As a member, you can express your opinion regarding the operation of your cooperative at any time.

All cooperative businesses adhere to seven guiding principles. Your electric cooperative is no different. Among those seven principles is Democratic Member Control. Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members–the owners–who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.

In a cooperative, the members have equal voting rights—one member, one vote. The elected representatives, the board members, are accountable to the membership.

I have written in prior issues of Country Lines about the importance of attending your cooperative’s annual meeting, voting for the directors that will represent you, and generally expressing your opinions regarding the operation of your cooperative.

Your participation is not limited to attending the annual meeting. As a member, you can express your opinion regarding the operation of your cooperative at any time.

Over the next several years your cooperative will face numerous issues that will have long-term implications for the service they provide to you. These issues may include the need to secure power supply or build new generation, implement energy efficiency initiatives, and consider renewable energy investments and net metering, to list just a few.

When your board of directors deliberates over these or any other issue, they constantly ask, “How will this affect the members?” The concern for the membership is what drives your board in making any decision.

Your cooperative is constantly seeking member input. Annual meetings, district meetings, customer forums, focus groups, member dinners, member surveys, direct contact with members, and even “coffee shop talk” all play a part in your cooperative’s constant effort to find out what is important to the members.

When these opportunities present themselves, I hope you take the time to express your opinion about your cooperative.