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| Bahá’í News | February 1981 | Bahá’í Year 137 |
Bahá’í Women’s Conference in Brazil
Contents[edit]
Counsellors |
|
House of Justice revises zones, names 63 to serve 5-year terms | 2 |
Women’s Conference |
|
Nearly 300 attend Latin American gathering at Brasilia, Brazil | 4 |
Tonga |
|
Teaching campaign honors the Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir | 6 |
Leonora Armstrong |
|
‘Spiritual Mother of South America’ dies after a long illness | 7 |
Bermuda |
|
Teaching Conference tackles remaining Seven Year Plan goals | 8 |
Terah |
|
Some personal reminiscences from stalwart long-time believer | 10 |
Around the world |
|
News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe | 13 |
Cover
Nearly 300 women, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, from 14 countries in North and South America were present last October 16-19 at the historic first Latin American Bahá’í Women’s Conference held at the Palacio das Convençöes in Brasilia, Brazil. Among those attending was Dr. Sarah M. Pereira, a Continental Counsellor for the Americas who delivered the keynote address, ‘The Challenge to Women for the Spiritual Education of Humanity,’ in Portuguese. A complete report of the conference begins on Page 4.
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COUNSELLORS[edit]
Universal House of Justice revises zones, names Counsellors to serve five-year terms[edit]
To the Bahá’ís of the World
Dearly-loved Friends,
One of the greatest sources of consolation for the Universal House of Justice amid the tribulations of the past twelve years, has been the establishment and growth of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, and the assistance that this institution has been rendering, in ever-increasing measure, to the sound development of the worldwide Bahá’í community. We cannot pay too high a tribute to the indefatigable labours of the devoted souls who have been called upon to shoulder this onerous responsibility, and who have followed with such fidelity the path of self-sacrificing service that has been blazed for them by the beloved Hands of the Cause of God.
In June 1979 we were moved to announce that the duration of the terms of office of Continental Counsellors would be five years, to start on the Day of the Covenant of this year. As this date approaches, we have decided that the time is ripe for a further step in the development of the institution itself that will, at one and the same time, accord greater discretion and freedom of action to the Continental Boards of Counsellors in the carrying out of their duties, and widen the scope of each Board to embrace an entire continent. In accordance with this decision, the zones of the Continental Boards of Counsellors will, from the Day of the Covenant of the year 137 (26 November 1980), be as follows:
- Africa, comprising the areas of the four present zones of that continent.
- The Americas, comprising the present zones of North, Central and South America.
- Asia, comprising the present zones of Western, South Central and South-eastern Asia, together with the present zone of North-eastern Asia without the Hawaiian Islands and Micronesia.
- Australasia, comprising the present zone of Australasia plus the Hawaiian Islands and Micronesia.
- Europe.
Those who are now appointed as Counsellors to serve on these Continental Boards for the next five years are:
- Africa: Dr. Húshang Ahdieh (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. Ḥusayn Ardekáni, Mr. Friday Ekpe, Mr. Oloro Epyeru, Mr. Shidan Fat’he-Aazam, Mr. Zekrollah Kazemi, Mr. Muḥammad Kebdani, Mrs. Thelma Khelghati, Mr. William Masehla, Mr. Muḥammad Muṣṭafá, Mr. Kolonario Oule, Mrs. Isobel Sabri, Mr. Mihdí Samandarí, Mr.
- Peter Vuyiya, Mrs. Bahíyyih Winckler.
- The Americas: Dr. Hidáyatu’lláh Aḥmadíyyih, Dr. Farzam Arbáb, Mrs. Carmen de Burafato, Mr. Athos Costas, Mr. Angus Cowan, Mr. Lloyd Gardner (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. Mas’úd Khamsí, Mrs. Lauretta King, Mr. Artemus Lamb, Mr. Peter McLaren, Mr. Raúl Pavón, Dr. Sarah Pereira, Mrs. Ruth Pringle, Mr. Fred Schechter, Mrs. Velma Sherrill, Mr. Donald Witzel.
- Asia: Mr. Burháni’d-Din Afshín, Mrs. Shirin Boman, Dr. Masíḥ Farhangí, Dr. John Fozdar, Mr. Zabíḥu’lláh Gulmuḥammadí, Mr. Aydin Güney, Mr. Dipchand Khianra, Mr. Rúḥu’lláh Mumtází, Mr. S. Nagaratnam, Mr. Khudáraḥm Paymán (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. Manúchihr Salmánpúr, Mr. Vicente Samaniego, Mrs. Zena Sorabjee, Dr. Chellie Sundram, Mr. Hideya Suzuki, Mr. Yan Kee Leong.
