Co-op News You Can Use

Notice of trustee nominating committee meeting and nominee application deadline

Deadline for board applications: July 26

Nominating committee meeting: August 2

Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the bylaws of Baldwin County Electric Membership Corporation, a meeting of the Trustee nominating committee will be held at the office of the cooperative in Summerdale, Alabama on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at 3 p.m. for the purpose of considering candidates for Trustee positions for districts five and seven. Any member desiring to be considered for election to the office of Trustee for one of these districts must attend the meeting of the nominating committee at the date and time established above.

Any person desiring to seek board nomination is required to submit a completed application by the close of business on July 26, 2023. Interested members may obtain an application from the headquarters office of the cooperative. Such completed application should be delivered to the headquarters of Baldwin EMC located at 19600 State Hwy. 59 in Summerdale, Alabama.

Members may contact the cooperative for further information regarding the election process.

Notice Of Election Process

At the annual meeting of the members of Baldwin County Electric Membership Corporation, the membership will elect trustees for districts five and seven. Any qualified member who seeks nomination to the board of trustees may do so according to the procedures outlined in this notice.

Pursuant to the bylaws of Baldwin County Electric Membership Corporation, Article IV, Section 3, the committee for nominations shall meet at the Cooperative’s headquarters not more than 105 days and not less than 84 days prior to the meeting of the members. Members who seek nomination to the board shall submit to the Cooperative, not less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting of the nominating committee, an application for board nomination (in such form as the Cooperative shall require) together with such other materials as are necessary to substantiate the member’s status as a bona fide resident of the district which the member seeks to represent in accordance with Article IV, Section 2 of the bylaws. Such date and time of the meeting of the committee shall be published at least 25 days prior to the meeting of the committee. Such publication shall be made by publishing such notice in the Alabama Living magazine or, in the discretion of the board, by delivery of such notice to the members by United States mail, by electronic mail, by posting such notice on the Cooperative’s website, or by placing legal notices in newspapers of general circulation published in Baldwin County and Monroe County, Alabama.

The committee shall elect its chairperson and review prospective nominees. The committee then may nominate at least one trustee from each district of the Cooperative from which a trustee must be elected to that office as the same then exists. All members seeking nomination to the board of trustees must be physically present at the meeting of the nominating committee in order to be eligible for nomination to the board of trustees; provided, however, the nominating committee may interview prospective nominees on a date or dates other than the published meeting date if, because of acts of God or circumstances beyond the control of any prospective nominee, such nominees are unable to be physically present on the published date of the nominating committee meeting. All nominees selected by the committee must satisfy the eligibility requirements set forth in the bylaws for trustees. Nominations are at the discretion of the committee, and the committee is not required to nominate all eligible prospective nominees. The nominating committee shall have the authority to suspend and reconvene the nominating committee meeting in order to evaluate the qualifications of those members seeking nomination to the board.

Any prospective nominee satisfying the trustee eligibility requirements set forth in the bylaws who was considered by the nominating committee and not nominated may submit to the Secretary, during the regular office hours of the Cooperative and not more than 14 days after the meeting of the nominating committee, a written petition for nomination signed by not less than 25 members of the Cooperative as of the record date for the annual meeting of the members. The petition must be on an official form adopted by the board of trustees and available from the Cooperative. No petition will be considered on any form other than the petition form officially adopted by the board of trustees. Each member’s signature appearing on a petition for nomination must be dated and accompanied by the member’s address. The petition may contain only one signature from any joint membership. It shall be the duty of the board of trustees or its designee to verify the accuracy and authenticity of the signatures affixed to the petition. If the board of trustees or its designee determines that any such prospective nominee satisfies the eligibility requirements and that the submitted petition is properly signed and dated by the required number of members and that each signature is genuine and belongs to a member in good standing as of the record date, the individual submitting such petition shall become a nominee for trustee.

For further details, refer to Baldwin EMC's bylaws, available at: www.baldwinemc.com or contact Baldwin EMC at (251) 989-6247.

Play it safe at the beach this summer

One of the highlights of a beach trip is water recreation. But the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) reminds everyone to be mindful of safety around water this season.

Never swim alone. Stay in groups, and don’t drift too far from shore.

• Don’t swim near piers, pilings and platforms.

• Do not swim in areas being used by fishermen. Avoid swimming in areas where schools of fish are present.

• Use extra caution when water is murky. Avoid being in the water during nighttime hours.

• Rip currents are most prevalent when the waves crash perpendicular to the beach, rather than at an angle. Look for gaps between the waves; a small patch of calm water surrounded by waves is often a rip current. And look for discolored water near the shore. Rip currents tend to drag large amounts of sediment back out to sea; they’re identifiable by a noticeable flow of sand extending away from the shore.

• Heed beach warning flags, which are posted at all public beach areas in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Gulf State Park. For more on summer safety, visit alea.gov.

Alabama launches statewide action plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2033

Alabama ranks third in the nation in the incidence and deaths from cervical cancer, and the burden is even worse in rural counties. To address the problem, the state Department of Public Health, primary care providers and several other health and advocacy groups have launched “Operation Wipe Out Cervical Cancer Alabama.”

The action plan will use evidence-based strategies to promote vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV), encourage cervical cancer screenings, and ensure follow ups when a screening indicates abnormal results.

HPV vaccinations help protect children and adolescents before they are exposed to the virus. Cancer screenings among women ages 21 to 65 detect abnormal cells in the cervix, which can lead to cancer. And appropriate follow-ups improve the chance of recovery from cervical cancer.

For more information on the statewide action plan, and to find out how you or your organization may get involved, visit alabamapublichealth.gov

Take us along!

We’ve enjoyed seeing photos from our readers on their travels with Alabama Living! Please send us a photo of you with a copy of the magazine on your travels to: mytravels@alabamaliving. coop. Be sure to include your name, hometown and electric cooperative, and the location of your photo.We’ll draw a winner for the $25 prize each month.