Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1935 · 36th Convention, Cleveland › Page 92
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1935, Page 92

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

92 Proceedings of Thirty-Sixth Regular Convention,

is now. If ever we Lutherans had cause: to justify the faith of our
fathers in the thorough training of the young, it is now. “Our
moment is now; our duty is to act now.” Experience teaches that,
where schools have been closed, it is very difficult to reopen them,
and where a church-body has lost its schools, it. has not regained
them. It was with reference to the founding of Christian schools that
Luther wrote his famous words: “My dear countrymen, buy while the
market is at your door ; gather the harvest while the sun shines and
the weather is fair; use the grace and Word of God while they are
near. For know this, that the Word and grace of God are like a
passing shower, which does not return where it has once been. The
divine favor once rested upon the Jews, but it has departed. Paul
brought the Gospel into Greece; but now they have the Turk. Rome
and Italy once enjoyed its blessings; but now they have the Pope.
And you German people must not think that you will always have it;
for ingratitude and neglect will banish it. Therefore seize it and hold
it fast whoever can; idle hands will have an evil year.”

The work of the Board in behalf of the schools cannot be re-
corded here in all its details. In every case the work was carried out

through our school department, with the exception of a few projects —

entrusted to committees,

Much time and effort had to be expended in studies of various
kinds. A survey of religion was conducted in a number of Districts:
the reports had to be tabulated and made available to the Districts in
question, and the Survey was extended to additional Districts. Other
studies included the question of Curriculum and Course of Study, the
history of Lutheran schools, a beginning book in Catechism, missions
in schools and Sunday-schools, the question of State aid to church-
schools, aims in ‘teaching, and numerous statistical studies, some of
them required by synodical officials and others; the planning of, and
specifications for, books to be used in and for our schools, such: as
the Music Reader, a German reader, revision of the Bible History,
Church History, school tracts, the selection of text-books, ways and
means of improving our elementary educational work, especially the
schools, parent-teachers’ association, school transportation, assign-
ments, tests, and similar subjects; “Memory Booklet for Primary
Grades” (in preparation), “Guide for the Study of Missions” (for
Synod’s Publicity Office), “Practical Advice in Teaching” (in prep-
aration). In addition there are written, chiefly in the interest of our
schools, a mouthly news bulletin, monthly articles in the School
Journal, in the Walther League Messenger, the “Reader’s Study Sec-
tion” in the Lutheran Witness, articles for our official papers as well
as quarterly letters to District boards of Christian education. In the
field of legislation the chief subject was the Child Labor Amendment,

Much promotional work: on the part of the Board is done in