# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1941_S166
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

164 Young People’s Work

addition to its other regular publications and periodicals. It goes
without saying that the League can contribute even more than
it does now if its status in Synod is not continually threatened by
attempts to set up rival organizations in areas where the League
is prepared and willing to serve our young people. After Synod
by resolutions in 1938 (Proceedings, 1938, p. 124) definitely rejected
the proposal to organize a special “Youth Department,” the Board
was ready to assist the League in its effort to observe the fiftieth
anniversary of its founding by moving its headquarters into a new
building. Your Board invites all young people and other interested
persons to participate in the campaign for the Golden Anniversary
Fund of the League. A portion of this collection will be appro-
priated for leadership-training over a period of years. Obviously
this training will eventually be of value to young people’s work
in Synod. At present the League is engaged in the improvement
of its Bible-study program under the editorship of Dr. Graebner and
several assistants. Such and similar activities year after year as
carried on by the League merit the support of Synod and should
not stop with the mere adoption of approving resolutions. Mean-
while your Board continues its cordial and mutually helpful
relations with the League.

During the present term a number of changes in the member-
ship of the Board have occurred. With the passing of Mr. Edwin
Erbe, we lost the counsel of a layman whose views were often
recalled in recent months. With the approval of Dr. Behnken,
Prof. Walter Gast was selected to succeed Mr. Erbe, but Mr. Gast
was soon thereafter released to join the Committee for Higher
Education. His place was taken by Mr. John C. Wegner of Kirk-
wood, Mo., and during the past year Dean Jesse of Concordia
Seminary was elected to succeed Dr. Graebner, who was obliged
by the pressure of other duties to resign as chairman and member.
The present members of the Board under the chairmanship of the
Rev. E. L. Roschke desire to include in this report an expression of
appreciation to Dr. Graebner for his many years of fellowship ‘and
to commend him for the diligence and efficiency with which he
directed the proceedings of the Board and transacted the major
portion of its work. Some of the suggestions which follow were
considered while Dr. Graebner was still a member of our committee.

Since our contacts with the various District committees are
complete and functioning, our suggestions for the improvement of
young people’s work are addressed chiefly to the local congrega-
tions. While some have already elected special committees for
young people’s work, we hope that all others will soon take steps
to appoint suitable adults from the voting membership to represent