We are getting closer to the Christmas Carnivals at Sam Rosen Elementary (Wednesday, December 12th), and Webb Elementary (Tuesday, December 18th). In addition to all the fun we have planned for the children, we are trying to make sure we have plenty of winter coats to donate to the children that need them.

Over the years we have had hundreds of coats donated by our Credit Unions and Preferred Partners. These special gifts have been both very much appreciated and very much needed. Many of these children do without things we all take for granted, and the coats are one way to help make a difference in their lives.

We are in need of NEW coats that will fit elementary children up to grade 6. We need coats for both boys and girls.

Some Credit Unions and Preferred Partners are accepting cash donations from their staff and membership. With the funds they collect, they are purchasing coats. Others are just asking that new coats be donated. Either way is great!

Once you have collected the coats, please contact Vince Heimann to make arrangements to have them picked up.

If you have any questions, or need more information, please contact Vince at 817-273-5910.

I saw Christmas decorations at the mall this week. A second wave of back to school shopping has become a Columbus Day tradition for me and my kids – no sense buying cold weather clothes when their sizes seem to change by the week. Maybe I haven’t paid close enough attention the last couple of years, but it seems to me that the “Christmas Creep” continues.

Since everyone else seems to be rounding in to the spirit already, I’ll do my part (according to our great friends at Trabian I’m getting to this 28 days earlier than last year)

We are quickly approaching our 17th year of providing a holiday party at Sam Rosen Elementary in Fort Worth and our 7th year at Webb Elementary in Arlington.

Anyone who has ever been to one of these events will tell you it is THE best thing they do all holiday seson long.

Here’s the schedule for 2007:

• Dec 11 (morning) Party Prep at Sam Rosen
• Dec 12 (all day) Party at Sam Rosen
• Dec 17 (morning) Party Prep at Webb
• Dec 18 (all day) Party at Webb

Raymond Shands is the coordinator for Sam Rosen

Vince Heimann is the boss over the party at Webb.

Even though the parties last all day, you are welcome to work only part of the day if that is what you can do. In addition to volunteers, we make a donation of winter coats to each school and try to buy a few items for goodie bags for each child. Your donation of coats and/or cash would be greatly appreciated!

All volunteers must be approved in advance by the respective district. Click here for a copy of the Arlington ISD volunteer form. The form has 3 pages, and the 3rd page is all that is required to be filled out. Please fill out the form and forward it to Vince, his fax number is 817-273-5913. The Fort Worth ISD volunteer form is one page, be sure to copy your I.D. on to the form and fax to Raymond at 817-882-0136.

The deadline to submit the background form is November 21st. If you are recruiting volunteers from your shop, you may also want to plan in advance for substitute volunteers by having them fill out the form as well.

If you need directions to the schools, click on their names above.

Lastly, check the comments to this post for any subsequent information from the committee.

The chapter’s Miracle Team is putting together a cookbook the benefit Children’s Miracle Network. Team members have been gathering recipies and will be publishing the collection this fall.

If you would like to submit a recipe we have three options for you to get the information to us:

We have a blank form that can be completed and faxed to 682-885-3799

We have a fillable form for the tech-savvy with poor penmanship. Once you have completed the file, e-mail it to Suzanne Fusaro.

If you have a number of recipies – we’ll take a bunch – we can grant you access to put the recipies directly to our master database. If you want to go that route, pease also e-mail Suzanne

I was tempted to title this post “Misery Loves Company”, but local credit unions are uniting in their efforts to fight ever-increasing losses due to account fraud.

The initial meeting of the Chapter’s Fraud Roundtable will be on July 26th from 3 to 5 p.m. at Fort Worth City Credit Union at 2309 Montomery St.

The purpose of the group is to share experiences and successes credit unions have had with fraud. Please send your fraud experts with their stories, their examples and the tools they use. If your credit union doesn’t have a “fraud expert”, send someone anyway, we expect that everyone will benefit from the exchange.

This will be an open forum and will serve as a springboard to future meetings and training sessions. For more information contact Sandra Szymanski

One of the “perks” of checking this site is a preview look at our Summer 2007 Newsletter – Enjoy!

The Fort Worth chapter will be hosting our annual golf tournament benefiting CULAC & TCUL PAC on Wednesday August 29, 2007.

This year’s tourney will be held at Tierra Verde in Arlington. The course is east of 287 from the Eden Road Exit at 7005 Golf Club Drive

NOW TAKING REGISTRATIONS! Download or view the registration information here.

For more information, contact Ron Fox at Members Credit Union.

Our partners and credit union employees truly outdid themselves at our recent vendor expo! We ended up with more than a truckload of donated items that are now on their way to the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad.

