The Evolution Of Cooperative Principles...

  George Orwell masterfully described the erosion of values and the rise of exploitation in his classic novel Animal Farm.

Every civilized society, every social movement, every cooperative effort needs and creates a set of guiding principles - a social compact, a credo, a charter which explains shared beliefs and values. The animals of Animal Farm were no different: 

✅ ORIGINAL PRINCIPLES: 

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.

3. No animal shall wear clothes. 

4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.

5. No animal shall drink alcohol.

6. No animal shall kill any other animal.

7. All animals are equal.

✔ EVOLUTIONARY PRINCIPLE:  

1. All members are equal, but some members are more equal than others.

 

Over time, those principles somehow evolved into something different! "Isn't that what we originally revolted against?", some animals quietly asked.

 

So, what's the point? In the beginning, there were several essential ideas which formed the core values of the credit union movement: one member, one vote; cooperative; non-profit; equal service to each member; consumer advocacy; volunteer leadership; unstandard answers; shared concerns; us not me. 

   Checked the barn wall lately? 

When did we abandon the average man and woman - the working class?; change our focus to the primacy of the bottom line?; lower ourselves to worshiping before the false altar of market share?; begin acting in the best interest of "the credit union" - not the members?; and start offering excuses rather than solutions?

 

  Hey really, what happened... Who let the pigs in?