AWC Going Dutch May June 2022

Going Dutch
May/June 2022
The Magazine of the
American Women’s Club
of The Hague
Table of Contents
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6
How exciting when we opened the doors
to our new Clubhouse for our Members to
see our new home away from home
30
The AWC has experienced many milestones
since its founding in 1930
50
There were plenty of smiles on moving day
thanks to Monica Rodoni’s leadership
5 Officers and Chairwomen
6 Open House
8 Messages from the
Presidents
10 Ramblings from the Editor
12 Membership
14 Ongoing Activities
18 AWC and the Arts
19 Newcomers
20 Book Lovers
22 Slate of Officers
25 FAWCO
26 Calendar
SPECIAL AWC SECTION
28 AWC Barnyard
30 AWC Milestones
34 AWC Library
38 Hats Off to Monica Rodoni
39 Farewell to Going Dutch
42 Plucked From the Shredder
46 Election and Installation
48 Memorial Day
50 Moving Day
51 Classifieds
MAY / JUNE 2022 3

Editor
Melissa White
2022-2023 AWC Officers Committee Chairs
AWC Clubhouse
Bisschopstraat 5
2596 XH, Den Haag
Tel: 070 350 6007
info@awcthehague.org
www.awcthehague.org
Going Dutch Magazine
goingdutchmag@awcthehague.org
Dues (Effective 2022-2023)
€ 110 per year (€ 66 after January 1)
€ 90 business, professional
€ 55 valid US military ID
€ 35 full-time students under age 26
€ 15 outside the Netherlands (Going
Dutch not included)
€ 15 new member registration fee
Design and Layout
Teresa Mahoney
Cover
Voorschoten in May 2020
Photography
Greetje Engelsman, Melissa White
Proofreaders
Celeste Brown, Jane Gulde, Diane Schaap,
Debbie van Hees
Advertising Manager & Invoicing
Open
Contributors
Mary Adams, Molly Boed, Barbara
Brookman, Celeste Brown, Jane Choy,
Suzanne Dundas, Marilyn Engelbrecht,
Greetje Engelsman, Georgia Regnault,
Melissa Rider, Jo van Kalveen, Anne van
Oorschot, Melissa White
Printer
www.dwcprint.nl
AWC Bank Account Number
IBAN: NL42ABNA0431421757
KvK Den Haag
40409274 BTW or VAT: 007408705B01
Honorary President Marja Verloop
President Celeste Brown
president@awcthehague.org
Vice President Lesley Gerrese
vicepresident@awcthehague.org
Treasurer Anne van Oorschot
treasurer@awcthehague.org
Secretary Anuradha Koratkar
secretary@awcthehague.org
Club and Community Development
Officer
Michelle Ernst
community@awcthehague.org
Clubhouse Administration Officer
Openi
clubadministrator@awcthehague.org
Communications Jo van Kalveen
communications@awcthehague.org
Activities: Sarah Partridge
Arts: Jane Choy
Assistant Treasurer: Teresa Insalaco
Book Club Daytime: Teresa Mahoney
Book Club Evening: Dena Haggerty
Bookkeeper: Lori Schnebelie
Caring Committee: Naomi Keip
Chat, Craft & Coffee: Suzanne Dundas
Community Outreach: Minal Rajan
eNews: Allison Manning
FAWCO: Open
General Meetings Programs: Open
Heart Pillows: Jan de Vries
IT Administrator and Webmaster: Julie
Otten
Kids’ Club: Open
Lunch Bunch: Greetje Engelsman
Mah Jongg: Jen van Ginhoven
Membership: Melissa Rider
Movie Network: Open
Newcomers: Jo van Kalveen
Parliamentarian/Historian: Georgia
Regnault
Pickleball: Allison Manning, Sarah
Partridge, Krishna Thakrar
Thirsty Thursday: Dena Haggerty
Tours: Open
Volunteer Coordinator: Open
Walkie Talkies: Allison Manning
Women with Dutch Partners: Sarah
Partridge
Please Note: Articles submitted to Going Dutch will be published subject to space limitations and
editorial approval. All rights reserved; reprints only by written permission of the Editor. Please email to:
goingdutchmag@awcthehague.org
Legal Notice: Articles in Going Dutch express the views and opinions of their authors alone, and not necessarily
those of the AWC of The Hague, its Members or this publication.
4 GOING DUTCH
AWC Mission Statement
The AWC is an association formed to provide social and educational activities for American
women living in the Netherlands and to promote amicable relations among people of all nations,
as well as acquiring funds for general public interest. Membership in the club is open
to women of all nations who are friendly and welcoming to American culture. The association
does not endeavor to make a profit. The AWC is a 100% volunteer organization.
MAY / JUNE 2022 5

New Clubhouse,
New Beginnings

Messages from the Presidents
by Barbara Brookman,
AWC President, 2020-2022
by Celeste Brown,
AWC President, 2022-2023
Messages from the Presidents (cont.)
Continued from page 8
by Barbara Brookman
by Celeste Brown
Just don’t call me the Corona President.
My two years as President of the AWC
seem like both a short and a long time. Of
course, the coronavirus pandemic that just
wouldn’t go away and kept popping up just
when we thought the Club could go back
to normal made the two years seem like a
long time. And there were some discussions
about coronavirus protocols and Clubhouse
closures and use that seemed to go on for
days. At the same time, was it only yesterday
that we stored all the handbags in the
closets before closing the Clubhouse for
the first lockdown? Now they are out of the
closet and ready for a starring role in April’s
Handbag Auction at our new Clubhouse.
With the whirlwind of finding,
negotiating and moving
to the new Clubhouse at the
Bisschopstraat 5 behind us, our
Clubhouse is open and activities
have returned. Monica Rodoni,
our Clubhouse Administrator,
assisted by many volunteers,
made this move a success. Her
ability to manage and encourage
Members to participate in the move
was inspiring. She made the task seem easy
by managing all the details and letting everyone
else have fun packing, decorating
and, yes, even cleaning up (see page 50). A
huge thank you to
Monica (see page
38)!
8 GOING DUTCH
We have already
had many
activities at our
new Clubhouse.
I’m really happy
that it is also a
resource to help
the Ukranian
refugees in The
Hague. The
>> 9
The Past: Exactly 20 years ago, I was installed
as President of the American Women’s
Club of The Hague. What an honor! I had
been a Member for only three years, but was
full of ambition and energy. The Club was
bustling: 400 Members; two (sometimes
three!) activities multiple days per week;
Members enjoying several trips (by bus or
air) per year; and a Front Office that received
a steady stream of newcomers. At the end
of my second term, our Club was proud to
sponsor the FAWCO Conference where we
hosted about 200 members of other AWCs
around the world with our Club Members
as the oh-so-proud hostesses. Our Club was
bustling, busy and vibrant.
The Present: Fast forward 20 years.
The shifting business role that expats
play in businesses around the
world has drastically reduced the
Membership not only of our Club
(currently more than 170), but
also other AWCs and international
women’s clubs around the
world. Our Club’s demographics
show that Members range from
young professional women to young
moms, to professional middle-aged women
and those with school aged children, to
empty nesters and retirees. This diversity
makes our Club eclectic and strong, with
Members with a wide variety of skillsets.
The last two
years have been
difficult on our
Club. The outgoing
Board,
led by the intrepid
Barbara
Brookman, has
done yeoman’s
work keeping our
AWC moving forward
during the
unprecedented
>> 9
€ 1,500 we made from renting the Clubhouse
to the Gemeente for the city council elections
was used to buy toiletry kits for Ukrainian
refugee families hosted for dinner by Church
of Our Savior. This is the church our soup
ladies make soup for. Thanks to Michelle
Ernst and Minal Rajan for organizing this.
In addition, we had two successful clothing
giveaways for Ukraine (see page 37), the
first one from clothes donated for the Preloved
Clothing Pop Up and the second one
a drive specifically for children’s clothing.
Thank you to Jo van Kalveen for organizing
these drives. We will be looking for other
ways that the AWC and our Clubhouse can
serve refugees in the future.
I couldn’t be more proud of the
2021-2022 Board and what it has
accomplished: Wynne Davis,
Vice President; Anne van
Oorschot, Treasurer; Marilyn
Tinsay, Secretary; Lesley
Gerrese, Communications;
Monica Rodoni, Clubhouse
Administrator; Carin Elam,
Minal Rajan and Michelle Ernst
who tag teamed Club & Community;
Georgia Regnault, Parliamentarian and
Melissa Rider, Senior Advisor. Everyone on
this Board has looked for what is possible,
learned new things, moved quickly and was
willing to change tack if needed. I’m really
proud to have been part of this team. It’s
been an honor to serve as AWC President.
Thank you.
Peace,
Barbara
COVID-19 pandemic. I warmly salute
Barbara and her entire team – Board Officers,
Committee Chairs, Activity Chairs and all
volunteers – for all their creative efforts to
keep our Club afloat during a difficult time.
They did an incredible job! And then, as if
their jobs weren’t difficult enough, the Board
learned unexpectedly that we must vacate
our Clubhouse. That said, they achieved the
unachievable by finding a new Clubhouse
and organizing a smooth transition in record
time. We are now settled on Bisschopstraat 5
in Benoordenhout, and our Club is poised to
move forward. Well done, ladies!
The Future: To get our new Board team
off to a good start, the Outgoing-Incoming
Board Meeting is scheduled for early
June. Two weeks later, I am organizing
a Board Training/Team
Building session for the new
Board Members. You’ll hear
much more from us as we get
our feet on the ground.
Our Club is always your proverbial
“home away from home.”
What is our Club’s formula for success?
The more people you know, the
closer you feel to the Club. You find “your
group,” you find “your activities” and before
you know it, you are smack dab in the living,
pulsing, fun, giving, energizing heart of the
Club. My motto: you need to give energy to
get energy. The deep friendships and unique
shared experiences that international living
brings are here waiting for you. Let’s share
them together.
Tot ziens!
Celeste
MAY / JUNE 2022 9

