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| No. 371 | BAHA’I YEAR 118 | FEBRUARY, 1962 |
....IT IS THEREFORE with hopeful hearts that the Hands of the Cause can point out to their fellow-believers those remaining milestones we must race to pass ere our great and unique opportunity for service in the Guardian’s own Crusade is lost to us forever. In the course of our lengthy consultations ... it has been abundantly clear what our major duties still are, where we must, one and all, concentrate our efforts and resources, which are the battle fronts we must deploy our forces upon, if victory is to be won — that victory must and shall be ours no loyal Bahá’í heart can doubt for a single instant.
Though multifarious tasks still remain to be accomplished in various fields of Bahá’í activity, three supremely important duties face us during the last eighteen months at the World Crusade, duties which, should we fail in any one of them, may well have repercussions on the evolution of not only the present national Bahá’í communities, but indeed the spiritual and material welfare of mankind itself for generations to come.
The first of these is to bring the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to the waiting masses at this critical time. ... The second is to win the remaining home front goals in live of those original twelve stalwart ... national communities.... The third is undoubtedly the pivotal one at this point of the Crusade and comprises the heavy, pressing, inescapable duty of every single believer to assist in providing an uninterrupted and greatly amplified flow of that “life blood” of material resources.... There can be no doubt that the discharge of these three paramount duties at this time can alone provide a suitably strong and unshakable foundation for the future activities of that glorious and august institution, so soon to be elected, Bahá’u’lláh’s long anticipated Universal House of Justice.
November 5, 1961
Hands of the cause of God, pictured before the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí, during their fifth annual meeting in the fall of 1961. Also attending but not shown was Dr. Hermann Grossmann.
Beloved Hand of Cause Amelia Collins Ascends to Abhá Kingdom[edit]
“With deepest regret (we) share news (with the) Bahá’í World (of the) passing (of) dearly loved Hand (of the) Cause (and) outstanding benefactress (of the) Faith Amelia Collins. (Her) unfailing support, love (and) devotion (to the) beloved Guardian (during the) darkest period (of) his life brought her (the) unique bounty (of) his deep affection, esteem, confidence and (the) honor (of) direct association (with the) work (at the) World Center. (Her) signal services (in) every field (of) Bahá’í activity (are) unforgettable. (Her) purchase (of the) site (of the) Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (on) Mount Carmel, (her) generous gifts hastening construction (of) Mother Temples (on) four continents and acquisition (of) national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds (and) endowments, (her) constant support (of) home front (and) world-wide teaching enterprises (were) among her magnificent donations. Urge (that) national assemblies hold memorial gatherings, particularly (at the) Temples (to) commemorate her shining example (of) ceaseless services (which were) maintained until (her) last breath. Airmail message (to the) Hands (and) national assemblies.”
Haifa, Israel
January 2, 1962
Arrangements are being made for a memorial service to be held at the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Wilmette on February 24 at 8 p.m.
International Council Gives Thrilling Summary of Recent Events[edit]
Dear Friends:
The momentous message from the fifth gathering of the Hands of the Cause has by now reached the worldwide Bahá’í community. The fixing of the dates and places for the election of the Universal House of Justice and the convocation of the first World Congress brings into sharp focus how little time remains before the close of our beloved Guardian’s World Crusade and reminds us of those tasks yet to be accomplished, particularly on the home fronts, tasks to which every believer should give prayerful consideration and ask himself in what way he can personally assist in their fulfillment.
At the World Center the newly elected members of the International Bahá’í Council have been presented by the Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land to the President of Israel and Mrs. Ben Zvi. They recalled their visit to His Eminence, Shoghi Effendi, and his showing them the Shrines and Gardens on Mount Carmel. The President also mentioned that in 1909 or 1910 they had had the honor of meeting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Bahjí and He had told them many things about the Faith. At the close of the audience the President extended his good wishes and greetings to the Bahá’ís throughout the world. A most cordial, friendly spirit prevailed throughout the entire interview.
Pilgrimage Again Diffusing Spirit of the Faith Among Believers[edit]
Here in Haifa the days rush by swiftly. As the Continental Hands departed for their posts following the annual gathering at Bahjí, preparations for the arrival of the first pilgrims began. From the earliest days the spirit of the Faith has been diffused amongst the believers to no small degree by returning pilgrims. Thousands of Bahá’ís have come to the Holy Land since the days of Bahá’u’lláh. The door of pilgrimage has not, however, been continuously open, nor have pilgrims always enjoyed the freedom taken for granted today. In Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era Dr. Esslemont wrote: “During the imprisonment in the barracks, visitors were rigidly excluded. Several of the Bahá’ís of Írán came all the way on foot for the purpose of seeing their beloved leader, but were refused admittance within the city walls. They used to go to a place on the plain outside the third moat, from which they could see the Windows of Bahá’u’lláh’s quarters. He would show Himself to them at one of the windows and after gazing on Him from afar they would weep and return to their homes, fired with new zeal for sacrifice and service.” World War I prevented believers from coming to visit the Holy Shrines and the Master. Similarly, the second World War and the period of unrest in the Holy Land immediately following made pilgrimage an impossibility. Just ten years ago, the beloved Guardian cabled the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, “Announce (to) all national spiritual assemblies restrictions (on) pilgrimage being gradually removed. Owing (to) prevailing conditions maximum duration (will be) nine days. Permission (of Guardian) necessary, as few at a time are now permitted.”
It is an added bounty for the pilgrims this year that they are able to visit the beautiful Archives so lovingly planned for them by their beloved Guardian, and to see many exhibits that had never before been on display. It is wonderful to witness the spiritual joy of the pilgrims as they have the bounty of visiting one Holy Place after another, and to see them depart, as in the days of Bahá’u’lláh, “fired with new zeal for sacrifice and service;” and all here share in their joy and are stimulated by the news they bring us from different lands and the wonderful spirit animating the believers all over the world.
Journeys of ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum Reviewed[edit]
Reports received of the visit of ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, on her way to dedicate the Mother Temple of the Antipodes, have been most encouraging. Accompanied by Miss Jessie Revell, the treasurer of the International Bahá’í Council, she visited Burma, Malaya, Thailand and Vietnam. Owing to illness, she was not able to proceed as planned to New Zealand, but Miss
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Revell valiantly carried on alone, and bore the brunt of
the heavy program that had been arranged for the
week’s stay in that country; she spoke in Auckland,
Hamilton and Wellington, met and consulted with the
friends from many local areas as well as attended with
the National Assembly a reception given by the mayor
of Wellington; and was able to meet with the Maoris of
Rotoiti and Kihikihi who received her most warmly. Favorable publicity appeared in nine different newspapers.
