AWC BERLIN NEWSLETTER


THE BEAR FACTS

SEPTEMBER 2024

Dear {Contact_First_Name},

Welcome Back! I hope you have had a fun and relaxed summer and are energized for an exciting fall with AWC celebrations and the US election. After a short break in August, our Club is in full swing this month starting with a Welcome Back Weekend: drinks on Thursday September 5th, Kaffeeklatsch (monthly coffee morning) on Friday morning the 6th, and a walking tour of Friedrichshain on Saturday the 7th. I hope to see you at one of these events.

Also, our AWC Berlin WhatsApp Community is a good way to stay connected. There are 25 vibrant groups available to you, including the new one for AWC members with children at JFK School. Write to membership@awcberlin.org, Nelly will add you to the community. Before you click to join each group, please read its description.

This month, we celebrate our 130th Anniversary with a Charity Gala on September 21st. I’m happy to say that we are sold out, however, we could add a few seats - so if you are in town, there’s still the opportunity to join. To enhance affordability, the club is subsidizing 45% of the member ticket and 25% of the guest ticket. RSVP until latest September 8: https://forms.gle/UpKjhNQBe4TRrDsWA 

US citizens, have you requested your ballot for the Presidential election? Our votes from abroad are vital to the 2024 election! Only one month to go so request your ballot now to give it enough time for processing! See more info below. 

Finally, we would love to hear from you - we always welcome ideas, feedback, and help. If there is an activity you don’t see on the calendar, start one! Our club is only as strong as our volunteer power! 

I look forward to reconnecting with you soon! xo

My-Linh

My-Linh Kunst
President, The American Women's Club of Berlin

The AWC Berlin is 100% member-run - we always welcome and appreciate your contribution, feedback and suggestions. Please email president@awcberlin.org.

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CLUB NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS
 

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!

Michele Blake-Rönsch

Penny Fischer 

Kristin Grimstrup

Mariann Leuenberger 

Sejal Patel-Tolksdorf 

Carolina Prosser 

Anna Reidel 

Esther Seoanes 

Anna Sheehan

We look forward to seeing you soon!

VOTING

Attention all USA citizens: Have you requested your ballot to vote in the upcoming American election?  All Americans can vote in US elections but they must request their ballots every year they wish to vote.  This takes a few minutes.  Pro tip: Request your ballots to come by email and when possible be returned electronically or by fax.  

Go to www.votefromabroad.org to request your ballot.  There is also a help button if you have questions.

If you need in-person help, there will be a voter registration table in Berlin.

When:  Sunday, Sept. 22, 13:00-15:00

Where:  BRLO Charlottenburg Giesebrechtstraße 15, 10629 Berlin
 

TENNIS
 

The AWC Berlin tennis season kicks off on September 14th! We meet Tuesdays from 10am-12pm at the Blau-Gold club in Steglitz. All levels welcome! Contact ferahlaue@gmail.com for information.

PHILANTHROPY

At the Charity Gala on September 21st, our Silent Auction will benefit the ReDI School of Digital Integration. The Silent Auction will feature themed baskets, and we are still seeking donations to make this event a success. We would greatly appreciate your contribution to any of the following baskets:

Literary Basket: vouchers from Bookstore or Literatur Cafe, books.

Wellness Basket: Candles, aromatherapy oils, a robe, slippers, hand creams, etc.

Baby Basket: new Children’s books, toys, stuffed animals.

Kiddie Basket: new Children’s books, arts & crafts supplies.

Deadline for Collecting Items: September 8th. 

If you have other bespoke items you’d like to donate (jewelry, designer handbags, art, etc.), we would gladly accept them as well. If you’re interested in contributing, please reach out to Prachi at philanthropy.awcberlin@gmail.com.

FAWCO: Our International Network

Check FAWCO's LATEST NEWS on our website for online events in September available to AWC Berlin members, and other news. The online events include a voting town hall, a book discussion and a virtual tour of Awesome Blossoms’s hydroponic gardens - the Target Project recipient in Nairobi.

FAWCO's Inspiring Women Magazine is looking for nominations for their November issue - theme is "family story". Tell us your “family” story — family in the broadest sense of the word: multigenerational, blended or nuclear, clubs, church or professional communities, neighborhoods. Nominations are due on Thursday, September 26th. Send a brief description (50-100 words) of why you think they are inspiring and fit the theme for the issue. 

Regional Meetings are a great way to be introduced to FAWCO. As AWC Berlin members, we are invited to these upcoming meetings:

* October 4-6 in Paris: “Cultivating Connections, Empowering Women”. FAWCO Region 3 Meeting hosted by AWG Paris. Deadline to register is September 15th.

* October 26 in Rabat, Morrocco: “Women’s Rights in Morocco“ - and the impact on women’s civil liberties concerning the recent changes to Moudawana (the Moroccan family code). FAWCO Region 7 meeting hosted by AIWA Rabat. For registration and more information, please contact Nancy Lukas-Slaoi, AIWA Rabat President at nancy.slaoui@gmail.com OR Cynthia Smith-Ayed, Regional Coordinator Region 7 at rc7@fawco.org.

* November 8-10 in Antwerp, Belgium: “Nurture Yourself, Nurture the Environment: The First Steps to Global Change”. FAWCO Region 4 meeting hosted by AWC Antwerp. Registration is now open. 

November 15-17, “Women in Democracy”. FAWCO Region 5 meeting hosted by … us, AWC Berlin! Join us for an enriching weekend, shortly after the US Presidential Election. We’ll explore the theme of Women in Democracy, including a discussion hosted by longtime NPR journalist Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson for Common Ground Berlin.

