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.

It’s time again for an indoor swim event on Sunday November 23.

No better time to enjoy an evening in the pool, hot tub or sauna before a short work week. The event will be held from 7 pm until 9 pm with the cost being the same at $10 per person for AANR/TNS members and $12 per person for non members when pre-registering.

If you elect not to pre-register and pay at the door, then the prices are $5 higher.

**** Pre-registration closes on Wednesday November 19. ***

For more information, including the location of the venue, please contact Hidden Springs at
hsevents {at} verizon.net or leave us a voice mail at 503-841-1995.

Hope to see you all there

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

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

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!

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

You have probably witnessed something like this at a point in your lives: a friend or acquaintance finds something that didn’t belong to them. Almost as if saying “finders keepers, losers weepers,” they remark that “possession is 9/10s of the law.”

While I can’t say they taught me that in law school, my experience has led me to believe that while possession may not be 9/10s of the law, when it comes to nudity, PERCEPTION is.  Why? Because everything from the neighbor who picks up the phone to call police because they saw a nude sunbather in the yard next door through a hole in the fence, to those who complain about an established nude beach, or the photo developing clerk who reports “suspicious” pictures are driven by their perceptions about the lawfulness of nudity.

The same is true of the law enforcement officers and even prosecutors who respond to complaints: they respond based upon their understanding and perceptions. whether or not those perceptions are accurate.  I was reminded of this twice during the week as I answered requests for legal information.

The first came in response to the story of the so-called “pumpkin runners” in Colorado who donned carved out pumpkins on their heads and went on a nude run as a way of blowing off some steam.  Their subsequent arrest and the fact that they could face serious penalties including being required to register as sex offenders was the subject of an E-Bulletin story yesterday, prompting e-mails to my office.  Is streaking really a serious sex offense that could get you branded for life?

The second question concerned visiting Internet sites featuring pictures from old nudist magazines.  Are they legal if any of the pictures include minors?

In answering both questions I found myself explaining that what the law says depends on statutes and judicial interpretations, but in some cases is almost beside the point.  If those who witness a nude runner, or fix a computer, think that what they’ve seen is a major violation of the law, and the people who respond agree, then clearing things up may get very expensive and involve a stint behind bars.

This provides yet another reason why AANR’s work in shaping public opinion and educating others about the wholesome nature of simple nudity and the many ways which it is lawful remains so important.  The support of our clubs who collect dues and contribute to The Bulletin, our members, and so many others who lend a hand make it possible to change mindsets.

I-75 Welcome Center Event Provides Great Opportunity, Information

AANR’s presence last Friday at a welcome event for visitors coming into the state is a great example of changing mindsets.  During our work there, my wife and I met several association members, including a couple who belongs to Turtle Lake.  But just as significantly, we met many, many more people who may not have tried nudism but knew a club in their community by name! Their receptiveness to taking AANR literature was much greater by positive things they had already heard.

AANR was also successful in educating people who knew little about nude recreation with information that they will take back to their home states upon their return.  We hope some will join.  And for those who do not, we hope they are left with the impression that nude recreation is yet another great way to boost tourism which is embraced rather than something that “must be against the law.”

One example Of What We’re Up To These Days

This week Martha Young and Linda Berry of publications, Financial Director Cindy Horton, and I met with representatives for the United States Postal Service about its plans to implement new requirements for those who send mail at volume rates.  Beginning in about two weeks, addresses must be “verified” every 90 days as valid per software that tracks changes filed with the postal service.  Some of the approved systems can be expensive.

After some quick thinking by Linda, Cindy, and Martha we believe we have found a solution that avoids this expense and helps us protect member confidentiality by working with the mailing house which already competently handles distribution of The Bulletin.  I mention this because both Linda and Cindy deserve to be thanked for their hard work, but also because it sometimes takes a lot of work just to continue doing what AANR does in a world filled with constant change.

