I feel the basic rules at a nudist venue are pretty much the same as anywhere people gather. Treat others with respect and if you can't say something nice, say nothing at all. Private clubs are just that, private. As such, the membership makes the rules and visitors must comply. Commercial nudist venues have rules, but usually are not quite as restricive nor as activly enforced as those in private clubs. Since most beaches (at least here in the USA) are public property, the laws are enforced by whatever government jurisdiction is controling them. Nudist are a cross cut of society. Some are very up-tight, easily offended, and can only feel comfortable where ther are a lot of rules. Others, like me, don't like a lot of rules, are not offended by anything, and just want to get naked and socialize with others. Then there is the majority that falls somewhere in the middle. I'm fine with requiring a towel when sitting or lying in the common areas. I have no problem with "clothing optional", as it lets newbies get get their "toe in the water" at their own rate and comfort. I'm in favor of letting people take photos with the primary subject's permission. Gawking is impolite anywhere, but I feel the person being gawked should speek up if it makes them uncomfortable. One thing for sue, if you can't abide by the rules you shouldn't be there.

As the song says "we wanna be free to do what we wanna do" that is all very well in principal but what is it that people wanna do? 

Many members of ANW speak of the Freedom that naturism offers them - what does that mean. To me it is freedom from clothing and the results that that brings - being closer to nature, moving away from ideas of uniform, wealth, job, status and towards a more real and equal situation. The freedom your skin, body and mind feels from the sun, wind, and water and also the freedom of being disguise free - not hiding my body, not pretending it is something it isn't, not being ashamed of it, fearing it, worrying that it isn't good enough and saying that by actions to others.

Naturism welcomes us whatever our size and shape but more importantly we welcome ourselves - we may wish to be taller, stronger. slimmer, broader...but by being naturists we are accepting that although we are not "perfect" we are OK with it. 

It is these freedoms that I want people to understand - how often do we hear people saying "I/my partner/...does not feel they are attractive/in good enough shape/young enough/...to be a socially naked" It is the freedom om fear and judgement of ourselves and others that is so attractive.

But being free to do what we wanna do without rules would lead to chaos. No matter how honourable the members of this Forum may be  and no matter how we understand freedom those that have not tried naturism, do not understand it or expect it to offer something else need to be guided. Rules help guide but also help those that are mistreated demand protection. How would a shop survive if shoplifting was not a punishable offence, how would any victim demand justice (which is often hard to find even with the rules). What if what we wanna do is steal cars or in todays world have massive parties and spread covid? 

Naturist Clubs need rules not for those who are sensible, level headed and fair maybe but for those that need a nudge here or there or for those that just don't care to have someone say "Oi, you broke the rules - get out." I have heard many people use the lack of an existing rule as an excuse and they blatantly enjoy that power and misuse it. When I was manager of a shop on Oxford Street I became aware that one of the management team I had inherited was closing the store about 15 minutes early when left in charge. When questioned by personal about it she said "No one ever told me I couldn't" and they accepted this as a valid argument. The shop hours on the door and the hours she was employed to work in her contract were not proof enough for her.

In naturist terms some of the things that people may do that are offensive may seem obvious to us, but without the rules some will take advantage and others will just not know. The other side of it is that it is guidance and reasurrance to the novice. Someone who hasn't been to a naturist club before may be uncertain about what to expect and that concern may just put them off even trying. Seeing the rules inprint may make them think - well actually that sounds alright, pretty safe and social. 

The trick is to allow people to feel the freedom that is inherient in naturism without opening the doors to an anything goes mentality. We know that there are many, many people out there on the internet that parade penis profiles, sexual sharing, inappropriate behaviour towards unsuspecting individuals is rife. It is only sensible that rules need to be in place to stop this sort of behaviour overwhelming naturist clubs. 

I started a really long winded reply discussing the problem with rules. The short version is that rules are based on prohibit and punish. They assume the worse in people and seek to exclude those who would otherwise threaten our personal values.

 

Some of the reasons fringe venues appeal to me, like free beaches, virtually rule free clothing optional venues, is because they’re very inclusive and very often challenge my thinking. They present things that force me to process and more often than not, cause me to reassess my previously held views of the world.

 

In numerous modern workplaces diversity and inclusion has been found to offer many benefits. Foremost among them is a whole different way of thinking about things. Different cultural perspectives. Different life experiences. Different expectations about what is acceptable or not.

 

Within this environment rules don’t work as intended because people’s interpretation of them varies so dramatically. Some behaviours one group of people find abhorrent, like eating with your hands, is perfectly acceptable and polite in a different culture.

With rules you’ll inevitably end up like “Animal Farm” where all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

 

What does work is a common set of values for everyone to aspire to. Two in particular require a lot of vulnerability. “Open and honest communication” and “feedback driven improvement”.

