Co-opConnection
MID-CAROLINA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
www.mcecoop.com
Lexington Office
P.O. Box 669
254 Longs Pond Road
Lexington, SC 29071
Dutch Fork Office
7524 Broad River Road
Irmo, SC 29063
Customer Service
(803) 749-6400
(888) 813-8000 Toll Free
General Information
(803) 749-6555
(888) 813-9000 Toll Free
Report Outages
(803) 749-6444
(888) 813-7000 Toll Free
Board of Trustees
Marvin W. Sox, Chairman
Clifford B. Shealy, Vice Chairman
Lavenia D. Hentz, Secretary
J. Allan Risinger, Treasurer
J. Carey Bedenbaugh, Jr.
Eddie C. Best, Jr.
Kenneth V. Frick
Donette B. Kirkland
Justin B. Watts
Chief Executive Officer
B. Robert Paulling
The mission of Mid-Carolina
Electric Cooperative, Inc., a
not-for-profit member-owned
electric distribution utility,
is to provide quality electric
services at competitive costs
with a commitment to member
satisfaction.
Co-op Connection Editor
Lacy Ridgell
[email protected]
’Tis the season for cooking safety
Tips for cooking safely, indoors and out
THE KITCHEN is the heart of the home. Sadly,
it’s also where two out of every five home
fires start. Many home fires occur during
what’s supposed to be the happiest
time of the year—the holidays.
Thanksgiving, Christmas and
Christmas Eve hold a tradition of
cooking, and safety should always
be considered in the kitchen.
As we embark on the holiday
season, Mid-Carolina Electric
Cooperative and the Electrical
Safety Foundation International (ESFI)
urge you to use a few simple safety tips
to identify and correct potential cooking
hazards, indoors and outdoors.
Indoors
ff Never
leave cooking equipment
unattended, and always remember to turn
off burners if you have to leave the room.
ff Supervise
the little ones closely in the
kitchen. Make sure children stay at least
three feet away from all cooking appliances.
ff Prevent
potential fires by making sure
your stovetop and oven are clean and free
of grease, dust and spilled food.
ff Remember
to clean the exhaust hood and
duct over your stove on a regular basis.
ff Keep
the cooking area around the stove
and oven clear of combustibles, such as
towels, napkins and potholders.
ff Always
wear short or close-fitting sleeves
when cooking. Loose clothing can catch fire.
ff To
protect from spills and burns, use the
back burners and turn the pot handles in,
away from reaching hands.
ff Locate
all appliances away from the sink.
ff Plug
countertop appliances into ground
fault circuit interrupter-protected outlets.
ff Keep
appliance cords away from hot
surfaces like the range or toaster.
ff Unplug
the toaster and other countertop
appliances when not in use.
ff Be
sure to turn off all appliances when
cooking is completed.
Outdoors
We’d like to add a few tips for members
who enjoy deep-fried turkey:
ff Thaw the bird completely.
ff Cook
outdoors, of course, and away from
anything flammable—and that includes
wooden decks.
ff Don’t
cook under or near your service line
or any co-op facilities such as poles, lines,
underground transformers, etc.
ff Don’t
leave the fryer unattended while
the turkey is frying.
Let’s stay focused on safety throughout
the holiday season—and every day. Happy
Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas from
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative!
B. Robert “Bob” Paulling
CEO
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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | november/december 2014 | scliving.coop
MCEC News
Annual Meeting Date April 10, 2015
Nomination Process for Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees
Trustees for Districts 4, 5 and 6 will be elected at the 2015 Annual Meeting
Petitions for Trustee Candidates Due No Later Than January 10, 2015
—AND—
Nomination Process for Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative
Nominating and Qualifications Committee
Representatives for Districts 7, 8, and 9 will be elected at the 2015 Annual Meeting
Petitions for Committee Representatives Due No Later Than January 10, 2015
Section 4. Nominations. A candidate for Trustee must be nominated by the Nominating and Qualifications Committee or by member petition and then qualified as
a Trustee candidate as provided in this Section in order to appear on the ballot.
(a) The Nominating and Qualifications Committee shall consist of nine members. All members of the Committee must agree to keep the personal information of
Trustee candidates confidential. Members serving on the Committee must have at least a high school education, must not be past due on any obligation to the
Cooperative, and cannot be employed by the Cooperative nor have a spouse, parent or child employed by the Cooperative. Each member of the Committee must
have a primary residence in the Trustee District which the member represents.
(1) The members of the Committee shall initially be appointed by the Board after the 2012 annual meeting. One Committee member shall come from each
Trustee electoral district. The Committee members from Districts 1, 2 and 3 shall be designated as CLASS A and their terms expire at the 2013 annual
meeting. The Committee members from Districts 4, 5 and 6 shall be designated as CLASS B and their terms expire at the 2014 annual meeting. The
Committee members from Districts 7, 8 and 9 shall be designated as CLASS C and their terms expire at the 2015 annual meeting.
(2) Thereafter, the elected members of the Committee shall serve for three years. At least 90 days prior to each annual meeting after 2012, the Board shall
nominate at least one member of the Cooperative to be presented to the membership for election to the Committee for each District whose member’s terms
is expiring. The names and addresses of these candidates shall be included in the notice of annual meeting. Any 50 members of the Cooperative may, by
written petition signed by each and delivered to the principal office of the Cooperative at least 90 days prior to an annual meeting, nominate a member for
a place on the Nominating and Qualifications Committee. The name and address of any petition candidate shall also be included in the notice of annual
meeting.
(3) Members of the Nomination and Qualifications Committee shall receive their expenses and a reasonable per diem fee for each meeting of the Committee,
as set by the Board.
(4) The attorney/general counsel of the Cooperative shall be a non-voting member of the Committee to provide information, advice and counsel.
(5) The CEO of the Cooperative shall be a non-voting member of the Committee to provide information, data and advice.
(b) The Nominating and Qualifications Committee shall give public notice of the Board seats up for election at the upcoming annual meeting at least 120 days prior to the annual meeting.
(1) The Committee shall provide to all candidates who submit their names for consideration as a Trustee candidate the required qualifications to be a Trustee
stated in these Bylaws and any additional requirements established by the Board pursuant to these Bylaws.
(2) The Committee shall receive information from and gather information about each person who submits his or her name for consideration as a Trustee
candidate so that the committee can investigate the candidate’s ability to meet the qualifications enumerated in Article IV, Section 3 of these Bylaws and
additional qualifications enacted by the Board pursuant to Article IV, Section 3(k) of these Bylaws.
(3) The Committee will interview each candidate.
(4) After gathering and considering information on each candidate and the interviews, the Committee shall determine each candidate to be either qualified or
unqualified to meet the qualifications enumerated in Article IV, Section 3 of these Bylaws and additional qualifications enacted by the Board pursuant to
Article IV, Section 3(k) of these Bylaws. From the qualified candidates, at least 45 days before the annual meeting, the committee shall select and post the
name(s) of at least one person nominated for each district up for election.
(c) Any 50 members of the Cooperative may, by written petition signed by each and delivered to the principal office of the Cooperative at least 90 days prior to
an annual meeting, nominate a member in good standing to be considered by the Nominating and Qualifications Committee to be a Trustee candidate for any
Board seat being filled by election at the upcoming annual meeting. The Nominating and Qualifications Committee shall interview the petition candidate, gather
and receive information relevant to the petition candidate’s ability to meet the qualifications enumerated in Article IV, Section 3 of these Bylaws and additional
qualifications enacted by the Board pursuant to Article IV, Section 3(k) of these Bylaws. At least 45 days prior to the annual meeting, the committee will find the
petition candidate qualified or unqualified. If the petition candidate is found qualified then the Committee will list the petition candidate as one of its nominations
for that petition candidate’s district of residence.
