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| No. 405 | BAHA’I YEAR 121 | DECEMBER, 1964 |
Progress of the Nine Year Plan[edit]
News from the World Center[edit]
Convention messages, and reports reaching the World Center, indicate that in all parts of the world the Plan has evoked an enthusiastic response from the believers and a spirit of dedication and determination to achieve its goals. The realistic, mature and dedicated manner in which National Spiritual Assemblies have approached their tasks bears eloquent testimony to the training which our beloved Guardian’s plans, and particularly his Ten Year Crusade, have given to the Bahá’í world. A wide variety of methods has been adopted by the different National Spiritual Assemblies — the Generals of the Plan — some choosing to phase their work in three or more stages, others to lay the basic foundation for their total tasks this year and then to build on that, and some National Spiritual Assemblies even have informed the House of Justice that it may be possible to achieve most of their objectives of expansion and consolidation within the next two or three years.
The Convention of the Philippines recommended a goal for 1973 of one million believers, and the National Spiritual Assembly of Korea has adopted, as the goal for the first year of the Plan, the raising of the number of Assemblies to 100, the total number called for under the Plan. Everywhere the army of God is on the move.
Goals Already Achieved[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico reports that the goal island of Las Mujeres has been opened with the declaration of two believers on that island, and a Mayan pioneer has opened the island of Cozumel in the goal territory of Quintana Roo.
The first Institute called for under the Nine Year Plan has been established in Muna, Yucatán (Mexico).
The building of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Aden has been accomplished.
Of the 14 new National Assemblies formed last Riḍván, the first to be incorporated is the National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands, on June 5, 1964.
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Philippine Islands has established its National Endowment by accepting a gift of 400 square meters of land in Quezon City, a suburb of Manila.
In the South Pacific, a new language, Marshalese, has been added to the list of Bahá’í literature.
In the South West Pacific Ocean the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds has been acquired in Noumea.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Colombia reports that in Valencia and Tarrasa, local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds have been acquired, and the local Spiritual Assembly of Bogota has been incorporated.
Two virgin territories in Africa have been opened: Gabon and Mali.
The incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina has now been accomplished.
In Finland an additional National Endowment has been established by purchase of a new property in Tervalampi village.
Two Assemblies have been formed on the Island of Grenada thereby attaining its goal under the Nine Year Plan.
The Group called for in the Marshall Islands has been established.
Recognition of Faith in Persia[edit]
The Ministry of Health and Education of Írán has permitted the establishment of a Nursing School attached to the Bahá’í Hospital in Ṭihrán. This is a highly significant step in the evolution of the Faith in Persia. For the first time since the closing of Tarbiat School an officially recognized Bahá’í educational institution in Persia is able to operate under Bahá’í jurisdiction.
The remaining shares of the Shop of the Báb in Shiráz, being one third of the total shares, have been purchased by the Bahá’í community and the whole property is now owned by the Faith.
The National Assembly of Persia reports that the repairs to the House of the Báb and to that of His uncle, as well as to other Holy Places in Shiráz have all been completed.
FIRST SUMMER SCHOOL IN MOROCCO[edit]
The first Bahá’í summer school of Morocco was held in Meknes, from August 31 to September 6. Over twenty participants were gathered on a farm situated in a suburb of Meknes, belonging to one of the Persian pioneers, Mr. Hossein Rowhani Ardakani. The city of Meknes, with more than seventy registered Bahá’ís, has the largest Bahá’í community in Morocco.
When, early last summer, the Regional Teaching Committee for Morocco was formed and, according to the instructions of the National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa, met with the National Youth Committee to investigate the possibilities of organizing a summer school, it seemed improbable that this project could materialize in such short notice. However, at this point the Local Assembly of Meknes volunteered to take charge of the material side of the arrangements. It was only this generous offer that translated hopes and ambitions into reality.
Two important features made this summer school remarkable: first, the presence of three of the imprisoned friends who had faced every wave of adversity and tribulation in the name of the Cause. One of them, Auxiliary Board member Mohammed Othmani Kebdani, with infinite tact and understanding and a heart overflowing with love and humility, served as the director of the summer school. Everyone present felt truly privileged to spend a week in close association with these dedicated servants of the Cause of God who for more than nineteen months accepted incarceration, humiliation and torture, and through their steadfast devotion and selfless dedication proclaimed the Greatest Name throughout the world at the time of the Jubilee.
The second feature of the summer school was that all but one of the courses were taught by Moroccan friends. These courses included: History of the Faith; Bahá’í Administration; Comparative Religion; Bahá’í Life; and Presentation of Some of Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings. Every class hour was followed by an intense question and answer period in which all enthusiastically participated.
With the successful consummation of this first summer school, it is planned to hold both winter and summer sessions in the future.
Italian Youth Exhibit High Degree of Service at Summer School[edit]
The Bahá’í school of Italy was held at the Hotel Miramare, Bellaria, on the Adriatic coast from September 12-20. The hotel was situated on the sea and even the weather seemed to make an effort toward the success of the school with a week of blue, sunny skies. The friends present numbered 180, of nine nationalities, with seventeen Italian guest students and five of other nations. Over half were youth.
The spiritual tone of the school was set by a beautiful talk by Hand of the Cause, John Ferraby, on “Living the Bahá’í Life.” The courses were on Islam, Advent of Divine Justice, Administration and others, given in Italian, Persian and English. Guy Murchie came from a distance to give a course on “Religion Proved by Science.”
The culminating point of the week was reached when a guest from Florence made her declaration, followed by a young couple from San Remo.
On the day the program was organized by the National Youth Committee, a young Italian from Bari said: “Among other things a Bahá’í youth must learn is to live for others.” In many other ways, the youth demonstrated their willingness to be of service.
Bahá’í Summer School of Italy held at Bellaria on the Adriatic coast September 12-20.
Bahá’í Summer Schools on Three Continents[edit]
A lively and inspiring summer school was
held in Oostduinkerke, Belgium, the last week
of August with five new believers resulting
from it. It was a well organized program,
showing results in the active participation of
all present.
Photo at right shows a portion of the fifty
who attended the summer school in Taegu,
Korea August 27-30, representing sixteen
communities. About fifteen came from the
southern islands of Korea.
Especially gratifying is this view of Bahá’í friends attending the first summer
school in Morocco held August 31 to September 6 in Meknes. Bahá’ís around
the world will recall the long period of imprisonment for many of the believers
there and the joyous news of their release announced in May, 1964 BAHÁ’Í NEWS.
Faith Spreads in Malaya and Sarawak[edit]
The National Assembly of Malaysia and Brunei reports that the Faith is spreading among the aboriginal Senoi people of northern Malaya. Hand of the Cause, Dr. R. Muhajir has recently visited the Bahá’ís of this region where the traveling teacher, K. Krishnan, is working. The American pioneer, Harlan Lang, has made several teaching trips to the bush area of the Ibans and other tribes in Sarawak where a native teacher, Smith Ottan, has brought over 300 of his Melanau people into the Faith this year.
Photo at left above shows a gathering of Senoi believers at the kampong of Menderang, Sungkai, Perak, Malaya with Dr. Muhajir. Three photos at right, top to bottom, show spiritual assemblies of the kampongs of Menderang, Jentong and Kelmong, all in Perak, Malaya. (A kampong is a small compound.) Lower right shows a group of Melanau Bahá’ís in Tellian, Sarawak with the native teacher, Smith Ottan at left.
Bahá’í Summer School Held in Perigueux, France[edit]
The Bahá’ís of France held a summer school in Périgueux in the Dordogne valley, August 30 to September 6. The school was honored by the presence of Hand of the Cause John Ferraby and his wife and of Dr. Navidi, Auxiliary Board member of the Hands of the Cause in Europe.
Périgueux is very well known for its artistic and archeological treasures as well as for the beauty of its location. Classes were held in the lovely palais de fêtes, which is surrounded by beautiful formal gardens in which the friends enjoyed walking during their free periods.
Classes were held on the Administrative Order, the Nine Year Plan, Prayer and Meditation, and the Life of the Báb. A public meeting conducted by Mr. Tirandaz was attended by many interested people who, during the course of the evening, asked a number of questions.
Bahá’ís from Morocco, Tunisia, Belgium, England, Monte Carlo and Holland attended the school and shared news of the progress of the Faith in their countries. The youth held a round table discussion on such subjects as the duties of Bahá’í youth, their behavior in front of their non-Bahá’í contemporaries, their hopes and their projects. In addition, they discussed the relationship between parents and children, and education. Mrs. Ferraby spoke about Shoghi Effendi and his work and of her life and experiences in the Holy Land.
For the recreational part of the program, an excursion was made to the Dordogne valley, which is noted for its beautiful scenery and its lovely castles. At Trémolat, the friends were so moved by the beauty of the countryside that they stopped for prayers. At Barre de Domme, after a tour of the village and of the grottoes, a spontaneous public meeting was held during which Mr. Navidi, Dr. Barafroukhteh, Mr. Alaï and Mr. Tirandaz answered questions for more than two hours. One of the people who attended this meeting was Professor Bicharat Tabbah of the University of Beirut in Lebanon.
