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SECO Energy Partners with United Way at 81st Annual Meeting

SECO Energy is partnering with local United Way agencies during its Annual Meeting of the Membership on March 23, 2019, with a food donation drive to help restock local food pantries. Food donation drop-offs will be situated near parking areas between registration and the big American flag displays.

 

“Feeding the Cooperative Spirit” is the theme for this year’s Annual Meeting and is also a mission. Many local food banks are running desperately low on critical need food items. These shortages compromise their ability to support area residents. SECO and its local United Way partners have a plan to change that.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “This year’s Annual Meeting is a perfect opportunity for community-minded members and guests, along with SECO and the United Way, to fill a community need. Almost 7,000 members and guests attended last year’s Annual Meeting, and we are expecting an even larger crowd this year. Please donate canned, boxed or jarred foods upon arrival at this year’s Annual Meeting food drive. Together, we can make a tangible difference in the communities we serve.”

 

Consider donating low-sodium, low-sugar options including canned meats, fruits, vegetables, soups and stews. Canned or dried beans, whole grains such as oatmeal, rice and pasta, assorted baby foods and prepared meals are also good options.

 

Local food pantry needs for 2019 Annual Meeting food drive

 

Gates and registration open at 8 a.m. To register bring a copy of your bill and photo ID. Members who attend the meeting are treated to hot sausage egg and cheese biscuits, cookies, doughnuts, coffee and soft drinks, a SECO gift and a 2018 Annual Report. Find a seat in the Annual Meeting Pavilion because Margo Rochelle & Rodeo Drive will be center stage. Visit the Energy Showcase for energy efficiency ideas and product information from SECO’s partners, and pick up a free LED provided by our wholesale provider Seminole Electric.

 

Members are invited to stroll the grounds and locate a member of the Facebook Help Squad. Snap a selfie or take a picture while at the Annual Meeting and post it on SECO’s Facebook page for the chance to win a $300 bill credit. Be sure to “like” SECO’s Facebook page before the meeting begins.

 

The business meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. Toward the end of the business meeting, members will be asked to vote on the Board-recommended Articles of Incorporation amendment and related Bylaws revision. After the votes, the drawing for grand and door prizes begins. Grand prizes this year include a refurbished 2009 Ford SuperCab 4X4, a gas-powered golf cart and $1,500 cash. Door prizes include cash, gift cards and assorted high-tech items.

 

Click on the RSVP home page banner to RSVP online before the meeting to help SECO with breakfast and gift headcount. Members who RSVP online are entered in a drawing for a $300 bill credit. As with all other prizes you must be present to win.

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

SECO News, March 2019

DUNCAN’S DIGEST

 

I would like to extend a personal invitation to join us for our 81st Annual Meeting on Saturday, March 23. Gates and registration open at 8 a.m. and the business meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. SECO’s ever-hospitable, friendly employees are excited to host members and guests on Annual Meeting day.

 

SECO News Duncan's Digest 2019

 

RSVP online if you plan to attend. The online RSVP is for breakfast and gift headcount only. You will still need to register upon arrival. To RSVP online or click on the RSVP home page banner. You’ll be entered in a $300 bill credit prize drawing and must be present at the meeting to win.

 

Annual Meeting Home Page Banner

 

The theme of this year’s meeting is also a mission: “Feeding the Cooperative Spirit.” Many local food pantries are experiencing critical food shortages that compromise their ability to support area residents. Join SECO, the United Way and your fellow members to help restock local food dispensaries in the counties we serve. Consider donating healthy options including meats and vegetables; grains (oatmeal, rice, pasta); baby food and canned meals (soups, stews). United Way and local food pantry volunteers will be on-hand to collect your donated items at food drop-offs located near the big American flags in the parking areas.

 

Speaking of food, we are serving the now-famous “big breakfast biscuit” (sausage, egg and cheese – one per person please). You’ll also find cookies, doughnuts, coffee and sodas. Limited picnic and high top tables are available on the south side of the Annual Meeting Pavilion. You are welcome to bring your own picnic blankets, folding/camp chairs or grab a seat under the Pavilion.

 

To register, bring a copy of your bill. A photo ID is required. At registration, pick up a ticket set for breakfast, gifts and door prizes. Immediately after registration, you’ll drop your door prize ticket in the prize barrel at Station 1 and proceed to Station 2 to pick up your SECO gift bag. Inside you’ll find Voting Packets for the Board-recommended Articles of Incorporation amendment and the corresponding Bylaws revision. You’ll also find a copy of our 2018 Annual Report.

 

Scout a good seat early. Visit our Energy Showcase before the business meeting begins to learn more about energy efficiency, visit with our partners and pick up a free LED provided by our wholesale power provider Seminole Electric Cooperative. Tap your toes, sing along or dance to live music provided by member-favorite Margo Rochelle & Rodeo Drive Band.

 

Take a stroll and locate a member of our Facebook Help Squad. Snap a selfie or pose for a picture with a SECO photo frame. Members who “like” SECO’s Facebook page and post a photo or comment during the Annual Meeting on our page are entered into a drawing for a $300 bill credit.

