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

In 2001, the Cooperative’s Board of Trustees elected to expand our Commitment to Community through participation in a program known as, "The Youth to Washington Tour".

Annually 23 area high schools are invited to participate by encouraging junior students to write a one page essay on the subject, "Why I would like to visit Washington, D.C."  This year four schools, Benton Consolidated, Hardin County, Herrin, and Norris City-Omaha-Enfield elected to participate.

Each of the four schools selected the best essay written by their students and forwarded it to Southeastern, where the essays were evaluated by our staff.  Savannah Davis from Hardin County and Sara Hatfield from Norris City-Omaha-Enfield were selected as the winners and all of their expenses to Washington for the period June 13-20 will be paid for by Southeastern.  They will also attend a "Youth Day Program" at Springfield, Illinois, courtesy of the Cooperative.  The first runner up in the contest was Aaron Wolfe from Benton Consolidated.

As usual all of the essays were outstanding and we would like to share this year’s winning entries with you, so here they are:

 Why would one rather be any where else?  Only in Washington can visitors be inspired by touring the magnificent Capitol Building and Washington Monument by day and be moved by taking in magical performances by the national symphony by night.  One might love to see the Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian Institute, Air and Space Museum, and of course our wonderful Pentagon.  There is only one place in the world that one would get to do all these things, and that is Washington DC.  From its celebrated symbols of patriotism to its undiscovered truth, the sites and sounds of Washington DC inspire millions of visitors every year.  Most enjoy all the wonderful events that happen during the time one would visit this profound place.

 Washington DC’s annual festivals are well known all around the world.  Thousands gather to see the elegant cherry trees while others congregate along the National Mall to watch the spectacular Fourth of July fireworks light up the sky.  From the Ronald Reagan building to the National Gallery of Art and from the civil war to civil rights, it has it all.  Washington DC has wonderful attractions and exciting events, but what about the climate?  In Washington DC experience the glory of all four seasons.  Warm weather usually prevails from April until October.  Winters are usually short, with more rain than snow.  This weather allows one to go from city to shining sea.

In Washington DC there are no boundaries.  One would start with the nation’s capitol and engulf the scenic beauty of the Eastern Seashore.  Witness the beauty of our nation’s monuments and prepare for a visit to the beautiful beaches of the Atlantic.  The city’s wonderful weather opens up the opportunity to enjoy all the wonderful things that one might enjoy.

Now I come to ask "Why wouldn’t one go to Washington DC?" and still have no answer.  There is an unlimited amount of things that anyone could do.  There is things for kids, teens, and adults.  I would love the opportunity to get to explore this wonderful place.  Maybe once in my life I will be blessed enough to get to go to this magnificent place.  Until then I will go on telling everyone how much fun it would be to see Washington DC: an American Experience.

I want to go to Washington for many reasons.  The three main reasons are as follows:  I am interested in how national leaders affect people’s lives, it would undoubtedly open my eyes to an assortment of career opportunities and, I should hope what is the most obvious reason, it is the nation’s capital!

A trip to Washington would help me to better understand how our government functions and affects people’s lives.  This in turn, would not only satisfy my curiosity, but it would make me a better citizen.  I would be more capable of utilizing the public resources and making informed decisions.  In this time when it seems that crises are never-ending, with North Korea threatening to use an atomic bomb, Iraq, France and other nations against us, and of course terrorism, it is becoming more and more imperative that we, the U.S., have responsible citizens knowledgeable enough to make important decisions.

Also, a trip to Washington would show me a whole new world of career choices.  Gaining a new understanding of politics will surely change my perception of many jobs.  This may result in swinging my life in a slightly different direction.  I would hate to think that I missed a chance to have my dream job only because I didn’t know just enough to get my attention on it.  This trip to Washington could change my life!

Last of all, I would be absolutely thrilled to go to Washington, D.C. because it is the nation’s capital.  It would be such an opportunity just to get to experience being in the capital.  I could spend days just exploring it.  Of course, I want to see the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, the Capitol Building, the White House, the Pentagon, and the Smithsonian, etc.  The history of Washington is a big part of what makes me want to go there.  However, I am not only interested in Washington’s past, but its present and future.  What exactly happens in Washington on a day to day basis, and what will it be like when I am an adult?

Going to Washington, D.C., is such a great opportunity, especially for a high school student such as myself.  I would learn about the effects of the choices of our national leaders.  A whole new field of career choices would be opened to me, and it’s the United States’ capital!