# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S205
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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Constitutional Matters 205

stitutional Matters (Memorial 501, p.156) and similar proposals
in Memorial 512, Committee 9 recommended that, “in so far as
choosing of officials and boards mentioned is concerned, the mode
of choosing these officials remain as it is.”

Action of Synod: This recommendation was adopted.

Changes Proposed for Offices of Chronicler, Statistician,
Corresponding Secretary, and Railroad Secretary
(Memorial 512; cf. also p.222 of Report of Board of Directors)

In His wisdom the Lord recently saw fit to remove from this
vale of tears the soul of our late friend and brother the Rev. E.
Eckhardt, Synodical Chronologist and Statistician. Soon thereafter
it became apparent that Synod had not definitely provided for
succession in such an emergency. Further, attention was directed
to the by-laws of Synod, which provide that these and other offices
should be filled by regular elections of Synod. There is no doubt
prevailing reason why certain officers and board members should
be elected by Synod. However, certain other officers who require
particular training or peculiar characteristics and for whom suc-
cession between synodical conventions should also be provided,
had best not be elected by Synod but appointed by Synod’s Board
of Directors. We therefore respectfully suggest that the Ven. Synod

Resolve to amend the by-laws of the Constitution, Section V,
Officers, Par. B, by striking out line “14. Chronicler,” line “15. Stat-
istician,” line “16. Correspondent for the Lutheran Church in
Foreign Countries,” and line “17. Railroad Secretary,” so that
Par. B. will end with line “13. Committee on Constitutional
Matters.” (1937 Handbook, p. 21.)

In order to provide for the orderly appointment of these officers
of Synod and otherwise to improve some of the regulations, we
further recommend that the Ven.Synod resolve to amend the
“Regulations for Officers, Boards, and Committees of Synod, Sec-
tion C, Par.I.—The Chronicler,” so that this paragraph, when
amended, shall read: ;

“The Board of Directors of Synod shall appoint a Chronicler
of the Synod, who shall keep a brief but correct chronological
record of the most important events, movements, and controversies
within the American Lutheran Church of the present time as well
as of the influences which she experiences from without in order
that a continued historical record of the American Lutheran Church
may thus be kept. He shall espeeially keep an annual record of
the most important events in the history of the Synod.”

We further recommend that the Ven. Synod repeal Par. “J.
Statistics” of its “Regulations for Officers, Boards, and Committees
of Synod” and resolve to substitute the following: