The Board of Directors met at the ELCA headquarters in Chicago, October 22, 1997. All board members were present, including those from Canada, New York, and Philadelphia, as well as the membership chair from California!!
Among the highlights of the meeting were the following. The Board received an official invitation from Dr. James Kiecker, representing the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) Historical Institute, to host the LHC biennial meeting in the year 2000. The occasion will be the 150th anniversary of the founding of WELS in Milwaukee. The board responded favorably to this request, asked for additional information, and deferred the final decision until the fall biennial meeting in New York.
The treasurer reported that LHC is in sound fiscal condition.
This was the first board meeting since the LHC at Fort Wayne (1996) when the "commissions" were replaced by "Commissioners." While this change is only two letters (Nicea fought over one letter!), it really is significant, because it allows individual commissioners to act on their own and to consult with other members of the LHC as they deem appropriate. The good news is that the new system seems to be working. We still need to find ways to make better use of our liaisons with professional societies.
The board received and discussed reports from the various commissioners responsible for publications. It also took steps to move quickly on the publication of previous essays. In this connection the board determined that "members," that is, persons with dues paid for the current year, will receive all publications which appear in that year. As of this writing, all of the papers from the last two conferences have been collected and are in the process of being prepared for publication. Consideration was given to the scheduling of monographs.
Marv Huggins reported on the development of the Web page for LHC. The board authorized a modest expenditure for further development and maintenance of the site.
The board discussed the scheduling of the biennial conference and resolved that beginning with the year 2000, the biennial conference should be held "no later than the week-end before Halloween week-end." (That's no trick!)
The Nominations Committee is comprised of the three board members whose terms expire with the 1998 biennial conference: Marvin A. Huggins, Robert F. Scholz, and Norman J. Threinen. They are receiving nominations for terms from 1998 to 2004.
The board thanked Elisabeth Wittman for hosting the board meeting and for her fine work as editor of the Newsletter.
James W. Albers
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For the 1998 biennial meeting at Wagner College, October 29-31, 1998, Program Chair Bob Scholz indicates that it is not too late to submit proposals for the meeting (see November 1997 issue, "Call for Papers"). It is expected that by the time of the May 1998 issue of this newsletter that the full line-up of program sessions and events will have been completed. Among the special events being planned, is the biennial meeting banquet, which will take place at Union Theological Seminary, Manhattan. Meeting participants will stay in a hotel nearby the Wagner College campus on Staten Island, with shuttle service between the hotel and campus provided. For those traveling by air Newark Airport is recommended. More details on local arrangements will be forthcoming. Before the program is ready for mailing, anyone who may need more regarding program sessions or local arrangements may contact the Rev. Robert Scholz: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, West 65th St., New York, NY 10023-6601, 212-877-6815, or e-mail: rsholz76233.1651@CompuServ.com
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LHC Board Members:
Raymond M. Bost:
E-mail: bost.rm@aya.yale.edu
Jon Diefenthaler:
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We welcome once again, new members who have joined LHC since the last issue of this newsletter:
Graduate Theological Union
Michael B. Aune
The Rev. William S. Wiecher
Library
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Paul A. Daniels, ELCA Region 3 Archives and Luther Seminary Archivist, 2481 Como Ave. West, St. Paul, MN 55108, participated in the November 6-8, 1997 North Dakota History Conference. The conference was sponsored by the North Dakota Historical Society and North Dakota Humanities Council. Paul's paper addressed the need to document and preserve visual furnishings of churches. He detailed the success of "field work" in eastern North Dakota with an ongoing photographic survey of Lutheran town and country church buildings (interior and exterior). Material gathered from this project is available for use at the archives in St. Paul.
Susan C. Hill, 10 White Oak Tr., Gettysburg, PA, 17325, is an MAR candidate at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg. Currently, she is researching Elsie Singmaster Lewars for her master's thesis and she is interested in finding any existing correspondence to or from Mrs. Lewars. Anyone able and willing to copy or share such correspondence with Susan can contact her at her address above and by phone: 717-334-1273 or e-mail: susanhill@mail.wideopen.net
Susan Wilds McArver, 4915 Fortunes Ridge Dr., Durham, NC 27713, will be taking a position with Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, South Carolina, as of July 1, 1998. Susan will be Assistant Professor of Education Ministry and Church History.
