April 2016 southernriversenergy.com 22AYour Local Touchstone Energy® Cooperative

April 2016

eorgia’s electric cooperatives, includ-

ing Southern Rivers Energy (SRE), have des-ignated April as Lineman Appreciation Month, extending what is currently a one-day national obser-vance of National Lineman Appreciation Day, sched-uled this year on April 11.

Throughout April, Southern Rivers Energy and other electric co-ops across the state will honor the dedicated men and women who work with thousands of volts of electricity high atop power poles and power lines 365 days a year to keep the lights on.

“Electric linemen often do not receive the recognition

they deserve,” says Michael McMillan, SRE President/CEO. “They work all hours of the day, often in hazardous condi-tions far from their families, going above and beyond to restore power to their com-munities.

“Our linemen, as well as linemen from across the nation, truly deserve this special day of recognition. Conditions can be danger-ous, but they power through to ensure service is restored

at the earliest possible time while utilizing safe work practices to protect themselves and our members.”

A statewide Lineman Appreciation ceremony is planned on April 19 at the state Capitol in Atlanta.

GSRE Will Pay Tribute to Linemen in April

April 1-2 ......... Smoke on the Water BBQ & Music Festival at Bickley’s Lake in Thomaston; sotwfestival.com

April 11 ........... National Lineman Appreciation Day

April 22 ........... Earth Day

April 22-23 ...... Barnesville’s 2016 BBQ & Blues Festival; bbqandblues.org

Dates to Remember

22B GEORGIA MAGAZINEsouthernriversenergy.com Your Local Touchstone Energy® Cooperative

The Power of Operation Round Up t started as a simple idea 27 years ago at one co-op in South

Carolina. Just round up the co-op member’s electric bill to the next dollar, and then use it to do good work in our community. Today, hundreds of electric co-ops through-out the country, including Southern Rivers Energy, use this idea to help members and organizations close to home.

All co-ops adhere to the Seven Cooperative Principles, includ-ing Concern for Community. The Operation Round Up program is the perfect embodiment of this core principle. Participating co-op members donate an average of $6 per year, with a maximum possible contribution of $11.88. This may not seem like a lot, but when multiplied by about 9,000 members (approxi-mately 62 percent of SRE’s member-ship), it makes a significant impact.

Each electric cooperative decides how to operate its own program, and the vast majority are governed by a board of volunteers that is separate from the co-op’s Board of Directors. This ensures that decisions are made in the best interest of the community.

Participation in the program is always voluntary; at any time, mem-bers can opt out. But once members see the good work the program does in their community, they almost always keep contributing.

Over the years, millions of dol-lars have been collected and distrib-uted for a wide range of activities. This can include helping a family in need after a house fire; assisting the local food pantry; enabling the local fire department to buy a needed piece of equipment; or dozens of other humanitarian efforts that bring electric co-ops even closer to the

I

“This is one of my favorite photos,” says Executive Director Katie Magee. “Nickoli is playing with the adaptive drum kit. He was one of the children in particular who would come to Parents’ Night Out and be limited in what he could play with, but now, he LOVES that drum kit! I have never seen him hap-pier! Many of the kids with sensory issues get mesmerized with the lights and sounds, and they ALWAYS want to take the kit home at the end of Parents’ Night Out. It has been such a blessing to us and to the kids!”

nchor of Hope Foundation Inc., based in Monroe County, offers a unique program for parents and

caregivers of children and adults with development dis-abilities. The free Parents’ Night Out respite program is the only one of its kind in Middle Georgia. Parents’ Night

Out gives parents and caregiv-ers three hours to rest, run errands or enjoy a date night the first Friday of the month, from September through May.

Volunteers play games and work on crafts with children, who also enjoy snacks at Day-spring Presbyterian Church in Forsyth. The program received a $1,912 grant from Southern Rivers Energy to purchase an adapted music kit and gum-ball switch kit for individuals

with a variety of disabilities or disorders to enjoy.“Southern Rivers was such a big part of our year, and

we were so thankful for your support!” says Katie Magee, Executive Director of Anchor of Hope.

communities we serve.

While each co-op must respond to the needs of its members, one of the great attributes of co-ops across the country—and the world—is their willingness to share information about the programs that have been successful. Operation Round Up is a perfect example of that coopera-tive spirit.

Southern Rivers Energy is pleased to offer Operation Round Up, and we will continue to “bor-row” ideas from other co-ops, and create our own, in an effort to help our communities thrive.

Contact Erin Cook for more information at erin@srivers.net or 770-358-1383, ext. 332. Or call cus-tomer service to sign up at 770-358-1383 or 877-358-1383.

Operation Round Up Grant Offers Enjoyment, Respite for Families

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April 2016 22Csouthernriversenergy.com Your Local Touchstone Energy® Cooperative

Summary of EMC Bylaws for Annual MeetingArticle I.

