York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Picture a glass jar, a bag of stones and a bag of small pebbles. If I told you that all the rocks would fit in the jar, how would you start to fill it? I'll save you some time. The rocks won't fit if you start with the small pebbles. The stones take up the most room and should be placed in the jar first. The small pebbles can be poured in, moved around and shifted to fill in the cracks to make your jar full.

Take one more imaginary step with me. Suppose that jar is your life, and those stones and pebbles are the values you hold in high esteem. If you start with the small things, you won't have enough space in your life for the big-ticket items. My priorities are the Lord, my family and our community. What are your rocks? Would you want to give up one of your large stones to make time for the small things? Just like the analogy, the small pebbles will fit too. It just takes some forethought to prioritize what really matters and fill your cup in the right order.

For the past 80 years, your co-op has identified our biggest rock as our members. You have always been and always will be the priority at YEC. From finding a way to bring electricity to your homes in 1941 to researching a way to provide high-speed internet to the unserved and underserved in our territory, we are always looking out for you. Some of our other large stones are service, safety, reliability, integrity and trust. We focus our energy on prioritizing these business practices so that your energy service exceeds your expectations. As we press pause to evaluate our own lives, we encourage you to help YEC do the same. Help us make sure we're still on the right track by participating in the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. We want to hear from you, our top priority, and the biggest stone in our jar.

Speaking of filling vessels, you can learn about one of our oldest members and the pottery she and her family have been making for years. She also shares with us her memory of when the lights came on nearly 80 years ago. As we enter the new year, I encourage you to evaluate your rock collection and take away the importance of love from Mrs. Plyler. I wish you and your family well this holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

Holiday closings

YEC offices will close to celebrate Thanksgiving on Nov. 26 and 27 and Christmas on Dec. 23 (closing at noon), 24 and 25. Crews will be on standby in the event of an outage. YEC wishes you and your family a healthy, safe and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas from your co-op!

Your cooperative wants to hear from you so that we can continue improving your service experience. Your feedback helps us design programs and provide information that is helpful and valuable to you.

Here at YEC, your membership matters. Help us continue to set the bar high for excellence by taking the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey.

It's another way we are looking out for you. Help keep your co-op in stride as we walk into the future.

Complete and submit the survey by December 15, 2020, to be entered to win a $100 power bill credit.*

*To submit the survey anonymously, download, print, and complete the PDF form below – or clip the survey from the November/December edition of South Carolina Living magazine – and either mail it in with your bill payment, drop it by one of our two office locations or mail it to P.O. Box 150, York, SC 29745. Anonymous submissions are not eligible for the drawing.

[PDF] 2020 ACSI Survey

2.5 MB 5 downloads

Do you want to see democracy in action? Join us for our 2021 Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit!

Apply now for our 2021 Washington Youth Tour! Experience Washington, D.C. with 1,500 high school juniors from across South Carolina and the country, meeting lawmakers and touring all the sights. Your electric co-op will cover your round-trip plane ticket, tours and meals. In other words—it's all free!

Experience South Carolina's capital like never before at our 2021 Cooperative Youth Summit! Tour the Statehouse, meet lawmakers and see how co-ops are preparing for our state's energy future.

Plus, there's plenty of fun with visits to popular Columbia attractions like Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. Your electric co-op will cover all your expenses.

Apply for the 2021 Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit online at yorkelectric.net/my-community. Application deadline is Monday, March 1, 2021.

While we expect the Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit to happen in 2021, circumstances related to COVID-19 may prevent one or both from safely taking place. In the event of cancellation, selected students will be offered the opportunity to attend Virtual Youth Experience in June—a five-day virtual leadership program that will connect students with state and federal leaders.

YEC, Operation Round Up Trust celebrate teachers

The second annual Bright Ideas Grant Program winners were announced virtually in October as part of the co-op month celebration.

Teachers from Clover, Fort Mill, Rock Hill and York won up to $1,000 to implement creative learning projects in their classrooms. Teachers, we salute you and thank you for investing in the futures of our youth! Visit yorkelectric.net to learn more about their projects!

