The Kingston College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) has reverted to the practice of not allowing women to its annual dinner usually held in November.
The decision was reversed by the new executive of the association which took office last December, but was only told to the general membership days ago, something which is causing anger within the fraternity.
The association has long held onto the practice of barring women from its annual dinner, except for 1975 when then Prime Minister Michael Manley was invited by old boy Howard Aris to speak and Manley insisted that he would only do so if his wife, Beverley, would be allowed in.
The association, at the time, bent the rule.
However, the matter has been a contentious one since then, with old boys arguing for, and against the participation of women.
The rule was changed for the annual dinners of 2012 and 2013 and organising committee members said that it resulted in the association realising surpluses for the first time in several years.
But the organisation, now led by engineer Dr Patrick Dallas, decided on the latest shift.
“Gentlemen, just a reminder that this year’s reunion and awards dinner function reverts to its traditional all-male format,” Dallas wrote in an e-mail sent to alumni on October 16.
Dallas referred the membership to a press release which outlined some details of the $5,000-a-plate function.
“As usual, the annual reunion and awards dinner will facilitate the social and intellectual enhancement of KC old boys and their friends and colleagues, while also providing a fitting occasion and space to honour our own. This umbrella reunion event incorporates several mini-reunions celebrating and marking significant anniversaries of various graduation classes and Fortis events. Importantly, too, we will show our appreciation to five great Jamaicans for their contributions to national and international development and to Kingston College, and for embodying the Fortis spirit,” Dallas is quoted by the press release as saying.
The dinner, sponsored by National Commercial Bank and Excel Auto, and set for November 2, will be addressed by recent St George’s College Hall of Fame inductee Earl Jarrett, general manager of Jamaica National Building Society.
The press release also stated that the dinner committee had promised what it called an “elegant affair, fitting for the honorees, coupled with tasteful entertainment and high-class presentations”.
But that has not pleased some old boys who consider it disrespectful to slam the door in the faces of the women.
“What this executive has done is a silly thing. They have all gone back to the dark days. I will not be attending the dinner if my wife cannot go with me,” one old boy told the Jamaica Observer.
“In this day and age we should not be trying to keep the women away from KC. We already have a situation whereby the institution is an all-boy school and there is nothing wrong with that, although the real strength of the institution lies with the women who support it. We are talking about a social event here and we should have the women to socialise with. There is nothing that happens at a KC annual dinner that should prevent women from attending. It is a backward step,” the old boy insisted.
Another old boy, who works at one of Jamaica’s leading public sector organisations, also wrote to Dallas protesting the non-inclusion of women.
“I am writing to express my disgust and extreme disappointment with the announcement from the KCOBA that there will be a reversion to the old way of an all-male format for the annual dinner,” the old boy stated.
“As a loyal old boy and president of the (organisation deleted) I will not be supporting the dinner this year, neither will I be selling any tickets as a form of protest for this ridiculous decision.
“There can be no logical rationale behind the reversion. I find it an insult to the many women who have supported KC over the many years. The many single, female parents (my mother included), our sisters (who would give their lives for us), our female co-workers (who defend KC to the max), the many female teachers who have nurtured us from first to sixth form, and the list goes on.
“No one is asking for females to be students of the school. No one is asking for females to take over the running of the KCOBA… but I believe that we can show a little appreciation to the ladies by opening up the dinner to them.
“The message of ‘no females’, which seems to be sent with a vengeance, sends a wrong signal to everyone, and I think it is full time the KCOBA stop this nonsense. Just so you know, I got (number deleted) tickets to sell and there were willing buyers. However, when they heard of the reversion, they handed back the tickets. I will always love my school, always try to do my part, but if I see us heading down a wrong path, I have to call a spade a spade,” the old boy wrote.
Another old boy, Vernon Davidson, the Jamaica Observer’s executive editor for publications, voiced his objection to the move in an e-mailed reponse to Dallas. “Thanks for the info, Mr President. That is $10,000 less for the organisation,” Davidson wrote.
Several other old boys in Jamaica and the United States have vented their anger, in communication dispatched to the Observer.
