Aanr & Tns

[rhof]

Being fairly new to naturism I'm trying to understand the roles AANR & TNS play. I signed up with AANR's Internet membership program just to get in and look around, but the site seems pretty barren and outdated (both in terms of style and content). At least clothes free seems to understand how to market to new members and CFF seems to be very active in comparison.

Since they both seem to both claim title to "the site" for Naturism, I would be curious to hear from members of either/both of them as to why they are members. I would also like to get perspectives from past or non members as to why they are not.

[newton]

That is a very good question. I would like to hear the answer as well.

[nacktman]

Was a member of ASA before they changed their name to AANR and got greedy.
The membership was asserting control of the organization and the club owners moved to change the organizational structure to prevent that so they could maintain control.
The 'reason' given to members was that the name change was an updating of the organization's profile but we members knew what was what because all of a sudden we had no say in what was happening with OUR organization.
Membership fell rapidly right after the name change and remains lower today because of that and the aloofness and uncooperative attitude they have.

Was a member of TNS (would still be) but let the membership lapse simple because I forgot to write a check.
TNS is and always has been open to members and willing to assist new clubs and individuals (very unlike AANR) in any way they can.
They have also been the organization to promote both 'clubs' and 'free beaches' (remember there is no money in it for club owners in free beaches so AANR has nothing to do with free beaches).
They have a legal advisory group and assist in writing legislation favorable to nudists and the people in general while helping strike down or prevent legislation harmful to nudist and people in general and help defend nudists who are persecuted under such harmful statutes.
They also have an education group to educate those interested in nudism and to further educate people who are already nudists.

So, TNS IS the site/organization for Nudists. That other one is all for themselves.

[Al Bundy]

I have been a member of TNS for the past 3 years. It is not that I utilize the benefits of the organization that much but I feel I should do my part in promoting nudism and the best way I know of is to support an organization devoted to the lifestyle.

[1Ace]

I like to go to Black's Beach as well as resorts so the decision to join TNS had a duel benefit for me. The Black's group is involved with TNS as mentioned above for legal reasons, etc... And I think this is a great cause to keep some of our beaches clothing optional. I also like the benefit of getting discounts at local resorts for being a member of a real naturist group.

[Bicycler]

While I would not be so hard on AANR as Nacktman he is basically correct in his assessment of the two organziations. AANR is very much about promoting the landed clubs and is only incidentally supportive of the alternatives to nude recreation. I do believe, however, that the clubs are an important element of the naturist movement and so keeping them healthy, growing and (hopefully) younger looking is a good thing.

OTOH, having been a member of the Naturist Society since the early 80's It is clear to me that this is the one organization that really represents the naturist movement. Their legal arm certainly performs an important function in notifying the community about pending negative legislation and representing us all with the various governmental organizations that want to impose restrictions or worse on our favorite activity.

So my recommendation to anyone who wants to formalize their envolvement in the naturist movement should start by joining The Naturist Society. It is a good ticket to have in your pocket that will get you, even as a single, into many of the clubs and the quarterly magazine that they publish is very informative, particularly for a newcomer.

[EricNY]

My family are members of both TNS and AANR.

TNS does much for naturist rights and gets involved on many levels with the NAC.

On the other hand it has been argued that AANR does nothing for the naturist, and is out for the resorts where the money is. I used to believe that until we became more involved. AANR does a lot to protect the naturist and educate those who are not.

Another positive about AANR is the leadership and education they offer for youths. The youth leadership camps and the Nude U and Youth Ambassador programs. Those programs alone are worth the support in my opinion.

I realize that some people can not afford to join all these groups, but can we afford not to? These organizations need our support or they will not be here to support us.

Rhof....Whatever people try to make you believe BOTH these groups do a lot for us, and need our support.

My wife and I PROUDLY carry both cards.

[jedinudist]

Being fairly new to naturism I'm trying to understand the roles AANR & TNS play. I signed up with AANR's Internet membership program just to get in and look around, but the site seems pretty barren and outdated (both in terms of style and content). At least clothes free seems to understand how to market to new members and CFF seems to be very active in comparison.

Since they both seem to both claim title to "the site" for Naturism, I would be curious to hear from members of either/both of them as to why they are members. I would also like to get perspectives from past or non members as to why they are not.

My wife and I are former members of aanr. I have to agree with what nacktman said as I witnessed some of their behaviors first hand and have repeatedly heard from long time members that they took the decision making power away from the paying members and placed the bulk of the "say so" into the hands of resort owners and people who have large groups full of aanr members.

A prominent aanr member made some distasteful stereotypical remarks, stating that someone couldn't be a "real" nudist because his orientation was bisexual, and implied that orientation wouldn't be capable of separating Nudism from sex.

We left because when I asked aanr about their stance on that issue (considering they accept dues from people without asking them their orientation) they refused to comment. When they wanted my $, I was important to them. When I wanted an answer, I was persona non-grata.

We looked into TNS, and most likely will become members and affiliate our group with them.

That all being said - BOTH have something positive to offer in the world of Nudism. You just have to decide what that is and who you want to be associated with.

