Residents Concerned Over Activity Inside Private Club

[OhioCouple]

Considering where this particular club is located, I'd be a whole lot more concerned about the illegal drug activity, violence and prostitution, that is rampant within a two mile radius....long before I'd be concerned about what is going on in a private club between consentual adults. As for neighbors finding condoms in their yards....think outside the box, folks...probably your hubbies tossing them after sex with a local prostitute...highly unlikely a swinger walked out of the club with a used one in their hand, or still wearing it for that matter. :rollseyes

Residents Concerned over Activity Inside Private Club

[darling]

One of the local swing clubs in the Dayton, Ohio area (there are 4 in Dayton) has been targeted by a church that happens to be next door. I think much of this was brought upon because the owner did an interview for a local news reporter on swinging, and the interest in swinging on national news and Oprah. When is it better to keep everything quiet and when is it better to advertise? The church has begun contacting other local churches for support and has mentioned picketting. Can the list of members be accessed thru courts?

[Spoomonkey]

I would think the church would have a very difficult time getting a hold of such a list. The church that you are referring to is fairly new to that building. I thought it was sort of funny when it went in there (I used to live fairly close to the club and area that you are talking about). The church is a bit off of the "beaten path" as far as normal churches go, so I am not sure how much support they will be able to get. The churches they are likely to contact are other loosely affiliated and poorly organized inner city type of churches, so I am thinking that little will come of it...

Then again - it is usually these nutball churches that end up making the biggest scenes.

A few years ago, a porn shop was going in at an old "Kenny Rogers Roasters" On the northeast side of Dayton. It lasted about 24 hours... Dayton has a strong network of churches - and when the mainsteamers get their panties in a bunch, you can count on getting shut down pretty quick. Frankly, the people who bought the building for a porn shop were pretty stupid... The location was just asking for trouble.

The club you are talking about has been placed wisely in one of the areas of town where there are so many other issues, that they are generally over looked. My guess is, they'll be fine with this as well.

Spoomonkey

[northindycpl]

I don not think that legally they can suponea the clubs membership records for a stupid reason like that. You can go to alllaw.com and research it though.

I am not familiar with the area, but if it were me, It is a private club. Unless the patrons of the club have done anything illegal, I can't imagine you would have problems.

Is it that club that is in the strip mall?

[DBL D]

I remember a porno theater that was next to a book and bible store. One time during intermission a guy got up in the theater and started to read scripture. Well, long story short, the store ended up buying the theater.

Porno is still around. Maybe the club should just move somewhere else.

Male D

[intuition897]

I'm no expert, but it would seem to me that if the club members/owners are doing nothing that violates local laws and bylaws, an outside party should have no right to access a club membership list. I know that certain relationships (such as doctor-patient, lawyer-client, husband-wife) are protected, but I don't think swing clubs-members fall into that category. There would be certain circumstances where member lists would be legally required to be divulged... like if there was a homicide or something. You'd have to look it up.

How awful for the club owners and members! Sounds like they should brace themselves for an uncomfortably rocky ride. Maybe the religious zealots don't have a legal leg to stand on, but I wouldn't put it past them to picket in front of the club. Anything to make members' lives miserable and 'save them' from their sins. It'd sure be nice if none of us had to worry about that kind of persecution. If anyone knows the club owner, he should be advised to get in touch with his lawyer ASAP about it, and make sure he's complying with the law. At least that's one less thing to worry about.

[BradAndJanet]

Let me know when and where they're picketing so that I can go get in line for the club. What fun!

And no, since the club is a private organization, there is no way they can legally get their hands on a membership list.

The only thing the club and its members need to worry about is that they are in compliance with the law. If I was an owner, I'd invite the cops over for a little look-see and a chat to be sure I was doing nothing illegal and to foster a good relationship with the department. Perhaps some donations to the Benevolence Fund might be in order too.

-B

[BradAndJanet]

Thanks. Our priority for visiting DSSC sometime just went up. Maybe after the holidays we'll be making a trip to Dayton. We'll give them more business if somebody's trying to give 'em the business!

