Ft Sam Houston Chaper No. 17, National Sojourners, & Alamo Camp, Heroes of '76

We are located in San Antonio, Texas. Our business meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month.

We also have a dinner meeting every second Wednesday with the ladies.

If you are interested in joining us and meet the qualifications for membership, e-mail one of the officers listed below.



MAY 08 NEWSLETTER

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PICTURES

April 08 Meeting


March 08 Meeting

February 08 Meeting

Midwinter January 16-19, 2008
San Antonio
Ladies Luncheon
Pictures
Slideshow

Bridge of Light - Jan 08
National Convention
Williamsburg, VA, June 2007

 

 


UPCOMING MEETINGS

Business Meeting - 7 May 08: Ft Sam Houston Golf Course (notice change). Try to arrive around 1100 hours, go thru the line, get your lunch, and go around the corner to the Bowie Room. Business to be discussed concerns all the Americanism Programs. Come help with the ROTC award presentations by picking up an award package to present to a student. The meeting will begin at 1200 hours. Come enjoy the fellowship of your Brother Sojourners.

Dinner Meeting - 14 May 08: Ft Sam Houston Golf Course. Social at 1800 hours with dinner at 1900 hours. Come and enjoy the fellowship. This is our memorial program honoring our departed brothers. Bring a potential member.

Dinner will consist of Tossed Green Salad, Chicken Florentine, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Blazed Carrots, Dinner Rolls/butter, Iced Tea and a pot of coffee per table. Desert will be Peach Cobbler.

Reservations
: Make your reservations to Bob McConnell, 210-659-6813 or by JMcconn529@aol.com NLT Noon, 11 May 2008. Price of the meal is $20.00. Make your check payable to Ft Sam Houston Chapter #17.

Bivouac of Alamo Camp Heroes of 76: The next bivouac will be held on 30 April 2008 at Grady's BBQ, 6510 San Pedro. Come dine at 1700 hours.

Tribute to Military


OFFICERS

FORT SAM HOUSTON CHAPTER NO. 17
NATIONAL SOJOURNERS, INC.

President

T. E. "Gene" Carnes

1st Vice President

John H. V. Lorch

2nd Vice President

Samuel Green

Secretary

James R. "Bob" McConnell

Treasurer

James W. Griffith

Marshal

William B. Hatcher

Chaplain

Jack D. Coffey

Color Bearer

Dennis Lafferty


Alamo Camp, Heroes of '76


Commander

Paul W. Adkins

Chief of Staff

Robert C. Madison

Asst. Chief of Staff

Jack D. Coffey

Officer of the Day

Dennis Lafferty

Senior Lieutenant

Dock Dixon

Junior Lieutenant

William B. Hatcher

Commander of the Guard

John H. V. Lorch
Sentinel Samuel Green

Adjutant

Bob Tench

Chaplain

Knox Duncan

Musician

T. K. Anthony
Surgeon

Michael S. Jaffee

Prompter Elliott B. Samuels



WHAT IS NATIONAL SOJOURNERS, INC.

National Sojourners, Incorporated, is a nonprofit, domestic, fraternal order, operating in accordance with a Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia. For a history of the National Sojourners, click here.


PURPOSES OF NATIONAL SOJOURNERS, INC.

The Purposes of National Sojourners shall be to organize Commissioned Officers, Warrant Officers and Senior Noncommissioned Officers of the uniformed forces (past and present) of the United States, and Honorary Members who are Master Masons, into Chapters, for the promotion of good fellowship among its members, for assisting such as may be overtaken by adversity or affliction, for cultivating Masonic ideals, for supporting all patriotic aims and activities in Masonry, for developing true Patriotism and Americanism throughout the Nation, for bringing together representatives of the uniformed forces of the United States (past and present) in a united effort to further the military need of national defense, and for opposing any influence whatsoever calculated to weaken the national Security.


MEMBERSHIP

Membership in National Sojourners shall be open to citizens of the United States who are Master Masons in good standing in any duly constituted Lodge of Master Masons recognized by and maintaining fraternal relations with a majority of the Regular Grand Lodges in the United States:

And, who are serving or have served honorably as Commissioned Officers, Warrant Officers, and Senior Noncommissioned Officers in the uniformed services of the United States

Or have served in time of war as a Commissioned Officers, Warrant Officers, Senior Noncommissioned Officers or the equivalent in an armed service of a nation allied with the United States

Or are regularly elected to Honorary Membership

 

RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS ROTC AWARDS

Every year the Order bestows upon a member of each unit of the ROTC and the Junior ROTC the Sojourners ROTC medal with ribbon and certificate. The award goes to the cadet who has, in the opinion of his or her superiors, done the most to encourage and demonstrate the ideals of Americanism by deed or conduct or both; and who has demonstrated potential for outstanding leadership. This award is available upon request to every ROTC and JROTC unit in America. Nearly 1500 of these medals are presented each year.


FLAG PROGRAMS

Throughout the Order, several historical and patriotic flag programs have been developed. One, in particular, had a Scottish Rite genesis. A member of the National Sojourners Chapter in El Paso, Texas, Hubert L. Koker, 32°, K.C.C.H., was chairman of a Scottish Rite committee tasked to prepare an Americanism program for presentation to the El Paso Scottish Rite Valley. He developed a program in which the American Flag was built, stripe by stripe and star by star with a narration giving the state or states admitted to the Union with the addition of each stripe and star. Another Brother, who was also a member of both the El Paso Scottish Rite and National Sojourners, saw the program and understood immediately the full significance of what he had seen. After getting proper permission, he brought the program to National Sojourners, Inc. The rest, as they say, is history. The program was refined again and again. More portable and reliable props were developed, and "Building the Flag" teams were formed throughout National Sojourners with their affiliated Order, The Heroes of ‘76, presenting it in colonial uniforms, often assisted by their ladies, also in colonial costume. This excellent patriotic and educational program has been performed thousands of times at schools as well as Masonic and non-Masonic gatherings of all kinds. It continues today as one of the most effective and popular patriotic programs yet invented. A "Historical Flag Program’ was written by National Sojourner, Byron C. Jenkins, 32°, K.C.C.H., of the Omaha, Nebraska, Scottish Rite Valley, for presentation during the U. S. Bicentennial celebration. Past Grand Master Jenkins’s program displays up to sixteen flags used by Americans from pre-Revolutionary times to the present. The presentation utilizes three or more "Heroes of ‘76" to display each full-size flag while a narrator gives the history of how the Masonic heroes who were serving under it contributed to our country’s birth, development, and fame. The programs cited here barely scratch the surface of the service performed by National Sojourners, Inc. This small but capable group of American Masonic leaders quietly serves our country and Masonry every day through their efforts to raise the loyalty and pride of every American by eulogizing and emulating the Masonic builder-patriots who preceded them. Click here to read "A Toast to the Flag" and "To the Colors."



History
of the
National Sojourners, Inc.
and the
Heroes of '76


 

NATIONAL SOJOURNERS LINKS

LINKS TO TEXAS' NATIONAL SOJOURNERS' CHAPTERS (Found on the National Sojourner's Homepage)
National Sojourner's Homepage
Heroes of '76 National Commander's Website





Webmasters: T. E. "Gene" & Gay Carnes

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(Visitors since October 29, 2001)