The smell of popcorn and hotdogs wafted in the warm fall air as families walked from one booth to another at Godley’s National Night Out.

Some stopped to check out a police car while others explored a trash truck and blasted the air horn. Many found themselves standing mouth agape as they watched United linemen draw a whitish green arc of electricity that buzzed and popped off the power lines of the co-op’s electrical demonstration trailer. 

National Night Out is an annual nationwide community-building campaign designed to enhance relationships between neighbors, law enforcement and first responders. Held the first Tuesday of October in Texas, about 38 million people across 17,000 communities participate in each state, according to the event’s website.

Chastidy Gloria, with the city of Godley, helped organize the event and said this was the second year for United to bring the arcing demonstration trailer. Along with introducing citizens to law enforcement programs, such as drug prevention and neighborhood watches, it also features safety demonstrations.

“Safety is a primary focus of National Night Out,” Gloria said. “It’s a chance for neighbors to get out into the community, meet local businesses, check out the police cars and learn something about safety. It was the first time for me to see United’s arcing demonstration, and even as an adult, I learned something new.”

Patrick Griffith is the cooperative’s safety & loss control coordinator. He, Journeyman Lineman Alex Lawyer, and Jace Jones, apprentice lineman III, spent the evening talking to attendees, showing parents and children the safety equipment used by line crews and extolling the importance of staying away from downed powerlines. 

The event provides the perfect opportunity to educate the public not only about the dangers associated with electricity, but also how cooperative employees stay safe while working with it.

“Opportunities like this allow United to connect directly with the community and promote awareness around electrical safety,” Griffith said. “Many people—especially children—are unaware of the dangers associated with electricity. Curiosity and excitement can often override caution. That’s why we conduct public demonstrations to educate the community about both the science behind electricity and the importance of safety. Arcing demonstrations, in particular, help foster a healthy respect for electricity and highlight the need for proper safety precautions.”

Mary Oppong-Mensa, who works at Southwest Airlines, brought her son, Joshua, and his friends to the event to get the kids out of the house and have some fun. 

“I thought it would be fun for them to do something outside of the house. I have been considering switching to United’s internet, so I was interested to see what they were doing. Then I saw they were doing electrical demonstrations, and I wanted the kids to learn something about that.”

After hearing about the event from her cousin, United members Jordyn and Logan Hinson brought their sons, Jackson and Walker out to Godley’s National Night Out. While there, Jordyn said her children got to spray the hose on the fire trucks and talk to the police officers before they walked by the electrical demonstration.

“We were walking by and the United guys said ‘Hey, do you want to see something cool,’” she recalled. “So he was talking to us about electrical safety and then he showed us that really cool electrical arc.”  

Following the wowed crowd at  Godley’s National Night Out, another United team took that same lesson in safety—with a look at cooperative careers—to a Burleson classroom. 

As the late-morning sun glinted off safety helmets and bright orange cones, eighth grade business and science students filled STEAM Middle School’s parking lot, gathering around United’s arcing demonstration trailer.

Safety & Loss Control Coordinator Brody Weems kicked things off by letting students try on personal protective equipment, then challenged them to pick up washers or unscrew bolts while wearing the linemen’s gloves. A little shy and reluctant at first, the students eventually broke into laughter as they struggled with their dexterity, realizing how difficult simple tasks become when wearing the heavy rubber gloves. The challenge gave them a sense of how difficult—and how important—it is to stay protected while working with high-voltage equipment.

With the students now fully engaged, Weems—joined by Line Crew Chief Cody Goforth and James North, apprentice lineman III—shifted the lesson to the science behind electricity. Together, they demonstrated how power moves through the lines and what happens when contact is made. The crowd watched closely as the current buzzed and cracked across the wire. Some students leaned forward to volunteer or answer questions, while others simply stared, wide-eyed, at the bright electric arc lighting up the display.

In between arcing demonstrations, Weems taught the students what to do if they ever encounter a downed pole or fallen line. He also explained voltage, transformers and demonstrated the safety procedures linemen use every day—all while keeping the crowd engaged through humor and a little modern slang the students instantly recognized. For United, these events go beyond safety—they reflect a deep concern for community, one of the cooperative’s guiding principles. By investing time in local schools and inspiring future generations, United continues to build lasting connections with the members it serves.

“We like getting out and talking with students—it’s a great way to show them what we do and why safety matters,” Weems said. “They see the power of electricity up close, but they also get a look at the kind of work that goes into keeping everyone safe and the lights on.”

It takes a lot to hold a junior high student’s attention, but by the end, many were overheard on their way back to class saying, “That was cool!”

Eighth-grade teacher Karen Chandler, who helped organize the event for her business classes, said the demonstration left a lasting impression.

Demonstrations like these help students bridge classroom learning with real-world experience, revealing not only the science behind electricity but also the cooperative careers that keep their communities running, she said. 

“The other teachers and I thought it was amazing,” she said. “The students love to see engaging demonstrations, and this was so fun! We haven’t seen anything like this before, but I hope to find more opportunities to bring the real world into our eighth-grade classes and expose them to the variety of careers that are at their fingertips.”