7 Cooperative Principles

1. Voluntary and Open Membership

2. Democratic Member Control

3. Member’s Economic Participation

4. Autonomy and Independence

5. Education, Training and Information

6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives

7. Concern for Community

OCTOBER 2015

#NATIONALCOOPMONTH

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You Get the Credit

Operation at cost is part of the cooperative differenceElectric cooperatives are not like other utilities—you, our Members, own the business. We are not owned by profit-seeking investors. One benefit of membership involves the alloca-tion (or allotment) and future retirement (or return) of excess revenue, called margins, in the form of capital credits. The term capital credits is used because, through the allocation and future retirement of excess revenue, Members provide capital to the cooperative for it to operate and expand. Retained capital credits are your investment in your cooperative and are an important portion of the overall financial structure of your cooperative.

“Allocating and retiring excess revenue to Members helps distinguish cooperatives as a unique business entity,” points out Sean Alderman, Director of Financial Services. “We’re proud to support our communities by putting money back into the local economy — and into the pockets of those we serve. It makes our business model special.”

Electric co-ops operate at cost — collecting enough revenue to run and expand the busi-ness with no need to raise rates to generate profits for distant shareholders. When Talquin Electric has money left over at the end of the year, it is allocated back to you and other Members as capital credits. The money is then used to help keep rates down.

Members are annually allocated capital credits based on the amount of electricity they consumed during a year. The amount of your allocation is shown on your bill during the billing cycle following the allocation process, usually one of your summer bills.

Talquin retains allocated capital credits to cover emergencies (such as hurricanes and other unexpected events), to pay for system capacity increases, and to upgrade system infrastruc-ture, all of which may require large-scale construction which includes poles, wires and other expensive equipment. The use of capital credits decreases the need to raise rates or borrow money to pay for infrastructure. After a number of years, as financial conditions permit, Talquin will retire a set amount of capital credits as deemed appropriate by the Board of Trustees.

“Margins earned from electric revenues are the only real source of equity for not-for-profit electric cooperatives,” says Rich Larochelle, Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) senior vice president, corporate relations. CFC is one of the premier lenders for electric cooperatives. “Investors in CFC look to the underlying financial strength of electric co-ops — and strong and consistent equity levels are one key aspect of financial strength. So it’s essential for a co-op to maintain the right balance between retiring capital credits to Members and retaining sufficient equity on its balance sheet.” He adds, “Co-ops do

2 THE CURRENT | OCTOBER 2015

“The Current”October 2015Vol. MMXV No. 10USPS #356-710“The Current” is the official newsletter of TalquinElectric Cooperative, Inc., published monthly asan informational and educational service to themembers of the Cooperative. Periodical postagepaid at Tallahassee, Florida.

SUBSCRIPTION RATECooperative Member $1.50 per year. Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

EDITORIAL OFFICESP.O. Box 16791640 West Jefferson StreetQuincy, Florida 32353-1679

Tracy Bensley, General ManagerKen A. Cowen, Director of Administrative Services/Editor

PRINTED BY:Graphic Press Corporation, Tallahassee, Florida

POSTMASTERIn using Form 3579 please give key letter and mail to “The Current,”P.O.Box 1679, Quincy, Florida 32353-1679

OFFICERSCarrie L. DurdenPresidentHome 850-539-9751P.O. Box 541Havana, Florida 32333

William R. VanLandinghamVice-PresidentCell 850-545-5604 or Home 850-442-6252519 Telogia Creek RoadQuincy, Florida 32351

Joseph AlexanderSecretary/TreasurerHome 850-627-2704 507 Deerwood CircleQuincy, Florida 32352

TRUSTEES

Dr. Clifford S. BristolHome 850-643-5350 15333 N.W. CR 12Bristol, Florida 32321

Doug BruceCell 850-321-7674 P.O. Box 10855Tallahassee, Florida 32302

Sam FennHome 850-576-5072 3539 Lakeview DriveTallahassee, Florida 32310

Mal GreenHome 850-893-4802 7882 Bandits RunTallahassee, Florida 32309

Bobby J. StricklandHome 850-926-7290 108 Coleman RoadCrawfordville, Florida 32327

Dr. David L. WrightHome 850-875-2928 1194 Solomon Dairy RoadQuincy, FL 32352

The TECI and TWWI Board regularly schedule their workshops on the 1st Monday of each month and meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Headquarters’ Office in Quincy, FL at 7:00 p.m. For specific dates, times and locations, please refer to our website at www.talquinelectric.com. Notice of any changes will be listed on the website.

