Monday's Internet Edition, October 13, 2008.
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Carole O’Dwyer, left, accepts her award from Copperas Cove Exchange Club President Daetha “Moose” Rankin after she was inducted into the Golden Book of Deeds during the Exchange Club’s 31st annual award banquet. Rankin gave a “This is Your Life” presentation, revealing information about the award recipient. See story, Page 3A. – Photo by KRISTAN HALL
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News editor - Carole O'Dwyer, a retired Copperas Cove Independent School District chemistry and science teacher, was honored Friday with the 2003 Golden Deeds Award, presented by the Exchange Club of Copperas Cove.
The Book of Golden Deeds is a community service project of the National Program of Service sponsored by hundreds of Exchange Clubs across the country. Its purpose is to recognize the good deeds of those who serve the community.
Exchange Club President Daetha "Moose" Rankin said it would take several days to tell and document all the "wonderful, selfless and inspiring deeds" O'Dwyer has done for all of mankind without regard to their place of high or low status.
O'Dwyer, 65, the wife of Army veteran Roger "Odie" O'Dwyer, moved to Copperas Cove in 1973, after traveling to Germany and six different states.
Having always been very active in religious education and church choir groups, Carole became involved in voluntary services in her community while in Alabama.
There she organized a Girl Scout Brownie Troop and a voluntary cheerleading squad.
Wherever Carole relocated with Odie and her five children, she was involved as a leader in her children's after-school activities ó Boy and Girl Scouting, football, basketball, baseball and track and field.
Soon after her arrival to Cove in 1973, she was hired as an interim science teacher. Carole then went to three years of summer school at the University of Mary Hardi- Baylor and received a Texas Teacher's Certification for Science.
While a student at UMHB, she would knit during her leisure time. Carole's millinery skills soon caught the attention of the ladies at Holy Family Catholic Church and she became the parish's duty knitter.
Even now, she still knits about 100 woolen hats each winter for the church's bazaar and needy children in kindergarten through fourth grade.
"For so long, I can't recall, she has knitted hats, scarves and other woolen items for children at Halstead, Cove House, Santa Pals and our parish bazaars and trash or treasure sales," said the Rev. William Donahue, pastor of the Holy Family Catholic Church.
"More often than not, she personally pays for more than half of the wool donated," Donahue said.
Carole is chairwoman of the church's Pathfinders team, a ministry to get people off welfare and help them become gainfully employed.
She volunteers her home quarterly and serves as the parish's representative for the Woman's Inter-Faith Ecumenical Prayer Alliance and is an organizer for Copperas Cove's annual National Day of Prayer.
"Carole has always striven to improve anything she has come in contact with; and the quality of life of Copperas Cove, 'The City Built for Family Living,' is no exception," Rankin said at the banquet.
"She still serves or has served on a variety of the city or Copperas Cove Independent School District Citizen's Advisory groups or boards," he said.
Carole was a volunteer religious education instructor for seven years. For the last 8? years, she has been the volunteer piano accompanist for the Holy Family parish's Saturday evening Vigil Mass.
Carole has led and accompanied the Children's Christmas Services Choir for the past six years.
She often provides the accompaniment for weddings and funerals held at Holy Family and at the Catholic Chapel on Fort Hood.
Carole has always donated all stipends received for doing this to either St. Vincent de Paul or on occasion to other non-denominational charity organizations.
In the late 1970s and early '80s, the U.S. Army underwent a personnel reduction of force.
This caused a strain on many of her students and five children's friends' families' home lives.
"When children were in need of a hug or a place to hang out, Carole set another plate or two at the table and a spare cot in a bedroom," Rankin said at the banquet.
"Many of those young men and women stay in touch and still call her 'My second Mom,'" he said.
"During the time of her husband's active duty in the military, she served as a "mom" to the children of divorced parents or those geographically separated to permit finishing high school in Copperas Cove High School," Donahue said.
Carole heads up Holy Family's bereavement committee and also serves on the VFW's bereavement committee.
She is a life member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. She has been the chairwoman of the Ladies Youth Activities Programs and organizes learning the Pledge of Allegiance for several elementary classes each year.
Carole has volunteered both as a teacher and as an auxiliary member of Copperas Cove High School's Project Graduation every year.
She organized the first Mr. and Miss Copperas Cove Junior High and chaired that until being assigned to the chemistry department at the high school.
She has organized and chaired the Auxiliary's "Voice of Democracy," "Youth Essay," and "Outstanding History Teacher" contests for three years and served on them for eight years.
Besides all these activities, Carole has been a Help One Student To Succeed (HOSTS) reading volunteer at Fairview Elementary for five years.
She also volunteers to mentor and read to six classes and eat the children's lunch menu every Wednesday at Halstead Elementary.
Carole has divulged her secret chili recipe and each spring semester, the first-graders make chili as a part of their class' life skills curriculum.
She also assists her husband when he is able to deliver Meals on Wheels for the Exchange Club and provides fellowship and a sense of being to the elderly and sometimes infirm recipients.
Carole said she appreciated the award.
"This is a night I will remember always," she said.
The 31st Book of Golden Deeds and Awards Banquet was conducted at Central Texas College's Student Center.
About 100 people attended the event, which featured a slide show of scenes from the award recipient's life.