IWC President's Archive

2002 - 2004 Angela Monaghan

 January 2004

Happy New Year every one!

The Macedonian Christmas lunch was a success. We all had a wonderful time and it was fun to see so many members joining the Macedonian dancers during their performance. Our Patron Princess Lilian enjoyed the lunch as well. Mrs. Vilma Tragkovska, the first lady of Macedonia, gave us a very informative speech about her country. Special thanks to
Dr. Vasilka Treneveska, the wife of the Macedonian Ambassador, for arranging the performers and Ambassador Treneveski for all his support and his great speech. The Ambassador felt very special to be the only man among 180 ladies attending. I thank all those who helped with the Macedonian luncheon.

The highlight of this club year has been our Charity Bazaar. All who were able to come to the Bazaar witnessed our club's great accomplishment. The Bazaar definitely tuned out to be what we had expected. With the help of the Hilton, many embassies and generous donations we were able to collect about 70 000 SEK for Crown Princess Victoria’s Charity. Many thanks to Catherine, our Philanthropic chairperson, for all her hard work in organising the wonderful event.

I would like to thank Gudrun Westin for volunteering to give us a glögg party for our newcomers. It was very nice to see the interest and excitement of our newcomers as they became acquainted with the Swedish tradition of glögg parties. It was explained that the main purpose of a glögg party is to bring friends and acquaintances together in a casual holiday season atmosphere. Thank you Gudrun for you kindness in holding the event and thank you to Aldona for taking care of our newcomers.

Our current tradition in January is to be invited to the home of Mrs. Kate Wacz for a coffee morning. We are lucky to have such a kind member in our club and I thank Kate for all her generosity and support she always lends the Club.

On a final note, I would like to express my special heartfelt thank you to my dear friend and our good member, Mrs. Kay Olson, for always generously supporting our philanthropic causes.


December 2003

Our November lunch is usually a very cosy one, where many members are unable to take time off from their busy schedules to attend. However, Catherine Schück made this year an exception. Her presence made this luncheon very special and well attended. We were informed about healthy foods and enlightened as to what we should and should not eat. The information she gave was extremely useful and I was glad to see that we had so many people ask so many relevant questions. I was also very pleased to have, for the first time, three honorary members seated at my table.

A big thank you to Mrs. Junko Uchida, the wife of the Japanese Ambassador, for opening the doors to her beautiful residence for the second time during her stay in Sweden to us. The IKEBANA demonstration was superb. I wish her good luck and thank her for being such a great and supportive member of our club.

Visiting Bukowski's and Auktionsverket at this time of the year has become a tradition. Peter Edström with Aukionsverket and Lars Gundberg with Bukowski have always been very generous towards our Club and I thank them both for their great support.

I congratulate our programme chairperson, Aldona Sehgal, on the success of her husband, Dr. Bal Raj Sehgal, for being awarded the Royal Swedish Academy and Engineering Award by King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Our former Philanthropic Chairperson, Minerva Kontopoulos, will be soon leaving Sweden. She will be very much missed and I thank her for her friendship and for two years of wonderful philanthropic work. I wish her great success.

As I write this note, we have not yet had our International Charity Bazaar. I am hoping to see all of you at the Hilton Slussen on November 29th. Please bring your family and friends to this free event. There are over 30 embassies participating this year.

Our holiday celebrations will begin on the 9th of December with the traditional Christmas luncheon hosted this year by the Macedonian Embassy through Dr. Vasilka Treneveski, the wife of Macedonian Ambassador. I am honoured to announce that our patron HRH Princess Lilian has kindly accepted our invitation to attend our Christmas luncheon. I am further delighted to inform you that the first lady of Macedonia, Mrs. Vilma Tragkovska, will also be attending. Please don't miss this great opportunity to become acquainted to holiday celebration traditions in Macedonia. Please note the formal rules of etiquette below.

I wish you and your family a very happy, joyous and healthy holiday season and look forward to seeing you at our events.

The formal rules of etiquette: we should all be at our seats at least five minutes before the Princess enters the hall (11:55). Please rise when the Princess enters the room and remain standing until she is seated. Please do not leave the room before she leaves.