 

One of the values everyone might agree on, in addition to these two foundational ones is “Respect other people’s boundaries”.

 

Fulfilling this value requires open and honest communication. What are their boundaries?

 

Diversity creates dialogue and dialogue and tolerance are two things badly missing in society.

 

For example, we tolerate the neighbours occasionally having a party and playing loud music quite late. They are often respectful by turning it down around 11:30pm or so. Occasionally they don’t. It’s so rare however, that we don’t bother saying anything because it’s not worth the hassle and potential ill feeling.

 

I once noticed an amorous couple discretely making love somewhat out in the open, but well away from likely onlookers, at a clothing optional venue. I respected their privacy by continuing my walk as if I hadn’t noticed them. At the time, within the context it was completely harmless.

If I had chosen to take offence at their behaviour, I then turn that into a whole different, troubling situation for all parties.

 

What you’ll always notice with rules, is that there’s always a group of people who think they can make an exception. They park on no-parking zones because they’re only going to be five minutes. They congest traffic in the meanwhile.

Same goes for handicap parking spaces. Never mind someone needed to drive around the block because the space was taken by someone who considers entitlement a sufficient handicap to quality them for the space while they “duck in quickly”.

 

Values encourage people to think about others. Values are community building. People learn and grow by seeing what good looks like.

When there’s a problem, it facilitates conversation and an examination of views. When you have rules, this becomes a battle of wills. An opposition of values and boundaries.

 

“Don’t run!”

“I was fast walking.”

 

“No loud music!”

“THIS IS HALF THE NORMAL VOLUME MATE.”

 

Maybe instead of rules, come up with a common set of values.

Values and rules are not concepts that are mutually exclusive.  In any given society or cultural group there are commonly accepted values. If there are two of us and only one orange, it is polite to share.  If an elderly woman is struggling with a package, a gentleman assists her to where she is going, and so forth; the list is virtually endless.
But there's always going to be the person who says,'To hell with your values; I'm bigger than you and I'm eating the whole orange.' Or, 'Get out of the way, old woman; you're blocking progress.'  
Take that to the societal values that have more serious consequences, and you have those who molest a young child just because 'it feels good'; or those who rob a man coming out of a bank, because 'I needed the money more than he did.'
Rules and laws aren't written to restrict the many, but to bring the few to account.
The person who, using common sense and human kindness does what is right by nature, never has to worry about the rules or the law, because he/she lives according to them by nature.  It is the entitled, selfish, uncaring and evil who must fear the law; because the law is there to hold them to account for their actions and provide punishment, not only for the sake of justice, but also a deterrent for others of the same ilk.
In clothed society or naked, there is no difference. People are people everywhere and for those who thumb their nose at common decency, good sense and human compassion, rules and punishments are the tools wielded by the honest, to reestablish order and defend it.

I have a good friend who is a policeman, and he said to me after various years on the force. "When I started my job I feared that I would at times have to arrest someone for a crime they did out of necessity. Like stealing food because they were starving. I have never come across anyone who stole for necessity rather than just having a desire to take."

I think a mix of values and rules is required. Rules created to reflect the values of naturism, the values of being in a community, the values of respect and values of keeping people health and safety. If rules exist based on the values they represent then they are hard to argue away. "Don't wear costumes in the pool because it damages the balance of the water." If they exist just for the want to have rules then they appear purely controlling. "Everyone must be naked no matter how cold it is."  "Everyone must wear a shoe on their head on the first Tuesday of the month, unless the date is an odd number in which case you should replace the shoe with a sock."

MystrD mentioned "Open and honest communication." When compiling the Explore section we perused many Rules and we were shocked at how common it was to read that members should not ask other members their names, their occupation or where they live. OK you wouldn't come up to a stranger and demand personal details, but in the process of making friends? Maybe dog tags with numbers would be the way forward. Or:

"Good Morning."
"That really depends on what you mean by "good," if you mean the morning itself is wholesome or if you are suggesting to me that I have a good morning or if you are saying I should be good this morning. And what do you mean by morning. I cannot comment about the state of the morning while I was asleep, and cannot assume that the rest of the morning will be good, so do you mean this actual moment in time. By offering me a good morning, what conclusions can I make about this afternoon, will it no longer be good, is this some sort of threat? If I acknowledge that it is a good morning will I be in someway held accountable. Is there some sort of disclaimer that I should sign before going forward with this proposal."
"How are you today?"
"I refuse to answer any questions until my lawyer is present"
"Lovely weather!"
"I'd have to take the 5th!"
"I was just..."
"Sorry I cannot hear you I have placed a paper bag over my head. Just go away and leave me alone. Ohmmmmmmmm!"