Bahá’í News/Issue 111/Text
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The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís
of the United States and Canada
General Office: 130 Evergreen Place, West Englewood, New Jersey
LETTER FROM SHOGHI EFFENDI[edit]
The following instruction was written in a letter addressed to Mr. Snider, Urbana, on September 5, 1936, and is published with the Guardian’s approval.
“Regarding your question as to the advisability of holding Bahá’í meetings at a time coinciding with church meetings; the Guardian would advise the friends to avoid such a coincidence, as otherwise many church people may feel offended, and this may lead to unnecessary and even harmful misunderstandings and developments which may injure the Cause and affect its prestige in the eyes of the public. The friends should, under all circumstances, be careful not to arouse unnecessarily any feelings of religious antagonism.”
MESSAGE TO LOCAL ASSEMBLIES[edit]
Mr. Siegfried Schopflocher, at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, has furnished the following draft of the statement he reported to the Convention embodying his notes of the Guardian’s message to the local Spiritual Assemblies.
“Since a few local Assemblies have incorporated, now is the time for others to offer, if they feel the urge to do so, property or real estate, no matter how small or humble it may be, in order to establish local endowments. At the present time the National endowments amount to two and a half millions, and for this reason local Assemblies should follow. It is preferred that these donations should not be labelled. It would be excellent to start with possibly some building, no matter how modest or humble, to have as meeting place (if the friends locally buy it and build it in the sense of designing it for Bahá’í use) and establish local Archives, this will facilitate development and efficiency for a local Assembly when it owns its own property. In enlarging the subject, the Guardian said the friends must learn how to manage these so they will be able to help even the National property and in time Shoghi Effendi may establish Palestine branches for properties in Haifa for local Assemblies. The friends should learn how to manage. If an Assembly is poor and cannot keep it (the property) up they should present their petitions to the Authorities in order to be free from taxes. Shoghi Effendi wants to educate the friends to be a help rather than a liability.”
THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY BEGINS ITS TWOFOLD TASK[edit]
Beloved Friends:
In preceding issues of BAHÁ’Í NEWS you have received the Guardian’s summons to undertake the Plan of teaching and Temple construction allotted to the seven years ending May, 1944. The schedule embodied in the current Annual Budget has been announced. The decision to place the first of the two necessary Temple contracts has been reported. On the side of teaching, the National Assembly has approved and authorized comprehensive recommendations made by the National Teaching Committee for placing pioneer teachers and traveling teachers in many new areas. An early conference with the chairman of the Inter-America Committee will lead to decisions concerning increased effort in other parts of the American continents. The American Bahá’í community has begun its glorious mission.
Now the appeal is renewed that each and every American Bahá’í awake to the vital importance of this Plan and become spiritually and otherwise active for its support and promotion. The inspirations and reinforcements will come as we step forward into the arena of action and responsibility. If we be sluggish and indifferent now, our acceptance of membership in the Bahá’í community is no evidence of true faith.
How often the Master spoke of the humble ones of past ages who served the Cause of God, and of the people of power and capacity who, denying, came to naught! What assurance He gave that every faithful one can render mighty service!
Fortunate are those who can attend the Nineteen Day Feasts and other meetings held by the organized communities, since there the flame of devotion should kindle the brightest. Nevertheless, the smallest local group and likewise the isolated believers can be no less intimately allied to the moving spirit of the age if they but realize the joy of sharing in the sacred task.
For we have but made the beginning, and laid only the groundwork of the Plan. Its success in reality calls for the daily prayer, the daily consecration, the daily effort of all who bear the name of Bahá’í. We are “perilously near” the time of cataclysm, as Shoghi Effendi informed us a few weeks ago. But far from accepting the attitude of fatalism, we should long for such ardent heroism as will overcome the general feeling among non-believers that the world is decadent by a more penetrating realization that the new age has already dawned.
- NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY.
MISS LIDIA ZAMENHOF IS GUEST OF AMERICAN BAHA’IS[edit]
On October 30 Miss Lidia Zamenhof, daughter of the distinguished founder of Esperanto, arrived in America as the guest of the National Spiritual Assembly. Miss Zamenhof’s services to the Faith are well known. At many of the international gatherings of Esperantists she has expounded the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, and her facility in the use of Esperanto has been devoted to the translation of a number of Bahá’í books into that language.
