Erich Schuttauf, Executive Director
A Happy Thanksgiving To All

This week our office will be closed on Thursday and Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.  At a time like this we are reminded to be thankful of you, our members of the AANR family.  Please accept our best wishes for a happy and safe occasion.

Chicago Tribune Runs Nude Recreation Story

Be sure to check Carolyn Hawkins’ report below for links to a major story appearing in this Monday’s issue of “the Trib.”  It is yet another example of the ongoing work to mainstream our industry.

A Last Minute Invitation to Join us at TANR

Are you looking for a great place to network with other club owners, managers, and proprietors of business owners in the nude recreation field to share information on the things that work-and don’t work so well-in the day to day running of your business?  How about others to bounce ideas off of as you plan for expansion, a new construction project, or responding to the challenges of doing business in a tough economy?

You can get all that, PLUS enjoy the amenities of Cypress Cove Nudist Resort and Spa in Kissimmee, Florida, when the Trade Association for Nude Recreation (TANR) convenes Wednesday, December 3, to Saturday, December 6, 2008. In an effort to make this great annual meeting more accessible to clubs and businesses that wish to participate, registration rates have been substantially reduced this year.  There’s still time to register!  Just call the AANR office on Monday morning no later than 11:00 a.m. and ask to speak with Carol DeAldana.

AANR Helping Members

This week our office received three calls from AANR members living in various parts of the country-from Maryland, to Kentucky, to Texas-seeking guidance on the issue of nudity in photography.  In addition to answering specific questions, we distributed copies of a .PDF document with a legal overview on that subject which is also available for download in the members’ area of aanr.com.

AANR also sent an information kit about the dollar value of the nude recreation industry to an entrepreneur who is exploring the idea of opening a venue on the West Coast.

Marketing Opportunity for AANR Clubs

We’ve already had response from 20 AANR clubs who are offering a free day pass to expired associate, direct, and club members who reinstate their AANR membership.   There’s still time for your club to join the list below at no out-of-pocket cost to you. Simply e-mail Linda Berry at editor@aanr.com or call her at 800/TRY-NUDE, ext. 235, to be included in this marketing opportunity.

Notice that AANR-NW clubs make up 25% of the following rooster – editor.

1.     Avatan
2.     Bare Backers
3.     DeAnza Springs Resort
4.     Drakes Ridge Rustic Nudist Retreat
5.     Empire Haven
6.     Fern Hills Club
7.     Glen Eden Sun Club
8.     Laguna del Sol
9.     Lake Associates Recreation Club
10.    Lake Bronson Club
11.    Lake Como Family Nudist Resort
12.    Mira Vista Resort
13.    Mountaindale Sun Resort
14.    Naturist Rochester
15.    Oaklake Trails
16.    Serendipity Park
17.    Shangri La Ranch
18.    Tallahassee Naturally
19.    The Willamettans
20.    White Tail Resort
CAROLYN HAWKINS, PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR

Positive Publicity

Read the story in the Chicago Tribune about “nudist destinations still in the pink.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-nude-travel-1123_rq_tnov23,0,166177
9,print.story

Steve Vickers had an interview with the San Antonio Times regarding the growth of nude recreation and the difference in the clubs in Texas, California, and Florida. It is scheduled to print sometime this week.

Thanks to all who have sent cards, gifts, and e-mails regarding the passing of my husband Hans.

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.

Debra Sue Stevens, Government Affairs

REQUEST: Print the following in your Club Newsletter or send to your members in your E-News, when timely and appropriate.  We want the members to know what GAT does for them!

Happy Thanksgiving To All!

Government Affairs is very thankful for all the AANR members, volunteers, clubs and friends that make this program so successful.    – Debra Sue

7th Annual Rooster Rock Polar Bare Dip – Saturday, January 10th

For more information, contact
the Rooster-Sauvie Volunteers
zonkersun {at} yahoo.com.

Rooster-Sauvie Volunteers host the 7th Annual Rooster Rock Polar Bare Dip on Saturday Jan. 10th. We’re the new AANR beach club in Portland, and our first event of the New Year is coming up.

