Thanks so much to all the SOCM members that made our 2013 Annual Meeting a success! This year, we were hosted by Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville, Tenn., for a day of sharing wins, visiting with friends, and discussing SOCM's direction and priorities for 2014.

The day started off with a special meeting at 9 a.m. called by SOCM's Board to discuss finances. Starting this fall, SOCM will see a drastic reduction in its budget and will go from 8 to 4 staff members at the end of the year. (If you would like to make a tax-deductible gift to SOCM, please click here). Members of SOCM's Board, Finance Committee, and Personnel Committee were joined by other leaders to brainstorm some ways to change how we operate in order to maintain a strong organization. The discussion continued after lunch and a series of conference calls is being scheduled to come up with some recommendations. If you would like to be a part of these calls, let a staff person know so they can point you to the member organizing the call.

Rachel Tyree and Scott Martindale give an update on the new Rutherford County Chapter

The whole day wasn't spent inside on tough conversations, though! Some members enjoyed a hike through the park to raise money for SOCM during our annual Walk for Justice. Thanks to all the members who participated in the walk and all the supporters who sponsored a walker. Our top earner was Bill Naumann, from the Cumberland County Chapter, who raised over $1,000 in pledges!

We also held our annual tug-of-war competition on Saturday. For the second year in a row (and only the second time in SOCM's history), the younger team pulled harder and won!

We want to thank everyone who helped plan and participated in this year's Annual Meeting. Check out the photos on our flickr page.  It was a great showing and a diverse crowd from across the state. We can't wait for the next one!

Leading up to and at the Annual Meeting, members had the opportunity to vote for new Board members and to approve a change to SOCM's by-laws.

We would like to welcome new Board members Patrick Morales (President), Lauren Bush (Secretary), Daniel Snider and Mike Cannon (At-Large Delegates), Byanker Cole and David Beaty (At-Large Delegate Alternates), Knoxville Chapter Rep Beth Graves, and Rutherford Chapter Rep Scott Martindale. Congratulations!

With that being said, we would like to thank our outgoing President Noel Johnson, Secretary Alicia Wright, At-Large Delegate Kim Mays, At-Large Delegate Alternates Anna Bogle and Ruth Jackson, and Knoxville Chapter Rep Steven Greer. Thank you for all of your hard work as SOCM Board members.

Members also approved a change to our by-laws that changes the number of dues-paying members required for a chapter to have a voting representative to the Board to 15 (previously 30) and any chapter, regardless of its size, will have a seat at the Board meetings. 

Members Learn to Test Water for Negative Effects of Strip and Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

On Saturday, Oct. 19th, the E3 (Energy, Ecology, Environmental Justice) Committee held a Water Quality/Appalachian Citizens Enforcement (ACE) Project training in Crab Orchard in Cumberland County. Members learned how to use water quality testing meters provided by the ACE Project to test for conductivity in Daddy's Creek. Conductivity is the measure of the water's ability to hold an electrical charge. High levels of conductivity, as a result of strip mining and mountaintop removal coal mining, affect aquatic life such as the endangered Cumberland darter, which is only found in the Upper Cumberland River watershed in Tennessee and Kentucky.

The ACE Project is a regional water testing and training project brought to SOCM by the Alliance for Appalachia that will empower residents to learn how to test water in their communities. This data can then be put into a regional database to paint a clear picture of the effect of mineral extraction on water quality throughout Appalachia.

After learning how to use the meters, the group discussed the ACE project and how to begin testing water in areas affected by coal mining and other sources of pollution such as residential development and golf courses. For more information about SOCM's involvement in the ACE project or to get involved, contact E3 Committee Chair Stephanie Langley via email at zsal27@goldmail.etsu.edu.