A message from the Desk of General Manager Matt Klein. Originally published in the February 2021 Cooperative Connection.
The Times They Are a-Changin’..for the Annual Meeting
Many of you will recognize the title of this month’s column as a play on the popular Bob Dylan song, The Times They Are a-Changin’. While that song was released a decade before my time, I was a big Bob Dylan fan in college and I still like to torture my kids with his music when I have them captive in the car. Don’t worry, my article won’t have any of the political undertones that the song includes, but the title song to the 1964 album continues coming to my head as we move forward with a new year.
My plan over the next few editions of the Cooperative Connections Magazine is to detail some of the changes that are coming to the Cooperative in 2021. I started this last month with just a few highlights of things that we have in store. This month I want to outline our plans for holding the Annual Meeting. The Official Notice and more information will be printing in the March edition, but I wanted to give everyone a preview of the changes being made and how we will operate the meeting to ensure you are able to participate in your Annual Meeting, while remaining safe and healthy.
We have scheduled the Annual Meeting for March 27, 2021 from 9am-11am. This is different than what we have done in the past, as it will be held on a Saturday morning. Another change is that the meeting will be in the Elk Point Immanuel Lutheran Church parking lot. The meeting will be setup as a “drive thru”, so you won’t need to leave your car. While we all enjoy the community aspect of our Annual Meeting, we don’t feel it would be prudent to have that many people interacting with each other at this time. We are taking steps so you will be able to participate in the meeting, while limiting your contact with others.
As you arrive to the Annual Meeting, you will be directed to a station, where you will receive a packet of information. In this packet will be reports from the Board President and myself. We will also have financial reports for the past two years and some changes to the by-laws, which the Board is recommending. You will also receive a registration card and ballot. You will be asked to pull forward where you can park to review the information and complete the registration card and ballot. Employees will be available to answer any questions while you review the information.
Once you have completed your registration card and ballot, you will proceed to the second station, where you will turn these in. We will use the registration card to apply a $10 bill credit to your account as a thank you for participating in the Annual Meeting. We will also use the registration card to draw for prizes the following week.
Finally, after returning the Ballot and Registration card, you will be given Elk Point Chamber Bucks to be used at several businesses in and around Elk Point. Since we won’t be able to serve a meal this year, we felt like this would be a good way to still provide members the option for a meal, while also supporting our local businesses.
Although this Annual Meeting will be a little different than in years past, the past year has taught us to be flexible and try new things. I’m excited about these changes to the Annual Meeting. I’m hopeful that these new procedures will allow you to feel comfortable in participating and remaining engaged with your Cooperative. I look forward to seeing you all soon…even if it is just through a car window. Until next month, stay safe.