I think Benn has made an excellent suggestion. This approach would not only ensure that rookie or would-be monks will feel more welcome and thus more inclined to actively participate, but also that their initial experience will be more more enjoyable for them and more beneficial to the larger community.

As a long-time "lurker" myself, I think it's fair to say that the wealth of knowledge available in our Monastery can be staggering to newcomers. Not only that, but I think the caliber, reputation and sagacity of our monks can be awing if not intimidating.

A nice friendly welcome, a quick tour of the monastery and then a primer on how to be an outstanding monk--these would likely cut down the lurker-to-contributor time cycle and make sure first-time contributions were in line with Monastery standards.

It is my hope that this perspective from a recently ordained monk is of some value. :-)