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FREE BEACH News |
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May - June 1994 |
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FREE BEACH GROUP Inc |
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PO Box 41-171 St LUKES AUCKLAND 3 |
Bylaw Challenge
The Free Beach Group has decided to challenge the North Shore City Council Bylaw which states:
No person over the age of 12 years shall be on or remain upon any part of any beach or beach reserve while their pubic areas are exposed to the view of other persons.
At the 1993 AGM, members voted unanimously in favour of a resolution instructing the Committee to investigate means of over-turning the North Shore City Council bylaw, and authorised $1000 to be set aside to finance such action.
The Committee has now completed its investigations, and has commissioned a well known and respected Barrister, Mr Barry Wilson of the Council for Civil Liberties, to provide us with a Legal Opinion. Mr Wilson will also assist the Free Beach Group present the opinion to the Council.
The preparation of a legal opinion involves an extensive and detailed search of relevant Laws, Acts, and Court Decisions.
With the Legal Opinion, the Ceramalus Appeal Decision, and in light of the recent police decision to withdraw charges against a Free Beach Group member who was nude at Fitzpatrick Bay, it is confidently expected that it can be demonstrated that the Bylaw is illegal.
Our action against North Shore City Council should benefit members everywhere. Repeal of the bylaw should be a signal to other local authorities which may be considering the introduction of oppressive bylaws which attempt to interfere with our legitimate right to nude recreation.
The cost of our challenge is approximately $1300.
To meet this cost, we are inviting members to make donations to our Bylaw Repeal Fund. Donations will be recognised in the Newsletter, unless otherwise requested.
This is an important step in achieving and maintaining the objectives of the Free Beach Group. |
FREE BEACH GROUP Committee Acting PresidentTraven Searle (04) 387 9858 Secretary Traven Searle (04) 293 7560 Treasurer Bob Squires (04) 232 7739 Members Jackie Caldwell Nobilangelo Ceramalus09 483 5428 John Groombridge 04 569 5641 John Lowe 06 870 0926 Bob Williamson 09 410 6030 Correspondence should be mailed to the official FBG address |
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LOCAL CCONTACTS Auckland Bob Williamson (09) 410 6030 Tauranga Glenda Harper (07) 542 0209 Ted Lidgard (07) 542 2344 Waikato Roger Morris (07) 856 8857 Hawkes Bay John Lowe (06) 870 0926 Sthn Hawkes Bay Hugh Bowles (06) 374 6238 Wellington Odette Greer (04) 233 9248 Alan Geeves (04) 478 4820 Christchurch Chris Arnold (03) 355 8337 John (03) 352 8503 |
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It is intended that this Newsletter will be the forum for the expression of ideas, opinions, and criticism; and therefore may not represent official policy.
FREE BEACH News |
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May - June, 1994 |
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Page 2 |
Auckland Report
Once again the Easter period witnessed a gathering of FBG members at the DoC Uretiti Beach Reserve. The weather played it's usual tricks for the time of year but on the whole one could not complain!
Bob Williamson |
Dear Traven
Thank you for your letter reminding me to renew my FBG subscription. I had decided to let it lapse, but after receiving your letter, decided to give it another go.
You expressed interest in why members chose to drift away. Briefly, I really became a member only to support a group which seemed interested in working to protect my rights to be naked in appropriate circumstances when I want to be. I had no interest in the social aspects of the group, having been badly frightened by a visit to a nudist club many years ago. The spectacle of all those people driving miles into the country to take their clothes off and then having to invent ludicrous games to while away the time was appalling. My garden and the beaches and rivers suit me and my occasional partners fine, thanks.
However, after some time I took a little interest in some of the activities mentioned in the newsletter. First problem was that none of them happened anywhere near where I live. So I took advantage of a few occasions when I was in Auckland and visited a couple of beaches which had been nominated as open days, and went to Alladins' sauna twice.
Next problem was that I am a fifty-year old single man. I've been divorced for years, and prefer to stay away. Unfortunately, although it's OK to be single with my clothes on I'm apparently a social pariah when I undress. I'm not homosexual, I'm totally comfortable in nude company and I'm pretty quiet, but found myself definitely on the sidelines.
Since my social life is very full (ie I'm not desperately seeking things to do) I simply gave up going, without any strain. That was several years ago, so when your routine subscription reminder arrived a month ago I decided to let it lapse, since I wasn't gaining anything from it.