(d) The Secretary shall be responsible for mailing to the members with the notice of the annual meeting, or separately, but at least ten (10) days before the date
of the meeting, a statement of the total number of Trustees to be elected at the meeting. This statement shall include a list of the names and addresses of the
candidate or candidates from each district nominated by the Committee, including those petition candidates found qualified. Nothing in this statement shall
indicate a difference between candidates nominated by petition and those nominated directly by the Nominating and Qualifications Committee.
scliving.coop | november/december 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING
5
G
Img1706---Players
Jim Thompson, Ralph
Lesesne, and Lew
Dubose purchase door
prize tickets from
WIRE volunteers.
Golfers drive home another successful tournament
A record number of
golfers participated in the
tournament this year with
24 teams in attendance.
Nearly 100 golfers
turned out on Oct. 13
to participate in
Mid-Carolina Electric’s
WIRE charity golf
tournament. This was
the tournament’s ninth
successful year at
Golden Hills Country
Club in Lexington.
The proceeds from
sponsors and players
go to support Becky’s
Place, a boutique at
Lexington Medical
Center providing wigs,
prosthetics and other items to cancer
patients. The $10,000 that we were
able to raise this year will be used to
provide those items to women who
cannot afford them.
Over the years,
the WIRE chapter at
Mid-Carolina Electric
has donated more
than $110,000 to this
wonderful organization
in support of cancer
awareness. “It was truly
a blessing to be part of
John Steele
swings for such a heartwarming
the green. effort. None of
this would be
possible without
the support of
our volunteers
and sponsors,” says Lacy Ridgell,
Public Relations coordinator and
tournament organizer.
First Place Winners Bob Paulling, Glenn Martin, Ryan Smoak
and Tim Ayer are joined by our littlest golfer, Jake Sanders.
And the winners are...
Players Eddie Richardson, Justin Wooten,
Kenny Bickley and Barry Tompkins prepare
their lunch before the tournament begins.
First Place Winners: Bob Paulling,
Glenn Martin, Ryan Smoak and Tim
Ayer
Second Place Winners: Jonathan
Black, Lance Daniel, Jeff Paulling and
Adam West
Third Place Winners: Brad
Alewine, Bill Rogers, Todd Berrian,
Scott Hammond
Teammates Nick Hook, Richard Taylor, Derek Metts and Barron
Wells prepare to take their first shot of the day.
Special thanks to Harold French with LOVE Chevrolet
for sponsoring hole #3 with a chance to win a 2014
Chevrolet Cruze.
With the help of these WIRE volunteers, this fundraiser was a success: Vicki Ross-Bell, Lacy Ridgell, Nicole
Addy, Shirley Adkins, Regina Ridgell, Kathryn Miller, Joan Monts, Marjorie Durant, Carolyn Ashton, Gail
Hall, Charlene Pankow, Sandra Ballington, Judy Dease, Merle Temples, Barbara Hamilton.
scliving.coop | november/december 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING
Nicole Addy
20A
THANK YOU!!
Your Dedication Is
GREATLY Appreciated!
Melody Swygert (37) · Mike Johnson (36)
Larry Micol (36) · Janice Ayers (36)
Nancy Sexton (34) · Mike Burgess (33)
MID-C AROLINA ELECTRIC C OOPERATIVE , INC .
803.749.6400 | 1.888.813.8000 | mcecoop.com
20B
SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | november/december 2014 | scliving.coop
Empowering teachers … one grant at a time!
recently made special visits to 18 grant-winning teachers in our area. The program
representatives surprised the teachers with a check, and other prizes to reward them for a job well done.
Mid-Carolina gave approximately $16,000 in the eleventh annual Bright Ideas program recognition. All
classroom educators were eligible to apply if they taught in grades kindergarten through 12 in Lexington School
Districts One, Two, Three and Five, in Saluda County schools or at Pinegrove, Rhame, Sandel Elementary,
St. Andrews Middle or Columbia High. This year, a total of 82 applications were received! The judges had a most
difficult task in choosing the educators whose ideas they felt would most benefit the students.
The projects that were chosen include a fitness program for young girls, grafting tomato seedlings to diseaseresistant root stock, using music therapy class to reach students with disabilities, exploring the use of biofuels,
and even applying economic theory by operating a student-run store. Educators who have innovative ideas for
their classroom are encouraged to apply!
