2018 Highlights-Inspiring Women

Spring 2018,
Volume 2, Issue 1
Summer 2018,
Volume 2, Issue 2
Fall 2018,
Volume 2, Issue 3
Winter 2018,
Volume 2, Issue 4
September February 2018, 2017, Volume 2, 1, Issue 13
CELEBRATING LIVES ACROSS THE FAWCO WORLD

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Reflections on Our Second Year, from the Editor 3
Inspired to be Inspired 4
Women in Sport & Fitness : Spring 2018 5
Women of Words & Language : Summer 2018 8
Women Who Persist Part 1 : Fall 2018 12
Women in Music : Winter 2018 17
A Club Inspires: AWC Central Scotland 21
A President Inspires 24
How Can You Get Involved 30
Advertising in Inspiring Women 30
Inspiring You 31
The Inspiring Women
Team New Year Drinks
Party, January 2019 (via
Skype)
The Inspiring Women Team:
Editor: Liz MacNiven, at-large member of AIWC Cologne, Germany
Advertising: Elsie Bose, at-large member of AWG Paris, France
Cover Photo Coordinator: Marie-Bénédicte Luxem, AWC Zurich, Switzerland
Distribution Coordinator: Karen Boeker, AWC Denmark, Denmark
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FAWCO would like to thank Esquire Group for underwriting Inspiring Women as our
Premier Sponsor.

Reflections on Our Second Year, from the Editor
Inspiring Women was launched at the FAWCO Biennial
Conference in Mumbai in 2017 as a global, digital magazine. As
you may know, each issue of the magazine is based round the
wonderful stories of the lives of women from our FAWCO clubs
across the world, based round a particular theme.
FAWCO women are an intrepid bunch! They have “upped sticks,”
sometimes multiple times and with children in tow, and moved to
all corners of the globe where, after a period of adjustment, they
have found their niche and a role for themselves. Most of the
women I have met in my involvement with FAWCO don’t even
seem to realise how impressive this is; they’ve just been getting on
with their lives.
Usually when we approach someone to be featured in the
magazine, they don’t think their story is worth telling; it’s nothing
special. But as you will see from the four women we have
selected from the 63 that have been featured in Inspiring Women in 2018 (boy was that selection
tough!), they are all doing wonderful things in their fields and making a difference in the lives of
those around them and sometimes in the world. They are putting one foot in front of the other
and getting on with life in a different country, sometimes dealing with a different language and
often a different culture. The Inspiring Women team salutes each and every one of them, and
you; you are impressive in your own way, too!
Moving into 2019 the Inspiring Women team has set three big goals for ourselves:
1. To feature someone from the remaining eight FAWCO clubs that have not yet had anyone in
the magazine. Anyone can recommend someone to be featured (even themselves). All we
need is the person’s name and email address plus details of why they should be featured.
You email that to me, Liz MacNiven, and I will do the rest if they are selected. You will find
the list of upcoming magazine themes here:
www.fawco.org/about/publications/inspiring-women
1. To increase our readership by 25% as part of spreading the word about FAWCO and the
wonderful work the organisation does. Did you know you can subscribe for free with just a
couple of clicks to get the magazine sent directly to your inbox? Also did you know that
anyone can subscribe, even those who are not members of a FAWCO club? So that means
any of your friends and family can get a copy. Wouldn’t that be a nice extra present you
could give them in 2019! SIGN UP HERE:
www.fawco.org/about/publications/inspiring-women
1. To encourage more businesses, especially those small businesses run by women of FAWCO,
to advertise in the pages of the magazine. The rates are incredibly reasonable especially
when you consider how many parts of the world it reaches. Please contact Elsie Bose at
advertising@fawco.org for more information.
That’s all from me. I hope you enjoy this issue and I encourage you to get in touch with any ideas
you may have for future issues. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank all
proofreaders who do an incredible job of making the magazine the best it can be, and my coworkers,
Elsie, Marie–Bénédicte and Karen, for being such great people to work with. Thanks very
much indeed ladies!
Best wishes, Liz x
Liz MacNiven, inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org
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Inspired to be Inspired…
There is something magical about each one of the around 10,000 members of FAWCO.
They are not who they appear to be!
How many times have you sat next to someone at a club meeting or coffee, struck up a
conversation with them, only to find through a bit of probing, that they have achieved
something that makes your jaw drop? Remember the woman who laughed about
picking up all the kids for the school carpool but forgot her own? Then she tells you
about the project she founded for women at risk in your city? Or the new member who
volunteers to organize the club’s holiday choir and lists in her qualifications, her
experience as a former executive producer for a TV series?
And here is the best part…these women exist in all our clubs, from all walks of life, whose
accomplishments are stellar, significant and deserving of recognition. They are you.
The mission of FAWCO’s online magazine Inspiring Women is to reveal these gems that
exist within our clubs and share their brilliance with our readers.
Our four issues this year illustrated the breadth of accomplishments FAWCO members
have achieved in their lives. The number of profilees nominated and featured in each
issue also proves that the “bench of talent” is deep.
This year, Inspiring Women’s merry band of word warriors increased again. In addition to
our leader, Liz MacNiven, and our thoughtful photo coordinator, Marie-Bénédicte
Luxem, we welcomed Karen Boeker as our Distribution Coordinator. The new addition to
our team makes so much sense because we want to share Inspiring Women, and the
wonderful stories it contains, with an ever increasing number of our members and their
friends and families.
At the end of our second year, we are thrilled with the discoveries that we have made
and excited about the journey the magazine will take in the future. We hope that you
will continue the ride with us in 2019 and, perhaps, reveal the magic in you!
Elsie Bose
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Women in Sport & Fitness: Spring 2018
As we began our second year, we thought it was a good idea to use a theme that
would re-energize our collective batteries. Women in Sport seemed like the perfect way
to get us moving. There is something unbelievably surreal when one is able to stretch
one’s physical capabilities beyond expectations. It is powerful, it is satisfying and makes
us want to push ourselves to the next level of success. We asked:
Is there a member of your club who accomplished success as a champion, a
participant, a coach or an organizer? Or, perhaps going for the gold was more
significant than winning the gold?
The women in the spring issue had a number of unique reasons for participating and
excelling in their sport of choice. They ran faster, jumped higher and as a result
achieved their “personal bests” both in and out of sport. Their stories described winning
in their own personal way.
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LAURA TRIDICO
American Women of Berkshire & Surrey, England
From: Arlington VA, USA
Lives: Virginia Water, Surrey, England
I married my husband, Anthony, in 1997, and we
have three children – John (17), Anthony (14) and
Nicole (11). Prior to expat life, I was a corporate
lawyer in Washington, DC. In 2001, we had our first
child and immediately moved overseas – a
massive lifestyle change all at once! We lived in
Brussels, Belgium from 2001 to 2004 and again
starting in 2009. We then moved to London in 2013
and have lived here ever since. Career-wise, I
taught French in the USA for several years between
expat assignments and now work part-time as a
freelance translator.
Over the years, I’ve been involved in track and
field (discus and shot put in high school; high school coach when teaching in Virginia), fencing
(University of Michigan), recreational running, general fitness and, most recently, golf.
I was a late bloomer when it came to sports, until I discovered the shot put and discus in high
school. I competed at the state level, but did not pursue it in college. Instead, I joined the
fencing club at the University of Michigan, and enjoyed three years of representing my school in
the Big Ten. At that time, Michigan did not have a varsity fencing team, so we were the only
game in town!
I drifted away from organized sports during law school, and my fitness level took a nose dive.
Approaching 30 and massively out of shape, I started running. I was not fast, and could never
have won a race, but had the satisfaction of completing two marathons, including New York
City in 2005.

