AANR, Caliente Caribe, Part Ways

The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) will announce this week that Caliente Caribe clothing-optional resort is no longer in the association's network of clubs. The statement, provided to me by a trusted AANR source, will be as follows: "Caliente Caribe, a participating business, not chartered club of AANR has not renewed their contract."

At this point it is not clear whether AANR or Caliente Caribe initiated the split, or what were the reasons, but it's clear from Caliente's recent activities that the Dominican Republic resort was no longer following the guidelines set forth by the nudist organization for non-sexual activities and atmosphere.

AANR has already removed Caliente Caribe from its website.

There is still no word from AANR on the status of Lupin Lodge in Los Gatos, California, which has also been embroiled in controversy over erotic lifestyles groups using the venue for their meetings and sexual activities.

Let's get plastered!

My good friend and artist, Marilyn and I are getting ready to teach spring workshops. The first, entitled Let's get plastered, (apropos, I know) will be held on Sunday, March 13, from 10 am to 3 pm at Captured Moments, one of our favorite places to shop and gather for creative inspiration.

The two canvasses below are examples of what students will learn to make in class -- an 8 x 10 mixed media piece made with spackle, acrylic paint & collage.

For more information or to sign up, send me an email (listed on the sidebar at the right.) We will send you a full class description, materials list and payment information as each class is planned.

Local Residents Complain of Noise from Lupin Lodge

Lupin Lodge in Los Gatos, California, is the subject of complaints from local residents of excessive noise coming from the clothing-optional resort well past the 11:00 PM self-imposed curfew.

Residents in the Chemeketa area of the Santa Cruz Mountains have been noticing an increase in noise late at night. The noise has been traced to the Lupin Lodge, a clothing optional resort located in Aldercroft Heights about ten minutes outside of downtown Los Gatos. 

The Lupin Lodge website says that their events end at 11:00 pm, but residents are hearing noise coming from the area much later into the night.

A group called Anti-Lupin Raves has been started due to people being "bothered by the loud music (played into the wee hours) and the traffic at the parties given at Lupin Lodge", posing a "noise nuisance and potential fire hazard".

One resident says that flyers will be distributed informing neighbors with website and telephone information, and options are being discussed to solve the ongoing problem. Group member Karla said, "I am not looking forward to the upcoming week end, I fear it will be a repeat of the last one."

Lupin Lodge is a member club of both the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society (TNS). Susan Weaver, President of AANR, recently commented about allegations that Lupin management is allowing BDSM and erotic lifestyle groups onto the property, against the organization's guidelines which prohibit overt sexual activity: "The Lupin situation has been brought to the attention of the AANR-West Region and it is my understanding that an investigation is taking place."

Another AANR Resort Hosts Erotic Fetish Events

In the wake of the recent controversy at Lupin Lodge, the American Association for Nude Recreation has another affiliated club openly marketing to swingers and erotic lifestyles groups.

Caliente Caribe in the Dominican Republic is openly advertising "Naughty Kinky Dominican Domination Group Trip" from March 26 through April 2, 2011, "March Madness Erotica Group Week" for the same time period, "Caliente Spring Swing Erotic Resort Takeover" for April 16 through 23, 2011, "Fetish Fest 2 Paradise Bound Resort Takeover" for June 18-25, 2011, and several other sexually charged events.

Caliente Caribe is listed as an AANR club on the organization's website. The Nudist group bills itself as "the credible voice of reason for nude recreation since 1931" and promises a non-sexual environment whenever a member visits an affiliated club.

Plan to Go Nude! Although some clubs allow visitors to remain clothed while touring the club as a first timer, most clubs expect guests to be "clothed when practical, nude when appropriate." Visitors, as well as members, are required to conduct themselves in a manner that would be considered acceptable at any other public social gathering. There will be people of all ages and backgrounds - families, couples, children, young and old - and they will all have one thing in common…they decided to participate in nude recreation. 

As a first timer, please make this important observation, even though you might anticipate it, a nude environment does not have any special sexual connotation.

On a page entitled "Why Your Membership Matters", AANR boasts of its efforts to "advocate for nude recreation with regular visits to the U.S. Congress and state legislatures to educate lawmakers and staff about nudist concerns", and it works to "protect traditional skinny-dipping spots and nude beaches."

AANR requires its affiliated clubs to adhere to its principles and standards.

The atmosphere of an AANR club is wholesome and friendly. People who enjoy nude recreation distinguish between nudity and sex and keep the two in their proper perspectives. Clubs are careful about who enters their facility and if anyone seems to be there for the wrong reason, they will be asked to leave.

