The AANR-NW convention took place last weekend at Kaniksu Ranch.  Kaniksu was celebrating its 75th anniversary, with a “Diamonds in the Buff” theme.  We all had a great time.  There were tournaments in pickleball, bocce, volleyball, shuffleboard, horse shoes, kayaking and cribbage, along with informal sports play all weekend.  Karen Lahey from the SLUGS won the cribbage tournament.  There was a children’s activity center running all weekend, with games and crafts.  We enjoyed a campfire Thursday night and danced to a DJ dance Friday night and The Angela Marie Project Saturday night, and the band even performed nude on Saturday.  And of course the pool, hot tub, sauna and miles of forest trails were available throughout the convention.  The Kaniksu kitchen provided great meals all weekend, and a 75th anniversary reception Saturday.

Forums included:

• A presentation on how to use social media to help your club, presented by Randy Erickson.
• A presentation by Bill Schroer, the new AANR Executive Director, of his plans for the organization.
• A Government Affairs presentation.
• A recap of the AANR-NW FolkLife sponsorship and booth.
• Darkness to Light introduction.
• Group discussion about how we can support our travel clubs.
• A presentation about how to talk to our friends about nudism.
• A rap session covering a range of topics.

Elections were held, and all officers were re-elected.  Karen Lahey from the SLUGS,Fraternity Snoqualmie, Hidden Springs, Wine Country Bares was re-elected as president. Jim Lahey from the SLUGS,Fraternity Snoqualmie, Hidden Springs, Wine Country Bares will continue as secretary.  Dave Smith from Kaniksu will be vice-president and Terri Capshaw from Sun Meadow will be treasurer.  Also, Linda Babione from Lake Bronson was elected as Nominations committee chair.

A motion was passed to ask the board to amend the procedures so that club members will not need to pay the convention registration fee when the convention is at their club.
 
Sun Meadow was selected as the site of the 2016 AANR-NW convention.  As a reminder, Fraternity Snoqualmie will be the site of the 2015 convention.

Awards were:

• Scholarship to Deana Jackson from the Bare Backers.
• Membership increase awards went to Hidden Springs, both for percentage increase and number increase.
• Poet Laureate to John Mollan from the Sun Rovers
• Presidential Meritorious Service Award for extraordinary service working at Northwest Folklife to 6 people, Effie Burton, Don Krueger and Jim Lahey from the SLUGS, Richard and Linda Stockett from the Willamettans and Brie Capshaw from Sun Meadow.

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The city of Auburn, WA passed Ordinance 6514 that defines mere nudity as a lewd act and makes it a misdemeanor in any public place in the city of Auburn, WA.  This ordinance was introduced and passed on July 7, 2014.  Unfortunately, we were not aware of this ordinance before it was passed.  We will now need to contact the Mayor and City Council to make our concerns known.  If you live in the city of Auburn, or know of other nudists in that city, please send email to president@aanr-nw.org so that we can organize attending a city council meeting en masse to make our concerns known. City Council meetings are on the first and third Mondays of the month.

Contact information for the Mayor is

Mayor Nancy Backus
c/o City of Auburn
25 West Main St.
Auburn, WA 98001

253-931-3041 (p)
253-288-3132 (f)
Email Mayor Nancy Backus (e)

City council members are:

Rich Wagner Deputy Mayor Position No. 6 Email Rich Wagner	Bill Peloza Councilmember Position No. 3 Email Bill Peloza
Claude DaCorsi Councilmember Position No. 2 Email Claude DaCorsi	Yolanda Trout Councilmember Position No. 4 Email Yolanda Trout
John Holman Councilmember Position No. 5 Email John Holman	Largo Wales Councilmember Position No. 1 Email Largo Wales
Wayne Osborne Councilmember Position No. 7 Email Wayne Osborne

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The next scheduled nude beach clean-ups are as follows:
Saturday, August 2 at 10:00 a.m. at Rooster Rock State Park. This is a clothing optional event, for those cleaning in the nude area. Hats are advised. Volunteers do not have to pay the day use fee. Tell the person in the booth that you are a clean-up volunteer. Barbequed hot dogs, minor snacks and cold beverages will be provided. Gather at far east end of parking lot.