Section I. Any person, firm or corporation who is in the service area of the cooperative may become a member of the cooperative by paying the membership fee, agreeing to purchase electric energy from the cooperative and agreeing to com-ply with and by the articles of incorporation, the bylaws and any rules and regulations set by the Board and by being accepted for membership by the members.

Article II.Section I. The date and place for the Annual

Meeting of Members shall be set by Board reso-lution each year as long as the date is between April 30 and Nov. 1, within a county served by the cooperative, which shall be designated in the notice of the meeting. This year’s Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016, at the cooperative’s headquarters in Barnesville, Ga.

Article III.Section I. The business and affairs of the

cooperative shall be managed by a board of nine (9) directors.

Section IV. Not less than 140 days before the date of the Annual Meeting, the Board shall appoint a nominating committee of 5 to 11 mem-bers, who shall prepare a list of nominations for

Directors and post in the cooperative office prior to the meeting. Any 150 or more members may make nominations by petition not less than one hundred (100) days prior to the meeting. Notice of Annual Meeting, including nominations by the committee and nominations by petition, shall be mailed at least 5 days before the meeting. There will be no nominations from the floor.

Section VI. Board members shall be elected by majority vote of the members present and vot-ing in person or by proxy, except in the case of a contested election, which shall be conducted by mail-in ballot. (Note: Three directors will be elected at the Aug. 27, 2016, meeting.)

Southern Rivers Energy’s 2016 Nominating Committee Clifford Barber, Barnesville

Chuck Bell, Woodbury

Jeremy Coleman, Gay

Jerry Crawford, Zebulon

Don Dixon, Lizella

Jeff B. Haygood, Yatesville

Rusty Lanier, Concord

William P. Sanders Sr., Lizella

Chad Thompson, Barnesville

Carolyn Toman, Culloden

J. Paul Wallace, Yatesville

he 79th Annual Meeting

of Members will take

place on Saturday, Aug.

27, 2016, on the grounds

behind Southern Rivers

Energy’s office. More

information will follow in

upcoming newsletters and

on our website,

southernriversenergy.com.

Save the Date!

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22D GEORGIA MAGAZINEtogetherwesave.com Your Local Touchstone Energy® Cooperative

75YEARS

Erin Cook, Editor

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Harvey Lemmon, Chairman

John W. Dumas, Vice Chairman

Harry Park, Secretary

Millie Alexander, Treasurer

Stephen Goodman

Brian Ogletree

John Pope

Nedam Walker

STAFF

Michael J. McMillan, President/CEO

Charles Lowery, Vice President of

Finance and Administration

Ernest H. Neubauer, P.E.,Vice President of

Engineering and Operations

Erin Cook, CCC Director of Marketing/Member Services

Patricia Becker Customer Service Supervisor

Donald Jones, Construction & Maintenance Superintendent

OUTAGE HOTLINE

1-866-244-4890For quality control purposes, your call may be monitored.

OFFICE HOURS

Monday through Friday8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drive-in Window AvailableClosed Saturdays,

Sundays & Holidays

Southern Rivers Energy is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Official publication of Southern Rivers Energy

P.O. Box 40Barnesville, GA 30204

www.southernriversenergy.com

1. The 2015 figures reflect the resources that were supplied for the year ending Dec. 31, 2015.

2. The 2016 figures are prospective and reflect the power that we have con-tracted to provide. Actual figures may vary according to resource availability. We will annually report to you before Aug. 1 of next year in the form of a Historic Product Content Label the actual resource mix of the electricity you purchased.

3. New Renewables come from generation facilities that first began commercial operation within the past 15 years. This product includes generation from a facil-ity that is approved for extended use by Green-e Energy.

For comparison, the current average mix of resources supplying Southern Rivers Energy includes: Coal (37%), nuclear (27%), oil (0%), natural gas (33%), hydroelectric (2%) and other (1%).

The average home in the United States uses 909 kWh per month. [Source: U.S. EIA, 2013]

For specific information about this electricity product, please contact Member Services at Southern Rivers Energy, (877) 358-1383.

Green-e Energy certifies that Southern Rivers Energy Green Power Program meets the minimum environmental and consumer protection stan-dards established by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions. For more information on Green-e Energy certification requirements, call 1-888-63-GREEN or log on to www.green-e.org.

The product is sold in blocks of 150 kilowatt-hours (kWh). The product will be made up of the following renewable resources.

PRODUCT CONTENT LABEL

Green-e Energy Certified New3 Renewables in Southern Rivers Energy Green Power Program

20151 20162

Biomass 100% 100%

Geothermal 0% 0%

Eligible hydroelectric 0% 0% Solar 0% 0%

Wind 0% 0% TOTAL 100% 100%

Generation Location

Georgia

Green Power Option Is Green-e Certifiedhe green power generated from biomass projects that is offered by Southern Rivers Energy as a purchase option is Green-e certified. The

Center for Resource Solutions requires that we publish the following information.

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