December 6, 2007

PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire County Chapter of the Massachusetts Credit Union League welcomed Lanesboro Balleyleague Credit Union Chairman, Joe Donlon, to the Berkshires. Mr. Donlon visited as part of a delegation of 17 representatives from Lanesboro, Ireland to Lanesboro, Massachusetts. Asked how he felt about the warm reception from Berkshire County credit unions, Donlan proclaimed in his Irish brogue, “I feel that I’m amongst me own.”

In October, Donlon was the honorary guest speaker at the chapter dinner at the Cork and Hearth in Lee. Donlon provided background on his own credit union and the credit union movement in Ireland and said, "We all serve the same purpose - we are for the people”. Balleyleague has a staff of four people and serves 3,000 Member/Owners. With ATM’s and plastic debit cards a thing of the future at Balleyleague, he feels their greatest challenge is marketing the credit union philosophy to the people. “We are working toward the concept of sharing marketing resources with three other credit unions to get our word out there.”

Chapter President Clare Klose said, “It’s fascinating to hear about our similarities with a credit union separated from us by the Atlantic Ocean. Regardless of size, or latitude, all credit unions share the same mission. I was most interested in Ireland’s decision to begin banding together with 17 other chapter credit unions, in developing the concept of shared branches, which is something that provides a model for all of us.”

Donlon also spent time touring three credit unions in Berkshire County: Mycom, Berkshire Federal Credit Union and Greylock Federal Credit Union. John Bissell, Senior Vice President Marketing and Administration at Greylock, on behalf of the credit union, received a hand made sculpture entitled, “Salmon Of Knowledge” made from bog oak 5,600 years old from the Kenaugh Bog in Longford, Ireland. The Salmon of Knowledge is one of ancient Ireland’s great stories shared from generation to generation.

Greylock Federal Credit Union was recently rated the top credit union in the United States for total value returned to Members/Owners according to Callahan & Associates, a national credit union research and consulting firm. Greylock Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, attends school, worships or regularly conducts business in Berkshire County. Greylock Federal is wholly owned by its more than 60,000 members and Greylock offers full-service branches in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, Lee, Adams, North Adams, and Williamstown. More information is available at www.greylock.org.