Leave a Legacy
T.F.S.
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
Number 147 – May 20, 2009
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”
Anthony J. D'Angelo
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
Masonic education and mentoring: Learning for the pure enjoyment of it!
Leave a Legacy
Mentoring a Brother is one of the acts of Brotherly Love we as Masons are in a position to offer, and by so doing we can help our Lodge and Freemasonry in general.
Mentoring is extremely important; it is something that is done fraternity-wide by many masons. Mentors don’t need to be only those who are officially appointed. In the strictest sense, masons who mentor their brethren are masonic educators; just as all masons are, in the strictest sense, masonic students.
When you think of it every mason is interested in masonic education to one degree or another, and every mason has the ability to be a mentor to another mason. Mentoring is a great way to help a brother attain the hopes he had when he petitioned the lodge for the degrees of Masonry. Masons love learning about freemasonry. Masonic study and research is pure joy for those of us who are engaged in this lifelong pursuit of learning.
A masonic mentor can mentor more than one mason at a time, but even if he mentors only one at a time there is no telling how many masons his mentoring will influence through his student as the years go by. Through one young mason his efforts can influence the mentoring of dozens of new masons over the years because, there is no telling how many masons the one you mentor today will mentor over his masonic career.
Mentoring is important; it helps with member satisfaction. Nothing can replace one-on-one mentoring, which is the developing friendship of one brother helping another learn about Freemasonry.
The mason, who is a mentor, or a lodge education officer, should understand and never underestimate the importance of his role to his lodge, grand lodge, and to the craft in general. He should know that his efforts will impact his lodge and those he mentors, and that the lasting effects could very well continue long after he has gone to the celestial lodge above. Countless masons have benefited from one-on-one mentoring from a dear friend and brother; just the thought of this brother will bring a smile to the face of the mason he mentored so many years ago. Countless masons have also benefited from the mentoring of masonic educators through their delivery of masonic information over the years. Mentors and educators teach us what we need to know to enjoy our journey into freemasonry, and our life as a freemason.
Those who have led and encouraged us to pursue the study of freemasonry have given us a great gift; a gift of immense enjoyment, which is available to every Mason: This gift is one we can enjoy anytime we have time to engage in study, and it lasts a lifetime.
I mention this to you because, to help - and thus see our fraternity grow, to see our fellows enjoy masonry to its fullest, is one of the great legacies we can leave behind for our individual lodges and grand lodges. I mention mentoring and education because we who are involved in this great love of learning about freemasonry have a duty, an obligation, to pass on what we have learned to others who either are or might become an active masonic student, and who will also carry forward the tradition through mentoring and teaching in the future.
Masons who become great family men, bosses, employees, leaders, relatives, friends, and fraternity brothers, find ways to pass on to others what they have learned and found interesting. Many advertisements we see in various places echo what we all know to be true; they tell us to be mentors, to teach others.
January of each year is National Mentoring Month here in the U.S., but a lodge, grand lodge, or even a brother, could designate any month or even a year to mentoring. The master of a lodge could say this is the year of the mentor for his lodge. An individual mason could make a resolution that he will mentor one mason a year for the next so many years. Many new masons are not assigned mentors – all it takes is to ask a new brother if he has a mentor to talk with. Mentoring, like the beginning of a friendship, does not need to be a formal arrangement.
We all know about tithing, why not tithe our talents to help our brethren learn more about freemasonry. Who was it who dedicated some of his time to mentor each of us, who are now established masons? Was it one mason or was it more than one who helped each of us become interested in studying freemasonry? We can carry on the tradition; we can each help lead another into this fascinating part of masonic life. As my good friend and brother R.W. Brother Tom Hendrickson says; “Freemasonry Is a Way of Life! And it is a great life.
Words to live by: “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.”
Chinese Proverb
“That's what learning is. You suddenly understand something you understood all your life, but in a new way.” Doris Lessing
From the Great Light of Masonry: “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com the Masonic Monday Question for the week of 05/25/09 is: According to M.W. Brother E. Dean Osborn, PGM of the Grand Lodge of Kansas - What are the Masonic Beliefs?
“That one is learned who has reduced his learning to practice.” Hitopadesa
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by Email at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to erhmasonic@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publications.
“By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn.” Latin Proverb
To read some past issues of Ed’s publications on the web go to: http://www.halpaus.net and click on the publication you would like to read.
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Seek to mentor a Brother Mason:
It’s good for him, it’s good for you, and it’s good for Freemasonry!
