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| No. 357 | BAHA’I YEAR 117 | DECEMBER, 1960 |
Hands of Cause, Meeting in Holy Land, Call Believers To Glorious Action in Final Phase of Ten-Year Crusade[edit]
Dearly beloved Friends:
Fully aware of the fact that the destinies of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh for decades to come hinge upon the actions which must be taken during the coming twelve months, the Hands of the Cause of God, meeting in Bahjí in the precincts of the Most Holy Shrine, at their fourth annual gathering held since the passing of our beloved Guardian, have considered those measures necessary to enable us to attain the goals of this divinely-inspired, globe-encircling Crusade. After joining the Bahá’ís of the entire World in supplication for the victory of the Ten-Year Plan, after sixteen days of profound and exhaustive consultation, we are now in a position to share with our fellow-believers the nature of the tasks facing us and the plans formulated to insure their achievement.
The unprecendented global victories which thrilled and uplifted the hearts oi the believers everywhere last Riḍván are gathering momentum as this holy crusade approaches its end. The world-wide Bahá’í Community, faced by yet another severe test during the past year, has risen to new heights of accomplishment. The evidences of the watchful protection of the twin Founders of our Faith and the assistance of the Supreme Concourse, promised to all those who arise to promote it, are to be seen on every side. we now stand on the threshold of one of the most significant and critical moments in our history, fraught with golden opportunities, demanding tremendous self-sacrifice.
Recount Victories of Ten-Year Crusade[edit]
Our beloved Guardian led us, year after year, along
the most arduous paths, to victories which, to the people of the world, must have appeared impossible of
achievement. Yet victory was ours at every step of the
way. Before we muster our strength for the tasks that
lie immediately ahead, let us (or a moment contemplate what has already been accomplished by the followers of Bahá’u’lláh since the inception of the Ten-Year Plan: The banner of the Faith has been unfurled
in the astounding number of two hundred and fifty-six
countries of the globe; the Mother Temples of both
Africa and Australia are to all intents and purposes
completed; at long last the soil has been turned on the
site of the Mother Temple of the European continent
and its cornerstone will be laid this month—just three
years after the passing or our most beloved Guardian,
an event which culminates seven years of heart-breaking effort to secure a property where permission to
build could finally be obtained, and which marks another great victory of the Cause of God over the consistent opposition of certain ecclesiastical elements.
Well nigh three thousand pioneers have left their homes
since 1953 and scattered over the face of the planet, to
the barren lands of the World, to regions Within the
Arctic Circle, to distant deserts and lonely islands, to
populous cities and jungle villages. Heroes and martyrs, individuals drawn from every stratum of society,
old people and young children, representatives of not
only the Asiatic and European civilizations, but Africans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and Eskimos, have swelled the ranks of pioneers, each in his
own way and in his own part of the world, contributing
to this glorious testimonial of belief in the Manifestation of God in this day. The initial evidences of that
great wave of mass conversion which must sweep the
planet have been seen through the enrollment, since
the inception of the crusade, amongst the Africans,
the people of Indonesia, and the Indians of South America, of over 30,000 believers, almost 20,000 of whom
have embraced the Faith since the passing of the beloved of our hearts; the centers where believers reside
have been more than doubled since 1953; hundreds of
new spiritual assemblies have been formed; schools
opened and run by Bahá’ís have been multiplied, not
only in the Pacific area and in Africa, but more recently in India and in Latin America; the first dependency of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Wilmette—harbinger
Of the great cultural and humanitarian centers that
will cluster about Bahá’í Houses of Worship in the
future—has been completed. And last but not least,
the spiritual assemblies specified by the beloved Guar[Page 2]
dian for Latin America have been elected and upon
this firm foundation can now be erected next Riḍván
the twenty-one new pillars of the Universal House of
Justice. All these are but a part of the tremendous
victories won for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh by His small
band of devoted, heroic followers in less than eight
years.
Hands Must Operate on Global Scale[edit]
The Crusade has reached the point where the Hands of the Cause can no longer operate on a regional basis alone, but must render their services on a global scale. This indeed seems the next step in the “development,” as the beloved Guardian wrote, “of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause” which he, in his great wisdom, made an objective of the Ten—Year Plan and which he elaborated upon increasingly during the last years of his life, particularly stressing it in his message of June 4, 1957, and in the very last communication he sent to the Bahá’í world on the eve of his passing. So great and so crushing are the responsibilities which have fallen upon the Hands since his passing, so increasingly vast the field in which they are called upon to serve, that it is no longer possible to confine their activities to a specific region. The answer to this problem seems to be more traveling on their part, and the concentration of their forces on those places where the need is greatest.
The passing of our dear co-worker Horace Holley has left us without a ninth member of the body of the Hands serving in the Holy Land. In order to fill this vacancy, far-reaching changes have been made in the disposition of the Hands in such a way as to not only protect the World Center, but also serve the best interests of the continental work in various parts of the globe. William Sears has been chosen to replace Horace Holley at the World Center; John Robarts is returning to the Western Hemisphere, his original home, in order to ensure that the vital work in the Americas receives adequate support at this time. Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir is being transferred to Africa, with the understanding he will spend some months of each year traveling and teaching in his former area.
Stress Importance of Auxiliary Boards[edit]
The Auxiliary Board members, mindful of the words of the Guardian concerning their functions as “deputies, assistants, and advisers of the Hands,” and remembering the conspicuous part they have already played in winning the resounding victories of the Crusade, henceforth should concentrate their forces, as we approach the pinnacle of achievement, on the specific tasks given them, namely teaching and protecting the Faith.
The significance and the vital importance of the proper relationship between the Institution of the Hands, with its Boards, and the national spiritual assemblies with their committees, was set forth in most pregnant terms by Shoghi Effendi in one of his last messages: “Call upon Hands and National Assemblies, each continent separately, to establish henceforth direct contact and deliberate, whenever feasible, as frequently as possible, to exchange reports to be submitted by their respective Auxiliary Boards and national committees, to exercise unrelaxing vigilance and carry out unflinchingly their sacred, inescapable duties. The security of our precious Faith, the preservation of the spiritual health of the Bahá’í communities, the vitality of the faith of its individual members, the proper functioning of its laboriously erected institutions, the fruition of its worldwide enterprises, the fulfilment of its ultimate destiny, all are directly dependent upon the befitting discharge of the weighty responsibilities now resting upon the members of these two institutions. . . .”
Our strength has always lain in obedience to the commands of the Center of the Covenant; if the Hands and their Boards, the national assemblies and their committees, each functioning in the field delineated for it by the Guardian, will cooperate to the full extent implied in his above Words, great spiritual powers will be released and a tremendous new impetus be given to the work of the Crusade in all its aspects.
Guardian’s Command Calls for Unaqualled Efforts[edit]
The opportunities that call us to swift and sustained action in the teaching field are unique, infinitely precious, immeasurably glorious. In these fast-fleeting months which lie ahead of us, we have to match the magnitude and the challenge of our beloved Guardian’: command with an effort unequalled in Bahá’í history, for this, the fourth and last phase of his world-encircling Crusade, he has told us “must be immortalized by an unprecendented increase in the number of avowed supporters of the Faith in all the continents of the globe, of every race, clime, creed, and color, and from every stratum of present day society.”
