# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S540
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Report of Board for Higher Education oo 541

frast Milwaukee and St. Paul had less than 10 per cent of this
ification.

“cannot be denied that the presence of-a considerable number of
nts who do not have the ministry as their vocational goal creates
erous problems that require continued study and control. The
uture will undoubtedly witness a steady increase in the percentage
n-theological students at the so-called “open” schools.

B. Character and Attitudes of Students °

‘The following estimate of the character and attitudes of the stu-
ts at Synod’s institutions is based, of a necessity, on the personal
ervations - of the surveyor and the members of the Board for

other competent observers. With this limitation in mind, it can
reported, that, as a whole, the conduct of the students is in keep-
with their nurture in the Christian faith. While this is the general
tuation, candor demands the qualifying statement that in particular
tances there is a code of reprehensible conduct pervading the stu-
t body, marring the character and tone of a Christian institution
learning and vitiating its first purpose. Awareness on the part
the administration and the faculty of such disorder is imperative
and’ should be followed by vigorous remedial measures.

he most important trait. to be sought in students preparing for
1e ministry is their insight into the meaning of Christian life, the

firmness of their ‘resolve to enter the ministry. Numerous conferences
ith students, alumni, and student leaders give ample support to the
‘conviction that there is a large proportion of students in the high
chool department and the college division, and to a minor extent
in the seminary, who have not at all decided to dedicate their lives
‘to service in the Lord’s vineyard. An alarming percentage of this
‘group, thirty-five per cent in the freshmen high school classes and

‘sophomore year of college, drop out petmanently.

There are, of course, extraneous reasons for this indecision, notably
parental pressure, youthful instability, and the inclination to follow
‘the path of least resistance. Added to these there are others within
ie confines of the institution itself, such as a lack of esprit de corps

e differentiated aims of a large number of non-theological associates,
and, above all, the lack of planned student counseling by. faculty
advisers. A declaration of a student’s intention to enter the ministry
should be made not later than the close of his sophomore year. The
systematic recording of such intention is now in practice at our.
institutions, : - :

of their age group having a similar educational preparation. There

gher Education on their visits to the schools and on the opinions

purposes. to which they devote their energies, and the’ clarity and:

idiminishing through the intermediate stages to. twelve per-cent in the .

among the pretheological students as a group, the subtle influence of .

“Intellectually our high school freshmen appear to be the average -

it