MADISON, Wis. (September 22, 2011) – CUNA’s Experience Learning Live! Conference announced today its final speaker lineup.  Experience Learning Live!, which will take place October 16-19 in Las Vegas, is a supercharged environment designed to provide training professionals hands on experience they can use to motivate staff and jumpstart credit unions.  This year’s conference features training leaders at the forefront of innovations to maximize staff energy, motivate the dedication of credit union volunteers and increase the knowledge level of credit union members.

Keynote Speakers:

Becky Pike Pluth – 101 Movie Clips That Teach & Train

Becky will utilize movie clips to spice up training programs.  She’ll demonstrate how effective movie scenes can help grab classroom interest immediately and discover how to follow the clips with questions that garner solid discussion and teach topics in a memorable way.

Jon Aleckson – Mind Meld: Micro Collaboration – Collaboration Between Designers & Subject Matter Experts

Jon has logged more than 30 years of leadership experience in the educational media industry.  His presentation will focus on ways to engage subject matter experts in training project through techniques to “mindmeld” and share expertise.

Juli Lynch – Pushing the Limits on What You Know & Do

Juli will tie how success in today’s market requires that people – and their training departments – push themselves to the limit.  She’ll talk about how leadership lessons gained during training with Navy SEALS in expedition-length endurance races can apply to training departments and credit unions as a whole.  Juli will work with the issues and challenges that credit union staff from reaching their potential and demonstrate how to push credit unions to increase sales, improve service and boost performance while still keeping motivation and commitment levels high above the competition.

Lance Dublin – The New “Blended” Learning

Lance will share highlights from his interviews with 25 learning leaders and organizations for the Chief Learning Officer Magazine.  He’ll discuss how these leaders define what blended learning was and what it is today.  Lance will present a guided tour filled with specific examples that are working and detail lessons learned from those that are not.  His session will explain what blended learning design is and how to evaluate what will work best for credit unions.

Robert Richman – How Can Training Revolutionize Your Organization?

Rob will unravel the secrets behind the Zappos phenomenon.  From Zappos Insights, their corporate learning center, he will share what they are doing right and how to bring a little Zappos back to credit unions.

Tom Kuhlmann – Design Good Courses With the Resources at Hand

Author of the widely popular “Rapid e-Learning Blog,” this “rock star of e-learning” receives hundreds of questions from readers who are on a limited budget.  They want to know about free tools that they can use to build their e-learning courses.   A self-proclaimed “junky” for all of the free stuff online, he will share his best finds and the latest technology.  His hands-on lab will give attendees new ideas, techniques, tactics and strategies to use right away to build better courses.

For more information on CUNA’s 2011 Experience Learning Live!, visit training.cuna.org/ell. For questions, call 800-356-9655, ext. 4249 or e-mail training.cuna.coop.

Brent Dixon

From Brent Dixon:

The cooperative movement has a problem with aging. Average age of cooperative members and employees is over a decade older than the average age of people in the US and in Canada.

We feel this pain in the credit union industry. The average age of a credit union member is 47, and 75% of credit union board members are over 50.

Because of economic, technological, and cultural changes, financial services – and many other business sectors – have hit what the smart folks at McKinsey & Company call a “Structural Break,” which is:  “…the moment in time- series data when trends and the patterns of associations among variables change.” (via)

What does that mean? It means things have changed and we cannot continue to do things the way they’ve always be done.

If you went to business school you remember the chart that appears with this post on the life-cycle of an industry.

All signs point to credit unions, and many of our cooperative brethren, being right smack on X. This means we can go one of two ways, and have to fight for the future of a model we know is better for our communities. And if we don’t inject new blood, new energy, and new ways of solving problems into our cooperatives, they will die.

We need to recruit and invest in young talent.

At the Filene Research Institute, a think-and-do-tank for credit unions, we learned that the top reasons young people work for credit unions include:

•   The opportunities to influence strategy immediately

•   The opportunity to work with and learn from top leadership from day one

•   The opportunity to help their community

In talking with young people across credit unions, we also learned that because young credit union employees are somewhat rare, many of them feel like an island while at work. They were starved for ways to connect with other like-minded people their age.

Ed Filene, father of the U.S. credit union movement, once said, “Youth is too serious to become obedient.”

