Louisville Pilots are a working group of ladies who tackle every project with enthusiasm.
Officers for the 2018-2019 club year are Brandi Krajewski, President; Kathy Sinclair, President Elect; Kristen Knox, Secretary; Gail Massey, Treasurer. Directors are Leigh McMullan, Rhee Hankins, Alice Wooten, and Tracy Jackson, and Beverly Wilkes serves as Immediate Past President.
Pilot plans focus on three areas of service, A-B-C. A represents our Anchor Clubs which is our youth service organization. B stands for our focus on Brain Safety and Fitness and brain related projects. C is all about Caring for Caregivers in times of need.
The Pilot Club of Louisville was organized seventy three years ago, in 1946, and is part of a much bigger organization known as Pilot International which has clubs in the United States, South Africa, Japan, and the Bahamas. Pilot International was founded in 1921 on the principles of Friendship and Service. Pilot continues today with these same principles, 98 years later. Beverly Wilkes of Louisville proudly served as International President in 2011-2012. This year, Heather Thompson is the International Anchor Coordinator.
The name “Pilot” and the emblem of the pilot wheel were inspired by the mighty riverboat pilots who were representatives of leadership and guidance. They had the solemn responsibility of keeping their vessels on course. From that, we take our Pilot motto “True Course Ever”.
Throughout the year, the Pilot Club members are busy in our community doing service projects which make a difference. The Pilot Club hosts the October Birthday party and other activities at Louisville Care Center and the Winston Medical Center Nursing homes. Pilots take magazines to the medical centers and to assisted living homes, collect eyeglasses for medical mission trips, and donate funds to help support the activities program for special needs adults at the Hudspeth Center. They raise funds for such organizations as the Mississippi Brain Injury Association and MSU’s TK Martin Center. The Pilot Club donates funds to families in Winston County which have a family member with a traumatic brain injury. This year the club made 32 casseroles and had them delivered to caregivers of patients who suffer a brain related disorder.
And the club provided a summer picnic at Lake Tiah O’Khata for campers of MSU’s Camp Jigsaw, for youth who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Pilot Club contributes to the Alzheimer’s Association, Winston County Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. Pilot members host four holiday parties for the students the Developmentally Delayed class at Fair Elementary School.
The Pilot Club is proud to sponsor The Anchor Club of Winston County, a community service youth organization for students in Grades 10-12. The 38 members represent all area schools. Heather Thompson, Crystal Clark and Beverly Wilkes are the sponsors of the Anchor Club. The Pilot Club awards a $500.00 educational scholarship to an outstanding senior Anchor Club member who has demonstrated high academic achievement and completed service hours by providing community service projects. Maddie Edwards was the 2018 recipient.
The Pilot Club hosts an annual Father/Daughter dance where the girls love spending time with their favorite gentleman and the fathers love to show their daughters how they should be treated throughout their life. Our biggest fundraising event is the Pilot Club Pageant for girls ages 4 – 18 hoping to win a crown. This event is successful due to individual and local business donations which in turn allow the club to sponsor so many projects.
Patriotism is very important the Pilot Club. Pilots proudly participate in the local Veteran’s Day program by providing a breakfast buffet for all veterans, and by sending cards of appreciation to veterans in nursing homes. The memorial wreaths on the monument on Main Street on Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and Independence Day are placed by Pilot members.
The Pilot Club has been sponsoring the “Safety Town” event for the past 4 years. This year over 1,200 students, 4 year old Kindergarten through 6th grade, participated in learning ways to stay safe. These students were given the opportunity to get a “hands on experience” with a Medical-Vac helicopter, a MS Highway Patrol simulator, a fire truck, a police car, an ambulance, the Fire Safety House, the Fish and Game boating safety demonstration , and a puppet show from Brain Minders presented by the Pilot Club members.
All of these efforts come together to make a positive impact in our community and in the world.
Pilots work together as they strive to Do More, Care More, and Be More!
