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Scotland's other historic vote.. at golf club

SCOTS will take part in another historic vote on Thursday that has nothing to do with independence -- it's about allowing women to join the prestigious Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

Early indications are that the ballot of club members will give a resounding "Yes" to the proposal after 260 years of male-only membership.

"Over 2,400 ballot papers have been sent out and the vote is independently scrutinised by electoral reform services," a spokesman for the St Andrews golf club told AFP.

"A simple majority is required to effect the proposed change."

The result seems a foregone conclusion as the club's general committee said "now is the time to welcome females".

The club had so far resisted pressure to allow women to join, including from Scotland's pro-independence First Minister Alex Salmond and former British prime minister Gordon Brown.

In 2009, it refused to continue a tradition of granting honorary membership to principals of Saint Andrews University because the new appointee was a woman, Louise Richardson.

A "Yes" vote would leave three golf clubs in Britain that are open only to men: the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the Royal Troon and the Royal St George's.




 

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