In one of the most notable inaugural speeches given, John F. Kennedy spoke his famous words, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." His inspiring words urged Americans to take actions that benefited the greater good. In essence, Kennedy was saying our country thrives when we all contribute our talents to the common good.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
02-03 BOARD ELECTIONS
04-05 YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES
06 GO PAPERLESS
On a smaller scale, I think the same can be said about our co-op, specifically with regard to our board members. RushShelby Energy's board members are community-minded individuals with a variety of skill sets. Our board is made up of farmers, educators, business owners, etc. We rely on their many talents to help us make informed decisions on long-term priorities and investments. Our directors live right here in the co-op's service area, and we consider them the eyes and ears of the community because they provide their perspective on important community issues. We recognize it takes many people with different skills to create a well-rounded board that can represent the full spectrum of our community. That's why when we're seeking new directors, we want folks with diverse perspectives, experience, expertise and views. We're seeking local members of our community who can apply their unique talents to benefit all our friends and neighbors. But above all else, we're looking for folks who love our community and want to see it thrive now and in the future.
07 QUICK LINKS
08 COOPERATION AMONG COOPERATIVES
Contact Us: 765-544-2600 Outage Reporting: 800-284-3452
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Contributors: Cathy Rhoades, Brad Rogers, Jared Seiffert and David Toll Publication Office: 2777 S. 840 W. Manilla, IN 46150 Periodical Postage paid in Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: ELECTRAWATT P.O. Box 55, Manilla, IN 46150
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www.rse.coop
Are you ready to serve? What does it mean to serve on the board? Serving on the RushShelby Energy's board means you're making a difference locally, using your individual talents and perspective to guide big decisions about the co-op that in turn benefit the larger community. While day-to-day decisions are made by co-op staff, major decisions are made by the board, whose mission is to look out for the vitality of the co-op and the community it serves. On a granular level, RushShelby Energy board members typically provide input and guidance on: • budgets • co-op goals and directions • capital investments and upgrades in equipment and technology • renewable investments and energy mix • co-op's role and involvement in economic development
The energy industry is undergoing a major transition. Technology advancements and increased consumer preference for more renewable energy is driving change. RushShelby Energy is facing big decisions, and board members have an opportunity to help chart a course for our future. To serve the community best, we need input from a wide range of people that represent the broad spectrum of views within the community. Opportunity to serve. While you don't need to be an expert in electricity or business to run, you do need to have a passion for the community and willingness to actively serve and learn. We're looking for individuals who can represent the full gamut of the members we serve. Our board meets on a regular basis, and we offer specialized training opportunities to help board members make informed decisions. Board members gain a deeper understanding of the electric utility industry, the cooperative business model and local economic development efforts. RushShelby Energy's board elections will be held at the annual meeting on July 13, 2022. RushShelby Energy's board is made up of nine individuals who set the policy and direction of our organization. Each year at the annual meeting, members are able to vote on three directors to serve on the board. In 2022, the three districts up for election are 2, 5 and 8.
Mark Nigh - District 2
Fred Smith - District 5
Dean Bacon - District 8
Any member residing in a home served by RushShelby Energy and in a district up for election, may have his or her name placed on the ballot by completing a petition. The petition must have fifteen signatures from other RushShelby Energy members living anywhere on our cooperative system. If you are interested in serving on the board by becoming a director for RushShelby Energy, you must obtain a petition from our office beginning March 7, 2022. These petitons must be completed and returned to RushShelby Energy no later than May 6, 2022. Additional information may be found on our website, www.rse.coop, in the bylaws section.
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youth opportunities
Student Art Calendar Contest Since 1998, Electric Consumer and participating Indiana electric cooperatives have held an annual art contest. The contest is open to all K-12 students who want to create an illustration for the cooperative annual wall calendar. A first-place artist will be selected for each grade, and the winners will receive a $200 prize. In addition, the artwork for each grade division winner will illustrate the cover and all the 12 months of the calendar. The artwork will also be displayed in galleries throughout the state. Who Can Enter Indiana public, private or home-schooled students in K-12 grade during the 2021-2022 school year. • Artwork can be submitted by teachers, youth leaders or others as a group or class project or by individual students or their parents or guardians. • Students may enter as often as they wish. Deadline to enter is March 18, 2022. For more details visit Indiana Connection or www.rse.coop.
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2022
Deadlines Quickly Approaching Indiana Youth Tour June 16-23, 2022 RushShelby Energy and Indiana Electric Cooperatives are on the search for high school juniors who desire to gain a better understanding of their government and obtain a personal appreciation for American History. We want you to join thousands of high school juniors from across the nation this June on an all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2022.
