# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1926_S172
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

172 Proceedings of Thirty-Third Regular Convention,
recommendations are sometimes made which affect the Church or
Synod. A number of articles were written for the Witness and
Lutheraner, a very important and timely one only recently.

The Juvenile Board did not begin its work with any preposses-
sion in favor of the Walther League. It has carefully weighed the
dangers which are involved in organizing young people’s societies
into larger bodies. But by intimate contact with the work of the
League headquarters and with local societies it has become convinced
that the trust voiced by the synodical resolution of 1920 (Delegate
Synod Report, p. 159), when our Synod “gratefully acknowledged the
labors of the Walther League” and wished it God’s blessings, was
not misplaced.

‘We are glad to report that there has ever been perfect harmony
between your Board and the officers of the Walther League. We feel
confident that these earnest Christian leaders of our large organiza-
tion of young people have the best intérests of the Church and of the
young people at heart. They unselfishly sacrifice much valuable time
to attend to the League’s business. Your Board has been consulted
by them in every important undertaking which was not purely of
an internal nature. There can be no question that the League is 4
doing much to awaken a Lutheran Christian consciousness in our @
young ‘people, that it is helping to train them to lay leadership; to be
promote Bible'study; to spread mission information; to keep them’ =
with the Church and to take an ‘active part in all work of the Church.
This is valuable service. While it may be possible to pick flaws, we
believe that even the most carping critic will find the bulletins,
heralds, and convention reports published by the various young
people’s societies, on the whole, not only sound in doctrine, but very
conservative in the methods proposed by them for their participation
jn the work of the Church. The spiritual note is never absent.

A study of these papers extending over more than five years has J
failed to reveal any unwholesome tendencies, any questionable prac- "
tises, any attempt to exalt the society above the congtegation or to °
place one in competition with the other. _

Locally there may be defects in a society. Individuals may 4
transgress the law. However, the whole organization cannot be held 3
responsible for this and condemned. That there is room for improve-
ment none will deny. But the good that has been accomplished seems
to justify the wish expressed in a synodical resolution (1928, p.162) 4
recommending that all congregations having no young people’s so- ;-
ciety at once organize one and that all societies cooperate with the _

Tt is not our intention to imply that only the Walther League
societies are. able to train their young people toward proper attitudes
with reference to the life of the spirit and the work of the Church.