Social structures and hierarchies at nudist resorts
The structure I'm describing below is an amalgam of the various resorts I've visited over the years. So of course this will vary from resort to resort. But here it is, in descending order:
- The resort owner/manager.
This is the person (or persons) running things. They set the tone, so whatever philosophy of nudism they have is pretty much how it is going to be practiced at their resort.
- Members.
They pay yearly fees and visit the resort regularly. Some even have residential property at the resort.
Depending on the resort structure, they are sometimes the owner's "right-hand"; helping with running the resort, conducting tours, monitoring behavior, etc... Sometimes several members will coalesce and form what is commonly referred to as a "clique."
- Day/regular visitors.
That would be people like my wife and myself. We don't go to the same resort often enough for there to be a financial advantage to becoming members. Not everyone might know us on a first name basis; but everyone has seen us before.
- Newbies
These are the people that you've never seen before and don't know if you'll ever see again.
Some resort make a special effort trying to make newbies feel welcome and accepted. Some resorts do not.
- Single men
When I was a single male nudist it felt at times like I was a "second class citizen" in the nudist community. Enough said...
I understand that structure is important and people need it to feel secure. The problem in my mind is that there are certain structures and hierarchical settings that can make the resort environment into a virtual "authoritarian democracy." I think that in this day and age - with all the strife and tribalism - that's the last structure a nudist resorts needs to maintain. Yet there are some out there that still do.
Thoughts?
Our club is another sub-category; Co-Op
Member owned, managed by a Board and a manager. We, as Co-Op member/owners supposedly have a say in what goes on at the club but we don't live there and do not attend Board meetings. Those that do live there and attend the meetings obviously have more say it what goes on. What we like about it is that annual fees/dues do not go into the club owner's pocket but rather go back into the club to make improvements and continue maintaining the infrastructure, buildings and amenities.
Make no mistake. Our club has these hierarchies as well. Single men are not treated any different than most other clubs and resorts. I was never a single male but would visit without my wife on week days and was also treated like a second class citizen, only to be treated the opposite when my wife did accompany me on days she was not working. Cliques abound at our club and it's obvious. We do have newbies and I suspect that there are day users that frequent the club but we tend to visit on weekdays and no on weekends like many of these day users.
The social structure and hierarchy further reveals itself in the following of rules and etiquette. One of the more common rules that seems to favor residents and some members is the use of cell phones/tablets and other electronic devices on the pool deck or anywhere near where nudists are active; volleyball court, tennis courts, pickle ball courts. But where a day user or the occasional visiting member, such as ourselves, is chastised for cell phone use on the pool deck, residents and members who are chummy with the management get away with it scot free. It's something I've written about many times; rules for all but it depends on who you are or who you know, if the rules are enforced.
I do think that all these social structures and hierarchies have diminished the member numbers and kept the younger crowd away. Our club office staff has admitted that some of the changes have cost them/us money at the gate and members refusing to renew their memberships. People don't much like being told what to do and not do, especially the older crowd, and they are not open to change.
O We have some 35-40 year members that think they have some hierarchy but in reality they do not at our club.
We have those too. They seem to be the biggest instigators of trouble! I guess we're lucky that management usually throws the Board under the bus, blaming them for certain rules and such, to keep them in line! hahaha
AndyDi wrote:Our club is another sub-category; Co-OpMember owned, managed by a Board and a manager. We, as Co-Op member/owners supposedly have a say in what goes on at the club but we don't live there and do not attend Board meetings. Those that do live there and attend the meetings obviously have more say it what goes on. What we like about it is that annual fees/dues do not go into the club owner's pocket but rather go back into the club to make improvements and continue maintaining the infrastructure, buildings and amenities.
I prefer that arrangement. What is the name of the club? I'd like to visit there sometime, if the occasion permits. It reminds me of a place I visited in western Pennsylvania back in the '70s.
The line between security and freedom is thin. As a mostly single male (married but wife is not always present,) I understand the reasons for some of the rules that clubs have. Given the sensitive nature of the lifestyle, people like to feel that there is some place they can go and be free and not worry about an image of them ending up someplace that can affect their textile life. I abide by the rules so that I am not the cause of someone elses discomfort.
I have had the pleasure of visiting a club as a single male and had wonderful experiences. I was scrutinized by the person at the desk at check in but I had also called first. She made sure I was who I said I was and I think did a background check but once I was in, people came to me and started conversation. It may be because I went in the middle of winter, in the middle of the week and in the middle of the day so there were not many people at the club but those who were, were quit welcoming.
As a solo male I have experienced this everyplace that I have been. All have a bunch of questions about your nudist history/experience before they will let you in and some places "like here in MN" won't let you in at all unless you come as a couple or part of a bigger group. So I have just kinda kept to myself and not approached others but was still polite to everyone.
The interesting thing I found was who the types were that would approach me first. At most places it was the men with all the questions to get a background on me and to see what my intensions were but at two places (Ill and MI) it was the ladies that had all the questions for me before they were all comfortable with my being there and paid me no mind.
I saw the social structure very apparent at the larger clubs and not as much at the smaller ones although I am sure it was still there, just harder to define because of lower amounts of people.
Since I have become an AANR member a few years back that seems to speed up or help the process of acceptance.
I have not been to a club solo in a lot of years but I will say it was a different experience than if Luann was with me. No one was mean to me by no means but rather a very solice experience. If I am at our home club alone working on a project I do get the hell pestered out of me where Luann is. I do not know one guy on the planet that wants to be pestered as of yet and answer the same question over and over.
My first resort experience was at Cypress Cove. I was fortunate to have a contact that I had met online meet me there and I was welcomed and introduced all around. Felt extremely welcome and so it was a great experience. At others it is the ignored mostly but I have never been treated rudely if I should say hello to anyone. At Star Ranch in TX I was treated very well as members were social and even talked me into staying for a spontaneous dinner which they prepared from their cottages and brought to the picnic area so that we could all share together.
Given all the solo men that are bad actors (behave badly) it seems understandable to me that people and women in particular are very cautious with solo men. Its unfortunate for those of us who are very genuine and just love social nude recreation. So I accept the fact that I need to reach out appropriately if I wish to interact with members and other guests.
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