SierraScape August - September 2007
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by Del Johnson, George Behrens and Tony Armstrong
photo by Richard Spener

Outstanding Service Award recipient Marilyn Hanlon (left) and Sierran of the Year recipient Ann Eggebrecht.

This year the Eastern Missouri Group of the Sierra Club recognizes Marilyn Harlan and Ann Eggebrecht for their many years of service to the club in leadership positions. Marilyn is honored with the Outstanding Service Award, while Ann is declared Sierran of the Year.

Marilyn joined the Club around 1972 and shortly thereafter became Chair of the Mining Committee which soon morphed into the Energy Committee of the Ozark Chapter. Around 1976 an organization was formed to try to stop the Meramec Dam and Marilyn became Treasurer of the organization. Somewhere around 1980 Marilyn and her husband John became involved in Operation Clean Stream and for years have been running the picnic at Onondaga Cave State Park for the Clean Stream workers.

In the early 1980's Marilyn became involved with the beginning of the EMG Sierra Club Lemonade booth and still helps by calling to ask for help from the volunteers. In the 1980's Marilyn helped with the EMG judging of the Missouri Whitewater Association Races on the St. Francis River. In 1984 she joined the EMG Outings Committee and still serves on the Committee, a record that will be hard to beat.

In his nomination of Marilyn Harlan for the Outstanding service Award, George Behrens stated that "Marilyn has been a rock upon which the activities of the Sierra Club have been built. She has befriended many Sierrans and assisted even more. We look forward to her continued involvement in the Club."

Ann Eggebrecht's recognition as Sierran of the year honors in particular her service on the outings committee since the 1980's, and as chair of that committee from 1995 until this year. During that time, she was kept busy, leading workshops and in general keeping outings activities on track. Last summer for example she was the organizer in charge of an outings leader training session at Cuivre River State Park. Del Johnson, who nominated Ann to be Sierran of the Year, was present at this training session. "I was very impressed with Ann's organizational skills, and her marvelous ability to stay on top of all the details involved," Del tells us.

Prior to her work with the Outings Committee, Ann was part of the New Members Committee. According to Tony Armstrong, "Ann and her committee hosted many, many parties to welcome and orient new members to the Sierra Club." Ann's record of service has included involvement in many areas, from helping with Operation Clean Stream, squeezing lemons for lemonade, and helping with the annual Holiday Party to writing letters .

EMG members who know Ann are impressed, not only with her ability to get things done, but the grace and good humor with which she does it, and her willingness to acknowledge the efforts of all those who have helped her. Her contributions to the Eastern Missouri Group of the Sierra Club have truly made a difference.