- Australasia: Mr. Suhayl ‘Alá’í, Mr. Ben Ayala, Mr. Owen Battrick (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. Richard Benson, Mrs. Tinai Hancock, Dr. Peter Khan, Mr. Lisiata Maka.
- Europe: Mr. Erik Blumenthal, Mrs. Dorothy Ferraby, Dr. Agnes Ghaznavi, Mr. Hartmut Grossmann, Mr. Louis Hénuzet (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mrs. Ursula Mühlschlegel, Dr. Leo Niederreiter, Mrs. Betty Reed, Mr. Adib Taherzadeh.
A number of friends who have rendered highly valued services as Counsellors are not being reappointed for the coming term, and we wish to express here our profound gratitude for the devoted labours they have rendered and are rendering in the path of the Cause. These dearly-loved believers are:
- Mr. Seewoosumbur-Jeehoba Appa, Dr. Iraj Ayman, Mr. Rowland Estall, Mr. Howard Harwood, Miss Violet Hoehnke, Mrs. Salisa Kermani, Mr. Paul Lucas, Miss Elena Marsella, Mr. Alfred Osborne, Miss Thelma Perks, Mr. Hádí Raḥmání, Mr. ‘Imád Sábirán, Miss Edna True.
Henceforth the Board of Counsellors in each continent will have wider discretion to decide such matters as whether to divide its area into zones, and what the boundaries of such zones should be, the number and location of the Board’s offices, and the manner in which the members of the Auxiliary Boards will report to and operate under the Counsellors. The principles and policies governing the operation of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, however, and their relationships with the National and Local Spiritual Assemblies and the individual believers will remain unchanged. As the Bahá’í world experiences the manifold interactions of these two vital and complementary arms of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh, the unique benefits of this divinely ordained System become ever more apparent. The harmonious interaction and the proper discharge of the duties of these institutions representing the rulers and the learned among the people of Bahá’ís the essential basis at this time for the protection of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh and the fulfilment of its God-given mandate.
Events of the most profound significance are taking place in the world. The river of human history is flowing at a bewildering speed. Age-old institutions are collapsing. Traditional ways are being forgotten, and newly-born ideologies which were fondly expected to take their place, are withering and decaying before the eyes of their disillusioned adherents. Amidst this decay and disruption, assailed from every side by the turmoil of the age, the Order of Bahá’u’lláh, unshakeably founded on the Word of God, protected by the shield of the divine Covenant and assisted by the hosts of the Concourse on High, is rising in every part of the world.
Every institution of this divinely created Order is one more refuge for a distraught populace; every soul illumined by the light of the sacred Message is one more link in the oneness of mankind, one more servant ministering to the needs of an ailing world. Even should the Bahá’í communities, in the years immediately ahead, be cut off from the World Centre or from one another—as some already have been—the Bahá’ís will neither halt nor hesitate; they will continue to pursue their objectives, guided by their Spiritual Assemblies and led by the Counsellors, the members of the Auxiliary Boards and their assistants. It is our prayer at the Sacred Threshold that the new and challenging development now taking place in the evolution of the institution of the Counsellors will release great energies for the advancement of the Cause of God in every land.
BRAZIL[edit]
Nearly 300 attend historic Bahá’í Women’s Conference[edit]
Nearly 300 women, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, from 14 countries in North and South America participated last October 16-19 in the first Latin American Bahá’í Women’s Conference held at the Palacio das Convençöes in Brasilia, Brazil.
The historic conference was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Brazil. Its general theme was the development of the Bahá’í family and the unity of the Bahá’í home, with special emphasis on harmony and cooperation between parents and children.
The featured speaker was Continental Counsellor Sarah Martin Pereira, an outstanding educator who retired recently after 22 years as a professor in the Department of Foreign Languages at the University of the District of Columbia where she taught Spanish and Portuguese. Dr. Pereira spoke on “The Challenge to Women for the Spiritual Education of Humanity.”
Among the other speakers and panelists were Mrs. Gol Aidun of Manitoba, Canada, and Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas of Manhasset, New York.
Panel discussions, in which Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís participated, were on the following themes:
- “Woman, Light of the Family”
- “Woman, Light of Education”
- “Woman, Light of the Future Generation”
Bahá’í themes, treated in morning sessions that were for Bahá’ís only, were “The Greatest Holy Leaf, Inspiration of Bahá’í Women: Her Life and Influence,” and “The Bahá’í Woman and Her True Role
[Page 5]
in the Establishment of the Bahá’í
World Order.”
Of special interest to the Bahá’ís was the panel discussion on Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, led by Dr. Pereira and Mrs. Guitty Milani. Added to their observations about the outstanding woman of the Bahá’í dispensation were reminiscences by Sra. Lagheieh Kahrobai who had the privilege of spending nine years in the home of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, after His passing, where her husband had the contract for establishing its electricity, and where she came to know intimately the beloved Bahíyyih Khánum.
