About
About TLOD
The TLOD Story: A HISTORY OF DEDICATION AND SERVICE
Motto: “Serving Youth and Adults”
In 1964, Lady Bird Johnson, the previous First Lady of the United States, invited fellow Texan Willie Lee Glass, the "First Lady" of Texas College, to lunch. Mrs. Glass sent a former pupil and Air Force major to represent her at the meeting. Major Ozell Dean and company discussed youth, women, and community beautification.
Major Ozell Dean, Mrs. Glass, and six other ladies founded the public service group Top Women of Distinction, Inc. in September 1964. It also created Top Teenagers of America to partner with TLOD to serve the nation's kids.
Annually, Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. provides over 500,000 volunteer hours & give hundreds of thousands in scholarships. In addition to its work with youth, TLOD’s focuses include improving the status of women, service to senior citizens, community beautification, and community partnerships.
TLOD has approximately 3,000 Ladies in 116 chapters in 37 states and 4,000 Top Teens of America members. Each chapter manages a Top Teens of America chapter. Every Top Teens of America member has a TLOD mentor and participates in seminars on bullying, public speaking, SAT/ACT prep, computer and financial literacy, and more. The teens also organize walk-a-thons for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, UNCF, March of Dimes, and Sickle Cell. Adolescents participate in annual Back-to-School drives to donate school supplies to neighborhood kids.
Oran-Je Chapter is a part of Area One.
Lady Katherine Mayo, President
Orange, Texas
July 15, 1903 - Jan. 23, 1998
Edwina Lewis
January 25, 1945 -Present
Lady Essie Bellfield
1932-2022
Oran-je Chapter's Story
Oran-Je Chapter TLOD Story
The Oran-Je Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction, (TLOD) Inc., under the leadership of Lady Katherine Mayo, has worked diligently to reinforce the established purpose of TLOD and carry out their mission.
The Oran-Je Chapter was established in the spring of 1984, is in a small town on the Texas/Louisiana border named, Orange, Texas. Lady Velma Jeter organized the Chapter in her home with the guidance of Area 1 Director, Lady Hazel Webster of Houston, Texas. Lady Jeter was currently a member of the Beaumont Chapter of TLOD and could not pass up the opportunity to organize a Chapter in Orange. Oran-Je Chapter was chartered on June 23, 1984, under the chartered number #1063.
The first briefing session for eleven prospective inductees was held on the patio of Lady Jeter’s home. These ladies established policies and enacted governing laws for the organization. On June 23, 1984, during a ceremony held at The Orange House these prospective ladies were officially inducted into Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., The chapter members included:
Lady Tessie Smith Lady Bessie Abbs
Lady Evera Enard Lady Edwina Lewis
Lady Rose Watson Lady Rosa Lee Wilson
Lady Major Henry Lady Essie Bellfield
Lady Lillian Barnett Lady Willie Champine
Lady Whythel Sprout
After the Chapter was chartered several Top Ladies who lived in Orange transferred from surrounding Beaumont and Port Arthur Chapters to the Oran-Je Chapter. These Top Ladies were Lady Bettye Curtis, Lady Ellen Grant, Lady Beulah Odom, and Lady Harriet Richard. At that time, the Chapter was assigned the name “Oran-Je.” The chartering TLOD National President in 1984, was Lady Bobbie W. Moorehead and Area 1 Director, Lady Hazel Webster.
Top Ladies serving as past Oran-je Chapter Presidents are:
Lady Velma Jeter Lady Essie Bellfield
Lady Willie M. Champine Lady Ellen Grant
Lady Lillian Barnett Lady Bessye J. Abbs
Lady Addie Allen Lady Deborah Mitchell
Lady Dorothy Brandon Lady Tessie Smith
Lady Carolyn Mayfield Lady Katherine Mayo
The Oran-Je Chapter currently has 18 Top Ladies that include: Lady Katherine Mayo, Lady Evera Enard, Lady Ernestine Scott, Lady Elzora Anderson, Lady Carolyn Mayfield, Lady Linda Smith, Lady Delores Warnell, Lady Zena Thibodeaux, Lady Lillian Barnett, Lady Bettye Curtis, Lady Jacqueline Levias, Lady Susie Murry, Lady Ruby Randle, Lady Runetta Spears-Marks, Lady Sheryl Warnell-Ford, Lady MaQuettia Ledet, Lady Kathy Taylor-Ethel, and Lady Laura Crosson-Bellard. The Oran-Je Chapter of Top Teens of America has a membership of ten teens serving our community.
Our current chapter events and projects include March of Dimes walk for babies, Community Partnership-school supply drive, Fundraisers for TLOD/TTA, WIN Workshop with the Status of Women, Senior Citizens and TTA, Community Beautification, TLOD Literacy and SCD fundraiser.
Reflection on the unique events in the history of the Oran-Je Chapter recalls partnering with local Gate City organizations for their school supply giveaway as well as donating to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Blue Santa Program and providing non-perishable items to Hurricane Ida victims in Louisiana.