That in mind, a group of young credit union people, myself included, decided to take the problem into our own hands. Through a series of small grassroots meet-ups that spun wonderfully out of control, we’ve nurtured and grown The Crash Network, a growing community of close to 200 young credit union professionals. The community is designed to enable:

•   Ongoing connections and support from like-minded people through an online network at http://crash.coop.

•   Opportunities for professional growth and development through action (One example is: The Collider, an innovation tournament designed to improve the problem of affordable housing).

•   Mentorships with seasoned industry veterans.

A year and a half in and we’ve initiated countless development projects, sparked spin-off youth development organizations across the U.S, piloted a mentorship program, and given a voice to a growing number of young credit union employees who are ready to step up, get their hands dirty, and create the future themselves.  You can watch a short video on some of the voices of The Crash Network here.

We have a lot to learn, and can’t wait for what’s next.

Brent Dixon, Young Adult Advisor for the Filene Research Institute, will be presenting on building a younger cooperative at the upcoming CUNA Community Credit Union & Growth Conference.  This post was originally published for the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA).

Scholarship deadline for Community Credit Union Conference extended

The deadline to apply for a 2011 Community Credit Union & Growth Conference scholarship has been extended to September 9, 2011.  Up to 30 scholarships to the event will be co-sponsored by Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and CO-OP Financial Services.

To be held October 24-27, in San Francisco, the conference will focus on how to turn growth-generating ideas into action plans.  To access the conference website, including the simplified scholarship form and scholarship criteria, please visit training.cuna.org/ccuc.

To apply for a scholarship, please click here.

Applications are due Friday, September 9, 2011.  Recipients will be contacted by Thursday, September 15, 2011.

It’s time for the top 10 must-reads for May, 2011 as we look back on the month that was and look forward to the month that will be. In this round-up we highlight important credit union articles from several sources, including MSN Money.

Nine steps to recoup lost interchange income

Don’t wait for the Fed’s final interchange rule or for legislation delaying its implementation to determine how to recoup millions in lost debit interchange income.

Credit unions have best credit card deals

Pew Safe Credit Cards Project examined the credit card market two years after the federal Credit CARD Act was passed. Their study found credit union credit cards offer consumers a better deal, across the board.

Banking on ex-bankers?

Ensure ex-bankers are a good fit for your credit union and the credit union movement before hiring.

Google ups the wave-and-pay ante for credit unions

Robert McGarvey writes: “Although this is still early days, David Eads, a mobile payments expert with Kony Solutions, stressed that now is the time for forward-thinking credit unions to contact Google to learn the details of getting involved in Google Wallet. ‘It will be important for credit unions to be part of this mobile payments revolution’.”

Equifax Report: Credit Scores Are Up

The U.S. credit market is stabilizing and growing, and the nation’s average credit score is increasing.

Understand your merger goals

Asking questions can help clarify your goals when you consider a merger.

Preliminary Data from Survey Show CUs are Strong Financial Education Providers

Sponsored by state credit union leagues and NCUF’s REAL Solutions program, the data and information gathered from credit unions will enable the credit union movement to demonstrate the power of financial education and counseling on the lives of members and communities across the country.

Protect against phone bill “cramming”

Consumers can pay for services not offered by their phone carrier–such as subscriptions, collect calls, and charitable donations–through their phone bill. Cramming occurs when unscrupulous third parties place false charges on the bill to collect money for services they didn’t provide. The good news is you can take these tips to protect yourself from cramming.

My Top 5 Takeaways from the CUNA HR/TD Conference

Technology CU’s Michelle Greear shares what she learned at a recent conference. Lesson 3: The new “normal” is anything but.

Study: Consumers Want Human Help in Learning New Technology

Four of 10 consumers would rather learn about new financial technology by talking with someone at their CU instead of learning on their own.

Over the last 6 weeks CUNAverse Big Time Thursday’s have highlighted many of the things that make this year’s America’s Credit Union Conference & Expo (ACUC) the Big Time.

For the few of you still not signed up to join us in San Antonio here are the top 10 reasons why you can’t wait a minute longer to register:

10. Keynote speakers who are guaranteed to inspire you to take action to take your credit union in to the big time.

9. People are so excited about ACUC they started singing about it back in March at CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference.

8. ACUC has a jam packed schedule  that will leave you saying “Being so busy never felt so good”.

7. CUNA and CUNA Mutual are collaborating this year to bring you the Discovery breakout sessions, the most innovative and relevant educational sessions in the movement.

