AWC Going Dutch Sept Oct 2021

Message from the President
by Barbara Brookman
What a Difference a Year Makes
Welcome to the 2021-2022 Club Year. I
look forward to a year where more is possible.
With everybody able to enjoy more
freedom, the Club’s calendar is full of activities.
We have a busy fall planned at the
Clubhouse and around The Hague. The
Board and Chairs have worked hard to program
lots of in-person activities, fun gettogethers,
museum tours and more. Check
out the calendar on the AWC website or the
Wild Apricot app to see what is happening
and sign up.
I hope to see many new and returning
Members at the Daytime Kick Off Meeting
on September 9 or the evening one on
September 16 (see following page). Our
Welcome Back Social on September 26
will be a potluck with the Club providing
drinks and snacks, so start thinking about
what to bring (see page 18).
This fall we’ll also continue fundraising
for several local nonprofits. Minal Rajan
has taken on the Philanthropy Chair position
and will look at new opportunities for
the Club to give back in a meaningful way.
In addition, we will continue to support
the FAWCO Target Project: SAFE (Safe
Alternatives for Female Genital Mutilation
Elimination). Hopefully, we can soon
schedule the long-postponed Handbag
Auction in support of the project.
8 GOING DUTCH
Of course, if the last year
and a half has taught
us anything, it’s that
we sometimes have
little control over
the events in our
lives. From the
start, our Club has
shown a great capacity
to deal with an
everchanging situation. Now more change
is coming our way.
In August, our landlord informed us that
this will be our last year in the Clubhouse
on the Johan van Oldenbarneveltlaan.
After almost 10 years in the current house,
I know this will be difficult for many of us.
This month, we will start a conversation
with all of you to hear what you think the
Club should do, what you care about and
how you want to be involved. The Board
and I want to hear from every Member to
develop a vision for the future.
On our way to 100, the AWC is at the start
of another new chapter in its history!
Barbara
Welcome New Members!
Yvonne Booy
Christy Carter
Marilyn Engelbrecht
Michelle Ernst
Maria Estrada
Patricia Manso
Lisa Medved
Deborah Tjalma
New to the Netherlands? Not so new,
but still want to meet friends? The
American Women’s Club of The
Hague (AWC) is hosting both morning and
evening Kick Off Meetings so prospective
and current Members can learn about our
events, activities, and philanthropic efforts for
the coming Club Year. All English-speaking
women are welcome! Please join us at our
Clubhouse for a coffee and mimosa morning
or an evening borrel. Come meet our
Members and find out how the AWC can
become your home away from home!
by Melissa Rider
While the summer months for AWC
Members are usually full of travel
for vacation or heading back to
home countries for family visits, our Club
still tries to remain active. Offering an array
of Ongoing and One-of-a-Kind Activities
while adhering to the coronavirus restrictions
proved challenging, but our Committee Chairs
were resourceful with a range of virtual events
using Google Meets to keep our Members interested,
engaged, and beneficent throughout
the winter and spring months. Therefore, what
a treat it was to start our 2021-22 Club Year
with an in-person June General Meeting at
the Strandrestaurant Werelds at Scheveningen
Beach (see photos on page 6). While it was an
informal gathering with no set agenda, we had
a fantastic showing of more than 20 Members
who were pleased to see each other as a whole
Thursday, September 9
10 a.m. – Noon
and
Thursday, September 16
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
AWC Clubhouse
FREE
October General Meeting
Please save the date for our October
General Meeting. Minal Rajan, our new
Philanthropy Committee Chair, will present
this Club Year's philanthropy initiatives.
Look for more details on our guest speaker
in eNews closer to the date.
Thursday, October 14
10 a.m. – Noon
AWC Clubhouse
FREE
That’s What You Look Like Full-Size!
person and not just from the shoulders up
on a computer screen. Typically, General
Meetings are not held in July or August, but
with the success of June’s meeting, a repeat
of the event was held in July. Once again,
the weather was in our favor with sunshine
and warm temperatures. There were more
Members still in town than anticipated, so a
sizeable group of 25 or so enjoyed another
lovely morning of friendship and camaraderie
on Werelds’ terrace. The strong showings
at these meetings prove that our Members’
enthusiasm for their social and philanthropic
Club has not waned during these COVID-19
times, but only strengthened. The Board and
Committee Chairs look forward to welcoming
everyone to the morning and evening
Kick Off Meetings at the AWC Clubhouse
in September.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 9