Gentlemen's Clubs

[Ecuador Jim]

I recall what I thought was the death of Gentlemen's Clubs in the US.
In the late 60's, these clubs were being pegged as being sexist, racist, and elitist; titles that some deserved. As a kid, one of my football coaches was a member of the Washington Athletic Club http://www.wac.net, and the team was treated to an end-of-season banquet there.
However, some of these clubs managed to learn from the dialogue, and have become excellent examples of diversity in their memberships.
Diverstiy to me is the key; I prefer the challenge of debate over the "let's all believe the same thing" environment.
I became a member of the WAC, and have enjoyed the experience. The "discriminators" for the club are proper attire and demeanor. Because they don't own a golf course, the dues are relatively modest.
I'd like to think that the clubs have managed to grow through the negative aspects of their history, and embrace a philosophy of inclusion, where we gather on the basis of common interest, regardless of ethnicity or income.
Now, if they'd only open a cigar bar....

 

[dostacos]

I would love to be able to open a private club. men to left women to the right. couples to the center.....

I guess that is what country clubs are.

The Magic club also comes to mind, that would be fun to set up a club without the magic, Ricks place. Entrance is ONLY if you dress correctly hmmmm????

 

[Dr Doran]

Are you thinking of the Magic Castle in Hollywood? My dad is a member. He's a real magician, as you have to be to be a member.

 

[Mid-fogey]

In the days before...

...TV, movies, radio, phones etc. those clubs were a way to meet, greet, and pass time. Rich men had clubs, poor men had pubs. In the days before reliable restaurants they also provided a good place to get a meal. As more activities were invented to pass time, the clubs found less and less members attending.

Some clubs made it to present day. I remember the Cosmos club in DC being sued over exclusion of women. Since the restaurant was open to the public, the claim was that it was a "public accomodation", not really a private club. I can't recall how the whole thing turned out, but I'm pretty sure they have minorities and women as members now. The clubs in big cities ended up being just good places to take clients. I remember my Dad keeping a membership in the Army Navy club in DC to take clients to for lunch. He certainly never just hung around there.

When I think of clubs I remember the scene in Caddyshack where the Judge looks at some of the old dudes hanging around the sitting room of the club and dismissively asking: "don't you people have homes"?

 

[Dr Doran]

I am still a little ambivalent about the forced democratizing of private clubs. I dislike ethnic particularism too when it is involves the denigration of outsiders, but what happened to the right of free association?

Or perhaps that is too political.

 

[dostacos]

Are you thinking of the Magic Castle in Hollywood? My dad is a member. He's a real magician, as you have to be to be a member.

yes it would be neat to have a non-magic type club.

My ricks place if you come in period clothes you get a discount, if you come as a German officer you pay extra and the First that shows as a French police inspector is free. IF you don't dress up you cannot get in at all. [there will be staff dressed as the Germans], each night we have the French police "arrest" a customer and haul them out. each night the Germans start singing and then the whole place sings the french anthem, the back room will have gaming tables [no actual betting, just for fun using period repo money]

 

[Samsa]

...TV, movies, radio, phones etc. those clubs were a way to meet, greet, and pass time. Rich men had clubs, poor men had pubs.

Give me a smoky public house over a Gentleman's club any day.

 

[Diamondback]

My ricks place if you come in period clothes you get a discount, if you come as a German officer you pay extra and the First that shows as a French police inspector is free. IF you don't dress up you cannot get in at all. [there will be staff dressed as the Germans], each night we have the French police "arrest" a customer and haul them out. each night the Germans start singing and then the whole place sings the french anthem, the back room will have gaming tables [no actual betting, just for fun using period repo money]

But what if I show up in an American uniform? If I show up dressed as Patton, do I get a pass on punching-out Sauerkrauts*?lol

*Let me point out for the record, I have a lot of German ancestry; I mean no disrespect toward the country or its people--only toward the Nazis, who I'd argue there never was a more apt group to be described as "sauer"...

