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 44th Annual Youth Tour Final Competition on April 11. Twelve local students presented their essays touting “Cooperative Values at Work in My World” with judges and guests attending the event. The goal of this year’s topic was to add a local perspective to the celebration of the year 2012 as the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives.
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 include Krista Dye of Elsberry HS, Michael Edwards of Silex HS, Melora Broker, Samantha Olsson and Hannah Romaker of Warrenton HS, and Lauryn Burch of Winfield HS.
They will travel among 80 Missouri delegates June 15-21, meet with more than 1,500 delegates from across the United States, visit Congress, tour Capitol Hill, and see national historic memorials and landmarks. Katherine Pritchett of Pritchett Homeschool 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 Kelsey Bockman of Clopton HS, Jacob Parker of Elsberry HS, Kevin Ackermann of Fort Zumwalt North HS, Cody Cameron of Warrenton HS, Neil Baalman of Winfield HS, and Katherine Pritchett.
“Among 221 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; Jim McCarty, Editor, of the Rural Missouri in Jefferson City and Heather Denny, 2006 Cuivre River Youth Tour delegate, of Warrenton.
The local contest, now in its 44th year, received 221 student essays from nineteen 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, Sarah O’Brien of Elsberry HS, Carmen Watson of Silex HS, Elizabeth Hancock and Kristine Heimburger of Warrenton HS, Sharon Bader of Winfield HS and Jennifer Pritchett of Pritchett Homeschool.
Since 1964 Cuivre River has sponsored 184 Youth Tour delegates for visits to their U.S. congressional delegations, energy and grassroots government education sessions, and sightseeing in Washington, D.C. More than 40,000 high school students sponsored by electric cooperatives have participated in the Youth Tour since the leadership program began.
Cuivre River Electric Cooperative, founded in 1941, provides electricity to more than 59,500 homes and businesses in Lincoln, Pike, St. Charles and Warren counties. For more information on the Youth Tour, or to schedule a classroom program, contact Lonnie Tucker at 800.392.3709 ext. 230, or e-mail: ltucker@cuivre.com.
Cuivre River’s 2012 Youth Tour delegates are (L-R) Melora Broker and Samantha Olsson of Warrenton HS, Krista Dye of Elsberry HS, Hannah Romaker of Warrenton HS, Michael Edwards of Silex HS and Lauryn Burch of Winfield HS. The delegates will travel to Washington, D.C. June 15-21 to attend the National Youth Tour Conference.
Cuivre River’s 2012 Youth Tour scholarship winners are (L-R) Cody Cameron of Warrenton HS, Katherine Pritchett of Pritchett Homeschool, Kevin Ackermann of Fort Zumwalt North HS, Jacob Parker of Elsberry HS, Kelsey Bockman of Clopton HS and Neil Baalman of Winfield HS. The students received a $250 Cuivre River Youth Tour scholarship to the university or college of their choice.