Ramblings from the Editor
by Melissa White
It is bittersweet to be writing my last
Ramblings once again. Of course, I’ve said
goodbye before, but this time I’m definitely
closing the book on this chapter of my life. It
is time for another team to guide the magazine
into the next chapter of the AWC’s life.
In 1988, then AWC Editor Leonara Kraft
summed it up well when she left:
With this issue of the magazine, I relinquish
my responsibility as Editor. I regret
deeply that no one has stepped forward to fill
this position, and I certainly want to wish all
the best to the person who finally takes the job.
Being Editor is time-consuming, frustrating
and hair pulling at the best of times. But in
producing this magazine every month, the
Editor does an invaluable service to the Club
and to the American community, and this is
vastly rewarding. I have learned and grown
through my experience.
I, too, have pulled my hair, but more
importantly, have also learned and grown
through this experience. Thanks to all who
have submitted articles over the many years
and to the wonderful team of ladies who have
provided a second or third set of eyes to help
with proofreading.
Of course, I couldn’t have done any of
this without Teresa Mahoney. Thanks for
putting up with me for ten years! We really
have to find a fitting way to celebrate the ending
of this partnership. What began as a whim
transformed into a well-oiled machine. We
took a black-and-white basic magazine and
transformed it into a beautiful colorful magazine
eagerly read by AWC Members and our
local expat community. You can learn more
about the magazine on page 39 as part of our
special section starting on page 28 that looks
back at the AWC.
This is also my last opportunity to overshare
about my daughters (if you just can’t get
enough, please ask me for my blog address).
Visa issues continue to dominant our lives at
the moment. We were thrilled to recently see
Ashlynn, who’s nearly 22, when she popped
back into Holland from Glasgow (where she
continues to work on her bachelor’s degree
when not working as a bartender or DJ) to take
the final of her Dutch inburgering exams: the
dreaded speaking exam! I felt like a terrible
mother when I decided at the last minute not
to accompany her to Amsterdam to be able
to celebrate afterwards; I made it as far as the
train station before realizing another horrific
storm of rain and wind was about to blow
through. No bad weather, however, will be
able to stop me from celebrating if she actually
obtains her long-term residency.
Celebrate endings for they proceed
new beginnings.
~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Just weeks after applying for her residence
visa through the Dutch American Friendship
Treaty so that she could stay living with us
while working on her science communications
consulting business, our eldest daughter,
24-year-old Veronica, was awarded the funding
to do a PhD at the University of Exeter
in southwest England. After a very bumpy
road due to the pandemic and ongoing visa
issues, I am relieved that Veronica has a clear
path ahead, one that seems custom built for
her. Her research will utilize creative social
science methods, including photography (at
which she is truly talented), to investigate the
visual communication of climate change and
future food systems. And I am so incredibly
proud that she will be the first in our family to
obtain a doctorate. She’ll start in September
by doing a master’s in Sustainable Futures at
Exeter’s campus in Cornwall and then will
spend three years in Exeter. She’s already
begun researching where in Cornwall we can
have our family vacation when we help her
move. Onto new beginnings!
10 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 11

Membership
by Melissa Rider
2022-2023 Membership Dues
AWC Membership dues for the 2022-2023
Club Year are payable September 1 and
will be effective until August 31, 2023.
You will receive an invoice via email in
August. Please make a bank transfer before
September 30 to avoid a € 10 late fee.
A bank transfer is preferred over PayPal
so that extra fees are not incurred by the
AWC. Dues remain the same as last year:
€ 110 for Regular and Associate Members,
€ 90 for Business/Professionals (working
full-time), € 55 for Military (with valid
military ID), and € 35 Students (full-time
under age 26 with valid student ID) and
€ 15 Non-residents (overseas).
Ook Whatsapp!
70,- 75,-
85,- 90,-
45,-
Update Your Information
It is very important to keep both your email
and mailing addresses accurate, so you receive
your Membership renewal invoice
and eNews. You can update your information
in the Wild Apricot App under “My
Profile,” by logging into your account at
www.awcthehague.org and clicking on “Edit
Profile,” or by contacting the Membership
Chair at membership@awcthehague.org
with any changes.
Becoming More International
Our Membership of 171 ladies currently
consists of 67% Regular Members (US
citizens or married to a US citizen) and
33% Associate Members (non-US citizens).
So while our Membership numbers
are almost equal to those of pre-pandemic
times, our demographic has become more
international. The 2018-2019 and 2019-
2020 Club Years had 170 Members and
saw our percentages at 75% and 25%. We
dipped to a low of 146 Members during
the 2020-2021 Club Year, but have rebounded
wonderfully in 2021-2022. Keep
encouraging your friends and neighbors to
join, since word of mouth is our best advertisement.
Welcome New Members!
Suzanne Bolling
Dallas Buckley
Michelle Burkett
Patricia Calabro
Yvonne Roels
Ekta Singh
Gabriella Snoeck
Hanne Winkler
Amy Woelderink-Wassing
For free quote from other
cities or for bookings contact
us on +31 (0)622 395536
FRITS - TAXI
email us on Fritstaxi@msn.com
or visit us on www.fritstaxi.nl
12 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 13

Ongoing Activities
Chat, Craft & Coffee
Chat, Craft & Coffee is a weekly highlight
for those who enjoy crafts and camaraderie.
Whether your craft is knitting, quilting, needlepoint
or simply mending your clothes,
no matter if you are a beginner or an expert,
you are welcome to join us. Fish that
UFO (Unfinished Object) out of the drawer
Fridays, May 13 + June 10
1 – 3 p.m.
AWC Clubhouse
FREE
Pickleball
The Winter 2022 season of Pickleball
finishes up on May 19. Pickleball is the
to register, contact Jen van Ginhoven at
info@awcthehague.org.
Every Tuesday
1 – 4 p.m.
Location TBD
FREE
Out to Lunch Bunch
Interested in exploring new restaurants
in and around The Hague? Join us once a
month for Lunch Bunch. A different restaurant
is selected each month on varying days.
Recommendations are always welcome to
Greetje Engelsman at outtolunchbunch@
awcthehague.org. NOTE: Food and drink
are at your own expense. You will need the
CoronaCheck app on your phone to create
a Coronapass. Deadline for registration
is THREE days before the lunch.
May: Join us for lunch at Haagsche Bier
Kluis (www.haagschebierkluis.nl) at the
Plein. Until World War II, this was a >> 16
and get going on it again. CCandCer’s are
always ready with a helping hand, a lesson,
or some advice. Babysitting is not
available as there are lots of sharp objects
about (pins, needles, scissors and
wit) so we cannot accommodate children.
Contact Suzanne Dundas with questions at
chatcraftcake@awcthehague.org.
Every Tuesday except holidays
10 a.m. – Noon
AWC Clubhouse
FREE
Heart Pillow Project
Members work together to make heartshaped
pillows designed to help support the
arms of recent lumpectomy and mastectomy
patients. Each pillow is made with TLC,
wrapped, and comes with a note signed by
AWC volunteers. No sewing skills are needed,
as you can cut, stuff or wrap the heart
pillows. We are proud to provide something
both practical and comforting, and
we know our work helps because we often
receive thank-you notes from the patients
who have received a heart pillow. For more
information, please contact Jan de Vries at
info@awcthehague.org.
fastest growing sport in the US and is exploding
in popularity internationally, combining
elements of tennis, badminton and
table tennis. It is played with a paddle and
light ball on a badminton sized court. All
skill levels are welcome with no previous
playing experience necessary. We invite
any AWC Member who is interested in
trying Pickleball to join us on a Thursday
at the courts for a trial session. If interested,
please email Sarah Partridge at
activities@awcthehague.org.
Thursday May 19
10 – 11:30 a.m.
Sporthal Houtrust
Laan van Poot 22, Den Haag
Mah Jongg
Mah Jongg is a popular tile-based game
of Chinese origin. This exciting game
is similar to the card game, rummy. We
will play the international version with
144 tiles with no scoring. Be prepared
for a game of strategy and luck that will
quickly become addictive! All beginners
and experienced players are welcome at
any time. Please join us as this game is
simply good fun. For more information or
Cancellation Policy
Members may reserve a spot for an
AWC tour, activity or event in advance.
Payment is required within five
business days of the reservation or
before the deadline date (whichever
is sooner) otherwise your name will be
moved to a waitlist. It is the responsibility
of the Member to notify the Club at
vicepresident@awcthehague.org
to cancel a reservation prior to the
cancellation deadline. Please note that
there will be NO REFUNDS after the
cancellation deadline. Members may
find a substitute in lieu of cancellation
provided that arrangements are made
with the organizer. Members shall
be held responsible for their guest
reservations in accordance with this
policy.
1A
14 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 15

