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June, 1943
Bahá’í Era
| BAHÁ'Í |  |
NEWS |
Messages from Shoghi Effendi[edit]
1. To the Convention
An All-America Centennial Convention
I desire to announce to the elected representatives of the valiant, blessed, triumphant American Bahá’í Community assembled beneath the dome of the recently completed Mother Temple of the West on the occasion of the Convention inaugurating the hundredth year of the first Bahá’í Century, the momentous decision to convene, in May, 1944, an All-America Centennial Convention comprising delegates to be separately elected by each State and Province in the North American continent, and to which every Republic of Latin America may send one representative. All groups, all isolated believers, as well as all local communities already possessing Assemblies, will henceforth share in the election of Convention delegates. The multiplication of Bahá’í Centers and the remarkable increase in the number of groups and isolated believers, prompt my decision. The historic occasion of next year’s festivities, commemorating alike the Hundredth Anniversary of the birth of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh and the Fiftieth Anniversary of its establishment in the Western Hemisphere, and celebrating the completion of the exterior ornamentation of the first House of Worship in the Western World, imperatively demand it. Details of the project have already been mailed. I congratulate the best-beloved American believers, I share their joy and wish them Godspeed, confident of still greater victories as they forge ahead in the course of the second Bahá’í Century along the path leading them to their high destiny. I hope to forward, in time for the solemn thanksgiving service to be held in the auditorium of the Temple on the evening of May twenty-second, at the hour of His epoch-making Declaration, a sacred portrait of the Báb, the only copy ever sent out from the Holy Land, to be unveiled at the dedication ceremony and to repose for all time, together with Bahá’u’lláh’s blessed hair, beneath the dome of the Holy Edifice within the heart of the North American continent. SHOGHI RABBANI
Haifa, April 14, 1943
To Seal the Triumph
The eleventh hour for the Seven Year Plan has struck. The last twelve months of the first Bahá’í Century are opening. The exterior ornamentation of the mightiest structure yet reared to the glory of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has been consummated a year ahead of schedule. The Republics of Central and South America, originally expected each to establish no more than a single nucleus of resident believers already boast in the formation of ten Spiritual Assemblies. The hopes centering on the major tasks of the Plan have been amply fulfilled, nay, exceeded. Neither the convulsions of world catastrophic conflict from without nor the severity of the tests engendered by the Covenant-breakers from within have proved able to divert the American Bahá’í community from its chosen course or dim its radiant faith or deflect its high purpose. The one remaining task confronting it in the virgin areas of the North American continent demands one last, supreme effort to harness all available resources to achieve total victory. The hour requires all ranks of the faithful unitedly to arise, widely disperse, speedily settle, tirelessly persevere, unstintingly sacrifice and deservedly win the immortal prize to seal the triumph of the initial stage of the Plan bequeathed to the American believers by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá a quarter century ago. SHOGHI RABBANI
Received April 23, 1943
2. To the National Spiritual Assembly
Dear and valued co-workers:
The completion of the exterior ornamentation of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Wilmette, the most hallowed Temple ever to be erected by the followers of Bahá’u’lláh, and the crowning glory of the first Bahá’í century, is an event of unique and transcendental significance. Neither the first shriqu’l-Adhkár of the Bahá’í world, reared in the city of Ishqábád, nor any House of Worship to be raised in succeeding centuries, can claim to possess the vast, the immeasurable potentialities with which this Mother Temple of the West, established in the very heart of so enviable a continent, and whose foundationstone has been laid by the hand of the Center of the Covenant Himself, has been endowed. Conceived forty years ago by that little band of far-sighted and resolute disciples of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, members of the first Bahá’í community established in the Western Hemisphere; blessed and fostered by a vigilant Master Who directed its course from the hour of its inception to the last days of His life; supported by the spontaneous contributions of Bahá’ís poured in from the five continents of the globe, this noble, this mighty, this magnificent enterprise deserves to rank among the immortal epics, that have adorned the annals of the Apostolic Age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
The debt of gratitude owed by the
entire Bahá’í world to its
champion-builders is indeed immeasurable.
The admiration which this brilliant
exploit has evoked in the breasts of
countless followers of the Faith in
East and West knows no bounds.
The creative energies its completion
must unleash are incalculable. The
role it is destined to play in hastening
the emergence of the world order
of Bahá’u’lláh, now stirring in
the womb of this travailing age, cannot
as yet be fathomed. We stand
too close to so majestic, so lofty,
so radiant, so symbolic a monument
raised so heroically to the glory
of the Most Great Name, at so critical
a stage in human history, and at
so significant a spot in a continent so
richly endowed, to be able to visualize
the future glories which the consummation
[Page 2]
of this institution, this
harbinger of an as yet unborn civilization,
must in the fulness of time
disclose to the eyes of all mankind.
