Community Connection

Community
Connection
Q U A R T E R L Y
N E W S L E T T E R
In our last newsletter I said I would continue with and complete
talking about The Six Pillars or core values that the Josephson Institute
of Ethics has developed as part of their “CHARACTER COUNTS!”
program. If you remember from our last newsletter, the pillars are
Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and
Citizenship, and the bold letters in caps create the acronym TRRFCC
which is another way of saying that people with good character are
“terrific”! I covered the first three pillars last time so I’ll cover the last
three this time.
Fairness is defined as: Play by the rules • Take turns and share • Be
open-minded; listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t
blame others carelessly. We hope you consider the service we provide to
be fair and reasonable. We understand that a person’s financial dealings are important to them and we
want to be fair with our customers when working with them on these matters.
“CHARACTER COUNTS!” defines Caring as: Be kind • Be compassionate and show you care •
Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need. We have an opportunity to learn quite a bit
about an individual’s personal situation when working with them on their financial matters. We do
our best to be compassionate [Day] and help them in the best way we can. We also give back to the
communities we serve and do what we can to help those in our communities who are in need.
The last pillar is Citizenship. It is defined as: Do your share to make your school and community
better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs • Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor •
Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment. This last pillar says a lot. If we
can all be good citizens, we can make our world a better place. We encourage our employees to get
involved, and they do. As an organization, we also try to do what we can to be a good corporate
citizen. Together, we can accomplish many things.
We hope you have learned something from my review of the “CHARACTER COUNTS!” program.
In today’s hectic world, many times we forget to consider our actions and how they may affect the
world in which we live. It’s always good to slow down a bit and give some thought to what is and
what isn’t important in our lives.
And speaking of slowing down, I’m ready to do that. By the time this reaches your hands we will have
loaded up our son’s stuff in Boulder, CO, unloaded it at our place, and reloaded it to move him to Ann
Arbor, MI. We will have put on over 3,000 miles in the month of August alone just getting him from
one place to the next! Jarad was accepted into the University of Michigan’s graduate program in
architecture and design. Lucky for us, our daughter Carryn and her husband already live there so they
can keep an eye on him, and we only need to travel to one place to visit a couple of our children!
One last thing – if you haven’t checked out our Kasasa accounts, you owe it to yourself to do so.
Stop in one of our offices, give us a call, or check things out at www.fmcommunity.com.
Autumn
2 0 14
September
October
November
Daniel M. Christianson
Chief Executive Officer/Chairman of the Board
danc@fmcommunity.com
Preston 507-765-3823 • Chatfield 507-867-1605 • www.fmcommunity.com
The Chatfield Branch
Page 2
Firsts are Fun!
I will always remember a lot of the “firsts” for my girls but there are definitely some that are more
memorable than others like their first words, when they started walking, losing those baby teeth, and
starting school. However, this summer there have been some additional ‘firsts’ that will be added to the
scrapbook. This year was Myla’s first time to take a calf to the Fillmore County Open Class Dairy show.
She was so excited - smiling and dancing in the ring - I was surprised the calf didn’t take off running.
Summer of 2014 also marked the first Schwarz Family “Family Vacation”. (Some would not consider
it a vacation when there are four 3 three-year-olds running around without their naps.) This vacation
did involve [You] water. My father-in-law, Mike, hates the water. Since I have known Jason, I have
never seen him close to water - unless it was in a glass and he was drinking it. For the first time ever,
he put on his swim trunks and joined the grandkids on the Lazy River. Jacob’s daughter, Claire, was
able to get her grandfather to do something no one would believe unless it was caught on camera.
He went down a water slide, and yes, the picture is him at the bottom of the slide! I can be a little
competitive so it was another “first” when Mike beat me playing bean bags – not once, but twice! I
still have trouble admitting it. Of course, there was a friendly wager involved so I owed him money.
I planned on paying, but wanted to make him work a little for it. I had Mara and Myla (giggling)
take him a bowl of pennies and I am pretty sure that it was the first time
he has ever been paid in pennies. He went right to the bank to have it
counted - to make sure I did not short change him. He sometimes forgets
what I do. Fun Summer Memories!
This summer has gone way too fast and moving into September will be
a struggle with getting back to school and the accompanying routines.
