One of the fundamental principles cooperatives operate by is democratic member control. This means that our members must be involved in decisions like bylaw changes and board member elections. So, each year NWEC hosts an Annual Meeting of the Members to conduct a proper business meeting that keeps members informed and brings any items before the membership that may need approval or a vote.

In short, all members of Northwestern Electric! NWEC is member owned and member controlled, so it is our members who attend the official business meeting of the cooperative - Annual Meeting.

Having members at the annual meeting is something the NWEC board and employees always enjoy. Good conversation and helpful suggestions are vital to the co-op adjusting to best meet our member’s needs. However, member attendance is about much more than good conversation.

Staying Informed: NWEC holds a meeting annually so that members can stay informed with the business operations of the cooperative. Members are owners of the business after all!

Helping Reach Quorum: Each meeting the Cooperative has must be attended by a certain percentage of members in order to qualify as an official meeting. This threshold is known as a quorum. If quorum is not met, then the meetings must be rescheduled until quorum is reached.

Voting! One of the largest benefits of being part of a cooperative revolves around the business model we operate by. Any changes to our bylaws, or our board of directors, go through you - our membership. Our board of directors are given the privilege to serve based completely on your vote, and we cannot make any changes to the bylaws we operate by without member review and approval. This is because democratic member control is one of the seven cooperative principles that guide NWEC’s values.