6. It’s a great time to visit San Antonio since 2011 marks the 175th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo.

5. ACUC is the place to hear the most recent updates on the legislative and regulatory challenges facing the credit union industry.

4. San Antonio’s River Walk is perfect for nightlife, networking and entertainment.

3. Exhibitors who are committed to the credit union industry and helping us grow.

2. If you win this Big Time Thursday contest you get two registrations for the price of one to this year’s ACUC.

And the number 1 reason you can’t miss this year’s America’s Credit Union Conference & Expo . . .

drum roll please . . .

Comment here for a chance to win an iPad!

1. You’re going to want to capture all of the Big Time ideas on your very own new iPad!

That’s right, one lucky commenter is going to win a buy one/get one registration to this year’s conference and their very own iPad which they’ll receive when they arrive at ACUC. The CUNAverse team wanted to wrap Big Time Thursdays up with a bang, we’re excited to give you the chance to win.  Looking forward to seeing all of you in San Antonio!

FINAL BIG TIME THURSDAY CONTEST: We want to know: What is the #1 thing you are looking forward to seeing at this year’s America’s Credit Union Conference & Expo? Whether it’s a particular speaker, session or event – we want to know what’s bringing you to San Antonio.  Answer this question in a comment below and we’ll do a random drawing on May 19th of all commenters and give away a Buy 1, Get 1 free conference registration to ACUC and your very own iPad!

UPDATE (05/19): This contest has ended – congratulations to our winner, Sarah Brenner from the University of Illinois Employees Credit Union. She won a  buy 1, get 1 free ACUC conference registration plus an Apple iPad. THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

CONTEST NOTES: Contest begins today and ends on Wed., May 18th at 11:59PM (ct). Winner will be chosen by a random number generator. Make sure you leave an email address where you can be contacted.  The winner will be notified via e-mail and will also be announced on the blog.  The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants received.  No purchase necessary to win. Void where prohibited.

This competition is offered by Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and is open to anyone who comments on this post and is at least 18 years of age. Employees of CUNA and family members of such employees are not eligible to enter.

CUNA shall not have any liability for any malfunction of or damage to the prize. The award winner may be responsible for applicable state or federal taxes on the value of the contest prize.

iPad® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.

True heroism, tennis great and activist Arthur Ashe once said, “is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”

That description readily fits the candidates for Credit Union Magazine’s 2011 Credit Union Hero of the Year Award.

Each year, Credit Union Magazine subscribers nominate and vote for one of four deserving credit union leaders. The top vote-getter is honored as Credit Union Hero of the Year at the America’s Credit Union Conference & Expo, held this year in San Antonio June 19-22.

Past winners include Linda Milton, CEO of Team Financial Federal Credit Union in Houston; CEO of Community First Credit Union, Appleton, Wis.; and Vic Thate, executive vice president for FAA Credit Union in Oklahoma City.

This year’s nominees:

* Ron Amstutz, executive vice president, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union, Phoenix. After his son recovered from a serious illness thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff at a children’s hospital, Amstutz guided his credit union to become the No. 1 U.S. credit union for Children’s Miracle Network [http://childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/Partners/Sponsors/CUFK] fund raising.

* Michael Bittle, CEO of Vanderbilt University Employees’ Credit Union, Nashville, Tenn. When his neighbors and members suffered damage from the May 2010 Nashville floods, he rolled up his sleeves and created a suite of flood-relief loans to help them through the difficult days.

* Carol Schillios, founder of Schillios Consulting Group, Seattle. A microfinance entrepreneur, she has participated in numerous cooperative programs in more than a dozen countries on six continents.

* Maurice Smith, CEO of Local Government Federal Credit Union, Raleigh, N.C. He helps members through tough financial times by providing mortgage loan modifications, alternatives to subprime debt, and unemployment protection options.

Voting ends Friday, May 13, so vote now to select Credit Union Magazine’s 2011 Credit Union Hero of the Year.

We’ll announce the winner next week.

From Christy LaMasney

Why is CUNA Mutual Group bringing our face-to-face Discovery sessions to the Credit Union National Association’s America’s Credit Union Conference and Expo in 2011?  Well, by collaborating, we are leveraging our collective strengths to create a truly diversified and educational experience.

