>From the Financial Times today.... They are both going to court the woman vote....
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.supp...@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/73eb8e60-800d-11e1-b4a8-00144feab49a.html#ixzz1rJetH0uN April 6, 2012 9:03 pm IBM chief hits glass ceiling in Augusta By Richard Waters in San Francisco Virginia Rometty Three months after rising to one of the top jobs in corporate America, Ginni Rometty is this weekend coming to terms with a glass ceiling she has been unable to break: membership of Augusta National, the male-only club where the Masters golf tournament reaches its climax on Sunday. The failure to offer membership to the new chief executive of IBM, the events chief sponsor, is a snub that critics say will rebound badly on both the club and the computer company itself, should it fail to take a stand over the issue. The omission comes despite growing public attention, which late this week included mild rebukes from President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, his probable Republican rival in Novembers election, both of whom seized on the issue as a chance to woo female voters. His personal opinion is that women should be admitted, said Jay Carney, White House spokesman. Augusta National traditionally offers honorary membership to the chief executives of the Masters tournaments corporate sponsors, putting Ms Rometty in line to become the first female member in the clubs 79 year history. But as the second day of play continued on Friday, Ms Rometty had not been made a member. Ms Rometty, who plays golf, has not spoken on the issue and the computer company would not comment. The Professional Golfers Association has not taken a stand against Augustas gender bar. Coming so soon after Ms Romettys assumption of the leadership of a highly conservative corporation that does all it can to avoid drawing personal attention to its leaders, critics say a failure to respond strongly to the snub will be damaging for IBM . All those female [IBM] employees would feel demoralised and see her appointment as just being symbolic, said Mary Ellen Balchunis, a professor of political science at La Salle University. She added that it would also make it harder for IBM to recruit in future, since young employees are looking for the most progressive places to work. Others argue that the Augusta snub is equally demoralising for other aspiring female executives, who often feel left out of male-dominated business networking much of which takes place in social settings such as golf courses. Ben Agger, a professor of sociology at the University of Texas, described prestigious country clubs around New York and Washington as the true corridors of power where important work relationships are cemented. He added that women, even when full members at such exclusive clubs, often find they are relegated to the worst tee-times, making the Augusta membership issue both highly symbolic and substantive. For a conservative, cautious company like [IBM] to pull out would make a profound statement, Mr Agger said. On Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 2:30 PM, LRS Scout <lrssc...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Well I would disagree with that interpretation. > > Not to mention that women are not a separate class, they are a sex, and > this golf course doesn't seem to have ever been open as a "public" area. > > Way to try and take more rights through judicial activism. > > On Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 10:36 AM, Larry C. Lyons <larrycly...@gmail.com>wrote: > >> >> The idea is that if a private area is used as a public space then much >> of the control a private owner normally doesn't apply. consider >> private land that's been used as a public park - many apartment >> developments in New York do this for instance. The courts have ruled >> that being able to restrict a certain class of people from the park is >> illegal in this matter. >> >> On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 5:01 PM, LRS Scout <lrssc...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > >> > Is this specific club on public or private property? >> > >> > On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 3:44 PM, Larry C. Lyons <larrycly...@gmail.com >> >wrote: >> > >> >> >> >> There's also the issue of public space. There have been several court >> >> cases that went over this. >> >> >> >> On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 3:27 PM, LRS Scout <lrssc...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> > >> >> > Where is that line blurry? >> >> > >> >> > Either they get public funds or they don't, doesn't seem to be a lot >> of >> >> > grey area. >> >> > >> >> > Sounds like "truthiness". >> >> > >> >> > On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 2:46 PM, Larry C. Lyons <larrycly...