What's new this month? March 2021

The NAF Centenary The NAF roaring onto life NAF Connection Our Annual Alumni Community Event Ways to Give Planned Giving, preserving your legacy. International Women's Day Celebrating the Women of the NAF Happening in our Chapters See what's happening this month. Other Events of Interest  New year, new look! Welcome to the NAFs second newsletter of our Centenary year! As you see, our newsletter has a fresh new look - we hope you will enjoy this new format. Going forward, you can expect to receive the NAF Newsletter more often – you’ll receive the newsletter once a month. By publishing more often you won’t miss out on any of the many celebratory events and webinars we are planning this special year! And, by publishing monthly, we are going back to our roots. Did you know that the first time the NAF published a monthly newsletter was in 1924? We hope to welcome you at the virtual, and hopefully later in the year, the in-person events which are highlighted in each of our newsletters. And, as always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions and feedback. Willemijn Keizer Executive Director

The NAF Centenary

The NAF roaring onto life The NAF celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year. Each newsletter this year will highlight a decade of the history of the NAF, identifying key figures in the NAF and linking the core themes at the time with what is happening today. The Roaring Twenties The third decade of the twentieth century marked a period of recovery after the Great War. In the aftermath of a period of violence, destruction on a global scale, topped off by the global pandemic of the Spanish flu, the world returned to a sense of normalcy. At the same time large-scale changes, such as suffrage and new technologies such as automobiles, electricity, telephones, radio, film (including sound movies), and cultural phenomena such as art deco, jazz, and dance started to lay the foundation for a new way of life.

The Century Club, NYC  Early on in this vibrant period of change, a group of Americans of Dutch descent or with strong links to the Netherlands gathered on 10 May 1921 at the Century Club in New York to mobilize the Dutch-American community to promote the strengthening of ties between the two countries. Read More

Virtual NAF Connection

It is our great pleasure to invite you to our annual NAF Connection on Sunday 21 March at 12 pm, EST. This is an opportunity to meet with our current NAF Fellows and Duch2USA interns. They will talk about their studies and internships and how their lives are impacted by the opportunity to live, study, and work abroad.   This festive event is usually held in-person in New York and in the Netherlands. However, due to the pandemic, this year’s NAF Connection will be virtual. While we won’t be able to greet you and our talented NAF Fellows and Students in person this year, we are pleased to invite you to join us virtually.   Each NAF-Fulbright Fellows will speak for a few minutes about their studies, experience, and the impact this has had on their lives, then we will highlight select NAF Fellows from the US and the Netherlands for a more in-depth discussion.  We hope you will join us! SIGN UP TO ATTEND

Ways to Give

Charitable bequests Did you ever consider making a charitable gift in your will and let your values live on? A charitable bequest directs a gift to be made to charity when you pass away. It benefits you in furthering the good work of an organization you support long after your lifetime; you can save estate taxes with a charitable deduction. In fact, a bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make. With the help of an advisor or attorney, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to be made to the NAF. Read More About Charitable Bequests As a member of the NAF for three decades, I have a small bequest for the NAF in my will - this to ensure continuity of my long-time investment in a charity that has a proven and successful program in providing young Dutch and American students to widen their perspective and horizon to study in each other’s countries. Age B. Diedrick

International Women's Day

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Marked annually on March 8th, International Women's Day is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women's achievements and raise awareness about women's equality. The NAF is participating in International Women’s Day by celebrating and thanking the many talented women serving on our board, our various committees, our chapters, and our staff.  Most importantly, we want to highlight the voices of some of the many women of the NAF. Please read on for their reflections on female leadership.

Happening in our Chapters

NAF-Biz NY: How to make your presentations TED-talk-worthy March 9th, 11 am EST How to prepare an inspirational story with impact, a presentation that triggers and activates, your body for the perfect body language, in both a physical and virtual setting? Jan Scheele organized 50 TEDx events worldwide, from Amsterdam to Baghdad and for organizations like the United Nations, CERN, and the Dutch Police. He coached hundreds of TED speakers, preparing their TED talk.  Register Today DC Webinar: The Dutch Elections March 17th, 3:30 pm- 5 pm EST Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s cabinet, his third, resigned in January in the wake of new revelations concerning a long-running scandal involving the tax agency’s handling of childcare benefits. Conveniently, a general election had already been set for March 17. While the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has taken center stage during the campaign, the election results will have important implications for a range of other issues, including environmental policy and Dutch attitudes toward the European Union. Join AEI, the Netherland-America Foundation, and a panel of experts for a discussion of the election as the results come in. Register Today

NAF Virtual Cooking Class Sign up for an exclusive online cooking class, featuring Indonesian cuisine. Jeff Keasberry, cookbook author and chef, will guide you to make up to 6 different dishes. Sign up for this easy, super fun interactive cooking experience!    3 consecutive weekends, 6 unique sessions to choose from. Pick 1 class, or all 6. Maximum 10 participants per class.    All classes start at 1 pm PST/4 pm EST.   Free for NAF members! $25 per class for non-NAF members. Not a member yet? Sign up here. Learn more and Register Today

Save the Date

DC Webinar: Dutch Letters of Marque and the Arrival of the First Enslaved Africans in Virginia April 13, 2021, 12 pm-1 pm EST The first enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia in 1619 on the White Lion, a privateer ship sailing under the aegis of Dutch letters of marque. This history and its consequences have received significant attention in recent years, particularly in the context of the New York Times’ 1619 Project. This webinar, moderated by Michael Douma, will feature Leendert van der Valk, who recently published an article on the Dutch role in the events of 1619, and Vincent Tucker, president of the William Tucker 1624 Society. Register Today Houston Webinars Federal Taxes 2020; what you should know about the changes March 31, 2021 12 pm CST ___________ April 15, 2021 12 pm CST  More Details to Follow

Other Events of Interest

New Amsterdam History Center FROM NETHERLANDIC TO DUTCH COLONIAL; The Story of an Evolving House Style in America March 9, 6-7:30 pm EST Join us for a lavishly illustrated conversation with architectural historian Jeroen van den Hurk and historical artist Len Tantillo to explore how 17th-century architecture from the Dutch Republic was adapted by immigrants in the New World. And how by the end of the 19th century, rediscovery of these Dutch roots led to a reappraisal of this architectural heritage and ultimately to the popular Dutch Colonial Revival style of architecture during the first half of the 20th century. General Admission: $15  Register Here

RoundTable Cultural Seminars Spring Series New York’s Dutch Beginnings: A New Appreciation of New Netherland and New Amsterdam The seminar will be moderated by Russell Shorto, author of the best-selling Island at the Center of the World and Senior Scholar at the New Netherland Institute, and Dr. Dennis Maika, Senior Historian and Education Director at the New Netherland Institute. The moderators will be joined by other New Netherland historians who will discuss their respective areas of specialization in a lively. This exciting seminar will meet six times on Thursday mornings at 10:30 AM EST. The seminar is both live-streamed and recorded.  NAF members receive a 50% discount! Price: $225 ($450 value) To access the special rate, mention “NAF” in your registration. Register Here

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY ! Your membership helps us to fulfill our mission to further strengthen the bonds between our two countries through the exchange in the arts, sciences, education, business, and public affairs. JOIN TODAY to help support the many programs and activities of the NAF and connect to your local NAF chapter. If you are a current member of the NAF and wish to renew your membership, please click here.

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