Berlin International Women’s Club e.V.

Pam Behne

The South-West Neighbourhood Group (formerly called Group 2) has been very successful. Several members who attend that group wrote to say that this is largely due to Pam’s contribution of energy, time and enthusiasm. Pam not only has the necessary planning and organizational skills, but also a warm personality that, for example, enables her to integrate newcomers easily. 
Pam has been a "behind the scenes" organizer for the French Speakers group since its inception. She is always willing to open her home for group activities and lectures. More than once, she has gone to the extra trouble of providing DVDs and texts to the French Speakers in preparation for an upcoming program. Pam also regularly participates in the Spanish Speakers group.
Through these activities, Pam has gotten to know many Club members. She was, therefore, a great asset when serving on the Nominating Committee for our election in 2008.
In the words of one of our members, “I feel that Pam Behne has given much of herself to BIWC for many years and should be honored for her many contributions.”

Jill DiGiovanni

Many of our Club members now know Jill not only as a passionate cook, but also as a wonderful teacher who patiently shares her knowledge and skills. Even those who have cooked for years learn a lot from Jill’s demonstrations and have a lot of fun in the process. Most participants don’t know that in addition to the hours of planning, shopping, and preparation for these demos, Jill also contributes services to the school in exchange for the free use of the kitchen.
Jill’s contributions to the Club are many. She was part of the hard-working team that put together the Club’s outstanding 15th Jubilee Celebration in November 2007. During the past year she has been an enthusiastic and valuable member of the Newsletter proofreading team. She also served on the Nominating Committee for this year’s elections.
Jill really goes out of her way to get to know new members. One woman recently said that she was ready to “bolt out the door” at Stammtisch, but Jill sweetly intercepted her. At a recent outing, most of the participants were women who had recently joined the Club and who were befriended by Jill in their first months. Her reasoning? “Well, I remember how it felt to be new here."
Jill is truly a precious jewel in our Club.

Connie Kindermann – Forero

Connie has been enthusiastically coordinating the Spanish Speakers Interest Group for about 5 years. This has involved coming up with ideas, finding hostesses and making telephone calls to invite the newest Spanish-speaking Club members. With her warm smile and charm, she makes sure everyone feels welcome at these get-togethers. Through her dedication, Spanish Speakers has become a large group with many interesting and varied activities.
When Connie meets women in other settings, she tells them about our Club. Many new members have joined as a result of Connie’s friendliness and dedication.
During the past year, Connie also coordinated the Beginner’s Dance Revue Interest Group.
Several members took the time to write that they believe she deserves this award.
Thanks, Connie, for all you do for the BIWC!

Eva Landmann

Without a doubt, Eva Landmann truly fulfils the image of a "behind-the-scenes" volunteer. 
Since April 2007 Eva has been a co-organizer of the Concert Goers Special Interest Group. She also organized the MMM (Monthly Morning Meeting walks) for awhile. Last December she played holiday music on her viola at our festive party at the Logenhaus.
In 2007 Eva took on a major – and "invisible" – role on the Newsletter Team, accepting responsibility for the mailing of the monthly Newsletters. On the surface, this task may seem simple. In point of fact, it requires more energy, time and "exercise" than most people would imagine. To accomplish the monthly mailing process, Eva first completes the necessary forms required by the post office. She then carries roughly three hundred envelopes –sorted by postal code – to her car and drives to the designated post office. After unloading the envelopes, Eva then waits in the queue until a postal worker can check the forms necessary for the mailing to be accepted. 
Eva’s consistent devotion to the BIWC over the past several years is definitely deserving of recognition in the form of an Excellence in Service award.