That so laborious, so meritorious an undertaking has been completed a year before its appointed time is a further cause for rejoicing and gratitude, and an added testimony to the vision, the resourcefulness, and enterprising spirit of the American believers.
No need, however, to dwell at length on their past achievements, remarkable and exemplary, though they have been, nor is this the time to expatiate on the superb spirit that has characterized their stewardship in the service of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Tasks of extreme urgency, of great magnitude, of the utmost significance await them in this concluding year of the first Bahá’í century, and at this hour of great peril, of stress and trial for all mankind. The sacred — the pressing, the inescapable teaching responsibilities assumed under the Seven Year Plan must be resolutely faced as befits those whose record has shed so brilliant a light on the annals of the first Bahá’í century. The consolidation of each and every nucleus formed so painstakingly in every republic of Central and South America, the formation of a Bahá’í Assembly in every virgin State and Province in the North American Continent, call for undivided attention, for further heroism, for a concerted, a persistent, a herculean effort on the part of the stalwart builders of that bounteous Edifice which posterity will recognize as the greatest shrine in the Western world.
Nor must the elaborate preparations in connection with the forth-coming celebration of the centenary of our glorious Faith be overlooked or neglected, if we would be fittingly consummate this first, this most fecund, century of the Bahá’í era. An unprecedented, a carefully conceived, efficiently co-ordinated, nation-wide campaign, aiming at the proclamation of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, through speeches, articles in the press, and radio broadcasts, should be promptly initiated and vigorously prosecuted. The universality of the Faith, its aims and purposes, episodes in its dramatic history, testimonials to its transforming power, and the character and distinguishing features of its World Order should be emphasized and explained to the general public, and particularly to eminent friends and leaders sympathetic to its cause, who should be approached and invited to participate in the celebrations. Lectures, conferences, banquets, special publications should, to whatever extent is practicable and according to the resources at the disposal of the believers, proclaim the character of this joyous Festival. An all-America Convention, at which representatives of Bahá’í centers in every Republic in Central and South America will be invited to participate, and to which, for the first time, all isolated believers, all groups, and all communities already possessing local Spiritual Assemblies will have the right to appoint delegates and to share in the election of the National Spiritual Assembly, will, moreover, have to be held to commemorate this epoch-making event. A dedication ceremony, in consonance with the solemnity of the occasion, and held beneath the dome of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, on the very day and at the very hour of the Báb’s historic Declaration, followed by a public session, consecrated to the memory of both the Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, should constitute the leading features of this historic Convention.
For it should be borne in mind that in the year 1944 we celebrate not only the termination of the first century of the Bahá’í Era, but also the centenary of the birth of the Bahá’í Dispensation, of the inception of the Bahá’í cycle, and of the birth of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and commemorate as well the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in the Western world.
No effort, nor any sacrifice can be deemed too great to insure the decisive, the brilliant success of the celebrations which this historic year, of such manifold significance, must witness. He Who in the past, has in diverse ways and on so many occasions, graciously and unfailingly guided, blessed and sustained the members of this privileged community will, no doubt, continue to aid and inspire them to carry to a victorious conclusion the unfinished tasks which still confront them, and will enable them to crown their labors in a manner that will befit their high destiny. SHOGHI
Haifa
March 28, 1943
Magnificent Victory
I acclaim magnificent victory in the teaching field during the course of the sixth year of the Seven Year Plan. I heartily congratulate the National Teaching Committee and feel proud of its high endeavors and of the self-sacrifice of the beloved pioneers. Abiding gratitude.
Received May 2nd, 1943.
My Fervent Prayers
I assure the members of the reelected Assembly my fervent prayers for unprecedented victories in the concluding year of the Bahá’í Century. I gratefully recognize their share in the magnificent achievements of recent years. Deepest love.
Message Received May 4, 1943.
The Teaching Work
Concerning the teaching work in
North, Central and South America,
the Guardian has already advised
you Assembly that the reconstitution
of the disbanded Assemblies in
the States and Provinces where a
Spiritual Assembly already exists
does not form an objective of the
Seven Year Plan. The friends should
concentrate on their goal which is
to have at least one Assembly in
every State and Province before
May of 1944, and at least one permanent
resident believer in every Republic
in Central and South America.
In view of this, special attention
should be paid to those Latin Republics
where the situation, from the
Bahá’í viewpoint of establishing the
Faith, is precarious. Every encouragement
should be given to those
volunteers who express a wish to
settle in virgin areas. Nor should
there be any delay in arranging for
their settlement — whatever their
qualifications they should, during
these crucial remaining months of
the first Bahá’í century, be sent out
to the places most urgently requiring
attention. Through further urgent
appeals for pioneers, through a
series of area conferences, through
special teaching circuits in the key
cities; through constant reminders
that the time is getting short; that
all volunteers will be acceptable,
and will be speedily dispatched to
the centers in most need, the success
of the Seven Year Plan must
be assured and the magnificent
undertaking launched by the American
Bahá’ís carried to a glorious consummation.