In recent years several affiliated clubs have surrendered their charters so that they could openly market to swingers and other erotic lifestyle groups, which fall outside the traditional definitions of nudism and naturism. Since last May, the California club Lupin Lodge, which has been in existence since 1936, has been involved with a controversy over BDSM groups using its facilities for meetings and "play areas". As of this writing, neither AANR nor The Naturist Society have made any official statements on the status of Lupin as one of their affiliated clubs.

Below are some screen captures of the Caliente Caribe website and some of the groups scheduled to visit this year.

http://calienteresorts.com/caribe/destination.html
http://www.dommetrips.com/
http://x-clusiveplaymates.com/dominican-republic-2011/
http://www.kinkevents.com/cff/cff-caliente.html

Pansexual BDSM Group Meets at Lupin Lodge

Masters and Slaves Together Santa Clara County (MAsTSCC) openly advertises their monthly meetings at Lupin Lodge, contrary to public statements by The American Association for Nude Recreation that such sexual fetish groups would "never" be welcome at that clothing-optional venue.

Although the blog itself has scrubbed any references to Lupin Lodge, the event calendar is quite clear and specific about the venue. On March 6, 2011, there is a scheduled 7 PM meeting.

Masters and slaves Together of Santa Clara County wants to make YOU HAPPY.
Want to come to a meeting on a SUNDAY? Want to come and have an early dinner at the on site restaurant?? Want to come and have a late HOT TUB dip? Want to come to the meeting and go swimming FIRST?
Want to come to the meeting, enjoy the company of other Masters, slaves, and power exchange couples and then PLAY????
Come join MAsT SCC at our NEW HOME at Lupin Lodge in the hills 11 min. outside Los Gatos.

There is a warning for all MAsT members to hide their "toys" because children could be around, as well as the following statement:

Lupin is open and aware of our group, has all their permits and has been around 78 years- we are welcomed with open arms, and hope that your time with us will be a warm, loving environment with leather folk and M/s friends.

MAsTSCC also describes their facilities at Lupin Lodge.

Drawback? It is nestled next to the permanent residents yurts so play noise has to be zero after the meeting (or we can walk down to play at our old larger spot). But this is t he HUGE WIN happy spot for me. It's like meeting in a very warm round living room instead of a huge round dance hall. The intimacy level is about 4X what it was, and we can enjoy the floor space.

AANR Club/Member Liaison Terry Justice made the following statement last May when allegations against Lupin first emerged.

I immediately called the club and spoke with the owners, I also sent them any information I was able to find. Of course they were shocked and very annoyed that this was about to befall them, they are very proud of their family-friendly, non-sexual resort. 

They thanked the AANR office for catching this, and assured us that there would be extra security at the gate and in the resort. These groups will be turned away and or ejected, and will never be welcome at Lupin Lodge.

AANR proclaims on their website:

The atmosphere of an AANR club is wholesome and friendly. People who enjoy nude recreation distinguish between nudity and sex and keep the two in their proper perspectives. Clubs are careful about who enters their facility and if anyone seems to be there for the wrong reason, they will be asked to leave.

AANR President Susan Weaver announced on February 11 that Internal Administration is looking into "several" matters that will be "dealt with in a just and appropriate manner."

Lupin Lodge is affiliated with AANR and The Naturist Society (TNS). As of this writing, neither organization has said whether or not Lupin specifically is the subject of any investigations.

Following are some screen captures of the BDSM website.

AANR Currently Investigating "Several" Matters

In an announcement yesterday, AANR President Susan Weaver said that "several" matters were currently being handled by Internal Investigations:

Vice President Mark Hammond, who also serves as AANR's Internal Administration Chair, has been working on several IA matters. While it is never pleasant to receive complaints about clubs, the IA process is in place so that the regions can carry out initial investigations and report their findings to AANR, so they can be dealt with in a just and appropriate manner. As a club owner himself, Mark sets high value on the AANR brand and will work to see that it is upheld.

All nudists and naturists should contact AANR and TNS and let them know that they also want traditional family values upheld at affiliated clubs, especially regarding the current situation at Lupin Lodge. Don't be part of the silent majority, speak up!

