A Change or 2; A Few More Returns
It’s getting closer to Annual Meeting time. This year, the event is scheduled for September 20. While the date is a little later than usual, it’s still being held at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF), Fox Sports 1 Dome.
The reason for the later date? The IMHOF has been asked to host a special event honoring a world-class Porsche collection with the likes of Jay Leno and other celebrities. Not a bad gig to get bumped for.
So, what else is new? A full set of Bylaws changes.
Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative (CVEC) was founded in 1939 using a standardized set of Bylaws obtained from the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). These Bylaws covered the basics. They set in place minimum standards and basic provisions for membership, patronage capital, board trustee qualifications, election procedures, and board and officer roles and responsibilities, as well as several other minimum requirements.
In 1986, a few small provisions were changed or added to provide for elections to be held in the districts instead of at the Annual Meeting. Other than those updates, however, our Bylaws have remained virtually unchanged since the membership adopted that standardized set.
Why is this a problem? Since the founding of CVEC, our world has gotten more complex and more complicated, and our Bylaws have not kept pace.
For starters, Alabama laws have changed. Lawsuits over the years have added to the complexity of cooperative memberships, the responsibilities that come with membership, and the rights afforded to our members. In addition, individuals have developed more calculated and dubious ways to attempt to take advantage of our business, and we cannot allow our Bylaws to make it easier by providing loopholes.
Within the next month, you should receive in the mail the official Annual Meeting notice and Annual Report. A copy of the proposed Bylaws changes is being included in that notice. Some are just minor corrections for grammar and word choice. Others are more in-depth. All the changes are intended to more clearly define how business is to be conducted at meetings, the rights and responsibilities of members, how the Cooperative is to be governed, and how your Board of Trustees can be more accountable to you, our members, as well as themselves, as a board.
We ask that you closely review these proposed changes, and when you come to your Annual Meeting, come prepared to vote on them. Since we are conducting a vote, you will need to bring with you a state-issued photo ID and any other documentation you would normally need to bring for an election. This includes any possible letters of authorization if you are intending to vote on behalf of a church, volunteer fire department, or business. Please refer to your Annual Meeting notice for more information about this.
This vote is very important. As a member of an electric cooperative, you have a voice in how this organization is governed. That voice is provided through your board trustees as well as through your right to vote on important changes to the organization. As your elected representatives, your board trustees have worked hard over the past several years to draft these proposed revisions to our Bylaws, and on September 20, you will have the opportunity to exercise your right to vote on those changes.
We look forward to seeing you again at this year’s Annual Meeting. It is going to be a great event. We’ll be serving hot dogs and donuts. We’ll be giving $15 bill credits to attending members and providing opportunities to win through several rounds of Bingo, multiple door prizes, and a Grand Prize that is sure to not disappoint—a 2008 Ford Explorer.
Please make plans to attend your Annual Membership Meeting!