Conference 7.286::dcu

378.0. "Open letter to BoD Candidates" by SALEM::BERUBE_C (Claude, G.) Fri Nov 15 1991 13:59

    Dear DCU BoD Candidate,
    
    Below  are  my  ideas/suggestions  which I feel could go a long way  in
    making DCU a better Credit Union, and breaking down the walls that were
    apparent at  last  Tuesday  special meeting between the current BoD and
    members, and restoring the trust of the membership in the BoD.
    
    - More  competitive  rates on deposits and loans (seems to be happening
      for Car loans)

    - Return equity in the form  of  higher Interest.  This used to be done
      in the early years of the DCU, but  apparently  stop  around  the mid
      '80's.
        
    - Open 2-way communication between the BoD and members.
    
    Since the last one was in my opinion one of the main issues as  to  why
    the special  meeting took place to begin with, just reflect back to the
    Special meeting and you'll see why.  The main issue wasn't that someone
    felt the BoD had  defrauded  the membership, but their unwillingness to
    be up front and honest to the membership from the very start as to what
    was going on and the feeling  that  the BoD had lost touch with a major
    portion of its membership.  The Choice's  brochure  was  an  insult and
    didn't present in any way the real reason  for  the fee's which was the
    apparent loss of income due to non performing loans etc, which did come
    out at the Special Meeting.  Here is an example  of  what  I mean by up
    front  communication,  here is a recent notice I'd receive from another
    Credit Union to which I belong to in NH
    
          Important Member Notice Regarding Certificates of Deposits

        With the recent area bank consolidations, your credit union has
        experienced  an  increase  in  total deposits above that of our
        business plan.   A continued decrease in short term investments
        rates, coupled with  weak loan demand, present less opportunity
        for  corresponding  revenue  to  offset  the  costs  of  paying
        interest on these funds.
        
        Therefore,  as  of  October  29,  1991,    we  are  TEMPORARILY
        suspending the offering of any NEW 6 or 12 month CDs (including
        1 year IRAs).  This action applies to  both  new  and  existing
        members.    However  this change only applies to new  accounts.
        members  who currently have 6 or 12 month CDs can  renew  those
        CDs  when  they  mature,  provided the terms and dollar amounts
        remain the same.
        
    If  the  Choices  brochure  had  wording like this as to why fees  were
    necessary, as well  as  communication  on  other  topics, last Tuesdays
    meeting may have never taken place.

    One of the major  common  threads  that  the majority of DCU membership
    have is that they work  for Digital Equipment Corporation.  DEC back in
    the  late  '70  if  I  remember    correctly  became  a  form  of  data
    communication company without really realizing it.  When DEC introduced
    VAX/VMS one of it's utilities was VMS/MAIL and the PHONE utilities that
    allowed users on the same system to share data between them.  

    Later on some engineers design a midnight hack that later became DECnet
    that  now allowed systems to share data as well.   This  combined  with
    other mid-night hacks gave us VAXnotes and VTX.
    
    For those communications were all you really need to do is notify us of
    some  event  or change etc.  beside using the newsletter that  is  sent
    with  the monthly statements, then please continue to place said notice
    in VTX as well.  NOTE in the past the only way we were informed to rate
    increases, minimum requirement changes etc.  was by noticing the change
    on the board at the various branches. 
    
    For real honest two way communication with the  membership  on idea for
    improvement  etc.,  I  would  strongly  suggest  some  level of  active
    participation  in  BEIRUT::DCU  or  some new version of it if  that  is
    desired.    One  of the reason that the current version of  BEIRUT::DCU
    contains  the  various  levels  of  hate and negatism is because of the
    apparent  filtering  of  information    using    the  old  channels  of
    communication, and the feeling that  there  was no place to turn to but
    ourselves in venting our frustration in dealing with some aspect of DCU
    and the apparent feeling that the BoD  wasn't  listening  to it members
    and was out of touch.  If you  read  past  the  hate  and  the negative
    comments  in  BEIRUT::DCU  you'll  find the issues that the  membership
    have.  Let's get rid of the stovepiping.

    You might fell that Employee Interest VAX noting will never have upbeat
    positive content, and is  nothing  but  a  vehicle  for  the rebellious
    noting community.  Well then  I'll  say  that  yes  some are due to the
    nature  of the topic the conference is used for discussing,  but  there
    are many others that are not.  For an example I invite you to look at a
    Employee  Interest Conference I  help  Co-Moderate  at  CLOSET::DISNEY.
    There you'll find employees of  DEC  freely sharing ideas/tips/etc.  on
    how to best enjoy a vacation at Walt Disney World, as well as a variety
    of other topics dealing with Disney in general.
    
    You might actually feel that the above  suggestion  is  great  but what
    about the DCU Employees?  Well to that  I'll  answer,  that  since it's
    apparent  that the DCU uses DEC equipment to perform  the  day  to  day
    operations,  and  the various tools mention above are available to  DEC
    customers, why not allow the DCU employees to have access to  there own
    version  of  VTX/VAXNotes  etc.    on  the DCU systems, that they could
    access on their own time, like lunch etc?

    Is summary by opening communications  with all members and allowing two
    way communication by using the tools  DEC  sell,  we  have  a  means of
    tearing down the walls that have been built of late and really make the
    credit union something we all can believe in and be proud of.
    
    Your truly,
    
    Claude G. Berube
    
    Concerned DCU member    

MAIL was not introduced on the VAX.  It was around in PDP-11 days, before
the first VAX existed.

(Sorry.  Couldn't help myself.)

    Rep to <<< Note 378.1 by MLTVAX::SCONCE "Bill Sconce" >>>

    Sorry about  that I went from TOPS 10 to VAX/VMS.  Never had an account
    on the 11  system.    Although  now  that  I  think  of  it TOPS 10 had
    something similar to PHONE,  it was just to long ago for me to remember
    all the facts. I was more concerned with expressing a view  that DEC is
    not  just  Computers,  but a data communication company as well (and of
    course SOFTWARE like at the latest press release ;^)) and there must be
    a way that we can make use of the products we sell to better the DCU.
        
    Claude

    When dcu's atm ate my card a few years ago ,I asked what kind of
    computer they used after some um um um um um's it was stated that it 
    was NCR. Not DEC's latest TP system. Maybe a new board will fix this
    embarsment too.
    

>    When dcu's atm ate my card a few years ago ,I asked what kind of
>    computer they used after some um um um um um's it was stated that it 
>    was NCR. Not DEC's latest TP system. Maybe a new board will fix this
>    embarsment too.
    
    Digital makes bank card machines?? This is news to me. I believe
    that the computers in the "home office" are all Digital. Origionally
    they were PDP-11s running RSTS/E. Later the applications were migrated
    to VAX systems. All the terminals in the offices I've been in were 
    Digital. As were/are the printers.
    
    			Alfred

    The current DCU board and the future DCU board should make it a policy
    not to keep the same person as the chief operating officer for not more
    than 5 year.  Change is good and a must.  DCU would not have got into
    their present debacle if this policy was in effect.  This is not a life
    time position.  It should be a five year contract job.  
    Similarly a person can remain as a board member only for 5 years during
    that person's natural life time.  
    DCU does not have a founding father like many corporations.  There was
    no one single risk taker.  So no one should remain in office for more
    than 5 years.

    At least they don't use IBM machines (some banks here in Germany use
    IBM products for account statements on demand through the use of an ATM
    card [and they also seem to use a lot of NCR cash machines]).
    
    Chad
    
    :-)