The Fayette Citizen-News Page
Friday, October 16, 1998
More than 2,000 attend EMC's 52nd annual meeting

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For the first time in its 52-year history, Coweta-Fayette EMC held its annual meeting on a Saturday afternoon, giving members an opportunity to bring their families and enjoy an old-fashioned country fair atmosphere.

"When the EMC was created back in 1946, businesses closed on Wednesday afternoons, so it seemed the ideal time to hold the business meeting," said EMC president and CEO Michael Whiteside. "With so many working moms and dads, we felt that we were missing a large segment of our membership at the annual event, and that they would be more likely to attend if we moved it to the weekend."

Board members also realized that there should be activities to entertain younger members of the family, so the "midway" theme was developed, complete with carnival games and prizes, a giant slide, Moonwalk, Orbitron and even a small ferris wheel. Both adults and children took the necessary time to get to the front of the line for one of the most popular items of the day, cotton candy.

"That's one of the things that most of us remember from our childhood trips to the fair," said Whiteside. "The smell of cotton candy on a fall afternoon took many members back in time."

Fun and games weren't the only treat members enjoyed on the grounds of the EMC's headquarters in Newnan. Nationally syndicated radio personality and architect Doug Rye once again gave his humorous and informational seminar on conserving energy for homeowners.

"Build your new 2,000 square foot home to Doug's standards, and have a guaranteed average heating and cooling cost of just $39 per month," said EMC's promotional materials, getting the attention of large numbers of members who showed up to hear Rye.

Hundreds of people filled the meeting area as the business meeting got underway, where the fun continued as names were drawn for a wide variety of door prizes. Voting members once again elected Neal Shepard to fill the Coweta County position on the board of directors, while Floy Farr was chosen to represent Fayette.

"Your Coweta-Fayette EMC has responded to your needs and continued to expand the services you enjoy," Whiteside said. "The coming year promises to be just as exciting as the one we're ending today. Our board of directors, staff members and all the employees thank you for your input and your participation throughout each year. You can expect us to continue to improve and expand, and to be your choice provider of electricity and other products and services during the coming year," he said.

Mr. and Mrs. Garnet Shirle of Newnan left the meeting with a grand prize sign in the front window of their automobile, proud testimony to the fact that they were the big winners of the day, receiving a complete Gateway computer system.

Georgia's 42 electric membership corporations make up its largest electric distribution system, covering 73 percent of its land area in 157 of 159 counties.

Coweta-Fayette serves Coweta, Fayette, Heard and parts of Meriwether, Spalding, Clayton and Troup counties.


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