CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte Metro Credit Union has recently hosted a series of classes for 100 Latino family members as part of the Hornets Nest Girl Scouts Council's Las Rutas al Exito program. Las Rutas al Exito means "Pathways to Success" in English and is a series of classes to help Latino families in assimilating into the United States community. The program incorporates trips to the hospitals, DMV, the police station, a local school, the public library, and the credit union for the financial services aspect. After 16 weeks of classes, the families graduate. The only requirement for the program is that the daughter of an applying family is a Girl Scout. The program is free for participants. Charlotte Metro CU stepped up last winter, when the Hornets Nest Girl Scouts Council lost their United Way funding for the Las Rutas al Exito program due to cut-backs. Charlotte Metro Credit Union underwrote the cost for the first six months of the year 2004. The financial classes for Las Rutas al Exito were held on a Saturday at Charlotte Metro CU's main branch. Classes were divided by age level. Parents were taught how to open an account, how to build credit, and what documentation is need for accounts by CMCU's Huntersville Branch Manager Elizabeth Ramos; pre-teens were taught about ATM cards and "shopping" wisely by CMCU Financial Services Representatives Gaby Beneitez and Teresa Gallardo. Younger children were given a coloring book "My Trip to my Credit Union" with puzzles and pictures and played games with CMCU Account Manager Brooke Makuski.