As I approached 40, my interest in running
started to wane (in inverse proportion to my
enjoyment of Belgian beer and chocolate). A
couple of years later, I realized that I’d let my
fitness go yet again. Surprisingly, it was an
infomercial for a workout program (Insanity)
that got me back off the couch. I bought the
DVDs, and over the next six months lost 20
pounds and got my body back.
Upon moving to the UK, I started to take up
golfing, which I had played a little bit when I
was younger. That is my focus right now: since
starting, I’ve lowered my handicap from 36 to
a somewhat respectable 22. I’ve gotten
involved in a match play team at a local club,
which is a great way to get to make friends in
the local community.
That said, my focus on golf came at the
expense of regular fitness workouts. That was a
mistake that I’m now rectifying. No matter your
sport, it’s essential to maintain your basic fitness
level, especially your core muscles. Failing to
do that can lead to injury. I’m happy to say
that I’ve been back on my fitness program for
a couple of months; I feel much stronger and I’m seeing a huge difference in my golf game.
When I was younger, sport was about training
to win for the team. Now that I’m approaching
50, the most important thing is to stay fit and
use my involvement in sports to make
connections and friendships.
I’ve learned that at whatever level you
participate in a sport, you can get a lot of
satisfaction from working hard and improving.
Competition can be a real motivating force at
any level – you don’t have to be an incredible
athlete to enjoy your chosen sport and jump
into competitions. For the most part, the sports
I’ve been involved in are accessible wherever
you live. Whatever interests you, just give it a
go! The first step is always the hardest – whether
starting a workout program or joining a sports
club. Just get up and move!
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GETTING TO KNOW LAURA
Tell us about an event in your life that made a
big difference and why it did. Our initial
decision to accept an expat assignment way
back in 2001 was life-changing. Growing up,
my idea of international travel involved driving
across the border into Canada, so it was a
massive leap of faith to decide to move to
Belgium, with minimal experience abroad.
Tell us something interesting about yourself that
not many people know. A lot of people know
that I’m a translator (French to English), but
don’t know that I didn’t start seriously learning
French until I was nearly 30, when I lived in
Belgium. Proof that it’s never too late to start
something new!
If you could meet one famous or
influential woman, alive or dead, who
would it be and why? I would love to
meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She has a
stunning intellect, true compassion
and a powerful sense of justice. She’s
also a role model in the way she’s
stayed at the top of her profession at
the age of 84. I think it’s due in part to
her dedication to fitness – in fact, her
personal trainer, Bryant Johnson, just
published a book called The RBG
Workout: How She Stays Strong … and
You Can Too! I’d love to talk with her
about her fitness regime – in addition
to her career on the US Supreme Court.
Want to be sure you see the
next issue of Inspiring Women as
soon as it comes out? Click
here to have it sent directly to
your mailbox!
Go to www.fawco.org/about/
publications/inspiring-women
Or scan the QR code.
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Women in Words & Language: Summer 2018
The Word Is… illuminating. Fascinating. Funny. Frustrating! We were interested in finding
out what makes people pick up their pens and articulate their thoughts and visions in a
way that makes an impact on others. We asked:
How does one become successful in the world of words? Written or spoken? Poetry or
prose? Novelist or journalist? Do you have the passion that runs wild as an author or
possess the steely Zen of one who edits? Do you express yourself in your mother tongue
or a second language?
Our profilees worked in a variety of genres - fiction, non-fiction, writers of columns,
curricula and haikus. We explored the beauty of the spoken word as well as how to
effectively use the “best” words online via social media.
Margaret Atwood says, ”A word after a word after a word is power.” Their stories told us
about harnessing this power and becoming successful in the world of words.
VICTORIA KELLAWAY
American Women’s Club of Bogotá,
Colombia
From: Kent, England
Lives: Bogotá, Colombia
I became a newspaper reporter at the age
of twenty-one. Most of my work involved
despair. I was the journalist who appeared
in the aftermath of horror, be it a single
death or thousands, asking those involved
to share their suffering. I believe that work is
important, it gives people a voice and it
holds others accountable, but it did take its
toll. At twenty-seven I was ready to escape
and I chose the Galapagos Islands. It was
the most remote, fascinating place I could
imagine and an inspired decision. Three
months later, I was refreshed and keen to explore more of South America. I arrived in Bogotá,
Colombia, and found it irresistible. I decided to stay a while to study Spanish, dance salsa and
figure out what I wanted to do with my life. A few months became a year, and a freelance
writing career, and my first book was published four years later. I met my husband, Carlos, the
year the book came out. Sometimes I don’t know whether I chose Bogotá, or it chose me.
I was lucky enough to have a mother who read to me as a child and I still remember how proud
I felt when my parents first let me choose a book to read alone. But my relationship with reading
was not idyllic. A teacher confiscated one novel when I was ten, and my mother was called
into the school to explain. “She must have taken it from the bookshelf,” she said. “What are we
supposed to do, tell a child not to read?” I developed some antisocial tendencies, and often
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had books confiscated
so I would participate in
family gatherings. And
yet, I never understood
t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p
between writers and
books. The only job I
could imagine that
allowed a person to
write was newspaper
reporting and that’s why
I chose it. It wasn’t until I
was nearly thirty that I
realised I could write
books too.
Since then I have cowritten
a satire on
Colombian culture,
called Colombia a Comedy of Errors and I have co-edited two essay collections, Was Gabo an
Irishman? (Tales from Gabriel García Márquez’s Colombia) and Alone Together (Tales of
Sisterhood and Solitude in Latin America). Besides writing and lecturing, I participate in panels,
interviews and signings. Writing and reading are solitary activities and I think it’s important we
writers play our part in inspiring others, helping them to discover new books and genres, maybe
even start writing themselves.
I’ve learned to walk the line between protecting my treasured ‘writing time’ and accepting that
life is a tough beast to tame. Learning to say ‘no’ as a freelance writer is challenging, but I am
improving. Every time I refuse to write something for someone else, I grab that time to write for
myself and I’m now happier with the balance. I’m learning all the time too. I’ve noticed that my
relationship with other people’s books is evolving. Sometimes I find I’m studying books more than
reading them (How did the author do that? How were we brought here?) and then every now
and again a book will knock me sideways and I’ll think, “Yep. That’s why words matter.”
Working with words is easier than many of us are taught to believe. Towering walls are built
around the literary world, including the myth that writing is a difficult job, that you need to type
through the night fuelled by cocaine and whiskey, leaving relationships in your wake as you
surge towards a tragic
end – a tragic end
that was foretold since
the day you emerged
from your tragic
childhood, which is
the only reason
anyone allows you to
write in the first place.
Can we set that one
to rest please? There
are difficult jobs out
there and sitting in our
pajamas, re-arranging
sentences is not one
o f t h e m . T h e
knowledge that being
a w r i t e r w a s
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something I could do, an ordinary human being, was the biggest surprise to me. If I can do it, so
can you.
Authors are not deities. Readers will always have the final say and potentially, there are seven
billion of them, with diverse experiences and attitudes to our writing. I’ve had readers remark,
“Yours was the worst book I have ever purchased and I only made it to page two!” and another,
on the same day, “I love your book. I’ve read it three times and bought copies for all my friends.
How did you do it?” and I
enjoyed meeting them both.
Our writing will not touch
everyone. It will not
convince everyone and it
will not be deemed
worthwhile by everyone.
And therein lies our freedom.
Providing our work is as
touching, convincing and
worthwhile as we can make
it; we are the only reader
that matters. The rest are far
too unpredictable.
I’ve been involved in writing
and editing three books so
far and they have had their
share of success, from
becoming bestsellers in
various countries to being stocked by entities such as the Nobel Peace Center and the Harvard
Library. And yet my most important achievement in the literary world has been seeing each
book completed. I say this to anyone considering being involved with a book, whether as a
writer or an editor: “A book doesn’t have to be good. But it does have to be finished.” (There are
exceptions, of course, but we’re not all Kafka.) Just finish the thing. Dot the final ‘i’ and cross the
final ‘t’ and you’ll have achieved the most important part.
If you want to become a writer start now. Not tomorrow, not next weekend. Now. You need a
computer, or a pen and paper, or a pencil stub and the back of an old envelope. You don’t
need to write a book in one day. You just need to write something now, and something else
tomorrow and keep writing, and editing, and re-writing. Read the best, study the craft, take a
course either in person or online. Our world is open to everyone, you’ll soon get sucked in, find a
tribe and progress from there. But whatever you do, whatever you learn, whatever rejection you
encounter, just keep writing. You cannot find your readers if you have nothing for them to read.
GETTING TO KNOW VICTORIA
Tell us about an event in your life that made a
big difference and why it did. I covered the
Boxing Day tsunami in south-east Asia when I
was twenty-two, reporting from refugee
camps in the north of Sri Lanka where the aid
wasn’t getting through. I remain haunted by
the people I met there and the stories I heard
and witnessed. I’m sure it made me more
empathetic, more easily moved and affected
by other people’s experiences. I swore I
wouldn’t cry there, and I didn’t, but when a
woman who had lost her only daughter
hugged me and told me, “I can’t believe
you’ve travelled all the way around the world
just to talk to people like us,” my throat and
lungs burned in a way they never have since.
What personal motto do you live by and how
does it affect what you do/don’t do? I like
Martin Luther King’s advice, “If you
can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if
you can't walk then crawl, but
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whatever you do you have to keep moving
forward.” It helps to remember that
achievement is not always instant. Let’s just
do one thing today that will bring us closer
tomorrow. Let’s keep crawling.
If you could only save a copy of one book/
play/poem from the flames, what would it be
and why? A Woman in Berlin, an anonymous
diary kept by a journalist in her early thirties
when the city of Berlin fell in 1945, and more
than two million women were raped by
incoming soldiers. The writer is funny, honest,
smart, angry and thoughtful, and this is a vital
historical document. It’s a brave, hopeful, lifeaffirming
book and I’d save it so every
woman has the chance to read it.
If you could meet one writer, dead or alive,
what question would you ask them and why?
Perhaps he wouldn’t count as a writer as
much as a character in his own biography,
but Jesus Christ would be the most fascinating
interview. I would ask him “Jesus, your book is
one of the biggest sellers of all time, it is one
of the most debated and fought over books
in human history. Do you have any regrets?”
“Power is not given
to you. You have to
take it.” - Beyoncé
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Women Who Persist: Fall 2018
This issue profiled women from our clubs who are walking the walk. Through their
insistence and their persistence, they have set out to right a wrong, elevate justice, and
make the case for a better human condition. We asked:
Big problems or small, what is it about these women that motivates them to step out on
the ledge of a troubled world and join the journey to make it a better place? Women’s
rights, children’s rights, poverty, hunger, health or the environment - there are challenges
everywhere we look. What made these women different that they did not look away?
Their stories were so outstanding that the Inspiring Women staff made the decision to
carry over this theme to the Spring 2019 issue so all the profiles can be included. The
work of these women takes FAWCO to a higher place. We are proud to know them,
honored to praise them and hope, in some way, to be like them.
ELIZABETH (LIZ) VALLEJO
American Women of the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
From: Chicago, Illinois
Lives: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
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I have been a chemistry teacher and school
administrator for over 20 years. I grew up in suburban
Chicago, and after university settled back in the
Chicago area with my husband, Eric. In 1999 we were so
excited to have twins, Ian and Annika. After 13 years
working in a fantastic suburban high school and when
the twins turned eight years old, Eric and I decided to
embark on a two year adventure to teach in an overseas
school in Saudi Arabia. The expat life fit us so well that
we made it more permanent, returning to Chicago for
each summer but living and working in Saudi Arabia.
Three and a half years ago our lives changed forever
when our 16-year-old son was diagnosed with an
aggressive form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma.
My son and I moved back to the States for his medical treatment, shuttling between Chicago
and Saudi Arabia as his health allowed. Ian’s diagnosis, combined with my step-mother’s death
from colon cancer about 15 years ago and my second step-mother’s battle with breast cancer
six years ago, compelled me to help those with cancer. I am currently involved in cancer
activism in two main ways.
First, I volunteered to lead the AWEP’s breast cancer heart pillow project. AWEP does a large
fundraiser each year for breast cancer, and the money goes to making heart pillows that help
breast cancer surgical patients keep their arms away from their surgical sites. The fundraising has
been so successful that the group has allowed me to expand the project to also include
childhood cancer patients this year. We hope that we can make IV pole lily pads for those

