Mentor FAQ’s
What does it mean to be a mentor?
A mentor for the NORE club is here to help newer hobbyist and anyone looking for a deeper connection within the club/hobby.
What does it take to be a mentor?
To be a mentor you must be willing to help others and be a current member of NORE.
Why does NORE have this program?
The mentorship is a new initiative brought on by a meeting we had in January 2023 where several people expressed the interest of having a mentorship / buddy program. This will help forge friendships, help newer hobbyist grow in the hobby and create a closer knit community here in NORE.
What if I don’t like my mentee?
Please let the board know and we will work to find a replacement for both of you.
What all does being a mentor involve?
You are there to foster a relationship, answer questions, and help educate others so that they can be successful in the hobby. You can plan to do things with your mentee such as renting a par meter through the club and mapping par readings, home fragging exercises, tank maintenance, make DIY fish food, and so on. This experience is whatever you and your mentee make it. It’s designed to be a person to bounce ideas off of but will be more rewarding the more involved you become with each other.
Additional ideas for mentors / mentees
Being a mentor does not make you a tank emergency contact, liable for anything that goes wrong in the tank, you are not “on call” for members, but you are representing the hobby and an extension of this club.
Possible activities could include:
- Full aquarium testing
- PAR mapping
- At home fragging
- Equipment maintenance
- Pumps
- Rodi Unit
- Skimmers
- Set up phyto / pod culture
- Set up QT
- Bulk buy together on equipment / coral
- Lunch and hobby talk
- Progression pictures
- Do a day “one” and continue with one a week/month
- Wire management day
- Tank preparedness
Mentee FAQ’s
What does it mean to be a mentee?
If you are new to the hobby, or just want a chance to make new friends, this would be a great opportunity for you. It doesn’t matter if you are a few days into the hobby or years; anyone can still learn. This hobby is ever evolving and what was previously believed to be gospel is now outdated.
Will I annoy my mentor?
Everyone who is a mentor is doing so voluntarily and wants to help you. Please remember that they are volunteers with regular jobs and lives. They may not be able to drop what they are doing immediately to help you. They are not an emergency contact and not liable for anything that goes wrong in your tank. They are human and might not be 100% correct, so feel free to ask other people or challenge them.
What are we going to do?
That is entirely up to you and your mentor. If you would like them to come look at your tank, teach you something about theirs, or anything else please feel free to communicate with your mentor.
What if I don’t like my mentor?
Please let one of the board members know and we will work on finding you a new mentor.
How will I select my mentor?
You must be a current member of NORE to be a mentee. You will then be able to look at the available mentors on this page and select your 1st pick, 2nd, then 3rd. Ideally, the board will be able to pair you with your first two picks based on availability. We suggest you pick based on information listed in their bio.