This event is getting bigger every year. We’ve got brave (crazy?) people who jump into the cold water, and we’ve got people with more sense that cheer us on from shore and get a good laugh.

We’ll meet on Saturday, January 10th, at noon, at the east end of the parking lot at Rooster Rock State Park. This is in the Columbia Gorge, 25 minutes east of Portland on I-84, just past Corbett. Look for the AANR flag, surrounded by people with nervous smiles, asking themselves, “WHY are we doing this again?”

After the polar dip we’ll pick up any trash on the way out, and go for some hot food and drink.

See you there!

{end}

AANR Legislative Tracking

Statistics for 2008:

o    2,176 bills have been reviewed personally by AANR in 2008.
o    300 bills have been reviewed in full text by AANR in 2008.
o    40 bills are on the Government Affairs “2008 Legislative Tracking List”
o    8 bills have been added to the “2009 Legislative Tracking List”
o    111 bills moved to an inactive status in the 2008 Session.

AANR encourages our membership to assist in the process of tracking bills and news impacting nude recreation.  Always contact the AANR office before taking action.  This ensures that your actions are aligned with the strategy underway for any particular bill or advocacy effort.  Remember, AANR GAT
works for you!

Terry Justice, Club/Member Liaison

Here are this week’s directory changes:

Drakes Ridge in Indiana has had its street number changed from 79 to 9641. The rest of the address is correct.

Gulf Haven in Texas has successfully changed its name to Gulf Haven Naturist Resort.

Cornhusker Recreation Club in Nebraska has new address: POB 45862, Omaha, NE 68145.

I would like to wish everybody a very blessed Thanksgiving.

Erich Schuttauf, Executive Director
In Our Thoughts and Prayers

Our condolences and deepest sympathy are extended to Carolyn Hawkins,
beloved member of our staff, who lost her husband Hans this week following
his extended battle with cancer.  We also extend our thoughts and prayers to
Steve Vickers from our team who is Carolyn’s grandson and who deeply loved
Hans as well.  Words are so difficult to find at a time like this but we
want you to know that we are here for you Carolyn and Steve and are so, so
sorry for your loss.

Massive Recruitment and Marketing Opportunity for AANR Clubs

AANR Clubs: We need your help right away! We are in the process of reaching
out to expired Associate and Direct members, asking them to reinstate their
membership. As an extra incentive, we will be including a coupon for a free
day visit at a participating club with their membership cards. We need you
to be one of these “participating clubs!” We already have several clubs
signed up including Laguna del Sol, Glen Eden Sun Club, Mira Vista Resort,
Shangri La Ranch, and The Willamettans. This is a valuable promotion for
your club at no out-of-pocket cost to you. The coupons will have an
expiration date of 12/31/09.

Please send an e-mail ASAP to Linda Berry at editor {at} aanr.com or give her a
call at 1-800-TRY-NUDE, ext. 235, to be included in this marketing
opportunity.

An Invitation To Join Us For TANR Meeting In Just A Couple Weeks

Are you looking for a great place to network with other club owners,
managers, and proprietors of business owners in the nude recreation field to
share information on the things that work-and don’t work so well-in the day
to day running of your business?  How about others to bounce ideas off of as
you plan for expansion, a new construction project, or responding to the
challenges of doing business in a tough economy?

You can get all that, PLUS enjoy the amenities of Cypress Cove Nudist Resort
and Spa in Kissimmee, Florida, when the Trade Association for Nude
Recreation (TANR) convenes Wednesday, December 3, to Saturday, December 6,
2008. In an effort to make this great annual meeting more accessible to
clubs and businesses that wish to participate, registration rates have been
substantially reduced this year.  And there’s still time to register!  Just
call the AANR office and ask to speak with Carol DeAldana, or e-mail her at
acctrec1 {a} aanr.com.

Budget Team Meets this Week

We welcome AANR President John Kinman, Finance Chair Darrel Brown, Planning
Chair Don Sloan, and Secretary Tina Barnott to Kissimmee this week as the
budget committee reviews initial drafts in preparation for the Board of
Trustees meeting set for January.  We deeply appreciate their hard work.