Another interesting though unscheduled session was that presented by Dr. Edris Rice-Wray, who consented to speak from her long experience as a doctor and professor on the subject of family planning.
Messages expressing love, encouragement and gratitude were received from the Universal House of Justice, the Bahá’í International Community, Dr. and Mrs. David Ruhe, and from Mrs. Dulce de Figuereiro, wife of the President of Brazil.
One of the most touching and memorable moments came with the presentation of a lovely and inspiring taped message from Counsellor Leonora Armstrong of Brazil, the “Spiritual Mother of South America,” who was too ill to attend the conference. It was to be the final message from Mrs. Armstrong, who died while the conference was in session. The participants, their eyes wet and throats burning, resolved to follow more closely than ever the path of service that Mrs. Armstrong blazed during her 60 years of teaching and sacrifice as a pioneer to Brazil.
Another thrilling moment came at the close of the conference when one of the non-Bahá’í speakers and two other guests declared their desire to become Bahá’ís.
Among the non-Bahá’í speakers who participated in the afternoon and evening sessions were Mrs. Ana Amelia Lemos, a journalist from the South Brazilian network of O Globo newspapers; Sra. Ana Maria Dantas Boim of the Federal Secretariat of Education and Culture; Mrs. Lena Castelo Branco, professor of human sciences at the University of the State of Goiaz; and Sra. Anesia Ferreira Galieta, an attorney representing the Women’s Movement of Goiania.
The conference was preceded by a reception for local news media that was attended by representatives of newspapers, radio and television. The resulting publicity included three newspaper, three television and six radio reports about the conference.
After the conference, the friends who participated were taken in omnibuses on a tour of the capital city of Brasilia including a visit to the Tėmple of Dom Bosco, an interdenominational cathedral, where some 200 Bahá’ís offered prayers and lifted their voices in singing “Alláh’u’Abhá.”—Muriel Miessler
Above: Nearly 300 women, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, from 14 countries in North America and South America attended the first Latin American Bahá’í Women’s Conference last October 16-19 at Brasilia, Brazil. Below: Among the speakers at the Latin American Bahá’í Women’s Conference were (left to right) Continental Counsellor Sarah M. Pereira from the United States; Mrs. Gol Aidun from Canada; Dr. Zlmarian Stoakley Walker, an American pioneer to Brazil; and Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas from the United States.
TONGA[edit]
Highly successful teaching campaign honors memory of the Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir[edit]
Last May the National Spiritual Assembly of Tonga called for a direct teaching project in memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, who in 1977 had inaugurated direct teaching in Tonga that soon doubled the number of Tongan believers.
Responding to the National Spiritual Assembly’s call, the Area Teaching Committee of the island of Tongatapu in August began a two-month mass teaching and consolidation project to spread the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to all parts of Tongatapu, the largest of the 36 inhabited Tongan islands where 65 per cent of the Kingdom’s population of 100,000 resides.
At the time the teaching and consolidation project began, a believer from another country who had been living in Tonga had to sell a van and return home. Acting quickly and decisively, the National Spiritual Assembly of Tonga bought the van.
Night after night Bahá’í teachers traveled the many miles over coral roads to outlying villages to meet with receptive souls. It was not uncommon for 30 people to attend these meetings.
At the end of two months the project was expanded to include deepening evenings in villages with established Local Spiritual Assemblies. These sessions, each attended by at least one member of the National Spiritual Assembly, have attracted many believers and those not yet Bahá’ís who are sincerely interested in learning more about the Faith.
The purpose of the project is to deepen existing Spiritual Assemblies and bring Groups to Assembly status by Riḍván 1981 to meet and hopefully surpass Tonga’s goals for the first phase of the Seven Year Plan.
The success of the mass teaching and consolidation project has encouraged three communities in the vicinity of Nuku’alofa, Tonga’s capital city, to actively adopt extension goal localities. Believers in these three communities, often using the van purchased by the National Spiritual Assembly, visit their extension goal communities each week.
Each Friday night scores of young people attend youth firesides at the National Center. Many are transported in the van from their villages to the firesides that have consistently attracted 60 to 75 youth, half of whom are not believers. This initial activity has spread to many other areas of the teaching and consolidation work in Tonga.
Contributions to the National Fund have increased dramatically as the friends, spurred on by their own activity and news of untold suffering by the believers in Iran, attain to a new degree of sacrifice.
Each member of the National Spiritual Assembly has volunteered to spend time in one of the other island groups where the teaching and consolidation work has often not kept pace with that of the larger islands.
