The nuts and bolts
Members First has an open-door policy when it comes to its travels, but to become an official member, one need only have a checking account; there is no age requirement.
There is, however, a monthly fee to be a club member. Although the fee is nominal, Fullerton believes that paying even a small amount gives the club a more prestigious feel and that customers take their membership more seriously.
Fullerton, as club coordinator, also has financial accountability. “In other words, like every department in the bank, I have a variety of goals,” she said, “and that includes Members First making a profit.
“I’m very lucky to have exceptionally supportive management, and I firmly believe that without the support of management, a club just wouldn’t go. I also believe that a bank can’t afford to have a department that is losing money.”
That bank support includes an assistant, Kim Douglas, who Fullerton vehemently refers to as her partner. “Kim does our newsletters, takes care of the money and [does] all of the analytical work while I do the fun stuff. We have worked together for 25 years, and I could not operate without her,” Fullerton said.
Fullerton sees her job as fun: “I enjoy making people feel comfortable and [seeing them] getting more out of their lives. Nothing makes me happier than to take someone feeling old and cranky and make them feel young and happy,” she said.
“After all these years, I’ve been to places like England, France and Alaska almost so many times [that] I can’t count. But no matter how many times I’ve visited a destination, what makes a dream trip for me is seeing the dreams of others come true and experiencing places through someone else’s eyes.”