The Manifestation of God Himself has said: “Teach ye the Cause of God, O people of Bahá, for God hath prescribed unto everyone the duty of proclaiming His Message, and regardeth it as the most meritorious of all deeds.” No one can afford to ignore this command. “Of all the gifts of God,” wrote the beloved Master in His Will and Testament, “the greatest is the gift of teaching. It draweth unto us the Grace of God and is our first obligation. Of such a gift, how can we deprive ourselves? Nay, our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as it sacrifice for the Abhá Beauty and teach the Cause of God.” Bahá’u’lláh Himself indicated the path every believer must follow when He revealed these words: “Whoso is worthy of so high a calling, let him arise and promote it. Whoso is unable ,it is his duty to appoint him who will, in his stead, proclaim this Revelation, whose power caused the foundations of the mightiest structures to quake, every mountain to be crushed into dust, and every soul to be dumbfounded.” The urgent need of the present hour necessitates not only an immediate upsurge of individual action, but also the reorientation of all the administrative agencies of our Faith towards the supreme obligation of spreading the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, and the exertion on their part of a maximum effort in the teaching field. As the travels and movements of teachers engaged in awakening the masses increase and multiply, blessings will correspondingly flow. To this the Master Himself bore witness. Time is short
(Continued on page 4)
African Temple Nears Completion
At the time this photograph was taken, in October 1960, interior details of the Bahá’í House of Worship at Kampala, Uganda, were being completed, including the installation of large glass windows and colored glass for the grills. Landscaping of the grounds will not be completed by the time of the dedication ceremonies on January 14, 1961, but the work is proceeding. An outstanding feature of this House of Worship is the superb view of the countryside to be seen from the Temple.
and hurculean the task, but the promise of the Blessed Perfection rings in our hearts and fortifies our resolve: “Whoso openeth his lips in this day, and maketh mention of the name of his Lord, the hosts of Divine inspiration shall descend upon him from the heaven of My Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. On him shall also descend the Concourse on high, each bearing aloft a chalice of pure light.”
Hands of Faith Plan Extensive Travels[edit]
In connection with the tremendous task of forming twenty-one new national spiritual assemblies, assisting the teaching work in those countries where many goals of the homefront still remain to be won, and furthering the process of mass conversion so dear to the Guardian’s heart, the Hands of the Faith have planned extensive travels during the coming months in order to aid and stimulate the worldwide activities of the Faith to the greatest possible extent.
‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum will attend the dedication of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár at Kampala, the Mother Temple of Africa, in January, and visit various areas in that continent where mass conversion is taking place; she likewise plans to be present at the dedication of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Sydney, the Mother Temple of the Antipodes, which will be held next September, meeting the friends in Australia and New Zealand, as well as certain centers in Southeast Asia. Amelia Collins will lay the cornerstone of the Mother Temple of Europe, during this present month, in Frankfurt. Taráẓu’lláh Samandarí will shortly leave for a prolonged tour of Pákistán, India, Burma, and Ceylon to assist the work in those countries. Leroy Ioas will visit centers in Europe during the summer months.
On the occasion of the formation next Riḍván of the largest number of national assemblies to be elected at one time during any period of Bahá’í history, eleven Hands of the Cause, pursuant with the policy of the beloved Guardian, will attend the sessions of the different Conventions as follows: Hermann Grossmann in Argentina and Chile; Ramatu’lláh Muhájir in Paraguay and Bolivia; Hasan Balyuzi in Peru and Ecuador: Shu’a’u’llah ‘Ala’i in Venezuela and Colombia; Ugo Giachery in the Dominican Republic and Haiti: Enoch Olinga in Jamaica and Cuba; Dhikru’lláh Khádem in Panama and Costa Rica; John Robarts in Nicaragua and Honduras; William Sears in El Salvador and Guatemala; Paul Haney in Mexico and also in Wilmette; ‘Ali-Akbar Furútan in Brazil and Uruguay.
These Hands of the Cause, in addition to spending some time in each of the twenty-one countries where these historic gatherings are being held will, as the occasion permits, make a point of visiting not only the goal countries of Europe, but also the homefronts in Britain and Germany, the United States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Alaska and certain islands of the Pacific. Enoch Olinga will travel for four months in the Greater Antilles and Central America. Ramatu‘lláh Muhájir will travel across Africa, and later make a prolonged tour among the Bolivian Indians.
One of the most significant events during this coming Riḍván period will take place when the national spiritual assemblies of the Bahá’í world elect the International Bahá’í Council. We shall witness, for the first time in the history of the Faith, an election on a global scale, and the hearts of the believers will echo the words of the beloved Guardian at the time when he appointed the first International Bahá’í Council: “Hail with thankful, joyous hearts” this historic moment. This Council which the beloved Guardian characterized as the “most significant milestone” in the evolution of the Administrative Order since the Master's passing will now undergo, in his own words its “transformation into a duly elected body;” it will be international in character, and have its headquarters at the World Center of the Faith. In addition to those functions which were announced last year, it will be given certain administrative duties to discharge in facilitating the work at the World Center in relation to national assemblies abroad. It would be well for the believers, pondering at this time the importance of the step that is being taken through this election, to bear in mind that however significant this first universally elected body may be, it must never be compared with that supreme body upon which we are promised the Twin Manifestations of God will confer infallibility in the discharge of those duties ordained for it in the holy text.
Tremendous, United Effort Required[edit]
In considering the immediate needs of this Faith so
infinitely dear to all our hearts, it has become evident
that from now until the end of the Crusade in Riḍván
1963, not only a tremendous, united effort on all fronts
is going to be required, but above all a great self-sacrificing outpouring of our material substance. The
cost of erecting the Mother Temple of Europe, enshrined in the heart of that continent which is the
cradle of western civilization, has increased, since the
beloved Guardian approved its design, between thirty
and forty percent, owing to steadily rising prices in
Germany. Because of this it has become imperative
in order to prevent a still greater increase in cost, to
purchase all the raw materials at the present time
and to ensure that neither delay in commencing building operations nor any interruption in the construction of the superstructure takes place. This means
that in a period of one year the funds of the Faith are
being called upon to provide the major expense involved in its erection. The Hands of the Cause, mindful
that Shoghi Effendi pledged a third of the estimated
sum of one million dollars for the three historic temples
to be forever associated with the worldwide labors of
the followers of Bahá’u’lláh during the Ten-Year Plan,
will provide the remainder of his pledge still to be
paid for this purpose. In addition to the urgent demands being made upon the resources of the Faith
in this connection, it must be borne in mind that the
vanguard of valiant pioneers, who in many places
form the backbone of the existing local assemblies in
Latin America and the nucleus of those which must
be formed this year in eleven European countries,
must at all costs be enabled to remain at their posts.
To withdraw any of these forces at this time from
strategic areas would be disastrous and might place
in jeopardy those national assemblies so soon to act
as pillars of the Universal House of Justice. The In[Page 5]
ternational Bahá’í Council, fulfilling yet another stage
in its evolution and efflorescence into the Universal
House of Justice, must be elected and means be provided for at least a quorum of its members to function
in Haifa. In addition to this the World Center, the
heart and nerve center of the Faith, its holy Shrines
and institutions, its multiple properties and magnificent
gardens, must be maintained and preserved for posterity.
Each Believer Has His Responsibility[edit]
To not present this picture of our obligations and needs, our responsibilities, and the mighty challenge confronting us, to our fellow-believers, would we feel be neither fair nor realistic. However great the burden resting on our shoulders as Chief Stewards of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World Commonwealth, it does not rest on us alone; each and every believer has his or her own responsibility towards the Cause of God, each one of us, in differing degrees but in universal measure, is called upon to bring a personal sacrifice to the altar of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh at this time. We know that it is indeed spiritually far more important for each believer to give a token offering than for those more blessed with material means to carry the brunt of the burden alone. It is our ardent hope that our Bahá’í brothers and sisters in Africa and the Pacific area, in the Andes, in the jungles and the deserts, on the Indian reservations of North America, in distant wastelands, and the regions of the Arctic Circle will, as a symbol of our great brotherhood and our unity under the Banner of the Blessed Perfection, likewise con
The first believers from the Maew tribe to accept the
Faith in Luang Prabang, North Loos, where there is
an assembly.
tribute regularly, if only one penny, to further the
achievement of the remaining goals of our beloved
Guardian’s Crusade and to enable us to win a victory
in 1963 such as has never been recorded in the annals
of any religion in the memory of man. We call upon
all the friends to join in a year of austerity and self-sacrifice. The opportunity to render unique service has been offered to this generation at this time. It will
never come again in this Dispensation. The final and
crowning service of our Guardian’s life was this Holy
Crusade he left to us as a priceless legacy. To win it
is our infinite privilege, our greatest blessing in this
world and in the world to come.
Divine Promises Are Being Fulfilled[edit]
In ever greater measure the promises of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are being fulfilled. The specific goals set by our Guardian are being realized, one by one, with unbelievable rapidity. The assurance given us in our teachings that every test releases forces latent with new victories is being demonstrated before our very eyes. This world-girdling Crusade. the essential object of which is no less than the spiritualization of the entire planet, is now gathering the final momentum necessary to carry it forward in one stupendous surge to a resounding victory on all fronts.
