Page 22 - Sojourner Newsletter-Fall 2025v2

22 THE SOJOURNER

joined a Lodge and began to immerse myself in all the fraternity had to offer, I did develop meaningful and lasting
relationships with my fraternal brothers that I will always cherish, and I am in no way am trying to diminish those
relationships. Is this fraternal brotherhood of Freemasonry the same as what we experienced in the military? I leave that
as an opened ended question for you each to decide on our own, but my answer is no. It has similarities, but it’s not the
same for me. There was a part of me that hoped it was the same, as that is what I missed the most from my time on
active duty, but it just wasn’t the same. So now we enter phase three, the National Sojourners.

In November of 2023, I was initiated into the National Sojourners. At first, I was not sure what I had joined, I
just knew it was a Veterans Masonic organization. I now refer to it as the premier Masonic veteran’s organization. Why
is that you may ask? Many Masonic appendant organizations have a part of their group dedicated to Veterans. The
temples of the Shrine have the Legion of Honor for example, but the main mission of those organizations are all
different. Veterans are the main mission of the National Sojourners. As our mission statement clearly states, “The
purposes of National Sojourners shall be to organize current and former members of the uniformed services 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 services of the United States (past and present) in a united
effort to further the military needs of national defense, and for opposing any influence whatsoever calculated to weaken
the national security.” What is the first purpose listed in that statement? For the promotion of good fellowship among its
members. And there you have it. That’s when the light bulb turned on for me. I had found what I was missing for the
past 8 years since leaving active duty. I had found the camaraderie of my fellow service members, but now, it was
enhanced by the shared fraternal experiences that we have through our Masonic journeys. What more could I ask for?
Enter the Heroes of ’76. I have always loved the study of history, and when I was invited into the Heroes of ’76 and
given the opportunity to Command a Camp, I then doubled down on this feeling of again finding what had been missing
from my life since leaving the Corps. Back in March of this year, Isaac Craig Camp held an encampment with York
Camp to confer the Heroes Degree on two worthy Sojourners. Prior to the Degree, the Heroes met in the Lodge room to
set up and ensure all was in readiness for the evening. Throughout the next few minutes, we exchanged some
pleasantries mixed with some service rivalry digs, and all hands got in on the action. Even our National Second Vice
President LTC Michael Wertz got in on the action. And at one point we all stopped, looked around the room, and all
present had a huge smile on their face. You could see the abundance of joy, camaraderie and good fellowship that was
present that night. In that spirit, we welcomed two Sojourners into our Camp. The National Sojourners plays a critical
role within the fraternity of Freemasonry, and one that we must protect and promote. It is our shared responsibility to
keep this organization strong and ensure its continued success for generations to come.

In conclusion, it’s been my experience that the vast number of Veterans that I have the opportunity to speak with
miss the brotherhood of the military the most. While some may say they have everything they need within their Lodges
or appendant organizations, in my opinion, they will never compare to the National Sojourners. Within the Masonic
family, this is the one organization that will relight that ‘spirit de corps’ as we Marines say, for any veteran who has lost
their light. I challenge all National Sojourners present here tonight to return to your Chapters across the Nation and get
involved with your Lodges by engaging your Bridge of Light committee. Visit every Lodge in your area that you can;
strive to conduct as many Bridge of Light programs as you can. Create the opportunities to speak with our Brother
Veterans who are eligible for membership about the unique sense of brotherhood and camaraderie that is provided within
a Chapter of National Sojourners. Service members, current and former, consider themselves to be a family. We need to
ensure that all those family members get an invitation to this special organization that celebrates their service to our
country while furthering the ideals of Patriotism and Americanism for all to see. Thank you for your attention and have a
great rest of the evening. May the Lord bless each one of you and keep you safe on your travels back home tomorrow.
God bless the National Sojourners, and God Bless the United States of America. Thank you.

Brother Sergeant Joshua Todd Lean
President, Pittsburgh Chapter 38, National Sojourners

Brother Sgt Joshua Lean is an MIP member of Pittsburgh Chapter #38 and Isaac Craig Camp.
He is a United States Marine Corps Combat Veteran from 2007-2017. Brother Lean is married
to Mrs. Corri Lean and they have a daughter named Evelynn Grace. Brother Lean is the
Information Security Officer for SSB Bank in Pittsburgh, PA.