Cuivre River Electric Announces Youth Tour Winners

“Concern for Community” is the cooperative principle that won the hearts of most finalists in Cuivre River Electric Cooperative’s 43rd Annual Youth Tour Final Competition on April 13. Twelve local students presented their essays touting “Cooperative Values at Work in My Community” with judges and guests attending the event.

Students’ speeches and cooperative quiz scores determined the most important contest of the evening, the selection of Cuivre River’s delegates to attend the National Youth Tour Conference in Washington, D.C. this summer. Students chosen as Cuivre River Youth Tour delegates to Washington, D.C., include Jazmin Gac of Clopton HS, Christian Jacquez of Francis Howell HS, Oliver Lamping of Troy Buchanan HS, Dana Heggemann and Emily Mauch of Warrenton HS and Jill Jarvis of Jarvis Home School.

They will travel among 80 Missouri delegates June 10-16, meet with more than 1,500 delegates from across the United States, visit Congress, tour Capitol Hill, and see national historic memorials and landmarks. Brittany Kube of Elsberry HS will serve as a Youth Tour alternate, should any of these students be unable to attend.

The six runners-up in the contest received a $250 Cuivre River Youth Tour scholarship to the university or college of their choice. They include Amy Rogers of Christian HS, Brittany Kube of Elsberry HS, Briana Haney of Timberland HS, Rachel Frank of Troy Buchanan HS, Kelsey Beckering and Eli Burkemper of Winfield HS.

“Among 351 contest entries, it was interesting to learn the principles our youth valued the most. In addition to Concern for Community, Education and Democratic Member Control were also popular choices,” said Manager of Communications Mary Jane Clark, who emceed the event.

The essays were judged based on the student’s cooperative knowledge, composition, originality, grammar and neatness. The 12 finalists took a cooperative knowledge based quiz, and then presented their essays to a board of distinguished judges and special guests. Their presentations were judged on the student’s speaking ability, poise and personality, appearance and length of presentation.

Judging duties for the final competition were performed by Dr. Gina Bueneman-Cooper, Professional Development Specialist, of Cooper Management Training & Consulting, Inc. in Troy; Mary Davis, Advertising and Production Manager, of the Rural Missouri in Jefferson City and Heather Denny, 2006 Cuivre River Youth Tour delegate, of Warrenton.

The local contest, now in its 43rd year, received 351 student essays from sixteen area high schools. Last year the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) named Cuivre River Electric Cooperative’s Youth Tour program as one of the best Youth Tour programs in the country based on the highest number of student entries received by a single electric cooperative in the United States.

“We are extremely proud of the national recognition our Youth Tour program received last year from the NRECA,” said Tucker. “Our program’s success can be attributed to the overwhelming support we receive each year from our high school teachers,” he adds. Teachers honored at this year’s banquet included Autumn Waller of Clopton HS, Anna Boley of Elsberry HS, Carolyn Harman of Troy Buchanan HS, Kristine Heimburger and Elizabeth Hancock of Warrenton HS, Sharon Bader of Winfield HS and Nancy Jarvis of Jarvis Home School.

Cuivre River Electric Cooperative is the largest consumer-owned distribution cooperative in Missouri. It provides service to more than 59,000 residential, business, commercial, industrial and agricultural members in Lincoln, Pike, St. Charles and Warren counties. To learn more about the seven Cooperative Principles or Youth Tour visit www.cuivre.com.

Cuivre River’s 2011 Youth Tour delegates are (L-R) Emily Mauch of Warrenton HS, Jazmin Gac of Clopton HS, Oliver Lamping of Troy Buchanan HS, Dana Heggemann of Warrenton HS, Jill Jarvis of Jarvis Home School and Christian Jacquez of Francis Howell HS. The delegates will travel to Washington, D.C. June 10-16 to attend the National Youth Tour Conference.