Co-ops Salute Their Special Month | safety first


C


hoctaw Electric Cooperative is celebrating National Cooperative Month in October, along with 40,000


other cooperative businesses serving more than 120 million people nationwide.


“Cooperatives Build” is the theme of this year’s National Cooperative Month. “This theme is excellent, because there are so many ways that co-ops work for their communities,” says Jia Johnson, CEC members services director.


Cooperatives Have Principles


Most co-ops strive to adhere to seven key cooperative principles, which combine to help build trust between the co-op, its members and the community. For example, the first principle is Voluntary and Open Membership, which means that we are a voluntary organization open to all people to use our services and willing to accept the responsibility of membership. The second principle, Democratic Member Control, gives members a voice in the cooperative’s policies and decisions. The fifth principle, Education, Training and Information, helps contribute to the development of our cooperative by making sure employees are qualified to do the


jobs they are called to do in service to members and in providing members with information they need on co-op services.


Cooperatives Build Communit


The seventh cooperative principle is Concern for Community. Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through employee involvement in local organizations, through contributions to community efforts and through support for schools. CEC employees donate hundreds of hours to various community organizations. CEC supports schools and youth through programs such as Youth Tour and its energy curriculum for classrooms.


Cooperatives Build Jobs


Cooperatives generate jobs in their communities, keep profits local and pay local taxes to help support community services. Cooperatives often take part in community improvement programs, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to benefit from the cooperative experience.


Through all of the above ways, cooperatives build a better world. For more information, visit www.coopmonth.coop.


SEND US EMAIL: Please email questions for Ask Your Co-op to: Jennifer Boling, jboling@choctawelectric.coop. Or, mail questions to Choctaw Electric Cooperative, PO Box 758, Hwy 93 North, Hugo,Oklahoma 74743.


CO-OP ASK YOUR


■ CEC says it does a lot for the community but what about local schools?


Choctaw Electric Cooperative supports local schools in a number of ways. CEC members pay gross receipts tax every month on their monthly bill and 95 percent of that money goes to local schools. The remaining five percent is used by the Oklahoma Tax Commission to cover their administrative costs.


CEC also provides energy-based learning programs for schools that include all classroom materials and instruction. Four programs are available. For younger kids, CEC's "Danger Ranger" teaches the basics of electrical safety. Another program, "Get Powered," helps kids understand how electricity is generated and delivered to their homes.


For middle school students, CEC offers "Watt's Up With Green." This highly interactive course includes experiments and activities that teach students about the many forms of energy, the importance of energy efficiency, and why saving energy is beneficial to the environment.


CEC's newest course, "Go ECO," helps students understand alternative energy, the transfer of electric current, electricity generation and delivery. Students also learn about bio-mass energy and nuclear power.


CEC instructors present these programs to local schools at no charge. The co-op also invites classrooms to tour CEC headquarters in Hugo. For details on these programs, visit choctawelectric. coop or call 800-780-6486.


CEC Inside Your Co-op | OCTOBER 2016 | 7


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144