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Masonic Veteran Associations????

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
I was looking through some PDFs that I got from Bro Heilman and came across one with that title. Just a quick little search on the interent and I was able to find this site:

1st Weschester Putnam District welcomes you

Does anyone know of any kinds of Masonic Veterans groups that are out there nowadays? If so, where at? What do they do? Is it like being part of another appendent body, or is it just another group totally separated from Masonry?

Any other information would be helpful...

Thanks
 

cjapgar

Premium Member
You can try to find the local chapter of the National Sojourners. They're a veteran based Masonic organization. They've been helping wounded warriors as of recent.
 

cemab4y

Premium Member
The National Sojourners is a fine organization. I understand that their membership is restricted to Active/Retired/Veteran commissioned/warrant officers who are freemasons in good standing. (Therefore I am not eligible)

If someone knows of an organization for military veterans who are Freemasons, without this restriction on rank, I would be delighted to participate.
 

K.S.

Registered User
You have to be/have been an "O" to be a member?? I guess just flat out serving your country isn't good enough. That would count me out as well. I guess being a disabled vet means nothing to them either (I'm out as well there too!)
Keep me posted if you find one-sounds interesting to me as well. Even if I was just an NCO.
Good luck with the search, as I am in California, I'll let you know if I find anything brother.
 

Bro_Vick

Moderator
Premium Member
The National Sojourners is a fine organization. I understand that their membership is restricted to Active/Retired/Veteran commissioned/warrant officers who are freemasons in good standing. (Therefore I am not eligible)

If someone knows of an organization for military veterans who are Freemasons, without this restriction on rank, I would be delighted to participate.

E-7s and up are also eligible.

S&F,
-Bro Vick
 

Ashlar

Registered User
"E-7s and up are also eligible."

The very reason I , as Master , would not allow them to make a presentation in my lodge . I served in the Marine Corps , fought for my country , but because I left the Corps as an E-4 I am not eligible to be a member . So when a couple of their members came to me asking permission to give a talk on the National Sojourners I told them under no circumstances will they be allowed to speak about their little group as long as I am Master of my lodge and I was not too shy as to my reasons neither .
 

usmc05

Registered User
Do you tell other masonic bodies with restrictions on memberships the same thing, ect Knight Masons, AMD, KYCH all groups have differant restrictions? I got out of the marines E-3 Lance Cpl, I don't hate the Soujouners.
 

Ashlar

Registered User
Do you tell other masonic bodies with restrictions on memberships the same thing, ect Knight Masons, AMD, KYCH all groups have differant restrictions? I got out of the marines E-3 Lance Cpl, I don't hate the Soujouners.


Yes I do tell them the same thing . I do not agree with invitational only bodies in Freemasonry where everyone is supposed to be on the level . Nor do I allow the brethren to use titles such as KYCH and 33rd degree in my lodge . But I will say that the bodies and titles you named are "invitational" or "Honorary" and any Masons may be asked to join or receive them if they work for them , their membership is NOT LIMITED only to certain Masons . The Sojourners on the other hand limit it to E-7 and above and there is no chance what so ever for a veteran who served honorably but did not reach that rank of E-7 or above to become a member PERIOD . When I am out of the East , it will be the new Master's call .
 
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Ashlar

Registered User
To add , before I am accused of being jealous of these other "invitational" bodies , I have been invited to join the YR College , AMD and a couple of others along with clubs such as Past Masters . I have turned them all down because it just is not right , there are brethren who are just as dedicated as I , but because I run in a different circle (with members of these bodies) than they , I receive these invites and they do not .

Also , to keep it fair , I do not allow ANY appendant/concordant body to make lodge presentations . The Craft lodge is just that , the Craft lodge . Our meetings are not going to turn into recruitment sessions for other bodies .

As for Masonic Veterans Associations , never heard of any .
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
I identify. I was in the infantry, and while I didn't make it a career, I'm proud of my service record.

Really what I'd like to see, brass tacks, is the Sojourners expand their membership requirements to simply military veteran with an honorable discharge.

I think they are likely to face a membership crisis, if they haven't already. WWII era folks are in their 90s now. Korea vets in their 70s and 80s. And maybe it is just me, but I don't run into many vietnam vets who are masons. Membership in masonic bodies overall is dropping. Do the math.

