Just to clarify, when we say old blood, we meant long serving, it was not really age related, so we maybe should have chosen better terms. From the many conversations we have had, we realised that perception of the top tier is important, and when the top tier is perceived badly, that is when the unrest and gossip starts.

Fixed terms for committee members, does to a degree quell those rumours, as new people come into their positions and bring with them fresh ideas. It is easy to enter a position and then find five or six years later that it becomes harder to maintain the momentum at the start of your term in office. We do think by staggering the fix terms so each year a member or two is replaced with someone new, not only keeps the energy high, it also allows new incoming people to be guided by those already in their positions, which maintains continuity in the day to day running of the organisation.

We have spoken to people who have told us, “We are only here because no one else wants to do the work.” To a degree fixed terms would prevent this from happening, if the membership understands those seats will be vacant and idle, it should inspire others to try for the position, which then leads to a good few people within the organisation who have past experience of the role. To a degree, this also helps quell rumours, the more people with working knowledge of the organisation, then the more people you have to correct inaccurate comments, which fuels the gossips. Most gossip starts through misunderstandings, but it does damage to the organisation, so the more you have with experience, the less likely incorrect gossip is to spread.

Conflicts of interest we have noted are a big issue with national organisations, which does fuel a lot of division, and as Steve has referred to above, it does lead to misunderstandings. A public list of interest updated by each committee member should to a degree quell that, and in regard to organised events, equal proposals put out for tender help to keep the clarity of fairness throughout the whole organisation. The perception that someone is only doing it because it benefits their company, should be avoided using transparency, as this one issue can lead to a lot of distrust amongst the membership.

Perception is everything, so how a national organisation is viewed is of vital importance. For example, our national organisation is British Naturism, who have been established now for 60 years. In that time, they have managed to work closely with the government to help define the laws of our nation to include naturists, they have also played a leading role in ensuring naturists are treated fairly through public perception and understanding. Most of this has been achieved via campaigning, and working with the media, and as we have seen in recent times, The National trust has started to understand and retrain its management to take into account that naturists have a long history of enjoying the land they control. This is a huge positive for naturists in the UK, and a brilliant example to set for the rest of the world to follow, and it should be commended.

With countries like North America, Australia, and New Zealand, this is a prime example of how they can follow suit and campaign for their own countries, which have large area of secluded land naturists could use. When you look at the national parks service of the USA, the example of BN could to a degree change the landscape for naturism in the United States. Something as simple as getting the parks service to delegate safe zones for naturism, that are clearly sign posted to warn others, could make a huge difference not only to naturism in the US, but also to the tourism trade for other naturists.

One big failing we have noticed within the UK, which we do see in other parts of the world is the lack of a national convention. We have spoken about this before, and we do not understand why there is nothing like this in the UK. Conventions are big things in pretty most other aspects of life, and provide an opportunity for naturists to meet on mass, which is greatly lacking especially in the UK. The biggest criticism of the UK National organisation is that members find it hard to meet people in their local area, and people trying to access naturism find it difficult to navigate and fully understand the national organisation.

A convention allows everyone to meet and mingle, Traders, Guest houses, Events hosts and your everyday naturists have the chance to assemble in one place and really discover what is happening in their region and nationally. Lots of smaller countries have used this as an opportunity to really launch their national organisations, and bring naturism together with the public to really help increase awareness and the benefits of this lifestyle, and yet it appears that the larger countries ignore what is possibly the ultimate way to attract members and educate at the same time. It does feels like a huge lost opportunity to set the record straight on every aspect of naturism, and something we feel our own country could be the leading force on.

The whole point of a national organisation is involvement, especially at the moment as our national organisations are shrinking, and forums like this one are now vital to the health and well being of naturism. Every member probably has a great idea that is of value to a national organisation, and adding positives and some constructive negatives opens up the conversations that all of us can take back to our national organisations and help make positive changes, which will ultimately improve naturism globally.

This forum thread more than others at the moment needs people to engage in, so the message goes out and helps every naturist attached to a national organisation provide input, for positive ways forward, so join in the debate and add your thoughts, so we can get real, and all work for change.

While BN has its uses, prove I’m a BN member, and I’m welcomed as a single male into local events. It has the legal department, we could argue how good or bad it is forever, I’ve not used it, but it’s there. As R&R have said, it’s very much concentrated on the south, all areas are represented at a local level, but it’s very hit and miss, depending how good the local body is. For example, I’m in the East Midlands and out local body is ‘Yorkshire and East midlands. Therefore most BN events near me, tend to be based in Yorkshire, which is quite a way for me to go for a one day event, if it’s in North Yorkshire. 
Also they seem to currently trying to address the facts that most members are male and middle aged. While they should be applauded for including everyone, they seem to think the best way is to have exclusive events for the young, and women only events, which I’m not sure is the way to go. Also family’s seem to get very little mention, and the forums can in occasion be very over moderated. On a more positive note, I don’t think it’s particularly expensive, and you get automatic membership of INF. I’ve never used it, but it’s nice to know it’s there. At the end of the day, it feels like a national organisation, run by few people who concentrate on the south, where as here, it feels like we are all in control to a degree, and can feel much more able to speak our minds, without fear of retribution. 