Your letter has reminded me of my original reason for joining, which was to contribute to the maintenance of a free society rather than to personally gain from membership, so I enclose my new subscription.
Kind regards
(The name of the writer has not been included for obvious reasons, Editor) |
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Death Knell?
The object of the FBG generally is to get nudity accepted on the beaches etc. The latest newsletter is headlined "Nude is Legal". This surely is the death knell of the FBG. The vision of the founder members was that this is the time to close the Group. The objectives have been met. Instead we are having regimented hierarchy typical of Capital or Head Office bureaucracy* set up to make things as complicated as possible. In fact a typical example of Parkinson's Laws in action. It has never worked efficiently in any other organisation. Why should it work now?
Whatever happened to the simple FBG set up any member could understand? The new set up will require someone to have had experience with complex set ups to be on the Committee.
* This is the old argument Government v. Private Industry. It is difficult for someone inside the system to look at it from the outside and vice-versa. No personalities here.
John Riggir |
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Less-ons and More-ons
Being clothes-optional is a "less-on"; and to be a clothes-compulsive is to be a "more-on". Mark Schroeder, NUDE & NATURAL |
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FREE BEACH News
This Newsletter has been compiled from information supplied by members. If you have any topics of interest to share with others, or if you have any ideas or concerns, now is your opportunity to express them.
Contributions may be sent to the official address, or direct to the Editor,
John Groombridge, PO Box 30-099, LOWER HUTT |
FREE BEACH News |
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May - June, 1994 | Page 3 |
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New Magazine Coming Soon
In the last newsletter there was a brief article by Jackie Caldwell saying that a new naturist magazine might be launched in New Zealand later this year.
My credentials for the task: I have been a naturist since the 1960s, and a professional journalist since 1986. I have won two journalism awards, and have been published in a number of magazines and newspapers both here and in Australia, including the NZ Herald, The Dominion, and Management. I am also a photographer, and was once a film cameraman with TVNZ. And I was the channel through which the legality of simple nakedness was established in the High Court in 1991, thus proving the lawful place of naturism in New Zealand. The new magazine will be a highly professional product, which will give our splendid philosophy an equally splendid image (not one that is dragged down to the gutter by shots of dolly-birds and painted, peep-hole bikinis). It will be packed with articles, stories and news that are interesting, informative and entertaining. It will be unlike any naturist publication you have ever seen before: world-class, and thoroughly New Zealand. Nobilangelo Ceramalus
P.S. Good, truly naturist, photographs are needed - as are people of all ages who are willing to be photographic subjects. Please get in touch if you can supply either images or bodies.
And if you can write well, you are welcome to send articles for consideration. They should be typed or computer-printed (double-spaced), or in the form of an ASCII file on a 3.5', IBM-format, 720 or 360K floppy disk.
P.P.S. If you want to help support the new magazine financially, you are welcome to send a donation (please enclose an SAE for the receipt). Every little will help with the substantial cost of getting it off the ground.
Contact: Nobilangelo Ceramalus, 3Caram Place, Birkenhead, North Shore 1310.
Telephone: (09) 483-5428 |
In Pursuit of an Ideal
Nudity may be legal, but this battle was won a long time ago, back in 1981, when the Summary Offences Act was passed. The Free Beach Group has subsequently changed its objective, which initially was to promote the establishment of "Free Beaches"; it recognised that legal nudity in no way meant that the attitude of the public would change over night, in response to the law. Our new aim, therefore, became that of making nudity on beaches socially acceptable, to bring it into line with the law that made it legally acceptable.
Jackie Caldwell |
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ROTOTA
Meryl Baker
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FREE BEACH News |
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May - June, 1994 |
Page 4 |
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Back to the Future
There has been a suggestion that the Free Beach Group has achieved its objectives and should be wound up. I wonder if this was what the founders of the Group visualised?
A few years ago, the Naturist printed an article written in 1978 by Robin Hoare, our first President. It is interesting to look back on his words from time to time, if only to appreciate the broad vision which accompanied the founding of the Group. The impetus for establishing legal "free beaches" came to a halt with the passing of the Summary Offences Act in 1981, and the focus of the Group shifted to increasing public acceptance of beach nudity.
The ultimate vision, as stated by Robin Hoare, was for the Free Beach Group to become a "federation of local groups", with the clerical work being handled by a central committee. This hardly sounds like a prescription for disbanding, it is in fact, exactly what we have now.
