AANR Convention 2009
AANR Convention 2009
The 2009 AANR convention was held the week of August 9 through 16 at Oak Lake Trails club in Depew, Oklahoma. The officers and trustees of AANR as well as members from clubs, as well as associate members, throughout the association gathered from Sunday through Saturday for the events at the club.
No official events were planned for Sunday or Monday but the host club held a number of youth and adult activities. Monday evening’s activities were foreshortened by a ferocious wind storm starting around 7:00 p.m. that became an all-night rain and thunderstorm. The weather for the rest of the week was more pleasant, except for some rain on Saturday.
On Tuesday morning, a “Darkness to Light” class was put on by Steve and Sheila Hubbard and two AANR Government Affairs Team (GAT) forums were held in the afternoon. The evening activities included a host club welcome reception and a “Gimme the Mike” improv show.
On Wednesday morning, there was an AANR Brand Management Committee forum followed by a Trustee forum chaired by the AANR vice-president, where the trustees discussed items among themselves, but in an open setting.
This was followed by an open membership Rap Session. At noon, the regional presidents held the first of two discussions during the convention. In the afternoon, the AANR annual meeting commenced. Officer reports were given as well as the report of the AANR Executive Director, Erich Schuttauf. Erich presented copies of the Al & Tipper Gore authored book “The Spirit of the Family” to the following in appreciation for their special achievements this year: Steve and Sheila Hubbard, Randy Savage, Jim Bishop, and Joe and Anita Panganiban. He also passed out a “color book” with his report in it and went over some highlights from the booklet. The AANR Legal Counsel had no report.
Committees with verbal reports included Brand Management, AANR Youth, Finance, and Government Affairs (with reports from Alonzo Stevens and Steve Hubbard). Finance chair Darrel Brown noted that there may be new tax filing requirements, especially for the regions, who are non-profit, and not-for-profit cooperative clubs. The meeting was recessed until Thursday morning. The SMS Society (Single Malt Scotch) held their AANR GAT fundraiser later that evening.
Wednesday evening’s activities included a wedding vows renewal ceremony and a fireworks display. Sports competitions continued throughout the week including some late night volleyball and water volleyball tournaments. Civil War themed activities were also held throughout the week.
The general meeting resumed on Thursday morning with Chas Cantlon addressing the meeting about the 2010 AANR convention at Sun Meadow Resort followed by the special assignments and ad-hoc committees reporting. Among them were the International Nudist Federation (INF) representative, Dean Hadley. Other committees reporting were: Principles and Standards, Club Fees (later renamed to Club Benefits), Publications and Communications, Diversity in Membership and VitaNuda, which is a committee oriented to younger adult members throughout the association. The AANR Educational Foundation gave a PowerPoint presentation followed by a preliminary report from the Regional Presidents Council, chaired by AANR-SW President Lucy Heide.
Nomination letters were read for the Man, Woman and Family of the Year awards. Those nominated were:
Man of the Year: Jawn Bauer, Jim Bishop, Randy Savage, Brian Spence and Steve Vickers.
Woman of the Year: Jeannie Diehl, Lucy Heide and T. (Theresa) Price.
Family of the Year: the Bishop Family, the Felton Family, the Gamel family, the Hubbard family and the Spangler family.
Ballots were passed out to all members present and were collected. The votes were tallied and the winners were to be announced at the awards ceremony on Friday afternoon.
In lieu of a resolutions committee report, a compilation of photos from 60 of the clubs participating in the Guinness Book of Records (TM) world record skinny-dip attempt was shown. Following announcements, the 2009 membership open meeting was adjourned.
The AANR board went into an executive session that afternoon concerning a internal administration matter. The regional presidents held their final gathering at 3:00 p.m. that afternoon.
The evening entertainment was a dancing exhibition by native American Fancy Dancer Mike Loman. Each evening following the featured activity, there were drawings for prizes in which every convention attendee was entered.
On Friday, the AANR board met to consider the following year’s mid-winter board meeting and the awarding of the 2011 AANR convention. The 2010 mid-winter board meeting will be held at Cypress Cove resort on January 28th through 30th, 2010. It was announced that the executive session the previous day would result in Internal Administration actions to be taken.
