Blue Ridge Electric Invites Member-Owners To Annual Meeting It only happens once a year: the annual membership meeting for member-owners of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation. This year’s meeting will be held Saturday, June 11 at Ashe County High School with registration beginning at 8 a.m. To register for prizes and for speedier registration, members should bring the perforated portions of the back cover of their annual report recently mailed to them. Every year on the second Saturday of June, Blue Ridge Electric hosts its Annual Membership Meeting to give members an opportunity to elect a slate of directors, visit informational booths and exhibits manned by cooperative employees, and enjoy food and fellowship with other cooperative members. The annual meeting is one way Blue Ridge Electric, as a member-owned cooperative electric utility, strives to inform and involve those it serves: the member-owners of the cooperative. Making its third annual appearance at the meeting is a health fair conducted by Ashe Memorial Hospital. The health fair will include a variety of wellness screenings, complimentary services, and health information for all ages. Members of the cooperative who register and are in attendance at the meeting will be eligible to win the grand prize: a 1996 Ford Explorer retired from the cooperative’s service fleet. Other prizes to be awarded include four $50 bills per district and a Family Gift pack from An Appalachian Summer Festival for the July 30th Outdoor Fireworks Concert sponsored by Blue Ridge Electric and featuring The Legendary Lead Singers of the Temptations and The Sounds of The Supremes. Carolina Country magazine will also be on hand with a prize drawing. Each registered member attending will receive an umbrella. While they last, ham biscuits, drinks, fruit, and doughnuts will also be provided to members in the cafeteria prior to the business session, which begins at 10 a.m. in the gym. Entertainers performing prior to the business session include Amantha Mill at 8 a.m. and The Hayes Family at 8:35 a.m. Recognitions of local students awarded scholarships and other honors from Blue Ridge Electric will take place in the gym at 9:30. During the business session, members will hear reports on the performance of the cooperative in 2004 as well as plans for the future. Members will also vote on four nominees for four open seats on Blue Ridge Electric’s board of directors. Director nominees are: Martha McKnight, Alleghany District; Jackie Blackburn, Ashe District; David Eggers, Caldwell District; and Clayton Cooke, Watauga District. Information on the annual meeting and the nominees is included in the 2004 annual report/2005 annual meeting notice being mailed to members earlier this month. Before the business session, members and their guests can visit energy booths from Blue Ridge Energies, the cooperative’s heating fuels subsidiary, and informational areas on member services and programs of the cooperative. Children attending the meeting with their parents may participate in the Children’s Program from 9 a.m. until the end of the business session. Members are reminded to bring with them the ticket stubs printed on the back of their annual report/meeting notice. Members must be registered to be eligible for prize drawings and present to win the grand prize. Members who cannot stay for the business session may register, vote for director nominees, and leave if necessary. Those choosing this option are eligible for all prizes except the grand prize. Members who are unable to attend the annual meeting but want to vote for directors can assign their vote by proxy to another member who will be attending. The proxy and related information is printed on the inside back cover of the annual report/meeting notice. For more information about the annual meeting, see the 2004 annual report/2005 annual meeting notice or contact your local cooperative office.