The largest credit union conference ever held to this point in time began gathering on Sunday, December 9, 1984 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
One of the most amazing aspects was that the entire effort was organized and led by NCUA. It was an event unique then, and still today, in credit unon history.
The conference had two phases. In the first two and one half days over 800 state and federal examiners and regulators held meetings to share their learning and expertise. On Wednesday afernoon they were joined by over 1,500 CEO’s/seniorexecutives, board members and leaders of multiple league and trade organizations.
An NCUA Led Effort
Two months prior in October, NCUA released a Video Network Edition XI for state and federal examiners to describe conference logistics: timing, travel arrangments, financial reimbusements and per diem. And most importantly, a preview of the speakers and conference agenda.
The National Examiners Conference preparation video is 20 minutes and can be viewed here or in the link below. The eight speakers are all NCUA DC staff members responsible for specific areas of the conference.
The details may seem pedestrian by today’s conference attendee. The room rates were only $35 per night for single or double. These critical instructions show NCUA staff at its hard working best.
The Agency’s Washington team organized a national industry wide meeting led by only existing personnel. At the time the Agency employed approximately 600 people. This special event was in addition to the entire staff’s day jobs.
According to the NCUA’ 1984 Annual Report there were 10,547 active federal charthers and 4,657 insured state charters, plus another 1,500 whose share insurance was from a state authorized cooperative fund. Moreover, all FCU’s were being examined annually, a process implemented in 1982.
The Agenda
Following six short briefs on conference logistics, at minute 14.21 a presentation of the “most important part of any conference” begins. Joan Pinkerton, NCUA’s Public Information Officer, gives an overview of the conference speakers and over 50 breakout sessions.
Topics include: Is the Regulator Obsolete?, How the Early Warning System (EWS) Rating is Assigned, Recent Industry Scams et. al. At minute 17 Mark Wolf describes real case studies that will be discussed in joint examiner-attendee sessions. The case details of up to 25 pages will be available to read in advance.
What Happened
The conference succeeded beyond all expectations. It was both a learning and bonding event. Next Monday I will publish Edition 18 of the NCUA’s Video Network, 55 minutes of live excerpts of the conference highlights.
Even today, some 41 years later, the event is still remembered as a special moment enabled by the collaborative character of the credit union system.
If you would like to share your memory, please send a short post to chipfilson@gmail.com. I will include these along with the video and photos of the conference.
(https://youtu.be/Tw_JKnheoSk)
Amother December 9, 1984 Event
On Saturday October 8 NCUA colleagues Bucky Sebastian and Mary Beth Doyle stopped by the house to drive me to Dulles where we would fly to Vegas for the conference.
Mary Ann and I had been married for 17 years. Our first date was my senior year in college at the Harvard-Princeton football game. I had been expecting to go with her younger sister whose flight from Midland, MI was cancelled due to snow Mary Ann took her place.
We married 18 months later in a service at Merton College Chapel, Oxford where I was a student and she worked in London for Dow Chemical’s UK offive.
We traveled the world togher first courtesy of Uncle Sam who said I owed him some time. Our first daughter Lara was borh in Athens, GA while I was at Supply Corps school. Our second, Alix was born in Yokosuka, Japan where I served as Supply Officer on the USS Windham Cty (LST-1170) and later at the Supply Depot on shore duty.
After four plus years in the Navy in December 1973 I joined the International Division of the First National Bank of Chicago expecting a two year rotational training period. Six months later our family was in Sydney Australia. I was in the bank’s rep office and assisted with their wholly owned finance company FCAL. It was a time of critical economic turmoil, short term rates were over 20%. They wanted more help.
After three years, we returned to Chicago. I left the bank to join with Bucky Sebastian and Ed Callahan in the Illinois Department of Financial Institutions where I was credit union supervisor. Five years later we moved to Bethesda as the three of us went to NCUA.
In these 17 years Mary Ann was critical to everything that life brings to a family. She not only had the primary care roles with our two girls, but also worked a full time job where possible.
Her talents for maintaining home life while I was traveling, expanding her interests in photography, design and working with her hands in the kitchen or the sewing room are habits both girls adopted. She was disciplined, but in a very soft way, always sensitive to other’s needs.
I am grateful our two children inherited all the good she gave them which they express every day.
She had an adventurous streak as well. Once we pulled into Hong Kong harbor on R&R. Mary Ann and several other wives flew from Japan to see us. Our LST anchored out in the harbor. The city was still under British rule. The Navy purchasing office there would first send out local supply boats to refill our fresh water tanks and order fresh food supplies.
As I stood on the deck waiting to give our purchase order to the local vendor, I saw the small harbor craft had an extra passenger. Nary Ann didn’t wait for us to come ashore via the harbor’s water taxis. She came out, on her own in the middle of the harbor to welcome us. It was just plain joy as she alone came on deck. The Captain was a little uneasy with this protocal breech, but never said a thing.
In the picture below, Mary Ann with Lara and Alix are on on the beach in Hayama, Japan. Fuji is faint in the distance. It is the fall of 1971.
Mary Ann’s mother had flown in to help while I spent the week at NCUA’s Examiner conference. Early Sunday morning I got a call from her mother that Mary Ann had gone to the hospital that night and died. Her five year fight with breast cancer was over. I flew home that morning. Our 17 year journey together was over.
Now go back to the 14th minute of the video above and see Joan Pinkerton. For in 1987 we were married. She knew Mary Ann and had even babysat our girls when we traveled together. Life is full of possibilities even when some hopes end. Joy can still be found.