The President's Club Annual Gala - "Men Behaving Badly"

I have no problem with all men or all women events, I just have a problem with the treatment of the people serving them when the drinks begin to flow. This could have easily been a report from one of the "Hen Night" Events that go on up and down the country. I know 2 boys aged 16 who are employed at such events and they absolutely hate the fact that they are subjected to "touching" from women who are in their cups...particularly the older ones.
I have an amazing husband in many respects but when he's been drinking, he gets more touchy, feely with the women he is talking to. He doesn't even seem to realise he does it but I make sure he knows! We used to argue about it when we were first together but, whilst it may not be pleasant for his victim, it isn't something he would do when sober. So, from where I am sitting, I think alcohol is the big problem!

I wonder how many of the men would have felt it they discovered their daughter or grand-daughter at the event- in those outfits and being groped by old men (not that it is any better if young men I suppose).

But yes, of course, those young women should have realised - although it seems the agency clearly told them not to be concerned at all.

I was a majorette in my young days- we showed a lot of leg for sure, but never ever experienced anything 'sleezy' apart from a bit of oggling.

No excuse for the awful behaviour from the men but the clues were all there dress code tall and pretty they must have known it wouldn't exactly be afternoon tea I would like to think young women had a bit more about themselves and were not this naive

I can't believe any of the women who were (as Hattiehelga says) asked to wear black underwear, skimpy clothes and high heels were not aware of what that whole "men only night" was about. After all it has been running for over 30 years.

I would still like to know how many of the charities set to benefit had tables/seats at the event.

This type of event is a thing of the past, it's long overdue in the current climate. But to my mind it is just a graphic illustration of how far women have to go. Men hold the balance of power and the cash and no one ever gives that up without a struggle.

Very mixed feelings about this. There are very fine lines. Men only event, serving alcohol, staffed by pretty young girl in skimpy outfits. You'd have to be very naive not to expect it to be a bit bawdy. The girls could have walked away. That doesn't mean it's okay for men to paw the girls or be offensive. It's absolutely not. But one girl was offered a man's hotel room key and she turned it down. She said that was it, and she didn't feel threatened or upset. It may be in bad taste, but not something to get up in arms about. I suspect majority of men were fine and that just a few crossed the line. And that's a shame if it means that future events which raise so much money are cancelled.

Quite agree, it was typical men being silly schoolboys night and most would know what to expect when they had downed a few drinks.
It sounds a bit like a carry on film.

Wear black underwear heels skimpy dress, hand over phone, sign disclaimer, be discreet, men only. Are we really supposed to believe they didn't know what to expect ?!

I wonder what the "guests" were told to expect. Don't any of them have daughters?
I do feel sad that the donations were given back though. That seems to be punishing the children in G. O Hospital. and others who need help.

This, from an article today in The Telegraph sums it up for me :
Guests, who paid £2,000 a pop for the gropers’ gala, were there to waggle their willy and wallet. The whole “elite boys together” ethos encouraged laddishness verging on puerile schoolboyishness. Add young women in heels being paid £150 to pour drinks while listening to their bilge and the results were… utterly pathetic. I can think of no better word.

Many of the girls will be students trying to pay their debts by waiting on men who mostly had a free education. (irony intended)
I agree with many of those above I was shocked that this sort of nonsense still goes on post-Weinstein and government minister scalps which were taken recently.
It's all very 70's and quite pathetic.

If a girl appears naked and stands next to a man he has no right to touch her unless she agrees to it.

I heard somewhere on the media this morning that a bookshop/seller has removed all the David Williams stock from their shelves and plan to disassociate with him. I believe he was another attendee who 'saw nothing untoward'. Think I also heard that the MP who attended (more than one perhaps?) stayed for quite a while before he became 'uncomfortable'. I haven't heard or read anything of the cause of his discomfort.

My late FIL went to many Men Only events when he worked in the city. He was howeveran old fashioned gentleman who thought women should be treated with respect. He did sometimes admit that many of the men he met were boring old farts. That was nearly 50 years ago. Things should have changed. I am shocked at how many women on here think the girls were in some way to blame. It's disgusting.

