Find the deals MEC to host annual expo to promote saving …€¦ · Chamber of Commerce. The expo provides an opportunity for members to visit different establishments in one location

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Mohave Electric Cooperative will be hosting its annual free Co-op Connections® Business Expo Tuesday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce.

The expo provides an opportunity for members to visit different establishments in one location and learn about the various deals and opportunities to save money just by showing their member connections card.

Before heading out on a shopping spree, be sure to pick up a list of local participating businesses from the MEC Member Services Office at 928 Hancock Rd. or the MEC website. Most connections card businesses will have a participation sticker posted.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our members to look at the different ways they can save, not just locally, but on a national level as well,” said Terry Puryear, public affairs and communications coordinator. “Our members have saved millions by simply showing their connections card.”

The card is good for discounts at over 130 local businesses and attendees will have an opportunity to purchase items or services from vendors attending the expo. There will also be

drawings for prizes and three $100 grand prize gift certificates to a Co-op Connections business of a member’s choice.

The card’s Healthy Savings helps members save up to 85 percent off prescriptions as well as discounts on dental, vision, chiropractic, hearing aids, and lab and imaging.

The program teams up with coupons.com to offer hundreds of opportunities to save and the Cash Back Mall offers rewards for online purchases with major retailers.

“The card is free to all MEC members, the savings are real, it doesn’t expire, and any member of the family can use the card,” Puryear said. “Use it.”

Tyler Carlson, CEO for MEC, likes the idea of passing on savings to members whenever possible.

“Mohave Electric is proud to be able to provide a program that keeps money in our members’ wallets,” he said. “We are happy to be a part of a program that helps members.”

Members with iOS or Android phones can download a free app by searching for Co-op Connections. Once installed, searching for local and national deals will be at a member’s fingertips.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to provide our members with instant savings,” Puryear said. “I’m not sure everyone understands how substantial these savings can be, which is why I encourage everyone to join us at the expo.”

Find the deals

MEC to host annual expo to promote saving members money

Banner photo is of an MEC lineman working diligently after an August mircoburst caused serious damage. Above-center, the sign directing people to the 2018 Co-op Connections Business Expo at the Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce. Above, the expo attracted a good crowd and members learned about the many money-saving deals they can get simply by showing their card.

February 2019 Currents Page 2

Visit www.mohaveelectric.com

The United States had not yet been born when, many believe, free-thinking Benjamin Franklin formed the first cooperative in the New World.

Obviously, in 1752, it wasn’t electric, but an insurance cooperative called the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire. And, Carpenter’s Hall, the building in which the Continental Congress met in 1774, was insured by the contributionship.

It was the first fire insurance company in America and has been so successful it continues to this day.

The world has changed substantially over the last 240-plus years, but the structure of a cooperative has remained relatively intact. They remain democratically controlled by those who use the service(s) and are designed to benefit their users, or members.

Although Mohave Electric Cooperative is a utility, cooperatives extend into nearly every walk of life.

Consumers use cooperatives for services such as housing, credit and financial services, groceries, education, telecommunications, and, of course, utilities.

Those who have stopped by KFC, Popeye’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Ace or True Value hardware stores, or even Burger King, have supported a cooperative because these establishments purchase some of the products they sell from cooperatives.

“Cooperatives, or cooperation, is not a new idea,” said Ardie Lauxman, chief financial officer at MEC. “Ben Franklin might get deserved credit for organizing the Philadelphia Contributionship, but the idea itself dates back to the start of civilization.”

Consider that survival of humans depended on what might be considered a modern day cooperative model.

“Many would go on a hunt together and the meat

would be divided with all,” Lauxman said. “Having a group work together toward a common goal is more effective than a single individual trying to survive alone.

“Cooperating is among the reasons we are all

here today.”

Three primary principles are practiced among

cooperatives: user-benefit, user-owner, and user-control.

User-benefitMembers work together to get services that might not otherwise be available.

