RIVER PRAIRIE
GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB
DuPage County, Illinois
Group Guide and Involvement Opportunities
This document
was prepared to help new members of the River Prairie Group, interested current
members of the River Prairie Group, and interested non-members of the Sierra
Club to learn about the River Prairie Group. The current Welcome Wagon Host is Joe
Pokorny ((708) 562-2998). He can be contacted for more information about
the various activities of the Sierra Club's River Prairie Group of
NOTE: Names in blue underlined font are email hyperlinks; just
click to send a message; other links in the same font go to the web page of
interest.
This
document was last updated on
PDF
version: http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg/welcomewagon.pdf
I. Overview and
answers to frequent asked questions (FAQs)
What is the Sierra Club?
The Sierra Club operates at the national, regional, state and local (e.g.
county) levels. In this document, the following abbreviated terms will be used:
National - The National Sierra Club is composed of about 750,000 members
throughout
Region - The Midwest Region of the Sierra Club is composed of
Chapter - Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club is headquartered at
Group - River Prairie Group of the Sierra Club (RPG) is primarily
composed of Club members resident in the ZIP codes of
Sierra Student Coalition (SSC) - The Sierra Student Coalition is the
student-run arm of the Sierra Club. It is a broad network of high school and
college students from around the country working to protect the environment on
the local, regional, national and international level. For more information, or
to get involved, check the SSC webpage at http://www.ssc.org.
What is the club's purpose?
According to the Articles of Incorporation for the not-for-profit Sierra Club:
The purposes of the Sierra Club are to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild
places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's
ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore
the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means
to carry out these objectives.
Does the River Prairie Group have a home office? Where do members meet?
The Group doesn't have an office. General programs are usually held at the Glen
Ellyn Public Library in downtown
The River
Prairie Group maintains an internet web page at http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg/.
It is a hotbed of information and announcements on upcoming Group activities
with photos and links to other information sources.
Who
belongs to the River Prairie Group?
The
approximately 2,800 members of the River Prairie Group are from Greater DuPage
County, meaning the county and some suburban areas around it. If you live in
How can I join Sierra Club?
To
join online, go through our web page link (and receive a ”thank you”
gift if you like) at: http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg
and click on “membership information” or to receive a Sierra Club membership application form (no gift),
contact River Prairie Group Membership Chair, Bonnie
Blake, at (630) 629-2520. Both methods give the RPG a credit for your
initial membership.
Members
join the national organization and are automatically added to the state and
local membership rolls. A regular membership costs $39 ($49 for joint
membership) and $25 for students and seniors ($35 joint). Life memberships and
$25 introductory specials are also available. A portion of the membership fee is
distributed from National to Chapters and Groups.
What publications am I supposed to receive as a member?
As a River Prairie Group member, you will receive three publications
regularly:
* DuPage Sierran, the quarterly newsletter of River
Prairie Group activities attached to the Lake and Prairie.
*
* Sierra magazine, the bimonthly magazine from National
headquarters.
I am a Sierra Club member, but I am not getting my newsletter(s) or
magazine! What should I do?
To begin troubleshooting,
Is this person at my door or on the phone for real?
Sierra Club-National does occasionally conduct telephone solicitations and
launch door-to-door canvassing campaigns to boost membership and raise money.
If you would like to verify that the person asking you for money is legitimate,
call the Chapter office at (312) 251-1680.
Where can I buy a Sierra Club mug, T-shirt or calendar?
Sierra Club sells these and other goods to help fund its conservation
activities. The purchases make great gifts, too! Some of these goods are for
sale at the Group's general programs or visit the national Club web page at http://sierraclub.org and click the “online
store” link on the right.
I am a new (or newly active) member. How can I get involved?
First – Subscribe to the River Prairie
Group News List-serve and receive monthly updates on activities, meetings, and
information about your local group. To subscribe, go to: http://lists.sierraclub.org/archives/IL-RPG-NEWS.html
and click on “Join or leave the list”; then fill out the information
requested and click “Join”.
Second – Consider your interests in the
four categories of activities that our members conduct:
· Outings
· Social
· Conservation (from habitat restoration to political lobbying)
· Administration
Outings are largely recreational. Some outings involve workdays at Midewin
Tallgrass National Prairie and at other conservation sites. Social events are
activities planned for environmentally minded individuals to meet in a social
setting. Conservation includes hands-on restoration, river monitoring, learning
about environmental issues, and lobbying elected officials with phone calls,
letters and occasional visits. Administration includes all of the
nuts-and-bolts of running the club. Activities are guided by committees and
teams, which are all overseen by the Group's seven-member, elected governing
body, called the Executive Committee. See further descriptions below.
