Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Teacher

Teacher

Today a great brother of this fraternity is being laid to rest, WB Bennie King. I attended his Masonic Memorial last evening, a fitting tribute to one of the cornerstones of Freemasonry in Genesee County and the entire state of Michigan.

During the past few days in discussions with various brothers, everyone referred to Bennie as a great teacher, and that he was. He was not formally trained but had a God given ability to teach the ritual to hundreds of brothers over the years.

A dictionary definition of "teacher" is as follows; a person who helps others to acquire knowledge, competences or values. We should also be aware that teacher appears many times in the Holy Bible, the following is just one example; the student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher Luke 6:40.

Unfortunately I find myself writing too many of these tributes to our brothers who have transitioned to the celestial city where the Grand Architect of the Universe presides. Many brothers have touched my life and soul while traveling through this veil of tears. We have to remember that we are born, we live and we die, the reality of the situation can be a huge burden to bear, but we find comfort in knowing that our brothers are at peace and through with their suffering on this terrestrial sphere.

As I sit here trying to piece together a fitting memorial to WB Bennie King I'm listening to brother Ralph Stanley one of the kings of Bluegrass music....this was WB Bennie's favorite genre of music, I know because when he got a new vehicle he had me program the Bluegrass station on XM and that was it...."it's all I need," he would say.

While studying for my Master Ritualist with Bennie at his home we would have conversations while taking breaks from my reciting the part of the ritual I was working on at the time. One evening Bennie shared some of his life story. There was something about the way he talked in a gentle voice, sometimes a little fast but a southern drawl always adds to the story or any narration.

Forgive me for taking some liberties with the story but this is from memory.......at a young age Bennie lost his father, I can't recall what happened but I do recall that his dad died young and Bennie and his sister were young as well. Their mother was struggling to keep the family afloat, in those days women did not normally work outside of the home.

Bennie said one day he and his sister were outside playing when 2-3 men in a car pulled up to their modest home. The men were Masons from Bennie's dad's lodge. They talked with Mrs.King and offered to take Bennie and his sister to the Kentucky Home for orphans. Although they were not orphans, it was more than their mother could handle by herself. So she agreed that in the best interest of the children this would be a great solution to her new found problems.

I asked Bennie how he and his sister felt about it. He said that it was a little tough the first couple of days being away from their mom, but it was the best thing that ever happened to him. They were provided with clothes and shoes to wear, got their education, three meals a day and a warm dry place to sleep.

While a resident there Bennie joined the Order of DeMolay and also became a boy scout. He recounted that the Scouts were having their Jamboree in California and the Masons sent him and I think 3 other scouts to the Jamboree.....they provided train tickets to and fro and some spending money. He said that was an experience of a lifetime at a young age.

One of the best things that happened while there Bennie met the love of his life, Goldie. There were other tidbits and little stories he shared about some escapades and so forth but the main theme of the story comes through. I left his home that evening feeling like I had just witnessed a book, movie, or country song in my mind as he spun the tale of his early life......I left with a tear in my eye for sure. Out of all he taught me, nothing compares with the privilege of having heard the story of his formative years.

For many years Bennie held a Wednesday morning School of Instruction at Morning Star Lodge in Swartz Creek, many a Worshipful Master learned his work at this school. His teaching was not confined to Wednesday mornings....he was always teaching.....I wonder if he realized he was doing it.

My first stint in the East was in 1990 and then after a 8-9 year hiatus I returned to the craft and started doing work again. I remember distinctly one evening at Fellowship Lodge I was Senior Deacon and was using the wrong word. After the degree Bennie took me aside and said you're doing a fine job, there is just one word I want you to work on.....it's report not rapport. I also remember thinking that I was right, later while looking at the ritual....the word was report.....I discovered another item in the front of the ritual the name, Bennie King.....who helped correct the ritual while WB Harry Hicks was the Grand Lecturer.......never did I question him after that.

Many talented Past Masters credit their success to Bennie and many brothers throughout this Grand Jurisdiction of Michigan credit WB Bennie with helping them to learn the work. In the later years Bennie would be sitting off to the side with his eyes closed and someone would get stuck he would give a prompt without ever opening his eyes. When I was studying with him he never had to use a book to follow me, except in the FC lectures.....lectures which he admitted was a challenge even to him. It was amazing how well he knew that book and how he knew how to teach it.

Bennie never embarrassed anyone in doing their work and often would take the brother aside and nobody except the brother knew of his correcting. He was always inspiring brothers to stretch and do more work, and he had a way of doing it that encouraged the brother to do good work, because the brother didn't want to disappoint Bennie.

WB Bennie King was one of a kind, his influence and love of the craft will be a living legacy to him and his work. The craft has lost a brilliant leader and teacher, and the world has lost one terrific man, whom we all are very proud to call brother and the most fitting tribute.....teacher. Fare thee well WB Bennie....fare thee well.

1 comment:

Archie Canterbury PM said...

Bennie was a great teacher and mentor of hundreds in Genesee County. He will be truly missed.