Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative hosted its first Future Farmers of America Day on February 23. More than 150 students from local FFA chapters at Bowdon, Central, Haralson County, Heard County, Mount Zion, and Temple High Schools attended the event to commemorate National FFA Day at the cooperative.
In the past, Carroll EMC has hosted small groups of FFA students, including tours of the facility during FFA week. After hosting various small groups from local high schools, the decision was made to expand the small tour to a large event that could accommodate FFA groups from the entire service area.
“The event allowed us to interact with the students and it allowed them to interact with other FFA chapter students” said David Huddleston, Carroll EMC Purchasing Manager.
While at Carroll EMC, the students visited five stations that showcased different areas of the cooperative. The stations included: the hurt man demonstration, where the linemen demonstrated proper safety equipment to wear when climbing a pole and how to safely rescue a fellow lineman who might be in trouble while on the pole; the high voltage demonstration, where the student learned how to stay safe around power lines; the history of Carroll EMC and the impact of electricity in so many aspects of our lives; the importance of using social media wisely and staying safe online and the wiring competition demonstration, where students learned to prepare for the wiring competition and learned presentation skills for the presentation portion of the wiring competition.
“My students were amazed at the impact Carroll EMC had on history,” said Laura Williford, Central High School Agriculture Education Teacher and FFA Advisor. “The event allowed them to see the real world applications of electrical wiring as well as career opportunities that are available in their communities.”
Carroll EMC is a Member-owned cooperative providing electricity to approximately 50,000 homes and businesses. The co-op serves Members in Carroll, Haralson, Heard, Paulding, Polk and Troup counties. For more information visit the cooperative’s website at carrollemc.com or follow Carroll EMC on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.