I had the honor of attending the Masonic Memorial service for a dear brother and friend Worshipful Brother Herbert "Herbie" Jacques last evening. Without a doubt one of the largest and most well done memorials I've ever attended.
WB Jerry Graham mentioned that Herbie was a Marine, a Marine's Marine. In talking with some friends and brothers a couple of days before the memorial I had referred to Herbie as a Mason's Mason.
While attending the memorial I couldn't help but to recall the passion that WB Herbie put into the apron presentation and the MM prayer when playing King of Tyre. Also, I fondly remember that he also played a villager in the 32nd degree in Bay City. The 32nd degree has a cast of about 50 brothers and you could always count on Herbie to show up in the crowd with a non speaking role of a simple villager....but he had a passion about that as well.
I've touched on this before and it gets brought up among certain circles of brothers.....there are legends of Freemasonry in our area and in other areas around the state and throughout the country.
Herbie was definitely a legend in his "own" time.....we jokingly say that certain people are legends in their own mind......but not Herbie.....he was truly a legend in his own time.
Having been in this great fraternity for thirty years I've come to know a few brothers like Herbie who in my mind were legends of Freemasonry. I wonder, will they ever be replaced by those in the ranks who are approaching that level of longevity and meaningful contributions to the craft.
Herbie and others who have gone before him can not be replaced....but it is my thought, hope, and prayer that there are brothers among us who will unwittingly and unknowingly slide into those roles and be an inspiration to all of us brothers.
One common thread which runs through these legendary brothers is a true passion and a strong love for the fraternity and the craft. Another thing common among those brothers was a genuine interest in the newly made brothers and praising those who take on new parts and responsibilities....their praise was usually done in a quiet manner, in private, and one on one. That praise from the legends goes a long way in building a brothers confidence in his new role.
If you were to ask Herbie and the others if they realized that they were legends in the fraternity.....they would all humbly disagree with you and point out that they were just doing their job and encouraging those taking on new responsibilities. They would say that Masonry is just one of the passions and loves of their life and seeing a brother grow brings them tremendous joy.
To Herbie and all the others who have gone before.....fare thee well my dear brother.....fare thee well