Ongoing Activities (cont.)
Continued from page 15
bank building, built around 1905 in The
Hague Jugendstil style. This can still be
clearly seen from the old safe door in the
basement. Famous for their many beers
and fries, but also soups, sandwiches and
flammkuchen. In the back of the restaurant
is a small synagogue.
Tuesday, May 10
Noon – 2 p.m.
Plein 20, Den Haag
RSVP by May 7
June: Join us for lunch in the inner
area of Scheveningen at Café Constant
(www.cafeconstant.nl), a classic café with a
red and white striped awning, wooden furniture
and nice terrace. The food tastes just
as good as café food should and the service
is customer friendly. Situated in the middle
of Scheveningen, it’s just a few steps from
the Scheveningen Museum (which we could
visit instead of having dessert).
Wednesday, June 1
Noon – 2 p.m.
Neptunusstraat 2, Den Haag
RSVP by May 29
June: We choose the first day of summer to
enjoy lunch at one of our favorite restaurants:
Schlemmer Café Restaurant (schlemmer.nl).
From its opening, Schlemmer has been loved
by politicians, actors, artists, authors and theater
people. Even now you can still taste a bit
of the atmosphere of the earlier discussions
about art and culture. We’ll keep our fingers
crossed that the weather will be sunny and
warm, so we can sit in the courtyard!
Tuesday, June, 21
Noon – 2 p.m.
Lange Houtstraat 17, Den Haag
RSVP by June 18
Saturday Night Games
Our Games Masters Suzanne, Georgia,
Sarah and Blair will be offering a variety
of fun games (board games, cards, dominoes,
etc.) to enjoy together on a Saturday
Night at the Clubhouse. All participants
will bring their own drinks and snacks; everyone
will also help with the set-up at the
start and clean up at the end of the night. If
you have a specific game you’d like to introduce,
then please contact Sarah Partridge at
activities@awcthehague.org.
Saturday, June 11
AWC Clubhouse
Thirsty Thursday
Join us for a casual evening of companionship
and good conversation―a favorite
for AWC Members and prospective ones,
too. This social networking event is held at
a different restaurant in The Hague on the
third Thursday of each month, excluding
holidays. Drinks and food are at your own
expense and payable to the restaurant. No
RSVP necessary, but you’ll receive an email
notifying you of the restaurant once it’s
been selected for this month. It is also useful
for the restaurant to have a headcount.
Questions? Contact Dena Haggerty.
Walkie Talkies
Whether you count your steps or just want to
take a socially distanced walk with friends, the
Monday morning Walkie Talkies is a fun and
healthy way to start the week. The group meets
in front of the Clubhouse before heading out
promptly to walk to various destinations in the
area, usually racking up 10,000 steps along the
way. No RSVP is necessary. Contact Allison
Manning at walkietalkies@awcthehague.org
to be added to the WhatsApp group for last
minute updates and cancellations.
Mondays
9:30 a.m.
AWC Clubhouse
FREE
Wassenaar Coffee & Conversation
Do you live in Wassenaar and environs and
long for the camaraderie of the AWC without
the trip to the Clubhouse? Join your neighbors
for a casual coffee and conversation at a
Member’s home. Since the location changes
every month, contact Suzanne Dundas at
chatcraftcake@awcthehague.org if you are interested
in attending.
Thursdays, May 5 + June 2
10 a.m.
Location TBD
16 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 17

AWC and the Arts
by Jane Choy-Thurlow, AWC Member and Mauritshuis Docent
Did you know that any woman who speaks
English is eligible to join the American Women’s
Club?
Invite your English-speaking friends, wherever
they’re from, to join us today!
18 GOING DUTCH
RSVP for all Arts Activities directly on
www.awcthehague.org
Direct any questions to
jechoy@me.com
In Full Bloom
The Maurtishuis (www.mauritshuis.nl) festively
kicked off its 200th anniversary year
with an enormous quantity of flowers both
inside and outside. Through June 6, the exhibition
In Full Bloom presents the most
beautiful flower still lifes from 1600 – 1725
from both the museum’s own collection and
abroad. These paintings were immensely
popular, but why? The exhibition pays special
attention to female artists who made a
name in this genre and played a major role
in the development of botanical science. It
is not only the paintings that steal the show
in this exhibition as a special, sustainable
solution has been chosen for the walls of the
exhibition hall. They are made from remains
from the flower bulb trade with the flowers
crushed into the cloth, so that the structure
of the leaves can be seen.
Our tour will take you on a voyage of discovery
through the flower still life genre.
Where did the sudden interest in flower still
lifes in the 17th century stem from? Why
was it that so many women excelled in this
genre, and what was the role of science? We
will meet in the lobby at 10:45 a.m. so our
tour can start promptly at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, May 11
11 a.m. – Noon
Mauritshuis
Plein 29, Den Haag
€ 10 Members PLUS
€ 17.50 Museum entrance fee
(Free with Museumkaart)
Minimum 10 / Maximum 15
Non-refundable
Newcomers
by Jo van Kalveen
Welcome to all of you who have joined
the AWC over the past couple of
months. We hope you are enjoying
finding out more about the Club and enjoying
the activities we have arranged or hosted. In
terms of activities specially aimed for you as
Newcomers…
Trip to Delft
Join fellow AWC Newcomers on a trip to
Delft where you will get to visit the wonderful
Royal Delft Porcelain Factory. We will
also use this visit to travel by public transport
departing from The Hague by train and
returning from Delft by tram so it’s a great
opportunity to practice using your OV travel
card.
We will take a tour of the Royal Delft
Experience where you will learn about the
history and production process of Royal
Delftware, see live painting demonstrations,
visit the Delftware Museum and walk
through part of the Royal Delft factory itself.
The tour ends with a look around the lovely
gift store which stocks a huge range of Royal
Delft products. We will then walk into the
center of Delft for lunch at one of the many
restaurants before returning to The Hague via
the tram. There will be two meeting points:
Den Haag Central Station at 9:30 a.m. and
Delft Central Station at 10 a.m.
Public transportation tickets, € 11.50 museum
fee (free with Museumkaart), and lunch are all
at your own expense. An RSVP is kindly requested
on Wild Apricot. Questions? Contact
me at newcomers@awcthehague.org
Friday, May 20
Meet at DHCS at 9:30 a.m.
or
Delft Centraal at 10 a.m.
At own expense
Newcomers’ Picnic
Let’s celebrate the arrival of summer with
a picnic in Clingendael Park. Bring along
a blanket or chair to sit on as well as some
snacks or baked goods to share with other attendees.
I will provide the drinks. In case of
bad weather, we will move the event to the
AWC Clubhouse.
Friday, June 24
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m
Clingendael Park
All details are available on the Wild Apricot
app, where you can also register your attendance.
See you then!
MAY / JUNE 2022 19

Book Lovers
Book Clubs
The AWC Book Clubs are FREE and open
to all readers. New Members are especially
welcome! There are no requirements that
you must attend every meeting or lead a discussion.
Snacks are provided by a different
Member each month. We have a daytime
and an evening group. Questions? Teresa
Mahoney organizes the daytime group:
bookclubday@awcthehague.org. Dena
Haggerty handles the evening meetings:
bookclubevening@awcthehague.org. Happy
reading!
Daytime Book Club Reading List:
Thursday, September 22: Matrix by
Lauren Groff
Thursday, October 27: The Expatriates
by Janice Y.K. Lee
20 GOING DUTCH
Daytime Book Club
May Selection: The Lamplighters by Emma
Stonex
Inspired by a haunting true
story, this is an atmospheric
novel about the mysterious
disappearance of three
lighthouse keepers from a
remote tower miles from
the Cornish coast in 1972
and the wives who were left
behind.
Thursday, May 19
10 a.m.
June Selection: The Absolutely True Diary of
a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Recently banned from some
libraries in the US, this
heartbreaking and funny illustrated
novel is based on
the author's own experiences
growing up on the Spokane
Indian Reservation.
Thursday, June 23
10 a.m.
July Selection: Still Life by Sarah Winman
A young British soldier in
Tuscany in 1944 crosses
paths with a middle-aged
art historian who has come
to Italy to salvage paintings
from the ruins, connecting
as kindred spirits amidst the
rubble of war-torn Italy and
setting off a course of events
that will shape his life for the next four decades.
Thursday, July 28
10 a.m.
Evening Book Club Reading List:
Wednesday, September 14: How to
Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
August Selection: The Hate U Give by
Angie Thomas
Starr lives between two
worlds: the poor neighborhood
where she lives and
the fancy suburban prep
school she attends. Those
two worlds collide after her
unarmed best friend is shot
by police.
Thursday, August 25
10 a.m.
Evening Book Club
May Selection: The Vanishing Half by Brit
Bennett
Weaving together multiple
strands and generations of
the families of identical
twin sisters from the Deep
South to California, from
the 1950s to the 1990s, this
is a riveting, emotional family
story that considers the
lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person’s
decisions.
Wednesday, May 11
7:30 p.m.
AWC Clubhouse
June Selection: Next Year in Havana by
Chanel Cleeton
After the death of her beloved
grandmother, a Cuban
American woman travels to
Havana where she discovers
the roots of her identity
and unearths a family secret
hidden since the revolution.
She'll need the lessons of her
grandmother's past to help
her understand the true meaning of courage.
Wednesday, June 8
7:30 p.m.
AWC Clubhouse
Daytime Book Club Recaps
Anxious People by rederik Backman
This is a poignant comedy about a would-be
bank robber who disappears into thin air, and
eight extremely anxious strangers who find
they have more in common than they ever
imagined. Viewing an apartment normally
does not turn into a life-or-death situation, but
this particular open house becomes just that
when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes
everyone hostage. As the pressure mounts,
the anxious strangers begin opening up to
reveal long-hidden truths. As police surround
the premises and the situation is broadcasted
live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets
are slowly revealed. The robber must
then decide which is the more terrifying prospect:
going out to face the police or staying in
the apartment with this group of impossible
people. Some of our group thought the interactions
between characters became somewhat
absurd, but agreed that’s what gave the book
its humor. As the story unfolded, it became a
mix of not only humor, but earnestness and
a touch of suspense. We thought the mixture
made the book meaningful, engaging, and
enjoyable to read. It is self-described in the
book as not a particularly realistic story, but
the important parts, like the sentiments and
the message of the story, are real and sincere.
And sometimes when reading a book, it is
nice to imagine what the world could be like
and to escape a few hours to a kinder and sillier
world.
Seven Games by Oliver Roeder
We like to play games. There is archeological
proof that humans have been playing board
games for 5,000 (!) years. And now computers
play games, too. Does that make computers
more human? Does it make games less
of a human endeavor? What will become of
humankind as humankind devises artificial
intelligence (AI) systems that learn independently
of human input? This author raises
many issues while providing no certainties
on the philosophical questions raised by his
thoroughly enjoyable history of (in a particular
order left to you to figure out): checkers,
chess, Go, backgammon, poker, Scrabble, and
bridge. As much as it leads to contemplation
about what it means to be human, on another
level it is an entertaining, cheerful book about
the driven, unique individuals who excel at
these games and the driven, unique individuals
determined to conquer them using the computer
systems available from the 1950s until
today. Ultimately, Seven Games tells us we
love games because they provide a safe space
to exercise agency and the more one knows
about a game, the more power and enjoyment
is brought into that agency. Recommended.
MAY / JUNE 2022 21

