Bare Facts
Copyright 2000 Lake Edun Foundation, Inc.
Official Publication of the Lake Edun Foundation, Inc.
December 1, 2004
Box 1982; Topeka, KS 66601 Voice Mail: 785-478-BARN e-mail: benude@lakeedun.com Website: www.lakeedun.com
REPORT FROM THE CHAIR
By BORNNUDE
I was not present for the meeting. In spite of (or perhaps because of) that, a great deal was accomplished.
New Board Members joining us were Susan T. and Stephanie. Ernie is the new President, Webb remains the Treasurer and Stephanie becomes the Secretary. Committee chairs were selected. If not this month, in the future each Committee Chair will have a report in the Newsletter.
As everyone may have noticed, membership is down. This is not something that can be improved by the officers alone. We need everyone's help. The survey results have been helpful and we are working to reach an agreement with the Heartland Naturists.
Return to Edun is our most important event. Nate is in charge this year. Your help is greatly needed. Please let Nate know how you can help. He is working on bands, vendors, concessions, advertising, activities, the date, etc. He can't do all of those things by himself.
Dave S. will be working on publicity, which also needs membership participation. Don't forget the showing of our video at the Topeka Public Library in March. Volunteers are needed there also.
This is the time of year when all of our planning is done. Ideas are greatly encouraged. Feel free to contact any Board Member or attend the Board Meeting Saturday, December 11, 2004, at 4:00 p.m. at Webb's office.
Holiday Sauna Schedule
This year, both Christmas Day and New Years Day fall on a Saturday: Sauna Day. We anticipate most Eduners will want to enjoy their Christmas Day with family and friends. Thus, we have not scheduled a sauna for the evening of December 25. However, we anticipate some Eduners may enjoy a sauna the evening of January 1 and we will have our regular, scheduled sauna. (It may help any Eduners who might get carried away the evening before.).
As we have reported in the past, our weekly saunas are made possible by several dedicated Eduners who enjoy making the benefits of these healthful evenings available to all Eduners. Some weeks, there are 8-12 Eduners who participate in our sauna; on some weeks, no one but the host shows up. In either event, our hosts commit to remain at the sauna until 9 if no one else comes. Eduners and our friends who wish to enjoy a sauna should plan to arrive prior to 9 pm and complete their sauna by 10 pm so the host may leave.
Items We Need
Barnes & Noble Stops Selling 'N'
The Naturist Society (TNS) recently informed us that Nude & Natural magazine will no longer be accepted for retail sale by Barnes & Noble, Inc. Other naturist periodicals are also affected by the giant book seller's decision, which Barnes & Noble says is a response to "the concerns of our customers." Meanwhile, magazines like Playboy and Penthouse are unaffected by the new position and will continue to be sold.
The selective focus on naturist magazines for total removal from an enormous national newsstand is a dangerous and outrageous turn of events. The Naturist Action Committee is asking you to write to the Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble to express your outrage.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest retail book seller in North America. The company operates 647 Barnes & Noble, Bookstop and Bookstar stores and 195 B. Dalton bookstores and Doubleday Bookshops throughout 49 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The giant retailer will record close to 6 billion dollars in sales during 2004.
Public newsstand sales of Nude & Natural magazine are an important outreach to those who are not naturists. Through a spokesperson, Barnes & Noble said it is responding to the wishes of its customers. They did not identify the particular customers or group to which it is responding and declared it will not discuss details of its distribution and stocking decisions. There is speculation the move came as a result of a staged objection, not to Nude & Natural magazine itself, but to a different publication of the same genre.
Two other periodicals were eliminated at the same time from the retail shelves of Barnes & Noble: H&E Naturist and Travel Naturally.
