In 35 years of professional involvement with credit unions I have been exposed to a huge number of unique and creatively fashioned solutions to members' financial problems. Most would have been virtually impossible by any other type of retail financial institution.

What are we waiting for? Why not? Now is the time! NASCUS hears these questions and comments often when discussing the topic of supplemental capital for credit unions. From a safety and soundness perspective, NASCUS and state regulators are convinced that there is no reason to delay the legislative and regulatory changes to institute supplemental capital for all credit unions.

There's nothing like a deep recession to scrape the glitter off "corporate social responsibility." Already, charities are cutting back on programs and staff because of a sharp drop in company donations. Firms are dumping plans that match employee giving with their own. It seems that when sales are in the tank, contributing to social betterment is a PR luxury many for-profits can no longer afford.

Something happened to our little central Indiana credit union. After decades of satisfying slumber and peaceful contentment serving a single sponsor, the Northpark Community Credit Union board hired new management, and gave us the task of growing the membership.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.-After almost 20 years as CEO, Harry Bellew has recently retired as president of Kentucky Telco Federal Credit Union. During his career, Bellew oversaw growth to $240-million in assets from $40 million, and to 38,000 members from 8,000. Below Bellew shares some of his thoughts and observations.

FASB Eyes Relief On Fair Value Accounting

MARQUETTE, Mich.-Everyone's heard of marketing on a shoe string, but at one Upper Peninsula credit unions, it's all about party hats-discounted party hats, at that.

NAPANOCH, N.Y.-Syphr LLC, a marketing CUSO jointly owned by Eastern New York FCU, Equidata Inc. and Innovative Software Solutions, is beta-testing a lead-generation product for CUs.

HELENA, Mont.-In a way, this year's Herb Wegner Award for Outstanding Organization will be paying homage to all of this states CUs.

BOULDER, Colo.-The National Credit Union Foundation's Wegner Awards Dinner will be a bitter-sweet experience for Pat Brownell Sterner, where the NCUF's former executive director will be accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of her late husband, Bill Sterner.

BEAVERTON, Ore.-Tom Sargent has not only lived the people-helping-people credo of the credit union movement, he's been on both sides of it.

CLEVELAND-There was Grace, and then came Mercy-but it all started with Rita.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Carolina Postal CU newest marketing campaign isn't based around a promotion or product. Instead it's based on one of its employees-17-year senior mortgage loan officer Joe Jones.

TAMPA, Fla.-GTE FCU has broken into television advertising, but instead of focusing on itself, it's put the spotlight on the credit union movement as a whole.

Member Advantage Mortgage, Las Vegas, named Matthew Lorenzen and Marcos Espinoza mortgage consultants.

Meetings

ARLINGTON, Va.-NAFCU reported it had one of its best years financially in 2008, with net income of $427,000.

WASHINGTON-President Barack Obama delivered a one-two punch last week with his signing of the economic stimulus package and unveiling his foreclosure prevention plan, both of which could be good news for credit unions.

WASHINGTON-Key members of the Senate Banking Committee promised new protections to credit cardholders that would go further than reforms enacted by the Federal Reserve in December.

WASHINGTON-Against the odds, CUNA continues to lobby policymakers for some kind of relief from fair value accounting rules, which have been cited by many as one of the major causes of the current financial crisis.