Erich Schuttauf, Executive Director

Steve Vickers Soon to “Spread His Wings”

Many of you know and have had an opportunity to work with Steve Vickers, grandson of Public Relations director Carolyn Hawkins and AANR’s PR assistant for several years.  This week we were proud of Steve when we learned that he will be leaving AANR at the end of February to take a position in public relations for Bare Necessities Tour and Travel of Austin, Texas.

The news is bittersweet for us.  We have enjoyed working with Steve and watching his skills develop as he conducted interviews in such prominent public media as The O’Reilly Factor, Hardball with Chris Matthews, The John Walsh Show, the Surreal Life, and more.  But we’re fortunate that Steve will remain in the business of helping to promote nude recreation as he takes on new responsibilities.

We wish you the very best, Steve, and extend heartfelt congratulations!

AANR Board Wraps up Midwinter Meeting

From Thursday through Sunday last week the AANR Board of Trustees convened at Cypress Cove Nudist Resort and Spa in Kissimmee, Florida, to approve the 2009 annual budget, as well as consider exciting new marketing programs that the association will conduct this year.  I want to thank Dean, Barbara, and Ted Hadley–as well as their very capable staff–for great service.  During non-business times we enjoyed a reception at the Hadley’s home, and celebrated Pirate Weekend.  No one, at least whom we know, was made to walk the plank!

On a serious note, AANR President John Kinman formed new ad hoc committees: (1) Membership In Diversity chaired by Trustee Suzanne Schell of Laguna del Sol and Mira Vista; (2) Club Fees chaired by Trustee Dean Hadley of Cypress Cove; (3) Publications and Communications chaired by Member Trustee Sharon McLeod; and (4) VitaNuda chaired by Lou Suarez.

This report would not be complete without thanking members Bob Johnson and Randy Savage for an outstanding presentation on membership marketing, where they outlined details for several recruitment and retention initiatives.  The first is explained in-depth below.

Membership Renewal Campaign Launched

On January 21 a wave of 10,000 letters left the same mailing facility that the Association uses to send The Bulletin each month.  In this case, those letters announced to former members that we would like to have them back, with some specially tailored offers designed just for them.

The campaign is the first of several programs created by AANR volunteers with extensive marketing experience who are working on Pat Brown’s Brand Management team.  We will keep you apprised of the results of this massive mailing project.

Here’s How to Get “Bear Naked”

This week we were happy to get a call from past AANR President Greg Smith who extends best wishes to all, and who called to let us know about free samples of fruit and granola being offered by the “Bear Naked” snack company.  Bear Naked traces its name to a commitment to avoid unnatural flavors and preservatives.  Among their slogans/ questions to consumers is, “How do you live life Bear Naked?”

Carolyn Hawkins is currently attempting to contact Bear Naked about the possibility of recruiting them as an AANR participating business or convention sponsor.  In the meantime, Greg and I felt that if members followed the link below to request a free sample of the product AND to explain that they enjoy recreation and living “bare naked” with AANR, it could increase our chances, as well as provide an opportunity to taste the product.  To get Bear Naked visit http://www.bearnaked.com/

AANR Helping Members and Clubs

AANR fielded calls from three prospective clubs seeking information on nudity laws within their respective jurisdictions.  While this kept AANR club liaison Terry Justice and I busy much of the week, it is welcome news to learn that the industry may be growing again to meet increasing demand for clubs.

Year-End Membership Count

The 2008 year-end membership count is attached. Please contact Nanette Wickersham at 800/879-6833, ext. 232 if you have any questions.

Linda Berry, Director of Publications

The E-Bulletin

The E-Bulletin that was sent out on January 22 was the most popular and best-read issue yet. The statistics are incredible for an online publication. Over 12,000 people received the E-Bulletin. Of those 12,000, half opened and half of those clicked one or more stories to read further. (Note: These clicks often include links to our advertisers or special offers.)

You’re missing the boat if you haven’t signed up for this entertaining, free publication. Sign up on the AANR home page at aanr.com. Clubs are encouraged to put a notice in their newsletters inviting members to subscribe.

California RV Show Message from Joe Panganiban, AANR-West

The California Adventure Travel Trade Show will be held February 14-15 in Los Angeles. Last year, AANR introduced the idea of nude recreation and Nakations to nearly 20,000 people. This year we have the same opportunity. What’s exciting about this year is that we have free passes. Plan to make an excursion for your club members and encourage them to bring friends. Our booth number is 647. To access the free ticket offer, visit www.adventureexpo.com/consumer. Type in Promo Code: EXHFREE.

CAROLYN HAWKINS, PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR

This message was received from Blair at WhenWeRV.com.

“I am responsible for the list of RV Parks and Campgrounds at www.WhenWeRV.com . We are trying to build a list of RV parks, campgrounds, and RV resorts.  If your business has a campground, RV park, or resort, please take a moment to add your business information by visiting www.whenwerv.com and pressing the “Add a Campground” button located on the right hand side directly under the main menu.”

There is no cost to be listed so be sure to forward this e-mail to other people you know that might be interested in being listed too.”

