Naturist Club
| | How to Start a Naturist Club |
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This report is in three parts.
These articles appeared in Going Natural.
'Going Natural' is the Bulletin of the Federation of Canadian Naturists.
To Start a Naturist Club - Part 1
by
Doug Beckett.
Reproduced with permission of author.
This article appeared in 'Going Natural' Spring 1996. This is
the Bulletin of the Federation of Canadian Naturists.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Why Naturism:
The great weekend and holiday getaway that streams year
round from every Canadian community indicates as much as anything
our need to escape the stress of modern society. And those who
study this condition claim that stress is now the fastest growing
symptom of our troubled western civilization.
We need some degree of nature to recreate in mind and body
what has been drained by the daily grind. Our willingness to
endure long hours of travel on overloaded highways or waiting in
line at recreation grounds shows something of this need.
Even in a country as vast as this, it seems that every acre
south of the northern wilderness either belongs or is leased to
someone who plans to mine it, deforest it, farm it or sell it for
intensive development. There remains little of that natural
environment we enjoyed even twenty-five years ago. Natural
surroundings are becoming a highly endangered resource. Every
year nature gets pushed farther away from our everyday living and
in subtle ways gets less natural.
But now we feel sure that naturism offers one of the best of
all possible solutions in that it combines such a simple and
natural lifestyle with the lowest possible impact on the
environment. But even for naturists, rare enough are suitable
and accessible places that provide natural environments with
enough privacy for nude recreation or naturist living.
Who starts a naturist club?
While naturist clubs have sprung from a wonderful variety of
beginnings, and many have not survived, the surest start is with
a small and dedicated group. And this approach holds true
whether the club is to be a co-operative or an ownership venture.
But then, who starts this group? That is where you need a
few dedicated naturists, ones who feel sure that , if there is
ever to be a club in their locality, it is up to them to get it
started. These are the ones that are thoroughly convinced that
naturism is an important part of their lives – a lifestyle that
is well worth whatever sacrifice and effort is necessary to live
it as fully as possible. Others will then become interested when
it becomes apparent that something is really going to happen.
A group of a dozen, more or less, would be about the best
number for a start. You will certainly need ability to share
and, as well, possess among you some talents for organizing,
writing, keeping records and, above all, a good measure of common
sense. You will also need to be able to accept that, as your
group develops, there will come others who will build on your
efforts and in time assume leadership roles.
Founding members will therefore need some time together to
get to know each other, to assess talents and resources and to
find out who are the leaders and who prefer to be supporters.
And just who will be your leaders? They will be the ones who
readily assume responsibility, who will find the needed
information and are prepared to act on it. They too will be the
ones who will draw others into discussions and activities, and as
well make sure that they also have their share of fellowship and
fun.
But to avoid domination by a few strong individuals through
this process, your group should utilize a "round table"
discussion format at which each person is in an equal position to
comment on any topic. This is a very successful arrangement for
group participation, especially for integrating new or not so
outspoken members. And only when general consensus on any issue
is not apparent, should a vote be taken.
You will certainly need some persons who are willing and
feel quite comfortable to go fully public with their support of
the naturist lifestyle. This may not be possible for all members,
even of a founding group – some are bound to have certain
limitations. Nor can there be any resentments within the group
over this matter. It's like working on a high building – some
enjoy the heights and its challenges, others do great work in
laying the foundations.
Very important too, for your naturist group to prosper,
there must be a prominent and integral proportion of females,
especially in leadership roles. Not only does an equal balance
of men and women present your most publicly acceptable
appearance, it offers by far the best prospects for good and
balanced judgements within your group. Equally important,
especially for a founding group, is real experience in social
nudism. Preferably this should be some time spent in naturist
resorts, a vacation or two at least. The more clubs, resorts and
nude beaches you have visited, the better you will be equipped to
decide what will be the most suitable prospect for your group and
your locality.
Out of all this must come an indication of what type and
size of club should be your ultimate aim. Certainly this
training period in simple democracy is much needed before
engaging in the stress of making this choice and then going on to
the more demanding matters of developing and maintaining the club
operations in an orderly and financially competent manner.
