October is Co-op Month

from the red shirts blog....

Every October, cooperatives from every corner of America celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of our nation's cooperatives. 

The theme for Co-op Month this year is "Stronger Together - Go co-op!" presents a striking idea - working together whether it be with other co-ops or with our consumer-owners, cooperatives of all types are a formidable force in the marketplace. 

The annual celebrations play a key role in promoting cooperatives to our members, the public and to policy makers. Through a combination of media outreach, member education and interation with decision makers, co-op month events help raise the visibility of your cooperative and improve public understanding of cooperatives. 

Find out more information at www.coopmonth.coop. 

Let us never forget...

Please take a moment to remember all those who gave their life seven years ago in the terrorist attacks.

In this political season, it is easy to take an "us" vs. "them" mentality. Liberal-Conservative. Black-White. Male-Female.

We are all Americans. Today and everyday.

Above all, we are united. We are one.

Day Six

Today we ate breakfast in Crystal City then headed to Souvenir City for last chance shopping. The airport was the next stop! Everyone made it home safe and sound. ALA ----- BAMA!

Another successful Youth Tour! For more info on how to participate and for other informations visit the Youth Tour Web site: www.alyouthtour.org

Day Five

The group had breakfast at the Ronald Reagan Building and headed to the United States Holocaust Museum (this is a really great Web site).  This museum is very powerful.

We had lunch at ESPN zone and played some games in the game room with game cards which are used like the old tokens.  You can just use the card like a credit card. hmmm times they are a changing.

We toured the Smithsonian including the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History and the Art History Museum all afternoon before headed back to the hotel to change clothes for the All-States Farewell Event.  All the states participating in the Youth Tour had a great party with games, dancing, chatting or just resting! Tomorrow is our last day and we will be heading out of D.C. early in the morning.

Day Four

Hard Rock Cafe this morning for breakfast! We departed for Capitol Hill with full stomachs.  We met with staffers in Cannon Office Building from different congressional offices.  The kids asked them tons of questions about living, working and their life in before moving to D.C.  After a fun capitol tour we took pictures on the steps of the capital and spoke with Senator Jeff Sessions for a while.  Vice President Cheney's motorcade left the capitol before we walked up to the steps.  It's hard to get used to all the security around D.C.!

The Capitol Tour was great! We saw history in the making.  We ate a nice lunch at the Rayborn Office Building Cafeteria with some pretty important people.   After lunch we walked to the Supreme Court Building for a tour before returning to our hotel to change clothes for the theatre.  After a quick dinner at the Pentagon City Mall the group saw Sheer Madness which is hilariously funny at the Kennedy Center.

We have sore feet but are still ready for tomorrow....

Day Three

Early morning again! We ate breakfast at the hotel then headed over to Youth Day at the Hyatt. 

We went to the White House and visited president Bush (not really, but we got pretty close!). Lunch was a food court opportunity at the Old Post Office Pavilion. We toured the Washington National Cathedral and Madame Tussauds Museum before the monsoon hit the city.  It poured! We went to the Pentagon City Mall for supper and shopping while the rain dwindled.  

We toured the FDR Memorial:

Located along the famous Cherry Tree Walk on the Western edge of the Tidal Basin near the National Mall, this is a memorial not only to FDR, but also to the era he represents. The memorial traces twelve years of American History through a sequence of four outdoor rooms-each one devoted to one of FDR's terms of office. Sculptures inspired by photographs depict the 32nd President: A 10-foot statue shows him in a wheeled chair; a bas-relief depicts him riding in a car during his first inaugural. At the very beginning of the memorial in a prologue room there is a statue with FDR seated in a wheelchair much like the one he actually used.  

We spent a little more time here as FDR created the Rural Electrification Administration.

After this, we traveled over to the Jefferson Memorial and actually saw the President fly over in Marine One with two escorts beside him.  He landed in his front yard.  To see pictures click here and find Alabama's section.

We are back at the Hilton now a little early as the rain canceled the Navy Band performance at the Capitol.  This will give us a chance to rest and get ready for our big day on Capitol Hill tomorrow.

Looking forward to Day 4 tomorrow!

Day two

We woke up early today and had breakfast at McDonalds yum!  We then boarded the bus and headed to Mount Vernon.  George Washington's home is beautifully kept and managed by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association.  It was a great day to tour the house and visitors center followed by lunch in the Mount Vernon Food Court.  Some of the boys enjoyed a long game of cricket with some of the people who worked at the house. We hopped back on the bus and traveled back to D.C. and arrived at Arlington Cemetery.