I hope you all enjoyed the F & M cookout during Western Days. You donated $236.19 and Sunshine matched
those funds for a total of $447.37 which was donated to Western Days.
Mary Schwarz
The Chatfield Branch staff and I want to introduce and have you welcome Misty Sass. She joined our team in
June as a teller. Misty lives outside of Lanesboro and has three young boys. Be sure and greet her when you are in
the bank.
Vice President/Branch Manager
Enjoy the Fall season!
marys@fmcommunity.com
Dairy Day
Western
Days
Valleyland kids
enjoy ice cream
treats on Dairy
Day at F & M.
F & M Community Bank
Page 3
Protect Your Personal & Financial Information
By being vigilant about checking and protecting your personal and financial information
you can greatly reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft. You have been informed by many
sources to know the people you share information with, store and dispose of all personal
statements and information securely, maintain appropriate security on your computer and
other electronic devices, be responsible about the content you put on the social network
sites and, when in doubt about an inquiry or solicitation you haven’t initiated, do not give out
any information – especially social security numbers or bank account numbers.
The fraudsters are always changing their tactics and methods enabling them to compromise
your information and identity. Your best defense is to stay informed about what’s happening
and the current trends. F & M Community Bank is committed to providing you with
up-to-date information. To assist you, we have made the Bolt$ App available for free to
download to your iPhone, Android or tablets. You will receive instant alerts for transactions
over a preset amount, online telephone and mail order purchases. You will be able to
check your account balances at anytime, anywhere for unauthorized activity. Go to the
fmcommunity.com website for more information.
BOLT$™ Experience peace of mind. Wherever you are, whatever
you’re doing, you’ll know what’s happening with your account.
Aberg’s Acre
New technology and rigid pollution standards have put an end to black smoke rising from a tractor when it was pulling hard. I remember many
times opening the cab door on the 4640 and listening to the engine pull in the hills and watching some black smoke blow out of the exhaust. I
can remember my neighbor telling me he couldn’t believe how cold it was one day and then he looked up and saw the smoke from his Oliver 880
diesel blocking out the sun. I remember the neighbors International 806 diesel plowing with a 6 bottom
plow and the only interruption in smoke was when he turned on the end. I remember watching a son,
father and grandfather on a JD 4320 when the smoke coming out was inversely proportional to the age of
the driver. I can remember the smell of diesel smoke and that made me want to farm.
The newer tractors have cabs that are very spacious and ride better than a Cadillac even over rough chisel
plowing. The information available is terrific and they even can send messages to the implement dealer
or the company if there is a problem. The trouble is as a farmer I [a] can’t fix anything on the tractor. If it
throws out a code, I can look up what it is but only a technician can fix the problem. The 4440 gave you
some idea what your speed was, how much fuel you had and water temperature. If you were losing power it
was probably time to change fuel filters. If you were running too hot you cleaned out the radiator first and
I could even change a stuck thermostat.
The new transmissions want you to set them on automatic so they can automatically set the rpm’s and the gear
to maximize fuel efficiency. On the older quad range transmissions we could choose between B1, B2 or C1 when
operating in the field and we operated at full throttle. It was up to the operator to decide what gear to use in varying
conditions. I can see empty on the road that the new transmissions are nice and conserve fuel. On the planter, I still
set what gear I want to use to run 5 mph but I do use field cruise so I can come back to that speed every time. I’m sure
there are 50 pages of things I can read to learn more about how to make my world easier while driving the tractor.
Brian Aberg
The new philosophy is to make it so anybody can drive the tractor, so maybe the inexperienced driver can do a
straighter job of planting than somebody who has planted for 40 years because he is better with technology. I enjoy
the new equipment and the ease of operation and willing to use the new technology but not quite ready to give
complete control to it.
Vice President/Ag Lender
Briana@fmcommunity.com My favorite time of the year is coming soon. Harvest time. Have a great and safe harvest and enjoy the autumn season.
F & M Summit Club
Page 4
Milestones are Important!
Birthdays, graduations, and wedding anniversaries are some events we honor. The “firsts” are also documented – first day of school, first job, first
home, and other important happenings in our lives. Mary shared some “firsts” that her family experienced this past summer in her article. Celebrating
and remembering these milestones are important.
