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Please bare with us during our Web site redesign. In the meantime, please read the latest "Message from our President" and AANR-East Roving Ambassador Report (scroll down) or visit the following links:

Nominations Committee Status Report—April 2008

Clarification of Qualifications to serve as Member Trustee

AANR-East Meets Wild, Wild West—Gathering at the OK Corral
by Steven Stoller—AANR-East Board of Directors / Webmaster

There is no escaping the Wild West frontier theme at the Cherokee Resort (Crossville, TN) for the AANR-East Convention and Festival Monday, July 15th – Sunday, July 20th. If you don’t come, your brain cavity wouldn’t make a drinkin’ cup for a canary. When you arrive, we guarantee that you’ll be as pleased as a pup with two tails and will be grinnin’ like a baked possum.

Cherokee’s wooded setting amenities include an outdoor pool, hot tub, hiking trails, clubhouse restaurant, snack shack, cabins in an idyllic wooded setting and even a little church in the wildwoods. Bring your Western garb and be prepared for plenty of good eatin’ including a chuckwagon dining night and Danny’s famous barbeque (don’t name a cow you plan to eat) not to mention a wine and cheese party but we ain’t makin’ moonshine in the saloon. If you are so thin you could take a bath in a shotgun barrel or look like a snake on stilts, then Club Manager Danny promises you’ll look be feasting all week till you are grinnin’ like a weasel in a hen house.

Tenting, RV, and covered wagon sites are available.

After finishing up AANR-East business on Wednesday, we’ll be packing away our laptops for fun. Of course, y’all are invited to participate in Committee meetings and the Regional Assembly where you’ll learn about all the satisfying opportunities to volunteer and make a difference. You may speak your mind, but ride a fast horse. Seriously though, we do want you to participate. Some people follow wagon tracks but others may break new trails for us.

50% of the stick horse races profits will benefit the AANR Legal Fund with the remaining 50% going to each race’s winner. In addition to sporting events and contests, we will observe Tennessee justice for the cheaters, conduct an auction, share Western and Indian folklore, and get down for some good ol’ guitar pickin’ and story tellin’ contests. You’ll see some real antique cars and tractors and enjoy an old timers’ gadgets demonstration. Elvis will be on the grounds to entertain – have your photo taken with him!

When it gets dark, folks will be gathering and singin’ ‘round campfires for the little ‘uns and adults. Everyone’s welcome – even if your voice sounds like someone forgot to grease the wagon. But just remember that a closed mouth may gather no boots. And kids will have a special water balloon toss just for them.

If so much activity is not for you, you can always kick back yer cowboy boots, be as slow as molasses in January, and lounge ‘round the pool deck listening to muther nature’s animals.

So grab yer cowboy hot, don yer boots, and join us! Make your reservations now. Call Cherokee at 931-277-5140.

AANR-East Needs You!
By Pam Pelc
AANR-East Roving Ambassador
Reprinted with permission from the February 2008 issue of The Bulletin

Bob and Pam Pelc visit AANR-East clubs

AANR is an organization that helps make it possible for us to enjoy social nudity. Have you considered what you might personally do to support nude recreation? Membership in AANR is a great first step, but how about going a little further and volunteering to help your region in some way?

As a Roving Ambassador for AANR-East, I know most about that region's needs, but I'm certain the other regions have similar needs. In our region, volunteers can make long- or short-term commitments. Committee work can fulfill the desire of someone who wishes to carry on a task over an extended period of time. There are also single projects and tasks that can be tailored to fit whatever time and skills a person has to offer.

Please contact AANR-East President Susan Weaver at aanreastpresident@yahoo.com to help out—no matter how small or large the amount of time you can give to keep nude recreation strong in the Eastern Region. Members of other regions should contact their regions to express their interest in reaching the same goal.

My husband, Bob, and I answered the call for volunteers in our region. I can assure you we have gained so much more than we have given. Please consider giving some of whatever time you can spare—a little or a lot—to your AANR region. You, too, will agree that volunteering is time well spent.

