Why
become a Sierra Club member volunteer?
The Sierra
Club is America's most effective advocate for the environment and
together with its staff and member volunteers helps protect the environment
locally and globally. From community issues and action to lobbying
on a national level, membership allows you to take action where it's
needed most as a volunteer. When you volunteer, you'll gain the satisfaction
of helping preserve irreplaceable wildlands and wildlife. Your voice
can be heard through congressional lobbying and grassroots action.
Training is also available for volunteers in many of the areas they
serve.
The Sierra
Club is one of the oldest and largest grass roots environmental organizations
in the United States. The Great Waters Group represents Sierra Club
members locally in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Waukesha, and Washington counties.
The group is run by member volunteers in leadership roles. In addition,
many other volunteers are needed to help perform a broad range of
tasks. Volunteers are the foundation that allow the Sierra Club to
be effective on local, state, and national issues. They are how the
Sierra Club is able to maintain its effectiveness to accomplish the
efforts that are needed to achieve its mission.
Sierra
Club's Mission:
To
Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the wild places on earth; To practice
and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and
resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore
the quality of the natural and human environment; And to use
all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
If
you would like to volunteer, or want more information, contact
a chairperson that represents an area that interests you. Contact
information can be found on the About
Us page.
Leadership
and Volunteer Opportunities
The following
describes the leadership and volunteer positions that are filled
by members from our local group. Many of the committees a chairperson
oversees rely on volunteers to assist in various capacities. If you
are not interested in a leadership position right now, there are
plenty of other opportunities available. For many of the volunteers,
the amount of effort is of your own choosing.
Available
opportunities are indicated with an asterisk *
Key
GWG=Great Waters Group, VLC=Volunteer Leadership Committee, ExCom=Executive
Committee
Chairperson: The
Chairperson is elected each year by the Executive Committee to represent
the local group and is expected to serve for two years. This Chairperson
appoints the various chairpersons as needed, sets the agenda for monthly
Volunteer Leadership Committee meetings, and designates representatives
or spokespersons for the local group at public meetings and on conservation
matters.
Vice Chairperson: The Vice Chairperson is elected each year
by the Executive Committee. He/she supports the Chairperson, and leads
the meetings in place of the Chairperson when needed. He/she is considered
to be “in training ” to become the next Chair.
Treasurer: The
Treasurer records and deposits incoming money from the Sierra Club,
the local Great Waters Group, the state John Muir Chapter, and fundraising
efforts, and donations. The treasurer also pays the bills, balances
the books, and gives the Volunteer Leadership Committee a monthly
report of how our bank account stands, and reports quarterly on the
yearly budget. The treasurer does not have to attend VLC meetings
(see below), although it would be desirable during budget planning
and for quarterly budget reviews.
Secretary: The
Secretary takes the minutes of each meeting and sends them via email
to VLC members 10 days before the following meeting. The secretary
also maintains a binder with a copy of the minutes of each meeting
for the VLC archives and helps with GWG communications when appropriate.
Conservation
Committee Chairperson: The Conservation Chair coordinates the
Conservation committee which reviews environmental issues, prioritizes
which issues the GWG should take action on, writes and recommends
local environmental position statements to the ExCom for adoption.
Conservation
Committee:* This core committee
has 5 sub-Chairs and each coordinate one of the following committees: Global
Warming (& Energy), Parks & Land Habitat; Sustainable
Growth, Transportation, & Water. The Global Warming
committee also coordinates our speakers bureau which provides On-site
Presentations about global warming. The Parks & Land
Habitat Chair attends Milwaukee County Conservation Coalition
(MCCC or MC3) monthly meetings to represent GWG.
Conservation
Observers* and Activists*: These
members observe public meetings, keep up on website information
and coordinate with the Conservation Committee to help the GWG
advocate on our various environmental positions. They are encouraged
to attend monthly Conservation Committee meetings. Only designated
Great Waters Group members testify in the name of the GWG, however
GWG members are encouraged to testify as individuals on environmental
issues.