The Discovery breakouts will cover a wide range of topics including marketing and membership, risk management strategies, lending and compliance, virtual banking, employee and employer issues and issues facing boards of directors.  There truly is something for everyone.

Over the four day conference key insights will come from a combination of industry thought leaders, outside consultants, CUNA Mutual staff and your credit union colleagues. Just a few highlights include:

Kelly McDonald

Social Media & Social Marketing: How to Use it to Grow presented by Kelly McDonald, McDonald Consulting.

Kelly is making a return appearance after a successful presentation at our Online Discovery Conference last November.  At ACUC she will focus on how social media tools fit in your marketing strategy.  Many credit unions are using social media, but how do you know it’s effective and relevant?  Kelly will cover social media marketing from A-Z.

Ann Davidson

Top Fraud Trends in 2011 – Is Your CU Prepared to Prevent Today’s Top Fraud Threats? presented by Ann Davidson, CUNA Mutual Group.

How much is fraud costing your credit union? The bad news is fraud is not going away. Are you prepared to defend against these top fraud threats, including cards, ACH, wires, mobile payments and more? During this session Ann will share the industry top fraud threats, criminal behavior, how to identify the weakest links and key defenses to prevent fraud. Keep criminals out of your credit union and away from your members!

Panel discussion

A View to the Future of Credit Unions with Gen Y presented by a Credit Union Panel: Ronaldo Hardy, LaCapitol FCU; Matt Vance, Industrial CU; Amy Stanton, Connex CU and Jen Shefner, Columbia CU.

How many of your employees are from Gen Y?  With numbers estimated as high as 70 million, if you haven’t hired them yet, you will soon!  How can you attract young professionals and shape them into future leaders of the credit union system? These four young credit union leaders will share how they are influencing their credit unions, and what they believe is needed to make credit unions more relevant to their generation.

George Hoffheimer

Under the Sheets: What’s Hidden in Your Financial Statements? presented by George Hofheimer, Filene Research Institute and Mike Higgins, Jr., Mike Higgins and Associates

Too often, strategic plans are put together with a pre-determined financial objective in place. Unfortunately, the tactics to reach an arbitrary ROA target can have unintended consequences. A strategic plan needs to be more thoughtful than that. It’s important that you study your credit union’s balance sheet mix and non-interest income production to understand how powerful, and sustainable its Net Revenue Engine is and where opportunities for improvement exist. Credit unions need a sound set of asset quality guidelines to make sure credit losses don’t deplete excessive amounts of capital. During this session, based on a forthcoming Filene Research study, George and Mike will walk you through the process and discuss the benefits for your particular situation.

Discovery CONTEST: We want to know: What are the credit union issues and opportunities keeping you up at night? What topics are you looking for more insight? Answer this question in a comment below and we’ll do a random drawing on May 12th of all commenters and give away 50% off the ACUC conference registration plus a copy of  Discovery speaker Kelly McDonald’s best selling book How to Market to People Not Like You, currently featured on Inc. Magazine’s Business Book Bestseller List.

UPDATE (05/12): This contest has ended – congratulations to our winner, David from The Golden 1 Credit Union. He won a  50% off the ACUC conference registration plus a copy of  Discovery speaker Kelly McDonald’s best selling book How to Market to People Not Like You, currently featured on Inc. Magazine’s Business Book Bestseller List. THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

Christy LaMasney is the Communications Strategist, Discovery for CUNA Mutual Group.

CONTEST DETAILS: Contest begins today and ends on Wed., May 11th at 11:59PM (CT). No purchase necessary to win.  Make sure you leave an email address where you can be contacted.  The winner will be notified via e-mail and will also be announced on the blog.  Multiple comments are allowed as long as you have a valid idea in each comment. (No duplicate comments) The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants received.  Void where prohibited.

This competition is offered by Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and is open to anyone who comments on this post and is at least 18 years of age. Employees of CUNA and family members of such employees are not eligible to enter.

CUNA shall not have any liability for any malfunction of or damage to the prize. The award winner may be responsible for applicable state or federal taxes on the value of the contest prize.