@gmail.com >> >> >wrote: >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> Exactly if they accept fed funds then they have to follow fed rules. >> >> >> however it gets more difficult to discern when the lines between >> >> >> public and private become very blurred. >> >> >> >> >> >> On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 2:38 PM, Scott Stroz <boyz...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> >> > >> >> >> > Both Augusta National and Lucille Roberts limit membership to their >> >> >> > clubs based on the sex/gender (and in Augusta's case, wealth) of >> the >> >> >> > individual seeking membership. >> >> >> > >> >> >> > Simplified? Maybe. Untrue? Nope. >> >> >> > >> >> >> > I also don't think either should be forced to change those >> policies. >> >> >> > If they receive public funds, however, then I have an issue with >> their >> >> >> > policies. >> >> >> > >> >> >> > On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 2:15 PM, Judah McAuley < >> ju...@wiredotter.com> >> >> >> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Augusta gets to set their own rules, hence why no one is forcing >> them >> >> >> >> to accept women and why they only just recently accepted black >> folks >> >> >> >> as members. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> That, however, does not mean that outside folks should not suggest >> >> >> >> that they change their rules and that is precisely what happened >> in >> >> >> >> this case. Augusta has a very high profile owing to hosting the >> >> >> >> Masters tournament. There are many people, myself included, that >> >> would >> >> >> >> like to see that high profile used to promote a message of >> equality. >> >> >> >> Whether or not they do that is up to them. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> As for how it is different than Lucille Roberts, that's simple. >> It's >> >> a >> >> >> >> matter of profile, intention and comparables. Augusta, >> theoretically, >> >> >> >> is about playing golf and hanging out with your business peers. >> Being >> >> >> >> black or female doesn't have any impact on playing golf or being a >> >> >> >> business peer. Witness the fact that the CEO of the Master's >> largest >> >> >> >> sponsor (IBM) is female. Lucille Roberts is about a space for >> women >> >> to >> >> >> >> work out where they don't feel like they are being judged by men. >> The >> >> >> >> gender of the people at the facility is obviously directly >> related to >> >> >> >> the mission, the intent of the organization. Then there is the >> issue >> >> >> >> of comparables: Augusta is the only private club of its type that >> >> puts >> >> >> >> on an event the caliber and exposure of the Masters. It isn't like >> >> you >> >> >> >> can easily say, "oh, you can get just as high profile a golf and >> >> >> >> networking experience at club X, Y and Z". On the other hand, you >> can >> >> >> >> easily get the same quality gym experience (as a guy) or better >> at a >> >> >> >> large number of facilities. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Cheers, >> >> >> >> Judah >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 10:24 AM, Scott Stroz <boyz...@gmail.com> >> >> wrote: >> >> >> >>> >> >> >> >>> Augusta is a private club. They can allow whomever they wish. >> >> Members >> >> >> >>> pay dues to set the rules. >> >> >> >>> >> >> >> >>> Not sure how its any different than, >> http://www.lucilleroberts.com/ >> >> >> >>> >> >> >> >>> I would love to join the VFW, but, I don't meet the membership >> >> >> requirements. >> >> >> >>> >> >> >> >>> On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 1:16 PM, Cameron Childress < >> >> camer...@gmail.com> >> >> >> wrote: >> >> >> >>>> >> >> >> >>>> On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 12:43 PM, Brian Thornton < >> >> >> br...@cfdeveloper.com>wrote: >> >> >> >>>> >> >> >> >>>>> It's commonplace to know that the president is very careful to >> >> decide >> >> >> >>>>> what to speak on and what to dodge and what not... >> >> >> >>>>> >> >> >> >>>>> "We've kind of passed the time that women should be excluded >> from >> >> >> >>>>> anything," Carney said. >> >> >> >>>>> >> >> >> >>>> >> >> >> >>>> Obama should join August National, then he will be one of >> >> >> >>>> 300 individuals who are permitted to vote on allowing women to >> >> join. >> >> >> >>>> >> >> >> >>>> -Cameron >> >> >> >>>> >> >> >> >>>> ... >> >> >> >>>> >> >> >> >>>> >> >> >> >>>> >> >> >> >>> >> >> >> >>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> > >> > >> >> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:349614 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