At F & M Community Bank we celebrated the 100th Anniversary of ‘being your bank’ in 2011. Now, we [See] have reached another milestone – the
Summit Club is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this month! Charter Members that have participated, traveled and enjoyed the benefits of this bank
affinity group, along with the many members that have joined in through the years, are going to be honored at a festive evening on October 1st. It
will be a time of food, fun and fellowship just as so many of the events and trips have been over the past twenty years. You should have received your
invitations and this is a gentle reminder to make your reservations as we have limited seating for the meal. The anniversary event is ‘members only’
although friends and the community may [On] buy show tickets for the second part of the evening. The evening will have a Scandinavian flavor and
influence from the special menu to the comedy and talent of the entertainment. You will be delightfully entertained.
In August, the 2014 Mystery Trip was a perfect summer day-away. Morning coffee included homemade cinnamon rolls that were almost a meal.
The mystery destination was Taylors Falls where the group embarked on a scenic, leisurely cruise on the beautiful St. Croix River and enjoyed a
picnic style lunch. Following the cruise, the coach transported the group across the bridge to St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, to the Festival Theatre
for the presentation of Almost, Maine! The comedic vignettes were lighthearted and entertaining. The day concluded with a wine tasting and light
refreshments at the Winehaven Vineyard in their new facility at Chisago City. The mystery was solved - another memorable day-away.
There is still more fun to come… November 5th, a return to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre is planned for the presentation
of Hello, Dolly! It is an easy day-away with minimal walking and an earlier return. The productions and luncheon at
Chanhassen are always top-notch. Please note the reservation guidelines so this trip is a “go” and you are on the bus!
The finale for this year will be a Country Christmas trip to Coloma, Wisconsin, with the highlight being a great meal and
Holiday Variety Show – all in a rehabbed barn! There will be additional items included, but of course, Santa doesn’t tell
everything! Surprises are what make the holidays fun! Again, please make your reservations in a timely manner so the
elves can make all the necessary preparations!
The annual F & M Holiday Open Houses will be held in December – watch for more information later. Enjoy the cool,
colorful days of fall and we hope to see you soon at a Summit Club event!
Save the Date – Holiday Open Houses!
Carole Bond
Summit Club Director
caroleb@fmcommunity.com
Chatfield - December 12th • Preston - December 19th
Country Christmas
December 2, 2014
Join this year’s holiday expedition to Coloma, Wisconsin
Special coffee stop in morning – Holiday lights on return
Enjoy a delectable homemade 3-meat dinner buffet followed by an actionpacked two - hour show filled with great music, exciting routines, hilarious
comedy and fabulous costuming in the fully-restored barn theatre.
$89.00
Reservations and payment due November 14, 2014
Depart Preston at 7:15 AM – Fountain at 7:25 AM – Chatfield at 7:45 AM
Summit Club Day-Away
At the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre
November 5, 2014
$89.00
All Inclusive
Reservations and payment due before October 10, 2014
Depart Preston 8:00 AM – Fountain 8:10 AM – Chatfield 8:30 AM
Early evening return – Estimate 6:30 PM
F&M Community Bank
Page 5
Sweet Summer Sweat
For the most part, this summer the weather has been great. Temperatures in the 70’s with little humidity. Perfect weather for golf, fishing, biking,
working outside and all the other activities we Minnesotans enjoy in the summer. However, we have just had some humidity that would even
make a Floridian uncomfortable. Very humid. So humid there is fog in the morning, dew until noon and air you can
hardly breathe. Your clothes get so sweaty they stick to you like another layer of skin.
After working outside on one of these days, I peeled off my “stanky” clothes, showered and headed out to eat. While
eating I commented how nice it was to be cooled off and not sweaty after being outside for most of the day. Well, that
only lasted for a short time as Vonnie knocked over a glass of red wine onto my lap. Not as uncomfortable as sweat
mind you, but wet nonetheless. And just as we got my clothes dried with a handful of napkins, the waitress, seeing
our distress, brings over [Can] a spray bottle of wine cleaner. I was glad to be dry. Vonnie was glad to see a solution
to the red wine stains she would have to deal with later. So, she hosed me down with the spray cleaner and I was wet
again. The trifecta was complete. Sweat, red wine and cleaner.