RushShelby Energy Scholarship Students graduating from high school this May can apply for a $1,000 scholarship from RushShelby Energy. Four scholarships will be awarded. Students must be the child of a RushShelby Energy member, residing in a home served by RSE electricity. Applications will be judged on scholarship, citizenship and school activities. Each application must also include a 750 to 1,500 word essay. All scholarship requirements and essay information can be found on our website at www.rse.coop. The deadline for scholarship applications is April 8, 2022.
Camp Kilowatt June 8-11, 2022 Camp Kilowatt is a fun and unique camp experience for sixth grade students going into seventh grade across Indiana. The camp will give kids a chance to learn more about energy while making new friends and enjoying lots of activities and games. Students will learn about basic electricity, renewable energy and the role of an electric cooperative. The campers also have plenty of time to enjoy rock climbing, horseback riding, archery, swimming, bucket truck rides, a line demonstration and canoeing. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2022.
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Cooperation Among Cooperatives "What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year" - Vern McLellan With a new year, new resolutions, new hopes and the promise of new beginnings abound. For Virginia utility Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC), the new year brought heavy snow, high winds and hundreds of outages, resulting in more than 98,000 members without power. Overwhelmed by the scope of the outages and widespread damage to their system, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative issued a call, a call RushShelby Energy alongside nine other Indiana based cooperatives were all too happy to respond to, honoring the sixth Cooperative Principle: Cooperation Among Cooperatives. In total, 30 Indiana line workers made the near 600-mile trip to Rappahannock Electric Cooperative in their hour of need. Due to the nature of the storm, countless trees were broken, resulting in an exceptional number of broken poles and an almost overwhelming number of outages. As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going and go is what they did. Representing RushShelby Energy, Greg File, Working Forman and Cameron Cox, Lineman Apprentice volunteered to lend a helping hand, understanding the urgency of REC's need. When asked about the experience, File commented, "Although this was a difficult situation and some members of REC were without power for several days, the crews were always treated with the highest respect and utmost kindness through the restoration process by the members and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative alike." Crews worked 16 hours a day for a full week to aid in the restoral effort. In a correspondence to their member base, REC expressed their great appreciation for the efforts of those men and women who worked to restore REC's system back to normal stating, "The damage sustained to the REC's service area is historic and the cooperative is grateful for mutual aid assistance to restore power across the entire territory." Of particular note, more than 650 line workers and construction crews were dispatched to aid in this restoral. These crews were from 55 cooperatives across the country, including Ohio, Missouri, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
Quick Links Toll Promoted
Chris Chastain, President & CEO, is pleased to announce that David Toll is now the Vice President of Administration and Member Engagement and will begin overseeing the marketing and member services department along with his other administration duties. "I feel that David's many years in management here at RushShelby Energy has prepared him to take on these extra duties and manage them efficiently and professionally," said Chastain. David started his career with RSE in March 2000 as Marketing and Key Account Manager. He was promoted to Vice President of Consumer Services in October 2010 and Vice President of Administration in April 2015.
Suds& Savings 5 Energy-Saving Tips
Wash with cold water. Try a cold-water detergent for a brilliant clean!
Wash full loads when possible. If you apply for an electric lawn equipment or an HVAC rebate, the rebate will be returned as a bill credit. For an application and more details visit our website at www.rse.coop. Dry heavier cottons seperately.
Energy Efficiency Tip
Use wool or rubber dryer balls to keep clothes separated for faster drying.
About 30% of a home's heating energy is lost through inefficient windows. Caulk and weatherstrip windows to seal air leaks. When running your home heating system, lock all operable windows to ensure the tightest seal possible.
Clean the lint filter after each drying cycle.
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PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID
GO PAPERLESS Help RushShelby Energy do our part to save the environment by signing up for paperless billing. For every 1,000 members who choose to go paperless, more than 24,000 envelopes, 36,000 sheets of paper, and $5,000 in postage is saved each year. Paperless billing is a quick and easy tool to help you avoid accidentally misplacing your bill and rushing to ensure your payment is made on time to escape paying a late fee. It only takes a few minutes to sign up via SmartHub online or on your mobile device and it comes with many great benefits. • View or print your electric bill anytime with 24/7 secure access to your online account information. • Receive an automated e-mail notification when your monthly electric bill is ready. • Easily review your electric use, payment and billing history. • No fees - you can pay your electric bill online for free. • Eliminate mailbox clutter. Log into your SmartHub Account • SmartHub at RSE's online billing and payment website. You can navigate directly to rse.smarthub.coop or visit our website rse.coop and click on the SmartHub Account Access tab. • If you don't have a SmartHub account, you can create one in three easy steps. Below the sign-in boxes, click on "New User." You just need your account number, mailing zip code and access to your email account. Activate Paperless Billing To access paperless billing: 1. Click on "My Profile." 2. Choose "Update My Paperless Setting. " 3. Click the button to turn "ON" paperless billing and choose "YES" to confirm. It's that simple! If you ever change your mind just use the same directions and switch the paperless options to "OFF".
Don't let our forests grow up to be electric bills!