Sojourner's Lodge #483, Detroit

Meetings: Business meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month, except July and August. Our meetings start at 7 PM on the fourth floor in the Corinthian Room. Special meetings and degrees are called by the Master.

Sojourners Lodge was founded in 1917 for Masons sojourning to Detroit. A group of Masons from jurisdictions other than the Grand Lodge of Michigan, some sojourning in Detroit and others residing here, met to form a lodge. Most of them were looking for jobs in the automobile industry, and many ended up working at Ford Motor Company. They felt there was a need for a Lodge for sojourning and traveling Masons in Detroit. The members resolved to keep the Lodge a small one so that the maximum of friendship and Brotherhood might prevail. The Grand Lodge of Michigan issued a Dispensation on January 4, 1917 to this little group to temporarily practice their Masonry. The first meeting under dispensation was on January 18, 1917. Then on April 26, 1917 they raised their first Master Mason. On June 22, 1917 MWGM Ferris dedicated and consecrated Sojourners Lodge No. 483 and issued our charter.

To symbolize the pioneering in Masonry of this young lodge a gold pin was designed as a replica of a log cabin. Later, as we have grown older the pin was changed to that of a Sojourner mounting the steps to his Temple of Ideals. (See picture below)

Sojourners Lodge was first housed in the Masonic Temple at the corner of Lafayette and First Streets.. It is interesting to note that the Lafayette Temple was completely inadequate in less than 20 years.. The Temple was seven stories tall and was dedicated and opened in 1895.(see picture below) Sojourners Lodge bought property on Twelve Street north of West Grand Blvd. and we had plans drawn up to build a Sojourners Masonic Temple. We later sold the property before building our own temple and joined the fraternity in building the world's largest Masonic Temple at 500 Temple Ave. A sketch of the proposed Sojourners Temple is shown below.

This is a drawing of the old Masonic Temple that was on Lafayette street
and was Sojourner's Lodge first home.

Masonry as we know it is a series of lessons, or rather a set of plans on which we build our moral and spiritual life. Each step is impressed on our minds by the use of signs or symbols selected from the tools of the operative Mason.

Your membership in our lodge is denoted by the wearing of a distinctive badge of recognition button. It is now my privilege on behalf of Sojourners Lodge to present you with such a badge. It also symbolizes the responsibilities you share as a member of Sojourner's Lodge.

In design this emblem is an adoption of the Lorraine Cross, superimposed on which is a representation of King Solomon's Temple. A Sojourner is shown mounting the steps of the temple. The cross should ever remind us of Him who only can raise us to immortality, and to whom we must turn for guidance and inspiration. The field of blue symbolizes that purity of life and conduct which we must constantly practice to attain the goal of a Master Mason.

The representation of the Temple symbolizes that great moral and spiritual building which each of us must build in our daily lives. We must ever keep in mind the duties and obligations we owe our Brothers and fellow man!

The Sojourner laboriously ascending the steps teaches that only by patient, assiduous daily application of the tenets of our fraternity can we achieve that great end we seek. His entrance into the Temple to pursue his devotions teaches the importance of esteeming our Maker and the necessity of calling upon Him for guidance in our laudable undertakings

May this badge cement you more firmly to the lodge. Wear it with pride. May its distinction and your frequent attendance at our communications be a credit to yourself and Sojourners' Lodge which bestows it upon you.

Walter M. Roger	Clifford J. Stinelower
William F. Keller	Charles L. Higgs
Melville W. McManus	Oscar J. Carr
Earl D. Burke	Arthus K. Morse
Lorne W. Weber	Hugo J. Hesse
Earl S. Mitchell	Charles H. Grinnell
Ernest E. Woodward	Robert V.Eley
Blaine T. Coleman	Earl A. Ranney

	Sojourners' Lodge No. 483
	Detroit Masonic Temple 500 Temple Ave Detroit, Mi.48201 7 PM Thursday on the fourth floor