Slate of Officers 2022-2023
We are pleased to introduce the 2022-2023 AWC The Hague Board. The election of
Officers took place during the General Meeting on April 14. When we went to print,
the Nominating Committee was continuing to try to fill the remaining open Board
position of Clubhouse Administrator.
President – Celeste Brown: I am excited to be nominated as
President of the AWC The Hague for the coming year. The fact
that I also served as AWC President from 2002-2004, exactly
20 years ago, is a huge coincidence! I was born and raised in
Cincinnati, Ohio and met my Dutch husband Jaap while working
as Senior Sales Representative for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
in Indianapolis, Indiana. After a whirlwind courtship, I moved
to the Netherlands in spring 1998. I found myself entering a
totally new life phase―midlife―as a wife, stepmother, and
(now) “Oma 3” for four grandchildren. Along the way, I’ve
become a strong advocate of the theme: Bloom where you are
planted.
During my years here, I developed a new “career” in non-profit
organizational work. I’ve had the pleasure to serve as AWC The
Hague Secretary 1999-2000, FAWCO Rep 2000-2002 and President 2002-2004; as FAWCO
VP Communications 2005-2007 and President 2007-2009; and in Toastmaster International
by playing a lead role in establishing the Toastmasters organization in the Netherlands. I laid
the groundwork for the creation of Toastmasters of The Hague (2003), followed by Leiden
Toastmasters (2011), and also served in several roles for Toastmasters Europe.
I “retired” from organizational work in 2017 due to health reasons. At a Toastmaster Conference
in 2018, I experienced Laugh Yoga for the first time, and a small spark was lit. I followed the
training to become a Laugh Yoga Leader, and in 2020, I ventured out of my cocoon and started
Celeste’s Laugh Yoga, an online laugh yoga group. And now I’m ready and eager to serve
AWC The Hague once again. I look forward to meeting you and having a great year together!
22 GOING DUTCH
Vice President – Lesley Gerrese: My husband and I arrived
in The Hague in June 2020, after years of international
postings. I’m a former Texas lawyer, have taught law
and trained lawyers in English writing, and have taught
English to children and adults in several of our postings.
We have two sons, born in Paris and Dubai, who now live
in San Francisco and NYC. I come from Texas; my husband
John is from The Hague. I joined AWC The Hague in the
fall of 2020, and in 2021 I got involved as AWC's
Communications Officer, overseeing our social media
presence, website updates, and marketing. Now in 2022, I
look forward to taking on the responsibility of the VP role,
and helping plan more activities, events and gatherings for
all Members to enjoy. Our Club is full of so many talented
and interesting ladies who contribute to every aspect of Club life and activities. I feel
grateful to be a part of the group and look forward to working with everyone. I hope that
this year, from our cozy new Clubhouse, we will make our Club more visible to the public
so that others may discover this great welcoming home away from home.
Treasurer – Anne van Oorschot-Warwick: I moved to
the Netherlands in 1981 and immediately joined the AWC.
It was a very different Club then with ±500 Members
and monthly meetings in a hotel as we had no proper
Clubhouse. A lot has changed since then! Even though I’ve
been here a long time, I’ve moved four times within the
country; I currently live in Tilburg, a 1.5-hour drive south
of The Hague. While I was very active in the Club from
2002–2006, (serving on the Board as FAWCO Rep and
President), living far away made it challenging to be active.
When the coronavirus restrictions made many things
virtual, it was suddenly easier to be involved, which was a
treat. While not a “finance person,” when I was asked to fill
the Board vacancy for Treasurer 1.5 years ago, I accepted.
The wonderful thing about a volunteer organization is that
if you are willing to work and learn, you can go “outside of
your comfort zone” to learn a new skill. With tremendous
help from Assistant Treasurer Teresa Insalaco and Bookkeeper Lori Schnebelie, I have
grown into the position and find myself willing to take on the responsibility for another
year. My goal is to continue to manage the AWC finances well and be a good caretaker
of funds generated by past Members to help provide a home away from home for today’s
and tomorrow’s AWC Members.
Secretary – Anuradha Koratkar: My husband and I
moved to The Hague in 2021 in an environment where life
was constrained due to COVID-19 restrictions. Having recently
become empty nesters, we did not have a predefined
group of school families that we could join. The AWC and
especially the ladies in Walkie Talkies and Chat and Craft
were my connection with the outside world! So, when the
Nominating Committee asked if I could join the Slate of
AWC Officers for the coming year, I jumped at the opportunity
to get involved with my new community and get to
know a new group of interesting women.
I am trained as an astrophysicist and worked for many years
at NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. When my husband
had the opportunity to work in Portugal, I took a two-year
sabbatical from NASA and moved to Europe with our son. Two years very quickly became
20 years with work taking us from Portugal to Germany and now the Netherlands.
As an expat mother of two children, I have had to reinvent myself. When I was not volunteering
at school fundraising events, I took up knitting and through this medium I try
to showcase the beauty of mathematics and space. I served six years as Secretary of the
Bonn International School’s Board of Trustees and helped improve governance. After my
children left for university, I started supporting other students in improving their study
habits by helping them prepare for their final two years of high school. I look forward to
making the AWC my home away from home and to meeting Members in the coming year.
I will be honoured to serve as the Secretary. >> 24
MAY / JUNE 2022 23

Slate of Officers (cont.)
Continued from page 23
Club and Community – Michelle Ernst: Arriving in
the Netherlands on the last day of 2020 with my husband
Dan, who had taken a position with the Dutch firm Robeco,
and our two teenagers, we were looking forward to living
abroad for the first time and exploring Europe. I grew up
in Southern California, but spent most of my life on the
East Coast, most recently in New Canaan, Connecticut.
After earning a Master’s degree in Environmental Science,
I worked developing transportation policy for 15 years, advocating
for better transit and safer walking and bicycling
practices. When we moved to the suburbs, I inadvertently
became involved with fundraising and development work
for local non-profit organisations. With COVID-19 surges,
lockdowns and restrictions being a way of life the first year
and a half after arriving, I am very grateful for the many
new friendships and activities the AWC has provided me. I
am looking forward to fulfilling the Club and Community
Board position in the coming year.
Communication – Jo van Kalveen: I am British by birth
but have lived in the Netherlands since moving here from
London in 2005. I am married to Kees, and have two teenage
boys, Luc and Oliver. We never really intended to settle here
for so long, but life has a funny way of surprising you and
Holland is now very much our home. I am the proud owner
of a Dutch passport so feel like I have a foot in two worlds:
both expat and Dutch (if only my Dutch language skills
were as good as my English ones).
I have a background in urban planning, but have occupied
my time volunteering for a variety of expat and local organisations
since moving here. I joined the AWC in 2013
primarily for the Women with Dutch Partners group as I
wanted to seek out fellow Members who planned on staying
in the country long term. Joining the AWC was definitely
one of the best decisions I have made. I have made so many great friends, had some wonderful
experiences and have enjoyed seeing the Club diversify with an increasing number
of Members joining from all over the world. As my boys have grown, so too has the
amount of time I have had to contribute to the AWC and I’m happy and excited to now be
a part of what I’m sure will be an enthusiastic and dynamic Board. Lesley, as the current
Communications Officer, has worked hard to strengthen the Club’s website and improve
its online presence. I hope to keep that momentum going and continue to reach out, inform
and engage with existing and potential new AWC Members. The AWC is a unique and
much treasured organisation and I look forward to communicating its activities and developments
to and on behalf of its Members over the next Club year.
Clubhouse Administrator – Open
24 GOING DUTCH
FAWCO Corner
by Molly Boed
Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas, a United Nations NGO with
consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council
www.fawco.org.
As this final issue of Going Dutch goes
to press, spring is well “in the air,” the
sun is shining, the birds are singing
beautifully, and I am getting the handbags
ready for our storied Handbag Auction on
Thursday, April 21 in our new Clubhouse!
I can’t help but be grateful that we are finally
able to hold this auction live together …
no more COVID-19 restrictions (for better
or for worse). I think we can all attest that
it’s the little things that are truly important,
like being able to be together and having a
gezellig Clubhouse where we can gather.
We will celebrate FAWCO, and all money
raised at our fun afternoon of bidding on
beautiful handbags and sipping sparkling
wine together will go to supporting the new
FAWCO Target Project which will focus on
the Environment. In fact, in addition to the
Handbag Auction, we will also have a “boutique”
with donated beautiful scarves and
jewelry, and we will also raffle a beautiful
quilt generously donated by AWC Member
Suzanne Dundas. The boutique and raffle
monies raised will also go directly to support
the new FAWCO Environmental Target
Project. I really would love for this to be
one of our really special Club events for this
year and a great fundraiser for another impactful
FAWCO Target Project.
Coming up in May will be Part Two of our
FAWCO Interim Conference. Part One was
held virtually on the Hopin Platform from
March 4 – 6, and Part Two will take place
in Luxembourg on May 19 – 21 at the Parc
Alvisse Hotel Luxembourg. The agenda
will feature Club Development Workshops
as well as the opportunity to meet and learn
more about our FAWCO Teams and volunteers.
FAWCO Foundation will announce the
recipients of the 2022 FAWCO Foundation
Education Awards and Development Grants.
The event will also highlight its “FAWCO,
Fun and Friendships” at its Foundation
night. This will be a celebration with music,
live and silent auctions, and a chance to recharge
after too much time in lockdown. As
an AWC The Hague Member, you are welcome
and are invited to attend this entertaining
FAWCO event. If you have questions on
how to register, just send me a message:
awcthehague.fawco@gmail.com.
And finally, plans are underway for our Club
to host the Region 4 meeting in November.
Stay tuned to hear about the plans for these
events. I hope you will look forward to meeting
ladies from our sister clubs in Brussels,
Antwerp and Amsterdam.
Please check our website
calendar, Facebook, or
eNews for up-to-date
information on upcoming
One-of-a-Kind Activities
and General Meetings.
MAY / JUNE 2022 25

