Sixty years of “Friendship & Service” was celebrated last week during the annual installation of officers for the Pilot Club of Mineola. 

The club was chartered by the Pilot Club of Tyler on May 11, 1965 at Herm’s Restaurant on Hwy. 80 West in Mineola. The first project was a program for high school girls called “Joy Girls” who wore candy-striped dresses and volunteered at the local nursing homes and hospital. Stan Mallory, a local business man, was the master of ceremonies for the first fundraiser, which was a talent show.

Over the years, Mineola Pilots have accomplished a number of projects in the area. A community Christmas tree was placed at the Mineola Public Library and later at the Mineola Civic Center. In November 1971 the club voted to join with other civic clubs to build a civic center. Scholarships, correcting dangerous areas in the city, adding a crosswalk on the hill by the former football field, handicapped parking signs, helping the needy, working with senior citizens in the nursing homes, patriotic events such as a bicycle parade during the Fourth of July, painting 33 cement planter boxes during the bicentennial and posting of flags along Pacific St. were all early projects. In March and April 1978, the Anchor Club of Mineola High School and the Pilot Club of Quitman, respectively, were chartered by the Mineola Pilot Club. These were followed by Pilot Clubs in Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs.

In more recent years, Pilot International has changed its focus to three areas: working with youth, caring for caregivers and brain health and safety. The Mineola Club still sponsors the award winning MHS Anchor Club which has had 14 Texas district officers, ten Outstanding Anchor Club awards and eight Outstanding District or International Advisor honors. 

The Pilot Club honors each year caregivers and first responders in the county with pick-me-up gifts. The club, along with Anchor members present puppet skits called BrainMinders to the primary school students, which teach them how to protect their brains and other values. They also give a bike and helmet safety course for second graders and give each one a new helmet.

The Mineola Club, along with clubs in Quitman and Winnsboro, brought Project Lifesaver to Wood County in 2002. With a partnership with the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, participants with a brain disorder wear a transmitter which can be tracked if the patient wanders.

The Pilot Clubs of Texas sponsor three weekend traumatic brain injury camps for adults and have expanded the idea to clubs in other states. 

The Pilot Club of Mineola has had a number of Texas district officers, including three treasurers, Odessa Yeager, Glenda Clements and Janell Abbott; and a secretary, Betty Curbow. It has had four governors, Dixie Fitzgerald in 1982-83, Joyce Curry in 2000-2001, Glenda Clements in 2007-2008 and Janell Abbott in 2015-16.

Officers for the 2025-26 year which begins July 1 are President Barbara Schmidt, President-elect Diane Holmes, Secretary Terri Dievendorf, Treasurer Janell Abbott, and directors Joyce Curry, Andrea Jones, Pam Fletcher, Kristi Dossett, Anita Williams, Lori White and Lisa Phillips. For more information, contact Pilot Club of Mineola Facebook.