Category: Observations

Yesterday was the anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) for the Allied forces.

It is important to remember that WW II was begun by two countries, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany jointly invading Poland in September 1939.  This was followed in November by the Soviet Union’s attack on Finland.

The two countries had signed a secret agreement in August 1939, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Officially it was a Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Also known as the Hitler–Stalin Pact, a secret protocol established Soviet and German spheres of influence across Eastern Europe.

How America Spoke of Victory

Two leaders’ words capture this country’s spirit of grace, humility, sacrifice and gratitude in that immediate moment  of May 8, 1945.

General Dwight Eisenhower issued a Victory Order   to the troops that read in part:

The route you have traveled through hundreds of miles is marked by the graves of former comrades. From them has been exacted the ultimate sacrifice; blood of many nations – American, British, Canadian, French, Polish and others – has helped to gain the victory.

Each of the fallen died as a member of the team to which you belong, bound together by a common love of liberty and a refusal to submit to enslavement.

No monument of stone, no memorial of whatever magnitude could so well express our respect and veneration for their sacrifice as would perpetuation of the spirit of comradeship in which they died.

As we celebrate Victory in Europe let us remind ourselves that our common problems of the immediate and distant future can best be solved in the same conceptions of cooperation and devotion to the cause of human freedom as have made this Expeditionary Force such a mighty engine of righteous destruction.”

In this History Channel VE summary, the remarks at the end by FDR (at 6:50) are as meaningful now as they were then: The spirit of man has been awakened for a good (“love of liberty”) beyond his brief span.

May it ever be so.

)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKIsvh59Bj4&t=329s)

Most people have  doubts about the Easter events at the core of Christian belief.  From early childhood to our senior years, everyone asks, Did It really happen? The story seems nonsensical.

Our  questions  and skepticism are the same as on that first morning.  No one believed the women’s initial accounts of an emply tomb or of some brief, unusual experiences shared.

But then life intervenes for us.  Real joys, sorrows, tragedies all mingled with deep love by those around us.  Somehow this example of divine goodness in human life comes into our view.

And when we are scared, uncertain or even comfortable sitting on the sidelines of life, we summon the courage to assert hope in a belief that our future can be better than what we face now.

Here is an example from yesterday of this miracle  in one of the most difficult circumstance of life.  The news story captures this fundamental human hope, grounded in a love, that never dies. And the desperattion of those still waiting for their miracle.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFff3ADgCKI)

The Mystery of Faith

If a more ordered explanation of why so many have this Easter hope, here is a plain spoken talk on this continually evolving journey of belief.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCq6bgGVgcY)

Happy Easter Monday.   Know there is more to come. As we see hope in others, it will rekindle  our own faith that life’s possibilities are more than what we see today.

If you need another living example of this faith, here is one leader’s belief in the future:  Evil has its hour, but God has His Day. 

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu9Nqn8HQy0)

As domestic financial service providers with little or no imports or exports, should credit unions be concerned about Trump’s tariff policy?   Will it have any impact on their members and communities?

I believe the answer to both questions is yes.  In almost universal critiques, the approach is lacking any economic sense.

From the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on April 8, 2026, Trump Scores Own Goal:

In the trade world, early indications are that Trump has just committed one of the greatest own goals in history, and, what’s more, it was deliberate. The immediate market reaction was sharply negative, but it will take time to determine how bad things will be.

And here’s why:

The consensus is that the current approach will damage the economy, raise prices and slow  growth.  Not to mention increase US isolation in the existing global world of trade and alliances.

Implications for credit unions

1. Indentify members and firms in your community most at risk.
2. Develop prgrams to help them navigate the economic uncertainties.  This  usually means extending lines of credit.
3. Enhance core market opportunities.  Avoid undertaking new risk as members who face growing uncertainty will seek the security of established and trusted relationships.

Your thoughts?

Artist Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012) was born in D.C.  She went to the segregated Dunbar High School and graduated from Howard University.

Last night I attended a National Gallery of Art reception celebrating the opening of an exhibit of her work called, A Black Woman Revolutionary Artist and All that It Implies.

Her skill as an artist in all mediums is exceptional.  Sculptures large and small are done in stone, bronze, terra cotta and wood.  The drawings, prints, oils and pastels are equally expert.

