Cooperative Living July 2024 - 12

COOPERATIVE FOCUS
Safety and Skill
(continued fr om page 9)
linemen do, " says Patricia Parker,
" and that is what makes me most
proud. "
" Being that this was our fi rst
lineman rodeo experience, I had
no idea what to expect, " admits
Izabelle Lomax, who is engaged
to Mason Johnson. " Since we have
an almost-one-year-old, it's even
more important to me now that
he is safe and able to return home
to us every day. Th e emphasis on
safety at the rodeo was extremely
comforting. "
WHY THEY COMPETE
Linework can be exhausting,
especially in extreme conditions,
but according to Till, participating
in the rodeo is one of his favorite
things to do at work. Competing
with coworkers and building
camaraderie can be highly rewarding.
" My absolute favorite part is watching
the growth of the new apprentices
during their fi rst rodeo, " he says. " Th e
confi dence they gain in their ability
to climb profi ciently is incredible.
In addition to competition and bragging
rights, the rodeo provides an atmosphere
of learning.
Th e rodeo is an amazing time to meet
your coworkers' families and spend time
with your own. "
" Watching the rodeo gives us the
opportunity to see Jake perform tasks he
does every day at work, " says Patricia
Parker. " Safety is a priority at the rodeo,
and the linemen are scored heavily on
how safely they perform. " Th e Parker
family compares the enjoyment of
attending the rodeo with sitting in the
stands and cheering for their sons at
sporting events while they were young.
Parker is motivated to compete each
year by the opportunity to show people
what linework is all about. He says,
" Having an event like this shows family,
friends and the public what we do on
a daily basis. "
In addition to competition and
Mason Johnson with his fi ancée,
Izabelle, and their son
10 * Cooperative Living * July 2024
bragging rights, the rodeo provides an
atmosphere for learning. Apprentices
and journeymen pay close attention to
their colleagues from other co-ops and
other states looking for ways to improve
their approaches to various tasks.
" It's awesome how all of the guys
cheer each other on and give each other
helpful tips before and during the
events, " says Olivia Miller, who is
engaged to Till. " Th ere is a great sense
of camaraderie. You can tell there are
a lot of good mentors among the
journeymen and leads. "
A memory from this year's rodeo
that stands out for Lomax is attending
the awards banquet that attracted more
than 1,000 people. " Although it was
exciting to see Choptank bring home a
few awards, " she says, " it was endearing
to see how everyone was supportive
of each other, whether they worked
together daily or not. "
*
See the results fr om the 20th annual
Gaff -n-Go Rodeo at gaff -n-go.com.
Save the date for 2025:
May 16-17 at Meadow Event Park
in Doswell, Va.
co-opliving.com
http://www.n-go.com http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living July 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living July 2024