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children in hospital having
chemotherapy.
My second form of
activism is through the MIB
Family Agents. MIB stands
for Make It Better for
c h i l d r e n w i t h
osteosarcoma. In May
2016 MIB concluded that
due to a lack of focus and
funding, osteosarcoma
research was stagnant
and needed to be pushed
forward. An initiative to
hold the first and only
annual osteosarcoma
conference was brought
forward, and I immediately
volunteered to help. In January 2017 we held the first conference named FACTOR (Funding,
Awareness, Collaboration, Trials, Osteosarcoma Research), and I was the patient advocate
coordinator and the conference floor coordinator. FACTOR was a huge success, bringing
together over 100 doctors, patients, researchers and families to discuss the current state of
osteosarcoma, while looking at and funding the most promising research. In January 2018, when
the second conference was held, I began the planning for a “Family Agent” group, which would
help families new to osteosarcoma or new to a relapse, find a patient and family to support them
in their journey. Since then, I have worked on developing a book for osteosarcoma families to
help them through this time, which will be available free of charge on the MIB website in late fall
2018, as well as a set of training modules for patients and families serving as Family Agents,
available beginning in winter 2018/19. My son and I first met another osteosarcoma patient and
family more than a year after his diagnosis – feeling alone during this period makes the journey
through this horrible cancer so isolating and scary. Osteosarcoma requires some of the most
b r u t a l t r e a t m e n t s :
amputation, bones being
replaced by feet of metal
and brutal chemotherapy,
followed by a life-long set of
side effects from the
attempt to cure the
cancer… and too often the
cancer cannot be cured.
My life has been impacted
dramatically by cancer, and
m y o n e c o m m o n
experience through my
mother’s, my step-mother’s
and son’s illnesses is the
feeling of helplessness,
isolation and fear. While I
am not a cancer researcher
to help change the prognosis or improve treatments, I do have the power to help others feel less
hopeless, isolated and alone; and I also have the power to help bring researchers together, so
they can put their brilliant minds together to help change the prognosis and treatments with the
research dollars that I can help to raise. This work has helped me take power back when cancer
stole my hope and power. It also helps me to memorialize my stepmother, who passed away