If ever a year of glorious enterprise has faced the Community of the Most Great Name, it is this year. We can look back in pride upon a steadily mounting, uninterrupted tide of victories unequalled since the days of the Heroic Age of our Faith. We can look forward with hope and confidence to the tremendous achievements that lie ahead of us during the coming twelve months. These recent victories, these future achievements, are the fruit of the labors of our dearly-beloved Guardian. His was the hand that sowed the seeds, and in his name the harvest will be gathered in.
Let us remember the promise Shoghi Effendi himself gave us: “The All-Conquering potency of the grace of God, vouchsafed by Bahá’u’lláh, will, undoubtedly, mysteriously and surprisingly, enable whosoever arises to champion His Cause to win complete and total victory.”
In the service of the beloved Guardian,
Rúḥíyyih
Amelia Collins
Leroy Ioas
Shu’á’u’lláh ‘Alá’í
Ugo Giachery
Adelbert Mühlschlegel
‘Ali Muhamad Varqá
Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir
H. Collis Featherstone
Paul E. Haney
A. Q. Faizi
Herrmann Grossrnann
A. Furútan
Dhikru’lláh Khádem
William Sears
John Robarts
John Ferraby
Jalál Kházeh
Enoch Olinga
Agnes B. Alexander
Tarágẓu’lláh Samandarí
Musa Banání
Hasan Balyuzi
Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh
Bahjí, ‘Akká, Israel
November 2, 1960
Hands of Faith Reaffirm Provisions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will, Demolish Spurious Claims to Guardianship of Mason Remey[edit]
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
In view of the proclamation issued by Mason Remey in which he claims to be the second guardian of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, and the present circulation of what he calls encyclical letters, as well as various letters being written by his misguided supporters, the Hands of the Cause feel it imperative to place before the believers certain facts and passages from the sacred Writings of our Faith in refutation of these spurious and highly misleading statements.
Mason Remey has had the temerity to assert that the beloved Guardian of the Cause appointed him during his own lifetime as his successor. He builds up his claim by saying that because he was appointed President of the first International Bahá’í Council, be becomes automatically the President of the elected International Bahá’í Council, and later, on its election, Chairman of the Universal House of Justice. To quote his own argument:
“He who is President of the Universal House of Justice is the Guardian of the Faith, for he who is the Guardian of the Faith is President of the Universal House of Justice. These two offices are one and the same. Therefore, when the beloved Guardian Shoghi Effendi appointed me President of the Bahá’í International Council, that he explained was the forerunner of the Universal House of Justice that was the embryonic Universal House of Justice that would eventually develop into the Universal House of Justice. I or one of my successors in Guardianship would be President of this divinely-instituted infallible body, the Universal House of Justice; therefore the Guardianship of the Bahá’í Faith and the Presidency of the Universal House of Justice are one and the same position in the Faith.”
The first Ibans (Sea Dayaks), natives of Sarawak,
to join the Faith in Brunei, British North Borneo.
Will Provides Conditions for Guardianship[edit]
This contention requires a careful study of the Words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Will and Testament, because this sacred document sets forth the conditions requisite for Guardianship in no uncertain terms. We must never forget for a moment that it was the Master Who established the Station of the Guardianship; and in fact appointed the successor of Shoghi Effendi, as between Shoghi Effendi’s first-born, or another branch, (Ghosn).
In the Will He clearly states:
“He is the expounder of the Words of God and after him will succeed the first—born of his lineal descendants.”
“It is incumbent upon the guardian of the Cause of God to appoint in his own life-time him that shall become his successor, that differences may not arise after his passing. He that is appointed must manifest in himself detachment from all worldly things, must be the essence of purity, must show in himself the fear of God, knowledge, wisdom, and learning. Thus, should the first-born of the guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words: ‘the child is the secret essence of its sire,’ that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to succeed him.”
It has become clear during the past months that lack of knowledge of the meaning of the word “branch” as used in the Master’s Will and Testament has led to great confusion in certain quarters in the West.
The word “Ghosn” (plural “Aghsán”) is an Arabic word, meaning branch.
Bahá’u’lláh Designated Male Descendants[edit]
Bahá’u’lláh used this word specifically to designate
his own male descendants. It does not apply to any[Page 7]
other category of people. He gave the title to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá of “The Most Great Branch,” His second son.
Muhammad ‘Alí, was known as “the Greater Branch;”
His third son, Mehdi, “The Purest Branch,” etc. The
Guardian himself is designated in the Master’s Will as
“the Chosen Branch.”
All the male relatives of the Báb are invariably referred to as “Afnán,” which means “twigs.”
These two designations are not interchangeable.
Over and over in Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablets these terms “Aghsán” and “Afnan” are specifically used in this sense.
For instance, in the “Tablet of the Branch,” the original word is “Ghosn” (i.e. branch), referring to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
The ordinary English usage of the word “branch” has caused a great deal of confusion, whereas there is not a shadow of ambiguity in the Persian and Arabic texts.
Because of ignorance of the Arabic and Persian languages and the use of these two terms in our sacred texts, spurious arguments have been put forth by those making the false claim that Shoghi Effendi could have appointed a successor other than a blood descendant of Bahá’u’lláh.
It should likewise be pointed out that neither in Persian nor Arabic are there ever any capital letters, so that it is impossible to deduce any arguments from a capitalization or lack of capitalization in the English texts.
We direct attention to the first Proclamation issued by all the Hands of the Bahá’í world from Bahjí, November 25, 1957, (including Mason Remey):
“The same Hands, (one of whom was Mason Remey), rejoining the other Hands assembled in the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí, certified that Shoghi Effendi had left no Will and Testament. It was likewise certified that the beloved Guardian had left no heir, The Aghsán (branches) one and all are either dead, or have been declared violators of the Covenant by the Guardian for their faithlessness to the Master’s Will and Testament and their hostility to him named first Guardian in that sacred document.”
“ . . . the realization that no successor to Shoghi Effendi could have been appointed by him . . . ”
Thus, it is clear that no one but a blood descendant of Bahá’u’lláh could possibly have been appointed by Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Faith.
Bahá’u’lláh, in writing, in unambiguous terms established the Master as the Center of His Covenant. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His tum, in His own handwriting created the beloved Guardian. Shoghi Effendi, as the Center of His Covenant and specified the Conditions of future Guardianship.
Remey Claim Has No Written Proof[edit]
Without one written word from the Guardian, Mason Remey claims that because he was the President of the International Bahá’í Council and because this body is the embryonic International Institution, it automatically makes him the President of that future body, and hence, Guardian of the Faith.
If the President of the International Bahá’í Council is ipso facto the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, then the beloved Guardian himself, Shoghi Effendi, would have had to be the President of this first International Bahá’í Council.
If the presidency of the first International Bahá’í Council, which was not an elected body but appointed by Shoghi Effendi, was a permanent thing, why did the beloved Guardian himself call for an elected International Bahá’í Council in the future as part of the evolution of this institution and its eventual efflorescence into the Universal House of Justice?
We have not even an intimation in any writing of Shoghi Effendi that the officers of the first appointed International Bahá’í Council would be carried forward into the elected International Bahá’í Council.
There is nothing to indicate anywhere in the Teachings that the officers of the elected International Bahá’í Council would not be elected according to the pattern of election of every other Bahá’í elected body.
The manner of the election of the Universal House of Justice has been laid down by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself.
There is no possible reason for Concluding that Mason Remey, or any other Council member, would automatically be carried forward into membership in that body.
Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery (second row centev) was present at the seventh annual Italo-Swiss
Summer School, held in Bex-les-Bains, Switzerland, on September 18 to 25, 1960. One hundred forty persons
attended from eight nations.
If the presidency of either an appointed or an elected International Bahá’í Council were synonymous with the presidency of the Universal House of Justice, then it follows the beloved Guardian himself would have assumed this position.
