message from the president
Sarah Ø.

The American Women’s Club of Oslo – Celebrating 75 Years

It all started in September 1934, when 14 American friends met for lunch to discuss the formation of a club. Seventy-five years on, and the American Women’s Club of Oslo is 230 members strong, representing all ages and all walks of life. We are permanent members married to Norwegians, we are temporary residents visiting Oslo for a few years, we are businesswomen, artists, writers, stay-at-home moms, researchers and nurses.

The glue that holds this diverse membership together is our monthly meeting. Meetings in 1934 were daytime luncheons, and the ladies wore hats, heels, and fur stoles. Today we leave our strings of pearls at home - our fashions run more along the lines of jeans, and we hold most of our meetings in the evening. We host speakers on a variety of topics, we hold social meetings, and we always celebrate American holidays like Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween. Some of our most popular smaller interest groups are: wine appreciation, book club, the “I Miss America ” group for younger members, and Moms & Tots.

Back when the club was founded (way before amazon.com) one of the most important reasons to get together was to exchange English books. Our lending library dates from the very beginning of the club. In the early years, the books were lugged from meeting to meeting in suitcases. The AWC now maintains a large library, which is open at every meeting and is one of the most popular aspects of the club for many members.

Since 1949, the AWC has awarded a biannual scholarship to support a Norwegian student for further studies in the United States . The club sees the AWC Scholarship as a way of giving back to our adopted home, supporting education and medical research (especially in fields benefitting women and children) and promoting good relations between the United States and Norway . Our scholarship is a tradition of which we are very proud. And it’s all done the old-fashioned way. In fact, at the ACCN July 4 th celebration you’ll find one of our biggest and time-honored fundraisers: a bake sale of homemade chocolate chip cookies, brownies, Rice Krispie bars, and other American favorites made by our members.

My own AWC story started 12 years ago, and I think it is pretty typical. I was struggling, like most newcomers do. I did not appreciate the expensive groceries in the stores that were never open, the new singsong language, the new in-laws, or the very, very dark and gray winter. I missed Red Delicious apples. I missed Oreo cookies. I missed my mom. I missed chatting freely with my girlfriends without thinking too much about my grammar.

I signed up and started receiving the monthly AWC newsletter, the Fjord Flyer, which I read from cover to cover. It took a few months until I decided to brave a meeting. Wandering into a room where everyone seems to know each other can be daunting, so I sat at the first table where someone smiled at me. It turned out I had lots in common with the members sitting around that table – they were all working women married to Norwegians. I left the meeting smiling and feeling optimistic for the first time in weeks. All these great women were making good lives here – so could I! Over the years, my attitudes have changed. Now I’m one of the experienced members, who can nod sympathetically with newcomers and tell them where to buy their peanut butter and how things will get easier. I miss fewer things about the US now, and Norway is my home, but I still look to the club for my good friends, good books, and a good American chat.

No matter how long you’ve been in Norway , the AWC has something for you – we welcome new members. Please join us at a meeting.

Email : president@awcoslo.org