II. Outings
Outings are the organized outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking,
bicycling, canoeing, skiing, orienteering, photo hikes and camping that the
Sierra Club is well known for. All year long, trained volunteers lead trips that
last from one day to a weekend, and a few trips a year will last a whole week.
Most are in the
Leaders of
Group Outings must limit the number of participants for each trip, and trips
often fill up early -- sometimes months ahead. So be sure to reserve a place
well ahead of time.
You will be
required to pay a minimal fee to cover miscellaneous trip costs. The amount is
publicized in the trip announcement.
The Lake
& Prairie contains trips from around the state. Outings sponsored by
the River Prairie Group are listed as (RPG) after each listing there.
For the
most up-to-date information, check the Chapter Outings Web Page at http://illinois.sierraclub.org/outings and select River
Prairie for just RPG or All Illinois
for all local outings listings.
For general questions on Outings, call Group Outings Chair Steve Turner
at 630-782-5865. For questions regarding particular trips, call the trip
leader.
III. Social
Social events like parties, progressive dinners, restaurant nights, museum
trips, theater nights out, and casual meetings at restaurants/bars are planned
by the Social Committee. These activities are another fun reason to get out of
the house and meet fellow Sierrans. All activities are opened to any interested
person regardless of marital status or residency. Check the River Prairie Group
Web Page at http://www.illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg/
for current activities. To help, plan, and/or organize, contact Group Chair Lonnie
Morris at (630) 627-3982. Suggestions are also accepted and encouraged. We
are currently looking for a substitute Social Chair; if you are interested in
this position, contact Group Chair Lonnie Morris
at (630) 627-3982.
IV. Conservation
through Environmental Activism
Bluestem
Network:
A large phone tree lobbying effort that targets federal and state elected
officials is thriving on the River Prairie Group's Bluestem Network, and you
are welcome to join!
The tree is activated 6-12 times a year. Phone tree participants pass
down an action alert notification to
the next person on the tree. Frequently these notifications are left on
volunteers' answering machines. The message left is simple: "The Bluestem
Network of the Sierra Club has been activated." Members have a choice of
receiving the action alert via email or accessing the alert on the RPG webpage.
Each action alert contains information informing the volunteer about a specific
issue or piece of pending legislation, the Sierra Club's stance on it, and
which lawmakers to call. This is followed by a detailed explanation of the
legislation and environmental issues surrounding it. To join the Bluestem
Network, print, fill out, and mail the application on the River Prairie Group
webpage at: http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg/bluestemform.pdf
or call the Bluestem Network Coordinator, Julia Nephew at 630-858-5123. You can also view the archive of
alerts at: http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg
and click on Action Alerts in the left-hand column.
Restoration:
Prairie
Restoration Work Along the Prairie Path/Midewin Tallgrass National
Prairie/Other Workdays:
If you would enjoy a morning or afternoon on the beautiful nearby native
prairies of Illinois and/or other environmental sites, then sign up for next
weekend's restoration workday. Volunteers help preserve the prairie ecosystem
by planting or collecting seed or removing invasive species. One club member
calls the workdays "the poor man's health club." Sierra Club members
cooperate with other environmental organizations and community groups at these
year-round sessions of outdoor seed collecting, planting and brush cutting at
area forest preserves.
Participants should dress for the weather and work gloves are recommended.
To
volunteer for prairie restoration work along the Prairie Path, call Prairie
Restoration Chair, Bruce
Blake, at (630) 629-2520.
Many of
these workdays are sponsored by the Outings Program of the River Prairie Group.
Recently, the RPG Outings Program has been sponsoring workdays to help restore
the prairie at the Midewin Tallgrass National Prairie. Check the River Prairie
Group Web Page at http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg
for a list of workdays sponsored by the RPG Outings Program and other
environmental groups.
River Monitoring:
The River Prairie Group's River Monitoring Network monitors the water
quality of rivers in
To network with people concerned about various
Issues outside of
To learn more about a specific environmental issue in the state but outside of
National and Global Issues Action at a Local Level:
- Cool
Cities: Group
activists are contacting local community leaders to encourage them to join the
Cool Cities initiative. Communities all over
Visiting
Elected Officials:
Throughout the year, Sierra Club activists make lobby visits to the home
district offices of the DuPage County Forest Preserve or County Board
Commissioners, Illinois State Representatives or Senators, and U.S.
