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| No. 151 | YEAR 98, BAHÁ’Í ERA | February, 1942 |
The Enviable North American Bahá’í Community Must, if Necessary, Hold the Fort Alone![edit]
Cablegram from the Guardian
(The) immersion (of the) materially most powerful (and) spiritually most endowed nation in mankind’s most critical (and) pregnant ordeal tests (the) spirit (and) challenges (the) audacity (of the) promoters (of the) Divine Plan. (The) privileges conferred (are) immeasurable. (The) time (at) their disposal (is) hourly shortening. (Their) responsibilities (are) commensurately mounting. (The) first fruits already garnered (are) unbelievably rich. (The) Bahá’í world’s attention, focused (upon the) winners (of) such prizes, (is) more firmly fixed. (Their) sister communities (in the) European continent (are) engulfed (and) severed (from their) World Center. Other communities, Australia, India, Persia, Egypt, not excepting (the) Holy-land, (are) facing (an) increasingly grave situation. (The) enviable North American Bahá’í community must support (its) daughter Assemblies (in the) Western Hemisphere (and) hold (the) fort alone if necessary. (I am) prompted (to) direct, special attention (to the) Báb’s clarion call addressed (to the) people (of the) West (to) issue forth (from there) cities (and) aid (the) Cause; (to) Bahá’u’lláh’s subsequent, specific (and) unique summons (to) all (the) Presidents (of the) Republics (in the) New World; (and to) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s still more specific formulation (of the) Plan entrusted (to the) North American continent. (I am) impelled (to) urge all believers (to) give, henceforth (their) urgent, sustained, primary consideration (at) all Assembly meetings, Summer School sessions, Convention deliberations, Nineteen Day Feasts, Regional Conferences (and) Teaching gatherings (to the) speedy accomplishment (of the) specific teaching tasks (in the) North American States (and) Provinces (and in the) Central (and) Southern (American) Republics. (The) seventh year (of the) first Bahá’í Century witnessed (the) termination (of the) last of three successive upheavals involving (the) sacrifice (of the) lives (of the) majority (of the) dawn-breakers (of the) Heroic Age. Can sacrifice (of) home, possessions, comfort (and) security by their descendants, (the) champion builders (of the) Formative Age, be deemed too great for (the) sake (of the) Plan associated (with the) last seven years (of the) same Century, and whose unqualified success can alone befittingly crown it?
(Cablegram received February 9, 1942)
Complete Temple Exterior in 1942[edit]
To the Spiritual Assemblies, Communities and groups of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada.
Beloved Friends:
This communication will present to you the facts and schedules which enter into our great Temple construction project under the Seven Year Plan—completion of the exterior decoration and making the outside circular steps. As the Guardian has urgently advised, we must carry out all the unfinished work in 1942 as afterward it may be impossible on account of international conditions.
Our understanding and our determination, therefore, must (as far as the Temple is concerned) focus on the plan to complete the Temple exterior in 1942.
The Guardian’s Instruction
“This matter has aroused his
grave concern, as the Guardian
believes that in view of the relation
of the U.S.A. to the international[Page 2]
situation, the rising costs, labor
shortage, etc., it may be both
increasingly difficult and expensive
complete this work with every
month that goes by. He, therefore,
would urge you to impress on Mr.
Earley . . . the necessity of completing
whatever ornamentation of
the main story remains, during the
winter months, so that at the earliest
moment next spring, when the
weather permits the work of the
Temple itself to be resumed, the
last faces may be placed in the final
position.” (October 26, 1941)
“Now that the construction of the steps of the Temple has had to be postponed and in view of the increasing gravity of the international situation, a special and pressing responsibility rests on the National Assembly to insure, with the aid of the contractor and through every other possible means, the completion of the nine faces of the edifice before the end of next spring. During the coming winter months the work at the studio should be (so) conducted that no delay whatever will be incurred when the time for the placing of the remaining faces arrives. During these same months, while the teaching work is being strenuously pursued, the most effective measures for the construction of the steps should be carefully considered, and thus insure the uninterrupted progress of this vital aspect of the Seven Year Plan.” (October 26, 1941)
The Work to Be Done
Before winter weather interrupted the work of applying the finished units to the main story faces in December, 1941, seven of the nine faces had been completed, and the last two faces were partly done. In addition, the finished units for completing these last two faces were shipped to the Temple and are stored there for use this spring.
Besides the exterior ornamentation, there is the important matter of the steps. A good deal of the preliminary work on the steps was done in 1941, and the reinforcing steel was purchased.
Before we can regard the Temple exterior as fully completed, the dome and clerestory units should be carefully cleaned, so that the entire outer surface of the House of Worship may be uniformly white and free from discoloration. The dome and clerestory, it might be pointed out, were discolored by the dust storms which raged some eight or nine years ago, an unusual condition not likely to be repeated. The Temple Trustees have no estimate for the cost of cleaning, and therefore this item is not included in the schedule below. It should not, however, be more than a few hundred dollars.
Time and Cost Schedule
It is imperative to begin work as soon as weather permits, which means sometime in April. The Temple Trustees must be able to authorize the contractor to proceed with the work on the last two faces and also with the work on the steps, and the Trustees must therefore be assured of sufficient funds.
The following schedule of costs includes estimates on the unfinished work, and likewise it lists the schedule of monthly payments which the Trustees and the contractor mutually agreed upon in October, 1941, when the Trustees were unexpectedly informed of another increase in the estimated cost of finishing the exterior ornamentation.
| I. Estimated cost of completing | |||
| faces eight and nine, | |||
| mainstory ............ | $7,800.00 | ||
| Estimated cost for casting | |||
| and placing the outside | |||
| steps ............ | $21,800.00 | ||
| $29,600.00 |
| II. Cost of completing sixth | |||
| and seventh faces by | |||
| December, 1941 ........ | 6,024.97 |
| III. Monthly schedule for 1942 of | |||
| payments on costs incurred | |||
| on mainstory faces prior to | |||
| faces six and seven, and on | |||
| steps up to the middle of | |||
| August, 1941, when this | |||
| work had to be suspended: |
| Mainstory Faces | |||
January | $1,000.00 | ||
February | $1,000.00 | ||
March | $1,000.00 | ||
April | $1,000.00 | ||
May | $1,000.00 | ||
June | $1,000.00 | ||
July | $1,500.00 | ||
August | $1,500.00 | ||
September | $1,500.00 | ||
October | $1,500.00 | ||
| Steps | |||
November | $1,277.98 | ||
December | $1,277.98 | ||
| $14,555.96 |
| IV. Total estimated cost for | |||
| Temple construction in | |||
| 1942 ............... | $50,180.93 |
| V. Less payments already | |||
| made in 1942: | |||
| January 31, on | |||
| monthly schedule $1,000.00 | |||
| January 15, on faces | |||
| six and seven ......... | $6,024.97 | ||
| $7,024.97 |
| Total payable in 1942 from | |||
| February 1 to December 1 | $43,155.96 |
| VI. Cash available for sale of | |||
| strip of land to Wilmette | |||
| Village for realignment of | |||
| Sheridan Road ............ | $4,200.00 |
| VII. Total needed from contributions | |||
| of Bahá’ís ............ | $38,955.96 |
A Glorious Victory[edit]
The completion of the relatively small amount of work still to be done on our magnificent House of Worship will be a glorious victory for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh! We would be denying the meaning of the Master’s loving assurances, we would be overlooking the significance of the Guardian’s messages on the subject of the Temple over a period of many years, if we do not thrill at this prospect of bringing the construction work to an end this calendar year, and fail to concentrate our resolves upon this historic task.
