ALEXANDRIA, Va.-NCUA handled a number of chartering changes during the month of September, according to its Insurance Report of Activity. Twenty-four underserved areas were adopted in September by 18 federal credit unions. The largest area added was Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, Md.-with a population of nearly one million-for $268 million Washington Telephone Federal Credit Union. Another populous underserved area adopted was Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey with 394,114 potential members for $156 million Garden Savings Federal Credit Union. In all, federal credit unions added about three million potential members in this manner. Nine federal credit unions converted to community charters, including two with more than one million residents each. Nearly five million potential members were added through community charter conversions. Additionally, three community charters expanded their fields of membership, including Visionary Federal Credit Union for 1.4 million potential members in Allegheny County, Pa. The merger craze raged on with 31 in the month of September. Total assets of the merging credit unions came to $377 million, almost all of which were of credit unions under $10 million in assets. Two state chartered credit unions, FCE Federal Credit Union in Omaha, Neb. ($90 million) and Texas Industries Employees Federal Credit Union ($12.6 million), joined the federal fold. Contra Costa Federal Credit Union (Martinez, Calif.) was approved for a duplicate TIP charter to serve state and local government employees.