Election address for Treasurer: Duncan Heenan

BN is sick. I want to help make it better.

In the two most recently published years’ accounts BN spent £82,049 more than its income, running cash reserves down below the level of the outstanding creditors. At the same time our membership numbers have been falling for a decade, and now stands at not much more than half what it was at its peak. BN’s Executive has responded to this decline with a policy of commercialism in recent years which I believe is both wrong in principle, and has been badly carried out. The result is financial weakness with little to show for it. We ignore this at our peril.

Even more importantly, I see little real progress having been made in BN’s prime task – of making naturism more widely acceptable. To me naturism is a lifestyle, not a hobby. I feel BN’s role as a National Representative Body should be to proactively campaign to make this marvellous lifestyle more liveable for anyone who chooses it. To focus the organisation on this means leaving some things to the Clubs and commercial organisations which they can do better.

So who am I, and why do I think I can help? I am 58 and have been married for 36 years. Throughout this time we have been naturists, including being members of 3 sun clubs and various swims, helping on the committees, and have been BN members since 1980. I am a Chartered Accountant with a successful business career ending up in general management, which allowed me to retire early. I keep busy now with charity and church involvements, but am happiest in outdoor activities such as sailing, swimming, gardening and rambling – naked whenever possible. I am standing for election as I feel that BN needs both better management and governance, plus a general change of policy direction. I feel qualified to assist with all of these.

A vote for me is a vote to change BN’s direction, which I believe has been failing for some time. I stand for open and competent management, and good governance; financial prudence; restructuring BN to become an effective proactive campaigning and representative national body for naturism; and improved representation of individual members’ interests, with proper 2-way communication. Vote to move naturism out of the closet, to become a valid lifestyle choice in mainstream society.

duncanheenan@tiscali.co.uk

Politics: A necessary evil

(This is an article written by Duncan Heenan in the magazine Naturist Life.)

Politics is like the drains, most people only care about them when they go wrong! Sadly, naturist politics is no different. Most naturists want nothing more than to shed their clothes and get on with life. However, the ability to live that lifestyle depends on how far it is permitted and defended. That’s why we need a National Representative Body. British Naturism claims to be that National Body, only it seems to be going wrong, so some people are taking an increasing interest.

BN has its origins in the Sun Clubs. This was originally a strength as it attracted many dedicated people, but it has now become a weakness, because BN still runs itself like a small Sun Club rather than a proper National Body. It has been inward looking for too long and ignored many changes in society, making it increasingly irrelevant to today’s naturists. The majority of BN members nowadays are not even Club members. BN’s ‘playground politics’, based more on personalities than issues, which has dominated BN thinking in recent years, has also alienated many members. It is no wonder most BN members don’t like political jokes – in the past too many of them got elected! The result has been a declining membership standing now at only about half what it was at its peak, and very stretched finances. Most members don’t vote – except with their feet.

About 3 years ago, in a desperate attempt to turn things around, then Chairman Mick Ayers appointed a ‘Commercial Manager’, Andrew Welch, to try to work a miracle. The experiment has failed. Since then he has been paid around £130,000 and achieved little. Member numbers are still dropping and hard earned cash reserves are rapidly diminishing. This dire outcome results both from the pathetic way it has been ‘managed’, and the fact that the whole strategy is mistaken. The ‘events’ which have formed the centrepiece of the BN’s strategy have attracted only about 2% of the membership, and that includes BN officers who were paid expenses to go! Proof surely, that it is not what the vast majority (98%?)of naturists want from their National Body.

So what do UK naturists want? I believe the main thing is simply the ability to live the naturist life, in their own individual ways, with as little restriction as possible. And on that front BN has made no progress for decades. To achieve it we need a proper campaigning and representative body to change things. And things can be changed! Love them or loathe them, such movements as Gender Equality, Disabled & Gay Rights have all achieved their objects by being organised and focussed on what is important to them. I’d like BN to do that, and leave it to the Clubs and commercial organisations to do the sorts of things they are so much better at. Within BN, such activity merely dissipates effort and wastes money, as do some of its other activities which have long since lost any meaning. Just look at the budget to see BN’s current priorities. For example, in 2007 the Research and Liaison Officer (who is responsible for campaigning) is allowed just £1,000, compared with £4,500 for Overseas Officer, £13,000 for INF subscriptions; and £7,500 for EC meetings!

Meanwhile BN’s Executive Council carry on regardless of all the warning signs showing they’ve got it all badly wrong. This is because the EC is made up of people who can not think outside the box of a small Club Committee. None of them have any real management experience or training, and like too many Club Committees, they have been ‘elected’ either because no one else will stand, or on the basis of a well known face, regardless of whether they are actually any good at the job.

This summer’s elections could be different though. For the first time in years there are proper elections with all the main EC posts being contested. It is a straight fight between the ‘Old Guard’ who got BN in to this mess, and the ‘BNchange’ candidates who want to make some real changes and get naturism in the UK moving. The BNchange candidates (John Paine, Reg Barlow, Stuart Troughton and myself) all have track records of achieving real changes in the real world. Find out more on http://bnchange.wordpress.com .

It’s up to BN members! You can vote for change, and see it happen; or you can watch BN slowly disappear, and with it any prospect of wider naturist acceptance.

The BN Change Manifesto: What we intend to do if we are elected

Candidates standing under the BNchange banner are individuals, but share some common values and aims. These are summarised below, and would form the basis of an action plan, if elected to reinvigorate and transform BN in to a well governed, efficient, campaigning and representative organisation for naturists in the UK. Obviously it can not all be achieved overnight, but we would wish to start on this programme with as little delay as possible and work with our EC colleagues to do this. The order of listing does not imply any order of priority or importance.

• We shall consult both BN members and other naturists as to what they want from BN, in what priority and at what cost, and to inform other programmes with the results.
• We shall review and report on the up to date financial state of BN, and the existing budgets.
• We shall replace the position of Commercial Manager with that of Campaigning Manager in line with a new policy of giving campaigning a higher priority.
• We shall develop and implement a proactive campaigning strategy, aimed at gaining social and legal acceptance of public nudity, which is effective, sustainable, affordable and practical.
• We shall develop, with other agencies, a policy aimed at removing the scourge of sex pests from naturist venues.
• We shall continue to defend, and extend, clothing optional facilities as a part of an overall campaign strategy.
• We shall review BN’s Regional structure to better integrate it with BN’s national aims, and make it more effective and relevant to members.
• We shall review BN’s constitution and consider the possibility of incorporation, to make it fit for purpose both now and in the future.
• We shall be more open with our members, giving more full and timely information, promoting dialogue and encouraging participation.
• We shall review how we hold the AGM, and other member meetings, to make them more effective channels of communication, governance and democracy.
• We shall work to improve the management, administration and committee structures within BN to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• We shall improve BN’s planning and monitoring procedures to produce better, more open decision making and accountability generally.
• We shall review BN’s participation in International Affairs, including membership of INF, to seek relevance to British naturists’ interests and value for money.