American Women of Surrey

The American Women of Surrey was founded in 1975. The club's objectives are to welcome and assist newcomers and their families; to promote friendship and cooperation among members; to futher members' knowledge and understanding of England; and to give financial and material support to philanthropic projects in Surrey and overseas.

Although our membership is primarily American, we are delighted to also have Canadian, British, Australian, Dutch, German, Japanese and a variety of other nationalities represented in our membership. Furthermore, membership is not limited to women; men are welcome too! More information on joining and on club activities can be found by using the links on our menu.

OUR HISTORY

It all begain in 1975 when a group of 18 women, under the direction of Betty Frankhouser, started meeting monthly in their homes. In a year's time the group had 150 members and the official name "The American Wives of Surrey". AWS grew rapidly in tandem with the new American Community School that had relocated to Cobham, peaking at a membership of over 1000 in the early part of this century.

In 1982, the name changed to "The American Women of Surrey". Membership has been around 500 for the past few years. That's 500 wonderful women and even a few men, who get involved and take advantage of everything AWS has to offer.

The club's purpose has remained the same over the past 30 years. We continue to welcome and assist new families moving into the area. If you've arrived within the last few months, or few weeks or even days, be sure to sign up for the next presentation of "Settling in Surrey". Not only will you receive a plethora of valuable information, but you'll find you're not the only one going through the spectrum of emotions involved in a transworld move. Chances are, you may even meet your best friend.

The selection of activities on offer certainly has something for everyone. Even our long time members enjoy trying something new now and again. As friends move on, it's a way to reconnect and make new friends. Where else could you find such opportunities?...and if we don't offer it, you are welcome to start up your own!