Wear and Share to Help Haiti Heal and Recover

To help provide disaster relief for Haiti, CU*SWAG has designated this Thursday, January 21st, as ‘Wear and Share to Help Haiti Heal’ Day. CU*SWAG strongly believes in the credit union philosophy of ‘People Helping People’ and pledges to donate 100% of profits from orders placed on January 21, 2010, to the National Credit Union Foundation CUAid Disaster Relief System.

“As we continue to work with credit unions around the country, we have built the credit union spirit of people helping people into the CU*SWAG culture from day one,” said James Robert Lay, Grower of Relationships. “CU*SWAG wants to show the world that credit unions offer more than just financial services. They offer hope and help for people and nations in need.”

Currently, CU*SWAG donates ten percent of its profits to a quarterly featured charity within the global community and wanted to expand its level of social responsibility. With the disaster in Haiti and the extreme need for assistance, CU*SWAG wanted to do more than just send in a check. The goal is reach as many credit unions as possible and have their money go straight to providing aid in Haiti.

“We are excited to offer credit unions the ability to give back and help CUAid raise money for Haiti relief efforts while credit unions get CU*SWAG to share the credit union love with their employees, members and community,” said Lay.

Tweet, post to Facebook, call, email or text your credit union friends to tell them about ‘Wear and Share to Help Haiti Heal’ Day. Help spread the word while showing members and the community credit union love with a CU*SWAG shirt.

Make a Difference. It Will Only Cost You $1... That's It!

It takes a lot to think huge and do something different to make a difference.  Carol Schillios is living on a roof for as long as it takes to raise $1 million to support women and their families in developing countries.

She won’t come down from the roof until she raises $1 million.  You can help. You can make a difference.  It will only cost a $1.  But don’t think of it as a cost.  Think of it as investment into the greater good of mankind with the spirit of credit unions and “people helping people”.  

Carol simply asks that you donate $1 to the Fabric of Life Foundation, and accompany that donation with a small act of kindness.

Click here to read some of the amazing success stories from the work Carol and her foundation have already done.

You can help. Donate a dollar. Spread the word.

1.    Donate a dollar (or lots of dollars if you would like), and perform a small act of kindness in “your world”.

2.    Spread the word and tweet what you did with your one small act, along with this link to Carol’s site http://bit.ly/qQaec and the hashtag #imupontheroof.

For example: Hooked the office up with @starbucks today because I love my team and they do great things http://bit.ly/qQaec #imupontheroof

3.    Simple “free” idea: Change your Twitter location to “Up on the roof with Carol.”

By using the hashtag #imupontheroof, we can all follow along and “be on the roof” with Carol.  She is online “up there” and will be reading your tweets, thoughts, blog post and comments.

Help spread the word and encourage everyone you can to do the same by emailing, tweeting, blogging, texting, Facebooking, MySpacing, YouTubing and any other “ings” you can think of.  
Together, we can make a difference and bring Carol down from the roof.

Shout Out to Carol

• Carol is on Twitter as @schillios.
• She’s also on Facebook.
• Her blog is upontheroofwithcarol.org

How to Lead with LUV

When I fly Southwest Airlines I can't help but read Spirit Magazine. Even though it is wriiten for an airline, there have been times I actually bring the magazine home (and yes this is permitted). It was no surprise in the recent edition the message from Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, would be timely and at the forefront explaining Southwest's stance through the current economic crisis. Kelly's message parallels the credit union industry in many ways. Kelly states,

One of the sweet agonies of childhood was receiving a large gift of money from a relative. (At the time, $25 was a huge amount.) Like a typical kid, I would immediately begin calculating how many model car kits or (when I was older) eight-track cassettes I could buy. Of course, my parents had their own calculations: the compound interest the money would earn in a savings account. With hindsight, I see their wisdom, which was forged by the Great Depression.

While the country is in better shape than those dark days, we still are in the midst of what experts are calling the worst recession in the last 50 to 75 years. Some household names are already history, and by the time you read this, others may be. Still, in the midst of all this gloom, I feel very, very good about the Southwest Airlines brand and where it is headed.

