One of the Touchstone Energy principles is, "Commitment to Community".  As a response to this commitment, your Cooperative initiated a scholarship program in 1976 to assist area students by annually providing four $400.00 scholarships to local junior colleges.

This year, SouthEastern’s Board elected to expand our "Commitment to Community" through participation in a program known as, " The Youth To Washington Tour".

Twenty-three area schools were invited to participate by encouraging  junior and senior students to write a one page essay on the subject, "Why I would like to visit Washington, D.C."  Six schools: Benton, Carrier Mills, Christopher, Galatia, Hardin County and Norris City, elected to participate.

Each of the six schools selected the best essay written by their students, and forwarded it to SouthEastern.  Those essays were then evaluated by SouthEastern staff.  Adam Nagreski of Benton and Nick McGeehon of Norris City were selected as the winners, and all of their expenses to Washington, D.C., for the period 
June 14-21, will be paid for by SouthEastern.  They will also attend a "Youth Day Program" at Springfield, Illinois, courtesy of the Cooperative.  .

All six of the essays were outstanding and we would like to share the number one ranked essay with our members, so here it is:

 My entire life I have seen wonderful photos of the Capital from Lincoln’s Monument to Washington’s to the Marine Corps Memorial.  Our Capital is filled with history.  When I think of Washington, D.c., the two main buildings that come to mind are the Capitol Building and the White House.  To think that the people that work in those buildings are the ones that keeps this great nation going.  I have always wanted to walk down the halls of the Capitol Building and think of all of the ideas and decisions that have been made in those halls.  It would be terrific and the chance of a lifetime to walk into the White House.  To think that you would be walking in the same rooms and hallways as every President from Adams to Lincoln to Roosevelt to Kennedy on down to our current Commander-and-Chief, Goerge W. Bush, would truly be an experience limited to a very few. 

 To say that Washington, D.C. is only important, because it is where our leaders go to make laws, is a gigantic understatement.  The Capital has so much history in it that it is almost difficult to comprehend.  I looked over a layout of the Washington D.C. area, and I see that the area called "the mall" begins with the Capitol Building and ends with the Lincoln Memorial.  In-between these two magnificent monuments of American freedom are the Washington’s Monument, the Smithsonian Institute, and Vietnam and Korean War Memorials, along with possibly the most famous reflecting pool in the world.

 The mall isn’t the only thing that would be worth seeing in Washington, D.C.  Being interested in law and politics another building that is particularly appealing to me is the Supreme Court Building.  Our system of checks and balances relies heavily on the decisions the Supreme Court makes, whether it affects us once in our life or everyday.  Located in this area is the symbol of the American military, the Pentagon.

 Washington D.C. is probably the most important city in the world.  There are laws made in it that have affect all over the globe.  When you think of the White House, Capitol Building, Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, and "the mall" you can’t help but think of not only our past but also our future.  Webster’s for the most part is right in saying, "a capital is the city that is the seat of government for a country or nation."  However, I feel that our capital is the past, present, and the future of our nation."  To be chosen to go on this trip would be the chance of a lifetime.  I hope that you take special consideration and find it within yourselves to choose me to represent our district.