Here's my take on being a Mentor, both from being one and having had one (two actually).
The timing on my happening upon this posting comes after having just hung up on my younger brother who called me with bee questions, it was a 45 minute conversation.
I am teaching my younger brother how to be a 360 degree commercial bee operator. That is manufacturing equipment for sale, pollen services, producing honey for sale, selling nucs and queens, as well as how to produce specialty honeys, comb honeys, wax, pollen, and propolis for sale. In a nut shell, how to do it all. He currently has 1 bee hive and I have 4, we are going to produce 60 beehives out of those 5 this year without buying any bees and manufacturing his own equipment.
A person willing to be a mentor needs to be cognizant of the fact that they will be bombarded with questions from a newbee at all hours of the day and evening. They must have the patience to either answer the questions posed, properly and in depth, or refer the questioner to appropriate printed materials (which can result in even more questions). The mentor should be willing to visit the newbees beeyard, with the newbee, at least once a month and give a competent evaluation of the newbees efforts and conditions of the hives, and make suggestions for improvement or implementation of new concepts.
In addition the mentor should be will to take the newbee into his own apiary at least once a month. Again a report or evaluation should be given but this time by the newbee to access learning. The mentor should then give an oral explanation of his plans for his apiary for the next 30 days.
BTW: this is what was necessary back in the day when I approved Boy Scouts for merit badges.
The Newbee has the right to expect both oral dissertations (lectures) on beekeeping and some hands on instruction for a period of at least 2 full seasons.
A Good mentor can handle up to 6 newbees at a time, I am currently mentoring 3, my younger brother, my older brother, and my daughter. All get lectures and hands on instruction on demand. It is not unusual to spend an hour on the phone then another hour or 2 in a beeyard, in response newbees questions.
It is a great feeling and sense of achievement when a newbee asks questions and you can see the light dawn when you answer with a qestion of something taught earlier.
You get much more knowledgable, committed, and confident beekepers through mentoring. It is well worth the time spent.