Follow CUDiscovery on Twitter

ACUC Keynoter Doug Hall

From Ashley Fenrick:

A few months ago, when I began working on the marketing for America’s Credit Union Conference (ACUC), I glanced through the keynote speaker biographies and one in particular stood out to me, Doug Hall. That’s because I remembered learning about him way back in college…ok I only graduated two years ago but still the fact that I remember him must mean something, right? He was discussed in my entrepreneurship class because well, Doug is pretty much an innovation and idea-generating genius!

He began his inventing career at the age of 12, inventing and selling a line of magic and juggling kits. After earning a chemical engineering degree, he joined Procter & Gamble where he quickly rose to the rank of Master Marketing Inventor. It doesn’t stop there – Doug is the founder and CEO of Eureka! Ranch, located in Cincinnati with offices in London, UK and Monterrey, Mexico.

Eureka! Ranch is a place where you can relax, reenergize and really take the time to think about your business and where it’s going. The eighty acre ranch includes a walking track, bicycles, a sand volleyball court, basketball hoops, a street hockey rink and even a lake for fishing, water skiing and tubing. Guests are encouraged to engage in all the activities they can bear and in between participate in various brainstorming and team sessions, where the ideas start flowing!

Want to learn more? Join us at ACUC, June 19-22, in San Antonio, TX, to hear Doug present his keynote session, Innovative Engineering: How to Innovate & Grow Your Credit Union.

1. Produce as many ideas as possible
   At this point you should focus on quantity, not quality. You won’t know which ideas have value until you really dig into them, so get as many ideas on the table as possible.
2. Produce ideas as wild as possible
   Encourage participants to say whatever pops into their minds. Without this rule, we naturally constrain what we say for fear of embarrassment. Scott explains that if you set outrageousness as a goal and reward it, you’ll help turn that filter off.
3. Build upon each other’s ideas
   No ideas are 100% new, they’re all combinations of other ideas. Making this clear prevents people from holding back for the fear of stepping on someone else’s toes.
4. Avoid passing judgment
   Evaluation isn’t necessary during exploration. It’s too early in the game to understand the possibilities of new ideas, so why would you reject or accept any of them?

BIG TIME Thursday CONTEST: We want to know:  What are some of the things your credit union does to generate BIG ideas? Do you set aside time to discuss how to improve your products and processes? Answer one of those questions in a comment below and we’ll do a random drawing on April 7^th (just in time to kick off our next Big Time Thursday contest) of all commenters to give away a copy of Doug Hall’s book Jump Start Your Brain and a magic kit to help spark your team’s next BIG idea.

Ashley Fenrick is a Marketing Communications Specialist for the Credit Union National Association.

UPDATE (04/07): This contest has ended – congratulations to our winner, Amy Ackerman! Amy won a copy of Doug Hall’s book Jump Start Your Brain and a magic kit to help ignite her credit union’s next BIG idea. THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

CONTEST DETAILS: Contest begins today and ends on Wed., April 6th at 11:59PM (ct). No purchase necessary to win.  Make sure you leave an email address where you can be contacted.  The winner will be notified via e-mail and will also be announced on the blog.  Multiple comments are allowed as long as you have a valid idea in each comment. (No duplicate comments) The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants received.  Void where prohibited.

This competition is offered by Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and is open to anyone who comments on this post and is at least 18 years of age. Employees of CUNA and family members of such employees are not eligible to enter.

CUNA shall not have any liability for any malfunction of or damage to the prize. The award winner may be responsible for applicable state or federal taxes on the value of the contest prize.

Improv Everywhere Founder Charlie Todd

What do you get when you hold an America’s Credit Union Conference & Expo (ACUC) planning session after watching Improv Everywhere’s I Love Lunch! The Musical? If you’re me, you get this crazy idea to hold a random musical at the Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC).   That’s right, we’re so excited about ACUC we decided to sing about it at this year’s GAC.  OK, full disclosure, we actually were so excited we hired actors to sing about it (nobody wants to hear me sing), and enlisted some friends from the CUNA Councils to help as well.    That’s right, exhibit hall attendees were surprised by this CUNA ACUC 2011 Random Musical. (Warning: Once you watch this you’ll likely be humming the tune all afternoon!)

Are there ways credit unions can use things like random musicals and flash mobs to stand out in a crowded market?  With the right plan up front and strategy to help it go viral, there are certainly ways these can compliment your traditional promotions.  Join us at ACUC to hear Improv Everywhere (the group behind the I Love Lunch! Musical)  founder Charlie Todd present a thought leader session sharing details behind some of his group’s biggest pranks and what credit unions can learn from using those kinds of tactics.