Charles Aug
President­­/
Chief Operating Officer
chucka@fmcommunity.com
As I mumbled about being wet again, Vonnie simply stated that “I think the stain will come out now”. We all got
our worries.
Stay dry.
The Scandinavian Sister Trio
A Nordic Variety Show
Join F & M Bank at the Chatfield Center For the Arts (Potter
Auditorium) on October 1st, 2014 at 7:00 PM for a delightful
Branson-style Variety Show with Scandinavian Flavor!
Hilarious! Humorous! Harmonies!
Fun. Entertaining. Original.
$20.00
General Admission Show Tickets available to the Public at Both F & M Locations.
Reserved Seating for Summit Club Members is included
with their 20th Anniversary Celebration Invitation.
F & M Insurance Services
Page 6
SAFETY FIRST
From the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, June 18, 2014: – Kitchen fires killed more people in 2013 than the
previous seven years combined, according to numbers from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety State Fire Marshal
Division’s (SFMD) preliminary Fire in Minnesota report.
Cherrie Brink
F&M Insurance Agency Manager
cherrieb@fmcommunity.com
Six people died last year in fires caused by someone leaving food cooking unattended. Unattended cooking – which caused
an average of less than one death each year since 2006 – joined careless smoking as the top cause of fire fatalities last year in
Minnesota. “Leaving the kitchen, even for just a moment, can be deadly,” State Fire Marshal Bruce West said. “Following a
few simple rules can keep us all safe and put an end to these preventable fire deaths.”
There were 6,330 structure fires last year in Minnesota and 44 fire deaths. The top three causes of structure fires were
cooking (49 percent), heating (9 percent) and electrical disturbances (6 percent).
Keeping in mind that October 5-11 is National Fire Prevention Week, here are some Fire safety and prevention tips
• Never leave food cooking on the stove unattended.
• Keep a lid next to each pot or pan so you can smother a fire if one starts.
• Keep rags, pot holders, paper towels and curtains away from the stove.
• Roll up your sleeves and keep your apron snug.
• Clean cooking surfaces and your oven often; grease and heat are a deadly combination.
• Keep children out of the kitchen and away from the stove.
• Make sure your smoke alarms are working.
• Have a safe-escape plan for every building you visit, even your own home.
• Consider protecting your home or business with fire sprinklers.
Other public safety observances in October are:
Brenda Reicks
Agent
brendar@fmcommunity.com
6-10 Drive Safely Work Week
Network of Employers for Traffic Safety
19-25 National Teen Driver Safety Week
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
20-24 School Bus Safety Week
National Association for Pupil Transportation
You may obtain more information at www.napt.org
Still Available!
The Program W82txt presentation available
for your Driver’s Ed or Community Wellness
class. Just contact Brenda or Cherrie if you are
interested. We also have the W82txt thumb
bands available in our office.
We know that not all storms in life are preventable and we want
to help you when those things happen too, but we also want to
encourage you to take whatever safety measures you can to protect yourselves and your property. We enjoy working with
each and every one of you and hope the next time we get the chance to interact, it is on a positive basis. Be Well!
Matt’s
Trivia
The material for this month’s trivia was given to me by one of my co-workers. The topic is “The New High School
Exit Exam”.
We may all know that many states require students to pass certain exit exams before they graduate from High School. It was
reported in 2012 that 25 of 50 states did require anywhere from 2 to 15 tests to be passed by students before they could
graduate from High School. The majority of the states in the list of 25 required 2 to 4 tests. The remaining 25 states
required no exit exams to be passed.
Below is the “New” High School Exit exam to test your knowledge and see if you could pass a test now to graduate from High
School. You need to get 4 correct out of 10. Something tells me that this test may not be a legitimate High School exit exam!
1. 2. 3. 4. Matthew Quanrud
Technology Officer
mattq@fmcommunity.com
How long did the Hundred Year’s War last?
Which country makes Panama Hats?
From what animal do we get cat gut?
In which month do Russians celebrate the
October Revolution?
5. What is a camel’s hair brush made of?
6. The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after
what animal?