Education
Committee Chairperson: The Education Chair coordinates activities
that serve to educate, public, GWG members and students on environmental
issues. The Education Chair works with the Publicity Chair and
Volunteer Coordinator to promote environmental education. The Education
Chair may also be involved with tabling events.
Education
Committee:* These volunteers
work with the Education Chair to help develop educational materials
that may be published in print, put on GWG's web site or presented
to an audience by one of our volunteers. Members of this
committee can assist with planning and coordinating educational
activities that may be designed to increase awareness of environmental
impacts or provide greater enjoyment of the outdoors for either
adults or children.
Fundraising
Committee Chairperson: The Fundraising Chair coordinates efforts
to supplement money the GWG gets from the Sierra Club Foundation
and John Muir Chapter. Money which the GWG makes during a fundraiser
is generally spent on training of members, environmental advocacy
and the newsletter. The size and amount of information we can put
into our newsletter is directly related to our own fundraising
efforts. In the last two years our most productive fundraisers
have been our Annual December Holiday Dinner which includes a speaker
and silent auction, and our Annual June rummage sale.
Membership
Committee Chairperson: The Membership Chair works with the
Membership Committee, maintains our active members database, and
gives a monthly report on the status of our membership. The Membership
Chair also provides information to and works with a Volunteer Coordinator
and Publicity Chair to help with their particular jobs. The membership
chair only needs to attend VLC meetings when he/she has special
projects that he/she is planning. The membership chair usually
passes around a sign up sheet at monthly programs.
Membership
Committee:* These volunteers
work with the Membership Chair to call 5 new members a month
to welcome them and find out about their activity interests in
the GWG.
Newsletter
Chairperson: The Newsletter Chair publishes the newsletter
6 times a year. He/She edits it and gets it to the printer in time
to get it mailed so that it arrives at members homes a couple weeks
before the monthly educational programs are scheduled to occur.
The newsletter chair also coordinates the publishing of important
newsletter articles and the newsletter itself with the Publicity
Chair and the Webmaster and sends a note to the email coordinator
so that email participants are notified promptly.
Outings
Committee Chairperson: The Outings Chair and Committee mentor
members to become outings leaders, coordinate outings information,
and coordinates first aid training for members who are interested
in leading outings. The outings chair also keeps abreast of trails
and service opportunities for outings so that they can be implemented.
The outings chair helps outings leaders to get articles into the
GWG Newsletter/Website and the Muir View in a timely way. The Outings
Chair needs only to attend VLC meetings when he/she is planning
outings that might need Excom approval due to costs, distance,
risks, or complications.
Outings
Committee:* Members of the Outings
committee coordinate and lead the various outings that the members
of our local group and chapter can participate in to enjoy the
outdoors. Committee members are trained in outing safety and
organization practices by the Sierra Club. After which they can
coordinate first aid sessions and help recruit new outings members
who are mentored so they can be well equipped to be an outings
leader. Outings committee members also seek out service outings
opportunities for the local membership.
Political
Committee Chairperson:* The Political
Chair maintains a committee that is generally most involved in
the Fall and the Spring when elections of environmental significance
occur. The committee should have a Waukesha / Milwaukee elections
sub-chair and a state / national elections sub-chair. The Political
Chair receives investigative information about candidates and emails
the findings to the State John Muir Chapter for their approval
and possible endorsements during statewide and national elections.
During election periods, this chair should attend VLC meetings
or send a committee member to report on candidates and issues.
Political
Committee:* These volunteers
work with the Political chair on Political events that have environmental
significance to the GWG. The committee researches candidates
views on environmental issues and prepares / sends questionnaires
to those candidates to glean information that can help the ExCom
to decide on which, if any candidates they are going to endorse.
The committee is encouraged to help coordinate and/or participate
in both local and other Sierra Club sanctioned demonstrations.