The summer school closed in an atmosphere of warmth and good will between the Bahá’ís and the people of Périgueux and many new contacts for the Faith were made.
Meager Funds, Physical Hardships and Devoted Teachers Mark Efforts in Bolivia[edit]
“The tragedy of teaching in Bolivia,” writes a pioneer, “is the shortage of manpower and literature.” The glory of teaching there is the number of waiting souls, especially among the Indians, ready and willing to hear the Message of Bahá’u’lláh; and great hope lies in such humble, devoted believers as Miguel Diez, a Bahá’í of Santa Cruz who spends every spare moment, outside of earning a living for a large family, in spreading the Faith. His duties take him to many towns and villages, including one that has two native Indian groups, Chirugans and Guayos. Here he has made friends with the jefes or chiefs and has brought Athos Costos of the National Assembly, and Hooper Dunbar, Auxiliary Board member, to speak to them.
Miguel Diez, Indian Bahá’í teacher of Santa Cruz,
Bolivia, in center of photo, with Guaraye Indians. The
chief (Jefe) and his wife are sitting at the right and
left of Miguel.
Recently a special committee for this region went
out to assist in presenting the teachings to two hundred
Chirugans, after hours of travel on muddy roads. Then
the jefe of the Guayo Indians brought them to his home
to speak to thirty people gathered there. Each Saturday
Miguel Diez returns to them alone, for the committee
is unable to assist him further, expanding their understanding of the Faith and enrolling each time the ones
who desire to be Bahá’ís. On Sundays he goes to
another village.
One day Miguel found sadness and grief among his new Bahá’í brothers in one of the villages. A young believer, just twenty-one years of age had died suddenly and they did not understand how to take care of his burial and wished to do it right. Miguel walked the long miles to the burying ground, read prayers from his prayer book which he carries in his truck and relayed to those present the Bahá’í message of “Life After Death” which he had himself just heard the previous evening at a meeting. This gave them much joy and reassurance.
Although Miguel knows that Bahá’u’lláh accompanies him in his journeys, he prays for more helpers to give the Message and to deepen the new believers.
Distinguished Frenchman Questions Bahá’ís Concerning Protection of Animals[edit]
Recently an eminent French personality, a member of the Academy of Sciences, asked the Bahá’ís if Bahá’u’lláh had revealed any laws for the protection of animals. The Bahá’ís answered in the affirmative and stated that Bahá’í love is so vast that it extends beyond the human species to the animal kingdom. They also quoted the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh in which he enjoins men to treat animals with justice, kindness and fairness and strongly forbids them to cruelly abuse animals. It is interesting to note that shortly after Bahá’u’lláh revealed this law the Society for the Protection of Animals was founded in many countries of the world.
Costa Rica Holds First Indian Institute[edit]
Last March the Costa Rican National Assembly sponsored a four-day Indian school in Amubre, Talamanc. Although these photos were delayed in reaching BAHÁ’Í NEWS, this first teaching institute for the Costa Rican Indians is of deep interest. The photo at right shows a group of teachers (with the pioneer pointing) and three Indian friends getting ready to ferry everyone across the Sixaoloa River by dugout canoe. From this point, it is a half day’s walk on to Amubre. The view below shows a portion of those who attended the sessions and the thatched roofed hut which is the Bahá’í Center there.
Shown above is a group of Bahá’í youth among the Indian believers. Standing third from right is a youth who has displayed marked ability for teaching among his people. He comes from the village of Coen and had to walk a full day to come to the school. At left below appears a group of new Bahá’ís who declared themselves during the school sessions. These friends walked all day and half into the night from their village of Alto Urein. The photos themselves were sent from London to Costa Rica, having been taken by a young man who became a Bahá’í while visiting Costa Rica and then attended the Institute.
Royal Cambodian Government Recognizes Faith by Royal Decree[edit]
Another sovereign state, the ancient Kingdom of Cambodia with its world famous Angkor Wat temple, has extended a very respectful recognition to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
Upon the request of the National Assembly chairman in 1963 and the personal intervention of Mrs. Shirin Fozdar whose esteem by the Cambodian Royal Court dates back to 1954, His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Head of State, has issued an impressive Royal Decree under his own signature, recognizing the Bahá’í World Faith as well as its World Center in Haifa, Israel, authorizing its practice in Cambodia as well as its right to construct and own temples and religious centers.
The Cause which was first brought to Cambodia in 1954 has, through a succession of pioneers, steadily progressed from one local assembly in 1958 to nine at present and will surely be establishing a National Spiritual Assembly during the Nine Year Plan.
[Page 7]
Agnes Alexander, Hand of the Cause, seated at right with Ainu Chief,
Mr. Moritake in front of an old Ainu house. Kneeling beside Miss Alexander is a son of the Chief, Mr. Umegae, known as the “Lion of Hokkaido.” Miss Yamami, Bahá’í from Shiraoi (island) and Bernard Leach
shown at left of group. Photo above shows a portion of group attending
this first Teaching Conference in Hokkaido.
Ainus of Japan Participate in Hokkaido Conference[edit]
The first teaching conference held in Hokkaido, second largest island in Japan, occurred September 26-27, 1964. It was held in the Town of Shiraoi which has a large Ainu population. Aside from a few pioneers and Japanese, most of the sixty-five participants were Bahá’ís of Ainu ancestry.
Japan’s own Hand of the Cause, Miss Agnes Alexander, recounted her experience in taking the Faith to Hokkaido in 1932.
In Shoghi Effendi’s last letter to Japan, he advised the Bahá’ís to teach the Ainu so that they would then arise and teach their own people. Mr. Umegae, son of Chief Moritake, is the living proof of the Guardian’s words. The pioneers have named him the “Lion of Hokkaido,” for he has taught most of the Bahá’ís there.
The famous English potter, Mr. Bernard Leach, spoke at three different public meetings in connection with the conference.
One of the pioneers produced a vial of attar of roses which had been originally sent by Shoghi Effendi through Hand of the Cause, Mr. Kházeh, to the first convention of North East Asia in Tokyo in 1957. The vial was still about half full and it was a solemn, spiritual experience to be anointed with this gift from the Guardian.
The day after the conference eleven Bahá’ís went to an Ainu village not far from Shiraoi and in a few hours gathered over one hundred people for a meeting. About half of the adults enrolled in the Faith and are eagerly awaiting further deepening in the Teachings.
Students and teachers at a class held at newly acquired Teaching Institute, Mysore, India.
Publishing Trust of Germany Exhibits at Frankfurt Book Fair[edit]
The Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Germany was represented this year for the first time at the International Book Fair in Frankfurt-am-Main, September 16-22. The Bahá’í display was located among the stands of other religions in the very same hall where the International Bahá’í Congress in 1958 took place.
The location appeared to be very favorable as almost all visitors had to pass by. A photograph of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Langenhain, already well known in Germany, attracted many visitors. Booksellers praised the genuine workmanship of the books, clergymen read in the Bahá’í prayer books and many visitors showed quite an interest in looking through the Bahá’í books.
Bahá’ís were present at the display to answer questions and to give out literature catalogs and pamphlets. Many people were contacted in this way.
Two views of the world famous International Book Fair in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, showing the German Bahá’í Publishing Trust’s booth in the center.
Mrs. Ruth Pringle, Auxiliary Board member, seated in center, with members of the Jicaque Indian tribe in Honduras whom she visited on September 15. Mrs. Pringle visited several centers in Honduras during September and October. Two schools for training native teachers are now planned for December.
Publishing Trust Founded in Belgium[edit]
A Bahá’í Publishing Trust for the French language, a goal of the new Plan, has been established in Brussels, Belgium, under the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly of Belgium. Several basic titles have already been produced. A general conference on attaining the remaining goals of the Plan outlined by the Universal House of Justice was held October 18, resulting in open consultation.
National Day, an annual event in Belgium, was marked by believers in Antwerp by Bahá’í talks in both Flemish and French at the Flemish Cultural Museum Center during the month of September.
Philippine Bahá’ís Receive Visit from Agnes Alexander[edit]
Visiting the Philippines in mid-August, Hand of the Cause, Agnes Alexander, from Kyoto, Japan, related experiences of the first national convention in Hawaii and the early days of the Faith in the 1900’s. On two weekends, she taught the Bahá’ís of Muntinlupa, inspiring the friends there to further deepen their knowledge of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.
A teaching conference was held in Mindanao to consolidate activities of the Bilaan Bahá’ís there and to celebrate completion of their new Center. Deepening in administration and sharing knowledge of the Teachings with all one’s friends and neighbors has also occupied Bahá’ís in the two provinces of Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur. The month of August found Mrs. Rose Mangapis opening many new areas in the Bicol provinces. A number of school teachers and other professional people on the island of Ticao, Masbate, enrolled in the Faith. A family from Persia, Mr. and Mrs. Eshraghian and their three children, have joined forces with Joseph Domingo in Mountain Province and new teaching victories are anticipated there.
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CHARACTER TRAINING IN IRAN
Last year forty character training classes in religion were held in Yazd, Iran. 300 youth and children were taught under the direction of thirty teachers. In Andímishk five teachers conducted nine classes regularly. Classes are graded from one to ten and a portion of those held in Yazd are shown here. |
Faith Continues to Flourish in Africa[edit]
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South
Central Africa formed Riḍván, 1964. First row, left to
right: Mrs. Helen Hope, Miss Mary Mabogo, Mr. Eric
Manton and Miss Ethna Archibald; back row: Mrs.
