General Discussions

I was reading the local rag this morning and noticed several groups in Ngatea and Thames advertising their activities planned for the summer months. One was a chap offering to hold fitness and aerobic training classes. Another was a dirt-bike club. The Thames Pony Club also were inviting new members to learn to ride and go on horse treks.

It occurred to me that these special interest groups had one thing in common. Their interest focused around an activity. Not a lifestyle. Not a mindset. Not a world-view. They are groups that meet to enjoy a specific pastime - an activity that they do.

That realisation brought to mind a statement that can be found in our section on the law as it relates to public nudity. You'll find the link to the law on the dark blue footer below. Under the part where it discusses Section 125 of the Crimes Act 1961, we read the following:

"This piece of legislation is not used in cases of simple public nudity because being naked is not, by definition, an act. An "act" involves carrying out an action; doing something; performing a deed. Simply being naked is not an act. You can be naked and be doing nothing - just as you can be clothed and doing nothing. In fact, you can be prosecuted under section 25 if you do an indecent act even while clothed! Nudity is a state of being - not an action."

So it got me thinking. Yes, I do get these moments of sheer mental genius at times - rare though they be! And I also reflected on the times I'd thought it would be great if these various special-interest groups offered clothes-optional sessions within their timetables. And I started to wonder if our focus and emphasis on nudity, and pushing the "being naked in public" thing, was the right way to further our cause of promoting the acceptability of not wearing any clothes in appropriate public areas. What is it that we're expecting people to take an interest in? What is that cool activity that we want to spend time with others doing? Nudity? Really? Newsflash: Nudity isn't an activity! Nor is it a pastime that you do!

What naturist clubs and online groups like this one have been trying to do is attract people to going naked, and then, when the group is big enough, try and think of things to do that will appeal to everyone in the group. So landed clubs will typically spend hundreds of thousands on a swimming pool, spas and saunas, games equipment, a kitchen for preparing food and drinks, nicely maintained grounds to wander around naked. But not everyone partakes of every activity. And here at Hauraki Naturally a similar approach exists. We have, at time of writing, 126 members. Granted that we are scattered throughout the country, but I don't think we've had any more than 10 at any given activity. And why would we? Not everyone is into cycling, or hiking, or beach trips, or any other given pastime.

Maybe we have our priorities all arse-about-face? Maybe we'd further our cause much more effectively if we did a total rethink of our approach. Instead of promoting nakedness and then trying to find things to do to justify the nudity, maybe we should be forming special interest groups, such as hiking and cycling clubs, fitness and workout boot camps, even low-impact groups like our local Ngatea 500 group (that's a card game, in case you didn't realise). And then advertise these groups as clothing optional. Folks then come along on the hike or to the fitness class because they're keen to do the activity. And they are welcome to do so naked if they wish. Maybe they will go clothes-free, and maybe they won't - that's their choice. But, of course, they have to be comfortable and accepting of those who do.

We're not pushing for a world where everyone has to get naked. Far from it! We want a society where everyone has the right to choose to be clothes-free if that dress code is appropriate for a given environment and activity. By introducing nakedness as an option for special interest groups, I suspect the concept just might be more successful.

What does everyone think?