Powering Communities/Empowering Members

Carrie Durden, Board President Tracy Bensley, General Manager

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a good job of striking that balance. That contributes to CFC’s ability to offer attractive rates on loans to co-ops, which in turn help co-ops keep costs low.”

A general refund (retirement) is approved annually by the Board of Trustees. The amount of the general refund is determined based on the financial standing of the cooperative at the end of the year. Talquin retires Capital Credits within a fifteen to twenty year period of being allocated to its Members. Estate claims, the remaining unretired allocated patron-age of a deceased Member, are paid to the estate or heirs when approved by the cooperative attorney and the Board (on a monthly basis).

Talquin has retired in excess of $67 million in capital credits to Members since 1940. In 2014 alone, Talquin returned more than $3 million of allocated capital credits to its Mem-bers. The specific amount of your capital credits and information about potential refunds can be obtained by calling Kelli Riley at (850) 627-7651.

“Retiring capital credits is just one more way Talquin Electric is looking out for our Members. Our goal is to provide reliable service while keeping costs as low as possible,” emphasizes Tracy Bensley, General Manager.

Did you know? A digger truck costs around $260,000 and lasts a minimum of 8 years!

*from http://wateruseitwisely.com

★ ★ ★ WHEN ★ ★ ★

washing your hands, TURN THE WATER OFF

WHILE YOU LATHER.

Vampire power, also known as standby power, refers to the power that gadgets waste just by being plugged in. According to the Dept. of Energy, energy vampires are often responsible for adding 10 percent or more to your monthly utility bill.

How can you stop energy vampires?

• Unplug appliances and electronics, especially cell phone chargers and video game systems, when not in use.

• Use power strips that will turn off all appliances (TVs, cable/satellite boxes and DVD players) or electronics (all computer equipment) plugged into them.

• Turn off routers, printers and other peripheral computer equipment when not in use.

Congratulations to the winner of our Pink Photo Contest! Member Ahmad Abou-Ghosh won by submitting this picture of baby, Jude! Special Honorable Mention goes to Member Frank West. His entry was submitted in memory of his mother and all of the other ladies who are fighting or have fought breast cancer. He wears a tattoo that says “Fight like a Girl” and encourages everyone who is battling this disease to “keep fighting!”

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERPinkPink

Are Energy Vampires Sucking You Dry?

OCTOBER 2015 | THE CURRENT 3Powering Communities/Empowering Members

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trading post

4 THE CURRENT | OCTOBER 2015

MiscellaneousMagichef Uniburner gas stove $50; Coleman gas furnace from mobile home excellent shape $175. 442-4270Sears 6” Jointer w/stand, Model 103.23900, $100 cash; Dayton A/C Arc Welding Ma-chine, Model 32358, 220 volts, 27.5 amps; helmet & gloves included. $100 cash. 504-0851Inspirational Bookmarks and Books, avail-able to oder for any amount in package. Please, feel free to contact. 893-0558Briggs Stratton EXL8000 Portable Genera-tor13500 Starting Watts Model 030244 start-ed once cleaned carburetor once $500 OBO Day 245-4444, Ext 2936 Night 421-81291 Burial plot in Tallahassee Memory Gar-dens; “Serenity” Garden. Purchased for $1695 in October 2014, asking $1295 OBO. Call or text, 508-7775Marlin Model 36G, lever action 30-30 Winchester - 3-9x40 Bushnell Trophy Scope, Sling, and Hornady Lever Evolution ammuni-tion - $450; Bushnell Legend 3-9x50 - $100 228-2815Honey DO List Guy - I have over 20 years of experience. I can do about 99% of all your work myself. Simply make a list and I will get it done. Very professional. 933-1105Housecleaning: free quotes/ reasonable rate, excellent references. 16 years experience , move ins and move outs. 321-4181Two gentle used electric wheelchairs with new batteries a Quantum 600 extra-large $700.00 and Jazzy Selectlite for $600.00. 508-0128Handyman/Carpentry, painting, flooring, minor plumbing, woodworking, remodel, and much more. 25+yrs exp. with excellent refer-ences. 878-4444 or 850-566-5318Blue Heeler Puppies great companions, 4 Males and 1 Female left. 10 weeks old as of Sept 9, $200.00 each, Health certified, from working parents. 590-1314 text or callOne mausoleum for two. Culley’s Mead-owwood $6,000 – will consider other offers. 491-2690 or 926-1356Professional Female Caregiver; many years of experience seeking position providing loving care for men, women, or infirm of any age. References upon request. 728-26002004 Quickie S-646SE Power Chair, rear wheel drive, dynamic suspension, power tilt, charger and batteries. All in good working condition, very fast chair. $700 OBO 539-9706T/C 2506 Rem. “Encore” – single shot – blue/walnut – Zeiss Scope. Premium rifle/pistol rest – 2 bxs ammo. $995 firm. 926-9444