Wednesday, August 6 – Sauvie Island- Collins Beach – clean-up at 3:00 p.m. – A parking pass is normally required but we have worked with SOLVE and have a clean-up day waiver of the fee on the day we clean the beach and parking area. Contact me to get one as we approach the chosen date. Again, a hot dog barbeque is scheduled after the event. Meet on the beach near the second Collins nude beach opening (number 3 opening). Restrooms are portable toilets located in the parking area near the beach trail openings. We will concentrate our efforts on the gravel road parking area and litter sweeps of the beach area from the first Collins nude beach opening (number two marked opening) to the opening marked number six.

These clean-ups last around three hours each and are a good way for us to let the public know about our community involvement. We are doing these in conjunction with SOLVE and the Oregon state parks department. A sign-up on the SOLVE website will soon be in place at http://www.solv.org/get-involved/event-registration .

Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28 is National Public Lands weekend and the final beach and riverside clean-up days at Rooster Rock and Sauvie Island are now also on the schedule. More details will be released later.

We need additional volunteers at these events so that we can retain our beach sponsorship. These legal nude beaches are unique to Oregon and we want to continue to keep our beaches bare!!

Want to volunteer but need more info? Contact me below.

Mike Parker
AANR-NW Government Affairs Chair
mikpar@prodigy.net

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Next weekend. Look toward eastern Washington! What’s that shining in the sky? Not a star but “Diamonds in the Buff,” celebrating the Diamond anniversary of Kaniksu Ranch Family Nudist Park. And you’ll want to be there.

The AANR-NW Regional Convention in July 18-20, 2014. And it coincides with celebrating the Kaniksu 75th anniversary. There are meetings, and of course everyone is encouraged to come, learn what is happening in the organization and let your voice be heard. In addition to the meetings, there will be a focus on lots of sports, children’s activities, games and activities. Both Saturday and Sunday mornings will start with parades. In the new sports arena there are two bocce courts, a pickleball court, a sand volleyball court, two horseshoe pits and a heated swimming pool. Also available are a shuffleboard court, hot tub, sauna, new children’s playground and miles of hiking and biking trails. There will be workshops and seminars, including lessons on how to play pickleball. In the evenings, sing at Karaoke night on Thursday. Or dance to the Rapid Transit Show on Friday and the Ann Marie Project on Saturday. Stay for the week and enjoy all of the festivities at the 30th running of the ‘Original Bare Buns Fun Run’ the following weekend.

This is your convention. See you there!!!

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The results of the AANR election are in:
AANR PRESIDENT Bev Price
AANR VICE PRESIDENT Sharon McLeod
SECRETARY/TREASURER Paul Kuntzmann
Club Trustees Group 1 & 2 No Candidates
Club Trustees Group 3 Kathy Watzel and Lewis Dreblow
Club Trustee Group 4 Brenda Spangler
Club Trustee Group 5 Jim Lane
Club Trustee Group 6 & 7 Theresa “T” Price, Mike Parker and Joan Harris
Member Trustee AANR – East Fred Van Nest
Member Trustee AANR – Florida Marji McNeely
Member Trustee AANR – Midwest Dan Garringer
Member Trustee AANR – Northwest Kathy Smith
Member Trustee AANR – Southwest Linda Otero
Member Trustee AANR – West Tim Mullins
Member Trustee AANR – Western Canada Bob Campbell

Motion To Amend Bylaws Yes
To replace the words “Procedure Manual” with “Governance Manual” and/or “Operations Manual”
As appropriate in the Bylaws of the American Association for Nude Recreation, Inc

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There is an initiative in the City of Spokane to get a measure on the ballot to ban mere nudity. This initiative recognises that there is a law against lewd behavior but wishes to criminalize mere nudity in any public place. While this initiative failed to get the required votes to be on the Fall 2014 ballot, they intend to spend the next year getting signatures to get it onto the Fall 2015 ballot. As nudists, we find that this legislation is indeed harmful. We need to educate the voters of Spokane that such a law is intrusive and is not in the best interests of the city.

