By Barb Kachelski, CAE
Power has been on my mind this week.
Here at the CCCU and CUES International Convention, I’ve seen individuals who have power of rank: a governor-general, a minister of finance, and leaders in credit union movements from 19 different countries. And I was impressed that all of them are human, approachable, and convinced of the potential for credit unions to make a positive mark on the world. 
Miss Jane and three of her 10 children
I’ve also seen power in numbers. I honestly don’t know the exact number of attendees, since we have had on-site registrants. When we left for the conference it stood at 612. That doesn’t count sponsors, speakers or guests of attendees. The energy level has been amazing.
But the power that has me the most fascinated is the power of one. And what brought that power to mind is one diminutive woman, Miss Jane. The leader of the Belize delegation mentioned her attendance with reverence at the opening ceremony. People craned their heads to see her in the crowd. Whether she is sitting at a breakfast table or heading to a session, people head toward her to speak to her or hug her. Miss Jane was honored at an awards ceremony for more than seven decades of service to the credit union movement.
I saw her in the hallway the next day and congratulated her on the honor. Later that day, a woman with her approached me and said, “Mom thought you’d like to have this.” Miss Jane’s daughter handed me Holy Redeemer Credit Union Ltd.’s 68th anniversary book, proudly stating 1944-2012 on the cover. Inside the front cover is a photo of Mrs. Jane Ellen Usher, CBE/JP, noting her involvement in founding the credit union, her service as general manager/treasurer for 58 years, and her receiving the title “commander of the British empire by her Majesty the Queen of England for her services to the movement.” I know from speaking to people here Miss Jane was also involved in establishing her league and served as one of the first female chairmen.
Yesterday I thanked Miss Jane for the book. It turns out she doesn’t have just one child here with her; she has three. They proudly told me they have seven additional brothers and sisters. She is the general manager and treasurer and still goes to the credit union every day. My impression is that one individual with passion and drive should never be underestimated.
So in the end, after mulling about Power this week, I have come to the conclusion that the power of rank and the power of numbers are nothing without the power of one … because it all starts with one person who wants to make a difference.
Barb Kachelski, CAE, is SVP/chief operating officer for CUES and a former newspaper reporter.
Read two more articles from CCCU & CUES International Convention.
