May 2017
                                    
 
Message from our Board Chair 

Val Kelsey
This month the HCI Advisory Board will head to Branson for the annual board meeting.  We will check out the venue for the 2018 Peer Group conference, review the results of the 2017 evaluations, determine what issues the task forces will tackle and make decisions about Fall Forum and other HCI events.

Heritage Clubs International listens to its members and responds to their needs. It is the only organization dedicated to helping bank club directors do their jobs well and creating tools and providing resources to that end.

We want to welcome our newest member - Mary Ann Gelven of Legends Bank in Linn, Missouri. Her participation was encouraged by Rob Callahan of First Midwest Bank in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. If you know of other club directors who could benefit from a relationship with HCI, please let us know.  

Valerie Kelsey, CBCD 
If you missed the 2017 Peer Group wrap up newsletter, you can catch it here and relive all the awesome memories.
 
Did you know that our Partners and Preferred Tour Operators give away amazing prizes at Peer Group?  Here are some of the trip winners from the 2017 conference.
  
Stacy Meyer , CBCD (pictured with Kent Van Roekel) from 
Central Bank (Storm Lake, IA) won a  Christmas Markets Cruise on the Danube River for two from Mayflower Tours.

Islands in the Sun
gave away 6 
FAM cruises for Oceania Cruises' Insignia sailing to Canada & New England.  The winners of these cruises were:

Cindy Blaine , CBCD from Farmers Savings Bank & Trust (Traer, IA)
Sue Evenson from First National Bank of Gillette (WY)
Kristin Hannon from Minnwest Bank (St. Cloud, MN)
Doreen McKinney, CBCD 
from Mascoma Savings Bank (Lebanon, NH) 
Julia Terwilleger
, CBCD from American Trust & Savings Bank (Dubuque, IA) 
Renee Zaiser , CBCD from Two Rivers Bank & Trust (Burlington, IA)
    
There was one more giveaway at Peer Group, the Heritage Clubs' This Is Us story submission prize.  Club Directors who submitted a story were included in a drawing to win a $50 VISA gift card.  Amy Evans, CBCD of D.L. Evans Bank (Boise, ID) was the winner.

We are continuing to collect stories for next year's edition of the collection.  Submit yours today!

If you haven't yet read the first edition, you can do so online.  It will make your day!!
 
Partner Profile: Travel Dubuque
    

As a Dubuque native, Whitney Sanger, Sales Manager for the Dubuque Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, is no stranger to all that Dubuque has to offer. "My roots run deep in our community and I am proud to call it home. Dubuque continues to thrive, expand and foster change and I am excited to share our lively and remarkable city with you. I hope to make your job just a little bit easier by sharing some of my Dubuque favorites. Here are just a few ideas to get your tour started." 

Dubuque is nestled in between majestic bluffs and the Mississippi River, offering fantastic views no matter where you are touring in the community. Take a ride on the shortest, steepest railway, the Fenelon Place Elevator. Adore the historic and colorful homes atop the bluffs as you walk on historic Main Street. Or, simply sight some of the iconic landmarks including the Shot Tower and our founder's monument when you cruise the mighty Mississippi aboard the American Lady Yacht. Be sure to travel Dubuque in the fall at least once, when the leaves change to blazing yellows, oranges and reds, and the views are remarkable from all angles.   
 
With all the touring, your guests are bound to work up an appetite, and all successful tours include scrumptious menu options. Taste your way through Dubuque on a Historic Progressive Dinner , a guided food tour, or sample some of the many unique flavors of Dubuque at a farm-to-fork restaurant. The Historic Progressive Dinner and Dubuque Food Tour offer local cuisine, savory pairings, and a delectable dessert to satisfy taste buds. In addition to the food tours there are many local cafés, restaurants, wineries and breweries to choose from. With so many family farms in the area, many of the local restaurants are dedicated to serving the freshest, locally sourced ingredients available. To see for yourself, visit Convivium Urban Farmstead where you can learn about modern farming technology, taste the sweetness of a berry or even cook up a delicious meal. 
 
Stimulate your creativity in a dynamic city where the arts and culture scene is alive and well. Visit two of Iowa's three Smithsonian affiliated museums, the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium or the Dubuque Museum of ArtClick here to read more 
If you're in the planning stages, start by reaching out to Whitney Sanger at the Dubuque Convention & Visitors Bureau. She offers a wide array of complimentary services that take the guesswork out of creating a successful trip. A snapshot of these services includes customized itinerary creation and booking of properties, assistance with gathering hotel room rates and complimentary creamy caramels made by the nuns.  Let Whitney be your ultimate guide to Dubuque as she has all the tools and resources you need to host a seamlessly successful group tour.  You can reach her at wsanger@traveldububuqe.com or at 563-845-7698.
Member Spotlight: Jenny Braun
Community State Bank 
Union Grove, WI
 
Jenny Braun had been an activity director at a senior-living home before the first of her three children was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for nine years before she participated in a community leadership program called "Leadership Union Grove" where she learned about the open position at Community State Bank as a result of Beth Quaderer's retirement. She started her position as the part-time Harvest Club Director and Kids' Club director in October 2016.
 
She was thrilled to be able to attend Peer Group in Vermont and found it to be especially beneficial as a brand-new club director. "The best thing about Peer Group is the connections - knowing that I can call anyone in this book (the resource directory) and ask them anything is terrific," says Jenny Braun, club director at Community State Bank in Union Grove, Wisconsin. After attending the conference, she says, "You don't feel so alone."
She started out planning day trips like the Milwaukee Food Tour and a Lake Geneva cruise before scheduling her first overnight excursion, which will be to Mackinac Island in October. But since returning from Peer Group she has broadened her horizons. "I didn't really know about the great PTO options until Peer Group. They make it so easy to book a trip. Judy with Mayflower Tours is helping me with a river cruise."

Jenny is just one of six club directors who experienced Peer Group for the first time this year. We are so excited to open the circle and welcome so many new friends into the HCI family. We have so much to learn from each other.
Collette                 Islands in the Sun      Hospitality Tours     
Globus           CTN Travels  Mayflower Tours