Asian Ladies Club of Switzerland


	Home

History

Our club was formed in May 22, 1990 to enable women of different Asian nationalities living in and around Zurich to share their cultures in a friendly environment. It is our objective to welcome women of Asian cultures to the Zurich area and to promote friendship, cooperation and understanding. It is our mission to help them adjust to a new culture and to meet others of similar backgrounds and interests.

Mary Weiherich-Cheah proposed the idea of forming a social group for Asian Ladies to her Asian co-members at a ZIWA (Zürich International Women’s Association) meeting in early 1990. With widespread support and encouragement, Mary arranged a first “Asian Get-together” on March 27, 1990 with 29 ladies in attendance. The 2nd "Get-Together" held on May 22, 1990, when the first Executive Committee was appointed by the members, marked the birth of our group.

Activities had been established: Beauty and Fashion News &Tips, Cookery and Entertainment, Feature on Cultural Arts, Travel, Health, etc. The work and the activities provided are all on voluntary basis.

For Finances, we relied on the Attendance Fee of CHF 5 per person.

Also, we started publishing our club’s contact person in the classifieds of other club newsletters.

The monthly "News" was launched at the 3rd "Get-Together" which included: Introductions of new members; Activities, such as, Beauty and Fashion: "Scarves", "Professional Make-Up", "Grooming Course"; Home and Entertainment: "Flower Arrangement"; and Sports: "Tennis" and the Finance Report: The Attendance Fees of the 22 May 1990 and 19 June 1990 amounted to CHF170 and after deduction of postage expenses and a "Thank You - gift, a balance of CHF102. - remained.

To date, each member receives the ALC Membership Directory once yearly and the news magazine “ALC Today” six times a year.

All functions are conducted in English but we aim to provide a situation where less fluent non-native English speakers will feel confident to contribute.

The annual membership fee is CHF 70.

The club Membership year runs from April 1st to March 31st of the following year.

The club name Asian Ladies Get-Together was changed to “Asian Ladies Group”, as approved by members in the first AGM in 1991. By November of the same year, there were 59 members.

Members took turns to volunteer their homes as venues for the club’s activities and monthly meetings, which were all very successful and popularly supported. To cover the mailing and other administrative costs, a membership fee was introduced.

In 1998, the club established its first Constitution or Bylaws, at the same time changing its name to ALC (Asian Ladies Club of Switzerland).

ALC became a member club of the WCI (Welcome Clubs International), a non-stock, non-profit corporation designed to facilitate a worldwide network of independent international women’s clubs, in September 2006. Because we joined the WCI, ALC can now reach out in friendship to women around the world, share experiences and ideas with a global community, learn how other clubs integrate their international membership through activities and events; participate in International Conferences, discussing relevant issues from varied cultural viewpoints; and become part of a growing organization striving to make a difference in our world.

From the founding year until the present, our mission remains the same:

We aspire to create goodwill as well as promote a better awareness and understanding of diverse Asiatic cultures within our club and among other women’s groups. In the past years, we have extended our mission with Fundraising for a chosen charity to help those who are less fortunate.