To summarize: in order to complete the unfinished Temple work in 1942, the Trustees must be assured of some $5,500 per month during April, May, June, July, August and September, and of $1200 to $1500 month in October, November and December. Such a schedule is much less than the annual expenditure on Temple construction in recent years. The task is within our capacity. Let us accomplish it, and thereby succeed in raising a monument to Bahá’u’lláh’s Most Great Peace in a time of conflict and suffering throughout the world. This will stimulate teaching and will release all energy and resources for accomplishing the teaching tasks of the Seven Year Plan,
- Faithfully yours,
- NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Organic Thrift[edit]
The awareness of our being an
organism, every part of which
draws life-sustenance from its center,
should permeate our planning
in the various fields of Bahá’í
service. All lines of work should
continue; but at certain times, under
the supreme guidance, concentrated
emphasis may make one goal far
more important than others. Under
the Seven Year Plan our present
[Page 3]
primal duty is clearly set by directions
from Shoghi Effendi. The capacities
of the friends as well as
the state and the needs of mankind are
well known to the supreme guidance
which inspires our efforts.
The attention of Assemblies, groups and Bahá’í schools is again called for the need of exercising a wise economy in the selection of teachers and workers, until the Seven Year Plan, which yet has but little more than two years to run, is brought to a victorious and joyful completion. Nobly and generously have the friends responded at every call, meriting unstinted praise for their zeal and sacrifices in the Path of God. The residuum of the task challenges our utmost endeavors—prayers, loving service, active teaching, sustained efforts, continued sacrifices, wise economy. What we give is vital; what we save, with success in view, no less so. In consideration of the latter, the various administrative bodies, such as Assemblies, committees, groups, schools, should improve the capacities of local workers as far as possible, so as to save the travel and living expenses of those who may come from a distance, in order to conserve more resources for the completion of the Seven Year Plan as a whole.
This of course is not to be a requirement to be enforced with rigidity. The flexibility and guidance of the administration, its adaptability to serve varying conditions and needs are signs of its organic life. Coldness and rigidity express death. But the supreme value of completing, for service to humanity and obedience to God, the great plan in the time ordained, should keep us mindful of our first duty, one to be fulfilled not only by giving means, strength of will and devotion, but by the exercise of a wise frugality expressed in simple living and a wise and prudent selection of helpers.—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Inter-America News[edit]
In a letter from the Guardian addressed to the pioneers in Costa Rica he congratulated them most heartily on such a wonderful and glorious achievement, and declared that future generations will extol their labors, follow in their footsteps and derive inspiration from their pioneer activities.
Main Story Ornamentation No. 10, December 18, 1941. (Completion of Sixth and Seventh Main Story Faces)
These words of the Guardian will
apply to each and every one of the
pioneers who have gone into the
foreign fields of service, they are
an encouragement and a promise
to all; but we must recognize that
some fields are more easily cultivated
than others. The Guardian has
also said that the spiritual and
intellectual nature of the Latin
peoples should tend to make them
profound and excellent Bahá’ís. The
Guardian has the highest hopes for
their future services to the Cause
of God and the important contributions
they will make to its unfoldment
and establishment.
Costa Rica
The Costa Rica Assembly continues to send in registration cards and recently we have received a gift of native craftsmanship in the form of a lovely little mosaic box made of various native woods and a paper cutter made from coffee wood. These will add to our very interesting display of articles in the Inter-America booth at the next Convention.
Translation
The Committee is rejoiced at the news of the completion of the Spanish translation of the “Dispensation” which was made in Buenos Aires by Sr. Tormo and Sr. Ricci. It was brought to the United States by Sr. Ricci and has been reviewed by him and Mrs. Anduaga in New York so that it is now ready for publication. We are all indebted to Philip Sprague for his very generous assistance in this matter.
Havana
From Havana we learn that Miss
Kruka is very encouraged by the
number of new inquirers who have
come to the meetings. She writes on
a class of young people from the
ages of ten to seventeen who are
[Page 4]
being taught the Cause together with
English.
Uruguay
A long and interesting letter has come from Wilfrid Barton from Montevideo enclosing registration cards of two new believers and relating the interest of others. He mentions a move taken toward legal recognition, which is required in Uruguay and seems to be meeting with success in that as well as other things.
Dominican Republic
Miss Lentz has returned to Trujillo and is definitely located there again. Her health is improving and she is not restricted in her teaching activities as she was in Sosúa.
Panama
Our anxiety about our pioneers in Ancon seems to be unfounded as they write that Mrs. Oliver’s employment in the Laboratory of the Gorgas Hospital would probably necessitate her remaining there under any conditions and Mrs. Caswell would not leave unless required to do so by the Government in which case she will try to get permission to go to another of the Republics. They send us the registration card of the first resident of the Canal Zone upon which we congratulate them and await Mrs. Rudy’s photograph for The Bahá’í World. We are collecting the photographs of the first believer in each of the Republics as they will make a valuable addition to the historical records of The Bahá’í World.
Honduras
A letter just received from John Eichenauer tells of his very interesting and successful extension work in Honduras. He writes: “On receipt of the Guardian’s cable of December 13 as contained in the Bulletin of December which reached Honduras on January 1, a special meeting was called to read the cable and to pray for the success of the teaching work and the friends generally. At this meeting eleven people signed a note of greeting which I enclose herewith.”
John’s travels have taken him again to the mining town of Rosario and then to another mining center named Agua Fría. Later he visited the cities of Comayagua and Siguatepeque on the north coast of Honduras.
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“Nothing must be permitted to hamper or slow down this apostolic campaign, which the believers have undertaken. It represents the discharge of their moral duty towards their fellow men, that of permitting them, in these cataclysmic times, to hear the Message their Lord has sent to them and the ways He has prescribed for them to solve their problems and heal their ills.” —SHOGHI EFFENDI
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He then made the acquaintance of the editors of two newspapers, Diario Comercial and El Norte of the city of San Pedro Sula and received recognition after which he visited La Lima, center of the United Fruit Company’s holdings in Honduras. From La Lima he went to Progreso, Tela, and La Ceiba where he introduced the Faith to an official of the Standard Fruit Company and the American Vice Consul. En route back to Tegucigalpa he was to stop at Puerto Cortés.
The Inter-America Committee is deeply impressed with this remarkable report and feels that John is becoming thoroughly acquainted with Central America.
Chile
Such glowing accounts of the growth of the work in Chile come from Mrs. Atwater each month, and the wonderful part of it is the many ramifications of the teaching which have come about by those from Santiago who have either moved or been transferred to other cities in Chile. The receipt of the registration card of Señora Padilla is very encouraging. Señora Padilla is going to make her home in Antofagasta and her husband who was the former Consul in Los Angeles is very much interested in the Cause and has been very helpful. Beside this Mrs. Atwater tells of a large piece of property which Sr. Herrera desires to give to the Cause as soon as the Spiritual Assembly may legally take possession of it and that the plan is to cultivate it and plant productive things there. The area of the land is about forty acres. Extension teaching work was to begin at once in Valparaiso. Also Mrs. Atwater tells of a very fine letter which they had received from John Eichenauer which rejoices both them and the committee as it is highly advisable that the pioneer communities should communicate with each other and thus lend encouragement.
Brazil
An interesting letter has been received from Beatrice Irwin telling of her many interesting contacts in South America. Miss Irwin’s journey was undertaken in the interests of her profession, but she utilized every moment and every opportunity to advance the knowledge of the Faith. Her lectures drew fine audiences and she was able to distribute Bahá’í literature to many important people among the intellectuals of Brazil both in Rio and Sao Paulo.
Bolivia
The Committee hopes very soon to be able to announce that a new pioneer has gone into the field of Bolivia, where already Mrs. Adler has left three very ardent believers with whom we are in regular correspondence. But the need for pioneers is very great and if we are to carry forward the work which the Guardian has indicated and which ’Abdu’l-Bahá so strongly enjoined upon us we must have other applicants. We do not intend to relax one moment in the pursuit of our objective unless we are definitely prevented by war conditions, and then it would not be from our desire, but because as obedient servants to our Government, we must follow their decrees. We believe however that there will be no cessation to the forward march of the Faith notwithstanding international conditions.
Peru
We must not bring this report to
a close without mentioning Miss
Nicklin and the success which she
is having in Lima, Peru. Although
she has been located only a short
time she has already established a
Nursery School which is meeting
with the greatest approval of the
Peruvian mothers who are sending
their little children to her. She is
living in the family of some
delightful refugees and is making
[Page 5]
many valuable acquaintances. The
initiative which is manifest in the
work of our pioneers is something
truly remarkable and it fills our
hearts with admiration and rejoicing.
This, the Most Fateful Hour in Their History[edit]
“A triple call, clear-voiced, insistent and inescapable, summons to the challenge all members of the American Bahá’í community, at this, the most fateful hour in their history. The first is the voice, distant and piteous, of those sister communities which now, alas, are fettered by the falling chains of religious orthodoxy and isolated through the cruel barriers set up by a rampant nationalism. The second is the plea, no less vehement and equally urgent, of those peoples and nations of the New World, whose vast and unexplored territories await to be warmed by the light and swept into the orbit of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. The third, more universal and stirring than either of the others, is the call of humanity itself crying out for deliverance at a time when the tide of mounting evils has destroyed its equilibrium and is now strangling its very life.
“These imperative calls of Bahá’í duty the American believers can immediately if only partially answer.” . . .
“And yet, though their influence be at the present hour indecisive and their divinely-conferred authority unrecognized, the role they can play in both alleviating the hardships that afflict their brethren and in attenuating the ills that torment mankind is none the less considerable and far-reaching. By the range and liberality of their contributions to mitigate the distress of the bereaved, the exiled and the imprisoned; by the persistent, the wise and judicious intervention of their elected representatives through the authorities concerned; by a clear and convincing exposition, whenever circumstances are propitious, of the issues involved; by a vigorous defense of the rights and liberties denied; by an accurate and dignified presentation of the events that have transpired; by every manner of encouragement which their sympathies may suggest, or their means
Mrs. H. Emogene Hoagg with Bahá’ís of Havana, Cuba, 1940.
permit, or their consciences dictate,
to succor the outcast and the
impoverished; and above all by their
tenacious adherence to, and wide
proclamation of, those principles,
laws, ideals, and institutions which
their disabled fellow-believers are
unable to affirm or publicly espouse;
and lastly, by the energetic
prosecution of those tasks which
their oppressed fellow-workers are
forbidden to initiate or conduct, the
privileged community of the American
Bahá’ís can play a conspicuous
part in the great drama involving so
large a company of their unemancipated
brethren in the Asiatic, the
European and African continents.
“Their duties towards mankind in general are no less distinct and vital. Their impotence to stem the tide of onrushing calamities, their seeming helplessness in face of those cataclysmic forces that are to convulse human society, do not in the least detract from the urgency of their unique mission, nor exonerate them from those weighty responsibilities which they alone can and must assume.” . . .
“Though powerless to avert the
impending contest the followers of
Bahá’u’lláh can, by the spirit they
evince and the efforts they exert
help to circumscribe its range,
shorten its duration, allay its hardships,
proclaim its salutary consequences,
and demonstrate its necessary
and vital role in the shaping of
human destiny. Theirs is the duty to
hold, aloft and undimmed, the torch
of Divine Guidance, as the shades of
night descend upon, and ultimately
envelop the entire human race.
Theirs is the function, amidst its tumults,
perils and agonies, to witness
to the vision, and proclaim the approach,
of that re-created society,
that Christ-promised Kingdom, that
World Order whose generative impulse
is the spirit of none other than
Bahá’u’lláh Himself, whose dominion
is the entire planet, whose
watchword is unity, whose animating
power is the force of Justice,
whose directive purpose is the reign
of righteousness and truth, and
whose supreme glory is the complete,
the undisturbed, and everlasting
felicity of the whole of humankind.