More than 75 prominent women including the mother of the queen attended a luncheon during a women’s conference October 10-12 that was sponsored by the Bahá’í National Women’s Committee. This conference was possibly the most outstanding proclamation in the history of the Faith in Tonga. The conference received extensive media coverage.
The Area Teaching Committee of Ha’apai held a teaching conference during which plans were made for a direct teaching project in that island group.
A believer has rented a small shop in downtown Nuku’alofa that has been turned into a Bahá’í information center. The center is open daily and offers Bahá’í literature for sale as well as answers to questions from visitors to the center.
LEONORA ARMSTRONG[edit]
South America’s ‘Spiritual Mother’ ends earthly life after 60 years of devoted service to Cause of God[edit]
HEARTS SADDENED PASSING DISTINGUISHED COUNSELLOR LEONORA STIRLING ARMSTRONG HERALD OF THE KINGDOM BELOVED HANDMAIDEN ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ SPIRITUAL MOTHER SOUTH AMERICA. HER SIXTY YEARS VALIANT DEVOTED SERVICES CAUSE BRAZIL SHEDS LUSTRE ANNALS FAITH THAT PROMISING LAND. REQUESTING MEMORIAL SERVICES MASHRIQU’L-ADHKARS WILMETTE PANAMA. URGE ALL COMMUNITIES BRAZIL LIKEWISE HOLD SERVICES. OFFERING ARDENT SUPPLICATIONS MOST HOLY SHRINE PROGRESS HER RADIANT SPIRIT ABHA KINGDOM.
Counsellor Leonora Armstrong, the “Spiritual
Mother of South America,” died last October after a
long illness, thus ending 60 years of devoted and
exemplary service to the Cause of God.
Following Martha Root’s historic journey through that region, Mrs. Armstrong—who was then Miss Holsapple—arose in 1920 in answer to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s summons, in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, to “become angels of heaven and travel and teach throughout all these regions.”
Noting the Master’s special mention of Bahia, Brazil, she settled there and made it her home for the next 60 years, although she traveled to every part of Brazil to teach the Cause.
Among the many services she rendered that have, in the words of the Universal House of Justice, shed “lustre upon the annals of the Faith” were her early translations and publication of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era in Spanish and Portuguese, languages she had committed herself to learn upon reaching Brazil.
Hers was a selfless and unflagging spirit, one that was deeply touched by the sufferings of her fellow creatures. Perhaps Mrs. Armstrong will be best remembered for the sort of devotion to others that prompted her to write, in a letter published in The Bahá’í World, Vol. II (1928-1930): “... that which most impresses one in the streets of Ceará is the multitude of beggars, decrepit old men and women, blind, diseased; hundreds of lepers; and the many other apparently desperately poor and wretched, but perhaps too proud to beg; and the naked children wallowing in the sand.
“... there are still malaria, cholera and typhoid. Serious epidemics of the two latter broke out during my stay there, and I was able to offer my services in carrying medicine, food, and clothing to many of the sick.
“It was a thrilling experience to visit them in their homes ... and to try to prove to them by deeds the Bahá’í’s faith in the oneness of humanity. There were black and white among them, and all the intervening shades, and many who showed clearly the mixture of Indian blood with the Negro or Portuguese.
“But all were poor, suffering, in need of human help, and all were grateful to have it given, freely, for the love of humanity.”
BERMUDA[edit]
First Teaching Conference of Seven Year Plan takes on challenge of winning every goal before Riḍván election of National Spiritual Assembly[edit]
Soo Fouts, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S., discusses the important role of women in winning the teaching and consolidation goals in Bermuda in preparation for the election of Bermuda’s first National Spiritual Assembly during Riḍván 1981.
With the first National Spiritual Assembly of Bermuda due to be formed during Riḍván 1981, the first Bermuda Teaching Conference of the Seven Year Plan was held September 19-21 in Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda.
Participants included believers from 11 Parishes in Bermuda, local pioneers, and visitors from the United States including the keynote speaker, Mrs. Soo Fouts, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S. and its representative to the conference, and William Roberts, an assistant to the Auxiliary Board.
The conference, sponsored by the Bermuda Teaching Committee, was designed to stimulate a new level of awareness for the immediate challenge facing the Bermudian Bahá’í community of consolidating the existing Bahá’í institutions and expanding the number of believers on the island.
The secretary of the Bermuda
[Page 9]
Teaching Committee, Mrs. Valerie
Richmond, welcomed members of
the local community and guests
from the U.S. Music was offered by
two local believers, and the motion
picture “Bahá’í Jubilee Samoa” was
shown at the conference’s opening
session.
Bermuda’s present Bahá’í status, accomplishments, remaining goals and immediate needs were described by two members of the Bermuda Teaching Committee. During the consultation that followed, the responsibilities of the individual emerged as all-important.