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from colon cancer in April 2005, and
my son who passed away from
treatment-induced leukemia in July
2018 from the chemotherapy
treatments he received to treat his
osteosarcoma.
My father has always been an
amazing role model in my life and
inspired my activism. He became a
single parent of my brother and me
when we were only 2 and 3 years old
when my birth mom died. He worked
hard to be positive and involved at a
time when he was grieving and
when fathers weren’t traditionally
single parents. He’s always had a
strong moral compass of right and
wrong, while maintaining a great sense of adventure, optimism and humor. He has always been
a steady, consistent source of courage and strength in my life.
I have met some of the most awesome people through my activism work. Truly, you can’t find a
more giving, compassionate and active set of people anywhere else. My activism work has also
solidified what really matters in my life - family, friends and helping others. Many people are
willing to be involved in activism but don’t know how to begin. Opening that door of asking for
volunteers and giving ideas of easy ways to get involved is often what hooks people into the
cause. Activism is working to help others, but through giving of my time, energy and resources, I
have been given so much more strength and peace.
I’ve been so surprised at how strengthening
privacy in the medical field (a great idea) has
dramatically effected the way people can get
support. Although it is an unintended
consequence of these measures, people have
had to become more intentional and organized
to get the support structures to people in need.
As a result of my efforts, in 2018 over 3.5 million
dollars of research money has been given to
osteosarcoma research specifically; just a few
years ago there was almost no research money
given to the disease specifically. The awareness
of the disease is spreading, and funding is
following. My son, in 2015, received the same
chemotherapy regimen as Senator Edward
(Ted) Kennedy did in 1973 and Canadian
runner Terry Fox did in 1980. The disease
prognosis and treatments haven’t changed in
over 40 years; finally, time and effort are being
put into combatting this disease.
This is our world, our nations, our families and our
people - we must work together to make it a
better place for everyone. Find your niche and
your passion - follow that and you will get back
so much more than you give.

GETTING TO KNOW LIZ
What personal motto do you live by and how
does it affect what you do/don’t do? “Live with
Purpose” is the motto I try to live by. I try to
determine what is important in life and use
that to guide my time and energy.
If you were stranded on a desert island, which
would you rather have with you: The Bible, the
complete works of Shakespeare or the history
of civilization? Probably the history of
civilization, as it is something that I find I know
far too little about and the lessons that can be
learned by prior people’s choices can help to
inform future thoughts and choices.
What one thing would you change about
yourself if you magically could? My need for
lots of sleep. I regularly need 8-9 hours of
sleep, and I often envy my husband who only
needs 5-6 hours. An extra few hours a day
would be great!
What’s your favorite indulgence? Travel, I
absolutely love it. Seeing new places,
wandering new streets, eating new food and
talking to people are such a joy.
My mother always
told me, “hide your
face, people are
looking at you.” I
would reply, “it does
not matter; I am
also looking at
them.” - Malala
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Women in Music: Winter 2018
This issue was so much fun! It contained two innovations to the Inspiring Women online
experience. We profiled a person for whom the “Inspiring” in our magazine’s title could
be considered a verb and not an adjective. We also embedded musical performances
from the profilees so readers could listen while they read - a great holiday present that
included great people. We asked:
Who are those that dare to create the language, the sound, the movement that enters
the most private parts of an individual’s soul? Is music their passion or salvation? They
say those with musical talent have a gift - how did they receive it?
The people profiled in this issue have astonishing talent. They shared their stories of how
they came to music (or how it came to them). Some of our profilees have chosen to
guide others in maximizing their musical abilities. All told us what musical success means
to them. The year couldn’t have ended on a higher note if we were Maria Callas!
17
BEVERLY MINOR
American Women’s Association of Vienna, Austria
From: Mississippi, USA
Lives: Vienna, Austria
I grew up in Woodville, Mississippi, on a farm, one of
eleven children. My family had horses, cows, hogs, goats,
dogs and cats. I had a pet pig called Tiny. My father had
a large garden and he raised potatoes, corn and sugar
cane. He also worked in a factory.
My church did not have a piano so the old people used
to pat their feet and clap their hands. We did not have a
choir and kids in the church were never given the
opportunity to sing. I joined the high school marching
band where I played the saxophone.
Growing up I loved to listen to music, but never
envisioned myself as a singer because I was very shy and
did not believe I was musically inclined. My family did not
have a TV so I often listened to Motown music on the
radio; my favorite singers were Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole and the Staple Singers. I still listen to
the same people today with the addition of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
I left home at 18 to attend Alcorn State University where I studied office administration. I also
joined the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. One of the girls said that I sang as though I had a frog in my
throat and she hated it when I even sang background. Not an easy thing to hear!
After graduating from the University, I moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to live with my brothers.
Two of them sang in a gospel singing group along with a cousin and asked me to join them. I
loved gospel music but didn't think I was gifted enough to sing. Eventually, I joined them and my
voice begin to develop. After my early experience it surprised me when people said they liked

