THE MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE OF ANCIENT FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT BUSINESS PHONE 860.444.6771 CELL / TEXT 860.235.0770 [email protected]

THEODORE J. NELSON Grand Master 2017 PO Box 824 New London, CT 06320-0824

May 1, 2017 RE: May GM Message to the Craft Mentorship Dear Brothers All, Where would our great society be today without mentors? Just think of the roots of our western civilization developed by the Greeks & Romans, and the wealth of knowledge that their societies brought to mankind. If you stop and think about the craftsmen of old who apprenticed their sons in the trades, or the scholars who taught their protegees the ways of mathematics and geometry, it is easy to see the value of mentorship. The operative craftsmen and scholars were the mentors of old. We are taught that masonry is a progressive science. How much more slowly would we progress in Masonry without mentors to guide us? Our fraternity, though speculative in nature, has its mentors too. We start out with the stewards’ lectures in order to prove our proficiency for advancement in the degrees. Whether or not your written lectures were in code, very likely some brother worked with you in order to memorize the work. If you became an officer then I’m sure that someone gave you advice as you advanced in the chairs. Mentoring, while not everyone’s forte, is that key that all of us need to guide us successfully as we advance. Our new brothers will never truly bond with Masonry unless they bond first with our members. The fraternal love that we have for each other strengthens those bonds through mentoring. Thanks, Theodore J. Ted Nelson, Most Worshipful Grand Master 2017 “Just Mention Masonry…It’s A Way of Life” As you are invited to speak at the end of each meeting, you are welcome to read this to the Craft or internalize it in your own words to bring my monthly message from the East. Please convey my warm and fraternal greetings as well. Freemasonry • • • “Communication  Mentorship  Education”