Editorial
THERE ’ S A VEREIN FOR THAT !
My favorite kind of new beginning is that which comes with learning something new . And there ’ s a verein for that !
When I first heard Germany described as “ a nation of vereins ” it made no sense to me , and not just because I didn ’ t know the word “ verein .” You have to live here a while to really get a sense of it . But it ’ s huge . There are over 600,000 vereins in this country . While the word itself just means “ association ,” it ’ s being an “ e . V .,” or registered verein , that makes it official , with the governmental recognition and tax status that comes with that . And nearly half of all Germans belong to at least one . Once I knew that , it became my favorite conversational icebreaker : “ What kind of club activities do you do ?”
People ’ s answers often surprise me into taking a second look at them . That shy nerd does comedy improv , really ? The fishmonger , a dour woman who resembles a grouper herself , is in an a capella singing group ? The woman who hates cooking at home is in a cooking club . The guy who cleans our gutters takes out his phone and shows me his ceramic creations . A doctor who , as if being a doctor isn ’ t enough , plays field hockey on the weekends and is also taking French classes “ because cheese .” Where do these people get their energy ?
I ’ m from New York , where people brag about how exhausted they are every single day , and every spare minute is spent either working at a frantic pace or in intense pursuit of self-improvement . But here , while these extracurricular activities are certainly taken seriously , they are also taken with genuine pleasure . Which makes them , I figure , a source of energy , rather than a drain . New Yorker that I am , I found this revelatory .
And look at all the options ! Even the sports clubs often have non-sport activities — a full one-third of Germans belong to sports vereins , and 93 % of the sports clubs organize additional social events — and they are often said to be fulfilling a community niche that was formerly occupied by neighborhood churches . The many branches of the Volkshochschule have a wide range of classes and clubs-within-clubs at very low prices . A stunning array of other options are available online .
And then there ’ s our own verein , the AWCH . Even with all that it has to offer , many of our members still step outside it and do even more , because the passion for learning and doing in this culture is catching . Whatever tickles your fancy , there ’ s a verein for that .
Happy continuing education !
Mason Jane Milam Executive Editor
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