AANR
Tel: 800-TRY-NUDE
407-933-2064
Fax: 407-933-7577
Email: try-nude@aanr.com
Email: susanweaver@aanr.com

THE NATURIST SOCIETY
Tel: 800-886-7230
Fax: 920-426-5184
Email: nickyh@naturistsociety.com

Erich Schuttauf Resigns from AANR

Citing a "a new set of financial needs for me and my family", Erich Schuttauf has stepped down as Executive Director of the American Association of Nude Recreation in order to "return to the legal and business community." Susan Weaver, President of AANR, calls Schuttauf a "dedicated servant to nude recreation", and noted that he will be missed very much. Schuttauf says that his 13 years with AANR are among his "life's greatest joys", and he plans to remain as a consultant to the organization.

http://www.nudistclubhouse.com/group_topic.php?topic=2795

AANR to Skip the Skinny Dip in 2011

The American Association of Nude Recreation is taking a hiatus from its two-year old Guinness World Record Skinny-Dip event. Susan Weaver, President of the organization, explains:

Planning these events takes enormous coordination and effort. Guinness has stringent certification and verification procedures required to establish and beat world records. Every location hosting an event had to meet the Guinness standards. Some of the location coordinators wanted a rest for a year from the many, many hours of work that went into planning the events and providing official records for Guinness.

I feel certain that AANR will be back in the future seeking to beat the 2010 record.

With 14,110 people participating last year alone, it seems that the event would have been profitable, but apparently the time spent on organization and record-keeping wiped out any benefit to many of the clubs. It was a public relations coup, and a brilliant idea, but perhaps it would have been better had other organizations like The Naturist Society had gotten involved. Now the future of the event is up in the air.

At least three AANR resorts already have the skinny-dip on their calendars for July 9,2011 (here, here and here), so hopefully someone will let them know soon so they can schedule other events.

The Crisis in Nudism and Naturism, and What YOU Can Do

The silence is deafening from AANR and TNS since the recent allegations that Lupin Lodge is hosting BDSM erotic lifestyle groups on its grounds. Both organizations should have been well prepared for this moment, given that the reports of fetish groups infiltrating Lupin surfaced last May.

The loss of Lupin Lodge, a cornerstone of the nudist and naturist movement since 1936, would be devastating. Both AANR and TNS are in negotiations with the California Department of Parks and Recreation for the restoration of clothing-optional status to San Onofre Beach, and for more public lands to be set aside for nude recreation, claiming that nudism and naturism are family friendly and not magnets for overt sexual activity.

How can either group expect to maintain the moral high ground in discussions and legal actions when one of its affiliated clubs in California is hosting sexual fetish events?

AANR has drawn a sharp line in the sand, proclaiming that these "groups will be turned away and or ejected, and will never be welcome at Lupin Lodge."

NEVER.

The Naturist Society is also clear in its stand on sexual activity.

TNS adamantly rejects the use of the term "naturism" as a cover for sexual activity. Naturists do not deny the sexual nature of human beings, but they reject the all too prevalent view in our society that nudity and sex are synonymous, and that children should be "protected" from nudity regardless of context. To repeat: nude is not lewd.

ADAMANTLY REJECTS.

The time is now to let YOUR voice be heard on this issue. Either the national organizations live up to their standards and philosophies, or they turn a blind eye to a situation which threatens the very existence of family nudism.

The discussion about the future of nudism needs to be had. Are the occasional adult events such as the "human fox hunt" or "Nudes-a-Poppin" acceptable at AANR and TNS affiliated clubs as long as they otherwise maintain a family-friendly atmosphere, or are these adult-oriented events grounds for club suspension or expulsion? As of today, the latter is still official policy.

Until that discussion takes place, it appears that AANR and TNS have no choice but to sanction clubs which hold overt sexual events. In the case of Lupin Lodge, it is alleged by the "human fox hunt" people that employees at the venue not only gave complete approval to the fetish events, they worked knowingly to cover it up.

If such an event is acceptable, then why is it not listed on Lupin's calendar, and why did the fox hunt folks remove all references to Lupin from their web site to prevent search engines from finding the information?

Inaction on this issue is a tacit admission that family naturism is a fraud.

It is time for all nudists and naturists to get involved. Contact the leaders of AANR and TNS and let them know how you feel. If you think that such adult activities are unacceptable, then tell them. If you think that adult activities are sometimes acceptable, then tell them. Just don't sit by the sidelines and watch as yet another club falls to the lifestyle crowds.

AANR
Tel: 800-TRY-NUDE
407-933-2064
Fax: 407-933-7577
Email: try-nude@aanr.com

THE NATURIST SOCIETY
Tel: 800-886-7230
Fax: 920-426-5184
Email: nickyh@naturistsociety.com

Journal sketch & Photoshop alteration #3

I love taking a raw pencil sketch and playing around with color and Photoshop filters to see what emerges.

