membership matters

Volume 13, Number 3
Lyons, Georgia
October 2012
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
E
ach year during the month of October, we
celebrate National Cooperative Month. This is
the perfect time to reflect on the benefits of being
a member-owner of an electric cooperative.
By and large, you don’t get to choose who provides your electric service. Folks on opposite sides
of the road may be served by different electric
providers — some by an investor-owned utility,
others by an electric cooperative.
But what exactly is the difference between an
investor-owned utility and an electric cooperative?
The major difference is investor-owned utilities are
out to make a profit for their stockholders. On the
other hand, Altamaha EMC is an electric cooperative owned by you and your fellow members and
we don’t exist to make profits for distant investors
on Wall Street. We exist to provide you with safe,
reliable, and affordable electric service.
Every home or business that receives power from
an electric cooperative owns a portion of the utility.
As a result, anyone who receives cooperative
electric service becomes a member-owner, not a
customer. Across the nation, electric co-ops
serve more than 42 million people.
Being a member matters. Because electric co-ops
operate on a not-for-profit basis, we have no need
to increase revenues above what it takes to run
the business in a financially sound manner. This
structure helps keep your electric bill affordable.
Membership also matters because electric co-ops
care about improving the quality of life in the areas
they serve. From sponsoring the scoreboard at the
high school football stadium to giving donations
for the local Relay for Life, Altamaha EMC invests
in local communities where you live and work.
Membership matters because it entitles you to
certain benefits like free energy audits to help you
find ways to lower your electricity use, or college
scholarships for your children.You receive this
monthly newsletter because you’re a member of
an electric cooperative that wants you to stay
abreast of important co-op news and events.
Membership matters because you have a voice
and a vote in how your co-op is governed. Through
democratic control, members like you elect those
who serve on our board of directors. Control stays
in local hands.Your board of directors, along with
those who work for your co-op, are your friends
and neighbors.
Membership matters because you receive returns
on your investment in your co-op. Electric co-ops
aim to operate at-cost, so any excess revenues, or
margins, are returned to members in the form of
capital credits, based on their electric use. In 2011,
Altamaha EMC paid approximately $354,000.00 in
capital credit refunds to the estates of deceased
member-owners.
The bottom line: Membership matters because you matter to your electric cooperative.
GA09420G
Question and Answer
As part of the National Cooperative Month
celebration we thought it would be fun to test
your knowledge of cooperatives.
Q: How many times would cooperatively owned distribution power lines
circle the equator?
A: U.S. electric cooperatives own 2.5
million miles of distribution lines—
enough to circle the equator more
than 100 times!
Q: How much money have consumerowned electric cooperatives returned
to members since 1988?
A: $9.5 billion in the form of capital
credits.
Q: How many people in the world live
without electricity?
A: 2 billion
Q: What percentage of America’s landmass do electric co-op lines cover?
A: 75 percent
Q: How many people across America
receive electricity from more than 900
electric co-ops?
A: 42 million in 47 states!
Q: How many people do America’s
electric co-ops employ?
A: 70,000
Q: Today a wooden utility pole costs
about $265. How much did a pole
cost in 1940?
A: About $8—$27 if you include installation costs and labor.
Q: When was the first electric cooperative established?
A: 1914. It was called Stony Run
Light & Power Company and was the
predecessor to Minnesota Valley
Cooperative Light & Power Association.
Q: Which state claimed the first power
line to be energized using financing from
the Rural Electrification Administration?
A: Texas. It was on the lines of Bartlett
Community Power & Light Company
(now Bartlett, Texas-based Bartlett
Electric Cooperative), in 1936.
Q: In the 1920s—before widespread
rural electrification efforts commenced
in the mid-1930s—how many American
farms had electricity?
A: 2.6 percent. By 1953, the number
had increased to 88 percent.
Q: How many states have electric cooperatives?
A: 47. Massachusetts, Connecticut, and
Rhode Island are the ones that don’t.
Q: How much tax revenue do electric
cooperatives generate for state and
local municipalities?
A: $1.4 billion
Q: One in ___ Americans belong to
some form of cooperative.
A: Four
Q: How many people around the globe
belong to some form of cooperative?
A: Over 1 billion people in more than
90 countries.
Q: What are the seven cooperative principles that all cooperatives are based on?
1. Open and Voluntary Membership
2. Democratic Member Control
3. Members’ Economic Participation
4. Autonomy and Independence
5. Education, Training, and Information
6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives
7. Concern for Community
Q: Who formed the first known cooperative in the U.S. and in what year?
