Honors and Awards

Overview

“It is an ancient custom to give honors to whom honors are due.”

Everyone likes to receive recognition. To acknowledge excellence, DeMolay has provided numerous honors and awards for the official recognition of service and achievements. It’s important to remember that there is a difference between an award and an honor:

An award – is an achievement to be worked toward, a goal or a recognition to be earned. You can apply for an award.
An honor– is granted without the recipient knowing about it until it is announced. DeMolay honors must be voted on by the International Supreme Council as a whole.

There are honors and awards for Active DeMolays, Senior DeMolays, Adult Volunteers and anyone else who provides special service to a DeMolay or DeMolay Chapter. Read the information below to discover more about the honors and awards that DeMolay International has to offer.

Active DeMolays

Degree of Chevalier

The Degree of Chevalier is the highest honor that an Active DeMolay can receive. This honor also may be granted to a Senior DeMolay. The Degree is a citation for outstanding and marked DeMolay Activity and labor. DeMolay International may confer the Degree of Chevalier upon a member of the Order or a Senior DeMolay who has performed unusual and meritorious service in behalf of the Order, who has attained the age of seventeen years as of the first day of the annual meeting of the year nominated and has been a member in good standing for at least two years on that date. An Executive Officer may lower the age eligibility requirement to sixteen.

The degree cannot be applied for, and the nomination is made without the knowledge of the DeMolay to be honored. The unanimous vote of DeMolay International at its regular Session is required to elect a nominee.

Recommendations are made by Advisory Councils to the Executive Officer of the Jurisdiction. Nomination forms are available from the Executive Officer. The nominations must be received by the Executive Officer’s deadline. Each year a nomination fee is established by the Grand Secretary, the free covers processing and regalia. Fees must be submitted with a completed nomination form to the Executive Officer. The investiture ceremony must take place within one year from the date of the election.

Past Master Councilor’s Meritorious Service Award
One of the most prestigious awards in all of DeMolay, the Past Master Councilor’s Meritorious Service Award, was designed by our founder “Dad” Frank S. Land. The award itself is an attractive gold-colored medal and is granted without charge. Qualifying for the PMC-MSA is an exercise in good program planning.

Representative DeMolay Award
The Representative DeMolay Award is the highest self-achievement award Active and Senior DeMolays can earn. It’s a self-assessment program where you progress towards goals you set for yourself. You complete a detailed survey of your interests, achievements, general knowledge, and habits.

“Dad” Land said it was his dream that every DeMolay should be a Representative DeMolay. The Representative DeMolay program was first established in 1924, and for many years was a competition to select outstanding DeMolays. In 1935, the program was redesigned to fill a growing need for self-evaluation by every DeMolay.

Merit Bars
Merit Bars primarily are awards that recognize DeMolays for achievement in some phase of Chapter activity or in their personal lives while members of DeMolay. Merit Bars are awarded to individual members on the recommendation of the Awards Advisor. The Advisory Council makes a final decision about whether an individual has met the requirements for each bar.

Each Merit Bar is produced in five colors. Each color designates the number of times a DeMolay has received a bar in that category. The color designations are:

1st Award – White
2nd Award – Red
3rd Award – Blue
4th Award – Purple
5th Award – Gold

The categories in which Merit Bars are awarded through DeMolay International are Athletics, Attendance, Civic Service, Conclave, Correspondence Course, Fine Art, Fund Raising, Installing, Journalism, Masonic Attendance, Masonic Service, Membership, Merit, Priory, Religion, Ritual, Scholastic, and Visitation.

Membership Awards
Membership awards are given for securing new DeMolay initiates. DeMolay International grants these awards automatically. First-line signers may claim the same new members to earn the Membership Merit Bar, Founder’s Membership Award and Blue Honor Key.

#1 Lapel Pin: It’s exciting to sign up your first new member. The #1 lapel pin recognizes this important achievement.
Merit Bar: The Membership Merit Bar is granted to a DeMolay for being the first-line signer on his first five membership applications of three initiates.
Founder’s Membership Award: This award is granted to a DeMolay who is the first-line signer on his first five membership applications.
Blue Honor Key: The Blue Honor Key is awarded to an Active or Senior DeMolay for being the first-line signer for 10 new members initiated by the Chapter. These 10 membership applications do not have to be secured for any one class or in any one year. An active member who secures fewer than 10 applications before he reaches his majority may complete the requirements list after he reaches majority. Additional Blue Honor Keys, with stars to designate each multiple of 10 new members secured, are also granted.

Distinguished Service Award
DeMolay International established the Disguised Service Award in fall of 1959. In some jurisdictions, the award is known as the “DeMolay of the Year” award. The purpose of the award is to recognize one DeMolay in each jurisdiction for outstanding service to others, in his home, school, church, Chapter community and country.

The Chapter’s Advisory Council members select one or more members of the Chapter whom they believe worth the recognition. Adult leaders in the community are asked to evaluate the nominee’s performance in various areas.

When all of the endorser’s recommendations have been returned to the Chapter, the Advisory Council selects one Chapter member as its nominee for the Distinguished Service Award and sends the nomination to the Executive Officer. The Executive Officer also has the privilege of making a personal nomination. Nominations may be made twice a year.

Officer’s Service Certificate
Upon the recommendation of the chapter advisor, a DeMolay who serves efficiently as a Chapter officer may obtain a Service Certificate. The Certificate designates the office held, the term, the year, and the name of the Chapter. Recommendations from the chapter advisor should be filed with the Scribe for him to order Certificates from the Service and Leadership Center.