In the course of ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s trip she was able to meet with most of the Burmese Bahá’ís who gathered in Rangoon on two successive days; a week-end conference was held in Port Dickson, Malaya, Bahá’ís attending from the entire Malayan Peninsula area, Thailand, Vietnam, Sarawak and India. This was the most interracial gathering she said that she had ever attended, people of black, white, yellow and brown extraction filling the audience. The highlight of this conference was the presence of some of the Malayan aboriginal Bahá’ís, as well as one of the Sea Dayaks.
Remarkable Zeal of the Vietnamese Friends[edit]
Another highlight of this journey was the two-day conference in Saigon at which a number of the Vietnamese believers were able to be present. It was most impressive to see really old men and women attending the meetings and listening attentively, as well as a large number of enthusiastic young people. She and Miss Revell had the thrilling experience of visiting two of the primary schools owned and run by the Bahá’ís. The spirit of the Vietnamese believers in face of many dangers and difficulties is truly remarkable, as witnessed by the fact that last Riḍván they reported doubling the number of Bahá’ís and of assemblies in that country. They have now set themselves the goal of increasing the number of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh to 10,000 by the end of the Crusade. Unless something very unforeseen happens, the spirit that animates them should undoubtedly enable them to achieve this glorious goal. Both ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Miss Revell spoke to the Bahá’ís in their gatherings, bringing to them the spirit of the beloved Guardian, encouraging them in their labors, and receiving from them not only the news of their activities but a breath of that spirit of love and devotion which is life indeed and which alone can change the face of the world.
Faith Wins Recognition on Far-Flung Fronts[edit]
Acceptance of the Manifestation of God for this day by the multitudes is steadily growing, and recognition of the independent status of the Faith by various authorities is continuing; in Central and East Africa the Government of Kenya has recognized the nine Holy Days and permitted Bahá’ís in government service to be absent on these days. The incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Venezuela has fulfilled another World Crusade objective. During July the first Bahá’í wedding to be accorded full legal recognition in Panama was performed. In the United States, the effort to have World Peace Day acknowledged in the various States of the Union has produced results in Arizona, Nevada, Rhode Island and Wisconsin: the Governor of Arizona in his Proclamation urged the people of his State to “join prayerfully in this observance....” From the Far East to the Western Hemisphere the world press and radio are increasingly publicizing Bahá’í events. In South America, La Industria, published in Chiclayo, Peru, carried a large article on the Faith. A teaching trip by a member of the National Assembly of Chile received wide publicity in several towns. The opening of the Mother Temple of the Antipodes was a means of securing publicity for the Faith abroad, as well as the tremendous continent-wide television and press publicity received inside Australia itself. In conjunction with this event the Regional Assembly of North East Asia arranged a reception in Tokyo. Bernard Leach, world-famous artist and pottery expert, who had recently arrived from England, gave a talk on the reasons why he was a Bahá’í. Among the guests representative of educational and diplomatic circles was the managing editor of the widely circulated English language newspaper The Mainichi Daily News. His paper carried photographs of the reception, as well as of the Sydney Temple, and an article containing a brief description of the Faith. An article and photograph of this reception likewise appeared in the Japan Times.
Mass Enrollment in India and the Philippines[edit]
Close upon the heels of the thrilling news from India that almost 3,400 people had accepted the Faith within six months from February 1, 1961, a cable from that National Spiritual Assembly received November 3, states, “.... Number believers entered Tabernacle Bahá’u’lláh past eight months eight thousand three hundred, of whom over one thousand received message past few weeks through Dayaram Village teacher, himself new in Cause stop ... So far fifteen entire villages accepted Cause stop Over fourteen tribes aborigines represented Cause along with low, middle, high castes now completely integrated stop Centers increased from hundred forty-three last year to approximately four hundred thirty, most of which attain assembly status coming Riḍván stop ... Encouraging signs masses accepting Faith evident East India, Nepal stop In Ceylon number believers sixfolded since Riḍván ...”
Teaching work in the Philippines is likewise bearing fruit. The Regional Spiritual Assembly of South-East Asia shares these excerpts from the Philippines National Teaching Committee: “.... After first finding a place to live in the ‘base’ of Santiago and getting it in order ... (we) set out for our goal of Domanisi ... walked into the mountains and across rivers for the village ... Our headquarters was the hut of a young man of twenty-one ... We had firesides—sometimes twelve and twenty ... sometimes three and four ... mainly because the houses are very far apart and the work-fields distant ... all could not always be together. But on that first day eleven wanted to enroll; that was the beginning ... We were both dumbfounded with the Fire that caught up that place ... Two school teachers, the barrio lieutenant, the area chief of police and nearly seventy souls enrolled in that one week ... It will be the first all-Bahá’í village in the Philippines ... Three came back to Santiago with us ... for deepening with all the books ... Back they went ... to teach the others ...
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and to pioneer ... Distant villages have heard of the
rumble that took place and is still going on in Domanisi.
...” In the Philippines eight new spiritual assemblies
are already in view for next Riḍván in addition to the
four existing ones, and there are over 400 believers
throughout the Islands.
Growing Opportunities Recall Words of the Master[edit]
Area by area and nation by nation the Holy Spirit is drawing the multitudes towards the Cause of God. Not only in primitive lands can we look for such victories but “in all the continents of the globe, of every race, clime, creed and color, and from every stratum of present-day society.” Thirsty souls are yearning for the water of life. Through prayer, sacrifice and devotion we can be led to them. Let us remember the Master’s words, spoken to that first small band of pilgrims from the West: “I say unto you that any one who will rise up in the Cause of God at this time shall be filled with the spirit of God, and that He will send His hosts from heaven to help you, and that nothing shall be impossible to you if you have faith. And now I give you a commandment that shall be for a Covenant between you and Me: that ye shall have faith; that your faith be steadfast as a rock that no storms can move, that nothing can disturb, and that it endure through all things even to the end; even should ye hear that your Lord has been crucified, be not shaken in your faith; for I am with you always, whether living or dead; I am with you to the end. As ye have faith so shall your powers and blessings be. This is the standard—this is the standard—this is the standard.”