May 2022
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2
Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m.
3
Chat, Craft & Cake
10 a.m.
Mah Jongg 1 p.m.
4 5
Wassenaar Coffee and
Convo 10 a.m
6 7
Wine & Cheese Party
4 p.m
Remembrance Day Liberation Day
8 9
Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m.
10
Chat, Craft & Cake
10 a.m.
Mother’s Day
Out to Lunch Bunch
Noon
Mah Jongg 1 p.m.
11
Mauritshuis: Guided Tour
of Exhibition, "In Full
Bloom" 10:45 a.m.
Evening Book Club
7:30 p.m.
12
May General Meeting
10 a.m.
Buddy Check 12
13
Heart Pillow Project
1 p.m
14
15 16
Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m.
17
Chat, Craft & Cake
10 a.m.
Mah Jongg 1 p.m.
18 19
Daytime Book Club
10 a.m.
Pickleball 10 a.m.
20
Newcomers' Trip to Delft
with Visit to Royal Delft &
Lunch 9:30 a.m.
21
Thirsty Thursday
6:00 p.m.
22 23
Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m.
24
Chat, Craft & Cake
10 a.m.
25 26 27 28
Mah Jongg 1 p.m.
Ascension
29
Memorial Day at
Margraten 3 p.m
30
Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m.
31
Chat, Craft & Cake
10 a.m.
Mah Jongg 1 p.m.
June 2022
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2 3 4
Out to Lunch Bunch
Noon
Wassenaar Coffee and
Convo 10 a.m
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Whit Monday
Chat, Craft & Cake
10 a.m.
Mah Jongg 1 p.m.
Evening Book Club
7:30 p.m.
June General Meeting
10 a.m. Heart Pillow Project
1 p.m
Saturday Night Games
7 p.m.
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Buddy Check 12 Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m. Chat, Craft & Cake
10 a.m.
Barista Workshop
10 a.m
Mah Jongg 1 p.m.
Thirsty Thursday
6:00 p.m.
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m. Chat, Craft & Cake
10 a.m.
Out to Lunch Bunch
Noon
Mah Jongg 1 p.m.
Daytime Book Club
10 a.m.
Newcomers' Picnic in the
Park 10:30 a.m
Father’s Day
26 27 28 29 30
Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m. Chat, Craft & Cake
10 a.m.
Mah Jongg 1 p.m.
26 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 27

AWC Barnyard: Chicken and Pigs
by Mary Adams
A pig and a chicken sharing the same barnyard heard about a program to feed the hungry.
The pig and the hen discussed how they could help the effort. The chicken said, “I’ve got it!
We can provide ham and eggs to feed the hungry.”
The pig thought about the suggestion and said, “There’s only one thing wrong with your
bacon and eggs idea. For you, it only requires a contribution, but from me, it will mean total
commitment!”
This business fable is about stakeholder commitment, but I could draw the conclusion that
our AWC barnyard is also full of chickens and pigs. I do not mean that in a negative sense,
but to celebrate AWC’s ability to embrace both chickens (volunteer contributions) and pigs
(long-term committed Members to local clubs, international FAWCO and FAUSA).
I started my AWC/FAWCO career as a pig. I live in Rotterdam and my local club was
American Netherlands Club of Rotterdam (ANCOR). ANCOR was glorious in its heydays
(1960 – 1980s) but had dwindled to a tiny community of determined women whose
husbands had come to join the post-war Rotterdam reconstruction in the 1950s. When I
stumbled upon the club in 2012, I found myself designated as FAWCO Rep, Newsletter
Editor, and Philanthropy Chair. What happened next was that this pig attempted to swallow
an elephant. As I understood more about ANCOR’s history and ties to FAWCO, I found myself
longing for a larger community. ANCOR had no clubhouse. Every month we had one
day meeting and one evening meeting. We did sponsor heart pillow workshops at people’s
homes or at a local store through an arrangement that I made with COCO-MAT Rotterdam.
Unfortunately, when the founding member
of ANCOR died in December 2014, the club
dissolved and retired from FAWCO. Oh my!
I was a pig without a barnyard! I was distraught
to be cut off from the FAWCO mothership.
I decided to join AWC The Hague
as soon as possible. In 2015, when I first
walked through the doors of the Clubhouse
on Johan van Oldenbarneveltlaan, I was
simply gobsmacked at the different atmosphere:
congeniality, diversity, charity, and
activity level. I felt so welcome at the reception
desk when I was handed a name
tag. I was agog at the Going Dutch magazine and how the monthly meetings and activities
were so well organized.
close community ties, diplomatic ties, and
philanthropic ties.
During the seven years that I have been a
member of the AWC, I have slowly transformed
from pig to chicken. It wasn’t intentional.
It was following life’s journey at
home and in career. I still try to contribute
as much as I can with a half-dozen eggs
here, an omelet there, and a quiche when
possible. But my chicken legs are showing.
I have been unable to participate in many
events, especially the move to the new
Clubhouse. That is a Club milestone. I feel such gratitude to see the other pigs and chickens
at work. Chickens eventually fly home to their coops, and I am sure that my porcine ways
(now at rest in the sty) will slowly blossom again.
One of my biggest pleasures has been the ability to express myself by writing articles for
Going Dutch. Working with Melissa White and Teresa Mahoney has been a treat because
of their talent and also their ability to keep challenging me to write more. Share more.
Participate. It appeals to both the pig and the chicken in me just like ham and eggs for
breakfast.
In Search of a New Editor
After 13 years of working together, Teresa Mahoney and Melissa White have
completed their final issue of Going Dutch. It is now time for a new team to
lead Going Dutch into the next phase of its life as a digital magazine. We are
excited to announce that Stacy Nyikos has stepped up to be the new Design
and Layout Manager. However, we still need a new Editor, who is in charge of
content including: working with Board to determine frequency and theme of
issues; requesting articles and communicating with submitters; and working
with proofreaders. No previous experience is necessary. To volunteer or ask
questions, please contact Melissa.
My first two years of AWC Membership was a frenzy of chili contests, heart pillow workshops,
monthly meetings, and meeting women. It continued to amaze me how the main
meeting room could be transformed from meeting, to guest lectures, to restaurant, to workshop
space, to auction house, to massage/essential oils retreat, to holiday cheer, and more.
If I think really piggishly, then I so admire the sheer number of pigs in our Club who are
both current and legacy FAWCO and FAWCO Foundation leaders. Even the chickens are
a special breed, working together, volunteering and helping to make a difference. Over the
years, I realize how many Members of AWC The Hague are elite pig status: maintaining
28 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 29

AWC Milestones
Compiled by Georgia Regnault
1930 Fifty-five women gather at a
Hague hotel thus becoming
AWC Charter Members
1931 A collection of donated books
is started and housed at the
hotel, open two days a week;
a sewing group is a mainstay
onsite activity
1931 AWC of The Hague is one of
the six Founding Members of
FAWCO
1932 First Bazaar opened by Queen
Wilhelmina of The
Netherlands
1935 Hosted the FAWCO Annual
Meeting; to be repeated in
1962, 2004 and 2017
1939 Club records destroyed to
protect the Members
remaining in Holland and
library books are hidden from
German occupation forces
1946 Library re-opened, and
outside memberships offered
to English-speaking friends;
two-thirds of the Club’s funds
are allocated to library books
1950 100 Members
1953 Provided aid to Dutch citizens
affected by the floods in
Zeeland
1954 Published first bulletin with
AWC coat of arms designed
by a Member; first Children’s
Party
1958 Library had 3,000 books with a
monthly circulation of + 600
1959 518 Members
1962 First commercially printed
magazine
1963 First edition of At Home in
Holland; the 13th and last
edition was published in 2009
1964 Library was moved to
American Protestant Church:
4,500 volumes, 1,500
30 GOING DUTCH
paperbacks, circulation of
9,214 books annually
1968 First foreign trip: Switzerland
1981 After a break of 14 years, Club
rejoins FAWCO; five of our
Members have been President
during FAWCO’s 90 years:
1959-61 Ruth St. John; 1985-
87 Virginia Roth; 1987-89
Georgia Regnault; 2007-2009
Celeste Brown; 2005-2007
and 2019-2023 Emily van
Eerten.
1984 Clubhouse at Nieuwe
Duinweg 25 is purchased
1985 Contest held to develop new
logo, which remains to this
day
1988 Associate Membership for
non-Americans is offered
1989 Competition is held and
magazine is given a name:
Going Dutch, followed by
yearly requests for a new
photograph for the cover
1991 Way & Means established so
that funding is available for
house expenses and a salaried
front office staff member; the
Annual Bazaar is introduced
as one of the Ways and Means
sources
2001 Website is developed @ www.
awcthehague.org
2002 First “Spring Balls” as
fundraiser for Breast Cancer
Awareness and Research; in
all, four Pink Ribbon Galas
were held during the ensuing
years, raising € 1 million
2003 The first Walk for Women is
held in The Hague, on the
initiative of the AWC
2005 Library has 8,500 books,
videos, DVDs and audio tapes
2007 New Activities: Heart Pillow
Project to benefit those who
have had breast surgery
2009 Hearts and Minds Gala held
for “Lighting the Way for
Autism”
>> 32 MAY / JUNE 2022 31

