We recently interviewed Mr. Arthur Amundson, one of our past board members who served on the board and as chairman from 1952 to 1983. Mr. Amundson recently celebrated his 100th birthday, meaning he was born the same year credit unions were created in the U.S., and shared some of his memories of A+ Federal Credit Union over the years.
Something he shared during the interview that really sums up the credit union philosophy of "People Helping People" is that "a lot of people thought [as Chairman of the Board] I made a lot of money." Most people assumed the credit union worked like a bank and paid a handsome salary to its directors. But, of course, we all know that serving on the board is volunteer work done for the good of the members and distinguishes credit unions from banks. Mr. Amundson also shared a story about his old boss, who wanted to finance a car. When Mr. Amundson told him about the current rate of 12%, his boss balked and thought it was too high. However, Mr. Amundson encouraged his old boss to visit the CU's office to find out what the monthly payment would be and to compare other rates that were available. In the end, his old boss ended up financing three cars with the credit union which is a testament to the outstanding service and rates that we have had from the beginning.
Muna Whitlock is marketing director with A+ FCU, Austin, Texas.
Personal Recollections of Credit Unions
To mark credit unions' 100th Anniversary, Credit Union Journal is publishing "100 voices" answering, "The one personal anecdote from my credit union career that comes to my mind and which sums up what credit unions are all about is..."
Wish to share your story? E-mail fdiekmann@cujournal.com.
