Hi everyone,
I do hope that each one of you has had a wonderful and restful summer! As we step into a new season together, I’m excited to welcome you back to our dear American Women’s Club of Brussels. Your board and helpful members have already planned over eighty upcoming events, both alone and with our companion Clubs Can you imagine how active our club is? Just check the events calendar https://www.awcb.org/Our-Events to see where you would like to register to meet friends or discover new activities.
I’m also very pleased to greet our brand-new members:
- Tiffany Smith
- Avery Smith (Tiffany’s daughter)
- Stephanie Gardner
- Lara Wolfson
- Sue Bird
- Dojean Carol Chopra
Our first important event is our quarterly meeting where lots of information will be given to the members present, so please COME!! This will be held at All Saints Church in Waterloo on October 2nd 2025 from 18:00 to 21:00, starting as usual with a Pot Luck Dinner and followed by the quarterly meeting at 19:30.
A VERY important event is on November 14-16. This is a Fawco regional meeting for all American Women’s Clubs around the word and we are proudly hosting it in Brussels! Details and registration can be found in this newsletter. We need help from you.
What do we need ?
o We need You, to greet people or just be there to participate, to greet people or just be there to participate, have fun and give your lovely smile!
o We need Prizes for our silent auction. These can be given at the quarterly meeting or at Hearts for Hope or brought on the premises November 14 or 15.
Don’t forget that as being a member of the AWCB, you are also connected to FAWCO (Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas). Through FAWCO, you have access to a wide range of global initiatives, development programs, and webinars. I encourage you to explore their website www.fawco.org
Whether you’ve been with us for years or are just joining, I am so glad you’re here. AWCB is a community where meaningful connections are made, and friendships are built. If you’re new, I especially encourage you to attend events or simply reach out: we’re so excited to get to know you.
Thank you for being part of this vibrant community.
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Florence Jeannin President, AWCB |
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"Happiness is not something ready made, it comes from your own actions" Dalai Lama |
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More Members, More Events
Our membership continues its healthy growth, with members of all types and nationalities joining together. We also add more events of different types, as well of course as continuing the everlasting favorites. Our Club is vibrant, yet still we can do more. If you have a special interest and would like to share it with our Members, let us know and we can help you organise an event or series of events with your fellow Club members.
Lets continue to keep the AWCB the happiest, most vibrant Club in Belgium!
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Hearts for Hope Relay
Coretta Scott King said, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its member.”
Her quote epitomizes the spirit of our AWCB community. For the second year in a row, the Hearts for Hope Relay team participated in the Waterloo and International Community Relay for Life May 31st and June 1st 2025. Our team of 17 members included helpers across the generations including grandchildren, husbands, and friends. They helped set up the tent, baked cookies, brownies, cup cakes, and muffins. A very creative and talented member, Pia Nielsen taught a group of women how to make key fobs which were sold at the tent. The cooperative spirit of all our team helpers allowed us to contribute 1760 euro in the collective sum of 39, 879 euors.
The weather was fantastic, and our tent was gorgeous! The pink and white balloons helped direct attention to us and the choice of baked goods was impressive. Our relay team walked from 2:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00. Thanks to the help of our spouses and other family members we were able to collect 14 letters on our sash!
The comradery, the encouragement, the laughter and generosity present in the preparation and execution of our second Relay made participating in this event so gratifying. Knowing that our contribution helps support cancer research and improve treatment practices is a very satisfying accomplishment.
We at the AWCB care about each other and take pride in spreading our American friendliness and compassion towards our wider community.
Be sure to look for future notices in the AWCB newsletter to learn about participating in the 2026 Relay for Life! |
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FAWCO Region 4
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The AWCB shall be hosting the Region 4 Conference this year at the Novotel Hotel in Brussels. The theme is ‘Renewal’, as well as the FAWCO theme of ‘Sisterhood’. Events start the Friday evening with a Dinner at the Roy d’espagne on the Grand Place. The Saturday will be filled with speakers and networking opportunities, with a Gala Dinner and Silent Auction to raise money for our charities in the evening. Sunday will start with a Brussels Walking Tour, followed by an (optional) lunch. Join us for a fun and thought provoking weekend and meet members of other Region 4 FAWCO Clubs. Check out the details here https://www.awcb.org/fawco4
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Club Historian Do you have a strong interest in history and a passion to preserve the records of the past? Can you tell the difference between wheat and chaff? Do you know the basics of digitisation and enjoy organising? Then we have a fantastic volunteer position for you! We have boxes of material that need to be reviewed, catalogued, scanned and then uploaded into an on-line historical library. So we need a volunteer to lead this and to become the AWCB Club Historian! Interested in the role? Would you and a friend like to share it between you? We have over 75 years of history already to explore and we make new history every day. Interested? Just send a mail to board@awcb.org and we will be in touch!