Linda Berry, Director of Publications
The Bulletin

Martha Young has space available for a few more ads in the January issue.
Although the deadline was November 20, you can still get your ad in if you
contact her at 800/879-6833, ext. 228 or bulletinads {at} aanr.com on Monday,
November 24. The buy two, get one free “sweet offer” is available to new
advertisers. This is a great time of year to start promoting your club for
the spring season. If you’re a year-round club, that’s even more reason to
advertise to let members know you’re open.

E-Bulletin

Over 12,600 subscribers received the E-Bulletin yesterday. This is a free,
entertaining online publication e-mailed bi-weekly. Anyone can sign up on
the AANR home page at www.aanr.com .
Debra Sue Stevens, Government Affairs

REQUEST: Print the following in your Club Newsletter or send to your members
in your E-News, when timely and appropriate. We want the members to know
what GAT does for them!

Victory Against Banning Nudity in Seattle, Washington, City Parks

Congratulations to Naturist Action Committee (NAC) Mark Storey, Howard
Willamson, and other volunteers. The Seattle Parks Board of Commissioners
rejected a proposed anti-nudity ban in Seattle Parks.  Not only did they
reject it but also removed it from the agenda for future meetings. In
addition, from information released by NAC, it appears not only was this ban
rejected, but also staff was directed to look into the possibility of
designating a nude beach somewhere in the Seattle Parks System. Our hats are
off to Mark, Howard and all those that worked for this success.

Steve Hubbard
AANR National Public Lands Liaison
AANR NW Government Affairs Team Chair

Shirley Gauthier
AANR-NW Public Lands Liaison
Oregon Continues to Make Strides in Public Lands – Nov. 2008
Reported by Shirley Gauthier, AANR-NW Public Lands Liaison

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Visitor Services Team Leader Lisa
Midlam deserves a huge AANR thank you.  Lisa created a forum type meeting
November 17 that brought together over thirty-five interested people to
address public indecency concerns at Rooster Rock State Park clothing
optional beach.  The two-hour meeting provided time for questions,
suggestions and sharing of ideas and information.

Attendees included Assistant Area Manager of the Columbia Gorge Management
Unit at Rooster Rock State Park Kevin Price, Oregon State Senior Troopers
B.I. Zeckman, Senior Trooper Ken Poggi, Multnomah County Sheriff Joseph
Graziano, Columbia Gorge Management Unit employees, Oregon State Park camp
hosts, Volunteers in the Gorge, Rooster Sauvie Volunteers -Mark Buchweitz,
AANR members and nudists who recreate at Rooster Rock.

Stay tuned to the January issue of the Bulletin to read more about this
exciting new coalition.

Where’s Your Favorite Spot to “Be Naked” on Public Lands?

This message should be printed in every club publication.  Be sure to change
the contact email address to the AANR GAT chair in your region, which was
listed in last week’s AANR Club Weekly report and in every Bulletin edition.
- Debra Sue

“Your national GAT group is working on something that I believe is truly
exciting and history making.  We have been working with US Forest Service
(USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BOM).  We are working on trying to get
National standards, in the form of a letter from the top managers of these
organizations, stating that it is legal and acceptable to be nude in their
areas if done in an appropriate way and place.   We are encouraging the
designation of areas where people can be nude without being hassled.  We are
also trying to get procedures set up so if someone is found nude outside the
designated areas, they would be asked to cover up and not be charged with a
crime.  We are looking for information about national, state and local nude
recreation areas that have been established and are working with the
management’s knowledge.

The information we are looking for from our AANR members and friends
includes:

1) Where are these areas?
2) What organization manages these lands?
3) What other information do you know about these areas?
4) If these areas have been operating without problems we would like to know
where they are, what organization manages them, and if possible contact info
for the manager. This includes state and local areas where they exist.

If you don’t know all of these points, please pass on whatever you do know
to me at davewgraber {at} yahoo dot com.  Once GAT has pulled together the
information we will pick the best cases to pass along to U.S. Forest Service
and BOM to use as examples, when they construct their letters of
recommendations to the managers of these national lands.  We would like to
have this information as soon as possible. We are also looking at pulling
together an AANR document to let nudist know where the may go when
traveling.