As a start to that effort, AANR-NW is sponsoring an informational booth at the 4th of July fireworks at Riverfront Park in Spokane. If you are there, stop by and say hi.

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AANR West:  The "Friends of Bates Beach", "Southern California Nudist Association" and AANR West finalized and submitted a proposal to the California State Parks Forward Commission for review.  It proposes the formal acknowledgement of multiple clothing-optional beaches, hiking trails and natural springs.  The Commission is expected to release its decision early next year.

AANR Florida: 
Big Hickory Island Preserve: AANR and AANR Florida are pushing for the creation of a nude sunbathing location on Big Hickory Island Preserve in Lee County.  The group's representative has already met with law enforcement and is now working with county administrators.

Jacksonville Beach Petition: If you haven't already, please sign the petition – 3/10 of a Mile of Jacksonville Beach Should be Designated as Clothing Optional

 

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One of our readers sent in a link to an article Why skin cancer rates continue to increase, asking that it be passed on. Additionally, not mentioned in this report, but reported by the World Health Organization is the link between Climate Change and Skin Cancer. Studies also indicate that tanning beds contribute to the rise in the numbers of skin cancers. This increase is also reported in other publications, for example, Skin Cancer Foundation . For ideas on how to reduce the risk of skin cancer, including how to pick a good sunscreen, checkout the Environmental Work Group Guide to Sun Safety. .So, while you enjoy summer, don’t forget to practice safe sun.

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by Sun Meadow
AANR has designated July 2014 as Thanks for the Freedom! month. We will join AANR in celebrating our veterans during the entire month of July.

Look what veterans, active duty and inactive duty military personnel and their spouses can get during July 2014:

They will receive AANR grounds fees and room rates;
they will be offered a 3-month subscription to The Bulletin;
they will be put on the email list for the Undressed Press;
and they can get savings on advertising in The Bulletin.
In addition, AANR has encouraged us to have a fundraising event for a veterans nonprofit organization. Charitywatch.org, a nonprofit watchdog group, rates a host of different charities, and gives them a grade based on various factors.

• Nonprofits whose budgets devote at least 75% to programs,
• who spend $25 or less to raise $100,
• who do not hold excessive reserves,
• and who are “open-book” in their disclosures receive an A rating.

Three veterans charities received an A+ rating:

• Semper Fi Fund/Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
• Fisher House Foundation
• Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund

We selected Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which raises funds to build centers serving returning veterans suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress.

Here is their mission statement:
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund serves United States military personnel wounded or injured in service to our nation, and their families. Supporting these heroes helps repay the debt all Americans owe them for the sacrifices they have made in service to our nation. They are, in the words of our founder, the late Zachary Fisher, “our nation’s greatest national resource,” and they deserve all the help that our nation can provide. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is a leader in meeting this important national mission.

Check out their website: http://www.fallenheroesfund.org

If you decide to donate, and if you itemize your tax deductions, you have two choices. You can donate on their website, but if you do, they will not know the donation comes as part of an AANR event. You can also make a check out to Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and send or take it to Sun Meadow. We will send all those checks with a cover letter stating that the funds came from our AANR fundraising event. If you do not itemize your deductions, you can just put it on your Sun Meadow bill and pay it when you pay your other charges. We will write a single check for all those donations.

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There are only four more performances of the play “To the Naked Eye”. And only one of those performances are clothing optional. If you have the opportunity, you should see it.

It runs on Thursday – Saturday from June 6 – June 28 at the Cornish Playhouse in Seattle Center The best part is that Thursday nights are clothing optional nights. You get a fifty percent discount if you disrobe. Last Thursday’s performance was a sell out, so be sure to reserve your seat,

To get advance tickets for Clothing Optional Thursdays

Send an email to tickets@playwrights-theatre.org with:
*Name
*Date of the show you wish to attend
*The number of tickets you need
*A Phone number where we can reach you.

They will give a call in the afternoon or evening and take a credit card over
the phone. Tickets will be available at Will Call the night of the
performance.

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