General Media Picks Up on CU Travels

BOSTON-BostonHerald.com ran an article entitled `Junket choice shows very little conventional wisdom’ last week commenting on a Massachusetts CU League credit union meeting scheduled for Orlando in 2006. “Once they were fighting FDR’s good fight against the “economic royalists.” Now they’re sipping cocktails in the Magic Kingdom,” Reporter Brett Arends characterized it. He also criticized the group for not holding its meeting in-state, where local businesses could reap the benefits. Arends also stated, “The tax-free banking bosses met at the luxurious Gaylord Palms resort the last time they went to Orlando, in 2002.” The article also notes that this year’s conference was at a four-star Westin in San Francisco and, the year before, at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas. Rob Kimmett of the Massachusetts Credit Union League was quoted as saying the organization draws 800 to 1,000 officials to its annual conference. He defended the trips in the article, saying, “These are great venues for holding meetings, and where we know we can bring people together, interact and have the opportunity to cooperate.” Kimmett added that Boston’s downtown facilities are fully booked for late June 2006 so the convention is not detracting from the local economy and the league holds dozens of meetings at home every year.