Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/29

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Subject: Re: [Leica] LHSA Annual Meeting; half-price membership for newLUG members! L...
From: SthRosner@aol.com
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 08:18:18 EDT

In a message dated 7/29/02 5:50:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
dkhong@pacific.net.sg writes:

> I have been looking at those LHSA annual convention group photos for the 
>  past few years and I am hard pressed to find a young female member. Is 
>  there some reason why this should be so?? I see lots of sweet young ladies 
>  in N**** group pics and scores of them at C**** ones as well. I am 
>  wondering if those nice Leicas eventually end up in the hands of old 
grumps.

Dan, this old grump could not agree more strongly with you and Mark Rabiner. 
When I was asked over a year ago if I would be willing to be nominated to the 
Board, I made the same comment, we need more women. Within the past year I 
have asked a woman LUGGER if she would be willing to serve on the LHSA Board. 

I suspect that there are several factors at play on this question. First and 
perhaps foremost is Marc Small's comment about an old boys' club. I 
acknowledged that this may have been true in the past - when my only contact 
with LHSA was VIEWFINDER and the Catalog - and this perception may have 
prompted women to stay away in droves. Second may be the fact that far fewer 
women than men seem to be involved in photography at this level and in 
general, Leica equipment is a good deal more expensive than Nikon or Canon. 
Amongst non-professionals, it may also be that men are more likely to spend 
discretionary income on "expensive toys."

All of this however is pure conjecture. The fact is that the current LHSA 
leadership is interested in broadening our membership inclusively in all 
directions. 

Seth          LaK 9
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