KEY POINTS:
It has taken 95 years for Whangarei's "gentlemen's" club to have a woman appointed as president.
Or more correctly, it has taken only 13 years - because before 1993 women were not allowed to be members, or even walk through the door.
"Oh, it's all different now," said new president Margaret Lilly, "although I've heard some of the old stories."
After having run a dairy farm as a single woman for many years, Ms Lilly refuses to see glass walls that might prevent women taking leading roles in traditional male bastions. Besides, these days women figure strongly in the once exclusively male Whangarei Club.
There's another woman on the committee, the secretary-manager is a woman and so are most of the staff.
"But sadly, a lot of our women members are not really active in the club," Ms Lilly said.
And she can't understand why more of them don't join.
One of her pushes as president will be to encourage more women members. Another will be to promote the club's amenities as a function, dinner, meeting or dance venue. "It's a secure, safe, pleasant place for women to come on their own. It's a good alternative to going to a pub when you want a drink and a chat with someone.
"From the very first day I felt very comfortable about coming here by myself.
"How many places are there in town where women can feel that?"
Among the advantages of belonging to the "well-equipped, superbly located" club, such as inexpensive drinks, is the opportunity to lie down on a comfortable couch after a tiring or hot day in town, the new president says.
