In May 1996, five members of the Altrusa International, Inc., P.M. Club came up with an idea to formulate a new Altrusa Club within the community of Southeast Tarrant County. These ladies felt there were women in the community who wanted to give something back, but could not do so with the two existing Arlington Altrusa Clubs because of the time each club met.
These ladies were: *O. Elaine Archie, Evelyn Flood-Coles, *Jackie Henson, Ellen McCall Bartley and Beatrice Self.
The dream began. The ladies met to begin to share ideas in order to get the club started. In August 1996 the first club meeting was held at the Shady Valley Country Club in Arlington. The club’s purpose and goals were established at this time.
Numerous board and general meetings were held to organize the new club and prepare for the Chartering Banquet. The members voted to name the club, Southeast Tarrant County Early
Risers (SETCER). This name would ensure that our activities were not limited to Arlington, but spanned throughout Southeast Tarrant County. The name also expressed our desire to meet early in the morning, when our minds were fresh and it would not interfere with our other life obligations. This time would be used to take care of all club business, provide programs, and fellowship.
The grand day finally arrived. On Friday, January 24, 1997, the Altrusa International, Inc., of Southeast Tarrant County Early Risers (SETCER) was chartered with twenty-six members. Jackie Henson was installed as the first president.
SETCER members have a history of volunteering and providing support for many charitable activities, such as, AISD Adopt-A-School Program, Arlington Coalition for Education (ACE), Reading is Fundamental (RIF), Girls and Boys Club Inc., MLK Celebration, Excellent Teen Choice, Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Teacher Appreciation Luncheons, Christmas Adopt-A-Family, Make A Difference Day Projects Water from the Rock Veterans Care Packages and Heifer International.
In recent years SETCER has held several fund-raisers to support service projects, such as, A Night of Jazz and Dinner, featuring local musicians, vocalists, poets, authors, and Fashion Shows with guest speakers and Luncheons.
ALTRUSA SETCER through hands-on-service chosen specifically to meet the needs of our locale and thrives to help build a better community. We provide flexible opportunities for service and appreciate the value of our member’s time. Our club welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences who share our common goals and provide many opportunities for leadership development through community service. SETCER is truly a service oriented organization.
*Deceased
