September 2012
Satilla REMC Newsletter
Satilla members are cordially
invited to attend the
75th Annual Membership Meeting of
Satilla REMC
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Memorial Stadium, Waycross
Entertainment provided by
The Old Paths
Noon to 2 p.m.
Two Grand Prize drawings for $750
(cash or electricity)
Registration and seating begin at noon
Business session begins at 2 p.m.
Door Prizes to registered members!
For more information, call
(888) 738–6926 or (912) 632-7222, ext. 3423
GA00670G
Greetings From the Chairman of the Board
R.L. (Bobby) Lewis Jr.
T
his year marks the 75-year
anniversary of Satilla REMC.
The Board of Directors and I are
proud to celebrate this milestone
with you and ask you to attend the Annual Meeting of the
Members on Tuesday, October 2, 2012. The celebration will
be held at Memorial Stadium in Waycross. The Board of
Directors and employees are working diligently to design
an enjoyable program for you this year and to undertake
the business of the Cooperative.
Registration for the meeting will begin at noon. The
Old Paths, a popular gospel group, will be performing from
noon until 2 p.m. During this time, you will have the
opportunity to enjoy the gospel music, food and fellowship.
The business session will begin at 2 p.m. Among other
updates, President/CEO Romeo Reyes will give a full report
on the status of the Cooperative since last year’s meeting.
The Board of Directors and I feel that your Cooperative has
excelled in areas of customer service, power restoration and
competitive rate structures, compared with other EMCs in
the state.
Directors from Bacon, Pierce and Ware districts will be
officially elected. Of course, there will be prize drawings to
conclude the meeting. There will be two Grand Prizes this
year of $750, either in cash or the equivalent in electricity.
If you have questions regarding any part of the meeting,
please call Sue Johnson at (912) 632-7222, ext. 3423, or email
us from the Satilla REMC website at www.satillaemc.com.
Your questions and ideas are important to us!
I look forward to seeing you on October 2.
Management Report
B
efore the mid 1930s, electricity was only available to
approximately 10 percent of America’s rural population. The privately owned utility companies that supplied
electricity to heavily populated cities and towns had determined that providing electric service to rural areas would
not be profitable. As a result, these companies were reluctant to undertake such ventures, and most of rural America
remained in the dark.
Attempts were made by early cooperatives to bring
electricity to the countryside, but these groups lacked the
expertise and financing needed to give life to their vision.
However, in 1935, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt set
into motion a movement that would forever change the
lives of the residents of rural America.
On May 11, 1935, the Rural Electrification
Administration (REA) was created by executive order, and
when Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into
law on May 20, 1936, the REA became a federal agency
within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The purpose
of the agency was to provide technical and financial
expertise, as well as a source of long-term financing that
was so desperately needed by newly established electric
cooperatives.
On May 3, 1937, The Satilla Rural Electric Membership
Corporation (Satilla REMC) joined the ranks of these pioneering cooperatives, and began its mission to bring electricity to the rural residents of southeast Georgia.
Assisted by the REA, Satilla began the early stages of
development for the new Cooperative. It quickly became
apparent that Satilla’s membership was an important and
valuable asset. In order to extend electrical lines into the
rural areas and grow the Cooperative, Satilla’s membership
Romeo Reyes
President/CEO
had to meet the required number
of members per mile.
Following the leadership of
Satilla’s original group of 16
Directors, early members were dedicated and committed to
promoting the advantages of electric service and set about
persuading area farmers to become Satilla members. That
dedication and commitment would not go unrewarded, as
Satilla’s membership and the Cooperative in general began
to grow.
Since its humble beginning on that day in 1937, Satilla
has grown into the successful Cooperative it is today.
Throughout Satilla’s 75-year history, the support of the
membership has been instrumental in the Cooperative’s
ability to meet the challenges that were presented along
the way.
Now, as we look toward the future, we see many more
challenges on the horizon. Even so, with the continued
support of the membership, Satilla can face them with confidence. Regardless of the challenge, whether it be facing
the effects of the distressed economy or dealing with regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), working as a People/Power Partnership, we can
rest assured that Satilla’s future will continue to be a successful one.
I look forward to seeing you on October 2, 2012, at the
75th Annual Meeting of the Members of the Satilla REMC.
Please join us as we celebrate our 75-year history.
Satilla REMC to Return Capital Credits in September
I
n a recent report from one of Satilla’s financial lenders, Satilla REMC ranked ninth in
Georgia in the percentage of total equity
returned in the form of capital credits to members in 2011.
What are capital credits,
and why are they important?
Capital credits are monies
retained from rates and other
revenue streams that a cooperative accumulates in excess of
the actual cost of providing
service. Margins are allocated
and credited to the members
in good standing for the operating year.
