Co-op Comments

A newsletter for Rural Electric Cooperative membersNovember 2019

Classifi ed Ads 4Classifi ed Ads 4Youth Programs Available 3Youth Programs Available 3 2019 Annual Meeting Pictures 42019 Annual Meeting Pictures 4

REC's 80th Annual MeetingREC members gathered at REC’s Multi

Purpose Center for the 80th Annual Meet-ing. Th is year 414 members came for a free health fair, entertainment and a review of the operations of the Cooperative.

Many members visited the free health fair conducted by the Lindsay Municipal Hospital, South Central Medical Resource Center, the Lindsay Emergency Medical Services and Physical Th erapy Central. Several people enjoyed breakfast provided by the local Kiwanis Club while many oth-ers made their way inside to listen to the country band Crossfi re. Th e band is from the surrounding areas of Lindsay, Okla. Crossfi re has been playing together for over 25 years.

Once the members made their way in-side, many stopped at the diff erent booths to learn more about the Co-op and signed up for the diff erent prize drawings.

Th e business portion of the meeting began as REC Board of Trustees President Gary Jones discussed REC's youth pro-grams and all the cooperative off ers for the youth in its service territory.

Next, Chief Executive Offi cer Dale Nye covered the fi nancials and reported the Cooperative was doing well. He also reported about the value of electricity and how the cooperative is trying to keep elec-tricity aff ordable.

REC members approved the re-election of three Board of Trustees' during the

registration process. Re-elected for a three-year term were: Gary Jones, District One, Offi ce One; Terri Hays, District Two, Offi ce One and Randy Griswold, District Th ree, Offi ce One.

Th roughout the meeting approximately 120 gift s were won by those in attendance. In addition to the regular prizes given away, seventy-fi ve $75 gift certifi cates for electricity were given away. Th e grand prize winners of the three $500 gift cer-tifi cates for electricity were Barbara Slay of Lindsay, James Kuykendall of Lindsay and Glen McDaniel of Bradley. Th e two children grand prize winners were Hutch Simonton from Lindsay and Georgia Miller from Wynnewood.

2 Co-op Comments

CEO’s MESSAGE

Board of TrusteesGary Jones, President, District 1

Scott Christian, Vice President, District 1Brent Bacon, Sec./Treasurer, District 1

Larry Anderson, District 2Johnny Harrel, District 2

Terri Hays, District 2Charles Crawford, District 3

Mark Finch, District 3Randy Griswold, District 3

Dan Williams, Attorney

Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.13942 Highway 76 • P.O. Box 609

Lindsay, OK 73052405-756-3104 • 800-259-3504

Outage Number: 855-399-2683www.recok.coop

Management and Staff Dale Nye, Manager/CEO

Linda Ray, CFOKelli Lindsey, Administrative Assistant

and Staff CoordinatorElaine Gilreath, Manager of Customer

Service and Data ProcessingEd Bevers, Manager of Engineering

Mitch Gilreath, Manager of Information Technology Services

Megan Lawrence, Manager of Member Services and Marketing

Leonard Coff ee, Manager of Safety and Loss Control/Facilities

David Crull, System SuperintendentJason Mays, Operations Superintendent

November 2019Co-op CommentsOffi cial publication of Rural Electric

Cooperative, Inc. CO-OP COMMENTS is owned, controlled and directed by Rural

Electric Cooperative, Inc. It is printed monthly and mailed to members in

Garvin, McClain, Comanche, Stephens, Grady and Carter counties in Oklahoma.

We are thankful for our sister cooperatives

When you think about Rural Electric, you probably associate us with the local community - and you would be right. Our leadership team, board of directors and employees all live and work right here in the communities we serve. But you may not realize we are actually part of a much larger cooperative network bringing ad-ditional value, tools and knowledge to benefi t you - the members of the co-op.Cooperation Among Cooperatives

When a severe weather event is predict-ed for our region, we call on our sister co-ops in areas unaff ected by the approaching storm. Th rough this system of mutual aid, we coordinate with other co-ops to bring additional trucks, equipment and man-power to our area. We work together and share resources in order to restore power to our community. Rural Electric also re-ciprocates by assisting other electric co-ops when they request help.

A defi ning characteristic of a coopera-tive is “cooperation among cooperatives.” Th is is a way co-ops work together to meet bigger challenges such as power restora-tion aft er a severe weather event.

Another area in which REC benefi ts from

cooperation among cooperatives is cyberse-curity. Th rough the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) “Rural Cooperative Cybersecurity Capabilities Program” (RC3), we are able to access train-ing, resources and tools to strengthen our eff orts to combat cyber threats.

Rural Electric’s ability to tap into the larger electric cooperative network and ac-cess tools, products, resources and leading practices from across the nation ultimately makes our co-op and our community stronger. Bright spot

Th e Solar Utility Network Deployment Acceleration (SUNDA) project is another example of an area where we have benefi t-ted from collaboration with other electric co-ops. Th rough the SUNDA project, elec-tric co-ops were able to collect data and case studies providing insight into chal-lenges and solutions related to solar energy technologies. Now, electric cooperatives across the country has access to a set of knowledge and resources to more effi cient-ly tailor our renewable energy mix to meet the needs of our local communities. Global impact

Lastly, communities across the globe have benefi tted from the lessons learned and experience of co-ops in electrifi cation of rural areas in the U.S.

NRECA International has provided access to reliable and aff ordable electricity to 120 million people in 43 countries. Th is eff ort is made possible through the support of electric co-ops.

November is a time of year for refl ection and giving thanks. I am grateful for our sister co-ops who enable us to better serve you. When electric co-ops collaborate, we strengthen each other and the communi-ties we serve – and this is something in which to be truly thankful. Happy Th anks-giving, everyone.