Remey Attested to Absence of Successor[edit]
Mason Remey signed the first communication sent out by twenty-six Hands of the Faith, from Bahjí in November 1957, in which it was stated that, as the beloved Guardian had left no Will and no successor, the Hands of the Faith, designated by Shoghi Effendi as the Chief Stewards of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World Commonwealth, would carry on the work of the Crusade until the formation of that infallible body, the Universal House of Justice.
Although Mason Remey, himself a Hand of the Cause, acted as one of the nine Hands in the Holy Land until the end of October 1959, he never intimated his claim to be the second Guardian to any individual Hand, to the group of Hands serving at the World Center, or to the body of Hands gathered in Bahjí at their conclaves.
The first intimation any of us received of this astounding claim was when he mailed us a copy of his proclamation, at a time when it was already in the mail to national assemblies and individuals.
How can Mason Remey reconcile his assertion that he was appointed by Shoghi Effendi as his successor during his lifetime, with the provisions in the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that during the lifetime of the Guardian, nine of the Hands of the Cause of God must be elected by their fellow-Hands, and give their assent to the choice made by him of his successor? If the Guardian appointed Mason Remey why did he go against the provisions of the Will in this important respect? Such an implication is a flagrant attack on Shoghi Effendi himself.
The terrible dangers of accepting so manifestly false a claim as that which Mason Remey has made are thus clear for all to see.
In addition to having set aside the provisions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will in making this claim, in addition to
Mrs. Shirin Fozdar speaking at the Seremban, Malaya,
Bahá’í Center on events of her recent world teaching
tour.
Bahá’ís gathered at the Temple site near Havana, Cuba, on September 25, following memorial services for Hand of the Cause Horace Holley.
not having one single written word in evidence that
the beloved Guardian intended to make him his successor, Mason Remey has written that he will appoint
his own successor to the Guardianship.
Every believer, into whose mind has crept for even a second, a shadow of doubt as regards the personal status of Mason Remey, may see for himself to what a degree he has entirely brushed aside every single foundation laid by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will for the Guardianship.
Association With Covenant-Breakers Proscribed[edit]
The glorious Báb forbade association with Covenant-breakers. Bahá’u’lláh strictly forbade association with the Covenant—breakers, and even warned the friends against entering, if possible, a city where Covenant-breakers resided, as their poison polluted the entire area. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teaching with regard to shunning and having no contact whatsoever with the Covenant-breakers is contained in hundreds of Tablets. The beloved Guardian forbade all association With Covenant-breakers and warned that their poison was so deadly, that it was not permissible to have even their literature in one’s possession.
The Chief Stewards of the Faith, mindful of their paramount responsibility to protect the believers. have taken action to expel from the Faith Mason Remey and his supporters because of their Covenant-breaking activities, and to forbid an association with them.
The beloved Master, in His Will and Testament, issued this clear warning to all the friends:
“Beware, beware, lest the days after the ascension (of Bahá’u’lláh) be repeated, when the Center of Sedition waxed haughty and rebellious and with Divine Unity for his excuse deprived himself and perturbed and poisoned others.”
“O God, my God! I call Thee, Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers, Thy Saints and Thy Holy Ones, to witness that l have declared conclusively Thy Proofs unto Thy loved ones and set forth clearly all things unto them, that they may watch over Thy Faith, guard Thy Straight Path and protect Thy Resplendent Law. Thou art, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!”
With warm Bahá’í love
In the service of the beloved Guardian, —HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
Haifa, Israel
October 15, 1960
The second Teacher Training Class was held in Saigon,
Vietnam, from August 29 to September 4. For the
first time there was a woman participant, Miss
DAng-Thi-Phu.
Hand of Cause Amelia Collins to Attend Laying of Cornerstone for German Temple[edit]
The following cablegram, received on October 30, from the Hands of the Faith residing in the Holy Land, is quoted here for the information of the Bahá’ís throughout the world:
“Share joyous news (with) believers (that) obstacles (in) attainment (of) one (of the) beloved Guardian’s mayor Crusade goals, (namely) erection (of) Mother Temple (of) Europe now overcome. Excavation (of) foundations already commenced. Hand (of the) Cause Amelia Collins, representative (of) Guardian (at) Frankfurt Conference, will attend historic ceremony (of) laying (the) cornerstone November twentieth and place sacred dust (from) Most Holy Shrine previously intrusted (to) German Assembly (for) this purpose. Following seven-years delay all hearts (are) uplifted (in) thanksgiving (to) Bahá’u’lláh (for) great victory. Share message (with) all National Assemblies.” (Signed) HANDSFAITH.
Dear Friends:
The believers throughout the world join with thankful hearts in congratulating their fellow Bahá’ís in Germany and their National Spiritual Assembly on the persistence they have employed in overcoming one difficulty after another to insure the achievement of what our beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, considered one of the most important tasks of the World Crusade. namely, the erection of a Bahá’í House of Worship on the European continents From more than 250 countries the prayers of the friends will be raised to God on November 20 that the work will progress with speed, and that well before Riḍván 1963 this Temple, too, will stand as another everlasting monument to the glorious guardianship of Shoghi Effendi and to the response of the believers to his Ten-Year Plan.
The Ceremony for the laying of the Cornerstone will be especially blessed by the presence of the beloved Hand of the Cause Amelia Collins, Whose devotion and services to her beloved Guardian have always been an inspiring and shining example to the believers throughout the world, young and old.
—U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
11 Declarations, Many Donations of Service Highlight Yukon Conference at Whitehorse[edit]
The third annual Yukon Bahá’í Conference was held in Canada over the Labor Day weekend at Whitehorse. During this Conference there were eleven declarations, to the great joy of all present. Four of these were from Camp Takhini, which is an Army camp for Alaska Highway maintenance; up to this time there have been no Bahá’í residents there. Seven were from the Whitehorse community.
Sally Jackson, the first Yukon Indian believer, who accepted the Faith a year ago, suggested that the Yukon Bahá’ís should all agree to pray daily for the success of the conference, using the long Obligatory Prayer, the Prayer for Canada, and the Tablet of Ahmad. The results were amazing. During the conference there was the deputization of an Indian to make a Western Canada teaching trip, the offer of an Eskimo from Alaska to make a Canadian Arctic teaching trip for Eskimo teaching purposes, the donation by an Indian believer of his log cabin to enlarge the present Bahá’í cabin, the beginning of a building fund to expand present facilities, the donation of a light plant to be used at the conference site, the initiation by the Bahá’ís of a relief fund to a Roman Catholic family whose home was recently destroyed by fire, the donation of sufficient funds to buy a pair of glasses for a native girl who badly needed them but could not afford to buy them, and the securing of excellent radio, television, and newspaper publicity.
In a letter from Whitehorse the believers state, “Our new Bahá’ís are already actively teaching and giving amazing evidences of vitality! We prayed for miracles here . . . and then tried to be practical in our material plans and preparations . . . the results are obvious. The miracles seen here can be found throughout Canada.
. . . The goals for the year can and must be won.”
Some of the attendants at the Yukon Bahá’í Conference, held over the Labor Day weekend at Whitehorse.
The Bahá’í Home Grows In Beauty and Service Eighteen Months After Dedication Ceremonies[edit]
Above: Entrance to the Bahá’í Home, located at Fourth and Greenleaf avenues, Wilmette, Ill., three blocks from the Bahá’í House of Worship. Center: Panorama of the Bahá’í Home, looking across Greenleaf avenue. Below: Some of the guests of the Bahá’í Home, seated in the southwest portion of the living room. The door leads to the garden.
Above left: Library of the Bahá’í Home. Above right:
View from the parlor, looking out on Greenleaf avenue. Below: The spacious, enclosed garden, with the
windows of the living room to the right.
Bahá’ís of 3 Central and East African Areas Attend Teacher Training Course in Kampala[edit]
Thirty-one believers from three territories of Central and East Africa studied together in Kampala, Uganda, for ten days during mid-September at the first Advanced Training Course organized under the extensive plan of teacher training inaugurated two years ago throughout the region as a means of implementing the mass conversion campaign. Nine believers came from Kenya. four from Tanganyika, and eighteen from Uganda. A group of seven Uganda pioneers taught the course which, still in its experimental stages, was based on sections of the text Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, with numerous additional references. The language of instruction was English.
