Bare Facts
Copyright 2000 Lake Edun Foundation, Inc.
Official Publication of the Lake Edun Foundation, Inc.
May 1, 2001
Box 1982; Topeka, KS 66601 Voice Mail: 785-478-BARN e-mail: benude@lakeedun.com Website: www.lakeedun.com
Are You Ready To Return To The 60's
We are having our sixties weekend on May 25-27 complete with tie dying. Plan on having a great time coloring your wardrobe on Sun the 26th. Bring something to dye. 100% cotton works best. As in past years, we will be using professional grade dies. There will be a charge this year of $2.00 per article to offset expenses. Any monies above and beyond the cost of supplies will go toward the legal defense fund. Vicky, our resident expert, will help us with ideas and techniques to make our creation the best!
On Saturday the 25th there will be a camping equipment swap meet. Bring any unwanted camping equipment. Someone else might be able to put it to good use, and you might find something you might need, or something you have been searching for. Saturday evening we will have a potluck dinner. Please bring a dish to share. If you have any 60's CD's please bring them out to share with us.
Adopt-A-Highway
Several months ago, the Board voted to become involved in the Adopt-A-Highway program offered by the Kansas Department of Transportation. Doug has pursued this. He volunteered us for the well-traveled section of I-470 between Gage and 29th Street.
In mid-April, we learned our application was approved. We expect to conduct our first clean-up as soon as the litter control signs are erected at the limits of our zone. The board hopes this will be another opportunity to raise public awareness of the Lake Edun Foundation and the positive impact we have on the Topeka community.
We hope many Eduners will volunteer to assist on our first clean-up day which will probably be in early June. Keep posted! For more information, contact Doug.
Easter At Lake Edun Was Fun
by Mary Lou Schulenberg
Thirty to forty Eduners made it out for the Tax Day Party and Easter. About a dozen hardy Eduners camped out. We had a great time on Easter. We had a storm Saturday night, but everyone was nice and dry in our tents. On Sunday, Debbie and I hid both plastic and hard boiled eggs. We also hid chocolate eggs and some boxed candy.
Every one had a blast finding all of the eggs. Seems that the adults had the most fun. They were giddy with delight with all of the goodies they found.
Hope to have as much fun when we do it again next year. Also hope to have more children with their families out.
Save your Aluminum.
Bring it to the Lake! Take Advantage Of Our Open Houses
It is a safe bet that we all have a few friends who are curious about Naturism but are reluctant to take the plunge. A non-threatening way you can introduce your modest acquaintances to the benefits you have already discovered is through an open house. It provides an opportunity for the curious to visit our special place and meet some friendly Eduners without having to either be or see naked. If they like what they experience (and we are betting they will) they may remain for a pot-luck. If they are still uncomfortable, they can leave knowing they have at least tried it but without having to see any nudity. It's safe!
Enclosed is one or more fliers you may give to those you believe may be interested in opening their mind and expanding their horizons. If you need more, they are available at the barn. Help spread the word ... give an invitation to a friend. Or, if you prefer, provide us with a name and address of someone you believe may be interested. We will mail a nice, personal invitation to them without identifying you as the person who suggested we contact them.
It's easy! Help us make this year's open houses even more successful than last year.
Plan To Be At Return To Edun
As they say, "The early Eduner saves some bucks." Well, maybe they didn't put it exactly that way. In any event, advance tickets for Return to Edun/9 are $75/single and $90/couple. But, if you order yours prior to June 15, you save $5. While you may think this is not a whole bunch, in an era of rapidly rising gasoline prices, it is nice to know some prices are reasonable. Members receive their advance tickets at half price. At the gate, tickets will be the same price for everyone: $80/single and $100/couple.
DON'T FORGET
May 4; Fri; 6-midnite; Main area closed for private party
May 4; Fri; 8-10; Sauna
May 12; Sat; 10-12; Board Meeting
May 12; Sat; 1-5; Work Day
May 12; Sat; 6-8; Sauna
May 18; Fri; 8-10; HN Swim in KC
May 19; Sat; 12-4; Work Day
May 26; Sat; LEF camping equipment swap meet.