Co-op Comments 3

Youth programs availableRural Electric Cooperative is off ering

youth programs to students within REC's service territory. High School juniors could win an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. or Steamboat Springs, Colorado, while eighth graders could win a trip to Canyon Camp in Hinton, Okla-homa. High school seniors could win a scholarship to help with college expenses.

Representatives from REC will visit the schools to distribute information about these programs. Students may pick up the necessary information at their schools, from the Cooperative or may visit www.recok.coop and click on the “Programs and Servic-es” tab, then select the program for details.Youth Power Energy Camp

Youth Power Energy Camp is available for eighth graders from within REC's ser-vice area. Eight students will be selected to attend a four-day camp near Hinton, Oklahoma to gain a better understanding of electric cooperatives, enhance leader-ship skills and meet new friends.

To participate in this contest, students must be attending a school within REC’s service area and write a short essay on a topic provided by REC. 926803Youth Tour

Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. is a

week-long, all-expense paid trip to Wash-ington D.C. for three students to attend the National Rural Electric Cooperative Asso-ciation’s Youth Tour. Th ese three students will join approximately 70 other Oklahoma high school juniors this summer.

To participate, students must be clas-

sifi ed as a high school junior and are required to write a speech on a topic pro-vided by the Cooperative.

Six fi nalists will be chosen to present their speeches to determine the winners. Th e top three scores will win the Washington, D.C. trip, while the three runners-up will earn a week-long, all-expense paid trip to the Cooperative Leadership Conference near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Scholarships

In addition to trips, REC off ers ten scholarships to area high school seniors. Seniors whose parents are members of REC are eligible to apply for the scholar-ships. Scholarships will be applied to the students’ freshman year of college starting in the fall semester of 2020.

REC will award two $1,500 scholarships and eight $1,000 scholarships.

All materials for any of these programs will be available at area schools and on REC’s website, www.recok.coop. Students may also contact REC’s Member Services Department with additional questions at 405-756-3104, Extension 238.

2019 Youth Tour winners from left to right: Wesley Saltsman from Bray-Doyle; Kourtney Smith from Lindsay and Karsten Hutcheson from Lindsay

2019 Energy Camp winners from left to right front row: Gracie Edwards from Maysville, Emma Smith from Lindsay, Teegan Rodgers from Whitebead, Gracie Selzer from Alex and Jacque Ray from Blanchard. Back row: Colton Hines from Lindsay, Ayden Williams from

Rush Springs and Austin Hines from Lindsay.

Classifi ed Advertisement

Local Co-op Connection Card DealsA-U-Store It, Purcell - $5 off fi rst month rentBackroads Boutique, Lindsay - 5% off everything excluding special order and sale itemsBest Western, Chickasha -15% Off Regular Room RateBlue Moose Outdoor Portable Rentals, Elmore City - 5% Off Septic Tank Pumping, Tent Rentaland Special Event Toilet RentalsChickasha Diesel Services, Chickasha - $50 off any big diesel oil changeEdwards Canvas, Pauls Valley - 5% Off

Co-op Comments 4

Trim your holiday energy costs by choosing energy effi cient LED lights.

LED holiday lights use less energy and can last up to 40 seasons. Th ey are also easier to install – you can connect up to 25 LED strings without overloading a

wall socket.Learn more at www.energy.gov

Energy Effi ciencyTip of the Month

MISCELLANEOUS-FOR SALE: Heavy duty wheel chair with padded arms and swing away footing, ex-cellent condition. PH: 405-351-0878.

REAL ESTATE-FOR SALE: House on 20 acres near Lake Fuqua, with barn, shop building and pond. PH:405-756-6371.

RECREATIONAL-FOR SALE: Spacious 2011, 34' Keystone Avalanche 5th-wheel RV, M-290RL with

Co-op ConnectionsUse your Co-op Connections Card to save you money on lodging, photographs, oil

changes and other items. You can also save on prescriptions, dental, vision, hearing, lab work and imaging and chiropractor

services at participating locations.Your card is a discount card. If you have misplaced your card, contact REC for a

replacement card and use it to save yourself some money.

Account number worth $10 bill credit

Locate your account number in an article of this issue; it will be good for a $10 credit on your electric bill.

To claim the prize, you must locate the account number - if the number is yours,

contact REC by the 10th of the month and we will credit your account. Only the member assigned that number is eligible

for the prize. If you don’t know your account number, it can be located on

your electric bill.

Jenny’s Pics Photography, Lindsay - 10% Off $50 or More Purchase of PicturesLindsay Tire and Lube, Lindsay - $5 Off Any Full Service Oil ChangeM &M Furniture, Chickasha - 10% Off Any PurchaseMazzio’s Italian Eatery, Purcell - 10% Off PurchasePhotos by Ginger, Pauls Valley - 1 Free 8x10 Print With First Order of $254 Seat Saddles, Boots and Hats -10% Off $100 or More, or 5% Off RepairsWestern Fuel Co., Maysville - 2 Cents Off Per Gallon of Propane on aMinimum of 125 Gallons. Cash Sales Only. (No Other Discounts Allowed)Pharmacy Discounts - Check out the discounts available using your Co-op Connections Card at participating pharmacies throughout our area. For a com-plete list of pharmacies, visit REC’s website to see if your pharmacy is off ering discounts to Co-op Connections Card holders.

three slides, luxury interior. Well main-tained with all expected features, $29,800. PH:405-331-9808.

FOR SALE: 8x20, fully furnished tiny house with electric and water, to be moved, $15,000. PH: 405-756-8232.

2019 Annual Meeting pictures