Part II: The Demise of Organized Nudism?

In Part I, we examined anecdotal evidence like declining membership in AANR and the declining numbers of nudists in evidence at local nudist clubs and resorts as potential signs that organized nudism as it has been known since the American Nudist Movement first came on the scene is on the way out. Anecdotal or not, it seems rather clear that the declining numbers at traditional nudist clubs and steep decline in membership with arguably the most prominent national nudist organization do seem to indicate that interest in organized nudism is certainly waning. There are of course endless possibilities for why this is occurring but I think we can fairly easily identify some of those reasons. What is not so clear is whether the trend can be reversed.

The Role of AANR

Based on comments I have received right here at TEN, discussions I have participated in at various forums including the one at the official AANR website and private discussions with other nudists with whom I am acquainted, it is quite evident that there are a great many nudists today who are very unhappy with AANR. Dissatisfaction with the organization's actions or inaction, depending on which side of the argument one chooses to take, on the recent San Onofre Beach Issue was merely the most recent example of criticism leveled by nudists at the national organization that bills itself "the credible voice of reason on issues relevant to nude recreation."

In the interest of disclosure, I remain a current member of AANR and am still of the opinion that the organization does accomplish some positive things on behalf of nudists. Yet I have to admit that personally I feel that the organization has increasingly become somewhat of an apologetic for social nudity and seems to have become entrenched in an apparent willingness to accept the status quo with respect to where nudism is deemed "appropriate."

It is very difficult to mount a reasonable defense for AANR against those who have the opinion that the organization has ceased to become an effective agent of change with respect to debasing society in general of the unhealthy attitudes towards the naked human body and seems all too willing to defer to those who find nudity offensive by accepting the relegation of social nudity to the out of sight, out of mind, walled AANR member clubs and resorts. Just as people find it difficult to affect real change as they age and become entrenched in established habits and behaviors, the same is true of organizations like AANR. Even when the evidence is quite clear that a model of operation is not working or meeting key organizational goals, the path of least resistance is to simply stay the course and continue with a business as usual approach.

Personally I think that if AANR desires to be a credible voice for nudists rather than to continue to devolve into little more than a nudist club accreditation body, the time has come for the organization to begin agitating against the existing laws in this country that unfairly criminalize mere nudity and to adopt an activist mindset when it comes to demanding more equal access to public beaches and lands on behalf of this country's nudists. I think it has become strikingly evident that nudists are expecting more from their membership dues than discounted club grounds fees and a monthly newspaper and many are apparently voting with their feet by refusing to renew their memberships.

The Role of Local Clubs

In response to Part I of this discussion, Rick, who writes and publishes the very excellent MojoNude Blog, I think made a most insightful observation that for the most part, the "mom and pop" style local nudist clubs have fallen woefully behind the times. I could not agree more with his assessment. Most still offer the same circa 1940 activities today which are lacking in appeal to many. The resorts that continue to enjoy success and a strong membership base like Lake Como in Land O' Lakes, Florida, are successful because they have been willing to change with the times and move beyond volleyball, horseshoes and Pentanque.

As an example, Lake Como offers scheduled health screenings, fitness classes like Yoga, Chinese Wand Exercises and water aerobics, special interest groups like their computer club, live entertainment and a full-service restaurant. In addition, the club is involved with the community by sponsoring various volunteer services which brings them visibility and credibility rather than members cloistering themselves behind private walls. In comparison, the activities available at my own local clubs center around the same old Friday night potluck dinners, Saturday night DJ dances, water volleyball tournaments and vegetating around the pool.

You always hear a lot of talk about "we have to attract younger members" but in the absence of any real changes or willingness to provide the kind of activities that might accomplish that purpose and legitimately compete for recreational dollars, it seems fairly obvious that local clubs and resorts will become increasingly irrelevant and year by year, more and more of them are likely to have to shutter their facilities.

The Role of Individual Nudists

Nudism has been described as a movement, a culture and as a lifestyle. Most accurately, social scientists would term it a sub-culture. Those attracted to sub-cultures tend to be highly individualist and non-conforming. Many are attracted to nudism because it represents a higher form of freedom than can be found in general society.

Our very nature then as nudists is likely one of the biggest threats to the continued existence of organized nudism. As important as it is to educate society about what non-sexual social nudism really is about I think it is equally important to educate nudists about the importance of standing together as a group rather than standing alone as a group of disjointed individuals. Consider for a moment a world with no AANR and no Naturist Society. The shutting out of nudists from public lands as was the case with San Onofre Beach would soon become common place. Lacking any national organizations, threats to remaining clothing optional beaches would be left to the defense of small, local groups lacking numbers, organization and resources. While there is no guarantee that any AANR-style clubs would survive in such an environment, any clubs that did remain would no longer be subject to any traditional nudist standards and one would be as likely to find themselves in a swinger-type environment as in a wholesome, non-sexual environment if they chose to visit a club. At some point if we want our way of life to continue and prosper we are going to have to divest ourselves of our dogged individualistic ways and band together.

Perhaps neither AANR or TNS are the organizations to lead nudists into the future. We do not need organizations satisfied with the status quo. We need a leadership with goals for expansion rather than organizations that stand by impotently while the few rights won by past generations of nudists are stripped away one by one by our increasingly paternalistic government and increasingly conservative society. Perhaps a new coalition capable of organizing nudists into a credible political force and willing to forcefully lobby for our civil liberties is what is needed.