The Naturist Action Committee requests that you write (don't email) to the Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc.: Mr. Steve Riggio; CEO, Barnes & Noble, Inc.; 122 Fifth Avenue; New York, NY 10011
When you write, be sure to give your name and address. Anonymous correspondence is typically ignored. Be
Continued Page 6: Barnes & Noble
Activities designated HN are sponsored by Heartland Naturists
Dec 4; Sat; 8-10; Sauna
Dec 11; Sat; 4-6; Board of Directors Meeting
Dec 11; Sat; 8-10; Sauna
Dec 18; Sat; 8-10; Sauna
Jan 1; Sat; 8-10; Sauna
Jan 8; Sat; 4-6; Board of Directors Meeting
Jan 8; Sat; 8-10; Sauna
Jan 15; Sat; 8-10; Sauna
Jan 22; Sat; 8-10; Sauna
Jan 31; Sat; 8-10; Sauna
My Story
By: Danni
The first time my husband mentioned visiting a clothing-optional place I thought, "you've got to be kidding!" Taking my clothes off in public? I mean, I was still a little nervous to go nude at home behind closed doors. But, we went. He walked around everywhere completely unclothed and I stayed covered from head to toe. But, I left very intrigued.
The next summer we visited Sandy Hook, New Jersey. I discovered very quickly that if I didn't undress there, I would be the odd ball. So I did. I found it to be very liberating, comfortable, and cool (it was a hot day). We have since visited Sandy Hook again as well as Haulover Beach in Florida, and Sauvie Island, Oregon.
Then about two months ago, my husband mentioned visiting Lake Edun in Topeka. I was very cautious once again. Topeka is awfully close to home. I was afraid to let anyone I knew that shy little Old me could possibly be nude in public. But once again, I went - only this time it was different. I liked it from the start. From the greeting and hospitality we received when we arrived at the barn to the immediate acceptance from those at the beach, I knew that I had nothing to fear. Now, after being a member for two months - and four visits later - my nude inhibitions are gone. I look forward to going and can't wait to disrobe.
Thank you Lake Eduners for welcoming us to this special place. Thank you for teaching me that I don't have to be far from home to find the comfort and liberation that I first discovered that day on the beach in New Jersey.
In the News
Citizens of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio made some news about the news. Or rather, one of the news anchor's at WOIO-TV made some news of her own. The anchor, Sharon Reed appeared on the air nude in a first-person report about an artist's photographs, drawing a record number of viewers for the time slot, the station said.
Ms. Reed was one of hundreds of participants in Spencer Tunick's nude photo shoot in Cleveland in June. The 11 p.m. newscast showed far away angles of her nude and some closer seminude shots, as well as other participants.
The report comes in the midst of increased attention sparked first by Janet Jackson's breast-baring performance at the Super Bowl halftime show. Later the apology by ABC for it's intro to "Monday Night Football" featuring a naked actress jumping into a player's arms. This was intended as a spoof of the television show "Desperate Housewives."
WOIO news director Steve Doerr said the idea was to cover Tunick, a well-known artist, in a different way. Doerr said the story also was aimed at bringing in ratings during November sweeps when audiences are measured to set advertising rates.
Monday's newscast received a record 17.1 share, compared with the 13.6 earned during the newscast airing immediately after the Super Bowl.
The station aired advisories before the piece, and an FCC spokeswoman said the station followed commission rules that prohibit indecent material from being aired on broadcast television from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Doerr said the station received mostly supportive messages from viewers. Reed said she considered it an important story about art.
[Ed. Note: Can you believe it? Using nudity to get ratings ($$). Personally, I think Ms. Reed's journalistic motivation of wanting to bring art to the culturally deprived masses of Ohio, not to mention displaying her considerable natural talent, is to be applauded. I'm sure crass financial gain had nothing to do with it.]
Volleyball Anyone?
Six Virginia Tech students went to Cypress Cove Nudist Resort to participate in the resort's annual volleyball tournament. Of course, the fact that some of the teams playing would be nude made this a different brand of volleyball.
One of the players interviewed stated that, "There is definitely a shock factor at first. My first visit to the nudist resort was for last years' tournament and my friends didn't inform me it was a nudist colony. When we pulled up to the gate I was shocked to see a naked guy on a bicycle. I'm sure that picture will be ingrained in my mind forever."