May 27; Sun; 60's Tie Dye Party
June 2-3; Coleman Hawkins Jazz-Fest in Topeka
June 9; Sat; 12-3; Open House
June 15; Fri; 8-10; HN Swim in KC
June 16; Sat; Renew Wedding Vows
July 7; Lake Edun Reunion
July 9-15; Nude Recreation Week
July 14; Sat; 12-3; Open House
August 3-5; Return to Edun
August 18; Sat; Kansas Invitational
Sept 2; Sun; Luau Party.
A Few Lines From The Prez:
by Eldon Rice
LEFoundation@kscable.com
The board has elected to start bringing our message to the public. We voted to adopt a highway. Doug went through the task of setting this up with the highway commission, and enjoyed great success. We were granted approval a few days ago. They are going to be putting up our signs on a section of I-470, one mile east to Gage Blvd. The signs should be in place by the end of May. We will schedule a highway cleanup soon thereafter. We will need help on this. If it is something that you would like to do, please sign up at the barn. Let's get a big group on this and show the public that we are indeed good and decent people.
Also, when you are buying flowers for your gardens this spring, if you have some left over; please bring them to the lake. Susan has built many planters. Now all we need are the flowers. Spring is finally here.
We will see all of you very soon.
Thanks, Eldon
Essence Of Being Nude
The essence of being nude
Is the freedom to be oneself
Without hidden agenda...
The essence of being nude
Is the sharing of one's soul
Without all the masks...
The essence of being nude
Is the seeing of another
Without sexual thoughts...
The essence of being nude
Is experiencing oneself
Without any fears...
The essence of being nude
Is an understanding
Without spoken word...
The essence of being nude
Is the acceptance of yourself
Without any guilt. © 1997 Robin Blanchette
Items We Need
Hello From Australia
By Dr Les Rootsey
[This brief email was sent in response to a recent decision by the Canadian Supreme Court holding women may not swim top-free.]
My name is Dr Les Rootsey and I'm the publisher of The Australian Naturist magazine.
To say I was stunned by the legal actions in Canada for 'top free' swimming is an understatement. Thank God we in Australia are much more liberally mature than our Canadian cousins.
Here in Australia, women sunbathe and swim top free on virtually any beach they wish, without even a whimper of notice. All women including those with young children enjoy the same freedoms as their children's father and other males to enjoy life 'top free'. Surely, it's a simple issue of discrimination against females
I was amazed that in these early days of the 21st century that top free was even an issue anywhere in the world. Has Canada (and I assume the US) been trapped in a 'time warp' or something.
Even nude bathers are no longer prosecuted here in Australia, so long as they are not making a nuisance of themselves and observing simple social proprieties.
Where has Canada been through the liberating last half of the 20th Century???
Good luck with your 'unbelievable' fight!
Cheers, Les
Swap Meet
By Dee Merrifield
Just a reminder that Lake Edun will have its 1st ever swap meet/sale of camping equipment on Saturday, May 26. If you are interested in selling, buying or trading , come prepared on Memorial Day weekend.
There promises to be several tents, stoves, sleeping bags, air pumps and other camping goodies available at the swap meet. Come with your excess equipment and/or cash so you will be prepared for a great season this year. If you have questions, CW from Omaha is the man to see.
Naturist Society Merchandise
by Dee Merrifield
Lake Edun Foundation will have TNS 'stuff' for sale, hopefully, by Memorial Day weekend. Also, we can take orders for any other TNS items you may be interested in, and we can save you shipping & handling if you ordere it through the Foundation. Just another of the many wonderful services we live to provide for you.
By the way, don't forget your TNS membership! If you need to renew, do it through LEF and help our budget (just a little).
"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and ask, 'Where have I have gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.' "
- Thank you, Frank
A Time To Rejoice
By Dee Merrifield
I know everyone is sick of hearing about what a long, cold winter we had. So, it's time to get over it, shed our clothes and get back to nature. We've already had some primo weather. Now, if the trees just hurry and do their job so we don't have to duck and cover. Remember, we always need to be sensitive to our neighbors around us. The trees need to be fully covered so we don't.
