Despite the day’s dreary start, members turn out
in force for United's 2018 Annual Meeting
by
JOHN DAVIS
This Year's Drawing Winners
1. Larry Davis of Cleburne, $50 Visa Gift Card donated by Glen Rose Nursing & Rehab
2. Bryan Jacobs of Granbury, $40, Academy Gift Card donated by KBS
3. Edward Hutyra of Joshua, LG Blue Ray/DVD Player donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
4. James Evans of Maypearl, LG Blue Ray/DVD Player donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
5. John Carper of Rio Vista, Sony Blue Ray/DVD Player donated by JH Davidson
6. Solid Rock Baptist Church of Stephenville, Rigid 3 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac, donated byTechline
7. Kay Harris of Stephenville, Honeywell 40" Whole Room Tower Fan donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
8. Christine Crounse of Alvarado, ACU-Rite Weather Forecaster donated by Techline and $25 Bass Pro Shop Gift Card donated by Scott Pole Line
9. Benjamin Ramirez of Alvarado, 111 Piece 1/4 & 3/8 Mechanics Tool Set
10. James Karber of Joshua, Husky 12 volt Auto and Home Inflator
11. Vernon Poe of Granbury, Toro Power Jet Electric Blower
12. Larry Humble of Granbury, 60-Quart Igloo Cooler and Air Comfort Folding Chair donated by Jones Power Product
13. Ole Neystel of Cleburne, 60-Quart Igloo Cooler and Air Comfort Folding Chair donated by Jones Power Product
14. Leonard Beard of Alvarado, 60-Quart Igloo Cooler and Air Comfort Folding Chair donated by Jones Power Product
15. Gary Rose of Granbury, 60-Quart Igloo Cooler and Air Comfort Folding Chair donated by Jones Power Product
16. Airwaves A/C & Heating Inc. of Burleson, 60-Quart Igloo Cooler and Air Comfort Folding Chair donated by Jones Power Product
17. Bobby Watson of Hico, 60-Quart Igloo Cooler and Air Comfort Folding Chair donated by Jones Power Product
18. Sandra Wade of Granbury, 60-Quart Igloo Cooler and 2 N 1 Folding Rocking Chair donated by Jones Power Product
19. James Connor of Morgan, 60-Quart Igloo Cooler and 2 N 1 Folding Rocking Chair donated by Jones Power Product
20. Michael Blanche of Morgan, SentrySafe Digital Safe donated by Techline
21. Patricia Patterson-Smith of Granbury, $50 Olive Garden Gift Card donated by Scott Pole Line
22. Bob Smith of Dublin, $50 Fandango Gift Card donated by Scott Pole Line
23. Walter Hall of Alvarado, $50 Chili’s Gift Card donated by Scott Pole Line
24. Johnny Holtzinger of Granbury, $50 Amazon Gift Card donated by Scott Pole Line
25. Timothy Singer of Bluff Dale, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
26. Jim Woodard of Alvarado, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
27. Wynne Reynolds of Alvarado, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
28. James Townsend of Tolar, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
29. Bob Andrews of Bluff Dale, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
30. Terry Hix of Crowley, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
31. John McCoy of Waco, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
32. Mary Ann Gibson of Burleson, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
33. Margaret Faye Adams of Granbury, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
34. Kevin Ross of Dublin, $50 Lowes Gift Card donated by Rodgers Construction
35. Jack Hungerford of Cleburne, Homelite 14" Electric Chain Saw donated by Techline
36. Dennis Bryant of Joshua, All-Terrain Wagon
37. Bruce Chase of Raleigh, N.C., $50 Apple Store/iTunes Gift Card donated by Scott Pole Line
38. Richard Conner of Granbury, Toro PowerJet F700 Blower donated by Techline
39. Melba Ann Riggs of Granbury, Ryobi Cordless String Trimmer/Edger
40. Matthew Kienbaum of Clifton, La Crosse Wi-Fi Wind & Weather Station donated by Stuart Irby
41. Jerry Sechrist of Granbury, Stanley Thermos & $50 Starbucks card donated by Scott Pole Line
42.Sharon Bates of Burleson, Igloo Island Breeze 48-Quart Cooler donated by Jones Power Product and $50 Wal-Mart gift card, Jones Power Product donated by Altec
43. Richard Johnson of Burleson, Igloo Island Breeze 48-Quart Cooler donated by Jones Power Product and $50 Wal-Mart gift card, Jones Power Product donated by Altec
44. I.R. Rose of Hico, Igloo Island Breeze 48-Quart Cooler donated by Jones Power Product and $50 Wal-Mart gift card, Jones Power Product donated by Altec
45. William Green of Glen Rose, Igloo Island Breeze 48-Quart Cooler donated by Jones Power Product and $50 Wal-Mart gift card, Jones Power Product donated by Altec