Of course, no one knows the future, and I will be the first to tell you that no one could have predicted the unusual way this financial crisis erupted last fall. But I can tell you emphatically that Southwest Airlines was prepared for it—just like we were prepared to survive the aftermath of 9/11 and the first Gulf War in 1991. My parents knew that family finances would have their ups and downs, and companies are no different. One of the Cultural legacies that our Founder and Chairman Emeritus Herb Kelleher has given us is to manage during the good times so we can survive the bad times. And in our industry, bad times always come along—especially when you least expect them.

Sound familiar? Yes, the economy is in a bad place but lucklily the credit union industry as a whole is prepared to handle it. As a whole we are at 11% capitol and strong, safe, and prepared to serve our members.

To read Gary Kelly's entire message click on this link Managing for Bad Times

What do you think your credit union can learn from Southwest Airlines? Blog back and tell us!

Positive Credit Union Press - In the "Real Word"

While we have had some great conversations about communication over the past few days on our credit union blog, and even a great example of dealing with press in a crisis, it's important to look outside and see what is going on in the "real world".

Many thanks to Ryan Shell for tweeting this story (Credit union members: Don’t panic) this morning.  Take a look and note the positive press but more importantly, read through the comment to get a sense of public opinion. Over 41 comments have been made so far at the time of publishing this post.

It is interesting to see the public come to the defense of credit unions and "fighting back" against "John the Banker" aka John Forrest, President of Brainerd Savings & Loan in Brainerd, Minnesota. 

Below is John's original post that caused a flurry of post in defense of credit unions and the public setting the facts straight:

"The real story should be about how credit unions are ripping off the American taxpayer with their tax free status. Credit union have become no more than a bank in drag getting fat on a taxpayer subsidy estimated to be $1.45 Billion in 09 alone. This doesn’t include the state income tax they don’t pay and, if they are a federal credit union, the sales tax they don’t pay. Talk about corporate welfare! The American taxpayer should be outraged."

Posted By John Forrest, Brainerd, Minnesota: March 23, 2009 3:38 pm

When you read the comments, start from the bottom and work your way up to get a better sense of the story and how it has unfolded.

It is through "blog reporting" like this, you can get a sense of what the public truly thinks. Furthermore, you can take this same idea and implement at your credit union to see what your members truly think about a certain topic or issue. 

This shows just another benefit of conversation through social channels to enhance and build relationships.  Furthermore, this post shows the power of advocates for a market coming to the defense of something they believe in.

Shout back below and share your thoughts, ideas and opinions about this positive press for credit unions.

What's Enron Got to Do With It?

With the current market and some corporate credit unions in conservatorship; how do you differentiate your credit union? What message do you send to your members to let them know just because they hear the word “credit union” on the news it doesn't mean yours?

Jack McAdoo, former CEO of Enron FCU, has experience in dealing with the media and negative press in credit union world. Talk about stressful situations; the Enron credit union was inside of the Enron building at the time of the Enron collapse. The morning after the news of Enron filing bankruptcy, there was a line wrapped around the credit union of people ready to pull all their money out. He and his team saved the credit union, which is now Startrust FCU, through an event most credit union CEO's have nightmares about. According to the NCUA, Jack accomplished the impossible. McAdoo guided the credit union through a successful name change, relocation and field of membership expansion — all within a seven-month span. Jack is currently CEO at Beacon FCU in LaPorte, TX. I recently interviewed Jack McAdoo about his experience:

Watch Live - Presidential News Conference

Watch the Presidential News Conference below live on our credit union blog at 7:00PM (CST).  Shout back and share your comments below of what you think.

Did You Know? Now That You Do- How Will This Affect Your Credit Union?

Very interesting video on change and where the world is going. Now that you do know, how does this affect your credit union? Do you know? Blog back and tell us how!

Objective Glimpse into Credit Unions

Kudos go out to The Boston Globe's columnist, Steven Syre, for an objective article about credit unions in today's market - Paying a giant's price. Take a quick moment to read this insightful and straight forward article.

Thanks go out to several credit union friends for sharing this timely article.

"Where Are We Now and Who Is on First?"

Thanks to two credit union friends for sharing the following - Dean Borland and Dennis McCuistion.

Global economic stress isn’t created overnight and it does not result from isolated, micro-economic influences. And, once created, global economic stress cannot be remedied quickly or easily. So, as plans were being laid in the fall of 2008 for the January 2009 TCUL Chapter Leaders Conference, it seem that a review of current the economic and political climate would be a timely topic for credit union leaders.

