected Board of Directors, which includes Dawna Grand, Silvia Malo, Kathy Lyon and Angela Andersen, I am thrilled to be working side by side with this terrific and talented group of women. 

The new year is often a time for resolutions, particularly those focusing on health and wellness. In the spirit of that theme, this month’s General Meeting will focus on a crucial aspect of women’s health: breast health. Please join us on Tuesday, January 28, when we will be treated to a guest speaker, Prof. Dr. med. Katja Siegmann-Luz, who is the director of Referenzzentrum Mammographie Berlin. More details about the General Meeting are below. 

Until then, please read on below, regularly check our calendar for updates, and join us at any number of our events this month. I hope to see you soon in the new year!

Cheers,

Shweta 

Shweta Gupta

President, The American Women's Club of Berlin

president@awcberlin.org

CLUB NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Alison Heinze

Fionnuala Hoffmann

Tetiana Klinnert

Be on the lookout for a New Member event in January (date tbd). All members are invited to come meet new members and reconnect with ones you already know.

CONGRATULATIONS TO AWC'S 2020 BOARD

Our 2019 Annual General Meeting took place on December 4th at Hallesches Haus. Over 70 members and guests were in attendance to review the club's 2019 activities, thank our club volunteers and vote in the new 2020 Board of Directors.

2020 AWC Board of Directors

• President: Shweta Gupta
• First VP, Programs: Dawna Grand
• Second VP, Membership: Silvia Malo
• Secretary: Kathy Lyon
• Treasurer: Angela Andersen

A huge thank you to all of our 2019 volunteers, especially the 2019 board, several of whom served for more than one term: Janel Schermerhorn (President), Lissa Rosenbloom (First VP), Ali Siegert (Second VP), Sara Switzman (Secretary), and Angela Andersen (Treasurer). 

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

General Meeting: Breast Cancer, Early Detection

Come join this special general meeting (& optional dinner) with Prof. Dr. med. Katja Siegmann-Luz, Director of Referenzzentrum Mammographie Berlin. 

Tuesday, January 28th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm, Kafeehaus Mila

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Western Countries. Early detection of breast cancer is the key to prevent advanced-stage breast cancers which cannot be cured or which demand aggressive therapies to be cured. The only proven method for early breast cancer detection is mammography. Prof. Dr. Katja Siegmann-Luz is a Radiologist and expert in the field of breast imaging. She is the head of the Reference Centre Mammography Berlin and will talk about breast cancer risks, prevention and early detection. Essential FAQs about the mammography screening program.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Without dedicated volunteers, there would be no AWC Berlin. From every activity to administrative function, there are members stepping up to make this club a rich social, cultural and philanthropic outlet for our 250+ members. If you'd like to nominate a member, please email newsletter@awcberlin.org. 

Thank You, Elizabeth Waller!

Many of AWC's volunteers have a defined job and others, like Elizabeth Waller, step up over and over when needed. One challenge for the club is finding great venues for all of our activities. Let's say we're doing a New Member Wine event in evening, in the east, with wine...and we want to avoid a public place where American loudness is not cherished or encouraged. Not easy! Elizabeth has consistently volunteered to host these evenings and we just love it. 

If you've been to one, then you have found yourself in Elizabeth's warm, welcoming home in Prenzlauer Berg, sipping a drink and munching goodies in her kitchen, back patio or living area. You may have played a version of Charades and laughed like crazy. Elizabeth makes it all seem easy and encourages her neighbors to stop by too. She'll even share her amazing photos from family travels to Israel, South Africa or San Francisco. We are so grateful for Elizabeth’s generosity to host and warmly welcome our growing membership. 

FAWCO UPDATE

Use your Member Benefits! As an AWC Berlin member, you are automatically a member of FAWCO. There are resources available to you if you opt-in. First, register on FAWCO.org site, and specifically sign up for the Inspiring Women subscription (free). 

