BRMEMC's 2009 Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2009, in the Music Hall of the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, Hiawassee, Georgia. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and closes promptly at 11 a.m.

To encourage your participation and registration, three $100 cash prizes will be given away through random drawing from completed and returned ballots.  You need not be present to win.  Winners will be notified after Annual Meeting.  Please use the following instructions to complete your ballot:

Meet Your Directors

There are three members of the Board of Directors whose terms expire with the meeting this year. The Nominating Committee has nominated the following members for a three-year term.

Mr. Prather is a 1965 graduate of West Fannin High School. He attended Furman University and Young Harris College before entering Mercer University of Pharmacy, graduating in 1970. Drafted into the Army in 1971, Mr. Prather spent 2 years at Ft. Lewis Washington in Madigan Army Hospital as a Pharmacist. He returned to Blue Ridge and went into business with his father, N.L. Prather and W.A. Walden Sr. and Bill Walden Jr. In 1983 he and Bill Walden Jr. took over the business their fathers had operated since 1945. They sold the business in October 2007, but Mr. Prather still occasionally works there. Mr. Prather and his wife Layne, have two adult children, a son Garrett and a daughter, Whitney.	Bill Prather Fannin County, GA
Mr. Nichols is a graduate of Towns County High School. He continued his education at Young Harris College; Southern Technical Institute, Marietta, Ga.; Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York; and, Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. He volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army from 1969 – 1972. Mr. Nichols has been a community businessman for 35 years, and recently sold CSM Heating and Cooling Inc., and Chatuge Sheet Metal, Inc. He presently owns and operates Vision Enterprises, Inc., a commercial HVAC company performing work in the Southeast. Mr. Nichols and his wife Shirley have one daughter, Tabitha, and a grandson, Ty and a grand-daughter, Kennedy.	Jerry Nichols Towns County, GA
Mr. Ensley was born in Union County. He is a 1949 graduate of Towns County High School. He attended Young Harris College for one year and then served in the U.S. Air Force for 2 years. Mr. Ensley earned a Bachelor’s of Law Degree in 1974 from Atlanta Law School. Licensed by the State of Georgia as a private detective and security service provider he was in charge of security at Georgia Marble Co. for eight years. He has worked in both Cobb and Cherokee Counties as a Justice of the Peace. In 1989 he moved back to Union County and opened up Bob’s Pawn Shop. Mr. Ensley and his wife, Melanie have seven children, eighteen grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.	Bob Ensley Union County, GA

Even though all Directors are running unopposed, the ballot is still important, as it is required by our by-laws. (Under the by-laws, no nominations may be made from the floor.) Members must choose a Director for EACH County.

Entertainment

Blue Ridge Mountain EMC is pleased to have Compulsive Lyres and Southern Harmony providing our entertainment. Both a cappella ensembles are made up of students from Young Harris College and are under the direction of Jeff Bauman, the Director of Choral/Vocal Studies at the college.

Find out more about the music faculty at Young Harris College.

Compulsive Lyres began 15 years ago as a barbershop quartet selected from the college choir. It has since developed into a rockappella group performing mainly original arrangements of pop tunes. In April of this year the Compulsive Lyres took first place in the college vocals division at the University of Georgia Jazz Festival.

Southern Harmony started three years ago to give the ladies of the choir a similar creative outlet. Both groups are comprised of singers from the college choir, and range anywhere from 8 to 12 members, depending on the number of qualified singers available. The groups perform regularly for church and civic events in the community and throughout the state.

Please join us for an entertaining time of a cappella brought to you from Young Harris College.

Click here to view the Young Harris College calendar for info on choir concerts.

Proposed By-Law Changes

These are the recommended changes to ByLaw 3.04 and 3.05.  These changes are being proposed to cut costs in mailing ballots which in turn saves you, our members, money, while maintaining the integrity of the voting process.  Additions to the current bylaws are shown in red bold italic lettering.  Deletions to the bylaws appear by a strikethrough over a word or sentence (i.e. strikethrough).  Once you have reviewed the bylaws, please vote “yes” or “no” to the recommended changes on the reverse side of your ballot.

SECTION 3.04.  Quorum.  Business may not be transacted at any meeting of the members unless, at the organization of the meeting, there are present in person, including votes cast by mail ballots or electronically at least one percentum (1%) of the total number of members except that, if a quorum is never established, a majority of those present may without further notice adjourn the meeting to another time and date not less than twenty-eight (28) days later and to any place within one of the counties named in 3.01;  PROVIDED, the Secretary shall notify all members of the time, date and place of such adjourned meetings by delivering notice thereof as provided in Section 3.03.  At all meetings of the members, whether a quorum be present or not, the Secretary shall annex to the meeting minutes, or incorporate therein by reference, a list of those members who were registered as present in person.  When a quorum is once present to organize a meeting, the members who remain present may continue to do business at the meeting, or at any adjournment thereof, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough members to leave less than a quorum.

SECTION 3.05.    Voting.   Each member who is not in a status of suspension, as provided for in Section 2.01 and who is currently receiving service, shall be entitled to one vote and no more upon each matter submitted to a vote at any meeting of the members, including votes cast by mail ballots and electronic transmission.  Voting by members other than members who are natural persons shall be allowed upon the presentation to the Cooperative, prior to or upon registration at each member meeting, of satisfactory evidence entitling the person presenting the same to vote.  At all meetings of the members, all questions shall be decided by a majority of the members voting thereon in person, including votes cast by mail ballots and electronic transmission, except as otherwise provided by law or by the Cooperative's Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws.  Members may not cumulate their votes or vote by proxy.  Prior to any duly called meeting of the members, there shall be printed and mailed to all members, not less than fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting, written mailed ballots notice for the election of directors and for voting on any other matter shown on the agenda of the meeting.  Instructions as to how the ballot may be voted shall be printed thereon, including an explanation as to when and where the ballot shall be returned.  The ballots shall be received by the cooperative no later than the close of business on the last day prior to the annual meeting or special meeting or may be cast at the meeting.  The notice will include instructions on voting procedures to be used if the member knows in advance they will not be attending the meeting.  All ballots cast other than those cast in person at the meeting shall be in the office of the EMC on or before the close of business the day before the member meeting.