Linda Berry, Director of Publications
Club Happenings Section of The Bulletin

Due to space limitations, beginning with the January 2009 issue, submissions should be limited to 75 words including the contact information for your club. The Coming Events feature is being discontinued. Upcoming events may be included in the Club Happenings paragraph as long as the paragraph does not exceed the 75 word limit.

As an advance notice, the deadline for the February issue will be December 15 instead of December 22 due to the holidays.

E-Bulletin

This week the list was upgraded, and the E-Bulletin was sent to over 15,000 addresses. In the first day alone, the open rate was at 33.5%.

Carolyn Hawkins, Public Relations Coordinator

Positive Publicity

Steve Vickers has had several interviews with college students this past week and some have visited Cypress Cove.  It seems like the interest in nude recreation among the younger generation is really increasing.  He already has a couple of interviews scheduled for next week.

There was a positive article in Saanich News regarding Arbutus Park being accepted into Gordon Head pool. The title was,  “Birthday-suited swimmers book time at Saanich pool.” The members were swimming in Panorama pool in Sidney but that pool is now closed for renovations.  They applied to Gordon Head pool and got accepted.

Thanks to Bob Erlenmeyer for heading up the Flap Jack Festival in Tampa and thanks to Hugh and Linda Williams, Rene Niquette, and Steve Vickers for assisting us with this.  Members are always glad to see us.

To Club Managers in the Sunbelt Region

Ypartnership public relations firm is planning to develop a press release to assist in generating bookings this winter. It will be 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} ypartnership {dot} com.

Terry Justice, Club/Member Liaison

The only directory change I have for this week is as follows:

The Black Hills Bares had an error in their e-mail address, the correction

is: bhbares {at} gwtc.net

Also I noticed that on the Web site it states that Gulf Haven resort in Texas has closed. This is false.  The resort is open for business as usual.

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!

AANR GAT Prepares for 2009 Legislation

The AANR Government Affairs Team (GAT) has been focusing on preparing for the 2009 legislative sessions to begin.  Though the elections in the United States have just concluded this week, states are already beginning to file drafts of their bills.  Iowa has a draft bill filed concerning indecent exposure.  Michigan has two bills related to regulating adult entertainment. And keep your eye on the rearview mirror for Washington State to continue their battle to put your DNA in the “bad boys” database for mere simple nudity convictions.  But you can rely on your AANR membership dollars to be there through the Credible Voice of Reason for Nude Recreation!

This year was fairly mild in the number of bills that were tracked and the severity of those bills, which is common in an election year. Unfortunately, the trend after an election year tends to generate an increased number of bills as the newly formed Senate and House of Representatives begin to define themselves as a whole.  Seasoned lawmakers return with new enthusiasm to continue their previously defined positions on bills that didn’t become laws in 2008, and new lawmakers jockey for status in their new roles.  Though the tides of politics shift with each term, the underlying momentum from the previous year is always a factor.

In October, members of AANR GAT participated in a StateNet Refresher Course. New members completed Basic Training through one-on-one sessions with our StateNet representative.  Next week’s monthly GAT Chat will also focus on process of monitoring and tracking legislation and regulations through the
StateNet software tool that allows us to work virtually across the United States as a team.  To learn more about StateNet, visit: www.statenet.com .

Join the Government Affairs Team

AANR GAT is led by Government Affairs Chair Alonzo Stevens and comprised of a chair or team member from each region.  Each region has an extended team of AANR members or volunteers just like you who assist us where they live, work, and play.  If you find yourself compelled to become an AANR Advocate, please contact the Chair in your region or any of the team members.

{editors note - the names & email addresses were snipped out here but were included in the AANR-NW.org eNews mailing earlier today.}

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!