Voter Registration: the Club would benefit from a member volunteer who would be willing to remind us monthly, beginning January 2020, to register to vote for the elections in the United States. Is that you? Please advise Karen Castellon.

An international invitation to all members: the FAWCO Interim meeting is March 20-22, 2020, in Luxembourg. We will stay at Alvisse Parc Hotel; make reservations here. Registration for the meeting will open soon on FAWCO.org. Please advise Karen Castellon, your FAWCO representative, if you are interested in attending.

AWC GOES MOBILE

Did you know that you can access and register for AWC events from your phone? Going forward, AWC's calendar will only be accessible through the member login on our website or through the Wild Apricot mobile app.

BENEFITS

• Register for and cancel events
• See your event registration
• Add events to personal calendar
• See who else is going
• Much more...

Step 1: log into the AWC website (request new password from the website if needed). Manage your events from the calendar.

Step 2: Download the Wild Apricot Member app and use your website email/login.

Step 3: Poke around and get familiar with the tools. See the Instruction Guide for detailed steps and pictures of set up and navigation. Currently, the event registration feature of the app is not available to Android users. Questions? WA-Admin@awcberlin.org.

JANUARY EVENTS

German Conversation West

Mondays, Jan 6, 13, 20, 27, 10:00am-12:00pm

Wiener Conditorei at Truman Plaza (Clayalee 175)

Come join us for coffee and conversation in a safe and judgement-free environment. We always have a good time! Usually we are joined by AWC Berlin members who are native German speakers. 

Evening Book Club

Tuesday, January 7, 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Private home, Mitte

From Goodreads: “#1 New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout continues the life of her beloved Olive Kitteridge, a character who has captured the imaginations of millions of readers.”

Please bring a light snack to share. Claudia will provide water and wine.

Kaffee Klatsch

Friday, January 10, 10:30am - 12:00pm

Park Cafe, Fehrbelliner Pl. 8, 10707 (U7/U3 stop)

Kaffee Klatsch is our monthly “Coffee Chat”. Stop by to connect, catch up with old friends or make new ones. No RSVP needed, just show up. There will always be someone there, with whom to chat.

Travel Group

Friday, January 10, 10:30am-12:30am

Goldhahn & Sampson, Charlottenburg

Travel group meets once a month at 10:30am to share their passion for seeing the world; globetrotters will gather  at the lovely Charlottenburg Goldhahn & Sampson.

Be an Angel - Teen Volunteer Cooking Event

Mondays, January 13 & 27

Kreuzberger Himmel

Looking for TEEN VOLUNTEERS (aged 16+) of AWC Members to participate in a special cooking program with Be An Angel at Kreuzberger Himmel, a Syrian restaurant. In this intercultural exchange program, members’ teens will partner with Syrian teen refugees to prepare and share a starter, main course, and dessert under the professional guidance of the restaurant’s chef. Teens can choose one or both dates, EACH DATE LIMITED TO 3-5 TEENS

Ladies' Night Out

Tuesday, January 14, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Yafo Berlin, Gormannstraße 17B (near Rosenthaler Platz U-Bahn)

You can never have too much humus in your life – and especially not when it’s Yafo’s creamy blend of Lebanese grown chickpeas! This cosy Israeli restaurant serves up a little taste of Tel Aviv right here in Berlin with giant portions of humus with different accompaniments like roasted cauliflower or grilled eggplant. But don’t worry if you’re a meat-eater, there are also some heartier dishes on the menu. We look forward to seeing many of you in January for a culinary trip to the Mediterranean. Please RSVP by 7 January.

German Conversation Ost

Thursdays, January 16, 23, 30, 10:30am-12:30am

Lawrence Mitte, Oranienburger Straße 69, 10117

Come and speak German with us! Whether you’re looking to improve or just practice, we’d love to see you there!

Artist Homes Bunker Tour

Friday, January 17, 11:00am-12:00pm

Artist Homes, Hohenzollerndamm 120

ARTIST HOMES is a place of cooperation and inspiration for artists from all over the world who share and develop their passion here.

