WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - CU Journal gives readers the opportunity to weigh in on a variety of issues. Below are the results of a recent online poll. To add your two cents or see past surveys, visit www.cujournal.com.

It’s no secret that credit unions are the only financial institutions that cannot raise capital outside of retained earnings. However, some may argue that there is no need for credit unions to raise additional forms of capital because credit unions are well capitalized and there is no crisis calling for alternatives.

RALEIGH, N.C. - In the summer of 2004, State Employees’ Credit Union created the SECU Foundation. Less than four years into its work, it’s been awarded the 2008 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Outstanding Organization.

MADISON, Wis. - Bob Hoel, the recipient of the 2008 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement, remembers a baptism of fire when he first became Executive Director of the Filene Research Institute.

EL PASO, Texas - It’s not easy to make an impression at GECU here. While Harriet May, president and CEO at GECU has been named the recipient of the 2008 Herb Wegner Memorial Award for Individual Achievement, she’s actually the third Wegner award winner from the same credit union.

ACCRA, Ghana - The Ghana Co-operative Credit Union Association (CUA) is urging the Bank of Ghana (BOG) to move more quickly in working with the country’s parliament to create a legal structure for credit unions in the country. CUA Board Chairman Robert Kofi Ngissah told local media that the parliamentary approval would give it sufficient supervisory powers to monitor any groups or individuals seeking to set up a credit union and would require them to have the experience, capital and resources necessary before moving forward with such plans. Separately, the CUA has created a new Micro Finance Credit Facility aimed at providing financial support to poor rural community and market traders who are unable to access loans due to their low savings and lack of collateral security. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

MADISON, Wis. - The World Council of Credit Unions’ International Remittance Network (lRnet), which in 2007 surpassed the $2-billion mark in total volume of remittance transactions since its inception in 2001, has expanded its program to Peru with the addition of 11 credit unions with 31 points of service in the country.

SANTO DOMINGO - Dominican Republic–Still feeling the pain from spiraling inflation here two years ago, the Dominican Republic is looking to expand powers for credit unions as part of the solution to problems in retail finance. Representatives from WOCCU and the Asociación de Instituciones Rurales de Ahorro y Crédito (AIRAC) in the Dominican Republic met with the representatives of the country’s government, the Central Bank and the Superintendency of Banks to discuss development of a formal CU regulatory framework. According to WOCCU, the reforms follow the Dominican Republic’s financial sector crisis of 2003-2004, when inflation rose to 43%. “As a result, the government has been implementing a series of changes in the financial sector, the heart of which is a proposed law to ensure proper supervision for all entities,” WOCCU said.

KILDARE, Ireland - Credit unions here have joined a program aimed at educating teenagers about the dangers of getting involved with certain moneylenders, especially for things they cannot afford.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Missouri Credit Union Association said it has concluded its three-year formal international partnership with Barbados Cooperative and Credit Union League. The two leagues had been working together under WOCCU’s International Partnership program since 2004. That program pairs U.S. CU leagues with leagues from developing nations to promote mutual growth and exchange knowledge.

BOISE, Idaho - Three representatives from Idaho’s credit unions traveled for two weeks to the Solomon Islands as part of a partnership agreement between the Idaho CU League and the Solomon Islands CU League. The goal, according to the Idaho league, is to help the 159 credit unions in the South Pacific country to shore up their operations and expand services. Credit unions did not make their debut in the Solomons until the 1980s, and today serve 62,000 members. The country’s credit unions, like the country itself, is still trying to recover from a tsunami earlier this year.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - New Zealand’s credit unions have raised objections to a newspaper’s analysis that suggests a credit union-backed retirement savings product is not the good deal credit unions say it is.

MADISON, Wis. - The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) has begun work on a $24.8 million program to further expand rural credit union development in Mexico. The “Rural Microfinance Technical Assistance Project“ builds upon two recent WOCCU programs that established 48 rural credit union branches and helped capture more than 83,000 new members in the states of Veracruz and Michoacan, according to WOCCU. The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fishing and Food (SAGARPA) provided funding for the three programs.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - More than 20 credit union executives from Mexico visited with the Illinois Credit Union League. The group also toured and met with staff members at Members United Corporate FCU, Credit Union 1, and NorthStar CU, all located near the league, as part of their trip.

RUTLAND, Vt. - A partnership agreement has been signed between Heritage Family Credit Union here and Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito ABACO, based in Lima, Peru. The credit union-to-credit union (CU2CU) partnership is a byproduct of the partnership between the Association of Vermont Credit Unions and the Federación Nacional de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito del Perú (FENACREP), signed in Lima, and part of WOCCU’s International Partnership Program. The arrangement will enable the Peruvian credit union to work closely with their Vermont counterpart to the mutual benefit of both parties, according to the WOCCU.

LANESBORO, Mass. - Credit unions from Lanesboro recently met with credit unions from Lanesboro, In this case, the Berkshire County Chapter of the Massachusetts Credit Union League hosted Lanesboro Balleyleague Credit Union Chairman, Joe Donlon as part of a delegation of 17 representatives from Lanesboro, Ireland who visited Lanesboro, Mass. “I feel that I’m amongst me own,” said Donlan.

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - WOCCU is helping leaders from global credit union movements challenged by slow membership growth to explore the successful growth strategies of the Brazilian credit union movement. The Confederação Interestadual das Cooperativas Ligadas ao, better known as SICREDI, one of the country’s largest credit union systems, has averaged 15% membership growth and 30% asset growth annually for the past five years.

KINGSTON, Ontario - Unity Savings and Credit Union here has made a $150,000 pledge toward the rebuilding efforts being launched at three local hospitals. The credit union issued a statement saying that supporting hospitals and health services in its community is a priority. The funds were pledged to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, which is the fundraising wing for all three hospitals. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Representatives from China’s banks visited with Arrowhead Credit Union here as part of an effort to learn how to set up and operate rural financial institutions.

LAUREL, Md. - Tower FCU has launched a year-long SUPER SAVERS SWEEPSTAKES, offering more than $80,000 in cash prizes in monthly, quarterly and year-end grand prize drawings. The purpose of the campaign is to encourage members to save and to increase direct deposits to Tower checking and savings accounts. The “Be A Saver! Be A Winner!” campaign is being heavily promoted through Tower’s website, and in large floor banner stands in every branch entrance, poster displays, monthly newsletter articles and e-mails. Members will be automatically entered in a $20,000 Grand Prize drawing at the end of the year if they make qualifying deposits every month to either a club savings account or direct deposits to a checking account.