The experience of the past decade has shown that the most
readily accomplished form of organization is a travel club. This
is also by far the simplest and least costly form and requires no
assets other than the group's personal talents. Financial costs
are usually limited to a petty cash fund to cover costs of
mailing and reservation charges for use of commercial facilities.
All other costs are covered by the membership on pay as you go
charges for each activity. Of the five latest groups to form in
Ontario, three have been travel clubs and, although a new
phenomena to this region, they have been instantly successful and
are enjoying rapid growth.
Then, as any travel club grows and matures, it has
established a solid membership base which is vital if the
ultimate wish is to find land and develop and maintain permanent
club facilities.
While operating a co-operative club demands more personal
and financial commitment from its membership, there is no problem
of owner succession or unwelcome changes in its naturist concepts
or business operations. And nothing more brings a membership
together in good fellowship than the necessary working and
sharing for the common good of the club.
For an ownership club, the time spent as part of a group
will be most useful to the prospective owner in assessing the
group's commitment to becoming a stable supporting membership and
its potential for future growth. It will be the owner's most
important market survey to evaluated whether all the necessary
investment and work will be worthwhile. And it will provide
him/her with valuable training cooperating with a group and
understanding their interests.
Even if the owner should consider developing a club as
something of personal activity/hobby of sorts, it still must be
financially stable. Continued financial losses will surely lead
to early discouragement for even the most dedicated and
enthusiastic naturist. Equally important, potential owners
should realize that operating a naturist park will never be a
high profit venture at the best of times. Their efforts should,
of course, be adequately rewarded, but the simplicity of naturist
recreation leaves little scope for high profits.
Getting down to business.
The first matter to be agreed upon is your group's name.
This is your identity and the flag you rally all your efforts
around. For this reason it should show some wit and originality.
For a few dollars it can be registered at the county court house,
thus announcing its purpose for any business or legal
considerations.
Equally important is an address which, in any case, must
accompany the name when registered. A postal mailbox is best,
rather than someone's home, as it can then be kept in spite of
any amount of membership restructuring and growth. The longer a
name and address can remain unchanged, the better it becomes
known in and outside the naturist community.
A more sophisticated step in communication would be to
obtain a business telephone number that can be listed in the
yellow pages and Information. In this case, the group's message
should be put into an answering machine to give continuous
service. This is much better than requiring anyone to stay close
to the telephone and also eliminates any of your group from
exposure to crank calls.
Getting organized.
Be it ever so simple, every human activity needs some form
of organization for its plans and activities to achieve any
tangible result. In fact, there can be no real progress until
there is a reasonable consensus as to what are the aims of your
group's actions and the process of coordinating the efforts of
all the people involved. To this end than, must be devoted your
first real efforts. Your founding members, at the first informal
meetings, much put together a basic form of organization that
will be adequate to develop their ideas.
From these meetings will come, as we have said, a knowledge
of the respective strengths and limitations of each person in the
group and the most suited activity delegated to each.
As much as possible, everyone in your group should have a
valuable share of the work to do. It is through working and
sharing together that each person will feel a real part of the
action and become determined to carry out its objectives. And by
fully delegating the work, no one should feel overworked, and the
fun of the venture equally enjoyed by all. To ensure that the
fun part is not neglected, gathering for purely social purposes
(even in non-naturist activities and surroundings) should be a
regular practice.
For every division of proposed activity, appoint a committee
to share the work with at least one leader. Even the most
enthusiastic leader will need reliable supporters to help as
there can so often be the additional demands of family, home,
work and non-naturist friends and activities.
The most immediate task will be membership, growth, public
relations, secretarial and finances. To co-ordinate even this
modest organization, appoint a president and back-up vice-
president.
