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What is a Co-op?

Co-op connecting with younger members

YEC's next generation

Third in a three-part series by Walter Allread

Susan Whitaker, right, fondly remembers the 1991 Youth Tour, when she represented York Electric Cooperative. These days, she and her family — husband Shane, son Cody and daughter Ramey — connect with their co-op at the Annual Meeting of Members.

Kids go airborne on an inflatable slide at the 2008 Annual Meeting.

On last summer's Youth Tour, delegates Holly Canipe and Donte'au Smith flank York Electric's Cameron Moore, a chaperone on the trip.

Their families have been served by the co-op for decades. Shane, a sheriff's deputy, remembers his grandfather talking about the co-op bringing electricity to rural communities like Smyrna. Susan's family, the Fores, were also members back then.

The Whitakers have been members in their own right since they were married in 1997. However, Susan, the human resources coordinator with York County, says she really came to appreciate her cooperative as a rising senior at York Comprehensive High School.

In the summer of 1991, she was one of the local students selected to represent York Electric Cooperative on the Rural Electric Youth Tour of the nation's capital. "It was one of the most amazing trips of my life," she says.

Visiting Washington, D.C., with students from around the state and nation gave her a better appreciation of York Electric and other co-ops across America, she says. When the South Carolina delegation visited Capitol Hill, Congressman John Spratt and then-Senator Strom Thurmond reinforced the message. "They talked about the importance of the co-ops on our local level," Susan says. Both said co-ops do much more than just supply electricity, she recalls.

The Youth Tour, still a co-op tradition, is just one way the co-op connects with young people. Outreach programs, safety demonstrations in schools and other co-op efforts help show York Electric's ongoing community commitment. New programs like Green Power Solar Schools reflect how the co-op is changing with the times and the rapidly evolving communities it serves.

These days, Susan and Shane stay connected with their co-op by attending the Annual Meeting. While the meeting gives members a chance to hear reports on their co-op's condition and to participate in board elections, it has come to resemble a spring festival with its teeming crowds attracted by the live music, tempting food, games and prizes. The family-friendly event attracts scores of younger members like the Whitakers, many of whom bring their children. "Whenever we go up there, we see a lot of people from around here," she says.

Inflatable play areas, a wildlife educator and youth bicycle giveaways appeal to children like the Whitakers' kids, Cody, 9, and daughter, Ramey, 3. "They both like playing on the slides," Susan notes.

She says South Carolina Living Magazine also appeals to her age group. Susan sometimes discusses articles with co-workers and friends. "I try some of the recipes, too," she notes.

Shane appreciates the co-op's local focus, which hasn't changed over the years. He's known many co-op employees. "The majority of the ones who work the lines, you know them. It's more of a friendship," he says.

One change is the co-op's increased use of technology to meet member needs in an era of steady growth. The Whitakers were impressed a few months ago when they called to order an outdoor security light. "They came out the next day," Susan says.

One other thing helps younger members appreciate the benefit of being part of a consumer-owned, not-for-profit co-op, she notes. That's when York Electric Cooperative returns money to member-owners through capital credits payments.

She smiles and adds, "Then, you realize you're a part owner in the co-op!"

Related Links:

Outreach efforts keep co-op young at heart »
Younger workers give co-op a bright future »
How the co-op connects with younger members »