Bahá’í News/Issue 191/Text
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| BAHÁ’Í |  |
NEWS |
| No. 191 | JANUARY, 1947 | YEAR 103 | BAHA’I ERA |
Seventh Pioneer Flies to Lisbon[edit]
As this goes to press, December 22, Virginia Orbison is flying from Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon to teach the Bahá’í Faith in Spain and Portugal. She is the seventh pioneer, apart from Mrs. Graeffe, who is in charge of the office of the European Teaching Committee in Geneva, to leave for Europe under the second Seven Year Plan. Honor Kempton, who sailed November 29th on the Queen Elizabeth, arrived after a stormy passage, in England on her way to Luxembourg. With her was Isobel Locke, who is not under the European Teaching Committee, but plans to help with the work in England.
Miss Edna True, chairman of the ETC, returned to the United States November 27th. She reports that the European office of the Committee is now completely installed and functioning in Geneva, and that news from Mrs. Corbit in Norway, Miss van Sombeek and Mrs. Straub in Holland, and Mr. and Mrs. Anders Nielsen, of Burbank, California, now established in Denmark, give thrilling indications that the European teaching project is definitely launched.
Mrs. Erna Mattson of the Montreal Bahá’í Community is spending the winter in Zurich and has graciously consented to serve as the European Teaching Committee representative there.
The chairman conferred with friends, both in Paris and London, about the possibility of future cooperation between them and the European Teaching Committee and was deeply impressed by the great interest shown in this teaching project and by the warm and cordial spirit of helpfulness which was manifested everywhere.
Historic South American Conference[edit]
“The Bahá’ís of South America grew up over night,” writes Shirley Warde in her report on the all South American Bahá’í conference held recently in Buenos Aires. “That is a statement meant literally and not figuratively,” she continued. At the first session when the delegates gathered in the Center, it was a disorganized, somewhat disorderly group, fired with enthusiasm, but confused as to the issues before them, all wanting to talk at once, irrespective of procedure, and given to speech making and tributes. But in the space of twenty-four short hours the ‘irresistible forces’ promised by the Guardian for these days that are launching the Seven Year Plan, and perhaps released here by the reading of his momentous letter, ‘God-given Mandate,’ had penetrated to the core of every heart, and, through the operation of their mysterious power, welded the delegates, as the second day’s session opened, into a united, efficient, consecrated and hard-working body.
| Nine Additional Pioneers
SHOGHI EFFENDI
(The full text of the Guardian’s cable appears on page 8) |
“Although the conference sessions had been scheduled only for the mornings, leaving the afternoons free for committee meetings and any personal activities necessary, so great was the spirit animating the congress that, in the days following, the sessions were resumed in the afternoons and lasted until the delegates had only time to rush to the public meetings, often without their evening meal. Equally impressive with this sudden-born earnestness and dedication to the enormous tasks at hand, was the quick and eager shouldering of their own responsibilities on the part of the delegates. The needs of this vital hour were readily recognized and the representatives of the South American Assemblies set themselves to finding ways and means to meet these needs. The cablegram sent to the Guardian on the second day clearly stated their unified resolution. Because the delegates wished the North American believers present to be included
National Magazine Publishes Bahá’í Statement[edit]
Pathfinder Magazine of Washington, D.C., has featured the Bahá’í Faith on the religious page of its December 18 issue. Prepared by an editor of the magazine, the statement runs nearly half the page, and the text is illustrated with a photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and one of the Temple.
Pathfinder is an old established paper now having a circulation of a million and more copies. It is especially popular in the smaller cities and towns.
The Public Relations Committee supplied the literature from which the statement was compiled, and the interest of the editorial department was aroused by the publicity agency engaged by that Committee. Copies of the December 18 number have been mailed to local Assemblies and Regional Teaching Committees.
Four National Public Meetings in November[edit]
Four Key City Meetings were held during the month of November: at Albuquerque on the 3rd; at Urbana, Illinois, on the 5th; at Binghamton on the 10th, and at Winnipeg on the 24th. The aggregate attendance at the meetings proper was about
South American Conference[edit]
in the representation, the cable read: ‘Delegates eleven countries represented pledge unfailing devotion, total resources, untiring efforts, completion plan set by beloved Guardian formation South American National Spiritual Assembly. Supplicate prayers guidance in enormous tasks of wide diffusion Faith, strengthening administrative order, infusing redeeming impulse in these countries.’
“Then came the wonderful and stimulating reply: ‘Overjoyed acclaim historic congress. Profoundly appreciate pledge. Marvel magnificent progress achieved. Praying fervently extension range superb services. Shoghi.’ ”
The delegates met the challenging need for thoroughly preparing native teachers in each country, by voting to establish the first international summer school at Azeiza in the lovely gardens near Buenos Aires contributed by Mr. and Mrs. Salvador Tormo. A fund was begun to build the first dormitories there. All the multiple problems of a continental teaching campaign were met squarely and solutions worked out. In it all something new was born. These were no longer separate young communities struggling to propagate their Faith that was to build a new world. These were the Bahá’ís of South America, planning what they would do together: How they would interchange their teachers and their members to strengthen the bonds between them and to share their abilities; how they would interchange their publicity in the effort to help each other; how they would continually tighten the bonds with frequent correspondence and reports between the various Assemblies and individuals; and how, to finance the greatly expanded activity they were planning, they would create a South American fund, supported by all the Assemblies, groups and isolated believers, to be used to help teaching projects throughout the ten countries. This was the unity of the new world that was born in this historic Congress.
It is hoped that the first conference to be held for all the northern Latin American countries in Panama City January 19 to 25, will have a great effect in welding together in unified action all the friends of the Central Americas, Mexico and the West Indies, who will elect the northern National Spiritual Assembly in April, 1951. Shirley Warde, Salvador Tormo, Emilio Barros and other members of the Buenos Aires Assembly worked tirelessly on the preparations for the southern conference. All the public programs and all but one of the round table discussions were given by the Latin Americans themselves. Julie Regal and Cora Oliver, assisted by all the members of the Panama Assembly, are working intensively to make the Panama conference one long to be remembered. Marcia Steward, assisted by Evelyn Larson, is organizing the six countries of Central America to take their part in this work. Marcia is now in San José, Costa Rica, after stopping in Guatemala and Honduras on her way south. Evelyn is visiting El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua during her two months vacation from the school where she teaches in San José.
Stuttgart Bahá’í Kindles Nurnberg[edit]
The Bahá’í Message was brought to Nürnberg in mid-April by Mr. J. K. G. Jakob, a Stuttgart believer. Four months later a flourishing Spiritual Assembly was functioning there. Their Secretary reported in August that the Bahá’í Faith has taken firm root in their city ... “The number of confirmed believers—single-minded, energetic persons who constitute a powerful spiritual vanguard, has now reached fifty.” Such unique success from the very start in spite of all the handicaps—lack of paper lack of funds, etc. is most encouraging.
These results have come through the holding of small group meetings It is now planned to hold a series of public lectures at “The National Germanic Museum.”
The most urgent request from Nürnberg is: Literature! Study material!
British Push Six Year Plan[edit]
| Bahá’í Addresses
Treasurer’s Office:
Bahá’í Publishing Committee:
|
The British N.S.A. is developing new methods to carry through to success its Six Year Plan to establish by 1950 nineteen Assemblies in the British Isles. It is offering every assistance, financial and moral, to those who arise to pioneer and also enlisting and supporting an ever increasing army of travelling teachers.
Attendance at the British Summer School was 110, thirty of whom were non-Bahá’ís. The spirit of love and unity was so strong that all material and human shortcomings disappeared and the true expression of unity in diversity remained Several nationalities, English, Irish, Scottish, French, Dutch, American, Persian, Egyptian and German, were represented.
Two teaching bulletins are being distributed, “Contacts with Individuals and Groups” and “Rostrum Technique of Training Bahá’í Teachers.”
British Bahá’í Youth have brought out their first Bulletin. It is attractive in format, interesting in content and ably edited. Copies of this quarterly can be obtained from Miss Janet Howe, Business Manager, 22 Kingsley Road, Northampton, England.
