Dear Friends,
Another year in the life of the Free Beach Group draws to a close, and we can look back on what we have achieved. At our last AGM we decided to publicise the group throughout New Zealand, with the aim of promoting a favourable image of the Free Beach Group among the general public. Newspaper coverage has been excellent, and regular articles in the N.Z. Naturist are keeping us well in the foreground. One unexpected spin-off has been renewed interest in free beaches on the part of the NZNF and the sun clubs, with one club taking up the cause most enthusiastically.
Forthcoming changes to local government promise some interesting challenges in the year ahead, and we look forward to hearing your ideas at our AGM. We are hoping for a good turn-out at our AGM, and a good crowd at our Waiwera trip afterwards. Some new faces on the committee would be nice, too. Like to have a go?
The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING will be held on Saturday, 26 August, at 2.30 p.m. in the All Saints Anglican Church Hall on the corner of Ponsonby Road and Cowan Street. The hall is carpeted and has lots of comfortable chairs. There is stacks of parking behind the hail, or along the roadside, or in the ACC shoppers car park through an alleyway over the road. Please note that the road through the shopping centre is one way only.
PLEASE BRING A PLATE of goodies for afternoon tea. We especially invite our country members to join us for the weekend, and we ask local members who can offer billets and/or transport to ring Fran on 565-219.
There is to be NO SMOKING in the hall please.
Our PHOTO COMPETITION will be held at 2 p.m. before we start the AGM. We hope to have lots of entries. If possible, prizes will be announced. at afternoon tea. Details for the competition were in your last newsletter.
Remember the CLOSING DATE IS 18 AUGUST.
WAIWERA TRIP: |
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Our main social event for the year is held at the Sapphire Pool, a private pool at Waiwera Thermal Pools. The evening follows our AGM, from 6 - 10 p.m. A buffet dinner of steak and sausages with salads, dessert, tea and coffee, is included in the price of $18. Children must pay the full price.
BYO - NO GLASS PLEASE
Please bring your own liquid refreshments, IN PLASTIC CONTAINEPS ONLY. Plastic glasses will be provided. We have decided, not to run a bus this year, as it will cost $10 each. Those needing transport, and those who can offer transport, are asked to get in touch with Fran, on AK 565-219. ENTRY IS BY TICKET ONLY. Please fill in the booking slip at the end of this newsletter, and send it in by 18 August.
SAUNA: |
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We have settled for Alladins Bathhouse, 433 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn. We are meeting there every Sunday night from 5 p.m. onward. Entry $6.50, children from $2 upwards, depending on size. The premises is clean, hot and cosy, good. facilities, sauna, cold plunge, steam room, spa pool, comfortable lounge with TV (and resident felines), a large outdoor deck with a shallow cold pool, plus showers and a kitchen where you can make yourself coffee, tea or fruit drinks.
The sauna is open to the public, although very few go there on Sunday nights. As from July, we will be holding our monthly social nights, on the second Sunday of each month. BYO and a plate. Dates: 9 July, 13 August, 10 September.
SWIMARAMA: |
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Come along and join the fun at our winter swim nights, held on the third Saturday of every month at Swimarama Pool, Lagoon Drive, Panmure, from 6.30 - 8.30 p.m. Adults $2.50, children 50 cents. Full-size tepid pool, children's pool and two saunas. All members, friends, and sun club members are welcome.
Dates: 15 July, 19 August, 16 September. A new member from Christchurch writes this little gem of high praise:
"I would just like to pass on my sincere thanks to your local members who made me most welcome at your swim night at Panmure last Saturday night. As a new member, I found the atmosphere great and the people very friendly. I look forward to future trips to Auckland and to involvement in the Canterbury area. Once again, many thanks and all the best in your efforts to free up NZ beaches."
COUNTRY CORNER: |
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We welcome many new members from around the country, and also two couples from Canada and USA who are planning to visit our shores next year. Country members make up about half our total numbers.
Clarry Roberts of Herekino, just south of Ninety-Mile Beach, writes:
"What better relaxation for one's mind, after a week of work and troubles, to look forward to the weekends to go to our beaches of golden warm sand, not polluted like a lot of beaches in Australia. One can throw out a rod for fish, and put it in a holder while stretching out in the warm sun and listening to the breakers on our quiet northern beaches If one gets fed up fishing, there's always the tempting warm sea to really relax in.
I think the Free Beach Group is doing a great job for us sun lovers. To be able to talk and share one's company as one looks up at the lovely open spaces that God has given us, and not spoiled by man. Relaxation on our beaches and knowing we are not hurting anyone is one of the greatest ways to forget your troubles, at least while relaxing.
Keep up the good work, Free Beach Group".
Clarry, I know exactly what you mean. Doesn't that sound nice!
BILLETS: |
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We hope lots of country members will come along to our AGM and Waiwera trip. Billets will be arranged by Fran, phone 09-565-219, so please call or write.
WELLINGTON SWIM NIGHT: |
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NZNF President June Campbell-Tong writes to say she is planning a swim night for members of the Wellington Sun Club and local FBG members. No details yet, but you can look forward to a phone call from Bill Baine, or else ring him WN 628-514 for more information. I know some of you are keen to get some local action underway, so this might be a good starting point enjoy yourselves!
