The American Women's Club of Central Scotland is a social club established to enable American women to meet other Americans living in the area. Its purpose is to promote intellectual, social, and charitable contacts by and for Americans and their families living in Central Scotland.
The origins of the AWCCS go back to the early 1970s, when the wives of employees at Santa Fe, a supply company for the off-shore 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.
Membership has never been limited to United States citizens, although they have naturally been preponderant. Non-Americans with a particular interest (whether through work, travel, or relatives) in North America are also welcomed, but limited to 20% of the membership; they may hold any Board position other than President and hold equal voting rights in the Club.
The Club 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.
Over the years the pattern of meetings has changed due to the diversity experienced in our membership. Usually over 100 member strong, we try to meet alternatively in the day and the evening, and although usually meet on the Second Wednesday of the month, we do sometimes change the day of the week.
In May 1998 the American Women's Club of Edinburgh became the American Women's Club of Central Scotland: Edinburgh, Central Region, Glasgow.
Many monthly meetings continue to be held in Edinburgh, where the bulk of the membership lives, but an increasing number of "activities" take place in Glasgow. Such activities have always been central to the Club's program. Some examples of activities are visiting museums and galleries, out-to-lunch, book group, and what is available depends on the particular interests of individual members. If you would like to organize something and can attract other members to it, we'll have an interest group!
Charitable giving has also been a focus of the Club's activities. For more information on our charities, follow the link to the Charity page.
The AWCCS has been a member of FAWCO (Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas) since 1993. Membership in the AWCCS automatically makes you a member of FAWCO. For more information on FAWCO, follow the FAWCO link.