It’s summertime once again. This means mass quantities of barbeque, blockbuster movies, trips to the beach, and of course summer camp. Most of us have attended summer camp in our lives though I’m sure that none of you have attended a camp like the one I’m about to tell you about.
The camp is called Youth Leadership Camp and can be found in Lutz, Florida–which is, well I have no clue. Anyway, according to the article by the New York Times originally called “At Nude Youth Camp, Skin Is Bare but Lust Is Verboten” but later changed to “Old Enough to Make a Lanyard, and to Do It Nude” the camp is for kids ages 11-18 and is run by the American Association for Nude Recreation. They say that their summer camp is just like any other summer camp; they play games, swim and what not–the only difference is that everyone there wears their birthday suit.
Some would think that this would be illegal–I mean, how can these 11-18 year old campers can be naked 24/7? Well according to Florida law, nudity is perfectly legal for anyone, including minors, on private property so long as there is no lewdness. So, in order to comply with the law, the campers have adopted a camp rule stating that not to “allow nudity and lust to mingle” and they wear bathing suits when they hop in the camp van for field trips. Ok, wait a second though. Think back to you’re fully clothed summer camp days; what was a big part of it? Meeting girls/guys depending on what you prefer right? So you’re telling me that this mass of NAKED TEENAGERS are going to be able to mingle and spend a week together without allowing lust into the picture? I think someone is seriously underestimating the power of teenage hormones!
This nude camp is flourishing and has been since it opened its gates 10 years ago. They have large fences and high security to keep out the Creepy Outside Guys, or COGS for short (and I thought COGS stood for Cost of Goods Sold). The kids there seem to love it, even more so then their church and scouting counterparts. “I learned to play tennis this morning. I never did that at church camp. I’m getting better at volleyball, too,” said Amanda Williamson who is 18. (Tangent Time) You know what comes to mind? That episode of Seinfeld where Jerry dates the nudist and decides that nudity isn’t a good thing all the time. He ends the episode by wearing nothing but a tool belt and freaks out his girlfriend. Anyway, I think I have to agree with Jerry, you gotta draw the line somewhere.
So is naked camp a good idea? Well, I don’t know. It’s not for me but evidently it is for a good handful of American teens. Due to popularity a second camp opened in Arizona a few years back and a third will be opened later this year in Virginia. Nudism is evidently, according to the article, a $400 million dollar business in this country–with these numbers you can expect to see more nude summer camps in the future.
Shameless Bibliography:
Old Enough to Make a Lanyard, and to Do It Nude written by Kate Zernike of the New York Times, June 18, 2003.
6/21/03
Chad
DAMN 18…why can’t I be just 3 years younger (well almost 3). J/K I wonder what Steve would think of this……
to Chad
6/22/03
Sarah
Lutz is just north of Tampa, they sort of blend together like Winter Park and Orlando. That’s where my ex is from. And you (Justin) have been there too, actually… we played Gaither high school in basketball playoffs like senior year. I knew there was a nudist colony close to there, but I thought it was more like in Zephyrhills or something. Oh well, I never went to nudist camp and my ex certainly didn’t either!
to Sarah
6/22/03
amy
read this in the orlando sentinel yesterday…justin… >:] lol
to amy