November 2003

As the mellow autumn days are coming to a close with the first frost already upon us, the trees dressing in their most beautiful colours of the season, we are gearing up for a splendid activity-filled season.

Our Fashion Show Lunch at Operaterassen was a great success. The Danish designer, Bitte Kai Rand, treated us to the latest styles and colours. The outfits were shown by professional models, who also modelled lovely hairstyles. HRH Princess Lilian graced this event. I respectfully presented HRH Princess Lilian with seventy-three roses, each rose representing a nationality of our many members. It was especially nice to be able to properly thank Mrs. Monika Heimbold, the wife of American Ambassador, and the Heimbold Foundation for arranging the lovely photo exhibition at our Gala Dinner in the Hall of Mirrors at Grand Hotel. Also, Mrs. Inga Greta Håkansson, our only two term president, was presented with flowers on behalf of the club for her fortieth membership anniversary and for all her many contributions to the club.

Louise Wretman Close did an excellent job graciously taking care of all the arrangements for the luncheon, making it enjoyable for nearly 140 ladies in attendance. A big thank-you to Catharine for handling her first lottery so well. Many thanks to Aldona for the fabulous fashion show. She took care of our beauty in September and now she has let us know what is fashionable this season. Aldona's next project is health related. She plans on informing us on what we should eat. You are doing a great job, Aldona.

A big-thank you to Mrs. Gudrun Agustsdottir, the wife of the Ambassador of Iceland, for the lovely coffee morning. It was great to meet the contemporary author of "God of the Mountain", Mr. Gudbergur Bergsson. We were treated to Icelandic delicacies including thin slices of smoked lamb on traditional flat bread. I am sure that many of our members are now tempted to take a trip to Iceland. Thank-you to Aprill and Rannveig for arranging this event.

Many thanks to Mrs. Elizabeth Hammarsjöld for sharing and arranging the Carl Eldhs Ateljé Museum tour.

The tour to Uppsala was splendid. We were treated to the works of a contemporary artist. Mrs. Astrid Nordenstam's gallery was truly great and she generously donated one of her magnificent paintings to our October philanthropic. Thank-you Rannvieg for a lovely tour.

Our Philanthropic Chairwoman has been very busy working hard to arrange our annual Charity Bazaar. I am happy to announce that HRH Princess Lilian has generously accepted our invitation to inaugurate this charity event. Over thirty embassies will give us the opportunity to view and buy their country's specialties. The proceeds from this event will go towards Crown Princess Victoria's Foundation. The event is open to everyone so bring along your family and friends. There is no entrance fee. For more information please look at our Philanthropic Chairperson's page.

Finally, I welcome everyone to attend and participate in all the activities scheduled for this month. They will be great fun.

October 2003

Stockholm and the World awoke to the shock of the senseless tragic loss of the Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh last week. My deepest sympathies and thoughts go out to her family, friends and the Swedish people. She lived her life with unrelenting intensity and it breaks my heart that her life has ended so prematurely.

Our first luncheon was well attended. We were treated to music, courtesy of the Macedonian Embassy. Many thanks to Dr. Vasilka Trenevski, wife of the Macedonian Ambassador for arranging the music. Dr. Randquist's lecture was very interesting and informative and I could tell that many were paying detailed attention. No sun, no smoking and a lot of power walking were some of his recommendations and don't forget your sunglasses. This luncheon was a great opportunity to catch up with one another, after the summer lay off.

It was great to attend our first newcomers coffee morning, held in Nordhammer, at the residence of Aprill Wise-Spendrup, our Vice President. Aprill greeted us with a lovely song, while wearing a traditional Swedish costume from the 1800's. Aprill's hospitality and kindness was obvious throughout and truly appreciated. A big thank-you to Aprill, Caroline and Inga.

Sadly, we have to say farewell to Jenny Power, our Secretary, as she returns home. Jenny was a great and devoted secretary and we will miss her a lot. We wish her and her family the best of luck.

In her place, I would like to welcome Angela Eriksson as our new Secretary. Angela has previously served on the board as a bulletin editor. Welcome onboard Angela.

Finally, October is the time for the spectacular IWC fashion show once again. Please come, bring your friends and enjoy the show. I am honoured to announce that our patron HRH Princess Lilian has kindly accepted our invitation to attend this event. Please note the formal rules of etiquette on the bottom of this page.