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 conferreth the gift of everlasting life.
- Mr. L. M. Kraege, Berlin, Wisconsin.
- Mrs. L. M. Kraege, Berlin, Wisconsin.
- Mr. Lockwood Fenton Welsh, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Nov. 4, 1946.
- Mrs. Eleanor Hiatt Vehar, Portland, Oregon, November 25, 1946.
- Mrs. Elizabeth Phonosdall St. Louis, Missouri, Nov. 26, 1946.
- Mr. Matthew Caldwell, Butte, Montana, Nov. 30, 1946.
- Mr. Fred G. Dunbar, Tacoma, Washington.
- Mrs. Florence Curtis, Pasadena, California.
- Mr. Otto C. Bohl, Scranton, Pa., Nov., 1946.
- Mrs. Mary Hostetler, Lima, Ohio, Nov. 11 1946.
- Mrs. Annie Gilmore Jacobson, Racine, Wisconsin, Sept. 15, 1946.
- Miss Toria L. Wilkes, Urbana, Ohio.
Calendar[edit]
Nineteen Day Feasts
- January 19
- February 7
25th Anniversary of the Guardianship, January 6th.
N.S.A. meeting, January 16, 17, 18 and 19.
Settlers Needed in North America[edit]
The settlement of pioneers in the cities needing reinforcement to hold Assembly status continues to be most pressing, and the National Teaching Committee urges anyone free to enter this field of Bahá’í service to write the secretary, Mrs. Sarah S. Walrath, 4639 Beacon Street, Chicago 40, Illinois.
The National Teaching Committee, with the help of the Regional Committees and the Extension Teaching Committees of the larger Assemblies, has given concentrated attention to the assistance of the goal cities during the past month. It has provided circuit teachers, and, by issuing bulletins, has endeavored to encourage the friends in these places to hold fireside meetings. The bulletins are “Teaching Techniques Suggested in The Advent of Divine Justice,” “Teaching Bulletin on Fireside Meetings,” and “Suggestions for the Study of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.”
The teaching circuit made by Mrs. Sara E. Witt, of Santa Monica, California, across the continent during September and October, was concluded by intensive work in Salt Lake City and Logan, Utah, and Boise, Idaho. At Logan, after a talk which was heard by several professors from a local college, Mrs. Witt was asked to speak to the students of the college on the history of the Faith and the Administrative Order. There were sixty-five students present, three or four professors, and some other visitors. Many interesting and pertinent questions were asked.
Mrs. Margery McCormick of Evanston, Illinois, made a circuit through the Carolinas and Georgia, stopping at Greensboro, N.C.; Greenville, Columbia, and North Augusta, S.C.; and Augusta and Atlanta, Ga. The believers in those places provided public meetings, fireside meetings, luncheons, and suppers to enable her to reach interested people. “Each hour of the day was filled with contacts,” reports Mrs. McCormick.
In Ohio, Mrs. Ruth Moffett of Chicago conducted an intensive teaching campaign in Findlay, Toledo, Lakewood, and Urbana, leaving study groups in each of those places.
The Corvallis, Oregon group was greatly stimulated through the ETC
Delegates to the first all South American conference at Buenos Aires. Delegates were present from all ten countries and from the United States.
conference held there in November
and the public meeting at which Mrs.
Hazel Mori of Seattle and Mr. John
Shurcliff of Tacoma were the speakers. Forty-one persons were present, eight of whom came through
publicity. The group is planning follow-up work for December and
January.
Recommendations of the 1946 National Convention[edit]
That the National Spiritual Assembly continue to distribute the monthly record of contributions received from local Spiritual Assemblies.
Voted to approve this recommendation.
That all reports of National Committees be published in advance and given to delegates in time to study before the Convention, so they may have opportunity to consult on problems and help the National Spiritual Assembly.
Voted to ask the committees to give very brief summaries for advance publication on February 15 and their annual reports as of May 1.
That the National Spiritual Assembly concentrate on an educational program for administration.
Voted to record that the National Spiritual Assembly has already acted to provide a series of articles on administration for Bahá’í News and has also authorized the publication of a new study outline on that subject.
That the National Spiritual Assembly employ professional technicians for public relations, new book covers and improved appearance of Bahá’í News.
Voted to record that the public relations committee already has the services of professional public relations counsel and that a committee has been appointed to investigate technical improvement of Bahá’í News.
That delegates arrive the evening before the Convention to become acquainted with each other.
Voted to request the Chicago Assembly to assume responsibility for a simple informal reception without program to be held in Foundation Hall the evening preceding the opening of the convention, the purpose of the reception being to provide an informal social gathering for the believers who arrive early.
That the National Spiritual Assembly call State and Province conferences very soon to consider the Guardian’s message, in order to bring the rank and file into the work.
Voted to record that there is no permanent administrative body qualified to conduct state and province conferences other than the annual election of delegates. We have taken steps to urge the study locally and regionally.
That the National Spiritual Assembly make effort to bring Dr. Townshend to America to teach in the Summer Schools and countryside public meetings, either this summer or next.
Voted to record that the National Spiritual Assembly has this under consideration.
That the By-Laws include recognition
[Page 4]
of Bahá’í Youth as Bahá’ís
but state they are not eligible to
elective posts.
Voted to record that the National Spiritual Assembly has this under consideration.
That one Youth be appointed on each Regional Teaching Committee.
Voted to record that this was not found to be entirely possible, but wherever possible it was done.
That Child Education work be included in the agenda of the 1947 Convention.
Voted that this Recommendation be approved.
That the National Spiritual Assembly establish a Bahá’í reference Library near the UNO and have contacts made with its members.
Voted to record that steps are being taken to establish a Bahá’í connection with the UNO.
That the American Bahá’ís should make clear to the world what the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh are on the subject of race unity; that a demonstration be made, comparable to that of the peace teachings in San Francisco.
Voted to record that this has been assigned as a project for the year to the Race Unity committee.
That the National Spiritual Assembly consult with the editor of West Englewood who wishes to submit a plan to place World Order magazine on newsstands.
Voted to record that this has been referred to the Publishing Committee and the conference has been held, although no report has been received as yet.
Public Meetings[edit]
1500, but by means of the publicity associated with them, the Faith was brought to the attention of many thousands more. Detailed accounts of the meetings can be found elsewhere in this issue of Bahá’í News.
The definite dates of meetings to be held in last year’s Key Cities are: New Orleans, January 28th; Chicago, February 4th; and Atlanta, February 9th.
Excellent Publicity at Albuquerque[edit]
Albuquerque, reporting through the secretary of their Public Meeting Committee, Muriel Ives Barrow, states that no stone was left unturned in the way of publicity, that every member of the committee worked with whirlwind velocity, with particular mention made of the labors and accomplishments of the committee chairman, Edna Andrews, who did a monumental job with the newspapers in the face of very discouraging odds. Due to the increased demands for advertising space they were told no space had been available for six months, but in the face of these odds they succeeded in getting free publicity which in some instances was front-page. Showing further versatility, they had placards made and bought display space in the thirty busses for the four days prior to their meeting. Window cards were prominently displayed and as always, the placing of them enabled the Bahá’ís to speak of the message and give out programs.
Dr. Edris Rice-Wray was speaker for Albuquerque with Dr. E. Lenore Morris presiding as chairman. They made excellent use of her time with first a luncheon to which prominent people had been invited. A supper feast was arranged on Saturday where she spoke to the Bahá’ís on “The Responsibility and Privilege of Being a Bahá’í.” A buffet supper was arranged for Sunday afternoon with invited guests. A radio interview on Sunday morning for a 15-minute period, the radio station permitting a spontaneous question and answer period.
Because of the conflict of election campaigns radio time was limited on the two stations. But time for spot announcements was given free on one station and on the other they had minute spots each day for a week preceding the meeting.