Congresspersons. Environmental issues are discussed with
Writing Elected Officials:
If you'd like to be a part of a campaign to write well-informed letters on
environmental issues to elected federal and state representatives, then add you
name to the Chapter-level Volunteer Lobbyists Network. You will receive action
alerts about six times a year either by computer through electronic mail, or by
a letter through the post. To join the Volunteer Lobbyists Network, call State
Director Jack
Darin at the Chapter office (312) 251-1680.
Political Endorsements:
The River Prairie Group conducts a very extensive political endorsement
program. How does the Sierra Club decide which candidates to endorse in an
election? The following Sierra Club Endorsement Process is followed by the
leaders of the River Prairie Group (RPG). The Sierra Club is an environmental
organization and only reviews factors directly related to environmental issues.
A Sierra Club endorsement for election means that this candidate has
demonstrated an environmental voting record and/or background and/or history
for promoting pro-environmental policy.
The first
step in the endorsement procedure is to send questionnaires to candidates
running in a specific race. Typically, questionnaires are sent out to all the
candidates who have filed their intentions to run in the Primary Election with
Next, a
team of RPG activists analyze the questionnaire data and the environmental
voting records of the incumbents. Interviews are conducted with certain
candidates. At these meetings, a discussion about current environmental issues
is conducted.
Finally,
the RPG team meets to discuss the interview and presents the RPG elected
Executive Committee with a recommendation. The Committee must vote by a 2/3
margin to present a recommendation for endorsement to the Illinois Chapter's
Executive Committee. Members of the RPG group then travel to the next meeting
of the Illinois Chapter to convince Sierra Club activists from the entire State
of
If you
would like to assist in the political endorsement program of the River Prairie
Group, please contact Political Chair, Linda
Sullivan, at (630) 620-5257.
Staying informed/Taking action by computer:
1) The
National arm of the Sierra Club maintains an electronic activist network available
to anyone with online access. You can receive action alerts on environmental
legislation by visiting http://www.sierraclub.org,
then click on "Take Action" and follow the steps to sign up
for the Activist Network.
2) Illinois
Sierra Club Activist Network sends e-mail alerts on statewide legislative
issues. Visit http://illinois.sierraclub.org, click on "Take
Action", and then on "Sign up here” under 1) IL
SC Action Network and/or 2) IL Action Alert List-serve.
3) Also
check the River Prairie Group Web Page at http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg.
And sign up for periodic (monthly) Group news at: http://lists.sierraclub.org/archives/IL-RPG-NEWS.html
and click on “Join or leave the list”; then fill out the information
requested and click “Join”.
4) Also
note the Bluestem Network information above for Action Alerts.
Informative Programs:
The River Prairie Group hosts speakers who present lectures and slide shows on
a wide range of topics -- from outings and travelogues, to wildlife protection,
recycling, pollution, politics, and volunteer opportunities. These general
programs are held at the Glen Ellyn Public Library. The Glen Ellyn Public
Library is located in downtown
General Volunteerism:
RPG gets involved
with many volunteer activities throughout the year. For a look at our list,
check out the Volunteer form at: http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg/volunteersignup.pdf,
our Join Us Brochure at: http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg/JoinUs.pdf
or contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Tom
Richardson, at (630) 832-3532 or Membership Chair, Bonnie Blake, at (630)
629-2520.
V. Administration
If you want to pitch right in to help make the group function, here are some of
the varied opportunities that await you:
Executive Committee "Excom" Meetings:
Meet the
Group's leaders, share your ideas with them and learn the nuts and bolts
workings of the River Prairie Group ---where its money is going and on what its
leaders are focusing in any given month. Members who wish to join the River
Prairie Group Executive Committee have made the commitment to give a
significant amount of their volunteer time to help with the day to day
operations of the group. The amount of time varies depending upon which
committee the member agrees to manage (chair). This amount of time can be from
just a few hours each month to numerous hours a week. Extra "hands"
are always needed to help with the running of the various functions of the
River Prairie Group. The group secretary and treasurer need to be members of
the Executive Committee. For more information about these roles and the amount
of time that would be involved, call the current RPG Executive Chair, Lonnie Morris, at (630)
627-3982.
To serve on
the Executive Committee:
The Executive Committee's seven members are elected for staggered terms of two
years each. Elections are held in October. To run for office, you have to be
nominated well ahead of time. If you think you'd like to serve, talk to the
current Excom Chair, Lonnie
Morris, at (630) 627-3982. Your next step will be to place your name with
the nominating committee.