I look forward to seeing you all at the fashion show and at the other events scheduled for October.

ETIQUETTE. The formal rules of etiquette: we should all be at our seats at least five minutes before the Princess enters the hall (11:55). Please rise when the Princess enters the room and remain standing until she is seated. Please do not leave the room before she leaves.

September 2003

After a glorious summer like the one just passed, it is my great pleasure to welcome back all the members to a new club year. I hope this summer was an enjoyable and relaxing break for you all. As autumn is set to step in, I look forward to a busy activity filled programme.

The IWC is one of the most exciting and prestigious women's organisations in Stockholm. Today, our Club's objective is twofold. First, to welcome and assist Sweden's newcomers. Second, to give financial support to philanthropic projects, especially charitable causes involving children. We pride ourselves in the altruistic spirit.

Although we have not yet had any club activities due to the summer break, the new executive board has been working diligently on planning numerous activities. Stay tuned for a variety of activities that are sure to appeal to everyone. If you ever need information or have some new ideas that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to contact any of the board members. All ideas are welcome and appreciated.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new executive board and congratulate Mrs. Ruth Cederström as the new Nominating Chairperson.

On behalf of our Club, I offer our sincerest condolences to Maria Teresa von Waldow for the sudden loss of her dear husband. Our hearts go out to you.

Sadly, we have to say goodbye to a great supportive member of our Club, HE Ambassador Basilio of the Philippines. I thank her for hosting one of our annual Christmas luncheons, and for consistently providing us with a coffee or afternoon tea gathering every year during her stay in Sweden. We wish you good luck and thank you for all your support.

I encourage all members to attend our luncheons, participate in club activities, and become active volunteers on any of the committees. The new executive board looks forward to welcoming all existing members and newcomers for the new club year.

May 2003

The Charity Gala Dinner turned into an extremely successful event and the highlight of this club year. It was indeed an occasion of special significance for our club, as we were graced by the presence of HM Queen Silvia, HRH Princess Lilian and so many other dignitaries. All in the pursuit of a most noble common goal to benefit the World Childhood Foundation. It was a joy to organize this prestigious event for our club and at the same time to further the cause for at risk children. This would not have been possible without the hard work and stubborn perseverance of our vice president, Mary Borromeo-Hedfors. I thank Mary, Olga Koulaeva and Art Wiklund for all their hard work. I further thank all the sponsors for their generous donations, and also all of the performers who out of love for their work and this noble cause donated their time to endow us with such magnificent entertainment. We did it together. Thank you all for your support. I just cannot describe my feelings of gratitude and satisfaction. We have certainly elevated the status of our club to new heights and are today more recognized in the community than ever before.

At our April luncheon we were led back in time by Magdalena Ribbing who gave us an interesting narrative about Swedish jewellery, especially those of historical interest. It was captivating to see how style and tastes have changed during the times. New for this month was our book exchange, an ingenious and interesting idea. It was proposed by our bulletin editor, Rosie Jean Jansson, and I hope it will continue to grow in popularity. Also in April, our museum study group coordinator decided to educate us about the magnificent clothes in which Swedish kings, princes and nobleman arrayed themselves in 16th 17th and 18th centuries.

The extreme kindness of the Chinese Embassy was evident yet again when they invited us to another fabulous lunch with so many delicious dishes. We were also treated to a Chinese Opera in traditional form, with its intricate and delicate movements, further educating us about the rich Chinese culture.
We were warmly welcomed to the Embassy of the Czech Republic in April. They treated us to a fantastic lunch featuring exquisite wines from the Czech Republic. And in May, our International Coordinator, Hannelore Randquist, will be taking us on a tour of the capital of the Czech Republic, the golden city of Prague.

I would like to thank Ambassador Teresa Ivars Ekholm for her great support of our club and all the free advertising in her magazine "The Stockholm Bulletin".

On behalf of our club, I offer our sincerest condolences to Inge
Lise Fabricius for the sudden loss of her dear and loving husband for 30 years. Our hearts go out to you.

