Introduction

Mentoring in the Craft is not a new concept, United Grand Lodge has been placing the topic of Mentoring at the forefront of its guidance for Recruitment and Retention for many years, as highlighted by the, Rulers Forum Working Party address to Grand Lodge in March 2008 that stated “mentoring has to run through the Craft, like “Blackpool” through a stick of rock”.

The success of the mentoring programme will not only lead to an increase in retention of Brethren who may have for a number of reasons otherwise left the craft, but also to aid in recruitment of new members, by aiming to transform our lodges into happy and vibrant places to visit, with candidates eager to join.

For this goal to become a reality it is vitally important that the concept of Mentoring needs to be embraced by all members of the Craft not just by the Province and the Lodge Mentors.

As The Pro Grand Master, MW Bro Peter Lowndes, said in his address to the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire in May 2010, “it has to be right to explain to a brother, what he has joined and to help him enjoy his masonry, so that he wants to contribute to its future”.

Every lodge and Brother can benefit from an active mentoring programme and it should embrace everyone within the lodge, from the newly initiated Brother to the more senior members of the lodge, each working in Harmony to deliver a fulfilling experience for all members of the fraternity.