 

[dostacos]

But what if I show up in an American uniform? If I show up dressed as Patton, do I get a pass on punching-out Sauerkrauts*?lol

*Let me point out for the record, I have a lot of German ancestry; I mean no disrespect toward the country or its people--only toward the Nazis, who I'd argue there never was a more apt group to be described as "sauer"...

no I just want people like Paris Hilton to show up and expect to be allowed in and then TURN HER AWAY lol

I like the idea of regular price for those who don't want to "play along" then those that are dressed are allowed into the "gaming room" and having Sam playing the piano, and lower prices Yeah we could let you in BUT only if you are dressed as Patton at the correct rank for the time period lol

 

[Diamondback]

Yeah we could let you in BUT only if you are dressed as Patton at the correct rank for the time period lol

Ummm, could get ugly--my uniform's styled after MacArthur's, and I don't wear the insignia but once a year out of respect for the rank. (I believe Mac would understand an exception for Halloween...)

 

[dostacos]

Ummm, could get ugly--my uniform's styled after MacArthur's, and I don't wear the insignia but once a year out of respect for the rank. (I believe Mac would understand an exception for Halloween...)

well only if you smoke a corncob pipe

[I did that once , biggest mistake I ever made, the inside fibers, I SWEAR, came through the pipe and ripped up my throat and lungs. well it was a cheap one I needed to stick to my good pipes back when I smoked]

 

[Diamondback]

well only if you smoke a corncob pipe

But of course! (Actually, I only carry one, I'm trying to find a way to gimmick it to emit "simulated smoke" like my model steam locomotives. Have the look and keep my lungs, best of both worlds! lol )

 

[carter]

Originally posted by Diamondback
But of course! (Actually, I only carry one, I'm trying to find a way to gimmick it to emit "simulated smoke" like my model steam locomotives. Have the look and keep my lungs, best of both worlds! )

Have you considered a ceramic liner and dry ice?

Or a miniaturized nuclear powered smoke machine?
Shielded of course.

 

[Diamondback]

Good idea on ceramic and dry-ice, if I could make a liner small enough, and find a way to keep the dry-ice charges chilled and/or contained until time to reload... Thanks!

 

[carter]

You'll need a small portable cooler. Perhaps a WWII gas mask bag with some sort of liner like one of those flexible wine cooler bags.

 

[Diamondback]

You'll need a small portable cooler. Perhaps a WWII gas mask bag with some sort of liner like one of those flexible wine cooler bags.

And an aide-de-camp to carry it, which could be problematic: except for with the rest of the Horsemen deploying as a "package deal", with relatives or enjoying the company of a lady, I prefer to operate alone.

 

[gluegungeisha]

Haha, I was always really amused by the "new" definition of a gentleman's club.

"May I take your coat, sir?"

 

[scotrace]

"May I take your coat, sir?"

lol lol

 

[Diamondback]

Yeah, I have problems with both the old and the new--the modern kind are just :weneeda'vomit'emoticonhere:, and the old ones... well, I'll just note a significant chunk of the few friends I have are ladies, and anywhere I couldn't take one of them (with the obvious exception of the "little general's office") is someplace that's just not worth patronizing in my book.

 

[Feng_Li]

I have actually been a guest in a gentlemen's club in Battle, Sussex. I had been chatting with an older Irish gentleman over a pint. He just had a long conversation with the pub owners, the gist of which was that someone in power at his granddaughter's school (the owners were involved in the school administration/board of directors/somesuch) had subjected her to some pretty unkind (and to him, undeserved) treatment. The pub owners refused to intervene.

The entire conversation was civil, and after it ended he returned to his beer and said to me, "Well, I don't think I'll be coming back in here again, which is a shame, because I liked the place." We got to talking, and when the glasses were empty he invited me for another drink at his club, just down the street. It wasn't formal at all; more like a country club, but the atmosphere was as though a bunch of friends had simply bought their own little pub and were taking it in turns to keep bar. Very pleasant.

So somewhere in a sleepy town in the south of England my name is in the guestbook of a gentlemen's club.