The Club was founded in 1935 by a group of British officers and consular members. The first president was the then-Consul General Francis Evans, later Sir Francis Evans. Many of the original members were actors in the movie industry, and included C. Aubrey Smith, Gene Lockhart and Alan Mowbray, to name but a few. Meetings were held on the third Friday of the month at the Masquers Club in Hollywood. Strict British Officers Mess protocol was (and still is) observed and members were required to wear mess dress uniform or black tie dinner jacket, with miniatures. Ladies were not admitted to the club as members until 1988.
While the Club originally met at the Masquers Club in Hollywood, the deterioration of the neighborhood and subsequently the sale and destruction of the Masquers Club in 1985, forced the BUSC to move to the Verdugo Club in Glendale. The Glendale facilities were closed in 1994, and the Club moved to its current venue at the Altadena Town and Country Club in Altadena, just north of Pasadena.
During its over 75 years in existence, the Club has had many distinguished gentlemen as members, including several Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, VC, DFC, MM, and OBE and MBE holders. (Hearing the stories in the ante-room after dinner is one of the highlights of the evening.)
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