Some of the players felt a bit uncomfortable being immersed in an environment roughly 60 percent nude. "I know the first time I participated in the tournament I wore dark sunglasses wherever I went because it's just human nature to look," Heather Ludtke said. "I'm not used to seeing naked people around so I felt awkward looking at people," another student reported. "I really tried to just look up and down and make eye contact with people."
Cypress Cove encourages people to be in the nude, but your birthday suit isn't required to enjoy the facilities. The Tech students decided they'd keep their clothes on this weekend. "We all spent the weekend in our bathing suits. I had a brief period where I was exposed in the nude when I was taking an outdoor shower by the pool, but it was only for about five minutes", Williamson said.
Of the sixteen teams playing in the tournament, three played nude. "The teams that were playing in the nude were there more for recreation than competition. They wouldn't dive for the ball because they didn't have the protection. It's definitely hard to play volleyball when you are playing naked teams because you are easily distracted," said Williamson. A lack of clothes did not mean a lack of manners.
Despite the initial stereotype of nudists being quite atypical in nature, the team found the opposite to be true. "I think a lot of people have misconceptions about nudist colonies," Ludtke said. "Most people picture a bunch of weirdoes running around naked when really the people there are some of the friendliest people I've ever met. I guess if you aren't afraid to be naked you aren't afraid to talk to people either."
The Tech team ended winning the "B" bracket and looks to return for next year's tournament. I would definitely do it again Williamson said. "I think next year I'll be less shocked because I'll have a better idea of what to expect."
[Ed. Note: Hey! Way to go Cypress Cove! Creative use of volleyball. Sports diplomacy not only breaks stereotypes, but makes for good publicity.]
Broken Stereotypes
(Two short stories)
By: Sonclothed
I was ministering in a very small church. As a rule Saturdays were mine and I was not to be disturbed. I used Saturdays to spend with family, finish and polish sermons, and rest.
My wife (also a nudist) went to the grocery store. Our home was out a short distance from town. Corn fields were my neighbors. Plus, we had a six foot privacy fence around the back yard with a side gate. With two dogs that barked if anyone came on our driveway, I felt safe sunning in the back yard. I was on a lounge chair spread eagle, half dozing nude, with both dogs lying beside me.
I felt a shadow pass over me. It thought it was a cloud. But it seemed stationary. I opened one eye. There standing directly in front of me was our youth leader Velma, a very attractive young woman of about 25.
I could run for the back door. No! I was doing nothing wrong. She was the one that came over un-announced.
I opened both eyes and started to stand up. Velma said, "Just stay there. You look comfortable."
I replied, "I can go put some pants on."
"It is not necessary on my account," she replied.
We talked for awhile. She was concerned about something in the Sunday school. My wife returned while we were talking and brought out a tray with ice tea and glasses. My wife is a very gracious hostess. She sat down with us. Remember, I am totally nude.
Anyway, my point is Velma never, to my knowledge, made it a topic of conversation. She just accepted it as natural. I feel that if we are walking upright, and then faithful, honest people discover we are nudists, then they have to come to the conclusion that good faithful Christian brothers and sisters can be nudists. The problem arises when we act ashamed of our nudist beliefs.
Sonclothed writes that he has a lot of friends that are missionaries. Many of them work in a tropical climate. This one family (married couple with two children, a boy 11, and a girl 8), were back in the States for a vacation and to raise funds to continue their work. They were staying in our home for about two weeks. They would speak at other churches, but were housed in our home.
The rule in our home is that we do not display our nudism with guests nor insist anyone has to be nude at our home.
I was trying to remember the robe for showers and at appropriate times. I only slept nude while we had company.
One night we were talking about the chill in the air, as this was early fall. Kurt and Susan were not used to the cold. We turned the furnace on for their comfort. I asked, "What do you guys do when it gets nearly 100 degrees with no air conditioning?"
Susan, without hesitation answered, "We go nude."
My wife and I looked at each other trying to hold back our laughter.
Susan immediately blushed and said, "We see naked natives all day, every day. Kurt and I don't feel it is a sin for them to be nude, so why should we act like it is?"
