4th of July
It’s almost Independence Day again.
We will be holding our 4th of July events in Glasgow on the 4th of July and Edinburgh on the 5th of July,
Watch out for emails with full details.
Greetings from your President
Dear Friends,
I’m delighted to join the board of the American Women’s Club of Central Scotland. I have lived in Edinburgh since February 2000. Feeling homesick and wanting to connect with other Americans, I joined the club when my daughter was a toddler. What I found was a vibrant and welcoming community of diverse women. Over the years my family has enjoyed so many of the club’s activities from Moms and Tots to Halloween parties to Thanksgiving with dozens of fellow Americans. We have also particularly enjoyed the potlucks where we sampled foods from many cuisines and cultures. But what I have enjoyed the most is the many amazing women I have had the opportunity to meet. I am excited about the opportunity to serve as your club president and look forward to meeting more of you this next year.
yours truly,
Katie Graham
Upcoming Events
June
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Edinburgh Coffee Morning at Palace of Holyroodhouse
at Cafe at the Palace, Palace at Holyroodhouse 9 June 2026 @ 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
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The Alchemist in GLASGOW, Saturday June 13
at The Alchemist 13 June 2026 @ 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
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Save The Date
Dear Members: See our lengthy list of further upcoming activities available for all our AWCCS members – this is for all our pan Central Scotland, you can go to any activity irrespective of where you live.
Always check the website for confirmation
Edinburgh Based Glasgow Based Virtual Activities
JUNE
Tuesday June 9 – 10:00 AM Coffee Morning Edinburgh Café at the Palace (Holyrood). Option to attend “The Edwardians: Age of Elegance” exhibit after coffee
Saturday June 13: 5pm Cocktails and chat at The Alchemist Unit 2, George House, George Square, Glasgow G2 1EH
Saturday June 20th: Bookclub luncheon at The Last Bookstore, 157 Hope St, Glasgow G2 2UQ
JULY
Saturday July 4th, American Independence Day Celebration 2026-Glasgow, location and time to be determined.
Sunday July 5 American Independence Day Celebration 2026- Edinburgh—location and timeTo Be Announced
Wednesday July 22 – 12:00 noon, Edinburgh Lunch Meet Up at John Lewis’ top floor cafeteria (A Place to Eat), find Nancy in the dining area, she’ll save a table.
Recent Events
Glasgow Kelvindale walk. 5 members, 2 children and a puppy enjoyed walk through Kelvingrove park. We enjoyed some history about Thomas Carlyle, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson’s ‘sixty stairs’ and Botanical Gardens.
More walks to come soon. Come join us – watch your emails for details.
We held our AGM at the US Consulate in Edinburgh. A harp added some class to the proceedings. You can see a full report below.
Club Announcements
AGM 2026
AWCCS heads into its 52nd Year at the Annual General Meeting 2026
By Nancy Lynner
Monday May 5 our club held the Annual General Meeting at the US Consulate General Edinburgh. It’s a tradition that we enjoyed again at the pleasure of our US Consul-General and AWCCS Honorary President Kathryn Porter. The 30-minute drinks and light buffet were planned by Adda Gogoris, Events Co-Convenor. Quonya Huff, Treasurer, brought a delicious cake to celebrate moving successfully into our 52nd year. Most special of all: Leah Jorgensen, a new AWCCS Member, played harp for the reception! We have never had music at the AGM and it was exquisite. THANK YOU, LEAH!
The meeting proceeded with 28 attending in person and several attending via Zoom. After Kathryn Porter welcomed us, Quonya introduced a representative from AMINA who spoke about this, our chosen Scottish charity for the next 2 years. Amina supports Muslim and minority women who suffer abuse or marginalisation from various circumstances. AWCCS fundraisers for the next two years will donate 60% of money raised to AMINA. (We send 40% of funds raised to our FAWCO Charity.) Coincidentally, both of these worthy causes support women who have suffered from abuses of various sorts.
Reports from each board member included Minutes from the 2025 AGM, Treasurer’s Report, Events from Glasgow and Edinburgh, FAWCO updates, and more.
We voted on the BYLAWS changes which a sub-committee had developed over the last 4 months. You’ll find the updated BYLAWS on our website. The sub-committee created a Bylaws Quiz, and this happened via our Whatsapp Group, with prizes being mailed to the winners.
Last year’s AGM was an election year. A full election will be in 2027. The Board operated without a President this year, and without a Charity convenor. Let’s all thank Katie Graham for stepping into the Presidency! Katie has served on the board for many years, and having her as President will give the AWCCS a smoother journey into the next year. Thank you, Katie!
Finally, the club thanked Kathy McGlew and Dale Finalyson with a gift. Kathy and Dale have served the AWCCS Board as Secretary and Parliamentarian.
At the AGM I intended to share a tribute to the husband of our dear member Joyce Halsan, who is now a widow. She and Bill have spent many hours (days!) supporting AWCCS and FAWCO endeavors. Bill passed away at age 96 in April.
