# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S411 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 3. NOMINATIONS 13-01 Report on Nominations for President and First Vice-President The Milwaukee convention adopted Bylaw 2.127 which introduced a major change in the procedure for nominating clergymen for President and First Vice-President of the Synod. In this procedure the Secretary of the Synod was given considerable responsibility. At his request the Board of Di- rectors, after receiving clearance from the Commission on Constitutional Matters, authorized the engagement of the accounting firm of Ernst and Ernst to do the tabulating of the nominating ballots submitted by member congregations. Among the five clergymen nominated by the congrega- tions for President. Oswald C. J. Hoffmann and Roland P. Wiederaenders asked that their names be removed from the slate. In each instance the auditing firm was asked to supply an additional name. In the final replacement a tie made it necessary to submit six names instead of five to the con- vention as nominees for President. They are. in alphabetical order: August Bernthal, Winter Haven, Fla. Emil G. Jaech, Portland, Oreg. William H. Kohn, St. Louis, Mo. Guido A. Merkens, San Antonio, Tex. Charles S. Mueller, Silver Springs, Md. J. A. O. Preus, St. Louis, Mo. . Among those nominated for First Vice-President by the congregations, Roland P. Wiederaenders declined. The nec- essary substitution has been made. The nominees for First Vice-President are, again in alphabetical order: August Bernthal, Winter, Haven, Fla. Walter A. Maier. Springfield, Il. Guido A. Merkens. San Antonio, Tex. Theo. F. Nickel, Chicago, Ill. Edwin C. Weber, Fraser, Mich. With the exceptions noted, all of the nominees listed above for the two positions have given their consent, as re- quired by the Bylaws. These two slates will be submitted separately, each at its proper time, to the convention for adoption as presented or as amended by the convention. It should be noted that Bylaw 2.129 states: Any delegate making a nomination from the floor shall have secured prior written consent of the candidate whom he wishes to nominate. Such delegate shall immediately submit to the secretary of the Synod this document and written pertinent in- formation concerning his nominee as detailed in 2.129 e. In order to expedite this procedure, the Office of the Secretary has announced that it is making available to those who wish to exercise this privilege two forms: a consent form and a biographical information form, The announce- ment has been made in the Lutheran Witness that these forms should be requested from the Office of the Secretary as soon as possible, so that, if the effort to place in nomina- tion another individual by means of a motion to amend the slate receives majority support, this required material would be available immediately. The biographical forms of the nominees chosen by the congregations for President and First Vice-President are attached to this report. The Bylaws also require the Secretary of the Synod to report the names of all additional clergymen who have re- ceived at least five nominating votes in each category. These ngmes are as follows: 395 For President: Herman R. Frincke Oliver R. Harms Paul E. Jacobs W. Harry Krieger Arnold G. Kuntz George Rode For First Vice-President: John H. Tietjen Edwin C. Weber Karl L. Barth Carl A.Heckmann Theodore A. Ralph A. Oswald C. J. Raedeke Bohlmann Hoffmann Rudolph P. F. Paul G. Bretscher Paul E. Jacobs Ressmeyer Harold E. Emil G. Jaech George Rode Brockhoff William H. Kohn Herman C. Arlen J. Bruns W. Harry Krieger Scherer Moses S. Arnold G. Kuntz Walter M. Dickinson Martin W. Lieske Schoedel John E.Ellermann August T. Richard J. Schultz Philip L. Fiess Mennicke Walter W. Bertwin L. Frey Waldemar E. Stuenkel Herman R. Meyer John H. Tietjen Frincke Charles S. Mueller | George F. Lloyd H. Goetz Herman F. Wollenburg Wilbert E. Griesse Neunaber Arthur H. Ziegler Rudolph A. Haak Frederick A. Paul A. E. H. Happel Niedner Zimmerman Oliver R. Harms Ellis Nieting Elwood H. Paul W. F. Harms J. A. O. Preus Zimmerman Eg * * When new procedures are introduced, it is usually wise after the first trial to subject these procedures to close scru- tiny to test their validity and to determine whether any im- provements can be made. Having now passed through this experience, the Secre- tary of the Synod suggests that the convention might ask its floor committee (No.5) to give attention especially to the following questions and concerns which have surfaced: 1, Shall the prior consent of the nominee be “to serve if elected,” as now stipulated by the Bylaws, or merely “to be placed on the ballot’? 2. Is it necessary to involve the chairman of the Elections Committee? Or would it be better to provide in the Bylaws authorization to engage an external auditing firm? 3. Shall the Secretary report merely the names and the biographical information or shall he report also the complete tabulation of the number of congregations participating and the number of votes received by each nominee? 4. Is it necessary to replace before the convention those who decline, or is the amendment procedure at the convention sufficient? 5. Should each congregation have the privilege of nom- inating two clergymen for each position instead of one? 6. Would it be more realistic to require that a nominee must have received at least one percent (or some other minimum percent) support of the congregations par- ticipating in order to be placed on the initial ballot? 7. Would it be well to stipulate in the Bylaws that the amendment procedure shall include merely a motion, a second, and a vote on the amendment, without verbal characterizations and discussion of the motion (except to ascertain that the requirements have been met as to eligibilty, consent, and the filing of the biographical form)? Whatever changes may be considered, we would enter a fervent plea for integrity, decency, restraint, trust, and concern for the fragile fellowship which God in His mercy still permits us to enjoy. Herbert Mueller, Secretary