Other Notes From 1997

Call centers emerge as more members are willing to do business via the phone, or automated phone system * The California banker's legal challenge to NCUA's chartering authority is assigned to same judge who previously called NCUA a "rogue" federal agency * Ed Baranowski, CEO of Fairwinds FCU, proposes giving up the tax exemption for a truce on FOM * Michael Dusche of Microsoft tells NAFCU Technology Conference that all the discussion surrounding online security is misplaced, noting that no one has ever cracked 48-bit encryption, and certainly not come close to 128 bit * NAFCU rejects any talk of a merger with CUNA * CUNA holds its first elections following Renewal Project. One interesting result: no volunteers were elected to CUNA board, despite that being one goal * Texas CUs finally are permitted to make home equity loans * Bankruptcy reform bill debuts in Congress * CUNA Chairman and Motorola Employees CU-West CEO Pete DiSylvester dies at age 62 * Legislation is proposed to ban ATM surcharges * George LaChappelle of the Michigan league, on hand in 1966 to help build time capsule, is on hand in 1997 to open it. * Kansas CUs charge that Dodge City-based Landmark BancShares is sending $1,000 checks to various CUs seeking to open CDs to prove CUs are illegally opening accounts * The New York Times, in an editorial, criticizes the CU tax exemption * Michigan's CUs roll out a program to teach computer skills to new hires who lack them * NCUA's Asset Liquidation Management Center earns $5.3 million when it sells livestock it had acquired as part of a liquidation * Eight small CUs in Indiana form "Small Credit Union Managers" group, or "SCUM" * Federal Employees CU, whose offices were destroyed in the 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City, breaks ground on a new office * Richmond Savings CU, Canada, creates humorous campaign around "Humungous Bank" theme. One ad reads, "We're not just interested in money. We're interested in people with money." * Alabama's largest newspaper gives front page treatment to a story on ACUL CEO Gary Wolter's pay * 1st Advantage Credit Union hires Howard Stern as a spokesperson * Y2K planning begins.