WARSAW — The 2018 KREMC annual meeting was held Saturday, March 10, at Warsaw Community Church in Warsaw. It was the electric cooperative’s 79th annual meeting.

Kosciusko Rural Electric Membership Corporation, a member-owned corporation, supplies electric power to customers in portions of Kosciusko, Fulton, Wabash and Whitley counties in northern Indiana. Founded in 1938, KREMC energized the home of its first customer in February 1939. Today, KREMC has over 18,000 meters.

The primary item on the agenda was the election of the 2018 board of directors. Tony Fleming, Dan Tucker and William Stump Jr. were all elected to three year terms.

Attendees received a $10 KREMC bill credit.  A free breakfast was provided, including hot breakfast sandwiches, assorted muffins and coffee.  At the upstairs expresso bar, guests could choose from an assortment of chai tea,  cappuccino and smoothies, courtesy of KREMC.

The official meeting began with the presentation of colors by Cub Scout pack 3736 from Trinity United Methodist Church in Warsaw, followed by Warsaw Police Sergeant Brad Keller singing the National Anthem.

Event emcee was Grant Reigner, KREMC applications system analyst, who incorporated humor while providing information and making introductions.

Special guests in attendance included Deb Hunter and Tom VanParis from Indiana Electric Cooperatives, Eric Young, president and CEO of Northeastern REMC, Indiana state representative Curtis Nisly, James Blazey, representative for U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, and  Russell Yale, representative for U.S. Congressman Jim Banks.

The names of the four students selected to attend Touchstone Camp were announced. The three-day program is held at Camp Tecumseh in Brookston. The Touchstone Energy Camp program was developed by a committee of electric cooperative employees from Indiana. The students will have the opportunity to learn about electric safety at camp as well as enjoy camp activities such as swimming, canoeing and arts & crafts. Selected students for 2018 were Leah Henderson, Warsaw, McKale Hagg, Warsaw, Maddy McSherry, Claypool, and Samuel King, Warsaw.

KREMC is giving two area high school juniors the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital with over 1,500 students from all across America on the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour of Washington, D.C. This includes a weeklong trip to D.C. to tour the capital, meet with elected officials and learn about the electric cooperative. During this all-expense-paid trip, delegates will stop by the Gettysburg National Battlefield and Flight 93 Memorial as they travel to Washington, D.C. This year’s selected students were Miriam Hagg and Emily Puckett, both from Warsaw Community High School.

Six students were recipients of the John H. Anglin Memorial Scholarship. The selection of winning scholarships for 2018 was done by random drawing of names. The winning students each received a $1,000 scholarship for the upcoming year’s classes at the college or trade school of their choice. Winners of the John H. Anglin Memorial Scholarships were Dakota Parker, Tippecanoe Valley High School, Matthew Kiphart, Warsaw Community High School, Thomas Lemon II, Warsaw Community High School, Morgan Bruner, Warsaw Community High School, Rachel Smith, Warsaw Community High School, and Hannah Toepp, Grace College.

Each year, KREMC members who attend the annual meeting are eligible to win door prizes. This year’s prizes included KREMC bill credits in various amounts and gift cards to Buffalo Wild Wings, Menards, Owens, Meijers, Steak & Shake, Bob Evans and Shell Gas Station.

A special drawing was held for a $350 gift card to Trailhouse in Winona Lake. Olivia Long, Syracuse, was the winner of this drawing.

Esther Johnson, Atwood, and Wayne Price, Leesburg, were the lucky recipients of this year’s two grand prizes, a $500 Lowe’s gift card and a $500 KREMC bill credit.