Hong Kong in July !

Hong Kong Photo Gallery - some familiar faces

http://www.woccu.org/events/wcuc/wcuc_photogallery

Fresh from the Annual Conference credit unionists are looking forward to their annual jolly abroad.

Last year a well known Irish credit union activist volunteer boarded the flight to Calgary in Canada wearing a tee shirt festooned with credit union pins from across the world. This year no doubt they are looking forward to adding to their growing collection of pins. It seems about the only thing of value garnered from these international jollies is the ubiquitous credit union pin.

Once again the largest group of international delegates will probably be the Irish credit unionist brigade who this year will travel to Hong Kong for their annual get together.

What isn’t widely known is credit unions foot the bill for these travelling delegates and sometimes their partners. A quick calculation of the cost of a trip, including the conference, comes to somewhere in the region of €4000 per delegate and €2000 for their companion. It is common for 150 or so Irish delegates to attend which amounts to a cost of €600,000 all paid for by their credit unions.

The Irish delegation to these annual events is always one of the largest. The WOCCU World Conference is touted as a developmental opportunity – yet after years of tripping abroad Irish credit unions haven’t introduced one new product or innovation.

So what value has really accrued save the odd credit union pin, photographs, fond memories of nights out and the odd souvenir ?

In a year when credit unions have lost over €95m in investments with many faced with announcing the lowest dividends ever – can credit unions really justify sending so many so far for so little.

see here for previous trips:
http://www.independent.ie/business/habemus-junketus-maximus-469317.html

http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2002/06/24/story30669.asp