The day of the meeting, Albuquerque, noted for its sun and lack of blizzards, lay trapped in snow. Yet in spite of this handicap their clocked attendance numbered 125 twenty of whom were believers. The meeting was held in the ballroom of the Hilton hotel. The formally attired young women who acted as ushers added beauty to the scene. One notable point is that the ushers were also stationed in the hotel lobby, near the street entrance, to direct and escort the guests to the lecture room. One of the hotel guests in the lobby asked an usher what was happening. He said he had noticed the Negroes coming in and he would like to know what group of people had the courage to do such a fine thing in a place where prejudice was as tight as it is in Albuquerque.
The friends report that Dr. Rice-Wray’s talk was very comprehensive and much appreciative comment about it was received; so in spite of the snow they feel the meeting had made the mark it was supposed to. Their follow-up work has been well planned and we feel that the evident unity of effort demonstrated by the Albuquerque Bahá’ís will bring rich results.
800 Attend Public Meeting in Urbana[edit]
Urbana’s meeting on November 5th, was held in the University Auditorium, with Elsie Austin as speaker, Charles E. Zeleny, chairman, and Bruce Foote, radio artist as soloist. The audience numbered approximately 800.
Excellent publicity was obtained in the Daily Illini, (student newspaper of the University of Illinois), the Champaign News-Gazette, the Urbana Evening Courier and The Illinois Times. Sixty posters were placed on the University of Illinois bulletin boards in the various buildings and in the business houses of Champaign and Urbana. A Temple model was attractively displayed in a local florist shop on the main street of the campus shopping district two weeks preceding the lecture. Posters of the lecture accompanied the display.
Radio time was secured over WDWS, the local Champaign News-Gazette station on the CBS network for three of the dramatic recordings supplied by the National Radio Committee, October 30th, 31st and November 4th, all at 6:30 P.M. Spot announcements, Sunday, November 3rd at 12:30 P.M. and Tuesday, November 5th at 5:20 P.M.
A Press Luncheon was held the noon of the lecture date with the editor of the Illinois Times and a reporter from the Daily Illini as guests.
The ushers at the public meeting were eleven young people of various races, representing students and local residents of Urbana and Champaign or students of the Bahá’í Faith.
A reception was held after the meeting at the Bahá’í Center, one half block from the Auditorium, to meet the speaker and get further information and literature. About 60 people visited the Center, many
[Page 5]
signing their names and giving their
addresses in the guest book.
Comments from friends were “A very unusual program; we know that Miss Austin is the first Bahá’í speaker to give a lecture from the platform of the Auditorium, and we think that she is the first colored woman to speak from there.” From Miss Austin herself: “I think the Urbana meeting was most successful from two standpoints. It demonstrated the publicity work even a small community can do when it tackles a really large teaching project. It also presented the Faith in a setting which distinguishes it from the ‘isms’ and protest movements which are so numerous today. I think it will become more and more important to stress this distinction.” The Urbana Bahá’ís themselves, felt it was a highly successful meeting and excellent opportunities for much intensive work in the succeeding months.
Binghamton Public Meeting Pleases Audience[edit]
Binghamton’s meeting, held November 10th at 4 p.m., at the Arlington Hotel, was preceded by a luncheon conference held in the private dining room of the Hotel, with reporters from the Binghamton Press and Binghamton Sun, Business Manager of the radio station WNBF, an announcer from WINR, meeting the speaker, Mr. Matthew Bullock; the chairman, Mrs. Terah Smith; and the local Public Meeting Committee members.
They had excellent publicity including radio broadcasts. The eight recordings of the National Radio Committee were broadcast each day for the eight days preceding the lecture. They also had spot announcements over the two Binghamton stations and the speaker, Mr. Matthew Bullock, was interviewed over WINR on the day of the meeting.
The public meeting was attended by 175 persons, 40 of whom were Bahá’ís from Binghamton and the surrounding communities of Penn Yan, Syracuse, and Scranton. About one third were of the Negro race. Violin selections were presented by Mr. Ralph Wade of Endicott, N.Y., with Mrs. Mary Morse Wade at the piano. The friends report that the talk of the evening was very well received by an attentive audience who later expressed their pleasure at having had the opportunity of listening to such a forceful speaker. Friends gathered that evening at the home of one of the believers for a social evening with informal discussion as the feature. Interesting follow-up work has been planned by the Binghamton Bahá’ís.
Winnipeg Public Meeting Exceeds All Expectations[edit]
“The Public Meeting or perhaps we should say the Public Campaign from November 23rd to 25th was successful beyond our expectations,” reports Winnipeg, Canada. “The entire three days and the period before and after the week-end opened new doors to the Faith and introduced it to so many people that we can certainly say with assurance that the foundation of the Faith has been consolidated in Winnipeg and the masses have been reached.” Dr. Edris Rice-Wray and Emeric Sala were the Winnipeg speakers.
The Public Meeting Committee of Winnipeg were hosts to seventeen at a luncheon conference on November 23rd. The guests included representatives from newspapers and radio stations. Also included among the guests was the vice-president of the Spanish-American Club, who is also in charge of a coast-to-coast CBC program. She has become much interested in the Faith. At the close of the luncheon both Edris Rice-Wray and Emeric Sala spoke briefly. A barrage of questions followed, “wonderful questions, the kind you always wish people would ask,” according to Dr. Rice-Wray.
The public meeting held on Sunday afternoon, November 24th, was attended by approximately 400 people. “The program went very smoothly with excellent music, efficient stage handling, artistic flower arrangements, and competent ushering. Comments about the talks given by Dr. Rice-Wray and Emeric Sala were highly complimentary. While some members of the community feel disappointed that there were not twice as many people present at the public meeting, we believe it can truly be said that the Faith has really been ‘proclaimed’ for the first time in Winnipeg.”
Sunday evening, November 24th, a fireside meeting was held for interested seekers, and a young Japanese-Canadian girl afterwards declared her intention of becoming a Bahá’í.
Monday, November 25th, Dr. Rice-Wray addressed about 40 students at the University of Manitoba on the subject “Science and World Order.” A study group of about 25 students is now meeting regularly once a week at the University, and the LSA has appointed a special University Teaching Committee consisting of four student Bahá’ís with Ross Woodman as chairman. The Winnipeg Bahá’ís hope that every speaker who comes to Winnipeg in the future will be prepared to speak to this University Group.
Monday evening, Emeric Sala spoke to 40 Spanish students and members of the Spanish American Club on the subject “Latin America Tomorrow.” He was introduced as a Bahá’í and was able to make only brief reference to the Faith but handled his subject with such excellence and subtlety that a large number of these people, who have never heard of the Faith before, were interested to know what it was all about. He spoke in both Spanish and English. After the meeting about 15 people adjourned to the home of one of the Club members where the conversation almost entirely revolved around the Bahá’í Faith. An opening at this Club can be made for any future visiting Bahá’í teacher who speaks Spanish.
The Winnipeg report expresses great appreciation for the efforts of Audrey Robarts who assisted them a week prior to the public meeting, and through her wide acquaintance was able to bring many prominent people to the public meeting and to introduce the Faith briefly to the wife of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Manitoba at a luncheon in Government House at which Mrs. Robarts was the guest of honor.
Radio activity included a series of 42 spot announcements over stations CJOB and CKRC which familiarized the listening public with the name Bahá’í, the various principles and advertized the public meeting. “From both radio stations we had excellent cooperation and indeed the continuity writers became so interested that they themselves gave signal service in the excellent composition of their scripts.” Edris Rice-Wray was interviewed by Mrs. Eve Henderson on the Women’s Hour program. Emeric Sala was given a five-minute interview on CJOB.
[Page 6]
“Our pre-meeting publicity had
been supplied to both daily papers
and, in addition, copies of Emeric
Sala’s book, ‘This Earth One Country’ had been donated to the book
editors for review. The Winnipeg
Free Press gave us one short article
on the meeting in their Saturday paper including Emeric’s picture, and
the book editor published a good review of his book in the same edition.
The Free Press also gave us a good
write-up in their Monday paper following the meeting. The Winnipeg Tribune did not give us any advance
publicity but their reporter, who attended both the special luncheon
and the public meeting, wrote an
excellent article which was published in full in the Monday paper
following the meeting.”