Milestones (cont.)
Continued from page 31
2010 Club celebrates 80th
anniversary with a Denim &
Diamonds Party, raising funds
for Haiti earthquake
2011 First Handbag Auction to
benefit Helping Hands Target
Program of FAWCO
2012 Property on Nieuwe Duinweg
sold; smaller premises
rented on Johan van
Oldenbarneveltlaan 43 in the
Statenkwartier; Eet Smakelijk
for the Holidays recipe book
produced, proceeds to Mamma
Care Foundation
2013 King Willem Alexander
investiture on April 30, first
King in the Netherlands in
123 years; four AWC Members
have been knighted in the last
15 years: Roberta Enschedé,
Georgia Regnault, Jane Choy
and Anne van Oorschot;
Chat, Craft and Cake began
every Tuesday morning; Kids’
Club started; and September
Prinsjesdag luncheon
continued
2014 Dinner Club was restarted; first
Businesswomen’s Networking
Evening
2015 TLC Dinner was begun, inviting
women who have been going
through a difficult period;
Evening and Daytime Book
Clubs initiated
2017 New activities introduced:
Thirsty Thursday to meet
prospective new working
women and Out-to-Lunch
Bunch; Red, White and Blue
Gala to benefit the Sposa
Child Foundation, whose
mission is to save and protest
sexually abused children
in the Philippines and the
Stahili Foundation, whose
work in Kenya helps in child
protection, development,
education and human rights.
2018 Summer BBQ at the beach
to benefit Perspectief, Dutch
crisis shelter for victims of
domestic violence, homeless
or those who are unable to
live independently
2019 re-Building Lives Benefit at
Madurodam raised € 17,000
for Not For Sale, a nonprofit
helping victims of human
trafficking; Pickleball started
while tennis stopped due to
lack of participants
2020 Coronavirus pandemic closes
down all in-person activities
of the Club from March 2020;
first time holding online
meetings, voting by email, and
a virtual installation ceremony.
Plans for a 90th anniversary
activity cancelled.
2021 Corona continued to influence
the club’s activities all year,
but many online quiz nights,
bingo, beer tasting, and virtual
art tours and books clubs were
popular. Two outside tennis
socials were held. Library
is dissolved due to other
methods of obtaining books
and lack of use.
2022 Club moves to new premises,
belonging to the Municipality
on Bisschopstraat 5 in
Benoordenhout. As an
outreach to the community, it
is used as a polling station in
March and the club embarks
on helping Ukrainian refugees
in The Hague
Support Fellow AWC Members
Find links to a large variety of businesses owned by AWC Members at
www.awcthehague.org/site/newcomers/business-links
32 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 33

AWC Library & Books 4 Life
by Anne van Oorschot (with historical information from Growing Dutch, the AWC’s
75th anniversary history book)
It is hard for me, an AWC Member of 36 years who loves to read, to imagine our Club
without a Library! A lot has changed over the past 91 years. While Members return more
frequently to the US and come back with suitcases loaded, the biggest change is the ease
with which English printed books and e-books can be ordered online. As we come to the
end of the AWC Library’s existence, let’s look back at the history of this important part of
our Club’s past.
From the beginnings of our Club’s history,
a Library was considered an essential part
of our organization. As early as 1930, supporters
contributed books and established a
fledgling Library, open twice weekly, in a
corner glassed-in cabinet of the Hotel Vieux
Doelen. Our Library provided not only a
much-treasured source of reading material,
but also a place for Members to meet socially.
In 1933 the growing library was moved
for a short period to Restaurant Anjema, before
finding a residence for many years in a
small rented space at Noordeinde 92, above
a gift shop called Tesselschade. According
to a FAWCO report from 1934, “The library
is running splendidly and is a great rendezvous
for both Club and outside members…
[and] contains about 500 books.”
stairs (a challenging endeavor for pregnant
Members and toddlers). For the first time,
it was decided to insure our Library for a
sum of ƒ15,000. By 1958, our Library (also
used for Board meetings) contained approximately
3,000 volumes with a monthly
circulation of approximately 600.
By November 1960, the Tesselschade location
had become overcrowded, and the
growing collection (and the weight of the
books!) required new quarters. It was also
hoped to find a location which could provide
a small space for social activities. A
move was made to a newly rented location
on the Vondelstraat. In 1963, our flourishing
Library―which also functioned as Club
headquarters for a growing Membership―
circulated 9,214 books. A committee was formed to look into yet another new location,
which eventually resulted in a contract with the American Protestant Church Council in
1964. We were overjoyed to move from our small quarters to the roomy second floor of the
Church. Special cupboards with removable doors were made to store all the books and for
an annual donation of ƒ2,000, and an annually renewable contract, space was provided for
over 4,500 hard cover and 1,500 paperback books.
With the acquisition of our own Clubhouse in 1984, our Library finally found a permanent
home. Proper bookshelves, weatherproofing and essential carpeting took a huge bite out
of the Club’s budget, but packing up and moving the books from the American Protestant
Church reigns as one of the major undertakings our Members have ever tackled! Thanks
to a highly motivated “Book Brigade” and the services of a moving company, over 7,500
books were transported to their new home at Nieuwe Duinweg.
Dedicated volunteers continued to nurture our Library and meet the interests of parents
and children not only in maintaining a broad selection of books, but in motivating staff to
open four days per week, plus two Sundays per month. The catalogue grew and became an
undeniable source of pride for the AWC.
After the Netherlands was invaded in May
1940, the name of our Library was changed
and attempts were made to keep it open as
long as Members were still able to come by.
When it became prudent to close it down,
In 2005, the Club’s 75th anniversary, our Library offered a wide variety of adult and children’s
books, with an Oprah book section, a new book section and―thanks to an increase
the books were taken away and hidden. One
year after the liberation, our Library was reopened. As a thank-you to the many friends who
in the library’s budget―audio and video sections, with DVDs being added as well. The
helped hide English-language books during the war, our Library was made available for the
process of computerization had been carried out in 2004, before which time, every item had
first time, not only to Club Members, but also to Dutch, British and other English-speaking
to be hand-catalogued! After 75 years, our Library consisted of over 8,500 books, videos,
friends. Since new books were almost unattainable in the Netherlands, Members were permitted
to pay their dues by American check. Consequently, two-thirds of the Membership
DVDs and audio tapes!
dues were deposited in “a Library account” in a New York bank, and then credited to an
While we thought the Nieuwe Duinweg would be a permanent home for the AWC and the
account at Brentano’s Books in New York, where books were ordered against the Club’s
Library, the world changed on us. With fewer space needs in a more digitized world, more
cash balance. By 1953, Club Membership had increased to 100, and our Library had grown
possibilities due to online ordering, and a smaller Membership, the huge cost of maintaining
our 11-room Home Away from Home became a burden. We put the house on the market,
to such a degree that a fixed sum from the Club’s budget was allocated to cover rent,
the purchase of new books and general Library upkeep. A second room was leased from
made a hefty profit when it was sold and found a modest new rental home at Johan van
Tesselschade in order to accommodate more than 2,000 books and periodicals, plus a new
Oldenbarneveltlaan 43. While this new space fit our Membership well, it could not accommodate
the size of our Library. With English books easy to come by in the Netherlands,
children’s section. (I LOVED this part of our Library when my three children were young
as I had access to all the fun books I remembered from my own childhood!) This second
the use of the Library had been decreasing so a major purge of books was carried out and
room was located on the top floor, with a handy rope bannister to help navigate the steep only a portion of the once impressive Library went with us to our new Clubhouse. >> 36
34 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 35

AWC Library (cont.)
Continued from page 35
The trend of decreasing use continued and
another downsizing of the book collection
was made a couple of years later. We now
found ourselves looking for a new home
once again, but this time we had a Library
that never really got used. Thus, the decision
was made to get rid of the remainder of
the books … but what to do with the books
remaining in our once proud Library?
Members were first given the opportunity
to take any books they wanted, so many
volumes went to welcoming new homes;
but what to do with the rest? Selling was
a possibility, but personal stories indicated
that would bring in little money and
still leave us with the vast majority of the
books. Then we heard about Books 4 Life
(www.books4life.nl).
In October 2003, two Tilburg University
students decided to quit complaining about
all the terrible things that occur in the world
and took action. They began steps to create
the first student-operated bookstore for
charity in the Netherlands. After a few false
starts, a good business plan was created and
presented to the Executive Board of Tilburg
University. It was approved in July 2004. The use of a space in the basement of one of
the university buildings was offered for the bookstore. Publicity followed with a call for
volunteers and books. In
the months that followed,
thousands of books found
their way to the store. The
grand opening of Books 4
Life took place on February
22, 2005, and the first donations
totaling € 4,215 were
given out 10 months later
on Human Rights Day on
December 10. In the years
that followed, Books 4
Life expanded their reach,
adding online book sales
via Marktplaats.nl in 2009
and via Bol.com in 2014.
Donations have grown over
the years as well with a
36 GOING DUTCH
total of € 21,200 being donated
in 2019 and € 11,230
in 2020 (the first year of the
coronavirus pandemic). The
formula has grown via other
universities with stores now
in Amsterdam, Eindhoven,
Groningen, Nijmegen and
Utrecht, and also two stores
in Austria.
The formula is the same
everywhere. Books 4 Life
stores are run entirely by
volunteers, meaning at least
90% of the net proceeds
of the books sold go directly to charities: 50% goes to Amnesty International and Oxfam
Novib, with the other 50% going to a minimum of three other charities suggested by each
store’s volunteers. All the charities and projects Books 4 Life support aim to promote human
rights and fight poverty worldwide.
Needless to say, Books 4 Life was thrilled
to receive all the books remaining in our
AWC Library! Doesn’t this organization
sound like a good fit with our Club? The
same kind of group with volunteers doing
all the work and raising money for local
and international charities. There is actually
a tighter fit between Books 4 Life and
our AWC than you could ever guess! The
President of the Executive Board of Tilburg
University, who gave his blessing and store
space to Books 4 Life, happened to have an
American wife. And she happened to be a Member of AWC The Hague … who went on to
suggest Books 4 Life as a recipient of the AWC books … and ended by writing this article.
Helping Ukrainian Refugees
The AWC was pleased to open the doors recently
to allow around 120 Ukrainian refugees
to help themselves to women’s clothing
that remained from those donated by
AWC Members for our Preloved Pop-Up
Shop. We opened up later to a further 40
Ukrainian mothers to take children’s clothing,
generously donated by our Members
and new neighbors in Benoordenhout.
MAY / JUNE 2022 37