Every student was required to have completed study of the three Basic Training Courses, in simplified English or the vernacular languages, on the History, Laws and Teaching, and Administration of the Faith. These basic courses were prepared as mimeographed booklets by the Training Courses Committee two years ago, and have proved very successful in use. They have enabled an increasing number of believers throughout the region to undertake instructing a wider and wider section of the Bahá’í Community in the basic tenets of the Faith necessary for teaching the Cause to non-Bahá’ís. These three basic courses have also been used as the texts of the highly-successful correspondence courses open to English-speaking believers throughout the region, the third of which has just begun.
The new Advanced Training Course has a series of classes on the Covenant, the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, further Laws and Teachings, the Reality of Man, Comparative Religions, the Prophecies of Bahá’u’lláh, plus Consolidation and Deepening. The course is now being studied and revised with the plan in view of putting it into mimeographed form in simplified English and the vernacular languages. Two additional advanced training courses will be held this Bahá’í year, one in the Swahili language and one in Ateso.
The basic training courses, with the addition of a
Believers from three territories of Central and East
Africa attending the first Advanced Training Course
for teachers, held in Kampala, Uganda, in mid September.
Accommodations at Kampala[edit]
All Bahá’ís planning to attend the Temple Dedication in Kampala, Uganda, East Africa, on January 13 to 15, 1961, are requested to send their accommodation requirements to the committee immediately, if they have failed to book directly through their travel agencies. Also, success or failure to book in Kampala hotels should be indicated. Please notify:
Mrs. Violette Nakhjavani, secretary
Physical Arrangements Sub-committee
P.O. Box 2662
Kampala, Uganda, East Africa
fourth course on the Reality of Man, material on Proofs from the Bible and the Qur’án, Stories from Bahá’í History, and a list of Twenty Fundamental Points of Bahá’í Belief (an aid to teaching illiterate or semiliterate people) will soon be available as a printed manual, one of the first productions of the new Publishing Trust of Central and East Africa.
Public Meetings on Two Solomon Islands Stimulate Natives’ Interest in Faith[edit]
When the history of the Faith in the Solomons comes to be written, some of the most important Chapters will deal with Malaita and the Malatains where Alvin Blum, an American pioneer now in Honiara; Hamuel, chairman of the newly-formed Hau Hui Assembly; and Salatiel, member of the Honiara Assembly, have been doing valuable teaching work.
A night crossing on July 15 on the Coral Queen took Alvin to Auki, district center of Malaita, where a small town is growing up near the government station. At night an audience of twenty people, mainly guests of the Bahá’ís, saw slides of the Australian and American Temples and of the Suva convention. On Sunday morning, teaching problems were discussed by Alvin and Salatiel with the six Auki believers. Hopes were high that the second assembly in Malaita will be formed there next Riḍván.
Sunday afternoon saw the itinerant travellers on a “cutter-boat” bound for Hau Hui. These boats are built by the native Malatains themselves from locally-hewn timber. Thirty-five feet long with an eight-foot beam, they are useful cargo vessels but have no cabin and only a canvas awning as the sole protection from sun, wind, and spray. On this occasion, over eight hours saw the party safely in Hau Hui. There is no wharf there so the ship-to-shore transfer was made in a dugout canoe.
Thanks to the guidance of Salatiel and the enthusiasm
and energy of the Han Hui Bahá’ís, a comfortable rest
house has been built for visitors. The main purpose
of Alvin Blum’s visit was in order that a regional
assembly representative could participate in a dedica[Page 13]
tion service for the newly-completed Hau Hui Bahá’í
Center on the night of July 18, 1960. The Bahá’ís and
their friends shared in a spiritual gathering which
preceded a sumptuous feast—chicken, rice, taro, fish,
and, of course the delicious golden brown cocoanut
“gravy.”
Following the dedication a public meeting was held. attended by over twenty-five persons. Hamuel introduced the visitors and spoke to all present about the great significance of the historic occasion. Already the rays of truth spreading inland and to the opposite coast of this southern part of Malaita have struck a response in the hearts and minds of the predominantly pagan Ari Ari people. We all hope and pray that before long the joy of knowing Bahá’u’lláh will be shared by these people who are clearly hungry for spiritual nourishment.
The National Teaching Committee for Vietnam, established this year by the Regional Spiritital Assembly
of South East Asia.
Central American Assemblies Strengthened By of Auxiliary Board Member[edit]
All the assemblies of Central America, Mexico, and Panama have recently been visited by Auxiliary Board Member Mrs. Florence Mayberry, who greatly strengthened the resolve of the believers to lay firm foundations for their seven national assemblies.
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America have been assigned to the various countries to assist the local assemblies and national teaching committees in administration. The role of Latin pioneers in this territory is growing, and in some cases the sacrifices and determination of these pioneers are showing dramatic results. Whole families have moved to other countries. These people are not only vital to the teaching efforts, but have shown considerable understanding of administration.
In other activities, Sr. Juan Cerda, a new Costa Rica“ believer, has given a 625 acre farm to the Local Assembly of San José, located in the Province of San Carlos in the north of Costa Rica.
As a result of the pioneering services of Hooper Dunbar and Antonio Nunez, the first three Indian believers of Ratipura, near Bluefields, Nicaragua, have been enrolled in the Faith.
Teaching Congress Held in Honduras To Prepare for Formation of NSA[edit]
Under the auspices of the Honduran Teaching Committee, the second in a series of three teaching congresses planned for this year was held in Tela on Oct. 1-3, 1960. All of the communities of Honduras were represented.
The primary purpose of these congresses is to cement the bonds of fellowship and to plow the soil for the establishment of the first national spiritual assembly in Honduras. Scheduled classes were held around the central theme, “Religion as a Dynamic Living Organism.”
During recent months there also have been two congresses held in El Salvador, one in Mexico, two intercommunity gatherings in Panama. one in Costa Rica, and an annual summer school held in Nandaime, Nicaragua.
Turku, Finland, Opened to Faith[edit]
On July 17, 1960, the Area Teaching Committee of Finland opened the goal city of Turku to the Faith. Miss Josephine Kruka from Helsinki and John Nielsen from Stockholm came to speak at a meeting which was advertised in two local papers. It was very successful, and was followed by a short, but very good, article in one of the biggest newspapers of Turku. Monthly public meetings have been held since then, attended by more and more people. Two pioneers, Miss Brigitte Hasselblatt and Milton Lundblade, have now settled in Turku to further the teaching work.
A group of Bahá’ís and friends gathered between sessions at the second Notional Teaching Congress of
Honduras, held in Tela on October 1 to 3, 1960.
Spitzbergen Newspaper Publicizes Dedication of Two Bahá’í Pioneers to Teaching Efforts[edit]
While Paul Adams and Kent Lansing, two devoted pioneers on their way to the goal city of Spitzbergen, were waiting for the boat at Harstad, a small town at around 69 degrees north, a journalist. interviewed them and wrote a very interesting article about the Faith in the local newspaper, Harstad Tidende. The journalist had heard of the Faith before, as he had lived in Svolvaer, Lofoten, and there he had met our Bahá’í friends, Mrs. Mildred Clark and Mrs. Loyce Lawrence.
The newspaper article had big red headlines: “From the Sun in Los Angeles to Spitzbergen’s Winter and Darkness. Young idealists with a new religion believe in a better world.”
The article tells about all those who go to Spitzbergen in order to make money, “When one meets young people who go there without being driven by this motive, one has to direct one’s materialistic thoughts into other tracks . . . What are the motives which make a young American in a good position in an insurance company quit his job and go to stay in a small hunter’s hut in the Sassen-fiord? As a companion he has a young Englishman, free-lance journalist and author, who is going to stay there for the third winter. We met these two while they were waiting for Ingerfem, which will soon leave Harstad for Spitzbergen.
“Now the voyage goes to the darkness and loneliness?
“ ‘To the darkness yes, but not to the loneliness,’ answers the Englishman, Paul Adams. ‘Loneliness can be felt stronger in other places. It is something which men bear within themselves.’ ”
The article then explains how Paul Adams contacted the hunter Hilmar Nois in 1957, and mentions the book Adams has written, which will be published in London next spring.