Thank You,
David Graber
AANR Midwest Government Affairs Chair”

AANR Legislative Tracking

Statistics for 2008:

o    2,158 bills have been reviewed personally by AANR in 2008.
o    294 bills have been reviewed in full text by AANR in 2008.
o    39 bills are on the Government Affairs “2008 Legislative Tracking List”
o    8 bills have been added to the “2009 Legislative Tracking List”
o    111 bills moved to an inactive status in the 2008 Session.

AANR encourages our membership to assist in the process of tracking bills
and news impacting nude recreation.  Always contact the AANR office before
taking action.  This ensures that your actions are aligned with the strategy
underway for any particular bill or advocacy effort.  Remember, AANR GAT
works for you!

Friday November 21, 2008

Jim Curnow has died
From Mike Parker:

I am sorry to report that Hidden Springs and Mountaindale member Jim Curnow has died.

He fought a valiant fight against cancer. He enjoyed going up to Mountaindale even when he didn’t have the energy to do anything and he also enjoyed the bowling and swim events.

He will be missed!

Over eight years ago Oregon State Park employee John Cowan suggested the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) partner with the Rooster Rock State Park employees.  John felt it would be a perfect partnership and the American Association for Nude Recreation – Northwest could not have agreed more.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Visitor Services Team Leader Lisa Midlam deserves a huge AANR thank you.  Lisa created a forum type meeting November 17-2008 that brought together over thirty-five interested people to address public indecency concerns at Rooster Rock State Park clothing optional beach.

The forum panel included facilitator Visitor Services Team Lead Lisa Midlam, Assistant Area Manager of the Columbia Gorge Management Unit at Rooster Rock State Park Kevin Price, Oregon State Senior Troopers B.I. Zeckman, Senior Trooper Ken Poggi, Multnomah County Sheriff Joseph Graziano, and AANR-NW Public Lands Liason Shirley Gauthier.  Participants included Columbia Gorge Management Unit employees, Oregon State Park Volunteer Hosts, and Volunteers in the Gorge.

AANR-NW President Mike Parker, Linda Johnson, Linda Stockett, Mel Kanner, Richard Stockett, Phil Owensby, Rick Hammond, Eric Shetterly, Robert Kelsey and Jim Braddock represented AANR.  Mark Buchweitz who has a long history of working with the park employees attended representing the new AANR affiliated Rooster Sauvie Volunteer beach club.

It was made clear at the beginning of the meeting that there was absolutely no problem with nudity but that the discussion would be about public indecency and how can we work together to address the challenges.

Trooper Poggi shared information about recent arrests at the clothing optional nude beach that involved public indecency.  Topics of discussion included the definition of public indecency, how to report suspicious or unlawful activity to law enforcement, what does it mean to be a witness, when would a person need to be a witness,

Kevin Price discussed new tools that park employees have that decrease the response time to incident reports.  Kevin said, “we think of the clothing optional beach as an asset and another recreational opportunity.”

Senior Troopers Zeckman and Poggi committed to a higher level of visibility at the park and solicited AANR members to partner with them to address the problems.  Multnomah County Sheriff Joseph Graziano addressed his area of patrols and pledged to support the coalition efforts as his time allows.

A work in progress is new signs that will be posted in visible areas providing phone numbers to report incidents.  Visitors will be educated and encouraged to use the numbers to report incidents.

AANR clubs, resorts and members have over the years provided thousands of hours of volunteer time to promote nude recreation at Rooster Rock State Park.  Your continued support is not only valued but essential for continued success.  Contact Shirley Gauthier at sherbog {at} msn.com to see how you can contribute.

Rooster-Sauvie Volunteers host The 7th Annual Rooster Rock Polar Bare Dip – Saturday Jan. 10th!

We’re the new AANR beach club in Portland, and our first event of the new year is coming up!

Hey folks, this event is getting bigger every year. We’ve got brave (crazy?) people who jump into the cold water, and we’ve got people with more sense who cheer us on from shore and get a good laugh.

