The first Master Citizen Award was given on March 5, 1999, at a Stated Meeting of the Pasadena Scottish Rite Bodies, to Ellen L. Ligons, President of the Faculty Senate of Pasadena City College. Illustrious Harry R. Sprague, 33°, Personal Representative, noted the contributions Mrs. Ligons has made to the progress of the college and praised her determination to help others. She is representative, he said, of the "everyday leaders in our city who are making a difference because they are able to maintain a moral and ethical compass in their work and daily actions. There is no secret or proprietary ownership to Masonry's dedication to the tenets of brotherly love, relief, and truth. As a Master Citizen, Mrs. Ligons demonstrates that fact to all the people she influences in her life."

Leaders need followers, and followers need leaders. The leaders who recognize others for their accomplishments attract more followers and inspire other leaders. These seeds of recognition can result in a large harvest of personal and community betterment. The Scottish Rite provides ample opportunity for Brothers to become active, visible leaders for a public yearning for positive role models. The Master Citizen Award was created to bring the Scottish Rite and the local community together in celebration of noble ideals held in common.

The 1997 Biennial Session Report of the Subcommittee on Strategic Planning (see the July 1998 Scottish Rite Journal) outlined one of the main challenges facing the Craft today, making Freemasonry visible in society. Our Order's positive community presence builds public support and helps reverse declining membership. Make no mistake. We will always be a strong Fraternity, regardless of size, and we will continue to be relevant. The question is how many people will recognize this and join with us because of their awareness and understanding of what we stand for. The Master Citizen Award is a seed for all Masons to consider planting. Water it, feed, it, and watch it grow. From this seed, more people will come to know about the Craft, be drawn to our ideals and, ultimately, to our ranks. This award represents one of the potentials for our Fraternity to make a difference, reverse a trend, and start a strong movement toward a new dawning for Freemasonry in America. The Master Citizen Award, presented to a non-Mason chosen for his or her Masonic-like ideals and contributions to society, is a small seed, but it holds high promise. 

Steven G. Casciola  is Wise Master in the Pasadena, California, Scottish Rite Valley, the President of Chanters at Al Malaikah Shrine in Los Angeles, Past Master of Burbank Lodge No. 406, a member of St. John's Lodge No. 9 in Seattle, Washington, and served on the California Grand Lodge Speakers Committee. He was a Scottish Rite Fellow at the 1998 Leadership Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.