The President's Perspective

​Upcoming CEO Town Hall date announced; Foundation Golf Scramble; and America's Credit Union Museum needs our help!​

 Greetings,

​I trust you had a terrific and safe 4th of July celebration with family and friends. I am looking forward to connecting with many of you as we dive head-first into the start of the 3rd quarter with our quarterly CEO “Town Hall Tuesday” next week on Tuesday, July 12th at 3:00pm ct. A meeting link has been sent via email. Please reach out if you need the link resent.

Register Early for Foundation’s Golf Outing and Save!
The Dakota Credit Union Foundation is gearing up for our 6th Annual Dakota Credit Union Foundation Golf Scramble, which will be held Wednesday, August 17, at the Rose Creek Golf Course in Fargo, ND. This is right after our popular CU Professionals Forum that is planned for Tuesday, August 16th – so please come for the free forum and stay for the golf outing!

The deadline to register for the golf event is Wednesday, July 27 – but you can save by registering by Friday, July 15. The “Early Bird Discount” is $135 for individual golfers ($150 regular price) and $460 for a team of four ($500 regular price). This important fundraiser helps support our efforts towards “financial well-being for all” by providing financial literacy classroom programs, scholarships for professional development and certification for financial counselors, in addition to supporting our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I hope to see many of you there!

America’s Credit Union Museum wants your help!
Fresh off our country’s 4th of July celebration, I am reminded of our credit union story of “people helping people.” From our industry’s humble roots in Manchester NH, to the work your credit union is doing today, the credit union movement has always been about making a difference in the lives of its members.

As part of America’s Credit Union Museum’s 20th anniversary celebration, a new exhibit is being created for those who stop by in-person and digitally. They want to tell the story of every credit union in the country.
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Here is how you can help: The museum is soliciting assistance from credit unions by capturing the history of your organization so it may be included in the museum’s database. Upload your history here along with up to three photos! A few hints – be sure to proofread your text as it will not be edited. Also, please name your uploaded files as indicated (on the submission form) to ensure they are matched correctly. For questions or issues with the form, contact Brandie [email protected] for assistance. Let’s get the Dakotas well represented on this exhibit! (Graphic below shows how the exhibit will appear once it goes live.) 

​I have had the unique opportunity to visit the museum in New Hampshire. I would recommend it to any credit union employee or member if visiting the Boston area.

The history of Manchester, NH is unique and very interesting. The city is approximately 50 miles northwest of Boston. It’s located along the banks of the Merrimack River, which was significant in the town becoming an industrial center in the new, independent country. City founders named the city after Manchester, England, which is often referred to as the first industrial center in the world; Great foresight as Manchester quickly became just that, a great industrial center. Among the several large textiles mills, the community was manufacturing shoes, cigars, and paper. The rapid growth of the mills and other industry meant jobs and opportunity for the recently arrived immigrants, particularly French Canadians. 

The “French connection” is significant for our movement; this is why the Credit Union movement epicenter is here. The French Canadians were already familiar with the financial cooperative alternative. The movement in this area was really inspired by Monsignor Pierre Hevey. The parish priest at St. Marie's church wanted his parishioners, many who worked in the mills, to have a safe place to save their money and gain access to reasonable credit. With assistance from Canada's credit union movement leader, Alphonse Desjardins, and the commitment of local attorney Joseph Boivin (who then eventually set-up the credit union in his home, which is the familiar image to us all) the first credit union in the United States was established in 1908. Originally called St. Mary's Cooperative Credit Association, its name was revised in 1925 to La Caisse Populaire Ste-Marie meaning "Bank of the People.” Today it’s known as St. Mary's Bank. Yes, that’s right, St. Mary’s Bank! However, it is still a credit union operating under the same mission as it did in 114 years ago.

When you visit America's Credit Union Museum you really can feel the energy and passion that makes the credit union movement so powerful. 

As many of you know and practice every day, the credit union movement is built on a deep foundation of values and principles. For more than 100 years, credit unions have helped ordinary people overcome extraordinary struggles for a better life. Credit unions continue to play an essential role in helping our members afford life every day and attain financial success. 

Understanding how credit unions began is important and necessary to our overall success and sustainability as well as our advocacy efforts. 

​Have a great week! 

DakCU President/CEO