You will find my annual report in this bulletin. This report summarizes the activities that have been carried out by each executive board member. Our executive board has worked hard together to carry out the objectives of our club, namely to welcome newcomers to Sweden, and to raise money for worthwhile charities. I hope that you have all enjoyed being a member of the IWC and will join us again in September.

Wishing you all a happy and sunny summer.

April 2003

Spring is here! It's the season of rebirth, new life and the time when nature seems to take a fresh start. The smell in the air when the flowers start to bloom always puts us in a happy frame of mind. What a great season!

We had a fantastic March Luncheon and Fashion Show at Operaterassen. The fashion show featured designs by renowned designer, Lars Wallin, and all his creations were displayed by professional models. What a wonderful way to get a head start into spring and summer. It was just fabulous. As always our programme chairperson, and hostess chairperson along with her crew, did a splendid job. Thank you Anita and Wenjuan. HRH Princess Lilian enjoyed the show as well.

This month we had the opportunity to learn about Cyprus and to visit the Cypriot ambassador's beautiful residence. We saw an informative film about Cyprus and were treated to delicious regional delicacies. What a great way to get to know about beautiful Cyprus. The hospitality of the delightful wife of the Ambassador of Cyprus, Mrs. Mary Papademas, was very much appreciated.

I have visited Wasa on numerous occasions and I am sure that all the members who participated in this month's Wasa tour received a whole new perspective on the history behind this magnificent ship.

The mission of the World Childhood Foundation is to defend the rights of children, to secure childhood and, in particular, to work for better living conditions for children at risk all over the world. The World Childhood Foundation is actively helping children in Brazil, the Baltic States, Russia, Ecuador, Thailand, Germany, Ukraine, Moldova, South Africa, USA and Tanzania. The International Women's Club is again proud to be part of this grand effort in supporting these vulnerable children around the world.

One of the great strengths of our club is that we have generous sponsors among our membership. Their kindness in supporting our charitable programme is very much appreciated and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Kay Olson, Mrs. Barbara Easter a former president, HE Ambassador of Slovenia, HE Ambassador of the Philippines, Mrs. Masoumeh Bayat-Embassy of Iran, Mrs. Nadia Al-Mojil-Embassy of Kuwait, Mrs. Paule Freymond-Embassy of Switzerland, and Mrs. Ebtisam Reda-Embassy of Saudi Arabia, just to name a few.

I have the honour to announce that HRH Princess Lilian, our dear patron, has accepted our invitation to the Charity Gala Evening on April 28th, 2003. We also have many members from our sister clubs joining us at this very special event.

I was very saddened to hear that two of our honorary members, Constance Palmer and Polly Edmond, passed away this month. On behalf of our club, I offer our heartfelt condolences to their families.

Wishing you a very Happy Spring.

March 2003

We had a fantastic February luncheon with Mr. Jan Martenson, with his rich international background, leading us through an exceptional walk-through of Stockholm and its history. Mrs Gunila von Arbin from the World Childhood Foundation was also present at our lunch and she delivered a message from H.M. Queen Silvia addressed to the club members. A copy of which is included in this month's bulletin. The luncheon was made even more special with so many husbands attending. As usual our Philanthropic Chairman did an excellent job. A big thank-you also to Marilda Ericsson and Louise Wretman-Close for taking such good care of us at the January and February lunches. Sadly we had to say farewell to Johana Anzil, a former board and nominating committee member. We wish her well in her new home.

Our newcomers coffee morning at Mrs. Paul Fremond, the wife of the Swiss ambassador, was remarkable. We viewed an informative film about beautiful Switzerland and we were served traditional chocolate cakes and cheese-balls. They were delicious. We even took some chocolates home with us. It is great to have you as a member and thank-you for your kind hospitality.

The visit arranged by our museum study group leader Elizabeth Hammarskjöld to Tutankhamun's wardrobe was an absolute treat. The exhibition of modernism on the island of Djurgarden at Waldemarsudde, the former residence of Prince Eugen, was excellent and Kira Billman gave a fantastic informative lecture about modernism.
March is the time for our traditional spring fashion show. We all crave knowledge about the current fashion trends. When it comes to fashion, one of the kings of fashion in Sweden is Lars Wallin. Along with Lisen Stibeck, they will be showing us their glamorous fashion designs. Make your reservation on time and bring a friend if you like. I am honoured to announce that our patron HRH Princess Lilian has kindly accepted our invitation to attend our March fashion show.