7. What was King George VI’s first name?
8. What color is a purple finch?
9. Where are Chinese gooseberries from?
10. What color is the black box in a commercial airplane?
How did you do?
Answers 1. 116 years, 2. Ecuador, 3. Sheep and horses, 4. November, 5. Squirrel fur, 6. Dogs, 7. Albert, 8. Crimson, 9. New Zealand, 10. Orange
F & M Investment Services
Page 7
Happiest Place on Earth to hear the Fillmore Central Band!
It is hard to believe that the summer is over and we are now back in school mode. Again, the summer seemed to zip by faster than past years. This
year our family went on a vacation that provided some memories of a lifetime and, I am sure, contributed to the feel of a shorter summer.
Along with my wife Sharone, and our daughter Sierra, we made the trek to Florida to see our son
Sam and our niece Kaitlynn perform with the Fillmore Central Band and march through the Magic
Kingdom of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. What an experience!
We have been to Walt Disney World before and have watched high school bands march through the
Magic Kingdom but never thought we would someday witness the Fillmore Central Band on Main
Street Disney. Not surprisingly, the band sounded fantastic and marched flawlessly. It was exciting to
see the enthusiasm of the crowd and of course the parents, chaperones and others that made the trip
to see the band.
We even had the chance to get together with Sam and some of his friends for a few amusement
rides. (For some reason Sam didn’t want us around too much) One particular ride was the thrilling Twilight Zone Tower
of Terror. It is a ride that simulates an elevator breaking down and providing randomized patterns of drops and lifts. The
ride holds up to 15 people so it was entertaining getting the whole group on at the same time. The picture shows the
excitement or fear in those on [Clear] the ride! I know that it is a memory that I will never forget.
For us to plan a vacation like this, we had to budget and take the time to put all the plans together. We started the planning
process over a year ago. As a segway to my role at F & M Community Bank, I can’t help but think how different retirement
would be for so many people if we spent as much time planning for retirement as we do planning for our vacations.
Scott Rustad
Securities offered through Cetera Investment Services, LLC, member FINRA, located at F & M Community Bank.
Cetera Investment Services, LLC and F & M Community Bank are not affiliated.
Registered Representative
scott.rustad@ceterais.com
Not FDIC Insured. Not a Bank Deposit. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value
YOU could be a winner
“Missing word contest”
We have hidden a song title in this issue of F & M Community Connections. The song title will have a missing word. Read your news- letter
carefully looking for any words enclosed in [brackets] like this. Rearrange the words to form the song title of a popular song. One word will be
missing from the title. Figure out the missing word, and write the missing word only on the Missing
Word contest form found below.
All correct entries received prior to the deadline date indicated on the form are entered into a $25.00
drawing. All entries received throughout the year will be entered into a year-end drawing for a grand
prize of $100! Good luck!
Mail to: Missing Word Contest, F&M Community Bank, PO Box 467, Preston, MN 55965
ENTRY FORM
____________________________________________
Name
____________________________________________
Address
____________________________________________
The missing word is
________________________________
Entries must be received by October 31, 2014, to be eligible for Quarterly Drawing.
Muriel H
a
nso
n
of Presto
n, MN
Winner
in Summ
er Issue!
“Happy D
a
ys Are Her
e Again”
F & M Community Bank, N.A.
Balance Sheet 6/30/2014
Cash & Due From Banks Securities Loans (Net of Loan Loss Allowance) Other Assets Total Assets
2,652,811
22,392,484
74,007,634
4,889,198
103,942,127
Deposits Other Liabilities Capital Total Liabilities and Capital
81,718,788
9,241,405
12,981,934
103,942,127
FIRST CLASS
PRESORTED
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
POS
100 Saint Anthony St. N • PO Box 467 • Preston, MN 55965-0467
229 Main St. N • PO Box 519 • Chatfield,­MN 55923-0519
Fall is Here!
Free checking has never been
so rewarding.
We’re committed to making banking easy, which is why we’re excited to announce
we now carry Kasasa – free checking with rewards you want.
®
You get to choose: cash back on everyday purchases or really high rates, paid in cash.*
Learn more at Kasasa.com/FMCommunity
In person, by phone, by mail and on the internet... “We Make Banking Easy!” TM
www.fmcommunity.com