(From the Guardian,[Page 3]
through his secretary, March 28,
1943).
Letter from the National Spiritual Assembly[edit]
Beloved coworkers and friends:
In accordance with the law of the Bahá’í Dispensation, the local Spiritual Assemblies in all parts of our world community were renewed on April 21 during the days of Ridvan consecrated by the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh. Under the successive impulses of the Holy Spirit, which will never fail the faithful followers of Bahá’u’lláh, these potent and responsible Bahá’í institutions are annually given new life and new opportunity through the choice and decision of the friends.
Moreover, under that same divine law, the annual national gathering of the representatives of all the local communities has been held in the Foundation Hall of the completed Temple structure. Our activities, our plans and our policies, illumined by the light of guidance from the Guardian, have been lifted up into the heaven of consultation, transmuted into expressions of unity and cooperation, and vitalized by the creative will which moves us steadily forward to our spiritual goal. From that gathering, where the energies of achievement were generated, the spirit has penetrated to all the communities of America.
Now it is for us to reflect this spirit and fulfill our devotion in the completion of that mission entrusted to us as the most important work of the Cause in the fateful concluding years of the first Bahá’í Century. The Bahá’í year 100 calls for most intense effort, most radiant faith, most loyal cooperation. In return, it offers us blessings and privileges beyond our realization.
Our first duty is to extend a loving welcome and congratulation to the twenty-nine Spiritual Assemblies added to the American Bahá’í community on April 21. In them we see the assurance of victory, and in them we receive a great and surpassing reinforcement of our collective power.
The friends are asked to pray for the confirmation of these new Assemblies in their Bahá’í service, that they may possess unassailable strength and steadfastness, and grow continuously in their fulfillment of their high mission. To assist them in the exercise of their new duties and responsibilities, Bahá’í Procedure
Naw-Rúz gathering, Bahá’í Center, Los Angeles, 1943.
has been compiled and published,
and the new Assembly members
will find useful direction in
those passages appearing on pages
29 to 44 and 108 to 115 of the revised,
1942 edition. The local By-Laws
are binding upon all Assemblies,
whether or not legally incorporated.
The incoming National Spiritual Assembly has before it many constructive suggestions from the Convention and also from national committees. At the next meeting the main outlines of the work will be laid down in the year. In the Guardian’s two Convention messages, and in a letter received from him since the Convention, we have the great objectives of our Bahá’í effort clearly defined.
Annual Budget[edit]
| 1. Administration | $13,000 | ||
| 2. Loans | $20,000 | ||
| 3. Teaching, including budgets and projects for the NTC, RTC, IAC, Temple Program and Guilding, Race Unity, Radio, Bahá’í Schools, College Teaching, Teaching Literature, Publicity, Child Education, and all other activities contributing directly to the Teaching work. | $60,000 | ||
| 4. Temple | |||
| Sidewalk | $3,000 | ||
| Grounds | $1,000 | ||
| Acid wash steps, repair of pylons | $2,000 | ||
| Foundation Hall | $500 | ||
| Vault | $500 | ||
| Maintenance & Insurance | $8,500 | ||
| Interior designs. | $500 | $16,000 | |
| 5. Annual Convention | $2,000 | ||
| 6. Centennial | $9,000 | ||
| 7. Properties Maintenance | $10,000 | ||
| 8. Contingent | $5,000 | ||
| $135,000 |
The steady flow of contributions
to the National Fund throughout the
year will give each important activity
the reinforcement it needs for
successful completion within the allotted
time. The local Spiritual Assembly
cannot over-emphasize this
principle in consultation with the believers
at the Nineteen Day Feasts.
These are the successive occasions
provided us for consultation and unity
of spirit for national as well as
local undertakings. Let us make
these gatherings so radiant and inspiring
that no believer will be willing
to remain absent if physically
able to attend.
The believers serving in groups, and the isolated friends, can now arise for redoubled activity in gratitude for the blessing accorded them by the Guardian in his new plan, basing the Convention and the National Spiritual Assembly upon the universal franchise of Bahá’ís.
We have reached a great and decisive hour in the history of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. In our sacred union the vile and insidious attacks of the avowed enemies and Covenant-breakers produce no result. With the institutions, the experience, the devotion and enthusiasm developed by the American believers, we can establish a great spiritual foundation on which can arise for the whole world to behold the Bahá’í observance in May, 1944, of the Declaration of His Holiness the Báb.
Annual Election[edit]
The election held Friday, April 30, resulted in the following vote for members of the National Spiritual Assembly:
Horace Halley, 128; Louis G. Gregory, 124; Dorothy Baker, 120; Roy C. Wilhelm, 110; Allen B. McDaniel, 108; Amelia E. Collins, 106; Leroy Ioas 101; George O. Latimer, 89; Siegfried Schopflocher, 85.