NGATUHOA 1990: |
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Adele has booked us in for next year, from Wednesday 24 January to Tuesday 30 January. Note these dates in your Planning Diary NOW.
RICCARD'S: |
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The future of these swim nights is in doubt, and the dinner-and-swim on 30 June may be the last night. For further news, ring a committee member.
NZNF MID-YEAR SEMINAR: |
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: This event was held at the Canterbury Sun Club over Queen's Birthday Weekend. We thank Joyce Turner and Gerald for representing FBG at the seminar, and presenting our submission. The discussion topics were: "The Way Forward" and "Do We Need the NZNF?"
DO WE NEED THE NZNF?
Initial efforts by the Free Beach Group to be admitted to the New Zealand Nudist Federation were frustrated, both by dissension from within our own ranks, and by opposition from various sun club members. Eventually we were offered, and accepted, associate membership status, which seems to be satisfactory to both sides.
It has taken many years for the opposition to dissipate, and it is pleasing for us now to view the current change of attitude from sun clubs generally. This has come about partly by numbers of Free Beach Group members taking up sun club membership, and in some cases, becoming executive members of those clubs. This is the type of complementary membership we had, hoped for.
Our original application for membership was based on the following grounds:-
- To obtain visiting rights to sun clubs. This has in some cases not been granted, and we advise our members to request an invitation to visit by writing to the club concerned. In practice, it appears that those Free Beach Group members who wish to visit sun clubs have actually joined a local club, and thereby avoided any difficulties.
- To give us a measure of respectability with the general public. Over the years, our 'low-key' approach to social nudity in public has to a large extent kept us out of the public mind, and since so many nudists on New Zealand beaches are not Free Beach Group members anyway, our belonging to the NZNF probably hasn't made much difference.
- For solidarity, and presenting a united front to the public. The solidarity issue has not really been invoked until this year, when we set out to publicise the Free Beach Group all over the country, and succeeded beyond all our expectations. Because this publicity is focussed on the issue of free beaches, and the right of New Zealanders to be nude on beaches, any 'united front' would involve other nudists supporting the Free Beach Group according to the guidelines we have already established. Any show of strength can only lead to a more favourable outcome in achieving our objectives. We invite sun club members to come out onto the beaches with us and enjoy the freedom we already have.
- To allow us access to funds from the Percy Cousins Trust. At the time of joining, this was the carrot that won over our own dissident members. We understood that funds could be available if we ever faced a court case arising from our being nude on public beaches. This is apparently not now acceptable to the present trustees, partly because financing court action is considered a poor risk, and partly because the Free Beach Group has no collateral.
Since we joined the NZNF, the 'In-Touch' news sheet has become available, and is appreciated by all our members. This publication probably has more potential as a forum for controversial club concerns than is currently being utilised.
The present committee of the Free Beach Group is in favour of the NZNF being retained. It is in place, it functions well, and is there if we need it.
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BOOKING SLIP + + + FBG WAIWERA TRIP + + + 26 AUGUST 1989
NAME ______________________________________ TELEPHONE ___________
______ People @ $18 each TOTAL $ ___________
Please CROSS your cheque and make it payable to: Free Beach Group Inc.
Return this form with your cheque by 23 June to: Free Beach Group Inc.,
P.O.Box 41-171,
Your receipt will be your ticket - BRING IT. St. Lukes.
MASSAGE TABLE FOR SALE: |
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Near new, detachable screw-in legs, $65. Please ring Charlie Saggers AK 817-5494.
SOUTH ISLAND TOUR OFFERED: |
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Ken and Gladys Knudsen are offering accommodation for one or two people (solo parents welcome) in a large caravan for approx 3 months. They plan to be in Blenheim in the first week of October, returning to Wellington in time for the Rally, staying at sun clubs where possible. Please phone Ken at AK 818-7519.
SIZZLING BISTRO: |
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Our restaurant dinner was held on Saturday 22 April. Jim reports: "This was a great evening, plenty of food with a good selection, and reasonably priced drinks. The coolness of the air outside was soon forgotten. The members present found much to talk and joke about, and a great time was had by all.
Only one question - why did only eight people turn up? We hope to have many more than this next time. Your ideas are welcome."
COMMITTEE: President - John Riggir 565-219
Secretary - Adrianne Caldwell 881-601
Treasurer/Membership - Jim Peddieson 559-730* Ask for Jim
Public Relations - Tony Wilson 627-9726
Committee - Fran Riggir 565-219
- Tom Lewis 418-1890
Local Contacts - Adele Stevenson TG 56-468
- Bernie Holibar PUK 87-973
- Bill Baine WN 628-514
DEADLINE FOR NEXT NEWSLETTER: |
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End of August. Your next newsletter should be out by the end of September.
Once again, I thank you for all your letters. I would like to publish more of these letters in our newsletter, and welcome your views. If you prefer to remain anonymous, just say so. My policy is to print your name only if you are listed in our Directory.
I wish you all a cosy winter.
THANKS to those people who kindly sent me a Get Well card some weeks ago when I was struck by the dreaded lurgy. Your good wishes gave me a real lift.
Lois Kennedy