In "You’re An Apprentice, So What!", Bro Gary Bond emphasizes the significance of the Apprentice stage in Freemasonry as a transformative journey rather than a mere title. He encourages new members to approach their Masonic experience with a pure heart and a commitment to continuous learning, advocating for at least one Masonic advancement each day. Bond distinguishes between being a Freemason in name versus in nature, highlighting the importance of personal growth and moral development. He underscores the duty of Apprentices to serve their Masters with zeal and to actively engage in the Craft. The paper stresses that Freemasonry offers a wealth of lessons and virtues, urging Apprentices to embrace their journey, seek knowledge, and connect with their brethren for support. Ultimately, the document serves as a motivational guide for new members to fully immerse themselves in the Masonic experience and cultivate their character through active participation and learning.
Bro Gary Bond – United Kingdom
December 17th, 2025
February 10th, 2026
manual
membership and_progression
Paper 03/2007 Title You’re an Apprentice, so what! Author Bro Gary Bond – United Kingdom On entering the craft, and the humble manner in which you we re prepared, you as a man of pure heart showed your brethren you were prepared to improve! You stand now at the beginning of a path, a journey if you will, with an end that holds more value than any mineral, metal or earthly possession and by your actions only will you travel towards that goal. Freemasonry is not an answer; it is not a solution, but a school. It provid es its members with lessons to discover as well as simply learn and as such a Freemason from his accept ance should forever be in search of these lessons and is obligated to make at least one Masonic advancement each day. As an Apprentice you are at a most wonderful point in both life in general and your Masonic progression. From this point you are able to set in motion the progression of YOU. You in essence have a choice, for as Freemasonry is a school it is also a fraternity and therefore you can either be a Freemason in name or a Freemason in nature and character. There are many brothers within our ranks who find the fraternal aspect of our gentle craft sufficient, and although this is not the goal of Freemasonry it is, some would say unfortunately, acc eptable as each man is his own critic and obligated to cast his attentions to Freemasonry as he alone see fits. It is the same as “contempt breeds contempt” that Freemasonry believes “morality breeds morality” and in my opinion why this is acceptable. However should you choose the true path Freemasonry has to offer, a world of wonder lies before your feet at this very moment.All you need do is “step off with the left” to be submersed into a realm of forgotten virtues and the realisation that man can be great as well as corrupt. It is the duty of all candidates to se ek the Craft with pure hearts, the dut y of all Apprentices to serve the Master with zeal, and therefore it IS your duty now to be a Freemason. I implore you to, with pure heart and zeal, learn, learn, learn. It is true that you will get out of Freemasonry what you put in, and Freemasonry is a lot more than memo ry and good food! All you have to do is listen, look and learn! Enjoy your journey. There are many brethren walki ng alongside you, me included, so never be afraid to look, never be afraid to ask and above all never be afraid to learn and you will see yourself grow bigger and larger, from your heart, outwards than you ever imagined possible.