July 2019
HCI Monthly News & Updates
Message from our Board Chair

Hello Summer!!  I love the long days, the unending supply of popsicles, and the evening fire pit with s’mores. In between softball and baseball games, we soak up as much of the summer as we can because it all goes so fast! Before we know it, school will be starting and I will have quiet lunch breaks again.

If you are planning on showing an outdoor movie for your club this summer, or anytime for that matter, make sure you are following the copyright licensing. One of HCI’s corporate sponsors, MPLC ( Motion Picture Licensing Corporation) has helpful advice and education for our members about the need for copyright compliance when movies and other audiovisual programs are shown. They offer a reduced price license for HCI members that will allow for unlimited exhibitions of movies within your Heritage Club. For more information or to obtain a license you can click here or you can go to www.mplc.org . It’s one of the many perks of being a member of HCI!

Peer Group Conference registration will be open later this month. Don’t wait until next January to get signed up. Ask your bank manager, mark your calendars and get registered right away. The more people that attend = the more information shared and our hearts and minds will be overflowing! We would love for you to attend!

As you gather with friends and family this Fourth of July season, grilling out, watching fireworks and singing with Lee Greenwood, take a moment to give thanks. We live in an amazing country because of the brave men and women fighting for and protecting what we stand for. The opportunities we are blessed to experience should not be taken for granted. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Just the sound of that makes me puff up my chest a little, smile and feel strong.

  “I’ll proudly stand up, next to you, and defend her still today. Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God Bless the USA”. -  Lee Greenwood

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Melanie Davis, CBCD
Farmers Savings Bank & Trust
Vinton, IA
NEW! Club Newsletters Now Online

HCI is now posting our club directors' newsletters on our website. Our Partners can learn more about what the clubs are doing, and our Bankers can share ideas by reading each other's newsletters.

Bankers, please add HCI to your newsletter distribution list so we can include your newsletters, too. Tina @HeritageClubs.com or PO Box 1866, Maple Grove, MN 55311.

To find a club director's newsletters, you must be an active HCI member.
  • Log in with your own credentials at www.HeritageClubs.com
  • Access the Directory from the Member drop-down menu
  • Search for the member in the directory to locate their profile
  • Click on the link next to "Club Newsletters" to be directed to the bank's page on the HCI site. From there you can access copies of their recent editions.
  • If the "Club Newsletters" field doesn't exist, then we don't yet have any newsletters for that member. At this moment, we only have a couple, but we hope to have many more in the next few months.
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Midwest Flood Relief! Together we raised $325!! HCI will match that for a total contribution of $650. Way to go!
TASK FORCE OPPORTUNITIES

Many of you at Peer Group expressed an interest in serving on one of our task forces. The time commitment is just one hour each month from August through January when you dial into a toll-free conference call line. The time and dates will be determined by the chair and communicated in July so you can add them all to your calendar at once.

This year we will have three task forces.
  • Banking Task Force - Event Planning - How to plan an event at the bank
  • Travel Task Force - Creative Marketing - Concepts that will help name and market a tour
  • Veterans Task Force -Update the Glossary of Terms
 
We need Bankers and Partners alike. So, if you would like to be a task force member, send an email to Tina Goeske and let her know if you have a preference for which one you'd like to be on.
HOT TIP OF THE MONTH!









SAVE THE DATE
The HCI 2020 Peer Group Conference will be held in Independence, Missouri
February 24 - 28, 2020
Make plans now to join us!

Independence loves welcoming visitors and helping them map their journeys — they’ve been doing it for generations! Whether you’re seeking a relaxing, getaway destination, an action-packed adventure, or an immersive, yesteryear experience, exercise your right to a fun, educational and entertaining experience in Independence, Missouri.

Look for your registration announcement in your in-box on July 10 .
Member Spotlight
Becky Custer
First National Bank of Griffin
Griffin, GA
Becky Custer has been working in her bank’s trust department since the day she started there 41 years ago. The First Friends club started 31 years ago, and Becky became the director following the retirement of its first director in 2000.

“The club is the best part of my job, that’s for sure!” She says, “I love being able to take people on trips and helping them see the world, which they might not otherwise do – to see their faces light up when they see something they never thought they would. Especially the widows who want to travel, but don’t want to go alone.”