Referring to how the Seven Year Plan relates to the development of Bahá’í communities and Assemblies, Mrs. Fouts stressed the Plan’s call for Bahá’í women to exercise to the fullest their privileges and responsibilities in the community.
Mrs. Fouts also spoke of the duty of the Bahá’í institutions as well as the individual to aid in the spiritual education of children. She acknowledged the difficulties and challenges facing Bahá’í youth in present day society.
Bermuda’s Spiritual Assemblies and Groups were invited to send representatives to the teaching conference. Each representative made a presentation, and all pledged to support the over-all teaching effort in Bermuda.
The importance of consolidation was discussed, and frank and loving consultation was held on this subject.
The friends were urged to translate the sacrifices of the friends in Iran into action. Mr. Roberts asked the friends at the conference not to let the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Iran be in vain.
Speaking about the goal of forming Bermuda’s National Spiritual Assembly, Mrs. Fouts reminded her audience that every believer has something to contribute and that each individual must rise to the station of giving his uniqueness which is our contribution to the altar of Bahá’u’lláh. Birth, she said, always requires struggle, yet that birth is glorious.
William Roberts, an assistant to Auxiliary Board member Katherine McLaughlin, who was a guest speaker at the first Bermuda Teaching Conference held last September 19-21, registers for the conference with (left to right) Carol Basden of Bermuda and Elizabeth Thomas of the U.S.
George Symonds and Lloyd Williams, two local Bahá’í musicians, entertain participants at the first Bermuda Teaching Conference last September 19-21 in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Children and adults participate in the first Bermuda Teaching Conference held September 19-21 in Hamilton, Bermuda. Soo Fouts, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States (standing third from right) was one of the conference speakers.
Participants in the first Bermuda Teaching Conference held September 19-21 in Hamilton, Bermuda, gathered on the steps of the Bahá’í Center for this photograph. Among the American believers present for the conference was Soo Fouts (top row far right), a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.
TERAH[edit]
Personal reminiscences of teaching, traveling, loving by a long-time believer
The following article is excerpted from the book Terah, by Mrs. Terah Cowart-Smith of Greensboro, North Carolina. Mrs. Cowart-Smith, a native of Georgia, has traveled extensively as a Bahá’í teacher and lecturer in the U.S., Canada and several European countries. In 1947 she became a charter member of the United Nations Speakers’ Research Committee, established by the Bahá’í Department of Public Information, and served on that committee for 10 years.
In early January 1954 the plane aboard which the Hand of the Cause of God Dorothy Baker was returning home from an International Bahá’í Conference in Asia crashed near the island of Elba in the Mediterranean Sea. All aboard were lost. This rare, lovely, remarkably gifted and distinguished servant of the Cause was my closest friend.
During the first 18 months of my pioneering days in Atlanta, before
[Page 11]
the first confirmation of a member
of my class of investigators of the
Teachings, she was my mainstay.
The governor of Georgia at that time ranked first in racism among southern governors. The only place I could talk to a black friend in public was on the outside steps of the Post Office. An official, observing the quality of our conversation, said, “You can’t talk here.” Although its capital city was considered cosmopolitan by outsiders, the general attitude of Georgia’s citizens was insular and traditional ... especially in feeling.
A lonely time[edit]
For instance, my next door neighbor, a college graduate whose little girl was a first-grader in school with my Ginny, came to call after six months. She explained her delay by saying, “Well, the van that brought your household goods was from New York and so you’re a foreigner. But I decided there must be something good about you because you have such nice children.” My reply that I was born in Georgia didn’t seem to register. Gradually, through carefully developed effort on my part, we became friends. Only a person of such penetrating vision as Margaret Mitchell would have dared to categorize the prewar culture as “Gone With the Wind.” On every level my tests were frequent and severe, and I craved an understanding heart in the flesh.
It was a difficult and lonely time, but Dorothy always knew when my ebb tide was lowest, and a surprise visit when en route to Florida to see her son, or a phone call would give the needed boost.
In one instance she was scheduled to speak at a public meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. Not far from her home in Ohio, icy road conditions caused an accident. Dorothy wasn’t injured but her car was damaged, so she canceled the engagement. About 7 p.m., while I was washing the dishes, a phone call from the National Spiritual Assembly informed me of Dorothy’s plight and asked me to take her assignment. I was willing, but had no one to take care of the children, and would have had to take a midnight train to reach Charleston in time for the meeting. Also, it was Sunday and I didn’t have enough cash on hand to make the trip. My only recourse was the “Remover of Difficulties.”
Soon I learned that neither of the women who sometimes cared for my two hopefuls was available. As I prayed for guidance, the feeling of assurance began to register, though I had no clues as to how either of the problems would be resolved. I was careful to keep my focus on the “Remover of Difficulties.”
