Facts about the Florida District……
♦ The Florida District was established in 1934 with 5 clubs:
Pensacola-1928 / Tampa-organized in 1929 but not chartered until 1934 / Panama City-1930 / Jacksonville-1934 / Miami-1934
♦ The first District Convention was held in Miami in 1935. Velma Sutherland (Panama City) was our first elected Governor.
♦ By 1941, Florida District with 14 clubs, led Pilot International with the largest number of clubs in any district. When the district celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1948, it still led with 23 clubs.
♦ In 1968 Florida was the first district in the history of PI to have 3 Lt. Govs.
♦ Since 1927, Florida has been the home district of 8 International Presidents.
♦ When Ruby Newhall (Gainesville) died in 1949, the Ruby Newhall Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in her honor and is still available today.
♦ In 1984, Marie Newton Sepia (Jacksonville) became a member of the PI Foundation Honor Wall, the highest individual award in the PIF awards program. In her honor, a scholarship program for graduate students preparing for a career helping children with brain-related disorders was established. It was named the Marie Newton Sepia Scholarship and is still available today.
♦ In 1986 at the Ocala Convention the Florida delegates voted to establish the Florida District Anchors becoming the first district in PI to have a state wide organization. The first Anchor Convention was held in Ocala in 1987.
♦ Sue McCreary (Tallahassee) wrote the Anchor Creed and the Pilot Club of St. Petersburg designed the original Anchor Club Banner.
♦ Florida has the largest number of Anchors on the International level.
♦ Florida is the only district to have Constant Contact in order to have communication for all clubs and individuals.
♦ The Pilot Scholarship House Foundation most notably distinguished the Florida District. This foundation, chartered in 1962 answered the need for a statewide project that all Florida District Pilots Clubs support. Pilot Scholarship House Foundation gives low cost housing to deserving young women and men. Thousands of students have been able to further their education.
♦ We now have 3 scholarship houses and are currently raising money for the 4th:
Florida State University / University of Florida (soon to be 2) / Florida Gulf Coast University. This unique Florida District project continues to grow each year.
♦ There are currently 30 clubs in the Florida District and 766 members providing community services from the Florida Panhandle to the Atlantic shores in Miami.
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Florida District Facts