At any point in your activities, don't be devastated if
someone decides to withdraw from your group. Everyone has their
own picture of what any venture should become and their place in
it, so it is inevitable that some may find their ideas too much
at odds with the facts. Others may just find that it is going to
take more time, effort or dedication than they had anticipated,
and that they have other priorities. Whatever their reasons, and
there can be many, let them withdraw gracefully and retain their
friendship.
Records.
From the very beginning, complete and accurate records mush
be kept of all your group's decision, activities and finances.
So much time, effort and good will can be lost if the resolutions
of every meeting and discussion are not readily available. No
matter how simple the activity, no one can be expected to recall
exactly what was decided at any previous meeting, with the result
that much time and trust can be lost in going back over lost
ground.
This is especially true in the matter of finances. The
bookkeeping too can be simple but it must be able to account for
every cent, and this should be verified by an annual audit by
members form other committees or an experienced bookkeeper.
As time goes on, responsibilities and records will
inevitably be passed on to other members who will be completely
at a loss unless they can review the records of what has been
done and assess the requirements of the work they are assuming.
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 – 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.
Advertising.
Next to personal contact, the most successful technique has
been to place small ads in local newspapers. Now that many
papers publish special weekend editions, an ad placed in the
lifestyle or resorts and recreation section should have a much
better chance of response than the classified column. This will
be more expensive than a classified ad but, if run every two
weeks or even once a month, it should prove to be more cost
effective.
Since most Canadian newspapers now have some familiarity
with naturism, a naturist ad is usually accepted with no
hesitation. In fact, it may be considered as a useful lead to a
future story. So make a personal visit to the newspaper office
to arrange the ad. This could be one of your most important
public relations ventures, so have two or three of your group
make the visit, with at least one of them a woman. It has been
proven b many experiences that she will add immensely to your
credibility and acceptance. If they show any sign of interest,
develop some conversation and perhaps leave your group brochure.
Any personal knowledge of your group will help them view naturism
more from your perspective - that of a healthy, happy and ver
natural lifestyle. Hopefully, they will retain this perspective
when they print future references to naturism or even an article
- the very best form of advertising.
We are fortunate in Canada in that the media most often
takes a quite positive attitude towards naturism, and at times is
even very supportive, such as their defense, a few years ago, of
Wreck and Crystal Crescent Beaches.
The real success of any ad will depend on the skill with
which it is written. If possible, refrain from using the word
"nudist", as unfortunately it still carries some association in
the public mind with the hackneyed "nudist colony" concept.
"Nude" or "clothing-optional" recreation is an in-fashion concept
that even some non-naturist tropical resorts are beginning to
use. And the FCN still prefers the word "naturist" above all, as
it is fast gaining recognition in the media and, while
maintaining social nudity as its central theme, it represents a
lifestyle with a much wider scope of interest than nude living
alone.
Good advertising will imply that naturism provides a unique
opportunity for good family style fun, fellowship and a wide
choice of activities (including just plain relaxation). And with
it, there is the complete freedom to share it all in the nude
with others of like mind. The FCN will be happy to assist your
group with samples of ads from their records and the advice of
experienced staff who have a deft way with words.
Brochures.
Your brochure will be your first impression on those who
request information about your group and the naturist lifestyle.
So do it well - gather all the samples you can, non-naturist as
well, and study the most effective presentations. There are
numerous naturist brochures that have excellent descriptions of
the naturist lifestyle. Then add information about your group,
what it is doing and what it plans to achieve.
Enlist the help of someone with artistic ability to arrange
the layout and perhaps add a sketch or two. And definitely have
the type set on a computer with a laser printer. This produces a
professional quality printing, far better than a typewriter, and
can be done for a few dollars a page.
For the small quantities of brochures that you will need at
first, photocopying can be quite comparable in cost to job
printing. As well, it gives you more freedom to make minor
changes and improvements as both your promotional skills and
objectives develop.
============================================================
To Start A Naturist Club - Part 2
By
Doug Beckett.
Reproduced with permission of author.
This article appeared in 'Going Natural' (Winter 1992), the
Bulletin of the Federation of Canadian Naturists.