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
Number 147 – May 20, 2009
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”
Anthony J. D'Angelo
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
Masonic education and mentoring: Learning for the pure enjoyment of it!
Leave a Legacy
Mentoring a Brother is one of the acts of Brotherly Love we as Masons are in a position to offer, and by so doing we can help our Lodge and Freemasonry in general.
Mentoring is extremely important; it is something that is done fraternity-wide by many masons. Mentors don’t need to be only those who are officially appointed. In the strictest sense, masons who mentor their brethren are masonic educators; just as all masons are, in the strictest sense, masonic students.
When you think of it every mason is interested in masonic education to one degree or another, and every mason has the ability to be a mentor to another mason. Mentoring is a great way to help a brother attain the hopes he had when he petitioned the lodge for the degrees of Masonry. Masons love learning about freemasonry. Masonic study and research is pure joy for those of us who are engaged in this lifelong pursuit of learning.
A masonic mentor can mentor more than one mason at a time, but even if he mentors only one at a time there is no telling how many masons his mentoring will influence through his student as the years go by. Through one young mason his efforts can influence the mentoring of dozens of new masons over the years because, there is no telling how many masons the one you mentor today will mentor over his masonic career.
Mentoring is important; it helps with member satisfaction. Nothing can replace one-on-one mentoring, which is the developing friendship of one brother helping another learn about Freemasonry.
The mason, who is a mentor, or a lodge education officer, should understand and never underestimate the importance of his role to his lodge, grand lodge, and to the craft in general. He should know that his efforts will impact his lodge and those he mentors, and that the lasting effects could very well continue long after he has gone to the celestial lodge above. Countless masons have benefited from one-on-one mentoring from a dear friend and brother; just the thought of this brother will bring a smile to the face of the mason he mentored so many years ago. Countless masons have also benefited from the mentoring of masonic educators through their delivery of masonic information over the years. Mentors and educators teach us what we need to know to enjoy our journey into freemasonry, and our life as a freemason.
Those who have led and encouraged us to pursue the study of freemasonry have given us a great gift; a gift of immense enjoyment, which is available to every Mason: This gift is one we can enjoy anytime we have time to engage in study, and it lasts a lifetime.
I mention this to you because, to help - and thus see our fraternity grow, to see our fellows enjoy masonry to its fullest, is one of the great legacies we can leave behind for our individual lodges and grand lodges. I mention mentoring and education because we who are involved in this great love of learning about freemasonry have a duty, an obligation, to pass on what we have learned to others who either are or might become an active masonic student, and who will also carry forward the tradition through mentoring and teaching in the future.
Masons who become great family men, bosses, employees, leaders, relatives, friends, and fraternity brothers, find ways to pass on to others what they have learned and found interesting. Many advertisements we see in various places echo what we all know to be true; they tell us to be mentors, to teach others.
January of each year is National Mentoring Month here in the U.S., but a lodge, grand lodge, or even a brother, could designate any month or even a year to mentoring. The master of a lodge could say this is the year of the mentor for his lodge. An individual mason could make a resolution that he will mentor one mason a year for the next so many years. Many new masons are not assigned mentors – all it takes is to ask a new brother if he has a mentor to talk with. Mentoring, like the beginning of a friendship, does not need to be a formal arrangement.
We all know about tithing, why not tithe our talents to help our brethren learn more about freemasonry. Who was it who dedicated some of his time to mentor each of us, who are now established masons? Was it one mason or was it more than one who helped each of us become interested in studying freemasonry? We can carry on the tradition; we can each help lead another into this fascinating part of masonic life. As my good friend and brother R.W. Brother Tom Hendrickson says; “Freemasonry Is a Way of Life! And it is a great life.
Words to live by: “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.”
Chinese Proverb
“That's what learning is. You suddenly understand something you understood all your life, but in a new way.” Doris Lessing
From the Great Light of Masonry: “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com the Masonic Monday Question for the week of 05/25/09 is: According to M.W. Brother E. Dean Osborn, PGM of the Grand Lodge of Kansas - What are the Masonic Beliefs?
“That one is learned who has reduced his learning to practice.” Hitopadesa
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by Email at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to erhmasonic@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publications.
“By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn.” Latin Proverb
To read some past issues of Ed’s publications on the web go to: http://www.halpaus.net and click on the publication you would like to read.
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Seek to mentor a Brother Mason:
It’s good for him, it’s good for you, and it’s good for Freemasonry!
Labels: Mentoring