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Message from our President

AANR-East President Susan Weaver

President’s Letter—Elections—April 29, 2008


It is inevitable that we are all focused on the political race for U.S. President with the focus placed on it by the media.

But there are two other ballots – yes, not one but TWO! –that will also impact you as AANR members.

The ballot for AANR President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and 14 Trustees will be arriving with your May Bulletin. AANR-East is the only region that has three candidates competing for the right to represent you as regional Member Trustee. I hope that you will carefully read the candidacy statements of these individuals and vote for the person you believe will bring to the job the dedication and commitment this position demands.

Also on this mail ballot is a vote to increase AANR dues for the first time in 10 years. I urge you to vote in favor of this dues increase. AANR has achieved great strides in educating the American public about nude recreation and promoting our rights, but lobbyists and public relations/marketing firms do not come cheap. If we are to continue to support our clubs through marketing assistance, produce such outstanding press as the New York Times Travel Section 3-page spread, and track hundreds of legislative measures that could impact our enjoyment of nude recreation, AANR dues must keep pace with other costs. A $5 fast food meal is gone in a few minutes, but a $5 per year increase in AANR dues will keep on supporting your enjoyment of nude recreation 365 days per year.

Also, keep an eye out for the AANR-East mail ballot, which will be in your maibox the end of May. Once again you will be selecting four individuals to serve as your AANR-East Directors. These persons will be making important policy and budget decisions for you, so please read their statements carefully and vote.

 


Susan A. Weaver
AANR East President

AANR-East Roving Ambassadors Pam and Bob Pelc at Gymno-Vita

Gymno-Vita Park - Vandiver, Alabama

   Two by Two











We are Pam and Bob Pelc, AANR-East's Roving Ambassadors. We have been card-carrying nudists since 1971, when we were members of Sun Valley Gardens in Ontario, Canada. Now it is our mission to visit all the clubs in the eastern region to provide an additional communications channel between each club and AANR-East. We welcome invitations to visit your club. Here is how you can contact us:


April, 2007

We tried to get to Gymno-Vita Park on a warm, sunny day, but the day we picked put us at the Alabama nudist park on a rather gloomy Wednesday too near to the Easter cold snap to allow Mother Nature time to recover her pleasant disposition. But even though it was a gloomy day we decided not to let the opportunity slip by. We found our way through the rural roads east of Birmingham to be greeted by Lisa and Bob Truett, the owners.

Bob took us on a tour of the park and gave us the introduction he gives to all newcomers. We found out that his career and his inclination keep him very much in harmony with nature. Six large dogs live at the park in the loving care of Lisa. Whatever wildlife that wants to inhabit the Gymno-Vita nature preserve is welcome there.

Bob and Lisa developed the park from raw Appalachian forest into the fine nudist club it is today. They did essentially all the labor themselves, laying concrete blocks, nailing studs, and decorating rooms. They still maintain the grounds, run the office, and manage the park single-handedly. It’s a pretty impressive accomplishment. Nudist parks usually have a clubhouse, but only Gymno-Vita’s clubhouse includes the Pink Champagne Ballroom and Theater, complete with a stage. They have an annual nude circus on the third Saturday in July.

Many clubs have an aspiration to maintain a gender balance and adopt various rules to achieve it. Gymno-Vita’s approach is to restrict entry of solo members and guests. Well-behaved visitors are welcome when they arrive at the gate accompanied by a person of the opposite gender.

A brief stay on a cold day in the middle of the week was a combination that kept us from seeing Gymno-Vita come alive with nudists having a good time. Bob invited us back when the season is under way. We look forward to making that visit - perhaps when that one of a kind nude circus is performing.

Oh, and where was that sunrise? Bob Truett had warned us that getting our big rig into Gymno-Vita might be a little too challenging to try on our first visit. The sunrise was at the textile campground where we spent the previous night.