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ODD NEWS

BOWLING LADIES REBEL AT BEING FORCED TO COOK

The female members are sick of being stuck in the kitchen

Wednesday October 22,2008

By Tom Fullerton

FOR as long as anyone can remember, the lady members of Broughty Castle Bowling Club have served hot meals to the menfolk.

But a new spirit of rebellion is simmering – and now the women have hung up their aprons in protest at being confined to the kitchen every Saturday.

The tradition, they say, must end. And if the men are not prepared to roll up their sleeves, then outside caterers should be brought in.

The row at the club in Broughty Ferry, near Dundee, reached boiling point when the predominantly male management committee wrote to the 50 ladies – known as associate members – warning that their fees will rise from £46 to £115-a-year unless they return to the kitchen.

The letter reads: “The committee members are disappointed that the ladies will no longer serve meals to men on Saturdays from 2009.

The committe members are disappointed that the ladies will no longer serve meals to men

Male management committee

“Saturday games are a source of considerable revenue through bar sales.

“Our reputation for hospitality is due in no small part to the ladies section, who do sterling work.

“In order to mitigate the damage that the ladies’ decision will cause, the club’s committee proposes to recommend the following changes at the next agm: Associate members’ fees are to be set at 75 per cent of the full members’ fees and ladies who volunteer to continue providing meals will retain their current level of fees.”

The women are asked to indicate by this Friday if they will “volunteer”.

Yesterday ladies section president Betty Baxter would not comment. But the 50 women members are said to be angry at the “threatening tone” of the letter.

The club was founded in 1867 and did not have any women members until the ladies’ section was formed in 1924.

Local councillor Derek Scott said: “I hope the club can resolve this amicably and that everyone can get back to enjoying their bowling.”