This post was edited by Pixie McHardy at April 18, 2024 5:11 PM BST

One of the problems I have found when exploring and researching naturism around the world is that there is a level of mystery around it. Too often you simply don't know what organisations and clubs are doing, it was everywhere. We would search websites belonging to venues to try to work out if they allowed families/people under 16 to visit. Were they open all year?, did they allow non-members to visit?, rules of single men? etc The national bodies likewise can be hard to fathom - how are they set up?, what are their duties?, and lots of other questions are hard to answer - as a non-naturist it can be even more confusing and one of the things we need to do to encourage naturism is remove confusion. When for example I joined my national body with the idea that I would be travelling to clubs/events as a family I wanted to be able to register myself as a family and log my sons so they could travel with us and be part of a family membership and I couldn't figure out why I was unable to have a family membership and felt I must have done something wrong and I was concerned that as I wanted to book an event as a family that I would be unable to. It still bewilders me that the ability to have a family membership doesn't exist when surely clubs and events want to encourage families. It is just one of those many things that are not explained or communicated. Part of the bewildering world of naturism: that refusal to openly acknowledge families is not confronting the concern that some people are concerned that naturism is sexual. 

You would like to see all of this openly dealt with before joining as people will not join if they are worried about what they are signing into, but you would hope that at least with membership comes enlightenment, but you don't really get it. In my experience you are not given any real insights into how your national body works, what it does, how it spends its money, who volunteers, who is paid, how people become part of the board, how long for, voting processes, how they decide who stands to replace those board members, the state of the organisation, how decisions are made, how decisions are questioned, what rights you have as a member to be part of shaping the organisation, you are given no guidance, no advice, no personal welcome, in short you really don't feel like you are part of anything other than you get a card and a magazine. 

Aspects like Legal Support seem a big selling point for many, but even that seems to be hard to fathom. What is the support given? I searched around in small print and never found out what support is offered. Part of the mystery, maybe it is somewhere but it never showed itself to me. So what happens? You listen to hearsay. I read a report from a disgruntled ex member that the support was basically a half hour phone call with a retired volunteer. Something you could get from citizens advice for free with no time limit, or usually an hour with a solicitor/lawyer who is currently working, before taking you on. Is this true? Who knows? That is one of the problems - lack of communication and openness. It is damaging. When gossip is the only evidence what can we fall back on? It would be really wonderful to see a clearer picture of what national bodies are doing and aspects of membership should be there is black and white to easily find. It could be that someone knows the reality and knows where to find that reality but if it isn't easy then rumours will be listened to. 

It always worries me anyway that such a big things is made by some organisations about the legal support. It creates an illusion that naturism is a dangerous past time to get involved in, in countries where non-sexual social nudity is basically legal is there not a danger of making it appear to the casual newbie that it isn't. If I was looking into naturism and saw that legal support was a big selling point for a national body I would be thinking "I think I would rather not get involved in something that is going to end up with me being arrested. I will just keep my bikini on and not worry about getting a criminal record." It has to be off putting. Maybe we need to have clarified: How often do people actually need to have legal support and for what reasons? As these problems will vary from country to country. People like the Naked Rambler in the UK ran fowl of the law because of refusing to listen to requests by the police to cover up, or refusing to get dressed in court or other such places. If he had been happy to cover up when asked then he would have been fine. Yes he was making a stand and that was maybe very good of him, but it isn't something that will happen to the average naturist. If you are foolish enough to get sexual in the dunes then you have strayed out of naturism territory and you are breaking the law.

If you stay within the law and are respectful to the upset and feelings of others then what can go wrong? This is maybe more of a selling point for naturism than the offer of unclarified Legal Support for being arrested. 

So what I am really saying is that national organisations need to be more transparent for their members, for naturists who want to find out more and also for non-naturists. The mystery around naturism needs to be removed. The inner workings and duties of these bodies should be proudly shared, all members should feel equal and welcomed and know how the bodies work, communication should be key. I would love to see representatives from all naturists bodies here on ANW answering questions, putting right incorrect assumptions and clarifying hearsay, considering ideas and thoughts that need to be addressed and importantly encouraging ANW users to believe in, trust and JOIN their national body. 

If there are 6.75 million naturists in the UK, it could mean there are 1000 million around the world. National organisations should be supplying a transparent, attractive and argument free reason for joining them (possibly on various levels as suggested before) so these organisations don't just promote naturism but act as a voice to an ever growing percentage of people. National bodies have barely scratched the surface. If the UK figure is to be believed it means (if my maths is correct) 0.13% of naturists in the UK have joined our national body.

We ran a survey on ANW in 2020 and again in 2023 and both times the split between those that join their national body and those that didn't was 50/50. The people taking part in these surveys are people who obviously care about naturism, national bodies need to give these people a fool proof argument to join, they need to find naturists and convince them that it is the right thing to do, if they cannot do that they they need to look at their policies and ideas, because all national bodies should be organised with policies and ideas in place that will entice the majority of naturists in their country to join with possibly only a financial issue standing in the way. If they do not have those policies then they need to change the policies. If the do not have the right attitude then they need to change the attitude, because all genuine naturists should have a national body that makes very good sense for them to join. And of course the finance issue could be addressed too, partly through layered membership, but also partly because if the organisations had a true representation of the number of naturists in their country join them then the fees could be dramatically reduced.              

Thanks Anna, that’s pretty much what I wanted to say, but you put it much more eloquently. For anyone who likes ‘rumours’ NAG, naturists action group, in the Uk, is full of ex members with something to say. How true it is, I’ve no idea, but if that’s your thing, check it out. It’s all a bit too political for me, I’d rather focus on the positives of naturism. 

Amen to that Pixie. 

If things are wrong they need to be put right to encourage a rosey future - but there is no good moaning for the sake of moaning - as that is no good for naturism either. Naturism and naturists are primarily positive and that should be a huge part of our drive towards good things for naturists today and tomorrow.