Annual Meeting of the Members

Each year, Central Electric holds the Annual Meeting of the Members on the first Friday in October. In case you’ve never been, the Annual Meeting is where members learn about the cooperative's business from the previous year. Each member in attendance gets a complete update on how their money was spent.

Members also have the opportunity to vote on the Central Electric Board of Directors, which is an important part of the cooperative business model. Cooperatives are guided by seven key principles, one of those being Democratic Member Control. Cooperatives are not-for-profit, democratic organizations controlled by their members. The members actively participate in setting policies and making decisions through election of member representatives who sit on the Board of Directors. The Board represents the membership by directing and working closely with the staff of the cooperative to guide the business decisions of the co-op.

Due to the lingering impacts of COVID-19, this year we will once again be hosting a "Virtual Annual Meeting." During the planning process of the meeting, there were still uncertainties at that time as to whether or not we would be able to hold an in-person meeting, especially given that we typically host over 1,500 people at the event. In order to protect the safety of our members and employees, and also to avoid the risk and uncertainty of hosting an in-person meeting, we will be live streaming the business portion of the meeting. While we are disappointed to not be hosting a typical Annual Meeting this year, we are very excited about the opportunity of being able to bring the business of the co-op directly to you in your home on Friday, Oct. 7.

Here are the details on this year's "virtual" Annual Meeting:

When: Friday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m.
Where to view: Facebook.com/CEMCPower
How to register for the meeting and vote for your directors: There are two EASY ways to register and vote this year. You can either vote online at directvote.net/cemc or mail in a prepaid ballot postcard. Look for your ballot and voting login instructions in the September edition of Carolina Country. Registration/voting begins on Aug. 23 and runs through Sept. 23. All those who submit a ballot by Sept. 23 will be entered to win one of ten (10) $250 gift cards!
Annual Meeting Scholarship: If you’re a 2022 high school grad and the child of a Central Electric member (or, a member yourself), submit YOUR entry to win a $2,000 scholarship! The deadline is Friday, Sept. 16, and the winner’s name will be drawn at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. See details below.

We hope to "see" you there on Oct. 7!

Click on the links below to access the minutes for the 2021 Annual Member Meeting, as well as the 2021 Annual Report:

2021 Annual Meeting Minutes

2021 Annual Report

Annual Meeting Scholarship

Central Electric is committed to supporting our communities, which is why the co-op has a variety of programs that aim to develop and support our local youth. As part of the Annual Meeting of the Members, Central Electric is awarding a $2,000 scholarship to a student who is a Central Electric member or a child of a member. The scholarship will be awarded through a random drawing during the "virtual" Annual Meeting on Oct. 7. The deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 16.

To apply for entry into the drawing, the student must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Graduated high school in 2022.
First time college student attending a two-year or four-year post-secondary educational institution full-time during the 2022-23 academic year.
Applicant must be a Central Electric member or a child of a member and the member must be in good standing for at least 12 consecutive months as of Sept. 1, 2022.
Student must have at least a 3.0 GPA; copy of high school transcript must be submitted with scholarship application.
Student and/or legal guardian must register for the 2022 Central Electric Annual Meeting on Oct. 7, 2022 by participating in the Director Election through either an online or mail-in ballot. The recipient will be announced during the meeting on Oct. 7.
All of these requirements must be met in order to qualify for the random drawing.

to apply for entry into the Annual Meeting Scholarship drawing