The person arriving late to a friendship needs context, not a test of loyalty.

Old groups run on shorthand: nicknames, half-told stories, the reasons certain subjects get steered around. Someone new cannot be expected to earn their way into that by proving something first. What they need is the missing information, offered plainly, so they can take part rather than perform patience. Making newcomers audition is usually a habit rather than a decision, but it keeps people out just the same.

When a new person joins something you belong to, fill in one piece of background before it is needed. A sentence explaining who someone is, or why a subject is tender, does more than any warm welcome.