Altrusa International, Inc. of Temple, Texas

ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL, INC. OF TEMPLE HISTORY

  The Altrusa Club of Temple was organized in March 1959, by a paid organizer, Willie Stephens, of San Antonio. The organizational dinner was held March 13, 1959, at the Kyle Hotel with twenty charter members. The club's charter followed April 30, 1960. Edith DeBusk of Dallas, Immediate Past Governor of District Nine, installed Katharine Nichols as President.

  The club has been very active in the community since its organization. Starting on a small scale, the club supplied and stocked first aid kits for all day nurseries in the city and purchased trash receptacles for downtown Temple with the slogan "Help Altrusa Keep Temple Clean." Altrusa continued with projects such as furnishing a library for the Harvest House senior citizens center and Ralph Wilson Youth Club, establishing an asthmatic children's fitness program, supplying local schools with toothbrushes, toothpaste and school supply packets for underprivileged elementary school children, furnishing emergency food sacks for "Meals on Wheels" program and an annual shower for needy organizations. We have assisted in providing for the needs of the "Fast Track" Lab at Belton I.S.D. and the P.R.E.P. (Producing Responsible Effective Parents) Program at Temple I.S.D. among others. Hosting an annual Christmas party for children at the Children's Rehab Center of Central Texas became an early and very rewarding tradition.

  In 1982-83 the club established the "I Wish" program to grant wishes to children with life threatening diseases. This program expanded to provide college scholarships to children who had not allowed the disease to limit their potential. In 1989 the "Adopt-A-Family" program was started to help families in need of temporary assistance. In 1992 the club joined with Browning-Ferris Industries to introduce the "Mobius Recycling Program" to the Temple School District. This program incorporated recycling into the students' curriculum to better educate them in preserving our environment. The "Home of Angels" was born in the Spring of 1993. With the help of the community, Altrusans completely remodeled and furnished an older home to provide a learning and recreation center for children of homeless families to use while their parents look for work. The center keeps the children off the streets and gives them access to educational material and a safe environment.

  Literacy has always been a prime concern for Altrusa International, Inc., of Temple. The club awards two or more college scholarships each year. Assistance has been provided to the Adult Education Programs of both Temple and Belton I.S.D. and female inmates of Bell County Jail. Club members have served on local literacy councils, worked as tutors and gave monetary assistance to local literacy councils.

  All of the club's projects have been financed with proceeds from the simple marketing of fruitcakes, toothpaste, and candy to the more involved fundraisers such as the "Taste of the Holidays" luncheon and a second fundraiser in the Spring. 

  For several years, the Spring fundraiser was a horse show.  A Spring make over replaced the horse show in 1994.  In 1995, tickets to the Foley’s grand opening in the Temple Mall were sold.

  Our club was very pleased in 1966 when one of its charter members, Irene T. Hurst, was elected to the district board. Subsequently, she served the district in many positions and was elected as Governor of District Nine in Abilene in 1970. At the end of her two year term, the club furnished a music room at Temple Junior College in her honor. After her death, the Irene T. Hurst award was established for an outstanding Vocational Office Education student at Temple High School. Since then we have had past Temple club members, Fran McDonald serve as District Nine Governor and Charlene Lee as District Public Relations/Marketing Chairman. Debbie Mabry has served as District First Vice Governor, Program Coordinator, District Treasurer, Governor Elect, Governor for the 1997-1999 Biennium, Vice Chair of the International Service Program Development Committee for the 2001-2003 Biennium. Debbie currently serves as Chair (2003-2007) of the International Foundation Board of Trustees and is the District Nine Foundation Liaison (2005-2007). Barbara Pearcy has served as the District Nine Secretary and is currently serving on the District Conference Proceedings Committee for 2005-2007. Donna Childress has served as the District Nine International Cookbook Chair and the 2001-2003 Chair for the Dr. Nina Fay Calhoun International Relations Committee. Catherine Landry serves on the District BRR Committee for 2005-2007. Chris Tolbert is the District Yearbook Coordinator for 2005-2007. In 2000, Kathy Folley was appointed District Nine Director to complete a vacated term. She was elected District Director for the 2001-2003 Biennium, Second Vice Governor for the 2003-2005 Biennium and First Vice Governor for the 2005-2007 Biennium. Kathy is currently the Governor-Elect for the 2005-2007 Biennium.

