matters MEMBERSHIP
A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
April 2014
Director voting options, reminder of Annual Meeting Overwhelmingly positive response by members the past few years to vote by mail and Internet in director elections has led Blue Ridge Electric to continue offering these options to members in the upcoming director election this May. Members have also been very positive in changing the Annual Meeting format to help control costs so therefore, the new business format will continue this year. Members will receive the Annual Meeting notice and director election kit in May. For convenience and to
and vote by mail if preferred. Finally, members also have the option to vote during the Annual Meeting. The success of offering more convenient, modern ways for members to participate in director elections helped Blue Ridge Electric staff realize an opportunity to meet another very important goal: saving members’ money with a business style Annual Meeting format.
This year’s Annual Meeting will continue with a strictly business meeting format. The Thousands more members now vote in cooperative director elections due to multiple options. is holding the meeting in its save postage and other costs, memcorporate office meeting room in bers are strongly encouraged to visit Lenoir on Thursday, June 12, beginthe website listed in the kit in order to ning at 4 p.m. Key board and staff vote by Internet. However, members members will report on business recan choose to make their director sesults and director elections will be lections on the proxy form provided announced. By changing the meeting
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format, savings have exceeded $150,000 annually by eliminating costs for food, facility rentals including chairs, tables, sound, registration prizes, entertainment and employee labor, and other items. Historically, the primary reason for the Annual Meeting is to give members the opportunity to elect their board of directors and learn about important cooperative matters. Since the cooperative added options to vote by mail and Internet, thousands more members now vote in director elections than when the only option was to attend the Annual Meeting.
3/12/14 8:56 AM