The AWC Berlin Newsletter

The Bear Facts

December 2019

Dear {Contact_First_Name}, 

If you blinked, you may have missed that we are plowing right into a new decade! I love that as each day gets a bit colder and darker, Berlin cheerfully cranks up the charm with twinkling lights, festive markets and delicious smells. Before we know it, winter solstice will pivot us right back toward lighter and warmer days. In the meantime, boom, 2020.  

I don't know about you but I like to get a little nutty about a fresh start in the new year. Despite years of moderate exercise, I envision myself hitting the gym every day. And heck why not ride my bike there? And if I'm going to invest it my fitness, I may as well give up sugar and carbs and any whiff of flavor. Who needs it? Since I'll be living so long, I'd like a healthy planet to live on...so I've got a bit of work to do there. Plus, I'd like to be a more patient parent, a more caring friend, a more politically active citizen and of course a 3-times-daily flosser. I know I've struggled with keeping my resolutions in the past, but this year will be different, because I'll be getting up at 4:30am to GET IT DONE. Hmm.

We all know that life can get in the way of our goals, but I am already applauding all of us for even considering how to be a slightly better version of ourselves in the new year. Every extra smile, every patient pause, and every car ride traded for a bike ride adds up. So, go out and buy that extra spool of floss. Maybe this year is the year. 

Speaking of best versions, our email platform released an update in during the editing of this newsletter, which has rendered the fonts and formatting wonky and prevented many photos from being added. I had intended for this last newsletter of the year to reflect the hard work and conscientiousness of our club, which it does, and now it also represents our confidence to walk out of the house without lipstick now and then. Thank you for looking past it!

It has been an honor to serve as your President this past year. I have enjoyed working, laughing, eating, learning, teaching, giving and creating with each of you this year. Although it has been a rich experience, I look forward to passing the baton to the new President's very capable hands. Not only will it give me the opportunity to explore the next phase of my life, but I believe that the health and survival of the club depends on fresh insights and energy and the help of many hands. 

I look forward to joining all of you at the Annual General Meeting & Holiday Party on December 4th, to elect Shweta Gupta into the presidency and and the new board into their roles. This is our most important event of the year!

Love, Janel

Janel Schermerhorn
President, The American Women's Club of Berlin
president@awcberlin.org

Apologies in advance for any and all mistakes in the newsletter. Feel free to email me if a correction is needed. 

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. 

Annual General Meeting

Please join our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, December 4th at the Hallesches Haus in Kreuzberg. We’ll present our 2019 club highlights and reports, as well as 2020 plans. We will also vote in the new 2020 Board of Directors. There is no cost for this portion of the evening.

After the business meeting, you are invited to stay for a gourmet vegetarian dinner and social activities to celebrate the holidays! The party is 20 euro for members and includes a welcome drink, water and coffee. Additional drinks are available for purchase. Please RSVP by November 27th rsvp@awcberlin.org.

If you would like to bring cookies or another simple dessert to share, that would be great.

Festive attire.

Evening Program:
6:30-7:00pm – Arrival and welcome drink
7:00-7:45pm – Annual General Meeting and 2020 Board election
7:45-8:30pm – Dinner
8:30-9:30pm – Incoming President’s remarks and socializing

AWC Is Going 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

• Member-only access to event details and registration
• Register, pay, and cancel directly from the calendar or app
• See record of event registrations in app
• Add events to personal calendar from app
• Much more...

To get started, download the Wild Apricot Member App to your phone, login and explore the options. If you forgot your AWC login, you can request a new one from the Member Login link on AWC's website.

Not so simple? You will receive a separate email this weekend with more detailed instruction. We will also go step-by-step during the Annual General Meeting on Dec 4th. This is new for all of us and there will be bumps along the way, but let's get started and work through it together. 

FAWCO Update

FAWCO is accepting applications for Education Awards which have a $5000 value for YOU as a member, or your child/grandchild. More info here. The deadline is January 27, 2020. Don't delay. Start now. The application is detailed and gives you a sample timeline to help manage the process. Let your FAWCO Rep., Karen Castellon, know about your application so she can support you (or alternately dog you until you complete your application as you originally intended). If you have previously applied and not received an award, please apply again! Email Karen fawco@awcberlin.org

An Invitation: come celebrate the 16 Days of Activism Eliminating Violence against

Women we invite you to gather and read aloud the Declaration of Human Rights on

Thursday, December 5th at the home of Karen Castellon in Nikolassee. We will have

coffee at 10:30am and record the reading beginning at 11am. We will have another reading on the evening of Dec 10th at WeSpace, Unter den Linden at 6:30pm (guests welcome). Kindly RSVP for either here. 

