This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

Page 3
merged into the Coast Electric Power Association with general offices at Bay St. Louis. This merger prescribed that three directors be elected from each of the three counties in order to
f
achieve fair and equitable representation on the Board of Directors. Time has proven that this move was a wise one because it would have been financially difficult for two such small associations to survive during the early organizational period and the trying era of World War II with a shortage of operating personnel, materials, supplies, transportation equipment and other factors.
Chapter 2 FERRELL REPLACES VICKERS After the merging of the two Associations and the energization of the first lines in Hancock County, Coast Electric Power Association forged steadily ahead. Manager Vickers resigned in 1938 and was succeeded by C. Clifton Ferrell who immediately began to widen the scope and activities of the Association. The Board of Directors again made application to REA for more funds for line construction. Applications for electricity began to pour into the office from all over the three counties. Now that their neighbors had electricity, it took no selling to convince others that rural electrification was here and available!
From an humble beginning of 50 members on 25 miles of line in 1937, your Association has grown to the tremendous size of 4,850 members on 1440 miles of line in 1940! From an average of 26 KWH per month used by each member in 1938, the load has grown to well over 100 KWH per member in 1950. Today it would take a 3,000 horsepower electric generator to supply all of the present members' needs. But more about this later!
During this period, World War II occurred. The beginning of the War found Coast Electric well organized and on the road to success. Had it not been handled wisely by your Directors from the early stages, I hesitate to guess whether it would have been able to survive the War years. It was absolutely necessary to conserve man-power, materials, electric power, trucks and other vital needs to maintain service, but through careful management
*