World Center of the Faith
December 30, 1961
|
Special Request from
Hands of the Cause The Hands of the Cause in Haifa feel that it is unsuitable to take photographs of people when they are in the court immediately surrounding the monument at the grave of the beloved Guardian. This applies both to people who are in the photographer’s party and to people who are not. All believers who visit the grave are consequently asked to refrain from this practice. |
The Hands of the Cause in the Western Hemisphere have announced the appointment or Mr. Massoud Khamsi as an Auxiliary Board member for the protection of the Faith. He replaces Mrs. Mildred Mottahedeh, who is serving in the Holy Land as a member of the International Bahá’í Council.
A project whose desirability had been many times discussed by the believers of the Cook Islands came to fruition with the holding of the first summer school in October. The site was the Raratonga Island home of Mrs. Dulcie Dive, where the sitting room had been arranged for lectures and the garage turned into a dormitory.
Although those attending comprised only eight believers, three guests and several children, the school was conducted as if many more were present. Following the observance of the Birthday of the Báb on the first evening, a series of sessions covered a comprehensive schedule of Bahá’í subjects.
Each morning prayers were said before breakfast, and the friends, acting in turn as chairman, likewise opened and closed the sessions with prayers. In this atmosphere the school became a precious new experience in the lives of the island believers — a time of “family get-together” with a spiritual foundation.
Believers at the first Cook Islands summer school, held on Raratonga Island October 20-23, 1961.
Widespread Consolidation and Proclamation Herald Historic Election of New European National Assemblies at Riḍván[edit]
Riḍván 1961 witnessed the formation, in continental Europe, of all the additional local assemblies called for by the beloved Guardian in his great plan for the Ten-Year Crusade. At Riḍván 1962 these new communities, together with those previously established, will complete the next step envisioned by Shoghi Effendi: the election of separate national spiritual assemblies in all of the countries. In Austria, France and Germany, these bodies will be successors to those already functioning on a national basis. In eleven other instances the new separate assemblies will replace four regional bodies now serving the Scandinavian countries and Finland, Italy and Switzerland, the Benelux countries, and the Iberian Peninsula.
In preparation for this historic advance of the Faith on the European continent, and to make certain that all of the national communities can function as staunch, firmly based pillars of the forthcoming Universal House of Justice, the indigenous believers, guided by the Hands of the Cause and Auxiliary Board members, and aided by many pioneers, have ever since last Riḍván labored assiduously to consolidate the new local communities and strengthen the old ones.
Noted here are some of the activities not covered in earlier issues of BAHÁ’Í NEWS.
Two More Summer Schools Further the Faith[edit]
Two previously unreported summer schools—those of the Benelux countries and of Scandinavia and Finland—were both well attended. The Benelux school, held in the little Belgian North Sea resort of Oostduinkerke from August 26 to September 3, drew some 125 students, including close contacts from goal cities of the three countries. Five other nations were also represented.
The program called for intensive study sessions in the morning; excursions, children’s games and free time in the afternoon; and special events in the evening. One of the latter was a public meeting held at the town’s Grand Hotel and addressed by Auxiliary Board member Louis Henuzet. Advance publicity included announcements over loudspeakers set up in the center of town, and special posters, some of them displayed on a small train carrying Bahá’í students on an excursion. Fullest cooperation by the offices of the mayor and tourist bureau contributed to the success of the meeting, which attracted people from numerous points in Belgium.
Announcements Inspire Believers[edit]
Several incidents enhanced the inspirational atmosphere of the nine-day school. Among them were the declarations of three of the students, announcement of the imminent departure of Arnold Zonneveld for distant Spitzbergen and of Mrs. Lou Block for a worldwide teaching tour, and joint contributions of $400 toward construction of the Mother Temple of Europe.
Attending one of the closing events, a splendid unity banquet, several town officials crowned the joy of the believers by their words of praise for the principles of the Cause.
Belgium Implements Many-Sided Program[edit]
The National Teaching and Consolidation Committee of Belgium launched a year-long program patterned on the American plan of celebrating special events throughout the year. Since this involved mass proclamation as well as consolidation, it was decided to translate and print an additional range of pamphlets geared to the particular occasions.
In early October a national teaching conference was
Bahá’í Summer School of Scandinavia and Finland, held at Ar Castle, Sweden, June 1961.
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Regional Convention of Scandinavia and Finland, held in Stockholm, Sweden, Riḍván 1961.
held in Antwerp for consultation between all the communities and various committees on methods of consolidation. “Unfoldment of the Divine Plan in Europe”
was used to deepen the friends and point the way to
expansion of the communities. Related consultation on
extension teaching centered around opening the Flemish city of Ghent and the Walloon city of Mons.
United Nations Day was celebrated with public meetings in Liége and Brussels on the topic “Prelude to a New Age.” Both communities made use of the special recording sponsored by the U.S., United Nations Committee in cooperation with United Nations Radio, and through it aroused keen interest in their audiences.
For this same occasion, the Bahá’í Proposals for Revision of the United Nations Charter were mimeographed and distributed free to all the Belgian friends, and were also made available for limited distribution to contacts. And for the celebration of the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh an adaptation of “The Lord of the New Age” was printed.
“National Days of Belgium”[edit]
As part of the winter plans, four “National Days of Belgium” were scheduled. These are based on the past success of similar meetings or conferences, which bring together all the Belgian friends and their close contacts to discuss the Teachings, exchange views and consort in the Bahá’í spirit of friendship.
The first of the new series was held in a Charleroi hotel in November, and comprised morning and afternoon sessions led by different believers. On the same day, and in the same hotel, a gathering arranged by the National Youth Committee discussed Bahá’í answers to current youth problems.
Youth Activities Show Notable Increase[edit]
Due to the small number of children in Belgium, there is at present relatively little organized Bahá’í activity in the lowest age brackets. However, activity on the youth level shows a gratifying upsurge and a considerable number of young people are swelling the ranks of the Faith, particularly in high-school and university circles. With this heightened interest among the school element, and with the gradual growth and stability of the established communities, the outlook in Belgium is bright.
Luxembourg Activities Continue Without Pause[edit]
In the autumn and early winter months, believers of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg pressed forward with the far-reaching national teaching and proclamation
First Spiritual Assembly of Espinho, Portugal, formed April 1961. Left to right: Ventura Rodriguez, Vahid Teherani, Kay Ruggles, Ruhangiz Teherani, Julieta Carneiro, Shahin Teherani, Mathilde Rodriguez, Francisco Lopes, Angelo Carneiro.
