Page 6 - Sojourner Newsletter-Winter 2025_FINAL

6 THE SOJOURNER

HISTORIAN’S CORNER

Edward W. Nolte, National Historian

National Sojourners Members and Non-Member Organizations

Membership in National Sojourners has changed significantly over the years in terms of Uniformed Services, ranks,
and Honorary Members as follows:

• U.S. Army (USA): Sojourners Club was founded by current and former members of the USA. Other services were
invited, but none attended the first meeting in Fall 1917.
• U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), U.S. Navy (USN), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and Reserves: The USMC, USN,
st
USCG, and Reserves were always invited and were formally approved with the adoption of the 1 Constitution and
Bylaws (C&BLs) on 11 June 1919.
• U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS), and Honorary Members
(HMs): The USPHS Commissioned Corps; USC&GS Commissioned Officer Corps; and HMs became members in
nd
the 2 C&BLs on 26 Jan 1922. The USC&GS become the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) on 3 Oct 1970.
• U.S. National Guard: The National Guard (Army and Air) has a split history. Many of the Founders were
members of the Illinois National Guard in 1918, and some were members of Sojourners Club in the Philippines, but
rd
the National Guard was not separately identified until the 3 Constitution and By-Laws was on 21 June 1927.
rd
• U.S. Organized Militia (OM): Initially called Emergency Forces in the 3 C&BLs in 1927. These forces are now
called State Defense Forces, Guards, or Military Reserves, or Militia and augment the National Guard. State Naval
Militias are not and cannot be mobilized.
• U.S. Air Force (USAF): The USAF became a separate service on 18 Sep 1947 and authorized as a member
th
organization at the 28 National Convention in 1948.
• U.S. Space Force (USSF): The USSF became a separate service on 20 Dec 2019 and became a member
st
organization at the 101 National Convention in 2021. They were first authorized in the return to a C&BLs adopted
in 1922.

• Uniformed Services Ranks: Active membership has included all Commissioned Officers and Commissioned
Warrant Officers (1918-Present), all Warrant Officers (1950-Present), Senior NCOs (2001-Present), and all Enlisted
Ranks (2016-Present).
• Service Academy Cadets: Although not addressed, Omaha #19 won the Alfred A. Treutel Wisconsin Cup in 1984
for the youngest Sojourner with U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman Paul J. Carstensen. Several Resolutions have
proposed specific eligibility for Academy Cadets, but none ever passed, nor needs to pass. Army, Navy, and Air
Force Academy Cadets rank between an Lt/ENS (O1) and a WO (so, they have been eligible since 1950). ROTC
Cadets rank below a WO and above an NCO (so, eligible since 2001).
• Non-Member Organizations: Civil Air Patrol; DOD civilians; Federal, State, and local first responders; Merchant
Mariners; non-Commissioned Corps of USPHS and NOAA; Sea Cadets; Civil Air Patrol; Coast Guard Auxiliary;
and JROTC Cadets. Masons and U.S. citizens may be Honorary Members.
• Membership Prohibitions: Foreign Officers (1919, 1935, 1943, 1948, 1950, and 1966-Present); FBI, Secret
Service, CIA-, DIA-, and NSA-equivalents (1976), hereditary (1980); valor medals (2014); and war vs conflict
(2015).