Annual Meeting of the Members of IECA

By Editor | July 3, 2024 |

Photo by Christy Porter
The U.S. flag marked the entry to the annual Intercounty Electric Cooperative meeting. Employees of Intercounty Electric welcomed members and provided assistance where needed.

Photo by Christy Porter
A demonstration of the dangers of electricity was held this year, with the safety truck used to show the effects of wires contacting a squirrel (stuffed), a tree limb, a rubber wheeled wagon, a mylar balloon and a hot dog (both in a safety glove and ungloved). Jake Floyd is shown advancing the stuffed squirrel toward the live wire. The message was clear: contact your electric company if you see a wire down or something in the wires.

Photo by Shari Harris
From left, bicycle winners were Sayge Adey, Kyler Lewis, James Bauer, Timber Adey, Asher Parks and Skyler Wilson.

By Shari Harris

Publisher

The 2024 Annual Meeting of the Membership of Intercounty Electric Cooperative was held Friday, June 28, at the Licking Old City Park. The event began at 8 a.m. with a health fair and/or breakfast, served by the Raymondville Volunteer Fire Department. Vendors were set up at the craft fair for those early attendees, and the Kids Tent and Intercounty Tent were also open and ready to greet members and their families.

Members had time before and after the 9 a.m. business meeting to visit the many booths and to take advantage of the health fair. Texas County Memorial Hospital offered a Multi-Chem Profile for $30. Texas County Home Health of the Ozarks gave blood pressure checks. Rehabilitation Services for the Blind provided vision screenings. Health information was provided by these organizations as well as Phelps Health, Tri-County Center for Independent Living, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Texas County Health Department and Licking Residential Care Center.

Vendors displayed handmade crafts, the Rolla Lions Club sold raffle tickets for a new truck, the Gideons gave away pocket Bibles, Operation Christmas Child was on hand, and baked goods and fresh made lemonade were there to tempt your taste buds.

The business of the day was electing three members to the Board of Directors, one from each of the North, Central and South districts. The onsite voting was compiled with the mail in votes, and the results were announced, after 11:30 when the meeting resumed, as follows:

Samuel S. Auxier, North District – 279 (mail-in), 117 (onsite), 396 (total)

Brian L. Tharp, North District – 141 (mail-in), 80 (onsite), 221 (total)

Michael H. Smith, Central District – 399 (mail-in), 199 (onsite), 598 (total)

Doyle E. Bradford, South District – 403 (mail-in), 198 (onsite), 601 (total)

Auxier, Smith and Bradford were all incumbents, and all retained their seats.

Board President Matthew A. Duncan congratulated the members on their generosity. As of May, 2024, there are 24,757 members, and 18,756 round up their bills to help others through the Round Up program..

CEO Doug Lane introduced department heads, directors and area superintendents. He shared his concern about the threat to rural cooperatives by the EPA, which is trying to eliminate the use of fossil fuels to produce electricity. He warned of the financial implications if coal and natural gas were no longer able to be burned, and cautioned about the decreased reliability of the current “green energy” infrastructure, especially in the face of a sudden increase in demand.

Heather Kidwell introduced three of the Youth Tour winners, and each spoke briefly to the assembly: Cooper Hoerning, Mtn. Grove; Mohamed Algraiw, Rolla; and Gideon Warneke, Cabool.

The meeting was recessed to allow for voting and a picnic lunch. Award winning bluegrass band Dixie Union performed during that time, with many members enjoying the music at the pavilion.

After the meeting adjourned, the remaining electric credits were awarded. Electric credits throughout the meeting were given as follows:

$50 credits – Donald Ramsey, Licking; Ira Satterfield, St. James; Ronald Wyble, Salem; Randy Verkamp, St. James; John Chaplin, Salem; Pamela Campbell, Houston; Heather Crowell, Rolla; Harold Hoffmeister, Rolla; Bonnie Tuepker, Vichy; Daryl Arnold, Bland; Anita Huskey, Rolla; Delbert Pierce, Cabool; Robert Wolfe, Bucyrus; Bert Huff, Licking; Lon Kennebeck, Salem; Lonnie Case, Edgar Springs; Steven Groves, Rolla; Sarah Jones, Licking; Elk Creek Baptist Church, Elk Creek; David Bryant, Summersville.

$100 credits – Melissa Hall, Licking; Shanon Bauer, Salem; Ronnie Reese, Edgar Springs; Donald Owens, Licking; Steve Lundy, Salem; WM Kratz, Salem; Lloyd Cantrell, Edgar Springs; Sheila Washko, Houston; Scott Material, Licking; Pearl Cooley, Salem.

$250 credits – David Scantlin, Houston; James Lewis, Houston; John Mimms, Salem; Sasha Holden, Summersville.

$500 credits – Michael Williams, Licking; Joyce Harland, Licking.

Sho-Me Power gave four $100 cash prizes. Winners were Linda Crocker, St. Louis; Toby Parker, Rolla; Ernest McCrea Jr., Houston; and Myrna Rueff, Rolla.

Bicycles were given to six children. In the 3 to 5 age group, the boy’s bike went to Asher Parks, and the girl’s bike was won by Skyler Wilson. James Bauer received the boy’s bike in the 6 to 8 age range, and Timber Adey got the girl’s bike. Sayge Adey won the 9 to 12 age range girl’s bike, and the boy’s bike went to Kyler Lewis.

Paisley Gorman and Jaxon Rutts each won Buddy Bears in the coloring contest.