“The most exciting publicity we received resulted from a series of articles on the Faith, written by Ross Woodman, which began about 10 days prior to the meeting and has appeared in two editions of the University paper The Manitoban.” Subsequent articles are yet to appear. As this paper is distributed free to 8000 students at the University of Manitoba there is hardly anyone at the University who has not now had an opportunity of learning something about the Faith. A very large number of the papers get into the homes of the students and are read by their parents. The editors of The Manitoban included an article on the public meeting in their last issue prior to the meeting with pictures of Edris Rice-Wray and Emeric Sala.”
“The Winnipeg Bahá’í community recognizes this campaign both as a demonstration of capacity for cooperation amongst the local friends, and as a thrilling indication of the opportunities opening for the Faith in this city. It seemed as though we had only to think of a new door which might open for the Faith and it sprung wide at our touch.”
International Relief[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly has voted that relief to Bahá’ís in war-devastated countries shall be handled by individuals in the American communities, rather than by organized local committees for international relief. This is to prevent an organized response from the American communities exceeding the Guardian’s directions.
From the friends in Austria comes news that packages from CARE have been received with much appreciation. The Bahá’ís in Stuttgart, Germany received packages from CARE on Labor Day and were most grateful.
The evidences so far indicate that this winter in Europe will be very severe. The Bahá’í friends there are praying the American believers through their generosity will help to alleviate the suffering. Food and warm clothing are still the most needed items.
Another name and address of a Bahá’í in Germany has been received: Miss Ursula Hartte, Oskartr 22. Grosshessen, Frankfort, a Main, Germany, A. Zone.
Prerequisites for Bahá’í Living[edit]
(A Compilation based on Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh)
Consort in amity and concord (page 315):
- Overlook each other’s faults for Bahá’u’lláh sake (315).
- Unite in friendliness and fellowship (315, 289).
- Be concerned to rescue the fallen and help him (316).
- Avoid dissension and strife, contention, estrangement and apathy among the loved ones of God (9).
- Do not shed the blood of any one (277).
- Show forbearance and benevolence in your attitude one to another (8).
- Be worthy of your neighbor’s trust and confidence (278, 285).
- Love one another (316).
Endeavor to establish the unity of all mankind (203):
- Be equitable; do pure and holy deeds (206).
- Show no animosity toward your fellow man (287).
- Be a home for the stranger, a guiding light to the erring (285).
- Defend and uphold the victim at oppression (285).
- Cheer and refresh the downcast through love and fellowship, through friendliness and charity (7).
- Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity (285).
- Let truthfulness and courtesy be your adorning (305).
Fear God (104, 277):
- Do nothing that will dishonor the Cause (277).
- Seek God’s grace, His mercy, His help (104).
- Put your whole trust in God (251, 264).
- Be truly thankful and give praise to God (276).
- Never exalt yourself over anyone, wash away every trace of pride and vainglory (264).
- Cling to patience and resignation (265).
- Observe silence; refrain from idle talk (265).
- Show in your attitude toward God, humility and submissiveness (7).
- Do not belittle the tokens of God’s grace; do not forfeit God’s bounty to you (320).
- Let your heart be afraid of none except God (323).
Be selfless (316):
- Enjoy the good things and bounties which God has allowed you, but be detached from all earthly things (276).
- Do not allow self to keep God out of your heart (322).
- Show goodly behavior and be virtuous (94).
- Cling to righteousness (94).
- Be fair in judgment; be guarded in speech (285).
- Surrender self to God (337-338).
Attain knowledge (205):
- Teach your own self first (277).
- Do not give counsel to others unless you yourself live this counsel (277).
- Be charitable, teach through kindness, be fair, show justice through deeds (278).
- Cleanse your heart of all acquired knowledge, from satanic fancy and of every defilement (264).
- Let nothing grieve you (303).
- Supplicate for confirmation and understanding of the Teachings (323-328).
- Search your heart, that you may attain the goal (to be drawn nigh unto Bahá’u’lláh) (186, 323).
- Cleanse your mind from all manmade limitations (279).
Proclaim the Message of Bahá’u’lláh(276):
- Be kindled with the fire of His love (335).
- Be ablaze, and as untrammeled as the breeze (322, 339).
- Strive for the betterment of the world and the education of the people (270).
- With the hands of renunciation take from the Teachings and give to all created things (279).
Approved by the STUDY AIDS COMMITTEE
How to Contribute to the Fund[edit]
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your Treasurer would like to ask your cooperation in several matters.
No. 1. I would like to call to the attention of the believers the fact that, if accurate records of their contributions are to be kept, the Treasurer’s office must receive with each contribution an explanation as to whether it represents a contribution from a group, an Assembly, or an individual. Several Assemblies have complained during the last few months that on the list of Assemblies and groups that were supporting financially the Second Seven Year Plan their name did not appear. This may be due to the fact that there was no accompanying note with the contribution, or the contribution was received after our books were closed for the month. I might add that many contributions come in to the Treasurer’s office with just a name, no address, no indication as to whom it is to be credited. This means that the Treasurer’s office has to spend hours of time going through old receipts in an endeavor to trace back where the contribution came from. Please do not send cash. All checks should be made payable to the National Bahá’í Fund.
No. 2. Our Budget for the period May 1st to October 31st, 1946, was $125,000.00. Total contributions received was $127,818.53. This shows a balance of $2,818.53 in the black and for the first time this year we do not show a deficit in meeting our Budget.
This black figure is due to the fact that we had this month a contribution of $25,000.00 from one believer, and, as explained in previous reports to the friends, there have been since the first of this Bahá’í year several non-recurring legacies. Had it not been for this $25,000.00 contribution which was for the interior decoration of the Temple, we would be over $22,182.00 short of meeting our goal.
The Treasurer cannot emphasize too strongly the fact that if the work, as outlined by the Guardian for the Second Seven Year Plan is to go forward as scheduled, contributions must come in to the National Fund in amounts commensurate with the demands of the fund.
Your National Assembly instructed the Treasurer this year to earmark $6,250.00 each month for the interior decoration of the Temple. This could not be done because sufficient money has not been available in the general Fund.
In the most recent communication from the Guardian there is the following sentence: “A more liberal allocation of funds for furtherance of the most vital objective is indispensable.”
PHILIP G. SPRAGUE, Treasurer
Local Assemblies Sustaining the Seven Year Plan with Contributions to the National Fund During November, 1946[edit]
Arizona—E. Phoenix Rural; California—Alhambra, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Burlingame, Cloverdale Twp., Glendale, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Pasadena, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego, Santa Barbara; Canada—Halifax, Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal; Colorado—Colorado Springs, Denver; Connecticut—Hamden; Delaware—Wilmington; Florida—Jacksonville, Miami; Hawaii—Honolulu, Maui; Georgia—Atlanta; Idaho—Boise; Illinois—Chicago, Danville, Elmhurst, Evanston, Oak Park, Peoria, Springfield, Urbana, Waukegan, Wilmette; Indiana—Ft. Wayne, Indianapolis, South Bend; Iowa—Cedar Rapids; Kansas—Topeka; Kentucky—Louisville; Maine— Eliot; Maryland—Baltimore; Massachusetts—Boston, Brookline, Worcester; Michigan—Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Muskegon, Roseville; Minnesota—Minneapolis; Mississippi—Jackson; Missouri—Independence, Kansas City, St. Louis; Montana—Butte, Helena; Nebraska—Omaha; Nevada—Reno; New Jersey—Dumont, East Orange, Teaneck; New York—Jamestown, New York, Rochester, Yonkers; North Carolina—Greensboro; Ohio—Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lima; Oregon—Portland; Pennsylvania—Philadelphia, Scranton, West Chester; Rhode Island—Providence; South Carolina—Greenville; South Dakota—Sioux Falls; Tennessee—Memphis; Utah—Salt Lake City; Vermont—Brattleboro; Virginia—Alexandria, Arlington; Washington—Richmond Highlands, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma; West Virginia—Charleston; Wisconsin—Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine, White Fish Bay; Wyoming—Laramie.
