Surfrider Central Texas is one of a few inland chapters affiliated with Surfrider Foundation. That means we have somewhat unique challenges — and opportunities. Meeting those opportunities, and overcoming the challenges, depends on member involvement. Our chapter cannot make the contribution we should make based on the time and energy of just a few core activists.
Goals for the Central Texas Chapter of Surfrider Foundation in 2012 include creating:
- reasons for increased attendance at monthly member meetings,
- opportunities for members to get as involved as they choose,
- ways for members to bring new opportunities and initiatives to the chapter’s Executive Committee for consideration and action,
- a combination of fun and accomplishment that is not found in other surfing- and SUP-related groups in our area.
Our chapter has a long history of successful activism:
- advocating for the Texas Open Beaches Act for more than 10 years,
- being instrumental in getting out the vote for passage of Proposition 9 in 2009,
- serving as a liaison to other Texas chapters when the Texas legislature is in session, and monitoring and reporting on legislative activities that serve or threaten Gulf beaches or waters,
- presenting Surfrider and the Surfrider mission at Texas Parks & Wildlife’s annual Expo (until the annual event was suspended in 2009),
- tabling at concert events in the area to raise awareness of Surfrider and to educate attendees on our mission,
- manning information stations at many Austin First Thursday events, Austin City Limits Festivals, South By Southwest, and Port Aransas SandFest,
- meeting with student environmental clubs to discuss the importance of protecting the watershed and the affected Gulf and ocean waters,
- cleaning Barton Creek as part of annual celebrations of International Surfing Day,
- partnering with Barefoot Wine in numerous local clean-ups as part of the Beach Rescue Project,
- partnering with Keep Austin Beautiful to host Lady Bird Lake clean-ups six times each year,
- adopting a mile of Texas beach on Mustang Island and keeping it clean several times each year.
In 2012 we plan to build on that history. The Executive Committee intends to schedule surf movies and/or informative speakers at most or all monthly membership meetings, and we plan to keep a wealth of projects and initiatives active, based on member interest and involvement. We encourage members to find a niche, and a level of involvement that suits their individual interests and abilities. If attending an occasional meeting is all you can commit to, please know that you will be welcome whenever your schedule allows.
- If you choose to be a committed activist, that is wonderful. There are more opportunities for activism than the Executive Committee members are able to work on by themselves. We will help you to find a project or initiative and support your initiative. For our most active members, we hope to raise funds during the year to subsidize attendance in late 2012 at an Activists Summit at Surfrider’s national headquarters in Southern California.
- If you just want to have fun, that’s great too. Join us for a surf flick at a meeting, and at a local paddle-out when you can. We’ll make several trips to the Texas coast during the year, usually associated with a beach clean-up, but not always. Interested in tabling at a local musical event? Odds are we’ll have chances for you to do that. Able to help out at First Thursday? Great!
The point is that there is a lot of important work to be done — and a lot of fun to be had. If you have drifted away from Surfrider over time, we hope you’ll rejoin is in 2012. If you’re new to Central Texas or to Surfrider, please come check us out.
We’re excited about our opportunities in 2012, and we look forward to having a lot of fun making good on them!