Erich Schuttauf, Executive Director
AANR Visiting I-75 Welcome Center

Today my wife, Georgie, and I will be staffing a welcome center open house along the Florida-Georgia border on Interstate 75 on behalf of AANR.  The Association is a participating partner with Visit Florida, which is the state’s official tourism agency (formerly known as the Department of Commerce)

At the open house we will staff a table and distribute giveaways such as emery boards and literature about nude recreation and AANR clubs. We will be alongside such major industry types as SeaWorld, Disney World, and Universal Studios.  The recognition AANR receives as being a legitimate part of the mainstream tourist business here is just as valuable as the opportunities we have to encourage visitor traffic to Florida and Georgia clubs.

On my return I will write up any memorable anecdotes and lessons from this event.

AANR Survey Update

We’re very pleased to report that the survey mentioned during last week’s report has had a very positive response.  To date about 1,000 members have responded to their e-mails, with evaluations on such topics as the most important service that AANR provides, to ideas for improving The Bulletin. As soon as all results have come in and been reviewed by the brand management committee we will report the findings.

Election Day Reminder

Whichever side of the political aisle that you or your members may be on, there are a few things about next Tuesday’s Election Day that are undeniable.

First, there’s no question that it will be an historic event as either the first African American is elected to the nation’s top office, or the first woman is elected to the Vice Presidency.

Second, there is little doubt that the choices made will impact the direction of the nation’s economy, which is already facing challenges.  Because events at the federal level have a way of impacting local politics as well, the election is sure to have some impact on the future of nude recreation, although it may be too early to tell what that will be.

Please be sure to have your voice heard and vote.

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!

AANR GAT Visits Sacramento, CA - October 2008

Attending a meeting with the California Parks Department representatives, including Southern Division Chief Tony Perez, were:

Erich Schuttauf - AANR Executive Director
Alonzo Stevens - AANR GA Chair
Steve Hubbard - AANR Public Lands Liaison

On Thursday evening, the above GAT advocates gathered at Laguna del Sol with AANR President
John Kinman (en route to Desert Sun Resort),  AANR-West GA Chair Don Gravalec, and Debra Sue Stevens.  The focus of the meeting with California Parks was to build a stronger relationship concerning the acceptance of nude recreation on public lands.  The results of the meeting were very positive.  Chief Perez brought the right colleagues to a two-hour meeting that resulted in future joint projects in Southern and Northern California.  Thank you for supporting nude recreation in appropriate settings. in our clubs, our homes, city, county, state and federal lands-from sea to shining sea.  Stay tuned.

California Department of Parks and Recreation manages more than 270 park units, which contain the finest and most diverse collection of natural, cultural, and recreational resources to be found within California. These treasures are as diverse as California: from the last stands of primeval redwood forests to vast expanses of fragile desert; from the lofty Sierra Nevada to the broad sandy beaches…

The Natural Choice for Huntington Beach City Council - Allen Baylis

Printed with the permission of Allen Baylis, a strong advocate for nude recreation in California.

Dear Friend:

Please support me in my run for Huntington Beach City Council. It’s time to bring intelligence, common sense, and respect for the public to our city council. We need to focus on quality of life issues such as repair and maintenance of our crumbling infrastructure, and providing open space and recreational opportunities; not social engineering. I believe that the government doesn’t have all the answers, so the public needs to be engaged to help find innovative solutions to city issues.

This is a grassroots campaign. You can help by forwarding this e-mail to all of your friends and family who live in Huntington Beach.

E-mail: rab@baylislaw.com
Office: 714-962-0915
Website  www.baylis4hbcouncil.com

VOTE on November 4th!

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!

Linda Berry, Director of Publications

The Bulletin

The December issue is in production.

Carolyn Hawkins, Public Relations Coordinator

Positive Publicity

Joe Duty with Wise County Messenger won a photography award at the AANR Convention.  Jeannie Diehl and Lucy Heide received the award and it was mentioned in the Wise County Messenger online.

Update on Bob Migliore

Bob went to the hospital for tests and came back with a clean bill of health. He’s cancer free.