Now here's the real reason to rejoice. Our fearless leader, Eldon, has been given a clean bill of health. After a malignant melanoma was discovered on his back, surgery was performed to remove the lymph nodes from under his left arm. They were able to get it all, and he will not have to be subjected to radiation or chemo therapy.
YEAH!!!!!!! Even in the face of real fear, Eldon never lost his great sense of humor. We commend you and speak for you in asking everyone to "please be careful out there". Yes, that means use your sun screen and wear a hat.
Random Thoughts & Reflections
Oops! We were supposed to include a new combination for the lock on our new gate. Somehow, that was left out last month. Hopefully, members will find it this month.
Trees now have leaves and everything is taking on the freshness of a new season. Many Eduners have already enjoyed three or four beautiful weekends at our special place. Spring is a beautiful time. Somehow everything seems to look new again.
From The Mail Bag
Dear Lake Edun;
Thank you for the information package about Lake Edun (Bare Facts). You can tell a lot about a group just from their newsletter (the attitude-tone-general "feel").
Thank you especially for the article Shame The Dividing Barrier. It's the 1st time (I remember) reading anything about nudism from a Christian perspective.
I'm a member of a small new club (Mountain Oaks Bares) & have been trying to "spread the word," leaving our brochures out wherever people will allow it. Most folks don't care. But a few literally wanted to send me straight to "Hell in a hand basket." These were "Christians" doing this.
The article didn't say who wrote it, but they did an excellent job.
Hey - NUDE is not Lewd! But, some well-intentioned "church people" still think it's a four-letter word.
- Fred from LaGrange GA
[Thanks. The story came from the internet and included attribution: greg_cook@bigfoot.com.]
Dear Lake Edun;
I will be visiting KSU in June. I would enjoy the opportunity to visit your establishment during my travels. Can you please inform me if this would be possible? I will be tent camping during my stay. I am an experienced naturist and a member of AANR.
Your website makes your place seem very inviting and I hear good reviews from various sources.
- Andy from Savoy, Illinois
Naked Beneath Your Clothing
By John Veltheim parama.com/naked.htm
[A continuation from an article began last month. Additional installments will appear in future issues of Bare Facts.]
The need for clothing
There are many ways of insulating and shutting down the processing of life. One prominent method is to shut down through the need for clothing. It isn't the actual wearing of clothing that is the problem, it is the need for the clothing - when they cannot do without clothing because they need it as a mask.
People say, "It doesn't worry me if I have my clothes on or off.." That is great if it is really true. How would you really feel going naked to work or naked in public? (Assuming that it was legal for you to do it.) What impact would that have on you? How worried would you be about the way people would judge you? We need to look very closely as to whether or not our clothing is a way of masking and emotionally protecting ourselves.
Disempowerment
This masking, this covering up, this utilizing clothing to shut us down, disempowers us. Society is too full of disempowered people who hand over financial responsibility to accountants and bankers. They also hand over health responsibilities to doctors, emotional responsibilities to their spouses and are constantly disempowering themselves by giving away responsibility for many different aspects of their life. Even more serious is the way people shut down their own ability to interact in life, draw energy and vitality from their environment, and disempower themselves though their neediness for the masking aspect of clothing.
Mind and health
The mind is a very powerful influence on your health. It is generally accepted in psychology that many diseases are created through your mental attitudes towards your body and ourselves. Unfortunately, our society cultivates a negative attitude to the very bodies they are trying to maintain healthily. Many children are raised to believe their body is naughty and should be covered up - something to be ashamed of. This has a lasting impression on the inner self and the psychology of the persona. Distorted thinking like this can stay with you to your grave unless you actively seek to correct it. In fact, it can put you in your grave much earlier!