Hats Off to Monica Rodoni
by Georgia Regnault
Arriving in the middle of the pandemic in July 2020, Monica and her husband, Ilio, and
daughter, Alisha, didn’t quite know what a normal life was like in The Hague for an
expat family. Not even having the experience of attending events at the AWC Clubhouse,
Monica accepted the position of Clubhouse Administrator in May 2021 on the 2021-2022 Board.
Complicating matters, Monica learned a couple of months after assuming the position that the
AWC was going to have to move to new premises by the end of July 2022. It was clearly a
“golden choice” that had picked Monica for this position, as she is steeped in experience. Born
in Italy of parents who moved to different countries often while she was a child, she attended
the prestigious École Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, a hospitality management school
considered the best in the world. There she met Ilio and their lives began to revolve around the
Hilton Hotels, as Ilio has worked with them for 17 years.
After finishing in Lausanne, Monica started in human resources, but moved to conference and
event planning. Between jobs, she always jumped into volunteer work. There are almost too
many cities to mention where Monica has lived, but it is a varied and interesting list: Dubai,
Bali, London, Barbados, Abu Dhabi, Prague, Milan, Venice, Paris, Lausanne and Amsterdam.
I get dizzy just thinking about the packing and unpacking!
That said, it only confirmed what a good choice Monica was for this task. Since I had been the
one to find the new premises, happened to know a painter and live nearby, I helped Monica
with the organization of the renovations. Monica doesn’t drive (nor bike I might mention), so
she concerned herself with the throwing out, packing up and moving from one place to the
other. I can’t tell you the number of texts that went back and forth between us and the decisions
we collaborated on. So much so that we began to call each other: Partners in Crime! I
hardly knew Monica, having only attended Board Meetings online, but we clicked and got
the job done!
Farewell to Going Dutch
by Melissa White
I
am sure that I won’t be the only AWC Member that will miss getting Going Dutch in
the post in September and beyond. This momentous occasion of the final printed issue
for the foreseeable future is the perfect opportunity to recognize the ladies that held
my job over the last 60 years’ worth of published magazines for the AWC.
Little did I know when I sat down to
look up previous Editors that it would take
nearly one and a half hours of going through
the magazine’s archives to find the names of
the nearly four dozen ladies that set the path
before me. The oldest issue bound in our
Clubhouse was from September 1962 and
contained 30 pages. In the early days, it was
normal to refer to Board Members by their
husband’s names, so I would have been Mrs.
James White rather than Melissa White.
Between September 1962 and June 1989,
there were 23 Editors in charge of publishing
258 issues of American Women’s Club
of The Hague Magazine. Most Editors >> 40
And I am highly impressed by Monica’s organizational skills. I look forward to experiencing
her cooking skills firsthand. Now that she has retired (for the moment) from the AWC, I hope
she will have more time for her hobbies: cooking, walking and travelling to the unexplored.
And perhaps she can find time to give more cooking classes to Club Members.
We all owe Monica a huge HATS OFF for unexpectedly having to go well beyond her job
description! Thank you – Grazie – Merci – Tack - Děkuji – Dank je wel!
38 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 39

Going Dutch (cont.)
Continued from page 39
served for one year, producing 10 issues; two of those Editors served for two years, thus
publishing 20 issues each.
By 1984, the magazine was regularly around 90 pages long and in addition to the Editor,
the team consisted of the following: Business Manager, Want Ads Manager, Circulation
Manager, “Especially for You” Editor, Editorial, Illustrations & Graphics, and Photography.
Of course, those positions would have been supported by the ladies who regularly submitted
articles and helped with proofreading. I fully appreciate that technology has made our jobs
easier over the years, but it also reminded me that Teresa Mahoney and I have been living
on a deserted island for a long time.
The name Going Dutch wasn’t introduced until the September 1989 issue after a contest
was held for a new name. Contests were also held to determine the photo for the cover, which
would be used for the entire year until we switched printers in October 2010. Not only were
we then able to change the cover for each issue, but we switched to printing in full color.
Going Dutch was then published from September 1989 until May 2022 by 21 Editors producing
299 issues. The previous record for the longest Editor was Betty Everett who served
just shy of 4 years for a total of 39 issues. Incredibly, after serving as Editor from September
2002 to June 2004 and taking a break for many years, Jane Gulde volunteered her services
as a proofreader starting in November 2015,
often working from Arizona. And I would
be completely remiss if I failed to recognize
Teresa’s incredible dedication as Design and
Layout Manager for 13 years producing 96
beautiful issues! Clearly this far outnumbered
the efforts of any of her predecessors.
Up until June 2010, ten issues were published
per year, then starting in September
2010 we combined two issues so that we
wouldn’t have to work over Christmas and
decided to skip a separate June issue thus
resulting in eight issues per year. When the
coronavirus pandemic hit causing so many
AWC activities to be cancelled and several
advertisers to discontinue their support, we
further slimmed down to five issues last
year and down to just four this year. Over
the years, the sophistication of eNews has
improved dramatically so that it is a real
resource of information. And with the Wild
Apricot app providing full details about activities,
the reliance on Going Dutch to provide
timely information about activities has
waned. It has served its purpose for 60 years
and now it is time for it to be reinvented for
the coming years. Who will step up to take
the reins?
40 GOING DUTCH
AWC Editors
Sept 1962 – Dec 1963: Elinor McIntire
Jan 1964 – Dec 1964: Mimi Tausche
Jan 1965 – May 1966: Sally Windham
June 1966 – Dec 1967: Patsy Hollister
Jan 1968 – Jan 1970: Nancy MacDaniel
Feb 1970 – May 1972: Carol Thompson
June 1972: Magazine Staff
Sept 1972 – June 1974: Bobbie Hunt
Sept 1974 – June 1975: Bettie Maria Laverge
Sept 1975 – June 1977: Billie Wages
Sept 1977 – June 1978: Gay Hooks
Sept 1978 – Feb 1979: Jan Hopwood
March 1979 – May 1980: Jo LePoole
June 1980 – May 1981: Regina Sliwa
June 1981 – May 1982: Kay Hughes
June 1982 – May 1983: Bernadette Dignan
June 1983 – May 1985: Linda Hilton
June 1985 – May 1986: Jodie Pallett
June 1986 – May 1987: Cas- Cavanaugh
June 1987 – May 1988: Leonora Kraft
June 1988: Cas- Cavanaugh
Sept 1988 – May 1989: Betty Everett
June 1989: Diane Cohen
Sept 1989 – June 1992: Betty Everett
Sept 1992 – June 1993: Kris Oppermann-
Fredell
Sept 1993 – Mar 1994: Kimberle Swaak
Maleski
April 1994 – June 1994: Jean Donahue
Sept 1994 – May 1996: Lynn Mathias
June 1996 – Dec 1997: Karen Kinneman
Jan 1998 – Mar 1998: Sandy Jones
April 1998 – June 1999: Janet
Hasselschwerdt
Sept 1999 – June 2001: Cheryl Rampton
Sept 2001 – June 2002: Karin Harms
Sept 2002 – June 2003: Ebbe Yonce + Jane
Gulde
Sept 2003 – June 2004: Jane Gulde
Sept 2004 – June 2005: Daniela Rawicz-
Wolff
Sept 2005 – Nov 2005: Nicole Sawan
Dec 2005 – Mar 2006: Mary Braso
April 2006 – June 2007: Kim Bluth
Sept 2007 – June 2008: Deb Filkins
Sept 2008 – May 2009: Leslie Collingridge
June 2009 – May 2017: Melissa White
Sept 2017 – May 2018: Suzanne MacNeil
Sept 2018 – Sept 2019: Audrey Goodman
Oct 2019 – June 2020: Alex Moore
Sept 2020 – May 2022: Melissa White
MAY / JUNE 2022 41
Infographic by Veronica White

Plucked from the Shredder
by Georgia Regnault
Financial documents need to be stored for seven years. When we sold the old AWC
Clubhouse in 2012, many documents older than seven years were moved into our new
rented space and remained stored there for years. At some point, former Secretary Ellen
Bollock and I went through lots of old files, and I shredded a bunch. Then a few years ago, I
lent my shredder to the AWC so some more old documents could be shredded. Unfortunately,
my shredder tends to overheat, so it’s hard to use if you’re not in your own home where you
can easily walk away to let it cool off and pick up the project later. With this year’s move,
I said I’d shred out-of-date financial records of the Club. I took home eight garbage bags
worth of old documents! However, before shredding, I’d glance at what I was feeding into
the machine at ten pages at a time. These are the documents, I plucked from the shredder
with the intention of scanning to include in the AWC archives.
Miscellaneous Documents
• 1930-2002: Graph of Membership
• 2007: Holiday Bazaar Financial
Results: € 4,377
• 2007: Pink Ribbon Gala: earned €
275,000 to add to the € 500,000 already
earned in previous Galas since 2002;
430 guests came
• 2008: Pink Ribbon Gala list of recipients
of the various research projects: €
229,290 distributed
• 2008: Spring Fest & Bazaar at ASH
• 2008-2009: List of items in AWC Policy
Plan for an ANBI (Dutch non-profit)
• 1979: AWC Constitution in Dutch
• 1994: Thank you letter from Chrysler
International and the Netherlands
Foreign Investment Agency after the
AWC hosted a breakfast for their executives
in our Clubhouse. They were
investigating where to install their
European office. Unfortunately for us,
Brussels won! (I always thought the
AWC should do more of this type of
event.)
• 1994: Offer from US Ambassador
Dornbush’s wife, Marilyn, to have an Easter Egg hunt/roll in the garden of the
Ambassador’s residence (Great idea for the future perhaps?)
• 1994-1995 President’s Annual Report, including job description
• 2001: List of local organizations that
we donated to, totaling Dfl. 11,000
• 2002: Complaint from a lawyer representing
next door neighbor about noise
deep into the night!
• 2002-2009: AWC Philanthropy
Allocations totaling a whopping
€ 1,146,759
• 2005 + 2014 AWC Member Surveys
42 GOING DUTCH
plus ANBI Policy Plan prepared when
applying for this tax-exempt status plus
bill for translating our Policy Plan
• 2010-2011: AWC Net YTD
Contributions to Charity: € 7,782
• 2013: Financial yearly report from van
Lanschot Bankers
• 2015: Board installation photo
• 2015: 85 Years and Counting event flyer
featuring pianist and author, Robin
Goldsby at Nieuwspoort
•
• 2020: Handbag Auction Timeline for
planning (postpone due to coronavirus
pandemic until April 2022)
• 2021: AWC Clubhouse Plan for new
place
• Example of contract for an AWC instructor
>> 44
MAY / JUNE 2022 43