By the sublimity and serenity
of their faith, by the steadiness and
clarity of their vision, the incorruptibility
of their character, the rigor
of their discipline, the sanctity of
their morals, and the unique example
of their community life, they
can and indeed must in a world polluted
with its incurable corruptions,
paralyzed by its haunting fears, torn
by its devastating hatreds, and
languishing under the weight of its
appalling miseries demonstrate the
validity of their claim to be regarded
as the sole repository of that
grace upon whose operation must
depend the complete deliverance,
the fundamental reorganization and
[Page 6]
the supreme felicity of all
mankind.”
The Race Unity College Project[edit]
The Race Unity Committee has sponsored, over a period of eighteen months, a project for reaching the colleges of bi-racial areas with introductory presentations of the Bahá’í Faith. Louis Gregory, Lothar Schurgast, and Mrs. Dorothy Baker assisted in initiating the project. Approximately sixteen thousand students have been reached at the present time. Mrs. Baker will add thirty new colleges, eighteen white groups and nine Negro schools, bringing the project to a total of well over sixty colleges and thirty thousand student hearers.
In the fall of 1941 the circuit included eleven white colleges, five colored, and two Indian. The theme of the lecture was the world as a single organism, motivated by a world faith. The Pattern for Future Society, by Shoghi Effendi, supplemented by The Image of God, was distributed throughout the schools, and a book will be presented to each library.
There were Baptist schools, Presbyterian schools, Methodist schools, and State colleges; colored schools, white schools, Indian schools; city schools and hill schools, and one was a large and beautiful Quaker college. Only one white man was to be found on the fall circuit who had ever heard of the Bahá’í Faith. He was a student at the Quaker college, and had made the Bahá’í Faith the subject of his term theme. Taking the pamphlet of Shoghi Effendi in his hands he said, “These writings are very great. Does one leave one’s church to become a member?” The reply was given that to be truly universal, one could not permanently remain in a segment of the old order. “This is right,” he said wistfully, “perhaps if I befriend this Faith now I can belong later.”
The talented head of an Indian Normal College, where no speaking appointment had previously been made, said, after scanning the “Pattern For Future Society,” that if necessary, classes could be disbanded to hear this subject. As a matter of fact, a tuberculosis clinic was postponed to the following Monday, to make room for it. School men are vitally attracted by the writings of Shoghi Effendi.
One could never tell where the interest would flare most brightly. Here an aristocratic college in the heart of the blue-grass, there a four-year business college of a practical turn of mind, and again one of the state colleges, colored or white, would press the speaker to stay on for a day or two. It is to be regretted that this was never possible.
The race question came up occasionally, but never offensively. Mention on this basis of unity was always made in the lecture, but it seldom took the center of the stage in discussion. However, one young dean, a Negro of unusual thoughtfulness and charm, seemed doubtful of the wisdom of the uncompromising unity required in Bahá’í community life. When assured that Shoghi Effendi, and the Master before him, had upheld that pattern as the clearest demonstration that we could lead the world to peace, he said, “But don’t you think you might compromise a little because of organizations like the Ku Klux Klan?” One of our companions replied: “The speaker has said that this Faith is the Kingdom of God. If this is true, you cannot compromise it or divide it.” The dean became thoughtful and then said, “This Faith may be worth dying for.”
Publishing Announcements[edit]
The Publishing Committee calls attention to the following list of new titles, including The Bahá’í World, Vol. VIII.
The Bahá’í World, Vol. VIII, 1088 pages, with special Frontispieces and about 200 illustrations. See separate description of its contents. Publication date, February 16. Bound in cloth with gold title. Per copy .......................... $5.00
Bahá’í Procedure, revised edition. This compilation of the Guardian’s instructions and of procedures adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly has been completely revised. It contains new material not available when the work was originally prepared, the order of contents has been altered, and all material not representing definite rules of action has been eliminated. The size has also been changed. This revised edition has the same page size and appearance as Bahá’í Administration and The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. Contents: Part One, The Individual Believer; Part Two, The Local Spiritual Assembly; Part Three, National Spiritual Assembly; Part Four, Annual Convention; Part Five, Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the National Spiritual Assembly, By-Laws of a Local Spiritual Assembly.
Per copy, in fabrikoid ..........$1.00
Per copy, bound in paper ........$0.75
Three Spiritual Truths For a World Civilization, words of Bahá’u’lláh with explanation and application to current conditions taken from the Guardian’s World Order letters. 12-page leaflet for use as teaching literature. Temple illustration as frontispiece. Sold only in lots of 100. Per hundred copies. $2.00
Classification of Bahá’í Study Sources, by William Kenneth Christian. A list of all available Bahá’í texts in the English language, classified according to their source. A guide to the literature for all Bahá’í students. Paper pamphlet, eight pages. Per copy ................$0.10
Study Outline and Aids for The Advent of Divine Justice. Prepared by the Study Outline Committee, this Outline supplies for groups and study classes, as well as the isolated student, a method of using the Guardian’s The Advent of Divine Justice as a study text. The Outline contains 26 mimeographed pages, bound in heavy paper. Its arrangement includes: Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh to the Americas; formal outline of the text with page references for each subject; topical study; questions about matters arising from consideration of the text; references for further study; glossary. Per copy .................... $0.35
In Spanish
La Religion Mundial, translation of the Guardian’s World Religion. Sold only in lots of one hundred copies. Per hundred copies ....$1.50
Address orders to Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Ill.
Star of the West Back Number Wanted
The Publishing Committee needs copies of Star of the West, Vol. III, No. 1. Friends able to supply one or more of this issue are requested to communicate with the Committee at 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Ill.
Radio Exhibit for Convention[edit]
The National Radio Committee is planning an Exhibit for the Convention that all present may get an inclusive view of actual work done by all the Assemblies and Regional Committees of the United States and Canada, and their indomitable pioneers in far lands.
In order to make this exhibit a complete success, it will be necessary for each Assembly and every Regional Committee and every pioneer teacher to send in their information just as soon as possible to the Secretary of The National Radio Committee, Mrs. Wendell Bacon, Monson, Mass.
We shall need to have the call letters of each station used and their station folder, giving the radius covered by each station, as we intend to show the actual coverage of each station broadcast on a large map of the United States and Canada, together with others reaching South America, and broadcasts also given in South America through the efforts of our pioneers, that no single broadcast may be left out. Please give us your full support in this Exhibit, so that this map may be a truly inclusive bird’s eye view of our work.
The Bahá’í World Vol. VIII[edit]
The biennial international record whose contents are chosen and arranged by the Guardian has rapidly developed not only in its importance as the organ of the Bahá’í world commonwealth but also in the scope and variety of its contents.