Jessie Manton, Leonard Chiposi, Mrs. Florence Fat’he-Aazam and Enayat Sohaili. L. Marowa is absent from
the photo.
First Convention of the Bahá’ís of South Central Africa,
April, 1964. Hand of the Cause, Enoch Olinga, is seated
in the center and on his right is Lowell Johnson, representative of the mother Assembly of South and West Africa.
The National Assembly of West Africa elected April,
1964. Left to right: J. A. G. Edwards, James Kabia,
Zara Dunne (recording secretary), Edward Johnson,
Hand of Cause John A. Robarts (representing the
Hands of the Cause), Daniel Ojei (vice chairman),
Major Dunne (treasurer), Wm. R. Foster (chairman),
Oliver Campbell and Tamar Fakhry (secretary).
Rhodesian Believers Study Administration[edit]
South Central Africa has recently scheduled teaching conferences in both Northern and Southern Rhodesia particularly with a view toward increasing the abilities of the believers in functioning within the administrative framework of the Faith. Board member Shidan Fat’he-Aazam and Mr. and Mrs. Eric Manton went to Mwinilunga area where a conference attracted friends as far as forty-six miles. The discussion centered on how to hold Feasts, functions of a Local Spiritual Assembly, and the Bahá’í Fund. A trial Feast was held. Several villages were visited on this same journey.
The Southern conference was held at the Salisbury Rural Community Bahá’í Center in late August, with Board member, Amos Zauyamakando and Mr. Fat’he-Aazam conducting the sessions for some fifty adults and twenty children. The Teaching and Deepening Committee of Mashonaland planned the two-day event.
National Spiritual Assembly of North-West Africa. Left
to right, seated: Mr. Obbadi, Mr. Bouchoucha (vice-chairman), Mr. Djalali; standing, left to right: Rouhani
Ardekani (treasurer), Mr. Saberan, Dr. Tai, Dr. Amine
Mesbah (chairman), Rowshan Mustapha, Mohamed
Maanan (secretary).
Swiss School and Conference Augment Nine Year Plan[edit]
A Swiss summer school, with courses in German and French for the sixty-five attendants, was held August 23-30 at Münchenwiler Castle, Morat, in Fribourg canton, goal city of the Nine Year Plan. Twenty-five people from Morat responded to invitations published in local press and on posters. Morat is an historic city famous for the battle which defeated Charles ’le-Téméraire.
A Swiss German teaching conference was held at Vögelinsegg, September 13, with sixty-three Bahá’ís participating. Six communities reported on the inception of the Nine Year Plan in their area. The people in the photo (left) stand on the historic battlefield near St. Gall, the first Christian city in Switzerland, two miles from the international Pestalozzi Refugee village of Trogen where the Faith will soon be represented. This conference aimed at opening the canton of Appenzell-Interior Rhodes, a charming region of hilly landscapes and beautiful chalets, one of the nine remaining cantons among a total of twenty-five of the Swiss Confederation which are to be opened to the Faith in the Nine Year Plan.
The Cham elders of the Tan-Linh District, Binh-Tuy province of South Viet Nam. Bahá’í teachers in the first row, in non-traditional dress are: Quan-Dinh-Minh, from the National Teaching Committee for Ethnic Minorities; Do-Nguyen-Hanh, member of the National Spiritual Assembly; and Nguyen-Cong-Chanh, youth teacher. In August 280 Chams accepted the Faith and 400 in September, making a total of 845 new believers for September for Viet Nam as a whole.
[Page 12]
First Teacher Training Institute for Zone 1, Guatemala,
held at the Bahá’í Center in Huehuetenango on September 25-27 which resulted in five responses for pioneering. Huehuetenango has also completed a 9-year
goal in publishing a pamphlet in Aguacateco.
First Summer School Held in Caracas, Venezuela[edit]
On October 10-12, the first summer school of Venezuela was held in Caracas. During three days, Bahá’ís from various parts of Venezuela, lived, studied and prayed together. The spirit was one of unity enabling many to render enthusiasm for teaching of the Faith.
The highlight of the school came during a class on the Nine Year Plan of Venezuela with the realization of the big job that lies ahead. Inspiration also came in noting that several goals have already been completed and many others are near completion.
International Cooperation Year (ICY)
Bahá’ís and the United Nations[edit]
From the last century came Bahá’u’lláh’s clarion call: “Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self.” He stated that “the time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized.” In this century of social and political adolescence the Bahá’í Universal House of Justice has set as one goal of the Nine Year Plan the “development of the relationship between the Bahá’í Community and the United Nations.” Ever since the United Nations Charter Conference in 1945 the Bahá’ís have been active in support of the UN. Accredited observers to the Department of Public Information of the UN Secretariat represent both the American Bahá’í Community and the Bahá’í International Community.
In this International Development Decade of the 1960’s the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution which designates 1965 as International Cooperation Year (ICY). As befits next year’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of the UN, stress will be laid upon the enormously significant efforts already undertaken by the specialized agencies in particular. The UN is hopeful that these cooperative undertakings will increase in volume and accelerate in performance.
The theme recommended for ICY is “Peace and Progress through Cooperation.” The symbol of the year will be crossed hands. Many projects have already been suggested, and many are moving toward implementation. Bahá’ís will wish to become fully informed of this effort toward cooperation. The U.S. United Nations Committee will undertake to guide the American community in suggested activities which will further the goals of the Faith with the UN.
Memorial Service for Mrs. Margery McCormick to Be Held in Bahá’í House of Worship[edit]
Saturday evening, December 12, has been selected jointly by the Hands of the Cause in the Western Hemisphere and the National Spiritual Assembly as the date for a memorial service for former Auxiliary Board member and long-time active Bahá’í teacher, Mrs. Margery McCormick, who passed away in Wilmette, Illinois, on July 14, 1964. All Bahá’ís, and any other relatives, friends, and acquaintances of Mrs. McCormick are invited to attend.
The program will begin at eight o’clock and will take place in Foundation Hall of the Bahá’í House of Worship.
The newly built hall of the Bahá’í Summer School in Ṭihrán, Iran, near the future Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.
Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone Pays Brief Visit to North America[edit]
Hand of the Cause, H. Collis Featherstone, of Port Adelaide, Australia, visited the Temple area in Wilmette in October, on his way to the Conclave of the Hands at the Bahá’í World Center. His visit provided an excellent opportunity for proclamation of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, highlighted by a half-hour interview on one of Chicago’s radio stations.
Speaking at a fireside in Chicago, Mr. Featherstone warmly greeted the interracial gathering and reviewed the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh on the oneness of mankind: “Love is the animating force of the Faith. When we look at one another with love, we draw to the surface
[Page 13]
all the hidden endowments. When we look at one
another with hostility, we prevent our own growth and
discourage the growth in others.
“In this great century we must vie with each other in being the lovers of humanity. Our privilege as Bahá’ís is inestimably great, for we have been given the teachings and prayers of Bahá’u’lláh to assist us in this effort to bring unity and peace to mankind.”
Mr. Featherstone met with the National Spiritual Assembly during his brief visit and also addressed a large Bahá’í gathering in Foundation Hall of the Bahá’í House of Worship on Friday evening, October 9, leaving the next day for Ottawa and Montreal, Canada.
Hand of Cause William Sears Holds Conferences on Nine Year Plan[edit]
Beginning in August and before leaving for the conclave of the Hands of the Cause at the World Center in mid-October, Mr. William B. Sears conducted a series of meetings for Bahá’ís only in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Daly City in California, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in the Bahá’í House of Worship for the believers in the Temple area. In preparation for several of these meetings, Mr. Sears sent a personal appeal to each believer to attend the meeting which would be devoted to discussion of the Nine-Year Teaching Plan, its various objectives, especially for the home front, and how our very lives, both physically and spiritually, are at stake in this present hour. The destiny of America and the destiny of the entire human race, he wrote, may well depend upon what we do or do not do in the next few months, days, or even hours.
The first meeting was held in San Diego on August 29. The attendance was large and the friends were raised to great heights of inspiration by Mr. Sears’ own contagious enthusiasm and heart-stirring appeal for prompt action on all fronts, including Bahá’í character building, achieving racial unity, and support of the Bahá’í Fund which is the life-blood for much of the work to be accomplished under the Nine-Year Plan.
“What a concentration of Bahá’í man power!” exclaimed Mr. Sears in greeting the audience of 500 Bahá’ís assembled in Hollywood for the all-day session sponsored by the Los Angeles Local Spiritual Assembly. Among the subjects discussed during the morning session were pioneers, home front teaching, The Universal House of Justice, the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and its significance at this hour. It closed with the showing of the beautiful slides of the First International Bahá’í Convention and the Bahá’í World Congress with narrated commentary.
When discussing the Universal House of Justice Mr. Sears suggested that a cablegram be sent to that Supreme Body. The idea was immediately adopted and the following message was dispatched: “500 hearts filled overflowing inexpressible gratitude bounties Nine Year crusade. Redoubling prayer, efforts, energies, bring fruition goals beloved Cause.”
