Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month. We take this time to reflect on the amazing women that have changed the course of history. One specific woman, Joan of Arc, is significant in the history of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union.
Joan of Arc was born a peasant in France who believed that God had chosen her to lead the French Army during the Hundred Year’s War against England. With no military training, Joan convinced the crowned prince, Charles, to allow her to lead a group of French armed militants into the besieged city of Orléans, where she achieved her first victory over England. Although we know her as Joan of Arc, or Jeanne d’Arc in French, she referred to herself as “The Maid of Orléans”, after saving the city from English soldiers. After this victory in 1429, at the age of 18, she became commander of this French army and harnessed her divine vision to attempt to set France free from English control.
Joan of Arc was never on the front lines, but she created strategies, manned troops, and proposed solutions rather than go into battle. She also never carried a weapon, instead, she mounted a banner to her horse and instilled a sense of morale among the French soldiers which created trust. Trust is what allowed her to become a dominant commander. She had a loyal group of soldiers who would risk their lives to defend her because of her leadership style and her persistence. Unfortunately, Joan’s command only lasted a short time as she was captured and killed by the English Army in 1430.
Although her command of the French army only lasted a year, her strength and bravery has been felt for centuries. Today, those roots still run deep through Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union. We often look to Joan of Arc when thinking back to the Credit Union philosophy, people helping people. We pride ourselves on commitment to serve our members, assisting those in our community who need our help, and instill trust in our members. Without Joan of Arc, we wouldn’t have our name, but more importantly, we would not have the same values and mission to help those around us.
For more information about Joan of Arc, visit:
https://www.livescience.com/38288-joan-of-arc.html
https://www.history.com/news/7-surprising-facts-about-joan-of-arc
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/saint-joan-of-arc
