History
Federation of Anglo-Swiss Clubs

Brief Overview (compiled by Anitra Green in 2012)
The detailed history will become available via the Swiss federal archives during 2022. See also the FASC Archive page LINK

1932

Just four clubs - EC Biel/Bienne (founded in 1908 and now the oldest club in FASC), ASC Basle, ECC Geneva and ASC Lucerne - were responsible for the founding of the Federation of Anglo-Swiss Clubs on the 19th June 1932. Their aims were idealistic: to encourage the traditional friendship between the two countries, and to create a framework for cooperation between clubs that had until then been isolated. Five years later FASC had 16 clubs and four associate members. Quite a lot were founded by students who'd come back from learning English at the Swiss Mercantile School in London: links with this organisation were maintained until well into the 1980s. The favourite place in those days for the Congress (as it was then called) was Bürgenstock - no less than 200 people attended in 1937! The federation then had a strong educational role, including a central library and organisation of exams for the Cambridge certificate. The Lecture Fund, set up around the same time, remained in place until very recently; organising interesting speakers from England has been one of FASC's aims from the very beginning.

1939

Dark days: with the outbreak of the Second World War, FASC helped wherever it could. Its first action under new president Charles W. Welman was to take over a fund to help the British Red Cross and Swiss soldiers. In 1942 it adopted a French child (the first of several) and it regularly contributed books and clothes for British prisoners-of-war, donations to the War-Harmed Children's Fund etc. The announcements of charity events make interesting reading; a dinner/dance (black or white tie) with a concert in 1941 in Basle cost the princely sum of Sfr 6. Like everyone else, FASC was in a jubilant mood once the war ended. The “Congress of Peace and Victory” at Montreux in 1945 attracted 230 people from 25 clubs - quite a party. It also acquired its first Embassy patron - Sir Clifford Norton, HM Minister, starting a long line of ambassadors who accepted this post. The federation still supported war victims, for example London children and disabled British ex-servicemen convalescing in Switzerland, and later on children's holidays in Switzerland. A high spot was Winston Churchill's visit to Switzerland in 1946; he was given a standing ovation at the Münsterplatz in Zürich by an ecstatic crowd. When Charles Welman gave up as president in 1948, he started another long tradition by being awarded the MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), an honour also given to Frank Dixon, British Vice-Consul in Berne and president of ASA Berne.

1953

Coronation year. This year saw an MBE awarded to Albert V. Thornton from Basle, a faithful FASC supporter from the beginning and now president. The first ever Anglo-Swiss car rally was organised by ASC Solothurn with a speed limit of 25 km per hour. The second Anglo-Swiss Club visit to England and Scotland in 1954 was written up by Maisie Bienz as one of her first contributions in what proved to be a long career with FASC; she subsequently acted as secretary for many years. In 1956 the list of clubs reached an all-time high of 32.

1960

was the end of an era, with Albert Thornton stepping down as president. In 1961 Charles Welman passed away, leaving FASC a bequest, which it used to set up the Welman Fund to help impoverished clubs who couldn't afford the federation lectures. It was about this time that ASC Aarau became involved in the PAN project, Partnership Aargau-Nigeria. This enterprising scheme was founded to “further relations between Switzerland and Nigeria”, starting with eight young Nigerians training in the Aargau area.

1964

Dennis Stephenson, already known as editor of the AS Times, became president, replacing John Jenoure, who was elected to the new post of lecture organiser.

1967

First FASC football match was held between Basle and Biel/Bienne, which was such fun that two more tournaments were arranged in later years.

1974

the English Players, an offshoot of EC Biel/Bienne, presented their first play, “Red Spy at Night”. This was so well received they continued producing a play every spring for several years, also taking it on tour to other clubs in Northern Switzerland. In 1975, Lotti Kaufmann of ASC Lucerne held the first of a very popular series of inexpensive Interclub meetings - offering another golden opportunity for people from different clubs to get together informally. 1977 was the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, and, as they always do, FASC clubs vied with each either in arranging suitable celebrations - plays, receptions, lunches, fashion shows, concerts and so on.

