Breaking ground on the new HRCU branch

On Sunday, July 27th 2008, HRCU Directors, Committee Members, management and staff headed south to the beautiful village of Independence on board the Sagitun Bus. This was a special visit to meet with credit union member-owners and to participate in the official ground breaking ceremony for the new branch office to be built on the corner of Fadden Avenue and Mango Street.

Villagers and HRCU member-owners turned out in great numbers for the meeting which was held at the SENter on Fadden Avenue. After hearing reports from President Karl Menzies, Treasurer Jane Usher, Chairpersons Marion Marsden and Jose Can, a very interesting session of questions and answers about the affairs of HRCU took place followed by the drawing of attractive cash prizes. The emcee for the grand occasion was Mrs. Beth Zabaneh who together with her husband Tony Zabaneh has been running the show as far back as 1971.

According to Mrs. Zabaneh, the credit union operations have now gotten too big to simply run from the confines of their grocery and hardware store. The timing was ripe for the opening of HRCU’s first official branch and what better a place than in the beautiful village of Independence, home of the Banana Belt, where almost 2,000 villagers are already HRCU member-owners.

Immediately after the AGM the proud HRCU member-owners walked the short distance to the location of the soon to come “HRCU Independence Branch”. After the ground was officially blessed by Pastor Stephen Post, the poster board with a picture of the building was unveiled by Mrs. Elizabeth Zabaneh. Following the unveiling, President Karl Menzies assisted Mrs. Jane Usher with the shovel to break ground amid thunderous applauses from onlookers. Miss Jane, as she is affectionately known, has been elected to serve the member-owners of HRCU as their Treasurer since 1956, and together with her late husband, Henry Charles Usher, was also actively involved during the formative years of HRCU dating back to May 1944. At almost age 91 she continues to serve efficiently and effectively and is no doubt one among few pioneers of the Credit Union Movement in Belize who still continue to actively serve. Her years of dedicated and distinguished service no doubt earn her the title of “mother” of the Credit Union Movement which also explains why to many she is also affectionately known as “Ma Jane”.

The building’s architect, Mr. Anthony Thurton, is currently in the final stages of the blueprint layout, hence construction should commence shortly. According to HRCU’s financial controller, the member-owners of HRCU in Independence have begged and pleaded that they be given the opportunity to build their own building since they will be the ones to benefit from its presence in their village. This request should certainly be given serious consideration by HRCU’s Board of Directors for when you stop to think about it this would certainly make for a very happy ending for those who have been patiently awaiting the building of HRCU’s Independence Branch office.

We at the Belize Times congratulate HRCU, in particular Miss Jane and her hard-working staff, on achieving yet another milestone – its first branch office and hopefully the first of many to come for the benefit of all Belizeans!