Similar messages were sent from several of the other meetings. While discussing “The Bahá’í Funds” Mr. Sears recommended that provision be made for the believers to leave contributions, if they wished to do so, on their way to lunch. It was exciting to receive reports from time to time during the afternoon that the sum was mounting until it finally reached $1,683.00.
Again at some of the other meetings the friends were given an opportunity to make immediate contributions, all of which have helped toward meeting the national deficit.
Mr. Sears talked of the “Cleansing ... Catastrophe” and that we are “faced with a grave, grave problem — shortness of time.” “Much will depend on the reaction of the rank and file of the believers to the pleas now addressed to them,” he said, and “our great bounty and our great privilege is to awaken the people to the greatness of this time.”
The Los Angeles Assembly reporting the meeting stated: “There just is no way to put into words the inspiration he [Mr. Sears] gives to all who hear him and the deep effect he has on them. If the obvious emotion of many, and the determination on the faces of others, is any indication of what will transpire in Southern California in the future, wonderful reports of much activity toward the fulfillment of the goals of our Nine-Year Plan should be filling your agenda (the NSA) each month.”
Hand of Cause, Wm. B. Sears, using visual aids in illustrating an address.
Mr. Sears followed much
the same agenda at all of
his meetings, using quickly
drawn charts and illustrations to bring out some of
the important facts on the
history of the Faith, the
years of outpouring of Divine Revelation and the
teachings and directives of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi
Effendi. He spoke particularly of the significance
and great importance of
the Nineteen-Day Feast and recounted the disorganized,
haphazard manner in which he has seen them conducted in many places. He also reminded the friends
repeatedly at each meeting that the beloved Guardian
called the American Bahá’ís the “chief executors” of
the Master’s Divine Plan, the “last remaining stronghold” of Bahá’u’lláh’s world-redeeming Faith, and that
to the American Bahá’í community is given the major
responsibility and bounty of His world-redemptive
mission.
Reading extracts from The Advent of Divine Justice, Mr. Sears also stressed the need for uprightness of character, the need for knowing the sacred literature, the proper methods of teaching, and preparation for pioneering, the urgent necessity for elimination of racial prejudices in the Bahá’í community and in the world outside, and the call to every individual, young or old, black or white, newly enrolled or veteran in the Faith to arise to meet the challenge and the new opportunities of the Nine-Year Plan.
Baltimore Area Camp-Out Week-End Draws Attendance of Nearly 100[edit]
A youth camp-out week-end sponsored by the Baltimore County Spiritual Assembly, Maryland, assisted by the Washington, D.C., and area youth attracted youth and a number of adults from a radius of 200
[Page 14]
miles, including the states of Maine, New York, North
Carolina and Virginia. The gathering was held on the
farm of Dr. F. S. Lee, at Owings Mills, Maryland.
The daytime program of fun included horseback riding, swimming, and various kinds of active games, with a hayride and a barn dance on Saturday evening, followed by late group singing of folk songs around a huge camp fire. The days ended with prayers. The Sunday program began with dawn prayers at the top of a nearby hill from which there was a beautiful view of the rising sun.
Besides frequent prayer sessions, the inspirational program included a talk by Mr. Glenford Mitchell on “Man and Nature,” Bahá’í readings, and lively discussion of various Bahá’í subjects.
Although the attendance was large, the work did not prove to be too great a drudgery for any one group of persons since many of the youth volunteered to assist in the necessary work of cleaning up, pitching the tents, clearing spaces for gatherings in the adjacent woods, gathering wood and building the camp fire. Mr. Royal Foust and Mr. Clarke Langrall together with Dr. F. S. Lee formed the committee to plan and direct the program.
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Bahá’ís Celebrate Fiftieth Anniversary[edit]
During the week end of October 18 the Bahá’ís of Urbana, Illinois, together with their fellow believers in nearby Champaign celebrated a half century of activity in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
The earliest known mention of the Faith in Urbana was in 1907 or 1908 when Charles Greenleaf and a Persian Bahá’í were invited to speak in the Unitarian Church. The next year, just prior to going to Persia as a physician to women, Dr. Susan Moody spoke to a gathering of interested friends in the home of Mrs. M. P. Kelley. Three years later, in 1912, Reverend Albert Vail, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Urbana, met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Malden, Massachusetts, and soon thereafter started a “Unity Club” for the members of his congregation for the study of all religions, including the Bahá’í Faith. From this group came a number of very active Bahá’ís who became early teachers and pioneers for the Faith in many parts of the world.
Dr. Glenn Shook, author of numerous articles and books on the Faith, including “Science, Mysticism, and Revelation,” once recalling the intensity with which these early Urbana believers studied the prayers and sacred scriptures, said: “Those were glorious days; we were all filled with great love for the Faith. Our hearts overflowed with praise and thanksgiving for this common salvation. From the first we were a spiritual brotherhood.”
As secretary of the group, Dr. Shook wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The date of the Master’s reply in October 1914 has ever since been regarded as the birth date of the Urbana Bahá’í community.
The Bahá’ís met in many different homes until in the 1930’s when they rented their first center. The present center, where they have met for seventeen years, was the former home of Mrs. George Busey, now the residence also of Dr. Garreta Busey, well known in both America and Europe as a Bahá’í teacher and writer, who has used her sabbatical years for teaching in The Netherlands and the Island of Corsica.
From the very early years there have been classes for children. The University Bahá’í group was the first recognized Bahá’í College Club in America and has existed uninterruptedly for at least thirty years.
During the first twenty-five years all the Bahá’ís of the area met as one community — Urbana, Champaign, St. Joseph, and Areola. Later, when the Guardian stipulated that each civic unit must have its separate community, Urbana immediately elected its own local Spiritual Assembly. In 1941 it became incorporated and at the same time received authority to conduct legal Bahá’í marriages.
Early Pioneers and Teachers[edit]
Among the well known believers, besides those mentioned above, who have at one time or another called Urbana their Bahá’í home are the following:
Mrs. Ellery (Mabel Hyde) Paine who served on several national committees, helped edit BAHÁ’Í NEWS, and compiled The Divine Art of Living; Dr. Genevieve Coy, an educational psychologist, who spent a year teaching in the Tarbyiat School for Girls in Tehran, conducted her own school in New York, and on her retirement went as a Bahá’í pioneer to Salisbury, Rhodesia, where she passed away several months ago. Miss Johanna Schubarth, a nurse who left Urbana to return to the native Norway where she translated many of the Bahá’í books in Norwegian. At the time of her death the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, asked that her grave be made a place of reverence, calling her “the mother of the Norwegian Bahá’í community and the founder of the Faith in that country.” Mr. Allan McDaniel, professor of civil engineering at the University of Illinois when he became a Bahá’í, who went to New York as an engineer, served as a consulting engineer in the construction of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, and wrote a book about his experiences, The Spell of the Temple. Mr. McDaniel was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada from 1925 to 1942. Mrs.
L-R Miss Garreta Busey, Miss Elizabeth Hackley, Mrs. Anna Kunz, Mrs. Ida Zeleny, Mrs. Annie Mattoon.
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Some of the Urbana-Champaign Bahá’ís with Hand of the Cause, Mr. Khadem.
Jakob (Anna) Kunz, one of those who returned to Urbana for the celebration, served as member of the Urbana Assembly for several years before leaving about
ten years ago to pioneer for the Faith in Switzerland.
When the Italo-Swiss National Spiritual Assembly was
formed she was its secretary until the end of the World
Crusade. Miss Flora Emily Hottes who pioneered in
Bolivia and in Peru. Mr. Eugene Schreiber who went
from the University directly to Japan ten years ago
and is now a member of the National Spiritual Assembly for Northeast Asia. Dr. and Mrs. Robert Wolff, who
came to the community after pioneering in Norway,
Holland and Surinam, and later left to teach the Faith
in Korea, Malaysia and Hawaii. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin
Mattoon, Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, pioneers in Key West
and Latin America. Mr. Howard Snider in Switzerland.
Mrs. Beatrice O. Ashton, who served for many years
on the editorial committee of The Bahá’í World and is
now pioneering in Canada.
Several other members of the community have also pioneered and taught in foreign fields, among them Mrs. Margaret Swengel Bustard (before her marriage), Joel McGruder in Puerto Rico in which goal Miss Loraine Cutler is now teaching in an elementary school. Within the past year, Miss Sue Slavik and Mr. Jack Sanders, touring Latin America with the University of Illinois Orchestra, visited Bahá’í communities in ten countries, helping in every way they could in their free time. Mr. Sanders later returned to Venezuela to teach among the Indians during the summer months.
Among those still living in Urbana from those first years are: Mrs. Esther Gordon Harding, Miss Elizabeth Hackley, and Mrs. Ida Zeleny.
