6 Hoosier Banker November 2014 November is the month that we in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving. Special “Days of Fasting” and “Days of Thanksgiving” were first recognized in other countries in the 1500s. The Protestant Reformation influenced the organization of these days in an effort to simplify the many church holidays – as many as 95 – that were being celebrated annually. Each holiday required church attendance, in addition to 52 Sundays per year, which meant foregoing work and sometimes making payment for costly celebrations. The streamlined approach advocated by Puritans was to set a limited number of Days of Fasting, to follow disasters or threats, and Days of Thanksgiving, recognizing blessings and good fortune. This religious/cultural backdrop intertwined with the story of the Puritans, who came to the New World and survived the harsh climate, with guidance from neighboring Indians. The first nationalized U.S. Thanksgiving holiday was declared by President George Washington as Nov. 26, 1789: “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God.” I suspect that, having recently won a long and brutal Revolutionary War, and having erected a new, democratic government with an established president, that indeed there was much to be thankful for. That first nationalized celebration was not, however, the first Thanksgiving Day, as various religious groups and communities had been observing the holiday at different times in the United States since 1621. The very first, of course, was in Plymouth, now located in Massachusetts. From those early beginnings through today, we celebrate and express our thankfulness for the bounty with which we have been blessed. And blessed we are to be born in the United States, where freedom reigns and we the people have the right to petition government at all levels. We have food at our disposal, plentiful shelter, outstanding health care and abundant resources. Certainly, we also face many unsolved societal problems. The world is constantly changing and, as we change with it, new issues emerge, such as cybersecurity. I am confident that we will manage cybersecurity issues and others in time. I am confident that the United States stands to increase its economic strength relative to the rest of the world. Energy and food are core resources that set the foundation upon which economic success rests. We have been and continue to be the world leader in food production. We experience more agricultural production than anyone else in the world, and the efficiency with which we produce food continues to improve. On the energy front, we have diminished our reliance on FEATURE President’s Ponderings S. Joe DeHaven, President & Chief Executive Officer, Indiana Bankers Association foreign oil from 70 percent, 40 years ago, to only 3 percent today. And it gets even better! In the past few years, three trillion barrels of oil have been discovered in the United States, and 2,500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas has been uncovered. This is enough fuel to meet the consumption of the United States for the next 100 years. Plus we have the most sophisticated financial services system in the world with which to finance all of these newfound resources. No other country on earth enjoys the intricate banking system that we have, which provides localized financial services. Our banks operate internationally, nationally, regionally and locally, allowing us to satisfy the needs of every business and consumer. Yes, we have much to be thankful for, and I believe that it will continue to get better for generations to come. Happy Thanksgiving to you, and thank you for your support of IBA and your service to your customers and communities. Branch Management Graduates On Nov. 4, participating bankers completed the 2014 Branch Management Series of the Indiana Bankers Association. Pictured are (row 1, left to right): Sarah Corder,West End Bank, Richmond; Alexa Chamberlin, Citizens State Bank, Pendleton; Tammy Wilson, Lafayette Savings Bank; Kylene Sickafus, Security Federal Savings Bank, Logansport; Rebecca Piercy, Security Federal Savings Bank, Logansport; Kelly Maynard, Security Federal Savings Bank, Logansport; Jenny Tolbert, Bloomfield State Bank, Bloomington; Danielle Hill, Farmers State Bank,Topeka; Jessica Brodock, Farmers State Bank, Fremont; (row 2, left to right): Beverly Vaught, First National Bank of Carmi, Illinois; Melissa Lundmark, First Farmers Bank and Trust Company,Wabash; Diana Graham, First Farmers Bank and Trust Company,Terre Haute; Tyler Swago, iAB Financial Bank, Fort Wayne; Erica Bennett, iAB Financial Bank, Fort Wayne; Kelli Brandt, Garrett State Bank, Fort Wayne; Larry Simpson, Lafayette Savings Bank; Kaitlyn Donahue,The Peoples State Bank, Bloomington; James Ross, Farmers State Bank, LaGrange; (row3, left to right): Beth Isaacs, First Bank Richmond, NA, Cambridge City; Sarah Fry, Napoleon State Bank, Greensburg; Regina Hall, First Harrison Bank, Corydon; Brittany Kiesler, First Harrison Bank, Corydon; Roxann Scott, First Farmers Bank and Trust Company, Dana; Kyle White, First Bank of Berne; and (row 4, left to right): Dan Holland, Mid-Southern Savings Bank, Orleans; Boubacar Balde,The National Bank of Indianapolis; Kyler McReynolds, Peoples Trust & Savings Bank, Newburgh; Ben Knowles,The National Bank of Indianapolis, Carmel; Steve Bryant,The Peoples State Bank, Bloomington; Erik Miller, Bloomfield State Bank, Bloomington; and Ben Sparrenberger, Peoples Trust & Savings Bank, Newburgh.
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