About 10 o’clock another phone call. I recognized the voice, but it had such an unusual quality that I asked, “Dorothy, where are you?” What a relief when she replied, “Just south of Chattanooga.”
I informed her about the National Spiritual Assembly’s call and my situation regarding the trip. Quickly, in her usual cheery, vibrant voice, she said, “Oh, Terah, I’ll take care of it myself. I’ll just delay my arrival in Florida.”
When we met later, she told me
The Hand of the Cause of God Dorothy Baker, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1954, was one of Mrs. Cowart-Smith’s closest friends.
The author (second from left) at a fireside after making her final move as a Bahá’í teacher, to Greensboro, North Carolina, where she has lived for more than 24 years.
on her shoulders, and the voice was emphatic:
“Call Terah now!” ’
that a little before 8 p.m. that evening an inner voice had said, “Call
Terah.” But she thought it not
necessary to do so before she got
to Atlanta, as she was staying
overnight. So she continued driving. Several times the thought to
call me had recurred, but she dismissed it as before. Some time
later, she said, there seemed to be
two hands pressing her shoulders,
and the voice was emphatic: “Call
Terah now!” Frequently we didn’t
need more than intuition...
Teaching in Canada[edit]
In January 1956 once again I changed residences in order to serve the Faith in a more crucial territory. From Rochester, New York, to Dundas, Ontario, was my fourth move.
In the early ’40s, when I made my first teaching trip to the Province, I had discovered that the Canadian Bahá’ís have a plus—indefinable, but a plus. I joined five believers. Our purpose was to establish an Assembly and serve as a center for special teaching projects to help meet Canada’s goals of the Ten Year Crusade.
Dundas is a small town near the industrial city of Hamilton. This metropolitan area was destined to play an important part in the Ten Year Crusade launched by Shoghi Effendi in 1953. Canada’s goal was a large increase in new Assemblies, and Dundas was an ideal location for an intensified teaching campaign, for there were many Bahá’ís within a radius of 75 miles.
For three months we had study classes twice each week, and cooperated with the Canadian National Assembly in holding two seminars. This was one of the happiest experiences of my Bahá’í life. I shared our headquarters with two young ladies. We had a small quaint cottage with a flower garden that always reminded me of those in the countryside near London and Cambridge, England. The study classes, firesides and conferences kept us very busy. Our monthly conferences were well attended and the enthusiasm was unmatched.
At this time the majority of the Canadian Bahá’í population lived in Ontario, so they had the responsibility for the largest number of new units of the administrative system. This concentrated work yielded six new Assemblies. No one had to move more than 50 miles to achieve this goal.
My last letter from Shoghi Effendi concerned my teaching work in Dundas. My good friend, the Hand of the Cause of God Leroy Ioas, who had been his close assistant for several years, wrote on the Guardian’s behalf:
“The Guardian has been following your teaching activities in Canada with interest, through reports being received. It is most encouraging to get your word on the confirmation of six souls and great interest on the part of others who may also become Bahá’ís.
“This indicates the wisdom of visiting teachers who will settle for a time in a goal city, or area, so the fruits of their labors are developed. Too often our teachers enter a city, assist the local friends, stir up interest, and then leave before the results are known. The Guardian hopes more teachers may be able to remain in a city until the fruit is garnered.
“The Guardian is happy also that you are to devote time now in the southern states ... he hopes a new movement may take place in the teaching work in the South which has lagged so badly of late.”
This was my last teaching directive from the Guardian.
In the fall of 1956 I moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, where my Bahá’í sister, Elah, and I established our home that served as a center for activities of the Faith until she responded to a call to help save the Spiritual Assembly of Fort Myers, Florida.
Around the world[edit]
Sri Lanka[edit]
About 100 believers including three members of the Auxiliary Board, a representative from the Maldive Islands, and two international traveling teachers from the United Kingdom participated September 20-23 in the Bahá’í summer school at the Regional Bahá’í Centre in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Several people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during a recent nine-day public proclamation at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Colombo, Sri Lanka, that drew a steady stream of several hundred visitors of Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Zoroastrian backgrounds.
The open house at the Bahá’í Center that included displays of Bahá’í literature and posters as well as talks by believers was opened with remarks by the chairman and secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka. Speakers at the proclamation’s opening ceremony included the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
The week-long event that was extended for two additional days received wide publicity in newspapers and on the radio. Several visitors to the Bahá’í Center attended meetings as a result of the proclamation effort.
Jamshed Fozdar (left), chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka, presents a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Cooray, the leading prelate of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. The presentation was a part of the National Spiritual Assembly’s plan to inaugurate the observance of World Religion Day in Sri Lanka and to establish a close relationship with the heads of the other principal religions in that country.
