Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

|| High Country Press Newswire

June 5, 2008 issue

BREMCO Annual Member Meeting June 14

Board Elections, Family-Oriented Fun and Ham Biscuits

Story by Celeste von Mangan

Members of the Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation—BREMCO—can attend the cooperative’s annual membership meeting on Saturday, June 14, at the Ashe County High School in West Jefferson. Family-oriented fun is included in the agenda, along with information booths and business matters.

“Each year on the second Saturday in June, we hold a BREMCO meeting for members of the cooperative,” said Renee Whitener, director of public relations. “They are actually member-owners of the company and we keep them up to date on the business of BREMCO. Our mission as a cooperative is to provide affordable electric service. We also are challenged as a nation to make changes globally in a way that takes care of the environment, while at the same time does not put undue financial pressure on our members.”

BREMCO CEO Doug Johnson will lead the elections for four new directors and will also focus on national energy policy when he speaks at the meeting.

Board of Director nominees for 2008 are Martha McKnight, Allegheny District; David Boone, Ashe District; David Eggers, Caldwell District; and Clayton Cooke, Watauga District. Any BREMCO member is eligible to vote for a candidate, either at the meeting or by proxy.

Johnson will also discuss the cooperative’s annual report and members’ capital credits.

Members who received their annual and capital credit report via the mail can find a registration ticket on the back of the report. To facilitate registration, attendees can bring this ticket to the meeting.

Registration and check-in are from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. The business session officially starts at 10:00 a.m., although prior to that time, attendees can find plenty to do.

Ashe Memorial hospital personnel will conduct a health fair portion beginning at 7:00 a.m., and from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m., attendees can enjoy ham biscuits, coffee, muffins, fruit and soft drinks and check out the booths and displays on ways to use energy more efficiently. Rays Weather Center, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, North Carolina Green Power, Blue Ridge Energies and Operation Round Up will also have booths.

The Hayes Family will perform musical selections between 8:45 and 9:25 a.m.
The children’s program begins at 9:00 a.m. and continues throughout the morning. Parents can leave their young ones at the moonwalk and big slide, where children will receive refreshments and BREMCO employees will provide continuous monitoring so parents can attend the meeting.

Every member who attends the meeting will receive a gift pack of compact fluorescent light bulbs and will have the chance to win a number of prizes.
“All attendees will have a chance to win one of four LCD televisions,” said Whitener. “We are giving away one per district—that would be one for Caldwell, one for Allegheny, one for Ashe, one for Watauga. We have four digital photo frames and four $50 bills—again, there is one prize in each category given away to one person in each district.

“The meeting is something that is fun for the whole family,” Whitener added. “There is fun, fellowship and a good time. We look forward to seeing everybody!”
For more information, click to www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.