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A Mother Supports Her Son in War

A letter sent to Music Mission Kiev (MMK) by a grateful Mother, Olga Alekseeva.

Thank you for your attention to my son Ivan, it is very meaningful and valuable to me. Ivan has a firm and clear civic position. Back in 2019-2021, he took my father to the shooting range organized by his fellow party members, and he took me to first aid courses. I was pleased with his perseverance, because it is better when a young guy is engaged in something socially useful than sitting in computer games. 

On February 24, 2022, on the third attempt, he got into the military commissariat – he was refused because he had no combat experience, poor eyesight (-5), and was not even on the military record.

Vanya was assigned to territorial defense. The first two months of the war in Kyiv were terrible – a curfew, shots were fired in the streets, rockets flew in Kyiv… while Vanya patrolled the city at a checkpoint. They lived in the gym on sports mats and sleeping bags – with whatever they had. 

In April 2022, they were transferred to the Chernobyl zone to dig dugouts and fortifications. They lived in abandoned houses. My friend, who has been living in America for more than 30 years, sent a sleeping bag and a thermal blanket. Vanya said that he is now so warm that he gave up the warm place by the stove to his friend.

Not long ago, Vanya wrote that his glasses broke. It is impossible to repair or buy new glasses in the forest. I mentioned this in Volodya’s office (MMK bookkeeper), and I was offered assistance for Ivan and his visually impaired colleagues. In response, MMK ordered glasses and lenses for 4 soldiers, one of whom was a chaplain. 

In April 2023, Ivan fell ill with Covid. I am grateful to God, the doctor was there and sent him to an infectious disease hospital, this was the next wave of the epidemic for soldiers. The military unit is a large gathering of people, leading to a very high chance of getting infected. I asked Serhiy if MMK could buy the medicine needed for viral infections for Ivan’s unit, because the small town they were stationed in, cannot cope with so many patients. Thank God, with the permission of the mission, we provided the military unit with the necessary medicines. 

In the past I was annoyed that Ivan spent a lot of time playing computer games, but now these skills have allowed him to control a drone. I am very proud of my son, but I am also worried for him. We had not seen each other in five months. What happiness when he stopped by home for two days recently, on the way for more training. Currently, he is studying for two weeks. Thank God I know he will be safe during this training time. 

I am very grateful to the MMK for the help it provides to our soldiers, wounded, affected refugees, for the monthly medicines for the soldiers in the hospital where I give massages, for the clothes that we provided two different times for the seriously wounded in the hospitals.

May the Lord bless everyone who helps and prays for the victory of Ukraine.

Ivan

 

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On Economic Forecasting and Future Predictions

Today’s economic headline:  U.S. economy grew at 1.6% annualized rate in the first quarter.

What does the number mean?  Here is a cautionary note:

Economists, businesses and pundits spent last year predicting a recession that never happened. How could so many get it wrong?    

The bottom line:  Predictions about the economy are more about what’s going on in the present than what will happen in the future. (Axios)

 

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Chairman Callahan’s Last Interview at NCUA

“It’s a partnership and it works”

Knowing our shared past helps us to understand the present and envision the future.  History provides our sense of community.

From the May 1985 NCUA News, Vol 2, No. 4:

From the recent interview on NCUA’s Video Network, Chairman Callahan praised the NCUA staff, saying, “It’s all working, the team is in place.   There is a sense of confidence in the Agency, and it has infected the credit union movement with confidence as well.”

The Chairman is quick to credit examiners and other Agency personnel for the successes during his term: “Most people at NCUA have a good sense of where the Agency is going and how they fit into the picture.  People at NCUA get the credit for what we’ve been able to accomplish because they brought us to the point we are now.” 

He believes three years of unprecedented growth in shares, loans, capital and membership attest to the positive effects of deregulation and to the success of credit union managers and directors when given the opportunity to make their own business decisions.

As important as deregulation is to Mr. Callahan, increasing the examiner ranks and getting Agency staff out in the field, closer to credit unions is just as important.  “Deregulation actually increased our supervisory responsibilities,” he said.  “We told credit union officials ‘You run our institutions, and we’ll be there to help.’  It’s a partnership, and it works.”