We’ll meet on Saturday, Jan 10th, at 12 Noon, at the East end of the parking lot at Rooster Rock State Park. (In the Columbia Gorge, 25 min. east of Portland on I-84, just past Corbett.) Look for the AANR flag, surrounded by people with nervous smiles, asking themselves, “WHY are we doing this, again?”

After the polar dip we’ll pick up any trash on the way out, and go for some hot food & drink.

See you there!

Mid winter GAT training at Sun Meadows

AANR NW GAT is pleased to announce that the date has been set for the mid winter Government Affairs Training.

The training will take place at Sun Meadows Feb. 28, 2009 – March 1, 2009.

Anyone with at interest in supporting nudist rights is welcome to attend. Further details will be announced soon!

Steve Hubbard
AANR NW GAT Chair

Congratulations to the Naturist Action Committee

Below is a news flash from regional public lands Liaison Shirley Gauthier. From information released by the Naturist Action Committee (NAC) it appears not only was this ban rejected, but also staff was directed to look into the possibility of designating a nude beach somewhere in the Seattle Parks System.

Our hats are off to Mark, Howard and all those that worked for this success.

Steve Hubbard
AANR National Public Lands Liaison
AANR NW Government Affairs Team Chair

Naturist Action Committee Success in Seattle

Thanks to the Naturist Action Committee (NAC), Mark Storey, Howard Willams and other volunteers the Seattle Parks Board of Commissioners rejected a proposed nudity ban in Seattle Parks.  Not only did they reject it but also removed it from the agenda for future meetings.

To view a clip of the KING TV news report go to http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=303449

Join AANR-NW GAT in congratulating NAC and volunteers for they’re worthy victory in Seattle.

Shirley Gauthier
AANR-NW Public Lands Liaison

Nudity Still in at Seattle parks

Erich Schuttauf, Executive Director

U.S. Senate calls AANR for input! Members give the Association its credible
voice!

We’ve long written that AANR serves as the credible voice of reason for nude
recreation, but this week provided an excellent example of how AANR members
make that happen.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a team of Association volunteers joining
me in Washington, D.C. last June to make visits on Capitol Hill and our
offer to serve as a resource. I noted that their willingness to work long
hours over just a couple of days enabled us to make a very effective
presence at low cost.

This week we got the ultimate proof that such efforts pay off when a staffer
for a prominent United States senator called the AANR office to request the
Association’s opinion on an omnibus public lands bill being considered at
this moment. After our discussion, the staff member followed up with an
e-mail noting, “AANR will be a strong voice in this debate.”

The omnibus bill considers whether the federal government should acquire
additional lands and lock them away from public access including recreation.
After conferring with your AANR government affairs team, we submitted a
letter voicing opposition to the measure. AANR is in good company, as the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other major groups have weighed in against this
bill.

When the U.S. Senate is calling for your Association’s input, it’s a sign
about the level of credibility that our members have made it possible to
achieve. Congratulations!

Doing our Share

Successes like the one above provide a great opportunity to realize that
even more could be accomplished if everyone who enjoys social
nudity-including those who are not yet members-shared in helping to advocate
for and protect what we love.

There is a story about the inhabitants of a small town in the French wine
region. They met to consider what special thing they could do to thank the
parish priest who had faithfully served their hamlet for over 30 years and
was now retiring. Since quality wine was the chief export of the region, the
town leaders agreed they would give the priest a barrel filled with a fine
Merlot. Each household and vintner would contribute Merlot to the barrel.
And so it was that the cask was presented several weeks later during a
celebratory event.

Later that evening as the cleric sat down to his first meal in retirement,
he retrieved a glass from his cupboard and filled it from the barrel.only to
find it contained pure water. You see, each household felt they could manage
to add water to the barrel instead of wine and that it wouldn’t make much
difference.

Enjoying greater public acceptance for nude recreation and increased legal
protection for it can be a lot like that. Those who haven’t lent their voice,
signed a check, or joined the roles of membership may think that it doesn’t
matter. But multiplied across many, it actually makes the difference
between a rich, high-quality program and one that isn’t much more than
water.

Linda Berry, Director of Publications

The Bulletin

The December issue went to the printer on Tuesday, and January is in
production.

