AWC BERLIN NEWSLETTER

THE BEAR FACTS

SUMMER 2022

Dear {Contact_First_Name}, 

Happy 4th of July! The summer is upon us, and our Club activities will slow down over the next two months as many of you head out on holiday travels. Some of our events (notably Book Clubs and Women on the Move) will continue to meet, so do check the calendar below and make plans to join us if you’ll be in town.

The Board and I are excited about events in the works for the fall – including our Member Showcase on September 24 & 25, and a new series on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. And we're eager to get your nominations for a Berlin-based charity to support in 2023/2024. Read more on these in the announcements below. 

Finally, it was terrific to see so many of you at our Club's Fourth of July Family BBQ today. While recent news in the US could leave us feeling less than celebratory, we cannot lose hope in the ideals of freedom and empowerment for all people. I would challenge us to use Independence Day as an occasion to reflect and commit to action. Eleanor Roosevelt wrote, "With freedom comes responsibility." How are we living up to that responsibility? If you are a US citizen, or the parent or spouse of a citizen, please see the section below on Voting. 

Happy Summer! We'll see you soon.

Warmly,

Jennifer

Jennifer Post Dräger
President, The American Women's Club of Berlin
president@awcberlin.org

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CLUB NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

We look forward to seeing you soon!

BIDDING FAREWELL ...

Among internationally mobile people, summer is a particularly common time for change.  Indeed, several of our members are moving away from Berlin this summer.  Though we are sad to see them go, we wish each of our departing members good luck as they begin the next chapter of their lives. 

**Did you know that even after you have left Berlin, you can continue to be an alumni member of AWC Berlin?  If you are interested in maintaining your connection to our community, please contact membership@awcberlin.org.

**For those repatriating to the USA, consider becoming a member of FAUSA, the alumnae arm of FAWCO.  To learn more about membership, contact membership@fausa.org.

**If you are moving elsewhere in the world, check out the FAWCO website to see if there is a FAWCO member club in or near your new neck of the woods!

SPOTLIGHT ON NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS

SAVE THE DATE: MEMBER SHOWCASE

PHILANTHROPY: CHARITY SELECTION PROCESS FOR 2023

Every 2 years, our members select a local Berlin-based charity for our Club to support with fundraising, in-kind donations and when possible, volunteering. Now it’s time for us to begin our search for support in 2023-2024. The search begins with nominations presented by the members of the AWC Berlin.   The application/nominations deadline is August 15, 2022.  The organization must be Berlin-based and focus on women and children, and the funding request should be for a specific project, not for sustaining the organization. Nominations will be vetted by the Philanthropy Committee and the finalists will be presented to the membership for a final vote at the AGM in December. Once an organization is selected, we will begin fundraising efforts in 2023.

How can you get involved? Nominate a charity project for us to consider, using the criteria and application linked below. Or join us on the Philanthropy Committee, helping to assess the applications and make recommendations to the Board. Contact Philanthropy Chair Lissa Rosenbloom at philanthropy@awcberlin.org to get involved. 

TIMELINE & CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

APPLICATION – please download or make a copy, complete and submit to philanthropy@awcberlin.org as a PDF file.

FAWCO UPDATE

After an inspiring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) session at the FAWCO Interim Meeting in Luxembourg, we have created a ‘DEIB Local’ team for AWC Berlin! Starting in September, we’ll have a series of programs & outings that enhance our learning about one another through sharing our diverse stories, histories, and experiences. Stay tuned!

Did you know as a member of AWC Berlin, you are automatically a member of FAWCO? To learn more and keep up to date on all things FAWCO, go to www.FAWCO.org to the top right corner and opt-in with “Join Us” and “Subscribe.” For a list of all available FAWCO publications, click here. And to see upcoming FAWCO events, go to FAWCO’s Event Calendar. 

For those repatriating to the USA, consider becoming a member of FAUSA, the alumnae arm of FAWCO. If you are moving elsewhere in the world, check out the FAWCO website to see if there is a FAWCO member club in or near your new neck of the woods! 

To learn more about FAWCO or to get involved with our new DEIB Local team, please contact your FAWCO Representative Frances Durocher at fawcorep@awcberlin.org.

Learn more about FAWCO at fawco.org, or contact Frances Durocher at fawcorep@awcberlin.org.

THE 2022 US VOTE: Request Your Ballot

Did you know …

• that any U.S. citizen who will be 18 by voting day is eligible to register and vote, even if they have never lived in the U.S.?
  

• that when living abroad, you must request a ballot every year? So, even if you requested a ballot in the past, you must do so again for this year’s elections.

Election Day is November 8, 2022, and it will be here before you know it. Register and request your ballot now! Here is how:

• REGISTER to vote and REQUEST a ballot. You must do this with your local election official, but you can both register to vote from overseas and request a ballot at the same time.  Your ballot request will be for all elections in 2022, which will include any primary elections and the general election in November.   
  
• Once you receive your ballot, complete and return it according to the instructions that accompany your ballot.
  

Register today! www.overseasvotefoundation.org

AWC BERLIN & SOCIAL MEDIA

Besides the private AWC Members Only group, did you know we have 3 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 

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

SUMMER EVENTS

July

Tennis: Summer Season
Tuesday, July 5, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Women's Writes (Zoom)
Wednesday, July 6, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Women on the Move: Ackerhalle in Mitte (In Person)
Thursday, July 7, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Genre Book Club (Krimi) (In Person)
Tuesday, July 12, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Women on the Move: Tegel Market Hall (In Person)
Thursday, July 14, 11:00am - 1:30pm
It's After 5 Somewhere - Wine Tasting (In Person)
Saturday, July 23, 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Morning Book Club (In Person)
Tuesday, July 26, 10:00am - 12:00pm

August
Menopause Support Group (In Person)
Thursday, August 4, 10:30am - 12:30pm
Literature Book Club (In Person)
Tuesday, August 9, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
German Conversation (In Person)
Monday, August 22, 9:30am - 10:30am
Evening Book Club (In Person)
Tuesday, August 23, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Art & Culture - Angela Merkel Portraits (In Person)
Thursday, August 25, 11:00am - 1:00pm
German Conversation (In Person)
Monday, August 29, 9:30am - 10:30am

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 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