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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate the members of
4Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative on the 75th anniversary
5of their cooperative; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative was
7officially formed on October 25, 1938 in Anna, Illinois,
8through the hard work and dedication of a handful of local
9residents wanting to improve living and farming conditions for
10themselves and their neighbors; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Because of the lack of density, it simply wasn't
12possible for the for-profit utilities to make a profit serving
13rural areas with only a few farms or homes per mile of electric
14line; with the help of loans from the Rural Electrification
15Administration (REA), the people living in these rural areas
16banded together to form member-owned and member-governed
17electric cooperatives; and
 
18    WHEREAS, This group of local residents went door to door
19signing up their neighbors to become members of Southern
20Illinois Electric Cooperative and convincing them that a
21cooperative would bring lights and power to the rural area; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Their hard work paid off and Southern Illinois
2Electric Cooperative's lines were first energized on March 22,
31939, initially serving 600 member-owners in Pulaski and Union
4counties; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative continues
6to provides reliable electric service to member-owners in
7Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, and Union counties;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, For 75 years, the cooperative has served its
10member-owners based on 7 guiding principles: voluntary and open
11membership, member-elected and controlled boards of directors,
12members' economic participation, autonomy and independence,
13education and training, cooperation among cooperatives, and
14concern for community; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17we congratulate the members of the Southern Illinois Electric
18Cooperative on the 75th anniversary of their cooperative; and
19be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21presented to Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative as a symbol
22of our esteem and respect.