Lacy Ridgell
The Bright Ideas Grant Patrol
This year’s grant winners
The kindergartners at
Hollywood
Elementary
will enjoy
using a
STEM unit
to build,
design and
create.
Regan Moore
Irmo Middle
Stephanie Price
Gilbert Elementary
Amber Tolar
Oak Pointe Elementary
Lori Wenzinger
Dutch Fork Middle
Cindy Behrends
Midway Elementary
Susan Braddock
Pleasant Hill Middle
Betsy Kosh
Cheryl Longshore
The “Talk to the Hands” club teaches students to communicate
with the deaf culture, and they even perform songs in sign
language at local events.
Students at Chapin High will explore environmental concerns
using kits that will allow them to collect real samples in the field.
Johnna Harbert
Batesburg-Leesville Primary
Kathy Seibert
Pineview Elementary
Thomas Nix
Airport High
Emily Berry
Chapin Elementary
Pleasant Hill
Middle has
collected recyclable
materials
throughout the
school, reducing
their trash disposal
by 60 percent!
They will purchase
additional bins and
carts to continue
their efforts.
Valerie Fort
New Providence Elementary
Theresa Catalano
Irmo Elementary
Lacy Ridgell
Patrick Smallwood
Center for Advanced
Technical Studies
Laurie Taylor
Chapin High
DD Manning
Rocky Creek Elementary
“Tales for Tots” will provide monthly story time and crafts for
young students who are the first in their families to attend school.
Lacy Ridgell
Tina McCaskill
Malisa Johnson
Oak Pointe Elementary
Airport High students will build and program small machines
they will use to compete in robotic games and competitions.
Brenda Eidson
Hollywood Elementary
Jeannette Conti
Chapin High
scliving.coop | november/december 2014 | SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING
20C
Operation Round Up disclosure statement
local families were
assisted during the past quarter
with approximately $54,997.17
being donated for rent,
mortgage, food, home
repairs, insurance, and
facility renovations. Five
local Christian Ministries
(Lexington Interfaith
Community Services
[LICS], Lexington;
Sharing God’s Love,
Irmo; God’s Helping Hand, West
Columbia; We Care, Chapin, and
Christian Ministries, Batesburg/
Leesville) also received $17,098
More than 28
to assist more individuals with
immediate needs.
Since 1994 Mid-Carolina Operation
Round Up program has donated
more than $4 million to
those in need in the co-op
community. “All of our
members’ contributions
to Operation Round Up are
returned to families in
the communities we
serve,” said Vicki RossBell, administrative services manager.
“It is only through our members’
generosity that we are able to assist in
this manner.”
We’re here for you to help your
holidays shine brighter.
MID-C AROLINA ELECTRIC C OOPERATIVE , INC .
Do you have special
medical needs?
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative
offers two options for residential
members who are either elderly with
special needs or members with serious
health conditions. When medical bills
or other financial challenges make
payment of the electric bill difficult,
members may contact Member
Service to request a Special Needs
arrangement to be completed by a
licensed health care provider. When
the completed form is returned to us,
the member will be allowed additional
time for payment of the bill.
The second option is to request
Special Needs account status for a
residence with elderly persons with
special needs or someone in the
household with life-threatening or
serious health concerns. This status
is most useful during outages and for
account notifications regarding service
interruptions. Member Service will
provide the form to be completed by
the health care provider. The special
medical status is renewed annually
based on verification by the health
care provider.
If you have questions, please call us at
749-6400 or 1-888-813-8000.
STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MCEC) is the recipient
of Federal financial assistance from the Rural Utilities Service,
an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is subject
to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as
amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended,
and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture which provide that no person in the United States
on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or
disability shall be excluded from participation in, admission or
access to, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected
to discrimination under any of this organization’s programs
or activities.
Mid-Carolina is an equal opportunity provider and
employer.
If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of
discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination
Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/
complaint_filing_cust.html or at any USDA office, or call (866)
632-9992 to request the form. Send your completed complaint
form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue,
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or
email at [email protected].
20D
SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | november/december 2014 | scliving.coop