P.S.  See the reference above to NCUA’s Video Network.  This interview was the final edition, number XXI.  If anyone has this recording in their credit union collection, I would appreciate making a copy.

 

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One Member at a Time

What does personal service really mean when a credit union has over 63,500 members?

Weokie Credit Union’s Mission Statement is:

Change lives  in our community, one person at a time, by being the best place our employees have ever worked and our members have ever banked.

A Nurturing Voice

The CEO, Jeff Carpenter, gave permission to demonstrate how this is done, one member at a time, in this story from his March 2024 report to his team:

“Marlene is an elderly member who has been the victim of several recent frauds. The team got together to determine what WEOKIE might do to help (and not upset the member or violate privacy concerns). We determined that WEOKIE should try to get Marlene to add one of her children to her account, to help monitor the activity.

“It was also decided  that Rhonda would make the call and Jeff S. would be there to assist in case things went sideways.  Jeff’s take on the call:

“Rhonda reached out to Marlene this morning while Melinda & I listened in the office. She did an EXCELLENT job speaking with Marlene and conveying WEOKIE’s concerns about her account activity and how we can best help her to  keep her accounts safe. 

“After several minutes and a lot of small talk to  gain Marlene’s trust, Rhonda was able to get her to agree to add her daughter added to the account to help with her finances.  When I say small talk, it was over 50 minutes of conversation!  It was like having a long discssion  with a grandparent. You just let the conversation take its own flow and slowly steer it back to the intended purpose. Rhonda did awesome in this aspect.  Her Nurturing Voice truly shined in this interaction. 

“Rhonda maintained ownership all the way through by following up with Jessica at Main to:  provide the details, including Marlene’s vulnerabilities to fraud; the estimated time when the two members might come in; a commitment to follow up when the meeting is set; a request to be notified to facilitate a warm hand-off; an explanation about the Risk department’s approval of the exceptions with a clear understanding of expectations of the member; and how our role impacts the member’s well being.

“This effort involved six employees and shows the role of teamwork, several of our monitoring tools, and our commitment to making this credit union the best place Marlene has ever banked!  

“Special thanks to Joseph for sharing this member story and how Rhonda, Diane, Jeff S, Melinda, and Victoria worked together to take great care of Marlene.”

The Takeaway

That’s every credit union’s potential secret power:  serving every member, one at a time.

 

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Credit Union Mergers and the Myth of Free Markets

Two conclusions excerpted from a long article by Jared Brock Mega-Landlords Busted for Using AI Algorithms to Price-Fix the Rental Market, on April 10, 2024.

I believe his observations apply to aspects of the cooperative system especially mergers of sound credit unions* now being presented to member-owners.

“First: The free market is a myth.  

“The idea that the world would somehow be better off if there were zero rules protecting the masses from predatory investors is not only deluded and insane, but it’s unfathomably dangerous. A rules-free-market is a black market where the worst actors win.

“Capitalism is all about incentives, and investors have twisted the economy to incentivize extraction and exploitation.

“Second: The modern rules-free-market isn’t what the father of capitalism Adam Smith meant when he said “the free market.”

“He meant a market free from parasites.”

*  See Credit Union Times article of April 15, 2024, Five Illinois Credit Unions Announce Proposed Plans to Merge

 

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Two Important Data Trends & Saying Goodbye

I. The history of the  overnight Federal Funds rate from 1954 through 2022 is shown in the chart below.   The sixty-eight year average: 4.62%.  The latest update for March 2024: 5.33%.

Source:  Fred.stlouisfed.org/series/fedfunds

II. Interest payments on US Treasury debt surpasses a trillion dollars in 2023.  The total interest paid last year was $1,062 billion.

From the Visual Capitalist article: “The cost of paying for America’s national debt crossed the $1 trillion dollar mark in 2023, driven by high interest rates and a record $34 trillion mountain of debt. . . As debt payments continue to soar, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that debt servicing costs surpassed defense spending for the first time ever this year.”

