One of a Lodge's greatest strengths is the Brethren.
For many Lodges when something needs to get done the call goes out to the same brothers every time.
Need ritual? Call Bro Smith.
Need a meal cooked? Call Bro Jones.
Something needs to be fixed? Call Bro Brown.
There are many more examples out there but it comes back to the same challenge. What do you do if Bro. Smith can't answer the call? For a lot of Lodges there isn't an answer beyond putting out a call and hoping another Lodge can help. It's important to understand that there is nothing wrong with putting out a call like that, but at the same time we're missing the opportunity to be a mentor.
So often we see the mentor as someone whose job is to get the candidate through their degrees, pat them on the back, and then look to move onto another to mentor.
Why stop there? Being a mentor should not be bound by the completion of tasks, but instead should be thought of as a lifelong pursuit.
For many of us it begins by signing the petition. At that moment we are making the commitment to not only see our good friend through their degrees but also be there to help them as the continue their Masonic journey. We don't have to join the same organizations, we don't have to do the same activities, all we need to be is supportive.
If you take the time to answer the questions at the beginning of the journey, make the time to help find the answers as the journey continues, not only do you help your Brother, you help yourself as well. There is much to learn in our fraternity and each of us needs to be a student and a teacher. We also need to understand that you can, and if able, should, mentor more than one Brother. If you have the knowledge share it with as many as you can, you might find another that is as passionate about a topic as you are.
If you enjoy ritual, and work it consistently, invite others to join you.
If you like to research esoteric items related to our fraternity, let others know what you're researching, you might find other interested in the findings.
Many hands make the work easier, share your love for cooking in the kitchen, teach a few recipes, and a brigade is born.
Freemasonry is many things, among the them is friendship. Being a mentor means a lot of things to a lot of people but at the core, it's about the friendship you have with those you share your knowledge and experience with.
Be a mentor, give of yourself, and make the those around you the stronger for it.