Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) will host its 68th Annual Members' Meeting on Wednesday, August 30, 2006, on the lawn at the Cooperative's Hughesville Headquarters. Registration begins at 3 p.m. and will end promptly at 7 p.m. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., rain or shine.
At the Annual Meeting, members will vote for candidates running for five available seats on SMECO's Board of Directors. In Calvert County, director Samuel "Jack" Hammett is running for re-election to the one available seat. In Charles County, incumbent directors Fern Brown and Kenneth Dyson, along with candidates Victor Allen and Shelby Bowles, are running for two available seats. Directors Samuel "Bo" Bailey, Jr. and W. Rayner Blair III, as well as candidate George Michael Thompson, are vying for two available seats in St. Mary's County. No seats are up for election in Prince George's County.
All Co-op members, regardless of their county of residence, may vote for directors from all counties. Members will also vote on proposed changes to SMECO's bylaws. Details of the meeting, along with candidate biographies and proposed bylaw changes, are published in SMECO's Annual Meeting Notice, which is inserted in members' monthly electric bills.
To register to vote, members should bring their registration postcards to the meeting. The "Membership Identification Cards" were mailed in mid-August. Members who register to vote in person will be eligible to win attendance prizes. Drawings will be held for prizes: 25 members will win small appliances and household items and 25 members will win a $35 credit on their SMECO electric bill. The six grand prizes include three U.S. savings bonds, two gas grills, and a used SMECO vehicle.
SMECO will serve free soft drinks and ice cream from 3 to 7 p.m. to those attending the meeting. Hot dogs and nachos will be offered for sale, with proceeds to be donated to the ARC of Southern Maryland. Entertainment will be provided by the Country Memories band from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m., and Co-op personnel will conduct a Hot Line demonstration at 6 p.m. to educate customers about electricity and safety. Representatives from local law enforcement agencies will have displays for attendees to view until the Annual Meeting begins at 7 p.m. In addition, SMECO will have customer education and generator displays.