Already have a video you’re trying to spread the word on?  I recently spoke with Michael Taylor of PLAY Creative, the marketing agency who worked with the Nebraska Credit Union League on their recent CU Awareness Campaign.  Here are some simple ways Taylor suggests to help spread the word about your video:

BIG TIME Thursday CONTEST: We want to know, what are some of the BIG TIME things your credit union is doing or planning to do to stand out from the competition? Answer that question in a comment below and we’ll do a random drawing on March 31st (just in time to kick off our next Big Time Thursday contest) of all commenters to give away an Apple iPod® nano 8 GB (6th Generation) and a copy of Charlie Todd’s book Causing a Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places with Improv Everywhere.

Read more about BIG TIME Thursday Contests (there will be lots of great prizes through May 2011).

UPDATE (3/31): This contest has ended – congratulations to our winner, Cheryl Hart, who won an Apple iPod® nano 8 GB (6th Generation) and a copy of Charlie Todd’s book Causing a Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places with Improv Everywhere.  THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

CONTEST DETAILS: Contest begins today and ends on Wed., March 30th at 11:59PM (ct). No purchase necessary to win.  Make sure you leave an email address where you can be contacted.  The winner will be notified via e-mail and will also be announced on the blog.  Multiple comments are allowed as long as you have a valid idea in each comment. (No duplicate comments) The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants received.  Void where prohibited.

This competition is offered by Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and is open to anyone who comments on this post and is at least 18 years of age. Employees of CUNA and family members of such employees are not eligible to enter.

CUNA shall not have any liability for any malfunction of or damage to the prize. The award winner may be responsible for applicable state or federal taxes on the value of the contest prize.

iPod® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.

From left to right, Edward A. Filene, Roy F. Bergengren, and Claude R. Orchard

“In a log cabin in the Rocky Mountains, the Credit Union National Association was formulated in 1934.  High up on a mountain somewhere within the park…a tablet [will be] attached to the face of a rock, not too high for easy reading by the curious tourist, which will record this important historic event.” — Roy Bergengren, Crusade, 1952

Roy’s prediction was right.  In fact, on August 10, 1954, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Estes Park Conference, a plaque was mounted on the wooden building named ‘Texas Cabin’ that birthed the Credit Union National Association.  But, a plaque is a mere reminder of the history that occurred.

When credit union leaders began discussing the formation of a national organization, there were no funds for a large gathering.  Many of the conference attendees used vacation time to attend.  August, being a prime vacation period, seemed an ideal time for attendees to “synchronize” their meeting.

Since a number of meetings had already occurred in the East, Bergengren and Orchard wanted to find a central locale for the event. A number of meetings had occurred in the East and the pair hoped to offer Western attendees a break from long continental travel with respect to the travel of Eastern attendees.

They used a ruler and map to find a suitable location not too far from either coastline. Claude Orchard suggested Estes Park because he had vacationed there and found it to be a fine location. The ruler found Estes Park to be three-and-a-half inches from the Pacific Coast while only six inches from the Atlantic Coast–an excellent compromise.

While the geographic location and time of the meeting proved critical, the unique geology of the camp provided the perfect backdrop.  Roy recounted, “it seemed to me that the mountains had a powerful restraining influence on our deliberations.  We literally lifted up our eyes unto the mountains.  I felt many times that the proximity of the eternal hills helped us materially to keep our balance and complete our mission” (Crusade, p. 239).  Then when the deliberations became too much, attendees had the chance to hike, play ball or go for a horseback ride.

When reflecting upon Estes Park, Roy Bergengren found symmerty in the birth of Credit Union National Association, America’s pioneering spirit, and U.S. presidents.  ”Once upon a time a candidate for the Presidency of the United States was seriously handicapped  if he had not been “born in a log cabin…It was althogether fitting and keeping with tradition that the Credit Union National Association should also come into being “in a log cabin” (Crusade, p. 238).

With all that is happening in the world these days, and the hectic lives we lead, we should all remember that one of the greatest accomplishments of the credit union movement was to write its founding document in a log cabin.

Texas Cabin, Estes Park YMCA Camp, 1934

Source: Bergengren, Roy F.  1952.  Crusade: The Fight for Economic Democracy.