The current issue, Volume VIII, covers the two-year period April 21, 1938 to April 20, 1940. It is the largest book yet to appear in the series, containing 1088 pages and 200 illustrations, including special frontispieces and also maps.
Only a few brief references can be made here to its impressive wealth of picture and of text.
The Frontispieces are: The Purest Branch, Monuments of the Mother and Brother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, letter from the late Dowager Queen Marie of Romania addressed to Shoghi Effendi. In Part One is found selections from the Bahá’í Sacred Writings, annual reports of the National Spiritual Assemblies, aims
Display of Temple Model in Florist Shop of Louise Bates, Beverly Hills, November, 1940
and purposes of the Faith, account
of the transfer of the remains of the
Brother and Mother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
to Mt. Carmel, the passing of Munirih
Khanum. Part Two, the World
Order of Bahá’u’lláh, with numerous
selections and documents, including
newly incorporated Assemblies, the
Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, Bahá’í Calendar
and Festivals, Youth Activities,
References to the Faith, In Memoriam
articles and photographs. Part
Three, Bahá’í Directory, bibliography,
with titles of publications
printed in 43 different languages.
Part Four, articles and reviews, music,
poems, contents of all previous
volumes, and maps.
The Guardian has said that The Bahá’í World is the best means by which the individual believer may keep abreast of the steady development of the Faith throughout the world. To pilgrims he has declared that it is one of the best mediums for teaching.
The price of the current volume, as reported in the Publishing Committee announcement, is actually less than the cost of each book.
It is hoped that plans can be made for placing a certain number of these books in important Libraries, giving review copies to newspapers and magazines, etc. Local Assemblies can assist greatly in arranging for the distribution of some copies in their city.
The friends will appreciate the unusual difficulties under which the Editorial Committee worked to secure the articles and illustrations from various parts of the world due to international conditions, and what a great proof and testimony of the power of the Cause has been created by the Guardian out of the material he has had available.
World Order Magazine[edit]
As we approach the Bahá’í new
year, March 21, the business department
of World Order (the Bahá’í
Magazine) is hopeful that the event
will be marked by a peak subscription
[Page 8]
enrollment bringing the magazine
within sight of its goal, to become
self-sustaining.
This would indeed be a glorious and inspiring accomplishment to the editorial department, contributing friends and Bahá’ís throughout the world.
Monthly visits of the magazine bring to its Bahá’í subscribers an ever broadening knowledge of Bahá’í teachings, most comforting to Bahá’ís and enlightening to non-Bahá’ís.
The yearly subscription rate continues at $1.50 for single individual subscriptions or, five or more yearly subscriptions, on one order may be enrolled at $1.25 each. Address: World Order Magazine, Subscription Department, 110 Linden avenue, Wilmette, Illinois.
Photographs—Ringstones[edit]
The Committee on Miscellaneous Materials, the appointment and function of which was announced two months ago, is pleased to make the following report:—
Steel engravings of the “smiling” photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are again available in an edition of about 200 copies. When these are gone the Committee is uncertain when another edition can be struck from the plate, as this engraving requires use of a special quality paper the manufacture of which has been suspended.
Each engraving is mailed in a special wrapping to assure safe delivery. Per copy, postpaid, $1.75.
A few Bahá’í ringstones are also available, at two prices, $2.50 and $3.25 each, depending on the size and quality of stone.
Address orders to H. E. Walrath, 4639 Beacon Street, Chicago, Ill.
Winter Session Louhelen Bahá’í[edit]
The Winter Session at the Louhelen Bahá’í School, December 26, 1941 through January 1, 1942, demonstrated the integrating force of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. The believers who gathered there from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Maryland, and Michigan centered their energies upon the propagation of the Bahá’í teachings. The power of attraction when believers stand shoulder to shoulder is great. Seekers from Flint came to the school. Some arrived at breakfast and stayed through until bedtime. This was the first Winter Session that we were unable to house all who wished to stay at night.
At the after-breakfast, devotions, the friends shared with each other treasures they had mined from Shoghi Effendi’s translations of the “Prayers and Meditations.” These led up to the forenoon focus upon the best ways of “Developing the Inner Life Through Prayer in Action,” with topics arranged by Mrs. Bertha H. Kirkpatrick and based on Gleanings From The Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and the Prayers and Meditations. The give and take of thought between Bahá’ís during these meetings further stimulated those who had come out to investigate the teachings.
This inspiration was augmented by the afternoon Forums, under the guidance of Mr. Frank Warner, who ably coordinated the developing thought surrounding the subject of “Bahá’í Understanding of World Conditions and Bahá’í Responsibilities.” The Promised Day Is Come and other letters of Shoghi Effendi, together with Foundations of World Unity, were the basis of study.
Twenty-six seekers gathered the opening night to hear the Bahá’í message from the lips of Mr. Warner. Speaking on the subject “Facing Facts Today,” on Tuesday, December 30, Mr. Warner spoke to the Flint Shrine at a luncheon meeting.
On Saturday afternoon, following the Forum, representatives from the Child Study Groups in nearby communities came to the school to hear Prof. Stanwood Cobb speak on “New Horizons for the Child.” Sunday afternoon found the group again devoting their time to a meeting oriented to the attraction of the public. More than fifty Bahá’ís and their friends heard Mr. Cobb, Miss Rafealita Hilario from Manila, Sr. A. Leao from Rio de Janeiro, and Mr. Frank Warner speak on different aspects of the “Oneness of the World of Humanity.” The audience responded with keen and intelligent questions that were most stimulating.
Cars full of inquirers drove in for the informal evening meetings, and light refreshments were served. The first evening was devoted to a demonstration fireside group; the next night Dr. Cobb told some of his famous stories; then at another, Mr. Warner chatted with us about his trip through fourteen European countries and showed pictures taken in the Holy Land; music and book reviews took up a fourth after dark program; the Nineteen Day Feast of Honor was celebrated on the 30th; and on the 31st, we had an old time stunt party that was knit together with reminiscences and songs.
One of the winter session students brought out the thought that “here is a spirit of deep consecration, of firm resolve, of staunch fearlessness, and of level-headed balance that is most invigorating;” and to the truth of this expression of the theme of the Louhelen Bahá’í School, all present concurred. Throughout the seven days we spent together, there was a warmth of companionship that gave us all an awareness of the protection of Bahá’u’lláh, and the ever-present guidance of our Guardian, whose prayers for us were answered in the opening of our minds and hearts, in the deepening of our sense of responsibility toward the spiritual democracy of which we are a part.