With that objective in mind, Dennis McCuistion, a former banker, internationally known speaker, author, and host of PBS’s syndicated "McCuistion," a "Donahue-style" program focusing on economic, social, business and political issues, was engaged to speak to Chapter Leaders about the events and issues that led us into the current economic downturn and what it will take to pull ourselves out. Dennis’ white paper, “Where Are We Now and Who Is on First?” was prepared as a handout for the TCUL Chapter Leaders Conference. It stands as a sobering chronology of the events that have led to what may be one of the worst economic downturns this nation and the world has seen in the last half-decade.

Credit Union Resources, Inc. and its OnBalance service are pleased to have been able to bring Mr. McCuistion to the Chapter Leaders Conference and would now like to share Dennis’ insights with you, the present and future leaders of the credit union industry. Our hope is that you will learn from the mistakes of the past in order to move forward and forge a better future for credit unions and our members.

Mike Garibaldi-Frick: Transform Banks into Credit Unions

I saw this article and just had to post it.

Mike Garibaldi-Frick: Transform Banks into Credit Unions

Posted using ShareThis

Sharing the Good News - Survey says "donors plan to give this holiday season"

  In the midst of all the bad economic news, here is an article that might just brighten your day.  The October 27, 2008 edition of “TheNonProfitTimes” covers a national survey contracted for online fundraising firm Convio by JupiterResearch, a Forrester Research Company.

“Despite the crash on Wall Street and the national economic recession, more than half of Americans polled say that they plan to give to charity this holiday season and only about a third of them will donate less than last year. That’s good news for charity officials holding their breaths about fundraising this holiday season. They might be looking at a $3 billion bonanza from online giving.”

Janine McBee notes that “Yes, even during these trying times, it is anticipated people will still be giving to help others! Are you telling your credit union story about how you help your members? Are you reaching out to where their hearts are? Are you making it easy for your members to identify local charities where they can make a difference by contributing time or money? Are you encouraging giving back to the community among your staff? Have you thought about highlighting in your communications about how your staff actively gives back? Make the day a little brighter…Share the good news!”

So let us know… what are you doing to prepare for the holidays and follow through with the credit union founding principle of “people helping people. Shout back and share your thoughts and ideas below.

Updated - Free Coffee and More if You Vote Today

If you vote today, you can head over to your local Starbucks (because they are basically everywhere) and enjoy a free tall cup of brew. All you have to do is tell them that you voted, so take advantage once you vote! If you haven't voted already, then make sure you head to the polls today and make your voice heard!

Plus... check out these other freebies for voters!

• Ben & Jerry’s – Free Scoop between 5-8!
• Books-A-Million – Free cup of coffee!
• Chik-fil-A – Free chicken sandwich!
• Krispy Kreme – Free star shaped doughnut!

Thanks to DeAndre'e for the notice on these additional places...

Free Coffee if You Vote

If you vote today, you can head over to your local Starbucks (because they are basically everywhere) and enjoy a free tall cup of brew.  All you have to do is tell them that you voted, so take advantage once you vote!  If you haven't voted already, then make sure you head to the polls today and make your voice heard!

  

It’s Time for Credit Unions to Rock the Vote

Now is the time to vote and make your voice heard. Watch the video below we produced that embodies the credit union spirit and feel free to post on your on blog or credit union web site.

Credit Union Difference from James Robert Lay on Vimeo.

I have included the embed script below for easy copy and paste. Shout back and let us know if you have any questions on how to embed this.

<object width="400" height="267"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1967137&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=0&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1967137&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=0&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="267"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/1967137">Credit Union Difference</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user838207">James Robert Lay</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.

The Fear and Fall of Credit Union Social Media

 

Once again, another big shout of to Janine McBee for her thoughts about the rise and fall of social media for credit unions.  Janine states:

“For those of us who are visual and like to communicate with pictures, check out "The woulda-been coulda-been social media choke-out" and cruise on through the comments.

Sadly, the picture does reflect reality or should I say lay out challenges for creative, energetic and passionate folks to venture off on "the road not taken", bringing your world into a new and exciting reality.

Bring others along the journey by sharing how social media tools has benefited your credit union, helped you in your professional journey or just stay in touch with friends and family.”

I know a lot of credit unions are struggling with this model on a daily basis.  The question is… why?  We (in the social media world) see the benefits of how all these great Web 2.0 tools and social media applications can help credit union’s connect and build relationships with members.

