South Carolina Cooperative Council
Marlboro Electric sponsors two couples for weekend conference
Two couples were selected and sponsored by Marlboro Electric Cooperative for the 2006 SC Cooperative Council’s Couples Conference, Willie & Evon Williams of Bennettsville and Earl & Judy Watson of Latta, SC.
Willie Williams is owner & manager of Williams Tire Service in Bennettsville. He serves on the Marlboro Electric Trust Board, Marlboro Electric Elections & Credentials Committee, United Way and Marlboro Water Company Board. Evon works in Nutritional Services at Marlboro County High School and serves as Marlboro Electric’s WIRE President. “We are truly grateful for the opportunity to attend the Couple’s Conference,” said Williams. “We learned a lot and met some great people.”
Earl Watson is a serviceman at Marlboro Electric where he has been employed for 22 years. Judy is a legal secretary in Dillon County. “It was very interesting to learn about the other kinds of cooperatives other than the electric cooperatives,” said the Watson’s. “Cooperatives are like family, they look out for their members.”
The conference is an annual event of the Cooperative Councils of South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. The couples gather to learn more about how cooperative businesses are organized, how they differ from other types of corporations and what economic and service benefits they offer to member-owners.
About 35 couples from South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia attended the Cooperative Education Conference held November 3-5 at the Bay Watch Resort and Conference Center in Myrtle Beach, SC. Among them was Christy J. Hyatt, Vice-President of the South Carolina Cooperative Council and Marketing/Member Services Director at Marlboro Electric Cooperative.
The Cooperative Councils from three states – North and South Carolina and Georgia – bring together cooperative leaders to serve as session facilitators. Craig Scroggs, USDA- Rural Development, Georgia; Dr. Bob Usry, N.C. State University, Raleigh; Gale Cutler, Georgia EMC, Atlanta; and Debbie Turbeville, USDA – Rural Development, South Carolina, led the group sessions.
The couples were then divided into four groups and visited with staff representing marketing, dairy and Farm Credit cooperative. During these encounter sessions the couples are given the opportunity to learn more about the way different types of cooperatives provide services to their members. Jamie Cantrell of Dairy Farmers of America led the dairy sessions. Jim Erickson of Southern States Cooperative led the session on products and services. Miriam Pflug of AgSouth Farm Credit, Linda Strickland of East Carolina Farm Credit, and Mary Dickson of ArborOne Land & Home led the Farm Credit sessions.
Host Couples participating in the program were Warren & Gay Jeffords of Darlington, S.C.; Ed & Kelly Greene of North Carolina; and Anthony & Elaine Quinn of Georgia. Others participating in the program were Dr. Dick Shermerhorn, executive secretary of Georgia Cooperative Council; Carlyle Teague, president of the Cooperative Council of North Carolina; and Marie Stiles, CMP, executive director of the South Carolina Cooperative Council.
The conference was not all work, as the group traveled to the House of Blues at Barefoot Landing to enjoy a country buffet, a floor show and dancing. ‘NTranced, the house band, entertained the group with tunes from the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
Willie & Evon Williams, left, along with Earl & Judy Watson, right, attended the South Carolina Cooperative Council’s Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC.