The 42nd annual Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour began on June 17 with a banquet in Oklahoma City, Mills said. The 64 winners, representing 25 of the state's rural electric systems, departed for the nation's capital the next morning. Two of those winners were from Sequoyah County, including Colton Watterson of Sallisaw High School and Kelly V. Couchman of Vian High School. Ross Forrester and Elisha McMahan of Stigler High School were also selected as essay winners. Cookson Hills Electric sponsored Marsha Scott, a Gans High School teacher, to accompany the students to Washington D.C.
Mills said in addition to seeing all the historical monuments and taking photos of the White House, the Oklahoma winners toured the Library of Congress, the U.S. Capital, the U.S. Holocaust Museum, National Cathedral, Mount Vernon, and took a riverboat cruise on the Potomac River.
"The group also hosted a congressional summit for the Oklahoma delegation, aides and guests," Mills said. "While traveling through Baltimore, Md., the group spent time at Inner Harbor and toured Camden Yard, home of the Baltimore Orioles."
Mills said the Oklahoma winners met with more than 1,425 other Youth Tour winners from across the nation at a June 22 dinner and dance hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. She said the tour is coordinated each year by the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives.
Prior to the trip to Washington, D.C., area essay winners were also honored at an annual Youth Tour Essay Contest banquet, sponsored by Cookson Hills Electric, on April 12 in Stigler. Mills said the winners were selected through a rigorous judging process.
The topic of this year's speech was "What is an electric cooperative?" Each of the winning students presented their essays in speech form for their guests, along with Cookson Hills Electric Board directors and management. Each student was also presented with a plaque in honor of his or her efforts and accomplishments.
Mills said the trip to Washington, D.C., was the opportunity for the students to get a first-hand look at government in action and learn more about rural electrification and the value of the rural electric cooperative.
"Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative, Inc. would like to thank all of the people involved in making this years contest a success," Mills said. She said a special thanks goes out to the faculties of the different schools who worked hard to encourage their students to write an essay for the contest.
The annual contest is open to all junior students in Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative Inc. service territory.
