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Master's Message
September 2006
Dear Brethren,
Mentor [n, 1) A wise, loyal advisor. 2) a teacher or coach]. Every candidate in Masonry is assigned a mentor when he is initiated into the Lodge. Most often his mentor is the person who recommended him for membership, or signed his application, and has a relationship with him prior to his involvement in Freemasonry, but this is not always the case. The mentor is responsible for the instruction through the Degrees, and as this journey proceeds the mentor is the candidate’s closes connection to the Lodge and his actions will shape the candidate’s opinion of the Fraternity. Does the need for mentoring end when the 3rd Degree is conferred? Absolutely not!
We know that the Entered Apprentice Degree marks the vestibule of our symbolic Temple, and this is true in as much as the Entered Apprentice Degree is the first and most basic step in our journey East; but, is a newly raised Master Mason knowledgeable in the allegory and symbolism of our craft? I certainly was not! As we explore the mysteries of Freemasonry, we find that a proper knowledge of it can only be found with time, patience, and application. Ritual, allegory, and symbolism are but one aspect of our institution. When ritual is mastered, is the mentor’s duty complete? No it is not! As Worshipful Master of this Lodge, I have relied heavily on our Past Masters to assist me with my duties in the East, and I consider all of them to be my “mentor.” Your responsibility to be a wise, loyal advisor does not end when the meeting closes. The promises that you made at our Sacred Altar apply twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Fraternally,
James T. Lind
Worshipful Master
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