# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S417
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 417

regarding the lodge matter, the position of our Church
be far more compelling and convincing if we could show
oughout our Synod all pastors and congregations are not
ware of the lodge evil, but are also, with God’s help, grap-
ith the problem and doing all within their power to preserve
ongregations from the inroads of secret oath-bound organ-

most significant development with respect to the Church’s
to lodges occurred in the last two years in England. There
r by the name of Rev. Walton Hannah has, through an
and a substantial volume, made the Church of England
‘of the inconsistency of members of the Anglican Church
tthe same time members of the Masonic Order. Rev. Han-
estimony to the truth had repercussions throughout the
-speaking world. The Church of England therefore finds
n an embarrassing dilemma. It must decide whether it
to continue to condone membership in Freemasonry or
it wishes to make an all-out effort to disassociate itself
his organization. Rev. Hannah’s book Darkness Visible is
‘read and studied thoughout England. Concordia Publish-
use has purchased 1,400 copies. Our Commission believes
congregations will make a good investment by purchasing
f this book for the pastors and officers of the congregation.
respect to the Boy Scouts of America and the fact that
of our congregations sponsor Boy Scout troops under
Scout leadership, our Commission has only little to re-
Vithin the last years, scores of our Lutheran boys have
for, and been awarded, the Pro Deo et Patria award. This
ven in recognition of special services by a Boy Scout
direction of the local pastor. The members of your Com-
iserved with other representatives of our Synod on a sub-
on Scouting and met periodically with delegations of
bodies affiliated with us in the Synodical Conference in
to. remove the differences of attitude and practice within
Tegarding Scoutism. Our inability to reach an agreement
tter was reported to the St.Paul Convention of the
Conference, which, in turn, referred the problem to the
f culties in. the Synodical Conference.
N vember 15, 1950, your Commission sustained a ‘most
oss when Dr. Th. Graebner was called to his heavenly
must be said to the glory of God that Dr. Graebner did
waken our own Church, and the Lutheran churches in
oughout the country, to the dangers of the lodge evil
other individual. His last major work, titled A Handbook
ations (Concordia Publishing House, 1948), is a gold mine