The power of the party: give a party; save the world, and strengthen the Bay Chapter

OK, one party won't save the whole world, but it can help.

What kind of party do you like to give: a quiet evening or brunch with a few friends, a more boisterous party with 20, or rocking till dawn with half of Facebook? Wine in crystal or beer out of cans, formal or casual, loud or quiet?

Any of these can help the Sierra Club Bay Chapter make a difference - for promoting renewable energy and preventing global warming, for protecting critical habitat and open space, for our parks and public lands.

The common thread: a Bay Chapter staff member takes about 15 minutes at each event to tell guests about an important local environmental issue and ways to get involved. There is no obligation or arm-twisting, but we encourage you and your guests to get involved in whatever way and level suits you: to write a letter or phone an official, to come to a phone bank or a city-council meeting, to write a check or make a pledge.

We call these diverse gatherings "house parties", and their power has proven to be an exciting way to share our concern for the environment and take action. House parties have long been a staple of grassroots organizing. The Obama campaign used them to great effect.

This coming Earth Day is a great time to host a house party for the Bay Chapter and to introduce the people in your life to the local environmental concerns you care about.

WhatYouCanDo

Hosting a house party is fun and easy too. All you need are people and a place, and if you don't have a suitable place, we can help you find one, possibly at a joint party with another Sierra Clubber in your neighborhood.

So call and talk with one of the Bay Chapter's conservation staff. They will help you brainstorm ideas on what kind of party you want to throw, who to invite, and where to have it. You will then invite your friends, co-workers, family, and neighbors to the get-together of your choice, which you host, and a Sierra Club staffperson will come and make a brief presentation. It's that easy!

We may not have as much money as big energy companies and developers, but we win campaigns for the environment through friends talking to friends.

For more information on hosting or helping with a house party, or to plan one with the Sierra Club staff, contact organizing manager or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 323.

A special opportunity

One Sierra Club volunteer, Roddy Lindsay, runs an organization called "House-Heads" that organizes regular dance parties at various venues in San Francisco. They have already put on one event for the Bay Chapter, featuring the music of DJ Carlo Rio, a star of the underground techno scene in Toronto, and they plan on putting on half a dozen more Chapter events in the coming year. Bay Chapter staff get 10 minutes on the program to talk about our local work, and the Chapter will benefit from the proceeds. For information about coming events call conservation organizer Tracy Shepard at (510) 848-0800, ext. 307.