SECU What's Next? "L'Etat, C'est Moi!"?

     Louis XIV  

   ... CLO and King of France (1638-1715)

😎 King Louis XIV was famous for declaring "L'Etat, C'est Moi!" ... basically "I am the law!". Royalty can perhaps get away with that, but it doesn't work real well in any democratic structure. If you want proof, ask Louis' grandson, Louis XVI. He ultimately had "his head handed to him in a basket" ...

✅ The latest letter :

Ms. Caroline Warren, NC Credit Union Division 

June 16, 2025

re: 2025 SECU Board Election Policies and Procedures.

Dear Ms. Warren,

To follow up on the letter from Ms. Plaut sent to you over the weekend [link]. The legal rhetoric aside, the summary appears to be that the SECU CLO believes no notice to members was required, since no changes were made in the 2025 SECU Board Election Policies and Procedures [EPAP].

We believe that is not true and that changes were made which prevented several, independent SECU members from filing application packages to the SECU Nominating Committee in a timely manner.

The 2025 SECU Board Election Policies and Procedures, a package consisting of 4 pages, were posted on May 2, 2025 - 165 days prior to the Annual Meeting. We had checked the SECU website on several occasions around the 180 day required, record-date for changes and found none. This affirms Ms. Plaut's statement that no notice of EPAP changes were posted in 2025.

It would appear that the SECU CLO would claim that the fourth page of 2025 SECU Board Election Policies and Procedures - "the Schedule" - should not be considered, when evaluating the need for appropriate notice to the SECU membership. The four page package of 2025 SECU Board Election Policies and Procedures was posted as a unified document. Significant changes occurring on any page should require notice to the SECU membership.The SECU Board clearly incorporated the fourth page as a crucial part of the 2025 EPAP (see the page heading below):

"The 2025 procedures are a carbon copy of the 2024 procedures.", as the SECU CLO assures us, is obviously not an accurate statement. The SECU CLO makes a very reasonable observation about the EPAP Schedule: "... dates in fact change each year to reflect the new Annual Meeting Date for the particular year; in some years the dates also shifted slightly to avoid having them fall on weekends or holidays or otherwise to facilitate scheduling." 

No problem with that idea in theory, but as the SECU CLO well knows that is not what has occurred in the 2025 SECU Board Election Policies and Procedures Schedule. The SECU CLO changed the 2025 SECU Board Election Policies and Procedures, reducing by 15 days the time period in which SECU members could file independent nomination packages to the Nominating Committee. The SECU membership did not receive notice of this new, significant restriction in its membership ownership and governance rights. This was not a "weekends, holidays or otherwise" insignificant change.

As you continue your review of this "complaint", we would request that you directly review the written minutes of the SECU governance committee and/or SECU Board which normally would review and discuss this type change. While the opinion of the SECU CLO is certainly of value, it is not difficult to see the potential conflicts of interests. Which is being represented:  the CLO's professional reputation, the best interests of the Board, or the best interests of the SECU membership - and their governance rights?

Additional information will be filed with you tomorrow documenting that members' intent to be considered for nomination have actually been curtailed.

Lastly, suggested "back when" that all this could be easily resolved without a "complaint", but.... 

✅ I find it ironic that if the 2025 SECU Board Election Policies and Procedures had not been changed that interested members could have filed their nomination packages up until... June 17th.. that's tomorrow!

Sincerely, 

Jim Blaine, SECU Member

 

cc: PLAUT, CATHY" <CATHY.PLAUT@ncsecu.org>

 

... much talk about kings and queens these days, isn't there!!