I guess no one here has a wife ……..
Dem have dem wife, girlfriends, fiances…dem just can do without dem fi 5 hours.
Morning Met, Metters,
Mek mi want unu mi going to guh innah one a mi rants..lol
Me want to know why dis greytone man want di man dem fi leave dem wives/partners, mothers ets a dem yard fah? Some people just love live innah di past no mattah how forward ebrybody else gone. Dem fi bwoycott it baxside and mek him alone tun up fi dah night a elegance and high class entertainment. Dah buggah mussi nuh married and or don’t have a good relationship wid him wife. A suh it guh, dem mek di women dem support dem, bend dem back over till dem sprain/lose a vertebrae,rub dem fingas to di bone and den ask, why should they (these women) have di audacity to want to enjoy di fruit of dem labour even if that is fi a few minutes. Some a unu going to wandah wah mi chat bout, but dem who undastand wi undastand. U si how this set..it seem like nuttn to many, but to me it biggah than dis likkle dinnah here, see how some of these men in “high society” dung deh really think/deal of/wid our women. Das di same mentality di likkle man dem dung deh have of our women dats why dem a du dem suh bad. Nuh mattah how hard wi wuk behind di scenes and at di forefronts dem still only believe we only good fi house wuk/mate, seen and not be heard or when it suit dem not be seen at all. U hardly deh hear bout none a dese men deh stand up and seh dem sadden by the horrible behaviour of the men towards our women and children:the deaths, beatings, etc. offah topic but hope uni get mi drift. Anyways, dats why Jamdung not getting better caz di people dem wah have di means and position fi dweet nuh kiyah, bout di foundation and cornerstone of our nation;our women, as long as dem alright. Like dem would be here without us, sometime mi swear seh dem man yah born from some unknown creecha….mek dem can’t stan fi see women or be in di same room wid dem fight tooth and nail fi dah nuh happen. But lay back and watch ebrything else. Mi swear if dem did put in half a di effort dem du fi dis, our society would be better.
Anyways, why u want to be sitting at table wid a bunch a men wah going to be miserable caz dem wives/significant odahs nuh deh is beyond, but dem seh misery lubb company. Smdh
Yes mi mad, my husband was invited to a similar function and he really wanted to go, and even though mi tell him fi gallang him seh im nahn set foot indeh widout mi, and him nevah guh. Many of his frens did not go as well caz dem nevah feel seh dem wives, significant others should be left out. Why wouldn’t they want their wives, partners to be apart of something that is so important to them and their lives? Bwoy mi did feel bad but still felt proud of him, loved and respect that he stood up for me. Can’t stand these ole farts yah wah think it is all about them and dem ancient agendas. U si him yei and smile pan him face?
Morning Met, Metters,
Mek mi want unu mi going to guh innah one a mi rants..lol
Me want to know why dis greytone man want di man dem fi leave dem wives/partners, mothers ets a dem yard fah? Some people just love live innah di past no mattah how forward ebrybody else gone. Dem fi bwoycott it baxside and mek him alone tun up fi dah night a elegance and high class entertainment. Dah buggah mussi nuh married and or don’t have a good relationship wid him wife. A suh it guh, dem mek di women dem support dem, bend dem back over till dem sprain/lose a vertebrae,rub dem fingas to di bone and den ask, why should they (these women) have di audacity to want to enjoy di fruit of dem labour even if that is fi a few minutes. Some a unu going to wandah wah mi chat bout, but dem who undastand wi undastand. U si how this set..it seem like nuttn to many, but to me it biggah than dis likkle dinnah here, see how some of these men in “high society” dung deh really think/deal of/wid our women. Das di same mentality di likkle man dem dung deh have of our women dats why dem a du dem suh bad. Nuh mattah how hard wi wuk behind di scenes and at di forefronts dem still only believe we only good fi house wuk/mate, seen and not be heard or when it suit dem not be seen at all. U hardly deh hear bout none a dese men deh stand up and seh dem sadden by the horrible behaviour of the men towards our women and children:the deaths, beatings, etc. offah topic but hope uni get mi drift. Anyways, dats why Jamdung not getting better caz di people dem wah have di means and position fi dweet nuh kiyah, bout di foundation and cornerstone of our nation;our women, as long as dem alright. Like dem would be here without us, sometime mi swear seh dem man yah born from some unknown creecha….mek dem can’t stan fi see women or be in di same room wid dem fight tooth and nail fi dah nuh happen. But lay back and watch ebrything else. Mi swear if dem did put in half a di effort dem du fi dis, our society would be better.
