By Frank J. Diekmann CUToday
Stop. Before we all race to get into our 2022 resolutions and strategic plans, let’s pause. Let’s breathe (preferably through a mask if we ever want to get this thing behind us). And let’s first remember the credit unions that left us in 2021, from A(rrowpoint) to X(ceed). Let’s remember their stories, let’s remember what they teach us, and let’s especially remember why one now former CU’s name should be practiced by credit unions everywhere, especially if you want to see 2023 and 2033 and 2050 and beyond.
From the beginning credit unions have always been so much more than just little not-for-profit companies no different than the local oil change place or pizza joint; from 1909 on they have always been mirrors to their communities and pages in the American history book inscribed with the words from earlier generations--living, breathing snapshots of different eras until they live and breathe no more.
History pages from this last year that have turned for a last time include Boys Town (sorry, Father Flanagan) and Tin Mill Employees. It was also a goodbye to some old historical legacies that many believe deserve to be forgotten, such as Jeff Davis Teachers (2021 also meant, ironically, goodbye to Legacy CU, too).
Let’s Stand and Turn
So, before we get into this new year, let us all stand slowly and do a 360-degree turn as we wave one last goodbye in all directions, first toward Northern United, Tesoro Northwest, and Northland, then toward South Division, and finally in the direction of a sun setting on Western Districts, Western Rockies, Western Heritage and Western States Regional FCU.
Place names were once automatic when chartering CUs and why wouldn’t they be? It was the places, after all, that very often put the “field” in field of membership. Today, the fences have fallen, and “rebranded” credit unions select generic, fabricated names that have no geographic ties and suggest in an Internet age they are everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
We shall not forget those places and instead on the CU History Book pages we will record where you once lived, Dane County, Tallahassee Community, Sumter City, Waterbury Police, Des Moines Water Works, SUNY Geneseo, Town of Palm Beach, Virginia Beach Schools, Gloucester Fire Department, Essex County NJ Employees, South Bend Post Office, Romeoville Community (where art thou now?), Credit Union of the Berkshires, Texas, Borinquen Community, Lancaster PA Firemen, First Credit Union of Scranton (no word on whether Dunder Mifflin was a SEG), Greater Watertown FCU, Firestone Lake Charles, Nishna Valley CU, Munseetown Community, General Portland Peninsular Employees, Greenup County, Gloucester Municipal, Columbus Metro, Canoga Postal, Fairmont Village, Groton Municipal Employees, Fort McPherson, and Canaan (named for the land once conquered by the tribes of Israel, but, alas, no match for the tribes from the Land of Financial Services).
If the place name wasn’t automatically in a CU’s name, then a company’s name was. It was other bond in common bond. So, as the days of knowing who the sponsor was/is just by looking at someone’s nametag increasingly fade, we honor you as you SEG-ue into new CUs, Patterson Pump, Meadow Gold Employees, McKesson Employees FCU, Flowers Employees, Burns & McDonnell, Roper Corp. Employees, Holston Methodist, CONE CU, AE Goetze Employees, Norton-Troy Employees, Cal Poly, Central Hanna Employees, Construction Industries CU, Electrogas, and Bacharach Employees (I can only guess that all those raindrops falling on the CU’s head finally became a flood).
First Responders, Last Days
It’s difficult for the scribe not to notice Continue Reading
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