Wayne Mueller, President-in-Waiting, Wisconsin Sect, donated beef for the Luther Prep auction, after boosting tuition 30% in one year. The exploding cost of tuition effectively reduced enrollment at both preps.
If some well-heeled donor asked, "Where's the beef?" and purchased Bossy from Wayne (with a prime cut sliced off by the auction company), then Luther Prep probably bought their scrim curtain and other essentials for their high school. Anxious participants want to know how much loot was hauled in, how much Luther Prep kept, and how soon the next garage sale will be scheduled.
Lutheran Notes wrote about the scandalous cost of tuition in preparation for the ministry. Two things need to be added:
1. Extortion in the name of tuition began during the Schwan Foundation's biggest charitable donation ever - an avalanche of dough for Missouri, WELS, and the Little Sect on the Prairie. Synod officials kept the money for themselves and their pet projects while crushing their students with ever-increasing tuition bills.
2. In the past, WELS gave back all prep, college, and seminary tuition paid when the student graduated from seminary. That was the nest egg used so the shepherd could buy his new shepherdess a few sticks of furniture and a double-wide cradle for the expected brood.(Perhaps teachers got the same tuition refund. I am not sure.) Ending that policy was an effective, gigantic boost in the real cost of pastoral education. Those who benefited from truly free synod education took this benefit away from the current generation while talking about "recruiting more men," etc. etc.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Beef for Bling Benefits Bulging Prep Coffers":
From the website of Luther Prep:
GALA UPDATE
Lights! Camera! Auction! - Saturday Night - April 19
About 320 guests joined in for the third annual gala event. Over 150 students were involved in setting up, serving, entertaining with musical talents, and cleaning up. We are thankful for the enjoyable evening of Christian fellowship and the opportunity for many friends of LPS to show their support for our school.
This year's event resulted in about $44,000 in gifts to LPS. $31,000 will directly support our operating budget, with another $8,100 directed to financial aid and $5,000 provided to replace and enhance the stage curtains in the auditorium.
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GJ - The alleged news lacks a certain amount of honesty (not blaming the innocent poster). The summary accounts for $44,000 in gifts, but how much went to the for-profit website auction company? Did they host the Junk for Jesus sale for free or is Luther Prep reporting the net results rather than the gross receipts? Anxious minds want to know.
When a charity goes into business in a big way, competing with local merchants, the stake-holders deserve an accounting.
Did they pay sales tax on Wayne's beef? Mattek's $350 dinner? Various trinkets?
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Beef for Bling Benefits Bulging Prep Coffers":
Looks like they are still counting the "re$ult$" of the 2008 GALA (results not yet posted) - -
From their website:
Q. What were the results of past Galas?
A. April 22, 2006 Gala "A Starry Night", after expenses were paid, raised $46,134.00!
April 21, 2007 Gala "A Knight to Remember", after expenses were paid, raised over $65,000!
April 19, 2008 Gala "Lights! Camera! Auction! - A Night on the Red Carpet", after expenses were paid, raised ___________!
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Beef for Bling Benefits Bulging Prep Coffers":
Looks like the GALA at Luther Prep was not enough - - - -
Fear Factor - Messed for Success
4/26/2008
Students, faculty and staff at LPS in Watertown celebrate the arrival of spring while generating substantial donations for the school during the second annual Phoenix Fear Factor event on Wednesday.
More than $60,000 has been donated over the past two years by an anonymous alumni couple through the event, which challenges voluntary participants to navigate a series of messy obstacles. The donors make a gift to the school of $100 per student and $200 per faculty or staff member that brave the course of slime, goo, and grit. The goal of the event is to generate an atmosphere of giving that is joyful and fun, but also demands a bit of sacrifice as well.
Ten stations were offered, each featuring a distinct challenge to the participant's pride and outward appearance.
Students and faculty explored buckets of earthworms looking for pennies, endured slip and slides of lard and oil, and made their way through tubs of corn meal, soy bean hulls, lard and eggs. A T-shirt commemorating the event was also sponsored by the donors and will be presented to each person taking part.
Thje event is part of a daylong series of activities which include a grounds beautification effort, the planting of the senior tree, and an outdoor picnic with students, staff, and families.