my singing. I eventually
joined a church in New
Orleans and began to
sing solos with them.
While living in New
Orleans, I started to
participate with church
groups traveling abroad
on short-term mission
journeys. My first trip was
to Ryazan, Russia,
where I evangelized,
s a n g s o l o s a n d
accompanied a praise
and worship team.
Some years later, I
relocated to Georgia
and attended First
Baptist Church of
Atlanta. I joined the choir and sometimes sang on In Touch Ministries, which was broadcast
nationally and internationally. I became quite popular and began to sing at weddings, funerals
and Christmas parties, etc. During this period, I continued to travel abroad singing with a group.
After taking an early retirement from Delta Air Lines, I went on to work as a banker for Wells Fargo
and Fidelity National Bank. Then in 2013, a Polish choir (Gospel Joy), asked me to join them in
Poland for a year as one of their lead singers. I had often considered moving to Europe but did
not know how it could happen. I was able to get monetary support from my church, family and
friends and so by the end of that year, I felt secure enough to resign from my place of
employment, put my furniture in storage, rent my house and say goodbye to my family. In
January 2014, I was off to Poznan, Poland.
When the year ended, I moved to Vienna, Austria and now I work as a Ministry Assistant at the
Christian International Church, which is located in the 10 th District. I am a song leader in my
church and I also formed a small group which is called Soundz of Joy.
When I got to Vienna I had googled “choirs in Vienna” and lo and behold, there was the
Longfield Gospel Choir.
So, I joined two of the
Longfield choirs and
have since traveled with
t h e m s i n g i n g i n
Denmark, Germany and
all over Austria. It is
always special to me
when the AWA Vienna
ladies attend our
concerts, especially the
time when we sang at
St. Stephen's Cathedral.
The Longfield Choirs (a
total of four choirs under
the same director) just
completed a CD and I
am a song leader on
three of the songs.
18

I enjoy living in Vienna and think that
singing is the best job in the world.
Singing gospel songs is right in my
element and I hope, in the future, to
get trained so I could add some
Christian jazz to my genre. My dream
would be to travel round the world
singing with a small band. Over the
years I have had the opportunity to
travel around the world and sing: from
the streets of Hong Kong to Argentina
and Chile, to Costa Rica and many
places in the USA, to Canada to Egypt
and many countries around Europe.
It feels good when someone in one of
these countries remembers me and
some still extend an invitation to come
back to see them.
I would also like to learn to play my saxophone better and include it when I sing. When I sing, I
put my whole being into what I am singing because I want the audience to believe and feel the
message in the music.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
The Easter version of Leonard Cohen's song “Hallelujah.” It is a classic, many people love
this song and they sing it all over the world.
The same for “O Happy Day” and “Amazing Grace.”
I recently recorded “Sometimes I Feel Live A Motherless Child” and I would love to share it
with the world.
The song “He's An On Time God” brings out the tiger in me and I love it when the audience
goes wild when I sing it. I love a lot of the old classics.
19

GETTING TO KNOW BEVERLY
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. When I am done
singing, I just want to run off the stage and
hide. I actually sometimes get a bit shy when
people applaud.
If you could perform with, or meet, one
musician, who would it be? I would have
loved to meet Whitney Houston. She was a
great singer and it would have been an honor
to sing with her. Mariah Carey is also one of
my all time favorite singers. I would love to sing
a duet with her but I would have to sing lower
notes. Her voice is outstanding.
The most unusual place I have listened to
music was… I traveled to Santiago, Chile, on
a medical mission trip and a popular singer
was doing a concert at the tennis stadium. I
knew one of the sponsors. When I arrived at
the stadium, I was asked to
also sing before over 5000
people and it was
impromptu. I did quite well.
What are some of the things
you would love to get better
at and things you would like
to stop doing? I would love
to get better at doing runs
and remembering song
lyrics. I would love to stop
getting nervous when
performing a new song
because I sometimes think
that I will forget the lyrics.
20

A Club Inspires: AWC Central Scotland
There are 62 FAWCO clubs of all sizes and shapes in 31 different countries across the
world. “A Club Inspires” is a feature in Inspiring Women where one club tells readers
more about themselves. In this, the Highlights issue, we have asked the hosts of the 2019
Conference to tell us about their club.
The origins of the American
Women’s Club of Central
Scotland go back to the
early 1970s, when the wives
of employees at Santa Fe, a
supply company for the offshore
oil industry, began to
hold informal lunchtime
gatherings. Other American
women in Edinburgh were
soon attracted to their
meetings and in 1974, the
American Women's Club of
Edinburgh was formally
established and by-laws
drawn up.
In May 1998, the American
Women's Club of Edinburgh
became the American
Women's Club of Central Scotland, comprising Edinburgh, Central Region of Scotland and
Glasgow. There is also a sister club in northern Scotland: the Association of American Women of
Aberdeen (AAWA).
AWCCS has always had a close relationship with the U.S. Consulate-General in Edinburgh. In
recent years, the Principal Officers being female, they have served as our Honorary President.
Today AWCCS has 76 mainly American members, many of whom have married Scots and
moved with them, so are long term residents in Scotland.
21