The Annual General Meeting is one of the highlights of our season of events, and it always brings us together. Thank you to those from Glasgow and Fife who made the trip into Edinburgh.
See you in the next fiscal year!
AWCCS 2026/27 Board Officers
| President – | Katie Graham | ||
| Vice President – | vacancy | ||
| Secretary – | Kathy McGlew | ||
| Treasurer – | Quonya Huff | ||
| Communications – | Shannon Lei | ||
| Membership – | Mary Jo Bone Caselton | ||
| Edinburgh Events Convenors – | Nancy Lynner + Adda Gogoris | ||
| Glasgow Events Convenors – | Suzanne Milshaw + Suzanne Luft | ||
| FAWCO Representative – | Lindsay Nygren | ||
| Charity Convenor – | vacancy | ||
| Parliamentarian – | Dale Finlayson | ||
Voting/Tax
VOTING in 2026
2026 will be a midterm election year, and with the current close balance in the House, where all members will be up for (re)election, and the Senate, where 1/3 of members will be retained or replaced. it will be even more important than the 2024 election in determining the outcome for American democracy and presidential power. Overseas voters have less time and greater barriers to voting than those in the US and must therefore register early to secure their participation in the election and to assist as many of their compatriots as possible to vote to help preserve democracy and their own rights.
Unlike US residents, Overseas Voters are required to register to vote annually. Some states will retain your registration if you voted in the previous election, but there is no guarantee that this will continue, and Overseas Voters, who tend to vote for Democrats, may become the target of the current administration. If you have not yet registered, do so now so you are eligible to vote in primaries, special elections, and the general election in November 2026.
There are several safe, secure websites that are easy to navigate and provide all the information you need, including the US Vote Foundation (https://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/request-overseas-absentee-ballot), the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) (https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter), or Vote From Abroad (https://www.votefromabroad.org/). Fill out the form to register/request a ballot for the 2026 US elections. Voter-suppression laws have moved registration deadlines up in the calendar. Further, while federal law requires states to send ballots to overseas voters in September, at least 45 days before the election, we need to return our ballots about a month before Election Day (Tuesday, November 3, 2026) to be sure that our votes are counted.
Note that you should register to vote at the address from which you last voted, however long ago that may have been.
Taxation
REMINDER
Federal tax returns for U.S. citizens & green card holders living outside the United States are due on 15 June 2026. Non-resident citizens & green card holders may file for an extension to 15 October 2026, which must be filed before 15 June. Note that any taxes due should have been paid by 15 April, from which date interest will have begun to accrue; from 15 June penalties will be added to the amount due.
Kahoot
AWCCS offers Kahoot for our members. If you don’t already know kahoot – here is. Good description: Best played in a group setting (virtually for AWCCS). To join a game, you need a unique PIN. If you’re the game host, you need a big screen. Players answer on their own devices, while questions are displayed on a shared screen. In addition to live games, you can also send kahoot challenges that players complete at their own pace. Plus is we are in the friendly confines of our own home. The bonus: we have a good laugh together. All are welcome even if you have not played before. No cost ! RSVP once the invitation has been received.
Member News
June
Cathy Bretherick
Kristin Love
Page Munro
Anne Brown
Candace Silvera
Patricia Peters
Shannon Lei
Delma Dewar
Dale Finlayson
Suzanne Luft
July
Nicola Russell
Jennifer Bradtke
Alison Bruce
Christine MacLachlan
Cynthia Holden
Catherine McGlew
August
Julia Blackham
Kathy McGlew
Ceceley Chambers
Sallie Redman
Welcome New Members
Leah Jorgensen
Lisa Parker
Linda Pilling
Edinburgh Book Group
Contact: dka.finlayson@gmail.com
Friday, 18 June
10:30am
“Table for Two”
by Amor Towles
Venue: Home of Ellen Brennan
*****
Friday, 17 July
10:30am
Venue: Home of Dale Finlayson
Book title to be notified.
*****
NO MEETING IN AUGUST — BOOK FESTIVAL!
Our September meeting will be on Friday, 18 September, 10:30am.
Book and venue to be decided.
FAWCO
FAWCO Target Program 2025‒2028
Human Rights
Advancing Dignity, Equality and Freedom for Women and Girls
https://www.fawco.org/global-issues/target-program/human-rights-2025-2028
FAWCO Update
FAWCO Education Team global issues book discussion:
September 6 & 16: Global Issues Book Discussion hosted of: That Librarian by Amanda Jones — virtual meeting. Check the FAWCO calendar for a time that works for you!
Save the dates March 11–14 for the 2027 Biennial conference, which will be held in Heidelberg, Germany.
Upcoming Regional Meetings:
September 1 – Region 6: Liechtenstein, Switzerland
Hosted by Region 6 clubs in Zürich, Switzerland
September 25–27 – Region 2: Nordic Countries
Hosted by AWC Stockholm, celebrating AWC Stockholm’s 115th Anniversary and FAWCO’s 95th Anniversary
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