In 1836, a few hundred Texans defended themselves against thousands of Mexicans besieging the Alamo. During that defense, Colonel William Barrett Travis penned a letter for help, that in part said: "To the People of Texas and all Americans in the world. I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Ann. The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion. I have answered the demand with a cannon shot and our flag still waves. I shall never surrender or retreat.I call on you in the name of liberty, patriotism and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid .the enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible. Victory or death" Here is a modern-day rendition of that letter based on current credit union events in the Lone Star State: "To credit union members and executives across the country. We are besieged by a thousand or more bankers. The enemy has demanded a surrender of our credit union We have answered the demand with a cannon shot-the formation of a Coalition for Member Trust. We shall never surrender or retreat. I call on you in the name of liberty, patriotism and everything dear to the American credit union character, to come to our aid with all dispatch. "The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt continue to increase their efforts. "If this call is neglected, we are determined to sustain ourselves as long as possible. Victory or Conversion." Mark Arnold Member/Spokesperson Coalition for Member Trust Dallas, Texas