Have You Talked To Your Advisor Lately?

A couple of days ago I talked by phone to former student council advisor Richard O'Dair. Many of you will not remember this name from your days involved with the Illinois Association of Student Councils. Mr. O'Dair was an advisor at Lake Forest H.S. and at another H.S. (I didn't understand what he said) for a total of 35 years.

The IASC Executive Board presented Mr. O'Dair with the Illinois Award at the 1980 State Convention. The Illinois Award is the highest Honor the IASC can bestow on any individual. The award is offered in recognition of outstanding service to the organization and the students of Illinois.

I had called Mr. O'Dair to ask if he had any pictures or documents from his days in the IASC. During the course of our conversation he said he is currently 90 years of age. To my question about pictures or documents O'Dair said "I am writing this down because at my age you tend to forget." He said that he would have to go through some boxes that he has as he has no idea where this sort of stuff might be located. Then he took my number and said he would get back to me in a couple of days.

This entire exchange put a smile on my face made me think about my grandparents who would be 94 this year. My grandmother wrote down everything!

Then, I began thinking about what we would have done without our advisors. They sacrificed their free time before school, after school and weekends to teach us something besides the standard subjects taught at school. Furthermore, they stood up for us to the Principal or administration, challenged us to be creative, and drove us all over the state to workshops, conventions and meetings. Advisors helped us campaign for office then celebrated our victories and bemoaned our losses. They became de-facto counselors, dished out discipline when needed, and reminded us to call our parents.

If you haven't done so in a while you should call or write your former student council advisor and see how they are doing, wish them a happy birthday, or send a Christmas card. Put aside a few minutes and reconnect! I'm sure they will appreciate the quick message from an old friend.