At most monthly meetings, the West Calcasieu Chamber of Commerce honors an employee or business for customer service that exceeds expectations. Ronald Bennett, Frasch Elementary Custodian, was recognized Thursday for much, much more than keeping the school’s floors so clean “you can eat off them.” That’s how award presenter Joe Andrepont put it. Andrepont is the Calcasieu Parish Police Juror representative for District 13 and community and government affairs director for Westlake Chemical, Sulphur. At one time, he was on the Calcasieu Parish School Board, and like most folks, when he visited Frasch Elementary for the first time, he was struck by its sparkling, dust and trash-free surfaces.

“Now I have grandchildren that have gone through Frasch and will be going to Frasch,” Andrepont said. “You can still eat off the floor, but what I notice is how Mr. Ronald knows all the children by name. Not only does he call them by name, he has conversations with them about the Dallas Cowboys, LSU Tigers, T-ball and baseball games…. Conversation and a smile can make a child’s day.”

David Devall, Devall Diesel and Generators, recalled an event that happened six years ago.

There was a shooting near the school, and the school was in lockdown. Devall was third in line to pick up one of his two children. Bennett was on the outside of the door when a woman from the pickup line left her car.

“I don’t know what all this is about, but I need to get my grandkids.’ she told Mr. Ronald. He  told her she couldn’t do that right now because the school was under lock down, to which the woman replied, ‘I don’t think you understand, I want my kids right now. Mr. Ronald told her, ‘I don’t think you understand, these are not your kids right now, these are my kids and you can go back to your car,’ and she did. You’re not losing a custodian, you’re losing a guardian,” Devall said.

Kristi Russell said the West Cal Chamber meeting is not the first get together to express appreciation to Ronald Bennett who will be retiring.

“As an administrator, I impact the lives of children every day. Every administrator does. But I am very aware that there will be no one, no teacher, no administrator who will ever touch our children the way Mr. Ronald has. He is the first one in the door in the morning and the last one to leave. He comforts us when anything goes wrong. He has been the confidant of every administrator that has ever sat in that seat and we are all so grateful. We will get somebody else to do the job, but no one will replace him.”

She kept her words brief, she said, to hold off tears. Bennett shared his thoughts about the good byes, the tears and the job that he felt helped him fulfill God’s purpose for his life.

“Lord, all this crying just because of me. I am just trying to do my best to serve you the best I can,” he said. “To God be the glory.”

After the meeting, Bennett shared that the children were just as much an inspiration to him as he might have been to them, a daily reminder of Matthew 19:2-4. “Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”