The Queen’s Club is a San Francisco Bay Area private British-American officer’s dining club that meets on the average every 2 - 3 months. It was founded in 1965 by a group of expatriate British Commonwealth officers under the leadership of the late Brigadier Francis H. It’s stated aim and objective is: To Foster and perpetuate the mutual respect, admiration., and friendship engendered through the
years between the officers of the armed forces of the United States of America and those officers who hold, or have held a commission in the forces of the British Commonwealth. Dinners were originally held in San Francisco at the University Club, later at the Bengal Lancer on Union Street. Through the years, the Queen’s Club has grown in membership. The Queen’s Club has called many of the Bay Area’s Officers’ Clubs home. Among these are the Presidio of San Francisco, Ft. Mason, Treasure Island, Coast Guard Island, and currently the Naval Air Station Alameda at the old Officers’ Club. From time to time dinner meetings will be held in locations other than the Officers’ Club at the Naval Air Station in Alameda. Membership
Membership, which is by invitation only, is limited to Officers, who hold, or who have held, a commission in the armed forces of the British Commonwealth, the armed forces of the United States or her allies, or Diplomats serving as Consuls General accredited to the United States. Members in good standing may propose for membership other Officers meeting these criteria, who either have attended the club as a guest or have expressed interest in becoming a member. Currently our membership comprises officers from all services. Among them are officers who have served in WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world. Guests
Any member may bring, as a guest to these meetings, any other person, whether or not that person has held a commission. Guests are encouraged, especially those with interesting backgrounds. At the conclusion of the dinner members who bring guests will be asked to introduce them with a short speech as to who they are and their background. Attendance
Attendance is not obligatory, although some members boast of a perfect or near perfect attendance record. Many of our members travel extensively and thus are unable to attend every function. Members will be contacted by email by the Queen’s Club, and should reply by return email whether or not they wish to attend together with details regarding their guests, if any. A check for the cost of both the member’s dinner and the dinners of their guests should be made out to the Queen’s Club & sent by post to the Treasurer. The cost of the dinner will be stated on the contact email. The Queen’s Club Treasurer’s name and address will also be on the contact email. Rules
The Queen’s Club follows British Officers mess rules. Dress for members and a guest is always formal: evening dress, black tie (tuxedo) or appropriate mess kit (mess dress). Miniature medals should be worn on the left lapel. Members wear a Queen’s Club badge above their medals while in mess. A seating plan is used for each dinner, and members and guests should take note of their places from the seating chart before going in to dinner. No host cocktails are available between 6pm and the call to dinner. Coffee is available after dinner in the anteroom, and the bar is reopened. The menu is Prime Rib of Beef; fish and vegetarian meals can be made available if requested in advance. Red wine is served at dinner as well as the Queen’s Club own port wine. The Club’s Charity
The Queen’s Club is non-profit organization. The Queen’s Club’s Charity is the “Not Forgotten Association” which is dedicated to serving British disabled veterans and augmenting their care. After Her Majesty the Queen, the Queen’s Club is proud to be the largest non-corporate donor to the “Not Forgotten Association”. The Not Forgotten Association holds two parties a year. There is a Summer Garden Party, which is held at Buckingham Palace in June/July and a Winter Party held at St James’s Palace, London. The Not Forgotten Association extends invitations to three couples from the Queen’s Club to attend the Summer Garden Party and two couples to attend the Winter Party at St James’s Palace. A member of the Royal Family also attends these functions, and attendees will have the opportunity to be introduced to the member of the Royal Family attending the party. A subscription to the Queen’s Club is required before a member can be issued an invitation. Further Aims of the Queen’s Club
The Queen’s Club is fortunate to have members from many different military backgrounds. Their experiences range from World War 11, Korea, Vietnam, and the present conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. By holding these dinner meetings, and encouraging young officers to attend, it is hoped that the knowledge and experiences of the older generations will be passed on.
