# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1967_S121 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 121 Handbook be amended by adding the following sen- tence: In any case where a teacher is not available in the District a clergyman shall be elected in place of a teacher, and where a lawyer is not available the requirement of a lawyer. may be waived. Action: Adopted. To Amend Election Procedures RESOLUTION 5-16 Overture 5-54 U (URO, p. 49) Wuereas, Pursuant to a resolution of the Detroit con- vention (17-01) the President of the Synod has ap- pointed a committee to study improvements in election methods and techniques, and this committee has sug- gested changes in the Handbook in connection with elec- tion procedures which have been approved by the Board of Directors of the Synod by authority of the Detroit resolution and are in force for this convention; and _ Wuereas, The proposed changes will greatly improve election procedures and make possible the use of mod- ern data-processing equipment; therefore be it Resolved, That the wording of Handbook 2.121 and 2.138 be changed to read as follows: 2121 Committee on Elections _a. Prior to the convention of the Synod the President shall appoint a Committee on Elections and designate a chairman. The Secretary of the Synod shall provide the chairman with a current manual of suggested election pro- cedures. b. The committee shall make the necessary arrangements for the elections, shall be responsible for the preparation and distribution of ballots, and shall supervise the elections and the tabulation of the votes. It shall be empowered to adopt procedures and methods which will insure efficiency and accuracy, including the use of mechanical, electronic, or other methods of casting, recording, or tabulating votes. c. The committee shall report the official results of each election to the convention and shall file a written report of the tabulation of votes of each election, certified by the chairman and not less than one other member of the com- mittee, with the convention chairman and the Secretary of the Synod. d. All votes in each election shall be preserved by the chairman of the committee until the close of the convention and then be destroyed. 2.138 Other Elections The President shall determine and announce a period of time during the convention for the election of the members all oe ad boards and commissions other than boards of contro. Action: Adopted. To Change Orientation Procedure RESOLUTION 5-17 Overture 5-62 U (URO, p. 52) Wuereas, The Handbook regulations regarding pre- convention briefing sessions are too restrictive for the present shortened conventions of the Synod and also limit the possibility of making a variety of patterns of schedules and arrangements; therefore be it Resolved, That Handbook paragraph 1.24 be changed to read as follows: The President shall arrange for suitable orientation and guidance of delegates. A convention manual or guide shall be furnished. Action: Adopted. To Change Method of Electing Delegates RESOLUTION 5-18 Overtures 5-07 to 5-09 (CW, pp. 124—126) Wuereas, There exists in the Synod some confusion and dissatisfaction about the method of electing dele- gates to the convention of the Synod and about their ac- countability; and Wuereas, The Commission on Constitutional Matters has made a study of the problem and has recommended revisions to improve the method; and Wuereas, These revisions remove the confusion that resulted from having electoral circuits differing from visitation circuits and also provide for a more equal base of representation and for improvement in election procedures; therefore be it Resolved, That Handbook sections 1.51, 1.53, 1.55, and 1.57 be revised to read as follows: 1.51 Voting Delegates Voting delegates shall consist of one pastor and one lay- man from each electoral circuit. An electoral circuit shall consist either of one or of two adjacent visitation circuits, as shall be determined by each District, on the basis of the following requirements: each pair of delegates shall repre- sent from 7 to 20 member congregations, involving an aggre- gate communicant membership ranging from 1,500 to 10,000. Exceptions to these requirements and limitations can be made only by the President of the Synod upon request of a District Board of Directors. Voting delegates shall serve a 2-year term, beginning with the convention; after the con- vention they shall function as resource persons in their cir- cuit and assist in the dissemination and implementation of the synodical resolutions in their area. 1.53 Election of Delegates Each electoral circuit shall meet at the call of the Coun- selor(s) to elect its delegates not later than 9 months prior to the opening day of the convention. The election shall be ‘ by written ballot. The privilege of voting shall be exercised by one pastor and one layman from each member congre- gation of the circuit. Each qualified pastor and Jayman shall have the privilege of listing two pastors. The pastor receiv- ing the highest number of votes shall serve as the pastoral delegate, the pastor with the next highest as the alternate. The same procedure shall then be followed in determining which congregations are to supply the lay delegate and al- ternate, except that those congregations supplying the pas- toral delegate and alternate shall be eliminated from. con- sideration. The Counselor(s) shall report the results of the election to the Secretary of the District in writing immedi- ately after said election. If neither the delegate nor the alternate (pastoral or lay) can serve, the vacancy shall be filled by the District President in consultation with the re- spective Circuit Counselor(s). 1.55 Advisory Delegates Each District shall send one advisory delegate for ap- proximately every 20 advisory clergymen and one advisory delegate for approximately every 20 teachers on the roster of the Synod. These selections shall be made by the respec- tive groups meeting at the call of the District Secretary dur- ing the District convention. Fractional groupings shall. be