2025
West Florida Electric Youth Tour Competition
Youth Tour Program Overview:
What is Youth Tour? Youth Tour (YT) is sponsored nationally by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the Florida Electric Cooperative Association (FECA), and West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC). Each year, almost 2,000 outstanding high school students from across the nation visit their state and nation’s Capitols to develop leadership skills, learn more about U.S. history and government, and gain a personal understanding of their role as a citizen. High school juniors have the opportunity to use their knowledge to compete for a FREE week-long trip to Washington, D.C. Everyone who participates in WFEC’s Youth Tour program will go to Tallahassee for two days, all-expenses-paid.
The two Youth Tour winners will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to utilize at any college/ university or trade. The alternate will receive a $500 scholarship.
2024 Youth Tour Participants
Why Should I Participate? Win a FREE trip to Washington, D.C., and make lots of new friends! Even if you’re not selected as one of the two finalists, you’ll still get that FREE two-day trip to Tallahassee with other juniors from Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson & Washington counties.
Requirements to Compete:
• Be a high school junior
• Parents/guardians must be members of West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC must be your electricity provider)
Each high school in WFEC’s service area selects one student representative. All students chosen are required to participate in the two-day trip to Tallahassee. Failure to attend the Tallahassee trip will automatically disqualify students from competing for the trip to Washington, D.C. (unless prior approval to miss the trip is received from WFEC).
Each year, WFEC, along with the Florida Electric Cooperative Association (FECA), sponsors a separate Youth Tour essay contest for the children & grandchildren WFEC of employees and trustees.
2024 YT participants were (l-r): Larame Gates, Graceville HS; Wyatt Speers, Cottondale HS; Joseph Smith, Sneads HS; Randi Jo Boyd, Holmes County HS; Morgan Faircloth, Bethlehem School; Rebecca Lee, Chipley HS; Chelsea Edenfield, Altha School LaRae Baxter, Malone School and Matthew Evans, Blountstown HS.
Youth Tour Competition:
How will the 2 finalists & alternate be selected? Finalists will be chosen based on an interview with three judges. Whene filling out the application, each student is required to turn in a brief essay about themselves to help the judges get to know them & formulate interview questions. Students will be scored using the guide below & those with the highest overall accumulated scores will be selected as the winners.
What will I need to know for my interview?
WFEC has supplied a study guide (in this booklet) to each school’s designated representative. Judges will select two winners & one alternate for the trip to D.C. based on the highest accumulated scores & the percentages below.
How will I be scored?
Communication Skills: 25 points
Personality: 25 points
Knowledge of Subject: 25 points
Poise/Appearance: 15 points
Community Service: 10 points
Communication Skills/Personality: Maintain good eye contact, speak in a clear & audible voice and avoid speech interrupters such as uh, um, ah, you know, like, etc. The judges are looking for students that smile, are bright, cheerful and engaging, and are truly interested in the Youth Tour program.
Knowledge of Subject: Study this guide and other materials provided by WFEC.
Poise/Appearance: • maintain good posture
• don’t fidget • dress appropriately (something you’d wear to a job interview or church)
• do not chew gum.
Community Service: Tell the judges how you contribute to your community by volunteering.
How can I win? Study, study, study! This booklet contains everything you need to know about WFEC and the history of electric cooperatives.
2024 Florida Youth Tour students, LaRae Baxter & Joseph Smith
QuesTions?
Please call/email if you have questions regarding your Trustee or this study guide. Some interview questions will be taken from it, but a variety of personality & current events questions could also be asked. Judges may also ask about school, family, career plans, college, etc.
Two winners & one alternate will be selected for the D.C. trip based on the highest accumulated scores. Winners will be announced at the Youth Tour banquet.
imporTanT DaTes:
December 17, 2024
Deadline for schools to choose a participant and have paperwork returned to WFEC.
February 12-13, 2025
All Youth Tour participants will spend two educational & fun-filled days in Tallahassee, touring Florida’s capital city.
June 16-21, 2025
Two winners from the WFEC local competition will join other Youth Tour winners from across the state for a 6-day tour of Washington, D.C.
History: Each year, WFEC selects two students as delegates for the Washington, D. C. Youth Tour program, which offers valuable opportunities for student leaders to learn about American history, government and the role of electric cooperatives.