- 101 Assemblies contributed in November
- 37 Assemblies did not contribute
- 64 Groups contributed
- 105 Isolated Bahá’ís contributed
O Son of Man!
Thou art My dominion and my dominion perisheth not, wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished, why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the real of glory.
New Policy for Bahá’í News[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly has outlined the new editorial policy for Bahá’í News as follows: “While Assemblies and Committees are expected to continue reporting their plans, policies and activities in detail for the information and records of the N.S.A., the National Assembly in publishing Bahá’í News for the American Bahá’í community is responsible for presenting these news after selection and condensation for the sake of general reader interest, and this responsibility is vested in the Editorial Committee of Bahá’í News.”
This means that Bahá’í News is no longer the medium for “reports,” but an organ for the publication of news items selected from reports and other communications received from month to month.
The attention of the friends is called again to the deadlines for Bahá’í News material:
- Local news—the 10th of each month.
- Regional news—the 10th of each month.
- National Committee reports—the 20th of each month.
- Address: Miss Garreta Busey, 503 West Elm Street, Urbana, Illinois.
Dayton Bahá’í picnic at McCoy’s farm, Waynesville, June 2, 1946.
“I Entreat the Entire Community”[edit]
Message from Shoghi Effendi[edit]
I recall with profound emotion, on the morrow of the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, the dramatic circumstances marking simultaneously the termination of the Heroic Age, and the commencement of the Formative Period, of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
I acclaim with thankfulness, joy and pride the American Bahá’í community’s manifold, incomparable services rendered the Faith at home and across the seas in the course of this quarter century.
I hail with particular satisfaction the consummation of the twin major tasks spontaneously undertaken and brilliantly discharged by the same community in both the administrative and missionary fields, constituting the greatest contribution ever made to the progress of the Faith by any corporate body at any time, in any continent, since the inception of the administrative order.
Nursed during its infancy by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s special care and unfailing solicitude; invested at a later stage with spiritual primacy through the symbolic acts associated with His historic visit to the North American continent; summoned subsequently to the challenge through the revelation of the epoch-making Tablets of the Divine Plan; launched on its career according to the directives of and through the propelling force generated by these same Tablets; utilizing with skill, resourcefulness and tenacity, for the purpose of executing its mission, the manifold agencies evolving within the administrative order, in the erection of whose fabric it has assumed so preponderating a share; emerging triumphantly from the arduous twofold campaign undertaken simultaneously in the homeland and in Latin America; this community now finds itself launched in both hemispheres on a second, incomparably more glorious stage, of the systematic crusade designed to culminate, in the course of successive epochs, in the spiritual conquest of the entire planet.
The task of this stern hour is challenging, its scale of operation continually widening, the races and nations to be contacted highly diversified, the forces of resistance more firmly entrenched, yet the prizes destined for the valiant conquerors are inestimably precious and the outstanding Grace of the Lord of Hosts promised to the executors of His mandate is indescribably potent.
| State and Province Conventions
Individual Bahá’ís of voting age will receive blank ballots and necessary information before February 1. A special agenda will be sent the various Election Committees in time to take to the meeting. |
The present European project heralding the spiritual regeneration of the entire continent is the pivot on which hinges the success of the second Seven Year Plan. I appeal to the national representatives of the community, in conjunction with the European Teaching Committee, to focus attention upon its immediate requirements. The dispatch of nine additional pioneers to facilitate the immediate formation of stable groups in the goal towns of the ten selected countries is imperative. The selection of suitable literature, its prompt translation into the languages required, its publication and wide dissemination, is essential. The visit of an ever-swelling number of itinerant teachers designed to foster the development of the groups is urgently required. A more liberal allocation of funds for the furtherance of the most vital objective is indispensable.
I entreat the entire community to arise, while time remains, contribute generously, volunteer its services and accelerate its momentum, to assure the total success of the first, most momentous collective enterprise launched by the American Bahá’í community beyond the barriers of the Western Hemisphere.
Cablegram received December 3, 1946.
National Spiritual Assembly[edit]
Bahá’í Bridgehead in Europe[edit]
Beloved friends:
Each American believer may well stop to think over the profound meaning of the present stage in the evolution of the Divine Plan.
After years of voluntary teaching work by individuals, who accomplished notable results in many countries, the American Bahá’ís now collectively have a bridgehead in Europe—the Geneva office established by the European Teaching Committee in connection with the International Bahá’í Bureau.
This is our advance post in the seven year effort to raise up a Spiritual Assembly in each of the ten designated countries. It is our pledge to the spiritually hungering masses of the continent that Bahá’u’lláh has brought the way from strife to peace, and has revealed in His new Revelation the inmost reality of man. Whosoever attains that reality within himself is raised above the field of mental and material conflict. He becomes supranational, supraracial and supradenominational.
Examine the ten countries on a map and you will see that they form the western division of Europe. In that area the seeds of unity and brotherhood can produce a harvest by 1953. But the workers needed are many. With what grave emphasis the Guardian states the case in the cablegram published in the present issue of Bahá’í News! These workers exist, else the appeal would not have been made. They are among our local communities, groups and isolated believers. When the hour of decision comes to each, he will be transformed and confirmed in the destiny he must fulfil.
The bridgehead has been established to prepare the way for the army—the army of the Lord of Hosts, as the Master called those who attain. Whether we actually march forward in the ranks of pioneers or not, we all support the work and supply the material needs. Time flies with accelerating speed. We must keep pace with destiny. Passive awareness of a plan of campaign is
[Page 9]
insufficient. The actual effort we
make tells the size of our faith
today.
The Assembly expresses deep appreciation of the response made by the Bahá’ís throughout the Southern States to the invitation to attend the teaching conference held December 8 in Foundation Hall. The results of that important meeting will be reported later. Meanwhile it is a privilege to list the names of the believers who signed the registry:—
Count Harvey, Independence, Mo., Johanna Zimmerman, Memphis, Tenn., Dorothea Sligh, Houston, Texas, Verna Inglis, Birmingham, Ala., Elizabeth Weber, Lincolnwood, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. M. N. Tyler, Evanston, Ill., Pauline W. Roth, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Rexford C. Parmalee, Washington, D. C., Mrs. Lloyd Sherrill, Normandy, Mo., Tony Nabby, Milwaukee, Wisc., J. M. Haggard, Wilmette, Ill., H. C. Scheffler, Evanston, Ill., H. A. Keeler, Chicago, Ill., Sophie Loeding, Chicago, Ill., Mrs. Arthur J. Schulte, Topeka, Kans., Carl Scheffler, Evanston, Ill., Monroe Ioas, Brookfield, Ill., Doris Holley, Wilmette, Ill., Philip G. Sprague, New York, N.Y., W. Kenneth Christian, Lansing, Mich., Sylvia Ioas, Ill., Winnie N. Foster, Greenfield, Ind., Elizabeth H. Cheney, Chicago, Ill., William S. Towart, Jr., Providence, R.I., Leroy Ioas, Evanston, Ill., George O. Latimer, Portland, Ore., Marion M. Little, New Orleans, La., Robert Takashi Imagire, Chicago, Ill., Jennie A. Anderson, St. Louis, Mo., Mrs. Jean Bohn, Milwaukee, Wisc., Mrs. Margery McCormick, Evanston, Ill., Paul E. Becker, Chicago, Ill., Mrs. Harriet M. Hilpert, Evanston, Ill., Mrs. Sarah S. Walrath, Chicago, Ill., M. Doris Ebbert, Atlanta, Ga., David S. Ruhe, Atlanta, Ga., Mrs. Amelia Bowman, Chicago, Ill., Mrs. Mabelle S. Perry, Cleveland, Ohio, Mrs. Mary J. Elmore, Cleveland, Ohio, Albert E. Richardson, Chicago, Ill., Earl Winston, Chicago, Ill., Horace Holley, Wilmette, Ill.
Those registered include in addition to the representatives sent by Assemblies and Regional Teaching Committees of the designated States, members of the National Race Unity Committee, the National Teaching Committee, the National Assembly, and believers of the Temple area.