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Believers and contacts gathered in Charleroi on November 5 for the first of four “National Days of Belgium.”
program previously noted, and also sponsored
other events. For United Nations Day the believers of
Differdange sent letters to the churches, enclosing
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Prayer for Mankind and inviting them
to join in prayers for world peace. Their efforts also
included an exhibit in a store window and a “UN
Evening” at which prayers for the unity of mankind
were read in several languages. A special celebration
of UN Day for the youth of the Grand Duchy was
held at the Center in Esch/Alzette.
In other fields, pioneers of Dudelange assisted with audio-visual presentations and helped at firesides and public meetings in the various cities.
The presence of Hand of the Cause Dr. Adelbert Mühlschlegel, following his return from the conclave at Bahj’í, was a constant source of inspiration, and the visit of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Dahl of the American community lent fresh stimulus to the pioneering efforts.
First Spiritual Assembly of Malmö, Sweden, formed April 1961. Left to right, front row: Earl Pickens, Bahman Tofighian, Lars Persson, Marianne Pickens. Back row: W. A. Robinson, Thord Ekstrom, Martha Colliander, Allan Petrusson, Helen Robinson.
Energetic Italo-Swiss Community Prepares for the Climactic Ridván[edit]
Current activities in Switzerland are typified by three public lectures presented in the German section of the country, and by a regular succession of effective firesides.
From Italy comes news of three United Nations Week observances that again underline the importance of the annual commemoration. On October 28 Dr. Alessandro Bausani, member of the Italo-Swiss National Assembly and professor of oriental languages at the Universities of Rome and Naples, gave an excellent talk before a large audience at the British Institute in Florence. His address was entitled “United Nations and a United World.” At its conclusion one woman remarked, “Everyone should know about this,” while another asked permission to have the talk mimeographed for friends in other cities. On the following evening Dr. Bausani spoke on the same subject to another enthusiastic audience in Bologna and the city’s most important newspaper reported it at length.
Simultaneously, at a public United Nations observance in Padua, Auxiliary Board member Mario Pierulli spoke brilliantly before a considerable group of believers and their friends. Representatives of eight nationalities and various racial and religious backgrounds attended, giving the affair a wonderful cosmopolitan atmosphere.
A powerful step in preparation for the emergence of Italy as a separate national Bahá’í community was a teaching conference in Rome on November 11 and 12.
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First Spiritual Assembly of Almada, Portugal, formed April 1961. Left to right, front row: Jose Lucas (chairman), Lidia Lucas (treasurer), Ruben Jose (vice-chairman), Noemia Pisa (secretary). Back row: Richard Walters, Evelyn Walters, Luiz Serra, Vasco Parreira, Ada Schott. Two of the original members, Francisco Neves and Pablo Flores, are no longer in Almada.
First Spiritual Assembly of Haarlem, Netherlands, formed April 1961. Left to right, front row: Pooran Rouhani (vice-chairman), Mrs. Parvin Zeepvat, Behdjat Medhat, Mrs. Roheyeh Granfar, Mrs. Jeanne South (chairman). Back row: Michel Blom, Edward Zeepvat (secretary), Harold South (treasurer), Arnold Zonneveld.
The conferees were fortunate in having with them Hand
of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery, just returned from
Haifa, and Auxiliary Board member Mrs. Giachery.
Thirteen assemblies were represented, including that
of the Crusade goal city of Palermo.
As indicated by its theme, “How to teach to win the Crusade,” the two-day meeting explored ways and means open to the Italian home-front pioneers in awakening souls to the Faith in this critical period. The timing of the conference permitted a large-scale celebration of the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh, first with a devotional program on the eve of the anniversary, and then with a concluding mid-day banquet. As the conference drew to a close, the friends were delighted to hear that a combined contribution to the Frankfurt Temple had reached a total of 170,000 lire.
Victories Outweigh Hardships as Faith Advances in Central and East Africa[edit]
Two more victories have been won in Kenya in respect to government recognition. Throughout the country Bahá’ís can now take any five of the nine Holy Days as holidays; the remaining four may be taken out of local “leave.” And in Nairobi, the capital, permission has been received to build a Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in an area normally restricted to non-African housing.
Far-Reaching Uganda Teaching Plans Stress Individual Initiative for Mass Conversion Work[edit]
The enrollment of some 4,300 new believers in Uganda between March and November assures the forming of a considerable number of new local assemblies at Riḍván. However, this exciting progress brings with it a correspondingly heightened need for consolidation. Consequently, one of the goals of the Uganda Teaching Committee has been that of stimulating the individual assemblies and believers to assume increasing responsibility for teaching in their own villages, thus freeing the traveling teachers to concentrate on fruitful new localities.
Two series of teaching plans were carried out from May through September by fifty traveling teachers. Interspersed was a series of week-end schools attended by chairmen and secretaries of all local assemblies, and carefully planned teacher-training courses in all seven districts of the territory. This teaching pattern is expected to be continued to the end of the Crusade.
Teaching Work Extended Into Pagan Areas[edit]
In a special phase of the Uganda teaching, concentrated efforts have been made to open the pagan areas of Labwor and Jie. Already six new assemblies are virtually assured in Labwor, thanks to the work of pioneers John Olupot and Mokolamu Okello. The project was greatly hampered by flood waters that made many parts of the area inaccessible.
Pioneers Suffer Great Hardships in Special Sudan-Congo Prefect[edit]
An additional program for carrying the Faith from northwestern Uganda into adjacent areas of the Sudan and the Congo was opened with a special training course. Then two Uganda believers, Johnson Ayume and Sospateri Isimai, journeyed into these Countries, suffering great hardships because of the hostility, suspiciousness and superstition of the people. They found it difficult to obtain food and places to sleep, were obliged to walk great distances, were accused of coming to suck the blood of the people, contracted dysentery from having to drink swamp water, and became critically ill due to the complete lack of medicines in Congo dispensaries. Despite these difficulties they did
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not abandon their project.
Using first one method and then another to convince the people of their sincerity and the true purpose of their visit, the valiant pioneers finally won through. In spite of all handicaps they held a number of meetings and upon their departure from the Congo were able to leave a nucleus of strong believers, well qualified to carry on the work.
