THE NATURIST LEGACY FILES

Crocus Grove Sun Club Rises From The Ashes To Become Naturist Legacy Inc.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada — In April of 2010, the current owners of the campground that hosted Crocus Grove Sun Club for the past 40 years decided to go textile for financial reasons. This sudden and unexpected decision put the club outside the gates looking in on the property which they had pioneered and built with their own hands and sweat.

With only $10,000 in the bank and few other tangible assets, the task of staying alive as a club and rebuilding at first looked impossible. That small amount of cash was not going to get anyone very far. Offers to buy back the existing campground fell on deaf ears, and so a new path had to be found. The club executive met and an amazing brainstorming session took place from which a whole new concept for social nudism in Manitoba was born!

The Legacy Project was the result of the sheer tenacity of the club executive and the desire to find a new home. The Legacy Project was a plan to ensure that this group of nudists would never be without a home again, and that social nudism in Manitoba would have a place to practice for generations to come. An important element of the Legacy Project was the creation of a new non-profit corporation to be the eternal steward of nudism in Manitoba by way of owning and protecting nudist land. Crocus Grove Sun Club officially evolved into Naturist Legacy, Inc. on September 11, 2010.

Naturist Legacy's business model is similar to that of land trusts or land conservancies, which are often founded to protect land in its natural state. The wonderful twist with Naturist Legacy is that the land will be protected for the sole and exclusive purpose of family-friendly nudist use in perpetuity. Naturist Legacy was devised by nudists and will be operated by nudists. Its land will be developed by nudists and cared for by nudists.

Our business plan calls for financing in the form of membership fees paid forward and donations. Naturist Legacy members have been invited to pay their yearly membership forward, and to have those membership payments credited back to them as the years go by.

These advance membership payments are very similar in concept to gift cards, which are often sold by retailers and restaurants. Many members are paying their membership fees forward in excess of five to ten years. These funds will be specifically earmarked for the development of our land. New memberships and revenue from existing members who have chosen not to pay forward will cover general operating expenses.

We estimate that we will require $250,000 to fund the full development of our project. More than half of that amount has already been raised since the concept was first unveiled to the membership. Not a bad showing of support for a club with only about 60 members!

We are nothing without land, of course. We eventually found and purchased what we believe to be the perfect property for our new home.

Our new land consists of 80 acres of lush evergreen and deciduous forest growing on sandy soil that drains well even in the wettest of years. The land is bordered by government protected forest on two sides and public roads on the others (one being a busy major highway). We are located only 35 minutes from the capital city of Winnipeg, and just 15 minutes from local nudist beaches.

What our project needs more than anything else at this time is your help. For those who are not close enough to come and pick up a shovel or hammer, we have a way for you to lend a hand. Please visit our Web [site] at REDACTED ADDRESS and read more about Naturist Legacy, its goals, and ways you can help.

SOURCE: "Crocus Grove Sun Club Rises From The Ashes To Become Naturist Legacy Inc." by John Kundert. This article (slightly abridged) was published in the February 2011 edition of The Bulletin (American Association for Nude Recreation).

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