LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — August 9–10, 2024, Page 16

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Section VI: Policy 1.2: extensive delegation of activities to the executive committee as a matter of
policy may tend to exceed the sense of Bylaw 1.5.3.2. Acts of an executive committee must be
reported to the board but are effective in their own right and do not require ratification. Policies
1.3–4 (if, under 1.3, the district president is, indeed, a subject of the review process) suggest an
expectation that the district president is comprehensively responsible to the board for all the
programming of the district. This suggests the Policy Governance approach, with regard to which
the commission reiterates its concerns from Op. 20-2934.

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Section VII: The board code of conduct may impose on board members items, such as Items 5, 7,
8, 10, 12, and 14, which—given that this section concludes with a reference to removal (Item 19)—
may be either questionably actionable or beyond requirements that could substantiate a removal
under Bylaw 1.5.7–1.5.7.1. There should perhaps be a clearer distinction between actionable items
under these bylaws and simple expectations. In Item 19, the last sentence, removal of officers from
office other than the district president is covered by Synod Bylaws 1.5.8–1.5.8.1; there is no stated
procedure for removal of a district president from office.

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Appendix A: The policy on acceptance of gifts should be updated to correspond to LCMS BOD
Policy 6.4.7.

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Appendix B: The district should note, regarding privacy of delegate addresses, Synod Bylaw 3.1.8
and 2019 Res. 9-04A.

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Appendix D: The listing of positions rather than names may be preferable unless there is a good
reason for the other. The commission questions how the procedures in the case of “incapacitation
or death of the district president” mesh with the first vice-president serving as president in the event
of a vacancy in the presidential office, or with his work being assumed temporarily in an incapacity.

The commission noted comments on the district bylaws, as included in the manual and as understood to be
under revision. These will be passed along informally to the district. The district is thanked for submitting
its policies for review.
46. Kansas District Bylaws, Proposed Revision (24-3033)
By an email of August 2, the Secretary of the Kansas (KS) District forwarded proposed bylaw revisions to
expand term limits for all officers and board members (KS District Bylaws 3.3.2, 6) and to allow for more
flexibility in planning workers conferences (KS District Bylaw 5.2.1.3).
These changes are approved for presentation to the district convention as consistent with the Constitution
and Bylaws of the Synod.
More broadly, the commission suggests the district review the following:
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KS Bylaw 3.2.1.3 (a) should read “quarterly” instead of “four times;” (b–c) such meetings and
electronic or mailed ballots must be in accordance with Synod Board of Directors Policy 4.1.

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Bylaw 3.2.2.6 should be reviewed relative to the description and limitations on executive
committees in Synod Bylaw 1.5.3.2.

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Bylaws 3.2.6–7: use of “standing committee” language may be confusing when compared with
Synod Bylaw 1.5.3.4. Committee language in general might well be compared with Synod Bylaw
section 1.5. (For instance, appointment in the noted instances is by the board; cf. also KS Bylaw
3.7.3.)

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Bylaw 3.3.5 and generally: there seems to be lacking a date definite for assumption of office, unless
this is with the close of the respective convention.

CCM Minutes – August 9–10, 2024 – Page 39