Close Ties With the World Center[edit]
The faith of the members of the Urbana community has been strengthened through the years by the reports of those who have made the pilgrimage to the World Center of the Faith, including Mrs. Kunz, Mrs. Paine, and Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Mattoon who made the journey during the lifetime of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Urbana’s fiftieth anniversary itself was celebrated by a full day of activities, Sunday, October 18. At ten o’clock in the morning there was “open house” at the center for everyone interested in the Faith, followed by a noon dinner in honor of many “home comers” followed by a public meeting in the afternoon again at the Bahá’í center. Among the speakers for the several programs were Hand of the Cause Mr. Zikru’lláh Khádem, Miss Elizabeth Hackley, a member of the original Champaign-Urbana Bahá’í group, and Mrs. David S. Ruhe of Wilmette, Illinois.
The local newspapers gave excellent coverage of the anniversary both before and after the event, quoting extensively from notes on the local history of the Bahá’í Faith supplied by Mrs. Eleanor Sweeney Hutchens, a member of the Urbana community from whose account the foregoing story has been compiled.
Bahá’í Youth Hold Picnic on Cherokee Indian Reservation[edit]
Mrs. Ethel Murray who has pioneered alone for many years on the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina has reported with great happiness that a very successful youth picnic was held with the Cherokee Bahá’ís on October 17-18 high in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. Seventeen Bahá’ís, representing three races, and twenty non-Bahá’ís, including several children, were present from such localities as Greensboro, Asheville, Charlotte and Durham, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina, and Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia.
After a greeting from the American Indian Service Committee had been read, all gathered in a large circle on the lawn of the Bahá’í Center and listened to short Bahá’í talks, followed by games and by guitar music by a non-Bahá’í Indian.
A cook-out supper was furnished by Feredoun Jalali after which Jack Perrin entertained the group with colored slides. The local Bahá’ís were then driven to their homes and the rest spent the night in the center and in tents on the Bahá’í grounds.
The Sunday morning temperature was unusually warm and together with the brilliant autumn colors of the mountain foliage added much beauty and inspiration to the gathering for prayers and consultation. Most of the friends had to leave immediately after luncheon but a few stayed to climb to the top of the mountain over a worn Indian trail while others sat on the ground in a circle to pray and sing songs. All were reluctant to leave and expressed the hope for a series of such meetings.
Bahá’í Center on the Cherokee Reservation, North Carolina.
THE TONGUE OF POWER — Part II[edit]
Unique Role of ‘Abdu’l-Baha[edit]
One of the first tablets revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, during the first year of His ministry, was to re-echo the call of the Báb to the Western nations and peoples, singling out especially the American continent which was to “lead all nations spiritually,” an act which culminated later in The Tablets of the Divine Plan revealed during World War I. Sent to America shortly after the war, these letters brought to that community its first understanding of the leading role it was to play in bringing the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to the entire world. Shoghi Effendi called it the Divine Charter. Upon it were based two seven-year plans and the great, ten-year World Crusade inaugurated by him in 1953, with its further development in the current Nine-Year Plan under the Universal House of Justice.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s writings form a unique part of the literature of the Bahá’í Faith. Although not the Creative Word of the Manifestation of God, they none-the-less command authority, both because He was the appointed Interpreter and Exemplar of the Teachings and because of the inherent spiritual stature of this Vehicle to whom the authority had been given.
The whole development of publishing activity in America was closely interwoven with the activities of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. His writings, translated into English, are largely derived from many Tablets to individuals and assemblies, including those that encouraged and initiated the building of the first Bahá’í House of Worship in the western world in Wilmette, Illinois. It was the need to publish these Tablets as well as to translate and make available the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh that a Bahá’í Publishing Society was formed in Chicago in 1902. They produced three volumes of The Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1909. In 1911 twenty-six titles were listed in The Star of the West, a Bahá’í magazine that began in 1910 under the name, Bahá’í News. Many historic names are connected with the Publishing Society: Thornton Chase (the first American Bahá’í), Charles Greenleaf, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Agnew (who carried on the distribution work until 1910), Albert Windust and Mary Lesch. They had no backing from the fund and had to practice a rigid economy with only their own labor and support to carry the work forward. Mary Lesch handled most of the work of the Publishing Society from her own home from 1910 to 1924, a service rendered without remuneration and outside of the time she spent earning her livelihood.
In the early 1900s a Board of Counsel had also been formed in New York City to handle some publications. These later evolved into the centralized Publishing Committee in 1921, with the coming of the Guardianship. This first committee was composed of names now also a part of Bahá’í history: Horace Holley, its first secretary, served until 1928, when Marion Little succeeded him; Montford Mills; Roy Wilhelm; Wm. H. Randall and Siegfried Schopflocher. In 1938 Mrs. Clara Wood became business manager, having already been associated with the committee for eight years, a post she held until 1951.
In 1955, as a goal of the Ten Year Crusade, the Bahá’í Publishing Trust was founded to carry on the publishing activity, based upon principles given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and under the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly. It functions on business procedures on a self-sustaining basis with the aim also of providing for its own necessary, future expansion.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s writing had previously reached the West as early as 1891 when A Traveller’s Narrative, translated by Prof. E. G. Browne, noted orientalist of Cambridge University, was published by the university’s press, its authorship unknown at the time. In the East, The Secret of Divine Civilization had also been anonymously published in India in 1875, followed by an English translation published in 1910 in London.
Noteworthy during this period were the talks given as answers to the questions of a pilgrim to the Holy Land in the years 1904-1906, the most troublous period of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ministry. These answers were given to Laura Clifford Barney in Persian, translated into English and published with His approval as Some Answered Questions in 1908. During this time, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was known to write with His own hand as many as ninety tablets a day, often working through the nighttime hours to carry on His manifold responsibilities.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s western journeys to proclaim the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh (1911-1913) were recorded in the publication of many of His lectures and informal talks as The Wisdom of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Paris Talks) and the comprehensive American collection, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, (a selection of which is now available in Foundations of World Unity). These latter lectures were given in churches, synagogues, universities, the public platforms of philosophical and peace societies, in Bowery Mission and in private homes from New York to California and in Canada. They covered a broad range of subject matter — from the progressive character of religious revelation, the essential harmony of science and religion, the need for eliminating all forms of prejudice — to the steps necessary for establishing lasting peace and world order. Underlying it all was the emphasis on the common origin and destiny of man and the organic unity that must be achieved in this century and which would evolve into a universal civilization, characterized by higher moral and ethical standards than mankind has ever known. This, He said, would manifest itself through the power of the new Word released by Bahá’u’lláh.
Completing the Literary Symphony[edit]
As the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh had shared a unique spiritual communion that blended the Revelation of the Primal Point into that of the Promised One of all ages — so, in a lesser but equally efficacious way, the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, according to Shoghi Effendi, was the result of the “mystic intercourse” between the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation and His appointed Interpreter. Through this Charter, the continuing unity and integrity of the Faith were assured through the institutions of the Guardianship, the Hands of the Cause of God and the Universal House of Justice ordained by Bahá’u’lláh. This document, unique in religious annals, appointed Shoghi Effendi as Guardian
[Page 17]
of the Faith. Under his patient but firm leadership, the
institutions were further defined and reinforced and
the administrative framework was outlined and caused
to emerge throughout the world. His instructive letters
guiding this development are found in Bahá’í Administration; in a first volume of Messages to America; and
in Messages to the Bahá’í World, 1950-1957 that marked
the beginning of his communications to the Bahá’í
World Community as a whole, rather than to national
assemblies and communities only.
These works and those mentioned previously (The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, The Promised Day Is Come and The Advent of Divine Justice) are all analyses and commentaries on the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. They pertain either to the direct application of its administrative principles and the delineation of its goals, or they penetrate deeply into the significance of His Revelation to modern society, to the political, social and religious crises of our time as well as to the future structuring of world order. His monumental, historical work, God Passes By, records the first century of the Faith.
The writings of Shoghi Effendi complete the literary symphony of the Faith. As an inspired conductor, he has taken the divine composition of the Composer, blended it with the coda of the Master, and interpreted and applied it with clarity and precision for the guidance of those who comprise its multifarious audience.
A commentary on Shoghi Effendi’s contribution to Bahá’í literature is not complete without mention of The Bahá’í World volumes which received his deep interest and careful direction. These volumes, initiated by Horace Holley, which began in 1925, were, he stated, “unexcelled and unapproached by any publication of its kind” in the varied literature of the Faith. They are an international record of the aims and purposes of the Faith and a documentation of its worldwide activities.
Geyserville Bahá’í School Honors American Indians in Special Program[edit]
Between 250 and 300 persons attended a special program at the Geyserville, California Bahá’í School on Sunday, August 23 honoring the American Indians. Mrs. Nura Mobine who is active in working with the Indians in Oakland, California, was chairman of the meeting which was called to order by a member of the Choctah tribe who beat on an Indian drum accompanied by an Indian cry.
Vinson Brown recited an Ojibway Indian prayer which was a supplication to God for strength and knowledge and was also one of the principal speakers. He spoke of his personal interest in the ancient Indian beliefs and traditions, concluding his talk with the statement of a Navajo belief that originally all races were one race and spoke the same language, that the Great Spirit had become angry and had split the people into many racial types but that some day all men will again be one. To the Indians who were present as guests Mr. Brown stated that when the Indians awaken to the spirit of Bahá’u’lláh, they will become the spiritual leaders of the western world.