But just as important was the constant purpose for her art.  She believed art should be for the public and address the hopes and lives of the people she portrayed.

When she saw the Mexican mural artists on a trip to San Francisco, her work focused on portraying the lives and political struggles of America’s  black communities.

The NGA’s hundreds of works are immediately accessible upon viewing, whether literal portraits or abstract sculpture.  They communicate feeling and meaning at once.

The terra cotta sculpture below, Tired, captures a woman at rest, her plain clothing suggesting a day of labor.  Her long neck and uplifted chin suggest pride.  Her folded hands, rest.

This is a very small, even understated, example of some very dramatic sculptures and portraits of hundreds of Catlett’s creations.

It communicates because it is universal in its expression.  When have we all not at some point felt this way.  Especially those who, like the artist,  commit their skills to change the lives, futures and understanding of those society leaves behind, ignores, or persecutes.

Struggle for change in any country is never easy or finished.  It is simpler to move on to more traditional roles.

But this exhibit of a lifetime dedicated to a revolution demonstrates a constancy of purpose that enhances every  single work.

Elizabeth Catlett is an example of an artistic leader whose life was dedicated to change how we see and remember our country’s past.

If in D.C. visit the National Gallery East Wing for an experience that will be enlightening both for the art and example of a person who never tired fighting for change.

While there will be few who will ever create such a  leadership legacy, we all leave examples of our ambitions and passions.  Sometimes that  motivates persons to spend their professional lives with credit unions.  How would you like that work to be remembered?

On Human Behavior and Current Events

Humans are incredibly reluctant to see themselves as less informed, making bad decisions, unknowingly supporting error or evil, and being fooled. They will, honestly, die defending a choice, rather than admit they were flawed.

It is one of our greatest weaknesses as a species. There is a gentle process, where you can lead people to figure it out themselves, but just telling them, even showing them evidence, often causes them to double down. I wish this weren’t true, but there are tons of studies about it. Ignorant people are fragile, and that sucks for anyone hoping to make change. (from Richard Rohr’s daily post)

On Hope: Excerpt from  Lessons from a Viral Angular Fish Video

In our human nature, we are limited in what we experience, and the scope of what we don’t know will always outweigh what little we do know. . .

This short, viral video – and the reaction to it – reminds me of the divine gift of curiosity, the opportunity to explore and discover exciting and beautiful things about the world. These new discoveries challenge us, making us question our perception of the world, flipping what we think we know upside down. 

And the result of this curious thinking? Hope. When we ask questions and broaden our perspectives, we affirm that our knowledge is limited, and we are open to knowing more. When we are curious, we make a commitment to trying — trying to inquire, trying to discover, trying to connect.

In Hope: A User’s Manual, MaryAnn McKibben Dana writes that hope is not optimism, anticipating the best outcome despite the facts. Rather, hope is a commitment to reframing and possibility. Hope acknowledges that “things just suck” sometimes. Yet, “a hopeful orientation ruminates, turning the situation over and over, refusing to give up on possibility.”

We returned from a week away to see the yard bursting with daffadils and hyacinths and the hints of green buds on trees.   Every flower appears at its anointed time.

The Star Magnolia reveals its blossoms one by one  until the tree is covered in a full white gown. (next week).

Earth’s annual renewal is colorful and inspiring.  Wordsworth’s poem reminds however, we still have much to do in our human endeavors versus nature’s spontaneous transformation.

Lines Written in Early Spring

By William Wordsworth

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

Just as St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, Ed Callahan brought his Irish heritage to his many leadership roles with America’s Credit Unions.

His contributions were consequential for decades forward for every organization with which he engaged.

Many credit union leaders today never met Ed who died on March 18, 2009, shortly after the last call on St. Patrick’s day. He lived his Irish heritage with a family of eight children and a first career as a math teacher, coach and principal in the Catholic school system.

Relationships Build Collaboration

His three years and eight months as Chair of NCUA (1981-1985) positioned both credit unions and NCUA for resilience for generations to come.

Ed believed in relationships.  He nurtured these in hundreds of personal contacts.  When NCUA chair, he would sit outside the Hilton Hotel’s conference level cafe during the annual GAC and hold court with everyone walking in and out of the main hall.  For hours at each session.

