75 Years, Five Ways to Celebrate!

This October marks the start of something special. Not only is October National Co-op Month, it’s also the start of cooperative-wide activities designed to commemorate and celebrate the 75th anniversary of BEK Communications Cooperative.

Beginning this month, and leading up to our Annual Meeting in June, we invite you to join us in marking this milestone with five projects designed to celebrate BEK’s history and say thank you to the members and communities who have made these 75 years possible. Here’s what you can expect:

Mini Docuseries

These short videos will feature the people who shaped BEK’s history and the members whose lives were changed by reliable rural service. Our first episode features founding BEK Director, Neil Beittlespacher. Hear about the brutal snowstorm that prompted him to call on neighbors and establish the cooperative. This debut episode will air on BEK TV on Sunday, October 11 at 7pm CT. It can also be found on our social media pages. The mini docuseries will air each following Sunday, with new episodes released the second Sunday of each month. Make sure to read each monthly Beacon to learn what the next new episode will be about.

Friday Flashback

Each Friday, we’ll share a piece of BEK’s history. Find out when BEK began burying miles of cable underground to replace aerial cable, when touch tone dialing became available to subscribers, and when members began faxing. We’ll share this history on our social media pages beginning October 2nd and recap each month’s trivia in the following monthly Beacon.

Trivia Contest

You’ll have your chance of winning a prize by participating in a weekly trivia contest! Beginning the week of October 5, we’ll release a new multiple-choice trivia question in each of the local papers throughout the cooperative service area. Submit your answers, and we’ll pick one winner each month. Don’t get the paper? No worries! We’ll also post them on our social media pages. Answers to each month’s questions will be printed in the following month’s Beacon.

Time Capsule

Have an idea of what we can place inside a time capsule? We’re collecting items that represent BEK’s past and present, things like a rotary phone, a copy of the cooperative’s original Articles of Incorporation, a smartphone, and a current local newspaper. Email your ideas at marketing@bektel.coop, and we’ll consider them for inclusion. Items will be revealed one at a time on social media and in the Beacon before the capsule is buried in the Spring, and it will be reopened at BEK’s 100th anniversary.

Member Gift

All members who attend the Annual Meeting in June, 2027 will receive a special keepsake commemorating 75 years.

Watch for more details on each project throughout the celebration in both the Beacon and on our BEK Communications social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Here’s to 75 years, and to the members who made them possible!