Ilsley Visits Coventry Coventry Club & Resort welcomes Ilsley to North Carolina. Coventry is the second club to be purchased by Susan Lembcke and Bill Perreault, creating the first chain of resorts in nudist history along with the first Coventry Club & Resort in Milton, Vermont. The name Coventry was chosen because Susan is a direct descendent of Lady Godiva, whose famous ride took place in Coventry, England. The North Carolina resort is a great destination resort for visitors who want to experience the Myrtle Beach area. The Grand Strand offers over 100 golf clubs from which to choose, and the family-oriented resort sits on 30 beautifully landscaped acres and features a large swimming pool and hot tub, a spacious clubhouse, numerous sports activities plus rental units, full-service RV hookups, tent spaces, and an abundance of activities. This weekend, Ilsley will make a special appearance at Nudestock, the music fest at Cedar Creek Park in Pelion, South Carolina. This annual event is billed as the Southeast's largest music festival for nudists featuring an array of professional bands and other exciting entertainment as well as a variety of vendors. The Ilsley is a traveling trophy commissioned to commemorate AANR's 75th Anniversary as the credible voice of reason for nude recreation in North America. Ilsley is traveling to nearly 40 AANR clubs and resorts across the U.S. and Canada. Throughout his tour, special themed events and celebrations are planned at host clubs along the way. The award is named for the late Rev. Ilsley Boone, the founder and first Executive Director of AANR's predecessor, the American Sunbathing Association. Boone is perhaps best remembered as the flamboyant clergyman who served as plaintiff in the 1958 case of Sunshine and Health v. Summerfield. That case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court and established, once and for all, First Amendment protection for nudist publications. Ilsley ends his tour in August 2006 at the Association's 75th Anniversary Convention at Deanza Springs Resort outside San Diego, California. You can track Ilsley's weekly progress on his year-long tour right here on the AANR website. 
Nudists Aid Hurricane Victims Everyone is aware of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast. What many may not be aware of--but might have suspected--is that the nudist community has responded in a big way. AANR clubs and individual members, too numerous to mention here, from one corner of the country to the other, have offered food, shelter, campsites, and supplies to hurricane victims. Paradise Lakes Resort in Land O'Lakes, Florida, is sponsoring Nudes for Food Hurricane Katrina Grief Relief Fund, seeking gift card donations for those affected by Katrina since the Red Cross and Salvation Army are running out of storage facilities for the multitude of donations that have poured in. Nearby Lake Como Family Nudist Resort in Lutz, Florida, is planning a music fest to raise money for a homeless nudist family that are victims of Hurricane Katrina. Suntree Travel Club in New Mexico, is offering a member's yard for free RV hookup. Abbott's Glen in Vermont, has offered lodging accommodations, as has Coventry Club and Resort in North Carolina and Wildwood Naturist's Resort in Texas. Sunsport Gardens in Florida has offered free campsites, and Sunny Rest Lodge in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, is sponsoring "Operation Sunny Rescue" to raise money for the Red Cross. Armadillo, a new resort in Texas, is also hosting a fundraiser. There are many other clubs and members who have felt called to action following this devastating tragedy, another indication of how generously the nudist community involves itself in civic action. Get Bare As You Dare at Bluebonnet Bluebonnet's 15th annual Bare As You Dare 5K Cross Country Walk/Run is scheduled for October 1. The Run/Walk is open to all age groups, and medals will be awarded for first, second, and third place in each group. The day-long festivities include a No Tan Lines HASH event that takes place following the run. The HASH was started in 1938 in Malaysia by a British group who added a twist to the old British game of "Hound and the Hare." One runner, the hare, sets off laying the trail with flour. The rest of the pack, the hounds, try to catch the hare by following the flour marks. Water and sand volleyball, billiards and table tennis tournaments, horseshoes, tennis, hot tub, and sauna are all part of the activities before and after the event. Learn more at Bluebonnet. Nudists Swim Loch Ness for Charity Six nudists are planning a nude swim of Loch Ness for charity. British Naturism, a UK group, has organized the swim in support of Cancer Research UK.Four men and two women, one from the United States, will swim the loch three times in relays. The event is expected to last two days. British Naturism is the UK's officially recognized naturist organization and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2004. This will be the second swim that the group has sponsored for Cancer Research UK. Association President Pat Thompson said that he hopes the group's adoption of such a worthy cause "shows that naturists are not the secretive people they are often perceived to be, but are keen to support the outside world and be part of a wider community." Read more at Loch Swim for Charity.  |