He demonstrated time and again that the greatest credit union competitive advantage was collaboration. He used this capability to initiate the largest conference of examiners, regulators and credit unions ever held  in December 1984 in Las Vegas.  Organized and led by NCUA, more than 4,000 examiners, regulators and credit unions met to share ideas and experiences about the future of the cooperative system.

A Credit Union CEO

After co-founding and leading Callahan & Associates from 1985-1987, Ed became a credit union CEO. When he arrived at Patelco in October 1987, it was the 34th largest credit union in America.  Fifteen years later at his retirement, it was number 10.

The Irish and  Freedom

Another element  of Irish lore is the constant struggle for freedom in the country’s long relationship with Great Britain. Freedom requires individual responsibility and organizational unity.

Ed explained the policy of deregulation as placing responsibility for fundamental business decisions in the hands of the board and management, not government.  Self-help and community, woven into every aspect of  Irish history, are fundamental to credit union success.

In  a speech called The Three Freedoms to the Massachusetts CUNA annual meeting in November 1984 he outlined how the credit unon system contributed to the country’s ongoing efforts for freedom.

One person who portrayed Ed’s Irish roots and forceful personality is Jim Blaine, former CEO of State Empyees CU (NC).  This is his Look Back from March 2016.

by Jim Blaine

Always suspected that the problem with Ed Callahan was that as a youth he was beaten too often by Nuns in parochial school or, perhaps, not beaten enough. Well, whatever, either way the Nuns left their mark – an indomitable spirit!

Ed Callahan was Irish – brash, pugnacious, loud, hard drinking, fun loving – alive! But why be redundant? I said he was Irish!

For over a quarter of a century, we all watched and observed as Ed Callahan created shock waves in the credit union world. No one was neutral about Ed Callahan. His friends were fiercely loyal, his enemies equally committed. Ed inspired many and angered quite a few. Ed had style; he had presence. With Ed, you weren’t allowed to make contact without becoming involved, excited, immersed, engaged.

At Marquette, Ed must have played football in the same way he played life – without a helmet. You had no doubt that Ed Callahan always played for keeps. He had no intentions of losing, that was not one of the options. Ed was very straight-forward; your choices were always clear. The mission was defined; and, there was only one direct path to the goal. That path was either with you, around you, over you, under you, or through you; you could step aside or get on board. It was your choice; but your choice never changed the mission, nor the path, nor the goal.

Some said that Ed was a visionary…

… they were wrong. Ed Callahan was a revolutionary. Visionaries talk about change, revolutionaries take you there. Ed led from the front – a leader of conviction, rather than convenience; principles above posture – courageous. Revolutionaries, by definition, create problems; overturn applecarts; rebuke the status quo. That happened at NCUA. Appointed by President Reagan, Ed arrived at NCUA in the midst of turmoil. Ed defined the mission; he reformed and remolded the Agency. He taught a regulatory agency how to stop working to prevent the last crisis. He explained that a coach never executes a play and that on Monday morning it’s never hard to see what went wrong – but it is rarely relevant. Teacher, coach, lessons in life; hopefully well learned, hopefully still remembered.

But let me celebrate the essence of the man – that indomitable spirit – one last time, for those who never had the opportunity; for those who still have doubts; for those who never fully understood. One of Ed’s harshest critics, noted with much wryness, that even in death Ed “couldn’t get it right”. Why, I asked? “Because Callahan died on March 18th instead of on the 17th, his beloved St. Patrick’s Day.” You know this type of critic – cynical, smug, self-assured without much basis, not really worth the effort, but…

Just for the record, I would simply like to point out one final time that – first and foremost – Ed Callahan was a fully-fledged, fully-flagrant Irishman – body and soul! And, no self-respecting Irishman would ever celebrate the end of St. Patrick’s Day until the last bell at the pub had rung. That would have meant that Ed Callahan’s “last call” would have come sometime after 4:00 am – on the morning of the 18th. Style, presence, courage – true to the last! A shamrock of joyful vigor and purpose!  

And one last thought… in the final analysis you can say many things about a great man’s life… some men are admired, some are respected, some are envied, some are feared… and countless other adjectives and accolades. But, in the final analysis, the most important thing you can say about a great man is… he will be missed.  

And, Ed Callahan will be missed…