LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1929, Page 170

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170 Proceedings of Thirty-Fourth Regular ‘Convention

* "Resolved, That Group “B” shall receive su
remain after Group “A” has been taken care of,
that the Districts receive their proportionate ref
Extension contributions as heretofore,’ ”

All recommendations of Committee 17 and these re.
the Fiscal Conference were ratified by Synod.

Finally the whole report of Committee 17 was adopted.

ich amounts ag will
it being undergt,
unds of the Church

Solutions of

Report of the Board of Support.
(Memorial 611.)

The undersigned Board herewith submits to the Ven. Synod it
report for the years 1926, 1927, and 1928,

The Board met regularly for the transaction of such business ag
came before it under the rules and regulations of Synod. In these
three years we granted 236 new requests for support, which were duly
recommended by the respective District boards. This, on the average,
means 79 applications a year. During the same Period 136 applica.
tions were canceled, the most of them on account of the death of the
applicant, the others because the beneficiary became self-supporting.
The net increase of the number of applications in force was 100,
In December, 1925, we mailed 543 checks; in December, 1928,
643 checks. .

The increase of disbursements was in proportion. In 1926 we
remitted $242,669.68; in 1928, $284,283.50. A tabulation showing the
apportionment of this amount to the various Districts is available.

On the first of J anuary, 1927, we increased the average allowance
to our beneficiaries by about 10 per cent. In view of the deficit we
refrained from further increases. It has been our aim to grant to
every applicant an allowance in Proportion to his or her need as set
forth in the application. At present the average allowance for married
men is $55 a month; for unmarried, $35; for widows, $28; for
children under 17, $12. We would suggest that Synod direct us in
the regulation of the average amount to be granted.

Once every year all applications in force were renewed and

carefully readjusted in accordance with the recommendations made
by the District boards.

The Support Conference.

The Support Conference, composed of representatives of all
District boards and the General Board, was recognized by Synod.
It has not met since 1996. We intend to meet immediately before
the coming convention of Synod in order to discuss such subjects as
refer to our work. The District boards have cooperated with us in
a most satisfactory manner. :

Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. 1929. 1741

Invested Funds.

Our invested funds have made little progress in the last three
"The third million of the Lutheran Laymen’s League Endow-
y Fund is still incomplete, although several thousand dollars were

men

. added every year.

In 1925 the Permanent Support Fund had a balance of $81,167.76.
January 31, 1929, it had increased to $109,373.80.
° The cash legacies, not including the Raithel Farm, total about
000.
ws The income from these funds could be greatly enhanced if Synod
would permit investments in other than Government and munic-
ipal bonds. —
We trust that Synod will give the completion of the Endowment
that attention which it deserves.

Annuity Gifts.

Synod granted the Board of Support the privilege to accept
Annuity Gifts in order to increase the invested funds for the benefit
of the Veteran of the Cross, his widow and his orphans. We trust
that this privilege will not be abrogated or curtailed. We have made
23 annuity agreements for a total of $42,362.10. Almost half of this
amount is matured and was added to the Permanent Fund. The
annuity plan deserves all the publicity it can be given and the hearty
recommendation of all members of Synod.

Memorials.

The praiseworthy and beneficial custom of remembering the dead
by a bequest to the Permanent Support Fund is becoming more
popular with congregations, societies, and individuals. The support
of the invalid, the widow, and the orphan evidently is the most natural
and appropriate purpose to which these gifts could be designated.
We furnish engraved memorial cards gratis.

Personal Contributions.

The practise of our professors, pastors, and teachers of making
a voluntary contribution annually for the cause of support in ad-
dition to their regular gift to Synod’s budget dates back to the very
beginning of Synod. In 1905 Synod adopted a resolution requesting
all pastors’ and teachers’ conferences to elect a solicitor who should
seek to obtain this contribution from all members of his conference.
This resolution was not universally carried out, although Synod cor-
roborated it in almost every succeeding session. Since the creation
of the General Board in 1917 and the first meeting of the Support
Conference in 1918 concerted efforts have been made in all Districts
to carry out Synod’s resolution. One of the difficulties encountered