More than 2,400 people turned out for the 67th Annual Meeting of Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO), held Wednesday, August 31, 2005. During the event, members voted for SMECO Board directors and enjoyed food, music, informational displays, and prize giveaways.
This year, over 1,440 members registered to vote, including 267 who voted by mail-in absentee ballot for the Board of Directors election. Re-elected for three-year terms were incumbents John W. Williams, Jr., of Calvert County; John H. Bloom, Jr., of Charles County; Daniel W. Dyer of Prince George's County; and G. Purnell Frederick and Joseph V. Stone, Jr. of St. Mary's County. No bylaw changes were recommended this year.
Below are the results of the director elections:
Calvert County (One seat up for election)
John W. Williams, Jr. received 1,028 votes.
Charles County (One seat up for election)
John H. Bloom, Jr. received 1,052 votes.
Prince George's County (One seat up for election)
Daniel W. Dyer received 986 votes.
St. Mary's County (Two seats up for election)
G. Purnell Frederick received 905 votes.
Joseph V. Stone, Jr. received 1,073 votes.
George Michael Thompson received 536 votes.
Entertainment included music from the band Country Memories. Personnel from SMECO's safety department conducted a Hot Line demonstration to educate members about the dangers of electricity-this demonstration was the same one recently aired on Good Morning America. Displays for several community organizations were also at the Annual Meeting, including Calvert Healthcare Solutions, Calvert Memorial Hospital, Health Partners of Charles County, Health Share of St. Mary's, and St. Mary's Hospital, as well as SMECO-sponsored exhibits on generators and customer education. The American Red Cross also had a trailer display and solicited donations for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. And sales of hot dogs and nachos raised funds for this year's selected charitable organization, the Center for Abused Persons.
At the Annual Meeting, SMECO invited customer-members to join the ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action. This program enables members to support the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE)-the political action committee for electric cooperatives nationwide.
Members who registered in person at the meeting were eligible to win 50 small prizes and 15 early bird prizes, plus six grand prizes, including two gas grills, three U.S. Savings Bonds, and a used SMECO vehicle. The prize winners were:
- Charlotte Hall Lumber, $500 U.S. Savings Bond
- Unclaimed, $500 U.S. Savings Bond
- Jerry Cargill, Hughesville, Gas Grill
- Frederick and Lillian Richardson, Bryans Road, Gas Grill
- Jeannine Fairfax, Great Mills, $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond
- Warren and Audrey Hagens, White Plains, Used SMECO Vehicle