- LOUHELEN BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Green Acre[edit]
Special Notice
The friends are informed that the name “Green Acre Inn” was adopted for the building at Green Acre many years ago, before Green Acre became a Bahá’í institution, in fact even before Sarah J. Farmer initiated her great lecture seasons. Now that Green Acre is functioning as a Bahá’í School, the National Spiritual Assembly prefers to designate the property as “Green Acre Bahá’í School” dormitory, dining room, etc. There is also a legal reason involved, as Green Acre has recently been recognized by the Federal Treasury Department as a religious and educational institution not required to file the reports submitted by commercial hotels. Furthermore, by not conducting anything resembling a hotel or inn or public boarding house, the Green Acre Trustees will not become involved in litigation over claims for damages arising from accidents, etc.
The Bahá’í Schools are open not only to believers but to persons who wish to take the Bahá’í courses offered each season, but they are not public resorts of ordinary summer or winter vacation type.
Bahá’í Youth Bulletin[edit]
An issue of the Bahá’í Youth Bulletin is to appear early in February. Its contents include: Actions Today, by Ruhiyyih Khanum; Challenge and Opportunity, Winnifred Baker; The Guardian, Ruth Moffett; Teaching in the Colleges, Dorothy Baker; Youth in Paraguay, Elisabeth Cheney; Youth Notes; Symposium Outlines.
The subscription rate to Bahá’í Youth Bulletin is 40c per year, or four consecutive issues. Its function is to unify, coordinate and give expression to Bahá’í youth. The present number has special importance in supplying the material needed for the Youth Symposium, which has become such an important annual affair.
Send subscriptions to Robert A. Gaines, Business Manager, Brighton, Mich. Send articles and news items to Editor, Bahá’í Youth Bulletin, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Ill.
Inquiry About French Literature[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly requests believers who have Bahá’í books and pamphlets in French to send the titles of each to the National Bahá’í Office, 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, Ill. There is need of French literature in connection with teaching activities in both North and South America, and when the available texts are known and listed, arrangements can be made to reproduce certain texts by the photo-offset process directly from the printed pamphlet or book. Kindly report only the titles of such texts as are in clear type and on clean paper, as old books do not reproduce well by this method.
Library Committee Activities[edit]
The total number of books donated by this committee during the past three months is 239; these books were donated to 78 libraries, including 44 public libraries, 6 college and university libraries, 2 state libraries, 1 provincial library in Canada, the American Unitarian Association, a Veterans’ Hospital Library, 2 State Penitentiaries, and 20 army, naval and air-field libraries.
1. There is not much of interest to report for these past three months; however, it is encouraging to report
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Waukegan, Illinois, newly established April 21, 1940
the ready acceptance of our books by
the various types of army libraries,
including some Service Clubs. Camp
Stronach, established for Conscientious
Objectors, is the second important
camp of this type to accept
an ample supply of books. In Alaska,
five libraries accepted books: Fort
Richardson, 2 Naval Bases and 2
Army Defense Projects. The California
and Nevada Regional Teaching
Committee has been especially
active in army placements.
2. Several Assembly Library or Teaching Committees have reported that they are surveying library needs in their cities and are planning to place a basic book in their Branch libraries and that they are bringing the collections up-to-date in the Main Libraries.
3. The Librarian of the South Carolina State Penitentiary wrote that several of the men had been inquiring about the Bahá’í Faith. After books had been sent to that library, Mr. Norris, the librarian, wrote the following interesting letter: “Your book ‘Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era’ arrived to-day and I wish to thank you for such a very interesting book, and I’m sure that the men here also wish to thank you. It is really one of the most interesting books I have ever been fortunate enough to read. Since reading the book I agree with Miss Helen Keller whole-heartedly, and I wish you and the Bahá’í Faith all the luck in the world in these troubled times.” Our Committee seldom receives such a frank expression of appreciation from a librarian.
4. Miss Beryl Edgecombe of this committee has kindly supplied us with a copy of the American Library Association National Bulletin and the New York Library Directory which should be helpful in the library work and will assist us with library records and in determining the size and importance of public libraries to which books are sent.
Braille Committee[edit]
The Bahá’í Committee on Braille Transcriptions wishes to express its appreciation of the remarkable achievement of Mrs. Bahiyyih Valentine of New York City in completing the Braille Course and receiving a Certificate as Certified Braille Transcriber from the National Red Cross.
Mrs. Valentine writes that she has
attained the age of 86 years — she
has indeed proved the promise of
good found in Isaiah 40th chapter
and last verse:—“But they that
wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with
[Page 10]
wings as eagles; they shall run, and
not be weary; and they shall walk,
and not faint.”
We send greetings in the Greatest Name to Mrs. Valentine, and her blind teacher.
Local Assembly Letterheads[edit]
In Bahá’í Administration is a letter from the Guardian, which instructed the National Spiritual Assembly concerning the correct title or designation it should use on its letterhead.
The same instruction applies to the local Spiritual Assemblies in their field. As at present there is a wide variety of letterheads being used, the National Assembly wishes to point out that the title or designation of a local Assembly is its corporate name, and in this title all the words should be of the same size and style of type.
- For example:
- SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS
- OF CHICAGO
- Or:
- SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS
- OF CLOVERDALE TOWNSHIP
Before ordering a new supply of letterheads will each local Assembly kindly consider this explanation.
Records of Dissolved Assemblies[edit]
To assist in the preservation of the records of local Spiritual Assemblies, including Minutes, files of press clippings, programs, correspondence, etc., the National Spiritual Assembly has authorized the Archives Committee to provide for the keeping of the records of all dissolved Assemblies pending the restoration of the Assembly in each case.
The believers who have in their personal custody the records of a dissolved Assembly are requested to send the records to the National Bahá’í Office, 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, Ill., and the National Assembly will turn them over to the Archives Committee for custody.
It is understood that all such records pertaining to local communities are properly preserved by the local Assembly, and this plan has been adopted in view of the fact that authority and responsibility of an administrative nature no longer exist when the status has been altered, temporarily, to that of a group. A group, as the Guardian advised us recently, is not an administrative body.
Enrollments and Transfers[edit]
Los Angeles, seven. Chicago, four. Seattle, three. Cincinnati, two. Toronto, two. Washington, two and one youth. Buffalo, two. Oklahoma City, one and one youth. Kansas City, two. West Haven, one. Lima, one. Cleveland, one. San Diego, one. Binghamton, one.
Enrollment of isolated believers reported during January, seventeen.