Our Charity Gala Evening will be held at the Grand Hotel, "Vinterträdgarden" on Monday April 28, 2003. Please consult your bulletin for additional information regarding this event.
Finally, we are fast approaching the end of our club year. Many board positions are still available, now is the time to make your nominations. Please consult with the Nominating Committee for details.
I am looking forward to seeing you all at the fashion show and at the varied events arranged for this month.

February 2003

Now that the holidays are over and our different activities have begun, we are looking forward to having more fun meeting new members and getting reacquainted with old friends.
 
The January luncheon programme took an unexpected turn when we received word that Nadia Kuprina would be unable to attend due to her flight being cancelled due to bad weather. On a very short notice, our creative programme chairperson was instantly able to arrange two replacement programmes. Many thanks,Anita. Kate Wacz gave us a wonderful and professional documentary with a slide show about the history of perfume and the reasons we use and enjoy different kinds of scents from the past to the present .

Knowing Kate, I was not surprised by her ability. In addition, Mr. Olov Olofsson played beautiful classical music that we greatly enjoyed. And it was great to sit with 20 new members at my table.
On Friday 17th January, the IWC had the honour of presenting a check from the proceeds of the International Charity Bazaar to H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden. The donation benefits the World Childhood Foundation. Three IWC Board members, the President, the Treasurer and the Philanthropic Chairperson along with H.E. Ambassador Basilio, the Ambassador of the Philippines, attended the event.

Each year, February is a very special month. Our February luncheon is the only time of the year that we can share our Club with our husbands and partners. So do not miss this rare opportunity and join us with your significant other.

Many thanks to Kate Wacz for being so generous and supportive of the Club. As it has become our tradition, we had our newcomer's coffee morning at her lovely residence and enjoyed a variety of Hungarian delicacies. It was great to see so many new members in attendance. Again, thank you Kate for being such a great member The Club is very lucky to have you.

The Charity Gala Evening is our next big project. We have changed the venue from the City Hall to the Grand Hotel's "Vinterträdgarden" and thereby reduced the costs substantially. Please note the changes on our Charity Gala Evening page. We are honoured by the acceptance of H.M. Queen Silvia to attend this event. Make your reservations as soon as possible and invite your friends to enjoy a fun and eventful evening. You may also reserve a whole table.

The Underground Art Gallery tour was amazing. A big thank you to Lauren for arranging new and exciting tours.
Finally, although it is the beginning of the calendar year, we are fast approaching the end of our Club year. We have positions available on the Board and now is the proper time to nominate members for vacant positions. Please consult the Nominating Committee for details.

January 2003

Happy New Year to every one!

December was certainly a very notable month filled with many fabulous programmes. The Hungarian Christmas lunch was very successful with a friendly atmosphere. We all had a wonderful time and I thank all those who helped with the Hungarian luncheon and make it to such a success. Special thanks to Judit Szöke, the wife of the Hungarian Ambassador, who personally supervised every little detail, Ambassador Szöke for all his help and Agnes Mészáros for her hard work. We were happy to see Sissi Rasmussen, our only founder still living in Stockholm, and to have seven former presidents present at this special lunch. It was also a great surprise to see Kay Olson and we had a chance to thank both Kay and H.E. Ambassador Basilio for the past Christmas luncheons they arranged for us. We definitely missed the presence of our dear patroness HRH Princess Lilian at the Bazaar and at the Christmas lunch.

The highlight for our Club in 2002 was our Charity Bazaar. All who were able to come to the Bazaar witnessed our Club's great accomplishment. The Bazaar definitely turned out to be what we had expected. The programme was very well attended with over 2000 people visiting throughout the day. With the help of Hilton, many embassies and generous donations from Barbara Easter, our former President, and Kay Olson, wife of the former American Ambassador, we were able to collect about seventy thousand SEK for the World Childhood Foundation. Many thanks to Minerva our Philanthropic Chairperson for organising the wonderful Bazaar.
Many thanks to Dr. Gunvor Hammarskjöld, a former Vice President, for the newcomer's coffee morning. I also would like to thank Mrs. Maria Faxander , our Nominating Committee Chairperson, for the lovely tea. We are so lucky to have members like them.

