# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S107
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 107 —

Establishing preparatory schools [*Präparanden-Schulen*] in various
cities of the Union.

The two congregations in Fort Wayne petitioned: "May the Synod appoint
experienced teachers in various cities of the Union as trainers of
preparatory students, whose task it would be to instruct, for several
years, boys who wish to devote themselves to the teaching office, so that
they would then enter the seminary at around 18 years of age." The report
of the committee appointed for this contains a thorough assessment of the
matter and speaks generally in favor of the motion, stating:

"That it could be of great benefit to the schools of our Synod if the
teaching-office candidates were so prepared, both theoretically and
practically, that they would then need only two more years at the main
seminary."

This arrangement, it notes, has also proven expedient in almost all the
German states.

Since the question now arises whether our Synod, too, should and could
take the path described for preparatory training, and whether it is
advisable and possible under present circumstances to entrust the
training of teaching-office candidates to the ablest schoolteachers in
the Synod, the committee, after thorough weighing of the "for and
against," arrives at the conclusion that the Synod cannot be advised to
take up the matter under present circumstances. The Synod concurs with
this judgment, but also gives its assent to the committee's concluding
proposal:

"May the Synod encourage the dear congregations in Fort Wayne to attempt
such preliminary training of able boys who wish to devote themselves to
the teaching office," subject however to the conditions:

1) that no expense whatsoever shall accrue to the Synod thereby;

2) that the curriculum be drawn up in agreement with the teaching
faculty [*Lehrer-Collegium*] at Addison;

3) that the candidates so trained must pass an examination before
entering the main seminary, and that it be left to the teaching faculty
at Addison to place those examined, according to the findings on their
knowledge and abilities, into the appropriate class — even if this
should be a preparatory class.

The committee members took the occasion to point out to the Synod that it
would be of extraordinarily great benefit to the whole school system of
the Synod if an orphanage could be connected with the seminary at
Addison, and a practice school for the seminary students set up within
it.