The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 71

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

71

By-Laws.

I. The President shall preside at all meetings
of the Society and supervise its general interests.

Il. The Vice-President shall preside in the ab-
sence of the President and help in devising means
to make the Society more and more efficient.

III. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of
the meetings and carry on the necessary correspond-
ence of the Society.

IV. The Treasurer shall collect the dues of the
members, hold in trust the funds of the Society and
keep account of the receipts and disbursements.

V. The order of business for the regular
monthly meetings shall be: —

1. Call to order.

2. Singing.

3. Recitation of the Creed.

4, Responsive reading of a psalm.

5. Roll-call.

6. Reading of the minutes and disposal
{ of same. -
} . Reports of officers and committees.
. Unfinished business.
‘ . New business.
! 10. Lesson study.

11. Lord’s Prayer.

12. Adjournment.

13. Social hour.

VI. Once a quarter, at least, a public meeting
is to be held, to which others are to be invited, and
every effort shall be made to enlarge the member-
ship and increase the missionary information and
interest of all. At such a meeting the pastor shall
be asked to give a special missionary talk if possible.

VII. A special Missionary Society Service shall
be held annually on the evening of the Sunday
after Easter. The Pastor shall be asked to preach
a special missionary sermon in this annual service.
F. J. L.

OAM,

_ Growing Interest in Race Relations.

There is to-day a great demand for facts con-
cerning the Negro race, not only in the South, but
throughout the world. This demand rests upon
different bases and results in many types of study
and investigation by varied groups of people.

“The studies are béing made by some from a
-purely anthropological point of view; by others,
from a historical, an international, a psychological,
2 sociological, or a Christian angle.

“The history of the Negro as related to the
American people at once places it as one of the
most grave and perplexing national problems.
Countless schemes for its solution have been offered
by different groups — most of them impracticable,
impossible, or unchristian. Whatever may be the
mind of individuals or groups concerning the minor
or major phases of the subject, those who think at
all recognize that the question is fraught with tre-
mendous issues to our present and future civiliza-
tion and to Christianity.”

Of course, it is quite difficult to get at the root
of matters when it comes to the question of race
relations. The main difficulty is to be found in
the mutual prejudices of the Negroes and the
whites in our country. On the part of the Negro
the main difficulty is to be found in his secretive-
ness; his closed mind and heart, due to prejudice,
often possibly quite easily explained; the credulity
of the masses to believe the worst of the other race;
and fear.

“The low standards which white people are not
only willing for Negroes to maintain, but which
they actually aid them in maintaining, in education,
health, morals, and general civilization, are one of
the greatest obstacles to better conditions. The
number of Christian people in this class is almost
beyond belief.

“These obstacles are greatly the result of a lack
of information. ‘True information can come only
through a personal study and consideration of the
Negro home, the Negro church, the Negro school.

“If state agencies are failing to include the
Negro in the state benefits, in health and welfare
programs, ete., it is more than likely that it is
due to a lack of sufficient support from public sen-
timent. It is within our province to find the reason
why and to express to them our desire to aid in
creating a public sentiment which will uphold them
in a service to all, especially to those who need
it most.”

The Primary Purpose of Missionary
Information.

Contrary to the opinion of many, the primary
purpose to be held in view when giving missionary
information is not the raising of money. We know
it has that appearance when possibly the only time
the people hear a missionary sermon is at the an-
nual mission festival; but despite such cases it
remains true that, when missionary information is