It is October and it’s time for “M and M’s” – it’s Membership Month and New Members Matter! President Collett has challenged each of us to help our Pilot family grow! Her membership challenge is that each Pilot Club have a net gain of three to five members and each district charter one NEW Pilot, Anchor, or Compass Club. Are you ready to do more to increase our Pilot family and influence in your community? Have you planned a “Share Pilot” recruitment event? The “Top Member Resources” section of the website has some fantastic documents to help recruit, retain, and reclaim our Pilot members. Documents for building and chartering clubs can be found there and, on our Anchor Club, and Compass Club websites. Each one, reach one…help us GROW!

On October 16, 1921, the forty charter members of Pilot International came together to sign the original Pilot Charter. Two days later, buoyed by their excitement and their collective cause, they gathered again to dine, celebrate and conduct the first official Pilot Club meeting on October 18, 1921.

October 18, 2021, marks the centennial anniversary of our beloved Pilot International! Founders’ Day this year will be an outstanding celebration of the dedication and foresight of those businesswomen who chose the riverboat pilot’s wheel as our emblem. To mark this historical and momentous event, we will celebrate in true Pilot style at Macon’s historic Terminal Station with a fantastic luncheon and an outpouring of Pilot friendship.

The Fourth Saturday of October is designated “National Make a Difference Day,” which was created in 1992 by USA WEEKEND magazine and joined by Points of Light and has been recognized as “the largest National Day of Community Service.” While the organizations no longer support Make a Difference Day, the observance still impacts communities around the country. Volunteers and organizations have taken up the banner to help their communities in ways that best fit their needs. October 23rd will mark the observance and we encourage every Pilot – individual, club, and district – to plan an event to make a difference in your community. Service projects? Pick Me Ups? BrainMinders™ presentations? We encourage you to take pictures, flood social media, and help start a wave of Friendship and Service to usher in our next century. Please use the hashtag #PilotsMakeADifference2021 with your posts! Doing more because we care more!

Dearest Pilots, always remember – “our Pilot family is like branches on a tree. We all grow in different directions but our roots – Friendship and Service – remain as one!”

Written by Holly Baker
Pilot International
2021-2022
Vice President
Midwest District
Pilot Club of Moline