Frankly I have long since tired of so many in general society viewing nudists as eccentric, odd, voyeuristic, exhibitionists, sexual predators and pedophiles. We are simply normal, everyday Americans who refuse to buy into the prudish culture of body shame, extremist modesty standards and nudity as a societal taboo. One would think that society would over time evolve away from the neurotic, Puritanical ideas about the nude human form, but in many ways I feel society is even more repressed and entrenched in Victorian ideals of modesty than every before and it is high time that changed. I for one am never going to be satisfied with being cloistered behind the walls of a private club, forced to practice my healthy lifestyle in my own backyard while all the while living in fear that some prudish neighbor peeking over the fence is going to file a criminal complaint against me or being made to feel that I can only enjoy nature, naturally on public lands by doing so clandestinely having to be ever watchful that I don't inadvertently encounter someone who would be offended by my nudity.

Shock and Awe Part 2: Overwhelming Power

To most effectively employ this point of strategy, I think where we would get the biggest bang for our buck is through standing together under the umbrella of one or both of our national nudist organizations, either The Naturist Society or the American Association for Nude Recreation. Become a member, encourage other nudists you know to become a member and get active. Writing a check and putting another membership card into your wallet or purse is not enough. Seek opportunities to get involved within the framework of one of the national organizations. As I’ve said before, I’m not the activist type in the sense that I’m not likely to join in a public nudity protest and risk being fined, arrested or imprisoned. I think those who do engage in this kind of “in your face” activities do have their hearts in the right place and have the best of intentions, but I think these kinds of demonstrations are really counter-productive to our cause. They offend people and really only serve I think to make nudists look like a bunch of wild-eyed, extremist nut cases. Extremism has never been well tolerated in American society. Even though patriotism is foundational to the American experience, even extreme displays of patriotism are likely to garner public criticism and even the negative attention of governmental agencies. But when any group stands together in large numbers and presents a unified front, people take notice. One need only look to history and see how effective was the Civil Rights Movement and the Gay Rights Movement to see why naturists and nudists need to bid a speedy farewell to our past failed strategy of individualism and get it together as a group. This means not just those that have the desire to engage in social nudity but home nudists as well should secure membership in TNS or AANR.

As far as getting actively involved, there are many less extreme things we can do than participating in public nudity demonstrations. Both TNS and AANR offer free printed material that can be handed out or posted in public venues. You can support organizations like the Naturist Action Committee and the Naturist Education Foundation with your checkbook. You can get involved with the national organizations by offering, no demanding some innovative changes. For one thing, when you look at the web sites of both TNS and AANR you find an awful lot of stuff, but I can tell you from personal experience, if you are interested in joining, you really have to look hard to find membership information. It’s almost as if they are apologetic for offering memberships. I think they need to make some changes to their own models of doing business. Membership should be the most stressed and highly visible part of their web site presentation. Not only information about how to join but why it benefits you to join. Join one of the many nudist social networking sites and use the forums to post cogent and well articulated arguments for why being a national nudist organization member makes good sense for all nudists. If you are open about your status as a naturist or nudist and given to public speaking, you could contact local non-nudist social and fraternal organizations and offer to serve as a guest speaker at one of their meetings where you would have the opportunity to present naturism and nudism in a positive way to groups largely ignorant of what our lifestyle is all about. I think you might be surprised by how receptive some of these groups might be to such overtures. Not all of course, but some. If you are a member of The Naturist Society and regularly receive their excellent magazine, Nude and Natural, you could do something as simple as leaving your copy in the reception area of your local dentist or doctor’s office or other public area after you have finished reading it. Yes, perhaps it might be thrown out as soon as it is discovered but perhaps a few people might read too.

If you are a business owner, you could consider if appropriate, including AANR and TNS printed materials in your product packaging, providing low or no cost product rebates and discount coupons that AANR and TNS could use as a membership benefit or premium, provide links to AANR and TNS on your business web site, donate a product or collectible for use in AANR and TNS recruitment campaigns, make a cash contribution to help TNS and AANR fund membership development through direct marketing and web outreach or donate advertising space in magazines, catalogs, web sites or on any television show you produce or are associated with. Come to think of it when is the last time you saw a television ad for TNS or AANR? Think never! Both organizations could easily come up with tasteful advertisements that could be acceptable and non-offensive to anyone that could help get our message out and likely it is lack of financial resources that prevents them from doing so. Yes, the Internet is largely taking dominance when it comes to advertising these days but there is still plenty of room for effective outreach through television and radio spots. Doesn’t it seem obvious how this could really boost a more mainstream perspective for naturists and nudists? I admit to being more than a bit enamored with the effectiveness of the National Rifle Association model for furthering their Second Amendment rights agenda and they employ many of the same methods I have just suggested to wildly successful effect. We as naturists and nudists could do far worse than copying their model to further our First Amendment rights agenda. In summary the keys to successful employment of Overwhelming Power is organizational membership and active participation. Similarly to the real “Shock and Awe” battlefield concept, imposing this overwhelming level of power against the adversaries of social nudity on an immediate and sufficiently timely basis could allow us to seize the initiative with respect to public opinion and so paralyze and overload our adversary's perceptions and understanding of events that they might be rendered incapable of resistance at the tactical and strategic levels.

Next Installment - Shock and Awe Part 3: Dominant Battlefield Awareness