SIERRA CLUB

DESERT PEAKS SECTION NEWSLETTER #28

OCTOBER 28, 1953

Dear Desert Peaker:

As it always happens, your news editor waits for several months each time before putting out another newsletter and there's so much to talk about that you all probably fall asleep reading it!

First item is the proposed organizational change of the DPS as written up in the previous NL. After considerable discussion at the Sept. 15 DPS management committee meeting it was evident that the committee was in favor of the principal of the proposal but it was agreed to take no affirmative action inasmuch as the proposal contained some rather unwieldy ramifications to which an alternative was not advanced at the time. Your chairman was directed to engage various members of the Club's Board of Directors in conversation on this subject at the annual banquet, Oct 17. This was done and resulting was a rather satisfactory compromise which DPS members and Club officials as a whole will be asked to discus and vote on during the period ending Jan. 1, 1954, as follows:
1. There would be established a Desert Peaks Committee of the Sierra Club responsible to the Board of Directors for
a. sponsoring interest in, and use and protection of Desert Mountain areas of California and the southwest.
b. preparing and issuing certificates to those Club members who had distinguished themselves by climbing six peaks from the "qualifying peak list", and similar certificates to those who had climbed nine peaks from the "list" including certain prescribed peaks.
c. issue DPS pins in exchange for a small fee to those who could present the "nine peak certificate" mentioned above.
d. plan and arrange Club outings to the desert areas.
e. prepare and issue such written material as is deemed to be in accord with the purposes of the Committee and the Club as a whole - Desert Peaks Guide, etc.


2. The Desert Peaks Committee would be appointed by the Club president (and approved by the Exec. Comm. of the Bo. of Dir.) from a number of recommended names submitted by active Desert Peakser in the Southern California area - where the desert is concentrated as far as Calif. is concerned! It would consist of three members: a Chairman, a Sec'y-Treas., and perhaps a Vice-Chairman or member-at-large, whose duties could be specified.

3. The Desert Peaks Committee members would be confined to those persons required to perform the functions enumerated above. In view of the widely scattered home-bases of the many Club desert enthusiasts, there would be no Desert Peaks Section as such. However the common interest would be fostered by the action of the Committee issuing certificates, emblems, etc., and working together-not necessarily geographically-in such projects as the Guide. Further, desert trips would be sponsored for all Club members by the Committee. Indeed, it has been aptly suggested the Club might well sponsor a one or two week trip to a particularly interesting desert area in a manner similar to the High-trips, the River trips, etc. (Any suggestions here, by the way, would be much appreciated. Please send to Willard Dean, 537 W. F Street, Ontario, Calif., regardless of the outcome of the above organizational proposal.

Your Chairman is rather anxious to settle this proposal-pro or con-during this term of office which expires Jan, 1, 1954. Accordingly, it is sincerely requested that your comments be made known to me as soon as possible and in any event before the annual meeting of the DPS which is to be held in early December. In the meantime the scheduled DPS outing to 29-palms Mt., in the Joshua Tree Nat. Mon., (Nov.7-9) will afford a fine opportunity for interested Desert Peakers to discuss the matter. It is hoped that the Management Committee will be present on that trip, en-total, so that a semi-official meeting may be held around the campfire, Sat. I haven't been asked for my opinion on the above, but nevertheless, I do feel that the proposal as advanced now would
A. Provide justifiably greater recognition by the Club of the desert conservation problems, recreational potentialities, and DPS publications.
B. Eliminate the illogical organizational ramifications which allow any Club member to also be a member of a Chapter Section.
C. In no significant way usurp rights or functions of DPS members now or later to be active.
X   X    X
Marion Dean recently wrote the Supt. of the Joshua Tree Nat. Mon. for first hand information about the proposed road "Blue Cut" road through the Monument, status of same and comments. You will all be interested to
 
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