Stress
The negative effect of being ashamed of our body will affect our image of self and be a constant source of stress. Negative body image can be considered a major cause of stress in our society. This will have a profound influence on the body's functioning and its ability to remain healthy and vital because high stress levels are a significant predisposing factor to disease. This can be seen particularly in children who are bought up with distorted body attitudes. Many young children are being prescribed tranquillizers these days.
The Naturalist Naturist
By Biology Bill
If you have visited Lake Edun a few times, or been a member for a while, the Naturalist Naturist has a question for you: how much of the land have you really explored? Have you recognized the wide variety of habitats the property contains? In some ways, the land leased by the Lake Edun Foundation is a little microcosm of the state of Kansas - many of the kinds of natural areas found around the state have examples right there by the Lake.
The most obvious feature of the property is, of course, the lake. However, it isn't really a natural feature - until a few decades ago there was a little stream running through the property, likely with several springs feeding into it along the way. The dam around past South Beach is a very large man-made structure designed to trap the water flowing through the stream. If you are attuned to details, you can also look at the abrupt sides of the lake and the lack of marsh vegetation and tell that the water level has not always been where it is. Nevertheless, this lake is representative of all the other "lakes" in Kansas - it is really a reservoir, just like Clinton Lake or Lake Perry. There are no large natural lakes in the state.
Despite its recent origin, the lake of Lake Edun has several interesting features that living creatures take advantage of. The north end of the lake is very shallow, and if you look to the right from the main beach you can see a nice little cove that is a favorite hunting area for great blue herons. The old stream enters the lake in this area, and the soil is very wet in this area, supporting a forest structure not found in other parts of the property.
When you walked in from the parking lot, you probably walked through a grassy area with a number of red cedars poking up through it. Most of the habitat between the lake and Indian Hills Road is in this form. This, too, is representative of large areas of eastern Kansas, where old pastures that have not burned for many years gradually become bushy, and eventually revert to forest. If the management of this part of the property continues in its present form, in a few years this area will look similar to the young secondary forest in the area of the barn.
If you walk the trails north around the lake, you quickly enter a woodland with older trees mixed with young trees. This area is a dream come true for the local deer population, because of the many tender young leaves near the ground. This area is also partially supported by the stream that runs through it.
Once you get about half-way around the lake, you walk on trails through clumps of dogwoods and other very small trees, which have probably grown up during the period naturists have used the property. This area is very friendly for catbirds, brown thrashers and other animals that like living in thickets. The vegetation just out of the water on the west side of the lake is also very thick, providing few opportunities to reach the water from trails. After a short distance you emerge into a field again; this is the best remaining piece of grassland on the property. Small trees are growing up among the grasses here too, so this also will be forest in twenty years if not burned or mowed regularly. You will notice some trails leading away from the lake - take the opportunity to explore these! There is a very pretty line of trees along the property line, back near the power lines visible from the main beach. In the springtime I have heard thrushes and other forest birds in this area.
As you walk back to the lake at the southwest corner, there is a rocky area that fills up with water in the springtime. I have thought that this would be a good place to look for snakes, though I haven't ever looked very carefully. However, if you walk further along the path onto the dam, look to your south. In the area below the dam is the best area of mature forest on the property, where I am certain that almost nobody ever goes. There is a steep slope from the top of the dam down to the forest floor, but the southern portion of the property has a mostly open understory where you can walk among the trunks of large trees. The outlet of the dam empties out into what may be the original bed of the stream, which runs through the forest. One interesting thing I have seen exploring around this area is a large stick pile about four feet tall, which was made by a pack rat. These rodents collect up vegetation, sticks, human artifacts and other debris to make a large midden. The extreme south edge of the property illustrates how unusual this piece of property is, because there is a sharp border with the open field owned by the next landowner. That open field is much more typical of the habitats found in the area; mature forests are mainly found in southeastern parts of Kansas.
As you have now read, there are many interesting parts of Lake Edun that are not right next to the main beach. So, if you rarely venture away from the barn and the dock consider taking a walk around the lake, and if you already do that try some of the peripheral trails. There is a large, attractive property out there to explore, and many habitats to see in a comparatively small area.
