- We Have a Logo
- Lee Baxandall Enters the Nudist Hall of Fame
- AANR Convention Makes Many Changes
- Hurricanes Hit Florida Clubs
- A New Book in the Club Library
- Announcements
| Tallahassee Naturally is a non-profit
organization dedicated to the advancement of naturist recreation
in north Florida and nearby areas. The club is an affiliate
member of both the Naturist Society and the American
Association for Nude Recreation. Bare and Free is the official Newsletter of the Tallahassee Naturally Club. Articles appearing in Bare and Free may be reprinted by other naturist publications, provided that credit is given. Photos, however, may only be reprinted with written permission. Club members are encouraged to submit , articles news items, and photos for publication. Please address all submission to: Tallahassee Naturally, P.O. Box 6866, Tallahassee FL, 32314 or To the Editor, 502 Airport Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32304 or smithj7@peoplepc.com. 
|
We Have a Logo
We finally have a logo. We asked for logo ideas using a contest. We received design ideas, though timelines for contest deadlines were in question.
At the Annual Business Meeting in March, 2004, we considered logo ideas as presented in the March 2004 newsletter. Members were not completely satisfied with any of the logo proposals, so we discussed combining the best features of logo ideas presented. We agreed that the new design would have a picture of a family, surrounded by a colored oval frame bearing the club name. Kim volunteered to assimilate the ideas presented.
Thanks to Kim, we have our current logo. The membership authorized the board to make the final decision, so month after month, Kim brought in options and refinements until we had something everybody liked.
At the center is a fine art sketch of a naturist family--a design once used briefly by Lake Como, and which they have signed over to us. The frame includes a lake, pines, a pine cone, and a dragon fly. The whole thing is purposely off-center in a sort of Art Nouveau design.
Lee Baxandall Enters the Nudist Hall of Fame
The American Association for Nude Recreation has honored the founder of its rival organization, The Naturist Society, by inducting Lee Baxandall into the Nudist Hall of Fame. This is the biggest step yet in bringing the two national organizations into harmony--and we made it happen.
Six years ago, our club nominated Lee for the overdue honor. Year after year, there were enough votes in the national selection committee to keep the nomination alive, but not enough to grant the award. All nominations expire after five years. Last year, at the AANR convention, two committee members approached Paul with the suggestion that the time was ripe to submit the nomination again. Sure enough, it worked this time on the first try.
Though our whole membership voted on both nominations, only six people outside of our club and the judging committee were in on the secret. (We had to get their help in supplying information on the many things Lee had done.)
The nomination cited Mr. Baxandall's quarter-century of public service, starting on Cape Cod in 1976, and leading to the establishment of The Naturist Society in 1980. At a time when no other national organization took an interest in America's vanishing free beaches, Lee sponsored the organization of more than 50 local clubs--including ours. He led the way in accepting single people, gay people, and the disabled into the naturist family. And he led us back to original principals by putting the emphasis on nature. His quarterly magazine, Clothed with the Sun (later renamed Nude and Natural) brought real intellectual content and probing into significant issues.
Most importantly, Lee saw the need for political activism. So when anti-nudity bills first hit the Florida legislature in 1994, an experienced Naturist Action Committee was there to advise us. At that time, our club took some criticism for co-operating with both national nudist organizations. In recent years, the two groups have increasingly worked together and pooled their resources. The Mid-Winter Naturist Festival each February remains the staging ground where Florida clubs plan their annual strategy for dealing with the legislature.
A victim of Parkinson's disease, Lee Baxandall retired from public life a couple of years ago. Three women who had kept the office running for years took over leadership of The Naturist Society.
He was only the 35th person ever admitted to the American Nudist Hall of Fame. Long-time AANR lawyer, the late Bob Page, also entered this year.
AANR Convention Makes Many Changes
The AANR Convention made some mighty big changes in the way things are done. The old delegate system is scheduled for demolition, and major decisions will soon be made by direct ballots from all the members. The 14 national trustees will now be divided into 7 trustees elected by the 7 regions, and 7 others elected nationwide according to the size of their clubs. (Our club had some reservations about this one, but we'll see how it goes.)
The proposal to have the trustees elect officers among themselves was tabled until next year, when the convention will be in Florida where we can attend to express our opposition. So many people were against it that this proposal is unlikely to come back in the same form--if at all.
Another successful proposal allows for fewer meetings when things can be handled by telephone or e-mail. Still another moves most of the committees out of the bylaws and into the procedure manual where they can be updated more easily. It also eliminated required duplication of committees on the regional level.
The changes will be phased in over the next couple of years. Next year's convention will be at Caliente near Tampa. The 2006 convention marks the 75th anniversary of AANR, and will be back in California at DeAnza Springs.
Hurricanes Hit Florida Clubs
Hurricane Charley, originally headed toward the Tampa area, did very little damage to the many nudist resorts there. Instead, it veered to the east and made landfall on Capativa Island near Fort Myers, where the Sanibel Naturists own their own stretch of beach. The island was cut in half, their boat mooring place is gone, but the beach survived.
The much-weakened storm still did a lot of damage to Cypress Cove near Kissimmee. Many trees blew down, crushing cars and house trailers. Upturned roots broke the water lines. The main buildings suffered nothing worse than some missing shingles. But getting everything back to something like normal took two weeks, before the club was ready to handle visitors once more.
The AANR office in Kissimmee was closed for about a week without electricity or phone. The storm hit when many of the people from the office were in California, attending the AANR convention. After the storm, the staff were able to get a status report out to the clubs by e-mail from a different location.
Though Hurricane Frances was a much bigger storm, it caused only minor damage to the three east coast resorts. Sunsport Gardens near west Palm Beach and Sunny Sands toward Daytona both lost a few trees and electricity. Sunnier Palms near Fort Pierce sustained similar damage--plus the wind blew down part of their privacy fence. Hurricane Frances knocked down lots of small pine branches at our own lake.
[Two more storms hit after this was written. They toppled a total of about twenty pine trees on our land. Several of them blocked trails until Don cleared them with his trusty chain saw.]
A Place for Weekday Visits
People who work during the week, rejoice! There is finally a place where you can go on weekdays. 12 Oaks Bed and Breakfast in Monticello began as a clothing-optional gay place. But business is slow during the week, and they are trying to go more mainstream. They are now offering day passes to members of our club for $10--the same as you would pay to go to the lake.
They have a large private back yard with a medium-sized heated pool and a tennis court. When Paul went to check out the place, he saw three men and one woman. All were clothed, including the two men in the pool.
For more information, check their web site: www.12oaksresort.com.
It is absolutely required that you call ahead before going: (850) 997-0333. In fact, you can't get in unless somebody official is there to answer the door. From the courthouse in Monticello, go one mile north on Highway 19. Turn right on County Road 149 (Boston Highway) and go another mile. 12 Oaks is on the right, just past the golf course.
A New Book in the Club Library
We have obtained a copy of a 24-page British booklet titled Naturism and Christianity: Are they Compatible? One author, Karen Gorham, is an Episcopal priest. The other author, Dave Leal, is an Oxford lecturer in Philosophy and Moral Theology, who grew up in a naturist family. After examining history and ethics, the authors give a resounding YES to the question in the title. It is one of the best treatments we have ever seen on the subject of Christian naturism.
Our club library long ago grew too big to be portable, and is now mostly in storage. If you would like to borrow this booklet, let Paul know.
Announcements
We have a limited supply of the latest AANR Park Guides for sale at a bargain price of $10. They normally sell for $17 plus $5 shipping. Get yours while they last.