Freemasonry is a brotherhood centred on the principles of improving ourselves as men and helping others in need. Its ethos is friendship and service. As part of this it is important to give new candidates the ability to become good masons, transmitting to them, the meaning of the fraternity as well as the importance of the mentorship process through this journey in life.

Very often mentoring candidates appears to be the least important part, forgetting, that, we were in the exact same position they are in now. Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation where knowledge is passed from instructive tongue to receptive ears and if done properly, is the most effective delivery method in a candidates’ education. With good mentorship they can be moulded into becoming good masons as well as good human beings.

Mentoring new brethren is much more than just bringing them into the fraternity. It’s a process which takes time, and like a good recipe – cooked slowly. Candidates are the future, and our knowledge needs to be transmitted to them over time, with a caring approach.

A masonic mentoring program is needed within each lodge to assist new masons and bring them along the journey as mentoring is an important task to ensure candidates follow a path without rushing their journey, joining too many lodges, attending far too many meetings and burning up their energies. This could happen when too many tasks are taken on board, getting to the point where new masons are scared to say no or even worse, they feel they should do more, pressurising themselves and then not getting the enjoyment from their newfound hobby. This isn’t just about ritual because learning is part of the masonic culture. This Is far deeper. Members need to follow the correct path, completing steps and learning along the way so that those lessons learned within freemasonry culminate in a wider understanding of our craft and of themselves.

For new brethren it is important to learn about the history of freemasonry and its symbolism, but all this would only be possible by mentoring them. To help the mentor in this task, the other members of the lodge, especially the ones with many years of service will play a significant role in ensuring that newly made masons remain enthusiastic and interested.

A good way to keep their curiosity and interest going, is to give them a few responsibilities, and to encourage participation in simple floor work to help them start to feel acclimatised to freemasonry and the lodge in general. This will give them a sense of belonging to the fraternity increasing their sense of purpose through the brotherhood.

Mentoring new brethren isn’t only good for the new candidates to find their own path, but this will help us as well as new brethren. Staying the course is the life blood of every lodge. We often forget how we became masons, forgetting that there are still far too many things we have yet to understand and the only way to get to know and master those is helping our new brethren. It’s a two-way journey where each step will take us a bit closer to the great architect of the universe.

A work in progress lasting a lifetime, where helping others will show our charitable soul, leaving something behind us when we shall be summoned from this sublunary abode, we may ascend to the grand lodge above where the great architect lives and reigns for ever.

Bro. Francesco Toto