Evening star., 1948-01-28
Training School. Head
Hits Youth Program
OF Lutheran Council
By Cospor konnes
Sfor Stoff Correspondent

RICHMOND, Jan. 2s.-Harold
Hegstrom, superintendent of the
National Training School for Boys
at Washington, today blasted the
youth program of the National
Lutheran Council as meeting the
needs of "only 2 per cent of the
youth of the church"
The council, representing eight
Lutheran church bodies with a
membership of $500, 900, is holding
its annual meeting here this week.
Mr.. Hegstrom, councillor for the
Augustana Synod to the council,
charged the council "is not develop
ing co-ordinated, aggressive and
cooperative youth program"
He called on the council to set up
a division to meet the needs OF
Lutheran youth Throughout the
country.
Opposition Upheld.
A subcommittee appointed at the
1947 meeting reported unfavorably
on this proposal, saying it believed
such a division should be "a CO.
ordinating rather than an admin
istrative function of the council. N
The subcommittee report was
passed by the council.
Lutheran bodies represented In
the council are the United Lutheran
Church in America, American Luth-
eran Church, Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Lutheran Augustana Synod,
Lutheran Free Church, United
Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fin
nish Suomi Synod and Danish Luth-
eran Church.
There. Is full Lutheran pastoral
coverage in every one of the 131
Veterans Administration hospitals
and 442 contract hospitals through
out the country, Mr.. Hegstrom re-
ported today, as chairman of the
Division of Welfare of the council.
Mr.. Hegstrom included letter
from the Rev. A. J. McKelway di-
rector of the VA chaplaincy service,
in his report.
Mr.. Mckelway said: "It has been
a satisfaction to us and great serv-
ice to the patients that we have been
able to have available Lutheran
ministers who might answer calls
for specifiec ministry in our hos
pitals. The assignment of contact
pastors in the neighborhoood of all
of our VA hospitals has made the
provision of special ministry to
Lutheran patients comparatively
simple. In addition the coaching
supervision that your consultant has
been able to give to those pastors
has been extremely valuable"
Recommendations Up.
The council will act today on the
Welfare Divisions recommends
tions =indorsing a Federal bill to
permit immigration of displaced
persons, extension of Social Security
benefits to 100000 employed per-
sons not now covered, correction
of "deplorable conditions in State
institutions for mentally defective
children and State hospitals for
the mentally ILL.," approval Of the
Army's plan for teen-age military
training and support for the cause
Of racial minorities. The council will
also be asked to petition Congress
to appropriate the necessary funds
for the completion of the 1916 re-
ligious census.
The council voted appreciation of
the outstanding services Of the Rev.
Henry j. Whiting, founder Of the
Lutheran Church in Bethesda for
his work as a field consultant of
the Division of Welfare. Mr.. Whit
ing recently resigned to accept q
call as executive secretary of the
Lutheran Welfare Society of Min
nesota.
The council yesterday voted to
establish a Bureau of Service to
Military Personnel to supervise q
developing program OF spiritual
ministry for men and women Of the
church in the armed forces" The
new bureau will serve as a clearing
agency for Lutheran chaplains for
the armed services, for the special
ized training Of these chaplains
and for liaison work with the offices
of the chiefs of chaplains Of the
Army, Navy and Air Force.