The Naturist Society Foundation
I recently renewed my membership in the Naturist Society. I have been a member of this Oshkosh WI based group since 1994.
The society's founder was a man by the name of Lee Baxandall. You should Google him sometime. Although I would never subscribe to his far left politics in his earlier days, he was very influential in promoting naturism as a way of body acceptance in order to counter the fashion and advertising industry's portrayal of ideal beauty and the damage all that does to young people coming of age.
Lee passed away of Parkinson's disease in 2008 but his organization lives on as a tax-exempt foundation that still does Lee's work and produces a fine quarterly magazine.
Anybody else here a Naturist Society supporter?
I joined TNS a few years ago, mainly because I appreciate the advocacy work they do (eg the support toward establishing nude beaches and recreation areas, promoting nudity as a healthy lifestyle). Recently they started offering Web programs. I tuned in to one on photography a couple of weeks ago which I quite enjoyed. There have been others on the history of nudism which didn't fit my schedule. I think the new outreach to members is great.
Like the OP my wife and I have been members since '94 and attended many of their yearly Western Gatherings. Really missed it last year and this year, but have been attending many of their online programs and even led one a few weeks ago on the History of Elysium and their publications.
Yes, Di and I have been TNS members since 1996. We also joined AANR at the same time. You don't have to be a member of one or the other but nudists/naturists should support them both. They both have their strengths and weaknesses but together, they advocate for all things nudist and naturist.
My understanding is that AANR focuses mostly on what you might call the nudism "industry"... resorts, landed clubs, and merchants of goods and services oriented toward nudism, and dealing with the issues of establishing legal advice for people pursuing this course. TNS, on the other hand, concentrates mostly on non-landed clubs and public areas, and dealing with the issue of use of public land. Both have their place.
My understanding is that AANR focuses mostly on what you might call the nudism "industry"... resorts, landed clubs, and merchants of goods and services oriented toward nudism, and dealing with the issues of establishing legal advice for people pursuing this course. TNS, on the other hand, concentrates mostly on non-landed clubs and public areas, and dealing with the issue of use of public land. Both have their place.
If you look at the back several pages of any "N" magazine, you'll find that TNS has participating groups, clubs and resorts that it supports and it's not just non land groups, public areas or dealing with just issues of use of public land. For nudists/naturists, it's imperative that we all work together for the better good of this lifestyle and unlike in the past, these two orgs have gotten together to work together the better good of all nudists, no matter where they participate in nudism/naturism. When we as a community begin splitting hairs about what a nudist is and what naturist is and which org is better to belong to because of some misrepresented notion, it divides us further and does nudists/naturists a disservice.
Yes, I've been a member of TNS for several years. Both TNS and AANR are good organizations, with slightly different mission focus. I've been to several AANR member resorts and events, and have never encountered a bit of hesitation over my TNS card or membership.
Jim Tighe
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