Each year, Central Electric holds the Annual Meeting of the Members on the first Friday in October. In case you’ve never participated, 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.

Alos, 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 Annual Meeting on Oct. 6. The deadline for entries is Friday, Sept. 15.

Here are the details on this year's Annual Meeting, which will be streamed online for members to participate from the comfort of their home:

• When: Friday, Oct. 6, 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. Voting and registration opens up on Aug. 21 and runs through Sept. 22. PLUS, the first 1,000 members who vote will be issued a $20 bill credit AND all votes will be entered to win one of ten (10) $250 gift cards!

We hope to "see" you there on Oct. 6!

Click here to learn more.