[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15531]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



          SERVICE 1ST CREDIT UNION CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 18, 2000

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
members and employees of the Service 1st Federal Credit Union in 
Danville, Pennsylvania, on the occasion of the credit union's upcoming 
25th anniversary.
  Service 1st was originally known as Geisinger Federal Credit Union 
when it was founded in August, 1975, by several employees of Geisinger 
Medical Center who saw the need to provide a financial services 
alternative to their fellow workers. The name change was made to 
reflect the expanded field of membership and the credit union's 
commitment to all of its members.
  Over the years, the credit union has grown into a full-service 
financial institution with membership expanded well beyond the 
employees of the Geisinger Health System. With branches in Wilkes-
Barre, Lewisburg and Selinsgrove, Service 1st now provides service to 
more than 150 employee groups, including workers at Bucknell 
University, Susquehanna University, and Tri-County Farm and Home 
Supply.
  Service 1st also has a unique program, headed by Kathy Linn, chair of 
the board, that allows students at Danville Area High School to join 
and work in a branch that is based right in the high school.
  Service 1st has come a long way since its founding 25 years ago and 
is now a well-established credit union with more than 13,000 members 
and more than 450 million in assets. In June, Service 1st opened its 
new headquarters in Danville at 1027 Bloom St., complete with a drive-
up ATM and drive-through teller service as well as expanded business 
hours inside the lobby.
  Mr. Speaker, Service 1st and its strong commitment to its members 
serve as a good example of why I and others in the Congress worked to 
enact the Credit Union Membership Access Act that President Clinton 
signed into law in 1998. Credit unions serve an important purpose as a 
non-profit provider of financial services to millions of Americans.
  Pennsylvania in particular has the highest proportion of credit union 
membership of any state in the nation, with one out of every four 
Pennsylvanians belonging to a credit union.
  I send my best wishes to the members and employees of the Service 1st 
Federal Credit Union on their 25th anniversary and my wishes for 
continued success.

                          ____________________