AWC Going Dutch May_June 2019

Celebrating Our Volunteers
and Honorary Members
by Jan Essad & Sunita Menon
American Quilts: 200 Years of
Dedicated Recycling
by Audrey Goodman & Suzanne MacNeil
“Because I want to give back to a Club that
has given me a soft place to fall while I adjusted
in a new country.”
“I love participating in our philanthropic activities.
It’s wonderful to see how these acts
of caring and kindness bring joy to people in
The Hague community.”
“I left my career behind for my first expat
assignment and serving on the Board is a
great way to keep my skills sharp and my
resume current, while meeting new friends
and enjoying all the activities the Club has
to offer.”
“Planning activities for the Club is a great
way to show newcomers my country.”
“I’ve got to stay busy or this rain and dreary
weather will drive me crazy.”
There are so many reasons for volunteering.
Whatever the reason, it is undeniable
that the selfless volunteerism of many of
our Members is the true heart of the AWC.
The Volunteers and Honorary Members
Luncheon is our chance to recognize and
thank all who dedicate their time and talents
to make our AWC the vibrant Club it is today.
While many Members come to the
Netherlands for short-term expat assignments,
others have come for a lifetime with
their Dutch partners. Some of these ladies
have been Members for more than 25 years!
They are our Honorary Members and an
invaluable asset to our Club, offering their
knowledge, expertise, advice, and support
from an undisputable proud history of AWC
The Hague. These are women, who in the
true spirit of volunteerism, created a legacy
for our Club. We are very thankful, not only
for their contributions that made the Club
what it is today, but the continued generosity
of their talents, inspiration and mentorship.
Did you know we have a Member who
has been part of AWC The Hague for 55
years, and another for 53 years? You won’t
want to miss this chance to hear some of
their stories.
“Volunteers don’t necessarily have
the time, they just have the heart.”
~ Elizabeth Andrew
Mark your calendars and come celebrate
our Volunteers and Honorary Members at
the luncheon. Please be sure to register so
we’ll know how many to plan for. This is
the perfect opportunity to thank those who
volunteered this past year, get to know
our Honorary Members, and find out more
about where you would like to volunteer in
the next Club year.
Wednesday, May 22
10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
AWC Clubhouse
FREE
Registration/Cancellation Deadline:
May 17
Sign up at www.awcthehague.org
This year our Club donated € 990 to
the Textile Research Center (TRC) in
Leiden. The funds will be used for the
purchase and preservation of quilts from the
1800s, in connection with an exhibition that
will arrive in Leiden in 2020. Many of our
very own Members are involved in this project,
including Beverley Bennett, Susan Cave
and Loren Mealey. You can learn more about
their quilting histories and involvement with
the project by reading Susan’s article, Clues
in the Calico, in our January/February issue.
Below is a blog submission that was featured
on TRC’s website (www.trc-leiden.nl)
in December 2018 and provides information
about the upcoming exhibition.
Gillian Vogelsang, TRC Director,
announces a new exhibition
at the TRC, to be opened in
February 2020.
Almost 400 years ago, in 1620, a group
of 102 English Protestant Puritans left
the town of Leiden, where they had
found refuge some 10 years before,
and sailed via Plymouth in England on
board the Mayflower to Massachusetts in
America. The Pilgrim Fathers, as they were
to be called, are traditionally regarded as the
founders of the United States. A daughter
of two of the Pilgrims, namely Myles and
Barbara Standish, has become famous for
producing the first extant embroidery sampler
in the US, commonly known as the
Loara Standish Sampler.
To mark the 400-year anniversary of the
Massachusetts settlement in 2020, Leiden is
organizing the Mayflower 400 Program with
a series of exhibitions, theater productions,
sports meetings, and many other events. For
more information, see www.visitleiden.nl/
nl/ontdek-leiden/specials/pilgrim.
As part of the Mayflower 400 Program, the
Textile Research Centre (TRC) in Leiden
will be setting up an exhibition and series
of workshops about 200 years of American
quilt making. This has been made possible
by the recent donation of over 50 American
quilts and quilt tops by Sherry Cook and
others. Examples of quilts dating from the
1830s to the present day will be on display.
A series of lectures on American quilts
and quilt making will accompany the exhibition.
There will also be practical workshops,
during which various technical aspects
of quilting will be explored.
The exhibition is being organized in
conjunction with Sherry Cook from
Washington state, Susan Cave (New
Zealand/The Hague) and Beverley Bennett
(UK/The Hague).
“Modern American Quilt with Scalloped
Edge.”
26 GOING DUTCH
MAY/JUNE 2019 27