# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1313
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

840 MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

ences in Europe revealed that the Seminary had not kept Up with
the production of theological literature in Europe.

This is a two-year project, involving the purchase of some
2,000 volumes, to be housed in a special section of the Pritzlaft
Memorial Library at Concordia Seminary. The sum of $8,000 was
granted for the execution of this project. ‘

6. Workshop in Religious Education

The Board for Parish Education brought before the Committee
a proposal that a Workshop in Religious Education be held ty
study methods and materials for the teaching of religion in Ly-
theran elementary schools. Some of the problems to be studied
were to include such matters as objectives, grade groupings, con-
tent, course arrangement, criteria for materials and memory work.

This project was approved at a cost of $1,500. The project was
headed by Mr. William A. Kramer, and for its execution a group
of about thirty persons were assembled, including members of
the Board for Parish Education, District superintendents, pro-
fessors of religious education from the various seminaries, and
a limited number of competent pastors and teachers. Its results
are already available and have been put to use. ;

7. Tests and Measurements

The Synodical Convention of 1947 established a Lutheran Edu-
cational Measurements Bureau under the supervision of the Board
for Parish Education. The Board for Parish Education appointed
a committee on tests and measurements. This Committee began
work on such projects as tests on Biblical information, achieve-
ment tests on the Catechism, and a group test on Christian per-

sonality. The Committee allocated $5,000 to carry out these proj-.

ects. The project on Biblical information is headed by Dr. T. G.
Stelzer; the Catechism test is under the direction of Dr. H. J.
Boettcher; and Professor W. O. Kraeft is heading the task of de-
veloping personality tests.

These projects have been made possible by the allocation of
$5,000 to the Board for Parish Education.

8. Curriculum for Secondary Schools
Representatives of our Lutheran high schools requested finan-
cial assistance in the work of preparing an adequate curriculum
for Lutheran secondary schools.
Information revealed that to date an adequate curriculum had
been prepared only in the field of religion and that it had taken
a period of almost ten years to complete this one subject. The

MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS 841

school representatives suggested that if the funds were made
vailable, a complete curriculum could be prepared: within the
next three years and that in this way it would be possible to pro-
ide a curriculum designed to increase the values inherent in
high school education geared to a Lutheran philosophy of
education.

The sum of $10,000 was allocated for this particular under-
taking. It is hoped that this study will not only help the high
schools presently established, but that it will encourage other
3 communities and groups to want to organize similar secondary

9. The First Twenty-Five Years of Missouri Synod

Ks This proposal came to the Committee from the Research Com-

ee: mittee of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, the Literature Board of
* Synod, and Concordia Historical Institute. It represents one
volume in a larger set known as the Concordia Historical Series.
=. This volume is intended to present an exhaustive history of our
=, Church during its first twenty-five years. Professor H. Keinath
‘ was selected as the leader of this particular project. The sum of
= $1,000 was allocated to cover the cost of this project.

10. Documents in the History of the Lutheran Church
in America

This is another volume in the Concordia Historical Series.
It is ‘to cover the documents drawn up in the formation of con-
gregations, synods, and parishes in the Lutheran Church, with an
historical evaluation of their significance. Dr. W. G. Polack of
Concordia Seminary is to produce this volume. The Committee
allocated the sum of $4,000 to this project.

11. Cultural Institute

i This proposal was made by the Lutheran Academy for Scholar-
ship, supported by the Lutheran Collegiate Association, the Stu-
dent Service Commission, and Valparaiso University. The project
is to embrace a study by authorities in their respective fields on |
the cultural impact and potential of the Lutheran Church, with
particular reference to the growing influence of our Church on
the American way of life.

As presently envisioned, this. institute will be held at Val-
paraiso University in the summer of 1951 under the leadership -
of the Lutheran Academy for Scholarship. Out of it should come
a greater awareness of the cultural influence of the Lutheran
‘Church. A sum of $2,500 was allocated. for this project.