Youth Tour conƟ nued from page 7
It is the support that the cooperative brings to its community that makes it worth all the fuss.”
Wrote Oakley in closing: “The cooperative was a revolutionary creation in a time where more importance was placed on building industry, not on workers and families. The cooperative was created to, and continues to, work for families and communities. No matter what kind of co-op one belongs to, all cooperatives are built on the base of helping our fellow man and respect for our communities and their futures.”
Tylor Arnold Tylor Arnold was the writer behind
Mayes County’s winning essay. Arnold, a Pryor High School junior and son of Pryor residents Greg and Jean Arnold, could understand the common bond felt by cooperative members who knew what it was to be without.
He wrote: “A rural electric cooperative radiates a sense of pride for those citizens who choose to live in the rural country and know that they have something to rely on for helping keep them connected.”
Arnold also cautioned readers against taking electricity for granted. Visiting the challenges of past generations gave
him a deeper appreciation for modern conveniences.
“Many people take getting a connection to electricity for granted and do not realize how much of a gift it is,” he wrote. “I could not imagine having to write this essay on pen and paper under the dim light of a lamp or candle, not being able to have heat during the winter and not being able to have cool air conditioning during the hot Oklahoma summers. My whole life would change if I had no access to electricity and everything it powers.”
Added Arnold: “An REC can be a provider, a lifesaver, a blessing, a solution. It can be something different to everyone, but it is most definitely a necessity for rural areas of the United States.”
Youth Tour alternates this year, and as selected by the cooperative of trustees, include Pryor High School junior Brooklyn Orcutt, daughter of Cliff and Amie Orcutt of Chouteau; and Vinita High School junior Kody Kincade, son of Jessica Bertram of Vinita. Both students were presented with $100 checks for their efforts.
The 53nd annual Youth Tour will get underway Friday evening, June 10, with the traditional “Get Acquainted Banquet” in Oklahoma City. The
Oklahoma contingent of approximately 60 youth will leave bright and early the following morning. The trip will include visits to the Jefferson Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Memorial, World War II Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial and Martin Luther King Memorial.
Youth will also tour the U.S. Capitol, Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Museums, National Archives, Pentagon, Holocaust Museum, Mount Vernon, Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum, Arlington Cemetery, Union Station and the Museum of Crime & Punishment. Other activities include: attending a play at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, a group photo at the Capitol, a Potomac Boat Cruise, lunch at Hard Rock Café, pictures in front of the White House, meeting our Congressional delegation and much more.
Youth Tour includes comprises six solid days of activities, from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., before wrapping up and returning home on Thursday, June 16.
“We have some great students representing our cooperative this year,” said Branham. “We know they will make the most of this experience and that their lives will be enriched by this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”z
Carley Mahurin OƩ awa County
Michelle Trapp Craig County
Jaxson Oakley Delaware County
Tylor Arnold Mayes County
May 2016 - 9
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