Clubmen & Ladies Who Lunch

IT IS generally accepted in Britain that the wilder social follies begin in America and spread across the Atlantic. As if to confirm this belief, two American ladies arrived, not long ago, at the Garrick Club, announced that they were members of a New York club with which the Garrick has reciprocal privileges, and demanded lunch. It was explained to them, very politely, that, since the Garrick has no women members (nor did the New York club when the reciprocal arrangement was made), they could not be accommodated. They went away, ostensibly indignant. No one believes they were unaware of the rules. They came, not for lunch, but to make a gesture.

So far, there has been no substantial demand from any indigenous quarter that the traditional gentlemen’s clubs should go bisexual. But a few citizens in every citadel always want to open the gates. A general meeting will shortly be held at the Garrick to consider a motion that the club should voluntarily have women members. My guess is that it will be heavily defeated. Since the Garrick has something like an eight-year waiting list, the first woman member would not sit down at the center table for a long while even if it were passed-unless positive discrimination was exercised against male candidates.

AL

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Anthony Lejeune

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IT IS generally accepted in Britain that the wilder social follies begin in America and spread across the Atlantic. As if to confirm this belief, two American ladies arrived, not long ago, at the Garrick Club, announced that they were members of a New York club with which the Garrick has reciprocal privileges, and demanded lunch. It was explained to them, very politely, that, since the Garrick has no women members (nor did the New York club when the reciprocal arrangement was made), they could not be accommodated. They went away, ostensibly indignant. No one believes they were unaware of the rules. They came, not for lunch, but to make a gesture.

So far, there has been no substantial demand from any indigenous quarter that the traditional gentlemen’s clubs should go bisexual. But a few citizens in every citadel always want to open the gates. A general meeting will shortly be held at the Garrick to consider a motion that the club should voluntarily have women members. My guess is that it will be heavily defeated. Since the Garrick has something like an eight-year waiting list, the first woman member would not sit down at the center table for a long while even if it were passed-unless positive discrimination was exercised against male candidates.