Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Blog

The spring is almost over, or at least it feels that way outside. In April, PMYF put together the PMYF Spring Challenge. The Challenge included 30 tasks for participants to post on their social media pages. It served as an opportunity for youth group members, adult leaders, and general members of the PMYF family to take part in the challenge and display their tasks to their friends and the community.  Several youth members and Advisors accepted the challenge and posted during the challenge time period. Some of the tasks included wearing a Masonic Youth shirt, sharing a memory, taking a picture with your family, trying to exercise in a new way, and even going for a walk. All events were designed to promote that we can still have fun while remaining distant. Just because we haven't been able to meet in person, doesn't mean that we should lose those connections. That's why I can safely say that there will be a Summer Challenge, as well. Stay tuned for the details on this, whic...

What does Hodegos mean? This is a common question that is asked when someone earns the award of this name from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, working with the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation. The term Hodegos (pronounced "aue-day-goss") is a Greek word that translates to "a teacher of the inexperienced." It also can be interpreted as "a leader of the way, a guide." To sum it up, the term refers to the leadership and guidance provided by the adult volunteers who work with our youth in each of the three Masonic Youth Groups; Rainbow, Job's Daughters, and DeMolay. Each year, up to two adult volunteers from each organization are eligible to receive the Hodegos Award. An application must be submitted on behalf of the recipient to the PMYF office before October 15. This application is to be accompanied by three letters of recommendation; one from a youth participant, one from a local adult volunteer, and one from a state-level adult vol...

New Year’s Day comes with a lot of new expectations. It’s the end of one year and the beginning of another. Often, that means making resolutions to create new opportunities for the year ahead. It’s a chance to hit the hypothetical “refresh” button and move our lives in a new direction.  Change can be good and is necessary to stay relevant in the modern world we live in. When working with youth, change, growth, and development is a way of life. This year, the Youth Foundation is committed to communicating with our lodges, volunteers and, most importantly, the youth we serve through several new and valuable platforms. This will include social media, website upgrades, and this blog. The blog will contain information about our programs, promote events, highlight stories that will help readers connect and support our Masonic Youth Groups, and recap events throughout the Commonwealth. Articles will be written by the youth, adult volunteers, specialists in the youth service fi...