100 yr old cast iron wash pot – perfect cond $150 OBO; antique sewing cabinet w/ Sew-more Electric mechanic installed $100 OBO; Jazzy Electric wheelchair used less than 5 hrs $100 OBO. 442-4449

Real EstateSuwannee River Waterfront. 1/2 acre one hour east of Tallahassee (Dowling Park). Elec, well, septic, outbuilding, fence w/2 gates, 2 RV sites. $45,000. Additional 1/2 acre across street $17,000. Boat ramp <1 mile. 544-6846FOR RENT in quiet neighborhood, newly remodel 3BD 2BA all appliance include, cen-tral heat and air, washer/dryer hookup, HUD accepted in Midway, FL 32343. 445-8746Hunt/Fish Camp at FL River, Larkin Land-ing, 80x100 lot w/ older MH, 2BR/1.5BA, high & dry. $30,000; 579-4317 or 866-1965 Shell Point mini house, 1 BD/2 BA. RV hook-ups, walk to beach. $71,000; 478-396-2843(1) 200x50 Lot Downtown Tallahassee; (2) MH lot Aenon Church Trail. Swap for hunting tract or sell. 545-63153 or 4 bedrooms & 3 full baths w/ in-law suite; 3 side brick house in great condition; 2000 sq ft $115,000; $14,000 less than year 2005 appraisal $129,000; On Braindav. Call or text 228-0868Private Room FOR RENT; by the week in my lovely home near Lake Jackson. $150 per week and ½ utilities. 766-96216 lots 75x125 3 miles east of Crawfordville FL, Hwy 61(Lee Rd) $32,000- all owner financ-ing. 284-14232+ AC w/ electric pole, water, septic - $25,000; 10+ AC partly cleared w/ electric pole - $65,000 corner lot Hwy 67. Both properties located in Telogia, FL. For more info call 379-3965Building for Lease: Blue Star Hwy in Midway (next to Ringpower and Lawson’s Body Shop). Owner prefers daycare of beauty salon. 556-0469 for additional info

Automotive RV Cover in good condition for 34 to 37 foot class A RV. Asking $100. 539-90461984 GMC Sierra pickup truck, Classic Long wheel base, V-8, Blue/grey, Runs but needs work. Will make a great restore, $995.00 508-8145Vintage Travel Trailer 30’ 1986 Fleetwood Avion; clear title, original manuals and instruc-tions, beautiful wood interior, new upholstery, new appliances. 544-57992009 Sunnybrook Edgewater travel trailer w/ master bedroom, 2 bunkbeds, & 2 foldouts. Sleeps 10. Model 298BHE $14,800. 251-3499

Farm/Garden Rhode Island Reds hens, 7 months old $15 each. 766-6472Lawn trailer to pull behind riding lawn mower $30 OBO 877-9751

Marine Dinghy – Trinka 10 ft. hand laid fiberglass, oak oars, teak floorboards, bilge bailer, towing eye. Little use. Includes trailer $3,200 OBO 212-07199.9 Johnson Outboard motor. $600; 459-2073

FreeScrap Metal, you haul. 878-3765 or cell 407-403-0729Brass coat stand; brass up to 72 inch expand-able curtain rod; Nobel Prize author Sam-uelson’s text book “Economics”, 22 Audio Cassettes (Neil Diamond, Peter, Paul & Mary, Phantom of the Opera, etc, w/ Wood Grained, 3 drawer case & zippered carrying case each holding 22 plus cassettes. 212-29454 cedar trees, you cut, clean and take. Call/text 228-0868

Powering Communities/Empowering Members

Trading Post GuidelinesIn order to continue to provide The Trading Post in every issue of The Current, we ask Members to adhere to the guidelines listed below when submitting an ad. If an ad does not meet the criteria, it will not be published. There is no cost to place an ad in The Trading Post.