Brazil[edit]
Last January the Bahá’í community of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, began distributing 420 copies of the book Call to the Nations, extracts from the writings of Shoghi Effendi, to prominent citizens of the state as part of a proclamation effort that included publicity in Brazil’s largest daily newspaper.
The books were accompanied by a letter requesting comments on the book. A remarkable number of letters has been received by the Spiritual Assembly of Rio de Janeiro.
Additionally, a motion of congratulations to the Bahá’í commuñnity was approved by the state’s legislative body and published in the official government journal.
The following is a translation of that motion:
“Deputy Atila Nuñes proposes:
I ask the Board to transmit to the Bahá’í Community of Rio de Janeiro a motion of congratulations for releasing the exceptional book Call to the Nations, written by the distinguished thinker Shoghi Effendi, a genuine masterpiece of universal belief, which manifests in an incomparable way the longing for peace and brotherhood, inherent to all mankind, among the peoples of the world.
As a result of this successful effort, the National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil has decided to expand
the proclamation campaign to the
entire country. The book will be
sent to 3,000 prominent people in
all areas of human endeavor.
Botswana[edit]
More than 150 people from seven countries attended an international Bahá’í summer school August 23-29 in Mahalapye, Botswana, that was planned by the Continental Board of Counsellors for Southern Africa.
Participants including 115 adults and 41 children came from Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
Registration fees paid by participants not only defrayed all costs of the summer school but also resulted in a generous contribution to the Fund from those at the school.
Many participants spoke of the unity at the summer school as its most striking aspect.
Iceland[edit]
More than 50 believers, including Eskil Lundberg, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, and three other guests from the Faroe Islands, attended Iceland’s Bahá’í Winter School during the last week of December.
The school was held at Ölfusborgir, an hour’s drive southeast of Reykjavík. Class topics included Bahá’u’lláh’s life, His purpose for mankind and the changes He has brought to man, as well as the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Ethiopia[edit]
Speakers at the UN Day observance last October 24 at the Bahá’í Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, included (standing at left) Belete Worku, treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly of Ethiopia and the Assembly’s UN liaison officer; and (seated left to right) Kingsly Dube, chief of the Information Office at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and Ato Eshetu Haptemariam, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Addis Ababa and master of ceremonies for the UN Day observance.
Members of the Addis Ababa Bahá’í community and approximately 70 invited guests attended the October 24 observance of United Nations Day that was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Ethiopia and hosted by the Spiritual Assembly of Addis Ababa.
The meeting in the Addis Ababa Bahá’í Center was opened by the chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Addis Ababa. Other speakers were the National Spiritual Assembly’s treasurer and liaison officer, and the chief of the Information Office at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The subject was the “United Nations and World Peace.”
The representative of the UN Economic Commission for Africa praised the efforts of the UN’s non-governmental organizations such as the Bahá’í International Community for their constant and progressive support of the UN and world peace. “The work of the Bahá’ís is commendable,” he said.
The UN representative answered questions from the audience, and the program was concluded with a Bahá’í prayer for mankind read by the chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Addis Ababa.
United States[edit]
An artist’s conception of the proposed Louhelen Bahá’í School in Davison, Michigan, showing the concept of an ‘arc’ formed by several new buildings soon to be constructed on the site of the original school that was closed in 1974 for reasons of safety.
The National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S. has approved plans for the reconstruction of the Louhelen Bahá’í School in Davison, Michigan, that was first opened in 1931 and closed in 1974 for reasons of safety.
The beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, commented about the importance of this Bahá’í school in no less than 50 of his letters.
The $1.8 million reconstruction project calls for the restoration and preservation of a few of the original buildings and the construction of new buildings to serve the present and future needs of the community.
The National Spiritual Assembly has approved the sale of promissory notes to Bahá’ís to expedite raising the funds needed to support the project. The National Treasurer’s Office has selected individuals to act as its agents in the approximately 26 states in which the sale of the promissory notes is registered in compliance with state law. Approval by most of the states in the eastern half of the country was given last October.
Bids were opened October 28 on the first phase of the project that includes preliminary site work, underground utilities, foundations for four buildings and the superstructure of the School Center building.
Kenya[edit]
Two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Central and East Africa, Peter Vuyiya (third from left) and Isobel Sabri (far right) were among members of a delegation presenting Bahá’í books to the speaker of the Kenyan Parliament (fourth from left). Other believers at the meeting are John Huddleston, a traveling teacher from the U.S. (far left); Mr. Sobheil, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Kenya (second from left); and Katherine Mboya, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Nairobi (fifth from left).
Cameroon Republic[edit]
Participants in the second Bahá’í Summer School in English-speaking Cameroon, held last September 6-12 at Buea, assembled for this group photograph. Continental Counsellor Mihdí Samandari is in the second row at the far left.
