The board of directors at the Caboto Club in Windsor has started discussions about its policy of having men-only as voting members.

The board held a closed-door meeting on Thursday night.

The club did release a brief statement about the meeting, stating -- “We are well aware of the concerns of the community. We have had in depth and frank discussion and we will be continuing the dialogue with members and the President of the Italian Women’s Club.”

The 93-year-old Giovanni Caboto Club has drawn criticism since Premier Kathleen Wynne decided to cancel a town hall meeting at the centre, over its policy to not allow women as voting members.

The Caboto Club, which regularly hosts business conferences, weddings, charity fundraisers and political rallies, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. However, the club says on its website that it has an "auxiliary" group for women that operates as a separate organization with its own board.

The Italian Women’s Club was founded at the Caboto in 1930.

President Santina Ferrara says the women auxiliary members have been working alongside the club’s male members for decades, and she is concerned the negative attention is taking away from the millions of dollars raised in Windsor-Essex.

Ferrara tells CTV Windsor their group will discuss the issue, and decide as a group of 400 women if they want to change the club's constitution at their next meeting in March.

NDP MP Cheryl Hardcastle, whose riding is just steps away from the club, said several local organizations have stopped holding events there in recent years in response to the membership rules.

Windsor City Councillor Bill Marra has been a member of the Caboto Club off and on for about 15 years. Marra says he is considering giving back his membership over the issue.

Former Windsor-area labour leader Dino Chiodo, now the national auto sector representative for Unifor, said he became aware of the Caboto Club's men-only policy when Wynne cancelled her town hall event.

Chiodo, who was set to be named "Italian of the Year" by local Italian groups at an upcoming ceremony at the Caboto club, said he was part of a group of local business and union representatives who met with the club leaders over the weekend, asking them to update their rules.

The next board of directors meeting at the Caboto Club is scheduled for Feb. 25.