(***This was a very special presentation I covered for West Newsmagazine)
It was a loud and often raucous lunchtime at Circle 7 Ranch in Des Peres on Wednesday, Nov. 3. In fact, the two heavy barn doors had to be completely closed in order to focus on the business unfolding in the restaurant’s private room – former Town & Country alderman Fred Meyland-Smith was being presented with a Lieutenant Governor’s Senior Service Award by current officeholder Mike Kehoe.
Meyland-Smith was one of roughly 100 individuals nominated for about one dozen awards. The requirements of which are to be at least 60 years of age and have performed at least 25 hours of volunteer work per year.
The former alderman has gone well beyond the service hour parameter as highlighted in the full page letter State Rep. Dean Plocher (89th District) sent to Kehoe on March 30.
“When you look at Fred’s lifestyle, it’s been exemplary,” Plocher said at the presentation. “He’s been successful in business, as a husband and as a father. He’s just a good person who works hard and gives back to the community. He’s been retired for awhile, but he gave diligent service as an alderman for eight years, and has been serving on Planning & Zoning for 14. He doesn’t shy away from making hard decisions, and does what’s best for his community and for the state of Missouri. I’ve seen him do it, and it was an honor to nominate him.”
After graduating from Colgate University (in Hamilton, New York) with a degree in economics, Meyland-Smith was recruited by Procter and Gamble. He spent 17 years with them in sales management. He was then recruited by Ralston Purina and joined them in 1985. He soon became vice-president of sales for them, covering the entire United States until his 2001 retirement. In addition to his long tenure as a Town & Country alderman, he is still enjoying a 14-year stint on the Planning & Zoning Commission.
All that makes for an incredible lifetime resume but Meyland-Smith is far more proud of yet another volunteer activity.
“I am currently the vice-chair of the board of directors of Wings of Hope,” Meyland-Smith said. “We are a multi-national humanitarian organization headquartered at Spirit Airport. We are the largest medical air transport operation in the United States. In the course of a year, we will transport as many as 200 to 250 patients from their homes to wherever it is they need to get to for medical attention. We will do so at no cost to them, and we will do it repeatedly until they’ve achieved medical success. Sometimes that’s a dozen or two dozen flights over years to get them the medical attention that they need.
“We operate in 12 countries outside the United States, and proudly, we have twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. We operate three planes here in the United States, and planes in 12 other countries around the globe. Our mission is to help people lead a better life through the power of aviation. So, if we can use a plane to help someone get from their home to children’s hospitals or to get to the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota), Johns Hopkins University Hospital (Baltimore, Maryland), or to the University of Michigan’s (Ann Arbor) to get much needed medical care that’s not available where they live, we’ll be the catalyst to get them from home to the doctor’s office.”
Despite his years of service, Meyland-Smith was rather taken aback by being the recipient of the service award.
“I am humbled and honored by this,” he said. “Thank you. I was totally surprised. I did get a call from Diana (Hennerich), Dean’s administrative assistant, a while back, interviewing me and confirming some of the things I have been involved in. So, I knew Dean had nominated me for the award, but I didn’t know any of the details. This, today, is a surprise, and as I said, I’m humbled and honored by it. But I could only do all this because of my wife, Susan. She’s always so supportive and I’ve been proudly married to her for 53 years with three children and seven grandchildren!”
In his presentation, Kehoe told Meyland-Smith, “I deeply appreciate what you’ve done for our state.
He added, “I never met Fred until today, but when we read through the application and saw what he’s done in Town & Country … His involvement literally being the godfather to the Planning & Zoning process in Town & Country, his involvement with Trinity Church, with Wings of Hope … All of these things he’s done to give back to his community in retirement is what makes him a Senior Service Award member.”
The Senior Service Award was created 15 years ago by then Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder “to promote and highlight the positive accomplishments that Missouri’s senior citizens continually provide to their local communities.”
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