If you are without electricity or have an electrical emergency on your side of the meter, we have a master electrician on staff available 24 hours a day.

Board of Trustees

Flint Hills RECARobert E. Reece, General Manager

NEWS

P.O. Box B1564 S. 1000 Rd, Council Grove, KS 66846

620-767-5144www.fl inthillsrec.com

F L I N T H I L L S R U R A L E L E C T R I C CO O P E R AT I V E

Member Services ACH / Bank Draft Program

Online Payment Options

Outside Security Lighting

Power Surge Protection

Rebate Programs

For more information, call us at 620-767-5144.

Roger ZimmermanPresident

Duane KaiserVice President

Duane CarlsonSecretary/Treasurer

Dale AndresTrustee

Korby Effl andTrustee

Tim MiserTrustee

Terry OlsenTrustee

Shawn PottsTrustee

This institution is an equal opportunity

provider and employer.

Cast Your Ballot for the Board of TrusteesJoin us for the 79th Annual Meeting of Flint Hills RECAThe 79th Annual Meeting of the Flint Hills Rural Electric Cooperative As-sociation, Inc. will be held March 7 at the Herington Community Building, located at 810 South Broadway, Her-ington. Registration and meal, served by Kathy’s Herb and Spice, will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., with the meeting at 7 p.m. A “high energy” electrical safety program will be provided by Flint Hills before the meeting.

All members are invited to attend this annual meeting. By virtue of the fact that you purchase electricity from Flint Hills RECA, you are a member and an owner of the cooperative. This membership aff ords you the privilege of participating in this meeting and voting for the board trustees. If you have never been to an annual meet-ing before, come and see what it’s all about. You’ll enjoy a free meal, educa-tional entertainment, and a chance to win some awesome prizes.

By registering for and attend-ing the meeting, you will receive a $10 credit on your April electric bill. And as always, there will be many prizes given away including the grand prize of an HD television. You must be present to win! Please return your RSVP to our offi ce, email us at mail@fl inthillsrec.com, or call to let us know how many will be attending.

Part of the business meetings will be to elect two (2) trustees for three-year terms and to vote on pro-

posed bylaw changes.The nominating committee met

Jan. 5, 2017, to review the bylaws and policies concerning the nomination of candidates to be placed on the of-fi cial notice of the Annual Meeting of The Flint Hills Rural Electric Coopera-tive Association, Inc. for the purposes of election to the Board of Trustees. The Chairperson is Arlene Bailey. Nominees are listed above.

We hope to see you there!

2017 Board of Trustees Nominees

2017 Trustee Nominees Place of Residence

This map shows board members’ and nominees’ place of residence.

District 1ROGER ZIMMERMAN, Alta VistaPHILLIP GOODYEAR, Junction City

District 4TIM MISER, Cottonwood FallsT.W. BURTON, Matfi eld Green

FEBRUARY 2017 KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING 16-A

Customer Service Charge: A Solid Investment in Your Electric Co-opAs a member of Flint Hills RECA, you make an investment in the co-op every time you pay your bill. This collective investment benefits you and the community imme-

diately and over time. So what exactly is this monthly investment, and how do you benefit from it?

The customer service charge is a monthly investment that helps your co-op cover the expenses of main-taining the overall electric system. Combatting cyberse-curity threats and maintaining poles, wires, substations and co-op equip-ment takes strategic planning and signifi-cant resources. The customer service charge essen-tially ensures that all equipment operates

properly and staff is trained and ready so the lights turn on when you need them.

As a not-for-profit electric coop-erative, we believe that the operational cost should be spread fairly and equitably across all of our members, regardless of the amount of electricity the member uses. That is why every member pays a customer service charge each month to cover basic operational costs. All members are charged the customer service charge which fits their particular service type. In essence, this ensures that each cooperative member pays their fair share of the cost of Flint Hills RECA’s operation.

Your monthly investment ensures you have access to safe, reliable and affordable power when you need it. We appreciate and value the investment that you make in the cooperative each month, and we strive to use that investment wisely for the benefit of all members of our community.

On Jan. 16, 2017, Flint Hills RECA’s Board of Trustees voted to retire approximately $447,000 of patrons’ capital credits

back to its members and former members. The retirement of capital

credits is a tangible demonstration of your ownership in Flint Hills RECA.

Flint Hills RECA’s purpose is to provide safe, reli-able and affordable electric service to its members. Flint Hills RECA is a not-for-profit electric cooperative that is owned and controlled by the people who use its ser-vices. All operating margins are allocated back as capital credits to the members (patrons) who use and pay for the electric services provided by Flint Hills RECA.

Members of Flint Hills RECA will receive a capital credit refund either in the form of a check, that will be mailed on March 1, 2017, or credit applied to their electric

bill dated March 1, 2017. If your capital credit refund amount is less than $50, it will be applied to your March bill as a Capital Credit General Retirement credit. If your refund amount is $50 or more, you will receive a check in the mail.

Capital credits are retained by the co-op for a period of time to help fund the operation of the cooperative, such as reducing long-term debt, maintain-ing reserves for financing of plant replacements, storm damage repairs, and to reduce the cost of electricity to the membership of the cooperative. Capital credits are retired when the cooperative’s financial strength will not be compromised by a retirement of a portion of patrons’ capital credits.

Flint Hills RECA has returned over $4 million in capi-tal credits to its patrons in the last 10 years. Even with Flint Hill RECA’s return of capital credits, the cooperative continues to rebuild and improve electrical lines and provide members with quality electrical service.

Should you cease to purchase electric service from Flint Hills RECA and you change your present address, please notify the cooperative of your new address. This will assure that you will continue to receive your refund if and when future refunds are made.