These members met in the evening of April 30 and organized by the election of the following officers:
George O. Latimer, Chairman; Allen B. McDaniel, Vice Chairman; Horace Holley, Secretary; Louis G. Gregory, Recording Secretary; Roy C. Wilhelm, Treasurer; Siegfried Schopflocher, Assistant Treasurer.
Schedule of Meetings[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly has adopted a schedule of meetings which decreases the necessary travel of its members, but provides thirty full days of consultation—two more days than last year.
1943:
- May 2, 3, 4
- June 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
- September 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
- December 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
1944:
- February 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- April 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- May 19, 20
- Convention May 21, 22, 23, 24
New and Restored Assemblies Formed April 21, 1943[edit]
Brattleboro, Vermont. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Brookline, Massachusetts. Providence, Rhode Island. Red Bank, New Jersey, Wilmington, Delaware. Chevy Chase—Bethesda, Maryland. Charleston, West Virginia. Greensboro, North Carolina. Louisville, Kentucky. Birmingham, Alabama. Jackson, Mississippi. Little Rock, Arkansas. Fort Wayne, Indiana. Maywood, Illinois. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Topeka, Kansas. Denver, Colorado. Colorado Springs, Colorado. Albuquerque, New Mexico. Laramie, Wyoming. Boise, Idaho. Reno, Nevada. Alhambra, California. Burbank, California. Burlingame, California. Huntington Park, California. Edmonton, Alberta. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Supplementary Report[edit]
National Spiritual Assembly 1942-1943
In order to complete the survey of the year now ending, the National Spiritual Assembly offers these few observations and remarks.
Our groups and isolated Bahá’ís, with the assistance of pioneers and traveling teachers, and under the direction of their Regional Committees, have confirmed and enrolled 224 new believers during the year, as well as eight youths.
Mrs. Amelia E. Collins with Bahá’í Friends in Latin America.
From the local communities the
enrollments and transfers reported
for September were one hundred
forty-six, and beginning in October,
when reports and enrollments
were first published separately,
there have been one hundred and
thirty-four adult new Bahá’ís confirmed
and for the whole year a total
of fourteen youths. These figures indicate
a greater intensity of effort,
or more successful methods, employed
for teaching outside than inside
the organized communities. It
also reveals the fact that many of
the active and experienced workers
have transferred their gifts and interest
to the development of the unsettled areas.
Ways and means must be found to deepen the teaching efforts sustained by the local Spiritual Assemblies. Each Assembly is a laboratory of spiritual experiment where the determination to teach can be effectively encouraged and where policies, plans and methods can be developed in accordance with the conditions. The first teaching plan given us was that which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá outlined in a Tablet published many years ago calling upon each Bahá’í to bring in one new believer every year. That was the goal He set of the friends in Tihrán, beset by difficulties and restrictions never encountered here. Can our Assemblies, with teaching facilities offered by many National Committees, be satisfied with a lesser goal? The foundation of our spiritual health and the vigor which the believers of North America require to fulfil their world mission can only be sustained by the concentration of the whole body of believers upon the common task.
The most important outcome of the past year is the number of new
Assemblies which have been formed in unoccupied States and Provinces, or the former Assemblies which have been restored. More reports will doubtless come in, but up to the present date the communities brought into the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh include:
l. New England: Brattleboro, Vermont; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Brookline, Massachusetts: Providence, Rhode Island. The three unoccupied States in this region have been won for the Seven Year Plan.
2. Atlantic Coast: Red Bank, New Jersey; Wilmington, Delaware; Chevy Chase, Maryland; Charleston, West Virginia; Greensboro, North Carolina. Delaware, West Virginia and North Carolina are newly occupied States in this area.
3. South Central: Louisville, Kentucky; Birmingham, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; Little Rock, Arkansas. These Assemblies account for four more unoccupied States.
4. Central and Western: Fort Wayne, Indiana; Maywood, Illinois; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Topeka, Kansas; Denver, Colorado; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Laramie, Wyoming; Boise, Idaho; Reno, Nevada. The six newly occupied States in this great region represent a more important victory won by the pioneers, the Regional Teaching Committees and the National Teaching Committee.
5. Pacific Coast: Alhambra, California; Burbank, California; Burlingame, California; Huntington Park, California. In this State three former Assemblies have been restored.
6. Canada: Edmonton, Alberta. This Assembly removes one of the Provinces of Canada from the unoccupied list.
A year ago we reported that twenty States, three Provinces and the Territory of Alaska had to be settled by 1944. Now of these, sixteen States and one Province have unfurled the banner of the Most Great Peace.