In Memoriam[edit]
Grant, O my Lord, that they who have ascended unto Thee may repair unto Him Who is the most exalted Companion, and abide beneath the shadow of the Tabernacle of Thy majesty and the Sanctuary of Thy glory. —BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.
Mrs. Elizabeth K. Peters, Los Angeles.
Mrs. Clark Gable, Los Angeles.
Mrs. George Ostburg, West Quincy, Mass.
Mrs. Ida Watson, Chicago.
Bahá’í Directory[edit]
Additions and Revisions to February 6, 1942
COMMITTEES
Mrs. Charles Bishop, Secretary, International Bahá’í School. Address changed to 476 South Euclid Avenue, Pasadena, Calif.
ASSEMBLIES
Binghamton, New York. New Secretary appointed: Miss Ida Noyes, Corresponding Secretary, 43 Davis Street.
Bahá’í Calendar[edit]
Period of the Fast, nineteen days beginning March 2.
Feast of Naw-Ruz, March 21.
Nineteen Day Feasts: Dominion, February 7; Loftiness, March 2; Splendor, March 21.
Meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly: March 6, 7, 8 and 9, at Wilmette.
The Bahá’í World Community[edit]
Each bulletin and each letter arriving from a Bahá’í Assembly in some distant land has in these days become a cherished token of His Grace in raising up one body of believers among mankind, an undivided body of incorruptible oneness, immune to onslaught of prejudice and of fear.
From current correspondence is gathered the intensely interesting notes and reports reproduced here for the readers of Bahá’í News.
1. From Haifa News Letter
The Summer School report of the Bahá’í youth of Iran has been received by the Guardian. The report describes the work of the school during the second summer of its existence. It is an outstanding example of fruitful and praiseworthy Bahá’í activities in Persia.
The Summer School was held in Hadji Abad, forty kilometres outside Tihran. The period of study was divided into five sessions of ten days each. The program included morning and afternoon classes. The morning classes studied regularly the History of Nabil— “The Dawn-Breakers,” and “Some Answered Questions.” These classes were primarily for Bahá’í students who were receiving their education in high institutions of learning and who were desirous to prepare themselves for serving the Cause in the near future. In the afternoons, the meetings were in the form of conferences conducted by Bahá’í lecturers and educators. They dealt with Bahá’í subjects in general. Not only were these conferences instructive as a medium of interchange of ideas, but they proved to be socially valuable occasions for all believers to come together as one body and foster the spirit of Bahá’í fellowship and communion among all those present. A number of discussion groups conducted by old believers were also held and were very enlightening and helpful.
The recreational side of the Summer School was not neglected. Mountain climbing and other outdoor sports and outdoor games were organized and enjoyed by many.
There was also a special program arranged for younger Bahá’ís between five and fifteen years of age. This included a Kindergarten attached to the School.
We have also received the annual report of the National Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Egypt. After referring to the unsettled world conditions and their effect on Egypt and the believers there, the report states that towards the middle of last May, the Egyptian police confiscated from the press, where they were being printed, the Arabic translations of Nabil’s Narrative, “The Dawn-Breakers.” After many efforts by the National Assembly, the confiscated copies were released on condition that this book should not be distributed in Egypt or sent out of the country. The Censorship Bureau of the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior has requested the Assembly to renew their guarantee every fifteen days that the said book will not be put in circulation. The secretary of the Assembly is faithfully carrying out this request. Meanwhile, the Assembly is continuing its efforts to remove the ban on this famous book of the Bahá’í Faith.
The Guardian has also received the minutes of the Eleventh Convention of the Bahá’ís of Iraq. We learn from these minutes that seventeen Bahá’í representatives met in Baghdad on the 24th of April, 1941. Reports on Bahá’í activities in Iraq were read and discussed. The Bahá’í situation in various Bahá’í centers in the country—specially the condition of Bahá’í Assemblies in those places—was fully reviewed with the representatives at the Congress and measures were recommended for further progress and development of Bahá’í organizations there. The convention considered specially the importance of having a Bahá’í Guest House in Baghdad and recommended to the incoming National Spiritual Assembly the building of such a House so that it could be used by the believers passing through Iraq instead of their having to board in hotels. It was noted with pleasure and satisfaction that the number of Bahá’í travelers passing from Iran on their way to the Holy Land had increased lately. It was also recommended that efforts must be redoubled to acquire a plot of land in Baghdad for the purpose of having a private and independent cemetery for the Bahá’ís there. Towards the end of the meeting, the members of the new National Bahá’í Assembly for the coming year were elected.
The Bahá’í Summer School of India and Burma was held this year in Lahore from 15th to the 22nd of October. Dyal Singh Public Library Lecture Hall, which has seating arrangements for 80 persons was engaged for holding the classes. The morning sessions were devoted every day to the study of the Word of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá . . . The evening sessions were open to the public and a course of 6 lectures on Comparative Religion were delivered with a parallel course on Bahá’í topics such as the true significance of the Day of Judgment, the New World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, God and His Manifestations, and the History and Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith . . . Lectures on Hinduism, Buddhism and religions of China and Japan were delivered by Prof. Pritam Singh. The Religion of Zoroaster was dealt with by Mr. Isfandiar Bakhtiari and the Religion of Islam by Mr. Ilmi. The history and teachings of the Bahá’í Faith were taken up by Prof. Pritam Singh and Abbas Ali Butt.
Short appreciative notes on the Bahá’í Faith appeared in the Civil and Military Gazette of Lahore and a note on Bahá’í Summer Schools appeared in the Tribune.
News letters published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iran contain encouraging news of the believers in that land. In recent issues, which we have received with pleasure we have read the following items which will be of interest to the Friends throughout the West.
The flow of eager Iranian pilgrims to and from Haifa has imparted a new life to the gatherings and activities of friends in this country. The spiritual refreshment so abundantly manifest in their faces, the life-giving messages of encouragement that they convey from our Beloved Guardian and the glad-tidings that they bear to us of the divine order and regularity prevailing in the world’s spiritual centre, combine to give us strength to bear the brunt of what remains in store for all in the near future.
A class of a new type was recently inaugurated in Tihran by the Central Teaching Committee. It consists of an outline of condensed data necessary for an average Bahá’í teacher who may tour inside Iran. Four months of intensive teaching are required for the study of this course. Those who pass the examinations are to travel to places to be designated by the National Spiritual Assembly.
Mr. Meyvan reports progress from Isphahan on the work which is being done in the new cemetery for the remains of the twin-brother martyrs of Isphahan, Sultan and Mahbub-ul–Shuhada, and of the late Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler.