On Hohenzollerndamm deep underground, this gallery/performance space/cafe is still a real insider tip in Berlin. Housed in a former Nazi bunker, the artists’ center Artist Homes is a cultural hot spot. What is now an artists’ center was built in 1937 as a secret air defense control center in a Berlin backyard... see more details about the rich history of this location on the calendar.

For those that wish to, we can have lunch afterwards in the cafe, Cafe 1937

Hablas Espanol?

Monday, January 20, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Private Home, Wilmersdorf

The Spanish language is the second most spoken language in the world with more than 460 million native Spanish speakers across the 5 continents. All our members are very welcome to join Hablas Español, but please notice that we are not a regular teaching class, it’s just a nice get together to practice Spanish.

Women's Salon

Tuesday, January 21, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Private Home, Wilmersdorf

Topic: Populist Far-Right Politics in Germany and Central Europe.

Populist far-right parties such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) are on the rise throughout Europe. At the recent elections in Saxony, for example, the AfD emerged as the strongest party, leaving the more established parties to scramble to form a government. What causes the rise of these populist parties and how are they changing the political landscape in Germany and other European countries?

Join us for a discussion with journalist Emily Schultheis who is a fellow with the Institute of Current World Affairs and whose work has been focusing on the rise of the populist far-right in Germany and Central Europe. Emily’s work has appeared in The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, Politico,The New York Times, Der Tagesspiegel and Deutsche Welle, among others. Before moving to Germany in 2017, she covered US politics and elections for Politico, National Journal and CBS News.

Blogger's Meetup

Wednesday, Jan 22, 9:00am-11:00am

Private home

Do you manage your own blog or are interested in starting one? Did you start a blog and it has been left to collect dust ever since? If this rings true, please come join us for an informal round table discussion. We hope to all benefit from the exchange of our own personal experiences and to identify the areas in which we all could use a little help. You should come if for no other reason than to have an excuse to order cake. We look forward to seeing you there.

General Meeting & Dinner

Tuesday, January 28th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Kafeehaus Mila

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Western Countries. Early detection of breast cancer is the key to prevent advanced-stage breast cancers which cannot be cured or which demand aggressive therapies to be cured. The only proven method for early breast cancer detection is mammography. Prof. Dr. Katja Siegmann-Luz is a Radiologist and expert in the field of breast imaging. She is the head of the Reference Centre Mammography Berlin and will talk about breast cancer risks, prevention and early detection. Essential FAQs about the mammography screening program.

HOW TO AWC BERLIN

AWC ONLINE

AWC members can manage their account, access the membership directory and sign up for events by logging into their AWC member account, either through the AWC website or mobile app. 

BENEFITS

• Register for and cancel events
• See your event registration
• Add events to personal calendar
• See who else is going
• Much more...

Step 1: log into the AWC website (request new password from the website if needed). Manage your events from the calendar.

Step 2: Download the Wild Apricot Member app and use your website email/login.

Step 3: Poke around and get familiar with the tools. See the Instruction Guide for detailed steps and pictures of set up and navigation. Currently, the event registration feature of the app is not available to Android users. Questions? WA-Admin@awcberlin.org.

AWC Berlin Facebook Policy

The AWC Berlin Private Members Only Facebook group is open to current members only and is a casual, respectful and friendly forum for member announcements (for example, babies! weddings!, etc.), discussion, information and questions regarding AWC-related topics and/or life in Berlin. 

• Only authorized AWC Berlin events that are already listed on the AWC calendar can be created as an event in our Facebook group.

• Please do not post charity donation requests or political items not related to the AWC Berlin.

• You are invited to let us know about your business, but please limit commercial, self-promotional posts to Mondays and be sure to preface your post with MARKETING MONDAY. No comments are allowed on these posts.

• When in doubt, please send your question to facebookpolicy@awcberlin.org.

Thank you for your cooperation!

AWC Berlin Facebook Page | AWCB Website