Sierra Summit welcomes thousands of Sierrans to San Francisco - will you be there?

Learn, have fun, become a leader, build a vision for the future

September 8 - 11, Moscone Center, San Francisco.

Harvard sociologist Marshall Ganz told the Sierra Club Board of Directors about successful social movements, and noted that they all held conventions where local leaders celebrated, told their stories, and returned home inspired and energized.

Gallons of blood, sweat, and tears later, and voilá, Sierra Summit 2005, the Sierra Club's first-ever large-scale convention - and you're invited. The Summit is designed for all Club members, and especially if you want to be a leader for the environment, the Summit is the place to be - old leaders and new leaders alike. An important track in the activities will be "Working smart", focused on building leadership capacity and honing leadership skills.

The summit will feature speakers and entertainment, including comedian Bill Maher and pundit Arianna Huffington, and a green-business exposition. At the center will be an unprecedented gathering of delegates from the Club's chapters, groups, committees, and task forces, who will work together to plot the direction of the Club for the coming years.

For years the Sierra Club has held an annual meeting of the Board of Directors and the Sierra Club Council, where each chapter is represented by a delegate. At most, several hundred members have gathered. The Summit will bring 3,000 members together, 1,000 of them Summit delegates.

"There is broad debate in the environmental community now that so much is at risk," says Summit co-chair and just-elected Club President Lisa Renstrom. "With the Summit, we have an extraordinary opportunity to give voice to our members, and draw upon their experience, passion, and wisdom to set our future."