 

The Articles of Incorporation amendment with Mr. Duncan cover letter 2019 and Bylaws revision with Mr. Duncan cover letter 2019 votes take place before the business meeting adjourns. Prize drawings begin directly after the business meeting. Grand prizes include a refurbished 2009 Ford SuperCab 4X4, a golf cart and cash prizes. The door prize list also includes gift cards and high-tech items. Keep reading for a sneak peek of the complete door prize list!

 

You must be present to win, so I hope to see you there!

 

Sincerely,

 

Jim Duncan

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

March 2019 SECO News SECO Champions blog header

 

SECO CHAMPIONS – 400+ SECO EMPLOYEES

 

SECO’s 400+ employees are dedicated to providing exceptional service to members, co-workers and communities.

 

Thousands of members and guests join SECO Energy and its 400+ employees at our Annual Meetings. Members are surveyed about their Annual Meeting experience after the event, and they are not shy about sharing their feedback. Members enjoy the cooperative update, the breakfast biscuits and snacks, the live entertainment and learning about energy efficiency ideas at our Energy Showcase.

 

But hands-down, the highest-rated Annual Meeting experience is our members’ interactions with, and the hospitality provided by, our 400+ SECO Champion employees. Our group of hard working, local folks provide top-notch customer service to our members. Whether on the front lines or behind the scenes, SECO is proud of each employee and his/her work that helps pen our cooperative’s success stories – the stories of SECO Energy Champions.

 

Join us at our 81st Annual Meeting on Saturday, March 23, to interact with our employees and enjoy SECO hospitality at its finest. See you there!

 

2019 Annual Meeting prize list blog header

ANNUAL MEETING 2019 DOOR PRIZES

 

  • Refurbished 2009 Ford SuperCab 4X4
  • Gas-powered golf cart
  • $1,500
  • $1,000
  • (2) $500
  • Masterbuilt Smokers
  •  Shark Robotic Vacuum
  • Nest Learning Thermostats
  • Apple TVs
  • Wood-Burning Fire Pit
  • DEWALT Cordless Drills
  • Power Air Fryers
  • Foodsaver Vacuum Sealing Systems
  • Ring Video Doorbells
  • Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablets
  • Victrola 6-in-1 Entertainment Centers
  • Fire TV Cube
  • Black & Decker Cordless Combos
  • Amazon Fire TVs
  • Nix Digital Photo Frame
  • Nostalgia Vintage Ice Cream Makers
  • JBL Portable Bluetooth Speakers
  • Kobalt 227-piece Mechanic’s Tool Set
  • Fitbit Activity Trackers
  • Kobalt 22-piece Household Tool Set
  • Stanley Shop Vacs
  • $50 Visa Gift Cards

 

Read the full March 2019 SECO News online.

SECO News, February 2017

Duncan’s Digest: 2017 Annual Meeting

It’s that time of year, and we are gearing up for our 79th Annual Meeting of the Membership. The event takes place on Saturday, March 25, at our Sumterville Compound at 293 S. Highway 301. Gates open at 8:00 a.m., registration opens at 8:30 a.m. and the business meeting begins at 10:30 a.m.

 

Our Annual Meeting is about you – our member. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO is operated for the benefit of and owned by the members. SECO does not share dividends with stockholders or investors. Instead, and per the requirements of our business model and bylaws, our margins are allocated to the members themselves, used as equity for the financial health of the cooperative and returned/retired to the members upon Board of Trustee approval.

Fun, Food and Prizes

 

However, the meeting isn’t all business – we have fun around here too. Join us for breakfast biscuits, coffee, sodas, doughnuts and cookies. Browse our Energy Showcase to learn more about energy savings and visit with SECO’s energy partners. Kick up your heels to some of the best live entertainment by Margo Rochelle and the Rodeo Drive band. And visit with the Facebook Help Squad to learn how to enter the Facebook drawing for the $300 bill credit.

 

If you’ve attended before, you know that we give away prizes galore! The grand prizes up for grabs this year are $1,500 in cash, a truck and a golf cart. SECO is also giving away a $1,000 cash prize, two $500 cash prizes and a $300 Facebook bill credit. Additionally, we have a host of door prizes – many of which are donated by local businesses and vendors that are also our members.

 

All registered members receive a special SECO gift and a copy of our 2016 Annual Report, with an additional gift available in the Energy Showcase. A Q&A session wraps up the business meeting, so don’t be shy about asking a question. The door prizes start after the business meeting portion, so be sure to stay for the entire meeting. Given that we host nearly 4,000 guests in a short timeframe, parking is a pretty well-oiled machine managed by SECO employees supported by local law enforcement.

Annual Meeting Invite 2017

 

Your official Annual Meeting notice will arrive in either your February or March billing statement – depending on the date of your billing cycle. You don’t need to bring the notice to the meeting with you as we’ve developed an electronic check in process that works best with a copy of your bill. Join me, along with your fellow cooperative members, the SECO Board of Trustees and many of SECO’s employees for the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Membership.

 

Let’s pray for mild weather this year. I hope to see each of you there.

 

Read the full February 2017 SECO News here.