We are still the early adoption phase with these principals.  I mean, some credit unions still have web sites that look like crap.  A bit harsh… yes.  However, these same credit unions would be ashamed if there members walked into a branch with paint peeling off the walls and water leaking from the roof.

One big reason for the resistance of some of these social media strategies is fear. 

• Fear of members- What will happen if we allow our members to comment on our web site?  What if they leave a negative comment. 

• Fear of change - We’ve done things one way for 50 years.  There is no need for this stuff.

• Fear of the unknown – Why do we need this stuff… it’s what kids do.

However, I see a light on the horizon showing a bright future.  The light is education.  Opening people’s eyes by educating them about the power of social media and how it can be used to help build relationships with members and even bridge generation gaps. 

Our credit union blog is dedicated to education through innovation, communication and collaboration.  We have posted and will be posting more videos from two great Texas Credit Union League conferences. Janine also recommends “Love and Learn”… got any food?

Shout back and let us know how you are educating credit union leaders to help them understand the power of Web 2.0 and social media to connect and build relationships with members.

Happy International Credit Union Day!

Wow, what collaboration I have seen and experienced with the events and aftermath of Ike. It is amazing to me how the credit union community has come together in time of need. Dick Ensweiler from the Texas Credit Union League sent out a message to the credit union community today that summarizes what credit unions are all about. Below is a portion of the message.

On behalf of all of us here at the Texas Credit Union League (TCUL), I wish you a happy International Credit Union Day! I always enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the credit union difference, but this year’s International Credit Union Day has even greater significance to me.

Over the last several weeks, I have visited with our credit unions in Southeast Texas who had the misfortunate of being in the path of Hurricane Ike. Knowing the magnitude of this hurricane, I expected to see damage, but I was not prepared for what I saw in community after community - total devastation.

Seeing homes gutted and all their personal property scattered about their yard; entire shopping centers demolished with signage being the only evidence that a thriving business once occupied that space; barges flung onto the roadways where cars once traveled, and cadaver dogs sniffing the shoreline for the unfortunate ones who may have been caught in the fury of the storm, I was overcome with despair, and concern for how those living in these communities, including our credit unions and the dedicated employees and volunteers who serve them, could even begin to rebuild their lives.

What I quickly discovered is that, in the face of adversity, there was sheer determination to persevere. Communities pulled together to restore some degree of normalcy. Friends and neighbors worked side by side to clear away debris. And credit unions collaborated to quickly restore financial service to hurricane victims.

On my numerous visits to the hardest hit areas, I witnessed firsthand what it really means to be a part of a cooperative system. In a time of tragedy, the credit union community has once again proven that ‘people helping people’ isn’t just a catchy cliché, but rather it is the core of who we are. It is our foundation.

“It Belongs to Me” is not just the theme of this year’s International Credit Union Day, but rather it the way of life for credit unions. Though the credit union movement has evolved over the decades, one thing remains consistent: not-for-profit credit unions exist solely to serve and help their members -- people from all types of backgrounds and means.

I believe our credit unions in Southeast Texas are a strong testament to this commitment. I met with countless credit union employees on my tour of this area and I cannot tell you how impressed I was with them. Many did not even have homes to return to in the evening and yet day after day they were in their credit unions serving and consoling their members.

It is gratifying to see that in the darkest hour, our credit unions in the affected area are not alone. The credit union movement was quick to respond with support on various levels, from donations into the Texas Credit Union Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund; contributions of furniture and other desperately needed office supplies and space, and to simple words of encouragement...

Each and every day, we have a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate that there is real value in our cooperative structure. And I believe that as long as we adhere to our basic principle, “people helping people,” the credit union community will continue to persevere.

Happy International Credit Union Day!

Shout back about what you have seen or experienced in this last year that makes this year's International Credit Union Day significant and a reason to celebrate.

"People Helping People" During Ike

Below is a portion of a press release submitted on Friday. This information is important to all credit unions that were affected by Ike and credit unions across the country who want to help.

Friday, September 12, 2008 - (Farmers Branch, TX) - With Hurricane Ike barreling down on the Texas coast, the credit union community stands ready to help. The Texas Credit Union Foundation (the Foundation) has joined hands with the Texas Credit Union League (the League), U.S. credit unions and the National Credit Union Foundation (National Foundation) to raise disaster relief support for affected credit unions and the employees that serve them.