Questions: What do these two datapoints suggest about the future level of interest rates?
On February 15, 2024 the NCUSIF Investment committee bought a six year, three month $650 million bond yielding 4.26%.  Is NCUA repeating the same IRR mistakes that led to the Fund’s two plus years of current  under performance?

Learning to Say Goodbye

A final selection from He Gets Us campaign.  The use of stories to communicate values.

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How Do Credit Unions Communicate Values?

Cooperatives are designed around specific organizational principles and values.  The phrase people helping people is the classic assertion of the credit union difference.  But how can this value distinction, if real, be communicated?

Many organizations face this challenge, especially, those committed to doing “good” in society. Take the example of showing love.

Everyone has a love in their life.   In many instances this is another person-spouse, friend or soulmate.  In other circumstances it might be a longtime pet.  Or a passion so intense that it animates everything a person does-a lifetime committed to living a specific truth.

Imagine Love

The word love is used in many circumstances and about many activities.

How can this concept be communicated in art?

He Gets Us created an AI animated video with the prompt “imagine love”.  The result is a series of impressionistic heart shaped valentine-like drawings overlapping the page.

The program’s users then added a series of prompts.  These directed that love be shown the way Jesus talked about it-to feed the hungry, help the sick etc.   The result is a compelling series of tableaus that show specific scenes any viewer would recognize.

This artificial translation communicates. Some drawings may even inspire.  In these visualizations, love becomes an act, not just a feeling.

This brief video’s AI interpretation vividly contrasts the difference between belief and action.

Is It Art?

Are these creations art?  Or merely automated serial productions? Do they have meaning?

If this exercise seems too artificial, then ask, how is it you show your love?  For that is the question presented.

The AI exercise illustrates the difference between what we say and what we do.

This is a challenge all face daily, especially when leading values-based organizations.

Leaders in families, in organizations, or in life’s many daily roles know the difference illustrated in the video. For credit unions that is when people helping people is more than a slogan. It becomes the animating spirit motivating interactions with members.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUngI7QyeHY&t=3s)

 

 

https://hegetsus.com/en/featured-videos/ai-love

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The Power of Story

The video series He Gets Us relies on multiple methods to communicate a vision of common humanity in an era of cultural turbulence.

It was funded by a group of Christian business leaders who were concerned about  the relevance of spiritual values in a time when even religious communities have become part of the current impulse to take sides on every topic.

The videos push against this social divisiveness.  Several were among the most watched ads from the last two Super Bowls, an effort that some felt was not the best use of funds.

They are intended to be a conversation starter. To build a bridge to a culture increasingly dubious about the role of spiritual values in contemporary life.

Unconditional Love in the Hardest Times

The group’s longer first-person, authentic life stories are memorable. This five-minute video is an example of a mother and her family’s unconditional love.   Most of us have had the good fortune to experience this relationship as either a child or as parents.  But perhaps not with the burdens this family encountered.

The video suggests our lives are not just a series of insulated, unrelated events. Human stories reveal deep truths which we may know only in  part. They sometimes “speak” to us outside our conscious awareness.

Life Is How We Affect Others

The mother’s story shows a life of purpose a goal for which many aspire.  She tells of learning the necessity of humility, “how to set aside everything we know to honor, respect and love another human being.”

In doing so, it suggests all are part of the great human cosmic enterprise. Life comes full circle for everyone.  This narrative expresses the belief that we live in a world grounded in shared meaning.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl2fxQH50_8&t=225s)

A Credit Union Cares

This is a credit union’s story of caring for a member whose life has come full circle.  You can read The Rest of the Story here.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PXPcuGnAkc&t=31s)

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The Hardest Words To Say

On Monday I introduced the video series, He Gets Us.  They were created by a group portraying the relevance of spiritual life today.  The work presents pictures of our common humanity.

Works of Art

I believe these videos are works of art.  They have the power to evoke an epiphany. We may not know the full wisdom being offered. But one can feel the experience connecting with something inside you.