The continent of North America,
dear friends, is swiftly being prepared
for its magnificent destiny. A
Bahá’í community has been arising
in these thirty–five years marked by
the Annual Conventions, which must
not only exemplify the application
of the Bahá’í Revelation to the lives
of a great company of believers, but[Page 5]
also develop power and force to roll
back the onslaughts of those who are
offended and threatened by the establishment
of justice and unity in
the world.
Under the dome of the beloved Temple we can realize as never before the gathering of this deep, calm and invincible power of faith. We can pledge ourselves to a fuller unity and a more active and continuous cooperation. We can extend loving welcome and spiritual congratulation to all these new communities; and we can resolve that during the seventh and last year of the Plan the remaining tasks will be fully done.
Our hearts can go forth, moreover, to the increasing company of Bahá’í coworkers in the other American Republics. For the multitudes of souls in those lands we are as trustees and agents of this World Faith. Through our sacrificial effort they are to be given the divine blessing of truth and freed from the darkness of superstition and ignorance. In them lie talents, capacities and faculties which, when confirmed in service will double and treble the powers we can now bring to the Cause. In their spiritual youth our enthusiasm can be renewed, as by our experience their efforts can be directed into the right paths. Enviable is the Bahá’í record of achievement on the part of the pioneers from North America, the groups and communities of native Bahá’ís formed in previous years, and the Inter-America Committee which has carried one of the greatest responsibilities assigned us under the Seven Year Plan.
No far away in spirit, but inaccessible to us by travel and personal contact, are the Bahá’í communities of the British Isles, Europe, North and South Africa, Palestine, ‘Iráq and ‘Iran, India and Burma, Australia and New Zealand, China and the Far East. Though much delayed, bulletins, news letters and other communications arrive from many centers in other lands, and the reality of a world faith exists unimpaired. Perhaps a notable part of the mission given our Bahá’í community will be achieved as a result of the unprecedented scattering of American youth to the ends of the earth under the pressure at military operations. For hundreds of years the world came to these shores, to form a new race. Now their descendants
Bahá’ís of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, gathered to welcome three new believers
(holding the cards of the greatest name).
return, and this dispersal
is no doubt a significant aspect of
the Divine Plan beyond our present
knowledge and outside our control.
In ‘Irán, the birthplace of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Dispensation, a great American
establishment is being developed.
Above and within these human
arrangements are the spiritual
forces working for the assured goal
and result made known to us in the
Bahá’í Writings. If we do our part,
we shall find the means to spiritual
victory already prepared.
This, the Thirty-Fifth Annual Convention, gathers in the Foundation Hall of a House of Worship completed at last in its superstructure and exterior ornamentation. No words are needed to release in our hearts the flood of gratitude and joy at having been endowed with the blessing of participation in the construction of this Temple of the World Faith. But we can resolve as we depart to share with other believers the radiance of this gathering, the inspiration that arises whenever a national meeting of Bahá’ís takes place.
There are, unquestionably, certain things still to be done in and around the Temple before it is entirely ready for the honor of the Bahá’í Centenary next year, and these final details are dependent upon the resources available in addition to what will be needed for the teaching work. The Foundation Hall is in need of renovation if not enlargement; and the grounds will not provide a suitable setting for the House of Worship until at least some simple and preliminary landscape gardening work is done.
As for the coming year, its special achievements will be along the lines which the Guardian in his messages to the Convention has laid down. But our concern and our resolve ere the sixth year pass into history might well be that the time has come for the American Bahá’ís to undertake the employment of larger public facilities as channels through which the Message may pour in greater volume to the public. How much longer is the daily voice of the radio to tell of everything else on earth except the Cause of God? What of the press, the encyclopedias, the text books, the works of modern history, the magazines? The conquest of these public facilities challenges us to a supremely height of teaching effort between now and May 23, 1944. Our unoccupied States and Provinces are not geographical units alone—they are also of the order of social and mental realms awaiting the coming of the pioneers and settlers who can use these public facilities in His Name and for His purpose.
Appreciation of Services of Convention Committee and Helpers[edit]
The annual gathering of the American
believers is made possible by a
vast amount of work done by the
[Page 6]
Committee and by other believers
who volunteer to assist. The arrangements
carried out this year were so
efficient and contributed so much to
the comfort of the friends and the
success of the meetings that the
delegates, the visitors and the members
of the NSA have all made
grateful acknowledgment.
The Committee members who served this year were: General Chairman, Edna True; Chairman of Housing Committee, Mrs. Mineola Hannen; Chairman of Meals Committee, Mrs. Harriet Hilpert; Chairman of Information Committee, John Haggard; Chairman of Devotions Committee, Mrs. Helen Hammond; Chairman of Ridvan Feast Committee, Mrs. Sarah Walrath; Chairman of Ridvan Feast Program Committee, Mrs. Corinne True.
