# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S290
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

290 MISSIONS

who desire to give their time for this noble purpose. The a
riences gained through these conferences should mean mug
making a greater impact upon those in need of the Word
who have not been served by our Church to date.
Shortly after the last convention the 25th anniversary oO
work among the blind was observed in a large number “6:
congregations of our Synod. For this observance a hist
pamphlet was prepared, and over 50,000 Braille alphabet’:
were distributed to those requesting the same. Results were4y
gratifying through the response of many individuals, unsoligs
contributions, and requests for services to the blind.
After the anniversary the German Braille Bote was agai
into publication. The first issue was published in some 300
and was sent out from Marburg, Germany, prior to Chr
1950. It is a quarterly publication and as coeditor with
O. C. Schroeder of Chicago we have Pastor Heinrich Huebi
our Lutheran Church in Frankfurt, Germany, who h
showing a deep interest in this work. Since the first issue®
peared, the subscription of the Bote has grown to 472, with'a:
increase being reflected each month.
Early in 1951 the old hymnal in Braille was supplant
a new edition consisting, to begin with, of 100 of the most
hymns of our Church. It is prepared in a loose-leaf edition's
the blind can either take the individual sheets with them to chi
affording them the opportunity to sing with the congregati
making it possible for a larger edition later as demands
be made.
In January of 1952 the Library for the Blind was moved;
Chicago to the Lutheran Building in St. Louis. At that tin
Board engaged Mrs. M. Bruenig to work in the Library on a
time basis. After eight months the volume of work so in
that she was employed full time. The Board is happy to repo:
Mrs, Bruenig has learned to read Braille and is able to opera
Braille typewriter, and so has increased her value to thi
tremendously. During the last year the number of blind
who regularly use the services of the Library has- more.
tripled, from 40 to over 178. As a result the Library hag"
more books.
Concurrent with the moving of the Library to St. Lo
also transferred the publishing of our Messenger (monthly a
lication) to the American Printing House of Louisville, .ef
a substantial saving in the publication cost. While the subse!
to the Messenger and the Herald has remained rather stak
does reflect a considerable change in the number of reade
example, in 1952, with a subscription list of 1,248 readers, w