Twenty-five Years of the Guardianship[edit]
By Ruhíyyíh Khánum
Twenty-five years ago the Bahá’í world was shaken by a great earthquake, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of the Covenant, the greatest Mystery of God, had suddenly passed away, with no premonitory illness to prepare his friends and followers for this tragic shock. Stunned, the Bahá’ís of East and West tried to rally their faculties. We knew great tasks lay ahead of us; we believed in this new Faith and in its Manifestation and in the World Order that He had come to establish, but we felt terribly alone and the responsibility for the future lay heavily upon our already grief-filled hearts. Where was the shepherd? The familiar voice, that had spoken with an authority vested in it by the Prophet of God Himself, was stilled. We had the teachings; like a wonderful laboratory, equipped for every purpose, they were there—our priceless treasure. But where was the alchemist who transmuted base metals into gold? Where was the listener who answered our questions and guided us in the use of all that great laboratory possessed?
Then came the reading of the Master’s Will, and with an infinite sense of relief we realized that, though the seas of tribulation and separation had risen about us, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had not left us alone. He had given us the mighty Ark of His own Covenant which we could enter into in peace secure. With what grateful hearts we turned to the youthful figure that had suddenly been revealed to us in that Will as our priceless legacy, described by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as the fruit of the Twin Lote Trees, the pearl of the Twin Surging Seas, this new creation, vested with a unique function, the hereditary office of Interpreter and Protector of the Faith and life-head of the International House of Justice. In many ways the Will of the Master completes and supplements the Aqdas; in it ‘Abdu’l-Bahá lays down in considerable detail the manner of election and function of the International House of Justice, its powers and jurisdiction; He also fills in a remarkable gap in that mighty book of laws and one which any intelligent commentator on that document must be immediately struck by. Bahá’u’lláh established in His Most Holy Book a very unique voluntary form of tax, a source of revenue, the great importance of which He adequately defines by giving it the exalted title of “The Right of God” (Huququ’lláh) but He never states to whom this revenue is payable, and in view of the fact that the revenues of the International House of Justice are clearly stipulated and this Huququ’lláh is not included among them, the question naturally occurs—what person or institution is to receive it? ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will elucidates this riddle and fills in the conspicuous blank left by Bahá’u’lláh.
It is also interesting to realize that the provisions of the Will and Testament were not only contemplated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá long Prior to His ascension, but also carried out. The Will is comprised of three separate documents, written at different times and all sealed and signed by the Master. In perhaps the most dangerous and difficult years of His ministry in ‘Akká, when Shoghi Effendi was only a young boy, he was already appointed as the Successor of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the first Will. This decision was later reaffirmed in the third Will, or part of the Will, whichever we choose to call it, and in even stronger terms if possible than before. It was also during practically the babyhood of our first Guardian that the Master revealed that highly significant Tablet about a child having been born who would do great things in the future. When asked by his secretary, Dr. Yunis Khan, whether by this was meant a living child or if it was a symbolical expression, the Master explained a real child was meant and that it would raise the Cause of God to great heights. So we see, that when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá left us a quarter of a century ago we were not unprovided for. His plans for the Guardianship—the fruition of Bahá’u’lláh’s own scheme—had been made at a very early date, but from the depths of His bitter experience over a period of sixty years, He kept his precious secret carefully guarded, even from his intended successor, and it was not until after His ascension that we began to appreciate the perfection of the system God has, in this most great cycle, given to mankind; a system which has the hand of God constantly laid on it from above in the form of a divinely-guarded
[Page 10]
Guardianship directly descended
from and related to the two Founders of the Faith and, at the same
time, exalts the role of Man to a
new height in that the freely-elected
members of the International House
of Justice are, when functioning as
a body, promised the inspiration and
protection of God upon their deliberations and decisions.
Let us go back for a moment and recall what we were and what Shoghi Effendi was when he first assumed his function as Guardian. Those who remember the passing of the Master and the terrible blow it was to them, the intense unbearable grief it caused them, can best grasp what his feelings were. At that time he was twenty-four years of age, studying at Oxford University in England in order to better prepare himself to serve ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as an interpreter, and to translate some of the Bahá’í literature into English, when news of the ascension reached him. Broken-hearted, so weak from suffering he had to be practically lifted from the train, he returned to Haifa. Then the second blow, as unexpected and in many ways more cruel than the first, fell upon him. The Will and Testament of His Grandfather was read to him and for the first time in his life he became apprized of the Master’s great and well-guarded secret: That he, Shoghi Effendi, the beloved eldest grandson, was His successor and First Guardian of the Cause of God. Saddled with this great weight, crushed by this great blow, he turned his eyes to the Bahá’í world. He beheld a widely diversified, loosely organized community, scattered in various parts of the globe, and with members in about twenty countries. These people, loyal, devoted and sincere though they were, were still, to a great extent, living in their parent religion’s house, so to speak; there were Christian Bahá’ís, Jewish Bahá’ís, Muḥammadan Bahá’ís and so on. They believed in the Bahá’í Faith but were intimately connected with their former churches. Like fruit on a tree, they were a new crop but still stuck to the old branch. This was true East and West alike. That was the point to which the Faith had evolved at the time of the Master’s ascension.
We, on our part, beheld a young man of only twenty-four standing at the helm of the Cause and some of the friends felt impelled to advise him about what it would be wise for him to do next. It was then that we began to know not only the nature of our first Guardian but the nature of the entire Institution of Guardianship, for we quickly discovered that Shoghi Effendi was “unreachable.” Neither relatives, old Bahá’ís or new Bahá’ís, well-wishers or ill-wishers could sway his judgment or influence his decisions. We quickly came to realize that he was not only divinely guided but had been endowed by God with just those characteristics needed to build up the Administrative Order, unite the believers in common endeavor, and coordinate their world-wide activities. Shoghi Effendi immediately began to display a genius for organization, for the analysis of problems, for reducing a situation to its component parts and then giving a just and wise solution. He acted vigorously, with unflinching determination and unbounded zeal. Those who were privileged to meet him were immediately captivated by his eager, frank and cordial attitude, by his consideration, his innate modesty, his spontaneous kindness and charm. The wheels of the Cause which had momentarily stood still at the Master’s passing, began to revolve again and at a higher tempo than ever before. Our Father, so patient, so constantly forgiving, whom we had tired and perhaps worried far more than we dreamed of, was gone, and in His stead stood our “true brother,” young, determined to see we at last got down to accomplishing the tasks set us by Bahá’u’lláh and the Master, and not willing to lose any time at all.
With the reading of the Will and the establishment of the Guardianship, came quite naturally and organically a new phase in the development of the Faith. This was typified by one of the first acts of the Guardian: Shoghi Effendi never set foot in the Mosque, whereas ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had attended it until the last Friday of His life. What local people had suspected—that the Bahá’í Cause was really something quite different—became blatantly clear; that which it would have been almost impossible for the Master to do, namely, to sever the intimate bonds which had bound him for so long to the Arab community, particularly the Muḥammadan community, of Palestine during many years when it was forbidden to even mention the name Bahá’í, the Guardian now did over night and began to encourage the Bahá’ís to likewise do in different parts of the world.
There were two major tasks that the Guardian set himself to accomplish immediately after the Master’s passing: One was to steer the believers all over the world into working through properly organized administrative channels, as indicated by Bahá’u’lláh and defined by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the other was to see that year by year they became more emancipated from the bonds of the past, whether those bonds were close identification with their former religious doctrines and organizations, or the following of the outworn and corrupt patterns of conduct current in the society of their various nations and alien to the new standards of conduct laid down by the Manifestation of God for the world in this new age.
Between 1923 and 1934, the Guardian, aided by the devoted response of the various Bahá’í communities, succeeded in establishing six new National Spiritual Assemblies with all their attendant funds, committees and institutions. Whereas, in the lifetime of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, only Persia and America had possessed such bodies and these had, for the most part, functioned more as central Committees, coordinating somewhat the national affairs of the Cause and, in the United States, convening the annual Convention and taking preliminary steps for the erection of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, these new National Assemblies, one for the British Isles, one for Germany and ‘Iráq respectively, one for Egypt and the Sudan, and one for Australia and New Zealand, now emerged on a sound footing and began, under the constant and direct tutelage of the Guardian, to vigorously administer the affairs of their ever-growing communities.