With the kind cooperation of the local Ration Board, good, wholesome meals could be served at the close of each session by the efficient Food Committee under the Chairmanship of Mrs. Hilpert, ably assisted by Wyatt Cooper as chef, and by other workers, including Effie Lundberg, Mrs. Ettie Graeffe, Mrs. Sarah Walrath, Sophie Loeding, Mrs. Gertrude Henning, Mrs. Florence Gibson, Mrs. Mary Haggard, Mrs. Margaret Newman, Dr. Katherine True, Mrs. Helena O’Grady, Mrs. Doris Holley, Helen Hicks.
Inter-America News[edit]
The Bahá’ís of North America have participated in the radio program of the Salutations to the people of Latin America through the broadcasting of the following message:—
- TO THE PEOPLE OF LATIN AMERICA
- % PAN AMERICAN UNION
- WASHINGTON, D.C.
- % PAN AMERICAN UNION
“On this day (April 14) the twelfth
anniversary commemorating the birth
of the political, economic and spiritual
unity of the twenty-one Republics
of the American continent, the National
Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá’ís of the United States and
Canada sends sincere greetings to
Latin America with the earnest hope
that the continental solidarity and
understanding so far achieved will
become the cornerstone of a universal
and enduring peace, and
create power to assist with the hands
of justice, the broken-hearted, and
crush the great oppressors with the
forces of divine truth.”
First Bahá’í Youth Symposium, Havana,
Cuba, arranged by Miss Josephine Kruka.
Jamaica
We have recently received from Dr. King a beautiful Jamaican flag which will be displayed with those of the Latin American Republics, since Jamaica for the present comes within the stewardship of the Inter-America Committee. Dr. King is working assiduously and has had some very fine publicity.
Youth Symposium
The most encouraging reports are coming in about the observance of the Youth Symposium in Latin America. No doubt the National Youth Committee will have much to report about this, but it is also very gratifying to us that with the use of our address list they were able to reach the various centers in time and to have had word back. Great credit is due to Wilfrid Barton, who immediately offered to translate some of the important passages from the Guardian’s letters and send them to the different countries for use on that day. Now that this effort has been initiated we are sure that in all future years this splendid work will go on binding the young people closer and closer together.
Bolivia
Miss Hottes is a wonderful letter writer and keeps us informed of many interesting contacts that she is making. Recently a young woman whose father is a Protestant minister to the Aymara Indians has become interested in the Cause and very much touched by the beauty of the Bahá’í prayers. She has asked permission to translate some of them into the Aymara language so that she may give them to the Indians. Miss Hottes had showed her the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about the Indians and she is urging her father to look into the Cause. We recall that Mrs. Adler when in La Paz had interested a native Indian woman and sent us a beautiful photograph of her.
Haiti
Miss Lentz has been visiting the Blackwells and having a much needed vacation from her strenuous work in San Domingo. There is quite a large group in Port-au-Prince and they have been taught with what French literature could be procured. Mrs. Amédée Gibson of Los Angeles has made some very valuable typed copies of the Writings and they have been deeply appreciated.
Costa Rica
Always on the alert, San José writes that now they have interested a group in another city of Costa Rica and they are beginning a study class there; the city is in the Province of Alajuela. Mrs. Woolson writes that recently a group of thirteen from San José went there to hold a meeting and to visit with the ones who are interested. Alma Tica Magazine continues to publish exhaustive articles on the Faith written in Spanish by Mrs. Woolson, who is now very proficient.
Ecuador
Hans Döry, Secretary of Quito group, has sent in a wonderful report of the progress of the Faith in Ecuador. There are nine believers in Quito, but unfortunately one of them does not reach the age of twenty-one until July of this year. Then there are two believers in Guayaquil and one in the city of Ambato. John Stearns’ Radio program now will send forth a program purely Bahá’í and we shall watch with keen interest this courageous undertaking.
Panama
A fine example of cooperation is shown in the plan of Sr. Ulloa of Costa Rica who is going to Panama to assist the two pioneers there.
As space is limited we must confine our report to few notes, but the friends will be interested to know that we recently had a call from John Eichenauer, Jr., who has been inducted into the service and is hoping to be assigned to the Medical Corps.
Next month, God willing, we shall be able to announce the organization of several new Spiritual Assemblies. We hear that Bahia, Brazil, can now be reinstated as the nine is now complete.
Bahá’í Schools[edit]
Programs for 1943
1. GREEN ACRE
July 12-16 “What is the Bahá’í Faith?,” Curtis Kelsey; “Faith and Immortality,” Charles S. Krug.
July 19-23 “What is the Bahá’í Faith?,” Curtis Kelsey; “Faith and Immortality.” Charles S. Krug.
July 26-30 “Divine Justice,” Mrs. Ludmilla Bechtold; “Kitab-i-Iqán.” Louis G. Gregory.
Aug. 2-6 “Divine Justice,” Mrs. Ludmilla Bechtold; “The Gleanings.” F. St. G. Spendlove.