Life Saving Medals
The Life Saving Medal, which was approved at the 1969 DeMolay International Session, may be granted in cases where a DeMolay has performed an act that resulted in the saving of a human life. Recommendations are made by the Advisory Council and must be forwarded to the Executive Officer for his approval. The recommendation is acted on by the International Supreme Council.

Medal of Heroism
The Advisory Council may nominate a DeMolay who has performed an act of heroism for this honor. Nominations for his medal are made through the Executive Officer of a jurisdiction. Nomination forms are available from the Executive Officer or the Service and Leadership Center. Newspaper clippings and other substantiating material should be included according to the instructions on the form. In considering this nomination, DeMolay International requires that the act of heroism be one in which the nominee was in danger of losing his own life.

Adult Volunteers

Advisor’s Honor Key
An Advisor’s Honor Key is an award granted to the Chapter Advisor or another member of the Advisory Council on the following conditions:

Form 10’s, Advisory Council Registrations, the Annual Financial Report and other required reports are submitted by established deadlines during the calendar year.
The net membership must exceed the previous calendar year’s net membership.
Initiates must exceed majorities for the calendar year.
After yearly reports have been processed, the Service & Leadership Center sends nomination forms to Advisory Council Chairmen of Chapters fulfilling the first three conditions. The form must be completed and returned to the Service & Leadership Center.

If the same individual receives more than one key, a star is added to the background of each successive key. Only one key can be awarded to a Chapter in each DeMolay year.

Cross of Honor
An Advisor who wears the Cross of Honor has received a distinctive honor that can only be given by DeMolay International to a member of an Advisory Council or a personal representative of an Executive Officer. DeMolay International may confer the DeMolay Cross of Honor upon a present or past member of an Advisory Council or upon any personal representative of any Executive Officer who has served at least three years in either or both capacities and whose service has been conspicuously meritorious.

Recommendations are made by the Advisory Council to the Executive Officer, who nominates individuals for this honor. Nomination forms are available from the Executive Officer, who must receive them by his deadline. Each year a nomination fee is established by the Grand Secretary. The fee covers processing and regalia. The fee is submitted with the completed nomination form to the Executive Officer. He forwards the nomination to DeMolay International, whose unanimous vote at the annual Session is required to grant the honor.

Guild of the Leather Apron (Advisor of the Year)
The Advisor of the Year honor is designated to give singular recognition to a DeMolay Advisor who in the past year has made outstanding contributions to the growth and success of DeMolay. The Advisor is one who should exemplify the ideals and precepts of the DeMolay in their daily life as well as in their work with the young men in DeMolay. Selection of the Advisor of the Year is at the discretion of the Executive Officer of each Jurisdiction.

Senior DeMolays

Zerubbabel Key
This award encourages establishing new Chapters or reinstating forfeited Chapters. The individual chiefly responsible for organizing a new or reinstated Chapter may be recommended for the Zerubbabel Key. Up to three Zerubbabel Keys are granted for each new or reinstated Chapter. Each nomination for the Zerubbabel Key must be approved by the Executive Officer of the Jurisdiction in which the Chapter is located. The key should be awarded within one year of the institution of the Chapter.

Legion of Honor
The Legion of Honor is the highest honor conferred by DeMolay International. DeMolay International may confer the DeMolay Legion of Honor upon a Senior DeMolay, who has attained the age of twenty-five years as of the first day of the annual meeting of the year nominated, for outstanding leadership in some field of endeavor, or for success in fraternal life, including adult service to the Order. No one may apply for this distinction, and a nominee, or the membership of a Chapter, must have no knowledge of the recommendation by the Advisory Council. Failure to observe secrecy in making this nomination subjects the nominee to penalty of not being considered. Nomination forms are available from the Executive Officer. The nominations must be received by the Executive Officer’s deadline. Each year a nomination fee is established by the Grand Secretary. The fee covers processing and regalia but does not include the ring available from the DeMolay and More Store. The fee is submitted with the completed nomination form to the Executive Officer. If approved by the Executive Officer, the nomination will be referred to DeMolay International, whose unanimous vote is required to receive this honor.

Other

Honorary Legion of Honor
DeMolay International may confer the DeMolay Honorary Legion of Honor upon a Mason who is not a Senior DeMolay, who has attained the age of thirty years as of the first day of the annual meeting of the year nominated, and who has performed unusual and meritorious service in behalf of the Order or who has evidenced a spirit of cooperation and appreciation for the Order. It shall not be given only for service on an Advisory Council.

Certificate of Appreciation & Other Certificates
A Certificate of Appreciation may be given at any time during the year. These certificates are available from the eStore, which completes the certificate, attaches a seal and sends it to the Chapter for presentation. A formal presentation should be planned and all DeMolay parents and volunteers invited. Many other certificates are available. Check the DeMolay eStore for all the available certificates.

Hats Off Award
The Hats Off Award is an honor intended for presentation to anyone rendering outstanding or conspicuous service to a Chapter. This service may be in any field related to Chapter activities. It consists of a lapel pin, a card and a certificate. Many Chapters have a dinner in connection with the presentation, or the presentation may be made at an open ceremony such as an installation of officers. Chapters may give as many as they wish and are the sole judges of who receives them. Often the award is used to cite a community leader.

Medal of Appreciation
A Chapter may recommend any person over 21 years of age for the DeMolay Medal of Appreciation in recognition of outstanding service to DeMolay. The nominee can be a man or a woman and does not need any Masonic affiliation. Nominations may be made at any time. Forms may be secured from the Service & Leadership Center. The nomination form must be forwarded to the Executive Officer and, if approved by him, will be forwarded to the Grand Secretary. The Chapter pays for the cost of the medal.