Pub 1 2012 Issue 1

As KBA President in 1984, I would meet with KBA CEO, Har- old Stones eachMonday for break- fast and to discuss KBAbusiness at the restaurant on Sixth Street just east of Fidelity State Bank & Trust Co. I looked forward to visiting with Harold and still remember it as one of the best parts of that year. Kansas Banks, by state law in 1984, could have a total of only four banking offices in Kansas and out-of-state banks could not have a Kansas office. There was some tension between Kansas Bankers Association and Kansas Independent Bankers Association over this issue. In the late 1970s, the prime in - terest rate reached 21%. By 1984, oil had dropped from $30/bbl to $6/bbl, and farm land values had dropped greatly. In the 10 years of the 1980s, the U.S. had 42 bank failures. This meant tough times for the state and Kansas banks. However, by Kansas bankers helping their customers, the state economy improved and banks recovered. I came to Topeka in 1958 after 10 years with the Farm- ers State Bank in Sterling, Kan- sas. 1984 as president of Kansas Bankers Association was a good year and I look back on it with good memories. One hundred twenty-five years!?! WOW! KBA is even older than I am, and that is saying something since my nickname has been changed by some from “Ben” to “Has Ben.” And I would not be surprised if you calculated it that the Stones and Bowman names were KBA CEOs over half that time. KBA’s executive leadership has hardly been a revolving door. As forme, I treasure thememo - ries from the 25 or 30 years I was actively involved in KBA. Many of the friendships from those years still exist and are trea- sured. I reckon that exemplifies the quality of those bankers who devoted a portion of their lives to their trade organization. We lived through the branching-holding company-interstate wars, and we learned how to adjust. The future is indeed challenging for all of us, but I am confident that somehow, someway, Kansas bankers will continue to serve their communi- ties and their customers. God bless you all. The year I was privileged to serve the KBA, by far the best State Banking Association in America, Kansas had led the nation in bank failures four years in a row. Our King, Harold Stones, also the finest State Banking Association execu- tive in America, commissioned a membership-wide survey which indicated that there was the per- ceived belief that our regulatory friends were trying to do away with small banks. At that time, the KBA had 787 de nova banks, so we mounted a campaign to fight this bias, if one actually existed. Therefore, with the direct involvement of Bob Dole, the Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate, we did battle. The ex - isting FDIC Chairman did not get re-appointed and at the request of Leader Dole the new FDIC Chair - man, Bill Seidman’s first speech, which was of a conciliatory nature, was to the Kansas Bankers Asso- ciation in Topeka. The KBA led the charge to get the ABA, Congress and Regulators to advocate and permit some reasonable forbear- ance for small Agriculture Banks. Much time and effort was ex- pended keeping harmony within the industry due to the initiative of Multi-Bank Legislation. We had the good judgment to hire Chuck Stones. The Schuster Singers per- formed at the KBA Convention at Century II. The Association made the decision to start hold- ing the KBA’s CEO Forum at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs in lieu of an annual con- vention. Deryl Schuster Midwest Community Bank, Plainville KBA Chairman 1985- 86 Ben Craig Metcalf Bank, Overland Park, Retired KBA Chairman 1987- 88 Anderson Chandler Fidelity State Bank & Trust Co., Topeka KBA Chairman 1983- 84