BARE AND FREE

In this Issue

Days to Remember

March

April

Other Calendar Events

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.

Plan to Attend the Annual Business Meeting March 9

Ours is a member-run club. All members should plan to attend the Annual Business Meeting on March 9. It’s also a picnic. We eat at 1:00 and meet at 2:00. (Besides eating an hour earlier because of the meeting, that is also the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. Don’t show up at 3:00 looking for food.) The day is free for meeting attendees, but we will be taking donations for our Legal Fund. (See the next article.)

With two rent increases and the construction of two buildings, 2007 was a year of high expense--part of which was offset by generous donations. Come to learn how our treasury fared. Because we already raised our lake fees for this year, no additional fees or bylaw proposals are on the agenda. But we do have to elect our board for this year. (If you are willing to serve, let Grant or Paul know. You must have attended two membership meetings, or two board meetings plus a membership meeting. The March 9 meeting can count as one of them.)

Afterward, there will be a short organizational meeting of the new board.

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All Is Not Well in Florida

Two trouble spots are emerging. The first is at Playalinda Beach in the Cape Canaveral National Seashore. Years ago, a park superintendent on an anti-nudity crusade persuaded the county commission to pass an anti-nudity ordinance and then enforce it on federal land. His successor co-operated with the traditional nude sunbathers, and officially designated a second tiny nude area at Apollo Beach--also within the national seashore, but in a different county. Now there is another superintendent: a woman who can’t stand nude sunbathers. She has been insisting that county deputies come and do something about it. But there is also a new sheriff who has more important things to do. Deputies have occasionally come out to issue warnings and harass people by taking nude photographs. No one has yet been arrested. Meanwhile, the nude area signs at Apollo Beach have mysteriously disappeared. In an apparent effort to de-escalate the situation, the park service has put the woman on long-term leave, but her assistant is still carrying out her policies.

Central Florida Naturists used to be the watchdog group for Playalinda Beach. But beach groups always find that their numbers swell during a crisis, then dwindle away during peaceful times. The new harassment comes after a relaxed time when Central Florida Naturist membership sank to zero. They have to reorganize quickly.

The second trouble spot is the state legislature right here in Tallahassee. For the past several years, we have only had to watch for sneaky amendments to other bills, but this year, there is a direct attack on nude beaches. House Bill 801 would prohibit nudity within 1,000 feet of any public beach or county park in Florida. The bill takes double aim at Haulover Beach, which lies within a county park. But because South Florida Free Beaches has done such a fine job of making friends in the legislature over the past many years, this bill is unlikely to ever pass.

Making political friends is important. Last year, a bill on child protection would also have tampered with nudity law. It came before a committee chaired by a woman who has attended one of our open houses. She refused to hear the bill until the nudity portion was omitted. It was. Unfortunately, she is no longer in a position to help us this year. We have to continue making new friends.

Our Legal Fund is supported entirely by donations, often in the $50-to-$100 range. Right now, it is too low for us to even send our usual election-year evaluation of candidates. (Our club has led the nation in candidate evaluation since 1994. Both national organizations have sent our pamphlet on how to do it to every club in the country.) Even if neither of the political rumblings turn into an emergency, our Legal Fund needs replenishing. The Annual Meeting or your membership renewal are fine times to keep our citizenship effort going.

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Our Wish List

Equipment continues to appear by magic in our storage shed. Thanks go to our members who have quietly donated stuff--especially to Bob for shovels, and Wendy for a first aid kit. We still lack many things that burned up in last year’s fire. If some of them (like a card table and a garden rake) don’t appear soon, we will have to start buying new replacements. We still need:

• large metal cabinet for picnic supplies
• 2 card tables
• folding stand
• trash barrel
• volleyball
• badminton set
• games and toys
• books--including children's books
• folding lounge chairs
• floats and/or inner tubes
• gardening tools--axe, fork, garden rake, hoe, grass sling, brush snippers, saws
• broom & dustpan
• small hand tools--hammer, screwdrivers, etc.
• small mower for maintaining the nature trail
• swing set
• pair of handheld weights for Greek athletics

And don’t forget that it’s not too late to get a building named after you. We now know exactly what each new building cost: $1,034.95 for the pavilion, and $849.22 (plus a lot of work) for the storage shed. We will gladly name either building after any member who underwrites the cost. Where else can you get a building named after yourself for so little? Smaller donations are also welcome.

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We Have Two New Books for Sale

North American Guide to Nude Recreation, 23rd edition. Kissimmee: The American Association for Nude Recreation. 2008. 240 pages, a few black-and-white illustrations. Cover price: $13.95. Our price: $12.00.

The World’s Best Nude Beaches and Resorts. [New title for the 4th edition.] Oshkosh: The Naturist Society. 2007. 304 pages, many color illustrations. Cover price: $25.95. Our price: $24.00.

Both nudist guidebooks have just come out in new editions. The AANR "Park Guide" is revised every other year. We have been waiting more than twelve years for a new edition of The Naturist Society’s "World Guide."

The AANR book is small and inexpensive--designed to fit in the glove compartment of a recreational vehicle. A separate map comes with it, so you can plan your travels. Here, you will find information on more than 200 AANR clubs--including their policies on dress and single visitors. There is a checklist of facilities for each landed club--as well as driving directions. All clubs, landed or not, get a descriptive paragraph and a list of their special events.

The TNS book describes more than 1,000 free beaches and resorts in 50+ countries across North and South America, Europe, Australia, and the southern tip of Africa. And a lot of safe nude beaches have been designated since the last guide was published. Colored pictures abound. This book costs twice as much, but it’s more than twice the book, and is expected to be around for a long time.

Both books are on display at the lake. See Paul. And bring money.

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Don’t Miss the College Greek Athletic Meet March 30

The thirteenth annual College Greek Athletic Meet continues the longest-running nude college program in the nation. This is the world’s only authentic re-enactment of the ancient Pentathlon: broad jump, discus, 200-yard dash, and javelin--with stand-up wrestling in case of a tie. People of any age can compete, but the victory wreaths are reserved for the top college student in each classification: male athlete, male non-athlete, female athlete, female non-athlete.

This all happens March 30. (Rain date is April 6.) The schedule is:

10:00 Registration begins

11:00 Demonstration and practice in the ancient methods

1:00 Competition

Participants get in free. Visiting spectators pay $20. (No free first visits that day.) Club members enter at their normal rates.

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Everyone’s Membership Expires at the End of March

Everyone’s club membership expires at the end of March. Since no additional fee increases are under consideration, people can settle up now. Renewing members are expected to deepen their commitment by joining at least one of the national organizations. A new gate combination will probably go into effect around May 1. Rates are:

Tallahassee Naturally

45.00 Membership--person, couple, or family

22.00 Student membership

155.00 Annual lake fee (or pay $15 a day--$7 for students)

American Association for Nude Recreation

33.00 Single (expected to go up)

58.50 Couple (expected to go up)

12.50 Student

The Naturist Society

53.00 person, couple, family ($100 two years)

43.00 student, senior citizen ($80 two years)

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Announcements

1. All members need to sign in using both first and last names. While we can recognize the first name signature of some of our older members, we still can't recognize everyone's name. So even if you have been here a while please sign your first and last name to set an example for our newer members.
2. Contact someone on the board to take of alligator problems. Do not try to handle the problem yourself.
3. The Nature Trail is looking pretty good after a year of neglect while we put up new buildings. The Fetterbush, the first flower of spring, is blooming now.

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