-B

[darling]

The church has been there for some time. The club is over 20 years old. The club owner not only owns the club, but the house next door where his girlfriend has a lingerie store. The church was parking in the lingerie store parking lot where club patrons were to park. The club owner had to ask them not to park there and this may have started the problem. The church says they have found condoms and beer bottles in the parking area, but I've never seen that. They are picketing the club at 6:00 this evening. My fear is that under public pressure, the police will send in someone undercover. It will only take one idiot to offer to sell the undercover a beer and they have reason for a bust. The owner will offer a free beer if someone needs one, but that isn't to say that a undercover person trying, wouldn't find someone to offer to sell him one.

There are several gentleman clubs in that area and it is not a residential area. The church has made it a mission to clean up the area and did get officials to shut down one of the gentleman's clubs. No this club is not in a strip mall. That is another club.

[Nymph an' Satyr]

But swingers are terrorists, and under the Patriot Act the names can be divulged. Here's a toast to hoping for a lot of misspelled names

I would suspect that the owner has retained one/several lawyers. Contact the owner and see what they tell you.

[Mrs Spoomonkey]

That club has been around for many years and happens to be across the street from the townships police office. Since it is a private club and as long as nothing illegal is going on other than the hassel of getting past the picketers I don't think much else could happen. With the types of bars and clubs along that area it seems more likely they could run the church out before the church could get much shut down there, it's been the hub of activities for those types of businesses for many, many years.

Also, there are laws regarding picketing, if he owns the property they are not allowed to step on it, they have to picket on the public sidewalk etc., and I know there are no sidewalks there. They would have to be on property owned by the city not the business.

Mrs Spoomonkey

[Tom & Bonnie]

Every Club owner in America, and every member of a private swingers club in America, should know the followiung Supreme Court decision by heart!

1958--NAACP vs. Alabama

Supreme Court rules that privacy of membership lists in an organization is part of the right to freedom of assembly and association.

This may not prevent law enforcement from seeking the list, but any attorney worth his salt can get an injunction against the law enforcement agency from using the list!

[fun_pairTX]

Unless they can provide reasonable suspicion that a crime is being committed, there is no way the police are going to get a search warrant. See the 4th Amendment.

[BettyAnnMBSC]

We were once members of a small pagan religious organization that drew attention of a local church. It wasn't a pretty battle. It also wasn't hard to put an end to:

The leaders of our organization started paying very very close attention to things written and said about us by the church involved in the campaign. The first time they found something stated incorrectly about us, they advised the church to please refrain from "telling lies about us" -- of course the church got all high and mighty and increased their activities.

The church settled the slander/libel lawsuit that followed very quickly and their preacher left town. We filed 25 suits against the church and their leaders for slander and libel in two days. It helped that we had access to a free attorney.

[JnCC]

Just because I don't currently consider myself a "swinger" doesn't mean I don't care passionately about my civil rights, and the right of ALL law abiding citizens to congregate and frolic to their hearts content if they so choose.

So often, when reading an account of a bad experience at a club, I've stated that we, as "members"..."customers"...whatever you want to call us, "Vote with our wallets." Usually that means voting against a particular business, but I think this is going to be one of those exceptions.

My sometimes girlfriend and playmate is in Florida working on her tan lines, but I'm going to break a cardinal rule I have about going to a swing club alone. I think it's time to pay a visit to old "Chris" and let him know that just 'cause he runs a somewhat tacky club, we support him 100%, both with our hearts, AND with our wallets.

Besides, where else you gonna see a naked, 5 foot tall, albino, ex-Navy SEAL with a lighted dick?

BTW...it seems to me that it many of the members of that church ALSO have business interests in the community. It shouldn't be hard to figure out what they are...most Church newsletters and special event programs actively solicit advertising space from members and others in the community. I know they stick together in times of crises, maybe it's time we showed them that we're an economic force to be reckoned with as well?