Delegates enjoy a week-long, all-expense-paid trip to the nation’s capital.
Youth Tour was inspired by Senator Lyndon B. Johnson at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) annual meeting in Chicago in 1957. The Senator & future president declared, “If one thing goes out of this meeting, it will be sending youngsters to the nation’s Capitol where they can actually see what the flag stands for and represents.”
In 1958, an electric cooperative in Iowa sponsored the first group of young people on a week-long study tour of the nation’s capitol.
Later that same year, another group came from Illinois. The idea continued to grow and other states began sending students throughout the summer. By 1959, the “Youth Tour” grew to 130 students.
In 1964, NRECA began coordinating activities for the state delegations and suggested reps from each state visit D.C. during Youth Tour week.
The program has continued to grow and today, more than 2,000 students participate in Youth Tour.
WFEC began participating in the Youth Tour in 1979 and has sent nearly 100 students on the trip since.
2024 Florida Youth Tour participants at Mt. Vernon
Youth Tour Study Guide Page 1:
What is West Florida Electric Cooperative Association, Inc.? A not-for-profit corporation incorporated in 1937 under the laws of Florida for the purpose of providing electric service to its members at cost.
How are trustees selected to serve on the cooperative’s board? 9 trustees are voted on and elected by the members. 3 trustees are elected each year to serve a 3-year term. Each trustee is from a different district to ensure every area is represented.
Who is the current President of the cooperative’s Board of Trustees? Tim Alford
Who is the Interim Executive Vice President & CEO (EVP) of West Florida Electric Cooperative and what are his responsibilities? Wayne Williams. The EVP & CEO is selected by the Board of Trustees to oversee the day-to-day operations of the cooperative and policies established by them.
How many meters does the cooperative serve? Approximately 30,000
How many miles of line does the cooperative own? Approximately 5,100
What counties does WFEC serve? Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson and Washington
How many members per mile of line does WFEC serve? Approximately 6
Who owns WFEC? Its members
How much is WFEC’s membership fee? $5
What is a cooperative? A business enterprise jointly owned and equally controlled by those who use it. It’s a form of business more interested in service to people than making money, though it must take in money to pay its way.
What is the purpose of the co-op’s annual meeting? Holding an annual meeting is required by the co-op’s bylaws. WFEC members elect trustees to the board and amend the bylaws by mail ballot prior to the meeting, but the meeting still must be held each year to conduct other co-op business and update its members about the state of the cooperative.
What is a distribution cooperative? An electric cooperative that purchases wholesale power and delivers it to its members. WFEC is a distribution co-op.
How is a cooperative non-profit? After all expenses are paid at the end of the year, any excess revenue (margins) is assigned on the cooperative books to members who used the service on a pro-rated basis. The co-op retains these funds, called Capital Credits, to use as operating funds. As the funds increase to the point that the co-op has more than is needed for operating funds, portions of these Capital Credits are refunded to the members on a first in-first out (FIFO) basis.
Do cooperatives pay taxes? Yes, rural electric cooperatives pay taxes on the same basis as other businesses. The only tax cooperatives do not pay is income tax. There is no profit, so there is no income tax to pay.
NRECA’s members provide electricity to approximately: 42 million people in 48 states
What is PowerSouth? PowerSouth is a generation and transmission cooperative (G&T) headquartered in Andalusia, Alabama. They provide electricity to 16 distribution cooperatives in AL & NW FL (including WFEC), 4 municipalities & 2 industrial mills. WFEC is a member-owner of PowerSouth just as those who use its services are member-owners of WFEC.
What is a G&T? Generation & transmission co-ops are power supply cooperatives owned by a group of distribution cooperatives. G&Ts generate power or purchase it from public or investor-owned utilities or both.
Youth Tour Study Guide Page 2:
What does the acronym G&T stand for?
Generation and Transmission
What energy sources are used to generate the electricity your cooperative uses? Natural gas, hydro, compressed air, biomass, wind, solar and some nuclear
How did electric cooperatives get started?
