Convention Corner (July 2013)

With Barbara A. Below

How do you stay on top of what is happening at the 2013 Synod convention? Here are several tips that I hope will help.

1. Watch for the election results for president of the Synod. The actual voting for the position of president of Synod took place over the four-day period of June 22-25, as this Reporter was being compiled. In keeping with the Synod’s Bylaws, election results will be announced July 6, when the secretary of the Synod will post the results at lcms.org/convention.

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2. Know the schedule. The tentative convention schedule is online at lcms.org/convention/schedule. It is tentative because one of the first pieces of business for delegates at the convention will be to adopt the convention schedule. An updated tentative schedule will be printed in the Sunday, July 21, issue of Today’s Business. Daily issues of Today’s Business will be handed out in the convention hall and posted online by 7 a.m. at lcms.org/convention/todaysbusiness. The daily schedule will appear in each day’s issue of Today’s Business.

3. Know the process for the election of vice-presidents. Soon after the presidential-election results are announced, the president-elect will select five candidates — from the list of 20 nominees who have been nominated and have agreed to serve if elected — to form the slate for the election of the first vice-president. Floor nominations are not allowed for this slate. The first vice-president slate will be posted online at lcms.org/convention/nominees immediately after the president-elect provides this information to the Office of the Secretary of the Synod. This should be sometime between July 8-18. The election of the first vice-president is planned for the convention on the afternoon of Sunday, July 21.

The election of the five regional vice-presidents also is planned for the afternoon of July 21. Each region’s slate of nominees is listed on Pages 31-60 of the Biographical Synopses & Statements of Nominees — available for download at lcms.org/convention/downloads. No floor nominations are allowed. Immediately following the election of all five vice-presidents, a final ballot will be taken to determine the ranking (second through sixth) of the vice-presidents.

Nominations for the secretary of Synod and the LCMS Board of Directors are planned for Sunday afternoon, with elections on Monday afternoon. Nominations for all other boards, commissions, boards of regents and Synod entities are planned for Monday afternoon, with elections on Tuesday afternoon. The current slate for these positions is available on Pages 61-98 of the Biographical Synopses & Statements of Nominees.

4. Monitor results online. Results of all elections will be posted online at lcms.org/convention/nominations. Results of actions on resolutions will be grouped by floor committees and posted online at lcms.org/convention/overtures. Staff members on the convention floor will post periodic updates each day.

5. Watch the convention live online. You can watch the convention via live streaming video at lcms.org/convention/live, beginning with the opening service (7:30-9 p.m.) on Saturday, July 20. Live streaming also will be available during convention business hours (8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, but will pause Sunday-Wednesday for the noon-1:30 p.m. lunch recess. Instructions for testing your ability to view the live stream will be provided at lcms.org/convention/live, beginning July 17.

6. Follow the convention on Facebook and Twitter. We will be posting convention highlights and updates on Facebook and Twitter starting Saturday, July 20, through the convention conclusion on Thursday, July 25. Follow the convention now on Facebook at facebook.com/lcmsconvention or on Twitter at @lcmsconvention, to get news and information leading up to the convention.

Barbara A. Below is an assistant to the Synod president.