A new Normal, a New Kind of Meeting

An ancient Greek philosopher once said the only thing constant in life is change.

Our lives over the last couple of months seem to have proven that adage true. Here at Laurens Electric Cooperative, we’ve had to change a lot to protect you and our employees during the pandemic. We’ve worn masks, temporarily shut down our lobby, and altered some of our policies in an effort to keep you and our staff safe from COVID-19. But, there is one other constant in our new normal. We continue to serve you and we always will.

One of the most important parts of being a cooperative is holding an annual meeting. It’s one of the best ways that we get to engage with our members. It is a special time for co-op members to gather, hear from co-op leadership and, perhaps most importantly, vote to elect your new board members.

Unfortunately, the risks involved with gathering together in a closed space prevented us from having the 2020 meeting on our traditional date. We now recognize we can’t have it in the traditional format, either.

This will be a different kind of annual meeting than we have ever had before. We won’t be able to gather together under the same roof like we always have. We won’t be able to shake hands and share stories. There won’t be a band or concessions.

Instead, you will be able to register and vote from your car. Our staff will be ready to safely welcome you and assist in your registration and voting. You will still receive your annual meeting gift, a $25 bill credit. You will still be eligible for prizes. You will still be voting for your representative board members and to change to our bylaws.

Your Annual Meeting Registration Card will be mailed by September 12. Bring this card to the drive through registration and voting on September 24, 25 or 26 to receive your bill credit and be entered into the prize drawings. The first 1,000 registrants will receive a Yeti tumbler.

Winners of prize drawings will be announced Monday, September 28 at laurenselectric.com and on our social media channels.

Results of the trustee elections, bylaws changes and single district voting question will be announced Monday, September 28 at laurenselectric.com.

While the annual meeting is going to be different this year, it does not change the fact that Laurens Electric is run by a democratically elected board. Having your voice be heard and participating in the democratic process is important. It ensures that your best interests are taken into consideration in all decisions made by the board.

We want to thank you for your understanding and flexibility as we proceed with this new version of our annual meeting, and we hope to see you driving through.

J. David Wasson, Jr.
President & CEO