News about Wayne Roberts

Past AANR-NW President and Trustee Wayne Roberts has been diagnosed with rectal cancer. He is undergoing 24-hour chemotherapy at the present time. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Terry Justice, Club/Member Liaison

There is one address change this week for North Carolina Naturists:

North Carolina Naturists
PO Box 241821
Charlotte, NC 28224-1821

Update Your Certifying Officer Information

I am asking all clubs to please update their Certifying Officer information.Please either mail or fax the updated information to my attention at the AANR office.

Happy Halloween

FROM THE AANR STAFF

Last week I was traveling working on a couple of government affairs
projects.  Since my return it has been a busy week here in the AANR offices
in Kissimmee.

2009 Budget

Among the top priorities here is work on the 2009 budget for the association.  We appreciate the many committee chairs who have communicated their thoughts and requests.  And we appreciate the work that, in response to John Kinman’s request, region presidents have been doing to estimate the number of memberships we’re likely to see from those regions next year. Collectively, these help us prepare the draft that we will present to the budget committee meeting next month.

Something to think about

While we’re on the subject of budgets, this week the Orlando Sentinel reported that the Darden company, known for its Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, with headquarters in central Florida, spent over $400,000 to send 61 employees for the two day annual conference of the National Restaurant Association in Washington, D.C.  While there, these employees approached members of Congress and their staff to discuss such issues as legislation requiring nutrition information on menus and union labor in the food service industry.  The story reported that the company had spent just over $1 million this year on D.C. efforts.

I would ask you to compare those numbers against what your association, AANR, and its regions have been able to accomplish in Washington D.C., for just a fraction of the figures reported above.

Last June, AANR and the regions sent eight volunteers and me to the nation’s capital to participate in the American Recreation Coalition’s Great Outdoors Week.  In all, our team visited over one-third of all Congressional offices, holding personal meetings with lawmakers, staff, and/or dropping off literature.  We also met with officials from numerous federal agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service.  Topics discussed included bills attempting to censor nudity, support for public lands and nudity on public lands, plus offering AANR as a future resource.  In all, it cost about $15,000 to accomplish all this.

How?  Volunteers share rooms in hotels, they share cabs to Capitol Hill, or walk when the weather allows.  They also move quickly, alternating from holding scheduled appointments and making “fly by” visits to offices located on the same floor between appointments. And they take few breaks.

Two years ago, the editors of Roll Call, the nation’s leading newspaper serving the Hill, called me to ask about the team of “lobbyists” that they had heard we’d “hired” to descend on Congress that year.  After stifling a laugh I had to explain that our “army” was made up almost entirely of volunteers.  Roll Call dedicated nearly two pages to reporting our cause. So please know that your Association entrusts the membership dues and donations that you make possible and uses them to present a credible voice for nude recreation.

Surveying Member Opinion

This week our office launched an e-mail based survey to just over 6,400 members.  The survey gauges customer opinion on a variety of subjects ranging from thoughts about The Bulletin to members’ number one suggestion for improving their Association.  Results are automatically tabulated via computer, and over 500 surveys have already been returned.

This project was made possible with great assistance from Marketing Chair Pat Brown, Trustee Sharon McLeod, and President John Kinman who helped develop the questions used. We received substantial help from Lynn Von Hagel of the Publications staff who took care of “publishing and distribution.” Most of all, our good friend and mentor, “Mr. B” who provided many hours of expert advice about applying the best methodology to improve accuracy and reliability of our survey results.  We extend our deepest thanks to them for helping us achieve what would cost thousands of dollars were an outside survey firm employed!

AANR Helping Clubs and Members

This week Steve Vickers and I prepared Claritas data on the customer base for an AANR business and are providing that data to one of AANR’s Marketing Consultant volunteers who is assisting that business.

Our office continues to communicate with a member of the Association from the Midwest who faces being denied custodial visits with her granddaughter on the basis that she and her husband are nudists, although they have not involved the granddaughter in visits to their home club since she was a baby.

