Strength and Sustainability Society
Norman La Force gives because he has seen firsthand how well the Chapter uses its resources
Just over two years ago, the San Francisco Bay Chapter inaugurated its Strength and Sustainability Society, our major-gifts program. To date, nearly 100 generous donors have contributed $1,000 or more each to our annual campaign or to special environmental campaigns.
The Strength and Sustainability Society is open to all members who contribute just $100 a month - or more - a little over $3 a day - less than that double latte! This year we hope to double the number of members of the Strength and Sustainability Society, and as a special thank-you to our Strength and Sustainability Society members, we're now beginning a series of special programs. Upcoming is an exploration of the flora and fauna of the Sierra Nevada with author and artist John Muir Laws, an exploration of investing in new, clean technology with Marin author Clint Wilder, and a very special evening celebrating the publication of Nature's Beloved Son: Rediscovering John Muir's Botanical Legacy, a splendid volume of photographs of Muir's original botanical specimens from museum and university collections.
If you are interested in joining the Strength and Sustainability Society, please give me a call or drop me a line at (510) 848-0800, ext. 322 or by
This issue's Strength and Sustainability Society commentary below is by Norman La Force. Norman has been a leader in efforts to preserve Bay Area open space, both as a Sierra Club Bay Chapter activist and as a public official. He is currently running for a seat on the Board of the East Bay Regional Park District.
Norman has experienced first-hand how the resources of the Bay Chapter contribute to the success of the important environmental efforts we care about.
When the Bay Chapter initiated its Strength and Sustainability Society, I immediately pledged to the campaign. Through decades of involvement in the Chapter, I've learned that it is the most-effective environmental organization in the Bay Area. The Chapter gets the most out of slim resources, and has a great group of leaders and activists who are committed to a true environmental vision for the Bay Area, our state, the nation, and our earth.
I joined the Club and became a life member in the early 1980s, when I returned to the Bay Area and flung myself into the campaign to stop the commercial development of the Berkeley, Emeryville, and Albany shorelines and to create the Eastshore State Park. This campaign expanded to include Oakland and Richmond, especially the North Richmond shoreline.
I found that the Chapter welcomed volunteers who wanted to work on an issue. In just two years I was able to run for the Chapter Executive Committee. I have spent the past 25 years campaigning on park and open-space issues and as a Club leader on our many committees. I created our Legal Committee and have served as its chair. I became the Chapter leader on East Bay Regional Park District issues. I have also worked on issues affecting San Francisco and Marin, serving on committees involved with protecting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area as park and open space.
My effectiveness in all these campaigns depended on the clout of the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter, one of the best-run chapters in the whole Sierra Club. I am very proud of what we have done and what I know we will accomplish in the future.
That is why I have made a large commitment to the Strength and Sustainability Society - and I urge others to join with me and pledge what they can afford.
To make a contribution or to find out more about how to support the local Sierra Club Bay Chapter, please contact , director of individual giving, or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 322