--------------------------------------------------------------
In my previous discussion on this subject (Going Natural,
Summer 1991), I concluded with a brief remark about club
activities. However, much more can be said on this matter.
Let's assume that your club has progressed through the
previously mentioned stages and now consists of a few dozen
enthusiastic supporters and some resourceful leaders. And the
consensus of the group is to find and develop their own naturist
park.
As this can sometimes be a lengthy process, it is vital that
the group find sufficient activities to maintain their
enthusiasm, strengthen their organization and draw in new
members. You have advertised that you are a great group of
people having a wonderful time enjoying a new and unique
lifestyle - so it is most important to continue doing just that.
Your activities can start with something as simple as a
sauna and games night in a member's recreation room. If there is
table tennis or a pool table, that can be the basis for an every
person tournament. Then others can bring their favorite games as
well - darts, crokinole, board games - anything that has a bit of
action and circulates the group. And food should be a group
effort too, with pot luck suppers or put-together lunches.
On a larger scale, there are often commercial saunas or hot
tubs that can be rented for several hours in an evening or
weekend afternoon with the group later returning to a member's
home for games or lunch. Free beach groups on both coasts are
having great success with regularly renting a swimming pool for
the evening. Building staff have been favorably impressed with
the organization and commendable behaviour of these naturist
groups. But one vital item advice - when first approaching any
commercial or institutional organization to make arrangements to
rent, do so with a small group that includes one or two mature
women. This adds great credibility to your first impressions.
Summertime, of course provides an almost unlimited scope for
activities, with visiting naturist parks as a priority. As well
as being able to take part in complete naturist environments,
there are opportunities for your group to examine each park and
decide the type and facilities they would adopt for their own
future park.
Then, closer to home, search for naturist-friendly country
opportunities; a member's farm or homestead, a reasonably
screened vacant field or property that can be rented, or even a
secluded area of crown land that is know to be ignored by the
local populace. Even a solid fenced swimming pool or patio can
provide an enjoyable activity site for a smaller group. A
naturist friend has been clever enough to twice find, in large
Ontario cities, homes that had large back yards completely
surrounded by high cedar hedges that cut the view from adjacent
one story houses. They and their friends are able to enjoy nude
swimming, lounging and barbecues in an urban setting.
Boating can also offer many opportunities for nude
recreation, either through transportation to isolated shores or
when far enough from shore that the lack of swim suits is not
apparent. As many as fifty boats with nude crews have
congregated on a warm summer day at an uninhabited location on
Lake Simcoe in the heart of Ontario's vacation land. They found
that they are ignored by any passing police patrols. And many
more boaters enjoy nude freedom on the waters and uninhabited
shores of Lake Huron's Thirty Thousand Islands.
Choosing a Club Property
As I mentioned in a previous article, your decisions as to
the size, type, facilities and location of a club property will
be your most challenging activity. This is where the widest
possible naturist experience is so valuable. Every naturist
property you visit is a lesson in the right and wrong way to do
things. Therefore, before making any binding decisions about
your own property, discuss fully all the properties that your
group members have visited and compile a record of the advantages
and disadvantages of each.
Nothing surpasses the advantage of building on the
experience of others. It is ever so much easier to understand
the physical and social operations of a club when you can
actually experience them.
So to successfully plan a site development, your group must
be able to reach a consensus on many things. Firstly, what size
of property should be sought? This will, of course, be
influenced by the cost of land in your area. You may find that
large (50-100 acre) properties may be comparatively reasonable.
While a one acre rural building lot may be priced at $25,000,
about $100,000 may buy a full 100 acre farm (1992 prices) just a
few miles farther from paved roads, especially if there is a
derelict house or the land is of poor agricultural quality.
While even the largest clubs in this country make full use
of only twenty or thirty acres, any additional area provides both
a valuable screen and a little-used environmental zone where the
ecology of the area can be left to rejuvenate. A house is rarely
an asset unless you are intending that a club member live there -
which is also an excellent protection for the property if it can
be arranged. And even the poorest land will grow trees. Some of
our finest pine forests grow on pure dry sand and gravel.
