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Informing The Uninformed....
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England
v W Indies, Champions Trophy final, The Oval
Browne
and Bradshaw steal a thriller
The West Indies tail pulled off a remarkable victory in the gloom at The Oval, with Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw snatching a win from under England’s noses with a record ninth wicket partnership of 71. West Indies were dead and buried at 147 for 8 before Browne and Bradshaw joined each other at the crease, but slowly they edged towards England’s total of 217, and sealed a stunning with two fours in the penultimate over of the game. Earlier, Marcus Trescothick carried England's batting with his eighth one-day hundred to set up what, for most of the West Indies innings, looked like a winning total.
Eulogy
of
Oscar Emanuel Mason Sr.
(November 10, 1916 to August 17, 2004)
by
O' neal Mason
at the
Official Funeral at the St. John's Cathedral
on
September 2, 2004
It is never ever easy to write a eulogy about
a man who has touched, in some way, the life of almost every Antiguan with whom
he came into contact. Not that I have had the prior experience, but especially
when it is about a man, who have contributed in some significant way, to every
aspect of life in the society during his lifetime.
Oscar Emanuel Mason, Sr. known to many as
Oscar Manda, Jacks, Old Jack or Crusen, was born on November 10th
1916 to Amanda Faban and Samuel Mason. He was the brother of the late Millicent
and Frederick Hughes. On November 10th 1986, he took Beatrice Kirwan
to be his wife. Oscar Mason was the father of 28 children, 121 grandchildren, 85
great-grandchildren and 6 great, great-grandchildren.
As a young man, he had a very rough time
growing up. His father left Antigua when he was too young to know him and his
mother died when he was 7, leaving him with his grandmother who died by the time
he was 14. He was then left with an aging aunt known to us as Auntie Gomes.
Jacks did not only exemplify Oscar Mason’s
practical skills, but was also an analogy of his many personal values and
virtues such as being determined, disciplined, kind, god fearing, loyal,
creative, nurturing, fair and overall extraordinary.
He was not formally educated in the Antigua
school system of his time. He educated himself mostly at the theatre by watching
movies and modeling himself after the actors he saw on the screen. This led to
his fancy dressing and appreciation for fashion. After seeing the big bands of
his era such as the Glen Miller Band, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and many others
in the movies, he wanted to be the leader of a big band himself and this dream,
we all know, became a reality.
In addition to that, so fascinated was he with
the cinema that following negotiations with the Fernandez Family, the owners of
the cinema, not only die he work in that institution but he bought shares in the
Company and became and still owns shares in the cinema operations. This
investment was made at a great sacrifice - money was scarce but he put his
pennies together until he achieved the necessary investment sum.
As Jacks grew up, one of his first jobs was as
a painter. His elder brother, Frederick, was a painter and he took a job to
paint with him. After a short time, he decided that painting in the hot sun was
not for him and he could do better than that, so he set off to make life another
way. Music must have been somewhere in the fiber of his being, because he
decided to visit the late Maurice Bridges, who had a band, to ask him to teach
him to play the trumpet. Under Mr. Bridges tutelage, self-discipline and extra
effort, he succeeded in teaching himself to play music, to the extent that in
1939 he formed a band, which was then called the Antigua Glen Miller; he
employed other men to work with him.
Having many children was not an accident. As a
bandleader he faced many obstacles with getting the band to function with the
type of discipline he would have preferred. In such instances he told us that he
prayed God would give him lots of children so he could form an orchestra of his
own. Daddy got his wish and the Mason orchestra, called the “Sons of the
Vibratone” was formed and later became so popular that there were times when
the Mason family controlled almost all of the dance music that was being played
in Antigua. The band became so busy, that a second band had to be formed; the
band was called the Mason Brothers.
Daddy believed in giving back to his country
and maintaining Antigua’s cultural identity. Oscar Mason was a man who made
things happen. For those who can recall the former days of the Christmas
celebrations in the 1940's, 1950's and early 1960's when among other activities,
the jazz bands were called to parade the streets, it was necessary then to have
guards hold the crowds away from the bandsmen. These guards would dress up in
cowboy costumes, and of course, Oscar Mason, as one of these guards, had the
most outstanding outfit, which he made himself, making him the envy of the other
cowboys.
Later in the years, during Christmas
celebrations, when the Mock-O-Jumbie, various masquerades, John Bull, clowns and
other troupes were on display, it was Oscar Mason on the tallest stilts, or
mock-o-jumbie, walking on his jumper-Ben some 5 or more feet taller than his
fellow celebrants. Further on, again during the celebrations you would find
Oscar Mason displaying the longest long-ghost, which was then the thriller of
the night activities of the Christmas celebrations. Friends, Daddy did nothing
at an average level - it had to be outstanding.
