Equality | The Finnish Club will vote again on Tuesday on women’s membership: “It’s time to change the rules”

Men’s club The Suomalainen Klubi will vote again on Tuesday to allow women to become members of the club. Women’s membership was voted on the previous time last December, when the minority of members was able to overturn the rule change.

75 percent of the votes would have been needed to change the rules, while only 67.6 percent of those who voted supported the motion.

The voting result caused consternation among some of the club’s members, and members also resigned.

Already in May, 55 prominent social influencers demanded a re-voting with an announcement published in the club’s member magazine.

According to the signatories, the rule change is necessary to maintain the club’s vitality and social acceptability.

The signatories were, among other things, the president Sauli Niinistöbusiness manager Peter Fagernäsformer Head of Office of the Ministry of Labor and Economic Affairs Jari Gustafssondeputy judge and construction consultant Ben Grasslong-term background influencer of the coalition, investment banker Erkki Helaniemidiplomats Jaakko Iloniemi and René NybergFormer commanders of the Defense Forces Ari Puheloinen and Juhani Kaskeala and politician and journalist Lasse Lehtinen.

The announcement opened the collection of names. According to the club’s rules, a vote must be held to change the rules if one-tenth of the membership demands it.

The original René Nyberg, one of the signatories of the notice, emphatically states that the time has come for a rule change.

“Now is the time to change the rules. The club will lose its members and its attractiveness if the rules are not changed. I consider the change completely natural. A club like this has to be relevant,” says Nyberg.

Nyberg says that he has not been a very active member, but he has, for example, taken his foreign guests to eat at the club.

“The restaurant is good and there are nice cabinets.”

Pörssiklubi opened its doors to women in November 2018 after a long struggle. Nyberg says that he has been a lunch guest of a female member at Pörssiklub.

Finnish Club was founded in 1876 as a discussion club for “Finnish” circles. The original name was Luku- ja Konversationi klubbi. Shortly after its foundation, language conflicts in Finland intensified and the club became a political meeting place for promoters of the Finnish language.

The club organizes a weekly program for its members related to social issues or culture. In the circle of the club, also in sports. An important part of the activity are informal meetings over meals.

The club executive director Hannu Vaahtion according to the 10 percent share of members demanding a bylaw vote came together at the end of July.

Early voting on the rule change started two weeks before Tuesday’s meeting. Vaahtio has no information on the number of early votes cast.

“We will receive the results of advance votes in a sealed envelope before the meeting. They have said that another hundred members will come to the place, but the number could be much higher,” he says.

According to Vaahti, the club has 2,850 members.

Finnish club chairman Raimo Ilveskero said in August in an interview with HS that he supports changing the rules.

He considered it essential for the future of the entire club.

“The role of women in education and in society in general is very different today than it was when the baby boomers were in power.”

“We baby boomers are already starting to become a disappearing natural resource.”

In addition, according to Ilveskero, the old rule causes reputational damage.

“We cannot implement all the activities we want. For example, some speakers don’t want to come and perform for us because of this.”