Expansion of the BEC Foundation

MESSAGE FROM CEO BILL HETHERINGTON

IN 1939, Bandera Electric Cooperative was a newly formed entity and one of their first purchases was a 1939 Ford service truck to aid in the process of installing new electric services. The truck was nicknamed Ole No. 1. By the time World War II was ending, so was the use of Ole No. 1. The vehicle was put in storage and stayed there for the next four decades. In the early 1980s, an employee decided to restore Ole #1 back to its original condition. Since 2007, Ole No. 1 has been prominently displayed in our lobby as a historical reminder of the early days of BEC.

This year we will be making enhancements to the lobby in Bandera to provide a more welcoming and member-friendly environment. Along with these changes will be a new home for Ole No. 1 at the Frontier Times Museum in Bandera. The display of No. 1 will now be more accessible to all the visitors to Bandera and will provide a view into the history of Bandera Electric Cooperative and our impact on the communities we have served over the last eight decades.

To help further demonstrate our commitment to community, our BEC Foundation will be donating $5,000 to assist the museum with its mission. The BEC Foundation is our charitable, nonprofit trust which supports a wide variety of community-based charities and nonprofit entities that enrich our communities. While the name is new, our commitment to providing support in our communities is not. Last year, we contributed to more than 80 organizations providing support for thousands of individuals in the communities we serve.

One of the meanings of the word foundation is “an underlying cause or principle.” So it is also true that the BEC Foundation reflects one of the underlying principles of BEC, which is concern for community. We encourage everyone to support the BEC Foundation, which returns every dollar raised back into the communities we serve.

We will once again reconvene for our annual meeting on May 18, 2019, at Mansfield Park in Bandera. One of this year’s highlights will be the opportunity to test drive an electric vehicle. Maybe one day we will have battery powered line trucks and they too will eventually be proudly displayed at the Frontier Times Museum.

The theme of this year’s meeting is “Connecting Our Communities,” so it will be a great forum to come and meet with your friends and neighbors because at the end of the day that is what community is all about.