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What is Locust Lane RCU?

Locust Lane Royal Credit Union is a student-run credit union and an exciting way for elementary students to save.

Who goes there?

Anyone can have an account, and once they do, they can get a pouch for that account. This pouch is used to hold their account card, deposit and withdrawal slip, cash, change and/or checks. Teachers collect the money pouches every morning.

For every 500 student deposits our school gets a $250 prize.

There is no limit to how much cash students can deposit. Students can also withdraw money. They have to get a parent signature on the bottom of their deposit/withdrawal slip.

Locust Lane RCU is open to all kids that have an account at Royal Credit Union, even if they don't go to the elementary school. But only students in grades three through five at the Locust Lane Elementary School can be employees.

Depositors get prizes, and enter into drawings for savings bonds and other larger prizes.

First fill out an application

The first step of becoming an employee is filling out a job application. These applications are used to determine whether or not students are fit for the positions. These applications are realistic and request references and information on qualifying experience. They also list characteristics that would help us in our jobs.

Then go to the interview

Few students who apply for jobs get interviews.

After successfully completing an application, certain people are chosen to get interviews. These people are extremely lucky, for few people make it to this stage. The interviews are held in a conference room.

Only students in grades three through five can work in the credit union.

The supervisor and the teacher rep interview us. We are asked questions like, If someone's deposit slip said they had $5.67 and they actually had $4.98, what would you do? and other questions based on real-life workplace situations.

For the public relations interviews, we have to create a sample poster for the grand opening. The questions we are asked pertain to how we would get kids interested in saving.

We train at the main branch

Job training is held in the downtown RCU office. Tellers are taught skills like how to use the computers to put money in the account. Public relations (PR) students are taught advertising techniques. They make posters and a "deposit counter" as a part of training too. After that, we're ready to roll!

Being a teller is awesome!

There are four stations in the teller position. They are:

•  Greeter/pouch emptier: Greets students, empties money from pouches;



•  Cash counter: Counts money to verify that the amount on the deposit ticket is correct;



•  Computer worker: Deposits money into students accounts using a computer;



•  Receipt ripper/ stamper: Rips student's deposit receipts and stamps their prize card.

Being a teller has its ups and downs, but ultimately it's awesome!

Good PR is the key

The PR's job is important. We have to get the other students to want to save their money.

We do this through posters and announcements. Locust Lane RCU is held every Thursday, so we do an announcement every Wednesday.

Kids want to save money

Some younger students are just learning to read, so advertising posters need pictures.

We've found that if you want to advertise well, you have to be original. Instead of making tons of posters that look alike, you have to make them different and colorful.

Since some of the younger students are just learning to read, so you have to put pictures on your posters too. Changing posters often is a good idea also.

When it comes to loudspeaker announcements, be creative! If you have a slogan that you really like, don't repeat it too often. It gets really dull. Instead, make up a new announcement every week, and only at last resort use the old "RCU is tomorrow!" announcement.

And we win prizes!

Students get small prizes every four deposits. Larger prizes are drawn every once in a while. Best of all, every 500 deposits our school gets $250!

Workers are rewarded at the end of the year with a pizza party at Pizza Del Re. (Yum!) When we have eaten all the pizza, salad, and pudding we possibly can, it's time for the certificates. Each employee receives a certificate and a cup with candy and ten dollars in it.

Even though all these things are wonderful, even better are the memories that go with it!

by Meghan Marquardt and Mariah Mousel.

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A Day in the Life of a Credit Union Teller	Adding Interest to Savings	Should I save…or Spend Now?

FALSE. Lincoln's first pet was a pig. He liked to feed it acorns.