Plucked from the Shredder (cont.)
Continued from page 43
• Example of contract for ongoing Clubhouse Rental
•
• Memorandum regarding the Drawing-up of Policy Plan for Institutions for the Common
Good
• Letter to Mr. van Haarlem from van Haarlem Tax Consultancy regarding Club’s VAT
obligations
•
• AWC Community Services Grant Application
•
• AWC Criteria for funding
Nieuwe Duinweg 25
• 1984: Taxatie Report with assessed value
of Dfl: 450,000 and replacement cost
of Dfl. 900,000
• Bouwcentrum Keuring: estimate of
renovation costs would be about Dfl.
106,230 – most of it was done by the
Members with donated supplies
• Overeenkomst tot geldlening (mortgage)
from April 12, 1984
• AWC paid Dfl 385,000 for the 1,850 m2
or 16,650 sq ft house built in 1925. We
signed the koopakte on March 19, 1984,
after a General Meeting in which 54 approved,
36 rejected and 4 abstained.
The 36 nos were mostly financial worries
about buying this property. The
Club took possession op 16 April 1984.
• 1987: Proces-Verbaal Police report
dated February 5 due to break-in via a
window: IBM typewriter, stereo and
radio stolen. Christmas 1999 there
was a second break-in with no substantial
loss.
• 2002: Second mortgage taken out in
March through van Lanschot Bankers.
Negotiation started in 2001 before
euro came in, granted – Dfll 350,000,
just 35,000 less than what we had paid
for it in 1984. By the time mortgage
deed was settled the euro had come in,
€ 158,823. At that time, we had 289
members with 43 needed for a quorum.
New mortgage was needed for
much overdue repairs. Interestingly,
only 35 Members came to meeting,
but 70 proxies were received. Needed
repairs included: safer, more energy
efficient furnace as well as new roof
over Library. Other repairs were still
necessary: roof over main house, repainting
the bricks and replacement of
windows.
New Clubhouse Location?
• 1993: Location Survey exploring various
locations to build a new AWC
Clubhouse!
• August 1993: Notes from discussion
about new possible location for AWC,
near future British Junior School
• December 9, 1993: Article appearing
in Haagsche Courant: AWC building
a Clubhouse together with the British
School planned in Mariahoeve neighborhood
of The Hague
• Letter from two contractors offering
their services for “our plans” to build
a new British School along with a new
AWC Clubhouse in Mariahoeve (site
today of the British Junior School).
• June 1994: Invoice for Dfl. 5,949 for a
feasibility study made in 1993 for AWC
possible new Clubhouse or changes to
property on Nieuwe Duinweg 25. I became
President in May 1994 and successfully
fought to lower this highly
overpriced invoice.
44 GOING DUTCH
MAY / JUNE 2022 45

AWC Board Installation

Memorial Day at Margraten
by Roberta Enschede
Memorial Day Ceremony
Sunday, May 29 at 3 p.m.
American War Cemetery, Margraten
The Netherlands-American World War II Cemetery lies in the rolling green hills of Limburg
in the southernmost point of the Netherlands. Etched in white marble at that sacrosanct place
are the ancient words of Pericles of Athens and how fitting they are:
Each for his own memorial earned praise that will never die
and with it the grandest of all sepulchers,
not that in which his mortal bones are laid but a home in the minds of men.
When you look over Margraten for the first time and walk amidst its pure white marble
of remembrance, the Crosses and Stars of David under which 8,297 boys and men and 4
women rest, and when you see the Wall of Honor with its 1,772 names of the missing, there
are inevitably tears and questions — endless questions, we try to answer.
Why did they die so young? Why did they die so hard?
Why did they die before they had a chance to live? Why do I live?
Why do we live? Why didn’t we have to do what they had to do while so young?
On every Memorial Day you see the Vets who return. Now, there are fewer and fewer.
You watch, from a respectful distance, the men who got to go back home and grow old and
become fathers, grandpas and great-grandpas and doctors, engineers, grocers, auto mechanics,
writers, professors, plumbers and builders. You watch them in their world of uncommon
valor as they say “Hello” to their friends who never got to grow old. They sometimes stand
in little groups and laugh and poke fun and tell soldier stories they can never forget―stories
of a world of faces and pain and even laughter, stories of a slogging, sleepless world, of
men and boys determined to do what had to be done! Once I watched a tall, lanky fellow
from Kansas, break off from his buddies. “I gotta say hello,” he said and ambled towards
the crosses and stars. He ambled back with tears welling up in his crusty old eyes. “I said
hello.” He was a member of the 104th Infantry, the Timberwolves. More than 100 of his
buddies rest in the Limburg land.
It’s times like thosethat being at Margraten renders you speechless and jumbles your
thoughts. Sometimes a line from a poem or a book or something someone once said jars
your feelings and puts them in focus:
More than 200 men and women worked all night to place wreaths and cut flowers, even
pansies from a neighbor, on 20,000 newly dug graves. Thousands walked, cycled, rode
horses, and came in carriages and automobiles to see the Stars and Stripes over Margraten,
hear the bugler play Taps and pay their respects.
It was then that the people of Limburg began adopting the new, young graves. That Adopt
a Grave program continues to this day. It is unique. Every single grave is adopted, with a
waiting list to adopt one. Thousands remember the price their freedom took and teach their
children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren the Why of Margraten. For them, every day
is Memorial Day. Under the Crosses and Stars of David, there are always freshly cut flowers
for a birthday or a holiday, whether in the yellow of early jonquil spring or the frozen snow
of December.
Erik Hazelhoff, a citizen of the Netherlands and after the WWII of the United States,
wrote a book called Soldier of Orange. It’s the true story of what he and his young friends
did for freedom: There comes a time in our lives, when we have to take a stand; when we
say to ourselves, this can’t go on! This can’t be!
That is the Why of Margraten. We understand not just yesterday but Now, and inevitably
Now, we think about the men and women in the Ukraine and so many places where people
are taking a stand because “Some things simply can’t be!”
On Memorial Day, there is a service conducted by a rabbi, a priest and several ministers.
The Honorable Marja Verloop, the US Chargé d’Affaires and AWC Honorary President,
will share her thoughts as will the King’s Commissioner and a high ranking member of the
military. Then the Wreath-Laying Ceremony begins. This year, the wreath-layer for OAR
~ Overseas Americans Remember is Lt. Col. (ret) Sherman McGrew, a recipient of the
Bronze Star and a two-time veteran of Iraq. OAR is also honored to sponsor a wreath for the
Timberwolves who helped liberate the southern Netherlands. At the end of the fighting, they
had 1,426 casualties including 313 killed and 103 missing. I remember one of them calling
Margraten “My Church.” Major (ret) Gilbert Riboni, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, will
lay the wreath for the Timberwolves.
After the wreath-laying, the Dutch Air Force pays tribute with a flyover: the Lost Airman
formation. Four F-16s will streak across the blue sky, over the Crosses and Stars of David.
One will break away and climb and climb before disappearing into what seems like forever.
Each for his own memorial earned praise that will never die
and with it the grandest of all sepulchers,
not that in which his mortal bones are laid, but a home in the minds of men.
Come to Margraten this Memorial Day. You will never forget it.
You are not dead; you did not die.
Death shall have no dominion
We weren’t heroes. We were just doing a job that had to be done
On the first Memorial Day at Margraten on May 30, 1945, just over three weeks after the
war ended in the Netherlands, a Dutch citizen who was there wrote some simple lines. They
are not eloquent like the words of the immortal Pericles, but they say it all:
You who enter this cemetery, look
Remember the price your freedom took.
48 GOING DUTCH
Directions: From Maastricht, take the N278 road in the direction of Cadier en Keer and
Margraten. After you pass Cadier en Keer, you will see the American War Cemetery on
your right.
For further information, contact me at oarinnl@yahoo.com.
MAY / JUNE 2022 49

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Women or couples only.
Lessons are in English.
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Enquires contact me at
christina@pilateslounge.nl
The AWC is not responsible
for accidents or injuries
occurring at Club activities
or on Club property. Sports
and exercise instructors
must carry their own
liability insurance.
AWC is a Pet-Free Zone
As much as many of our
Members love their pets,
please do leave them at
home as the AWC has a
long-standing policy of
no pets in the Clubhouse.
Thank you for your understanding!
MOVING DAY!
Support Fellow AWC Members
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MAY / JUNE 2022 51

TRIATHLON COACH SWIM ANALYSIS ONLINE TRAINING ONLINE TRI-SHOP
WATT CYCLING MOBILITY TRAINING PERSONAL TRAINING SPORTVASTEN
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INFO@TRI-PTSTUDIO.NL
TRI-PTSTUDIO.NL