Winners include

Clover School District

Brittany Terry, Griggs Road Elementary

Rock Hill School District

First Place: Emily Anderson, Cherry Park Elementary

Runner Up: Darryl Taylor, Dutchman Creek Middle School

Fort Mill School District

First Place: Kathleen Mills, Tega Cay Elementary School

Runner Up: Elizabeth Parra, Banks Trail Middle School

York School District

First Place: Michael Prothero, York Middle School

Runner Up: Kelly Tiblier, York Comprehensive High School

York Electric celebrates the history, culture, pottery and membership of Elizabeth Plyler and the Catawba Indian Nation

Sculpting clay dug from holes along the Catawba River has been an integral part of life for the Catawba Indians for thousands of years. Pottery, one of the oldest and purest art forms, is the language of love for many in the Catawba Indian Nation, who have perfected the craft over the past 4,000 years. Not only beautiful, Catawba pottery is utilitarian, valuable, tradeable and historical.

Elizabeth Plyler, a skilled potter who will celebrate her 92nd birthday this month, is proud of her heritage as a member of the Catawba Indian Nation. The Catawba have lived along the banks of the Catawba River for at least 6,000 years. Just like the clay she and her ancestors mold into precious relics, she has adapted her life to overcome difficult odds.

From her home on the Catawba Indian Nation Reservation, Plyler shares details of her life as a Catawba Indian, a York County native and one of the first members of York Electric Cooperative. Eighty years ago, YEC brought electricity to the Catawba Indian Nation, greatly improving the quality of life for Plyler's family and others in surrounding rural areas.

"We were dirt poor, but we didn't know any different," says Plyler. "We thought everyone lived that way."

As a young girl, she remembers her father working odd jobs to make money for their family.

"Although he wasn't a Catawba, he was no longer accepted by others because he married my mother," Plyler says. "Since he lived on the reservation, no one would hire him. Somehow, he always found a way to provide for our family."

In fact, the entire community looked out for each other.

"When someone was in need, someone else was always able and willing to help," says Plyler. "Whether it was giving a cup of sugar or caring for the sick, we always worked together and helped each other."

Often, the way her grandmother could help was through her pottery. The skill was passed down for generations and always served a purpose. Plyler's brother has pottery from their greatgreat- grandmother. Whether they were selling or trading it for other goods, their craft was their livelihood.

"I remember going door to door with Granny selling pottery. If someone didn't want to give money for a piece, Granny was open to a trade," Plyler says. "One time, we traded for a pair of men's shoes. We couldn't wear them, but Granny taught me that someone could."

YEC was started nearly 80 years ago to bring electricity to the rural communities of York, Cherokee, Chester and Lancaster counties. Having electricity brought about a great shift in daily life and opportunity for families of the Catawba Indian Nation.

Plyler remembers the time before electricity when light came from an oil lamp, irons were heated by a wood fire, food was cooked from a wood stove, water was hauled from the creek for cooking and bathing, and an ice truck came around once a week to sell ice to keep perishables cold. When YEC wired their house, she says it was "a blessing."

"YEC was a great blessing to us back then. We were able to enjoy things that we couldn't before," says Plyler. "While we were saving our pennies to buy our own radio, I remember going to my uncle's house to listen to the Grand Ol' Opry on his radio. It was amazing to hear them sing all because of electricity. After we were able to buy our radio, my mother bought an iron and then saved to buy a refrigerator."

Catawba communities are matriarchal societies where women are the dominant centers of the community. Creating and firing pottery once was a task that required the women to leave pottery pieces around a wood stove fire all day. Now, with electricity, Plyler fires her pottery in her kitchen oven for five hours, polishes the piece with a stone, then burns the piece in three wood fires to let it cure and provide the distinguishable unique color of Catawba pottery.

"Creating is in my blood and something I enjoy," says Plyler.

Approaching nearly a century of life experience, Plyler likes to stay busy.

She recently learned a new craft, basket making, and has a growing collection of handwoven pieces. Plyler is happy to share her love of her craft with her brothers and pass down her stories and heritage to her children.

"Electricity made life easier, but spending time helping others is what makes life good," says Plyler

Editor's Note: Background material for this article was provided by the Catawba Cultural Center. The center's mission is to preserve, protect, promote and maintain the rich cultural heritage of the Catawba Indian Nation through efforts in archives, archeology, tribal historic preservation, native crafts, cultural education and tourism development. To learn more about the Catawba Indian Nation, please visit catawbaindian.net and catawbaindiancrafts.com.

Brown Pottery Pipe

Image 1 of 4

Plyler's pottery collection includes a small brown pipe crafted by elder Hazel Ayers, known as "The Foxx." Ayers was one of the original committee members representing the tribe when the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act became law in 1993. The Act made the Catawba Indian Tribe the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina.

