Today Tom Mulhall, board member of AANR West and owner of the Terra Cotta Inn, recommended that nudists and naturists join both the American Association for Nude Recreation and The Naturist Society, and urged all to donate to their legal defense funds.
I wholeheartedly agree.
There are a lot of nudist and not-so-nudist web sites out there trying to get your money. Most of them are really selling photos and videos for profit, and while they often do reflect true nudist and naturist values, they really do not add much to the table when it comes to public affairs. If you are spending $50 here and $50 there for social networks or photo sites, re-think your priorities and steer those dollars towards one of the national organizations that are working for you, not just for themselves.
The Internet is not a substitute for social nudism. If you are someone who has only experienced social nudism in the virtual world, get off your bare buns and join AANR or TNS and attend a real, live nudist event or venue.
So here's another challenge to Tom, and a call to action for nudists and naturists everywhere. Since Tom and Mary Clare state that they are no longer members of TNS, I will purchase them a gift membership. A membership application can be downloaded here. Tom, just print it, fill it out, let me know, and I will mail you a check, no strings attached.
The call to action is for all members of AANR and/or TNS to purchase a gift membership for a friend. It is the holidays after all, and I'll bet that most of us know at least one person at our local clubs and venues who is not a member, or perhaps someone online.
And all you nudist bloggers and web site owners can run with this challenge, too. And if everyone reading this can pass on the challenge on their favorite forum, we can begin to make a difference.
Tom Mulhall has shown that egos can be set aside when a common cause is being threatened. The only way to move forward on nudist and naturist rights is to organize, and in order to organize people have to join and contribute.
So stop paying for photos and videos online, give up Starbucks for a couple of weeks, drop pennies into a jar, whatever it takes, and support YOUR nudist and naturist organizations today.
2 comments:
So why exactly should I donate to two different legal defense funds? More specifically, has AANR really done anything worthwhile this year?
If AANR stuck to good PR (which is their strength), I'd donate to them in support of educating the masses. But when they use my money to step on NAC's toes, and leave out TNS in all of their PR, then I really don't see why they deserve any.
Each organization has its shortcomings. God knows I've been critical of both, and heaped on the praise when deserved. Yes, for my money the NAC does the best job on the public lands issue. TNS puts out a nice magazine and organizes great gatherings for its members. AANR is sometimes great at PR such as with the skinny-dipping record.
There are basically only two ways to bring these groups together. If nudists and naturists belong to both, and we're only talking about less than 150 bucks annually, it will create a common interest, sort of a trickle-up effect. The other way is for the organizations to merge, or for one to go under.
Hey, a little competition could be good, but I agree that AANR seems to have lost their friendly spirit or cooperation on most issues.
The loss of Lee Baxandall looms larger and larger as time passes.
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