By Tom Tate –
In October we celebrated National Co-op Month, so it seems fitting to look back to our beginnings and reflect on the reasons for the creation of electric cooperatives. This is a remarkable story that demonstrates the exceptional nature of the Americans who populated rural America, then and now.
1935
It’s difficult to imagine what life was like outside urban areas back then, especially through the lens of our 21st century existence: news taking days to reach you, dirt roads, manual labor and no electricity. Life for a large portion of the American population was, for all intents and purposes, a frontier life.
Rugged people made a living from strength, persistence and hard, often crushing, work. They relied on their neighbors when times were tough — a way of life alien to many people today, although a few are still around who remember when the lights first came on. While 95 percent of urban dwellers had electricity, only one in 10 rural Americans was so blessed.
It was in this same year, on May 11, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 7037 creating the Rural Electrification Administration. Immediately, “cowboy cooperatives” took the bit in their teeth and organized electric cooperatives all across America.
Some might think that these cowboy co-ops were restricted to the West, but the case can be made that every cooperative was formed because of the cowboys of its area. They were tough, self-reliant, hardworking, honest, resilient men and women willing to take bold action to serve their interests and create a better life for their families. But working in your self-interest should not be confused as selfish. They worked together for their neighbors and communities.
The term “cowboy” conjures up Hollywood images of hard-fighting, hard-drinking, rugged individuals fighting injustice against great odds. Today, it can also be a pejorative term describing people who are unpredictable and unsophisticated in their actions.
The actual character of the cowboy cooperative didn’t reflect the Hollywood image, but the cooperative model matched the cowboy ethic perfectly. A book written by a retired Wall Street executive, James Owen, captured this ethic and boiled it down to the following 10 points:
1. Live each day with courage.
2. Take pride in your work.
3. Always finish what you start.
4. Do what has to be done.
5. Be tough, but fair.
6. When you make a promise, keep it.
7. Ride for the brand.
8. Talk less and say more.
9. Remember that some things aren’t for sale.
10. Know where to draw the line.
Cowboys and cooperatives were a natural fit. These cowboys got busy organizing electric cooperatives and worked intently to bring light to rural America. Most of us have seen these poignant sepia images of remote places with men scrambling to light the rural landscape. They gathered their picks, shovels, ladders and whatever else was handy and dug holes by hand and walked the poles up in place to carry the electric lines. Wires were manhandled into place on the poles and cross arms. Creating the proper tension and securing the conductors to the insulators were all done by strength and might, and when the lines were damaged, either by man or nature, it all was redone the same way. Safety equipment was nonexistent.
Over time, the hard hat was gradually introduced, and the first job site to mandate its use was the Hoover Dam, where falling debris caused many deaths. Fire retardant clothing wasn’t even a glimmer in anyone’s eye and climbing poles often involved ladders rather than spikes and safety belts. Many of these cowboys gave their lives to bring the benefits of electricity to their homes and communities.
Once power was flowing, members reported how much they used, and the cooperative sent them a hand-prepared bill by regular rural free delivery or RFD mail. There were no automatic meter reading systems or computerized billing options; ledgers formed the permanent record of transactions.
2014
Today these tasks are completed using digger and bucket trucks assisted by mechanized tensioners. Smart devices control distribution systems, and cooperatives provide more consistent levels of service and quality at a much lower cost. The work remains dangerous and arduous, but modern safety tools, clothing and practices reduce the risk substantially. Technology continues to improve our ability to control system operations and costs while continuously improving quality and member service, and automated systems improve the accuracy of bills and simplify data management.
Given all that happened over the decades, some might think the cowboy cooperative is a thing of the past. But the truth is, the cowboy cooperative is needed just as much in 2014 as it was in 1935. Changes are sweeping through the electric utility industry and if the cooperatives are to retain the benefits that electrification brought to rural America, bold, decisive action by a new breed of cooperative cowboy is required.
A new generation of members is coming onto cooperative lines. Members who saw electric co-ops as “saviors” by turning on the lights are fading into memory; the benefits of light, refrigeration and warmth are now an old hat for most. We now wrestle with the perception of being just another utility. Quite a fall from the savior ranks.
Today we separate ourselves by being actively involved in numerous outreach programs, educational endeavors and community events. We work to improve where we live and work beyond the simple provision of power.
As these efforts continue, we recognize that community for many of our new members exists on the Internet where members meet and interact with electronic communications rather than meeting in person. New members expect immediate responses and limitless information. It is a challenge worthy of a cowboy response.
Engaging our membership in the future will be challenging, but so was bringing electricity to rural America. While the tools differ, the cowboy cooperative mind-set and ethic is unchanged. Think about the points Owen identified. They reflect values still consistent with the seven cooperative principles and underscore the relevance of the cowboy co-op in facing today’s challenges.
The frontier life of today is different indeed. In the 21st century, co-ops continue to work in their self-interests. This means employees and members pitching in and doing whatever they can individually and collectively to ensure that the interests of our community are well-served and that electricity remains affordable and reliable. Just as it was in the 1930s, working in our self-interest won’t be selfish. It will be for the benefit of the families in our communities, the people we serve.
Tom Tate writes on cooperative issues for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.