"Good point," I said. My wife nodded her consent as I stated, "Kurt and Susan, we agree wholeheartedly. In fact we spend much of our leisure time nude. We find nothing sinful with it and enjoy the freedom that Christ gives us."
We talked for several hours about their experiences. How the natives were suspicious of them and avoided talking to them. Then when the children were bathing in a tub in the yard, a native couple talked to them. They discovered that because they were always dressed, (as missionaries are supposed to be) the natives thought they were deranged. They prayed about it. They decided to try an experiment. Kurt was going to go nude the following day and try to talk to some of the men. It worked! Susan joined him the following day. Slowly, but studiedly the natives accepted them and were willing to listen to what they had to say. Several have accepted Christ and the little hut they use for services is occupied every Sunday.
We talked about our practice of going nude at home when we didn't have guests.
Kurt volunteered that the kids were not looking forward to their visit to the States, because of the clothes compulsion. Kurt and Susan had the guest room while the children were sleeping on the couch and an air mattress in the living room.
Kurt and Susan decided that even though it was much too cool for them to be outside nude, that it would be nice to be able to relax around the house nude.
That evening when we all were getting ready for bed, Susan told the children they didn't have to wear their pajamas if they didn't want to. My trip to the shower was robe-less.
The following morning we all had our cornflakes and toast without clothes. The remainder of their visit was clothing optional for all. Mostly we opted to not wear them.
Again, once nudity is out in the open it is surprising how many will accept it. Not everyone thinks it is for them, but they don't see anything wrong with it.
(How refreshing. We hear all too often about the anti-naturist views of religious people who urge government to interfere with our freedom to be nude. It is good to be reminded that religious people are not a monolith in their views about social nudity. Ed.)
See More of your Friends
At Lake EdunBody Acceptance II
By: Michael
I was looking through the 1979 edition of a weight training book first published in 1966. There was a table comparing height, weight, and measurements of the average 18 year old American female with those of the preceding 37 Miss America winners. Guess what? The Miss America winners, "Your ideal", were taller, were slightly smaller in the bust, and had narrower waists and hips. These beauty pageant winners weighed 120 lbs. on average, the bottom of the weight range of the average 18 year old.
Compared to the "ideal," even 18 year olds couldn't measure up to the standards held out by society. Talk about an impossible dream! It doesn't really matter when in time we compare the bodies of the average person with that of the idealized body, real people are deemed as not really being quite alright. If that is the plight of the "average" person, think what this means for those whose body falls outside the "average."
Of course, societal standards of idealized beauty changes over time. Those of us old enough, fondly recall the voluptuous proportions of Marilyn Monroe. Nudes painted by The Masters recall a time when even larger proportions were considered beautiful. Of course, when most were barely getting enough to eat, someone wealthy enough to have several extra pounds was to be envied. Sociological factors of wealth and class are hidden factors in who's beautiful.
If all that was at stake was beauty contest winners and show business stars, little harm would be done. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The ideals of physical beauty that bombard us from Hollywood and advertisers of every product imaginable, constantly tell us we are inadequate and need what they have to sell.
The pervasiveness of this cultural conditioning is profound. How this works out in society is exemplified by a Washington Post, July 13, 2004 article. The writer reviewed two nudist magazines. His lead sentence is that seeing these magazines, "…give you a newfound appreciation for clothing." This quip was said in response to a, "…photo of a pudgy middle-aged couple just sort of standing there buck naked." He later adds that, "…the urge to party naked is not confined to the kind of people you'd like to see partying naked."
"It's easy to wax poetic about the beauty of the human body while reading Playboy or gazing at Michelangelo's 'David'," the writer opines. The writer then favorably quotes a letter to the editor in N complaining of blue-collar nudists saying, "Frankly, there is nothing that turns off a twenty or thirty something potential nudist faster than a pot-bellied naked person smoking a cigarette and drinking a can of beer."
You may think this critique of naturists and naturism is solely that of an uninformed, sneering outsider. Not entirely so. Charles Daney, long known for his internet web site that has one of the best directories of nudist/naturist web sites, and is the founder of the nnnlist Yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nnnlist), offers some similar opinions.
