BATON ROUGE, La. — Plenty of larger credit unions merge in smaller credit unions, but at one CU here an effort has been made to ensure the heritage of the disappearing credit union isn’t forgotten.
In December, the $347-Pelican State Credit Union merged in the $10.2-million St. Jules Credit Union, along with its four employees, 2,627 members and one branch in Lafayette, La.
Seeking to recognize the heritage of St. Jules CU, Pelican CU has memorialized it as part of its redesigned branch. As part of the grand opening of Pelican’s new St. Jules branch, the credit union unveiled a new wall mural in the branch that includes photos of the founders of St. Jules CU, the credit union’s logo and scenes from its early days.
St. Jules CU was formed in 1968 by the parishioners of the St. Jules Catholic Church parish, and it was housed in the church for many years. In 1998, the credit union opened its first and only branch. To honor the former CU’s tradition, St. Jules Church Deacon Reggie Bollich blessed the branch prior to Pelican’s ribbon cutting ceremony.
Keeping With Tradition
In keeping with another tradition, the grand opening also included a crawfish giveaway where more than 150 members joined in to dine on 500 pounds of crawfish, corn and potatoes. They were also entered to win a 55-inch Smart TV.
According to Pelican State CU, guests also enjoyed a “spaghetti supper” spin-off, similar to St. Jules CU’s traditional annual meeting menu.
Since 1998, Pelican State CU, which is SEG-based, has merged in 10 other credit unions across Louisiana.
“At Pelican, mergers are all about two families coming together to continue to serve credit union members and their communities. Whether our team is supporting a merger, providing free financial education or reviewing a loan, we are committed to listening to the whole story,” said Pelican CEO Jeffrey K. Conrad in a statement.