Chapter members are contacting us with requests to meet, socialize, share information, and organize with other Club members. There is a strong interest among Executive Committee members to provide more structure which encourages activities that combine social networking with conservation work. But Chapter leadership has been overwhelmed with several key conservation issues for the last few years. Coastal protection, General Plan hearings and policies, pesticide use, and our dwindling water supply have consumed so much of our time we may have overlooked the importance of meeting and sharing our views and objectives with you.

Now we are working on a program to plan more get-togethers and opportunities for members to meet and learn more about the Club as well as each other. Executive Committee members have discussed different types of activities such as film series, Monterey potlucks with slides and DVD presentations, lectures about travel and research, as well as a speaker program featuring environmentalists, scientists, writers, and artists. We also want to encourage nonmembers who are interested in our work to learn about us in a welcoming environment. Please go to page 3 to learn how you can help plan exciting activities and suggest ways to make them successful.

Sierra Club National has also taken steps in this direction. Building on the popularity of social networking tools such as Facebook, the Club has launched three new online communities. Anyone can browse these sites for information and updates. If you wish to use the information for projects or campaigns, you can register and participate in discussions and get more deeply involved.

• Climate Crossroads at http://climatecrossroads.sierraclub.org puts members in touch with like-minded folks who are working on climate change and related conservation issues.

• Sierra Student Coalition at http://ssc.sierraclub.org targets events and activities for college students all over the country.

• Sierra Club Trails at: http://trails.sierraclub.org has trail descriptions and opportunities to join discussions for hiking and camping nationwide.

Please consider participating in some of these activities to interact with other members either in person or online and be part of an expanding network to continue to protect our natural resources and make new friends.

—Rita Dalessio

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