How to Start a Naturist Club - Outreach

Outreach

The real purpose of all this organization is, of course, to be capable of developing a sufficiently sincere and active group that can attract and direct enough membership and resources to proceed on to establish a naturist resort, or whatever is the ultimate aim fo your group.

Your first need will be to gain a larger membership &endash; people who have or can be encouraged to hold an enduring conviction o f the value of naturist living and want to share it with your group. In most regions of Canada there can be found at least a few who have had some naturist experience and would like to become part of your group. Others can be mad receptive to naturism, once it is clearly and honestly presented. But the greatest challenge will be to reach potential new members.

The first and surest way of finding suitable membership is by word of mouth. Nothing gains more interest than a personal account of how a great group of people are having a wonderful time enjoying a new and unique lifestyle. Only in conversation can you present, at one time, your experiences and the answer to all of their concerns, and in a way that best suits the prospective members. However, it does have its limitations in the number of receptive people that nay small group can contact in everyday life.

High pressure promotion, dogmatic opinions and lace of consideration for the values and interest of others have no place in this process and will surely do much harm. It is most important that your group develop an agreed upon public relations strategy so that all will speak with a consistent voice about the naturist lifestyle.

In all this, the Federation of Canadian Naturists can be of considerable help. While its membership list is strictly confidential, it can certainly notify all of its members in any region about the forming of a new group. And to help your group encourage new members, the FCN can provide brochures, magazines, videos and other promotional materials, all of which can be very useful to your efforts at a time when your finances and promotional experience are at their lowest. As well, it will announce the formation of your new group in this bulletin, thus informing any of its readers who may wish to contact your group.

Of equal benefit is that, in becoming associated with the FCN, you become part of a Canadian national organization that is well established in the naturist movement, both in Canada and internationally through the FCN's membership in the International Naturist Federation (INF). The FCN has or can draw on a wide and growing variety of experience in the Canadian approach to naturist public relations, promotion, government regulations and procedures and, as well, offer business and land development advice. It is much easier for a new group to adapt proven experience and information to their use than to try to develop it all from the beginning.

Furthermore, as soon as your group is soundly established, it can be listed in the Canadian Guide to Naturist Resorts and Beaches which will reach a readership far beyond the FCN membership.