The Hiram Award

May 3, 2011

The Hiram Award

The Hiram Award is the single highest honor a California Mason may receive.  It cannot be sought or applied for, but is awarded at the request of the individual’s Lodge, and bestowed by the Grand Lodge of California. The District Inspector makes the award presentation on behalf of the Grand Master.

The Hiram Award is an award presented to a Master Mason who has served the Lodge and the Masonic Fraternity with devotion over and above the ordinary. It is the highest honor (other than being Master of the Lodge) that can be bestowed on a member of a Masonic Lodge. The Hiram Award is not given for service as Master or any elected or appointed office or committee.  The recipient is recognized by his brethren in Masonry for his service to the fraternity, because of his efforts to support one or more Masons, a Lodge or Lodges, a District, the Grand Lodge or the fraternity as a whole. It is a singular distinction, and indicates the esteem, respect and admiration of the members. A California Masonic Lodge may bestow a maximum of one Hyram Award each year.

The award consists of a Certificate and a Medallion. The Medallion has the Square and Compass with the letter G in the center all of which are encircled with a Larel Wreath. Around this are the words “Hiram Award, Dedicated Service.” The back of the Medallion has a representation of the Seal of The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of California.

I was invested with this distinguished recognition in 2004 and am grateful to the brethren of my lodge for this honor. Considering the brethren who have been so recognized before me, I did not, and to this day do not, feel deserving. Interestingly, I have never yet met a recipient of the Hiram Award who does – and I have met many.

Here is the text of the Inspector’s presentation:

Worshipful Master, Brethren, Friends and especially our Honoree.

It is an honor and privilege for me to have a part in presentation of the Hiram Award to our Honored Brother. While a good Mason does not work for the benefit of Honors or rewards, I am very happy that XXX Lodge Lodge has seen fit to nominate such a true and trusty friend and deserving mason to receive this award.

While we are all here to honor our distinguished brother by presenting him with the prestigious Hiram Award, there are probably some in our audience this evening who are unaware of the background of the Hiram Award. You may also wonder who Hiram was and what Hiram means to Masons.

Hiram is a biblical name meaning “Most Noble”. In the Holy Writings, 1st. Kings, Chapter 7, we read that King Solomon sent and fetched Hiram Abiff out of Tyre. Abiff is a Hebrew expression for father, a term of respect. Therefore, Hiram Abiff translated means “Most Noble Father”.

We also read that Hiram Abiff worked for King Solomon in the erection of King Solomon’s Temple, not only casting the metallic ornaments for the temple, but also as a master architect of the work.

According to legend, over 150,000 workmen were employed in the building of the temple which took approximately seven years to complete. To those workmen who labored faithfully on the project was promised the status of Master Mason upon completion.

But some time before the Temple’s completion, some of the workmen became dissatisfied and demanded the promotions which they had been promised, and conspired to extort them form Hiram Abiff.

In spite of their violent threats, Hiram steadfastly refused to yield to their demands. Reminding them of their obligation to King Solomon and his God, he resolutely insisted that they honor the contracts by which he and they were bound. Three of them, more brutal than the rest, conspired to attack Master Hiram to force the concession they were demanding; but he, being faithful to his trust, was more adamant in his refusal, and they in their wrath slew him in the unfinished Temple.

That, essentially is the legend of Hiram Abiff which has become in Masonry one of the most impressive ritualistic dramas of all time. The real importance of the story of Hiram Abiff is that it still stirs men to serve the truth, by steadfastly maintaining the necessity of those noble aspirations, even to apparent defeat in death.

The first award of this kind was presented to Brother Andrew Miller, P.M. of San Pedro Lodge No. 332 in 1932.

In February 1977, Galt Lodge No. 257 selected a worthy brother to be the honored guest for the evening, and presented him with and award called “King Solomon Award”. It was then suggested that the name be changed to the “Hiram Award”.

This was brought to the attention of the Grand Master, Kermit Jacobson, who felt it would be good for Freemasonry to promote this type of award, and the Hiram Award of today was accepted in the Grand Lodge of California in 1978.

The Hiram Award is the highest honor which can be bestowed upon a member who has unselfishly given of his time, talents and energy for the betterment of his Lodge and freemasonry. The Hiram Award is intended for the brother who, year after year displays his devotion to the Lodge and our beloved fraternity without asking for anything in return.

The real warmth and pleasure of being chosen for this special honor is most satisfying, because it comes directly from the Brethren and friends he has accumulated within his own community. The Hiram Award is simply the official recognition of a Brother by his own Lodge for his devoted service to the Lodge and to our Masonic principles in general. His is a labor of love for the fraternity. The true and steady hand of assistance which is that living cement that binds our Fraternity into a true Brotherhood.

I can think of no other name for this award that would mean as much as “Hiram”. We believe that the recipient of this award tonight is indeed worthy of the name, and is a Mason justly deserving of the Hiram Award.

While this Hiram Award Certificate is coming from Grand Lodge of California, it is this Lodge that has made the selection of the honoree. Therefore, on behalf of the Most Worshipful YYY, Grand Master of Masons in California, I am happy to deliver this Hiram Award Certificate to the Master of XXX Lodge for presentation to our Brother.

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