# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S208
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

206 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

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discipline usually appear as its characteristics. Its contributions
toward the development of the cardinal virtues of faith, hope, and
charity have been weighed and found wanting.

The housemaster in our system may be expected to plan and
to direct a positive program of student activity designed to create
improved basic spiritual, scholastic, and professional attitudes and
of the program will be accomplished through personal counseling
traditions wherever the need of improvement is indicated. Much
which essentially attempts to establish the relevance of the will
of God to all areas of life; to identify and formulate the specific
application of this divine will to the practical aspects of the stu-
dent’s current pattern of life; and through the means of grace
to create and strengthen a love-motivation which will lead to a
ready acceptance of that will in the spiritual, mental, and physical
aspects of the student’s daily life at school. It is expected, also,
that the housemaster will be a key factor in the determination
of both the worship and the cultural program on a given campus
and that he will be consulted on the scope and administration of
co-curricular activities. While it becomes very plain that the
counselor will not be a disciplinary officer, it will become necessary
at times, particularly in the process of transition, to devise ad-
justment procedures and to supervise the activities involved. An
arrangement which gives him direct responsibility in this area
would, therefore, be desirable.

The cloistered atmosphere which surrounds student life is an
unfortunate heritage of the past which still persists on many
campuses today. Within the last few years it has been less con-
spicuous in public schools, but its grip is strong and tenacious in
private residence institutions. School life divorced from reality
to the extent that it precludes practical contact with the problems
and responsibilities’ of community life manifestly increases the
need for guidance.

In many ways, the dormitory offers better opportunities for
guidance than do other situations. One reason for this lies in the
fact that there is more time for conferences and follow-ups than
elsewhere. Students are available more often, and are more easily
contacted.

The second reason is that students are much more apt to be
relaxed, receptive, and responsive in their “homes” than in an
office. This lack of formality is conducive to fruitful interviews
and conferences,

The third reason lies in the variety of channels through which
a student may be approached. In terms of the total guidance pic-
ture it is unexcelled. Spiritual, social, scholastic, personality,
health, and professional choice problems can be more readily ob-