“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Mrs. Matthews said.
She wasn’t even planning to attend the club’s May 20 awards luncheon.
“I was finishing up a project at work,” she said.
So she called fellow club member Laura Rublee to express her regrets on not being able to attend.
But Mrs. Rublee, who knew that Mrs. Matthews would be getting the award, did some quick thinking and convinced Mrs. Matthews to change her plans.
“Laura told me that I really needed to be there because a friend of ours was expecting us,” Mrs. Matthews said.
The implication was that feelings would be hurt because that friend was Kathryn Hermans, and the May 20 luncheon was Mrs. Hermans’ last event as Contemporaries president.
But that wasn’t the case at all. Mrs. Hermans wanted Mrs. Matthews there so she could make the Rookie of the Year announcement.
“And that honor definitely belongs to Connie,” Mrs. Hermans said. “She joined us for 2008-09 club year, and she jumped in with both feet. She immediately took on the big job of coordinating the mailing list for our winter gala. That was quite a job, and she was wonderful at it.”
Several Contemporaries members noticed Mrs. Matthews’ efforts, Mrs. Hermans said, so there were several nominations for Mrs. Matthews to get the Rookie of the Year award.
The Rookie award has gone to an exemplary first-year member each spring since 1992.
“I was so honored to get the award,” Mrs. Matthews said. “And so surprised. My mother and daughters were there to see me get it. It turned out to be such a special day.”
A longtime member of the Central Texas Orchestral Society, Mrs. Matthews has always enjoyed Temple’s Cultural Activities Center in Temple. That’s why she joined the Contemporaries in 2008. (The CTOS is one of the groups that organize performances at the CAC.)
“The CAC is important to the community,” Mrs. Matthews said. “It provides valuable educational experiences to school children, and it promotes the arts. And the Contemporaries provide the vital financial support that makes that happen.”
She’s glad she joined.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Mrs. Matthews said. “I get to be with my friends and help the club do its job.”
For the 2009-10 club year, Mrs. Matthews plans to work again on the gala committee. She will be sending out invitations and taking reservations for the annual winter fundraiser.
For details about the Contemporaries and its mission to raise funds for the CAC, call the CAC at 773-9926. Dues are $25 for active members and $40 for associate members.
