ANGELES CHAPTER GUIDANCE RE: COVID-19 OUTBREAK

UPDATED 8 APRIL 2020


The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter covers a wide geographic area, has about 43,000 members, and a multitude of activities in any given week.  As the Chair of your Chapter Executive Committee, my primary concern is for the health and safety of our members. The Sierra Club has taken proactive steps to attempt to mitigate the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on its staff and volunteers.  Executive Director Michael Brune has issued a new directive for staff and volunteers to follow.  Your cooperation and assistance in implementing these changes is appreciated.


• All volunteer and staff in-person meetings, public events, and outings are suspended from now through June 14th. Change your in-person meeting to a remote one using a visual option such as Zoom, Go to Meeting, Google Hangout, Microsoft Teams or Facebook Live.  Contact Morgan Goodwin, Senior Chapter Director for assistance in accessing these virtual media options. Alternatively consider holding an audio only meeting using the Chapter conference line. Contact Jane Macfarlane at Jane.Macfarlane@sierraclub.org to schedule use of the Chapter Conference Line.  If the Chapter line is not available, and you need immediate access to a Sierra Club conference call line, email Council Secretary Michael Smith at msmithohiosierraclub@gmail.com with the date and time for your call and the Club will provide temporary access to the Council of Club Leaders conference line capacity.  A google calendar will be set up to manage access to this conference line on a first-come, first-serve basis. More information on virtual meeting options is coming soon!
• The Angeles Chapter office is closed through June 14, 2020. Volunteers should not attempt to access the office.  The office phone and e-mail will continue to accept and forward messages.  Staff may choose to access the Chapter office from time to time to collect belongings or needed files, but please keep in mind the risks—to  yourself, to your colleagues, and to your community at large—and note that if you do come in, there will be limited or no office services. Check with building management to confirm you can still access the office before arrival at the office. Local quarantine orders for the community should take precedent. 



13 March 2020

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM SHARON KOCH, CHAIR, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF ANGELES CHAPTER:

We are all concerned about the spread of the novel coronavirus or covid-19 throughout the country.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected, but we also want to be sure everyone is aware of and follows steps to diminish the proliferation of the illness. 

The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter covers a wide geographic area, has about 43,000 members, and a multitude of activities in any given week.  As the Chair of your Chapter Executive Committee, my primary concern is for the health and safety of our members.  The Sierra Club has taken proactive steps to attempt to mitigate the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on its staff and volunteers.  Executive Director Michael Brune and Board of Directors President Loren Blackford have both issued directives for staff and volunteers to follow.  The complete message from Board President Blackford can be accessed here: Important Message from Sierra Club Board President Loren Blackford.  Your cooperation and assistance in implementing these changes is appreciated. Chapter leaders have been directed to take the following actions specific to the Angeles Chapter to reassure members and the general public that steps are being taken to protect their general health and welfare:

• All volunteer and staff in-person meetings are suspended between now and April 12th. Change your in-person meeting to a remote one using a visual option such as Zoom, Go to Meeting, Google Hangout, or Facebook Live.  Alternatively consider holding an audio only meeting using the Chapter conference line. Contact Jane Macfarlane at Jane.Macfarlane@sierraclub.org to schedule use of the Chapter Conference Line.  If the Chapter line is not available, and you need immediate access to a Sierra Club conference call line, email Council Secretary Michael Smith at msmithohiosierraclub@gmail.com with the date and time for your call and the Club will provide temporary access to the Council of Club Leaders conference line capacity.  A google calendar will be set up to manage access to this conference line on a first-come, first-serve basis. More information on virtual meeting options is coming soon!                             

- If possible, consider postponing the meeting for the next few months.

- If you have posted a meeting or event on Campfire Events, please be sure to update your posting to include any changes in venue, date or time.  Advise Louise Fleming at louise.fleming@sierraclub.org of any changes so she can make sure the information is updated on our website.

• All Sierra Club events of any size between now and Sunday, April 12th should be cancelled.  Future Events: Postpone scheduling/contracting events for dates within the next 60 days (i.e. prior to May 16, 2020).

• Local outings, military outdoors and ICO leaders should ramp down outdoor activities over the next week using their best judgement.  Please cancel outings scheduled from March 21 through April 12 and postpone scheduling outings within the next 60 days.  Please cancel the listing in Campfire Events, MeetUp, and any other place you advertise. The window may be extended to a later date depending on circumstances, consistent with the restriction on broader Sierra Club activity.  Please contact Mel Mac Innis with questions (melanie.macinnis@sierraclub.org).

• All volunteers that are currently equipped to volunteer from home should do so.  Volunteers should discontinue use of Sierra Club office space for all activities and coordinate with your respective leaders as necessary. Staff may choose to access the Chapter office from time to time to collect belongings or needed files, but please keep in mind the risks—to  yourself, to your colleagues, and to your community at large—and note that if you do come in, there will be limited or no office services. Check with Building Managment to confirm you can still access the office before arrival at the office. Also, if local authorities issue a quarantine order for the community, those orders should take precedent.

• Large public events including rallies, participation in governmental meetings, tabling events associated with Earth Day …  these activities have been cancelled or postponed.

• This is the time to ramp up our social media presence.

- Communicate with your members more frequently by messages on your List Serves, by Twitter, posting on your Facebook accounts, and updating your website pages. 

- For updates from the Sierra Club on Covid-19, go to Campfire Community and search for either Coronavirus or COVID-19.  It will lead you to   the Coronavirus Info Hub maintained by the national Safety, Security, and Emergency Preparedness Team (SSEP).  Make sure your entity members are acquainted with the latest information.

- Updates will also be posted here.  Check back at this site frequently for more information.

• What steps can each of us take to protect ourselves and our loved ones, and discourage the spread of the virus?

 - Wash your hands with soap and water frequently.

 - If you do not have ready access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

 - Clean surfaces like phones, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, and countertops often and well.

 - If you sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve.  Never use your hand.

 - Refrain from shaking hands.

 - Maintain social distancing of a minimum of 6 feet.

  - Don’t touch your face – keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes.

  - Stay home.

  - This is a very fluid situation.  Pay attention to the news, public announcements, and check our website for updates.

We hope for the best but must be prepared for changes in our normal day-to-day activities in the near term.  Please take care of yourselves, keep members of your entities informed, and stay up-to-date on current events.  The more precautions we take, the more likely we can reduce the impact of this virus.

For additional information about COVID-19:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/about/symptoms.html

Thank you for your consideration in this difficult time.

Sharon Koch

Chair, Executive Committee

Angeles Chapter