What the Guardian possesses to an outstanding degree (and no doubt is divinely endowed with) is the vision of the Cause. That which might seem essential to us he would see as a purely secondary issue and what might appear in our eyes as a trivial matter might to him be the pivot of far greater decisions. He is the balance of the Cause; he weighs and classifies the problems, the requirements, the tasks of the hour, and keeps the entire Faith in every part of the world functioning as efficiently and as satisfactorily as our
[Page 11]
individual frailties and deficiencies
will permit.
From the very beginning of his Ministry the Guardian began to correspond at length with the American National Spiritual Assembly as regards the handling of the affairs of the Cause of God in that country. These highly instructive letters were later published under the title of “Bahá’í Administration” and formed the directive for all bodies administering the work of the Cause, whether in the East or in the West. He, in conjunction with this process of training us in how to function as a group and as individuals in a coordinated Bahá’í Society, also educated us in a concept of the Faith which was the logical conclusion to be drawn from not only statements made by the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, but from the Tablets of the Divine Plan revealed for the American Bahá’ís by the master; namely, that whereas Persia cradled this new world religion in the 19th Century, North America was to cradle the Administrative Order which in turn would be the precursor of the new World Commonwealth. Patiently, untiringly, year after year, Shoghi Effendi has labored on the rearing of the Administrative Order, using the American Bahá’í Community as the arch-pattern to be followed by all other Bahá’í Communities. While the American believers struggled to learn what it really means to function as a member of an Order that has rules to be lived up to and not merely read about; while they tried to really submit their wills and conduct to the guidance of bodies conducting their affairs according to the will of the majority, the Guardian never for a moment lost sight of the purpose of his endless insistence on our following the Administrative Principles of our Faith; namely, to produce an instrument strong enough to enable us to fulfill one of the primary obligations of every believer—to teach the cause of God.
For sixteen years Shoghi Effendi never ceased to broaden our horizons and train us in Bahá’í Administration, whether local or National. After that, he suddenly opened a new door. He told us, so to speak, that we were now trained enough to use our laboriously erected Administrative System for a great joint effort, an effort to carry into effect the first stages of the Divine Plan. Prior to 1937 he had already been trying our metal to some extent, and disciplining us as good soldiers, through his repeated insistent appeals for the work of constructing our first Bahá’í Temple. This great enterprise we had ourselves inaugurated, encouraged by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who by His own hand, laid its dedication stone in 1912. But in spite of our good intentions, we had by 1921, only succeeded in producing something that resembled a subdued black oil tank, one story high, on the Temple grounds, and which looked so unprepossessing that the town authorities protested against it. Through the repeated appeals, the stimulation and encouragement of the Guardian and the sacrifice of the Bahá’ís, and after ten years during which we had been soundly berated for its appearance, we at last completed its superstructure and succeeded in silencing our critics. When the first Seven-Year Plan was given us in 1937 by the Guardian, in it was included, as one of our major tasks, the completing of the exterior ornamentation of the building which comprised the main story and steps, the rest having been laboriously carried out from 1931 to 1935.
In 1919, at the Annual Bahá’í Convention in New York, the Tablets revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at a time when He was in great danger during the First World War and which have come to be known as the “Vehicles of the Divine Plan” and the “Spiritual Mandate,” conferred by Him on the North American Community of Believers, were unveiled. We American Bahá’ís are all familiar with their remarkable and stirring contents. We were all immensely proud to receive them. No one, however, except Martha Root and a few other venturesome souls, felt moved to do anything drastic about carrying out the instructions contained in them prior to 1936-37. It was then that Shoghi Effendi’s teaching inspiration and advice began to pour into the minds and hearts of the American Bahá’ís like an incoming tide. He called us to action. For eighteen years, we had basked happily and complacently in the praises and promises ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had showered upon us in those Tablets, and in many other writings and statements. The Guardian, however, his fingers on our pulse, knew that we were now able to arise for pioneer work, and, through the instruments of the Administration he had so carefully assisted us in evolving, carry forward the frontiers of our achievements. He was, thank God, not mistaken in the confidence and trust he reposed in us. He called and America responded. People from every walk of life, business men, stenographers, old ladies, young ladies, people with families, people often frail in health but iron in spirit, began to arise, and what may in future well be viewed as one of the greatest spiritual sagas of the American nation, began to take place. They were called pioneers, and into new cities, into the virgin States of the United States and the virgin Provinces of Canada—virgin as yet to Bahá’u’lláh’s light—these people began to move, at the cost of great personal sacrifice and inconvenience, inspired by nothing but faith and devotion and love for their fellowmen, they started to lay the foundations for new Bahá’í communities by establishing new Spiritual Assemblies as a result of their teaching activities.
Perhaps one of the most wonderful aspects of this first Seven-Year plan was the way the Bahá’ís responded to the Guardian’s hope that centers would be established, ’ere its termination, in every single Latin-American Republic. The Guardian, always walking on before a few steps and then calling us over his shoulder to hurry up and follow, led us Seven Years down that mighty pioneer trail which wound over North America, into Alaska, down to Panama, all over Central and South America, across the Andes, and into the West Indies. And wherever his voice called, the Bahá’ís followed. This first Seven-Year Plan is a very wonderful thing to contemplate. It was the first joint activity on a large scale, nationally organized and flowing into an international field, that the followers of Bahá’u’lláh had ever undertaken anywhere in the world. Truly formidable obstacles were overcome—obstacles of relatively small numbers of believers to draw upon; a community of very restricted financial means to back such activities (more especially so as the expensive work of completing the Temple ornamentation was steadily going on at the same time); a terrible, unprecedented World War, suddenly engulfing humanity with all its dangers, obligations and restrictions after only two and a half years of the Seven-Year Plan had run their
[Page 12]
course. But all these barriers were
hurdled or thrown down, for we had
a prize dear to our hearts just in
view, and we were determined to
win it. The prize was to succeed in
accomplishing all that the Guardian
asked of us by May 23, 1944, at which
time we were to celebrate our first
Bahá’í Centennial.
At the Centenary Convention the Bahá’ís met, radiant with such victories as these: having completed the contracts for the exterior ornamentation of the Temple eighteen months ahead of time; having established Spiritual Assemblies in every single state and province of North America—thus doubling the number in seven years and bringing it up to 136; having not only brought into being a nucleus of the Faith in every Latin American Republic but of having established already in most of them flourishing Spiritual Assemblies and of having the joy of seeing many delegates from these Central and South American countries present at this first great All-America Convention. Beneath the dome of their great Mother Temple of the West, now complete except for its interior ornamentation, they tasted the sweetness of the good pleasure of God, for priceless gifts were given them on that occasion by the Guardian: a beautifully framed copy of the portrait of the Báb and a lock of His hair. So precious and well guarded is this likeness of Him that even the House in Shíráz, one of the two centers of pilgrimage established by Bahá’u’lláh, does not possess a copy.
Nor should we forget for a moment, in counting our achievements and our blessings, the recent inauguration of the second Seven-Year Plan which has already been enthusiastically embarked upon by the American Bahá’ís and which, in addition to increasing the number of National Spiritual Assemblies by three—one to be formed in Canada in 1948, and one for Central and one for South America in 1950—is aimed at carrying the Faith to the European Continent, as part of an organized activity, for the first time. The vision of the future which Shoghi Effendi has revealed to us in his recent communications, is simply stupendous. Beyond each goal stretches another goal, tapering off into an era when we know the Faith will be emancipated and come into its own in the eyes of the whole world. Not only do our teaching activities during the next seven years carry us all over Northern, Western and Southern Europe, but we are given the challenging task of completing, at long last, the interior of our Temple, and of thus setting it before the eyes of the men as the first and greatest Bahá’í House of Worship in the West.
