A CCCU and CUES International Convention attendee's experience.
By Sandra Spence
At a time when global crises abound, the recent international conference of Caribbean and North American credit unions was a welcome relief and a model of cross cultural cooperation. This June meeting in the Bahamas was the result of a joint effort of the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions and CUES.
This band played during the opening ceremony, a parade of representatives from the various countries in attendance with their flags.[/caption] With the theme of “Re-Engineering Credit Unions for Success and Sustainability,” the joint conference with 800 representatives from 18 countries kicked off to a robust start. The conference’s opening ceremony was unlike any I had seen in my many years of credit union service. On the dais, the Royal Bahamas Police Force band, immaculately groomed and resplendent in their impeccable white jackets, red stripes and seamed trousers, took center stage. The flag procession commenced. Each country, in alphabetical order, from Antigua-Barbuda to Trinidad-Tobago and special guest country, the United States, walked in with its nation’s flag, escorted by a uniformed guard. Reminiscent of the Olympics’ medal ceremony, each nation’s flag was presented and placed on its spot on the stage. Each anthem, carefully composed for that nation’s independence, was lovingly played. The pageantry, sounds and swells of pride were infectious and a boost to the spirit of all the delegates. Immediately after the flag placement, a representative from each country gave greetings and highlighted credit union strides in that nation. We then had an unexpected guest speaker: the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, the Honorable Perry Christie. To an attentive audience,Christie spoke about the role of credit unions in the region. He stressed that because of their level of influence and ability to make a material difference in the lives of members, credit unions should use their affiliations to foster a greater sense of hope and self determination in communities that are still marginalized. This speech set the tone for the rest of the conference. In the next few days, presenters from the Caribbean and the United States gave guidelines and tools for more effective management. In breakout sessions, even with obvious credit union size and cultural differences, all groups were willing to learn from each other. Caribbean credit unions were awed and amused that their U.S. counterparts were encouraging members to do business remotely. U.S. credit unions were amazed at the passion and drive of their island counterparts. Recognizing our differences, we also realized that we were united in a credit union brotherhood and common goal whether we hailed from Belize or Boston. In the final analysis, in this international coming together, all parties profited from the spirited exchanges. By the end of the conference, all delegates could truly say they were empowered to help drive the financial and moral success of their own credit unions. To echo the words of Aaron Moses, president of CCCU, “Cooperatives are a reminder to the international community that is possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility.” Well said.
CUES member Sandra Spence is VP/advertising/public relations at $415 million City County Credit Union, Margate, Fla. Read two CUES Skybox blog posts about a Brazilian CUES member attending CEO Institute here and here. (The summer session of CEO Institute I will be Aug. 18-22 at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia.) Also read "Mentoring the International CU Future" and another article about award-winning marketing campaigns of Canadian CUs.