PAST PRESIDENTS

Katharine Nichols..........1959-1960

Irene T. Hurst..................1960-1961

Edith Tarpley Brown......1961-1962

Maurice Rue....................1962-1963

Hallie Miller ..........(8/62)1962-1963

Hallie Miller.....................1963-1964

Edith Tarpley Brown......1964-1965

Donnie Brentham...........1965-1966

Lois A. Loveday.............1966-1968

Martha J. Pearl................1968-1970

Elaine Riley......................1970-1972

Ara Lee Normand...........1972-1973

Fran McDonald..............1973-1974

Veta Rucker.....................1974-1975

Ann DeLany...................1975-1976

Linda Shobert Smith......1976-1977

Ann Sawyer Boyd..........1977-1978

Mary Nell Stanley..........1978-1979

Ilene C. Miller..................1979-1980

Jean Garner......................1980-1981

Pamela J. Hacker.............1981-1982

Lexie Horton Turley.......1982-1983

Kathleen Newsome........1983-1984

Laura White .......(12/83)1983-1984

Laura White....................1984-1985

Debbie Mabry.................1985-1986

Donna Childress.............1986-1987

Deb Herrmann.................1987-1988

Kerri Lehmann................1988-1989

Charlene Lee...................1989-1990

Deborah Stark.................1990-1991

Janet Bandas.........(2/91)1990-1991

Janet Bandas...................1991-1992

Celia Ray..........................1992-1993

Diane Roepke..................1993-1994

Sandy Gerik.....................1994-1995

Rene’ Clark......................1995-1996

Barbara Pearcy................1996-1997

Sherri Newman................1997-1998

Nancy Follender.............1998-1999

Kathy Folley...................1999-2000

Karen Walker-Stalcup...2000-2001

Catherine Landry............2001-2002

Chris Tolbert...................2002-2003

Debbie Mabry.................2003-2004

Sharon Tomlinson..........2004-2005

Linda Moore...................2005-2006

Tamara Clothier..............2006-2007

Robbie Richey................2007-2008

Ginger Tolbert.................2008-2009

Mary Black Pearson.......2009-2010

Judy Duer........................2010-2011

Chris Scherer...................2011-2012

ALTRUSAN OF THE YEAR

“Woman of the Year” Recipients

Marilyn Hoster.......................1978

Ann Clements.........................1979

Lajuana Carabasi....................1980

Jean Jay...................................1981

Mary Nell Stanley..................1982

Charlyn Casey........................1983

Susan Luck.............................1984

Faith Johnson.........................1985

“Altrusan of the Year” Recipients

Jean Garner.............................1986

Edith Brown............................1987

Debbie Mabry........................1988

Susan Mattix...........................1989

Ilene Miller..............................1990

Janet Bandas..........................1991

Jodi Anderson........................1992

Sharon Folks...........................1993

Rene’ Clark..............................1994

Grace Garrison........................1995

Betty Watson.........................1996

Karen Walker-Stalcup...........1997

Charlene Tapman...................1998

Mary Black Pearson..............1999

Kathy Folley...........................2000

Donna Childress....................2001

Sandy Gerik.............................2002

Dorothy Ann Aldrich............2003

Leticia Caraveo.......................2004

Barbara Pearcy.......................2005

Chris Tolbert...........................2006

Marion Spiller.........................2007

Ginger Tolbert........................2008

Tamara Clothier.....................2009

Sharon Tomlinson................2010

 Linda Moore.........................2011