Catechism Instructor Workshop Notes

On Monday, October 23 2023 Members of the 23rd Masonic District met to share ideas and brainstorm on Catechism Instruction. Thanks to W:. Tim Ferdon and R:. H:. Justin Broome for bringing this idea into fruition!

Notes from the meeting are shared below in the hopes that sharing this can help catechism instructors or potential instructors improve their work! As the conversation was fluid and not completely structured, notes have been categorized to make digesting the info more simple. 

Things to remember from the Digest:

• One catechism instructor is to follow the candidates through all 3 degrees.
• The catechism instructor cannot also be the mentor. He needs both brothers to succeed.
• The digest doesn’t say we can’t use Zoom or not help over the phone. The general consensus of the meeting participants was that every effort should be made to do in person meetings. If a brother needs a word as a prompt for at-home study, no one has an issue with that, but we should try to enforce in-person meetings as this also feeds into the brotherhood and comradery of going through the process together.

Make the candidates comfortable

• Make Jokes to lighten the mood.
• Talk about yourself and your experiences when you were in their shoes to help them feel less threatened and more at ease with you.
• NEVER miss an opportunity to celebrate a win. If they remember a word they have struggled to remember, make a big fuss, throw your hand in the air, and do high fives all around. Get them pumped about being in your class and looking forward to succeeding.

General Notes for Success

• Whenever possible, try to convince your class to meet on your Lodge-stated meeting nights. This helps to train both the brother and his family for his reserving this night for himself and Masonry.
• Bring your candidates to as many EA degrees as you can. Watching the degree work is one of the best ways for them to put the events in order and get mental pictures of the flow in their minds. It also gets them introduced to new brothers and excited about traveling.
• Watch your candidates. You will come to know them better than anyone else. If they start not responding to texts or missing meetings show genuine concern and see what you can do as their instructor to help them get back into the flow of instruction. Always lead with compassion and empathy rather than barking demands or making them feel guilty.
• Make candidates aware of the proficiency card system and encourage them to obtain their silver card after their MM giveback is done.
• Show candidates the lodge room and walk them through the degree very early on in your instruction.
• Introduce your candidates to everyone and anyone that you come across. Make them see they are a brother and member of their new Lodge.
• Stick to the basics. Don’t get fancy with your giveback. Make sure ALL the students know the obligation and get them to say it together as one. This is a challenge and a great team-building exercise to force them to find a pace together and work together.
• If you have a student and English isn’t their first language you may want to seek help from someone that speaks the same language they do natively to increase their comfort and speed up their learning time.

NEVER do these things

• Anything related to your ego. The more you can keep your ego out of it the better. Examples are, don’t get angry if you find out others are helping one of your students with their catechism. Thank them for the assistance rather than feel threatened.
• Don’t talk down to your students or make them feel less than you in any way.
• Don’t talk negatively about another brother, the lodge, or anything else. You are their primary example of Freemasonry. Set a GOOD example!
• Never put your class in front of the Lodge until you and they are ready. Don’t overly rush it.
• Along the lines of not letting your ego get in the way. Some students just don’t mesh with their instructor. Don’t wait until it’s too late to bring in a different instructor that may be a better fit for your student to get through the three degrees.