But, while a large acreage may be your ideal, it is not
always possible or at least not in the earlier stages of club
growth. Nothing causes dismay and dissension in a group faster
than strained financial resources. So plan realistically. If,
on a large acreage, you can combine club use with a leased
residence or some other compatible use that makes it financially
reasonable and your group is strong and growing, so much the
better. But make very sure that the combined use is fully
compatible with the naturist activities and that leases can be
readily and legally terminated if any friction does develop.
If there is no suitable large acreage presently available
within a reasonable commuting distance, then perhaps something
less would serve for a short term. If your group has its hopes
set on a property of their own, than a short term site can serve
to sustain enthusiasm. For surely if the search for property
goes on too long without success, the enthusiasm and drive of
your group will erode and valuable members will drift away.
The smaller the property you choose, the more important to
you will be its adjacent environment. A farm woodlot or
conservation forest make the ideal close neighbour although some
clubs live quite comfortable next to pasture or working fields.
Just make sure that the farmer neighbour knows that you will be
quiet, considerate and environmentally friendly neighbours that
can be called on for assistance for any emergency around the
farm. There again it should be a mature male and female group
who introduces your club to the neighbours. And nothing else
helps your introduction like offers to help repair or construct
fences or maintain drains.
Probably the most important consideration in the land search
is to choose land that can be most suitable to your proposed
activities without any reworking. Nothing creates as much
environmental havoc as earthmoving.
Legalities
When you have finally found the right land, of a size to
contain all the facilities you hope to develop, in a pleasant and
private environment and at a price you can well afford, then
comes the task of obtaining all necessary approvals. This is a
process that will vary widely depending on the requirements of
the municipal zoning bylaws.
The proposed ownership of land will also have a considerable
bearing on your zoning category. If you intend to own land in
the name of your group. That will first require an incorporation
process for which you will require a lawyer to guide you through
- a fairly simple and straightforward action. This should also
state the interests of every member in any property to be
acquired, how subsequent members will acquire an interest and how
retiring members may give up their interest at a future date.
You will find that there is a variety of ways in which you can be
incorporated - as a co-operative, a shareholder group or some
other arrangement - these should be carefully investigated and
evaluated as to the best suited to your interests.
You may find that for owning land as a private club the
zoning requirements will be less demanding than as a commercial
enterprise. But here again there are many possible variations.
Hopefully you can qualify under the permitted land uses for your
proposed property or with minor adjustments to one of them. Both
the combination of land uses and their interpretation can vary
considerably in each municipality. And if there is to be a
zoning adjustment or change, it could be wise to meet your future
neighbours to give them a true understanding of the naturist
lifestyle and to prevent any serious objections to the zoning
change.
As well as the municipal government, a variety of other
organizations will have a say in your property development. For
example, the county health department will want to know all your
plans for water supply and sewage and garbage disposal. And if
there is a stream or pond that will be used for swimming, this
must also be checked for water quality.
As all this approving may take some time, depending on the
complexity of the municipal planning a development requirements,
you will need to hold the property by means of an accepted offer
that states your purchase will be conditional on being able to
obtain all necessary government approvals. This should include a
period of time, say thirty days or more, for any possible
reversal of approval by some government department. This has
happened.
Planning for Development
There are an infinite number of ways in which a plot of land
can be developed into an ideal naturist park. So keep your
imaginations free and active and let your site plans develop
around the size, shape and natural conditions of the land. Plan
the roads, activity areas, camping and buildings around any
existing watercourses, humps and hollows, trees and open spaces.
The only earthmoving should be when necessary to build a pond or
pool. And the disposal of excavated material must be as
carefully considered as the digging.
Your provincial government (Ministry of Natural Resources)
has air photos of all of its land and, if you identify your
property on one of their air photos, they can produce a large
scale enlargement that makes a wonderful planning base. The cost
is less than fifty dollars and maximum scale is approximately 1
inch = 100 feet. Every open space, creek, dry watercourse and
even individual trees will show clearly on this photo. This can
save endless wandering around on the property and not being sure
of your exact relation to property lines or major land features.
