Members enjoy first Shelby annual chapter meeting

When people stop you at the dentist's office a week later to tell you how wonderful your annual meeting was, you can probably safely label it a success.

A group of KFTC members in Shelby County have been meeting together for several months and plan to petition at the statewide membership meeting in October to officially become a chapter.

In the meantime, 30 people enjoyed food, music and fun at the first Shelby chapter annual meeting September 10. Two of our members, Ann Ellerkamp and Gina Rose, catered the celebration for us at no charge and really outdid themselves with sweet and sour meatballs, meat and veggie wraps, stuffed dates, fresh fruit and veggies with dips and hummus, brie, brownies and cupcakes.

Shelby County poet Gail Chandler read several of her poems, evoking both her Kentucky childhood and her recent experiences helping people in Africa.

Folk musician John Harrod, who grew up in Bagdad, and Owen County KFTC activist Tona Barkley entertained us with several original songs and got everyone in the right mood to inaugurate our KFTC chapter.

Members accepted the following coordinators for our first year:

Steering Committee Representative: Mary Hano

Steering Committee Alternate:  Joanna Macklin

Membership Coordinator: Patrick King

Fundraising Coordinator:  Ann Ellerkamp

Publicity Coordinator:  Lisa Aug

Of the 62 (and counting!) KFTC members in Shelby County, about a dozen have been meeting monthly for the last year to work on our initial campaign of rural electric co-op reform at Shelby Energy. We have made several forward strides and are preparing major actions toward getting a Member Bill of Rights adopted.

We have also agreed to start work on two more campaigns: getting a Fairness Ordinance adopted in Shelbyville and Shelby County, and fighting wage theft in Shelby County.

We seek the voices of all of our members as we move forward and find our direction.