ONE WOMAN ap a> ~ _ a - " * « . ~~ . eet we oo. oe 7 : . . , a . Loe brn) By MARILYN JOHNSON. Financial institutions are traditionally staid places where the business of dealing with money. is carried .on with appropriate reverence. More and more this picture is becoming _ obsolete, and’ nowhere is the -change more ‘obvious - than’ in credit unions, which: are ‘very much ‘people places’. A good example of a ‘people place’ is. the North Shore Credit Union in ‘Edgemont Village, and a great deal of the - Credit goes to the branch manager, Inge. Drews. “Basically what is ~im- portant is that the people we serve are shareholders of the credit union — this gives them sort of a_ personal feeling. The feeling does get across to them that we are employed by them. “In a nice way, of course, they think: This is my credit union,” she says. « -Born——and—raised- in- Bremen, West Germany, _ Mrs. Drews came to Canada with her husband 12 years ago and had a daughter.the first year here. “I stayed with her until she went to school and then it was time to go and do something. Just cooking and looking after the house — I didn’t like that.” ~~ -, She had trained in ac- counting in Bremen and had the equivalent of a year short of a C.G.A. (Certified General Accountant). She applied for a job at the North Shore Credit Union, was hired almost immediately, and four years later, at the \ Double protection ‘the team.. age of 33, she was made branch manager when .the | Edgemont. Village _ branch opened in December, 1978. RESPONSIBILITIES : INakes recommendations.on loan applications, looks after present there is:a staff. of. ‘seven (she includes herself in person twice a week. - “I look at it as a business I am. running,” says Mrs. Drews. “You're part of the credit union; you're part of branch is my part and I take pride in it. “TI really totally enjoy it.” How does a credit union differ from a bank? ~ “It’s basically a nonprofit organization and a bank is not. -Every member of a -. credit union is a shareholder and has the right to vote to elect a board of governors, which sets our policies. “All-of our savings are 100 per cent insured whereas a bank is insured up to $25,000 of -your investment: ~ Our service charges ‘are not as high; our mortgage rates are a little higher. “We do not have accounts in U.S. funds as banks do. You have to ‘convert to. Caradian funds.” ~ Some credit unions use banks as a clearing house for cheques, and they are usually open to the public for longer hours. ' Inge and her husband have beén separated since September and she says, “It could be my job had something to do with it. one _ “I think, it’s a big ad- justment for a man especially if his wife was at home for a long time. My . husband didn’t really know - me working. “My job cati_be’ very demanding and ‘time con- - _all the administration,’ and - compiles: ~ the... monthly financial statement. At. suming. I changed more than he did. I-changed back to the person I actually used tobe.” _— Only different. Another major adjustment was immigrating to a foreign country and making it home. ‘In Germany English is ' taught two or three times a week from grade 4 on, and Mrs. Drews’ English is correspondingly good. But, she says, “People do not always accept you when you first_come and _stumble_over words. Although in Van- couver, it is great,” she adds. MORE TOLERANT “Moving from one country: to another, you become. ‘more. generous and more tolerant. You have a SMILING BECAUSE she branch runs better. “If you have a lot of changeover, inefficiency builds up.” Jobs are rotated, everyone (including herself) -takes turns at ‘kitchen duties’, and Don't’ panic;-the-thances:" too-hot:”'These thermostats QN,.000. enjoy working in credit of your iron melting are very __ must. SG of He noe ——Tslim,- ~qnadian—Stan-—-cycles~-betore” CSA at — o dards~“*Agssociation’s in- certify them, but still, the “Most of the members like spectorsihave-recajved afew odd-onetasfailed——"-" ~~ “io ‘come here, too,” “Mrs. reports and: now the stan- Now, irons will receive Drews says, “though there dard has been imptoyed. double protection in the are some who say we're too : a form of a temperature friendly, too outgoing.” A thermostat in your iron sensitive Tuse or an equal prevents heat from building device, which will shut the.“ Well, you can't please up by shutting off the power iron off if the original everyone. when the temperature gets thermostat fails. LADIES Win a $25.00 Shopping Spree at your Favourite GROCERY STORE CLOTHING STORE SHOE STORE BEAUTY SHOP and a FREE CATERED DINNER for yourself and four coup}es of your choice. Mail this,to: Jeppesen Enterprises Ltd. c/o North Shore News #202 - 1139 Lonsdale N. Van., B.C. complete erent to na 7 j x cle ‘compare to. You have to Pati fotally_entoys her t ‘St. Pius X Pres ents ; we | develop an openness and . fo ” is North h re Credit 4 E. PIUS resen Ss . | you’ have to -understand hice pat os 1". Every Monday Nite ot people a lot more — why they Diekso " hot) (ASW! 2S @ oan A ar ae | actin sucha way.” me i ar a nn te ft =, es meen - ; rT o , . ay . a | This openness and ‘un- 7 te ; derstanding probably ac- LOOSE ' 7 ; o ; counts to a large extent for . FANBELTS? n i. , l her success as a manager. In: | ‘ the six months of - its ' i- operation, the credit union . FREE BUS SERVICE 4 has attracted 1700 members, Serving Upper & Lower Lonsdale & Lynn Valiey & Mtn. Hwy. though some of these were | f transfers from other i Info: 929-6883 i branches, of course. 4 , $ “St. Pius X Parish Centre $ ‘ H a : . 1115 Loretto b Wha t BOC on re i | (opposite Seymour Golf Club) i 2 certain satisfaction in this, = 4 Early Bird 7:15 p.m. Regular 7:45. p.m. ' . My goal is to'k the staff FREE BINGO CARD WITH THIS AD - as long as possible, Thats | CHECK 'EM OFTEN. I Ou te eee come oe oe one (1 Por CUStOMer) au ane ae ane ann an aoe ane 1 very important — your whole a = = 4 = = = wy oe ® Cyt y Tie - oy ate = = a = = =" = C3 = * _i2seane 4 4 COUTITP ILA Te i s52sa5{ ageuese poe vebemn +: ne erty ttt ttt _ | “Re S ‘ : am ae enews see Ik } pepe ite ~ “Greafselstnan ip Hs a . 1 eee 7) .Of DiningRoom . - - iB : Suites & Etageres ee ae wal there ee Seah), ¢, os", SOAR LY ‘