“Won’t it be hard to exchange sunny Los Angeles for the Sassen-fiord?”
Attendants at the first Bahá’í marriage service in Lagos, Nigeria, held on July 3, 1960.
Pioneers Paul Adams and Kent Lansing at Long-yearbyen, Spitzbergen, in September 1960.
“ ‘I think I can stand the loss even without having
seen the Sassen-flord.’ says Kent Lansing. ‘I need
change, peace, and quietness. in order to think over
certain things.’
“While we are speaking together I cannot help noticing the quietness and harmony of these two fellows. It is as if this inner security also marks their way of behavior, their relation to other people. As a matter of fact they do not look very different from each other. How did they meet? Because they have the same belief, the same religion? Is that really the reason? There are so many who have the same belief, and it does not lead to anything. They can best give the answer themselves. For some it might be an answer, for others not. And so it comes, that which built the background of these two young men’s conception of life; that which makes it possible to understand them; that which in the end gives the explanation of the quietness and security which seems to fill them. They are willing to tell about their faith, it one asks them.
“In the time in which we are living it is difficult for men to find their place in life. Everything might seem without root and meaning. Mankind needs something to believe in. Men must have a religion which fits into the time in which they live; a belief which can give them other values than those which our materialistic world can offer; a belief which in itself carries new and more lasting values; a religion which can unite and bind men together, and make the world better to live in for everybody.”
Then the journalist gives a short resume of the Faith, including an explanation of its origin, There is also a short passage about the principles of the Faith. At the end the journalist asks: “But will it be possible to reach these goals? It is possible if men want it, if they have sufficient spiritual initiative to try.”
Correction[edit]
There were seventy-seven people present at the Benelux National Convention instead of twenty-seven, as reported on page six of August BAHÁ’Í NEWS.
Many U.S. Communities Observe United Nations Day With Meetings Comparing Baha’i and U.N. Principles[edit]
The first United Nations Day observance to be held in Issaquah, Wash., was sponsored by the local Bahá’ís, and included this display of UN material.
UNITED NATIONS DAY presents the opportunity for
cementing Bahá’í relations with the United Nations, whose principles and aims strikingly parallel
those of our Faith. Many Bahá’í communities and
groups found their observance this year, of the fifteenth
anniversary of the founding of United Nations, fruitful
in this respect, as well as a way of correlating and
comparing, for the public, the aims and activities of
United Nations with the Bahá’í teachings.
The following are excerpts and quotations taken from some of the reports received from various places throughout the United States:
Keen interest and enthusiasm sparked the audience of sixty-five persons attending the very successful public meeting sponsored by the Healdsburg, Calif., Bahá’ís in cooperation with five other communities in the county. The lecture had been given splendid publicity in five local newspapers.
One hundred announcements were mailed to leading citizens of Washington, Ill., six posters were placed around the city square and public library, and excellent newspaper publicity proclaimed the Bahá’í observance of United Nations Day in that city. The public meeting was also supported and assisted by the Peoria Bahá’í Community.
The Salem, Ore., Bahá’í community sponsored a meeting in their extension teaching goal city for United Nations Day. In addition, they participated wholeheartedly in the observances in their own city. They, in cooperation with the Salem Chapter of the United Nations Association, sponsored a public meeting attended by approximately fifty persons, resulting in distribution of The Bahá’í Peace Program, the expressed interest of some in the work the Bahá’ís are doing, and one Contact attending firesides. Further, in assisting in a speakers bureau of the local UN organization, one Bahá’í spoke to a women’s service club, at which time he found the UN kit of material prepared by the United States Bahá’í UN Committee very helpful.
The Bahá’ís of Hartford, Conn., attended the second buffet-musicale in honor of the founding of United Nations sponsored by The Greater Hartford People-to People council. Four hundred enjoyed the supper, which consisted of food from more than thirty lands. The musicale featured Indian, African, and Japanese music. After the supper the Bahá’ís left for a meeting sponsored by their own members in observance of this occasion where eight guests “felt the impact of the great love of Bahá’u’lláh showered upon them by our gifted speaker.”
In Greensboro, N.C. two films were shown at a public meeting given by the Bahá’í Community which was previously announced on a television program. The meeting bore fruit, for one contact is starting to attend their resides.
This tribute to the United Nations was placed in the
Peterborough, N.H., public library from October 24
to 31 by the Local Bahá’í group.
A Bahá’í pioneer from Encarnacion, Paraguay, spoke[Page 16]
on “United Nations and the Bahá’í Pattern for Peace”
for the Three Rivers, Mass., group and the friends of
nearby towns at their observance of UN Day in the
home of one of the believers, The presentation attracted the keen attention of the listeners, and “refreshments and loving hospitality completed a memorable evening!”
Another informal gathering in the home of a Bahá’í proved to be an enjoyable and effective observance of United Nations Day by the Bahá’ís of Duluth, Minn. The Faith as a world religion, the Bahá’í viewpoint on the world situation and on the work of the United Nations, as well as the Bahá’í proposals for the revision of the UN Charter were presented to the public.
The Spokane, Wash., Community planned a novel and successful observance. A “world citizens” meeting was held in one of the homes, at which, following a talk giving the Bahá’í viewpoint on the work of United Nations, each guest—or “world citizen”—gave a brief account of what the UN had done for their respective countries. Eight races were represented at this gathering.
Wilmington, Del., Bahá’ís received good publicity on their supper meeting and talk.
A four-speaker panel discussion in Denver, Colo., pointed up the views of varying racial, national, and religious cultures in the public observance of UN Day by the Bahá’ís of that city.
The Flint, Mich., observance received splendid advertising and free radio announcements, and commendation from the president of the County Chapter of the A.A.U.N., who spoke at the meeting in addition to the Bahá’í speaker. A follow-up fireside was held shortly afterward and it was attended by some who were present at the first meeting.
The president of the UN Association of San Diego, Calif., was the speaker at a meeting sponsored by the Bahá’ís of that City. The occasion had been well advertised by newspaper and radio, and was attended by over 130 persons. A doll display and folk dances of various nations were a part of the program, which was concluded with a prayer spoken in Esperanto to emphasize the need for an international language.
The Bahá’ís of South Bend, Ind., Niles, Kalamazoo, Howard Township, and Buchanan, Mich., joined the Bahá’í community of Niles Township of Michigan in their observance of UN Day at Moccasin School in Buchanan. Almost half the fifty—nine persons in attendance were youth Donald Streets was the speaker, using as his topic, “Toward World Peace.” He also showed colored slides of his trip to Finland as a representative of South Bend, where he is a teacher in the public schools. A potluck dinner was served to the visitors. Good publicity concerning the event appeared in two daily newspapers.
The first UN Day observance ever to be held in Issaquah, Washl, was sponsored this year by the Bahá’ís of that community, with the mayor, the city council, the press, the local UNICEF Committee, the local lodge organizations, merchants, and individuals cooperating enthusiastically. There were exhibits and displays of United Nations materials, including the showing of UNICEF cards and note paper, copies of the UN cook book, “Favorite Recipes from the UN,” which were sold for UNICEF. Among the items of free literature given out was the White House UN Day menu. Stereo music of songs from around the world was played during the day, and free coffee and international cookies were served to nearly a hundred visitors. Among the visitors were Cub Scouts and high school students gathering reports and material for use at school. Almost all of the visitors asked questions about the Bahá’í Faith and took Bahá’í literature.
In Salinas. Calif., fifteen pieces of UN material were given to the Washington Union Elementary School; three pieces were given to the Salinas public library; and a map depicting the nations of the world, showing children in costume, was loaned to the Salinas children’s public library.
Luxembourg National Day Inspired by Visit of Hand of Cause Hermann Grossmann[edit]
The Luxembourg National Day of September 18, 1960, was celebrated in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in LuxembourgVille, on one of the few warm sunny days of the season. Dr. Hermann Grossmann, Hand of the Cause, was the honored guest. Also present were the various old and newly-arrived pioneers to Luxembourg who have been pouring in from such places as Alaska, Persia, Holland, Poland, Canada, and the United States.
