Annual Meetings
NOTICE TO MEMBERS OF
OZARK BORDER ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
The Annual Membership Meeting of Ozark Border Electric Cooperative will be held on August 9, 2024, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. The annual meeting will be conducted in accordance with the bylaws of the Cooperative.
ARTICLE III SECTION 6 Order of Business. The order of business at the annual meeting of the members and, so far as possible, at all other meetings of the members, shall be essentially as follows, except as otherwise determined by the members at such meeting.
1. Report on the number of members present in person in order to determine the existence of a quorum.
2. Reading of the notice of the meeting and proof of the due publication or mailing thereof, or the waiver or waivers of notice of the meeting, as the case may be.
3. Reading of unapproved minutes of previous meetings of the members and the taking of the necessary action thereon.
4. Presentation and consideration of reports of officers, trustees, and committees.
5. Election of board members.
6. Unfinished business.
7. New business.
8. Adjournment.
ARTICLE III SECTION 5 Voting. Each member shall be entitled to only one vote upon each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of the members. All questions shall be decided by a vote of a majority of the members voting thereon in person except as otherwise provided by law, the articles of incorporation, or these bylaws. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted.
ARTICLE IV SECTION 2 Election of Directors. Four directors will be elected to the Board of Directors of the Cooperative at each annual meeting. They will serve a three year term.
ARTICLE IV SECTION 3 Qualifications. No person shall be eligible to become or remain a board member of the Cooperative who:
(a) is not a member and bona fide resident in the area served or to be served by the Cooperative: or
(b) is in any way employed by or financially interested in a competing enterprise or a business selling electric energy, or supplies to the Cooperative, or a business primarily engaged in selling electrical or plumbing appliances, fixtures or supplies to the members of the Cooperative.
(c) Has served seven (7) terms, or any part of a seventh term, whether such terms were served consecutively or non-consecutively.
Upon establishment of the fact that a board member is holding the office in violation of any of the foregoing provisions, the board shall remove such board member from office.
Nothing contained in this section shall effect in any manner whatsoever the validity of any action taken at any meeting of the board.
ARTICLE IV SECTION 4. Nominations. The Board of Directors shall appoint, by May 1 each year, a committee on nominations consisting of not less than five (5) nor more than eleven (11) members who shall be selected from the four (4) Districts so as to insure equitable representation. No member of the board may serve on such committee. The committee, keeping in mind the principle of equitable representation, shall prepare and post at the principal office of the Cooperative at least thirty-five (35) days before the annual meeting a list of candidates which may include a greater number of candidates than are to be elected. Any fifteen (15) or more members acting together may make other nominations by petition. Nominations made by petition may be received beginning June 1 of each year and must be received no later than thirty-five (35) days before the annual meeting to be included on the official ballot. The Secretary shall be responsible for mailing, at least ten (10) days before the date of the annual meeting, a notice of the meeting, including a statement of the number of board members to be elected and the names and addresses of the candidates nominated by the committee or by petition.
ARTICLE III SECTION 1 Meeting of Members. The Annual Meeting of the members shall be held at such time and at such place within the area served by the Cooperative, as selected by the Board and which shall be designated in the notice of the meeting, for the purpose of electing board members, passing upon reports for the previous fiscal year and transacting such other business as may come before the meeting.
To the extent authorized by the Board, however, and subject to guidelines and procedures adopted by the Board, voting for each matter submitted to a vote of the Members at the Annual Meeting may be held on multiple days and at multiple locations within the area served by the Cooperative leading up to the Annual Meeting. The Board may elect to use such voting technology as is easily and economically available, provided that voting shall only occur in a manner which: (1) permits the Cooperative to verify that each Person participating in the Meeting is a Member; and (2) permits each Member only one vote upon each matter submitted to a vote of the Members at the Annual Meeting. Failure to hold the Annual Meeting at the designated time shall not work a forfeiture or dissolution of the Cooperative. Failure to hold the Annual Meeting at the designated time shall not work a forfeiture or dissolution of the Cooperative.
Ozark Border Electric Cooperative 2024 Annual Meeting
86th ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Ozark Border Electric Cooperative’s Annual Membership Meeting will continue to have multiple places for voting this year. While the business meeting will be conducted at the Poplar Bluff headquarters at 2:30 on Friday, August 9th, registration and voting will take place at multiple locations on multiple dates leading up to the business meeting. Regardless of which date or location a member participates, they will receive a registration gift, register for the meeting, vote, and be included in a prize drawing to be held at the end of registration on Friday. This drawing, along with the business meeting, will be broadcast via Facebook live starting at 2:20 pm. All members registering will also receive a $10 bill credit.
Registration and voting will take place at our suboffices from 9:00am – 3:00 pm on the days leading up to the event. These will be walk-in events and will take place as follows:
· Monday August 5th Malden Office 19968 St Hwy J
· Tuesday August 6th Puxico Office 21838 St Hwy 51
· Wednesday August 7th Van Buren Office 106 Commercial Dr
· Thursday August 8th Doniphan Office 554 Bridge St
Our Friday, August 9th event will take place at the OBEC headquarters located at 3281 S Westwood Blvd and will look very much like it has the past four years, with a drive-in registration from 7:00 am – 2:00 pm followed by the business meeting at 2:30 pm
For those using our Poplar Bluff headquarters for registration and voting on Friday, the maps below show the route traffic will take. The west entrance will be dedicated to incoming annual meeting traffic and the east entrance will be for those members needing to conduct normal business at the drive-thru or front lobby. Annual meeting traffic will flow to our warehouse bays then will proceed out the back of the property onto County Road 468 and go west to County Road 471 to circle back to Highway 67.
ANNUAL MEETING REGISTRATION
The Cooperative will mail an Annual Meeting registration form to each member on July 22, 2024. When you receive your registration form in the mail, be sure to save it and bring it to one of the registration and voting locations noted in the Annual Meeting Schedule. The registration form allows each member to vote for Board of Director candidates, to vote on proposed bylaw revisions, and to be included in the drawing for attendance prizes. The Cooperative by-laws and Missouri statutes prohibit voting by proxy; therefore, you will need to register and vote in person. No one can register for another member, and only the member or their spouse can register and vote.
ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULE
Voting and registration for ALL members will be available
on the following dates in advance of the meeting on Friday:
Monday August 5th Walk-in Malden Office 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tuesday August 6th Walk-in Puxico Office 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Wednesday August 7th Walk-in Van Buren Office 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Thursday August 8th Walk-in Doniphan Office 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Friday August 9th Drive-in Poplar Bluff Office 7:00 am – 2:00 pm
Business Meeting – 2:30 pm Friday August 11th
Ozark Border Electric Headquarters
3281 S Westwood Blvd, Poplar Bluff, MO