Eagerly Welcomed Homecraft Courses Conducted for Kenya and Uganda Women[edit]
For the first time in the Region of Central and East Africa, home- and mother-craft courses have been held as a part of both the consolidation and teaching programs among the village women. In May, a four-day course was conducted by Violette Nakhjavani and Mary Collison at the newly completed Bahá’í school in Tilling Village, Uganda. In October, two three-day courses were carried out by Violette Nakhjavani and Isobel Sabri at the Malakisi and Kimilili locations in Kenya.
All three courses, which included study of the Faith in addition to the domestic science subjects, were very well attended. Some of the women traveled long distances on foot to take part. Sleeping accommodations were arranged in the homes of the local believers.
A Rewarding Experience for Pupils and Teachers Alike[edit]
The days were divided into sessions on various subjects: general nutrition, the feeding of babies and children, meal planning with demonstrations using indigenous foods, baby-food preparation; health in the home, with suggestions for practical and economical methods of keeping village homes clean; causes and prevention of disease, plus care of the sick; sewing, including patching and mending — the most popular subject; and Bahá’í history, laws and teachings.
Many of the women had never before been to a class of any sort, nor held a needle in their work-hardened fingers. For those who helped to conduct the courses, it was a new and particularly rewarding experience to be able to give the Word of God together with homecraft instruction which would ease the daily lives of the people.
Men Supply Both Help and Encouragement[edit]
Quite contrary to all precedent, the Bahá’í men left their own work and activities to come to the courses, where in two cases they completely took over the buying and preparation of the food. They also took charge of the babies and children while the mothers attended classes. And perhaps most important of all they urged and encouraged the women of the community to attend.
During the courses, stress was laid on the strength of the world-wide Bahá’í community in which the women must play an important part. The role of women as the mothers and first teachers of the new generation of Bahá’ís was emphasized. The importance of training women in the affairs of the home and childrearing was discussed. The need for women to enter the Bahá’í teaching field was explained, particularly with reference to the fact that in Africa the men can teach other men and the women of their own families, but that women are needed to do the general teaching work among their fellow women.
Success of Classes Suggests Pattern for Future[edit]
These first homecraft courses were most enthusiastically received by both the Bahá’í men and women. That they themselves actively participated in the workshop-type sessions, particularly the sewing classes where each woman produced two pieces of work to take home, was an additional source of attraction.
It is hoped that in the future this type of women’s activity will become a regularly planned part of the work of the community. Already weekly sewing classes are being held for the women of a newly opened village area in the Buganda Province of Uganda.
Some members of the first all-Indian Bahá’í community of Ecuador, established in Vagabundo in 1960. In the back row, wearing dark glasses, is Raúl Pavón Mejía, the pioneer who took the Message to them.
Mrs. Shirin Fozdar, noted pioneer of southeast Asia, with a few of the friends of the Pakred area near Bangkok, Thailand. As indicated, many of the believers in the area work in the local rice mills.
Panama Summer School Students Hear Thrilling Announcements[edit]
The 1961 summer school of the Bahá’ís of the Republic of Panama was held on the week end of November 25 and 26 in the city of Santiago. This site was chosen both because it is a central point in relation to the country’s existing Bahá’í communities and because the occasion provided an opportunity to open Santiago to the Faith by means of a public meeting.
The school was dedicated to a study of the Covenant, and sessions on this subject were held both Saturday and Sunday. Other activities included periods for songs and games and a devotional service prepared by the Canal Zone community. The closing event was an observance of the Day of the Covenant, presented by the Panama City community.
Among several announcements, the most thrilling was that on Ustupo, one of the San Blas Islands, there are eighty new Cuna Indian believers, not counting youth and children. This striking start of mass conversion in Panama is principally due to the efforts of Alan and Ruth Pringle, dedicated pioneers to this area. The friends were also told that the first Cuna, Henrique Alfaro, has arisen to go to another island and give the Message. Another Ustupo believer has donated a tract of land, on which the Indian Bahá’ís are erecting their local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.
Important, also, was the news that Kirby Brown and Donald Witzel, just returned from the primitive Latin area in Chiriqui Province, had been asked by some thirty-five male contacts to come and live with them for several weeks in order to teach the Faith to their families. The last of the series of inspiring announcements revealed that through the sacrificial efforts of pioneer Harry Haye the new goal town of La Concepcion was rapidly moving toward assembly status.
Inspired Teaching Efforts Spark Spiritual Awakening in Republic of the Philippines[edit]
Thrilling news has come from the Philippine Islands, where frequent trips by teaching “teams” into the rugged interior have greatly accelerated the rate of enrollment in the Faith. The devoted teachers include Bill Allison, Dominador Anunsacion, Vivian Bayona, Orpha Daugherty, Jack Davis, Orlando Maddela, Vicente Samaniego, Enriqueta Tagubat, and Ruth Walbridge.
Started a number of months ago with the inspiring guidance and practical example of Hand of the Cause Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir, the work has gone forward rapidly under the Regional Assembly of South-East Asia and the Philippine National Teaching Committee. As in other regions, the teachers have found ever-widening circles of eager contacts among the indigenous people.
This highly important project is not an easy one in the physical sense. Again as in other regions, the teachers are obliged to travel mostly on foot, often over rain-soaked, muddy roads, since the villages which they visit are scattered in mountainous country. Nevertheless, the response and spiritual maturity of the pure-hearted people are such as to urge the teachers on with unflagging energy and enthusiasm.
With the intensive teaching just gaining momentum, its fruits seem to show that the village people are really ready for mass conversion; in fact, that process has already begun. The most striking results are those in Domanisi, where almost seventy souls come into the Faith in one week. As a consequence Domanisi is likely to become the first all-Bahá’í village in this island republic of twenty million people.
Equally gratifying is the fact that a number of the new believers are anxious to acquire teacher training,
Cuna Indian believers of Ustupo, one of the San Blas Islands off the northern coast of Panama, where eighty adults recently enrolled in the Faith.
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Attendants at summer conference held in Banff, Alberta (Canada), from August 12 to 19, 1961. Included are believers from various parts of Canada and the United States, Alaska and the Northwest Territories. Theme of the conference, conducted by the workshop method, was “Dynamics of the Bahá’í Faith.”
and at least one has already gone forth to carry the
Message to new fields. With the efforts of the hardworking pioneers thus augmented, the prospect is becoming brighter and brighter and many new local assemblies will probably be formed next Riḍván.