• Members may submit one ad every three months (four times a year)

• Ads must be twenty-five words or less• Must be typed or printed legibly in ink• No registered businesses may run an ad• No changes after ad submission• Deadlines are the first day of the month

preceding the month of publication (For example, December 1st is the deadline for the January edition.)

• Members must provide name, phone number, and account number. No email addresses will be published.

Mail ads to: “The Current”, Talquin Electric Cooperative P.O. Box 1679, Quincy, FL 32353-1679 or e-mail to: tradingpost@talquinelectric.com

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OCTOBER 2015 | THE CURRENT 5

Talquin Youth Tour Application 2016Name __________________________________________________________________________________

Student’s Phone # _____________________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________________________

City ______________________ State______ Zip Code _____________________________________

Email address __________________________________________________________________________

Date of Birth ____________________________________________________________________________

Parent’s Phone # ________________________________________________________________________

Name and Address of Family Member (parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle) who is currently a Talquin Member _________________________________________________________________________

Members’ Talquin Account Number _________________________________________________________

Name of School _________________________________________________________________________

Grade ____________ G.P.A.___________ Shirt Size S M L XL XXL Career Interests___________________________________________________________________________

List all School Related Activities and Years of Participation (use additional paper if needed) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Extracurricular Activities and Years of Participation _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Public Speaking Experience________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Special Dietary Needs or Allergies ____________________________________________________________

Interested students should complete this application and include a 250-500 word essay titled, “Why I want to be a Talquin Electric Youth Tour Representative.” A letter of recommendation from a school counselor, pastor, teacher, community leader or administrator is also required. For video coverage of the Youth Tour go to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmZmGPiypcQ For more information, call Alisia Hounshell or Megan Smith at (850) 627-7651.

or email alisia.hounshell@talquinelectric.com.

20

Attention, High School Juniors! Are you a leader in your school,

community or church?

S tudents, are you making a difference in your community? Talquin is looking for leaders like you to serve as delegates

in the 2016 Talquin Youth Tour. Chosen representatives will visit the Florida state capital for a two day overnight conference February 24-25. While in Tallahassee, students will be introduced to the cooperative business model and Florida’s legislative process while visiting the state’s capital. Students will vote on issues while visiting the House of Representatives’ Chambers and attend a session in the Supreme Court. During this conference, four students will be chosen to represent Talquin in Washington, D.C. for the National Rural Electric Youth Tour held June 11-16, 2016. Students will fly to Washington, D.C. and the trip includes visits to the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, and many more historic sites with hundreds of other students from around the nation. More highlights include watching the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and the Silent Drill Platoon perform in the Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial, and visits to the Smithsonian Museum and the Holocaust Museum. The trip is paid for by Talquin Electric Cooperative.

In order to qualify:

• Students must currently be enrolled as a junior in a local high school or home school;

• Students must have a close relative (parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle) who is currently a Talquin Member;

• Students must currently live in Gadsden, Leon, Liberty or Wakulla County.

Submit application, essay and letter of recommendation to any Talquin Member Service Office. Applications may also be mailed to Youth Tour

c/o Talquin ElectricP.O. Box 1679,

Quincy, FL 32353-1679, or emailed to

alisia.hounshell@talquinelectric.com no later than December 10, 2015.

Applications may be downloaded on Talquin’s website at

www.talquinelectric.com under “About/Youth Tour”.

2015 Talquin Youth Tour Representatives

Powering Communities/Empowering Members

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The Metering Department plays an important role here at Talquin Electric. They are responsible for developing and installing meter programs; performing accuracy testing of electrical meters re-moved from idle services; and performing maintenance on all commercial/industrial metering applications. Our Metering De-partment continuously works to make sure that all of our meters are accurate and up-dated as often as needed. If you ever have any questions about our meters - these are your guys to call!

Department Highlights

Pictured left to right: Jim Ferrell, Jesse Roberts, Brent Holland and Jeff Washington

6 THE CURRENT | OCTOBER 2015 Powering Communities/Empowering Members

Ownership Statement

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Talquin will be conducting a telephone survey in the next few months and will be using a company called Bellamy Research.

The words “Opinion Counts” will show up as the caller ID code.

All survey calls will originate from a 336 area code and will primarily take place during weeknights from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. No calls will be made on Sundays.