46. Ronald Reid of Granbury, Igloo Island Breeze 48-Quart Cooler donated by Jones Power Product and $50 Wal-Mart gift card, Jones Power Product donated by Altec
47. John Childers of Joshua, Black & Decker Hedge Trimmer
48. Marcia Martinez of Granbury, Lasko Oscillating Fan w/Remote Control
49. Robert Murray of Granbury, Ryobi Starter Tool Kit
50. Robert King of Granbury, Smart Wi-Fi Doorbell Camera
51. Michael Valle of Cleburne, 6-Quart Lux Instant Pot
52. Mark Spears of Fort Worth, 10" Sylvania Digital Photo Frame and 16-GB memory card
53. Dwayne Johnson of Burleson, Ninja Professional Blender
54. Billy Hudson of Granbury, Keurig K Classic donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
55. Dale Starook of Burleson, Hoover Wind Tunnel 2 Vacuum Cleaner donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
56. Billy Fred Johnson of Alvarado, Samsung Microwave Oven donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
57. Gerald Seabourn of Stephenville, Blue Tooth Alarm Clock and Phone Charger donated by Hawrylak and Associates LLC
58. Michael Sheridan of Bluff Dale, Meter Lamp from Brazos Electric Co-op and $25 Cabella’s gift card donated by Scott Pole Line
59. Katy Boucher of Glen Rose, Defiant Motion Security Light
60. R.G. Clark of Clifton, Ryobi 1600-PSI Pressure Washer
61. Thomas Starr of Granbury, $100 bill credit
62. Laura Cotter of Joshua, $100 bill credit
63. Natalie McAda of Mansfield, $100 bill credit
64. St. John Vianney Catholic Church of Cleburne, $100 bill credit
65. Ron Carlisle of Kopperl, $100 bill credit
66. Joan Robertson of Granbury, 6-Gallon Porter Cable Air Compressor
67. Frana Patterson of Santo, $100 cash donated by C&R Powerline
68. Harold Allen of Alvarado, $100 cash donated by C&R Powerline
69. Brian Miller of Burleson, $100 cash donated by C&R Powerline
70. Charles Gordon of Santo, $100 cash donated by C&R Powerline
71. Roger Rechsteiner of Granbury, $100 cash donated by C&R Powerline
72. Mary Mattinson of Burleson, $100 cash
73. Millard Summers of Glen Rose, $100 cash
74. Monika Kelley of Granbury, $100 cash
75. Larry Campbell of Morgan, Vizio 24" HDTV donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
76. Mark Kapusta of Granbury, Shark Rocket Vacuum Cleaner donated by Techline
77. James Crowe of Bluff Dale, Keurig K –Select donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
78. Ruth Ling of Granbury, Night Owl Wireless Smart Security System
79. Kathy Foley of Burleson, LG 24" Smart TV donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
80. Patsy Johnston of Granbury, Yeti 20-Quart Cooler donated by KBS
81. Terry Humberson of Hico, Vizio 32" D-Series Smart TV donated by McFarlan Cascade
82. Gloria/Lynn Brokaw of San Bernardino, Calif., $200 bill credit
83. L. D. Hanna Dairy LLC of Godley, $200 cash
84. Charles Ray Marsh of Tolar, Vizio D-Series 40” TV donated by Stuart Irby
85. Kay Duckworth of Alvarado, Samsung 40” 6-Series Smart TV donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
86. Gary Hopkins of Bluff Dale, $300.00 bill credit
87. James Porter of Hico, LG 43” LED Smart TV donated by Texas Electric Cooperatives
88. Harold Hoskison of Joshua, 55” Samsung UHD Smart TV donated by Texas Electric
Cooperatives
89. George Tehas of Mansfield, $500.00 Cash donated by C&R Powerline
90. Carla Bandera of Granbury, $500 cash
Mail-In Ballot Winners
(1) Roger Tudor of Mansfield, $1000
(2) Charles Rawlings of Morgan, $500
(3) John M. Sims of Alvarado, $250
Robert Bade wasn’t happy with his current energy provider or the contrast in service he was once accustomed to receiving.
The former United member had left United’s lines 12 years ago after he and his wife moved to a farm in Cleburne to accommodate his horses. He said he didn’t pay much attention to his service delivery or his cost in the beginning. As time went on, his bills with the for-profit energy provider sometimes seemed too high. Other times, the reliability wasn’t up to snuff.
Several weeks prior to United’s Oct. 20 annual meeting, Bade said he received a United member dividend check in the mail with the annual meeting details. He and his wife decided perhaps they should attend the event. Their experience, he said, convinced them to switch back to the co-op they realized they’d been missing since they left Burleson in 2006.
“I think after going to the annual meeting, we realized we liked the way you did it,” Bade said. “We got out here and got too busy with the farm and didn’t pay any real attention to who our electricity provider was. When I was at the annual meeting the other day, I talked to somebody about coming out to look and see if we could change over to you guys.”
