Member Corner: News from the Membership Desk
by Rebecca Dobert
It's been one year since I joined the crew here in Lee Vining: one out of 20 years of perseverance, working toward the goal of protecting Mono Lake. I've had the privilege of not only working with membership issues, but also of pinch-hitting for some of our other programs--education, policy, and the bookstore.This past August I put my interpretive skills back to use on the waters of Mono via Committee canoe tours. What an inspiration! I met so many enthusiastic newcomers: people who got up at the crack of dawn for a canoe ride and left at noon as savvy politcos, arguing Mono's case. It restores one's faith in the power of the single voice.
Then I was working in the bookstore on St. Patrick's day. It was warm and sunny, and three women stopped in and spent time browsing and talking. One was member Anne Gotchy, a Guardian of the Lake. She shared with me a story about the first time she came to Mono, asked eagerly about the water level, bought a copy of Storm Over Mono. On her way out the door towards an afternoon of exploring, she turned to me and said "Thank you for all the great work you do."
Imagine, I thought, members thanking me. The concept seemed astounding. What I mean is that I am nothing but a vehicle for the goodwill and effort of you, our members. I take your hopes and resolve out of envelopes and do the paperwork. For you to thank me. A gift. To live and work in this relentless place, to get to be one of the ones who can go and dip my toes in the rising water ... I live in proxy for the true givers. I hope that you truly realize it. I'm humbled every day by the kindness and sheer determination that arrives via U.S. Post. People send us the only dollar they can spare some months, just to let us know that they are out there. The true gift is yours, every one. I sincerely hope that I live up to your example. Thank you, our fellow advocates, for 20 years of never giving up what you believe.
Rebecca Dobert is the Committee's Membership Coordinator; she'll soon be interfacing in structured query language.
Return to Spring-Summer 1998 Newsletter
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