Spectrum has an easy going application process but does require proof of identity and address which is reasonable. We require four visits before membership is approved but do not have interviews by the committee or require letters from partners which seems absurd in this day and age. The four visits are to see if they like us and we like them. We do expect visitors, unless attending with a member, to contact us first.

We expect and demand proper behaviour and that members accept that what the lifeguards say goes. I believe we are a relaxed club and we do not discriminate against single males but would encourage women to join. We like to think a single male walking through the door is a potential couple.

At the moment our membership is about 135 so we must be doing something right.

Davie  8)

That all sounds very reasonable and understand the need for some safeguards. With membership numbers like that you most certainly are doing something right

Hi,
Hope you don't mind me joining in.

My wife and I are very new to naturism and have been on a couple of naturist weekend breaks,we have been looking at Joining a club and we found a club close to us,but when I enquired about joining they wanted us to complete the application form and send it off,then they would arrange for a couple of members to meet us for a chat which is usually conducted in our home,during the "meeting"we have to show to utility bills aswell as photo Id passport or driving license,we also have to submit a few words to support our application to help them make a decision they want to know about our background,naturist experiences if we are members of other clubs and what benefits we could bring to the club if we became members after we have had the so called meeting they would arrange for us to visit the site.

why do they need to visit our home? This has put us both of joining this club,we have since visited another club and were shown around and made to feel very welcome.

clubs are understandably wary of people who have ulterior motives [pervs] - seeing applicants at home would alleviate that [prove you are who you say & they know where you can be found if something untoward happened] - so don't write them off too quickly for being over-cautious

clubs are understandably wary of people who have ulterior motives [pervs] - seeing applicants at home would alleviate that [prove you are who you say & they know where you can be found if something untoward happened] - so don't write them off too quickly for being over-cautious

Totally agree shortsboi, if you have nothing to hide whats the problem ?

A.

Totally agree shortsboi, if you have nothing to hide whats the problem ?

well from other side of the fence, BN & clubs come across as rather stuffy and first contact makes a big impression - so rules etc being foremost rather than a friendly disposition doesn't encourage people to join

More fantastic responses.

I have almost fell off my chair reading the last couple of posts..........

I cannot believe that this is how 'some' clubs operate, it must and does frighten us newbies half to death when you approach such a club.

I totally understand all the points raised on both sides of the fence.

Lets just hope one of the criteria does'nt involve 'meeting the parents' as well, some of our parents are no longer with us.  What then?? I still can't join??

Perhaps all it would take is an initial phone call to a potential club and ask to visit for a few hours.  A possible response from the club could be as follows....

'Oh yes, Hello Mr Camperman thank you for calling us we are always looking for new members and would be delighted for you to come and visit our wonderful club for a few hours to see if we are suitable for you.  We have a few rules and regs but nothing to formal which will be explained upon your arrival.  We will be very pleased to show you around and if its your first time being nude, don't worry we can supply you with a very small clean towel (about 12 inches square) to cover up should you feel uncomfortable.  Obviously everyone else will not be wearing any clothes as we are a naturist club.  Oh and one final thing Mr Camperman we have a strict rule about any unwanted behaviour (ie, if your being pervy) you will be immediately removed from the the club grounds and should any further problems occur the Police will immediately called.  Thanks again for calling us and we hope to see you very soon.'

Just a thought to any Naturist Club committee members who may read this 🙂 🙂 ;D

I have friends who joined a club and are still members.
They contribute a huge amount work wise to the up keep of their club due to the nature of his work and being younger than many there.

The sad thing is they had to remove any piercings before being allowed to join as it was club rules.
They complied with the club to join but thought about not joining.
Just a shame that some clubs are so stuck in their ways and even hindering their own clubs existence.

I Doubt if many clubs still insist on home visits to meet people before inviting them to visit their club, however I do think that it has become general, and a reasonable practice for visitors to be asked to provide positive identification, photo and home address when making an initial visit.
In the case of inappropriate behavior they can be expect to be asked to leave the site and if neccessary action taken.

This has only happened on very rare occasions and most visitors are made welcome and are happy to agree to the same rules that apply to existing members.

It would be interesting to know how many landed clubs have closed to naturists during the past 10 years and if these were clubs where the members owned the site, or the site owner decided it was more proffitable to have a textile site or develope the land for other purposes.

