Message from our Board Chair
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am thankful to be back home after being gone for 21 days to Australia and New Zealand. I traveled with a great group of 26 club members and experienced many wonderful adventures during our 3 week tour, made all the more memorable by being out of the country during the election of our 45th
president. It was an amazing experience to see how another part of the world views our political process and how passionate and involved they become. I had cautioned our travelers that they may be asked about politics and we decided, given the intensity of this election, that we would leave it all at home and just enjoy our time together
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and they did! I was very proud of the kind, caring way everyone treated each other and respected each other's views and beliefs. This is what makes bank club travel so special; you don't just travel with a group of people you travel with a group of friends who soon become like family.
The Fall Forum seminars in Davenport and Omaha were well attended and the participants found the content to be very helpful. Plus, it is always good to get together with other club directors. Read the full wrap up below.
As promised, the new website and working logo is done and we're excited for you to check it out. Visit the website and let us know what you think.
I want to wish all members of the HCI family a very blessed holiday season.
Valerie Kelsey, CBCD
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Don't delay.
You won't want to miss Peer Group in Vermont. We have an amazing conference planned for you with everything that you have come to expect including interesting keynote speakers to educate and entertain, an Open Mic session with our Travel Partners, panel discussions, Banker/Partner Table Topics, and networking opportunities galore including the Travel Expo. This year we have changed things up a bit and have a few surprises for you as well.
Many of you have never been to Vermont. This is a great opportunity to travel to this part of the country and experience something new for yourself, and you may find that you want to bring your whole club back for a visit! The Essex Culinary Resort and Spa has offered a special 15% discount to our members who want to take advantage of their fabulous spa or culinary offerings. Plan to arrive early or stay longer to take a class or get a treatment. You can book these directly with the resort at 877-684-1123.
The HCI Event Page has links to the conference schedule, the pre-FAM Sightseeing Tour description, and the Club Director Peer Group registration form. If you have other questions, contact Tina Goeske at 877-881-0229.
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Changing from Old to New
At Peer Group in March 2016 the club directors spent some time discussing the HCI logo and the general opinion was that it was antiquated and needed to be redesigned. Recommendations included making it more fresh and vibrant - more "hip," less boxy and evoking travel and movement as well as banking. A tall order, indeed! HCI listened to those opinions and we are excited to unveil a new "working" version of the logo. It has been incorporated into the newly released version of the website which uses the same colors and style.
The response to the logo and website has been overwhelmingly positive. People have said that they like the linking of the letters which suggest networking and the movement of the sails which suggests travel. It incorporates two colors (blue and green) which represents the land, sea and sky, and the universal green represents banking.
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Fall Forum scored a 9.3 this year!
For the first time ever, Heritage Clubs International hosted its annual Fall Forum in two locations. This year the Fall Forum conference was held in the Quad Cities area in Davenport, Iowa on Monday, November 7, and in Omaha, Nebraska on Friday, November 11. This allowed for more club directors to attend this day-long seminar. The topic of this year's event was "Retraining" and it attracted many brand-new club directors as well as several with years of experience. A total of 30 bankers attended representing 18 independent banks.
Ted Nelson, HCI's Executive Director, led the training event starting with a history of Heritage Clubs International's beginning in 1980 through today and reflecting on the many changes in the banking industry that requires changes in our bank clubs to stay current.
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Partner Profile: Hospitality Tours
Cindy Blaine, CBCD, took her Farmers Savings Bank Heritage Club members to New York City eleven years ago, so when she decided to go again she wanted to offer some variation that would appeal to some of the customers who had gone in the past. She chose Ted Nelson with Hospitality Tours to create a customized tour of New York and the Hudson River Valley.
Hospitality Tours has been providing quality tours to destinations like New England, the Canadian Maritimes, Québec, Washington DC, Niagara Falls and New York City since 1981. "It was a wonderful trip!" Ted set up the tour, lined up the tour director, arranged transportation and orchestrated a fabulous trip. He even stepped in and directed the tour when the tour director had to cancel. "The customers loved Ted," says Cindy. He chose "wonderful restaurants" where the group enjoyed spectacular cuisine. Ted handled the logistics and some unexpected bumps to lead Cindy's group on a memorable 6-day tour to a variety of sights including Hyde Park, Top of the Rock, a Broadway production of Aladdin, West Point Military Academy, the Vanderbilt Museum, the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts and much more.
Ted knows where to go, when to go and what to do. His "insider" knowledge enables him to create the best and most memorable experiences for your club members. Heritage Clubs International is proud to have had Hospitality Tours as one of its Preferred Tour Operators for over 20 years. Contact him at 800-966-1331 or ted@hospitality-tours.com. www.hospitality-tours.com
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Member Spotlight: Renee Zaiser, CBCD
Two Rivers Bank and Trust
Burlington, IA
Renee Zaiser, CBCD has been at her bank for nearly 40 years. She pursued the club director position when it was posted in 2000 in part because it provided an opportunity to work with "older folks" who, she laughs, are now younger than she is. She is an "old soul' and likes to hear their stories. The travel that comes with the job is a bonus to the relationships that she is building and the dreams that she is helping to make come true. And the relationships aren't just important for the bank; they're important to Renee on a personal level.
Helping others is important to Renee. Every year Two Rivers Bank and Trust co-hosts a Paint-a-thon in association with Community Action of SEI and Diamond Vogel Paints.
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STAY CONNECTED with HCI
Phone 877-881-0229
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