One of the Foundation's focus areas is disaster relief to credit union communities. It assists credit unions and their employees in getting back up and running as soon as possible, so they in turn can serve their members.

"We will work closely with affected credit unions and the League to assess the needs in the affected areas," said Jill Pharr, executive director of the Foundation. "We will also serve as the repository for credit union disaster donations, which will then be provided in the form of emergency grants for credit union employees."

The Foundation has partnered with the National Foundation to raise and distribute disaster aid through CUAid (www.cuaid.coop/texas), an online fundraising tool developed by the National Foundation. The online tool links the entire credit union system to raise money for disaster relief, most recently with the Iowa floods and California wildfires. The secure onine tool is the only one of its kind that enables credit union members and employees, as well as credit unions and state credit union foundations across the U.S. to contribute directly to support other credit unions and their employees.

If you are affected this is how it works.

Disaster Relief
Whether it is a hurricane on the Gulf Coast, or a Tsunami thousands of miles around the globe, credit unions are known for their quick and generous support of disaster relief efforts. The Texas Credit Union Foundation is able to respond to disasters because of Texas credit unions’ commitment to the credit union philosophy, “people helping people.”

That commitment was exemplified best in 2005-06 when Texas Credit Unions, the Texas Credit Union League and Texas Credit Union Foundation came together to contribute over $715,000 in disaster relief funds to credit union employees and volunteers who suffered the ravages of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Working together with other Leagues, CUNA, the National Credit Union Foundation, and affected credit unions, these funds were distributed directly to those in need so they could stabilize their lives and continue to serve their members.

TCUF has established the following process when disaster occurs.

— Phase One - Needs assessment, fundraising and initial Phase One emergency grants. TCUF and the Texas Credit Union League will work closely with all parties and partners to determine the scope of the disaster and need. A call for disaster relief donations will be issued to member credit unions. Both the Texas Credit Union League and the Texas Credit Union Foundation also contribute to the TCUF general disaster fund as the need arises. These pooled funds are distributed to the appropriate recipient fund depending on the disaster location.
If the disaster occurs in Texas, TCUF will issue a call for grant applications from credit unions and/or staff who see financial assistance for immediate disaster related needs. The “Phase One” grant application is simple to complete and requires the signature of the credit union ceo. Once submitted, the TCUF grants committee approves and the grants of up to $500 are provided.

— Phase Two is the call for grant applications from credit unions and/or staff and volunteers who have sustained significant damage that extends beyond any insurance, FEMA or Red Cross benefits. Phase Two grants are generally accepted after a period of time when other sources of relief have been exhausted. Phase Two grant applicants will be asked to state the specific extent of loss along with any other monetary relief that has been received. The signature of the credit union ceo is required before submission.

Questions?
Please contact the Texas Credit Union Foundation staff at 1-800-442-6762, Ext. 6447 if you have any questions or need additional forms.

Do you have an experience or resource that needs to be communicated to credit unions that are in any way affected by Hurricane Ike? If you do shout back and share.

Share Your Credit Union Hurricane Story

Today we have been busy supporting our credit unions sending in web site status updates to keep their members informed. To hear the story from one credit union who was down in an evacuation zone tells how bad this hurricane really was.

The CUs VP of IT was already up in Dallas just in case they had to move into disaster management mode. Well, that time has come. She informed me that half of their main branch's roof was torn off by the hurricane and some offices had a few feet of standing water. They are currently in the process of implementing their backup plan.

While we have blogged "The Eye of Ike" below and you have heard our story, we want to hear yours now. Not only your story but tell us how things are going at your credit union if you were affected by the hurricane. Share what you need. Now it is time to live as "people helping people". Not for members, but for each other. To share resources, ideas, support and love.

Please shout back and post your thoughts, comments or credit union hurricane story. Tell us how things are going and how we can help. Let us know if you have any questions and ask the CU Grow community.

The Eye of Ike - 6:15 PM

Wow... what a very long day this has been.  It has been both physically and mentally exhausting.  After checking our house this morning and finding it OK for the most part with one small leak and one shingle pulled back, we went to eat breakfast at my parents house down the street.  They faired pretty well too.