Claude Levy, member of the Benelux National Spiritual Assembly and chairman of the Luxembourg Local Assembly, presided. After opening prayers for the teaching work, the friends were presented and Welcomed. Dr. Grossmann addressed the friends briefly, reminding them of “those nearly-forgotten days when we Bahá’ís lived a quiet and sleepy life, But then things began to change, and suddenly we have found it is ‘ten minutes before midnight.’ This has made it urgent to examine and put into effect all possible means for fill
The above group attended a fireside at the home of
Mrs. Mary Lou Moore, secretary of the Boston, Mass,
Local Spiritual Assembly. The discussion centered
around the Divine Revelators and the different times
of their appearances; afterward a social hour was
enjoyed by all.
View of the Geyserville, Cal., Bahá’í School, foreground, with the Russian River valley beyond.
ing the goals set for us by our beloved Guardian.”
Dr. Grossmann was happy to see a somewhat larger gathering than he met with on his last visit. He felt that there was indeed a new spirit awakening in Luxembourg. He exclaimed: “I am sure you will not only reach all the goals, but surpass them!”
Mrs. Lea Nys, member of the Benelux National Assembly. brought greetings from the Belgian friends and said: “We see here an astonishing example of international cooperation; through sacrifice, Luxembourg will no doubt triumph, because the Faith is built on sacrifice.”
The main theme of the National Day being the reaching of goals, the friends listened to the tape recording of Marion Hofman’s magnificent presentation of the Tablets of the Divine Plan, given at the Benelux summer school last July. Mrs. Mary Bode, pioneer to Holland, who, with her sister, had the privilege of unveiling the Tablet for the Southern States on the great occasion when the Tablets of the Divine Plan were first given to the American believers in New York on April 30, 1919, preceded the tape recording with a short description of this historic event.
Dr. Grossmann then showed slides of South America. Of special interest were pictures of the new Indian communities springing up at such an unbelievable speed. He told of the first Indian who had knocked on the door of the Bahá’í Center in La Paz a few years ago, and that now there are a thousand believers and many more preparing to become Bahá’ís. Dr. Grossman advised teachers to be patient with newly-attracted people, and to try to remember how they themselves felt when they were learning of the Faith. He gave his wise teaching advice: “Be like new Bahá’ís yourselves, and then you can better talk with the newly-attracted ones and understand them.”
Dr. Grossmann’s great spirit as a revered Hand of the Cause pervaded the whole assemblage. His generous visit, in spite of delicate health due to his arduous travels for the Faith, was an inspiration to all present.
Countless Blessings Mark Sessions At Geyserville Summer School[edit]
Declarations—about a dozen of them—brought to a climax by the summer sessions, a spontaneous “children’s week,” a visit from Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas, the largest Unity Feast ever held, and increased participation in Open House were some of the outstanding characteristics of the Geyserville Bahá’í School during its 1960 season.
According to the registration cards 394 persons attended, and even more were present on the day of the Unity Feast. when around 500 from all over the world were present. Attendance on a weekly basis for the summer totaled 714, because some were present for more than one week. Of this number, 135 were children and 59 were youth.
During the regular sessions, six classes were conducted every hour in the mornings, consisting of three children’s classes, one junior youth, one youth, and one adult class. Additional classes for varying age groups were also held before and after dinner, with special class programs on Sundays. During the work week, only one class was offered for adults, and Youth Week included only classes for youth. Forty-four teachers donated their services in the youth and children departments, and eighteen taught adult classes.
The library and book shop were popular at all times. Over one thousand books were borrowed from the lending library during the summer, and almost $2000 worth of merchandise was sold in the book shop.
The nine weeks, from July 3 to September 4, were noteworthy for the impressive religious, literary, artistic, and dramatic events and the radiant personalities that made the 1960 program a memorable experience for everyone. Many have spoken of the stimulation and inspiration they received, which lingered long after leaving the campus, and emphasized the importance of the summer schools as a force for Bahá’í growth.
The senior Bahá’u’lláh group attending Davison Bahá’í
School, Davison, Mich., on August 28 to September
3, 1960.
In the kaleidescope of Geyserville memories, some that flash before your reporters are:
The rare and priceless privilege to be on the campus with Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas; to hear him speak on three illustrious occasions about the Guardianship, the institution of the Hands. and the development of the World Center; and to sit in two classes while he lectured on the “Bahá’í Concept of Immortality.”
The close, deeply spirituallzed and familial atmosphere seemed to permeate each one present, causing previous backgrounds, whether Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Indian, or Oriental to merge into the radiant beauty of loving, understanding, fellowship, and brotherhood. Some were fortunate enough to be on hand for the last few parting glances and tender sentiments as Mr. and Mrs. Ioas slowly drove down the hill and off the campus on the first leg of their long journey back to the Holy Land, to Haifa and the sacred Shrines of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. What a bounty! What a joy remains!
The program on July 9 commemorating the Martyrdom of the Báb, when so reverential and deeply moving was the message spoken by David Bond that, at the conclusion, unbroken silence alone expressed the emotion of those present.
The festive celebration of the Unity Feast, where words were spoken by Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas; Auxiliary Board Member Florence Mayberry; National Assembly Treasurer Arthur Dahl; Fon Luke of China and Seattle; Mr. and Mrs. Nouredain Momtazi of Persia and Japan; Dr. Robert Gulick from Libya; representatives of the Indian tribes of Navajo, Piute, Washoe, and Shoshone: two visitors from Ghana; Helen Wilks of the Northwestern Area Teaching Committee; and Rhoderoi Meyers of the Southwestern Area Teaching Committee.
The blending of the voices of David Bond and Elena Allegro in an Italian rendition of “Words for the World.” And the afternoon of David’s impromptu talk when the audience followed him outside and would not let him go, but stood on the porch for hours asking him questions.
The hospitality to some 200 visitors during Open House, with conducted tours of the campus buildings and grounds, a short program, and refreshments.
A recent meeting of the monthly Sunday School of
the Bahá’ís of Lisbon, Portugal.
The laboratory class, called “Communion with God,”
which opened vistas of spiritual insight and depths
of understanding of the obligatory prayers, holy days,
and sacred symbols.
The graphic word picture given by Mamie Seto of her pioneering experiences and pilgrimage.
The example of Florence Mayberry, who, after imparting the thrilling achievements of the Ten-Year Crusade and its still uncompleted tasks, embarked from the Geyserville campus on the first lap of her latest teaching tour through central and South America.
The plea made by Eugene and Melba King, blind Indian and Alaskan Bahá’ís, for tape recordings for the blind, which was taken up by Elena Allegro, who got volunteers to make tapes from Bahá’í World Faith, Seven Valleys, Hidden Words, and other Holy Writings.
The week when so many children migrated to the school in large and small families, and all the children’s classes were teeming with unusual activity and enthusiasm.
The many ideas contained in the course on “Techniques for Teaching Young People the Bahá’í Faith,” given by Helen Wilks, who was able to pass along the pooled knowledge of a national committee working on Bahá’í school education and curricula.
The consistently interesting courses and excellent teachers, week after week, which should all be mentioned, but space prevents. The entertainment and recreational activities which added zest and fellowship to the religious and educational activities. The classical concerts by two young Healdsburg pianists and the vocalists from San Francisco which drew large audiences. The moonlight songfests. The humorous and accomplished performances of students on talent nights. The inspirational talks about crusading in all parts of the world. The wiener and marshmallow roasts on the shores of the Russian River. The picnics in beautiful Griffith Woods. The costume ball with characters depicted mainly from purchases made at the village rummage sale.
But in whatever position the kaleidescope is turned, there is no picture so bright as that of the small groups assembled in the olive grove for dawn prayers each morning, as the sun rose over the hills across the valley to flood the orchards with light. Then, with one’s cup running over, one’s soul rejuvenated, and a song of blessedness pounding in the heart, one descends the hill literally bursting to rush into the service of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
—RAYMOND JONES AND BEATRICE RINDE
Youth of Gentofte Plan Winter Programs[edit]
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Gentofte, Denmark, has appointed a youth committee that has planned a most interesting youth program for the winter. There are to be weekly meetings which will “give young people an opportunity freely to express their opinions and get cultural Knowledge.”
