Rural Missouri - December 2024 - 5

Missouri
RURAL
Volume 77 | December 2024 | Number 12
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Sara Schafer, editor
sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop
Jim McCarty, editor emeritus
jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop
Paul Newton, managing editor
pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
Ricki Spargo, social media editor
rspargo@ruralmissouri.coop
Megan Backes, creative director
mbackes@ruralmissouri.coop
Angie Jones-Wheeler, associate editor
ajones@ruralmissouri.coop
Mike Sutherland, VP communications
msutherland@amec.coop
ADVERTISING:
Mary Davis, production manager
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
CONTACT:
Rural Missouri
2722 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City, MO 65101
573-659-3423 info@ruralmissouri.coop
Postmasters: Send address changes to Rural
Missouri, 2722 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City,
MO 65101. Subscribers: Report change of address
to your local cooperative. Do not send
change of address to Rural Missouri.
Advertising standards: Advertising published
in Rural Missouri is accepted on the premise
that the merchandise and services offered are
accurately described and sold to customers at
the advertised price. Rural Missouri and Missouri's
electric cooperatives do not endorse
any products or services advertised herein.
Advertising that does not conform to these
standards or that is deceptive or misleading is
never knowingly accepted by this publication.
The acceptance of all advertising shall be in
the sole discretion of the editor.
Rural Missouri (ISSN 0164-8578) (USPS
473-000) is published monthly by the
Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives,
2722 E. McCarty Street, Jefferson City, MO
65101, Caleb Jones, CEO/executive vice
president. Individual subscription rate: $12
per year or $25 for three years, taxes and
postage included. Group rate for members
of participating RECs $0.96, plus taxes and
postage, paid from equity accruing to the
member. Delivery as specified by subscriber.
If not specified, delivery will be by periodical
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Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives.
Call for reprint rights.
Circulation of this issue: 590,008
RM | PERSPECTIVES
The tradition season
by Caleb Jones | cjones@amec.coop
F
or my wife, Lindsey,
Christmas means a
warm fire, a hot cup of
tea and decorating the
Christmas tree together as a
family. For me, it's more about
last-minute shopping, risking
my life on a ladder to hang
thousands of Christmas lights,
and assembling a dollhouse
or basketball hoop at midnight.
The one thing we both
agree on is that the holidays
are all about traditions.
My grandfather once told me,
" Never be the first to break a tradition,
but always be the first to start
one. " It sounds like simple enough
advice, but in the craziness of life,
traditions are a reminder that some
things remain steady.
One of our family's favorite Christmas traditions is
going to see the Clydesdales with my dad.
I've always been a sucker for a
good tradition - one that brings
people together and makes us slow
down and appreciate the moment.
Every year, my family and I make
time for traditions large and small.
Whether it's our trip to see the
Clydesdales decked out in their holiday
gear at Warm Springs Ranch
or casting a line at Bennett Spring
State Park on opening day of trout
season, these rituals are more than
just annual events - they're snippets
of time that remind us of what's
truly important in our lives.
Our traditions become part of our
life's story and who we are. I believe
traditions are a chance to celebrate
family and set a path for the next
generation.
Traditions are just as powerful
in the rural electric cooperatives
that serve our communities. In
many ways, they're the heartbeat of
what makes those cooperatives so
special. Just like my family making
the annual trip to stand in freezing
waters to catch a trout, co-ops
have their own legacy of traditions.
Whether it's hoisting an American
flag in a bucket truck at the local
high school football game, serving
fried fish at the annual member
meeting or awarding a scholarship
to a local farm kid with big dreams
of college, these cooperatives are
built on traditions and missions
dedicated to strengthening their
communities year after year.
There's no better time to visit
your electric co-op than during the
holidays. From decking out bucket
trucks in festive lights for smalltown
parades to sponsoring food
and toy drives for those in need,
your co-op celebrates this time of
year with traditions old and new.
What I respect most is that these
aren't just obligations or duties for
co-ops; they're a commitment to
their member-owners who share the
same rural values.
While I know traditions can
change over time, there is one tradition
your electric co-op will never
break - always keeping your lights
on. As you gather this holiday season,
take a moment to think about
your traditions and those who make
them possible.
From all of us - Lindsey, Max,
Charlie and me - I hope you all
have a blessed holiday filled with
warmth, laughter and those special
traditions (good or bad) that remind
us of what life is truly about.
Caleb Jones is the executive vice
president and CEO of Missouri Electric
Cooperatives. He is a member of
Boone Electric Cooperative.
DECEMBER 2024 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 5
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Rural Missouri - December 2024

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