Your membership directly supports AANR by providing help with nudist rights on the local level and nationwide.
This is one of the most frequently asked questions and it is usually asked by someone who doesn’t know any of the history behind social nudism. They are new to social nudism and are visiting a club or beach for the first time. Here are some …
Reasons to Belong and Renew AANR Membership:
Your club’s lawfulness to operate may directly depend on it. Many state and county governments specifically recognize a charter with AANR as evidence that a club is presumed exempt from zoning rules and other restrictions against adult businesses. (Such exemptions have been upheld by courts such as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.)
Your defense to a charge of public indecency may directly depend on it. Proof of AANR membership has been recognized as a defense to charges of indecent exposure by demonstrating that a defendant’s motive for appearing nude in some areas and circumstances was not to arouse or offend another individual. This was evident just in the last year when a member was arrested and had to appear in court for being nude in a boat going down a river. When the judge found out he was a long-time AANR member with no record, the case was immediately dismissed.
Your parental custody case could depend upon it. Membership in a legitimate nudist association and a family’s visits to recognized AANR parks and clubs is often treated differently from mere allegations that minor children were improperly “exposed to nakedness” in their home. This can affect grandparents as well as other family members who have taken minor children to a club or beach.
Your physical well-being may depend on your AANR membership. Members with high-stress jobs have said if it had not been for their participation at an AANR club, they believe they would have lived a much shorter life. Their membership in AANR provided a retreat where they could relax and enjoy life.
Your defense to an obscenity charge may depend upon it. Legitimate portrayals of nudist life as made within the pages of The Bulletin are often viewed differently if part of reasonable education and outreach as provided by AANR.
Your health care professional provider may consider membership status when authorizing nudity as part of in-home care. When you belong to a credible nudist association such as AANR, it may help to convince the provider that philosophy and life outlook drive decisions to be nude during visits, rather than a questionable motive. That extends in some cases to decedents final arrangements.
Your club’s insurance may depend on it. Some insurance companies insist upon AANR affiliation as a condition for issuing coverage to a nudist business.
Your club’s bank financing or financing for a personal project may benefit from being AANR-affiliated. AANR routinely provides documentation of the dollar value and legitimacy of nudist property and business to the financial services industry to reassure lenders. It’s not a substitute for acceptable credit ratings and/or a good business plan, but is part of what often makes the difference in getting a “yes.”
Your savings available on numerous benefits, including car rentals, office supplies, stays at AANR clubs, and even non-nudist hotels are part of membership. Simply go to www.aanr.com for a listing of the latest benefits available to you.
Your employer’s decision-making could turn on it. AANR regularly educates public officials and union representatives, as well as the corporate world, about why people practice nude recreation, including within affiliated clubs. From assisting with security clearances to assisting a member’s employment lawyer(s), AANR has been a voice that makes a difference.
You could meet your next soul mate in your life. Many lasting relationships begin at AANR clubs, like one that started at an AANR convention 10 years ago.
Your public voice defending nudism may depend upon members when you cannot speak for it yourself. AANR recognizes that not all can confide to a neighbor or family member or the rest of the world that they support nudism. And for a number of reasons, AANR secures positive media coverage, including respectable mainstream outlets such as The Wall St. Journal, Forbes, and The New York Times within articles that provide factual information rather than sensationalized material.
Convincing your own lawyer may depend on it. Often the first step of a strong defense, be it civil or criminal, is explaining nude recreation to the professional considering whether to take your case. AANR’s expertise helps in many such communications.
A no-interest loan or scholarship may be among the benefits available to you or your club with membership. AANR and its regions make a limited number of such loans to clubs as part of the Glen Miller program. At the regional level, there are also college scholarships available to some applicants and even essay contest finalists.
Kathy Watzel and Erich Schuttauf
AANR President and AANR Executive Director