Daddy was instrumental in bringing carnival to
Antigua in 1957, and through the years he developed calypso as an art form by
encouraging the ever-growing talent of many of our notable calypsonians today.
Many people do not know this, but my father was the first musician to put
musical notes on the steel pan. Not only did Daddy encourage the calypsonians,
but also he maintained the viability of Antigua’s carnival when it would have
waned due to lack of funds. Rather than using the much-needed money he received
from the carnival committee as payment for his services, Daddy gave the money
back and told the committee members to put it up for the next year.
As time went by, it was Oscar Mason the
athlete - cricketer, footballer, boxer and cyclist. As a bicycle racer, he gave
a very good account of himself on the tracks at the Antigua Recreation Grounds
where the sport was held.
The bicycle was the main mode of
transportation in Antigua during the 1950s. Every retailer sold bicycles, which
were imported in a complete knock down state with miscellaneous parts, somewhat
like a puzzle. Oscar Mason took up the challenge and became a Master Bicycle
Mechanic. He knew how many ball bearings would fit into a head, a 3-speed gear
hub, or both parts of the bracket axel or any other part of the bike for that
matter, and would masterfully assemble a bicycle without a flaw. He taught his
children the art of assembling the bicycles.
We continue to Oscar Mason the Boxer. Called
the Golden Boy, he was a Boxer of great enterprise. There were many times in his
boxing career when he was up against tremendous odds, such as fighting above his
weight class, but that never worried the dauntless fighter, who usually emerged
the victor.
You may not know this, but Oscar Mason was
also a baker. The story is as follows, - while working as a baker; Daddy was
responsible for making sure the bread would be ready on time. On this particular
morning, the oven was not giving enough heat to bake the bread. Now this was the
old wood burning brick oven of the day, fire on one side, and the bread on the
other. Since the bread was not baking, daddy said he was going to find out what
the problem was and then correct it. So he crawled into the hot oven to find the
source of the problem and realized the oven needed cleaning. So, with his tongue
at the side of his mouth, he proceeded to clean the oven. He came out of the
oven not burnt but drenched in sweat and the bread was ready on time. - That was
Jacks - always the man to fix the situation.
A man of amazing creativity we have Oscar
Mason the builder, who was determined to achieve anything he set his mind to. A
good example of this was when he decided to build his first house. He did not
know how to structure the floor, but was determined to complete the house
without anyone’s help. So one night while the occupants of a neighboring house
were sleeping, he took a flashlight, crawled under the house and proceeded to
inspect the floor joist to see how they were laid. After that one night of
inspection, Daddy was not only able to complete his house, but he went on to
become a contractor. He built the house in South Street, Otto’s Newtown, and
the house in which he died at Radio Range.
He also maintained and built several houses
for his childhood friend the late Dr. The Honourable Sir Vere C. Bird Sr. So
loyal and committed was he to his dear friend that he worked long hours,
purchased building materials from his own resources just to complete his
friend’s projects in a timely manner.
As children, when we arrived home from school
each day, while he worked as a Barber, Daddy would normally be at his Barber’s
chair cutting someone’s hair or shaving them with his very sharp Barber’s
Razor Blade. All of his children, while walking into the house, would line up
like ducklings, the oldest to the youngest, to show affection. Daddy would shift
his position, bending his knees and pushing his face as close as possible to the
lips of each child, while he still had the clippers in his client’s hair or
razor on the cheek, and one by one each child would walk forward and kiss Daddy
saying "Good afternoon Daddy," until the last child kissed him.
Daddy always taught us unity. To strengthen
his point, one particular afternoon he got all of us together and with a box of
matches he made this illustration. One by one he gave each of us 1 match, then
told us to break the matchstick - we did so. He then took out a stack of matches
and handed a stack to each child with the same instruction. He wanted us to
break the stack of matches. Naturally we couldn’t. He went on to show that
Unity is Strength. If we do not live in unity, each of us would be broken one by
one as were the individual matchstick.
One of the things we all learned from Daddy is
that raising children is not a democracy, but a dictatorship. Daddy told you
what he wanted you to do, he did not ask - and you better do it. He did not
spare the rod - nor did he spoil the child. He was a no nonsense man when it
came to raising his children. He was an honest and God fearing man who taught
his children from an early age to be fair in their dealings with others. He was
always echoing, "Honesty is the best policy" and "Love others as
you love yourself." Many of his children can remember going to church with
him.
There were times when he would gather his
children around him, and our eldest sister, Eileen, would read from the Bible
while, the younger siblings sat close by listening. Daddy would explain portions
of the reading to us. This instilled a great sense of spirituality within his
children, and to such an extent that some of us became preachers.