The club has a board which is elected each year at our AGM, although in reality there is seldom
more than one candidate per position and we normally have to ask people to do the jobs. But
that seems to be a common issue across the globe!
We have both regular and annual events
such as coffee outings, museum tours,
book club, happy hours, pot luck dinners,
a Fourth of July picnic and a Thanksgiving
dinner, which is always a fun event. Our
recent coffee outing to the National
Library of Scotland to visit the Strike for
Freedom exhibit about Frederick Douglass
was very popular with members. His life
and struggles to abolish slavery is a
powerful and inspirational story and
learning about his work in Scotland and
throughout the United Kingdom was very
interesting. We also had a lot of fun doing
silk screen printing for the welcome bags
given out at the 2019 Conference. It was
an interesting activity which many of us
hadn’t done before, in a facility (the
Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop) which
we had always wanted to visit and use.
As a club, we also raise money for charitable causes each year, for example, by having a
silent/live auction at our Thanksgiving Dinner. We change our club charity every year or two by
vote at the AGM or through an online vote.
Edinburgh, where many of us live, is a lovely city, easy to get around, full of lots of cultural and
historical places. It is very walkable. You learn something new on every outing. The walking
paths along the Water of Leith are a
special highlight where you find yourself
surrounded by nature right in the middle
of the city.
22
It’s truly amazing how many Scots have
influenced world history, from John Knox
in religion to various scientific discoveries
during the enlightenment period and
important inventions during the industrial
revolution, such as the steam engine.
The torch light procession for Hogmanay
(the Scottish word for New Year’s Eve) is
a special highlight here. On the 30 th of
December each year, thousands of
people walk through the streets of the old town carrying burning torches. These days it is a
ticketed event with torches purchased from the event organizers only. The Scots love the New
Year and celebrate it over several days. The 1 st and 2 nd of January are public holidays and
have been for generations. Did you know that both days were public holidays in Scotland
before Christmas was even acknowledged as a public holiday here?!
There has been talk of having an annual conference in Scotland for some years. We are
delighted to finally welcome you all this year. The organizing team for the conference has
been a committee made up of a small band of dedicated club members and the AWCCS

oard, all working together.
Involvement in planning the
conference has given us the
best first-hand experience of
FAWCO and its many facets.
Through this involvement we
have gotten to know the
FAWCO board and several
of the other very involved
members of FAWCO. It has
given us a strong base for
establishing new friendships.
Having our club host the
conference, although a big
responsibility for us all, has
been a good experience
and we hope all of those
attending the conference
will have an excellent time
here in Scotland.
“Success is only
meaningful and
enjoyable if it feels
like your own.” -
Michelle Obama
23

A President Inspires
As you may know, the President of FAWCO usually serves a two-year term of office.
While preparing to hand over the reins in Edinburgh, our current President found time to
tell us some more about her back story and her plans for the future...
SALLIE CHABALIER
Association of American Women in
Europe, Paris
From: Mansfield, Ohio
Lives: Paris, France
I grew up in Mansfield, Ohio, a mediumsized
city in north central Ohio, which
was thriving when I was a child but has
since become part of the “Rust Belt”
and today is rather sad.
I was the cherished only child of older
(for the 1950s) parents who had been
told they were too old to adopt—and
then I came along after 10 years. My
mother was from North Carolina but
moved north when she married my
father, so I joke that I was bicultural from
birth. I had a sheltered but happy childhood and was a bookish little girl..
I went to university and graduate school in New England, which I loved. After getting my
Masters, I worked as a researcher in a university research center, so I was in an academic
bubble until my late 20s. I was then lucky enough to get a job as an analyst of Soviet politics in
Munich, so I moved to Germany and have been in Europe for over 35 of the last 37 years.
I loved my work in Munich but felt my Sandhurst-educated boss did not appreciate me, so when
I was offered a job with a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty research office in Paris after three
years in Munich, I jumped at the chance. I was thrilled to be in my favorite city in the world, and
still am! At the time (mid-to late 1980s), I soaked up all Paris had to offer: cinema, museums,
wine-tasting courses, stylish shoes, wonderful restaurants. The dollar was high and I was single
and gainfully employed, so I got a lot out of my system—if only I hadn't spent so much money
on shoes... After three years or so, I started wondering again if I should try my hand at finding a
job in Washington, DC, since I always had illusions about public service. I also wanted to be
closer to my aging parents and to get back in touch with my country and culture. After looking
at various options, I negotiated a transfer to RFE/RL's Washington office where I worked for not
quite two years. My illusions about Washington evaporated by Day 2.
As fate would have it, six months before I left Paris, I met a very charming Frenchman, François-
Marc Chaballier, who had gone to business school in the US with a friend and neighbor of mine
in Paris—we met at her going-away party. We went out for six months until I left for Washington,
24

and I had no idea what would follow. We visited back and forth ("commuting" is not quite the
word) and this being before the Internet, I tease FM that the phone bills got out of control. My
heart was literally no longer in trying to make a life back in the US, so once again, a serendipitous
job offer to return to RFE/RL Research in Munich led me to leave the US for the second time. I had
an incredibly fascinating job as editor of a daily newsletter sent out by fax (remember those?)
from early 1991 till early1992, as the Soviet Union disintegrated. One of the highlights was sending
out two issues a day during the crisis in August 1991, when Gorbachev was under house arrest—
our "brief" was to scoop CNN and we did.
To my surprise and delight, when I was in Paris over New Year's shortly before leaving Washington,
François-Marc proposed, I accepted, and we blithely planned an actual commute between
Munich and Paris until I could find another job in Paris.
Life accelerated and
took some unexpected
turns, however, as my
father was diagnosed
with cancer 10 days
before our wedding
(which I had organized
by fax). We went
a h ead wi t h the
wedding, and my
darling father walked
me down the aisle. He
died of postoperative
complications 7 weeks
later, leaving my
m o ther a nd me
absolutely devastated. I
took unpaid leave, then
brought my mother
back to Munich with
me to keep an eye on her. It was then that I realized that I was expecting our first child. I worked
through my first three months of pregnancy but decided that starting a marriage, caring for my
grieving mother, and having a baby in my late thirties was a bit much to juggle with my job, so I
shelved the career I loved and moved back to Paris to live with my new husband. Twenty-seven
years and another child later, I am still here.
When I first moved back to Paris, I already knew the city and had friends—plus I was newly
married and newly pregnant. Both my sisters-in-law were pregnant at the same time, so I had a
lot of support from family. I didn't feel the need for any additional community, plus I was too busy
to want activities.
I didn't join the Association of American Women in Europe (AAWE) until we needed to register our
older son for preschool at age 2 1/2 and I called to order the AAWE Guide to Education in
France, which is one of the club's flagship publications. The person running the office at the time
was so nice on the phone that I ended up joining as well as ordering the book (a subsequent
edition of which I co-edited). I was not very involved for several years, being more active in a
parents' support network, though I took my kids to children's parties and volunteered at the
annual Holiday Bazaar.
I happened to sit at the same table as the Education and Bilingualism Chair at the club's 40th
anniversary luncheon in 2001 and rashly volunteered to help out with a biennial school fair that is
one of AAWE's major community services. When she moved away unexpectedly the following
25