A: Benjamin Franklin in 1752. It was
called The Philadelphia Contributionship
for the Insurance of Houses from Loss
by Fire—and it still operates today.
ltamaha EMC is one of more
than 900 electric cooperatives
in America. But we’re just one
type of cooperative—more than
29,200 operate in our country,
including a large segment of the
agriculture industry. From dairy to
oranges, and almonds to cotton, our
nation’s farmers know the value of
the cooperative business model.
The next time you’re at the grocery store, see how many items you
can purchase that were produced
by a co-op. Starting in the produce
section, pick up some Ocean Spray
cranberries or Sunkist oranges,
tangerines, grapes, or grapefruit.
Cruise on over to the refrigerated cases and take a look at the
eggs—95 percent of America’s eggs
are produced and marketed by
co-ops.Then pick up some Florida
Natural orange juice, Land O’Lakes
butter, Cabot or Tillamook Cheese,
and Organic Valley milk. Need a
warm drink? Try Equal Exchange
coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.
Finally, drop some Blue Diamond
almonds in your cart—a perfect
pick-me-up for that 3 p.m. slump.
Now that you’ve finished your
grocery shopping, make your way
to Ace Hardware or True Value to
get supplies for your weekend
projects. Or go to your favorite
shopping mall to replace your old,
falling-apart blue jeans with a new
pair from GAP, Banana Republic, or
Guess—all three get their cotton
from Plains Cotton Growers Cooperative’s Denimatrix. But before you
do that, head to your credit union—
another cooperative to make a
deposit to cover all your purchases.
The cooperative business model
promotes self-sustainment and local
economic growth. Support our
nation’s cooperatives as we work together to build a better world. Find
a co-op near you at www.go.coop
A
LOCAL STUDENT COULD EARN A
$1,000 SCHOLARSHIP
A
ccording to the College Board, the average cost of
attending a public university for the 2011-2012
school year was $21,447. Attending a private college
was quite a bit more at $42,224.
Keeping in mind those sobering statistics, and to
provide a measure of relief for those seeking a college
education, Altamaha EMC is encouraging students to
submit applications for the Walter Harrison Scholarship, a program sponsored by Georgia’s 42 electric
cooperatives.
Created in 1985 by the board of directors of Georgia
EMC, the scholarship pays tribute to the late Walter
Harrison, a pioneer in the rural electricity movement and
a leader at local, state and national levels in the electric
cooperative program. Since 1985, Georgia’s electric
cooperatives have awarded more than $140,000 to
students via the Walter Harrison Scholarship program.
The $1,000 scholarship can be applied to academic
expenses at any accredited two- or four-year university,
college or vocational-technical institute in Georgia.
Factors for consideration include grade point average,
SAT scores, academic standing, scholastic honors, and
ALL FIRES ARE NOT EQUAL
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. According to the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, more than
26,000 electrical home fires result in property damage,
injuries, and even death every year.
And while all blazes may look the same, fires should
not be treated equally. Remember this acronym
F.I.R.E. for electrical safety:
Find the source before it starts
Old or faulty wiring often emerges as the main culprit in causing
electrical fires. In electrical fires, heat from wiring or an overloaded system can provide the strike that leads to a fire. But
there are often signs before a fire even starts.
Investigate the signs
If you notice flickering lights, recurring trips in a circuit breaker, a
tell-tale sizzling sound around wiring or hot light switches, call a
qualified electrician. These may indicate an imminent fire hazard.
Remedy the problem
If you have any signs of a pending fire or have worries about old
wiring, contact a professional electrician. Other precautions include:
• Use correct wattage bulbs to prevent overheating fixtures.
• Avoid using damaged cords or running cords under rugs.
• Do not overload outlets or extension cords.
• Do not use appliances in wet areas.
• Routinely check appliances for signs of wear and tear or overheating.
Exit the Building and Learn to Extinguish Properly
If you are faced with an electrical fire, call 911 immediately and
have everyone exit the building. If you feel you must face a small
fire, know the proper way to approach it.
financial need. A scholarship
committee comprised of EMC
directors and managers selects
students who exceed in these
areas and who struggle with
college expenses.
Students who apply for the
scholarship must be accepted or
enrolled in an accredited undergraduate degree program.They also must complete
an application and write a biographical sketch which
provides a preview of his or her future plans.
