From Pole to Pole News to CHELCO News: A History of CHELCO’s Member Newsletter
“Pole to Pole News” was introduced to CHELCO members in 1960, and this is the first recorded instance of our member newsletter that you have come to know and enjoy each month as “CHELCO News.”
In the earliest days of Pole to Pole News, nearly every edition was centered around highlighting members’ all-electric homes, showing that electricity was capable of supporting all of a home’s needs in a time when rural electrification was still somewhat new. If you have been a CHELCO member for 50 or more years, you may recall seeing things like this in the newsletter, encouraging members to buy electric appliances:
From March 1960 until February 1964, Pole to Pole News kept this look and feel. Beginning in March of ‘64, CHELCO began utilizing the “Florida Rural Electric News” to replace Pole to Pole News. FREN was customizable for each co-op in Florida, as you can see the “Choctawhatchee Edition” labeled on the cover of the March 1964 edition of FREN.
After two years of utilizing FREN, Pole to Pole News returned as the exclusive CHELCO member newsletter in April 1966. Although it had a slightly new look, Pole to Pole News continued highlighting homes and businesses that used electricity for heating, cooling and appliances, along with other relevant news and updates for members.
Pole to Pole News continued exclusively into the 1970s, at which point Pole to Pole became a portion of the Florida Rural Electric News, with various designs and content throughout. Community programs, such as the NRECA Youth Tour, were promoted, as well as feature stories on the co-op’s people and its history.
Then, in 1997, the newsletter you still read today, CHELCO News, was born. In the early days, its design was much different than that of our modern style. Check out the timeline of our past CHELCO News header designs!
Whether you’ve been reading since our first edition of Pole to Pole News or just picked up your first copy of CHELCO News this month, we appreciate your attention to our newsletter and its 65-year history. Most importantly, we thank you for your membership in our cooperative!
