Rural Missouri - March 2022 - 5

Missouri
RURAL
Volume 75 | MARCH 2022 | Number 3
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Jim McCarty, editor
jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop
Paul Newton, managing editor
pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
Heather Berry, associate editor
hberry@ruralmissouri.coop
Megan Backes, creative director
mbackes@ruralmissouri.coop
Zach Smith, field editor
zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop
Angie Jones-Wheeler, designer
ajones@ruralmissouri.coop
ADVERTISING:
Mary Davis, production manager
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
Editorial:
Rural Missouri
2722 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City, MO 65101
573-659-3423 info@ruralmissouri.coop
Advertising:
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
573-659-3400
National Advertising Representative:
American MainStreet Publications;
611 S. Congress St., Suite 504; Austin, TX 78704
573-659-3400
Postmasters: Send address changes to Rural Missouri,
2722 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City, MO
65101. Subscribers: Report change of address to
your local cooperative. Do not send change of address
to Rural Missouri.
Advertising standards: Advertising published in
Rural Missouri is accepted on the premise that
the merchandise and services offered are accurately
described and sold to customers at the advertised
price. Rural Missouri and Missouri's electric
cooperatives do not endorse any products or
services advertised herein. Advertising that does
not conform to these standards or that is deceptive
or misleading is never knowingly accepted by
this publication. The acceptance of all advertising
shall be in the sole discretion of the editor.
Rural Missouri (ISSN 0164-8578) (USPS 473000)
is published monthly by the Association
of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, 2722 E.
McCarty Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101, Caleb
Jones, CEO/executive vice president. Individual
subscription rate: $12 per year or $25 for three
years, taxes and postage included. Group rate for
members of participating RECs $2.64, plus taxes
and postage, paid from equity accruing to the
member. Delivery as specified by subscriber. If not
specified, delivery will be by periodical class mail
at subscriber's expense. Periodical Class postage
paid at Jefferson City, MO, and additional mailing
offices. Copyright 2022, Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives. Call for reprint rights.
Circulation of this issue: 578,919
RM | PERSPECTIVES
The luck o' the co-op
by Caleb Jones | cjones@amec.coop
ust about a year ago I showed
up at my kid's school dressed
as a leprechaun. It was St. Patrick's
Day and a few of the dads
decided this would be a fun surprise.
It didn't hurt that a leprechaun outfit
was a little more comfortable than the
suit I wear most days.
J
As you can imagine, quite of few of
my kid's friends asked Max what the
heck his dad did for a job.
" My dad keeps lights on and he
loves his job, " was what he said.
While Max may not quite understand
what I do, he did get the part
right about me loving my job. That
got me thinking how lucky I am to
work for Missouri's electric cooperatives.
A lot of folks don't understand
when I say I have a family at home
and a family at work.
Here's what I mean: My family at
home supports me when I have to
be away from them for meetings. My
co-op family is every board member,
employee, lineman and member-owner
on our electric lines.
I've seen what being part of the
co-op family truly means, like member-owners
rounding up their bills
with the extra change earmarked for
community projects. Then there's
those linemen, who pack up their
gear and leave their own families
in the middle of a snowstorm. They
do this because they can't bear the
thought of their neighbors being without
power when the temperature is in
the single digits.
Recently I was visiting with Tom
Howard, manager of Callaway Electric
Co-op. I asked him what the hardest
part of his job is. He told me that
for him and all of his employees it is
having to disconnect a member for a
delinquent bill. It truly breaks their
hearts - because our member-owners
are part of our co-op family.
I have learned that around the
state there are " Co-op Angel Funds "
that can be tapped when someone
is facing difficulties and needs a
little help from their co-op family.
Some co-ops have auctions where
If you see me dressed in green and handing
out gold coins, just know it's because I have
the luck o' the co-op in me.
employees donate prizes - often
handmade items - then bid against
each other to buy them back. The
money goes to help one of our co-op
families that are down on their luck.
During the school year co-op
employees give safety demonstrations
at local schools. Those same
people who teach electrical safety are
there because they care - and also
because it's likely they have kids or
grandkids in the class, all part of
their family and co-op family.
A business designed to deliver
electricity doesn't necessarily need
to build goodwill. We do it because
we are all part of something much
greater, a co-op family.
If you see me dressed in green and
handing out gold coins this month,
it's not because I'm Irish. Sometimes
I have to give back to my family at
home in odd ways. I also like to think
that I have a little luck o' the co-op
inside me.
Caleb is the executive vice president
and CEO of the Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives and a member of
Boone Electric Cooperative.
MARCH 2022 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 5
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Rural Missouri - March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - March 2022

Contents
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - Cover1
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - Cover2
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - Contents
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - 4
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - 5
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - 6
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - 7
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - 8
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - 9
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Rural Missouri - March 2022 - Cover3
Rural Missouri - March 2022 - Cover4
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