Club Rules Anger Menino

Boston mayor Thomas Menino lashed out at leaders of his local social club who have increasingly started to demand that he abide by membership rules.

Menino has been an active member of the large club, the Roman Catholic Church, “for as long as I can remember,” he said. Even as mayor, he still makes time to attend club events on weekends at one of the organization’s local clubhouses, St. John Chrysostom in West Roxbury. However, club director Sean “Pat” O’Malley has increasingly started to criticize prominent club members who refuse to abide by club rules about matters such as gay marriage or abortion.  Just this week, O’Malley said he would refuse to attend a club function – sponsored by a club group called Catholic Charities – that is honoring Menino. The mayor said that was unreasonable.

“It’s only a club,” he said, “a place to meet people, network and do some politicking. O’Malley’s acting as if it should run our lives. That’s just ridiculous.”

For his part, O’Malley would only say that if Menino didn’t like the rules of his club, he was welcome to leave and join another.