Dear {Contact_First_Name},

After this year's endless summer, I'm hoping the sunshine will continue through Autumn. Fall in Berlin is beautiful with the foliage, pumpkins and of course, Oktoberfest. Though perhaps not as enthusiastic as Bavaria, Berlin buzzes with Oktoberfest celebrations, so put on your dirndl and check out the festivities at your local beerhouse. October is also a good time to visit Buschmann Winkelmann. About an hour from Berlin, it is THE place to go for everything pumpkin; this time of the year you will find a large pumpkin exhibition with hundreds of different varieties, Sunday brunch, pumpkin carving, and a great play area for children. 

PHILANTHROPY - CALL FOR NOMINATIONS We are collecting nominations for AWC's 2019 Berlin-based charity. The selected organization will, along with Ronald McDonald House and FAWCO, benefit from our fundraising throughout the year. Please nominate your favorite Berlin charity, by OCTOBER 15. Final selection will be made by the MEMBERSHIP at our Annual General Meeting in December. Click here for detailed criteria, process, timeline and the official nomination form: https://www.awcberlin.org/philanthropy/

I'm happy to announce the appointment of Karen Castellon as our new FAWCO Representative, please see her FAWCO report each month at the end of the Newsletter. And I'm delighted to welcome 2 new volunteers: June Lee has joined our Web Team, and Kim Douglass will take over the maintenance of our Members Recommendations document - thank you to Claudia Tessier for starting and cultivating this invaluable resource for our members. The latest version is always available on the website in the Members Only area.

Speaking of volunteers, we would really like to "spread the love" and share the responsibilities for planning activities with more members. Please consider taking one special interest area. You will be working with the support of Lissa and the Board.  We are looking for:

1. Activity Coordinator(s) for Art & Culture - monthly except summer
2. Activity Coordinator for Walking Tours - 4-6 times a year
   
3. Activity Coordinator for Cooking - 4-6 times a year (we already have 4 ideas ready to go)
   
4. Activity Coordinator for Excursions - 3-4 times a year
5. Activity Coordinator - "Better Me" Personal Development type Workshops 4x year
6. Activity Coordinator - Creative Pursuits Workshops 4x year (creative skills building workshops - photography, sewing, beading, painting, etc.)
7. General Meetings Coordinator - 7 times a year
8. Special Events Coordinator(s) - 3 events (July 4th, Thanksgiving, AGM/Holiday Party)

Love,

My-Linh

My-Linh Kunst
President, The American Women's Club of Berlin
president@awcberlin.org

VOTE in the MIDTERMS!!!!! You should have received your ABSENTEE ballot by now, but it's still not too late to REGISTER - please if you haven't yet, do it now – it’s an important year for your voice to be heard. Did you know that only 4% of eligible American voters living overseas voted in the last presidential election? Depending on your voting state, you most likely have to register every year.

Call for AWC Board Nominations

AWC Berlin FACEBOOK Private Group

If you are not already a member of our private members only Facebook group, please click here and join "AWC Berlin Members Only PRIVATE" for casual exchanges among AWC members.

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. 

Thank you for your cooperation!

AWC Berlin Facebook Page | AWCB Website

Welcome to our New Members

We look forward to seeing you at one of the events below!

Evening General Meeting

Join us for a very special Evening General Meeting in October.

Our guest speakers will be AWC Berlin member Susanne Ollmann and her 10-year-old daughter Elise. Having just completed their around-the-world trip, this intrepid duo will share with us their highlights, travel tips and personal perspectives. Check out Susanne’s blog here.

Please feel free to bring your daughter (or son) and plan to arrive by 6:30pm. We’ll have a light dinner and start the meeting promptly at 7:15pm – finishing at 8:30pm.

Click here to see this event in the AWC calendar. 

When: Wednesday, October 10th - 6:30-8:30pm 
Where: St George's Anglican Church, Preußenallee 17-19 Berlin, 14052 
RSVP: to rsvp@awcberlin.org by October 9th!

Join the AWC Berlin

We are a vibrant group of women of all ages and our members come from not only the USA but from other countries around the world. Please spread the word and invite your friends to join!

Ask your friends to visit us on Facebook or on our website!