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Selection of Special Upcoming Events
After a beautiful summer, we all prepare for Autum and, of course, Halloween and Thanksgiving! As usual, we have a PACKED agenda to share with you; all Events still have spaces so hurry and sign up! All the details and booking info in the Events Agenda https://www.awcb.org/events
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And of course we have our very active Book Club that meets monthly, plus the wonderful Hearts for Hope team who meet every 2 weeks to make breast cancer recovery pillows for Institut Bordet and leuven Hospitals ( any Club member can come and help!)
Still want more? Ok, well contact us on events@awcb.org and we will add more for you; bring your ideas and plans! And here are some more FUTURE events
LAST PLACES AVAILABLE! AWCB does Paris - 26th to 28th September
One or two nights in Paris; historical walk exploring the connections between 18th century France and the (then) new USA Republic, followed by dinner in the Eiffel Tower. Sunday is luxury day, with the Dior Museum followed by the Musee Jacquemart Andre and a high tea. Hotel is the delightful Hotel Design Sorbonne, with the opportunity for aFriday night walking tour by Florence (a resident for 25 years) and a local 3 course dinner. A trip not to be missed! Limited to 16 people, first come first served!
FAWCO Region 4 Conference, Novotel, Brussels - 14th to 16th November
The AWCB shall be hosting the Region 4 Conference this year at the Novotel Hotel in Brussels. The theme is ‘Renewal’, as well as the FAWCO theme of ‘Sisterhood’. Events start the Friday evening with a Dinner at the Roy d’espagne on the Grand Place. The Saturday will be filled with speakers and networking opportunities, with a Gala Dinner and Silent Auction to raise money for our charities in the evening. Sunday will start with a Brussels Walking Tour, followed by an (optional) lunch. Join us for a fun and thought provoking weekend and meet members of other Region 4 FAWCO Clubs.
Make sure to check the club events calendar regularly for updates. Please also send us event ideas via the Request an Event link on our website: https://www.awcb.org/request_event We always looking for volunteers to organize and host events, please let us know if you would like to get involved. An event can just be a visit to an art gallery, if you are planning to go, just let us know and we can enter it into the club calendar so other members can join you.
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Visit to the St. Ursula School
To build on the FAWCO Sisterhood theme launched this year, at the start of September the AWCB joined with our sister Clubs in Antwerp, Dusseldorf and FAUSA in a visit to the St. Ursula school near Mechelen. This was a truly marvellous visit to his historic school, made better by us being together. The beautiful stained glass windows were a particular highlight to the visit. Keep watching the Events page for the next Sisterhood Visit, coming soon! |
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AWCB 4th July BBQ
After 2 weeks of beautiful sunshine, the heavens opened just at the start of our 4th July BBQ. However it did not dampen the spirits; 39 members joined together for a full afternoon of burgers, hot dogs, beer and fantastic conversation! The warmth of the company more than offset the rain. Watch out for details of the 4th July celebration next year, the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the modern USA. We are planning a special event, so hold your diaries! |
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AWCB Charity Brocante
In aid of the new AWCB Charity Foundation, the AWCB participated in the Overijse brocante during August. Members were very generous in their donations of both time and items to be sold on behalf of our Charity Appeal. After a full day of selling, we are pleased to announce that we raised over 430 euros for the Clubs Charity Appeal. Thank you to all who donated items for the sale.
Do you have an idea for an event to raise funds for the AWCB Charity Foundation? Contact us board@awcb.org and lets have a chat.