This was the case with electricity in rural areas. In the 1900s, because existing utilities saw no profit in powering rural America, groups formed to purchase electricity with help from the Rural Electrification Administration.

Working together provides the advantage of bargaining power. Those who may have haggled over the price of a car may understand the general principle. If a car lot is full and a new shipment is anticipated, creating space for the new inventory becomes imperative.

User-OwnerThe people who belong to a cooperative, own it. Members own the assets and have the obligation to provide financing to keep a cooperative in business and allow it to grow for the benefit of, and in cooperation among, all members.

User-ControlBecause cooperatives follow a democratic model, members have control through voting at the district and annual meetings. Regardless of how much any one individual has spent in a cooperative, each member has only one vote.

From the time of early humans to Franklin organizing the nation’s first cooperative, the cooperative model continues to grow, and members continue to discover and reap the benefits.

Members vs. customers … that’s the cooperative difference.

Stay tuned to Currents as MEC continues to explore cooperatives and what it means to be a member.

Ben knows co-ops

Cooperatives in America startedwith none other than Franklin

Board directors are democratically elected and serve in the best interests of cooperative members. The elected board directors work with MEC leadership to oversee the cooperative’s policies. Nominated and elected by members according to the bylaws, directors serve three-year terms.

February 2019 Currents Page 3

Visit www.mohaveelectric.com

BOOM!

Mohave Electric Cooperative participated in the annual Boom Box Parade in December. MEC employees donated hundreds of toys displayed on the float that were later given to the Bullhead City Fire Department for distribution to youths in need. Employees and family members participated in the parade and handed out candy to attendees. The float was pulled by Ole’ Number 1, MEC’s first service vehicle from 1947, which was operated by CEO Tyler Carlson. To the left, MEC chief information officer Heath Barker and his son Geoff lead the way while, bottom left, network administrator Darrell Wallace and human resources/benefits manager Marie Gaggini remain prepared to fill bags of candy to be distributed to on-lookers.

For nearly a quarter century, Mohave Electric Cooperative has supported education endeavors with funds for a host of potential projects.

The 24th Annual Classroom Grant Program provides an opportunity for educators at schools in the MEC service area to receive financial assistance. The application deadline is 5 p.m., March 15.

“Teachers often work on a shoe-string budget and can’t always accomplish the things they’d like to do without dipping into their bank account,” said Terry Puryear, the MEC public affairs and communications coordinator. “Mohave

Electric is proud of its commitment to our communities with programs like this.”

The grant program provides funding for expanded classroom learning opportunities for grades kindergarten through 12. Applications are not limited to a specific course or curriculum.

“The range of possibilities are limited only by one’s imagination,” Puryear said.

A few examples of past projects include

a virtual trip to Iowa to study the habitat of eagles, learning about the life cycle, food chains, studying animal behavior by dissecting owl pellets, and creating and cooking with solar ovens.

Eighteen grants are awarded for projects based on need, creativity, benefit to students, age appropriateness, and integration with class curriculum.

The funds may be used to purchase materials, supplies, equipment, or other essential items to support special projects.

“This is a way for MEC to support community education efforts,” Puryear said. “These grants give teachers extra help to create innovative learning experiences that promote student achievement.

Applications are available at school offices, the MEC Member Services Office at 928 Hancock Rd., and the MEC website. Select “Community” to find “Classroom Grants.”

The grant program is funded through assigned capital credits at no cost to the cooperative.

February 2019 Currents Page 4

MEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Grants available tobenefit educators

ContactFor more informationTerry Puryear(928) [email protected] Mocarski(928) [email protected]

“The range of possibilities are limited only by one’s imagination.”Terry PuryearMEC Public affairs andcommunications coordinator

One of the many projects funded by the Classroom Grants Program was the 2014 Butterfly Life at Desert Valley Elementary School. The Mohave Electric Cooperative grants program began in 1996 to support local educators. There are 18 grants available in 2019. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m., March 15.