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). The next issue on Food & Drink appears digitally on Monday, Nov. 25. 

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.

Eleven ladies represented AWC Berlin at the FAWCO Region 5 conference in Leipzig on November 15-17. The focus of the meeting was health in tandem with FAWCO's target project over the next two years. We learned about the importance of booster vaccinations (yes, at every age), the value of your social network, and played "How German are you?" - a really fun quiz we will bring to the Annual General Meeting. Thank you to Angelika McLarren, My-Linh Kunst, Karen Castellon, Janel Schermerhorn, Rhonda Staudt, Stephanie Biery, Sara Switzman, Candia Clark, Kathy Lyons, Yolette Wunder and Karen Axelrad.

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.  

With such a big turnover in our key positions coming up, we have to sneak more than a couple people into the spotlight this month. 

Thank you, Karen Castellon & Ali Siegert!

This membership duo has worked tirelessly over the past few years to get new members in the door, ensure all members are welcome and engaged, and get the club up and running on a new membership management platform. Their investment and perseverance with the new system not only will save future incumbents a ton of time, but is the reason the club is now able to move toward a more automated event management system. Forgetting all of that, these ladies are both a funny, smart, happy and a general joy to be around. Please take a minute to thank them for all they have done for the club the next time you see them.

Thank you, Lissa Rosenbloom!

For three years, Lissa has been leading our fabulous and I mean FABULOUS calendar of events. If you've ever been frustrated, because you can't possibly go to everything AWC has to offer, you can blame Lissa for that. Always resourceful, informed and willing to try new things, Lissa has been responsible for the many and varied opportunities for us to come together and enjoy this city and each other. After all, isn't that why you joined? Please take the time to thank Lissa for some of your favorite events these past few years.   

Thank you, Sara Switzman!

Over this past year, our dear Sara has been taking care of the nitty gritty behind meetings and events as part of her Secretary role. Taking care of details not only made things run more smoothly and relieved the team, but her style made the difference to our experiences. Sara's warmth, positive attitude, even disposition and willingness to jump in where needed made her an indispensable member of our largest and most successful event teams this year. If you ever show up to something awesome and wonder, "how did this all happen"...Sara is one of your answers. Please take a minute to thank her for her part.

Philanthropy Update

In November, members Janet Chesterman and Kathryn Neubauer organized a private fundraising event centered around the Melbourne Cup. Attendees generously contributed 530 euro to go toward FAWCO's next target project, which will focus on women's health. The AWC board decided to pitch in another 470 euro from the club for a nice round 1000 euro donation to FAWCO. 

Our intrepid philanthropy chair, Stephanie Biery, has been working all year with JACK Berlin to put our funds to good use. JACK will not only be entering 2020 with better security, new equipment, and a freshly painted and updated childcare center, they will start the year knowing they still have half the funds to continue to expand and improve their programs and facilities. What a difference AWC has made for the women at JACK!

Christmas Market Outing

Dates/Time: Monday, December 2, 5:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Gendarmenmarkt Christmas Market
RSVP: rsvp@awcberlin.org

We’ll browse the stalls of all the Christmas goodies, gifts, and crafts while keeping warm with a cup of Glühwein.   Details

Kaffee Ost

Dates/Time: Tuesday, December 3, 10:30-12
Location: No Fire, No Glory, Rykestraße 45, Berlin, 10405 Germany
RSVP: Rose at kaffeeost@awcberlin.org

Join us for coffee in the East as monthly we try different cafes in this interesting part of Berlin. Please try to let Rose know if you are coming, but feel free to come last minute to enjoy a cup of coffee and your fellow AWC members. Details

Literature Bookclub

Dates/Time: Tuesday, December 3, 7-9pm
Location: private Home, Mitte
RSVP: Claudia at bookclub@awcberlin.org

This month’s selection is A Passage to India by E.M. Forster From Wikipedia: “A Passage to India (1924) is a novel ... set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English literature by the Modern Library and won the 1924 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction ... The novel is based on Forster’s experiences in India, deriving the title from Walt Whitman’s 1870 poem “Passage to India” in Leaves of Grass. Details.

