**Official membership is currently limited to Santa Barbara City College students as we are an SBCC Club. Membership will open once we reach our goal of becoming a Non-Profit Organization. Until then, we are completely open to comments, suggestions, and support!! Our name has recently been updated but our mission remains the same.**
Who we are. Activist groups generally have one main goal and fo
cus. For example, the goal might be to protect the Ocean and the focus could be on removing pollution or saving whales. Butterfly Effect: Earth Water Sky (BEEWS) has one goal with an infinite number of focuses. The goal is a better more compassionate world and the focus can be on whatever you think is needed to reach our goal. We, as a community, have one core belief-- compassion. Compassion towards people, animals, trees, oceans…everything you can think of. We believe that the best way to make an impact on the world is not by anger or intimidation, but rather by spreading love and understanding. From this comes hope and from hope comes change. Once we achieve a world of change, we can bring the impossible within reach. Currently, the World is filled with poverty, war, abuse, and corruption. While the world will likely always have these terrible things and more, we can and will forever fight to lessen their hold. Because we are a brand new group with limited membership and resources, we cannot change the world tomorrow. However, we can begin the domino effect of compassion that will start small and grow endlessly. Our acts of compassion can be simple or complex. We could pick up trash or start a cleanup day in our community. We could feed the homeless or start a homeless shelter. We could be a child’s mentor or foster children. The possibilities are endless. Remember that you are never alone in your battle to spread compassion. We’re all in this together and no matter what your cause, BEEWS will be there to support you. Earth: as in the ground we grow and live on. Water: where the fish dwell and all life depends. Sky: where the birds fly and our air rests. The purpose of Earth Water Sky (EWS) is organization and individuality. EWS sets us apart from the rest because it describes our world. EWS also helps by creating divisions, the Earth, Water, or Sky division. If your passion is helping dogs, big cats, people, etc. then go into the Earth Division. If you are more into sea life, reefs, surfing, then go into the Water Division. Similarly, if you love birds, outer space, or the air we breathe, you belong in the Sky Division. What if you don’t fit into one division? No problem, instead you become part of all of them. Please remember, this is only meant to organize not separate. What to keep in mind. As with every group BEEWS has rules. The most important rule is to “Never be silent.” This might sound generic, but it is very powerful. Every member must speak up if they are witnessing any type of wrongdoing. For example, bullying, littering, stealing, wasting resources etc. Speaking up may be intimidating, but it could be the easiest and most effective thing you do. Simply calling proper authorities is sufficient, or nicely telling someone that what they’re doing is illegal or disrespectful. This of course has limits and your safety should always come first. Another important thing to keep in mind is since we have compassion towards all things we cannot hate anything. For example, when someone robs a store, you don’t hate the person. You instead have to understand the circumstance that lead him/her to rob the store in the first place. Was that person trying to get money for his/her family or perhaps he/she is a prisoner to an addiction. Whatever the case, you cannot hate them. Levels of membership. Watcher—Watchers are supporters who love the group but don’t want to be as involved as others. A simple donation can earn you Watcher Status, but we would hope that you participate more. Protector—Protectors are the warriors of the group, they are on the front line fighting for compassion. Their acts can be simple or complex. The differences between Watchers and Protectors are that Protectors are much more involved, and they also send monthly updates on what they have been doing. Keeper—A Keeper is the highest level in BEEWS. They can start campaigns, cleanup days, organize events, and much more. They will also be “in charge” of the Protectors and Watchers in their area. The first step in becoming a member is to email [email protected] and set up a brief phone conversation or a meeting in person with a current BEEWS member. This is painless, and it’s just to make sure you know the group’s ideals. Once you become a member, you have to stay current by sending us periodic emails to insure that you’re still fighting for compassion. When you become a member, you can decide whether to be a Watcher or Protector. The process of becoming a Keeper is a long one. You must show great dedication and be exceedingly motivated. Once you become a Keeper, the possibilities are truly endless. Here is an example on how membership levels work. A Watcher notices that their City Government doesn't pay attention to this particular part of town and as a result it is now littered with trash. The Watcher then contacts a Keeper and reports the problem. The Keeper will then go to the town and try to come up with a solution. Once a solution has been reached, the Keeper will go to the city and argue their case. Depending on what the City says, the Keepers will send the Protectors to fix the problem. There are many other examples, but this captures the levels of membership best.
“Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart” –Anne Frank