With this photo, walk through the site, identifying your
location on it as you go until you gain a working familiarity.
However, if your property is level open ground or small in size,
then this process becomes much simpler. But even on small
properties, this planning is just as necessary as the best use of
every metre of land becomes quite important.
Then tape your air photo to a sheet of plywood slightly
larger in size, and over that tape a sheet of tracing mylar
obtainable at art, stationery and drafting supply stores). Now
you are ready to make a simple map locating to scale the full
development of your property. Regardless of how many stages it
may take to fully implement your development or how many years it
will require, a clear proposal of all you hope to do is
absolutely necessary. This can be revised as time goes on, but
you will then know that the impact of any revision will be on the
whole design.
The next step is to take your plans and a bundle of stakes
(1 inch x 3 inch x 3 foot long with the top foot painted with fluorescent
paint) and locate on the ground all your planned facilities -
roads, parking areas, swimming pool or pond, sports area, sunning
areas, clubhouse, camping areas, etc.
The first thing you will find is that what seemed good on
the plan will usually need minor revisions - the inevitable
result of trying to transfer a concept from a piece of paper to a
large area of ground. Then too, valuable trees must be
preserved, steep slopes avoided, the location of sunny and shady
areas noted and the desired sense of shelter or openness
achieved.
All this may seem like a lot of work, and it can be,
especially when there is much enthusiasm to get on to the land
and start some physical activity. But it always takes less time
and work than redoing something that was wrongly located.
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To Start A Naturist Club - Part 3
By
Doug Beckett.
Reproduced with permission of author.
This article appeared in 'Going Natural' (Winter 1993), the
Bulletin of the Federation of Canadian Naturists.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The previous discussion on this subject (Winter 1992) ended
with a brief outline of the process of planning your proposed club
facilities and then marking them out on the ground. When all this
is done to the satisfaction of your group - and only then -
construction can begin. This consensus on what and how work is to
be done on your property is vitally important - any real
disagreements will greatly reduce the enthusiasm and efforts of
your group.
I have shown here sketches of what could be developed on
properties as small as two and ten acres. (Sketches not
included). While it would be much preferable in both cases to
have wooded areas around the perimeter for a more natural effect,
this does give some idea of what could be done with the very
minimum of property. Most of our larger clubs on 50 to 100 acre
properties really use only 20 to 30 acres for all their
activities, including ponds, sunning, sports and camping areas.
The secret of success in every case is good and thorough
planning. This can't be emphasized too much. Each item of work
done, then adds to the total development and nothing is wasted by
being reworded, torn down or discarded. And every loss of initial
effort is sure to produce resentment.
Construction
First to be constructed will be access roads to get into your
property and to serve the various areas of the land. Build just
as much as you need to for the first stage. And on the
construction of the road system hangs a great deal of the
attractiveness of your park.
So, consider that firstly your park is for people, not
vehicles, so roads should be as unobtrusive as possible. A good
principle is to have as few as possible roads and locate them
around the perimeter of the developed area so that vehicles and
people, especially children, meet as little as possible. It is
not really necessary to have vehicle access to the door of every
campsite; grouping cars in small parking areas (3 to 7) saves a
lot of road construction and greatly preserves the naturalness of
the property.
Park roads can be narrow, one land (3 to 4 metres) wide, with
half a metre of clear firm ground on each side to pull out on when
meeting another vehicle. Such roads can freely wind around mature
trees, large rocks and steep slopes and hollows and are still
quite adequate for cars to pass at speeds of 15-20 km/hr. and, as
ell, greatly reduce the environmental impact, as well as
tendencies to drive too fast.
When roadways are cleared of all vegetation and stumps
removed, then also remove the topsoil which can be from 5 to 20
centimetres deep. This should be picked up by a front-end loader
and hauled to a disposal site - some area that in your plans
require filling. Do not pushed it off to the sides of your
roadway or it will remain an unsightly ridge forever.