Good Luck!

[nunne]

I am a member of TNS and have been for several years, but my only involvement is to pay dues. I've never been a member of AANR, but it's not because I have any bad feelings toward them. It just so happens that I joined TNS first, and don't really see a need to be a member of both.

While I have heard some bad comments about AANR on this forum, I've also heard a lot of good comments. Seems to me that they are both good, and don't seem to really be at odds with each other, which I think is quite important.

[Sanslines]

AANR and TNS are different organizations that compliment each other in terms of the advancement of nudism. One is not necessarily better then the other as it all depends upon the interests and needs of each individual person.

[Sanslines]

I like to go to Black's Beach as well as resorts so the decision to join TNS had a duel benefit for me. The Black's group is involved with TNS as mentioned above for legal reasons, etc... And I think this is a great cause to keep some of our beaches clothing optional. I also like the benefit of getting discounts at local resorts for being a member of a real naturist group.

The 'Black's Group' represents TNS because TNS promotes 'free beaches'. AANR promotes clubs and would have no interest in Black's Beach unless all of the Black's Beach folks became a 'club' with dues paying members.

[WriteNaked]

I'm a member of both organizations. I joined TNS first, and have been a member for a long long time. I think it's the more free-spirited organization; its members first organized on free beaches rather than landed clubs; and I think that N is a classier and overall more informative magazine. The Bulletin is largely a news paper for insiders

I joined AANR because there are some landed clubs in my area that recognize the AANR card and don't recognize The Naturist Society card. I haven't noticed any of the issues around money or singles that others have raised.

WN

[David77]

Here is a good article on AANR vs. TNS;

http://www.netnude.com/Main/aanrvstns.html

In this article it states;
"AANR is a democracy. It carries all of the advantages and disadvantages of a democracy. Each club (and members that do not belong to clubs) elect delegates to serve at regional and national conventions where policies and procedures are argued, debated, politicked, and hammered out. As in a parliamentary democracy, the officers are elected by the delegates. So if you have a dream of being a nudist leader, AANR offers you the chance to be the boss".

My experience at the national AANR Convention in about 2001 held at Turtle Lake Resort, at Union City in southern Michigan confirms that this above statement is true.

Each landed club elected delegates to the convention. Other persons in my landed club were elected. I did not wish to be a delegate. However, I sat in on the business meeting at the convention to learn more about the current concerns of the AANR members.

Quite frankly, the meetings each day were long and tedious and I became restless and bored, so I went to another part of the resort grounds. I was "caught" by some delegates on their way back from their going to the toilet, and they repremended me severely for not attending the business meetings and shirking my "elected responsibility". I then explained to them that I was not a delegate. Thus they saw that they were mistaking and calmed down, and went on their way back to the meeting.



<HR>
To learn more about how the AANR works, attend the National AANR Convention at Turtle Lake Resort from August 10, 2008 thru August 17, 2008 and sit in on some of the business meetings.

[NakedTao]

My understanding is that the major difference between the two organizations is their focus. AANR focuses on established naturist parks and resorts, while TNS focuses more on nude beaches and educating people on naturism - if you haven't checked out the extremely educational videos that TNS puts out, please do so.

I'm a TNS member, but not AANR (maybe later).

[Walt Iliff]

I am an AANR member, and currently running for an AANR board position as the Member Trustee representing the AANR East region. Yes, the focus of TNS and AANR is different in many cases, but I don't think that it's entirely accurate to generalize about "landed clubs" vs "public land usage." For years, AANR has supported the Assateague Beach project in Maryland, with money for a paid lobbyist in Annapolis, Government Affairs Representation (GAT), beach clean up efforts, etc. Certainly not a landed club. I think the problem is that too many individuals think of either AANR or TNS strictly in terms of "what will they do for me?" Do they have a nice fancy newletter? How about discounts? The real question should be, "How, as a nudist/naturist can I let the powers that be (our State Representatives, Congressmen, Senators, etc) know that we have banded together into a group of like minded citizens. Only our collective voices will be appreciated. Instead, we find ourselves bickering over whether AANR or TNS is better. Better for what? Please people, it doesn't matter a damn which organization you want to belong to, but for God's sake, pick one and join. If you're a member of AANR, and you can afford it, join TNS too. Or vice versa. I have had the priviledge of knowing many people in AANR over the years. I haven't run across anyone who does not have the interest of nudists and nudism at heart. I served on the AANR East board for several years because it was a way that I could give back to the nudist community. I am not a club owner, I am a self employed small business owner, and believe me, the time away from my business was a real expense. Both of these fine organizations provide real benefits, and both deserve to be supported. Please let's keep the broad picture in mind.

