DE Training Day Six

Tuesday, April 20, Day Six, Graduation Day…and Happy Birthday Carla Decker!

Another beautiful Madison day welcomed the soon-to-be DEs who were full of anticipation as they prepared to present their final case studies. Each group went through one more practice run to be sure all gave their best effort…and did they ever!! The presentations were all thorough and well thought out…and the delivery by each group was smooth, seamless, and articulate. The audience asked critical, thought provoking questions. (Thank you, Josie Collins and Marechiel Santos-Lang for joining us!) The presentations ended on a very high note with all groups feeling confident and a lot more relaxed!!

Next up was our graduation speaker, the incomparable, Bob Schumacher. Bob charmed the group from the start. He shared the story of his long journey of becoming a DE and challenged the almost, but not quite yet DEs to commit to completing their projects and to become fully immersed in the work of DEs. Bob was given a standing ovation and all were beaming from his warm words.

Following Bob was the “Getting Along” video… Despite some technical difficulties, the video made the desired impact! Diplomas, badges, pics and chants of “DE Class of 2010, Best Class Ever” followed. The wrap-up included many moving comments, testimonies from our international participants, and a moment of history in the making as Thong Yang of Marathon County EFCU became the first Hmong to become a CUDE. Thong remarked upon how far the Hmong people have come in the last twenty years, his appreciation for his new role as credit union leader, and his commitment to ensure more Hmong people go through the DE program. There was joy and tears as the events of the day unfolded. But…there was more fun to follow!!

Dinnertime found the auction in full swing as the silent bidding was ferocious and dollar amounts soared. As a special treat, The Disclosures regaled us with their big hit “Move Your Money” and a cover of the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down”. And at the request of the audience… a Johnny Cash song. Thank you Chris Morris and Chad Helminak for your melodious gifts and auction item!!!

Wallflower that he is, Bob Schumacher gladly grabbed the mic and emceed the live auction… A few items that went for big bucks were the DE Scholarship for next April, a Bucky Badger throw, and a couple of wood-carved giraffes from Malawi. Social media bidding made the process more interesting and inclusive. The Peeps War went into high drama as our pink marshmallow friends were first kidnapped then rescued only to fall prey to the deep pockets of the Nuke the Peeps supporters! It was both disturbing and crushing to witness the smile on the evil regulator as he nuked them into oblivion!!! See for yourself…

In the end, we raised approximately $6,500!

As always, the night ended in a bitter-sweet note as final good-byes and lasting hugs were exchanged, while the joy of going through training and becoming a DE was palpable in this cool spring night.