July 2015 President's Message

   by Richard Mason

  Haulover Beach.

  The Past, the Present and the Future.

Well, we lasted 24 years. Who knew?

When we started the naturist beach in 1991, there were many County officials pissed off and others who predicted we would only be here a few months and closure would be caused by our own inappropriate behavior. They, of course, proved to be wrong.

These first 24 years had many threats of closure, but all at the state level through proposed laws to make mere nudity a crime. In each attempt, South Florida Free Beaches led the combined effort of national and statewide naturists to defeat these legislative attacks on our American way of life: Skinny-Dipping.

South Florida - A Naturist Perspective Richard's monthly column in NUSA Sun April 2015: The Closing of a Nude Beach - The Paradox Richard describes how every clothing-optional beach carries the seeds of its own potential demise, but the right approach can keep those from sprouting. Read...

If asked what major program SFFB/FNA incorporated in its master plan to acquire and maintain a naturist beach that was most responsible for keeping Haulover open to nude use for 24 years, I would have to say the Beach Ambassador Program.

After watching other naturist beach sites close due to there being no on-site watchdog group to protect the reputation of a beach, we knew we had to have a program in place to protect the reputation of Haulover.

Because the County finally agreed to let us stay at Haulover, without a court fight, but only if SFFB/FNA would enforce naturist beach rules, we had to have in place an organized group of volunteers who understood the challenge and cared enough about protecting the beach's reputation to make a commitment.

Presently, we are looking at a successful naturist beach which continues to rack up impressive numbers in attendance, tourist visitations, parking and resort tax revenues, creation of local jobs and impressive economic benefits to the community. Further, we have educated millions of visitors on the issues of "no glass bottles on the beach" and "no walking in the dunes."

Most important, we have introduced millions of visitors to their first nude beach experience as well as the fact that the nude human body is not a criminal object in and of itself. An estimated 28 million visitors have visited Haulover's naturist beach during its 24 years of existence.

However, like every other segment of society, whether it is our schools, churches, or government officials and those elected to office, there is always a small percentage of participants who have a sexual agenda and show reckless disregard for the institution they are within. If we let these sexual predators destroy the reputation of Haulover Beach, we will have only ourselves to blame.

Our Beach Ambassadors are volunteers and cannot be everywhere from sunrise to sundown. Thus, it becomes the responsibility of each beach visitor to speak up and ask the perpetrators to leave the beach.

We, the members and supporters of South Florida Free Beaches, want to thank all visitors to Haulover who, by their beach presence, have made Haulover the success it is today.

Visit Haulover on Saturday, July 11, for our 24th anniversary celebration. There will be complimentary cake and lemonade at the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute's South Chickee. (See below for details.)

Ralph Collinson, Shirley Mason, Will Seccombe, and Richard Mason meet at VISIT FLORIDA office in Tallahassee, FL on October 13, 2014.

VISIT FLORIDA ®, the state's official tourism marketing corporation, has added Haulover Beach and other naturist beaches and nudist resorts to its web site in an article titled, Florida Beaches Where You Can Bare It All. This is a first in the United States that a government agency is promoting naturist recreation.

This is actually a 24-year effort by South Florida Free Beaches. In 1992, we attended and had an information table set up at a Florida Governor's Conference on Tourism at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Naples / Fort Myers area. We were there to assert the legality of nude recreation on public lands and our rights as citizens. Talk about shock and awe! 

We had a naturist video playing in our booth. Some found our booth repulsive and a few saw it as the future. That future was here at Haulover. VISIT FLORIDA is the successor to the Governor's Conference. 

Our success with VISIT FLORIDA is due to our Tallahassee lobbyist, Ray Maury, and the combined efforts of Shirley Mason, Executive Director of B.E.A.C.H.E.S. and Ralph Collinson, President of AANR Florida, the Florida region of the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR). As reported in the November 2014 issue, we met last October with the President of VISIT FLORIDA and cut the deal. 

Our strategy has always been to get a State of Florida agency to promote nude recreation, demonstrating the legality of nude recreation on public lands in an area set aside for that purpose. And, by doing so, it would make it more difficult for a city or county or a state agency to deny the establishment of other naturist beaches.

We will be working with other local groups in Florida to establish additional designated naturist beaches on public lands. 

Heads-up: The Florida Legislature passed a new law that concerns taking of pictures of people and using those pictures to cause harm to the person in the photo. These laws are being enacted in other states and are known as "Revenge Photography" laws. This law may be useful in stopping the sneaky picture-taking on Haulover Beach. There are limitations in the law and it appears to be based on the intent of the photographer. The law goes into effect on October 1, 2015. We will discuss this law in a future monthly newsletter.

Thanks for being there. 

Richard Mason

President

News Flash!

Bradenton, Florida couple arrested and convicted for sex on the beach

On May 4, 2015, Elissa Alvarez, 20, and Jose Caballero, 40, were arrested and taken to jail for having sex on a public beach.

After spending 46 days in jail, Ms. Alvarez was found guilty of lewd and lascivious exhibition in public on a public beach and is now a designated and registered sexual predator for the rest of her life.

Jose Caballero, also convicted of lewd and lascivious exhibition in public on a public beach, is still in jail. His sentencing will take place in July. The prosecutor will be recommending a 2.5-year jail sentence. Mr. Caballero is now a designated and registered sexual predator and will remain so for the rest of his life.