Those bidding on the 2010 AANR convention were Sunny Rest in pennsylvania and Laguna Del Sol in California. Laguna Del Sol was awarded the convention after a secret vote among the trustees. It will be held from August 8 through 14, 2011.
Lucy Heide, AANR-SW regional president presented the final report from the regional Presidents’ Council. Items considered during the two sessions included: membership attraction strategies; participation of members in club activities as well as getting volunteers for necessary club work; interaction with and training of club Certifying Officers; the Darkness to Light program; the potential new tax form requirements; and the possibility of resolving the split of two states (Tennessee and Louisiana) that are split between different regions. Chair of the mid-winter Presidents Council meeting will be Bob Campbell from AANR-Western Canada.
A motion in the form of a resolution for AANR to support the “Darkness to Light” program sponsored by Stewards of Children was brought before the AANR board at the end of the meeting but was defeated as written due to a verbal recommendation by AANR legal counsel to do so.
Friday afternoon, there was a meeting of the AANR planning committee as well as the AANR Government Affairs silent auction, coordinated by Debra Sue Stevens. Approximately $14,000 in goods, services, club stays and other items had been donated this year. Virtually every landed club in AANR-SW (the hosting region) donated a stay at their club as did other clubs and resorts around AANR. Other donated items included artwork, books, bottles of liquor, gift baskets, towels (embroidered and others) and many other items. Items such as a stateroom on the Fantasyfest nude cruise donated by Bare Necessities Tour & Travel, a St Martin Caribbean nude vacation, a week in a Cypress Cove deluxe room and others were auctioned off orally by AANR legal counsel Jawn Bauer. Approximately $10,500 was raised by the auction and AANR-NW is challenged to exceed that figure at the 2010 convention at Sun Meadow. Debra Sue will assist us at that auction but volunteers will be needed from our region to also help before, during and after the auction.
After the auction on Friday, the AANR awards were given out. Kaniksu Ranch was honored for 70 years as an AANR club and Hidden Springs was honored for 40 years. Hidden Springs won the Ilsley Boone newsletter award competition in its club range. Man, Woman and Family of the Year were all from the host region. They were Jim Bishop, Lucy Heide and the Spangler Family. While AANR-SW won a sweep in those categories, AANR-NW did them one better in the top awards. Several Presidential Meritorious Service awards were given out and, because he had been given one at the last two AANR conventions, Steve Hubbard was given the award without the medal but with a date sticker as an “oak leaf cluster” (given in the military for repeated awards of the same type). President John Kinman then presented Steve with the Jim Cossins award which is the second highest honor given in the association and which also conveys with it a life membership for the honoree and spouse. Those honored in the past from clubs in our region were the late Dale LeMere, as well as Pat Brown and John Kinman. It would take a lot to top that award but it was achieved. An emotional Pat Brown was awarded the highest award in the association – the Hall of Fame award. Only 37 individuals since 1964 have been honored with this award, which is voted on by the regional presidents based on submissions from members, and for achievements of the highest order, which are probably never to be repeated. Those prior winners that were from or originated in the northwest region include: Rudolph Johnson, Jim Sutherlin, Jr., Ray Connett, Ernie Detweiller and Glenn Bower, who are all deceased. Congratulations to Steve and Pat on receiving these awards!
Friday night’s entertainment included a dance, featuring some of the vocal talents of various AANR members as well as the hired entertainers.
On Saturday morning, the AANR Education Foundation held it’s meeting and had the drawing for their Fantasyfest cruise drawing prize, generously donated by Nancy Tiemann, owner of Bare Necessities as well as an AANR trustee and Foundation board member. The winner of the drawing was DeAnza Springs resort. Following the AANR-EF meeting was another Darkness to Light class put on by Steve and Sheila Hubbard.
On Saturday night, the planned activity is a Carnival. Some convention attendees had already departed for home, while others would leave over the weekend or on Monday.
The northwest contingent included John and B.J. Kinman, Pat and Darrel Brown, Mike and Sharon Parker, Sharon McLeod, Mel Kanner and Linda Johnson, Steve and Sheila Hubbard, Joe Offerdahl, George Mickelson, Chas Cantlon and Jerry McIntyre, who although he lives in Texas, is a Willies life member and past northwest regional president.
The above synopsis was created by northwest regional president and scribe Mike Parker and is not to be considered a full or complete recording of events.
{But we thank him, none the less! – ed.}
