Posted on September 19, 2011 by Reg of Naturist Action Group - Naturists campaigning for Naturism. Working to promote nude recreation in the UK for everyone.
The International Naturist Federation (INF) has come in for a lot of stick lately and I thought that I might try and tie the different threads together.
It all began last year, when the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) resigned its membership, stating that it considered the INF too Euro-centric and lacked vigour as a campaigning organisation. A recent Wall Street Journal article claimed that the US nude recreational industry was worth something in the order of $400 million annually, and this is in a country that is generally considered hostile to social nudity. Can the INF say how much it has contributed to that value by changing perceptions? Clearly, in AANR’s mind, they cannot and decided they can do without the INF. Despite this set back, however a check on the INF website today (23 Aug) shows that six resorts in the US still believe and remain as members, although I would have to question how long for? As for the charge that the INF is too ‘Euro-centric’, the website also revealed that of the 10 members of the central committee named, only one – Barbara Hadley (PR overseas) – resided outside of Europe, so perhaps there is some substance to it.
It is impossible to say if the AANR resignation influenced British Naturism’s Executive Council, but early in 2011, they announced a review of BN’s own membership of the INF. What British vice-president Mick Ayers thought of that decision is anyone’s guess, but as he had cut his ties to BN sometime ago, I doubt if he gave it a second thought. Then in August, Charlie Simonds had a letter published in Naturist Life that followed up, and expanded on an earlier article. He asked a simple question: What does BN and its members get for their money?
Again, the INF website reveals all, stating that it provides a ‘variety of services to naturists’, which include:
- A biennial world congress, staged in a different country on each occasion;
- International sports events, including swimming, petanque and volleyball; and,
- Youth meetings.
The question I am left asking is, what does comes out of these meetings that the INF organises; does it trickle down to the ordinary BN member and do they think it is relevant?
Skimming through recent issues of the British Naturism Magazine, I found very little concerning the activities of the INF, either as a promoter of the naturist lifestyle or as a campaigner. The INF does, however, publish its own newsletter, Federation Focus and in the December 2010 issue, readers are informed that ‘the concept of a certification system for clubs and resorts to sign-up to some basic standards of ethics’ had been agreed at congress. In another document, extensively quoted from by Mr Simonds, the INF says: “This will involve an invitation to holiday centres and clubs which welcome visitors to sign up to a commitment statement…. This system must, at present, be a self-certification system and we ask for the assistance of federations in recommending this to your members….” Mr Simonds asked, “How can INF membership possibly enhance anyone’s enjoyment of naturism, especially when visiting any of the many hundreds of commercial naturist facilities around the world?” Quite. How indeed? Especially as what the resorts and clubs are being asked to sign up to is a code of ethics and not a Quality Assurance scheme, similar to the one run by the Camping and Caravan Club for the various sites around the country.
The INF website does state that it, “works to enhance and improve the naturist experience and naturist business climate by promoting the benefits of naturism to the general public.” So we arrive at the other charge put against the INF by AANR; that it lacked vigour as a campaigning organisation.
A swift check of the publically available pages on the website for documentation that would disprove the accusation, reveals nothing and the tone of AANR’s resignation letter would suggest that there is nothing that would ‘enhance and improve the naturist experience and naturist business climate’ in those pages reserved for member federations either.
What everyone does know about is the INF Card (formerly Passport), usually reduced – in the UK anyway – to the INF logo on the membership card. It is a simple idea. Anyone showing a membership card with the logo at a resort will be sufficient confirmation that both belong to INF member organisations. In return, the holidaymaker will receive a discount on the price of their holiday accommodation or some other benefit. A simple idea, aimed at encouraging naturists to join their national INF member organisation. If your chosen organisation isn’t a member, well never mind. The resort can sell you an annual INF membership for €50 (about £44).
With plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that there are lots of naturist resorts willing to accept a booking without the INF card, however, BN members have made several attempts over the years to ditch the international organisation. And yet the ‘need’ for an INF card is rolled out every time as the main and only excuse for continuing with the membership. Looking at the INF website again, there is not a great deal of evidence there to show that the promised discounts and benefits are available. No resort is named so those that do, cannot be identified and visited, while others just choose to restate the mantra that an INF card is required to gain entry.
It has been alleged that the price of INF membership for British Naturism is £13,000 and it has been suggested that the EC could make better use of that money elsewhere. However, it has been put to me that the magazine receives advertising from other organisations that it would not normally get because of their INF membership, amounting to considerably more than the membership fee itself. Then again, any advertising income should be used against the magazine’s production costs, so whatever the amount over and above the membership fee is, it will still be lost to BN as past accounts have shown that the magazine does not make a profit.
Yet there is still this INF card. British Naturism’s review about its membership is due to report at this month’s AGM. However it turns out, I hope they decide to continue to do two things:
- To seek an answer to the question “Is INF membership the benefit to BN members it once was?” by finding out how many members have been asked to produce their BN/INF membership cards while abroad and was a discount/other benefit given.
- To work with other INF members to make sure the INF card system works as a benefit to membership, and to uphold the INF’s stated purpose of improving the business environment for naturist organisations and enhancing the naturist experience.
If (2) cannot be achieved then (1) will give them a firm understanding if INF membership is a benefit to its members after all and if not, enable them to swiftly resign.
An edited version of this is blog will appear in the October 2011 issue of H&E Naturist.
TEXT: Naturist Action Group