A prosecutor stated that sex on a pubic beach is a serious crime and, upon conviction, has serious consequences.

Haulover Beach 24th anniversary and Beach Ambassador trainings

Come to Haulover Beach on Saturday, July 11 to celebrate the 24th anniversary of the naturist beach and annual Nude Recreation Week (July 5-11, 2015). Starting around 12:30 p.m., we will serve cake and lemonade in the South Chickee (thatch-roofed canopy) between lifeguard stations 12 and 13. From around noon to 3 p.m., there will be a body painting demo by Jeff Simón of Simon917Ink under a canopy next to the South Chickee.

Want a chance to be a model for the body painting? Models will be drawn from those that sign up in advance with the Clothing Optional Social Club. Tips to the artist are graciously accepted.

This year's remaining Beach Ambassador (BA) trainings are currently scheduled for Haulover Beach in Miami on Sunday, September 27 and Saturday, December 12. We're looking into the possibility, however, of relocating the September session to Playalinda at Canaveral National Seashore near Cocoa Beach, FL as part of a weekend field trip.

BAs are volunteers that serve as beach monitors and greeters, a combination of block watch and welcome wagon. For their service, BAs at Haulover Beach get a cool hat, ID badge, and free parking on their duty days. Seasonal residents are welcome to participate. If you have any questions or wish to sign up for a training session, contact Ken. 

Anti-nudity legislation: Win some, lose some

In a special e-blast on June 4, we informed our readers of an urgent request from the Naturist Action Committee (NAC) for grassroots action on a bill in the Nevada legislature, which included a provision to make it a felony for an adult to be nude in the presence of a minor, regardless of location - even at home! - or circumstances. Nevada residents were asked to call or e-mail the governor's general counsel to urge her to advise the governor to veto it, and we asked others to let their friends in Nevada know about it.

Unfortunately, despite a strong response from naturists and others opposing the bill, Governor Sandoval of Nevada signed it into law several days later. It will go into effect on October 1, 2015. For background and the latest status, including plans to address the potential impact of this new law on naturists, please read NAC's update on Nevada at naturistaction.org/nevada.

On a happier note, there's good news from Texas! NAC announced on June 14 the successful squelching of a bad bill in the Texas legislature. Like other trendy proposals (including Nevada's) ostensibly targeting "revenge porn," this bill would have had negative impacts on naturists, but it was prevented from being assigned to any committee. It is dead for now, although it could come up again in a future year's legislative session. Read a brief report on what happened and stay informed of any updates at naturistaction.org/texas

Florida's newest nude beach celebrates first anniversary

TA, Jacqui, Lynn, Nelson, Ralph (AANR Florida President), Seth (B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute Board of Governors), and Scott with Blind Creek Beach 1st anniversary cake on June 6. (Subjects are FBCB core group members except as otherwise noted.)

Friends of Blind Creek Beach (FBCB) on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce, FL gathered on Saturday, June 6 to celebrate the first anniversary of their initial nude meetup there. (See related video.) After leaving the beach, FBCB core group members, representatives of supporting naturist organizations, and beach users gathered at Archie's Seabreeze, an open-air tavern near the beach where "no shirt, no shoes [are] no problem," to toast the occasion with drinks and anniversary cake.

Although casual, nude use has a long history at this remote, primitive and pristine, county-owned beach, it has been just one year since FBCB started to exercise the right to be nude in an organized way. St. Lucie County, which has jurisdiction, has not yet given any formal recognition of the clothing-optional beach, but it does not interfere, and skinny-dippers continue to enjoy a cordial relationship with sheriff's deputies, who just smile and wave at them.

FBCB members meet on the beach informally every weekend, but the next highlighted event there is 2015 Skinny-Dip (Nude Recreation Week) on Saturday, July 11, in conjunction with AANR Florida.

Subscribe to FBCB's new Yahoo! Group to receive weekly beach update e-mails. For advance notice of special events, subscribe to FBCB's Facebook events.

Reminder: Gay Naturists International (GNI) offers membership discount

Gay Naturists International (GNI) is the world's foremost association of male naturists. As reported in the March 2015 issue of this newsletter, GNI has collaborated closely with South Florida Free Beaches in running joint membership drives, providing complimentary exhibitor space at each other's events, and exchanging ads in their publications. In February, GNI joined B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, SFFB, and Bare Necessities Tour and Travel Company in co-sponsoring and attending the first Naturist Unity Summit. In continuing support of naturist unity, GNI has extended a twofold offer.

First, there is a 25% ($10) discount off the regular $40 dues for a one-year membership in GNI for applicants referred by SFFB or B.E.A.C.H.E.S. (Note that membership is limited to men aged 21 or over.) Furthermore, for each one that joins GNI or renews his GNI membership through this promotion, GNI will donate $10 toward the expenses of The Celebrated Nude Art Festival and Naturist Unity Conference in Miami. These offers are valid through the end of October 2015.

When joining GNI on line at www.gaynaturists.org, be sure to enter UNITY15 in the promo code field of the payment form to qualify for this deal. (This is not the "club promotional code" in the "Member Information" section.) The discount and GNI's donation are valid only if the above code is entered in the application; it may not be claimed after the fact. Get details of this offer and GNI's 30th Anniversary men's nude Gathering, August 21-30, 2015, in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.