# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S572
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

572 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

Report of Commission on Fraternal Organizations
(Report 618)

In the past triennium Synod’s Commission on Fraternal Or-
ganizations continued its work as prescribed in the Handbook
(14.01 a and b). We supplied inquiring pastors and laymen with
available information on fraternal societies, semireligious junior
and women’s groups, veterans’ organizations, and college frater-
nities. When requested, we also suggested procedures of action.
We regard it a healthy sign that our correspondence has signif-
icantly increased, to the extent, however, that we are finding it
more and more difficult to render all the services which ought to
be rendered.

Besides handling the correspondence that comes to our desk,
members of the Commission have also, to the extent that their
regular duties permitted it, lectured on lodge matters at our sem-

7. inaries in St. Louis and Springfield, at LLL seminars, and before
He . young people’s groups and Bible classes. Through reports to the
i President of Synod and to District Presidents, and through articles
in synodical periodicals (the Lutheran Witness, Advance, and the
Concordia Theological Monthly) we tried to keep our entire Synod
mindful of its position regarding lodges. We are glad to report
that two Districts have invited a member of the Commission to
read an essay on lodges at their conventions in 1957. We trust
other Districts may find it possible to do something similar.

Since the last session of Synod your Commission has met with
representatives of a number of fraternal benefit societies in an
effort to persuade them to remove Scripturally objectionable fea-
tures from their rituals and activities, In all instances our witness
to Scriptural truth was respectfully, even cordially, received. While
in several instances little or no visible progress was made, it is
our firm conviction that the groundwork was laid for a better
understanding of Synod’s position on lodgery. Pursuant to a res-
olution of the 1953 delegate convention, your Commission met
conjointly with a special committee appointed by the Praesidium
to revise Paragraph g of Section 14.01 of the Handbook. The sug-
gested revision is found elsewhere in the Book of Reports and
Memorials.

In the past triennium, Concordia Publishing House published
two excellent tracts on Masonry and Masonic junior orders (Ma-
sonry in the Light of the Bible and To Join or Not to Join). At
the present time the Commission is undertaking a thorough revision
of Theodore Graebner’s A Handbook of Organizations. We are
glad to report that Concordia Publishing House has sold a large