26
year, she "volunteered" me to take over
for her (I think I was her only volunteer),
and I found myself parachuted onto the
Board in 2003.
Once I joined the Board I got to know a
lot more people, and having to organize
events myself (I am NOT an events
person), had to get more involved. After
serving as Education and Bilingualism
Chair, I spent three years as Membership
Chair, which was a lot of fun—it allowed
me to get to know many new members
and help them get settled in Paris or
figure out where to send their kids to
school, for example. I served as President
from 2008 to 2010, which was very
gratifying, and then spent a great three years as FAWCO Rep—so I've had some of the best jobs
in the club. Since then, I've co-chaired a couple of Strategic Planning Committees and served on
the Rebranding Committee, but now I'm taking a bit of a break.
It's a cliché that the more you give, the more you get, but it's still absolutely true. I really came to
admire the women who had founded the club as well as the younger members, and have made
some wonderful friends. AAWE is largely an association of "lifers" and is truly-multigenerational; it
has come to be a sort of extended family for me, especially since I have so little family in the US.
As an international affairs junkie, I had been intrigued by FAWCO and the global perspective it
seemed to offer beyond my own club but was not able to attend conferences while my children
were still young. My dear friend Nan de Laubadère (FAWCO Rep at the time) very reasonably
pointed out that the 2007 FAWCO Biennial Conference in Lyon was only a two-hour train ride
from Paris, so I went to Lyon and was simply blown away by all that FAWCO does as well as by
the dynamic and accomplished women whom I met. I was hooked from then on and
volunteered to be on what was at the time the Educational Support Committee.
I found FAWCO to
be an indispensable
source of ideas
when I attended my
second conference
in Seoul in 2008 as
incoming AAWE
club President. I also
loved the stimulation
and information at
conferences and
soaked up all that I
could. Nan and I
organized a Region
3 meeting in the fall
of 2008. When the
first Target Program
was getting off the
g r o u n d , I
volunteered to be
on the selection
c o m m i t t e e t o

choose the first topic for what
was then called the "Bull's Eye
Program." When the 3rd VP on
Kathleen Simon's Board resigned
for personal reasons, Kathleen
asked me to step in and serve
the second year of that term,
2010—2011. I subsequently
served as 2nd VP — Member
Clubs on the 2013—2015 Board
and 1st VP — Communications
on the 2015--2017 Board before
being elected President in 2017.
I’ve been asked to describe a
typical day as president.
"Typical??!!” There is no typical.
OK, I guess on a "typical" day, I
open my FAWCO email account and start answering messages, then check the FAWCO
Facebook page and closed groups (I am de facto Facebook manager at the moment) and
then look at my to-do list, which seems to expand faster than I can cross things off. Since FAWCO
is mostly a virtual organization, email communication is our lifeline, supplemented with WhatsApp
messages and Skype calls.
In a "typical" week, I have several Skype meetings, sometimes two or three in a day. Being
President—indeed, any Board position—is very operational and very reactive, so it's hard to find
time for reflection or for long-term projects. Since the FAWCO year is cyclical, some times are
busier than others. The period from January to March goes by in a blur of annual reports and
conference preparations; summer is much calmer, although FAWCO never grinds to a halt.
I chair monthly Board meetings, usually by Skype, and represent FAWCO at all meetings of The
FAWCO Foundation. The Presidents of TFF and FAUSA and I have a quarterly Skype call as well.
Face-to-face Board meetings are where we have a chance to brainstorm and really grapple
with thorny issues, and I enjoy being around a table with the Board members in person.
One thing I did not quite realize is how involved the President is in planning Interim Meetings and
Biennial Conferences—putting together the agenda for these meetings is like trying to assemble
a 3-D jigsaw puzzle! Other Board
members and key volunteers see
FAWCO through their particular
lens, whereas the President has to
have a 360-degree view of the
organization at all times.
27
When I step down, I will miss being
in regular contact with so many
amazing women, quite a few of
whom have become good
friends. For me, FAWCO is all
about the people: there truly is a
special bond among the "usual
suspects," and I hope to stay in
close touch with as many people
as possible. Also, FAWCO has
given me the opportunity to travel
to places I might never have

gone: Lithuania, Morocco, India,
Jordan and, soon, Lebanon, so I
hope to keep going to Regional
Meetings and Conferences
wherever they may be.
I will not miss the feeling of 24/7
responsibility, but that may stem
from my lack of organization—it
doesn't have to be 24/7!
There have been a few surprises
left becoming President, even
after serving in all three Vice
President positions. I guess being
more closely involved with
FAWCO's finances has been eyeopening.
We operate on a
shoestring, and it's amazing how
much we accomplish with so little! I'd like to see FAWCO expand and diversify its revenue streams
so we are not so dependent on membership dues and advertising.
FAWCO may be low on funding, but we are rich in volunteer talent and commitment (though I
knew that long before I became President). Whatever the challenges we face, there usually will
be someone or several someones who find a solution or an alternative. FAWCO women are
resourceful, and the organization is exceptionally resilient!
I was fortunate to have served as AAWE President, which taught me a lot about volunteer
management as well as assuming responsibility. I have discovered that I can be hard-nosed
when I have to be, though I really don't enjoy it. I have also learned how to be more patient than
I normally am inclined to be and how to keep a lid on my annoyance (at least I hope so!).
Anyone who has worked with me knows that I am a pathological proofreader—I simply can't
help myself and am compelled to copy-edit everything—so I'll stay involved in FAWCO
publications in some way. I also am staying on as an advisor to the new PR and Media
Committee, which I find very exciting, and will probably keep on managing the Facebook page
and groups. I look forward to being a Counselor and will of course be available for the next
Board anytime they need
feedback or would like my
input.
As for unfinished business,
my vision for the future is to
see the Advancement
Committee, PR and Media
C o m m i t t e e , t h e
Advertising/Sponsorship
Manager and Membership
Committee all work
together in concert to
secure FAWCO's future and
its financial sustainability.
28