I also find that vets of the combat arms are pretty rare. Just a lot more fuelers, logistics folks, and what have you. Especially the latter, among the masonic vets who were officers. Three or four Air Force supply or Navy engineers to every Army or Jarhead tank commander easily. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but as a practical matter it would make certain conversations easy.

Like, why sure, come on down. When they get there, ask em what they did in the service. Is that right, fascinating. Well me, I was just a grunt - you know, grenades, flak jackets and dirt. Sure is a shame you fellas don't allow in buck sgts, I'd be happy to purchase an endowed membership.

And I reckon they leave the lodge with not a man jack from it joining, even the folks that are eligible, because if I can't get in, the logistics man probably won't be inclined to. And the presenter goes back to his next stated meeting saying what a shame it is that they can't get new, young, capable men like the ones he ran into and were so respectful to him.

But I'm an aww shucks sorta fella if you catch my drift.

Inevitable they expand it, you watch - they'll go to e-5 first I bet. One good solid petition with a hundred thousand names or so would be all it would take about now even I betcha.
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
I agree Bro. Hatley. I was curious about the Sojourners so I looked up a local group online out of Oklahoma City. When I saw that it was E-7 and above only it kind of turned me off. I served in the Navy and never made it to those ranks, and like you I am proud of what I did. I was a AEGIS Fire Controlman and also a member of VBSS (visit, board, search, and seizure) and loved what I did. I would love to see a sort of Masonic VFW and initially thought that was what the Sojourners were. Needless to say I was quite disappointed. My lodge has a number of vets (around 15 ACTIVE members) and of those only one is qualified to be a part of the Sojourners. I, like you, see a day when they are forced to expand their requirements. In the end I guess I don't get why E-6 and below should be left out.
 

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
Sorry for chiming in so late on this thread... First of all, I don't even count the Sojourners as a Masonic vet organization... For the same reason that everyone else has stated above. I heard about them quite a while back when I was in the Army, but at that time, from what I was told at the time, it was just for Officers (active or out). I heard a little later that they made a change to allow Enlisted (E-7 and up) because of the numbers of Masons that fit that category. Guess they saw the numbers thing already. Too be honest, if they did open it up all the way down to Private "No Class", I doubt I would join them unless they had something really good to offer. That would just signal to me that the only reason they are letting junior Enlisted in is because they can't survive without the numbers. Oh, well.
 

SSG_Morrison

Registered User
To add , before I am accused of being jealous of these other "invitational" bodies , I have been invited to join the YR College , AMD and a couple of others along with clubs such as Past Masters . I have turned them all down because it just is not right , there are brethren who are just as dedicated as I , but because I run in a different circle (with members of these bodies) than they , I receive these invites and they do not .

Also , to keep it fair , I do not allow ANY appendant/concordant body to make lodge presentations . The Craft lodge is just that , the Craft lodge . Our meetings are not going to turn into recruitment sessions for other bodies .

As for Masonic Veterans Associations , never heard of any .

I understand the fairness, but there are some of those groups mentioned that promote open minded thinking.
 

Bro_Vick

Moderator
Premium Member
If you all want a Masonic military club so badly, why Don't you start one...

I believe that we are so cluttered right now with these organizations, that have loose Masonic affliations that it is further spreading our attention and efforts away from the core principles and teachings of Freemasonry. Groups like these do nothing to spread further light, are really supper clubs (I mean, we joke about blue lodges, but these clubs are nothing more than supper clubs).

Like Masonic Riding Clubs, High Noon, etc. we don't need these clubs, just because I am a Major in the military, doesn't mean I should join Sojourners and further distract my time from working on the inner temple.

Just my $.02

S&F,
-Bro Vick
 
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Michael Hatley

Premium Member
That may be, but I'd join a Masonic Skydiving club in about 2 seconds flat :thumbup:

Really though, most Shrine Centers have a veterans only unit - the Oriental Guard and that sort of thing. Most of them have such a tiny number of members now that they could use an influx of younger men really badly. I think a large number of vets wind up joining the Patrol units of their Shrine instead though, because men with drill and ceremony experience and who are still physically able to march are in demand in those units. I know my unit is largely made up of vets, anyway.

I'd love to see the Flying Fez units start skydiving sub-units - imagine the rad photo ops, some young fellas and some old timers goin together and having a ball. But wait, I'm rambling about skydiving again... :)

Seriously though, very large concentration of veterans within the Shrine. I love it, they all get my Marine jokes :)
 
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