Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Modern Financial Ethics...

The Eleventh Commandment

"Thou shalt not get caught."

(....and if caught.)

The Twelve Commandment

"Thou shalt not be prosecuted."

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Waiting for Godot

" The answer to Life is "Yes!" - not "No".

" The best time is "Now!" - not "Later".

 You know your heart's desires .... from whom are you awaiting permission?

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Pearl

" He hasn't an enemy in the world and none of his friends like him much either."

Friday, March 25, 2011

Thursday, March 24, 2011

But Out On Interchange....

As luck would have it, a recently resolved court case (State of NC vs. Mark Edward Fly) may have provided us with a whole new strategic opening for a campaign to repeal the Durbin Amendment. The NC State Court of Appeals has now officially affirmed every North Carolinians' - and presumably yours, too! - God-given, Constitutional right to publicly "moon" one another. Most of y'all probably think I'm making this up; butt, no kidding, I'm not. This ruling truly has broad implications.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

CU Volunteers and Howard Petrea

Lot of talk lately about the demise of volunteers in the Credit Union Movement. As they say, talk is cheap.


Wanted to tell you about one of our volunteers, Howard Petrea. Mr. Petrea taught mathematics for almost forty years at N. C. State University in Raleigh. He was husband, father, veteran, patriot, championship bridge player, raconteur, scholar, beach comber, church-goer, citizen, teacher, volunteer - and much, much more. Howard Petrea was a child of the Depression and according to his daughter, Brenda, never borrowed to buy anything in his life. He served on our Credit Union Credit Committee - with wisdom and compassion - for nearly two decades. Thought you'd like to know this about him, too:

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Cowboy Accounting, The NCUA Texas Ratio...

Easterners dressed in "cowboy drag" have always amused Texans.  Maybe it's the cut of the shirt, the comical tilt to the oversized hat, the delicateness of the scarf, or just "the walk".... Anyway, somehow "it just don't seem right".

Well, NCUA has got its hat on backwards with its continuing misuse of an old FDIC/OTS risk estimation tool: The Texas Ratio.  Our cowboys are using it to "shoot up" a lot of CUs and also "to validate and justify" the level of loss reserves at the NCUSIF....... and that misuse is getting ready to become a whole, whole lot more dangerous.

Missing the mark and shooting yourself in the foot ain't all that bad, but the next stray shot will probably hit a good bit higher up.  Take a look at this, pardner.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Saturday, March 19, 2011

From the Field...

"We were so busy on Friday that members were parking on the grass and employees had to double park. Anna, to get away for a moment, decided to eat lunch in her car. A member thought she was leaving and motioned for her to pull out. Anna held up her sandwich and book to signal him she was not leaving; at which point he extended his longest finger towards her. Anna has stated she will not eat in her car again..."

Friday, March 18, 2011

Classic Training




Never seen a better formula:
  •      You do it.
  •      You do it / They watch.
  •      They do it / You watch.
  •      They do it / Others watch.

                       .... and after awhile everybody's doing it !





We, We, We.....

"Facts are stubborn things."
                  - John Adams.


......but so are WE.
                   - NCUA

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

NCUA Regional Rioting Begins...

Leadership is always, at heart, a question of courage.  Very difficult to step out front, to show your true colors, to sail into the wind, to cut against the grain, to speak truth to power.... but quite a few Region III credit unions (located in at least six different States!) have done just that...


                                               Declaration of Grievances


..... sort of reminds me of another group of John Hancocks who said this in July of 1776:


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Insanity Plea

Definition:  Insanity - Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
                                                     - Albert Einstein


Definition:  Regulatory Insanity - Doing inept exams every 12 months, rather than every 18 months, and expecting better results.


                                                     - Federally-insured credit unions.

Matthew 23:24

" Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a Camel."


                                             ....scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Clean Up Hitters...

This one’s about leadership, but it’ll take you a little while to find that out.  Leadership’s that way quite often.  With leaders, last impressions are usually more accurate than first impressions;  and appearances, unfortunately, can frequently be deceiving.  But if you survive this next little ride you’ll come away with a surefire, can’t miss, “spot the leader” identification methodology. A “new paradigm” for you MBA types.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

From the Field...

" The member was late and apologized for the delay and any incontinence he may have caused."

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

A "Snout Out" To Our F(r)iends!

Do you know what "they' (another 4-letter word!) call a customer relationship account?

"GOING WHOLE HAWG!"

Sunday, March 06, 2011

From the Field...

"Just for the record, I started a serious diet three weeks ago; but I still have quite a waist to go...."

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Pearl

"Forgive your enemies; it really messes up their minds!"

Friday, March 04, 2011

From the Field...

"We tried scenario role-playing for a robbery at the staff meeting. The meeting opened with a normally very quiet, reserved employee exclaiming:  " This is a robbery!"  She told the staff she was mental and pre-menopausal, as she held a fan to her face and waved a plastic gun. She made several demands which I can not repeat...."

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

The True Difference

Be sure to tell your Congressman of this one irrefutable truth:

Credit Unions are not a four-letter word!!!

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Speak Up!

"In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.  Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.  Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me...". - Martin Niemoeller


Speak up! It's your turn....

                                                                              

Listen Up!

"Revolution is the progress made when evolution doesn't listen..."