Every lodge should have a Masonic Mentor Program. The Masonic Mentor Program should be run by the Masonic Mentor Program Committee. The Masonic Mentor Program should consist of at least three people including:

• A minimum of one Past Master
• At least 2 knowledgeable Master Masons

A Masonic Mentor Program is needed to mentor new Masons and bring them up to standard in Masonic ways. You don’t just expect new members to be familiar with Masonic ritual and ways. There is a need for Masonic mentorship.

The Mentor Program is as important as having an Education officer in the Lodge. Some Lodges do not have Masonic Mentor Programs under the excuse of poor funding, not enough members and low membership retention. But this is wrong. So, long as meetings are held, a lodge must have a Masonic Mentor program. If your lodge does not have a Masonic Mentor program, you can contact Lodge officials and discuss starting one.

Masonic Retention

Masonic retention does not come on its own. No member gets to know all about Freemasonry immediately. There is a need for Lodge officials to bring members up to speed on their Masonic education.

It is essential for members to learn about the history of Freemasonry, its spiritual light and its symbolism. New members should be well catered for. Other Brothers should ask the Lodge members about any questions that they can help them with. With good mentorship, new members can attain the knowledge that they need to become valued members of the lodge.

Every new candidate in the lodge has a great part to play in the future of the lodge, and they must not be ignored. All members must play a role in ensuring that new members remain enthusiastic and interested.

Every new candidate should be assigned to a mentor. The mentor will guide them through the basics of the Brotherhood, teach them Masonic symbology, history, and etiquette and also answer their questions.

New members should be assigned to committees and given responsibilities. They should be allowed to participate in simple degree work to get them acclimatized to the Fraternity. This will give them a sense of belonging and keep them interested in the Brotherhood. They will look forward to meetings, and they will feel a sense of purpose through the Brotherhood.

The Masonic Mentor Program Committee has a lot to do with taking the Brotherhood to the next level. Freemasonry has a rich history with a lot of symbols, Lodge etiquette, Lodge history, Speculative history, Operative history, and other things. A new member can’t learn all these things at once.

With the aid of the Masonic Mentor Program, the new member will learn as much as possible about Freemasonry and start to ascend the chairs.

Obligations of the Masonic Mentor Program Committee

The Masonic Mentor Program Committee is to make the new Brother as welcome as possible. When new members meet for their first Masonic Mentor Program class, you can ask them for how they interpret the Masonic obligation on each degree.

The answers the new members give you might surprise you. We are so used to the Masonic oaths that we do not realize how little we understood them when we were new members. Most new members take these oaths literally and do not understand the background behind them.

After each student explains their obligation, the Masonic Mentor Program Instructor must take time to address every misinterpretation and misconception. The instructor must tell the new members the ancient oral penalties for violation of Oath. This is to show how serious the members of the Fraternity take violation of the Oath seriously.

New members should be taught the obligation of each degree, the solemnity of the degrees and how it is important for them to perform them faithfully. Help each candidate understand as much as possible and explain areas that are not clear to them. It is our duties as Brothers to make new members see the light.

They should be taught the History of Freemasonry and its importance in today’s world. They should also be taught about Famous Freemasons throughout history. The new members should be shown the Lodge Library and tell them that they can be allowed to check the books as the Lodge allows. You can tell them how the entire books within the bookshelf contain a lot of knowledge that can impact them tremendously. You can take them on a Lodge walk, and the layout and symbolism of every lodge furnishing in the Lodge room should be explained.

Everything should be step by step, and you should start at the Entered Apprentice level before treating other levels with them.