Despite dreary conditions that threatened rain at the beginning, United Cooperative Services missed beating the all-time record for registered member accounts by two during the 2018 annual meeting. A total of 651 member accounts walked through the doors this year at Glen Rose High School’s Auditorium, though organizers said with family members in tow for most registrations, the total number of attendees easily doubled that number. The record is 652 accounts achieved in October 2013.
As Andrew Dolan of the Dolan Band and Jesse Jennings strummed guitars and played an eclectic mix of country, blues, gospel and other hits, members and their families strolled through the health fair, hosted every year by Glen Rose Medical Center, ate barbecue provided by Hammond’s BBQ in Glen Rose and took home approximately $11,200 worth of door prizes donated mainly from cooperative business vendors, contractors and cooperative associations.
“I couldn’t be happier with the turnout for this year’s Annual Meeting,” said United CEO Cameron Smallwood. “Despite the initial cloudy conditions, the turnout was fantastic. From everything I heard, all of our members had a great time, they ate well and they learned a lot more about where their co-op was heading in the next year. And we had a beautiful fall day waiting for us outside when the meeting adjourned.”
During the business meeting, members re-elected three directors to the board. Secretary-Treasurer Tommy Cantrell will continue to represent District 3, which includes Bluff Dale, Tolar and Southwest Hood County. Clifford Deal was again re-elected to represent District 4, which includes Eastern Johnson County, Alvarado and Grandview. And finally, John Jones was re-elected to represent District 5, which includes Western Johnson County, Keene, Joshua and Godley.
Board President Patsy Dumas addressed the challenges and achievements of the cooperative during her President’s Report at the business meeting’s opening.
“Today, we celebrate the 80th year your electric co-op has delivered electric service to its members,” she said. “And, as you know, United endeavors to deliver electricity to your homes and businesses with an emphasis on reliability and affordability. When I was thinking about my annual meeting address, I couldn’t help but to think how we strive to take a complex industry and make it as simple as possible for our members. “I found a quote by Leonardo da Vinci that effectively sums up this philosophy at United, and that is: ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’”
Dumas acknowledged how quickly technology and innovations are moving within the electric industry, and why United tries to simplify the rapid changes. She also discussed the rapid growth in the area that is drawing in new members unfamiliar with what a co-op is, and the cooperative’s emphasis for hosting yearly community meetings across United’s service territory is to meet and acquaint new members with the cooperative’s service ethos.
Responding to members’ needs and adapting to new technologies always has been a priority of the cooperative, she said. It was ...
one of the major reasons why the United Community Solar project went online earlier this year to provide residential members the opportunity to use solar energy to power their lives with no installation costs or upkeep.
“That idea didn’t just pop out of thin air,” she said. “We listened to our members. They wanted a solar energy solution, but many don’t know where to start. Many don’t have the financial means. And because of that, your cooperative said, ‘We can do this for our members and we can surely do it at a cost that’s cheaper than can be done on small-scale residential solar installations.’ Your co-op provided more than 45,000 panels and the energy they produce for you, so you don’t have to pay any up-front purchase and installation costs, nor deal with maintenance headaches or expenses. The only thing you have to do is call United and say you want to sign up for solar.”
Following Dumas, Smallwood discussed the co-op’s 3.16 percent growth this year—increasing the number of meters United serves to more than 86,000—a growth index the co-op hasn’t experienced in over a decade. United is currently Texas’ sixth-largest electric distribution co-op and is growing each day. Along with the co-op’s revered seven-year safety record of 2.3 million hours without a lost-time accident, Smallwood underscored the co-op’s commitment to its mission statement to provide members with exceptional service and value: through affordable rates, commitment to physical and cyber safety and security, as well as delivering unparalleled member service day-to-day while providing reliable electric service delivery. He also reminded members of the recent return of member dividends.
This year, United members received a portion of $5.5 million, which included the first-ever return on equity from United’s wholesale power supplier, Brazos Electric Cooperative. “This is an action that should help everybody understand what it means to be a member of your co-op,” Smallwood explained in reference to member dividends. Smallwood said that the member dividends represent a portion of the revenues made in the prior year that are in excess of what the cooperative needs to operate and maintain its distribution system. Those excess funds are returned to member-owners who have invested in the cooperative through their purchase of electric power.
“The return of member dividends is a testament to the hard work of your employees and directors, and all of us working together as a cooperative to control costs as much as possible. And similarly, Brazos this year returned dividends for the first time. They’re projecting that such a return will occur again in the future,” he said.
Three Directors Re-Elected
TOMMY CANTRELL
Secretary-Treasurer
District 3
CLIFFORD DEAL
District 4
JOHN JONES
District 5
Secretary-Treasurer Tommy Cantrell will continue to represent District 3, which includes Bluff Dale, Tolar and Southwest Hood County. Clifford Deal will represent District 4, which includes Eastern Johnson County, Alvarado and Grandview. John Jones was re-elected to represent District 5, which includes Western Johnson County, Keene, Joshua and Godley.
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