Over a quarter of Freemasons who left the organization said they left because they felt they weren’t appreciated or made to feel welcome in their own lodges today I’m joined by the provincial Mentor Dave Buckingham for Lincolnshire and Dave I’d like to talk about this particular topic uh you being a mentor
It’s your responsibility in the in the province too not bring members in but make sure that they’re being mentored and guided and retained and so why do you think so many Freemasons do leave and what can lodges do to to stop that talk to me Chris first of all those figures that you’ve just quoted uh quite disappointing for us and there are several reasons perhaps why 20 leave before three years number one really is some haven’t been interviewed and told about our organization and The Lodges haven’t been open and honest enough with them to explain the
Commitment and explain what Freemasonry is all about and importantly what is expected of them and what they expect of us so it’s understanding their expectations and and making sure at least they have some idea about what Freemasonry is about when they first come in now at the moment we have quite a number
New members coming in purely from the internet and social media which is great and we do find that those people are looking into Freemasonry and doing their research before they apply would you say they’re a lot stickier do they do ones that come in through social media and and the eugelia website
Tend to stay longer than the ones that are probably introduced through personal recommendation that’s what we’re finding wow that will surprise an awful lot of people it will it will they do their research they find out something about Freemasonry and they know the background and know what
Is expected of them coming into this wonderful organization what we do find is those that are invited in by friends it’s it’s okay sometimes of just come along you’ll enjoy it I know you’ll enjoy it you know join us and when they come they don’t fully understand the
Commitment that we expect do you think and again this is a lesson for me I’m sure people watching this is that if you’re going to bring in a friend you almost have to go over and above and explain what the commitment is you know I jokingly say to the wife it was eight
Meetings a year and she says well you’ve had those eight meetings and we’re at the end of February yes but I think the lesson here is is that people who are bringing in friends Sons of friends is that they need to explain exactly what the commitment is because
There is a lot of commitment isn’t it there is a lot of commitment there’s a lot of dedication in any organization that you join and we are volunteers we don’t get paid we are a community-based organization uh we have strict morals we are there to make good men better
And part of our tradition and the degrees that we go through are moral playlists as we go through life and Within These ceremonies there is an expectation for the new member to be involved and until such time as they come in and that’s where the mentor takes over uh
And that’s where the arm around them to tell them a little bit more about the organization making them feel welcome making them know that they belong to a wonderful organization and then we can build on that and nurture them through and they will stay it disappoints me that so many do leave
Between the first and the third and what can Average Joe below Mason who spots someone you know who’s been parachuted in you know and it’s not just at the ceremony it’s downstairs at the festive board as well isn’t it it is it is and when they come in uh the ceremony
Is a wonderful ceremony and they are made to feel so welcome it’s when they come back again and you need to make sure that they are not embarrassed about where they sit what they should do and what happens next in in the ceremony somebody needs to explain to them and
Put their arm around them and say this is where you sit we’ll look after you we’ll explain what you need to do or don’t or shouldn’t do and and make them feel comfortable within the organization it does take a time to to get to know us within any organization and that’s what
Mentoring is there for is to tutor them to coach them make sure we know what they want of Freemasonry and what Freemasonry expects of them and then once they settle in and they can grow with us and another thing which I I’ve heard a lot of Entered Apprentice and fellow crafts
Mutter I wouldn’t say complain but much about is is that when they get asked to leave because someone’s going through a higher degree ceremony sometimes they’ll get kicked out and no one will be with them and they’re they’re almost the Tyler’s mate but the Tyler’s got to do a job yeah
Um all their their matched up with someone who who can we say is not particularly good salesman I don’t we’re not talking about salesman here but that is an ideal opportunity for someone to have half an hour three quarters of an hour quality time with a fellow craft or
An end to The Apprentice would your message be to lodges watching this about when some when a when someone does leave the lodge on a higher ceremony um for that person well you’ll find that most lodges when they go into a higher degree normally would send out with the newer Mason who can’t
Stay in they would send an experienced person out with them to answer any of their questions and also true to them and explain what’s happening that’s what we would expect and that is happening I know it’s happening because as I move around the promise Province I see this quite regularly