In rural America in the 1930s, only the most affluent farmers or those living near towns could get electricity. Rural residents wanted the same benefits enjoyed by their city friends and neighbors. Investor-owned utilities would not extend power lines into the countryside because the farms were spread so far apart, they thought it would not be profitable.
On May 11, 1935, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 7037 establishing the Rural Electrification Administration (REA).
Groups of volunteers began going door to door to sign people up and collect a $5 membership fee. The $5 fee was a hardship for some, but they managed to find the money because they wanted electricity. WFEC’s membership fee is still $5 today.
What is RUS? The U.S. Department of Agriculture agency that continues the former Rural Electrification Administration’s (REA’s) mission of assisting rural utilities in providing electricity. RUS’s role is broader, encompassing rural infrastructure such as water and telecommunications.
What is the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)? A service organization representing more than 900 rural electric systems in 48 states. NRECA is not supported by government funds nor is it an agency of the federal government.
What is the Florida Electric Cooperative Association (FECA)? The statewide service organization created by Florida Electric Cooperatives to furnish services to co-ops that could not be economically provided by an individual cooperative. They handle legislative affairs, job training and safety, insurance, credit unions, and more services to Florida cooperatives, including coordinating the Washington Youth Tour Program.
What is Touchstone Energy®? Touchstone Energy® is a nationwide partnership of cooperative energy providers. As a Touchstone Energy® cooperative, co-ops can pool their resources, offer better services and participate in nationwide commitment to be the best energy providers possible. Touchstone Energy® partners are locally owned, locally based energy cooperatives that are more concerned with people than with profits.
What are the four core principles of the Touchstone Energy® brand? Integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community.
Right: Joseph Smith (left) & LaRae Baxter (right), WFEC’s 2024 Youth Tour delegates
Youth Tour Study Guide Page 3:
Board of Trustees - District Map Study Guide
The territory served or to be served by the cooperative shall be divided into 9 districts, and each district shall be represented by one trustee. The original 9 district shall be as follows (taken from WFEC Bylaws):
District 1 - That part of Calhoun County served by the cooperative. Trustee: David Tatum
District 2 - That part of Jackson County lying east of the Chipola River and between the north line of Calhoun County and the south line of Township 6 North. Trustee: Tim Alford
District 3 - That part of Jackson County lying east of Marshall Creek, north of the south line of Township 6 North. Trustee: Jackie Pooser
District 4 - That part of Jackson County lying west of Marshall Creek, west of the Chipola River, north of U.S. Hwy. 90 and east of Holmes Creek. Trustee: John Adams
District 5 - That part of Jackson County south of U.S. Hwy. 90 and west of the Chipola River. Trustee: David Corbin
District 6 - That part of Washington County served by the cooperative. Trustee: George Clayton Owens
District 7 - That part of Holmes County lying east of State Road 79 from the south boundary of Holmes County to the junction of State Road 79 and State Road 177 and that portion of Holmes County lying east of State Road 177. Trustee: Randy Bush
District 8 - That portion of Holmes County lying west of State Road 79, from the junction of State Road 177 and State Road 79 to the south county line of Holmes County and east of the Choctawhatchee River. Trustee: Misty Erickson
District 9 - That part of Holmes County lying west of the Choctawhatchee River. Trustee: Myron Hudson
Information for Parents:
T allahassee T rip i nformaT ion :
Instructions, trip itinerary and an agenda will be included with the additional information you receive after completion of your Youth Tour application. Students should wear Youth Tour shirts & jeans (shirts will be delivered to you prior to the trip). Students will need to bring business casual clothes for Feb.12th.
W fe C C haperones :
2-4 chaperones who are employees of WFEC will accompany your student to Tallahassee.
Candace Croft
Communications & Public Relations Coordinator (Youth Tour Coordinator)
*Other Chaperones will be determined
W fe C p hone n umbers : (850) 263-3231 or (800) 342-7400
Q ues T ions :
Candace Croft
Communications & Public Relations Coordinator
Email: ccroft@westflorida.coop Office: (850) 263-3231, ext. 1178
W fe C Y ou T h T our b an Q ue T :
The date for WFEC’s annual Youth Tour competition & banquet will be announced later.
For additional information about the Youth Tour Program visit:
www.westflorida.coop www.nrecayouthprograms.coop