The first Seneca Bahá’ís to accept Bahá’u’lláh. They
are three brothers (left to right), Richard, Edwin and
David Gordon. They live on the Cattaraugus Reservation in the State of New York.
Another Bahá’í speaker was Mr. David Villasenor,
author of Tapestries in the Sand. Half Indian and half
Mexican by birth, Mr. Villasenor is one of few experts
in the field of Indian sand paintings, having developed
also a method of preserving them. He explained that
there are day and night paintings, for the reason that
the Indian believes a different spirit pervades the day
and the night, and described the meaning of the symbols used in much of the Indian art.
Representatives of several Indian tribes were introduced, one of them playing beautiful selections on his musical saw.
“A spirit of true brotherhood and love permeated the meeting,” wrote Mr. Eric Mosai Teitelbaum, a Bahá’í of Montrose, California, who was asked the next day to write up a story on the program for The Geyserville Press. “All were happy and friendly, and it appeared that all had felt the stirring spirit of Bahá’u’lláh. Everyone went home with a renewed and regenerated spirit with newly acquired energies to face the greatest enemy of all — self.”
The Danville, Illinois, Bahá’ís sponsored an interracial
picnic on September 6, with special invitations being
sent to leaders from among the Negro, Indian, Chinese
and Jewish residents of the locality. The program included brief talks on local, national and international
unity.
Baha’i World Peace Day Attracts Strong Support[edit]
With each passing year since its inception in 1959 World Peace Day has become a more impressive and widely publicized Bahá’í proclamation event. This year still more state governors issued formal proclamations or statements calling upon their electorate to join the Bahá’ís in their national observance of this annual occasion. Among those governors, now numbering more than thirty, who issued such proclamations this year were: Albert D. Rosellini of the State of Washington; John A. Love of Colorado; Otto Kerner of Illinois; William L. Guy of North Dakota; Governor J. Millard Tawes of Maryland, and Governor Endicott Peabody of Massachusetts.
Governor Love’s proclamation made special mention of the “high degree of moral rectitude and justice [called for] in social and administrative activities, and complete freedom from prejudice in dealing with people of different race, class, creed and color.” Governor Rosellini, after reference to the ceaseless work of the Bahá’ís “to foster a high standard of moral integrity and justice toward a goal of world peace through the elimination of prejudices” stated that “no one can doubt that the great religions of the world have influenced and molded the lives of millions ...” and that while “the fires of hatred are flamed the world over the conscience of America and the world lies within those who strive steadfastly in the pursuit of peace.”
In addition to state governors, mayors of several cities also called upon their communities to unite with and support the Bahá’ís in the cause of peace. Among these were: Mayor Robert G. Reim of Kirkwood, Missouri; Gus O. Nations, Webster Groves, Missouri; Frank E. Mann, Alexandria, Virginia, and Mayor Theodore R. McKeldin of Baltimore, Maryland, who expressed the hope “that this day may inaugurate the age of close and continuing collaboration among the nations of the earth in their quest for World Peace.”
While only a relatively few reports have been received about the nature of the local observances, most of those that have come reveal a very healthy degree of initiative and variety in bringing the occasion to the attention of the general public. In most cases, the plans included a public meeting with speakers well known for their work in the cause of peace. For example, all the Bahá’í communities of the State of Maryland collaborated in arranging a public meeting at the Morgan Christian Center, Morgan State College in Baltimore, on the subject: “America’s Role in World Peace.” Mrs. W. Newton Long, president of The Baltimore League of Women Voters, was the guest speaker sharing the platform with Mathew W. Bullock, the Bahá’í speaker. Approximately 130 persons were present, mostly non-Bahá’ís. Attractive flyers, quoting from the proclamations of Governor Tawes and Mayor McKeldin were widely distributed.
The Bahá’ís of Greater St. Louis, Missouri, presented Richard Black, City Manager of suburban Webster Groves and Mrs. David S. Ruhe of Wilmette, Illinois, to an audience of about seventy-five. Mr. Black, speaking on “Suburbia U.S.A.” dealt with the individual’s responsibility to his community as a basis for world peace, while Mrs. Ruhe discussed America’s role in achieving this goal. The program included several musical selections by an interracial singing group composed of Bahá’ís of the area. Good publicity appeared in the major daily newspapers and several weekly publications.
The Bahá’ís of Phoenix, Arizona, made their event a three day observance, beginning with an informal fireside on Friday evening to enable the guest speaker, Richard Monka of Culver City, California, to meet the Phoenix area friends and their contacts. The following day a community supper was held in the home of one of the believers followed by another fireside. Then on Sunday, Mr. Monka addressed a public meeting. As in the past three years, the Governor of the State of Arizona had again issued a proclamation designating “Sunday, 20 September 1964, as World Peace Day.”
Advance publicity daily for one week on three radio stations and press information in three local newspapers and one in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, were used by the Bahá’ís of Detroit, Michigan, to announce their local observance for which Jameson Bond, professor of sociology and anthropology at the University of Windsor, was the speaker. Professor Bond’s address explained the central principles of the Bahá’í peace
Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery and Mrs. Manila
Lee, World Peace Day speaker, examining the proclamation issued by San Diego’s Mayor, Mr. Frank Curran.
[Page 19]
Four members of the Denver community look on as Gov. John A. Love of Colorado signs proclamation for World Peace Day observance.
plan and gave the audience a glimpse of the world
civilization that it envisions.
Raymond Rouse of Springfield, New Jersey, proclaimed the Bahá’í Faith and its role in establishing first the Lesser Peace and then the Most Great Peace at a meeting of more than a hundred persons in the Alexandria Recreation Center, sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Alexandria, Virginia, in cooperation with the other Bahá’í communities and groups in the Washington, D.C., area. Included in the program was Dr. Sarah Pereira who offered words of welcome to the audience, Mrs. Soo Fouts who read the opening prayer, and the solo reading of “The Sweet Scented Streams,” accompanied on the piano by Mrs. Edith Head. The Bahá’í area chorus composed of many adults and youth from various communities rendered several spirited selections, and a special surprise was a melodious oboe solo by a guest from the local high school.
The advance publicity for the Alexandria meeting included a proclamation by Mayor Frank E. Mann recognizing World Peace Day, an article and picture of Mr. Rouse as the featured speaker, and some thirty posters, as well as seven days of spot announcements on the radio station following the mid-day news broadcast. Simple refreshments were served to the visitors at the conclusion of the program, thus giving them opportunity to become acquainted with the Bahá’ís and the Faith.
Springfield, Illinois, was another Bahá’í community that spread its observance of World Peace Day over the entire week end. Beginning on Friday noon, Dr. David S. Ruhe spoke to the Frontiers International Club at the Leland Hotel, and in the evening Mrs. Ruhe spoke before an audience of twenty-eight at the Lee Medical Center on the subject of Human Rights. On Saturday morning a seminar, moderated by Dr. Ruhe, was held at the Springfield Bahá’í Center to discuss methods to serve human rights and solve problems. There were present representatives from the Urban League, the World Federalists, the NAACP, the Mayor’s Human Relations Council, the Methodist Church and the Springfield school system. The Bahá’í Faith was represented by Mrs. Elizabeth Lower and Mr. Aden H. Lauchner. In the evening Dr. Ruhe spoke to an audience of forty-four on “The Price of Peace.”
A committee composed of representatives of Urbana, Champaign, and the University of Illinois Bahá’í Club, Illinois, planned the Peace Day program for Saturday, September 19, in the faculty lounge of the Illini Union. It was advertised by posters in the campus dormitories, by flyers mailed to members of peace groups, to the “Speechmates,” the Bahá’í-originated interracial women’s speaking club, and by newspapers. Everyone interested in peace was invited to come to a workshop on “A Quest for Peace” and to contribute their thoughts to small discussion groups preliminary to a pooling of ideas at the close of the meeting. There were thirty-eight present, representing the Negro, Caucasian, and Mongolian races; of the Bahá’í, Christian, Jewish, Sikh and Buddhist religions, and of the American, Indian, Persian and Thailand nationalities. The keynote speaker was William W. Munson of Chicago who gave the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh as the contribution of the Bahá’ís to the general assembly which followed the groups discussions on the questions: Is World Peace Possible? What Are the Prerequisites of World Peace? What Can a Group or Community Do to Promote World Peace? What Can an Individual Do to Promote World Peace?
Mrs. Terah Cowart-Smith of Durham, North Carolina, was the featured speaker for World Peace Day in Madison, Wisconsin. The meeting was held in the new International Center in beautiful and inspirational surroundings which included displays by UNICEF and other organizations. Forty-nine Bahá’ís and seventeen non-Bahá’ís were present.
Mayor Gus O. Nations of Webster Groves, (center),
signs World Peace Day proclamation with A. Keith
Schulte, left, local Assembly chairman, and L. R. McCord, program chairman, looking on.
[Page 20]
In Los Angeles, California, the World Peace Day
program was sponsored by the Bahá’í Youth Committee. More than 350 Bahá’ís, relatives and friends were
present. The afternoon’s program opened with a prayer
for America by Rowena Burack. The first speaker
was Rebecca Lease whose topic was “The Role of
Youth in World Peace,” which she said included the
responsibility of youth to help solve the problems of
tomorrow by confessing with the tongue, believing in
their hearts, and giving evidence in their actions, that
world peace can be established. Mr. Anthony Lease,
using a similar theme, based his talk on the 1954 message of Shoghi Effendi, “American Bahá’ís in Time
of World Peril.” Miss Mary Jackson followed with a
message of “Bahá’í Requisites for World Peace.” Mrs.