Did you know that the Club has a blog? Our Berlin Americana Blog is a space for members to share their creative writing, reflections on personal or club experiences, or thoughts on global and local issues. If you have thoughts swirling around in your head that you'd like to share, write a poem, a paragraph, a short essay and submit them to Blog Editor, Janel Schermerhorn, at blog@awcberlin.org. Musings can take any format - short or long, serious, tough, funny or anything in between. In keeping with our non-partisan status, please no political pieces. Check out the blog: https://www.awcberlin.org/blog 

Photographic Portraits from Baselitz to Warhol €10

Morning Book Club: The Storyteller

Wednesday, October 17th 10:00am to 12:00pm Location: Emi Bevacqua's home in Zehlendorf RSVP: bookclub@awcberlin.org

We’ll discuss The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult Please bring a drink or snack to share. Emi will provide fruit and something baked. Open to AWC Berlin members only, except non-members may attend once prior to joining. You can get Emi’s address in your members directory copy, or ask for it when emailing to RSVP See event here in AWC calendar.

Sustainable Fashion Tour €20

Wednesday, October 10th 11:00am - 2:00pm Location: Ecoalf store, at Alte Schönhauserstr 5-5a, 10119 Berlin (U2 Rosa Luxemburg Platz)  RSVP: by emailing: rsvp@awcberlin.org

Join fashion activist and fellow AWC Berlin member, Olga Johnston-Antonova on an exclusive 3-hour tour of exquisitely curated local designers, second- hand and vintage clothes shops and jewelry makers in Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. Learn from a fashion industry insider what sustainable fashion is all about, and get some practical tips on shopping sustainably, and even personal styling advice. Up to 15 people max.  Let us know when RSVPing if you'll be staying on afterwards for lunch at Me Collectors Berlin at Auguststr 68, 10117 Click here to learn more about this event in the AWC calendar.

Tour of Spreepark

Thursday, October 18th 11:00am-12:30pm Location: Dammweg / Kiehnwerderallee 1-3, Infopavillon  Berlin, 12437 RSVP: rsvp@awcberlin.org

Join us for a tour in English of this wonderful bizarre Berlin landmark. For maximum 30 people, our 90-minute tour costs 150 Euro, which will be divided among the participants (pay on the day).  RSVP early as this tour will surely be full.  Among the highlights are stories from its sordid past (including drug smuggling) and life-sized dinosaurs among the ruins include a fallen Tyrannosaurus as well as an old roller coaster leading out of a rabid-looking animal’s mouth. The whole park was recently featured in the film “Hanna,” particularly prominent in the film’s climax. See event here in AWC calendar.

Recurring Daytime Activities

German Conversation

Mondays, October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th 10:30am - 12:00pm Location: Wiener Conditorei at Truman Plaza (Clayallee 175 in Dahlem) RSVP: by emailing: german@awcberlin.org

Come join us for weekly German conversation over coffee in a safe and judgment-free environment. We always have a good time! Usually we are joined by AWC Berlin members who are native-German speakers. Please check the AWC Facebook page or email before heading over, to make sure that someone will be there.   Click here to learn more about this event in the AWC calendar.

Creative Writing Practice €100

Tuesdays, October 2nd, 9th, and 16th 10:00am-12:30pm Cost: 8 wks/€100 RSVP: mollybrowncreative@gmail.com

Join this diverse group of writers, whether you're a novice or a seasoned professional. No previous experience necessary!  At our weekly gatherings, we apply various writing prompts as springboards to unlock and unleash our authentic voices, and share these writings in an atmosphere of trust and deep listening. Uncover the building blocks of good storytelling and discover the seeds of fuller, more developed pieces - from memoir to fiction. If you've never taken the class before, your first one is free. No classes during school holidays.  See event here in AWC calendar.

Kaffee Klatsch West

Friday, October 5th 10:30am-12:00pm Location: centrally located Park Cafe, Fehrbelliner Pl. 8, 10707 Berlin (at U7/U3 stop)

Kaffee Klatsch is our monthly “Coffee Chat” from 10:30 to 12:00. 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. Click here to see this event in the AWC calendar. No RSVP needed, just show up.

Kaffee Klatsch Ost

Tuesday, October 9th 10:30am-12:00pm Location: Zimt & Zucker at Schiffbauerdamm 12, Berlin, 10117

Kaffee Klatsch Ost is our eastside “Coffee Chat” from 10:30 to 12:00. 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. Click here to see this event in the AWC calendar. No RSVP needed, just show up.

