We recently talked with four of the principal event and action organizers of Third Act Eugene—Debra Quayle, Bruce Tinker, Sandie Goldie, and Jim Bronson—to find out what they are doing, how they are doing it, and where they are going with their group. We learned plenty.
The four are no strangers to activism; each has a history that goes back many years. Some go back to the sixties. Like the rest of us in Third Act Oregon, they view Bill McKibben as a guiding light for the over 60 who want to stay involved to affect the way politicians deal with climate change. In that effort, Sandie Goldie says that Third Act Eugene works with 350.org, which McKibben helped organize in 2008.
Third Act Eugene grew from a small group that during the COVID period met mostly online. But Zooming made it difficult to organize because, as Debra says, when the pandemic subsided, “…in-person organizing kicked off more action.”
But what really kicked off Third Act Eugene was when John and Cyndi McAlpine came down from Portland to speak to the group; traveling with them was Bigfoot himself! That told Bruce Tinker that Third Act Oregon was not only well-structured, but it had not forgotten the need for people to have fun when organizing and at actions.
In-person meetings consistently bring new members into Third Act Eugene. The group discovered that food at meetings is a critical ingredient in getting to know one another. They developed a simple meeting formula: a social hour, with food, followed by a business meeting. To ensure things get done at the meetings, both the social gathering and the meeting are held strictly to one hour each. Within that hour, each person at the meeting is allowed time to be recognized to voice ideas and concerns.
Sandie Goldie and Jim Bronson say that they get, “…a lift to be with people who care and are willing to do something.” The others agreed, which is why they put a lot of energy into engaging in actions, like the recent Hands Off! demonstration, the trip to Washington, D.C. to protest Project 2025, tabling and postcards, going to Town Hall meetings and testifying, and group gatherings. Debra says, “Events draw and inspire people.”
Asked about the importance of some actions, Bruce Tinker singles out lobbying the Oregon legislature in Salem, and the coalescing of groups at a viewing party to watch McKibben speak. One of the group’s favorite past actions was at Costco to demonstrate against the company’s relationship with Citibank, a prime financier of fossil fuels—Third Act members interjected humor by dressing as the Costco hot-dog.
In the end, Bruce Tinker and Jim Bronson reminded us: energy, love, and a good sense of humor are key ingredients that help Third Act Eugene meet its multiple missions of affecting action on climate change and saving our democratic republic.