TEC Celebrates Twentieth Youth Tour

Talquin Electric Cooperative held its annual Youth Tour program on March 15 and 16.  Twelve high school juniors representing schools throughout Talquin’s four county service areas assembled in Tallahassee for competition.  Each student was selected by his or her respective school administration.

The late President Lyndon B. Johnson inspired the Youth Tour.  As a senator from Texas he addressed the Annual Meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA) in 1957.  If one thing goes out of the meeting, Johnson said, he hoped it would be sending youngsters to the national capital where they can see actually what the flag stands for and represents.  Beginning that year, some Texas cooperatives sent groups of young people to Washington to work in Senator Johnson’s office for the purpose of learning about government.  (Pictured:  2007 Youth Tour Participants - front row l to r:  Kierstan Monahan and Sean Griffin; back row l to r:  April Bauchmann, Kaitlin Cunningham, and Rochelle Bennett)

Iowa and Illinois cooperatives followed suit and by 1959, Youth Tour had grown to 130 students.  The Youth Tour now has over 1,500 students participating each year.

Our group of young adults gathered on the morning of March 15 at our Bradfordville Office.  General Manager John Hewa enthusiastically greeted our students and gave them an overview of the role cooperatives play.  After speaking and talking with the 2007 Youth Tour, it became very apparent that this year’s group has a bright future.

In Tallahassee the group visited the Florida Senate.  While seated in the Senate chambers, they were given an opportunity to observe bills being introduced and voted upon.  Seeing a bill navigated through one branch of government proved to be insightful.  The group next saw an IMAX movie and visited the Planetarium while at the Challenger Learning Center for an excellent demonstration on electricity.

Mrs. Susan O’Halloran (Gadsden County TEC member) conducted a most impressive tour of the state's highest court, The Florida Supreme Court.  A mock session allowed our students to role-play justices and attorneys.  Every student participated in some fashion in this very animated discussion.  If you would like more information on the Florida Court system, their web address is www.flsuprmemecourt.org.

The four students competitively selected to attend the Washington D.C. conference in June are Rochelle Bennett from Wakulla High, Kaitilin Cunningham from Lincoln High,  Sean Griffin from Maclay and Kierstan Monohan from Liberty County.  April Bauchman from Florida High was selected as the alternate.

- Submitted by Lynn Tish 

This article originally published on April 2, 2007.

Written by :

mkwestmark

 

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