Blogger's Meetup

Date/Time: Wednesday, December 4, 9:00am - 11:00am
Location: Private Home, Charlottenburg 
Cost: free  
RSVP: Karis at bloggers@awcberlin.org 

An informal discussion for anybody managing a personal blog, interested in starting one, or wanting to improve something specific about theirs. Details.

Annual General Meeting

Date/Time: Wednesday, December 4, 6:30pm arrival
Location: Hallesches Haus, Tempelhofer Ufer 1, 10961 Berlin 
Cost: free  
RSVP: rsvp@awcberlin.org

Ronald McDonald House Cooking

Date/Time: Thursday, December 5, 6-9pm
Location: Ronald McDonald House Wedding, Seestrasse 28
Cost: free
RSVP: Silvia or Dawna at RMDH@awcberlin.org

Every quarter, we cook dinner for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House Berlin (RMDH). The house provides housing for out-of- town parents of patients at the nearby Charité hospital. We go grocery shopping, cook and serve for sometimes up to 50 people. We look forward to seeing you there for this fun and worthwhile community service event. Details.

Kaffee Klatsch

Date/Time: Friday, December 6, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Location: Park Cafe 
Cost: cost of your order  
RSVP: no rsvp needed, just show up!

Kaffee Klatsch is our monthly "coffee chat". Stop by to connect with old friends or make new ones. Details.

Urban Scents

Date/Time: Monday, December 9, 4-6pm
Location: Urban Scents, 32 Bleibtreustraße, Berlin, 10707 Germany

Cost: Free 
RSVP: rsvp@awcberlin.org

Marie Urban – Le Febvre will tell us about her life, her adventures and the craft of traditional perfume making. We will also have a visit to her scent lab and enjoy a glass of champagne! Details.

Morning Book Club

Date/Time: Wednesday, December 11, 10am-12pm
Location: private home/Kreuzberg
Cost: Free 
RSVP: bookclub@awcberlin.org

This month’s selection is The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman From Goodreads: “From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Museum of Extraordinary Things: a forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas about the extraordinary woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarro; the Father of Impressionism.” Morning Book Club meets from 10am to noon at Kathy Lyon’s home. Please bring a drink or snack to share.

Christmas Cookies Exchange

Date/Time: Wednesday, December 11, 1-3pm
Location: private Home/Mitte
Cost: free
RSVP: rsvp@awcberlin.org

Bring 2 dozens of your favorite homemade cookies to exchange. We’ll have wonderful cookies, some fun caroling and a whole lot of holiday cheer.  Details.

Travel Group

Dates/Time: Friday December 13, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Location: Kathryn Neubauer's home, Charlottenburg
Cost: the cost of your order
RSVP: travel@awcberlin.org

The Travel Group meets every second Friday of the month at to share their passion for seeing the world. Details.

German Conversation - West

Dates/Time: Mondays 10:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Wiener Conditorei at Truman Plaza (Clayallee 175)
Cost: the cost of your order
RSVP: german@awcberlin.org

Come join us for casual German conversation meetups!  We meet over coffee in a safe and judgement-free environment and always have a good time. Usually we are joined by AWC Berlin members who are native German speakers. RSVP to AWC Facebook page before heading over or send an email. Details

German Conversation - Ost 

Dates/Time: Thursdays 10:30am - 12:30pm
Location: Lawrence Mitte, Oranienburger Straße 69
Cost: the cost of your order
RSVP: germanost@awcberlin.org

Come join us for casual German conversation meetups!  We meet over coffee in a safe and judgement-free environment and always have a good time. Usually we are joined by AWC Berlin members who are native German speakers. RSVP to AWC Facebook page before heading over or send an email. Details.

Dates/Time: Tuesdays 10:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Tennis Club Blue Gold Stieglitz e.V.
Cost: 1,140 euro / split between the players
RSVP: tennis@awcberlin.org

View the AWC December Calendar

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

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