Human Rights Day Helps to Proclaim the Faith[edit]
Across the United States Human Rights Day was celebrated by many Bahá’í communities. In most observances reported, the second side of the recording sponsored by the U.S. United Nations Committee in cooperation with United Nations Radio was broadcasted by one or more local stations. Public meetings, paid ads, free publicity and letters to the editor were other means used to take advantage of this opportunity to promote the Faith.
The Augusta (Georgia) believers joined forces with the local chapter of the Council of Human Relations in a public panel discussion including a Bahá’í speaker. In Toledo, Ohio, the visiting speaker for the public meeting was interviewed for TV, and while at the studio there was an unexpected opportunity to answer other questions by the interviewer and members of the staff. One of the latter inquired about study classes. Though blind, he went to the trouble of calling a local believer who will get him some Braille literature, and accepted an invitation to a fireside.
The Green Bay, Wisconsin, friends not only succeeded in having the record used on two radio stations, but also staged a public fireside which was well publicized, arranged a table and wall display at the main public library, and sent a letter to the editor which was used. During the previous week they had also participated in a panel discussion on a TV Public Forum. The panel included two believers—one speaking as a Bahá’í, the other as a member of a minority group—a member of the Governor’s Commission for Human Rights, and a member of the local UN Chapter. The moderator was a newscaster at the TV station.
International News Briefs[edit]
The Teaching Committee of the Tonga Islands held its sixth teaching conference last September 3. Representatives of all groups and assemblies, as well as some isolated believers, attended. The first direct letter from the Hands in the Holy Land to the Tongan believers was read and discussed, and plans were made to bring more students to classes and to the next summer school. Meanwhile a new book, to contain both prayers and Hidden words, is being checked prior to publication, and “Notes on Release the Sun” is being translated. Four new enrollments have been recorded, and For Island has been opened to the Faith.
Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone visited Darwin (Northern Territory, Australia) in October while en route to the annual conclave of the Hands in Israel. While in Darwin, he addressed firesides and made valuable contacts with the local newspaper and the two radio stations, one of which later broadcasted a six-minute interview. The mayor and town clerk of Darwin accorded Mr. Featherstone an official reception, and discussed the Faith and its place in world affairs with him. The beloved Hand also paid an official visit to the Director of Welfare, a contact expected to facilitate intensification of the teaching work among the aboriginal people.
Serving as deputy for ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Miss Jessie Revell, treasurer of the International Bahá’í Council, flew to New Zealand last September after the dedication of the Australian Temple. In the course of a busy week, which included flying trips to various points, she consulted with the National Assembly and the body of the believers, gave newspaper interviews, met civil officials and spoke at large public receptions, luncheons, teas and meetings. Among innumerable contacts were several with the Maori people, including three chiefs and the Maori Labor Minister. Everywhere she went, this vital ambassadress of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh captured the hearts of the friends and their guests, and fired the believers with new zeal to fulfill their teaching responsibilities.
Faith Gains Renown through Bahá’í Artist’s Exhibition at Louvre[edit]
On October 18, 1961, a retrospective showing of more than 300 paintings by Mark Tobey of Seattle, Washington, opened at Le Musée des Arts Decoratifs at the Louvre in Paris. Mr. Tobey is the first American ever to have a one-man show at the Louvre.
The governments of France and the United States acknowledged the importance of this event through the official presence at the opening of André Malraux, French Minister of Cultural Affairs and distinguished novelist, and U.S. Ambassador to France James M. Gavin. On the evening of the opening, Ambassador and Mrs. Gavin held an elaborate reception in Mr. Tobey’s honor at their home.
In 1958 Mr. Tobey won the grand prize at the Venice Biennale, the first American since Whistler to win this award at the exhibition described by Life magazine as “the world’s most celebrated international art show.” The current exhibition solidifies his position at the very pinnacle of the world of art, since the Louvre rarely offers large-scale exhibits of the work of living painters.
This event is of particular significance to the Bahá’í Faith because coincident with his growing fame is an increasing awareness on the part of the public that Mark Tobey is a Bahá’í of long standing and has been deeply influenced by the Teachings in his art and his philosophy of life. In earlier years there were only occasional passing references to Tobey’s Bahá’í affiliation in catalogues of his exhibits and articles about him. One of the earliest extended references was in an article by Janet Flanner in the Swiss art publication L’Oeil for July 15, 1955.
Teachings the “Clue to an Ethic of Our Time”[edit]
In a book by Colette Roberts called “Mark Tobey,” a biographical outline states:
“1918: After World War I, attracted to Persian religion, Bahá’í, extolling aspirations toward unification of
Mark Tobey (right) at the retrospective exhibition in Paris. With him is Jacques Guérin, curator of the Musée des Arts Decoratifs at the Louvre.
all life, and peace.” Later, in discussing the fundamental influences on Tobey’s life and thought, Miss Roberts says: “On the humanitarian and humanistic level
the Bahá’í faith and its quest for unity seem to have
brought this harmony-loving artist the ‘clue to an ethic
of our time.’ Summarized in the textbook of Bahá’í
principles, the teaching, first of Báb, and then of
Bahá’u’lláh was initiated in Persia in mid-19th century.
It recommends the unification of all religions, however
diverse, the reconciliation of religion and science stemming from the same root, a search for truth. Tobey
sums it up for us: ‘the Bahá’í or world order of
Bahá’u’lláh is a universal concept of a new world.’ ”
However, it is in the 190-page catalogue of the Louvre show that the Faith is mentioned at length and with considerable depth, though also with some inaccuracies. 3500 copies were printed, and it will also be available when the show is exhibited at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels in March and April.
In a perceptive introduction to the catalogue, Francois Mathey, who directed the show at the Louvre and is considered one of the leading art critics in France, said: “When he (Tobey) deliberately left New York in 1922 for the solitude of the Northwest coast, with the intention of commencing all over again, we know that this rupture is consecutive with his conversion. ‘The Bahá’í Faith teaches that man will come gradually to understand the unity of the world, that the prophets are one, that science and religion are the two forces of attraction which guide the universe and that they must find their equilibrium if man wishes to attain his majority ...’
“At the moment of his conversion, and one can ask if there is not a causal relationship between these facts, he realizes that the world of conventional art, bound by pseudo-traditions, is an obstacle to the fulfillment of man. In the same way that he broke with the dogmas of his childhood, he tries to break the shell of this conventional painting.”
An extended biography of the artist contains the following under the years 1918-19: “It is then that he discovers the Bahá’í faith. This conversion orients Tobey to new avenues, and if one cannot testify that it determines and literally explains the painting of the artist, at least it confirms his ceaseless searchings....
