Big Turnout for 2011 Annual Meeting
Good Monday evening weather helped to bring out an estimated crowd of 5,000 for Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative's annual membership meeting. All the meeting activities were conducted at the cooperative's equipment facility in Pickens.
Carol Glass of Oconee County and her band opened the meeting's entertainment segment with songs that featured hits by the late Patsy Cline. Later, Little Roy and Lizzy, members of the Lewis Family, performed a host of bluegrass and gospel selections for attendees.
During the business session, Blue Ridge President and CEO Charles Dalton introduced Third District Congressman Jeff Duncan for some remarks. Dalton's management report focused on steps the cooperative was taking to achieve even more efficiency in its work. He cited right-of-way maintenance; relocations of existing sections of power lines; emphasis on employee safety, health, and wellness; efforts to combat thefts of both electricity and copper; and advancing technologies as all producing savings for the organization.
Dalton also called attention to the cooperative's 29th consecutive yearly refund of capital credits in April. More than $1,000,000 in patronage-capital checks was mailed to those who were Blue Ridge members in 1984 and '85. According to Dalton, the cooperative's cumulative capital-credit refunds to members to date had exceeded $19 million.
In balloting for seats on the Blue Ridge board of directors, three incumbent directors were elected to new three-year terms:
- Anderson County District – Ben Bolt
- Oconee County District – Bill Barker
- Pickens County District – William Elrod
In the drawing for the grand prize, a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck, Geraldine Chapman of Sunset, SC held the winning ticket.
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| Blue Ridge Electric Board Chairman Jimmy Lee Dodgens welcomes members to the 71st annual meeting held Monday evening, May 9th. |
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