Though all of us made donations without expecting a “Thank You”, I want to share a couple of e-mails I’ve gotten as we’ve worked through the logistics of getting all of your donations to Iraq.

“God Bless the Ft. Worth Credit Union Chapter! We have never had a full pick up truck (and the back seat of the truck) show up here at American Airlines Flagship University for the 28th CSH troops all at one time! I shipped 4 care packages out last night … It will take awhile to get all your gifts to our troops, my estimate is around 35 boxes /care packages , I will ship as fast as I can.

Thanks so much to all of you for a great surprise for our USA men and women serving in the war zone to save others at the 28th Combat Support Hospital! God Speed!

Colleen C.”

At which point, the Chapter surprised her with a donation to support all of that shipping expense.

“There are tears in my eyes. I will keep you updated on the progress to get all your donations packed and shipped to our hospital. I will be shipping more donations this week due to all the angels in the Ft. Worth Chapter of Credit Unions!! Thank you from all of the volunteer members of the USA Home Team and all of our heroes at the U. S. Army 28th Combat Support Hospital in Bagdad! You have no idea how many lives you will touch in the next few months as your gifts arrive at their destination.

God Bless you all and you earned your angel wings today! THANK YOU!

Colleen C.”

Pictures and more information about the 28th CSH can be found here

Some terrific news to make my Monday:

“Dear Fort Worth Chapter:

It is my great pleasure to share with you that the Fort Worth Chapter is the recipient of the 2006 Chapter of The Year award within your respective chapter category!

On behalf of the Texas Credit Union League Chapter Program, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation for all the work and support of the Fort Worth Chapter Board. You all are a dynamic group of individuals with genuine dedication to the mission and vision of the credit union movement. This passion is reflected in the programs and events offered in and around the community the chapter serves.

Please share this exciting news with your fellow chapter members and area credit unions. Recognition of this honor will be displayed and announced during the 2007 TCUL Leadership Conference and within key League publications.

Respectfully,

Lucinda M. Rocha Director, Chapters & Councils Texas Credit Union League”

With that news, 2006 is now the latest addition to the list: 1996 1999 2000 2001 2002 2005 2006

While Lucinda extends her congratulations to the board, we in turn want to say THANK YOU to our member credit unions and Preferred Partners!

Your participation and support of our efforts are what make our chapter so successful!

The Fort Worth Chapter of Credit Unions is responding to a request to assist in sending items to the armed services personnel assigned to the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. Located in the city’s International Zone, the hospital serves our United States uniformed personnel and some local citizens as well. Being stationed there can be made a bit more comfortable with stuff from home not supplied as regular military issue! Please bring your contributions to the Fort Worth Chapter of Credit Unions Annual Vendor Expo on June 25, 2007.

28th Combat Support Hospital Wish List

Personal use items

Air freshener -Bath & Bodyworks type products (liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoo, back brushes)

Bath mats/ rugs (small)

Bed sheets (twin size) / cover sheets / pillow cases

Birthday plates/napkins/candles

Blankets (Fleece are extremely popular – single beds/ twin size)

Candy, gum and sugar free gum, jerky, nuts, Ritz Crackers, Cheese-its

Chapstick

Cleaning products – sponges, brushes, etc. (not with chemicals as we can’t ship them)

Deodorant

Fabric Softener

Laundry soap – take box and divide into baggies (1 bag = 1 load of wash)

Lotion: strong hand lotion due to frequent hand washing

Pillows

Shampoo and Conditioner, hair brushes and combs

Shaving cream

Shoes (examples: slippers or thongs or shower shoes) in large sizes, 12 or higher for our big guys

Shower Curtains

Socks, ankle (men and women)

Toothpaste (Colgate, Crest, and Sensodyne are popular)

Toothbrushes and floss

Towels – bath and hand towels

Items for MWR gyms, game/movie room, sports Posters (movie, sports, artwork, celebrities)

Aerobics/Taebo/Yoga/Pilates/Martial Arts instructional videos

Bocci ball set

Boxing mitts and boxing heavy bag

DVD - movies and music

Darts for cork dart boards

Games (board games like chess, checkers, scrabble, etc)

Magazines

Ping pong balls and ping pong nets for regular size ping pong table

Fort Worth Chapter of Credit Unions Annual Vendor Expo Monday, June 25 Admission is FREE, but please bring an item for the 28th Combat Support Hospital!

The chapter’s annual Vendor Exposition will be held on a special night – Monday, June 25th at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Vendor registration is free for those who are members of the Preferred Partner Program, but the event is open to non-partners as well.

In either instance you must register for the event.

If you have any questions, please contact Raymond Shands.