# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1941_S417
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Miscellaneous 417

. To the best of the writer’s knowledge preliminary drawings may
made, without encountering any legal red tape, in all States, and
se preliminary drawings made by non-resident architects are
peeptable.

"Tt has been found in practically every case that congregations
rar ‘greatly helped when at least their preliminary drawings are
pared by one of the members of our architectural board. Such
awings include a floor-plan, basement plan, a section, and four
levations, all carefully prepared so as to fit the particular local
leeds. The congregation is thus given a good design, which any
al architect may develop into working drawings, whether he has
d previous experience in church design or not. Moreover, when
é prepare such preliminary drawings, we do so with the interests
‘the congregation in mind rather than building as large as possible.

It would be well, should all our congregations secure at least
‘such preliminary drawings. A nominal charge, of say $50 for a
small chapel or church, would prove money well spent, and in fact
has done so in scores of cases.

In view of the steady increase in the number of requests for
drawings, would you allow the undersigned to suggest that two
additional men with architectural training be added to our board?
‘We should like to suggest Mr. Theo. Steinmeyer of St. Louis and
Mr. Frank Abrahamson of St. Paul, both of whom are capable men
‘of our circles and both of whom thoroughly understand the prob-
“ Jems of church-building. Thus with a board of seven men, well
" distributed over the country, there would at all.times be one man
_. within easy reach of the places where most of the building is
5. going on.

The problem of handling the heavy correspondence that comes
... in is a difficult one. Certain members of our board are looked upon
". as information bureaus, and the widest range of questions come in
our mail, frequently with but slight relationship to church-building.

2

4 Such inquiries include information as to the hanging of flags, the
R materials for choir vestments, the planting of shrubbery on church
. lawns, lettering for tombstones and memorial tablets, Communion
. silver, and even requests for information in regard to churches that
: have been destroyed by bombing. The handling. of so large a cor-
respondence requires a great amount of time at the typewriter.
. Where exact information is desired, it often involves trips to ref-
: _ erence libraries.

Those of us upon whom the burden of this work has fallen are
only too glad to be helpful if we can, but since it requires so great
an amount of time and often research work, would it not be pos-

27

x