Aug. 9-13 “The Promised Day.” Mrs. Lorraine Welsh; “Presenting the Faith to the Public.” Philip Sprague.
Aug. 16-20 “The Promised Day.” Mrs. Lorraine Welsh; “Pattern for Future Society,” Dr. Glenn A. Shook.
Aug. 23-27 “The Most Great Peace,” Mrs. Helen Archambault; “The Islamic Background of the Bahá’í Faith,” Dr. Ali Kuli Khan, N.D.
Aug. 30-Sept. 3 “The Most Great Peace,” Mrs. Helen Archambault; “The Gathering of the Nations,” Horace Holley.
Sunday morning meetings will be arranged especially to attract the public. Interesting evening meetings are being prepared — to be announced later. Green Acre will be open for guests commencing July 3rd, although the School sessions will not begin until July 12th. Reservations should be made as soon as possible with Mrs. Flora Valentine, 158 Cabot Street, Portsmouth, N. H. After July 1, address Mrs. Valentine at Green Acre, Eliot, Maino.
2. GEYSERVILLE
(July 4-18)
MORNING CLASSES
“The Promised Day Is Come.” First week — “The First Hundred Years”; Second week — “Unfolding the Most Great Peace.”
The dawn of the spiritual and social foundations of universal peace during the last century. Contemporary peace plans contrasted to the program of Bahá’u’lláh; the evolving structure of World Order which His Teachings unfold.
“The Victory of the Spirit.” Two weeks planned to deepen our grasp of Bahá’u’lláh’s, basic spiritual Teachings, mankind’s only key to enduring victory.
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Springfield, Illinois, legally incorporated
April 1, 1943
AFTERNOON ROUND TABLE
“The Bahá’í Way of Life.” First
- week—“The Bahá’í in His Community”.
- Second week — “The Bahá’í in Society.”
Study and discussion, under the Big Tree, of Bahá’í responsibilities and service: (1) within the Administrative Order, and (2) through teaching opportunities which surround us all.
FOUR EVENINGS
“The Pioneer Front.” First week— “North America”; Second week— “Latin America.”
The thrilling progress of the Faith along the pioneer front, as seen by National and Inter–America Teaching Committees, with vital experiences and anecdotes shared by pioneers in person and through the mail.
For reservations write to: Miss Gladyce Linfoot, Secretary, 156 Nova Drive, Piedmont, California. Rates: Dormitory—two persons, one room $5.00 per week per person; dormitory upstairs or rooms in nearby houses $2.00 and up per week per person.
3. LOUHELEN
LABORATORY SESSION
(July 1-12, inclusive)
Mornings:—The Price of Fellowship,
- Miss Edna True; The Peoples of
- Latin America, Mrs. Lotte Graeffe.
Afternoons: — New Light in the
- World’s Bibles, Mrs. Maye Harvey
- Gift.
Evenings: — The Lesser Peace and the Most Great Peace. Forum.
Rates for Laboratory Session, per day, per person, single room, $2.50; double room, $2.10; dormitory, $1.65. (Including meals).
JUNIOR YOUTH SESSION
(July 14 to July 21, inclusive)
For Boys and Girls 12 to 15 years.
Mornings
Bahá’í Fundamentals — Creative
- Study — Music — Choral Speaking.
Afternoons
The Chosen Highway — Oral Expression —
- Arts and Crafts — Nature Lore.
Recreation Afternoons and Evenings
Teaching Staff
- Miss Cora Edge — Supervisor of Art.
- Grand Haven Schools; Mrs. Clinton
- Wideman—Public School Teacher, Detroit,
- Michigan; Mrs. Lotte Graeffe —
- International Traveler, Olivet, Michigan;
- Mrs. Ethelyn Adele LaBarge—Child
- Specialist, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Rates for Junior Youth
Session (including meals)
- Per day, per person ..............$1.50
- Youth rate for Youth only at
- Junior Youth Session.
MIDSUMMER SESSION (July 23 to August 3, inclusive)
The Power of Prayer
Rates for Midsummer Session
(including meals)
- Per day, per person, single room..$2.50
- Per day, per person, double room..$2.10
- Children, 12 years old and
- under, per day, per child ........$1.65
GENERAL SESSION
(August 5 to August 12, inclusive)
Mornings
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Divine Plan,
- Mr. Horace Holley; The Dawn Breakers,
- Miss Gretchen Westervelt.
Afternoons
- Gleanings from the Writings of
- Bahá’u’lláh, Mr. F. St. George
- Spendlove.
Evenings
- The Lesser Peace and the Most
- Great Peace, Forum.
Rates for General Session
(including meals)
- Per day, per person, single room..$2.50
- Per day, per person, double room..$2.10
- Per day, per person, dormitory....$1.65
YOUTH SESSION
(August 14 to August 20, inclusive)
Mornings
- Bahá’í Administration, Mr. Arnold
- Ketels; The Chosen Highway, Miss
- Gretchen Westervelt; Choral Singing,
- Miss Esther Wilson.