After we left, we drove over to my wife's parents house which is about 5 minutes away. It ended up taking 15 minutes to get there due to water and debris in the road. Once there, things did not look so pretty. Her parents have alot of old oak trees around there house. On a positive note, none landed on the house and there was no major damage there. However, some of the cars did not do so well.

From the looks of it, it appeared that a small tornado went through as the trees snapped off at the top like toothepicks and were not uprooted or blown over. They even had a porta-potty blown into there yard. I have pictures which will be posted.

At about 1:30PM, her parents went to their church (which is in Sugar Land about 25 miles from Pasadena) where they had heard there was major damage. Upon arriving, her parents found that half the roof was blown off and there was water standing inside. There was supposed to be a church party tonight which has turned into a church cleanup.

While my wife's parents went to the church, my wife and I went to the office. We found that an entire window had been blown out and rain got in and soaked the carpet and a desk. In the grand scheme of things no big deal. All computers, servers and electronic equipment had already been backed up, removed or stored. I will post more on the business side of things in a following post.

We're still without power here but I type this post on my laptop now instead of my phone... so much quicker. I was able to get back online thanks to a little planning ahead. Earlier this hurricane season, I picked up a couple of power convertors to run from the cars.  Now that the phones are backup, I wanted to check the Uverse.

After plugging the convertor in and turning the car on, the router flickered red, the green, then red, then finally stayed green and I was back online.

Evacuees in CC

We decided to head west to avoid Ike's path and are in sunny Corpus Christi.  Stayed up all night watching the news coverage on the storm.

A friend of mine who stayed went to check on my home.  He stated my street is un-drivable and looks like a forest.  I had 10-15 50" pines surrounding my home.  Many of them fell, 3 of them directly on it.  One went through the roof.  He did not report any flooding.  I am not sure when I will be able to get back home, but currently I am very grateful to have one... 

The Eye of Ike - 9:33 AM

I have been up for about an hour now. In a way, the feeling I had when I awoke was a bit like Christmas. That may sound a bit odd but it was more the excitement and anxiety of what exactly happened in the dark of night.

My wife was still sleeping when I awoke and so I opened the blinds to see outside. There were so many leaves and twigs plastered to the window. Upon first glance in the backyard, the only damage was to the grapevines. I took a look out the side window and saw that our neighbor lost about 5 trees in her backyard.

Upon looking out the front windows, our trees were fine. But then I saw that a house across the way lost about half the shingles on the back of their roof leaving plywood exposed. That made me think about water damage as I was not sure if we lost any shingles.

At that time, the phone rings and it is my father asking how everything was They live right down the street and they had lost some shingles and had a couple of water leaks. I looked aorund the house on the inside and found one very small water leak.

I then went outside and looked around. Leaves and twigs were all over the yard and the ground was saturated. The wind was still high but not like last night. The worst was from about midnight to 7 this morning. I looked at the roof and found we did not lose any shingles.

I am still blogging from my phone as the power is still out. The cell phones work but are on roaming. Glad we have the Sprint Everything plan as we will not be charged.

Jonathan has not posted any videos due to the lack of power. We are about to head down to my parents for breakfast and will take pictures to post later. My Mammaw is cooking French Toast. They came in from Beaumont.

The Eye of Ike - 5:18 AM

The eye has passed and the winds and rain have started back up. Except this time the winds are coming from the south instead of from the north as before. So now wind/rain/debris are being thrown on the south side windows.

We probably have another 5-6 hours of high winds that may be more intense than before. It has been a long night/day/few days. From getting our gulf coast CUs prepared for the storm, to flying up to Dallas to setup the backup location if needed, to driving back down to Houston down 45 south towards the storm to be with the family, what a past few crazy days.

Power just went out again and have been making these blog posts throughout the night via my mobile phone. Just took a peak outside and some of my grape vines have been ripped off there t-posts. Hope to have some pics up later this morning when it is safe to head outside.

The Eye of Ike - 4:27 AM

The eye of Ike is here. I have spent the last 4 hours snoozing in and out of sleep. The wind has been coming in around 80 plus MPH constant and then gusts. Every now and then we will get a big gust that wakes me up and sounds like the roof is barely holding on. There are knocks and bangs on the windows from unknown debris.

The power finally got knocked around 1:30 AM. Right now though, it is crazy calm. No wind... No rain. Just quiet. After a quick look outside there appears to be no major damage but it is still dark.