In a discussion with another group member Daney wrote:
Furthermore, I think that in practice, promoting "body acceptance is a double-edged sword that isn't necessarily even helpful to naturism. It is true that some fairly overweight people can be persuaded to enjoy the benefits of naturism by learning to "accept" their body as it is. But, look at the result.
There are a lot of rather flabby naturists/nudists (including me, by the way). Just look through an issue of the AANR Bulletin if you haven't been to a nudist club recently.
I think this is a big deterrent to younger, fitter people becoming involved. Sure, there are young people who are fat also. But on average fewer than older folks, if only because they've had several fewer decades to put on excess fat….
How often do we read in news stories that young people don't want to go to nudist clubs because of all the fat old people? Seems to me that this "body acceptance" mantra could just be a self-serving slogan that (a) excuses us from being concerned about our own health, (b) attempts to assuage the self-image problems of overweight people so that they will be more interested in naturism, and (c) tries to make younger, fitter people less put off by the older, less fit people one does find in naturism.
Daney concludes by saying:
In the early days of naturism (in Germany, the U.S., and elsewhere), fitness was very important. Not just healthy weight, but avoidance of alcohol and smoking…."
Anyway, maybe naturism isn't doing itself any favors by straying so far from ideals of healthy living, including looking after one's weight. Sure, our society in many respects goes to the other extreme and makes excessive thinness the ideal of physical attractiveness, especially in the youth culture. But, naturism certainly isn't succeeding very well among young folks by trying to buck this trend.
Maybe a better strategy for what naturism ought to do is to say let's take a sensible, healthy approach to keeping our bodies in good physical shape, so we can then take our clothes off and honestly appreciate the results.
A summary of the response offered to this is as follows:
I disagree that the nudist/naturist organizations are making a mistake by proclaiming that all body sizes and shapes are equally "good." Yes, you are right that obesity is a very serious health problem, and that a body that is healthy is better than one that is overweight. Yet, we have to start from somewhere.
One of the most important factors preventing people from taking part in nudist activities is that they are afraid other people will look at their bodies with disgust (because they look at their own bodies with disgust). I feel one of the most important things associated with nudism is body acceptance. Lack of body acceptance is a hurdle that prevents people from enjoying nude recreation (or nude lifestyle), and the gaining of body acceptance is a great benefit people get when they start engaging in nude recreation.
In order to promote body acceptance, nudist/naturist organizations have to say that all bodies are good. My body is the only one I have through which to live my life, so I should accept it as good. By the same principle, it is good for nudist/naturist organizations to proclaim that all bodies are good, and should be accepted for what they are.
You are right that it is much better for a body to be healthy rather than obese, but we should leave it to the health professions to proclaim that message…Once a person accepts her body the way it is, she can then work to make it an even better body. Of course not all body sizes and shapes are equally good, but whatever body I have right now is the best one I can possibly have right now… I need to accept that, and then work to make the body better. To promote body acceptance, the emphasis should be on the idea that all bodies are good, rather than on the idea that a lot of body flaws are bad.
There are a number of responses that could be made to this exchange. My sympathy is more with the response to Charles Daney. I found his argument disturbing and elitist, a sell-out to a popular culture in which people are valued according to physical appearance. This is diametrically counter to the message presented in the Naturist Society's video on body acceptance.
The video speaks to the tension found in the above two quotations saying, "A healthy body is a beautiful body, regardless of the exact size or shape it takes. It reflects the life and vitality of the spirit within. When that spirit is nourished, the beauty is there." This is absolutely true. When we get beyond the superficiality and prejudices of popular culture, our own experience tells us this understanding is true. Each of us know and love friends and family that in no way would be considered among "the beautiful people." We see these people as they are, and we don't care what Hollywood and Madison Avenue say. That's not just body acceptance, that's people acceptance.