The first meeting was held on Sept. 21 at the Danish Bahá’í Center, where Miss Rigmor Quistgaard spoke on “Does Man Need a Religion?” This meeting was attended by twenty-eight young people. They are also publishing a youth magazine.
All Must Support the Assembly In love and Unity
In view of the great importance of consolidating the bedrock of the Bahá’í Faith and its local and national institutions in preparation for the formation of the Universal House of Justice, the US. National Spiritual Assembly wishes to call to the attention of the friends the following excerpts from a letter from the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, written through his assistant secretary to two local spiritual assemblies in Europe on January 4, 1954:
“The beloved Master promised His loving guidance and blessing to every spiritual assembly which functioned in accordance with the divine precepts. Therefore, as you serve the upbuilding of the administrative order and perfect the unified action of the friends, will you draw nearer to the beloved Master.
“The Spiritual Assembly is the bedrock on which the administrative order is built. The friends generally, and the spiritual assembly members specifically, should therefore study the teachings of the Administrative Order, as contained in the first book of Administration, so that they may rear their work on a firm foundation.
“The Assembly must be the rallying point of all the friends. All the friends should consult the Assembly freely. The Assembly should assist the friends in their teaching work. When the Assembly finally makes a decision, it should be communicated lovingly to the friends, and the friends must obey the decision.
“The time for individual action, outside the Assembly, commendable as it has been, is past, and all the friends must support the Assembly in love and unity. Let us not, however, make the mistake that arbitrary action is the function of the Assembly. No, the Assembly is the Trustee of the Merciful and should aid the friends in their teaching work. However, when a decision is finally reached in love and unity, then the friends must support and obey it.
“ . . . The Guardian urges each and everyone to arise with renewed energy to teach the Faith and quicken the souls. The time is ripe and great results will be achieved if the friends arise in perfect unity, with a concentration of effort, dedication and love.”
Samoan Islands Teaching Conference Stresses Needs of Four-Year Plan for South Pacific[edit]
A Bahá’í Teaching Conference was held in the Samoan Islands at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Apia on Sept. 3, 1960. Present was Auxiliary Board Member Miss Margaret Rowling, who gave a brief address on the background on which the Four-Year Plan is based, and of its approval for the Samoan Islands by the regional spiritual assembly.
Mr. Suhayl ‘Alá’í spoke on the Four-Year Plan and the responsibility of the individual Bahá’í. He said that eight more assemblies were required for the Samoan Islands before Riḍván 1963, and stressed improvement of the quality, as well as the quantity, of Bahá’í communities. Representatives were from most of the villages where there are Bahá’ís, and they centers invited to speak on their work in the various centers.
Most of them expressed a desire for visiting teachers.
After the evening meal the showing of Bahá’í slides
was enjoyed by the assembled friends.
NSA Statement on Racial Issue Receives Widespread Publicity[edit]
From its September meeting the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly issued a statement to the press and wire services, including the Associated Negro Press, dealing with the growing unrest in the United States and throughout the world rising out of racial tension and strife, and expressing the view that this problem is the most challenging issue facing every member of the human race. The text, written in general newspaper parlance, was virtually that which appeared as an insert in BAHÁ’Í NEWS, “The Most Challenging Issue.”
A photograph of the members of the National Assembly in session accompanied the release and both have appeared in a large number of newspapers throughout the country, including those aimed at the Negro readerl Among them was The West Indian of Grenada, British West Indies, on October 6.
Fargo Schools Recognize Bahá’í Holy Days[edit]
On September 30, 1960, the Superintendent of Schools of Fargo, N.D., informed the Fargo Bahá’ís that Bahá’í children will be excused from their classes on the Bahá’í Holy Days. Although they will be marked absent they will be permitted to make up any work that they miss for credit.
The Bahá’í exhibit at the annual Canadian National
Exhibition, held in Toronto during September 1960.
All-Day Nineteen-Day Feast Held by Austin Community[edit]
Possibly every Bahá’í has desired to participate in an all-day Nineteen Day reast. The Austin, Tex:, Community gave such an opportunity to its members in the observance of the Feast of ‘Ilm, which fell on Sunday this year.
The program began at nine in the morning with prayers, followed by a breakfast hour and social fellowship for one hour. Another hour was given to devotional readings, and two hours of consultation followed. A leisurely luncheon was highlighted with spiritual fellowship, music, and prayers. A deepening hour hegan at three in the afternoon and included the Tablet of the Branch, the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Bahá’í Community.
At 8:00 p.m. a public discussion meeting was held on the topic “The Challenge of the Word.”
Fargo Bahá’ís Invited to Present Talk on Faith to College Students[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Fargo, N.D. (goal group) shared an unexpected opportunity to tell approximately 150 people of the Faith. Unexpected as such opportunities are, the fact remains that they are a result of the perseverance of the friends in their teaching efforts.
They received a telephone request from a nearby college for a speaker to talk on the Bahá’í Faith. A Bahá’í speaker was supplied; many questions were asked, and all the available free literature was taken. The Fargo Bahá’ís offered to mail literature to others who would like to have it, and later they received a letter from the college with twenty-seven names and addresses for more literature. The Fargo friends express encouragement and enthusiasm as a result of this event. Teaching is truly the Very life of a Bahá’í in this day.
Baha’i Publishing Trust[edit]
The following items are out of print and no longer available. They should be deleted from catalogs:
Bahá’í: Coming of World Religion
Challenge to Chaos by Horace Holley
Creative Writing — Study Outline
Deepening the Spiritual Life — Outline by Horace Holley
Destiny of the American Nation by Shoghi Effendi, (not to be confused with the newer pamphlet. Destiny of America by S. Cobb, still available)
God is Man’s Goal (compilation)
God’s Eternal Legacy (Compilation)
Human Relations for World Unity (compilation)
The Meaning of Life by Stanwood Cobb
The Mission of Bahá’u’lláh, deluxe edition of Jubilee pamphlet (general edition still available)
Religion of Humanity
Religious Education for a Peaceful Society
Security for a Failing World (pamphlet and book) by Stanwood Cobb
The Spiritual Meaning of Adversity by Mamie Seto
Tomorrow and Tomorrow, cloth and paper editions, ($.25 booklet edition with complete text still available, with new cover design)
Two Shall Appear, a religious drama by Olivia Kelsey
Study outlines and Aids for World Order Letters of Shoghi Effendi (study outline on this title by Horace Holley still available)
Bahá’í World volumes I, II, III, VII, VIII
Bahá’í Calendar - 1961. This is the standard-size calendar, 8½ x 12, with Feast and Holy Days depicted in identifying colors, illustrated with photograph. Prices remain the same as previous years.
Per copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ .25
10 copies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2.00
25 copies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4.50
50 copies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7.50
Minimum order, $1.00. (Overseas postage $.15 for each $2.00 unit of order or fraction thereof.) Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 110 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Ill.
Calendar of Events[edit]
FEASTS[edit]
December 12 — Masá’íl (Questions)
December 31 — Sharaf (Honor)
U.S. STATE CONVENTIONS[edit]
December 4
UN HUMAN RIGHTS DAY[edit]
December 10- “Human Rights: Crisis of the Hour”
U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS[edit]
December 30, 31, January 1, 2
Baha’i House of Worship[edit]
Visiting Hours[edit]
Weekdays
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Auditorium only)
Sundays and Holidays
10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Entire building)
Service of Worship[edit]
Sundays
3:30 to 4:10 p.m.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is published by the National spiritual Assembly at the Bahá’ís of the united states as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í World Community.
Reports, plans, news items, and photographs of general interest are requested from national committees and local assemblies of the United States as well as from national assemblies of other lands. Material is due in Wilmette on the first day or the month preceding the date of issue for which it is intended.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial committee. The Committee tor 1960-1961: Richard C. Thomas, Managing Editor; Mrs. Eunice Braun, International News Editor; Miss Charlotte M. Linfoot, National News Editor; Miss D. Thelma Jackson and Mrs. Harriett Wolcott, Assistant Editors.
Editorial Office: 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A
Change of address should be reported directly to National Bahá’í Office, in Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.