These “margins” are retained for a period of
time and used to offset other capital costs that a
cooperative would incur in financing its system
improvements. However, before these margins
are used in this manner, they are allocated and
credited to the members in good standing for
the operating year. Eventually, these funds are
returned to the members in the form of a capi-
tal credit check or credit amount on their power
statement.
What about this year?
Are capital credits being returned?
This year, Satilla will return approximately 2.86
percent of its local retained capital credits to its members. Of
this 2.86 percent, approximately
one-half is returned to members
receiving service in the earliest
year for which a return of capital credits has not been completed, which for this year is
1987. The remainder of the
credits is returned to members
receiving service in the most recent year (2011).
Members receiving power during these
periods should receive a capital credit refund.
However, to save on mailing and other
administrative costs, amounts less than $25
will be credited to the member’s electric bill.
Watch for your check or a credit identified as
“Capital Credit Refund” on your power statement,
beginning in September.
ANNUAL MEETING
Your Say Counts
W
ondering what that invitation to Satilla REMC’s Annual
Meeting is all about? This is a good year to find out.
When you signed up as a consumer of the electric
Cooperative, you automatically became a member and partowner of the utility. That is how cooperatives work: Each
member-consumer has a say in how the utility operates.
To make your voice heard, attend Satilla REMC’s
Annual Meeting on Tuesday, October 2, 2012. You will hear
the President/CEO update members on the state of the utility at the meeting.
The event, though business oriented, is also a great
time for you to enjoy your Cooperative family.
Entertainment and prizes are always highlights of
the event.
So don’t throw away that invitation. Remember the
date—October 2, 2012—and become an important part of
the utility that you and your neighbors own.
Accepting Sealed Bids
A Publication of
The Satilla Rural Electric
Membership Corporation
P.O. Box 906
Alma, GA 31510
GA00670G
“A People/Power Partnership!”
BOARD
OF
Truck #193
2003 International 4400 cab
and chassis
• DT466E engine
• Allison MD35060P AT
• 177-inch wheelbase
• 109 inches cab to axle
• 196,000 miles
DIRECTORS
Truck #197
R.L. Lewis, Jr.
Chairman
Hinson Mosley
Vice Chairman
Herman Sellers
Secretary
Julian Rigby
Treasurer
David H. Bennett, Jr.
Jeffrey Scott Day
Fred C. Harrison, Sr.
Thomas J. Morris
Romeo Reyes
President/Chief Executive Officer
Mark Johnson
Vice President,
Corporate and System Services
Johnny Allen
Director, Line Services
Bob Bennett
Director, Distribution Services
Mickey Whittington
Director, Customer Services
Sue Johnson
Editor
Telephone Numbers
Alma Office
(912) 632-7222
Douglas Office
(912) 384-1964
Hazlehurst Office
(912) 375-7765
Jesup Office
(912) 427-9561
2004 International 4200LP
cab and chassis
• VT365 engine
• Allison 2000P AT
• 152-inch wheelbase
• 84 inches cab to axle
• 175,000 miles
S
atilla REMC will be accepting sealed bids on the vehicles listed above.
When bidding, please specify the unit number, amount of bid, bidder’s
name, address and daytime telephone number. Bids accepted in writing
only, addressed to:
Attention: John Sweat
Satilla REMC
P. O. Box 906
Alma, GA 31510
Place the words “Bid Enclosed” on the envelope. Deadline for bid submission is 2 p.m. Thursday, October 11, 2012.
Vehicles may be seen at Satilla’s Alma office at 928 Highway 32 East.
Vehicles are sold on an “as-is” basis. Buyers are responsible for all taxes.
Some repairs may be necessary.
Satilla REMC reserves the right to refuse any and all bids.
Invitation to Bid
S
atilla REMC, 928 Highway 32 East, Alma, is accepting bids for the purchase of its used utility poles. The procurement period begins on
January 1, 2013, and runs through December 31, 2015.
The procurer will be responsible for removal of all used utility poles
from Satilla’s office for the three-year period. Procurer must also provide
equipment and labor to remove poles on a timely basis or as needed by
the cooperative.
Procurer will be required to submit valid insurance coverage for liability, equipment and labor while on Satilla’s premises.
Bids must be submitted on a per-pole basis. Specific contract requirements or questions may be addressed by contacting John Sweat at (912)
632-3527.
Bids should be written and addressed to John Sweat, P. O. Box 906,
Alma, GA 31510, with “Pole Bid” written clearly on the envelope. Bidding
closes on Thursday, October 18, 2012 at noon.
Toll-Free Number (888) 738-6926
“A People/Power Partnership!”