Changing times for  Monthly Dances at The Barn
by Bert Bik  Volume 8, Issue 1

Based on our records, only a small number of those who have attended our dances at the Barn have been members (about 30 to 50 members per dance)--a number that has not changed over several years (with the exception of the popular June Pride dance). Consequently, we have had to augment our dances
with non-members in order to make the dance financially viable for us and for the Barn.

To attract non-members, we promote the dances through advertising in both Fab and XTRA magazines, street postering, frequent phone-line and website updates, as well as actual outreach work to other groups. We also broadcast upcoming events to TNT MEN members to encourage them to attend and to bring non-members along.

In an effort to increase our attendance for the naked dances, we will be trying something new in the new year.

Instead of having our usual dance on the last Saturday of the month (at The Barn from 4-8:30 pm), during January and February the Barn has offered us the third floor on the last Sunday of every month, during their Sunday underwear party, from 6-10 pm. The third floor will be completely closed off to regular underwear bar patrons, but $3 for TNT MEN members and $6 for non-members enables people to enter the third floor to dance naked. This is
a reduction in price from our regular dances, which benefits attendants, and it is a reduction in costs for the Barn, which enables them to continue to support TNT MEN.

You will use the regular Barn's clothes check on the main floor for your external clothes, like at any Sunday underwear dance, while on the third floor we will have a place to store your underwear. And remember: there is no charge for attending our new naked Sunday dance if you become a new member of TNT!MEN.

The third floor will have its own bar tender, dance floor and pool area, while the DJ
and music will be from the second floor. We will have our usual snacks on the third floor. The third floor holds 152 patrons which, according to the data from previous dances (other than the packed Pride dances), should provide the right amount of space for a hot, tightly-filled naked dance.

With this new arrangement, we hope to encourage men from the underwear party to come up and strip down, while TNT MEN can still dance fully naked on the third floor.

Once we have tried holding our naked dances in this new way for two months (January 30 and February 26, 6-10 pm) we will reassess the group's interest in the dances. The costs of having these dances in the manner we have previously done have not been reflected in membership attendance, and the
management of the Barn requires stronger numbers to sustain their support for our group. It is up to you.