She and her husband, Thomas, who travels with her, have a map of the world and put flags in the places that they have been. Many times, people will ask her which is her favorite destination, and she struggles to answer that because she loves it all. “At one time my ultimate dream was to go to Australia; now I’ve been there three times and have loved different parts of it each time. But I can’t say it’s my favorite because China was great, Ireland is beautiful, and I love Italy. I was just in Iceland, and it was gorgeous – but in a different way. Once you start traveling, you get to enjoy the different beauties all over the world. So, I don’t have a favorite – I have a lot of memories.”

Her husband is a big help to her on the trips. He keeps his eyes on everyone while she manages the details. And, her members find him very entertaining and love the attention he shows them on tour. “That’s the best help I can get,” she says, “plus, when you get to the hotel room at night, you have a ‘vent’ partner to talk things through with!”

In addition to extended tours, she offers day trips, seminars, movies, bingo and card games. Becky is in a community that offers many different travel and social opportunities for seniors. Because of this competition, she needs to be careful with her planning to attract people and keep them engaged in the First Friends club. She has some members who love overseas trips and some who don’t fly, so she tries to provide a variety of trips so she has something that each person can participate in. She uses PTOs for her tours because they do such a great job providing fantastic options for her members.

Becky continues to be an active member of HCI through serving on a task force each year. Her contributions to the discussions each month are so greatly appreciated, and allow HCI to continue to provide amazing resources and helpful best practices to our members.

Becky and Thomas have two grown sons, and they have just welcomed their first grandchild three months ago. Congratulations to the new grandma!
Partner Profile - Enjoy Eagan
Denise Olsen with Enjoy Eagan in Minnesota is excited to invite you to the Twin Cities. She is ready to provide personalized service in planning your next group tour. “We make it really easy to plan a trip,” she says, “by gathering all pricing and attributes for the club director, then tracking it and following up prior to arrival. All it takes is one phone call.” They prepare gift bags for each person on the tour and will do a Meet & Greet (based upon availability).

Eagan, Minnesota has many local attractions that you won’t want to miss
E agan is the new home of the Minnesota Vikings! The team’s headquarters and practice facility are located on a 400-acre campus called Viking Lakes. It includes the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, a world-class indoor training facility with a 100-yard synthetic surface field, large locker room, expanded weight room and media production studio. It also features an expanded outdoor stadium that seats 6,000 to 10,000 people (stayed tuned for an upcoming concert series announcement). You don’t have to be a Vikings fan to appreciate the Vikings Museum which provides a comprehensive history of football in Minnesota with interactive exhibits, a 360-degree video theatre and hundreds of historical artifacts. The Vikings Museum is one of only four NFL team museums currently open in the United States.

Twin Cities Premium Outlets is located in Eagan and features over 100 high-end stores. Shoppers will enjoy savings of up to 65 percent at a variety of leading manufacturers of apparel, shoes and home goods including Under Armour, Vera Bradley, Coach, Kate Spade New York and many more! And remember, there’s no sales tax on clothing or shoes!
E agan is a great hub-and-spoke destination with both downtown Saint Paul and Minneapolis being less than a 30-minute drive. The area has so many fantastic attractions such as Fort Snelling, the newly remodeled Minnesota State Capitol building, and Padelford River boats along with many shopping and entertainment options! And, with the free hotel shuttles from most Eagan hotels, and the affordable and easy-to-use light rail system, your members can access many more options for “independent touring” during their visit.

Enjoy Eagan gives you a helping hand from beginning to end.
Below are some of their services and features:
  • Will get hotel rates for your group based on your needs and budget.
  • Provide “Welcome to Eagan” bags for all your attendees, which include a complimentary Twin Cities Premium Outlets VIP Coupon Book voucher, area information and other Eagan goodies.
  • Conveniently located at I-35E and I-494.
  • Only 5 minutes to MSP International Airport and Mall of America® with complimentary shuttle service from most Eagan hotels.
  • Over 100 dining options to choose from; many group-friendly dining establishments.
  • Free motor coach parking.
  • Eagan offers a LOW 3% lodging tax!

Let Denise help you plan an amazing experience for your group. Whether you’re looking to be entertained, educated, inspired or just want some new “shopportunities” – Eagan is the place to start. Call her today at 651-675-5542. Denise@EaganMN.com  www.EaganMN.com