Administered by the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation, the HODEGOS Award will recognize truly outstanding adult leaders of the youth programs, and will create further awareness of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania's extensive support of our Masonic Youth. The award takes its name from the Greek word hodegos, (click to hear it pronounced) meaning "a leader, a guide and an instructor of the inexperienced."

Eligibility
The HODEGOS award will be given to volunteers who have a minimum of seven years of service to a Rainbow Girl Assembly, a Job's Daughter Bethel, or a DeMolay Chapter in Pennsylvania. The Masonic Youth Leader Recognition Committee was appointed by the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation to develop the criteria and regalia for this award and to select the Charter Class of youth volunteers who set the standard for all future nominations.

Regalia
The award consists of a solid gold hand-crafted oval bearing the word HODEGOS, written in Greek. Its simplicity and uniqueness is intended to be elegant and eye-catching, so that recipients will wear it in their daily activities. It is so distinctive that it will attract attention, and will cause people to ask what it means, thereby opening the door to conversation about the Masonic Youth Groups. The emblem may be worn as a lapel pin, or crafted into a necklace drop for ladies. It was created by Bro. Keith Attwood, a professional goldsmith and jewelry craftsman, who is also a member and officer of Dormont Lodge No. 684, Pittsburgh. Bro. Attwood is from London, England, and continues to work in the craft of his grandfather, the last in a line of Irish goldsmiths. This is a unique award, purposefully designed and hand-crafted, reflecting the same individual care and attention these distinguished adult leaders have given to our Masonic youth.

In addition, a "hall of fame" style display is being designed for the Masonic Conference Center in Elizabethtown, where names of recipients will be engraved as a permanent, public tribute to their service.

Procedure for Making Nominations
Individuals may be nominated by local or state youth groups for consideration. Each nomination will require 2 recommenders, and an additional 3 testimonial letters (one from a youth, one from a local youth group leader and one from a state-level leader). Nominations are to be made without the knowledge of the nominee. A committee appointed by the Board of Directors will select no more than 2 recipients from each of the 3 youth groups, for a total of not more than 6 recipients each year.

Cost of the Award
There is no fee for nomination, and the costs of the Award program are being borne entirely by the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation through the generosity of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

Presentation of the Award
Each year, the award will be presented either at a Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge, or at the state-wide annual meeting of the recipient's youth group. Recipients will be notified and announced in advance of the presentations.