Definitely against that sort of behaviour but do not believe these so called innocents didn't know the sort of thing they were letting themselves in for - especially in this present climate.

Wasn't the clue in the words "Men Only"?
I don't think anyone should lose their job over this. Of course it's distasteful, seedy and I'm glad the President's Club is no more - but nobody was forced to do this.
One aspect of the reporting I didn't like was the stress on some of the women being "students earning pocket money" as though it's somehow more acceptable for the "bait" to be a woman who is not a student (which is newspaper dog-whistle language for "nice middle class girl")

I wrote up thread that I would be very interested to know how many of the charities actually had some of their big wigs at the event? Quite a few I would imagine. They’ll be keeping very quiet about that though won’t they?

I agree 100% with Terribul, wrong on so many levels.

Sad to say that, the clue to what sort of night it would be was there ‘ Men only ‘ like silly little schoolboys some of these so called men have to group together to get away with the pathetic ,seedy, outdated behaviour that they would like to pass off as a bit of harmless fun! Nothing is fun if ones ‘fun’ is achieved by the use of or belittling of another section of society!Shame on them for thinking that this is in anyway acceptable. If these young woman were told what to expect then that would have be their choice to accept or not those conditions of employment . The danger & seediness of an event such as this lies in the decit & the pathetic attitude of supposedly intelligent grown men, shame on them !!!!

I sincerely hope that the arrogant rich b*stards who think women are still "chattels" to be bought, sold and traded are named and shamed somewhere in the social media world.

Doubtless it will happen......

Has anyone ever been to a girls night out with the entertainment being something like the Gladiators? Or seen some of the horrible bawdy hen night antics that go on in some places? I think this po faced puritanicalism is totally hypocritical. I don't disagree that things have to change, and no doubt they will, but to fire a man from his job for attending a charity auction evening? Ridiculous. Do these charities not need the large amounts of money that has been raise? Obviously not so there's no need to hold any more men only charity auctions anyway! Mother Teresa never refused any donation, and she knew very well that some of them came from very questionable sources - I don't hear any comments about that ...

Nobody made them do it and girls are pretty aware of what goes on. Hald of them dress like that when they go out anyway.

I was often offered work that I did ot take because I felt it beneath me, the casino that wantd me to wear their uniform, which was very short and no knickers.......the antique dealer who wanted me to move into flat above the shop and not let his wife know I was there, there were lots of opportunities when I was young and lovely.

Now I am old and poor, I wonder if I missed out. A cousin who became a page 3 girl is married to her second millionaire!!! It seems to me that life offers various opportunities and we can take or decline them, rich old men, well I would just love one now but I don't have the appeal that I once had.

Women have to stop pretending that they are unwilling victims and acknowledge the power they have, it is natural and wealth takes the place of sex appeal as we age. I could get a fabulous toy boy now if I was wealthy......and wouldn't I love that chance.

I suggest that for the next Men Only do they hired waiters!

Pity the charity will be no longer, they raised a lot of money for a good cause.
As for the girls, .... come on, .... it is no big deal, nobody got raped or hurt, ....just write it down to experience. And if it really was so awful, why did you not complain at the time?

A

What I do find disturbing is that every person at this event is being labelled as a lecherous creep - surely not every man who attended behaved in this way? Any man who thinks women are there to be groped and insulted deserves to have his accessories pegged on the washing line, but if I had been asked to wear skimpy clothes and matching knickers and sign a disclaimer, at whatever stage of the event (and I did a fair bit of waitressing when a student) I would have been out of that door like a shot.
I also can't see what the point is of returning money - so where is it going to go now? The event is disbanded and will no longer be held, and the money that would have helped GOSH and other charities is being 'given back'. To whom, and to what purpose?

Sorry, first link didn't work. This one should:

www.ft.com/content/075d679e-0033-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5?emailId=5a68123e57ffa00004197003&segmentId=22011ee7-896a-8c4c-22a0-7603348b7f22