It is hoped that Miss Zamenhof may remain in America for the period of a year, and during that time visit a number of cities. The Esperantists rejoice in her coming, and deeply appreciate the fact that the Bahá’ís have made her visit possible. The Universal Auxiliary Language Committee of the N. S. A. and a special Committee appointed by the Esperantists, are cooperating with Miss Zamenhof in arranging her program.
Her first stay will be in New York. A public reception was held for her at the New York Bahá’í Center by the Assemblies of the New York Metropolitan District on Saturday, October 2.
The general plan is that in each city the Bahá’ís will hold a public reception for Miss Zamenhof as soon as possible after her arrival. She will conduct paid classes for teaching Esperanto under the auspices of the Esperantist groups. Before she leaves the city, the local Assembly is requested to arrange a public meeting with Miss Zamenhof as speaker, to which all Esperantists and those interested in the subject of an international auxiliary language should be especially invited. Other Bahá’í meetings featuring Miss Zamenhof can be arranged locally in consultation with her.
In honor of her visit, the National Assembly has printed a pamphlet containing Esperanto translations of a portion of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablet on the Seven Candles of Unity, and the text of Shoghi Effendi’s The World Faith. The edition has been placed in the hands of the Committee on Universal Auxiliary Language for free distribution through the Assemblies of the cities she visits. These Assemblies will be informed by the Committee as soon as Miss Zamenhof’s program is arranged.
The American Bahá’ís deeply appreciate this opportunity to meet their distinguished and scholarly fellow-believer from Europe, and will do everything possible to make her visit a joy to her and a great service to the Cause.
THE SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE UNDERLYING THE BUDGET OF THE SEVEN-YEAR PLAN[edit]
Mr. Siegfried Schopflocher has been requested to contribute a statement based upon his remarks on the subject of the Fund at the last Convention, and the following statement is published with the request that the friends give it their careful attention.
Now is the time for the friends to understand the great spiritual principle underlying the special budget of the seven year plan.
We have been accustomed to accept cycles of prosperity and depression which happen at regular intervals. If we consider the causes of depression we find that they are caused by injustice, greed and selfishness, the very cankers which are totally eradicated in the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and which will produce a community entirely guided by justice, love and understanding, and most of all sacrifice. These are the guiding principles and the very foundation of a world community in contrast to our present-day conditions when war is not only possible but inevitable. Only when the funds in the form of taxes, contributions, tithes, or whatever they may be called, can be employed for the felicity of mankind, only then can we understand the wisdom in the Institution of the Bahá’í Funds. From this point of view our offerings will be inspired by joy and pleasure and will become a spiritual art and complete bounty.
In this respect must we consider the completion of the Temple ornamentation at Wilmette, this great symbol of our Faith, “the great silent Teacher” from which its dependencies will be born and which will bear witness to a humanity torn by strifes and hatreds, that salvation, health and happiness is close at hand when depressions have given place to continuous happiness. Only then and not before will the progress made in science and its discovery be of real benefit to mankind and usher in the Golden Age of Bahá’u’lláh.
It is necessary to impress the friends with the importance of early and continuous contributions in order to insure the best and most economical execution of this, our most sacred obligation. To delay in this our great privilege and responsibility would mean to retard and prevent the commencement of similar constructions in other lands, especially in the country of the cradle of our Faith. Therefore as a token of our gratitude, and to the memory of 25,000 martyrs, will our dedication serve to hasten through our combined and undivided support the unfoldment of a world civilization. This Symbol, our “great silent Teacher” alone can convince an unguided humanity and instill a new hope and assurance of the Kingdom of God on earth. We are all aware of the effect this great Symbol will produce when completed, but the remarkable promises made by our gracious Master will only be fulfilled in its entirety when this Temple is completed.
How could the friends meet in 1944 to celebrate the close of the first Bahá’í century in an uncompleted edifice, an unfulfilled spiritual obligation. From the point of view of the Guardian this is inconceivable.
We have experienced depressions but as repeatedly expressed by Shoghi Effendi we must not be deceived by momentary prosperity. This is the time to look for safe investments and what could be more secure than the Institution of the Greatest Name? This is an offering to God, a living proof of our Faith, demanded and accepted by Him, and no one either in Heaven or on earth can take it from us. This is an investment that we can trust, it will be with us on earth and become our crown in all the worlds to come. Let us start at once: the interests are its bounties and the dividends its blessings. Let us benefit by these bounties and blessings at this moment.