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Hearts for Hope
Our wonderful Hearts for Hope team meet every two weeks in Waterloo, creating recovery pillows for breast cancer patients at Bordet Institute and Leuven Hospital. Recently some of the patients have been contacting the team to say thank you, how touched they were by the gift and just how helpful it was. These amazing ladies are a huge part of our Club and give a significant contribution back into the community. Thank you for all you do! Would you like to help? All Club members are welcome, just sign up in the Events calender and come along! The meetings are usually followed by a Pot Luck lunch, so great fun and company are guaranteed along with helping a cancer patient. |
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Regional Conference at AWCB Brussels
Our club’s upcoming hosting of FAWCO’s Region 4 Conference on November 14-16, 2025! We have secured the Novotel adjacent to the La Place Sainte-Catherine in Brussels. The conference theme of Renewal will feature inspiring speakers Karen Northshield and Clarie Oppert. Karen Northshield is a Belgian-American athlete who survived the 2016 Brussels Airport Bombing. She had a nearly zero chance of survival, but has shown amazing resilience by and now inspires others. Claire Oppert is a cellist and art therapist (and music teacher in nearby Waterloo) who has used her music for over 20 years to help persons, such as children with autism, people with neurodegenerative diseases, and palliative care patients. Click here to learn more about the conference! FAWCO Region 4 Conference |
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AWCB Member Benefits via FAWCO Did you know that, as an AWCB member, you are automatically a member of FAWCO? This global organisation has a number of initiatives and projects ongoing at any point of time and organises regular conferences. As a FAWCO member you can also access all the benefits of FAWCO. Did you know as a FAWCO member you can get an American bank account for you and any non-US partner? Or apply for Education grants, as three of our members have done in the last couple of years?
We strongly urge you to sign up on the FAWCO website as a member and to look at the huge range of information available there. Joining the AWCB does not just make you friends here; you become a member of FAWCO so you can have friends and fellow members throughout the world. www.fawco.org |
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Recipe Corner - What's cooking today?
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
A perfect accompaniment to any autumnal meal and so easy to cook! - 2lb / 900g potatoes, quartered
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped rosemary
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp groups pepper
- 1 tbsp coarse salt
In a shallow roasting pan, toss together the potatoes and olive oil. Place into the oven for 20 minutes at 350F / 175C. Remove the pan from the oven and add the remaining ingredients, mixing well Continue to bake, turning occasionally, until they are crisp and browned on the outside, fluffy and tender inside., about another 40 minutes. Serve and enjoy immediately! Want some variation? Ok, well try two options (or both of them together!). Take 4 peeled garlic cloves, chop them into quarters and add them to the potatoes with the rosemary and thyme. Our second option is to also add bacon bits; the oil will flavour the potatoes along with the olive oil and crispy bacon bits with fresh roast potatoes are ALWAYS a treat! All recipes from the AWCBs very own cookbook ‘Applepie to WEaterzooi’. |
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Thank you to our AWCB Sponsors! 🙏 |
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Your Logo Here?
Click here to learn more: https://www.awcb.org/Become-a-Sponsor
Our club needs a strong cash flow to support all of the social and philanthropical initiatives that we do. If you know of a business that might want to become a sponsor of the AWCB, then let us know at board@awcb.org and we will contact them. We are offering generous benefits for an annual rate of 300 Euros for non-members and 250 Euros for members. Thank you for referring sponsors and supporting your club! |
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AWCB Member Communications |
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Choose to enrich the club's philanthropic or social activities on offer, either one would be gratefully appreciated, and make new friends at the same time! It's your club, help us make it the most meaningful experience possible for you and other members! We always need help with communications, especially help in writing our newsletter, website updates, events planning and organization, and many other simple administrative and operational tasks - every little bit helps. Please contact us if you are interested. Thank you in advance and we look forward to hearing from you! |
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AWCB Member Directory
Have you met someone at a club and want to get in touch? Just log into our AWCB website and AWCB Community and then Member Directory and you can find the contact details of all members who have opted in to share their information. You must login to see information and you can change your own information and visibility by updating your profile. Please make sure your birthday is included in your profile so we can invite to our club birthday party events!
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AWCB Bulletin Board
While you are on the website, make sure you visit our Club Bulletin Board where you can announce something special, announce something for sale or to give away for free, mention an event you will go to, or ask for help or advice. Click here to see the AWCB Club Bulletin Board
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Get the App for our club calendar And view events on your phone! |
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