Carolyn Hawkins, Public Relations Coordinator

Good News

The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has
sponsored the Adrian Awards and Golden Bell Awards for the past 19 years.
Renowned as the “Oscars” of travel and hospitality marketing, gold, silver,
and bronze awards are handed out for outstanding advertising, public
relations, and Web marketing programs.

The largest travel-related marketing competition of its kind, the
Adrian/Golden Bell Awards embrace every segment of the industry, including
hotels, airlines, cruise lines, car rental companies, destinations, credit
card companies, and more. This year the competition attracted over 1,300
entries from around the world.

For 2008, AANR’s publicity placement campaign, resulting in a three-page
editorial in the New York Times, earned a bronze Golden Bell Award in its
category.

HSMAI is an organization of sales and marketing professionals representing
all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on education,
HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating
trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and
members at annual events, including HSMAI’s Affordable MeetingsR. Founded in
1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than
7,000 members worldwide, with 39 chapters in the Americas Region.

Press Release Geared to Snowbirds

Ypartnership public relations is planning to develop a press release to
assist in generating bookings this winter geared to “snowbirds” heading
south to beat the winter weather. If you have a special offer, discount, or
special event happening in December, January, February, or March that you
would like to include, please send details, nightly rate, along with your
phone number, URL, and a short club description to: Mary Jane Kolassa by
November 20 at MaryJane.Kolassa {at} partnership.com

Press Release About Women Traveling Alone

Are you a woman traveling alone to nudist clubs by RV? If so, we would like
to talk to you about participating in a story in a mainstream media outlet.
Please contact Carolyn Hawkins at pubaffairs@aanr.com or call
1-800-879-6833, ext. 226.

Terry Justice, Club/Member Liaison

The AANR Directory was e-mailed to clubs this week. Clubs that do not have
an e-mail address were mailed a hard copy today. Please let me know if you
do not receive one via e-mail or mail.

Debra Sue Stevens, Government Affairs

REQUEST: Print the following in your Club Newsletter or send to your members
in your E-News, when timely and appropriate. We want the members to know
what GAT does for them!

Banning Nudity in Seattle, Washington, Parks

Steve Hubbard, AANR-NW GAT Chair

AANR-Northwest GAT is closely following developments related to the Seattle
Parks Departments proposed rule change, expressly banning Nudity in Seattle
parks. We have been in contact with individuals directly involved with
activities in the Seattle parks. At this time a large number of facts are
unknown as to what has motivated Seattle parks to propose this action and
how to best respond to their position. AANR GAT hopes that this is an area
where nudists can work together to form a comprehensive plan of action.
However, we are committed to working this issue prior to the scheduled
January 8, 2009 public hearing. Stay tuned!

American Recreation Coalition (ARC) Recreation Exchange – Nov. 2008

AANR Government Affairs Chair John Hunter, Washington, D.C. attended the
November Recreation Exchange Luncheon. A panel of seasoned natural resource
and conservation leaders with experience in and out of top government posts
told recreation community leaders during a special November Recreation
Exchange what they expect to see as the new Obama administration takes
shape. The session was held in the venerable Occidental Restaurant, just a
block from the White House as President George W. Bush and President-elect
Barack Obama met in the Oval Office to discuss transition efforts. The panel
addressed both opportunities and challenges but reached a consensus that
recreation and conservation issues could do well if the recreation community
organizes promptly and relates recreation to Obama administration
priorities, including economic recovery and healthcare improvements.

The guests included: Tom Kiernan, President of the National Parks
Conservation Association; Jim Lyons, Lecturer and Research Scholar at the
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Vice President with
Oxfam America; Tom Fry, President of the National Ocean Industries
Association; and Doug Wheeler, a partner with Hogan & Hartson in Washington.
American Recreation Coalition Chairman Thom Dammrich moderated the session.

To read the full report, visit www.funoutdoors.com
! By the way, AANR has been a member of ARC
since. I’ll find out!