If you are a Member and receive a call, please take the time to answer the questions. Our Members’ feedback is extremely valuable to us and we take it very seriously.

If you have any questions regarding this survey, please call Kim Gay at (850) 627-7651.

TELEPHONESURVEY

Members October is National Co-op Month, so we would like to spotlight all of OUR Members! We are proud to be your electric co-op and we thank you for being our Members!

OCTOBER 2015 | THE CURRENT 7

PINK Together CupcakesThese cupcakes feature the iconic pink ribbon, which make them perfect for kids who will likely ask what the symbol stands for. You can be ready to answer all of their questions and help educate the new generation on this devastating illness.

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix

water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

2 containers Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla or Whipped cream cheese frosting

Betty Crocker™ pink gel food color

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In small bowl, reserve 1 cup frosting. Frost cupcakes with remaining white frosting. Stir pink food color into reserved 1 cup white frosting until desired pink color. Spoon frosting into freezer plastic bag; cut 1/4-inch hole in 1 bottom corner. Or use decorating bag with flat tip with 1/4-inch wide opening (#44). Gently squeeze bag to pipe frosting ribbon on cupcakes. Store loosely covered.

*www.tablespoon.com

Powering Communities/Empowering Members

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TALQUIN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

Office Locations

Headquarters1640 W. Jefferson StreetQuincy, Florida 32351

(850) 627-7651

Quincy Member Services Office1607 W. Jefferson StreetQuincy, Florida 32351

(850) 627-9666

Wakulla Member Services Office681 Wakulla Arran Rd.

Crawfordville, Florida 32327(850) 926-7422

Hosford Member Services Office20557 NE Cooperative Way

Hosford, Florida 32334(850) 379-8679

Lake Jackson Member Services Office4808 Portal Drive

Tallahassee, Florida 32303(850) 562-0125

Bradfordville Member Services Office

6724 Thomasville RoadTallahassee, Florida 32312

(850) 893-6853

Service Interruptions (Outages) Should Be Reported To

1-888-802-1832

(live operator)

1-866-899-4832 (automated systems)

Visit us and report and view outages on the Web at

www.talquinelectric.com

Sign up for text outage notification at www.talquinelectric.com to report your outage quickly and to receive

outage information.

“THE CURRENT”TALQUIN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. P.O. BOX 1679QUINCY, FL 32353-1679

#TECares #MyTalquin #CoopNation #MyCoop

The Havana Annual Pumpkin Festival starts Sat, October 10 at 7am with a Pancake Breakfast.

Food and craft vendors; Face painting; Petting Zoo; Train, Doggie Costume Contest at 11 am; concerts all afternoon; admission $2.00 adults $1.00 chil-dren. For more information call 539-1555.

Spooky Fun for the Entire Family

Ride the Ghost Train over a mile around the park if you dare.Rides leave the Tom Keenan Depot. 7:00 to 10:00 PM Eastern timeSat- Oct.24, Friday-Oct.30, Sat.-Oct. 31Tickets are $5.00 (Children 2 and under are free.) Veterans Memorial Railroad10561 NW Theo Jacobs WayRoad 12 (behind the Civic Center)Bristol, FL 32321850-643-6646 or 850-643-5491www.VeteransMemorialRailroad.org

Tallahassee Museum - Halloween Howl

Wicked fun abounds for the faint of heart and thrill-seekers alike at the Halloween Howl, set for

October 24th & 25th from 6-10 p.m. nightly! Prepare for a night filled with trick-or-treating, ghoulish games, both the haunted and not-so-spooky trails, carnival games, costume contest, prizes, and MORE!

$12 for adults, $10 for children (non-members)

Visit www.tallahasseemuseum.org for more details!

Leon County Senior Outreach: Explore Lunch and Learn to stay connected

No reservations needed to join the fun. 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM. Featuring a delicious catered lunch for $6 per plate. Call 891-4065 for more information

Oct 20 Fort Braden - Fort Braden Commu-nity Center

Oct 27 Chaires/Capitola - Dorothy C. Spence Community Center

Nov 05 Miccosukee - Miccosukee Commu-nity Center

Nov 12 Woodville - Woodville Community Center

Nov 17 Fort Braden - Fort Braden Commu-nity Center

Nov 19 Lake Jackson - Lake Jackson Com-munity Center

Watts

Happening

years7575TA

LQUIN

ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

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PERIODICAL