1979

After 15 years in the hot seat, Dennis Stephenson, also an MBE by now and with an enviable reputation as an excellent lecturer, stepped down as president. His final act was to revise the FASC statutes, including limiting the president's term of office to five years. In 1980 the whole of the British community, plus a great many Swiss, was delighted to welcome the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Switzerland for five days. The new FASC president, Werner Koch (later also an MBE), and his wife Nina, together with Dennis and Norma Stephenson, represented FASC at the British Embassy reception in Berne, “a fascinating and unique experience”, as Nina wrote afterwards. Brenda Rüttimann (yes, she was awarded an MBE later on as well) was already a lively and well-known personality on the FASC scene when she became president after Jacqueline Martinet (who had already received an MBE for services to the Lausanne Anglo-Swiss Chamber of Commerce). Both Brenda's organizational ability and her jokes are quite memorable.

1992

This was a really big year, with the Swiss Confederation celebrating 700 years and FASC 60 years. It was marked by a highly successful (and expensive) jubilee weekend at the Hotel Beau Rivage in Interlaken, where we planted an oak tree as FASC's gift to the Swiss Confederation. It was about this time that it was decided to give themes to the annual weekends to make them more fun. A resounding start was made with a Scottish theme, followed by the Roaring Twenties, the Swinging Sixties, the Victorians (complete

with a Victorian music-hall performance) and Helvetia. Trevor Dury as president after Brenda did some useful spadework by creating the first FASC website, laying a solid foundation for the years to come. In 1999 he was succeeded by Bob Howis, who brought a total change of style to the entire organisation.

2000

The new millennium. Bob invested a lot of energy in promoting FASC's image and making it better known. He was responsible for expanding and improving the website, and re-launched the Anglo-Swiss News in a new glossy format, with lots of colour photos and as many ads as he could muster. The FASC weekend in 2002 was an extra special affair to celebrate not only its 70th anniversary but also the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. St. Peter smiled on us that day: the Golden Jubilee was celebrated by a horse-drawn carriage ride through Interlaken in beautiful weather, and a Scottish bagpiper greeted us to aperitifs on the lawn and lunch with HM Ambassador Basel Eastwood and his wife. Then on to the Hotel Dorint in Beatenberg, for the traditional sports, a gala dinner & dance with a top five-piece band and lots of jubilee surprises, including a huge birthday cake and a souvenir mug.

2003

saw the organisation of the first FASC golf tournament in September with ASC Solothurn as host club. This was followed in short order in January 2004 by FASC’s second annual ski weekend, in Leysin, organised by Laurent Belet, who succeeded Bob in as president, and his wife Nathalie. Both these occasions proved to be a welcome complement to the annual weekend – so much so that the Belets decided to organise an autumn weekend to the Piedmont as well, the first of several such trips.

2006

The Queen celebrated her 80th birthday and, naturally, FASC sent her a letter of congratulation. And we were delighted to receive a thank-you letter, from her private secretary! FASC is only a few years behind, and celebrated its 75th anniversary in style in 2007.

2007

With an extra-special weekend at the Hotel Hertenstein in Weggis, which was also attended by FASC’s patron, HM Ambassador Simon Featherstone, and his wife. Incidentally, it was a joy to see him walk off with the table-tennis cup; nobody else had a chance! In 2008 there was a change of president once again with Fiona Hadfield-Hart taking over the reins.

2011

Bob Howis was voted in as president for a second term and has lost no time in taking up where he left off, with a new committee. One of his first tasks has been to mastermind a suitable celebration for FASC’s 80th jubilee and the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne this year,

2012

This book is designed as a momento of what will be a wonderful occasion. FASC has seen many clubs come and go in 80 years. But it has always moved with the times: whereas the federation was originally founded for Swiss and British citizens, including the Commonwealth, it now welcomes everyone who can use English as a means of communication. But the cultural and social aims are the same as they were in 1932.