Youth Tour to Washington, D.C.

South River EMC understands the importance of taking care of our kids. We strive to offer benefits to the children of our community in order to secure a brighter tomorrow.

Rural Electric Youth Tour

June 12-18, 2010 three rising seniors will take advantage of some great adventures, on behalf of South River EMC. These students will join a delegation of North Carolina students in Washington, D.C. this summer as part of the Rural Electric Youth Tour. The Youth Tour involves more than 1,500 students representing electric cooperatives from across the nation. Each year, South River EMC offers this opportunity to area students to be a part of the unforgettable Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington DC.

While in Washington DC, the North Carolina contingent will join electric cooperative representatives from throughout the United States for a week of fun and learning. Here is a glance of what experiences students have during the Youth Tour:

• Participate in Youth Day, where they will learn more about America's electric cooperatives;
• Lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery;
• Visit Capitol Hill and meet with our North Carolina Senators and Congressmen;
• Visit the sites of Washington, D.C. including all the monuments;
• Vist the Smithsonian museums;
• Take a boat trip down the Potomac River;
• Visit the Newseum;
• Visit the Holocaust Museum and;
• Attend an All States Dance.

North Carolina's students establish a Soda Pop Co-op to provide a supply of affordable drinks while in Washington, D.C. Each student pays $1 to become a member of the cooperative. A board of directors is appointed and they hire a manager and assistant manager. At the end of the trip, the cooperative is dissolved and each student is refunded their membership fee and their capital credits.

In 2009, South River EMC was represented by Lauren McKoy from Western Harnett High School, Mariah Barefoot from South Johnston High School and Lameshia Jacobs from Cape Fear High School.

Each year, the students return with many interesting stories and memories to last a lifetime. For more information about the Rural Electric Youth Tour, call Catherine O'Dell or Julie Wahl at 892-8071 or send an e-mail to sremc@sremc.com. Download your 2010 Youth Tour application now. Applications are due to the Cooperative by February 27.

For more information on the Rural Electric Youth Tour visit the official National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Youth Tour site.

Scholarship

Gwen B. Price and Katie Bunch Scholarships

Students attending the Rural Electric Youth Tour are eligible to win the $2500 Gwen B. Price Scholarship and the $2000 Katie Bunch Memorial Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded annually at the North Carolina Electric Cooperative's Annual Meeting of Members in Raleigh.

These scholarships were established by the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives Volunteers' Committee to aid young people who have limited financial resources and have exhibited outstanding scholastic and leadership abilities in their quest for a college education.