Program Coordinators help plan and carry out the programs that accompany
the general meetings. They need help with the following tasks:
*finding speakers
*setting up
*cleaning up
*supplying and serving refreshments
*greeting attendees
If you want to help, call the Program Chair, Bruce Blake, at (630)
629-2520.
Social Committee members plan events like parties, progressive dinners,
and restaurant nights out. Our current Social Chair has stepped down. If
you are interested in guiding this committee and learning more about its work,
call Lonnie
Morris at (630) 627-3982 for more information.
Group Newsletter:
All members are encouraged to write and submit
articles or photos for the Group's quarterly newsletter, Du Page Sierran.
Its primary purpose is to report on the Group's activities like outings,
programs, activism and lobbying.
Those with
experience in journalism or desktop publishing knowledge are invited to become
Editorial Board members. They review submitted articles, plan layout, determine
editorial content, write and edit articles.
We are currently looking for a new newsletter editor for the DuPage Sierran.
If you are interested in contributing your expertise, please contact Bonnie Blake at (630)
629-2520.
The Chapter newsletter, Lake &
Prairie, also accepts articles and photos. Call the Chapter office at (312)
251-1680 for details.
Membership Committee members welcome new members, keep track of
membership statistics and coordinate membership benefits. Volunteers are needed
to call new members to welcome them into the club and to greet new members at
general meetings. The committee is launching a strong effort to retain new
members, beginning with surveying current members and lapsed recent members by
phone. If you'd like to help, call Membership Chair, Bonnie
Blake, at (630) 629-2520 or RPG HELEN Administrator, Joe Pokorny,
at (708) 562-2998.
Publicity Team:
Distributing
posters to area bulletin boards and placing announcements in newspapers and
other media about upcoming meetings and about the Club's position on
environmental issues is the responsibility of the Publicity Team. If you'd like
to help, contact Publicity Co-Chairs Linda
Sullivan at (630) 620-5257 or Bruce Blake
at (630) 629-2520.
Fundraising Team:
If you can
think of revenue generating activities, call Fundraising Chair, Bruce Blake, at (630)
629-2520 or to volunteer, see below.
Fundraising
Events (help needed!):
Native
Plant Sales Fundraiser: Every spring, RPG purchases locally native perennial and annual plants
for sale at store events, other Club meetings, and via an order form in the
DuPage Sierran. If you would like to help transfer plants, set up, sell, and
take down and clean up at these events, contact Bruce Blake
at (630) 629-2520. Plant order forms are listed on the RPG web page: http://illinois.sierraclub/rpg and
look for the link and also in the first quarter DuPage Sierran inside
the first quarter Lake and Prairie; you can download an L&P
copy at the Chapter web page: http://illinois.sierraclub.org
and click the News tab and pick the issue from the column on the right
(low – for dialup; high – for DSL/Cable Modem).
“Party
at the Farm” Fundraiser: Every mid/late May, RPG hosts a fundraising “party” with fun and
entertainment at the Schmidt “farm” in Warrenville. If you would like to help
with setup, take down, and other operations, please contact Connie Schmidt
at (630) 393-6276. The date and more info will be listed on the RPG web page.
Welcome Wagon Team:
The job of
a Welcome Wagon Host is to help people find their way around the maze of
multiple goings-on in the club. Welcome Wagon Host’s names and phone numbers
are placed the River Prairie Group Web Page at http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg.
Welcome Wagon Hosts field calls and direct interested callers to the correct resource
person to answer their concerns. This volunteer job generally requires a few
hours a month and can be done at home. If you are able to field calls at your
home from members or those curious about the club, then contact Welcome Wagon
Host Joe
Pokorny at (708) 562-2998 to become a member of the Welcome Wagon Team.
Outings Leaders and Assistant Leaders:
Leaders are
needed to carry on the tradition of outdoor recreational opportunities in the
club. Any Sierra Club member with a willingness to help out on trips is welcome
to attend Outings Committee meetings. The Outings Committee, composed of trip
leaders, usually meets on the first Wednesday of each month at
To find out
where the next Outings Committee meeting will be held, call Outings Chair Steve Turner
at (630) 782-5865.
Representatives to the
The River
Prairie Group needs members to attend the bimonthly Illinois Chapter Executive
Committee Meetings. Sierra Club members from the entire State of