Membership & Mentoring

Membership Development Team

The team is here to assist Lodges to increase their membership and to enable brethren to improve their knowledge of Freemasonry, this includes mentoring at all levels. The team can help Lodges to implement the Members’ Pathway and to access and use Solomon.

We are able provide Lodges with speakers on Masonic Subjects for specific meetings, for more details contact the Provincial Mentor – Richard Parrish.

Head of Membership and Mentoring Group

W. Bro Martin Slocombe, Assistant Provincial Grand Master
📧 Martin Slocombe ☎ 01275 843820

Increasing Lodge Membership

Help is available to Lodges from the Provincial Membership Officer and his Team in implementing steps 1 to 7 of the Members’ Pathway. The team is also responsible for the allocation and follow up of membership enquiries received via the UGLE and Provincial Grand Lodge web sites. To that end it is very important the Provincial Membership Officer has an up to date Lodge profile for those Lodges that would like to receive any referrals. 

Mentoring 

The Province has a major responsibility to encourage and support all brethren to take a greater interest in and increase their commitment to masonry. Masonic membership is to be enjoyed and in part this can be enhanced by increasing knowledge and skills both as a Mason and by progressing through the Offices of the Lodge. 

Experienced brethren in each Lodge should be supporting new members through the early stages of their Masonic career. This process continues as brethren progress towards the Masters Chair and beyond. The Lodge Mentor’s responsibilities are to coordinate the mentoring programme by appointing personal mentors and to ensure that all are comfortable with being able to speak openly about Freemasonry to family and friends. He should engage with all brethren of the lodge to encourage them to speak more freely. 

Development 

Progression to the Chair Workshops The workshops designed for all progressing officers and gives useful guidance, participants rate this as very helpful preparation. The Provincial to the Chair Workshop Coordinator, W Bro Nigel Handbury,.

Provincial Initiate’s Events are coordinated by the Provincial Grand Mentor, W Bro Richard Parrish on behalf of the PGM. These events give new members and their partners the opportunity to meet the Provincial Grand Master and senior members of the Provincial Team.

Development Opportunities 

Both opportunity and necessity enable some alternatives to the traditional Lodge business to be considered. With some forethought the occasion can be used to recruit, retain and retrieve membership.  Possible options include:

• A presentation on how to access and use Solomon.
• Selecting a speaker to give a talk or lead a discussion.
• Holding an ‘Open’, ‘White Table’ or Gentlemen’s evening.
• Having a Masonic Quiz, it’s a fun way of learning.

Contact 📧 Dave flack for help with any of the above items.

Provincial Officers

Provincial Mentor – Provincial Preceptor

W. Bro David Flack
 📧 David Flack ☎ 01278 423750

Provincial Membership Officer

W. Bro Barrie Palmer
📧 Barrie Palmer ☎ 07974 790675

Provincial Assistant Mentors (M) and Membership Officers (MO)

Covering North East – Masonic Centres at Bath, Frome, Keynsham and Midsomer Norton.
Mentor – John Townsend ☎   📧 John Townsend
MO – Val Cooke ☎ 0117 940 5938  📧 Val Cooke

Covering North West – Masonic Centres at Blagdon, Clevedon, Nailsea, Weston super Mare and Yatton.
Mentor – Garry Hawkes ☎ 01934 260756 📧 Garry Hawkes
MO – Robert Hughes ☎ TBA 📧 Rob Hughes

Covering Central – Masonic Centres at Bridgwater, Burnham on Sea, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Wedmore and Wells.
Mentor – Neill McGrath ☎ TBA 📧Nei lMcGrath
MO – Clive Hennessey ☎ 01935 592610 📧 Clive Hennessy

Covering South West – Masonic Centres at Minehead, Taunton, Watchet, Wellington and Wiveliscombe.
Mentor – Duncan Sully-Dunbar ☎ TBA 📧 Duncan Sully-Dunbar
MO – Andrew Newland ☎ 0775 103 3332  📧 Andrew Newland

Covering South East – Masonic Centres at Bruton, Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, Langport, Wincanton and Yeovil.
Mentor – John Rawlins ☎ 01373 671586 📧 John Rawlins
MO – Garry Hall ☎ TBA    📧 Garry Hall

Other Officers

Provincial Orator – Jeremy Hellier 📧 J Hellier

Progression to the Master’s Chair Workshop Co-ordinator
Nigel Handbury 📧 n.hanbury ☎ 01823 326264

Initiates Evening Coordinator
Richard Parrish 📧 David Flack ☎ 01278 423750

Somerset Membership Charter

Mentoring Resources

Solomon Website
https://solomon.ugle.org.uk
The Somerset Solomon Page: https://www.pglsom.org/solomon/

Somerset Snippets
The Gavel
The Trowel
Tylers Jewel
Wands of Office
88 Lodge Worshipful Masters

Lodge Mentor Guides
Lodge Mentor’s Guide
Lodge Mentor Feedback Questionnaire

UGLE Guide: United Grand Lodge of England have a site that is devoted to mentoring for the Craft and Holy Royal Arch. It contains a great deal of information and resources that Mentors may find very useful
www.masonicmentoring.org.uk

Provincial Mentoring Guidance
Membership Development

Candidate’s Guide (What’s it all about?)
Held by Lodge Secretary, and is to be given to a prospective candidate after receipt of an application to join – for additional copies please contact the Provincial Secretary – Lodge Mentor to provide feedback to as to how this document is received through annual report)
Candidate’s Guide 

Initiate’s Guide
Held by Provincial Grand Secretary, and is to be sent to every Initiate after initiation with PGM’s welcome)

Entered Apprentice Guide
Sent direct to Lodge Mentor, and is to be given to EA at the end of ceremony by Lodge Mentor when introducing his Personal Mentor – for additional copies please contact the Provincial Mentor)

Fellowcraft’s Guide
Sent direct to Lodge Mentor, and is to be given to FC at the end of ceremony by Lodge Mentor or Personal Mentor – for additional copies please contact the Provincial Mentor)

Master Mason’s Guide
Sent direct to Lodge Mentor, and is to be given to MM at the end of ceremony by Lodge Mentor or Personal Mentor – for additional copies please contact the Provincial Mentor)

Personal development guide
Personal Development Guide – A4
Personal Development Guide – A5

For the Worshipful Master to invest the lodge mentor
“I now present you with the jewel of your office which is two chisels in saltire. It is your duty to oversee the mentoring in this lodge, and ensure that a personal mentor is allocated to every new member and any brother requiring advice or support, and to monitor it’s effectiveness.“