My hope is to inspire an appraisal of today’s coop messaging.  The goal is to move beyond the headlines and priorities of the current moment to  rediscover the passions that made the industry a movement.

A Second Language

Today’s selections begin with what seems a simple task, asking nonnative  speakers what are most difficult sounds for them to pronounce in English.

But then each person acknowledges the real question is about the words we find the hardest to say emotionally in human interaction.  In any language. This short introduction is the source for five longer personal stories from each.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whm_-aL9HmI&t=18s)

A Story

The final speaker is from Finland. The words he found hardest to say emotionally arose in very difficult circumstances.

They were: “I love you.”  Saying them makes us vulnerable.  A phrase repeated often by rote but still changes lives when stated.

His story sketches the growth in his understanding of this universal expression that enriches all human relationships.  It begins with a trigger warning.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWplgR3t_Ck&t=1s)

 

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Sharing Purpose & Meaning With Effect

Communication transforms when it touches a person’s emotions.  It transcends the moment.  It becomes art.  It helps us see beyond what we knew before.

The most difficult challenge for any organization is telling anyone why they should be interested in joining with you.

Messaging is more than competing for our attention with a product commercial or a clever brand.   Ultimately, it must appeal to something inside.   It should make us care.

He Gets Us is a video campaign that attempts to represent the “greatest love story ever told.”   It suggests the relevance of christen belief in today’s context of religious decline or misuse.

This creative group states its purpose as follows:

We’ve done a lot of homework on our culture. We researched how people feel about each other and what they think about Jesus and Christianity. We’ve connected with thousands of people of various faith traditions and those who claim no religion. We spoke to all kinds of people — different backgrounds, beliefs, and, yes, political affiliations.

And this is what we’ve learned: From politics to sexuality and religion, so many of us feel like our values, beliefs, and identities are under attack by the ideological “others” around us. Many perceive those who differ with them on issues of justice, dignity, and humanity as not just wrong or misguided but also as evil. As enemies. We often see these “others” as close-minded, selfish, hypocritical — and if we’re honest, many of us respond in kind. 

This week I will share several of the group’s “presentations” which look and are sometimes presented as commercials.  But they are much more.  They help us see, to understand more than we did before watching them.

The Credit Union Parallel

What do these “messages” have to do with credit unions?   To be seen as relevant in today’s crowded social media is the same challenge credit unions confront.  There are a number of organizational parallels.

The participation trend lines in most religious denominations are trending down.   Smaller churches are closing.  Larger ones are greying.   Sunday or Saturday “sabbath”  is a time  for  family errands, fun outings and preparation for the week ahead-not participating in a community of shared purpose.  Society’s divisions are mirrored in our religious practice as presented in the group’s purpose:

The more ideologically defensive we become, the more we are willing to sacrifice things like kindness, patience, and the respect and dignity of others for the sake of victory — the righteous ends justifying the dehumanizing means. And it’s tearing us apart. We experience it in politics, in the workplace, in schools, and even in churches. And at the heart of the conflicts is a fundamental disagreement about what it means to be good. 

Credit unions and churches no longer seem central to many persons’ lives. Our basic needs and core values, “to be good,” are fulfilled in other ways and commitments.

The He Gets Us videos try to show the relevance of lessons from generations ago for real people today.

My hope is to inspire rethinking for today’s coop messages.   We need to move beyond the headlines and priorities of our current moment and rediscover the energy that made the industry a movement, an alternative to the status quo and  rediscover who we can aspire to become.

The Immigrants

A hot button topic when people are polled about public issues for political campaigns is the flow of migrates to America.

The one-minute video, Refugee, presents this ongoing human circumstance with a specific context.

(https://hegetsus.com/en/featured-videos/refugee)

What I found equally compelling is the producer’s five-minute  story  telling how this video was assembled.  The making of the Refugee video:

(https://hegetsus.com/en/featured-videos/the-making-of-refugee)

Does this message open one to a different way of seeing this issue?  Does it stay with you after viewing?  Does this human-centered perspective suggest a parallel in your credit union’s role?