LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 206

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206 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

at Milwaukee be declined by the adoption of the following
resolution:

To Decline to Define Conflict of Interest

WuereaS, This overture predicates its decision on Bylaws
2.12 and 3.37 in the Handbook: and

WHEREAS, The overture misconstrues the intent and con-
cept of stated Bylaws 2.12 and 3.37; and

Wnuereas, The concerns of Overture 5-86 have been satis-
fied by Milwaukee Convention Resolution 5-23; therefore
be it

Resolved, That Overture 5-86 be declined. (Proceedings,
1971, p. 169)
6. Principle of Compatibility (4-44)

Resolution 4-44 (Proceedings, 1971, p. 150) referred un-
der the omnibus resolution to the Board of Directors for
study and report was in turn referred to the Committee on
Organization. The floor committee, in drafting 4-44, replied
to Overture 4-71 at Milwaukee.

Your committee studied the background and implications
of both the original overture and the text of the resolution
and agreed that compatibility is desirable. But the question
of judging such compatibility, the committee felt, was a
matter of opinion.

The committee therefore recommends adoption of the
following resolution:

WHEREAS, Adequate procedures exist in the Synod for
proper checks and balances in the selection and election of
synodical personnel; therefore be it

Resolved, That Overture 4-71 [Milwaukee] be declined.

7. To Decline Overture 5-29 (Leaving to the Discretion
of Certain Synodical Officers Acceptance of Overtures
on Social, Political, and Economic Subjects) (5-45)

The final carry-over resolution referred to the Commit-
tee on Organization was Resolution 5-45 (Proceedings, 1971,
p. 169). It dealt with Overture 5-29, suggesting that certain
synodical officers be given discretion in accepting overtures
relating to social. political, and economic subjects. The Mil-
waukee floor committee recommended Resolution 5-45 to
the convention, and the Committee on Organization also
recommends that New Orleans adopt:

To Decline Overture 5-29 (Leaving to the Discretion

of Certain Synodical Officers Acceptance of Overtures
on Social, Political, and Economic Subjects)

WHEREAS, The Synod's Bylaws (1.27c) provide: “Over-
tures requesting the Synod to take action which is in con-
flict with the Constitution or Bylaws of the Synod or in
matters for which the Constitution or Bylaws have provided
specific procedures: which contain defamatory allegations:
or overtures which may subject the President of the Synod
or the Synod to civil actions for libel or slander, shall not
be published or presented to any floor committee or to the
convention: nor shall any overture be accepted with refer-
ence to any case involving suspension, expulsion, or ap-
peals”; and

Whereas. It is unwise to grant to officers of Districts or
the Synod additional powers at this time to prevent over-
tures from coming before the convention: therefore be it

Resolved, That we decline Overture 5-29.

I. Convention Matters

The Milwaukee convention assigned a variety of sub-
jects to the Committee on Organization dealing with synod-
ical conventions in general. Among these are the following:

1. Their nature, function, and frequency;

. Size of the convention Workbook:

. Reports and Overtures;

. Pastors and Teachers submitting Overtures;
. Election of delegates;

. Clarification of Bylaw 1.57 and 1.61;

. Youth and Student Representation;

. Voting rights;

. Biographical data on nominees;

10. Use of Referenda.

ADO wD

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Conventions — Nature, Function, Frequency

Resolution 5-09 of the Milwaukee convention (Proceed-
ings, 1971, p. 155) assigned to the Committee on Organization
a study and report on the nature, function, and frequency
of synodical conventions including the kind of conventions
best suited to meet the needs of the Synod in the contem-
porary. The committee consulted the District Presidents for
their comments and reactions. In addition, the Council of
Administrators received an assignment from the Milwaukee
convention in Resolution 4-16 (Proceedings. 1971, p.142) to
study the convention schedule. The Council of Administra-
tors was asked to place a detailed plan for a schedule for
future synodical conventions before the Districts at their
1972 conventions. The Council of Administrators. after
studying the convention schedule, recommended that bien-
nial conventions be retained.

The Committee on Organization considered the recom-
mendations of the Council of Administrators, solicited the
reactions of the District Presidents via questionnaire, and
the reactions of the District conventions, and makes the
following recommendation to the New Orleans convention:

WuereaS, The Council of Administrators has recom-
mended that the conventions of the Synod continue to be
held on a biennial basis; and

Wuereas, There was no consensus among the Districts
on the frequency of synodical conventions; and

WuereaS, A majority of the 26 Districts which responded
favored a different type of convention, calling for more
inspiration, information and fellowship; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod retain the biennial convention
cycle and its essentially legislative function; and be it
further

Resolved, That in 1975 the format of the synodical con-
ventions be changed to provide for more inspiration, in-
formation, and fellowship; and be it further

Resolved. That a special convention committee be estab-
lished, consisting of the President and the Secretary of the
Synod, the Convention Manager of the Synod, three District
Presidents elected by the Council of Presidents, three mem-
bers of the Board of Directors elected by it, and three
members, a pastor, teacher, and a layman, appointed by the
President of the Synod, all of whom shall have been dele-
gates at the 1973 convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the committee shall be charged with
structuring the 1975 convention, with the understanding that
it be given freedom in planning the structure and format
of the convention in order to achieve the purpose mentioned
in the second resolved: and be it finally

Resolved, That before the close of the 1975 convention
a special floor committee review the effectiveness of the
1975 format and make recommendations for the format and
structure of future conventions.

Size of Convention Workbook

The Committee on Organization was asked to give atten-
tion to the growing size of the biennial convention Workbook.
(Proceedings, 1971, p. 151, and Workbook, 1971, p. 235)

On the one hand, the committee recognizes that the
Workbook has indeed grown to such a size that delegates
find it dificult to become acquainted with the materials.
This increase in yolume has also added greatly to the work
assignment of the floor committees and of the convention
itself and has increased the cost of the convention.

On the other hand. the committee did not wish to tamper
unnecessarily with the basic right of the membership to
address itself to the body. It believes that it would be
desirable to reduce the size and cost of this volume, but
that this should be done without sacrificing the Workbook’s
proper function. With this restriction in mind the commit-
tee considered several possible solutions which had been
suggested for reducing the size of the Workbook. It has
been suggested, for example, that it ought to be relatively
easy at deadline time to select only one of a large number
of similar overtures for inclusion in the Workbook. How-
ever, the facts of editorial life make it impossible to wait
conveniently until the deadline date to make such a se-
lection.

The Committee on Organization gave close attention to
several additional proposals and also found them either in-