Leadership club celebrates 60 years of friendship and service

In 1948, Pauline Longwell was a young farm wife.

She and her husband, Robert, worked the family farm at 1 3/4 Mile and North Stewart Road in Mission.

She turned to a local club of the Texas Home Demonstration Association to help learn how to run her home.

The club worked with Texas Agricultural Extension Service, now Texas AgriLife Extension Service, to enrich families through educational programs, leadership development and community service.

Pauline helped establish the Busy Bees Club. The first meeting was in the home of Dorothy Myatt on South Bentsen Road in McAllen, where the young women learned how to iron a shirt. At other meetings, they learned how to cook and sew, Pauline said. She remembers fondly decorating a beautiful tray by etching it with some sort of acid.

In April, the club celebrated its 60th anniversary. The festivities started with a luncheon on April 11 at McAllen Country Club.

As the charter member, Pauline and three other members of Busy Bees were also present Tuesday morning at the county Commissioners' Court, which congratulated and thanked the women for their volunteer service to the community.

Brad Cowan, county Extension agent for agriculture, told the court that AgriLife Extension depends on dedicated volunteers like the Busy Bees to help with education outreach.

There are Busy Bees clubs in urban and rural areas. County Extension agents present educational programs for the benefit of members, who in turn present the information to other groups. Members also present programs on a specialty they have, go on tours and schedule guest speakers from other community agencies.

As club members' needs changed, so did the educational programs. During World War II, they were given recipes to make use of available foods. Some popular programs now are about emergency preparedness, health and creative leisure.

Club members form strong friendships. Some members have compared these bonds to those formed in family. They were there for each other to celebrate births, high school graduations and wedding anniversaries. They were also there during the tough times: illnesses and deaths.

There are seven Extension Education clubs in Hidalgo County. Membership is open to both women and men of all ages who have a desire to engage in community service and promote education for families.

For more information about Extension Education clubs, please call (956) 383-1026.

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Nora N. Garza is a county Extension agent with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Hidalgo County, a part of the Texas A&M Education System. She can be reached at (956) 383-1026.