Anyways, why u want to be sitting at table wid a bunch a men wah going to be miserable caz dem wives/significant odahs nuh deh is beyond, but dem seh misery lubb company. Smdh
Yes mi mad, my husband was invited to a similar function and he really wanted to go, and even though mi tell him fi gallang him seh im nahn set foot indeh widout mi, and him nevah guh. Many of his frens did not go as well caz dem nevah feel seh dem wives, significant others should be left out. Why wouldn’t they want their wives, partners to be apart of something that is so important to them and their lives? Bwoy mi did feel bad but still felt proud of him, loved and respect that he stood up for me. Can’t stand these ole farts yah wah think it is all about them and dem ancient agendas. U si him yei and smile pan him face?
Tell Mr. Dallas to please excuse him self out of my way, because him cannot stop me from accompanying Mr.C M. Very out of order and disrespectful of the men and their wives.
It’s long standing and not a thing wrong…women have many events that men aren’t allowed to attend.
Some oman whey nu have no social grace fi tan a dem rass yard. Poor husband mussy live unda baggie government and the one time out a de year and she have fi go to? Nah.
I’m a female and have zero objection. Him gone and me have the evening to myself.
Met please to delete the first two mi good old machine a act up agin dis morn here..thnks
Battyman bizniz dat. Boom bye bye fi dem long time dem a do di tings dem inna de uptown areas dem wid dem batty bizniz.
Bullshit! Whey yu know bout KC?!
K.C. created fi black youths get a piece of the pie in life…before KC dark skin, black males weren’t afforded a proper education because of class and race segregation in Jamaica.
If the man dem nu want nu woman at their function no big deal. Women have function that men aren’t allowed to attend.
Yup so mi nuh see di big deal when dem seh no women ..KC is not a cohead school either
Bingo!
Dat feminist bullshit always a over reach beyond it border.
While the KCOB Association is entitled to their own rules, they also need to be mindful of d fact that both males and females r members of d KC family. So y have females on staff or serve on d PTA? Inviting dem to a barbeque or social event is not all, they need to share in their men accomplishments, and reap d benefits (pride) of their labour! What abt d women who have laboured & assisted in building this empire? They need to be more sensitive to the mothers, wives and other females who have played a vital role in the lives of their “old boys”, and have sacrificed their all to see them accomplish greatness, they too deserve a chance to share in this occasion. They need to re-examine their way of thinking. An all boys’ occasion is fine, but not for this kind of event, Im sure the men would love if their wives, significant others or mothers cld accompany them, hear from a friend or associate perspective what they were like during their school days!! This is like a REd carpet event for d KCOB so I dont see d importance of barring women. Find a way to integrate d women and still have ur own space, maybe a 15 mins session where both sexes gather separately @ d function to learn/share facts & findings abt d opposite sex, @ which time they will get a chance to hang with d boys> Dem nuh have Friday night drink out & football games where they hang with d boys??? So what more time dem want away from dem woman????? Well then again, it depends on the type of event, if its reminiscing abt d old days, and lyming with d boys, sharing embarrassing and humorous moments, sometimes d the presence of d opposite sex do change the way how the guys relate to each other, but even so its still not fair; homosexual men can carry their male partners, but heterosexual males r forbidden to take their female guest. Then again this was a topic they decided on already and d man gone back gone revert to d old all male format, if u ask me, him just a find a way to secretly promote dem gay agenda. I dont see d logics and personally think they shd move away from this obsolete and stone age way of thinking. I think they shd stop separate d sexes and integrate them to socialize & learn together