Serrita Camargo Herbert, acting as moderator, summarized the talks and appealed to all to go out and
work for the world as envisioned by Bahá’u’lláh. Miss
Anita Carroll closed the program by singing “One
God.”
Supper for all present followed the afternoon program and this in turn was followed by a party for the youth. More than 100 persons remained throughout the day, including the round table discussion at 10:00 p.m. on “The Role of the Individual in World Peace” for which Leonard Herbert served as moderator.
A local musician and business man, Mike Walker, was the guest speaker for the program at Gallup, New Mexico, with Mrs. Jeanne Laite representing the Bahá’ís. Mr. Walker has done extensive research into the origin of all types of music from Negro spirituals to modern jazz. Newspaper and radio coverage of the event was very good. Following a question period, the guests were invited to remain for an informal supper.
In Fargo, North Dakota, the showing of color slides of her travels to Europe and Africa this summer was part of Dr. Mavis Nymon’s address on “Needs for a Peaceful World.” These included pictures of the dedication of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Europe. Refreshments were served and a social hour followed. A fireside was held that same evening for a visitor from Williston who wished to hear more about the Faith before returning to her home.
Advance publicity included a news story sent to seventeen radio and television stations in North Dakota together with a copy of the proclamation of Governor William L. Guy’s call for observance of World Peace Day.
Youth panel of speakers in National City, California, sponsored by neighboring San Diego community.
Those who participated in the World Peace Day in Los
Angeles, California, were, left to right, Anita Carroll,
Mary Jackson, Mrs. Serrita Herbert, Tony Lee, Rebecca Lease, Rowena Burack.
“Youth Speaks for World Peace” was the topic for a
youth panel sponsored by the San Diego Bahá’í community in near-by National City, California, on September 27 with approximately seventy-five in attendance. The speakers were representatives of the NAACP,
the First Baptist Church of National City, the State College Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, and
the Bahá’ís with Tom Raschel as the speaker and Mrs.
Patricial Hull as moderator.
San Diego also sponsored a local public meeting which was widely publicized through the publication of Mayor Frank Curran’s proclamation of World Peace Day and a photograph of him signing it in the presence of five Bahá’ís. Mrs. Manila Lee was the guest speaker. Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery and Mrs. Giachery were present at the meeting briefly before Dr. Giachery left for the Conclave of the Hands of the Cause in Haifa.
Glenford Mitchell, assistant editor of Africa Report magazine, was the World Peace Day Speaker for the Durham, North Carolina, Bahá’í community at the local African Methodist Episcopal Church. The program included an organ prelude and a solo presentation of “The Lord’s Prayer” by two members of the congregation, welcome remarks by the minister, and the
There were only two Bahá’ís in Smithtown, N.Y., but
they, too, observed World Peace Day by arranging a
very attractive exhibit in a downtown store.
[Page 21]
reading of excerpts from the Bahá’í literature.
Publicity for the occasion appeared in local newspapers along with a photograph of Mr. Mitchell, and on radio. Approximately 300 invitations were sent to civic leaders, educators, and other friends and contacts of the local Bahá’ís. A fireside for youth was held the preceding evening in the home of Mrs. Ludmila Van Sombeek and follow-up community firesides are now being held for inquirers attracted by the meeting.
The Bahá’ís of Waukegan, Illinois, held their celebration of World Peace Day one week earlier than the regular date of September 20. Mrs. Harriet Terry illustrated her talk with excellent color slides taken during her recent tour of some ten countries in Europe and Africa and her visit to the Bahá’í World Center. The pamphlet, “The Bahá’í Peace Program” was given to each guest as he entered the room, and the literature table proved to be a real attraction. Refreshments and a fellowship hour followed the formal part of the program.
More than 130 written invitations had been sent to organizations and individuals and good publicity was carried on the local radio and in the daily newspaper. One hundred twenty-six persons were present. Semi-monthly firesides were planned to follow up the interest of those who wished to learn more about the faith.
Southwestern School Holds 8-day Session[edit]
Some 124 Bahá’ís registered for various lengths of time during our eight day session this year. An additional thirty commuted for evening meals and programs, thus giving us many sessions of 154 believers. We are delighted to report that 74 of this number were under twenty-five years of age.
The purpose of this year’s school was to prepare us all for America’s role in leading the world spiritually. We approached this task by having our first class present stories of the lives of some of the most prominent Dawn-breakers. This class was taught by Mrs. Nancy Dobbins. Mrs. Jane McCants outlined our present mission as given to us in Advent of Divine Justice. Auxiliary Board member Mr. Curtis Kelsey further educated us, on how one was to live today, by telling us stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Mr. Larry LaRocque’s class on administration revolved around the individual’s responsibilities, sufferings, and victories both in local communities and in reference to our roles as possible pioneers of the Nine Year Plan.
A practical application of our studies was the prayerful “attack” on the nearby hamlet of Lewisville, Texas. This hamlet had been lovingly “bombarded” last year by valiant youth teachers. This year, as last, they distributed invitations to a Saturday night of Bahá’í talk and fellowship. The Negroes were the only Texans that responded to our call. Over 30 came on a semi-rainy night with only a few hours notice.
Auxiliary Board member Mr. Marc Towers, who flew in at the last possible moment to replace a teacher for the youth, spoke about how “Man Plans and God Decides.” This added gift to our youth confirmed us in our original desire to see that the youth and children got the best programming and teachers that we could provide. We sincerely feel this was our best year’s program for them, due to the excellent planning and teaching of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Laite, Mrs. Mary Helen Brown, and Miss Bernice Ward. The Bahá’í youth (15-21) met with the adults the first two periods and their consultative classes were taught by Marc Towers and Jane McCants.
Without doubt the highlight of our school was the surprise visit of Hand of the Cause of God, William Sears. The five hours of his vitality, insight, knowledge and guidance which he gave us so stirred the school that Mr. Sears had to return to the speaker’s stand again. He had literally galvanized us with the words which offered us a second chance at fulfilling ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s and Shoghi Effendi’s instructions of 50 and 26 years ago, respectively. Lovingly he communicated to us his faith in our capacity to respond to: (1) closer personal and social contacts with all minorities, (2) fantastic increase in our numbers, (3) fantastic increase of contributions to the fund, (4) greater love and fellowship among the believers, (5) dispersal from cities, (6) taking up residence in the hamlets and towns, for here is where mass conversion has started all over the world.
This was at least a beginning or start at our second chance to retain our role as spiritual leaders of the world and a second chance at living up to our heritage as “Spiritual Descendants of the Dawnbreakers.”
Southwest Bahá’í Summer School
held at Lewisville, Texas with Hand
of the Cause, Wm. B. Sears, seated
in the center. He is flanked on left
and right by Curtis D. Kelsey and
Marc Towers, Auxiliary Board members.
[Page 22]
Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Richmond
County, Georgia, formed on April 21, 1964. Standing:
Ray Headrick, Jack Fitch, Billy U. Buckley, Fred
Fultz, John M. Bowers; seated: Ashburn P. Searcy,
Mary Dorothy Bowers, Nancy Searcy, Ruth Meurer.
Local Spiritual Assembly of Yakima, Wash., signed its
legal incorporation papers on October 18, 1964. Sitting,
left to right: Mrs. Margaret Suhm, Mrs. Ruth Diessner
(secretary), Mrs. Alice Holmes, Mrs. Barbara Cristophe. Standing, left to right: Mr. Proctor Day, Mr.
Douglas Suhm (vice chairman), Mrs. Janet Lindstrom
(chairman), Mr. Edvard Lindstrom (treasurer), Mr.
Donald Diessner.
NEWS BRIEFS[edit]
During the week of August 3, Mrs. Audrey Reynolds, Fort Yates, North Dakota, whose husband, Jonathan, is a music instructor, maintained “open house” in a Bahá’í tent in the Commercial Indian Village on the hill above the Bismarck, North Dakota, Junior College. This period was chosen because it was the week of the annual North Dakota Pageant, and the Foundation of Indian Culture was pleased to give her the necessary permission. The tent itself was furnished by the Bahá’ís of Fargo who helped to erect and furnish it for the occasion. Thousands of copies of notes referring to the Bahá’í Faith and old Indian ways and sayings were duplicated by the Fargo friends for distribution. A sign, “Bahá’í World Faith” was prominently displayed outside and Mrs. Reynolds spent most of her time seated in the doorway to greet the visitors who came up from the encampments to visit her and to make inquiries about the purpose of the tent. An attraction for the children was Mrs. Reynolds’ pet raccoon! The highlight of the experiment was the Inter-Faith Service on Sunday evening, August 9, when the Bahá’ís were given permission to include the Bahá’í Faith. Mr. Reynolds gave a short talk and reading while Martha Gerken, as first Sioux Bahá’í in South Dakota, read the prayer for all nations. More than 200 people heard of the Faith that evening. An excellent story about Mrs. Reynolds in the Bismarck newspaper during the week aided in attracting visitors.
