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Banking ‘Service’ Is No Misnomer

By JIM BARBIERI
Banking, of course, is about the money, all right.
Notably, however, it is more than money involved.
Illustrating that particular point gained focus during the past year when the Ossian State Bank was celebrating its 90th anniversary and also was honored in 2002 as the Wells County Outstanding Business of the Year. A variety of observances and recognitions went into the recent late fall and early winter.
The Ossian State Bank is not the only area bank to be making itself a community banking service by actual leadership for the community, Ossian State Bank president Peter Confer is quick to stipulate. He’s just particularly pleased his bank can be among those sharing this role.
Quite the contrary to some past stereotypes of banking coldness or aloofness, the Ossian State Bank president noted, amid the 90th Anniversary year highlights and the ensuing early months of 2003, how pleased the bank is to reaffirm community involvement with more than lip service.
The big community gift for which the bank has been known in recent years was the donation totalling $93,000 to the Ossian Parks Department to make possible the acquisition of the property for the very large new Ossian Park and Trail.
However, last year, the Ossian State Bank led the way in its field by responding to the countywide campaign for the $2 million new Wells County Arts, Commerce & Visitors Center and river banks improvement across from Kehoe park in Bluffton with a $50,000 gift.
Annually, the Ossian State Bank has been and is a large supporter of the Ossian Volunteer Fire Department. For this year’s Firemen’s Breakfast, that support totalled $3,750. And the Ossian State Bank donates annually $2,000 to the Caylor-Nickel Foundation, the leader here right now for the new Operation Wellness against the harmful-to-health factor of obesity.
Others among community causes supported tangibly by the Ossian State Bank are the Wells County Foundation, the Wells County United Way (for which a team of volunteers including Confer helped last year along with the financial backing), the Wells County Chamber of Commerce, the Wells County Food Bank, the Wells County Utility Bank, the Creative Arts Council, Ossian Revitalization, Wheels of Yesteryear, Boy Scouts of America, Fraternal Order of Police, Wells County T-Ball, Wells County Minor League, Junior League and Mickey Mantle League Baseball, Ossian Days, the Bluffton Street Fair and the Wells County 4-H Fair.
Not to mention the schools!
Ossian State Bank amounts include $2,500 to Norwell Dollars for Scholars, $1,500 to Bluffton/Southern Wells Dollars for Scholars and $1,000 to the Turnaround Scholarship program.
Other school support by the Ossian State Bank is affirmed in the Vance & Marie Wilson Nursing Scholarship, the Junior Achievement Exchange City, Norwell Music Boosters, Norwell Football Program, Bluffton Athletic Program, Ossian and Lancaster PTO, Norwell, Bluffton and Southern Wells Post Prom; Norwell Yearbook, Norwell Future Farmers of America and Norwell Business Professionals.
And, oh yes, there is more than the money. There is volunteering of time and work and service.
Bank president Confer is the current president of the Northern Wells School Board -- setting the good example for a bank role that illustrates that the community counts -- as he and others note is done also by others in banking enterprises -- a very friendly and accurate stereotype of modern banking.