“The teaching of Bahá’u’lláh and of his oldest son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbás, drafted in a language of great poetic beauty, made a profound impact on Tobey ...”
A Letter Stressing the Teachings[edit]
One of the unique sections of the catalogue quotes in both French and English extensive passages from various letters Tobey has written on specific subjects or concerning various individual paintings. The first one deals directly with the Bahá’í Faith:
“I wrote a short article for the Bahá’í yearbook which I called ‘Universal Trends in Modern Painting.’ I shouldn’t be writing about art, that is modern art, as I am too much mixed up in it....
“If people would only take the time to investigate
[Page 13]
the writings of Bahá’u’lláh they would find the answers,
for we are at the time of the breakup of the evolution
of the parts, with their peak in nationalism, and enter
the great universal day when all the parts have to
function in the whole. Evolution of all forms social or
biological ever tend toward a more complex form ...”
Artist Explains One of His “Baha’í” Paintings[edit]
A number of Tobey’s works created in the 1940’s and early 1950’s have been characterized as “Bahá’í” paintings. One of the foremost of these is “Arena of Civilization.” In the section of the catalogue listing the paintings on display, the following letter of Tobey’s (freely translated from the French) explaining this work is quoted:
“The painting of this period rose tier upon tier over several years ... It is of the miniature type and for this reason belongs to the art of the near East, but the subject makes use of an oriental-occidental material ‘emanating from the East, manifested in the West’ (‘Abdu’l-Bahá) ...
“The draped oriental figures symbolize the spirit of Bahá’í which I believe to be the religion of our time and of the future, even if it is little known at the present time. When Toynbee declares that our epoch, when studied in three thousand years, will be considered a religious epoch (See September, 1947, Atlantic), and affirms that the influence of communism is an Eastern reaction to the expansion of the West, I think he would have been closer to deductive reasoning if he had known of the existence of Bahá’í which encircled the globe in the first decades of the twentieth century ...
“The upper part of the painting symbolizes the new and superior forces of our epoch, that which we call modern: for this reason they are less formed, but will take form in the course of their growth. This does not only imply more perfected instruments but also spiritual and mental concepts linked to material progress. ‘All things appear by degrees’ (‘Abdu’l-Bahá). The same for civilizations, and I personally think that men always end by experiencing the truth. In Bahá’í the accent on ‘the unity of the world of humanity’ is the new note, is indeed the crux if we are going to have peace.
“It is an age of new relationships, whence the necessity for a new sight or a new eye with which to see. And so, from the wealth of the writings of Bahá’u’lláh and his son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, I composed this picture.”
Press Reviews the Tobey Exhibition[edit]
The exhibition received a uniformly good press, though not all reviewers mentioned the Bahá’í Faith specifically.
Two of the leading Paris newspapers contained interesting references to the Faith. Le Monde for October 24, 1961, said ... “But the true motivator of his evolution is the spirit within, which, in 1922, led him to break with the snobbish world of his New York and Chicago clientele (where he had lived since 1906, after having left his native Wisconsin) and to take up residence in Seattle in the extreme northwest, as teacher of design; which instigated his travels in China and Japan, where in 1934, he spent a month in a Zen monastery; which predisposed him toward the Bahá’í faith, to which he was drawn after the Great War, at a time when universalist philosophies and ethics were recruiting souls eager for a more united humanity than that which had been destroying itself for four years.”
The weekly cultural newspaper Arts for October 18-24, 1961, in a lengthy review of the exhibition said: “... This retrospective show will surprise to the degree that the work of Tobey ... falls in no single category. Sometimes totally figurative, sometimes totally abstract, one cannot truly comprehend Tobey’s course unless one realizes that one is in the presence of a mystic. It should not be forgotten that, in his youth, Tobey was at first a worldly artist and a fashionable decorator, a portrait painter sought after by New York and Chicago society. He broke with this world in 1919 when he embraced the Bahá’í Faith, a religion of Persian origin which holds to a synthesis of the great religions of the globe ...”
Other Important Showings to Follow[edit]
The exhibition will be shown in January and February at the Whitechapel Gallery in London and in March and April at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels. A smaller number of the pictures will probably be shown in the late spring at the Duncan Phillips Gallery in Washington, D.C., and in the fall a large Tobey show is being planned at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Presumably the catalogues for these shows will also deal with the influence of the Bahá’í Faith on the artist’s work.
One week after the opening of the Louvre show, it was announced that Tobey had won the first prize for painting at the Carnegie Institute exhibition in Pittsburg, a fact widely reported in the world press. In a typical response to the announcement, the Beverly Hills (California) Times for December 7, 1961, published an article by Jules Langsner reviewing Tobey’s career, which said, “... in the twenties (he) found in the modern Persian faith called Bahá’í an expression of his view of the spiritual unity of all mankind. Thus painting for Tobey became a way towards realizing to the fullest a mystical and contemplative approach to the experience of art.”
From left: U.S. Ambassador to France James M. Gavin, Minister of Cultural Affairs of France André Malraux, Swedish painter Pehr.
A Vietnamese Community Celebrates the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh[edit]
At top: At the formal observance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday in Trung Giang, Central Vietnam, American pioneer Rodney Edwards speaks before local believers and their guests.
At left: The Spiritual Assembly of Trung Giang meets Rodney
Edwards on his arrival at the village, which is 450 miles
north of Saigon and was the first center of Bahá’í proclamation in Central Vietnam. To the left and in front of Mr.
Edwards is Chairman Bon, who, with the other members of
the assembly, was imprisoned in 1957 for proclaiming the
Faith.
Below at left: Mr. Edwards, center, and beside him Mr.
Pham Huu Chu, first Vietnamese believer, visit the local
Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and the children of the Bahá’í school. The
banner announcing the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh is over a
stage for a variety show given for the whole village as part
of the celebration.
Directly below: A part of the audience of 1500, of whom 100
were believers, at the outdoor variety performance that
followed the formal meeting. This was the largest gathering
to date for any Bahá’í public event in Vietnam.
Successful Teaching Activities of Students Cited by College Bureau[edit]
A wide assortment of effective activities related to the Faith are being initiated and carried out by Bahá’í students in American colleges and universities. These enterprises, sparked by groups and sometimes by single individuals, should prove inspirational to young believers at other seats of learning.