Afternoons
- Youth Forum, Mr. Edmund J. Miessler.
Evenings
- Recreation.
- Counsellors: Mr. and Mrs. Herbert
- Suhm, Miss Esther Wilson.
Rates for Youth Session
- Per day, per person (Inc. meals)..$1.50
- Youth rate for Youth only at Junior
- Youth Session.
All Sessions
- Alice Gertrude Kidder, D.O., will
- give a talk on “A Balanced Bahá’í
- Life, Body, Mind and Spirit.”
Please make your school and travel reservations early.
- LOUHELEN BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL
- 3208 South State Road (M-15)
- Davison, Michigan
4. WESTERN CANADA REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Rowland Estall, Regional Secretary, announces plans for a Summer Conference, combining intensive educational program with conference and a vocational atmosphere, to be held in Moose Mountain Provincial Park, Saskatchewan, July 18-24. Accommodations will be in the Chalet, single or double rooms or cabins. A week’s stay will cost about $8.00 to $10.00 per person, with meals at reasonable rates additional.
For reservations and further details, address Rowland Estall, Secretary, P.O. Box 121, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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On Sunday, May 30, the Memorial to May Maxwell will be dedicated by the Bahá’ís of Buenos Aires at Quilmes Cemetery in behalf of all the believers of North and South America. Illustrations of the completed monument are on their way and when received will be reproduced on BAHÁ’Í NEWS. On May 30 may all of us set aside time for prayer and meditation that we may be associated in spirit with the gathering called to honor one whose martyrdom has been a sacrifice consecrating the Inter-America teaching work. |
In Memoriam[edit]
“I testify, O my Lord, that Thou hast enjoined upon men to honor their guest, and he that hath ascended unto Thee hath verily reached Thee and attained Thy Presence. Deal with him then according to Thy grace and bounty!”—‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ.
Mrs. Emma L. Hinman, New Haven.
Mrs. Lela D. Kos, Chicago.
Mr. Louis Farrell, Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Bahá’í Calendar[edit]
Nineteen Day Feasts: Grandeur, May 17; Light, June 5; Mercy, June 24.
Declaration of the Báb: May 23, (Two hours and 11 minutes after sunset, May 22.)
Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh: May 29. (At 3:00 A.M., standard time.)
Meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly: June 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, at Wilmette.
Commemoration of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Thirty-first Annual Gathering: June 26 at Evergreen Cabin, West Englewood.
Summer School Sessions: see special announcement.
Bahá’í Directory[edit]
Regional Teaching Committee, State of New York: Ida Noyes, 43 Davis Street, Binghamton, appointed Secretary. Wm. Kenneth Christian unable to serve.
Enrollments and Transfers[edit]
Enrollment of new believers reported by local Assemblies:
Montclair, one. Los Angeles, one. New Orleans, one. Vancouver, one. Shorewood, one. Oklahoma City one. Peoria, two. Beverly, one. Montreal, one. Santa Barbara, three. St. Paul, one. Greensboro, one. Jacksonville, one. Springfield, Ill., one. Milwaukee, one youth.
Enrollments by transfer reported by local Assemblies:
Milwaukee, two. Washington, four. New Orleans, three. Peoria, one. Beverly Hills, two. Glendale, one. Los Angeles, one. Indianapolis, one.
Enrollment of isolated believers in April—thirty-one.
Committee Budgets[edit]
National Committees having budgets from the National Fund are requested to account to the Treasurer for any unexpended budget items on hand at the end of the committee term of office, June 30.
The Báb’s Address to Letters of the Living[edit]
“O My beloved friends! You are the bearers of the name of God in this Day. You have been chosen as the repositories of His mystery. It behooves each one of you to manifest the attributes of God, and to exemplify by your deeds and words the signs of His righteousness, His power and glory. The very members of your body must bear witness to the loftiness of your purpose, the integrity of your life, the reality of your faith, and the exalted character of your devotion. For verily I say, this is the Day spoken of by God in His Book . . . Such must be the purity of your character and the degree of your renunciation, that the people of the earth may through you recognize and be drawn closer to the heavenly Father Who is the Source of purity and grace.” (The Dawn-Breakers, page 92)
Corrections[edit]
Bahá’í News of March, 1943, reproduced on page 7 a photograph attributed to a Temple model display in Halliburton Building, Phoenix, Arizona. The Halliburton Building is in Los Angeles and is the address of the local Spiritual Assembly and Bahá’í Center.
The Annual Report of the Contacts Committee, 1942-1943, in connection with the activities of Mrs. George R. True stated “no record.” The Committee wishes to change this to read that approximately 385 letters were mailed by Mrs. True as a member of the Contacts Committee.