Fabulous tours, too: from Alternative Berlin to Nefertiti at the Neues Museum (with our own Dr. Fran Durocher!). Connect and collaborate with our fellow Sister Clubs in Germany and Austria.

You’re in for a treat, so mark your calendars! Registration opens early September.

AWC Berlin is a founding member of FAWCO, a network of American and international women's clubs around the world.  As a member of AWC Berlin, you are automatically also a member of FAWCO, connecting you to philanthropy and advocacy on a global scale. Learn more at FAWCO.org. 

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

Many of us were introduced to Tonhain Collective at the invitation of AWC member Ingrid McCrue to her home for a House Concert back in March. For the Auction of Talents, they also donated another concert in November. So I’d like to support them by sharing their exciting news:

Pictured: Tonhain Collective

We're excited to let you know about our first full season, which will run from September 2024 to June 2025. This season consists of nine concerts where we will explore the fascinating relationship between music and machine throughout history—from the invention of the metronome in the 18th century to the latest advancements in artificial intelligence. The season kicks off with our first concert, "Tick Tock," on September 20, 2024, at 7 PM. You can find more details on our website: www.tonhain-kollektiv.org.

We have an exciting and diverse lineup this season, featuring exceptional artists including winners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, concert masters from the Konzerthaus Orchestra and the Staatskapelle Berlin, as well as the Vision String Quartet, the young dynamic German ensemble making waves in the classical music world.

I’m certain there are many classical music enthusiasts within your network who would love this chamber music series. We’ve set up an exclusive discount code for AWC members: "AMERICANWOMEN," which offers a 15% discount on standard online tickets.

AWC BERLIN SEPTEMBER EVENTS

Week of September 2
German Conversation (In Person)
Monday, Sept. 2, 9:30-10:30am
Women & Finance: Season 4 Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap (Zoom)
Thursday, Sept. 5, 6-7:30pm
Welcome Back Drink (In Person)
Thursday, Sept, 5, 6-9pm
Kaffee Klatsch (In Person)
Friday, September 6, 10:30am-12pm
Suarezstrasse Antique Mile (In Person)
Saturday, Sept. 7, 12pm 
 
 

Week of September 16
German Conversation (In Person)
Monday, Sept. 16, 9:30-10:30am
Regular Book Club (In Person)
Tuesday, Sept. 17, 7-9pm
Thirsty Wednesday (In Person)
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 6:30-9:30pm
Open Mic - Women & Finance - Season 4 Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap (Zoom)
Thursday, Sept. 19, 6-9:30pm
130th ANNIVERSARY CHARITY GALA - RSVP with link
Saturday, Sept. 21, 7pm-12am

Week of September 23
German Conversation (In Person)
Monday, Sept. 23, 9:30-10:30am
Oktoberfest at Hofbräu Wirtshaus
Thursday, Sept. 26, 7pm

HOW TO AWC BERLIN

AWC BERLIN ONLINE

AWC members can manage their account, access the membership directory and sign up for events by logging into their AWC member account. You can access your account from your smartphone via the Wild Apricot Mobile app, or simply by going on any computer with internet and visiting the "Members Login" area of the AWC Berlin website.

Calendar and Event Registration

As a reminder, AWC Berlin members must log in with a user name and password to access events on our calendar and register for them.  So that we know to expect you, please remember to register for events you wish to attend.

IN THE MEMBERS ONLY AREA, you can:

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

Step 1: Go to the AWC website and click "Members Login" (request new password from the website if needed). Manage your events from the calendar.

Step 2: You could also download the Wild Apricot Member app to your smartphone or tablet and use your website login on the app.

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, but otherwise the app is fine for Android users. Questions? WA-Admin@awcberlin.org.

AWC BERLIN & SOCIAL MEDIA

Besides the Private AWC Members Only group, did you know we have 4 private sub-groups on Facebook?  Click the links below and ask to JOIN. 

**AWC Berlin Second-Hand Postings (to buy, sell or swap):  https://www.facebook.com/groups/653200785262766 

**Bookmarked in Berlin (for book lovers to share and discuss their favorite reads): https://www.facebook.com/groups/302249127866608 

**Women and Finance (to share resources):  
https://www.facebook.com/groups/472000217478608 

**AWC Berlin Valiant Vegans (to share resources):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/825562655186088/

Also, come “like” our public Facebook page and follow us on Instagram @awcberlin!


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 more than one post per member per Monday, and please, 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


AWC BERLIN WHATSAPP COMMUNITY

AWC Berlin now has a WhatsApp Community where all of our WhatsApp groups reside. If you are the administrator on a WhatsApp group that is not already in our "AWC Berlin" Community, please email president@awcberlin.org. The benefits of a Community include:

  • Visibility into all AWC Berlin-related WhatsApp groups. 
  • Group chats are restricted to group members, but as a Community member, you can see the title and description of all the groups. If you are eligible to join based on the group's description, you are welcome to "ask to join" any of the groups. 
  • Administrators can make announcements to the whole community (e.g., for last-minute event info)

Our WHATSAPP policies are similar to our FACEBOOK policies

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

  • No self-promotion. You are invited to let us know about your business on MARKETING MONDAY - in our private FACEBOOK group. Be sure to preface your post with MARKETING MONDAY. No more than one post per member each Monday.

  • When in doubt, please send your questions to president@awcberlin.org.

Thank you for your cooperation!

AWC Berlin Facebook Page | AWCB Website

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