Washington Youth Tour
Earlier this summer, outstanding students from across Georgia, including Cole Reynolds from Leesburg, returned from the Washington Youth Tour, a week-long leadership experience exclusively for teens sponsored by Sumter EMC and other electric cooperatives in Georgia.
From June 17-23, Cole joined accomplished and ambitious peers in Washington, D.C. to understand the importance of civic engagement, tour national historic sites, and learn valuable leadership lessons they can utilize in their communities back home. The lessons learned by students cannot be replicated in the classroom.
Sumter EMC believes that this carefully chaperoned tour of the nation's capital, full of our national treasures, provides an opportunity for an enriched history lesson and a unique experience that includes interactive exhibits and firsthand accounts. Cole was one of four delegates selected to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Considering his father's military background with the U.S. Marines, laying the wreath was a highlight of Cole’s trip and an experience that meant the world to him.
In Georgia, this year's contingent included student delegates, chaperones, and tour directors who attended a kick-off banquet in Atlanta for the student delegates and their families before departing the next day for D.C. for the remainder of the trip.
"The students watch history come to life as they walk and talk in the same places where people have helped shape our country," says Andrea Walker, VP of Marketing and Administration with Sumter EMC.
"They also meet delegates from across the country with different backgrounds, life experiences, and walks of life to give them a broader perspective and deeper appreciation of the world at large."
With a firm commitment to enriching our future, the purpose of the Youth Tour is to help EMCs develop our state's most precious resource, our youth.
While in D.C., stops included Mount Vernon, Arlington Cemetery, U.S. Capitol, National Cathedral, and the Smithsonian Museums. The students also toured the revered Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, MLK, WWII, Vietnam, and Korean War memorials.
In addition to taking in the sights of the nation's capital, students gained perspective on some of today's critical issues and their role as involved citizens. Everyone had the opportunity to engage with staff and members of Georgia's congressional delegation, as well as a visit with U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff.
Over 50,000 students from rural areas and small towns across America have participated in this program. Some Youth Tour alumni have gone on to design airplanes, lead companies, and serve in the highest ranks of government, including the U.S. Senate, and many more are serving in some roles in state and local government.
Photos from this year's tour are posted on the national Youth Tour Web site at https://photos.youthtour.org/2022-Youth-Tour/Georgia/.
Walter Harrison Scholarship
The Walter Harrison Scholarship program was created in 1985 in memory of Walter Harrison, a Georgia and national rural electric co-op pioneer. The statewide scholarship is funded through donations contributed by EMCs throughout Georgia and pays $1,000 to each winner. Recipients can use the scholarship at any two or four-year accredited university or college (including vocational-technical colleges) in Georgia.
Each year, Sumter EMC submits the applications of two local finalists to Georgia EMC. Georgia EMC's scholarship committee judges applications from across the state and selects the final winners. Both financial need and academic ability are used in determining winners. To be eligible, a candidate must reside in the household (primary residence) of a Sumter EMC member.
Contact Whitney Johnson at Sumter EMC, (229) 924-8041, (800) 342-6978, via email to Whitney Johnson, or click one of the links below to view the 2023 scholarship application and criteria for eligibility:
Walter Harrison Scholarship Application
Applications for 2021 must be submitted to Sumter EMC no later than January 13, 2023. Send your completed application to: Whitney Johnson, Sumter EMC, P. O. Box 1048, Americus, GA 31709. Recipients will be announced in May.
FFA Electrification Contest
Sumter EMC is proud to support (along with other Georgia EMCs) participation by local schools in the EMC/FFA Electrification Contest. The wiring contest is a competitive educational program which promotes the safe, efficient use of electrical energy.
For more information, contact Jason Hall, Energy Services Representative for Sumter EMC, or:
- Click here to visit the Georgia FFA Association website.
- Click here to view FFA photos
Young Co-op Couples Conference
Each year Sumter EMC selects a young couple from its service area to represent the Cooperative at the Young Couples Cooperative Conference which is sponsored by the Georgia Cooperative Council, Inc., the South Carolina Council of Cooperatives, and the Cooperative Council of North Carolina. The goals of this unique three-day conference are:
- To provide an opportunity for young couples to gain additional knowledge and insight in the economic and service opportunities afforded by their cooperatives.
- To provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences in leadership needs in their cooperatives and in their communities.
- To provide an opportunity to make new friends.
- To find out what young couples are thinking so cooperatives can better serve their needs.
The ultimate purpose is to strengthen the relationship between cooperatives and participating couples. For more information on the conference, contact our Member Services Department or send an email to Tonya Jones.
GHSA State Championships
Sumter EMC joins 29 EMCs across the state to announce a partnership with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) to sponsor more than 80 state championships during the 2022-2023 season. This season marks the 20th consecutive year Georgia's EMCs have been GHSA sponsors.
Long-time supporters of a variety of programs for students, the sponsorship allows Sumter EMC to support student athletes, parents and the entire athletic community. This year's championship games will feature sports ranging from football to track, riflery to basketball. State championships also include literary competitions such as one-act plays and debate.
Plan to attend these great events and bring your family! For a complete calendar of events, visit the GHSA web site at www.ghsa.net .