The Teaching Campaign is producing its fruits and must not be relaxed, nay rather redoubled : $30,000 per year is required to establish the Cause in every state in the Union, every province in Canada and every republic in the Americas.
$30,000 for the maintenance of the Administrative Order in all its ramifications, including the upkeep of its Institutions, the Temple, its Summer Schools and its far-flung God-given Institutions.
$60,000 additional per year is needed to fulfill our sacred Temple obligation, a never re-occuring privilege started by our gracious Master during the pioneer age, and which will go down in history as an achievement and a lasting
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sign of this new and greatest civilization which will extend over a period of 500,000 years.
It follows that there must be a continuous flow of $40.00 per year for each believer during the next seven years, over and above the expense of Local requirements; Local Treasurers should work tirelessly towards this end to insure the continuous flow to the National Fund which amounts to a trifle over $3.00 per month on an average for each believer. However, great relief will come as a result of the teaching campaign which will produce a large number of enthusiastic supporters.
We appeal to the Local Assemblies through their Treasurers to bend all their energies toward this end. They must adopt modern methods to win the confidence of the friends, to keep them informed and well-posted regarding the status of the Local Fund, as to receipts, expenditures and disbursements. The friends should always be mindful that our beloved Guardian repeatedly assures us that all Funds, Local and National, are under his personal supervision. The National Assembly will keep the friends well informed at all times. There should never be a depression in Bahá’í ranks, providing we submit to the principle of faith, love and justice as well as by the seal of sacrifice rendered in the true Bahá’í spirit and all the joy it implies.
“Is there any remover of difficulties save God?”
ASSEMBLY ROLL[edit]
The following changes of address have been reported since the list of local Secretaries was published:
- Baltimore, Md. Correct address, 28 S. Highland Ave.
- Evanston, Ill. New address, 823 Washington Street.
- Jersey City. N. J. New address, 41 Tonnelle Ave.
- Vancouver, B. C. New address, P. O. Box 744.
ENROLLMENTS AND TRANSFERS[edit]
Los Angeles, three. Urbana, three youth. Springfield, Mass., one. Spokane, two. Eliot, one. Milwaukee, three and one youth. Berkeley, four and two youths.
IN MEMORIAM[edit]
Death proffereth unto every confident believer the cup that is life indeed. It bestoweth joy, and is the bearer of gladness. It confereth the gift of everlasting life.—Bahá’u’lláh.
- Cecil Carmody, New York.
- Dr. Hettie West, Los Angeles.
Naw-Ruz Feast Celebrated by Oakland and Berkeley, March 21, 1937.
MEETINGS OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY[edit]
In continuance of its effort to contribute to the teaching work, the National Spiritual Assembly is carrying out the following schedule of meetings during the current Bahá’í year. Public meetings and Bahá’í conferences will be held in connection with those marked*.
- Evanston, Ill. May 2 and 3, 1937.
- West Englewood, N. J. June 18, 19 and 20, 1937.
- Green Acre, Eliot, Maine. August 25, 29 and 30, 1937.
- *Portland, Oregon. October 16, 17 and 18, 1937.
- West Englewood, N. J. December 10, 11 and 12, 1937.
- *New Orleans, La. January 22, 23 and 24, 1938.
- Lima, Ohio. March 12, 13 and 14, 1938.
- Evanston, Ill. April 26 and 27, 1938.
PUBLISHING ANNOUNCEMENTS[edit]
In order to cooperate with local Assemblies in maintaining a complete file of Bahá’í literature, the Publishing Committee suggests that each Assembly which is in a position to carry and display at least one copy of each title make up a list of titles not now on hand and order these from the Committee. The Publishing Committee will be glad to extend credit for such special orders for a reasonable length of time.
The plan is that the copies of books and pamphlets kept in the complete file are to be used for display, in order to obtain orders, and therefore these copies should not be sold. In ordering books for this purpose, state that they are for the reference library. It is when books can be inspected that interest is aroused.
Local Librarians are reminded that a 25% discount is given on orders of $10.00 or more, but books listed as net can not be included for discount.
The Memorial Services of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on Mount Carmel. The Committee has on hand a large number of these pamphlets and offers them at the nominal price of 12 copies for 10c while the supply lasts. It is suggested that Assemblies might very well order enough for each believer, in connection with the Anniversary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to be observed on November 28.
Prayers and Meditations of Bahá’u’lláh, translated by Shoghi Effendi. This new and vitally important work is in process of publication, and the publication date will be announced. Copies will be available this winter.
The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, by Shoghi Effendi. The publication of the Guardian’s successive World Order
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letters in book form will be undertaken as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the individual letters can be obtained in pamphlet form.
A Traveller’s Narrative, translated by Edward C. Browne from the manuscript given him by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The believers are reminded of this significant work on the episode of the Báb, which should be in every individual Bahá’í library.
The Bahá’í House of Worship, by Genevieve L. Coy. Phis is such an interesting introductory pamphlet on the Cause that Assemblies are urged to keep on hand a good supply at all times.
Bahá’í Catalog. A new, pocket-size catalog will be ready in a few weeks. Will Assemblies kindly report the quantity they will need.
WORLD ORDER MAGAZINE[edit]
The series of chapters by Alice Simmons Cox on The New Creation begun in the July issue are attracting wide attention as a scholarly and profound study of the teachings in relation to current thought.
Other recent contributors have been: Benjamin Schreibman, Marion Holley, Ella C. Quant, Mary S. Hammond, Harry E. Ford, Dale S. Cole, Helen Campbell, Prof. Paul Peroff, David Hofman, G. Townshead, Orcella Rexford, Genevieve L. Coy, Prof. Ernest Pye, Ruby Lorraine Radford, H. M. Manji, Kenneth Christian, Maye Harvey Gift, Francis A. Kelsey, Horace Holley, Inez Greeven, Helen Inderlied and Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick.
Contributions are welcomed from believers and also from non-Bahá’ís who are moved by the spirit of the age and have knowledge and experience which adds to our power of understanding. The friends in other countries are particularly invited to send articles, to give the magazine a broad international character.
During the next few months will be published a series by Prof. Shook on Philosophy and Revelation, and a symposium entitled The World Outlook.
The magazine has also its distinct place in the general teaching effort. Local Assemblies, Regional Teaching Committees and individual believers who are active can make use of copies to bring the Cause to the attention of persons and liberal organizations not easily reached through public meetings.
With the steady rise of the Temple, the consolidation of the administrative order and on the other hand the increasing general troubles, World Order must be made an adequate and valuable organ of the Cause. To do so, the assistance and sustaining interest of the friends is vitally important.
The friends are informed that the title “World Order” has recently been protected by registration in the U. S. Patent Office.
BAHA’I YOUTH BULLETIN[edit]
The National Youth Committee is pleased to announce that beginning with the next issue, the Bahá’í Youth Bulletin will be published in New York City.
The October issue will contain reports of Summer School Sessions and a survey of Youth activities throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to this news, there will be a most interesting Editorial, and copy of the Guardian’s latest letter to the National Youth Committee.
Although limited in space to sixteen pages, the Bahá’í Youth Bulletin is filled with interesting reading not only for Bahá’ís, but for all those who are interested in the progress that Youth is making in this great work of helping to build the foundation for the New World Order.
The Bulletin is still ten cents per copy, forty cents per year, to subscribers in the United States. To foreign addresses, the price is fifteen cents per copy, fifty cents per year. Subscriptions may be sent to the new Business Manager, Mae Graves, 1767 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.
Manuscripts may be sent to the Secretary of the National Youth Committee, Miss Zeah Holden, 48 Terrace Avenue, Albany, New York.
We expect to sell every one of the 1,000 copies of our October issue, so you’d better get busy with that subscription, if yon haven’t already done so!
MARTHA ROOT’S TEACHING ACTIVITIES IN JAPAN[edit]
(Continued)[edit]
Leaving Tokyo I came to Kyoto. Mr. and Mrs. Tokojiro Torii met me. He is the great blind brother who received those two beautiful Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Mr. Torii is lovable like St. John and so is his wife. He has such great capacity and he has done solid, glorious foundation work. I felt his helpful influence in each city in Japan that I visited. He knows how to take responsibility; he is scholarly, a good speaker, a fluent Esperantist, and he is always smiling and pleasant.
Mr. Kikutaro Fukuta (who was a university student in Tokyo in 1915 when I visited Japan first) came to Kyoto from his native city Toyohashi, to visit me for two days. He said to Mr. Torii (and these two friends have not had the joy of meeting each other for ten years) “Come and spend your summer vacation with me in Toyohashi, and I will help you in every way possible in your translation of “Hidden Words”. This dear Fujutasan was the boy who said to Agnes and me in 1915: “Please excuse me that I always come the first one to the meeting and remain until the last one, but I’m so interested in the Bahá’í Teachings.”
There is a religious daily newspaper in Kyoto called “Chugai Nippo” ... the only daily, purely religious newspaper in the world ... with a circulation of fifty thousand. It is a newspaper of the Buddhists and its subscribers are Buddhists in Japan, China, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, India. Mr. Fukumi Ruiso called upon me and wrote a most excellent article, about the Bahá’í Universal Religion. It appeared June 23. He has also interviewed Miss Alexander several times. He asked me please to send him news about the Bahá’í work throughout the world. He also said he would like very much to have some Bahá’í books in Arabic. This newspaper has taken a most friendly attitude towards the Bahá’í Faith.
One lecture in Esperanto was given in Kyoto before the Esperantists of Kyoto, Osaka and Nara. Mr. Torii had arranged it for me. There is always interest in any country when an Esperantist comes from a far land. One of their delegates was going to Warsaw, Poland in August, to take part in the Twenty-ninth Universal Congress of Esperanto, and this year is the Jubilee. I gave him a letter of introduction to Lidja Zamenhof.
A journalist from the “Osaka Asahi” interviewed me in Kyoto, and brought a photographer to take a photograph of Mr. Torii and me. This Asahi Publishing Company in Osaka publishes the two sister dailies, the “Osaka Asahi” and the “Tokyo Asahi” which with their Moji and Nagoya editions have a paid circulation of over three million.
We went out to visit the Ittoen group, which is another of the modern movements in Japan.
After three days in Kyoto, I came to Kobe. Here I met Mr. D. Inouye, the Buddhist priest who is a devoted Bahá’í who translated “Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era” into Japanese. He loves the Teachings, wishes so much to get
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a strong group established in Kobe. He brought a reporter from “Kobe Shimbun” who interviewed us about the Bahá’í Teachings and the newspaper photographer took our pictures. The article appeared June 24.
A beautiful Bahá’í young woman came three times to see me in Kobe, she is a friend of Miss Alexander, was taught by Miss Alexander and her husband knew Mrs. Finch. I met several friends in Japan who asked for Mrs. Finch and wished to send her loving greetings.
I went over to Osaka one afternoon to call upon a friend of Mr. Torii, Mr. K. Nakamura one of the editors of “Osaka Mainichi”. He has visited some of the newspaper editors of our country and is very scholarly, keen, humanitarian. I gave him “Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era” in Japanese and we spoke of the Bahá’í Faith. The article they used in the English edition, June 24, did not say much about Bahá’í, but it did carry the statement “she is a Bahá’í”. I do not know what the Japanese edition had. He invited in to our coffee party in the reception room of the newspaper another editor who took the interview in Japanese. It was also taken in Braille (The Japanese edition may have used an earlier article, for when I arrived in Yokohama one of their journalists was at the ship.) This paper, the “Osaka Mainichi” in its morning and evening editions has a combined circulation of more than three and a half million copies daily and its sister paper (under the same ownership) published in Tokyo, the “Tokyo Nichi Nichi” has a circulation of two million four hundred thousand. Their Braille edition has a circulation of three thousand.
I invited eighteen Esperantists of Kobe and Osaka to my hotel in Kobe, to a lecture in Esperanto about the Bahá’í Teachings. Two French Esperantists from the Cruiser “Lamotte Picquet” were also guests and I gave them a letter of introduction to Shoghi Effendi, for their ship will be stationed for a time at Haifa in the autumn. It is an immense help to any Bahá’í teacher working abroad to be a proficient Esperantist. I hope our Bahá’ís will study this auxiliary language when Lidja Zamenhof comes to the United States, then they will become excellent Esperantists, for Lidja is one of the very best Esperanto teachers and scholars in the whole world.
