Receiving the candidate
On the evening of the initiation he receives the candidate, puts him at ease and explains what is expected of him, as far as that may be explained beforehand.
Office of the lodge · Dutch Freemasonry
Voorbereider
Preparer
Before a candidate ever sees the lodge, he meets the Preparer.
- Place in the lodge
- Outside the temple, with the candidate
- Jewel of the office
- Varies by lodge
- In particular care of
- The candidate
The Voorbereider prepares candidates for their initiation. On the evening itself he receives the candidate, stays with him in the time before the ceremony and leads him to the door of the lodge. He is the first Freemason the candidate meets in that capacity, and his manner sets the tone for everything that follows.
The office asks a rare combination: seriousness and warmth. The candidate is about to take one of the most important steps of his life, often nervous and without knowing what awaits him. The Preparer must help him to enter in the right state of mind: open, reflective and at ease, without revealing what the ritual itself must reveal.
Origins
History of the office
Preparation for initiation is as old as the rituals themselves. In many traditions, religious and otherwise, a person is separated from the everyday world before a rite of passage and given time to reflect. Freemasonry took over that pattern: the candidate does not walk straight in from the street.
In continental European Freemasonry this preparation was given its own officer, known in French lodges as the Frère Préparateur or Expert. Part of it is the chamber of reflection, a small, sober room in which the candidate spends some time alone with symbols of transience and is asked to write down his thoughts. Dutch lodges know this custom too.
In English lodges the preparation is carried out by other officers, such as the and the Deacons. That Dutch lodges give it a separate office shows how much value they place on the threshold itself.
Voorbereider
What the office involves
The chamber of reflection
He accompanies the candidate to the chamber of reflection and gives him the questions on which he is asked to reflect and write.
Preparation for the ceremony
He prepares the candidate in the manner the ritual prescribes and leads him to the door of the temple at the appointed moment.
Passing and raising
In many lodges he also prepares brothers for their passing to the second degree and their raising to the third.
After the ceremony
Often he remains a familiar face for the new brother in the first period after the initiation.
In practice
How it works in a Dutch lodge
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Appointment
He is elected or appointed according to the custom of the lodge. Lodges usually choose an experienced brother with a calm and warm personality.
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The candidate's path
Before the initiation the candidate has gone through an admission procedure: he has been introduced by members, has had conversations with brothers and has been balloted by the lodge. The Preparer meets him at the end of that path, at the threshold.
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Discretion
He must strike the balance between reassuring the candidate and preserving the surprise and power of the ritual.
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Cooperation
During the ceremony he works closely with the Director of Ceremonies and the .
What the office asks
- Calm
- Warmth
- Discretion
- Empathy
- Respect for the moment
The lesson for every brotherEvery beginning deserves a good guide. The Preparer reminds every brother of the evening on which he himself stood at the threshold, and of the responsibility to receive others with the same seriousness and kindness.
To reflect on
- Who stood beside you at an important threshold in your life?
- When did you last take time to reflect before a big step?
- How can you help someone else to begin well?
Whether or not you hold this office, each office mirrors a task that every Freemason carries within himself.