Heartland Prairie Sun Run
by Dick Williams
We haven't absolutely nailed down the date yet but planning centers on Saturday, June 30th. We will host a Sun Run where you'll Dare to Be Bare and run or walk a 5K course through the upper grounds of Camp Gaea. Doug of our group will be the master planner and this should prove to be a fun event. Don't let the word "RUN" deter you - many, maybe most, will be walking or doing some combination of jogging and walking.
Motion, whatever the speed, is the thing and the more bare butts the better for this event. We definitely need yours in attendance. We hope to have tee shirts, certificates for completing the course and some cheesy prizes for our fastest runners and walkers. Maybe something for the slowest too. There'll be picnic fare after the run so should be a fun day of it.
More in the June newsletter. A day fee of $5.00 will apply as well as a registration fee for the run if you want a commemorative shirt.
This could prove to be the First Annual - but that's up to you.
Uncovered Opinions
By Dave Bitters
The troika of our most conservative Supreme Court justices (Rhenquist, Thomas, Scalia) have voted to uphold the constitutionality of public nudity statutes based on the opinion that government has the power to regulate "order and morality."
So let's talk morality. My dictionary offers several definitions for this term: 1. Moral quality or character; rightness or wrongness, as of an action. 2. The character of being in accord with the principles or standards of right conduct; right conduct; often, specifically, virtue in sexual conduct. 3. Principles of right and wrong in conduct; ethics. 4. Moral instruction or lesson. 5. A morality play.
What's most striking about these definitions is their circularity and ambiguity. Definitions for the synonyms (rightness or wrongness; right conduct) reference morality. Is it possible that we really don't know what morality means? Is it possible that it means different things to different interest groups? Is it possible that there's a public morality (rightness or wrongness in the exercise of government power over the governed) that's distinct from private or personalmorality (i.e. personal conduct)?
The word morality derives from the Latin moralitas, which has as its root the word moralis, meaning of manners or customs. It appears that the regulation of "order and morality" amounts to putting the force of law behind the customs of the times. This may not be a bad idea in all cases - most of us would agree that killing our neighbors is a bad custom, for instance. But the search for an absolute, chipped-in-stone code of moral conduct is bound to come up short. Those who think there is such a code are susceptible to the kind of thinking that led the current ruling faction in Afghanistan to destroy the centuries-old Buddhist statues recently. (Think about it. An act considered righteous and moral by the Taliban rulers was condemned by scholars in other countries as an act of gross vandalism. Certainly the issue of private versus public morality reared its ugly head in this case.)
One theory, popular among some gays, is that morality (particularly regarding sexual conduct) amounts to a powerful interest group exercising power over a less powerful one. One can find numerous historical examples that support this view. When a powerful interest group exercises its authority in this manner, individual liberty and freedom of choice are likely to be casualties. Thus, we revisit the age-old debate of freedom versus authority.
The real question in morality legislation (i.e. legislation regulating sexual conduct) is, does it have a rational basis? Unquestionably, some does. For instance, laws prohibiting rape and child molestation are designed to prohibit conduct involving real victims. On the other hand, the rational basis for laws aimed at such things as consensual sodomy and public nudity is more difficult to find.
This doesn't stop legislators (particularly county commissioners) from passing such laws or judges from enforcing them. If the Supreme Court says they can, some will.
During the 1990s I watched with a mixture of fascination and horror as Kansas toughened its code of criminal sexual conduct. I could see it coming. What started out as a good idea ("Stephanie's Law") took on a life of its own. Currently, it's possible (in Johnson County, at least) to be convicted of "lewd and lascivious behavior" for appearing naked in public. (I know. I testified for the defense in such a case last fall. It was a miscarriage of justice, an abuse of judicial power and an outrage. But the defendant was un-willing to appeal, so the conviction stuck.) More, the state legislature recently included lewd and lascivious behavior in its list of crimes for which one has to register as a sex offender. (Recently the Johnson County Sun published a full page of names of registered sex offenders living in Johnson County. You guessed it, the list included three individuals convicted of lewd and lascivious behavior. There was no indication of their specific acts.)
