Your Annual Meeting

A time to connect and contribute

YOU LIKELY ALREADY KNOW OF SEVERAL GOOD REASONS TO ATTEND the annual meeting—to hear about the latest goings-on at Hamilton County Electric Cooperative, get a barometer of the co-op’s financial health, vote on leadership and other business matters, and, if you’re lucky, win a door prize Some of the meeting’s less tangible benefits may not have occurred to you, though.

In our fast-paced, hyperconnected world, casual human interaction has become strikingly scarce. We encounter automated phone menus when accessing many services, schedule appointments online, use apps to order groceries and summon dog walkers, and even keep up with many loved ones and friends almost entirely through social media. While these technological innovations afford convenience and bridge gaps in geography, enabling us to maintain ties that otherwise may fray, the increasing relegation of socializing and errand running to the digital realm can leave us feeling, ironically, disconnected. We may have more “friends,” but those friendships are perhaps shallower in nature than relationships nurtured in real life.

Here’s where Hamilton County EC’s annual meeting comes in. It presents a unique opportunity for neighbors to gather with one another and connect over conversation, coffee and a meal. To some of our younger or newer members, the idea of a community gathering like this may seem quaint, but the face time and fellowship with your fellow members represent a key part of the cooperative difference—that we’re not a faceless, monolithic entity you encounter only through billing statements each month. We’re neighbors who all share in the co-op’s success and progress.

We live in divisive times. A momentary, warm, in-person interaction provides a boost that the pings of likes and shares within an online echo chamber simply can’t duplicate. Our shared investment in the workings of the co-op benefits each of us, and enhancing our community’s quality of life is something we all can agree on.

Whether you are a longtime attendee, have never attended an annual meeting or fall somewhere in between, I urge you this year to pencil in Friday, August 2, and work together with us to make your electric cooperative the best it can be. Your presence and input enable us to do the best we possibly can for our members and our community.

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s annual meeting.

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