National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (ARVC)

AANR GA ARVC Liaison Jimmy Corsentino attended the Tennessee Campground
Conference & Trade Show, Nov. 13-14 in Deer Run RV Resort in Crossville, TN.
Jimmy wrote, “David Gorin, an ARVC lobbyist and also the president of the
Virginia campground association, gave a report at the ARVC State Exec for
Campgrounds meeting in Tennessee. Several items discussed were regarding the
broad reaching effect of Web marketing. Customer service was the number one
on the list of items of importance. All in all it was a good meeting.”

AANR-Northwest GA Training – Feb. 2008

Steve Hubbard, AANR-NW GAT Chair

AANR-NW GAT is pleased to announce that the date has been set for the
AANR-NW midwinter government affairs training. The training will take place
at Sun Meadow Resort (www.sunmeadow.org ), in
Worley, Idaho on Feb. 28 – March 1, 2009. Anyone with at interest in
supporting nudist rights is welcome to attend. Further details will be
announced soon.

AANR Legislative Tracking

AANR encourages our membership to assist in the process of tracking bills
and news impacting nude recreation. Always contact the AANR office before
taking action. This ensures that your actions are aligned with the strategy
underway for any particular bill or advocacy effort. Remember, AANR GAT
works for you!

On Saturday, November 15 “A Prairie Home Companion” veteran Chuck Suchy will be in concert on the Sun Meadow Stage at 8 PM for only $12. Chuck is touring his new 6th album, “Unraveling Heart,” which was just released in September. The album was produced by another “Prairie Home Companion” legend, Peter Ostroushko, who plays on the new album with Suchy.

Dirty Linen Folk and World Music Magazine: “Ya gotta love this guy, he writes a fine song, plays a solid guitar, sings with rare confidence, and lives his material. …insights on the interior of human life.”

Chuck Suchy (pronounced soo-key) is the real thing — one of the foremost musical voices of the American Great Plains. A working farmer, born and raised and at home in the blue hills along the Missouri River south of Mandan, North Dakota, Chuck Suchy has a love for making music that goes back to his childhood. Throughout his youth and young adult life, he found time to perform in the area’s halls, clubs and lounges, singing and playing guitar and accordion. In 1982 a major event occurred when an acquaintance gave him a tape of Canadian troubadour Stan Rogers singing his classic Field Behind The Plow. “It was at that moment,” Suchy says, “that I realized that the life I was immersed in was worthy of song.” He began writing his own ballads and songs, slipping them into his performances and it was soon obvious that he was on to something quite unique -sensitive and honest portrayals of contemporary American farm life, but from an insider’s point of view.

In the 25 years since, Chuck Suchy has continued to write, sing and record songs evoking and extolling the Great Plains region and lifestyle. His themes have expanded to include songs about human relationships, spirituality, motorcycles, and even sailing. The Plains have seen a lot of change over this time, including farm crises, loss of population, and a major restructuring of the agricultural economy. Chuck remains an astute observer of it all and his songs chronicle not only the events, but also the emotions and feelings that accompany such upheaval and change.

Crossroads Magazine has called Chuck “…one of the shining lights of the Upper Great Plains.” His music and stories speak to everyone – urban and rural – because laughter, love, gain and loss are common human property.

Sun Meadow is offering a Concert Overnight Special that will discount a room in the lodge by 30% for those who have dinner and a concert ticket this Saturday….and continental breakfast on Sunday is free. Translation: A room this concert weekend is $35! For reservations call 208 686 8686.

The Willamettans Family Nudist Resort is once again collecting new toys for their 4th annual holiday party for Birth To Three.

Birth To Three is a private non-profit organization that provides parenting education and support to families with young children.  In addition to providing a new toy for each child enrolled in the Birth To Three program the Willamettans hosts an annual party with Santa arriving to surprise the children and adults.

If you would like to help make this holiday special for a child and their family you can mail your check to:

The Willamettans
POB 969
Marcola, Oregon 97454

If you wish to donate a new toy ($15-$20) you can do so by leaving it at the Willamettans office.  The holiday party is Dec. 16 your timely response is greatly appreciated.  For more information email willies@efn.org

References: Birth To Three web site: http://www.birthto3.org/about_bt3.html

The Willamettans Family Nudist Resort: http://www.willamettans.com