The winners of the 2012 Walter Harrison Scholarship were:
Trinh Dao of Demorest - Habersham EMC
Elizabeth Stephenson of Wrightsville - Washington EMC
Hawk Young of East Dublin - Altamaha EMC
Haley Elizabeth Hagin of Doerun - Colquitt EMC
Jacob Moore of Dalton - North GA EMC
Allen Moore of Dalton - North GA EMC
Forrester Wright Mercier of Kathleen - Flint Energies
Applications are available on our website at
www.altamahaemc.com. You can also request an application by contacting Tammye Vaughn at 912-526-2120
or via email at [email protected].
Completed applications are due by January 31, 2013.
Never use water on an electrical fire. Water conducts electricity,
so it will not smother the fire and may lead to electrocution.
If the circuit breaker does not trip in the area on fire, shut off the
main breaker to the house if possible. Be sure to approach the
breaker only if the fire is not nearby and if your hands are dry.
Never use a Class A extinguisher on an electrical fire. Use a
Class C or a multi-purpose ABC model. If there is no extinguisher
available, or the class of extinguisher is not known, baking soda
may help smother the flames.
Again, if the fire is not quickly extinguished, exit the building.
Even though the source and treatment of fires may
differ, they produce the same results.You are no
match for the force of a house fire—learn F.I.R.E.
and protect yourself.
Mark Your Calendars
Altamaha EMC Annual Meeting of the Members
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Southeastern Technical College • Vidalia, GA • 2:30 PM
Your complimentary copy of Georgia Magazine
Altamaha EM
C Newslette
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Enclosed, pa
ges ??-??
will arrive in your mailbox during the last
week of October. This magazine will have a
special cover wrap giving you all the details
November 2012
of the annual meeting. Be sure you remove
the registration card and door prize ticket
from the front cover and bring it with you to
the annual meeting.
We look forward to
seeing you there!
Altamaha EMC’s
2012 Annual M
ee
Wednesday, No ting
vember 7,
OFFICIAL REGIST
RA
TION CARD AND
2012
PRIZE DRAWING
TICKET
Bring This Car
d with You
to the Meeting
and Fantast
ic Prize Dra
for Fast Reg
wings!
istration
Altamaha EM
C’s
2012 Annual
Meeting
Wednesday,
November
7, 2012
Toom bs Aud
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Sou thea ster
n Tech nica l
Coll ege
Vida lia, GA
MEM BER S
WHO BRIN
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PER SON ALIZ
ED REG ISTR
ATIO N CAR
WIL L REC EIVE
D
A SPE CIA L
GIFT.
Effective November 1, 2012, Altamaha EMC will no longer
accept American Express or Discover. If you are enrolled in
Credit/Debit Card draft payment using American Express or
Discover, please contact us today to give us a new credit/debit
card. We will continue to accept MasterCard and Visa.
In the next few weeks, we will be
upgrading our computer software.
This upgrade will change the look
of the webpage you see when paying your monthly bill online. If you
have any questions about the new
look, or have trouble navigating
on the new page, please give us
a call.
Member
RECIPES
Slow Cooker
Pumpkin Dump Cake
1 cup white sugar
2 (15 oz) cans pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 Box (18.25 oz) white or yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter
Cinnamon
In the bottom of a slow cooker combine the sugar,
pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir.
In a separate bowl, combine the cake mix and the
butter. Use a fork or a pastry blender to cut the
butter into the cake mix until butter is pea sized
and cake mix is crumbly. Sprinkle the cake mix on
top of the pumpkin puree. 3. Sprinkle cinnamon on
top of the cake mix. Place a double layer of paper
towels on top of your slow cooker. Place the lid
over the paper towel and make sure it is secure.
(The paper towels will prevent condensation from
dripping onto the cake.) Cover and cook on LOW
for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 90 minutes-2 hours.
Remove the lid and turn to warm. Let sit on warm
for 20-30 minutes and then serve with vanilla ice
Makes 8-10 servings.
cream.
—From the kitchen of Brandi Brantley
Each month, our newsletter features recipes
submitted by our members. If you have a
favorite recipe and would like to share it with
other readers in the Altamaha EMC service area,
send a copy, complete with name, address and
daytime phone number to: Tammye Vaughn,
Altamaha EMC, P.O. Box 346, Lyons, GA 30436.
Each month, a recipe will be selected for
publication. The member who submitted the
featured recipe will be given a $10 credit on
their next Altamaha EMC bill. Due to limited
space, not all recipes received will be featured.
Recipes printed in Plugged In are not independently tested; therefore, we must depend
on the accuracy of those members who send
recipes to us.