Page 2 - Sojourner Newsletter-WINTER 2021-2022

2 THE SOJOURNER

NATIONAL PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Brother Sojourners,

It has been a busy 6 months and a lot is going on in our Order. The National Vice Presi-
dents and I have been traveling and visiting Chapters, Conferences, Encampments and
attending other Masonic activities.

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I attended the Coronation of the 33 Scottish Rite Masons of the Orient of Georgia in
Atlanta, where Brother Brian Coffey, our National Chief of Staff of Heroes of ‘76 was
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coroneted a 33 IGH. Brother (Dr.) James Baker was coroneted a 33 IGH in Texas;
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Brother Denny Norris, National President-Elect was invested as a 32 KCCH in North
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Carolina and Brother Jarrod Coffey was invested as a 32 KCCH in Georgia. There may have been others
among you that also received Honor so please let me know if I missed you. Congratulations to all that received
Honors.

I have visited Chapters in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and plan visits to Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana,
and Tennessee in the near future. Plans are for the National Vice Presidents, National Secretary-Treasurer and
me to attend the Conference of Grand Masters of North America in Milwaukee in February.

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Our National 2 Vice President, Brother Carl Diamond, and I were guests of the Shriners of Atlanta at their
annual dinner which honored over 200 Veterans, to include one World War II veteran. I was asked to give the
Toast to our Flag at the event and it was with great pride and honor to give the toast before all of those veter-
ans.

I have attended 4 Blue Lodge Installations with one been very special. I had the privilege of acting as the In-
stalling Grand Chaplain at the installation of my son-in-law (who I consider a Son), Brother Brian Coffey and
his son, my grandson, Brother Jarrod Coffey as Masters of their lodges on the same occasion.

The Constitution Commission is working extremely hard to complete the final draft of the new Constitu-
tion & Bylaws for action at the Annual National Convention in Atlanta in June. At the Mid-Winter Meeting,
just held in Baton Rouge in January, the initial draft was briefed to the attendees followed by a question-and-
answer session. There is still much work to be done and we need your help. Instructions for reviewing the draft
are on the website at www.NationalSojourners.org. I issued a letter to ALL members about the Constitution
and Bylaws, so please take some time on this request. Do not forget this is a TEAM effort and the Committee
needs and wants your input. The deadline for comments is 1 March 2022 so please take some time between
now and then to look at it and submit your comments.

The Mid-Winter Meeting went very well, it being the first ever held without a host Chapter. I want to give a
huge THANK YOU to Brother Carl Diamond, Lady Wendy Coffey, Grand Dame Floretta Barnes, Ladies Di-
ane Davies and Merrill-Lee Warren and the members of Omaha Chapter #19 for all of their help during this
very successful meeting. It wouldn’t have happened as well as it did without your fantastic assistance.

Don’t forget that you are a TEAM MEMBER. Think SOJOURNER, attend your Lodges and other Masonic
bodies and let’s recruit some new members.

Fraternally,

Wayne Barnes
National President