Malcolm Gauld
Yesterday, I posted the above photo on Facebook with the following explanation:
Alf Jacques, RIP – Gavin Hill ‘19, an outstanding lax player with a spiritual respect for the game, came to Hyde from the Onondaga Reservation in upstate NY. When he graduated, his parents pulled me aside and gave me a huge surprise: this cross, hand made by the legendary “Stick Maker” (the official title bestowed on him by the Iroquois and Onondaga) Alf Jacques. Having wanted… “coveted” is probably more accurate… one for decades, I proceeded to bawl like a baby! It came with strict instructions from the man himself: “Don’t just hang it on the wall. Use it!” So, I take it to Lake Placid each August and run at least one midfield shift with it. (Although all wooden sticks are no longer legal, the refs look the other way. One even said to me, “If you’ve got an authentic Alf Jaques cross, you better use it!”) Thank-you, Hills! Thank-you, Mr. Jacques, and RIP!
This post falls under the category of “If you know, you know.” And on the chance that you have not been visited by the spiritual bond inspired by “The Creator’s Game,” here’s a passage from Mr. Jacques’ obituary:
And those fortunate few who hold onto one of his wooden sticks will have a tangible piece of his life’s work; cherish it and treat it well, but if you were to ask the man himself, he would tell you to take it down off the wall once in awhile and throw a ball around with someone. His sticks were meant to be played with, he made them with a purpose.
So, this Sunday, I’m bringing my stick to our weekly pick-up game — ages 16 to 69 (Yeah, that would be me) — just outside Portland. After I get my shift, everyone gets a turn.
Onward, Malcolm
