by Christine Williamson, Group Chair

Chicago Group members are numerous at 9,000 and mighty in their potential to change the world. I’m not kidding, not at all. I’ve been a Sierra Club activist since 1987 and in every single one of those 20 years, I’ve seen club members change the world in small and really enormous ways.

With the coming of the new year, our small, strong, growing, committed executive committee decided to throw down the gauntlet and ask all of our members, every single one of them, to make simple changes in their every day lives. We’ll provide our members with lots of opportunity to learn more about the environment and more importantly, to do more to improve it.

We know how hard it can be to make changes in our lives. None of us are perfect. Read about the trouble Take’ Yamamoto, our Social Chair, had in simply turning off his stereo equipment. Our ICO leaders had a period of dormancy in leading outings for inner city kids, but through hard work and perseverance, are back stronger than ever. I haven’t switched every light in my house to a fluorescent bulb yet, but I will by the
time you all come over for a January party.

Please check out our evolving 2008 Living Responsibly Calendar and focus in on events in the first quarter and, as incentive for your involvement, check out the rewards.

Living Responsibly Rewards
 
We want to see every one of our members at one event — or many — in this new year. To provide encouragement, we’ll reward you. You’ll get a fluorescent bulb every time you come to an event. Further, we’ll keep track of the names of every person who participates in an activity, who takes an action like writing a letter to the editor or to a politician, who changes all their lights to fluorescent bulbs. Every time you take action, your name will be entered into a big, old globe that symbolizes our commitment to curbing global warming.
 
On December 6, we’ll draw names from that globe for all kinds of prizes, from Sierra Club gear to the rarest of experiences. You’ll have a chance to lunch with the Sierra Club’s Chapter Director. We’ll send you out in the field with our very experienced outings chair. We’re appealing to our good friend, Joel Greenberg, who wrote The Natural History of the Chicago Region, to lead an outing for a select few. We’ll get you behind the scenes with the endangered species caretakers at Lincoln Park Zoo and into the outrageously cool, but thoroughly gruesome collection of bird specimens at the Field Museum. We’re going to hit up politicians and see if we can’t persuade Hizzhonor (you-know-who in City Hall) to lunch with a small group of Sierrans.
 
At mid-year, we’ll start selling $5 raffle tickets for a wonderful prize: $1,000 toward the Sierra Club Outing of your choice. That drawing also will take place at our December 6 volunteer service outing and holiday party.

It’s Past Time: Just Do It
 
Please, get involved. Look over volunteer positions we especially need, if you’re feeling ambitious, or simply attend one of our educational programs or parties. Your life will be enriched in 2008 and beyond.