Flint Hills Retires Capital Credits

$447,000 back toour members

The customer service charge helps ensure the electric system and equipment is properly maintained.

KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING FEBRUARY 201716-B

N E W S F RO M F L I N T H I L L S R U R A L E L E C T R I C CO O P E R AT I V E

What You’re Missing at the Annual Meeting

Did you know every coop-erative is required to conduct an annual meeting of the membership? The purpose is to hold the election for the board of directors, share important fi nancial informa-tion, occasionally vote on other matters such as bylaw changes and of course––the great door prizes!

Flint Hills RECA’s an-nual meeting is a community gathering where neighbors can meet new neighbors––or catch up with old acquaintances. As our lives get busier with the “errands of life” and more of our interactions with others are online (via social media), we must renew the value of face-to-face human connections. Very few organizations are uniquely positioned like Flint Hills to bring together all members of our local communities.

While rural Americans probably do a better job of staying connected to our neighbors (in part because we need to), it is not something we should take for granted. The simple act of smiling, saying hello and shak-ing someone’s hand truly lifts both parties.

Our country and community face many challenges. Our economy feels like it has been stagnant for years. Overcoming these chal-lenges will only happen if we come together.

Flint Hills’s Annual Meeting is designed to take care of the impor-tant business of your co-op and the equally important business of build-ing a real sense of community. All co-operatives serve both an economic and social purpose. While safe, reli-able, and aff ordable electric power is crucial to our mission, improving the quality of life for all members is at the core of what we do every day.

If you have not attended the annual meeting in the past or if it has been a few years, we urge you to take the time to be with your fellow co-op members.

We get out of life what we put into it. Flint Hills Rural Electric Cooperative is connected to you by more than just powerlines. We are your neighbors, and we look forward to seeing you at your annual meeting that will be held on March 7, 2017, at the Herington Community building.

March 2017S M T W U F S

1 2 3 45 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 1819 20 21 22 23 24 2526 27 28 29 30 31

Weathering a Winter StormWhen ice and heavy snow bring down limbs and power lines, safety is a consider-ation indoors and out. Make sure you know how to weather the storm.

When outside, stay away from downed power lines: A power line doesn't need to be sparking or arcing to be energized. Equipment near power lines can also be energized and dangerous. Lines that appear to be “dead” can be-come energized as crews work to restore power. Assume all low and downed lines are energized and dangerous. If you see a downed or sagging line, contact your utility. Never drive over a downed line. A snag-ging line could pull down a pole or other equipment and cause additional hazards. Be careful at intersections where traffi c or crossing lights may be out. If you plan to use a generator, know how to operate it safely.

Before a winter storm, have supplies on hand, and know how to stay warm: Keep a battery-powered radio or TV, fl ashlights, batteries, water, blankets and non-perishable food on hand. When power goes out, it often comes back in spikes. This can damage electron-ics. Keep your electronics safe by unplug-ging them when the power goes out. Leave one lamp or switch on as a signal for when your power returns. To prevent water pipes from freezing, keep faucets turned on slightly so that water drips from the tap. Know how to shut off water valves in case a pipe bursts. Never use a charcoal grill to cook or heat with inside the home. Burning charcoal gives off deadly carbon monoxide gas. If you live with a child or elderly person, you may need to take them somewhere with power so they can stay warm. Close off unneeded rooms. When using an alternate heat source, fol-low operating instructions, use fi re safe-guards and be sure to properly ventilate.

Join us at Flint Hills RECA's Annual Meeting on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at the Herington Community building.

FEBRUARY 2017 KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING 16-C

The Flint Hills Rural Electric Cooperative Association is sponsoring two all-expense-paid trips to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. on July 14-20, 2017. This trip is part of a four-state Cooperative Youth Leader-ship Camp, sponsored by rural electric cooperatives in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and Oklahoma.

Contest winners will learn about electrification, cooperatives, energy issues and interpersonal communications. The contest is open to all current high school sophomores and juniors in Flint Hills’ service area whose parents or guardians are members of Flint Hills Rural Electric Cooperative. Contest entrants will be interviewed and required to take a brief written test covering material that will be made available to each contestant.

If you are a high school sophomore or junior and are interested in this trip, please complete the application form below and send by Feb. 13, 2017, to Flint Hills RECA, Attn: Diann Diehl, P.O. Box B, Coun-cil Grove, KS 66846.

Once we receive this form, materials will then be sent to you for the interview process.

Attention High School Sophomores & Juniors Win a FREE Leadership Experience!

Apply for Your Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp Today Complete and return this application to Flint Hills RECA (Attn: Diann Diehl, diann@flinthillsrec.com, P.O. Box B, Council Grove, KS 66846) by Feb. 13, 2017.

Name of Applicant _____________________________________________ Birth Date ________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________________________________

City__________________________________________________________ State ______ Zip ___________________

School _____________________________________________________________________________________

Name of Parents/Guardians ________________________________________ Parent’s Phone Number ________________

I agree that all information supplied in this application is accurate and true.

Signature of Applicant _____________________________________________________________________________

I hereby grant permission for ___________________________________to enter the 2017 Youth Tour competition sponsored by Flint Hills RECA.

Signature of Parent or Legal Guardian _________________________________________________________________

Above: Meghan Eidman (left) and Paige Craney pose by Elk River near camp.

Left: Kansas delegates attend Cooperative Youth Lead-ership Camp along with students from three other states to develop leadership skills and learn about cooperatives. The 2017 camp will be July 14-20.

KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING FEBRUARY 201716-D