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At Maine credit unions, the spirit of volunteering is alive and well, and engaged! With nearly 400 attendees at the 2017 Maine CU League's Volunteers' Conference, a record-settng turnout for the two-day Conference October 27-28 at the Samoset in Rockport, the event not only served as a valuable source of information, sharing ideas, and networking, but also reinforced the important role that volunteers can and do play in the success of their credit union.
From an overview of the Maine economy from CUNA Mutual Group's Jeff Davenport and an update and discussion on the importance of collaboration between the League and credit unions, as well as other partners, to a presentation on how board leadership is essential in the success of a credit union and recruiting and cultivating new board members, attendees received a lot of information that generated discussion both during the sessions and in side conversations during breaks.
Maine CU League President Todd Mason was impressed at the attendance. "Volunteers are a hallmark of the CU System, and the stronger involvement and engagement we can generate from volunteers, the better we are." Mason said that collaboration remains "integral to our success as a system. Whether it's at the Chapter level, League level, or national level, we are stronger together." He also reiterated the support that the League provides to credit unions to help them grow including advocacy, community outreach, education and information, and products and services. "Our vision is focused on being at the right time, the right place with the right service."
Industry veteran Celeste Cook, President of cuStrategies, urged attendees to "encourage creativity and think outside of the box. Volunteers can either facilitate that culture or kill it. You can guess which culture is more conducive to growth. Board leadership means asking the right questions, inspiring creativity, and the ability to orchestrate and stimulate transformation with people and organizations. As board members, you are challenged to be leaders at your credit union."
In his afternoon presentation, Attorney David Reed offered ideas on how credit unions can recruit the next generation of volunteers. "Ask yourself, is it easy to become a volunteer at our credit union? If the answer is 'no', make some changes." Reed also addressed the issue of when volunteers should consider stepping down. "Are you still a volunteer because you can't find a replacement or can't you find a replacement because you are still a volunteer?" He challenged attendees to be active participants in recruiting new volunteers and bringing them in. "They don't have to join the Board right away. Think about slowly working new volunteers in through committees, shadowing, etc. There is a lot to learn and having them jump right in can be overwhelming and discourage new volunteers from wanting to serve."
For attendees, the Conference was time well spent. "I really appreciate coming together to hear not only about the opportunities happening at other credit unions but about the challenges, as well." Another added, "The speakers did a nice job. A great way to hear about best practices and initiatives happening at other credit unions."