By Peggy da Silva
My favorite radio station recently hosted a program asking listeners to call in with their “word for the New Year.” Lots of hopeful words were shared: patience, kindness, work, sing. Mine would be participate.
Having worked on electoral reform for several years, and as Chair of the Chapter’s Nominations and Elections Committee for 2020 and 2021, I celebrate every one of our members who took the time to participate in our Winter elections. Not only did we welcome new leaders to our Executive Committees (and welcome back returnees!), we increased member-voter turnout by 27 percent, and saw dramatically more questioning of, and interaction with, candidates during the run-up to the election.
If you are reading this article, I’ll bet you voted. Thank you! You might appreciate the uniqueness of the Sierra Club, among other organizations, in actually being member-driven through electing our leaders. Now, I ask you to build the strength of our Club by doing three things in the coming months.
- Continue to be involved with our Chapter and Group work, at whatever level is comfortable to you. Join in our Conservation, Political, and Executive Committee meetings (you can find dates, times, and Zoom information on our Activities and Events Calendar). Keep on asking questions of your elected leaders and make your perspectives known. As long as mutual respect is practiced, we want different opinions and — yes — even disagreements. We know that it’s hard to show up in a new setting. I have heard from those who felt their participation was not welcome. The Sierra Club is as messy a democracy as any, and it’s important for all of us to speak up, support, and push back as needed. If you try to participate and feel shut down, seek out any leader or member who seems more welcoming, and ask for support.
- Remember to communicate with candidates and to vote in the national Sierra Club election in the spring. Participation is not usually very high, and people at the national leadership level need to hear from us, too. Our Club needs us to pay attention to who is running and find out their positions. A democracy with lackadaisical participation is not a good one.
- Be Inclusive and bring someone else along. That’s a key point in Bottom-Up Organizing, and both are part of the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing, adopted by the Sierra Club in 2014 and described by Chapter Organizer Jacob Klein in their Yodeler column. Help others — especially those who come from differing perspectives, lifestyles, life experiences — to join the Sierra Club as active members. Help them to navigate some of the complicated bureaucracy and encourage them to contribute however they can to the good work. Our communities and our planet depend on all of us doing things differently, while building on all the good work that has been done during our Club’s 129-year history.
My first activity with the Sierra Club was gathering signatures for the California Coastline Protection Initiative. It was a small act of participation. But every bit helps. You can contribute too: Zoom into a meeting, check out the Advocacy Team, and, of course, vote! If you are inspired to run for a leadership position in 2022, feel free to reach out to elections@sfbaysc.org. Check out the Chapter e-bulletins and website for more action ideas. Participation from all of us will “save the planet.” Let’s do it!
Peggy da Silva is the chair of the Sierra Club SF Bay Chapter Nominations and Elections Committee.
Photo credit: Members of the SF Bay Chapter Nominations and Elections Committee. Photo provided by Peggy da Silva.