Carol Schmalenberger, 2770 Marin Ave., Berkeley, CA 94708-1597, in her position as archivist for Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, recently spoke to the seniors' required ministry class about the pastor's role in record keeping and archives in the congregation, including records management and how to set up an archives for a congregation. Carol notes that the students in these classes always seem amazed at how much of it they'd never heard before. On October 27, 1997, Carol also co-presented a workshop with Lucinda Glen Rand, archivist, Graduate Theological Union, for archivists of religious collections from Northern California. Since the ecumenical gathering of participants were volunteers for their respective archives, they received a basic overview and some basic training in starting an archives.
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A new resource, Historical Dictionary of the Music and Musicians of Finland by Ruth-Esther Hillila and Barbara Blanchard Hong, two Finnish-American musicologists and music educators, has recently been published (1997). The work, in English, brings the world of Finnish music to new audiences through 500-plus entries of historical and modern composers and hundreds of internationally acclaimed performing artists, as well as general articles on folk music, early manuscripts and publications, cantors and hymnals, early Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran music, leading orchestras, choral groups, festivals and more. No other comprehensive work on Finnish music exists in languages other than Finnish and Swedish. The work is available for $85, from: Greenwood Press, 1-800-225-5800.
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The Lutheran Historical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania held its "Winter Happening," January 24, 1998, at the Moselem Springs Inn. Speakers included Charles A. Fair, James D. Koones and Elwood W. Reitz, addressing the topic: "What have been the most significant changes in the church since your ordinations?" For more information on the LHSEP and future events, contact: Carl Shankweiler, P.O. Box 153, Valley View, PA 17983; 717-682-9834.
The Second Annual History Day, sponsored by the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, the Sierra Pacific Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran History Center of the West, takes place March 14, 1998, 9-3:30. Sessions will include a history of the Vesper Society by George Spindt; planning a fiftieth anniversary by committee members of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Lafayette; and several persons discussing, "Resettling Displaced Persons in Northern California and the Lutheran World Action Displaced Persons Movie, 'Answer for Anne.'" For further information contact: PLTS, 2770 Marin Ave., Berkeley, CA 94708; 510-524-5264 or 687-2414.
The annual meeting of the Lutheran Historical Society, Gettysburg, takes place at the Adams County Historical Society building, on the campus of Gettysburg Seminary, April 18, 1998, 9:30-2:30. The overall topic of the meeting is preaching, from colonial days to the early 20th century, with the special focus of, "The Embattled Pulpit: Preaching and War." Speakers include Drs. Paul Baglyos and Susan K. Heldahl and the Rev. John Douglas. Reservations needed for the luncheon ($6.50) only: LHS,G, 61 W. Confederate Ave., Gettysburg, PA 17325.
The annual meeting of the Pennsylvania German Society takes place May 1-2, 1998 in historic Bucks County. The society has established a World Wide Web site: http://www.pgs.org The new headquarters address for the society is: PGS, P.O. Box 244, Kutztown, PA 19530-0244; phone: 610-894-9551; FAX: 610-894-9808.
Two one-day Congregational Archives and Anniversaries Conferences are scheduled for May 13, 1998 at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota and May 27, 1998 at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. The $45 registration fee covers conference materials, lunch and refreshments. For registration brochure and further information, contact: CHARIS Ecumenical Center, Concordia College, 901 Eighth St. South, Moorhead, MN 56562; 218-299-4321.
The annual Congregational Heritage Workshop at Luther College takes place July 12-14, 1998. The event includes sessions on writing congregational histories, celebrating anniversaries, archives and more. For further information contact: The Rev. Roger Peterson, College Relations, Luther College, 700 College Dr., Decorah, IA 52101-1045; 319-387-1271.
A Congregation Heritage Day is set for September 18, 1998, at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, sponsored by the Lutheran Historical Society, Gettysburg. The event will feature sessions on writing congregational history, celebrating anniversaries, archives, preservation, records management and oral history. Key note luncheon speaker will be Dr. Herman Stuempfle. For further information, contact: Dr. Michael J. Kurtz, 960 Aqua Ct., Annapolis MD, 21401; 410-757-1824.
The Swenson Swedish Immigration History Center, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, now has a World Wide Web page: http://www.viking.augustana.edu/admin/swenson.
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