In the end, clubs differ wildly. There is no nationwide policy set by BN. Some welcome day and casual visitors, some don't. Most welcome campers but need prebooking, the same as a textile site. Some can't offer facilities for caravans because they are not licensed. Some have all the mod cons and some are all singing all dancing commercial sites, some still have a Nissan hut. But I don't think any are unreasonable in requiring ID. Joining any club or transacting any government business asks for that and why should naturist clubs be any different. Indeed, they are sadly conscious of the steady stream of peadomania and they have reasons to be cautious in that way. That sort of publicity we just cannot afford.

As most of them do in some way or another welcome visitors, it is not an absolute requirement to join one if you wish to visit. I wouldn't be able to commit to enough weekends and time in the year to join one, and I expect many people are in the same boat with many calls on time (and money). If the club membership generally is falling, it is because people just have too many other commitments these days. Clubs interested in staying open need to look at other ways to attract visitors as some are already doing, ie, you can turn up on a sunny day or with a short courtesy call, just armed with an ID and you will be allowed in.

The ones who won't adapt will die, the good ones will still be there in years to come.

Clubs must find it difficult to accommodate the views of all their members and there are often splits under the surface as to how open they should be. Occasionally there is a coup and the outlook changes.

I was at a club last year talking with some members about the big BN events such as Nudefest, and was told by one couple that they would never go to Nudefest because they allow naked dancing. The husband said that the day their club allowed members to be naked in the evening would be the day they leave. On the other hand, committee members from the same club happily attend Nudefest.

(Incidentally, said couple were among the very few still wearing clothes on a brilliantly sunny morning!)

I have met several club officials who would love to be more progressive but feel hamstrung by what the members want, or a vocal minority want

nib

Quite amusing how collectively we naturists can moan about the vocal minority against bike rides, beaches etc, but they are also present in some clubs!

Watch Ever Decreasing Circles for some idea of how some people on 'committees' love to operate in any sphere.

Watch Ever Decreasing Circles for some idea of how some people on 'committees' love to operate in any sphere.

Absolutely, Brigitte.

Not being a member of any landed club, I wonder if i should actually comment, but having read this thread it strikes me that all who have contributed suggest clubs, whether they belong to them or not, should be more progressive and stop hiding behind their old beliefs and values which may or may not have been relevant in the 50s, 60s or 70s when they were formed.

I assume each and every club has a committee responsible for the running of the club, setting rules, vetting prospective members, and deciding on what the membership criteria should be. I also assume that each year there is an AGM where members have the opportunity of expressing theit opinions and voting members onto or off the committee. As such, i wonder why those members who want to "drag the club into the 21st century" don't express their views and stand for election then they can do something about it. I know being a committee member of any organisation is time consuming, and perhaps those who want change are younger and as such don't have as much spare time as someone retired, but with that attitude, is it not likely that clubs will continue to be run in the same way, not only now, but in the forseeable future.

Not being a member of any landed club, I wonder if i should actually comment, but having read this thread it strikes me that all who have contributed suggest clubs, whether they belong to them or not, should be more progressive and stop hiding behind their old beliefs and values which may or may not have been relevant in the 50s, 60s or 70s when they were formed.

I assume each and every club has a committee responsible for the running of the club, setting rules, vetting prospective members, and deciding on what the membership criteria should be. I also assume that each year there is an AGM where members have the opportunity of expressing theit opinions and voting members onto or off the committee. As such, i wonder why those members who want to "drag the club into the 21st century" don't express their views and stand for election then they can do something about it. I know being a committee member of any organisation is time consuming, and perhaps those who want change are younger and as such don't have as much spare time as someone retired, but with that attitude, is it not likely that clubs will continue to be run in the same way, not only now, but in the forseeable future.

I was at a session of one of the BN Conventions where the new committee members of a club gave a presentation on how they had convinced the club to open up, go out into its local community and encourage more younger (and more female) members by emphasising the pleasures of skinny-dipping rather than the responsibilities of membership like work days. They had done a lot of work and had seen good results. But it had been difficult, even with several new members on the committee, to overcome the "we tried that in 1950 and it didn't work" or "our members are happy as they are" views of the status quo.

It can be done, and it is being done, but not everywhere and not quickly.

nib

After my post yesterday I have had some contact with the club I mentioned (the one with home visits, etc) and to be fair to them they seem much more friendly than their website implies!  I guess its maybe a case of 1st impressions but how many people have been put off after seeing their web presence rather than giving them a chance.  I for one am willing to give them a go after my 1st contact rather than 1st impression.