The Bahá’ís of Lane County, Oregon, arranged an especially attractive booth to proclaim the Faith during the County Fair, August 25-29. The booth, 10 by 10 feet in size, featured a very colorful flower garden on one side, with a garden bench on the opposite side on which was displayed free literature. Here visitors could sit and read or ask questions of the attendant. The garden had a nine-pointed star in the foreground made of white crushed rock. Each point was marked with the symbol of one of the world’s religions.
Over 2,500 pieces of literature were given away during the five days. Each item was stamped with three telephone numbers where further information could be secured.
Robert W. Sparks, Jr., chairman of the Bellaire Bahá’í group, gave a talk on June 19 before a comparative religion study class at Congregation B’rith Shalom on “Basic Facts of the Bahá’í World Faith.” It was received with much enthusiasm.
The Kokomo Morning Times of Kokomo, Indiana, October first carried more than a half page of publicity about the Bahá’í Faith in connection with a public meeting at which Mrs. David S. Ruhe was the speaker. Besides a fine story about Mrs. Ruhe as a person and a Bahá’í, there was included an excellent 3½ by 6 inch boxed statement entitled “Bahá’í Beliefs” consisting of a few sentences of the history of the Faith, its rapid growth, and the basic tenets.
On October 16 and 17, the Bahá’ís of Pendleton, Oregon, published in two parts in the East Oregonian the text of the pamphlet by Dr. Stanwood Cobb, “What Is a Bahá’í?” It was part of a series of articles on “What Our Religions Are.” The paper reaches at least 17,000 readers and is the leading newspaper in Eastern Oregon.
The proclamation efforts in Victor Judicial District, California, have recently included the erection of a large V-shaped sign, 12 feet long and five feet high, on a well travelled road in the Apple Valley area. It is located on property across from a residence trailer
[Page 23]
park and next to a grocery store where it is clearly
visible to all who live and travel in that community.
The sign is so constructed as to make it possible to
change the brief Bahá’í message from time to time
and it carries an address and telephone number from
which information can be secured.
The Bahá’ís of Niagara Falls, New York, on September 13 commemorated the anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to that city in 1912. The celebration began with a luncheon at the Hotel Niagara with 79 persons present, followed by a formal program at three o’clock introduced by Fred H. Reis. Since the objective of the program was to create for the guests a sense of the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, it consisted of four Bahá’ís, each introduced briefly by Mr. Reis. The readings dealt with these subjects: Identity and Station (of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá), His Personality and Influence, Excerpts from His Teachings, and “Face to Face.” Two displays in the foyer added much to the impressiveness of the occasion. One was a colored photograph of the Master and a collection of books and pamphlets containing His talks and writings. The other was a series of photographs of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the historical information of His visit to the Niagara area, backed by a large poster containing the names, translation and explanation of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and “Bahá’í.” Two fine advertisements and two articles in the Niagara Falls Gazette, September 5, were used to invite the public to join with the Bahá’ís in this celebration.
The Bahá’ís of Rapid City, South Dakota, were co-sponsors with the local branch of the N.A.A.C.P. and the Black Hills Civil Rights Committee at a dinner to pay tribute to M/Sgt. Darius King, a newly enrolled Bahá’í who retired in August after twenty years of military service. The purpose of the event was to pay tribute to Mr. King for the excellent guidance he had given the young Negro airmen stationed at Ellsworth Air Field Base. In presenting Mr. King with a plaque in memory of the occasion, William Davis, president of the N.A.A.C.P., included in his remarks reference to Mr. King’s membership in the Bahá’í Faith which he said, “is doing more for the cause of brotherhood and equality than any other religious or political group in the world.” He added: “I say this because the Bahá’ís offer their solutions to the problems not with the civil rights laws, as greatly needed as they are, but with true and genuine love and sincerity.” Addressing Mr. King directly, he closed his remarks with these words: “May God bless you and may He guide you to continue to be, as the plaque reads, a living example of the oneness of mankind.”
Three Bahá’ís of Louisville, Kentucky, recently presented a program on the Faith before seventy-five members of one of the city’s Methodist Churches. Two talks on the history of the Faith, and proofs of the Prophethood of Bahá’u’lláh were followed by the showing of color slides of the Shrine of the Báb, the Bahá’í Temples, and views of the World Center. Many questions were asked and quantities of literature were taken.
BAHA'I IN THE NEWS[edit]
The May, 1964 edition of Courier, published in England, carried an excellent four-page story by Morley Masefield on The Religion of Bahá’í. It is well illustrated with pictures of the Shrine of the Báb, a stage in the construction of the House of Worship in Sydney, a full view of the Mother Temple of Africa and two of the World Congress in London. On the cover of the publication the Bahá’í article is the first listed among the table of contents.
Hablemos magazine, published in Mexico as a Sunday newspaper supplement but distributed throughout Latin America, carried an illustrated feature story on the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Los Jardines Persas de Haifa. It described the beauty of the Bahá’í edifices, the gardens and also gave brief, accurate historical background on the Faith and the teachings.
An illustrated feature article appearing in Etela-Suomen Sanomat of Lahti, Finland gives an accurate and positive description of the Faith based upon an interview with O. T. Shelton, American pioneer in Lahti. The article concludes with this statement: “The Finnish Bahá’ís are working, praying and hoping that some day all the nations of the world will serve one God, the creator of all mankind out of one pattern and establishing brotherhood and a lasting peace. Bahá’ís believe that this has been ordained by God, will ultimately come to pass and that one must accept all of God’s prophets, each of whom brought God’s Message when He came.” The article includes a photograph of the Frankfurt Temple.
First Local Spiritual Assembly in Cedar Falls, Iowa, formed Riḍván 1964.
[Page 24]
The “Woman’s World” column of the August 26
Free Press of Colorado Springs, Colorado, edited by
Mary Ann Lee, was devoted to a story of the recent travels of Mrs. Raymond Zinky, a Bahá’í of
Colorado Springs, to the Bahá’í World Center, Europe
and Africa. Stating that “religion helps local woman enjoy overseas trip to fullest extent,” the article
refers frequently to the Bahá’í Faith and the warm
spirit with which Mrs. Zinky was welcomed by
Bahá’ís in both continents.
The Niagara Falls Gazette, Niagara Falls, New York, on August 29 carried a four-column half-page story about Mr. and Mrs. Fred Kappus and their four children who have returned to the town of Somerset after five years of pioneering in Peru and Ecuador. Besides describing living conditions and experiences in teaching among the Indians, the article defines what a “Bahá’í pioneer” is and refers to the Ten Year “Spiritual Crusade” that inspired the Kappus family to volunteer their services to these equatorial countries. A photograph of the family is included in the story.
Baha’i Publishing Trust[edit]
Bahá’í Calendar, 121-122 (1965). A beautiful, new photograph of the Shrine of the Báb and part of the terraced gardens is depicted on the Bahá’í Calendar for this coming year, with the Holy Days and Feast Days highlighted in green and gold. As usual, all pertinent information about the special observances, the days on which work should be suspended and a Bahá’í calendar of the Nineteen Day Feast appears on the reverse side.
Per copy | $ .25 |
10 copies | $2.00 |
25 copies | $4.50 |
50 copies | $7.50 |
New Editions[edit]
Some Answered Questions was recently reprinted with a new preface based upon information supplied by Laura Clifford Barney, the interlocutor who secured the answers from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for this important work. Price remains at $3.00.
Faith for Freedom now appears in the “slimline” format in a warm, flame-red color, with no increase in price (10/$1.00; 50/$4.50). This continues to be one of our best introductory pamphlets with its omnibus coverage of many aspects of the Faith.
In another article about Israel in La Razón, also a Buenos Aires newspaper, the following two items about the Bahá’ís were mentioned: “The 30,000 citizens of Acre (Akká), Jews, Moslems, Christians, Druses and Bahá’ís live and work hand in hand in perfect harmony.” “The tourist will love visiting mosques, ancient fortresses, the Museum, the Crusaders’ building and the Bahá’í World Center with the shrine of its Founder, always covered with flowers.”
The Cannes, France newspaper L’Echo de la Cote d’Azur et de la Principaute printed an article about the Bahá’í Faith and included a photograph of the Shrine of the Báb. The article opened with several of the Bahá’í teachings then briefly mentioned the history of the Báb and of Bahá’u’lláh.
In an article on Israel in the August 1964 issue of House and Garden a brief mention was made of the Bahá’í shrine and gardens in Haifa. In addition, one of the photos accompanying the article was of the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel. Although the mention was brief, House and Gardens has a large circulation and the name Bahá’í will have been brought before millions of people.
Calendar of Events[edit]
- FEASTS
- December 12 — Masá’il (Questions)
- December 31 — Sharaf (Honor)
- U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
- December 10
- U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS
- December 31 — January 3
Bahai House of Worship[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)
- Sundays
- 3:30 to 4:10 p.m.
- Sunday, December 20
- 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: James Cloonan, Managing Editor; Mrs. Lilian Cloonan, Assistant Editor; Mrs. Eunice Braun, International Editor; Miss Charlotte 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.