For the light traffic and slow speeds expected on your roads,
a layer of crushed gravel 10 to 15 centimetres deep should be
adequate, the shallower dimension on sandy soils and the deeper on
clays. This is a minimum road base to get you started, more can
be added later if found to be necessary.
Also, be very watchful to preserve the natural drainage
adjacent to roads; every crossing waterway, no matter how small,
should be contained in a culvert. As long as the road surface
follows closely to the surface of the existing ground, ditches
should not be necessary and can often be more of a problem by
concentrating the flow of water.
Services
The very first service needed will be a water supply, even as
simple as a well and hand pump. Your original assessment of the
land to meet health requirements would have included an
investigation that proved that an adequate water supply would be
available and that there are areas of soil suitable for sanitary
sewage disposal but if your immediate ambitions go beyond the hand
pump, then electric power much be brought onto the property. If
a good flow of water can be found at less than 20 foot depth, then
your waterworks system can be dug well with tightly sealed
concrete top and a suction or jet pump located at ground level
pumping into a steel pressure tank. If water must come from a
greater depth, then a drilled well and submersible pump supplying
the pressure tank will be the system needed.
Presuming that electric power is available along your country
road, it will be your responsibility to contact a licensed
electrical contractor to run wires from the power lines to where
ever you want it available on your property. If at all possible,
run your electric power supply underground. It will cost more
initially, but you will forever enjoy the absence of poles and
hanging wires, the freedom from the cost of repairs and
inconvenience and danger of wires brought down by ice or falling
trees or branches. So, initially, bring electric power to the
location you have designated for your clubhouse, install the main
switch and distribution box there (leaving a few loops of extra
wire at the top of the pole), then run a service line from there
to your well pump. When you get around to building the first
stage of a clubhouse, the electrical control panel can then be
easily installed by just reconnecting the original supply line to
the new panel.
The most difficult service to provide will be sewage
disposal. This may start with something as simple as a couple of
well-maintained pit toilets. And an effective solution to keeping
these odour-free is to equip each with a bucket of wood ashes to
be sprinkled down the hole after each use.
Inevitably, there will come a time when growth, development
and a good supply of pumped water will generate a demand for flush
toilets. While this is sure to be heralded as a big step n
comfort and convenience, it will also require an expensive sewage
disposal system. But there are options which can help to greatly
reduce this cost.
Your County Health Department will have a detailed list of
requirements on such a system, how it is to be built and the size
required to serve your group. Firstly, it will most likely be
required that the work be done by a licensed installer and
possibly that the system be designed by a consulting engineer.
A good point to start is to presume that your most used
washroom facilities will be in your future clubhouse and that the
disposal field will be under an adjacent lawn. Then make a
reasonable estimate of the number of people you hope to have in
your group in say five years. Then there are a lot of other
variables to consider - will the system be for day-use only, for
weekend campers or week-long or longer holidays? The Health
Department will inevitably demand that the system be designed for
a much larger flow capacity per person per day than will ever be
required.
So the trick here is to install the size of septic tank
required or even larger, since the largest is only a few hundred
dollars more than the smallest. Then build the disposal field,
the most expensive part, in units with the first unit sized to
serve the present group numbers. A water meter on the water
supply will give an accurate measurement of the flow to the sewage
system. Additional disposal field units will not be required
until the metered daily flow comes up to the rated flow capacity
of the disposal field.
In most naturist parks, the actual water demand for each
camping area is far less than official estimates - a difficult
thing to prove to the authorities. But that inexpensive meter
(the same as you find in a city home) will prove your case and
save construction of a large, expensive and underused bed. And if
your club does grow much more quickly than expected, the bed
capacity can be doubled or tripled with no interruption to the
operation and almost no more cost than if built at the time of the
original installation.
For larger parks, it is best to plan for small disposal units
where most conveniently needed and good disposal conditions exist.
These will be much like standard rural residential units and of
similar cost. A large central unit can be much more complex and
require a fully engineered design.
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