A longtime local school board trustee was honoured late last week by the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) joining a short list of recipients for this particular award.

On Friday evening Chinook School Division trustee Larry Caswell became the 15th individual to receive the SSBA Award of Distinction and only the second Chinook School Division trustee (the late Bernie Ford - 2003) to be given the award since its creation in 2003.

"It one of those things that you don't expect and that makes it all the sweeter if it happens," he said. "You're literally swamped with congratulations from people you work beside and that's pretty nice in anybody's world."

The award is given to school board members who demonstrate outstanding service or made a significant contribution to enhance education.

"It's just a plaque and a recognition in front of the gathering of school trustees that you've been at it a long time, which I can lay claim too and you've done a good enough job that you haven't messed up enough to not be awarded it," he said jokingly.

Caswell began working in local school board politics in 1978 and was first elected as a trustee 10 years later, a title he's held for 28 of the past 30 years.

"The first 10 of those 40 years it was a local board and that sort of meant volunteer labour, so replacing sewer pipes under the school and things like that were some of the duties that came with the job," he said laughing. "When you actually get onto the division board there are more tough decisions to be made and of course that makes for a lot more head scratching and worrying."

One person that's worked alongside Caswell for several years now is Director of Education the Chinook School Board Kyle McIntyre who was pleased to see him receive the accolade.

"Certainly no one can argue with Larry's commitment to students in the southwest for the last 40 years, it's an incredible commitment of always trying to do what's best for kids," McIntyre said. "Certainly it's not a position that there comes a lot of recognition or remuneration, so really it is a vocation and a calling and certainly Larry has answered that call."