Literature Book Club 

Monday, October 1st 7:00pm-9:00pm Location: Claudia Tessier's  RSVP: by emailing bookclub@awcberlin.org

We’ll be discussing Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk. Please bring a light snack to share. Claudia will provide wine and water. Open to AWC Berlin members only, except nonmembers may attend once prior to joining. You can get Claudia's address in Märkisches Ufer in your members directory copy, or when RSVPing.  Click here to see this event in the AWC calendar.

October General Meeting

Wednesday, October 10th 6:30pm-8:30pm Location: St George's Anglican Church, Preußenallee 17-19 Berlin, 14052  RSVP: rsvp@awcberlin.org

As featured above.  For more information click here to see this event in the AWC calendar.

Recurring Evening Activities

Evening Creative Writing Practice

Wednesdays, October 3rd, 10th, and 17th 6:30pm-9:00pm For more information email Molly: writingclass@awcberlin.org

Join this diverse group of writers, whether you're a novice or a seasoned professional. No previous experience necessary!!  At our weekly gatherings, we apply various writing prompts as springboards to unlock and unleash our authentic voices, and share these writings in an atmosphere of trust and deep listening. Uncover the building blocks of good storytelling and discover the seeds of fuller, more developed pieces - from memoir to fiction. If you've never taken the class before, your first one is free. No classes during school holidays. For more information click here to see this event in the AWC calendar.

Women's Wellness Retreat: Autumn Rejuvenation

Friday, October 12th 4:00pm to Sunday October 14th 2:00pm 11:00am-2:00pm  Rosenwaldhof, in Brandenburg RSVP: kristintovson@gmail.com

Join Kristin Tovson and Molly Brown for another special women’s wellness weekend combining meditation, yoga, and creative writing. Find strength and inspiration in community amidst the most beautiful fall foliage in northern Germany. This retreat is your opportunity to relax and unplug from daily life, and to reconnect to yourself and your community. Rosenwaldhof is located in the eastern lowlands, with verdant glacial mounds, lush forest, Havel River, and numerous lakes. Only an hour from Berlin, this private retreat will nourish your heart, mind, and body. Rosenwaldhof offers tasty organic vegetarian home-cooked fare, spacious rooms, and a magnificent setting for walking, cycling, swimming, or a climb up the 108m Götzer Berg, just behind the center, with its spectacular panoramic views. Massages are also available and can be booked directly through the retreat center.  See event here in AWC calendar.

Dining Out: Thai  

Saturday, October 20th 7:00pm-9:00pm Location: Restaurant Mai Phai, Feuerbachstraße 16, Berlin 12163 RSVP: dining@awcberlin.org

“One of the best Thai restaurants in the city” according to our organizer, Betty Ehrmann and Berlin's Top 10.  Open to partners & guests!   Top 10 Berlin – The traditional Thai restaurant Mai Thai is tucked away in a side street, close to Boulevard Berlin on Steglitz’ Schloßstraße. The atmosphere is authentic Thai with decorative relief work and Thai art. The menu kindly remarks that the recipes have been adapted to suit the German palate, but of course you are free to order them with original Thai spiciness. The friendly owner has told us that the restaurant, only equipped with seats for about 30 guests, has been up and running for 20 years, and most guests are regulars. Click here to find this event on the AWC calendar.

View the AWC October Calendar

FAWCO Update

Heidelberg for the weekend? You are invited              as a member of AWC-Berlin to attend the Region 5        (Germany & Austria) FAWCO clubs meeting.  Dates: Friday, Nov 9 through Sunday, Nov 11, 2018 Details here. Reading material? FAWCO members are advocates for issues around the globe, with four areas of focus for "taking action": health, education, environment and human rights. Read more about them on the FAWCO website at www.fawco.org and click "Subscribe" for regular update emails. Education Awards. A terrific benefit of being a member of AWC-Berlin and therefore, of FAWCO, is that you and your dependants are eligible to apply for a variety of scholarships including $4,000 Education Awards. For specifics, see the www.fawcofoundation.org.  Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 63) at the United Nations in New York City is scheduled to take place March 11-22, 2019. Our FAWCO member status makes us eligible to attend these meetings as delegates. You do not have to attend for the full 2 weeks. I recommend this experience if you want to learn more about global women's issues and how the UN is promotes women with a focus on 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.  Please email me, Karen Castellon, if you wish to explore any aspect of FAWCO at FAWCO@awcberlin.org or KarenCastellon908@gmail.com

Forward this newsletter to your friends in Berlin!