Lucia is one of our truly Swedish traditions that we celebrate. This year's Lucia at the Sheraton was just as great as last year's event. We all enjoyed the great programme performed by a professional choir while we were savouring our coffee/tea, glögg and lussekatter.

It was very sad to say goodbye to our member Ruth Hök. Many thanks to Gudrun Gimpel for taking such good care of her up until the last minute she left Stockholm.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the Board for all they have done to make our varied activities possible. Those of you who have served on the Board knows how much effort and time is involved in arranging each activity.

December 2002

December is a time of year to reflect, and to share traditions from around the world. It is a time of awakening to new goals and leaving the old regrets behind. But before we break for the holidays, please join us for the many activities planned for this month.

At our November luncheon, we had the privilege of meeting Dr. Michael Nobel, who captivated us with stories about Alfred Nobel, his great grand uncle, for whom the prestigious award is named. Dr. Nobel is the head of the Nobel family and the chairman of numerous boards.

It has become an annual tradition to be invited by H.E. Ambassador Erlinda Basilio, the Ambassador of the Philippines, to a newcomer's afternoon tea at her lovely residence. H.E. Ambassador Basilio has always provided great support to our Club and we fondly remember the lovely Christmas lunch she gave us last year. We thank the Ambassador for all her support and kindness, it is greatly appreciated. On a separate note, Ishrat Lindblad, our dear former President, has once again generously opened her home to us for a neighbourhood afternoon tea. She is a fantastic hostess. A warm thank you. The Vin and Sprithistoriska Museet Tour was a fun experience and I am sure you enjoyed the trip to Auktionsverket.

As I write this note, the Charity Bazaar is coming up soon. I highly recommend that everyone comes to this event and appreciate the hard work and preparation that the various embassies have put forward. If you have never been to a function like this, you will not want to miss it. We certainly have a great Philanthropic Chairperson. The Bazaar is expected to be another successful event and we hope that we can build on the tradition.
Our traditional Christmas luncheon will launch us into the holiday season. HRH Princess Lilian has kindly accepted our invitation to attend our December lunch. Please note the formal rules of etiquette on the next page. The Hungarian Embassy is generously hosting this Christmas lunch. Mrs. Judit Szööke, our hostess and the wife of the Hungarian Ambassador, will introduce us to the customs and traditions of Christmas celebrations in Hungary, a predominantly Catholic country. Also, we congratulate Mrs. Szööke and all of our Hungarian members for the award of the Nobel Prize in Literature to Mr. Imre Kertész "for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history."

Let us all wish for happiness, health, peace and prosperity for all in the coming new year. I wish you and your family a very happy, joyous and healthy holiday season. Best wishes!

November 2002

With autumn flaming out into winter, we have indeed had many activities this past month. Many other nice programmes have been planned for you for this month.

The highlight of this autumn was the Fashion Show Lunch at the Operaterassen, which was graced by the presence of HRH Princess Lilian. I was honoured to present HRH Princess Lilian with sixty-nine roses, each respective rose representing a nationality of our members. The dining hall was lined with mannequins and we later saw some of the same clothes on the models. Mary, Anita and Minerva did a superb job. It was great to have Ann Cullum, a former Vice President, and Sue Aiken, a former Programme Chairperson, visit us at the lunch.

Having two afternoon teas for the newcomers and a neighbourhood coffee this past month was fantastic. Gail Anderson opened her lovely home to us, where Marie Wassvik gave us a very informative lecture on acupuncture. A big thank-you to Rashmi Mehta, our very active member of the hospitality committee, for inviting us to her beautiful home for a moment in India. We saw exquisite saris and tasted delicious Indian delights. Ruth Cederström, our former President, was very kind to arrange a Södermalm neighbourhood coffee morning for all members. Thank you Ruth.

Driving into the countryside to visit Stafsund and listening to Lars Gundberg talk about antiques was an absolute delight. This programme was made even more special as our families were able to attend. Meeting Chong An Sunim, the Zen Buddhist monk, was very interesting and I managed not to move for 30 minutes during the meditation. Thank you Lauren. Our first Museum Study Group visit was to the Royal Library. We enjoyed an educational tour on the history of the library. A warm welcome back to Elizabeth.