Positive Publicity

This came from Oprah.com “Why women should look good naked.”

http://www.cnn.com:80/2009/LIVING/personal/01/23/o.nude.attitude/index.html

Terry Justice, Club/Member Liaison

Here are the directory changes for this week.

Nevada Sun Rancho has disbanded.

Good luck in your future endeavors.

Tri State Sun Club in New Jersey has a new e-mail address, which is:

tristatesunclub at verizon dot net

Please remove: tssc {at} worldnet {dot} att {dot} net

Have a wonderful week everybody.

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!

FLOWER POWER in the Northwest

Oregon-Glassbar Island Nude Beach Volunteers (GINBV) will be hosting a Valentine’s
Day (February 14) event at Glassbar Island State Park.  Bring your native flower seeds or show up to help GINBV plant collected seeds.  This is a great time to take a tour of the park and meet some of the GINBV members.

The SOLV “Down by the Riverside” event will be May 16 starting at 9 am at the picnic table area.  GINBV members are currently meeting with Glassbar Island State Park employees to plan work projects for the event.

GAT Training at Sun Meadow – February 28th through March 1st

AANR NW GAT is sponsoring a mid winter Government Affairs Training. The training will take place at Sun Meadow, Feb. 28, 2009 – March 1, 2009.  Anyone with at interest in supporting nudist rights is welcome to attend. The NW GAT Training will run most of the day Saturday and half a day Sunday.  The subjects will include:

Ø      GAT why should I get involved?

Ø      How can I make a difference?

Ø      What’s going on” Round Table Discussion?

Sun Meadow has made a special rate available for those who attend. Sun Meadow is offering a package price for the weekend that’s only $132 ($125AANR/TNS) put a second person in that room for a total of $199/$185 AANR/TNS. That gives attendees a room for two nights and 6 meals (beginning with supper on Friday). A lot has been going on and this is a training that you don’t want to miss!  If you are interested in attending, contact Sun Meadow at (208) 686-8686 or sunmeadow at starband dot net to confirm your attendance.

January Recreation Exchange Luncheon – Washington, D.C.

U.S. Representative Sam Farr (D-CA) was the special guest at the January 2009 Recreation Exchange hosted by the American Recreation Coalition.  Mr. Farr, a longtime champion of the outdoors and tourism, spoke on opportunities for outdoor recreation and travel through the economic stimulus package being readied for congressional action.  Those opportunities will assist increased marketing, planning and partnerships.  The Congressman called for a new effort to fight the “silo mentality” he finds in federal agencies and even local tourism organizations that ignore the public’s interest in finding great things to do across agency and local government boundaries.  Mr. Farr also had high praise for programs like the National Park Service’s Centennial Challenge Fund, which matches government appropriations with private funding, saying, “If we put our heads together, we get more bang for our buck!”

With the House vote on the economic stimulus package less than 24 hours away, Mr. Farr outlined the $2+ billion in benefits for public lands that the package includes.  The National Park Service (NPS) stands to receive $1.7 billion for deferred maintenance projects and another $100 million for the NPS Centennial Challenge, which will in turn accrue $100 million more from private sector partners’ matching donations.  Other agencies, including the Forest Service, will also receive additional funding for readily doable projects.  Mr. Farr pointed out that just the week before, the National Mall hosted one of the largest gatherings America has ever seen – an estimated 1.8 million people attended the inauguration of President Barack Obama.  Mr. Farr emphasized the importance of maintaining and improving iconic sites like the National Mall that all Americans cherish.  While questions about the specifics of the economic stimulus remain, Mr. Farr told the group it is clear that public lands funds will benefit thousands of American workers by sustaining existing jobs and helping to create new employment opportunities on America’s public lands.

To read the full report, see the attached document or visit www.funoutdoors.com!

AANR Legislative Tracking

Below, please find statistics we have begun compiling on the 2009 legislative session. Some thoughtful members and clubs have asked us the question, “What is the significance of these statistics?” What we hope most is that you will observe how many thousands of proposals need to be checked to see if they would impact your rights to enjoy nude recreation within appropriate settings. Without the sophisticated monitoring software that your dues make possible, there is no way that the tens of thousands of bills introduced in just a few weeks’ time could be reviewed. Thanks to your support, and assistance from volunteers, we have a solid (albeit not perfect) understanding of what we face in the states this year.

Statistics for 2009:

In Session: There are 41 states, DC and US in Regular Session. There is 1 state in Special Session. There are 4 states in recess.

States in Regular Session: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, US, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WY

Number of 2009 Prefiles last week: 505
Number of 2009 Intros last week: 10,223
Number of 2009 Session Enacted/Adopted last week: 191
Number of 2009 Prefiles to date: 21,088
Number of 2009 Intros to date: 30,302
Number of 2009 Session Enacted/Adopted overall to date: 1197

AANR Statistics:

o    935 bills were reviewed personally by AANR in 2009.

o    145 bills have been reviewed in full text by AANR in 2009.

o    104 bills have been added to the “2009 Legislative Tracking List”

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!

{Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 1:27 PM}