Caboto Club being targeted unfairly

I have been a member of the Caboto Club for 39 years and am extremely proud of both its history and its charitable works. It is upsetting when I read the rhetoric in our community paper that yet another organization has chosen not to do business with the club. What specific problem do these people have with gender specific organizations? There are numerous women’s and men’s organizations in our communities. These organizations harm no one individual or family but instead provide invaluable assistance to our entire community.

Our local charities and needy depend on the generosity of these groups, both through their financial assistance and volunteer work. Indeed, there are many such locally and nationally organized groups, that continue to be lauded in this very newspaper.

To demand one organization unilaterally amend its 93-year-old constitution while allowing similar organizations the privilege of maintaining their gender segregation borders on discrimination.

Are the individuals espousing this rhetoric going to demand that all these organizations change? Is there a hidden agenda that involves only the Caboto Club and its board of directors? It is difficult to believe that political motivations may be involved. It is not my intent to start a firestorm against our community’s benefactors. However, the vicious attack on this single organization is unjust and unwarranted. The wives and daughters who actively participate in our organization have spoken vehemently in favour of maintaining the status quo at this time. That’s not to say that their position may not change in the future. These women are not coerced or otherwise subservient. Indeed, they are extremely offended to be labelled as such.

I ask that those who have considered leaving the Caboto Club to read this and reconsider their positions and understand who we are and what we do best.

John Benotto, Tecumseh