Leaves scatter the yard with small branches. There appear to be a few small trees blown down around the neighborhood. The power/internet/Uverse have all come back on during the eye. Not sure how much longer we have of the calm.

The Eye of Ike - 12:23 AM

Looking out the windows. Trees are bending way over now. Saw a couple of transformers blow and light up the sky. Listening to local talk radio and just texted in a live update report. Pretty cool how I just became a reporter.. Gotta love the power so social media. Going to get a little shut eye but sleeping light tonight. They are still projecting the path to go right up I45 about 5 miles from the house. The eye should be over us around 5 to 7 AM.

The Eye of Ike - 12:03 AM

With no Internet that means no video uploads. We were uploading a video to YouTube when the Internet went down. The howling wind is starting to turn into a screaming wind. Walking around the house to make sure all is well. The house is starting to creek. Still have power here but carrying a flash light in my pocket just in case. They look more like tasers or mini-light sabers... Use the force. I attached a picture to this email of the flashlights but not sure if it will post.

The Eye of Ike - 11:05 PM

The winds are really picking up now. We are starting to hear the howl of the storm and is quite eerie. Somehow we still have power but I don't think for long. The news has been running and they are saying 500000 are now without power. Actually just turned the news off b/c it is the same thing over and over again. My wife and I just turned on Project Runway. We are so far behind. Just got a tornado alert flashed even though we are watching DVR. That's a pretty cool feature on ATT Uverse. Just spoke too soon. Power just got knocked out but came right back on. No Uverse or DSL though. Will be watching the local news stream from my phone.

The Eye of Ike - 9:16 PM

The lights are still flickering and despite two neighboring subdivisions losing power, we still have power (and internet connection!). The wind picking up and the rain is just beginning to fall. Hopefully we will get another video post up before all power is lost... only time will tell.

Until then, here's another video update.

The Eye of Ike - 7:22 PM

I was lucky to get this up as the lights are starting to flicker... we will see if we can get another video post up soon before we lose power and internet all together. Winds are picking up outside (around 60 MPH +) and it is going to get crazy over the next 12 hours. The eye of the storm is supposed to pass about 5 miles from the house up I-45. We will try to post every hour or two as long as we have a mobile phone connection and let you know what is going on from a different perspective.  If we lose contact... you can always follow the storm here: http://weatherblog.abc13.com/

But great news. We've posted the first video:

The Eye of Ike - 7:05 PM

As a social media demonstration, Jonathan Lay, Media Director at PTP NEW MEDIA will be blogging Hurricane Ike from Pasadena, TX. This is the real deal. Hopefully he will be able to get pics and video up if power is on but messages will be short n sweet like this. He will be mobile blogging like am now.

CU Grow Grows Up

CU Grow has grown into a full service blog.  More than the simple blog that it was before, we will be posting and keeping it up to date with the latest news that is innovative and creative for you to use.

Feel free to shout back at as to join the conversation and let us know what is on your mind. We look foward to growing with you.

CU Grow Begins to Grow

The Texas Credit Union League shouted out at us in the Lone Start Leaguer on June 30, 2008.  Below is the article. This is totally rockin'!  Thx so much to TCUL for helping to spread the word about CU Grow. Much love...

"The greatest of innovations always start with great ideas and from there, growth and expansion are the natural results. In today’s rapidly moving environment of service and competition, the credit unions face routine challenges in member growth and acknowledgement. Natasha Melugin, League Representative with TCUL, has opened up a community blog for credit union personnel to post their unique thoughts and ideas that have helped shape their credit union in the hopes that their words will inspire similar results across the state.

CU Grow 2008 (http://www.cugrow.com/) began late last month but has already generated dozens of responses and ideas from contributing credit union employees and volunteers from around the state. For Melugin, the notion of a communal effort that provides words of advice and encouragement is a natural asset. “Without collaboration and growth within, we cannot expect the CU movement to grow,” she writes in her introductory entry from May 24, 2008.

Growth is certainly an end product as dozens of replies and insights have been posted, with room for more courtesy of any inspiring credit union hopeful. Crafted by James Robert Lay of PTP New Media, CU Grow 2008 also reminds eligible readers to consider attending the 2008 Annual Alumni SCMS Mixer scheduled for July 22, during which Lay will be a guest speaker. For more information on the blog, the Mixer and the inspirational ideas that both can cultivate, please visit http://www.cugrow.com. "