As with many other organisations, the simple set-up we have had, has now moved to the suburbs, or for FBG, the 'regions', where members are having lots of fun running their own local groups. The advantage of this set-up is that all those jobs that nobody wants to do, have been taken away, to be done by the National Committee. How could this be better?
Jackie Caldwell |
Naturist Life and the Prometheus Foundation
Recently I was contacted by John Lowe about being a guarantor to the Prometheus Foundation for Nobilangelo's expected launch of a new magazine "Naturist Life". I was both intrigued and disturbed by his phone call and I wanted more details. This was followed up by a letter from Nobilangelo outlining the content of his new venture, and thanking me "for pledging to be a guarantor for $200?".
This follow-up material sent by Nobilangelo assumed that I was interested in being a guarantor, and I was somewhat disturbed that presumptions had been made. However, I did receive a letter of apology from John Lowe for the hasty "hard sell" request with an explanation that a deadline to the Prometheus Foundation needed to be met.
To settle the matter, I will not entertain such a commitment and I advise other FBG members in the Wellington region to be wary of these "hard sell" tactics for launching new products which may be of benefit to us.
I question the use of the Free Beach Group membership database in seeking points of contact for such ventures, and I question Nobilangelos' and his supporters' methods in launching this product, and his use of the Free Beach Group membership list as a sponsorship vehicle. It people want to be a financial guarantor, it is on their own back and not as part of the Free Beach Group. The FBG code of conduct does not endorse such activities, but if Nobilangelo or his supporters incognito want to pursue and seek guarantors, then a better and gentler approach of communications should be used. Simon Powell
Whilst the Free Beach Group welcomes and congratulates Nobilangelo's enterprise in launching a new naturist magazine, the Free Beach Group is in no way connected with the venture.
The Free Beach Group membership database is private and confidential and is for the sole use of the National Committee to communicate with members (eg: newsletters, etc); its use for any other purpose is strictly forbidden.
The use of my name on any material relating to the, magazine has not been authorised by me, and is not intended to be an endorsement of the venture.
I have no doubt that Nobilangelo is sincere in his efforts to produce a high quality magazine, it is unfortunate that some feathers have been ruffled on the way.
Traven Searle |
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Breaker Bay
The latest "NZ Naturist" magazine published a letter from a correspondent named "Frank". I have written a somewhat blunt and forthright reply to the "Naturist" about the misleading and inaccurate claims about Breaker Bay.
It is a pity that it will be a further two months before the reply will be published. Meantime readers, who may be unaware of the true situation at Breaker Bay (and also of Frank's conduct on the beach), will be mislead by the statements he has made.
Extracts from my letter:
It is hardly surprising that "Frank" is pestered by voyeurs wanting a closer look. If he is providing the attraction he shouldn't complain when people stop and take a look Personally, I think "Frank's" decision to quit the beach has a lot to do with the fact that at this time of the year you very seldom get anybody on the beach anyway. ... Or is it something to do with what the police have said to him? Should he stay away from the beach next season, the moral tone (of the beach) will most definitely improve. Brian Tindall |
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The "Frank" referred to in the adjacent letter and the author of a letter in the recent issue of the Naturist" is not, and has not been a member of the Free Beach Group. Editor |
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DEADLINE for the next FREE BEACH News will be 15 June, 1994 |
FREE BEACH News |
May - June, 1994 |
Page 5 |
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For the Record(s)
Finally when the President does get to the bottom of these matters, the matter should be fully reported in the newsletter.
John * and Fran Riggir
* John is our Immediate past President (Highlighted items as per original) Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I have included John's comments in full, even though I do not accept some of his claims. I am content to leave it to readers to decide. Editor |
Reluctant Response
I am reluctant to be drawn into a public debate of this nature in the newsletter, as I believe that the Group has more important issues on which to concentrate our energies.
Traven Searle Acting President |
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Law notes
Enclosed with this newsletter is an extract from the Police magazine "Ten-one", 28 February, 1992, which sets out the legal situation with respect to public nudity.
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FREE BEACH News |
May - June, 1994 | Page 6 |
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Dear Traven
My boyfriend and I have been interested in the naturist movement for a long time now. With my boyfriend first becoming a member seven years ago, and I applying for membership for the first time today.
Annmarie Dennis |
Peka Peka Beach Subdivision Halted Wellington Region FBG members should be grateful to environmental and other community groups for their efforts in saving one of our most popular nudist beaches from development.
