Page 3 - Sojourner Newsletter-Winter 2025_FINAL

Volume 102, Issue 1 3

NATIONAL COMMANDER’S MESSAGE

In December, I had the honor of representing our National President, Brother Carl
th
Diamond, as St. Louis Chapter #22 celebrated its 100 Anniversary. Later in December, I
scheduled a couple of recording session dates to re-accomplish the bugle calls and create
an updated CD for our Order. I hope to have the project completed by mid-spring and to
present new CDs/digital music files at the Annual National Encampment (ANE) in
Omaha.

I am now anticipating a fourth National Sojourner Chapter to receive a Camp Charter for
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their newly organized Heroes of ‘76 Camp. As previously reported, in September, I
officially presented Pittsburgh Chapter #38 their Charter for Isaac Craig Camp.
Springfield (Missouri) Chapter #84 has recently received their Camp Charter from HQ for their Big Canoe
Camp, and I anticipate presenting it officially to the Camp in January. Mid-Ohio Valley Chapter #572 is also
well along in the process of petitioning for their Camp Charter, and they hope to secure the name of Rufus
Putnam Camp. The fourth Chapter, Fort Stephenson-Firelands (Ohio) Chapter #571, is in the early stages of
petitioning for a Camp Charter, and I look forward to a trip to Ohio in the coming months to officially present
Camp Charters to those two Ohio Chapters/Camps. It is truly exciting to see the energy of the members of
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these new Camps and to hear their future plans. Congratulations to these new or soon to be Heroes of ’76
Camps!

As National Commander, I have the honor of serving as the Chairman of the Heroes Manual Committee
(HMC), and I have had the committee hard at work the past several months reviewing suggestions for changes
to the Heroes Manual. In fact, a bit of the work has occurred during the past several years, but those previous
proposed changes to the Heroes Manual had yet to be brought to the Heroes membership for adoption. The
latest version of the Heroes Manual is dated 1 January 2016, and there are a number of “housekeeping”
changes to be made, mainly to the organizational section of the manual. Only extremely minor changes are
being proposed regarding the actual ritual within the manual. The HMC has created a document that concisely
highlights all of the proposed changes to the Heroes Manual, and that particular document will be presented to
the Heroes present at the ANE in June for their review and proposed acceptance. Unlike resolutions proposing
changes to the National Sojourners Constitution and By-Laws, proposed changes to the Heroes Manual cannot
be published in The Sojourner for review in advance of the ANE, as the Heroes Manual is for “Heroes Eyes
Only.”

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To all Heroes of ’76 Brethren, thank you again for the faith that you have put in me by electing me as your
National Commander. I look forward to more travels this spring and to bringing forward the proposed
changes to the Heroes Manual to those Heroes Brethren in attendance at the Annual National Encampment.
EIAR!

Paul A. DeMerath
National Commander