At the University of New Mexico the Bahá’í College Club, an energetic and persevering organization, last fall played a prominent part in an “Activities Night.” Its booth, one of forty, elicited compliments from many of the 500 students and faculty members who saw it. A large number studied it carefully and a score of people stayed for discussion. Best of all, four said, “This is what I have been looking for.” Further interest was aroused by supplying literature to the booth of the Inter-Religious Council.
The club followed up this event with a two-week display, and is now holding weekly discussion meetings, the subjects for which are announced in advance by mimeographed bulletins. The youth also decided to join the Student Senate, and associated themselves with the Inter-Religious Council. An outline of the Teachings in the latter’s brochure for students occasioned an article on the Faith in the campus newspaper.
Ambitious Program at University of California[edit]
Past activities of the Bahá’í Club in the University of California at Berkeley won recognition for the Faith in the form of a full-page notice in the bulletin of the Interfaith Council, distributed to 10,000 students last fall. At that time, also, the club took an active part in the council’s Activities Fair.
Plans for the current college year include monthly public meetings under the general title of “International House,” continued participation in Interfaith Council activities, a special event of a social nature, efforts to obtain one invitation per month to address audiences such as young people’s religious groups, and participation in a YWCA series of noon-hour forums on Contemporary Ideologies.
As a result of the club’s energy a member was granted a full class period to present the Faith in a course on Religions of the Orient, and a Bahá’í question was included in an examination.
Stimulating Events on Other College Campuses[edit]
In an area widely known as the bible belt, the believers at North Carolina College in Durham scored a “breakthrough” when they succeeded in having a Bahá’í included in the program for Religious Emphasis Week.
Bahá’í students at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, held a week-end session recently. A Saturday afternoon coffee hour and discussion period, promoted by means of mailed programs, drew eighteen contacts, augmented by a similar number of believers. Considerable literature was taken from a table display of books and pamphlets, reinforced by large pictures of the Temples.
With only one believer on campus in Savannah, Georgia, regular firesides are being held, and after attending only two of them a student declared his desire to become a Bahá’í.
Recently Mrs. Thelma Gorham, representing the College Bureau at a campus conference on religion at the University of Hawaii, followed a rigorous schedule. She taped an interview for a television station, took part in several planned discussions, spoke before students of a wide variety of courses ranging from philosophy to history, was moderator for a panel on religious art, and on Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday spoke at a large public meeting. Her appearances sparked a new interest in the Faith on the campus and regular firesides are now being held there.
An Assembly Secretary Saves a Bahá’í Club[edit]
At Wayne University in Detroit, Michigan, the Bahá’í Club was in danger of dissolution because no believers had enrolled for the fall semester. The authorities, however, granted permission to continue if at least one Bahá’í would register. Thereupon the Detroit Assembly secretary went to school — and found herself elected president of the club by four non-Bahá’í members. Then she was elected secretary of the Council of Religious Organizations, and as such participated in the entertainment on campus of the eleven Japanese religious leaders who recently toured the country. With the club’s continuation fairly well assured, it was able to look forward to permanent campus quarters in a proposed $900,000 student religious center.
The Bahá’í College Bureau earnestly requests reports of the teaching opportunities and experiences of other Bahá’í campus groups.
Bahá’í display booth for “Activities Night” at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
New Braille Edition of “Renewal of Civilization” Now Available[edit]
The Renewal of Civilization, first published in Braille in 1948, and again in 1954 and 1957, has proved so popular that a fourth edition was necessary and has now been released.
Copies are priced at $6.50 each and may be obtained from Bahá’í Service for the Blind, 842 North Hayworth Avenue, Los Angeles, California.
Unique Bahá’í Periodical Offers Invaluable Year-Round Teaching Help[edit]
Unique among Bahá’í periodicals is the little magazine published under the title of The Child’s Way. Small in compass, and issued only every other month, it nevertheless provides many Bahá’í teachers, and many non-believers as well, with a wealth of material and ideas for use in child education as envisioned in the Teachings. Furthermore, much of its content is also applicable to adults. Both of these uses of the publication are touched upon in the two following letters from subscribers.
“I am preparing material for a series of talks to be given at the University of Hawaii and would like to use some facts from the chart that appeared in The Child’s Way showing the agreement of aspects of science and religion ... My thirteen-year-old son and I find many uses for this wonderfully helpful publication in our Bahá’í home study, in classes and in his school work. I expect the latter accounts for the disappearance of the particular issue I am now requesting.” (Thelma Gorham)
“Recently one of the pioneers from this area visited the U.S. and during her stay was gifted with sets of The Child’s Way back to issue 57. These she has shared with us to our great delight and stimulation. The use of this material in Nicaragua we feel will have profound effects on teaching methods in general. Working in remote regions of the Atlantic Coast with people still primitive in their outlook offers a broad field for experimentation and analysis. The minds of these Indian children (and adults for that matter) should surely be ready gardens for the ‘seeds’ so neatly packaged in your excellent publication.” (Hooper Dunbar)
|
Material for U.S. BAHA'I NEWS
For a number of reasons, including a change in printing schedule, it is now necessary for material to reach Wilmette by the twentieth of the second month preceding date of issue. News items and photographs of general interest are requested from all national assemblies and from national committees and local assemblies of the United States. |
The Child’s Way is an official part of the Bahá’í teaching program in the United States, and has also been approved by the National Assembly of Canada for teaching in that country. As indicated in the second letter quoted above, it is considered invaluable by many pioneers, and has found its way into remote corners around the world.
Believers everywhere, whether individuals, communities or teaching committees, are invited to avail themselves of this distinguished publication. The cost per yearly subscription is $2.00. Subscription orders and remittances should be sent directly to The Child’s Way, Box 245, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.
- FEASTS
- February 7—Mulk (Dominion)
- March 2—’Alá’ (Loftiness)
- INTERCALARY DAYS
- February 26—March 1
- DAYS OF FASTING
- March 2-21
- U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS
- February 23-25
- 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)
- Sundays
- 3:30 to 4:10 p.m.
- Sunday, February 18
- 4:15 p.m.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is published for circulation among Bahá’ís only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í World Community.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee: Mr. and Mrs. P. R. Meinhard, Managing Editors; Mrs. Eunice Braun, International News Editor; Miss D. Thelma Jackson, National News Editor; Miss Charlotte M. Linfoot, National Spiritual Assembly Representative.
Material must be received by the twentieth of the second month preceding date of issue. Address: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.
Change of address should be reported directly to National Bahá’í Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.
