Wings update: NCUA speaks.
Posted by Trey Reeme on April 18th, 2007
From today’s online edition of CU Times, in a piece titled “Wings Reviewing NCUA Position, Plans to Continue Courting Continental’s Members” -
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. – Without stating whether it plans to comply with NCUA’s request to discontinue its offer of $200 payments to Continental Federal Credit Union’s members, Wings Financial FCU said it is evaluating the regulator’s position….
In a statement sent late yesterday, Wings Financial said “While we are continuing to evaluate the NCUA’s position, the larger point is that the Continental FCU belongs to its members and that money is rightfully theirs.”
I’m always up for trying something new, so here’s our first ever (and possibly last ever) opinion poll. Man, this feels like American Idol. Text your vote to “Wings (94647)” – standard rates apply. Just kidding.
In true “cheap Trey” fashion, I’m using a free service that, um, might not work consistently. If the poll isn’t visible below, maybe refresh the page a couple of times?
And feel free to comment, too.
My money’s on Sanjaya….
Second American Idol in as many posts, Trey…you have officially contracted Idolitis. I’m definitely not an Idol watcher, but I’ve seen enough to reason that if Sanjaya is the top talent in the United States we have big, BIG problems.
Oh… my… goodness. Matt, you’re right. I watched it last night, and it has surfaced in my writing.
I’m surprised Jack Bauer hasn’t crept in. 24 has replaced Lost at the top of my must-watch list, mainly because FOX and ABC are streaming episodes for free. I don’t have TiVo yet. We’re behind the times in the Reeme household.
I’m truly ashamed and will limit AI references to one per week. :)
BTW, my money is on Melinda Doolittle.
What’s this American Idol-thing you’re all talking about? Never heard of it.
Seriously, we avoid it like the plague in my house. I am pleased to say that my Reality TV exposure is limited to one show, and ashamed to say that it’s Survivor (I know, but my wife and I got hooked on season 1 before we knew what we were doing).
I’m not trying to turn OSCU into E!Online, but with real world events such as they are, and the barbarians at the gates of CU-land, we need a few doses of Heroes, 24, House, CSI, Shark, and Grey’s Anatomy escapism every now and then.
In Re: “We’re behind the times in the Reeme household.” I feel your pain. The Veasey’s still have $9.95 dial-up internet service at home.
@John: Couldn’t agree more about lightening it up! News has been heavy as of late, both in and out of CUs, like you said.
@Dan: I can be happy without TiVo, a Blackberry, or a Wii, but without broadband… Yikes! :)
Doggone it, we need to expose the “governance deficit” at American Idol!
You Trabian guys ought to check out episodes of the Canadian sitcom “Corner Gas”at YouTube. The show has riotously good dry Prairie humor (depicting life of ordinary folks in a Saskatchewan town where “there’s not a lot goin’ on”). Their web site at www.cornergas.com is…well, a gas! (I bought the Season 2 and Season 3 DVD sets and have lent them throughout my family). Ron
Sanjaya!!!!!!! No!!!!!!!!
But you know what I love about it? (because there is always a lesson to learn). Read on….
The word on the street? Sanjaya felt he could do no wrong. His brand had so much equity that nothing could destroy him. Even bad singing. Problem is, at the end of the day, the singing DOES matter if you want a recording contract. One hit wonder? Maybe. 15-minutes of fame? Definitely. Rock legend? Never.
I think there are some credit unions out there that are in danger of Sanjaya Syndrome (or SS). Doesn’t matter how we treat the member, we are Sanjaya Federal Credit Union. We can cheat on our sponsor (when we don’t have to). We are Sanjaya. If we put our name on it (a branch) they will come.
Problem is, you can’t sing.
Okay – I better go get some coffee….
Denise -
I love your analogy. I’m so sick of American Idol I could just puke, but that’s another story. I think you bring up a very good point! And thanks for bringing the discussion back to credit unions (not that I mind a little detour every once in a while). But I want to be a rock legend credit union, not a 15 minutes of fame credit union. Which means we have to keep putting our heads together to come up with ways to do that!
As for Wings . . . I hope NCUA goes after then and gives them a swift kick in the behind! I still say, if you wanta act like a bank, then be one!
Denise, good observation – I rarely watch AI, but catch the drift re Sanjana.
I really think U.S. credit union folks could learn something from Corner Gas. The show deals with ordinary life episodes of quirky non-celebrity folks in a small Prairie town, with their social lives revolving around the gas station/mini-mart and the Ruby Cafe. Even those of us who are city slickers can relate to the plot lines and character development – Corner Gas is like a hybrid of Seinfeld and Green Acres.
Superstation WTBS will begin televising Corner Gas on U.S. cable TV in September. Currently five early Season 1 episodes are available for free online viewing at YouTube—apparently Corner Gas’ copyright owner doesn’t object since these early episodes have been online for a few months.
I love this polling device! Great find, Trey.
Jessica,
I’m going to Minnesota later this month. I’m half tempted to walk right into WINGS barge into the CEO’s office and say Western Telepone Fed (WTF?) and then smack him and leave.
D.
PS—If you haven’t heard of WTFCU you need to go to Ron Shelvin’s blog….http://marketingroi.wordpress.com/2007/04/13/a-credit-union-that-needs-a-name-change/
Denise -
Thanks for sharing that. I needed a good laugh. I had not seen that one yet. But good call! Smack him once for me too would ya?!
Trey -
Hey, great picture. I’m not sure who looks more focused, you or the crab. ;)
WTF – CU….lol, Denise!!! I hadn’t even thought about that! WTF?!! :)
That is classic! It’s making the rounds here at the League, to chortles and belly laughs (and one or two staffers who want to join the CU!).
I definitely want a t-shirt.
WTFCU – what should their tag line be??
Hmmm … how about this:
WTFCU: When you don’t know where you’re going, we can help you not get there.
(Sorry, it’s almost 5:00)
WTFCU: Even we don’t know what the f* we do.
WTFCU
“We were dead before the ship even sank.”
That album is my jam.
Hey, they’re hiring. I can just imagine answering the phone: “Thank you for calling WTFCU, wtf can we do for you today”
People, people, settle down. To quote Sister Mary Elephant:
“Class? Class? Cla …. SHUT UP! Thank you”
Boy, am I showing my age!
Anywho, just saw it on CU Joural … Wings has pulled the plug on the takeover. Hope that’s the end of it.
Sorry Trey, they’ve ruined a perfectly good Poll app for you. Keep up the good work, though … the barbarians are still out there and unfortunately, I’m sure you’ll have the need to poll the “OSCU membership” again.
WTFCU: Solving your financial problems one pop-culture reference at a time!
Thanks, John – Of the 33 votes we had received in the day since opening the poll, zero predicted this would be the end of Wings merger talk. Time will tell I guess, and I hope that’s the end of it, too.
WTFCU – Not a Member? WTF?
The acronymn made from Fort Knox Federal Credit Union has one “F” too many to make the obvious anagram.
One thing is for sure: These initialisms really arrest the attention.
And, it’s over.
WTFCU official announced their name change to – wait for it:
Signal Financial Federal Credit Union.
Not bad. But it does make me want to say BUSY Signal!!!
WTF!!
Thanks to Mary Arnold from CUES for the update. http://marketingroi.wordpress.com/2007/04/13/a-credit-union-that-needs-a-name-change/#comment-3286
A final word on WTFCU:
Interesting blog! We, too, share your glee in the Marketing Department of the one and only WTFCU!
Glad you ‘sort of’ like our new name. Will we make it into your next book? Maybe a chapter?
Remember: Bad press is better than no press at all! Glad we’re on someone’s radar. :)