The Golden Trowel Award is an award that is given out by lodges within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Texas to deserving brothers. It is an award to recognize brethren who display extraordinary efforts and service to their lodge on a regular basis. Each recipient can only receive it once per lodge; and each lodge can only award one per year.
The idea for this award originated in a place called “Armadillo Acres”—the get-away home of Past Grand Master Leonard P. Harvey. In the Fall of 1989 while at Armadillo Acres for a bit of breather before the up-coming Grand Lodge Session, the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, and Grand Senior Warden were discussing the fact that nearly every lodge has brothers who day-in and day-out accomplish the “little things” for Masonry and for their lodges. The cement, if you will, that unites a building in one common mass or, in our case, unites us as a true brotherhood. While sitting in “the red chair” twiddling between his fingers a small golden trowel that was given to Brother Harvey’s father-in-law several years previously, the proverbial light came on and the Deputy Grand Master declared, “We can call it the ‘Golden Trowel Award.’” And thus began the creation of this highest honor that a lodge can bestow.
Richardson Masonic Lodge No. 1214, Golden Trowel Award <https://txfreemasonry.org/golden-trowel-award>
It requires a committee of five of the most recent past masters of the lodge to vote on a worthy brother. The award is presented in an open meeting at lodge and friends and family members of the recipient are invited to attend this high honor.