GETTING TO KNOW SALLIE
If we looked in your purse/wallet/pocket, what
three things would we find that would tell us
something about you? You would find that I
have a messy purse! I have photos of my
husband and children; a tiny pewter rabbit
that I keep as a talisman; and (this is weird) a
knitted cotton dishcloth. My mother used to
knit these for charity—they're useful and
ecological—and I keep one at the bottom of
my purse to keep her with me wherever I go.
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? I would like to learn how to cook fish
properly: getting a whole daurade from the
fishmonger instead of just roasting salmon filets,
for example. I'd also like to do something
manual and creative—I used to knit and do
needlepoint in my youth but stopped decades
ago. I would like to have a creative aspect to
my life again.
I would also like to stop fretting about things
beyond my control, but that’s a tough one.
Then I'd like to spend more time walking and
less time on my computer—which I hope to do
in "retirement."
Tell us about an event in your life that made a
big difference and why it did. Being offered a
job with Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty
Research in Munich—completely out of the
blue—when I was 27 literally changed the
course of my life. I thought I would end up as a
bureaucrat in Washington, DC, but instead I
got to observe the last decade of the USSR
and write about it from a perspective midway
between academic research and journalism
(a perfect niche for me), which was a gift. I
only had a year of German in university and
knew next to no one when I moved to Munich,
and I had always been very Francophile, so
accepting the position was really jumping off
into the deep end. That initial job led me to
Paris and the rest, as they say, is history.
What is your favorite word? "Lovely"—I overuse
it but I often find myself saying "She's a lovely
person" as a stamp of approval. I think it's kind
of an in-joke in the FAWCO world that I also like
the word "gravitas," as in "FAWCO's ECOSOC
status gives us gravitas."
29

How Can You Get Involved?
We feature profiles of some of the wonderful women across the FAWCO world. If you know
anyone who has done something of particular interest and would make a good profile, please
contact the editor for more details
We would also like to feature cover photos taken by or of FAWCO members. There are various
photo themes, please get in touch for details.
Photos must be :
PORTRAIT orientation (landscape photos cannot be accepted);
Digital and Color, 150-300 dpi quality and 5-10 MB max.;
Taken by a FAWCO member with details of where and when the photo was taken.
Please send to Marie-Bénédicte at inspiringwomen.cover@fawco.org.
N.B. Accreditation will be given for photos used but no payment is possible.
Advertising in Inspiring Women
Want to Take Your Business to a Global Audience?
Advertise in Inspiring Women!
As an online magazine, Inspiring Women includes interactive features that
allow immediate reader feedback to our advertisers. Businesses can
promote products and services that our members can access through a
simple “click” from the magazine reader to the advertiser.
We believe that Inspiring Women creates a wonderful opportunity for
companies to access a worldwide audience of women who are leaders in
their communities.
Advertising with FAWCO offers these benefits:
1. Worldwide distribution.
2. A target audience of around 10,000 highly educated and successful women,
predominantly in the key 25-55 age bracket.
3. Brand association with an organization of highly supportive and loyal members.
4. Numerous advertising platforms allowing members to immediately interact with advertisers
for products and services.
If you have a business or service, consider advertising with FAWCO. Never advertised before?
We can help you with your ad design, plan your marketing program or try to answer any
questions you might have. And FAWCO members receive special rates made to fit every
budget. Contact our Advertising and Sponsorship Manager, Elsie Bose. Her email is
advertising@fawco.org
We’re waiting to help you take your first step to making your business global!
30

Inspiring You
Founded in 1931, FAWCO is a global women’s NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), an
international network of independent volunteer clubs and associations comprising 62 member
clubs in 31 countries worldwide, with a total membership of around 10,000. FAWCO serves as a
resource and a voice for its members; seeks to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide,
especially in the areas of human rights, health, education and the environment; advocates
for the rights of US citizens overseas; and contributes to the global community through its Global
Issues Teams and The FAWCO Foundation, which provides development grants and education
awards. Since 1997, FAWCO has held special consultative status with the UN Economic and
Social Council.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
FAWCO is an international federation of independent organizations whose mission is
• to build strong support networks for its American and international membership;
• to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide;
• to advocate for the rights of US citizens overseas; and
• to mobilize the skills of its membership in support of global initiatives for education, the
environment, health and human rights.
For more information about this magazine, please contact Inspiring Women Editor in Chief Liz
MacNiven at inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org
For more information on how to advertise in this magazine, please contact FAWCO Advertising
and Sponsorship Manager Elsie Bose at advertising@fawco.org
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Thanks to all of our 2018 profile candidates: Agnes, Alicia, Anita, both Annas, Arnita, Beverly,
Carol, Catherine, both Celestes, Christine, Cindy, Danielle, Deborah, Deirdre, Diana, Dottie,
Eleanor, Elinor, Elizabeth, Gwen, Gwendolyn, Jen, Jennie, Jennifer, Jenny, Jill, Karen, Katelyn,
Katrin, Kay, Krishna, Krissy, Laura, Laurie, Libby, Lillian, Lisette, Lucy, Lyn, Magda, Margaret,
Marianne, Mieke, Pat, Paulette, Priscilla, Renuka, Rick, both Robins, Samantha, Sarah, Sheila,
Shelley, Teresa, Therese, Urte, Victoria and Yolanda. Also to the ladies of AWC Amsterdam,
AWC The Philippines, FAUSA, IWC Heidelberg, AWC Gothenburg and AWC Central Scotland.
Thanks also go to our writers, Robin and Jane, and our President, Sallie, for their contributions.
Special thanks to the IW proofreading team without whom the magazine would not be so
“pretty:” Karen Boeker (AWC Denmark), Sallie Chaballier (AAWE Paris), Laurie Brooks (AWC
Amsterdam and AWC The Hague), Janet Davis (AIWC Cologne), Mary Dobrian (AIWC
Cologne), Janis Kaas (AAWE Paris/FAUSA), Cynthia Lehman (AIWC Cologne), Carol-Lyn
McKelvey (AIWC Cologne/FAUSA), Mary Stewart Burgher (AWC Denmark) and Jenny Taylor
(AIWC Cologne and Düsseldorf). We are always on the lookout for extra proofers. Please get in
touch if you can help.
Thanks also to our 4 cover photo artists: Kirsten Kummert (IWC Munich), Julia Goldsby (AIWC
Cologne), Therese Hartwell (FAUSA) and Christine Federspiel (AWC Zürich).
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