What's Really Going On at Lupin Lodge?

According to their website, a California "Human Fox Hunt" erotic lifestyles group has booked May 6 through 8 at Lupin Lodge Clothing-Optional Resort for one of their fetish events (please note registration is required on their website to get access for specifics on the event). Another ponyplay fetish site, The Stampede, describes the event as follows:

The original human fox hunt team and The Stampede is gearing up for our second event in our new venue! All animal role players are welcome to explore their inner animal in a natural setting. Our clothing optional venue provides a safe, sane, and consensual environment to romp in as you please. ALL ANIMAL role players welcomed, Puppies, ponies, foxes, furries, and mythical beasts! There will be outdoor space for lunge, ad cart pulling, and indoor BDSM play space, and a large forested area for the hunt.

Lupin Lodge in Los Gatos, California, is affiliated with the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society (TNS). Both organizations support nude recreation in a non-sexual environment. In the past few years, at least three AANR affiliated resorts have withdrawn from the organization due to overtly sexual activities and marketing to swinger lifestyle groups: Caliente, Paradise Lakes and  Seminole.

Lupin also disassociates itself from sexual activity, declaring that anyone visiting the resort agrees to "avoid behavior which is aggressive, harassing, embarrassing, overtly sexual, or otherwise inappropriate to Lupin's family environment" (rules). Minor children are welcome and are admitted free as long as they are accompanied by their parents. On a page entitled "Lupin, Nudity and Sexuality" it is stated emphatically that "Public eroticism and sexual exploitation are not acceptable at Lupin."

The controversy over the erotic lifestyle groups is not new and was previously reported here. AANR was notified at the time and Terry Justice, Club/Member Liason, gave the following response:

I immediately called the club and spoke with the owners, I also sent them any information I was able to find. Of course they were shocked and very annoyed that this was about to befall them, they are very proud of their family-friendly, non-sexual resort. They thanked the AANR office for catching this, and assured us that there would be extra security at the gate and in the resort. These groups will be turned away and or ejected, and will never be welcome at Lupin Lodge.

Information on the Fox Hunt website contradicts AANR, and openly describes an event held at Lupin last September:

The new venue was perfect for this event, and the feedback from both the venue, other guests, and guests of the fox hunt has been exceptionally positive! We will be doing this again, and there is even consideration to doing this twice a year, since our ideal weather, and time of year is on the edges of the venue's busy season, and into their down season.

Upon registering and logging into the Fox Hunt site, one can read a message from Fox Hunt member "Smash" describing the problems encountered with Lupin and AANR:

This controversy appears to date back to mid-May, 2010. This was the day that Smash, the event organizer, met with Lupin Lodge representative, Cindy Gregory, and the date for this event was confirmed. Shortly thereafter, a preliminary announcement was posted onto The Stampede Talk and copied to the Equus Eroticus events listing. While only members of Stampede Talk can read Stampede posts and these posts can not be found through Google, the EE posting was publicly viewable.

The conservative watchdogs have Lupin Lodge, and the Lodge's website, in their searches. They have made an issue out of the Fox Hunt to the AANR. AANR has politely asked the Fox Hunt Organizers to remove all references to Lupin Lodge and any Lupin URLs.

The Fox Hunt organizers have combed this site and removed all references to "Lupin", or "Lupin Lodge" and now merely refer to it as "The Venue". All references and links to Lupin Lodge in the articles can now only be seen by registered users.

AANR has denied any knowledge of these events at Lupin, yet "Smash", the event organizer, claims that AANR requested that the Fox Hunt site remove all references to Lupin.

Lupin Lodge, AANR and TNS have all been asked to comment on this situation, and as of this writing there has been some communication but no official statement.

Screen shots of the Fox Hunt websites are below in case pressure is put on them to change or remove their information about Lupin.

AANR bills itself as "the credible voice of reason for nude recreation Since 1931" and fields a Government Affairs Team to liaison with public officials over legal and public lands issues. Currently AANR is in communications with the California Parks and Recreation Department over setting aside some public lands for nude recreation.

Lupin Lodge was founded in 1936 and the history of their first 50 years can be found here. The Naturist Society has scheduled its annual Western Gathering at Lupin for August 11-14, 2011.

http://foxhunt.lycanthrope.net/
http://the-stampede.org/events.html

The Most Popular Nudist and Naturist Sites on the Internet 2/8/11

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Journal sketch & digital alteration

Alberich Matthews' Photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alberich/show/with/62843447/

Journal sketch & photoshop alterations...