Daddy was a good leader who always encouraged
his children to be the best in their endeavors. He always instilled the
principle, "What man had done, man can do." His virtue of kindness
stood out as we grew up. His home was always a welcome place for everyone; he
was always willing to share his substance with the less fortunate even though he
was not a rich man, just a Good Samaritan.
Though an ordinary man, he cultivated the
ability to socialize with the elite as well as the poor man in the street with
the same ease and openness. A feat many find difficult to do. He was a family
oriented man, who loved his children and grandchildren very much.
Daddy played his part in the politics of this
country too. He was a staunch supporter of the Antigua Labour Party and the
Antigua Trades and Labour Union. He was a dedicated and loyal friend to the late
Dr. The Honourable Sir V.C. Bird Sr., whom he supported personally throughout
his political career. His support for the Labour Party never waived even though
The Second Premier of Antigua/Barbuda Sir George Walter was also his friend.
Daddy took ill approximately three years ago.
During his illness, while some of his children ministered to his physical needs,
others were careful to minister to his spiritual well being. He died peacefully
at his home in Radio Range on August 17th 2004, surrounded by his
wife, some of his children and grandchildren. Daddy is deeply missed but lives
on in our collective memories.
This is the end of an Era; a Great man has
passed on. His contributions to all aspects of Antiguan life will always be
remembered. Daddy lived a full life and he lived it HIS WAY.
We give thanks to God for lending us such a
dynamic father. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
NEWS ITEMS REFERENCE OSCAR MASON.
Saturday September 4, 2004: (In brief) ><> Politicians took the spotlight at Mason’s funeral. ><> Mason family had a special South Street musical and food bash after the funeral. ><>
Friday September 3, 2004: St. John’s City was like a mourning city yesterday, as two prominent citizens were given their final sendoff to their resting place. Oscar Emanuel Mason and Angela “Peggy” Swift received their final tributes and celebration of life at the St. John’s Cathedral and the St. John’s Methodist Church respectively. And mourners did turn out in large numbers. Mason’s body lay in state at the Multi Purpose center from 10am, where the general public viewed it. From there, it was removed and transported in a procession which made its way up Market Street and right on to Long Street, ending at the St. John’s Cathedral, where he was churched with an official funeral. Mason was described as a boxer, contractor, barber, painter, baker, builder, cricketer, footballer, cyclist, bicycle mechanic, musician extraordinaire among other things, as well as he was carnival, just like carnival was him. Many tributes and musical renditions were done in his memory, and the limited church space looked as though there was a major jam session taking place, with lots of equipment and many players, synonymous with the days when he used to host practice sessions at his home. But this time was a special time as speaker-by-speaker and singer-by-singer played their part. It was a massive turn out, which saw representations from calypsonians, politicians, the military, friends and a large contingent of family among the mourners. Some persons even flew in from North America for the occasion. As the cortège left for the St. John’s Cemetery, the man, who many persons said had mastered the art of stilt walking in Antigua, thereby establishing the “mock-o-jumbie”, was escorted by 10 young stilt walkers, artistically dressed in black and white, towering high in the air. Later they were joined by an eleventh one, who was decked in carnival colours. The marching band was very large, as literally every musician who saw the need joined in. He was buried on the northern side of the cemetery, pretty close to the fence. The eulogy was presented by one of Mason’s sons, O’Neal, who said of his father, “He did nothing at an average level – it had to be outstanding”. As for Swift, she too was appreciated with a large turn out, which filled the lower deck of the church and spilled over to the upper level. Swift was described as a lady who was a “picture of smiles”. She was also a church organizer, a choir member, and, according to Father Keithly Warner who delivered the eulogy, the decency and morality in her made her a “woman of substance”. She, according to Warner, was fondly remembered as a person who was known to have said that “some people put on clothes, but I dress”. (Read the full eulogy at Angela "Peggy" Swift Eulogy).><>
Thursday September 2, 2004: A cultural icon will be buried today. Oscar Emanuel Mason, whose contribution to the Antiguan community was described as transcending along all lines, will be accorded an official funeral. Mason’s body will lie in state at the Multipurpose Cultural Center from 10 am this morning for public viewing. A procession will also leave at 1pm up Market Street, on to Long Street, where a funeral service will be held at the St. John’s Cathedral. Down to participate in the deliberations are renowned calypsonians King Short Shirt and King Obstinate, the Antigua & Barbuda Defense Force (A&BDF) marching band and an ensemble of the Mason clan. Apart from being one of the mainstays of music in Antigua & Barbuda, Mason was also active in Carnival activities, perfecting the use of stilts; he was a fierce boxer, a bicycle technician, and a janitor of sorts. Mason died at age 87. ><>