THE ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS of Horry Electric Cooperative is set for Tuesday, May 10, on the campus of Coastal Carolina University. “We say it is your meeting, because it is one of the most important and best examples of the power of co-op membership,” explains James P. “Pat” Howle, executive vice president and CEO of the Cooperative, in his CEO column in the April 2016 edition of South Carolina Living magazine.
“We encourage members to come to the meeting and try to make it as convenient and as rewarding as possible for those who do,” he continues. “We have a quorum requirement, established by the South Carolina General Assembly, that must be met in order for business to be officially conducted.” In the S.C. Code of Laws, Section 33-49-430, quorum is defined as five percent of all members. Registering and voting on cooperative business in person is part of the S.C. Code.
Proven success
Registration gifts that are sure to appeal to a large number of people, entertainment and prize drawings for registered members have proven to be successful methods for electric co-ops to meet the quorum requirement. “On top of that, we include a retired fleet vehicle as the grand prize,” says Howle. This year, it is a 2010 Ford F-15.
As it has been for the past few years, the Registration Gift is an electric bill credit. The amount this year is $15. Remember that only members who register, in person, to participate in the meeting between the hours of noon and 7 p.m. on May 10 at CCU are eligible to receive the Registration Gift. Each registered member will not only qualify to get the Registration Gift, but will also be automatically entered into the prize drawing. Registered members do not have to be present at the time of the drawing in order to win.
Stay tuned, more to come
Official Notice/Registration Postcards will be mailed to members prior to the meeting. “Be sure to put it in a safe place,” advises Howle. “You’ll need to bring it, plus some form of photo ID, when you come to the meeting”.
Members who bring their Official Notice and their ID will be able to take advantage of the Speedy Pass lines at registration. Shuttles will once again run in a continuous loop from the registration locations to The HTC Center, which is where the entertainment, business meeting and prize drawing will take place.
The May edition of South Carolina Living will be mailed at about the same time as the Official Notice.”It is your guide to your Annual Meeting and includes all the details you’ll need for the big day,” says Howle.