We also sent a detailed package complete with marketing statistics, Claritas data, and articles from such publications as The Wall St. Journal, Forbes, and USA Today about the strong dollar value of the nudist market to the owners of a property that was once nudist, but had gone to being clothed under the new ownership.  We are hopeful that they will consider returning their business to nude recreation.

Linda Berry, Director of Publications

The Bulletin

The November issue has printed and is on its way to you.

Carolyn Hawkins, Public Relations Coordinator

Positive Publicity

Link below talks about naked travel

http://www.examiner.com/x-1132-Outdoor-Travel-Examiner~y2008m10d20-Naked-Travel-for-the-Clothing-Challenged

Steve Vickers has had five interviews with college students from the local Valencia Colleges as well as two from a California college.  One student from Valencia visited Cypress Cove Nudist Resort and Spa.

Terry Justice, Club/Member Liaison

Unfortunately, we have a club closure to report this week. Musqua Meadows of
AANR-Western Canada has closed as of October 16, 2008.

I wish all a happy and safe weekend.

Debra Sue Stevens, Government Affairs

AANR West Regional Newsletter

Alonzo and I have been involved with Government Affairs since the late 1990s.  AANR West is our home region and, seriously, the efforts being put forth by the clubs and members are making history.  Those AANR members enjoying nude recreation in their clubs and on public lands are saying that nudity on public lands is a big deal and a concern through their correspondences and fundraising efforts.  Contributions continue to be raised for the AANR-West Public Lands Relief Fund.  Check out the October 2008 <http://www.aanrwest.com/documents/WesternSun0810r.pdf>  Western Sun for more details.

The November issue went to the printer on Tuesday. On Vacation I will be out of the office next week, October 20-24. Martha Young and Lynn Von Hagel will be available if there is anything you need. Lynn will send out the weekly report from my computer.

Carolyn Hawkins, Public Relations Coordinator
Positive Publicity

The link below does not mention AANR, but it mentions travel and high-end nudist travel.

http://www.examiner.com/x-865-New-York-Budget-Travel-Examiner~y2008m10d12-Un ique-Lodging-for-the-Budget-Traveler

“With travel becoming so specialized for expats seeking out vegan to nudist to high-end luxury vacations, it’s no longer necessary to book the same cookie-cutter hotel year after year.”

Check out the link below about Solair: http://www.nbc13.com/vtm/news/local/article/video_nudist_resort_explains_way _of_life/39900/

PINKTOBER 17TH

Some of the AANR staff heard about Pinktober 17th on XL106.7 radio. They talked about everyone wearing pink on Friday 10/17/08 and to let the station know, and the company would be announced on air. They also asked for a photo to put on the radio station’s Web site. When they mentioned The American Association for Nude Recreation on the air, it was lighthearted with “they usually are nude, but today they are wearing pink.”

AANR got more mention than anyone else. We all wore our pink AANR shirts and sent a photo to the station. Watch for it at: http://www.wxxl.com/main.html If you are having an event for breast cancer awareness, please forward the information and dates. If you have already had one let me know about that also.

On The Mend

I received an e-mail from Brenda Spangler. She was in rehab for 10 days, but is home now. She said that her legs are still not that strong and she’s using a four wheel walker. Her grandson thinks it is just for him. It has a seat and he likes to ride on it. She’s getting ready to start physical therapy.

Terry Justice, Club/Member Liaison

Here are the directory changes for this week. We have two new clubs joining us:

Rooster-Sauvie Volunteers
Portland OR

This is a provisional/proprietary nonlanded club.

Southwest Naturist Network
Scottsdale, AZ
Web: www.swnn.org
E-mail: joinus@swnn.org

This is a non-landed proprietary club.

Cherokee Closed for Day Visitors

The AANR office has received a few inquiries this week pertaining to Cherokee Lodge and Resort in Tennessee. It seems that they are at the moment closed to day visitors due to unforeseen circumstances. I shall keep you posted as information comes in. Debra Sue Stevens, Government Affairs Debra Sue will have a report next week.