It Takes a Village!

A few years ago I thought I had raising children figured out, then something happened...my children became teenagers. I noticed that they began listening less to me and more to others. At that time I realized how important the influence of others on my children was becoming... and how I hoped that those influences were good and positive. I came to understand more fully the saying "It takes a village to raise a child". I realize that as a parent I don't stand alone. There are wonderful people who influence and teach my children: from coaches, teachers, neighbors, good friends, employers, ecclesiastical leaders, the list goes on and on. Each has their influence and makes a difference.

As I go through life I realize more and more that "it takes a village" to get through life! We are all interdependent on each other. This thought was powerfully illustrated to me the other day when I was watching a show where a man in attempting to climb Mount Everest got altitude sickness.  He became comatose and was left for dead by his hiking party to be picked up later by a rescue team. Miraculously he came out of his comma, but awakened all alone on the mountain without his gear and supplies. He was in the advanced stages of hypothermia and was delirious when a last group of hikers came upon him. This last group of hikers forced the man down the mountain and in the process saved his life.  The man lived through the experience because and ONLY BECAUSE of others who came to his rescue and helped him down the mountain.

Similarly, Nebo Credit Union operates with the same principles of community and interdependence. Members pool their money and loan it back to each other. As employees we are dependent on member support for our jobs.  Members are dependent on the credit union and credit union employees to service their financial needs.  As a credit union we are focused on service, both to members and service to our community at-large.  At Nebo Credit Union this is what we are about and this service and sense of community is what helps make what we do meaningful.

I have worked in the credit union industry for over 20 years and during that time I have come to appreciate this sense of community and the strength that comes when we pool our interests and work together for a common good. We are all inter-dependent on each other, so as the saying goes: Making Our Way Through Life Takes a Village! 

Branch Consolidation

On June 1^st the Main Street Office of Nebo Credit Union located at 1620 North Main Street was consolidated into our Spanish Fork Center Street Office located at 1371 East Center Street. Effective June 1st, all members who transact business at our Main Street Office will need to visit one of our other convenient branch locations in Spanish Fork, Springville, or Payson. The friendly employees you are familiar with at Main Street have been relocated to the Spanish Fork Center Street Office and throughout the credit union, so there will not be an interruption to the familiar friendly service you have come to expect at Nebo Credit Union. We will continue offering outstanding personalized service at our branches and you will still be able to talk to a real person without getting trapped in an automated response phone system.

Why the Change?

Simply put, the consolidation will provide better utilization of the credit union's assets. We have found over the last several years with advancements in technology that members are accessing the credit union more and more through online banking and electronic methods, and are coming into the branches less frequently. With advancements in electronic account access methods, you can conveniently access your accounts and apply for loans from just about anywhere.

Nebo Credit Union continues to be financially strong and we are taking steps to assure we stay that way. We have over $7 million of capital which is 12% of our assets. With the consolidation we look to increase operational efficiencies and minimize costs while continuing to provide outstanding personalized service. Now more than ever Nebo Credit Union is the best place to borrow, save, and transact your financial business!

Thank you for your on-going support of Nebo Credit Union.

Making History Count for Something

It has been said that history repeats itself. That is true for individuals and for society as a whole. As individuals we tend to repeat our behaviors so that our past often predicts our future actions. Similarly, as a society we sometimes forget the lessons of the past and end up repeating our past mistakes. Why is it that sometimes we learn from our past and other times we repeat the errors of the past?

History is a valuable thing if we use the information to learn and make adjustments, but that requires us to be willing and open to learn from our past. What is even better is if we can learn from the past experience of others. We can learn both what to do and what not to do from others, and when we learn from their experience we are all better off.

To illustrate, compare society today with circumstances in the early 1920s. During “The Roaring 20's” it was a time of new prosperity for our country. There were feelings of a new excitement and exuberance in many aspects of society including clothing, music, and entertainment. The new social life created a feeling of increased opportunity. Many believed prosperity and the economic boom would only increase and improve. By the end of the of the twenties things changed significantly, and The Great Depression set in crushing the feelings of optimism and invincibility.

Similarly, in the late 90s through about 2006 we as a society experienced unparalleled prosperity with similar feelings of optimism and invincibility. Then came what some are calling The Great Recession, the effects of which we are still experiencing today. Many are still unemployed and the economic recovery is a slow process.

Now more than ever we need to learn the lessons of the past. A few things we could learn are:

• Change spending habits and avoid debt - stop spending money we do not have

• Reduce the debts we do have

• Save money and plan for the future

• create a prudent store of food and supplies for potential economic downturns and natural disasters

Perhaps we can learn from the recent “historical events” which occurred in Japan? There are many things we can learn from history for our benefit. If we do not learn from our past errors and mistakes, history has shown that we will repeat them.