YMCA Summer Camps

[Kim Richards]

I was going to put this on my site on Yahoo, but all I seem to be getting are trolls at the moment, so I don't know if I'll develop it further.

Could you give me your opinions on whether YMCA Summer Camps should be required to allow nude camping for kids? I'm not talking about suits optional, I mean separate weeks. If you aren't comfortable posting, you can e-mail me private. Thanks. Kim.

[Kim Richards]

I was going to put this on my site on Yahoo, but all I seem to be getting are trolls at the moment, so I don't know if I'll develop it further.

Could you give me your opinions on whether YMCA Summer Camps should be required to allow nude camping for kids? I'm not talking about suits optional, I mean separate weeks. If you aren't comfortable posting, you can e-mail me private. Thanks. Kim.

[aunaturelone]

Of course they should offer it if there is enough demand. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell they would.

As to making it required, they are a private organization and can do as they please.

I doubt if your site (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TENTS/) will fly. Yahoo will put it in the "adults only" catagory as soon as they twig to what it's about.

[Bob S.]

No they should not be required to offer nude camping just as Virginia should not require that no one can offer nude summer camps.

Choice is a big thing for private organizations. They should be free to run their businesses in any way they need to within reason.

Now aunaturelone said it right. If there is enough of a market, then yes, they should.

And aunaturelone, I have two yahoo groups that I moderate and own dealing with nudism that are not in the Adult section. Of course, they are discussion groups and I do not allow for pics.

Bob S.

[b777]

"As to making it required, they are a private organization and can do as they please"

A very true statement. For those that are old enough to remember, in the late '50's and early '60's, the policy at our YMCA was that nudity was required when swimming (didn't want to clog up the pool's filtering system!) That changed in the mid '60's. Could they reverse the policy again? Sure they could, but in today's society, that is not very likely.

[Trailscout]

I don't think anyone believes that yarn about clogging up the filters at the bottom of the pool.

Diving down to unclog the drain would give the pool guy something useful to do.

The real reason that clothing was prohibited was that nudity was an antidote to effeminate shyness, and perhaps secondly it was viewed as a Spartan thing to do, sort of hardening yourself against the elements by being nude.

[Naturist Mark]

[qb]

quote:

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I don't think anyone believes that yarn about clogging up the filters at the bottom of the pool.
Diving down to unclog the drain would give the pool guy something useful to do.[/qb]

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The filters are not at the bottom of the pool. And I DO believe that wearing clothing in pools makes them much filthier than nude swimming does. I've cleaned pools. I've seen the filth. One 45 pound little girl in her shorts and t-shirt can change the color of the water. Believe!

[qb]

quote:

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The real reason that clothing was prohibited was that nudity was an antidote to effeminate shyness, and perhaps secondly it was viewed as a Spartan thing to do, sort of hardening yourself against the elements by being nude. [/qb]

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Now that is also entirely believable.

-Mark

[b777]

I was not saying I bought in to that line, only that it was often quoted as the reason, and being 7 -9 years old at the time, I was not going to challenge it.

One reason that it will never likely go back is the current attitudes toward nudity. A recent post on the member's bulletin board had a woman complaining about mothers bringing in their opposite sex children in to the locker room (the official age limit for this is 5 and under is OK, > 5 must use the appropriate locker room). This wasn't a complaint that the child was too old, just tha fact that the young child was looking around!(big surprise, kids are curious).

Since the only way to the pool is through the locker room, this is not easy to get around. I would not let a young child go through by themselves and my daughters saw many a locker room / men's restrooms when they were small, with nary a complaint, and had there been any, the complainer would have gotten an earful from me.

[Donbon]

Here's some friendly advice: Don't waste your time because it is not going to happen. If you have been keeping up with communications on why the Y's and high schools have abolished the nude swimming, etc. for boys and men, then you can understand why I give you this advice.

[Rex]

In regard to keeping the pool clean.
Years ago, I had a friend who was a great party giver.
Ray had a notice by his backyard pool: "Dress For The Pool, Clean Bathers Or Clean Skin".
Ray didn't care if his party guests wore swimwear or were nude, just as long as they were clean. And all his guests knew it.
No general clothing, no underwear, no sweaty swimwear, and no unshowered bodies.
When we bought this house, with it's large heated, salt water pool, and private backyard, it was the first time we'd had our own pool.
I got a pool guy to come around and give me some advice. I told him we were very particular about personal hygiene, and told him about my friend's attitude. He said we were absolutely correct, and if we stuck to that policy, we could safely keep the chlorine level at the lower end of the "safe" limit, so no chloriney smell, in the air, or on skin or hair.
I know it's not as easy with a public pool, and that's one reason I don't want to use them.

[luvnaturism]

quote:

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Originally posted by Trailscout:
[qb] I don't think anyone believes that yarn about clogging up the filters at the bottom of the pool.

Diving down to unclog the drain would give the pool guy something useful to do.

[/qb]

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It wouldn't be an issue today, but the fabrics that are used in swimming suits now didn't exist when I was a kid swimming in a pool that didn't permit boys to wear anything. Mostly suits were made of cotton, but there were some wool suits still in use.

My understanding of the technology is that pool filters (always installed in a separate room) were more difficult and relatively expensive to clean. After having owned a home pool for 25 years, I can tell you that even today finding ways to minimize the chore of cleaning the filters is desirable (though lint is no longer an issue as long as swimmers aren't wearing cutoffs).

I'm another who swam nude many times at the YMCA. If there was rule against suits, I never knew it. It just didn't make any sense to be dressed for swimming when it was only men and boys, and no one ever did. I was past 30 before I ever wore a suit at a Y.

As others have said, those days are gone forever.

[Trailscout]

I came along too late for nude swims at the YMCA. During summer day camp for elementary schoolaged boys, we kids, along with the teenaged counselor, undressed in a clearing in the woods, put on our swim trunks and walked to the lake for our swimming lessons. At this campground, there was a dining hall, but there was no bathhouse, so we changed outdoors. No one worried about the brief nudity. We were much more concerned about the terrible lightning from thunderstorms that seemed to plague our lake and those annoying tiny red biting bugs called chiggers that infested the woods.

[gimpy64]

If i'm not mistaken, the YMCA changed its policy of permitting men and boys to swim nude when it went co-ed. This is not in anyway to blame women, just an historical fact. What I would like to see happend is that the YMCA institute clothing-optional hours at its pool facilites, for instance, from 8 to 10 pm on weekends. This way everyone can enjoy the care-free feeling of nude swimming. But as other have said, this is not likely to happen.

Paece and stay naked.
Greg M.

[Trailscout]

Gimpy,

Are you talking about coed family nude swims or just the guys, then the gals at a later hour?

What is the possibility of an individual YMCA instituting nude swims? Would it have to be a world-wide change in policy?

[luvnaturism]

quote:

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Originally posted by Trailscout:
[qb]. . . . those annoying tiny red biting bugs called chiggers that infested the woods. [/qb]

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Chiggers are one of my really bad memories from childhood. I suppose individuals react differently, but chiggers drive me crazy with itching while mosquitos have little effect.

Chiggers are actually tiny spiders. For those who haven't encountered these little devils, they're about the size of the point of a pin. The aggravation they cause is way out of proportion to their size, particularly since they are fond of getting into the places where your clothes chafe against your body?such as under the waistband of your pants.