to come to the table
Our View
By HDN Editorial Board
The hard-working members of the Havre Eagles auxiliary are willing to work together with their male counterparts and resolve their differences over rent. That dispute prompted the male trustees to bar the women from the kitchen and dining areas of the Havre lodge.
No one has heard if the men are ready to negotiate. Their spokesman won't talk about it publicly.
The women are taking the right stance, and good for them.
But then, they are already well-known for their good deeds. Because of them, many people use the Eagles lodge for social events. The auxiliary prepares the food for events, serves and cleans up. Its members have served as the hostesses for many large gatherings in the Havre area.
With all of this good will, it seems that the Eagles men are shooting themselves in the foot with their decision to bar the women.
Shirley Johnson of Missoula, a former state auxiliary president and former international auxiliary president, calls the situation "disgusting."
"These are brothers and sisters, and if you can't trust your brothers and sisters, who can you trust," she said.
It's time for the Eagles men to meet with the auxiliary and put this dispute behind them.