Walt Iliff

[xLOUx]

I am an AANR member, and currently running for an AANR board position as the Member Trustee representing the AANR East region. Yes, the focus of TNS and AANR is different in many cases, but I don't think that it's entirely accurate to generalize about "landed clubs" vs "public land usage." For years, AANR has supported the Assateague Beach project in Maryland, with money for a paid lobbyist in Annapolis, Government Affairs Representation (GAT), beach clean up efforts, etc. Certainly not a landed club. I think the problem is that too many individuals think of either AANR or TNS strictly in terms of "what will they do for me?" Do they have a nice fancy newletter? How about discounts? The real question should be, "How, as a nudist/naturist can I let the powers that be (our State Representatives, Congressmen, Senators, etc) know that we have banded together into a group of like minded citizens. Only our collective voices will be appreciated. Instead, we find ourselves bickering over whether AANR or TNS is better. Better for what? Please people, it doesn't matter a damn which organization you want to belong to, but for God's sake, pick one and join. If you're a member of AANR, and you can afford it, join TNS too. Or vice versa. I have had the priviledge of knowing many people in AANR over the years. I haven't run across anyone who does not have the interest of nudists and nudism at heart. I served on the AANR East board for several years because it was a way that I could give back to the nudist community. I am not a club owner, I am a self employed small business owner, and believe me, the time away from my business was a real expense. Both of these fine organizations provide real benefits, and both deserve to be supported. Please let's keep the broad picture in mind.

Walt Iliff

I have to say that I agree with this statement! I also believe that AANR and TNS are part of a collective effort to defend and protect nudism. Being part of AANR and TNS makes you a supporter for nudism and believe me when I say that both (AANR & TNS) do an excellent job educating others and protecting our right to be nudists!

Did you know that AANR youths are trained to protect each other and younger kids? They learn what to do and how to protect kids and families at different environments (resorts & beaches). They learn the basics skills of how the law works, how they are protected and leadership skills.

To close my opinion! We should not try AANR and TNS as if we had a competition. Which ever it is that you are member of, is definitely working hard to protect nudism. I would say: be proud of being a nudist/naturist no matter who you are with. Nudism/ naturism is about relaxing, enjoying life, respecting each other and yourself.

Take care everyone and stay nude,
Lou

[Croydon]

I am a TNS member and have been since I was 20, six years now.

I would pick TNS over AANR any day. I m happy that my membership payment goes to good cause. I feel that unlike AANR, TNS is politically active in ensuring that nudists have access to beaches. In addition, my membership to TNS also supports NAC, Naturist Action Committee.

The tipping point for me in deciding which organization to choose was in their appeal to people. TNS is very inclusive: gay, straight, black white, single, married, couples, families. Their take is that naturism is for everyone. I didn't get that from AANR at all. After meeting members of AANR and even "executives" of AANR at a nudist gathering, I walked away feeling that AANR believes in naturism for SOME. In other words, naturism for American Christian couples and families.

Over the years, I have found that AANR's activities are suspicious. For ex: their continuous support of clubs/resorts that many would agree that do not follow the philosophies of naturism (hint hint: Caliente). When I think of AANR, I think of those greedy companies with fat cats on the very top who do nothing but siphon money from people.

My only criticism of TNS is their quarterly publication, N magazine. I have found it to be one of the most boring magazines I have ever read. Once in blue moon I may come across an interesting article but most of the time, I flip through it for 10 minutes, find nothing of interest, and the magazine goes in the trash.

[Walt Iliff]

I am a TNS member and have been since I was 20, six years now.

I would pick TNS over AANR any day. I m happy that my membership payment goes to good cause. I feel that unlike AANR, TNS is politically active in ensuring that nudists have access to beaches. In addition, my membership to TNS also supports NAC, Naturist Action Committee.

The tipping point for me in deciding which organization to choose was in their appeal to people. TNS is very inclusive: gay, straight, black white, single, married, couples, families. Their take is that naturism is for everyone. I didn't get that from AANR at all. After meeting members of AANR and even "executives" of AANR at a nudist gathering, I walked away feeling that AANR believes in naturism for SOME. In other words, naturism for American Christian couples and families.

Over the years, I have found that AANR's activities are suspicious. For ex: their continuous support of clubs/resorts that many would agree that do not follow the philosophies of naturism (hint hint: Caliente). When I think of AANR, I think of those greedy companies with fat cats on the very top who do nothing but siphon money from people.

My only criticism of TNS is their quarterly publication, N magazine. I have found it to be one of the most boring magazines I have ever read. Once in blue moon I may come across an interesting article but most of the time, I flip through it for 10 minutes, find nothing of interest, and the magazine goes in the trash.

And I rest my case.

Walt Iliff

[barelybob]

I am a member of both organizations and find that the primary focus of each is different but similar. Both promote the lifestyle, but come at it from different directions. As far as favoring clubs over beaches, AANR is very involved in efforts to preserve nudity in public places here in the Pacific Northwest. I personally participate in a number of annual events sponsored by AANR and I am not a member of any club.

I agree that arguing which is best is a waste of time. Whenever you ask a question like that you will get responses from those who have strong opinions either way. You should check out each and make your own decision. Which ever way you decide you will be promoting Naturism.

Bob

[rhof]

Wow - thanks so much for the rapid responses. It sounds like the general concensus is similar to the "vibes" I've been getting from other sites. Thanks again... rhof