We are fast approaching November 30th and our first International Charity Bazaar. I am happy to announce that HRH Princess Lilian has generously accepted to inaugurate this charity event. Around 25 embassies will give us the opportunity to view and buy their country's specialities. This free event is open to everyone, so bring along your family and friends. For more information please see our Philanthropic Chairperson's page. Please support us by attending and making this a very successful event.

On a final note, our traditional Christmas Lunch will be held on December 3rd. The Hungarian Embassy is sponsoring the lunch. As this lunch is held very early in the month, you will have the opportunity to make early reservations. For more information please see our Hostess Chairperson's page.

I look forward to seeing you all at the lunch and at the various November events.

October 2002

As autumn returns, we are rewarded with fond memories of the summer which just passed, and graced with the beauty of the leaves changing colours all around us. This season we have planned many exciting activities for you to enjoy. Please check the calendar in your bulletin.

Our first luncheon began with a warm welcome of the sound of live music at Operakällaren. Our guest speaker pleasantly introduced us to many interesting issues about the quality of life of women. The Moroccan fashion show was a blend of culture and fashion from three separate regions in Morocco. The costumes were beautiful and colourful, and so were our member models. Many thanks to H.E. Ambassador Jaidi for sharing her culture and personally supervising all the details of the show.

Knowing about the rich Persian culture, the Iranian lunch was precisely what I had envisioned. Iranians are renowned for their warm hospitality. It was wonderful to learn about Persian carpet weaving, savouring the huge buffet with the countless gourmet Persian dishes and experiencing a Persian tea ceremony. A huge thank you to Mrs. Masoumeh Bayat, the enchanting wife of the Iranian ambassador, for arranging a great programme for us. The Rosendal tour, on a breathtaking autumn day, was just as great as the tour of Svensk Tenn, my favourite shop.

Thank you to all the board members for the special efforts and special thanks to Mary, Lauren, Wenjuan and Silvana.

October is the time for our famous autumn fashion show. We all want to know about the current fashion trends. Let's get together and enjoy the show. I am honoured to announce that our patroness HRH Princess Lilian has kindly accepted our invitation to attend our October luncheon. Please note the formal rules of etiquette.

I am looking forward to seeing you all at the fashion show and the various events arranged for October.

September 2002

An old Swedish saying has been tested this year. The adage asserts that Sweden only has two seasons - a white winter and a green winter. However, proving the saying wrong, this summer has truly been warm and beautiful. It has been marvellous taking advantage of all the beauty Stockholm has to offer.

It is with pleasure that I welcome all the new and old members to our new Club year. This year will be filled with many interesting events and activities.

Although we have not had any Club activities during this summer break, the executive board has been very busy in organizing and planning activities for the upcoming year. For example, planned activities include an afternoon fashion show at the Moroccan residence, a tour of Rosenthal s gardens, a lunch at the Iranian residence, a tour to Svenskt Tenn and our first International Handicraft Bazaar at the Hilton. What a great way to start the new Club year! Please support your club by attending the monthly luncheons.

We regretfully say goodbye to our great Bulletin Editor, Anne Persson, and our Nominating Chairperson and the leader of our Support and Discussion Group, Gillian Ratcliff. They will be missed in so many different ways. Thank you both for all the hard work you have given the Club and we wish you the best of luck. On a happier note, we welcome Olga Koulaeva (Treasurer), Jenny Power (Secretary), Lauren Amazeen (Tours Chairperson), Anita Wegelius Bergström (Programme Chairperson), Wenjuan Huang (Hostess Chairperson) and Rosie Jean Jansson (Bulletin Editor) to our Executive Board.

I extend a warm thank you to Ambassador Sultan and Mme. Aziza Sultan for the generous May luncheon held at the Malaysian Embassy. Those attending members who had not joined our activities for a long time made the event even more special. Another special thank you to the Chinese Ambassador's wife, Mme Chang for the enjoyable and delicious lunch she hosted in May for our new Board. It was a great privilege to be there.

I am looking forward to the Club Year ahead and hope to see as many of you as possible at all our varied and colourful events.

 

 
Last Update: 05 September 2007