2. From Bahá’í Journal, London
“Rejoice safety, admire dauntless courage, marvel unquenchable spirit English believers. Sharing joyful news noble perseverance with pilgrims arriving in increasing numbers from Near and Middle East. All praying continued safety, extension activities, sore tried exemplary servants Faith Bahá’u’lláh throughout British Isles. Urge persistent efforts utilize utmost limit priceless spiritual opportunities present hour.”
Dear Friends:
Above is the cable which the Guardian sent to the Annual Convention, and it was in an atmosphere of joy and encouragement engendered by such an exhilarating message that the Convention began and continued. Over thirty believers, fourteen of them delegates, were present during all or some of the meetings, and the whole Convention was notable for its vitality and for the increasing unity among the friends. We can surely say this was the best one yet.
THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY[edit]
| Chairman . . . | MR. A. NORTON | ||
| Vice- Chairman. . . | MR. A. SUGAR | ||
| Secretary. . . | MISS D. CANSDALE | ||
| Assistant Secretary. . . | Miss A. E. BAXTER | ||
| Treasurer . . . | MR. A. NORTON | ||
| MR. H. M. BALYUZI | |||
| MRS. K. V. BROWN | |||
| MR. D. HOFMAN | |||
| Mrs. C. LANGDON-DAVIES | |||
| MR. P. WILKINSON |
During the Convention, the following
cable was sent to the Guardian:
“Convention radiant, record attendance, deeply grateful your message, resolves intensify teaching to achieve the greatest effort yet made British Isles. Deepest love.”
And two days after the end of the Convention came the following reply:
“Exhilarated resolution intensify teaching, admiration heightened, praying redoubled fervour.”
Surely nothing more can be said—it is deeds, not words, which are needed now.
The World Congress of Faiths held a series of lectures and discussions in London on “World Religions,” each Faith being given one of the sessions. The Bahá’í session was the last one, and aroused interest and comment. Through this an excellent contact was made with the National Adult School Union.
It was unfortunately necessary to abandon the plans for Summer School. This was a great loss, as we had come to anticipate the vivid and rich experience which it offers, and it was also an important part of our Teaching. Two week-ends were arranged, one in Nottingham and one in Orpington, which were attended by friends from other parts of the country, and these helped, in a small way, to make up for the major loss. The N.S.A. has determined to try to hold a Summer School for a week this year.
During the year an attempt was made to evacuate a number of Bahá’í children to America. The American friends, with characteristic generosity, offered hospitality to the children. It was unfortunate that after the work of the American N.S.A., which resulted in numbers of offers from the American believers, and after the work done on this side, the scheme should have fallen through, due to the difficulties faced by the Government. We wish, however, to record our gratitude to the American believers.
3. From Bahá’í Quarterly, Adelaide, South Australia
The Winter session of Yerrinbool Bahá’í School was held at “Bolton Place,” Yerrinbool, N.S.W., 14th to 20th June, 1941.
Our Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, has set as objectives of our Summer Schools: “To deepen the knowledge of the Cause; to strengthen the Unity of the Cause; to teach the Cause and prepare teachers; to attract new souls; to arouse enthusiasm for continued study at home; to widen acquaintance and friendship; to gain knowledge of other problems and find the light through consultation on our own; We think there was no one there who failed to inhale the fragrances that are diffused when sincere souls are gathered together in the name of Bahá’u’lláh or to feel the love that spreads from Unity in the love of God.”
Owing to the cold and short days of winter, study sessions were held in the afternoons from 2 to 5 p.m.
The opening of the school commenced on June 14th when the number of souls presents totalled 30, not counting the children of whom there were about nine. All present registered their names in the visitors’ book.
Picnic lunch was held outside under the trees on the long table, and the sun was shining brilliantly, which added to the enjoyment of the feast. After lunch, all gathered under the erected marquee for the opening, when Mrs. Bolton took the chair in the absence of the Chairman. After welcoming all present and reading telegrams of greeting from those unable to be present, Mrs. Bolton called upon Mrs. Hyde Dunn for the opening prayer and talk. Mrs. Hyde Dunn’s prayer and talk impressed very much all those present, and some very appropriate words were uttered.
The next speaker was Miss Margaret Rowling, whose subject was Bahá’í Administration. Miss Rowling very ably prefaced her reading from Bahá’í Procedure with an outline of the reason and wisdom for Administration being a necessary part of the Bahá’í Faith. She then read that portion dealing with Unity.
Mr. Cornwell read an article from the newspaper Sydney Morning Herald dated 14th June by Rhoda Astair entitled, “Reform and the Spirit,” which had a bearing on the New World Order. A short discussion took place, and the meeting closed with prayer.
Following is the Roster of Devotional Meetings:
June 14th Unity—Mrs. Hyde Dunn
- 15th Justice—Mrs. Hyde Dunn
- 16th Power—Mr. Cornwell
- 17th Wisdom and Understanding—Miss Gilbert.
- 18th Charity—Mrs. Chalker
- 19th The need of a Divine Educator—Mrs. Hall
- 20th Life after Death — Mrs. Bolton.
OFFICERS OF N.S.A.
The following have been elected for the current year:
Chairman: Mr. R. Brown
Vice-chairman: Mr. O. A. Whitaker
Secretary: Miss Hilda Brooks
Treasurer: Mrs. S. M. Jackman.
Dear friends and co-workers:
The war continues. The resultant strains and stresses become more tense and are reflected in the mental atmosphere of our daily lives. As Bahá’ís we must endeavour to counteract this by an intensified effort to express complete unity and harmony in our own ranks. Such harmony is an essential background of all successful effort and its achievement a concrete example of the possibility of a unified world.
The hearts of the Melbourne Bahá’í Group were gladdened and refreshed by the visit of Miss Hilda Brooks and Mrs. Hawthorne during April and June. Two lectures were arranged. The first took the form of a reception for which the Gold Room was engaged at the “Victoria.” Miss Brooks’ address on “Bahá’u’lláh and the New World Order” aroused deep interest with requests for literature on the Teachings. Supper was served and a pleasant hour followed. The second lecture was arranged when Miss Brooks and Mrs. Hawthorne passed through Melbourne on their return from Brisbane. This was an advertised public meeting at which 40 strangers were present. A well thought out address on “This New Age” was received with sympathetic attention by the audience. Quite a number stayed after the lecture to ask questions and request literature and further lectures. We feel greatly indebted to Miss Brooks and her very able helper, Mrs. Hawthorne, and extend our deepest thanks to both.
The N.S.A. is grateful to the
Melbourne friends for their co-operation
and their tireless efforts to assist
Miss Brooks in spreading the Glad
Tidings in Melbourne.
