LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 207

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CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS 207

advisable, or unworkable, or inimical to the rights of mem-
bers (e.g. printing a summary of several similar overtures
prepared by an individual or by a committee: the deletion of
whereases and thereby the elimination of the reasoning
behind the proposal; further limitations on the right to
submit overtures: the acceptance of only the first overture
submitted on a certain subject: assessing a per-line charge
for overtures submitted: and the filtering of all proposals
through some intermediate body on the District or regional
evel).

While the committee is of the opinion that efforts should
be made to reduce the size of the Workbook, it is reluc-
tant to recommend entirely new approaches. It came to the
conclusion that sufficient editorial authority is already
granted in Bylaw 1.27d to the President and to the Secre-
tary to reduce the size of the Workbook. However, it is also
understandable that they should be somewhat reluctant to
break with the rather permissive pattern of the past. Pro-
cedures were introduced in preparation for the New Orleans
convention to reduce the size of the Workbook which
include:

1. Guidelines and specifications were established for the
format. length. and content of reports submitted by boards
and commissions. For the present convention all boards
and commissions were asked to reduce their report to ap-
proximately two thirds of the size of their reports to the
recent conventions between 1962 and 1971.

2. All who submit reports and overtures according to
1.27 were requested to do so before March 15. 4 weeks before
the Handbook deadline. so that a representative selection
could be made from among similar overtures for inclusion
in the Workbook. Provision was made for the remaining
overtures as well as similar overtures received up to the
Handbook deadline date to receive floor committee con-
sideration and convention action even though these overtures
might not be printed in the Workbook.

In view of this. the Committee on Organization feels that
no further action needs to be taken.

Convention Reports and Overtures

Milwaukee Resolution 5-12 (Proceedings. 1971, p. 155)
assigned to the Committee on Organization the matter of
receiving overtures and reports from councils, auxiliaries,
and individuals at the synodical convention.

The present Bylaw (1.27) states that the synodical
boards and commissions and others so authorized may sub-
mit a report to the convention. Other Bylaws (2.99; 16.01,
ete.) specify that some individuals or groups of individuals
shall submit a report to the convention. The concern in the
overture leading to Resolution 5-12 is that additional groups
such as the Council of Administrators, the Council of Presi-
dents, Council of Lutheran Ministries. the Lutheran Council
in the U.S.A., and the Lutheran Council in Canada should
be authorized to submit similar reports to the Synod in
convention,

Proponents of this request state that the Synod has
assigned certain tasks and duties to various boards, com-
missions, departments. and individuals, and that these are
responsible to the Synod for the performance of these tasks
and duties: and they are expected to report on their per-
formance of these tasks and duties to the Synod. It follows,
then. that the groups mentioned above which are also
creatures of the Synod, which also have been assigned
tasks and duties which they are expected to perform. report
to the Svnod on their performance of duties and _ tasks.
(LCUSA and LC-IC may be special agencies and perhaps
do not belong in the same category.)

After having considered this matter. the Committee on
Organization recommends to the New Orleans convention
the adoption of the following resolution:

Wuereas, The recognized auxiliaries (17.01, 17.03. 17.05.
and 17.07) have a unique privilege to submit short reports
to the synodical conventions upon the President's request;
and

Whereas. Other councils and groups have several chan-
nels open to them to report their concerns to a convention.
primarily through the reports of boards, as well as the
Board of Directors: and

WHEREAS. Such groups have an opportunity to report

directly to the convention on the assignments given to them
by the convention; therefore be it

Resolved, That Bylaw 1.27 be retained in its present form.

Pastors and Teachers Submitting Overtures

The assignment made by the Milwaukee convention Reso-
lution 5-12 (Proceedings. 1971, p. 155) also deals with sub-
mission of petitions to the Synod on the part of individual
pastors and teachers and other groups. The present Bylaw
(1.27) states that overtures may be submitted only by mem-
ber congregations. a District convention or Board of Direc-
tors. an official District pastoral or teachers’ conference,
the faculty of an institution of the Synod, a synodical board
or commission. or a committee established by a prior con-
vention. Overtures at the Milwaukee convention which led
to Resolution 5-12 referring this matter to the committee
expressed concern that other groups or individuals (e.g.,
councils, pastors, male teachers, and laymen) also should
be allowed to submit overtures to the Synod in convention.

Proponents of this change state that Article V of the
Constitution shows that pastors, teachers, and congregations
are the members of the Synod: that Article III of the Con-
stitution further shows that a primary objective of the
Synod is to protect pastors, teachers, and congregations in
the performance of their duty; and that the right to submit
overtures to the Svnod is fundamental to a member's per-
formance of his duties and to the maintenance of his rights
and therefore should be granted to all members of the Synod.

The committee recognized that the present Bylaws may
appear to deny the basic rights of members who are re-
sponsible to the Synod to have a direct voice in the affairs
of the Synod. The present Bylaws permit congregations to
submit overtures, but not individual members: in addition
they permit nonmembers such as faculties and Districts to
petition the Synod. The present practice instituted at the
Denver convention may appear to upset the balance between
the rights and privileges of congregations and individual
members. Nevertheless. the committee believes:

1. That if an individual member wishes to petition the
Synod he may do this through a duly constituted group,
such as a congregation. an official conference, a District, etc.,
as outlined in Bylaw 1.27 a 2: and

2. That any individual may express his concerns on items
appearing in the Workbook to the floor committee to which
the item has been assigned.

The Committee on Organization. therefore. recommends
to the New Orleans convention that the Synod continue the
present practice of not receiving overtures from individual
pastors, teachers, laymen, and small pastoral conferences.

Election cf Delegates

Overtures 5-13 and 5-15 to the Milwaukee convention
called for certain changes in the method of electing dele-
gates to the conventions of the Synod. The floor commit-
tee. in answer. drafted Resolution 5-44 (Proceedings, 1971,
p. 169) which however. failed to receive action and was
referred to the Board of Directors under the omnibus reso-
lution and then referred by the Board to the Committee on
Organization.

After studying the overtures and the proposed floor
committee resolution. the Committee on Organization de-
cided to submit its original recommendation, which did not
receive any action at the Milwaukee convention, namely
that Bylaw 1.53 amended to read:

a. Each electoral circuit shall meet at the call
of the Counselor(s) to elect its delegates not later
than 9 months prior to the opening day of the con-
vention. The election shall be by written ballot.
All pastors who are not advisory members under
Article VB shall be eligible for election. The privi-
lege of voting shall be exercised by one pastor and
one layman from each member congregation of the
circuit. Multiple parishes shall be entitled to a lav
vote from each member congregation. Each dele-
gate present shall vote for two pastors, and ballot-
ing shall continue with the lowest candidate being
removed from each succeeding ballot until one pas-
tor shall have received support from a majority of
the voters. Balloting shall continue in the same
manner on the remaining candidates until another