Program
Committee Chairperson: The Program Chair recruits speakers,
hosts and greeters for 9 monthly programs, keeps the VLC posted
regarding these events, and writes a one paragraph description
of the programs for the newsletter. He/she arrives or designates
a volunteer to arrive at Mayfair Mall Community Room on program
evenings at 6:30 to set up the room with media equipment etc. for
the program. She/he also encourages members to create activities
such as museum tours, movie nights, music gatherings, green dinners
and activities that generate a feeling of camaraderie amongst members.
Program
Committee Volunteers:* Program
committee volunteers serve as hosts providing beverages & snacks
for GWG's monthly educational programs at the Mayfair Mall. They
may also help set up room seating and media equipment if needed.
This is easy, but important to ensure our members, guests and
presenters are provided with a welcoming environment for learning
and discussing issues.
Publicity
Chairperson:* The Publicity Chair
makes media contacts, writes news releases for the media to promote
our monthly programs and other events. He/she and prepares brochures
for the various group activities, fundraising events and or environmental
events that are promoted by the GWG. He/she also helps to set up
tabling promotions for the Great Waters Group when opportunities
arise, and coordinates other volunteers who might be able to help
with these promotions. He/she will also be involved in helping
to plan effective communications to both the public and the membership
by assisting other chairs and volunteers with distributing information,
whether by press, print, or the website, so that it can facilitate
awareness, the need to take action and increased Sierra Club membership.
Research
Volunteers:* Research volunteers
are important for finding and following information about specific
subjects that the Sierra Club and the public should be made aware
of. The primary effort for these volunteers is to identify and
monitor local and state conversation issues and options which the
Sierra Club might need to take action on. There is also a need
to provide credible information so people can make their own informed
choices that protect the Earth's fragile environment. Volunteers
will find, organize and summarize the information found for the
Great Waters Group leaders. Anyone with experience using the Internet
and web authoring tools should find this quite satisfying and can
work at their own pace.
Volunteer
Coordinator:* As the Volunteer
Coordinator you will contact members who have indicated an interest
in volunteering and arrange volunteers for activities of the GWG.
For example; the December Holiday Dinner Fundraiser, the June Rummage
Sale and Tabling of our display for environmentally related events.
It’s a great job because the people you are calling want to hear
from you and are happy to help out and you can make the calls from
your home. You are not required to attend VLC meetings but may
want to when you see something on the agenda that you’re interested
in.
Volunteers
for Single Events:* These volunteers
are on the Volunteer Coordinator’s list to be called for single
event opportunities such as setting up, taking down, and tabling
for the rummage sale, fundraising, educational and other GWG activities.
We can never have enough of these volunteers. It’s a nice way to
do a little bit for the group.
Webmaster: The
Webmaster maintains and publishes content on the Great Waters Group
website. This includes ensuring that backups and archiving is being
done, navigation and links used to other sites are valid, usability
issues are remedied and oversees other volunteers who may be called
upon to keep the information current or design new and stimulating
ways to engage visitors.
Leadership
Committees
Volunteer
Leadership Committee (VLC): The Great Waters Group has a Volunteer
Leadership Committee which is made up of 9 elected Executive Committee
Members and Chairpersons who wish to attend. The VLC usually meets
on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Milwaukee Sierra
Club Office. The VLC meets about 10 times a year with a break during
the summer months. Meetings are busy and lively and gives anyone
who attends a chance to see what grass roots volunteerism is all
about.
Executive
Committee (Excom): Elected for two year terms by the GWG membership.
There are 9 members with 4 or 5 being elected on alternate years.
A slate of candidates is chosen to run by a Nominating
Committee* of three Nominating Committee Members recommended
by the Chairperson and approved by the VLC. The Chairperson is
elected by the Excom members after each election. Excom members
are expected to attend all VLC meetings and chair a local committee
or serve on the Wisconsin John Muir Chapter Executive Committee.
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