Save the date for Saturday, May 8, 2021, to help your co-op celebrate 80 years of providing affordable, safe reliable service for you—our valuable members! Look for more information about our Annual Meeting in upcoming issues of South Carolina Living.

2019 Financial Statement

Financial health is important at YEC. Download our 2019 audited financial statement or contact our member services department at (803) 684-4248.

[PDF] 2019 Financial Report

1 MB 37 downloads

Bylaw excerpt–Article IV Trustees, Section 4.06 Nominations

Not less than ninety (90) days prior to the meeting, nominations may be made by twenty-five (25) or more Members of the Cooperative in writing over their signatures on an explicit petition document listing their nominee(s) in like manner. This document must be obtained from the Cooperative no more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the Annual Meeting and must be specific to each Trustee District. In addition to the required petition, candidates must attend a Board-developed educational program on Cooperative history, operations and governance not less than sixty (60) days prior to the next Annual Meeting, or have a minimum of three (3) years of service as an electric cooperative Trustee. The educational requirement will be offered at the Cooperative on two (2) specified dates prior to the Annual Meeting. The Secretary shall mail to the Members with the notice of the meeting, or separately, but at least thirty (30) days, but not more than forty-five (45) days prior to the date of the meeting, a complete statement of the names and addresses of all nominees for each Trustee District from or with respect to which one (1)or more Trustees must be elected, showing clearly those who have completed the educational requirement and those who have completed a minimum of three (3) years of service as an electric cooperative Trustee. The Secretary shall post in like manner such nominations at the Cooperative offices at least forty-five (45) days prior to the next Annual Meeting.

[PDF] YEC Bylaws

427 KB 673 downloads

Statement of Nondiscrimination

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/ parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027 found here and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Electric Vehicles are becoming more popular as our members and electric consumers across the country become more aware of the way electricity is consumed. According to a study completed by the Edison Electric Institute, the United States reached 1 million electric cars on the road in 2018. Another 1 million will be on our roads by the end of next year, and up to 18 million by 2030. The innovation, energy-conscious design and economical model is here to stay. It's no surprise that we've seen an increase in EV investments in our area and your co-op has noticed.

YEC is proud to introduce a new electric vehicle (EV) incentive program to help support our members' decisions to decrease their carbon footprints and modernize their means of travel. Signing up for one of our EV rates and installing a Level 2 charger will provide members with a $200 incentive while helping your co-op shift power costs to off-peak times, when fewer members are using power. If you have an EV or are considering a purchase, please reach out to YEC's Energy Services Representative Brent Clinton. He can help sign you up and answer your questions as part of YEC's commitment to always be your trusted energy advisor.

Purchasing an EV is an intentional investment in a cleaner, brighter future which is like-minded to how your co-op strategizes for what is to come. We are dedicated to creating sustainable opportunities that will carry YEC and our members into the future by studying smart solutions to improve your quality of life. Although we are still likely to have roads, a ride in the DeLorean would prove YEC's continued promise to serve you in the same member-focused, forward-thinking way we have for the past 80 years. To the future and beyond!

Sincerely,

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

Every year, YEC awards 12 $1,000 Touchstone Energy Scholarships to graduating seniors at each area high school. YEC also awards one $1,000 Technical Advantage Scholarship to a graduating senior attending York Technical College in the fall, and one $500 Work-Based Learning Scholarship to a senior participant at the Floyd D. Johnson Technology Center.

Both Scholarships

• Deadline: Friday, March 19, 2021
• Must be a high school senior to apply

Touchstone Energy Scholarship

12 - $1000 Scholarships:

• Must be a member of YEC
• Write an essay on how businesses can better connect with younger generations

Technical Advantage Scholarship

1 - $1000 Technical Advantage Scholarship:

• Must attend a technical college to study a trade
• Write an essay on Ready SC: The importance of a ready workforce

More information and online applications

For the fifth year, we will be honoring all active and former members of our armed services who bravely protect our freedom.

Please visit the outside drive-thru lane, where payments are accepted, at either of our York or Fort Mill office locations with your DD-214, military ID, or proof of your enlistment on Veterans Day.

As a token of our appreciation for your service and sacrifice, we will provide a small gift and a $20 power bill credit.

To keep you and our employees safe, we will be completing the transactions outdoors. Simply pull up in your car to our outside drive-thru lane and a member of our team, wearing appropriate protection, will assist you. Save the date for Wednesday, Nov 11! We look forward to seeing you!