Electric cooperatives were established in the 1930s by local community residents who wanted electricity when no large utility would provide them with service. It was said that it cost too much to put up “poles and wires” for folks in rural America.

These people did not want to be stuck in the dark. With sheer determination, the help of their neighbors, and the combined political savvy of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the maverick Nebraska Senator George W. Norris, these individuals were able to come together and form their own utility – a cooperative – to bring electric service to their communities.

It was their raw grit, determination, and commitment to community that made it possible for those of you living in rural America today to turn on your lights, watch television, and download tunes to your iPod. The story of electric cooperatives drives home the fact that where there is an obstacle, there is a solution, if you are ready and willing to find it-and if you are committed.

National Youth Day honors that spirit of “Commitment to Community.” There are countless examples of greatness and achievement gained by those who saw a need, took a stand, and did what was right-whether it was for their neighbors, their town, their state, or their country.