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Why do we need a Mentor program?

kosei

Premium Member
Today we lose too many Masons that have been members less than 3 to 5 years.

Mentoring Programs are needed to help our new Master Masons get off to a great start by providing meaningful relationship, communication, education, entertainment and fellowship.

Mentoring helps a new member to get adjusted and become familiar with what Masonic membership offers him in general and what his Lodge in particular will provide in the way of activities and programs, and to get him involved as rapidly as possible.

A good mentoring program will not only enable a new member to get familiar with Lodge policies and procedures as quickly as possible but will get him acquainted with other Lodge members and make him feel comfortable in his Lodge membership.

The Mentoring Program

A mentoring program is the most useful aid for assisting Lodges to bond with their new members. It assists with the new member’s Masonic and gives him a sense of pride in being a Mason.
The bond that is created between two Masons with a mentor program will continue long after the degrees are completed.

The Master should pick a well – informed Brother to be a Mentor who has a positive attitude and who wants to contribute directly to the Lodge’s future.

After the completion of the Investigating Committee and the candidate has been voted upon to receive the degrees by unanimous ballot. He will be informed of the date and time of his first degree.

A Mentor will be appointed for the candidate prior to him receiving the first degree.

The Mentor should meet the candidate in person and answer whatever questions he may have about the first degree

The Mentor will maintain contact during the candidate’s progress through the degrees and will assist him in preparing for each Degree.

The Mentor will find out if the candidate has any particular Masonic friends or associates who would like to be invited to attend or assist in the conferral of the Degrees (particularly the Third Degree).

A recommended time limit for all the sessions is one hour, not to exceed one and one-half hours including discussion.

They meet: I ) prior to the First Degree, 2) following the First Degree, prior to the Second Degree, 3) following the Second Degree, prior to the Third Degree, 4) following the Third Degree

The Mentor will meet with the new candidate to make sure he has a firm grasp of the materials for the degrees.

Answer any questions he may have about the upcoming Degrees.

Review words, grips, signs, how to enter and leave the Lodge.

Meet with the candidate in the Lodge room to discuss the opening closing of the Lodge, the officer’s stations, places, and Obligations for each Degree.

After the candidate has received the Third Degree plan to keep the new Brother involved in Lodge activities.

Discuss with him the difference between the three Degrees.

Accompany the new Brother to his first regular stated communication and answer all questions.

Keep him informed of Masonic events in the area and offer transportation if needed.

Plan to visit a neighboring Lodge

Continue to provide positive reinforcement and develop the bonds of friendship and brotherly love.

Provide him with a membership roster

Provide a list of the Lodge officers and their contact information.

Discuss with the Brother his interests, thoughts and concerns. Point out the importance that the Lodge needs him.

Continue to meet with the new Brother at or away from Lodge for at least one year to answer his questions.

Take him to visit the Grand Lodge. Help him to know how to become an appointed and elective officer of the Lodge.

Your Lodge needs to always keep in mind the importance of retaining and attracting the interests of the Brother by focusing on these key ingredients that will make his experience very meaningful and rewarding.

Friendship – Fellowship – Leadership – Family Involvement – Community Involvement
 

Benton

Premium Member
Great post, great ideas. We especially need follow up with the younger generations entering the lodge, as many of them, I think, feel a bit disconnected given the often times noticeable generational gap between younger and older Masons. Creating friendships and personal involvement in the lodge is the best way to prevent any discomfort in the lodge. Great post!
 

jhodgdon

Registered User
Benton said:
Great post, great ideas. We especially need follow up with the younger generations entering the lodge, as many of them, I think, feel a bit disconnected given the often times noticeable generational gap between younger and older Masons. Creating friendships and personal involvement in the lodge is the best way to prevent any discomfort in the lodge. Great post!

I know that feeling. I'm (by far) the youngest in my lodge and it was awkward at first.
 

NickGarner

Premium Member
I am all for mentoring new brethren and assisting them in learning about the craft, their lodge, and how to act as a mason. I learned all of these things from my coach. In the lodges here in El Paso you are paired up with a coach who teaches you the catechism (degree work) one-on-one. This coach serves as your mentor, although every brother in my lodge is willing to teach what they know.

I had three different coaches due to two of them getting sick, there was always another brother ready to step up and fill in. All three of my coaches had certificates and were past masters and one of them was our district instructor. I consider these men some of my closest friends and favorite people. These brothers taught me all of the things that you have listed. The brother who coached my through my EA work examined me for my proficiency and then conferred the FC degree on me that same evening. Out of the three degrees this one meant the most to me as far as personal relationships go.

Based on the experiences in the lodges I belong to, a program such as this would be redundant for our lodges. However more mentoring, learning and light can only make for stronger lodges and stronger masons :001_cool:.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
My mentor has been with me since the very beginning of my journey and has been of invaluable assistance to me.
 

pointwithinacircle2

Rapscallion
Premium Member
Since everyone else seems to like this I will volunteer to play Devil's advocate. This sounds like a list of stuff for other people to do. Isn't that the way we already get things done? We make a great list and assign someone else to do it. Masonry is full of great lists. And the same few Brothers end up doing all the work. I propose two alternate plans for your consideration.

First: I counted twenty items on the list that the mentor is supposed to do with or for the candidate. I propose that the WM assign these roles to twenty different Masons. Personally, I feel that having twenty different people helping at different stages of his Masonic journey will make the new man feel more like he belongs. And it will make the burden of being a mentor much lighter.

Second: Every Mason has something that he feels is important. I know that when I became a Mason there were a series of incidents where I felt ignored, unwanted and unimportant. When the next man petitioned I made it a point to remember those times and see that they did not happen to him. The second option would be to ask the Brothers to pick something off the list that they felt was important and volunteer to take care of it.

I favor the second option. It not only makes the Candidate a better member, it makes the Brothers better members as well.
 
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