There are sometimes uh when it doesn’t happen and I’m quite disappointed at that but it does become the norm that either the uh individuals mental or an experienced Mason will go out with them and we’ll answer any particular question surely it’s beholdened on the person who’s going out not necessary to answer
Questions but also as you say to you to the person and actually say right this is you know did you notice in the ceremony this happened and this happened yeah we have three ceremonies there there is another addition to finish their Journey their initial journey through masonry
Which we call the Royal Arch so there are four basic shall we say degrees order and when they do their first degree their initiation they are automatically given a small handbook which actually explains the ceremony and gives them an introduction to Freemasonry now this little booklet
The mentor will sit down or we expect them to sit down and go through this booklet when they go out when a higher degree is practiced then it is usual that the mentor or the experienced Mason will go out with them and they’ll go through the
Booklet and no doubt the new Mason has got questions and there will be explanations given by the mentor so something I’ve learned here is I knew the books existed and I’ve seen them but in reality what we should be doing is planning ahead yes as I said right I’m
Going to be going out with Tony or Bob yes Tony bring your booklet that you got given when you were made a second degree fellow craft and we’ll go through it and then for the person who’s going out as it actually has something to talk about because we’re all very guilty of taking
Those books out and sometimes probably not necessarily reading it on if we do really don’t understand it yeah um in our lodge armed Lodge Mentor says that it’s not just his responsibility to be a mentor and it’s not just the responsibility of whoever brought that the the new mason in it’s everyone’s responsibility
Do you think that’s fair comment I think it is a fair comment yeah we we all have a duty to uh welcome that new Mason we all have a duty to make that new person comfortable within the organization and we all have a duty to make sure that
They progress and understand what the organization is about there are occasions when their personal Mentor or their sponsors are not available because of their own commitments and other members within the lodge should then step forward and look after the new member it’s the same I’d like to add that it’s the same
With the almana we must all be ominous as well we must all look after each other and um the one thing I’m particularly impressed with is the new Hermes system which actually does tell you if someone hasn’t turned up to a meeting and that gets sent to the membership officer and the
Mentor which again using technology to its Advantage if I’d like to move on and talk about how some some brothers get bored after going through the chair because we all join and we go on the escalator of jobs and then in the year the worshipful master
You know your Kingpin the big dog yeah and then all of a sudden you get put to the side and then you can you can see I’ve seen them some of my lodges someone probably not turning up as much as they should be yeah what would your message
Be to both those brothers and also those who are around yeah I know the feeling um you’re a husband um there you are you’re up on the pedestal you’re the main person and then the next minute you’re out but in that respect um you still have a duty and a
Requirement to look after the new Master you’re now the immediate pass master and you become his mentor to help him go through the chat and explain to him what he needs to do because that’s quite daunting sat in that chair up there and everybody watching there’s a lot of
Pressure on you so he needs some guidance and some support as well after the immediate pass master there are lots of other roles in the lodge that can be done and it’s a matter of keeping them involved with us Dave on behalf of the province I’d like to thank
You for the last six years of being the provincial Mentor I am I know a lot of I know our Mentor in our lodge and I’ve spoke to others have taken a lot from what you have given him and guidance and support so thank you on behalf of what
You’ve done for the last six years I wish you well in your Masonic retirement from the provincial role but I have no doubt that you’ll be around guiding and supporting us all moving forward in this wonderful organization thank you for your time Chris it’s been tremendous being the
Provincial Mentor it’s been as a great honor for me and it’s enriched by Freemasonry experience moving around the province getting to know different people working with them supporting them supplying them with the right tools to help our members progress and enjoy Freemasonry and that’s what it’s all about join us enjoy it develop
You only get out what you put in everybody will tell you that no matter what organization you join I am disappointed that some leave within that three-year period but we are taking steps to change that and with the help of the members supporting the new members making them feel welcome um
I’m sure we can slow down that 20 think of your time today thank you
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