The day before I sailed Mr. and Mrs. Torii came to Kobe and stayed until my ship left. We were going to have a Bahá’í Conference, but Mr. Inouye’s wife was very ill with appendicitis and he could not come, but we had a little gathering at the hotel, Bahá’ís and new souls. But lo, next forenoon at the ship all the Bahá’ís were together. Mr. Inouye came for half an hour, and down in my stateroom we all had a prayer together and a few earnest words.
The Bahá’í Faith will illumine Japan. Agnes Alexander, the great apostle to Japan, is doing work as outstanding as the apostles of old. Her visit to our country will bring Japan and the United States closer. I hope you will see her and hear about Japan, and that you will read about Japan and that Bahá’u’lláh will waft into your hearts the “Guidance” to do some deed to bring “the Golden Age” of the Bahá’í Faith in Japan into a solid reality, and do it now.
As I sailed from Japan (after sending out from the ship one last article to those Japanese newspapers) I thought of the great Buddha in Japan said to have one thousand hands, and I prayed Bahá’u’lláh to join your thousands of hands with mine in order to help Agnes and the Japanese Bahá’ís in establishing the new World Order in Japan. Shoghi Effendi has sent them such brave and tender instructions. Every country knows our Guardian never lets them go, he is helping every country. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent nineteen Tablets to Japan and today we see they are beginning to bear rare and wonderful fruits.
ANNUAL REPORT[edit]
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the British Isles 1936-1937[edit]
The current year may justly be described as outstanding in the history of the Faith in this land. We have been conscious of a new and vital spirit within the community, and outward signs of its activity have not been lacking. Looking backward, over even so short a period, we may discern three stages in the general development. First an awakening among all the believers, second, a realization of community consciousness, fostered by, and co-incident with, the establishment of the Administrative Order, and thirdly the beginning of a wider and more effective teaching work.
The year began with an event of outstanding importance; the receipt of Shoghi Effendi’s general letter entitled “The Unfoldment of World Civilization,” a copy of which was sent to every believer. To this, more than to any other outward cause, may be attributed the expansion of consciousness which has been apparent in the English Bahá’í community. Our attention was directed in a compelling manner to the wide and universal aspects of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation; we were given an indication of the course of history in the next few years, and were forced to realize the crucial necessity of building, firmly and steadily, the fabric of the New World Order in Great Britain. In this letter the Guardian called attention to two processes at work within society—one of disintegration affecting every phase of human life, and one of construction associated directly with the rise of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Subsequent world shattering events—to name but two, the abdication of Edward VIII with the consequent attacks upon the church, and the outbreak of war in Spain between the upholders of two social doctrines to whose alignment of forces the Guardian had already referred in a previous letter—bear striking testimony to the Guardian’s unerring perception, and in association with a host of other ills—strikes and lock-outs, civil disturbances, universal rearmament—confirm his dictum that humanity is now entering the outer fringe of the darkest period of its history. “The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appeareth to be lamentably defective.”
This clear analysis of the present world picture, followed in the second half of his letter by an intimation of the entrancing vision of ‘The Most Great Peace,’ aroused in the hearts of the friends a desire to play their part in the establishment of that great day. In this noble aim the National Spiritual Assembly provided initiative and leadership, and served as the channel for a flow of encouragement and guidance which constantly came from the Guardian. The activity, consolidation and strengthening of the National Spiritual Assembly has been one of the significant items of the year. Through the measures which it has initiated, the contact it has maintained with the community, the supervision it has exercised over the local Assemblies and isolated believers, and through much practise in the Bahá’í technique of consultation, it has won the confidence of the friends and acquired a valuable experience to be handed on to subsequent national bodies.
Early in the year a Teaching Bulletin was issued by the National
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Teaching Committee at approximately regular intervals of a month. It proved a valuable means of drawing the believers together and of stimulating them to fresh activity. It also gave instruction in, and stressed the importance of, Administration. Very soon, however, the National Spiritual Assembly felt the need of some means of direct and less circumscribed communication with the friends, and the Teaching Bulletin was discontinued and the Bahá’í Journal brought into being. The Bahá’í Journal exists as the official organ of the National Spiritual Assembly and has proved one of the greatest assets to the Faith in England. It has been of especial service in assisting the N. S. A. to carry out its desire of realizing, in the whole country, that organic unity which is at the core of Bahá’í society. Its scope and tenor will progress with the Faith.
In addition to the regular publication of the Bahá’í Journal, the National Spiritual Assembly has circularized the friends on three occasions, once in November calling attention to the principle of unity underlying all Bahá’í life, and urging the observance of two Bahá’í laws—regular attendance at the nineteen day Feast, and regular subscription to the Fund ... and on two other occasions in connection with the Publishing Company.
Letters have been sent throughout the whole Bahá’í world on two occasions ... the first in September containing a brief report of our activities, and the second in April 1937 in connection with the Publishing Company.
The idea had been considered of holding a Summer School, and the Guardian signified a desire for it. The National Spiritual Assembly recognized, not only the value of Summer School as an institution but the opportuneness of a national undertaking which would call for the support and effort of all the believers. A Committee was appointed to investigate all the possibilities and to make recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly. Due to its perseverance and untiring work and the support of the National Assembly, the first British Bahá’í Summer School was held in August 1936, at Matlock, Bath. Its success was beyond the most sanguine hopes, and a fresh spirit of fellowship and dedication was engendered and diffused throughout the country. The classes were of a high standard. It would be hard to overestimate the significance of this achievement in the development of the Faith in England, for it demanded and received the enthusiasm and full support of all the believers, it undoubtedly attracted Divine confirmation and stands as our first important national undertaking. The Guardian signified his pleasure at its success and sent the following message:—“The institution of the Summer School constitutes a vital and inseparable part of any teaching campaign, and as such ought to be given the full importance it deserves in the teaching plans and activities of the believers. It should be organized in such a way as to attract the attention of the non-believers to the Cause and thus become an effective medium for teaching.” Plans are already complete for the second Summer School in August 1937.
In July 1936 the World Fellowship of Faiths held its second International Congress in London, the subject being “World Fellowship Through Religion.” Representatives of all the leading Faiths were present and a session was allotted to each one. The Bahá’í paper, approved by Shoghi Effendi, was composed and read by Mr. Townshend. In introducing the Bahá’í session, the chairman, Sir Herbert Samuel, said in effect that if he were asked to say which of all the Faiths represented was the nearest to the aim of the Congress, he would reply the Bahá’í, for World fellowship and unity is the raison d’être of the Bahá’í Community. Mrs. Helen Bishop, Madame Orlova and Mr. St. Barbe Baker spoke for the Faith, and Mr. Hirst, of Leeds, made a plea for recognition of the Bahá’í principles.
Two important decisions of the National Spiritual Assembly made during the year are as follows:—One, reported in Bahá’í Journal number one and clarified in the following number, reads: “Individual believers must not communicate with persons of eminence in governmental or political circles, except through the National Spiritual Assembly.” The second ruling delimited the area of jurisdiction of the London Spiritual Assembly to within a radius of twelve and a half miles of Charing Cross.
In January 1937, a convention of Bahá’í students was held in Paris. Six people attended from England and one of them read a paper.
A cable was sent to the American National Spiritual Assembly during the period of the floods in the Mississippi valley, expressing the sympathy of the British friends with America in this national disaster.
The following Committees of the National Spiritual Assembly have been working during the year:—Teaching; Reviewing; Contacts; Library; Summer School. The Reviewing Committee has approved a book on the Faith and some articles. The Contacts Committee is in close touch with the N. S. A. and sends literature to many people. The Library Committee has been appointed only recently but has succeeded in placing books in various public libraries. Mrs. George was appointed to maintain contact with the isolated believers, a service which is greatly appreciated by them.
Teaching[edit]
In April 1936 the following message was received from the Guardian:—“There is undoubtedly no higher call than that of bringing the Message to a world tormented and torn on every side by the forces of destructive materialism. It is for us to realize the full measure of the responsibility that has been laid upon our shoulders in this matter, and having attained full consciousness of our responsibility to unitedly arise to contribute all that we can towards its discharge.” Although teaching has never ceased and has been notable in certain instances such as Summer School and the work in Devonshire, it is realized that this year in England has been a period of internal consolidation, of gathering our energies, of investigating the most opportune fields and the most effective methods, of gaining experience and of preparing for efficient teaching work. The N. S. A. believes that one great factor not yet integrated into the scheme of national teaching, is the potentiality of every believer, no matter what his capacities or talents may be, to teach the Cause, and it strongly recommends that this matter should receive the deep and prayerful consideration of every follower of Bahá’u’lláh.