We boarded a tourmobile bus at the cemetery and took a mini-tour of the entire cemetery with stops at Robert Kennedy gravesite,  John F. Kennedy's gravesite (eternal flame) and Arlington House.  Everyone gathered at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the changing of the guard ceremony.  The Alabama Representatives place a wreath representing the electrical cooperatives of Alabama in a moving wreath laying ceremony.

After returning to the hotel for a quick supper, we went to the docks for a Potomac Boat Cruise to end the day... WHEW! It's only day two!

Check back tomorrow night for more updates!

Day one

Today we made the voyage from Birmingham to Baltimore.  Last night a bunch of us who came up to Birmingham to spend the night before we flew out went out to eat to Outback.  Tim from Baldwin received a LOVELY gift from a waiter. (he dropped a huge tray on his head) 

After we landed in Baltimore,  we had a wonderful lunch at Phillips Seafood.  After we ate, we traveled into Washington, D.C. (stopping on the interstate for around 45 minutes due to a big traffic jam) and went on a monument/memorial tour.  We saw the World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial Wall, Korean Memorial, and Iwo Jima Memorial.  

 The weather was not too hot, and a little humid.  Walking to the bus from the Korean War Memorial it began to sprinkle a bit but it was a little refreshing to be honest!

We checked into our hotel and had a brief group meeting and pizza party.  The kids are exchanging pins and stickers from all the other states staying in our hotel which is a GREAT way to meet new people from all over the country.

Time for bed check...stay tuned for tomorrow!

ipod shuffle!

Don't forget to Log on to the Youth Tour Web site. In the Youth Tour Cafe section, register for the forum and get your name in the drawing for a FREE ipod shuffle! The drawing for March will be held next Tuesday the 25th. Remember this promotion is only offered to Youth Tour participants.

Also check out the updates as they appear all over the Web site. I will be posting a more detailed itinerary for the Washington Youth Tour in the next week or so. The Washington Tour participants should use the Web site for all the information about their upcoming trip. Good luck with winning the Shuffle!

Washington Youth Tour in the making....

The dome of the United States Capitol may well be the most famous man-made landmark in America.  This trip is so fun to plan.  There is so much to see and do in our nation's capital!  I have been to D.C. about 5 times and I always do something different and fun.  Did you know the national mall is referred to as our "nation's backyard?"

2008 Montgomery Youth Tour

What a great time! This was my first Youth Tour and I can honestly say it could not have gone any better! 132 high school juniors from all over Alabama came to Montgomery to tour their state capital, meet legislators, hear speakers, and meet new people. Cea Cohen Elliot talking to the kids was the highlight for me as she is able to relate to both kids and adults with her amazing sense of "how you change the world". I have lived in Montgomery for 26 years and I'm embarrassed to say that I have never visited the State Capitol Building. I loved the acoustics underneath the double spiral staircases. You can whisper on one side and your partner can hear you loud and clear on the other side. Bob Riley's memorial to the Alabama fallen since 9/11 was also very touching.

On a lighter note, the cosmic bowling and pizza party let everyone loosen up and get to know each other better. Senator Scott Beason's spoke to the kids about how legislation is brought to the table and even discussed his thoughts on illegal immigration and how it effects Alabamians. Rep. James Fields also spoke about leadership and how elections work. It's hard to believe that there is legislation on pretty much everything we do. From our school lunches, to traffic problems, to what time we get to school, even how much we pay for our groceries. It was great getting to visit with the people who make these decisions for us at our legislators luncheon. Catfish Country did a great job preparing southern food for the Montgomery Youth Tour participants, co-op staff and board members, and our state legislators.

Let's see there was so much more. Justice Harold See gave us a chance to ask him questions at the Alabama Judicial Building. It was a very informative visit where one could easily observe his passion for the judicial system and his job.

I heard a student say the first night as she was walking into the Ballroom at the Embassy Suites, "man, I feel special!" Well these kids ARE special and I hope they enjoyed their trip to Montgomery and hope to see some of them in June as we embark upon a further journey to our nation's capital: Washintgon D.C.!

Stay tuned for information regarding the Washington Youth Tour which will be held June 14-19. It's going to be so much fun! Till next time.....

Mary Tyler Spivey

It's almost here!

Final preparations are underway for the 2008 Montgomery Youth Tour!  This year we will tour the Alabama State House, Rosa Parks Museum, Alabama Capitol Building and Alabama Archives and History.  We will also be visiting the State Judicial Building and having a question/answer session with a supreme court justice.  With fun events at night everyone is sure to have a great time.  The tour will conclude with the Legislative Luncheon on the South Lawn of the Alabama Capitol Building.  Legislators, cooperative staff and the Youth Tour participants will have an opportunity to visit with each other over a tasty meal prepared by Catfish Country.  More updates coming soon!