A Mason's Mason

 From time to time I've wrote about extrodinary Masons in our area. Too often it has been after they answer the summons of the Grand Warden of Heaven. So I think it's just as appropriate to recoginize these great brothers while they are still serving the craft.

WB Lloyd James Williams, known to all as Jimmy Williams. WB Jimmy was intiated, passed, and raised in Genesee Lodge #174,  in the year of 1963. This was in the days of the full catachism, he joined in September of that year and was raised in October of the same year. Apparently the ritual work came easy for this young Mason.

WB Jim has served the craft in a variety of capacities over the years. He served as Worshipful Master of Genesee Lodge #174 in 83, he went on to be DDI for District 15, and was made Chaplain Emeritus in 2017 for Genesee Lodge after serving 10 or more years in that office.

WB Jimmy has always been a regular traveling Mason especially in Genesee County. He is just a tremendous asset in lecturing in all of the degrees and has performed many outstanding installations with his rich almost baritone voice. One of his special talents is pulling together a great degree team for the King Solomon's club Outdoor Master Mason degree.

Last evening I had the privilege of attending Genesee Lodge #174 in Flushing to witness the conferral of the Master Mason degree on three brothers, one from Holly Lodge, one from Welfare Lodge, and one from Genesee Lodge.

They opened lodge at 5pm and when I arrived shortly after 6pm the parking lot was quite full, more full than I have seen it in many years. When they went from labor to refreshment, I knew why the parking lot was so full.....brothers from all around the county and a variety of lodges came pouring out of the blue room.

The degree was performed very well with WB Jimmy Williams directing the trhrong of brothers required for a Master Mason degree. Throughout the evening I learned that Jimmy had been on the phone for several days arranging who was going to do what, just as he has for many years for the outdoor degree.

Traveling with WB Jim Williams last night was WB James O. ....heavy on the O. Allen, these two characters roamed the roads and lodges of Genesee County for many years. They were really a great team on memorials....WB Jim Allen had a soft, soothing voice that I'm sure was a great comfort to many grieving Masonic families at countless Masonic memorials.

Both of the Jims logged countless miles, hours, and degrees over the years. The late WB Joe Florida said back in the 90's that we had more Masons in the State of Michigan who were 90 and above than we did Masons 50 and below....so if you want to live to be 90 join a Michigan Masonic lodge. It was really neat to see WB Jimmy and Jerry Graham a 70+ year member working together on the Master Mason degree last night.

So if you bump into WB Jimmy Williams or WB Jim Allen, or Jerry Graham....be sure to tell them how much you appreciate what they've done for Masonry over the years. Let them know how much we appreciate them now, right now for what they've done for our craft.