In an interesting way, naturists are a counterculture, an antidote to dehumanizing tendencies in our culture. Naturism, as the video explains, is a call to accept ourselves, recognizing that we filter our world through this unique and magnificent vessel we call the body. Accepting our bodies allows us to face the world with a sense that "I'm ok. I don't have to prove anything to anybody."
At the same time, we should respect the body we have. As Daney suggested, recalling the health emphasis of early naturism is equally valid today. Appreciation of the body includes doing things that promote health. We all know in general what this means. Each of us is on our own path in life regarding care of our body. What it doesn't mean is being judgmental, falling prey to the values of popular culture to exclude anyone in the mistaken belief that if we all were slim and fit, the masses would flock to naturism.
Ster-e-o-type
(An unvarying form or pattern; having no individuality)
In 2001, the leading evangelical magazine "Christianity Today" asked a number of Christian film critics to give their thoughts on nudity in the movies. When I came across this article, I must confess, I had a stereotyped initial reaction, assuming the critics would uniformly be aghast about any nudity in film. I was wrong! Here's a representative sample of the opinions offered:
Steve Lansingh - "One of the great lies American Christians tell our men is to stay away from nudity in order to avoid sexual temptation….Trying to reunite mind and body has been the most helpful tactic for me in fighting the visual sexual temptation of the movies; the more I'm conscious of sex as both physical and mental, the harder it is to be aroused by a mere image.
"The more I'm aware of God's design of the sexes for each other, the easier it is to see the human body as God's glory rather than Satan's tool. To understand who we are as human beings, and who the God who created us is, we need to address the sexual life. I don't know if it can be done properly without nakedness."
J. Robert Parks - "The contemporary church's obsession with nudity is misguided, misleading, and even harmful. Misguided because we all know we can be provoked to lust by a lot less than nudity….Misleading because emphasis on nudity (and swearing) distracts us from equally egregious temptations. The Bible is much more concerned with money and materialism than with nudity and lust, yet few Christians are concerned with Hollywood's blatant glorification of materialist excess…. Finally, harmful because our focus on the negative aspects of nudity and sex often skew our perspective and lead us to denigrate something God sees as beautiful and sacred. I don't believe seeing a naked woman or man is necessarily wrong."
Matthew Prins - "I wouldn't encourage adults to skip movies that have nudity any more than I would recommend avoiding art galleries or spas or health books or any representation of human existence…The problem is generally not nakedness itself, but the commercial glorification of false ideals. Our culture is obsessed with body image and physical self-worth. It results in everything from anorexia to body modification. Human nakedness (and by implication, sexuality) is a beautiful thing to be cherished, but we can distort it through our fallen perspectives."
In the midst of the tumult and strife naturists face when dealing with the larger culture to secure our legitimate right for nudity in
appropriate places, it's good to know there are cross currents. It may well be that the surveys done that indicate a majority of
Americans favor designating places for nude use, are indeed true. Unfortunately, approval doesn't always translate into positive
action. Louder voices of a few can drown out the many that silently stand on the sidelines. Unfortunately, the fear of social
disapproval, when it comes to breaking the deeply ingrained social taboo of nudity, makes it easy for people to stand aside while a
tiny minority receives unjust treatment. Finding a way to navigate the cross currents requires our imagination and is our
responsibility.
Barnes & Noble: Continued from Page 1
polite. Carefully express your outrage and your resentment, if you wish, but avoid threats and name-calling.
In your message, state very clearly that you OPPOSE the decision to remove Nude & Natural and other naturist periodicals from the newsstands at Barnes & Noble stores.
Write your letter TODAY Use your own words. Cookie-cutter letters are far less effective than genuine personal sentiment. If you believe decision is unwise, unfair and discriminatory, say so. The term "censorship" applies more to a policy of a government, not the choice of a commercial company. But when the company is as large and pervasive as Barnes & Noble, it's difficult to distinguish its exclusion of naturist publications from outright censorship. If it's about nudity, the decision to remove Nude & Natural magazine while continuing to sell Playboy and Penthouse is inconsistent and hypocritical. Finally, request very clearly the return of Nude & Natural magazine to the newsstand shelves at Barnes & Noble.