The Planning Tribunal recently upheld four appeals against a Kapiti Coast District Council decision to approve a large coastal subdivision at the end of Te Hapua Road, Peka Peka North. The proposed development would have substantially affected the very area which FBG members (and other nudists) have traditionally used for many years.
If the subdivision had proceeded it would probably have meant that our members would have had to abandon the area and seek another venue a considerable distance further north towards Te Horo.
The 31.4ha subdivision was disallowed on four counts:
Change 64A would make subdivision of the coastal environment a discretionary activity.
In reporting the outcome of the appeals, the Evening Post said the Tribunal's decision was being hailed as a huge slap in the face for irrational planning processes. Kapiti Environmental Action (KEA) (of which I am a member) claimed the Te Hapua decision as a major environmental victory. It believed that if the subdivision had proceeded it would have inevitably led to rapid residential development throughout what remains of the districts fragile coastal environment and much of its remaining rural land.
The protection of our coastal heritage, and our rivers, lakes and bush areas from unnecessary development should be of vital concern to all members and demonstrates the type of issues in which our organisation should be prepared to support and to become involved.
From personal knowledge of the work that KEA members undertook to research, prepare and present their appeal it is not an easy task to pursue such a course of action. Never-the-less if we are to be worthy of the aims of our organisation, I believe we must be willing to take up environmental and other issues which affect our interests as promoters of clothing-optional recreation. Geoff Horn |
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Fronting up to the Public Having some form of probationary period was discussed at the Forum held at Ngatuhoa. The consensus of opinion was against the idea. The National Committee has adopted a proposal to record the date of joining on our membership cards. This will identify new members and recognise long-standing members.
The Free Beach Group differs from sun clubs, in that when the Group was formed, no provision was made for a probationary period for new members. No doubt the rule relating to discipline was seen as adequate for dealing with any problems that could arise, and twenty years' experience has borne this out.
Why does the Free Beach Group differ in this respect from sun clubs? The difference is that we meet in public places, where our behaviour is subject to, and governed by, the constraints of public acceptance. Whatever we do, must be appropriate to the situation, acceptable to those around us, and totally within the law. As one of our members was heard to say: "We're all on probation, all the time." Jackie Caldwell |
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[Page 7]
Wellington NEWS |
May - June, 1994 |
MENSANA Health Club & Sauna
Linda, Meryl, Rick
TASMAN BEACH
On the 27th March 1 dozen or more people enjoyed themselves at Tasman Beach.
Linda |
FROM THE COMMITTEE
Wellington's Monthly swim nights have commenced! Same story as previous years; The Cannons Creek indoor pool is taken over by the Wellington contingent of the Free Beach Group at 6pm on the second Sunday of the month and is ours until 8pm with barbecues available until 7:30pm. At this stage the charges are $3 per adult FBG member, $3.50 per adult non-member, $1 surcharge for children accompanying adults regard less of number. The City Council still has to confirm this years hire charges, they meet after we start using the pool, so "watch this space" just in case.
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SUGGESTIONS PLEASE
One of the jobs of the local committee is to organise social gatherings etc in its local region. Although I cannot comment on the success of other committees in this area, the Wellington committee has trouble involving Wairarapa, Manawatu and Horowhenua members in its activities. Are we choosing the wrong beaches, times etc. Maybe suggestions to the committee or local contact will help us involve more members next summer. Alan |
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MEET THE FREDBEAREANS (also known as Fredbareans)
These loveable, friendly, outgoing creatures are characterised by their wide variety of ages, shapes, textures and variation in colour. Their social tolerant community includes both sexes and individuals from all walks of life.
There are some individual sub-species, the most notable of these being:
LOUDMOUTHIUS TINDALLBAREAN. This particular individual is so well known he needs no introduction, but love him or hate him he is a colourful and distinctive member of the Fredbarean
community.
MUMABAREANS. These loveable cuddly female bareans are very maternal and protective of their own offspring (Youngbareans) and the young of other mumabareans.
YOUNGBAREANS. This group includes a large, boisterous family whose antics keep all the mumabareans on their respective toes.
HEATHERBAREAN. This very special youngbarean is a young female who is very helpful to all the mumabareans by organising all the other youngbareans and taking care of them. She is much loved and a great dancer having performed solo at socials and discos. She is fondly known as "Hev".
And the last but not least the CREEPABAREANS. These fortunately rare undesirables are not welcome and are quickly removed by the genuine Fredbareans.
Meryl