Approximately 40 people attended the second Bahá’í summer school in the English-speaking area of the Cameroon Republic last September 6-12 at Buea, Cameroon. Dr. Mihdí Samandari, a Continental Counsellor for Western Africa, was a guest speaker.
Bahá’í books were presented to summer school students who successfully completed a simple examination that followed classes and a series of workshops on Bahá’í administration.
Following a talk on Bahá’í marriage on the last day of the school, a Bahá’í wedding took place between a Persian pioneer to Chad and a Canadian pioneer. Non-Bahá’í guests expressed their appreciation for the simple ceremony and joyous atmosphere.
This well-attended Bahá’í children’s class is held daily in the small village of Mfaitok, Cameroon Republic. The classes are held at the local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds that was constructed by the friends in Mfaitok.
Children join the adults in working to care for the grounds of the district Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Mamfe Town, Cameroon Republic.
Mexico[edit]
Progress is being made in meeting Mexico’s Seven Year Plan goal of translating Bahá’í literature into a number of indigenous languages.
The short Obligatory Prayer has recently been translated into 25 indigenous languages spoken in the State of Oaxaca where approximately 60 mutually unintelligible Indian languages are spoken.
Translations of the short Obligatory Prayer have been made into nine Zapotec languages, five Mixtec languages, four Chinantec languages, and two Mixe languages as well as the Zoque, Huave, Amuzgo, Mazatec and Cuicatec languages.
Alaska[edit]
Fifty-six believers from 16 Alaskan communities attended the June 30-July 5 Chilkat Valley Bahá’í Summer School in Haines, Alaska.
Program speakers included Robert Putnam, treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska, and Auxiliary Board members Ray Hudson and Raye Mullin.
Classes were presented on Bahá’í history, the Kitéb-i-Aqdas and the Book of Revelation in the Bible. Separate classes were conducted for children and youth.
Evening entertainment included square dancing and the presentation of skits. Those at the summer school enjoyed a Persian dinner that was prepared by Zarin Malmiri, a traveling teacher from Luxembourg.
Pakistan[edit]
Approximately 180 people including a large number of youth from 25 localities in Pakistan attended a Bahá’í summer school held August 1-5 at Bahá’í House in Rawalpindi.
Members of the Regional Teaching Committees of Sind, Punjab and Baluchistan met during the summer school to lay out a program for the futherance of the Cause in the northern part of the country.
Finland[edit]
Continental Counsellor Betty Reed (front row center holding purse) participated in a National Teaching Conference last August 30-31 in Tampere, Finland. She is shown here with the nearly 40 believers from all parts of Finland who attended the conference.
El Salvador[edit]
One hundred-fifty believers from all parts of El Salvador, some of Persian or American descent, attended a National Teaching Congress August 24 that was held in a home on the outskirts of San Salvador.
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of El Salvador and assistants to Auxiliary Board members shared teaching experiences.
Progress on the goals of the Seven Year Plan was discussed, along with the recent sacrifices of Iranian believers and the recent loss of the four Hands of the Cause of God.
Music by children and the conference host and hostess were presented during breaks in the conference.
Argentina[edit]
Some of the believers at the Bahá’í Winter School held July 12-13 in Saenz Peña, Argentina, gathered for this group photograph. Athos Costas, a Continental Counsellor for South America, (far right), was one of the participants.
Winifred Barnum Newman
The Secret in the Garden tells the story of an old woman who sets out to bring happiness to a troubled village—and of the young girl who discovers the secret, wins the villagers’ attention by her deeds, and then helps show, through a multicolored and diversified garden, how unity is achieved.
The warm illustrations, half in color, half in black and white, add layers of meaning and hours of enjoyment to the story. The author’s wit and humor touch the text as well as the tiniest details on each page, delighting not only children but the young of every age. Can you find the sleeping cat who comes awake as the villagers learn about living together and appreciating differences?
The Secret in the Garden is also available as a cassette recording, narrated by Susan Engle, who sings a special song created for the book. The musical background and sound effects are by Collins Trier and Susan Engle.
Ages 5-10 years.
32 pages 5¼ x 8¼ inches
ISBN 0-87743-151-5
| Cloth | 7-53-13 | $5.00 |
| Cassette | 6-32-05 | $3.00 |
| Book/Cassette | 7-53-15 | $7.50 |
Available from
Bahá’í Publishing Trust
523 Green Bay Road
Wilmette, IL 60091
WINIFRED BARNUM NEWMAN, an artist, writer, and designer, is an instructor in the program for the gifted at Trinity University. Her drawings, paintings, sculptures, and murals can be found in private collections throughout the United States and Canada.
