Yet another reason to quit Sierra – poor governance practices

Do Sierra Club bylaws not require a quorum of a majority of board of directors members to approve major issues, such as the Clorox greenwash “branding” agreement? Apparently not.

Per Karen Orr, former political chairwoman of the Florida chapter of the Sierra Club, only four members of a 15-member Sierra Club board of directors had recorded votes on the Clorox deal. And, since one of the four votes was an abstention, along with three yes votes, I’ll assume that no more than four board members were present.

This is ludicrous and a mockery of any and every good government practice. And, this was NOT an in-person board meeting. It was by conference call.

And, obviously, it’s an easy way for Executive Director Carl Pope to practice his take on George W. Bush’s “unitary executive” theories. Schedule board meetings at times most convenient for your favorite directors is one thing that comes to mind.

I mean, if one-quarter of a board is sufficient to convene, it’s hellaciously easy to control the actions and directions of a board.

That said, I’m going to quote a few of Karen’s Haloscan comments from other posts I’ve had about Sierra actions:

The Confronting Corporate Power Task Force opposes the “partnership”
between the Sierra Club and Clorox Corporation.

We not only oppose the substantive decision itself, but condemn the undemocratic and autocratic nature of the decision. The process used to make this decision demonstrates a flagrant disregard for the basic democratic values, history and tradition of the Sierra Club. …

Sierra Club staff knows that no matter how disgusted and embarrassed the volunteer activists are by the corporate “partnerships,” there is far more money to be harvested in greenwashing for corporate polluters than there is to be made from membership dues. …

While only three members of the board voted to promote major polluter Clorox in exchange for money, voting history suggests that even if the full board had participated, the decision would likely be the same.

I can think of only three board members who would likely have voted against the appalling deal. …

Yea: Chin, Mann, Ranchod; Abstain: Bosh.

There you have it, from a state-level insider. (Note, the Florida chapter was the chapter that Sierra HQ recently disenfranchised for its protests over the Clorox deal and Project Renewal, so Orr has firsthand experience with Pope’s heavy-handed tactics.)