In July, AANR sent out a directive to all their clubs to refer all TV and radio show inquiries about the “Nudist Youth Camps” to the national organization, who then refused public comment — until suddenly they accepted an invitation to the John Walsh syndicated daytime talk show. Walsh, if you are not aware, was the former host of America’s Most Wanted after his son, Adam, was kidnapped and murdered in 1981. Since then he has been a national crusader for victim’s rights and protecting children.

The hour-long September 9, 2003 telecast, edited down from a two-hour taping session days before, began with interviews of six kids who had attended the June JAANR camp in Florida. All expressed enthusiasm about the experience. Walsh next brought out the parents who supported the kids and said they themselves worked closely with AANR and provided volunteer supervision along with some paid counselors. Patty Faber spoke next, representing AANR and the Shangri-La Ranch in Arizona, site of one of the summer youth camps.

Walsh then bore in on Ms. Faber about the type of screening that was done to prevent pedophiles from becoming counselors. He said “it only costs $27” to obtain an FBI search on an individual (he’s wrong: it costs $97!) and why didn’t AANR feel “the life of a child was worth $27?” When Faber said the cost was too prohibitive the audience began to boo.

Congressman Mark Foley then made his appearance, prompting his own National Counselor Application Form or something, that he said all youth organizations should use for screening camp leaders. The AANR representative just sat there, missing the chance to tell him the ANNR standards are already higher than his. Parents in the audience grew increasingly hostile.

A child psychiatrist then stated that mixing young kids with nude adults was very damaging and was a form of child abuse. When confronted by one of the kid’s parents, he admitted he had never talked to any of the kids who attended the camp, but that didn’t seem to matter. The kids and their parents protested to no avail; the audience had made up their minds. The AANR representative appeared to just sit there, although later Faber claimed her response was edited out of the final tape.

We don’t know what else was edited out of the final tape that was aired but it seems obvious that AANR must make a major effort to educate the public that our camps are safe before other ambitious legislators and television hosts do further damage.

Knowing this was a set-up, what was AANR thinking?