Some municipalities (Shawnee, Olathe) have recently enacted ordinances against public nudity simply because police officers requested them and there was insufficient public opposition. Olathe Police Chief Art Mabry justified their ordinance on the grounds that "Olathe's a family community, and I believe the majority of the citizens don't approve of that in their community." I've tried to find a rational (as opposed to apolitical) basis for such legislation and never have been able to do so.
Sometimes voices of reason coming from surprising places challenge the groupthink mentality that leads to such laws. The Kansas City Star (March 25) printed an article titled "Arkansas anti-sodomy law nulled." It stated that Judge David Bogard overturned Arkansas' anti-sodomy law because it unfairly singled out gays for prosecution. The state argued that it had an interest in regulating conduct that "most of its residents would find inappropriate." But Bogard countered that "… homosexuality is not only a question of morals." He was quoted as saying that a way of life that is "odd or even erratic" cannot be condemned just because it is different.
It all goes back to the view that morality legislation involves a powerful interest group exercising authority over one that's less powerful, whether the legislation has a rational basis or not. One can hope that there's a judge in Olathe who shared Bogard's libertarian views. The prognosis is not good, though.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Star continued to maximize the sensational value of the word naked. The headline of a March 27 article read "Police unravel car-theft ring, and bring in a naked suspect." The story spilled over onto another page, where the headline-writer had some more naked fun: "CARS: Naked suspect helps police unravel plot." The article detailed a Keystone-Cops chase of two teenage girls who had stolen a car in Leawood:
"… Her 14-year-old companion began the chase barefoot. As she scrambled over fences, her clothes got snagged and were ripped off.
" 'Her dress got caught on one of them, and then she jumped another, and her underwear pretty much came off there,' " according to Prairie Village Police Corporal Wes Lovett, who gave chase. "A man brought a T-shirt for the nude girl as police arrested the suspects in his yard."
What fun.
Fun Things To Do In Topeka
There are so many things on the calendar of events that I could not possibly list them all or get detailed information. The following is a list of some events, a contact person and phone numbers for more information:
5/1 thru 5/20 ERC Designer Showhouse. Anyone interested in decorating will like this. It's one of my favorites. Jeri Stoneking - 357-5171
5/4 Topeka Festival Singers "Anything Goes" at TPAC 785-297-9000
5/4-5 Red, Hot & Wild V. State Bar-B-Q championship. Kansas Expocenter. George Leismann, 272-3456
5/4-6 Buy Kansas First Expo. Kansas Expocenter. George Liesmann 272-3456
5/5 "A Joint Walk" 8 a.m. Gage Park. Arthritis Found. KS Chapter. Patty Dick 272-846l
5/5 Cystic Fibrosis Walk. Lake Shawnee. Chris Kelly (913) 648-2323.
5/7 CASA Gold Tournament. Western Hills Golf Course. 11:30 am registration 12:30 T-off. Judy Holiner 232-2777
5/7 International Migratory Bird/Brownie Day at the Zoo. 272-7595
5/7 World of Outlaws Gumout Series @Heartland Park Topeka. 800-437-2237
5/12 Spring Parade of Homes. Jerry Wittmer (Topeka Home Bldrs.) 273-1260
5/12 Annual Doll Show & Sale. Ag Hall, Kansas Expocenter. Lois-jo Cope 272-0274
5/13 Mother's Day at the Zoo
5/17-18 Interpreting Diversity. 9-4 Kansas Museum of History. Debra Riley 354-4273
5/19 NASCAR races at heartland Park. 800-437-2237
5/20 Lake Shawnee Car Show. 8-5 East Edge & Croco RD. Brian Toby 267-1156 Ext. 15
5/24-27 Advance Auto Parts NHRA Natls. Heartland Park 800-437-2237
5/25 - 6/16 "Harvey" at Topeka Civic Theatre 357-5213
5/26-28 Topeka Jazz Festival. TPAC 234-2787
5/26 Celebration of Cultures Festival. Sponsored by the Unity council of Topeka. Glenda Overstreet.
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.