While the American Bahá’ís have been absorbed in the two-fold task of learning to understand the purpose of the Bahá’í administration, the way it functions and the uses to which it could be put, and in embarking on the first stages of the Divine Plan, their co-workers in other parts of the world were not idle. The progress achieved in the United States was outstanding, but not unique. The work of the Cause went ahead at a rapid pace in other countries in which the Bahá’ís labored, but under far greater handicaps; in Persia, where the government is the traditional enemy of the Faith; in Egypt, where the Sunni religious doctors have consistently opposed us, cast us out of their ranks and incited the populace against us; in ‘Iráq where the Bahá’í Community was small and the native people fanatical and reactionary; in Germany, where the Nazi regime consistently frowned upon us from the hour of its rise to power until it finally officially banned the Faith in 1937, confiscated its literature and archives and in a number of cases tried or persecuted its followers; in England, where the believers were few and scattered in an intensely conservative land of strong traditions; in India, where the relatively large Bahá’í community struggled against the multiplicity of prejudices and creeds—in all these lands where National Assemblies, firmly founded and buttressed by active committees and national funds, watched over the interests of the believers and worked under the constant guidance of the Guardian, the affairs of the Cause, far from declining, prospered as never before. This was also true of Australasia, which in its freedom from traditional forms and its tolerance, most closely resembles conditions found in North America.
It is hard to know what achievements to cite, so many spring to mind as one casts one’s eye over the scene: the emancipation of the Cause from Islam in Egypt, formally and forcibly pronounced a non-Muḥammadan independent faith by the ecclesiastical authorities there, which in its turn greatly strengthened the Bahá’í claim to official recognition as a new and independent world religion in other lands, including the United States; the tremendous increase of Bahá’í properties the world over, including not only six National Headquarters but innumerable local headquarters, meeting halls, guest houses and even burial grounds, stretching from Persia through India, ‘Iráq, the Holy Land, Egypt, across the seas to North and South America, and back across the Pacific to Australia, but also including the purchase, in the land of Bahá’u’lláh’s birth, of most of the sacred and historic sites associated with the rise of the Faith there, as well as an extensive and beautiful property destined to be the site of the future Bahá’í Temple in that country; the increase in the number of Bahá’í summer schools, well organized and operating in Germany, India, Persia, England, Egypt, Argentine, New Zealand, Australia and four states of North America—namely, Maine, Michigan, Colorado and California; the rise of Bahá’í young people the world over to positions of importance in the Cause, as teachers, writers, administrators and pioneers, with well organized activities which include the training of children and adolescents; the truly remarkable output of Bahá’í literature with titles published in the United States alone running well over fifty, with a Publishing Trust established in England which gets out many volumes not only for use in the British Isles but also for export to other Bahá’í communities; the pre-war publishing activities of the German believers who were very active in translating literature from the English, and also in issuing works written by Bahá’í authors in their own language; the role which India—mother land of so many hundreds of tongues and dialects—has played in this field and which has obliged her to already print editions in about fourteen native languages; the issuance of Bahá’í literature in many other countries, such as Switzerland, Argentine, Egypt, and so on; and the important fact that our Bahá’í text book “Bahá’u’lláh and The New Era” has now been printed in about forty-five languages; the legal incorporation of over sixty-five national and local Bahá’í Assemblies in countries all over the world; and, first and foremost, the most impressive
[Page 13]
and significant accomplishment
of all, that whereas in the days of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Faith had only
spread to about 20 countries, its message has now been taken to over 70,
and in the majority of these an administrative foundation of the Cause
has already been firmly laid.
No appraisal of the wonderful work achieved by the Bahá’ís the world over during this period would be complete without mention of what the Guardian himself, singlehanded, has done at the world center of the Faith in Palestine. Aside from his constant and very heavy correspondence, with not only national and local Assemblies but with groups and individuals as well, aside from his cables and directives addressed to the Bahá’ís in different parts of the world, aside from the books he writes and the Bahá’í literature he translates so painstakingly and beautifully, he has aided the believers financially in all of their major undertakings, in the East or the West. Whether it was to assist the Bahá’í refugees from Russia, or those who had suffered local persecution in Persia, or to help build the various national Administrative Headquarters, or to finance the publication of many editions of the Esslemont book in foreign languages, or to contribute generously to the Temple construction work in America and to the support of pioneers active in the seven-year plans, or whether it was to build the graves of notable servants of the Cause, his hand has usually been the first one outstretched to give valuable aid. In Haifa and ‘Akká, he has not only succeeded in having all the Bahá’í Shrines, Pilgrim Houses and lands pertaining to them exempted from both government and municipal taxes, but has also vastly increased the area of these endowments which now are valued at more than two and a half million dollars, and include properties in the Jordan Valley. He has added, year by year, to the beautiful gardens surrounding the tomb of the Báb on Mount Carmel, and also succeeded in burying The Greatest Holy Leaf in one of the most exclusive residential areas of Haifa, and later in transferring the remains of her mother and brother to the same spot—where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wife is now also entombed—and making of it a unique and exquisite garden surrounding the four white marble temples that mark the resting places of these members of the Master’s family. These two gardens, on opposite sides of one of Haífa’s main roads, and open to the public, are now mentioned in all up-to-date Palestine guildes as sights not to be missed by visitors to the Holy Land. The purchase of Bahá’u’lláh’s mansion at Bahjí, the defeat of the constant machinations of the Covenant-breakers, the establishment of two archives filled with material of great sacred and historic importance, collected, verified and labelled by him, the building up of the great reservoir of Bahá’í literature of well over 5,000 volumes in libraries in Haifa and ‘Akká, are but the highlights of his accomplishments at this world center of our Faith, to which flow pilgrims and guests from every land.
When we consider such facts as these, we begin to appreciate the nature and magnitude of the work which has been accomplished since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away, under the direct aegis of Shoghi Effendi. To his inspiration and perseverance we owe it that our Faith—once so obscure, so unknown except to a few students of modern Persia—has already boasted a Queen as ardent convert, and moreover a Queen of the ability and fame possessed by Marie of Roumania; that the appreciations, by non-Bahá’ís of outstanding position and ability, of the founders of our Faith, their teachings and the work accomplished by their followers, has already run into a small volume; that the Faith has exhibited its persistent vitality during these twenty-five years by producing Saints, Martyrs, great administrators and even Hands of the Cause; that it has become sufficiently strong and well known in the Western world for the government of a great nation like pre-war Germany, to ban it, and persecute its followers for their beliefs; that the case the Bahá’ís had against the Shí’ih clergy of Baghdád for the possession of The Most Great House, went before the permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations, and was not only decided in favor of the Bahá’ís but was the subject of much discussion and unfulfilled assurances on the part of King Faisal of ‘Iráq and his Ministers.
All these things, and many other points far too numerous to be mentioned here, indicate that the Cause, far from sustaining a paralyzing blow through the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, went ahead in channels prepared for its development by Him in His Will, and prospered and grew as it never had before. How immature and naive was our conception of the World Order at the time of the Master’s passing! With what paternal complacency some of the old and devoted Bahá’ís informed the Guardian that his next and wisest step would be to establish the International House of Justice! On what? He knew so well the long and thorough measures that must first be taken: Here was this great edifice, this world order, reared in the laws of Bahá’u’lláh, and its dome, the apogee, the crown, the uniting element, was the International House of Justice. Could it be hung on air? First must come the foundation, and that must be composed of not only the smallest units, the local Assemblies, but these units themselves must be made of educated material; the little cells, the individual Bahá’ís had first to understand their task and build themselves into a strong cohesive mass, capable of forming, as local Assemblies, the broad national foundation upon which the mighty pillars in turn could be reared, becoming the bones of the structure holding up the dome.
A stranger might be tempted to ask: granted these organized activities of the Bahá’ís had expanded and multiplied, covered new territory, and entered new fields, what had happened to the Cause’s inner life? Had outward progress and accomplishment weakened the internal spiritual solidarity of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh? We can, after a quarter of a century’s experience, answer that question with a sincere and hearty No! The institution of Guardianship—tied into the fabric of the Faith by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá through his Will in a knot no amount of perseverance and ingenuity can undo—has, as it was destined to do, effectively prevented any division or schism in the Bahá’í ranks. We can now state this, not only with the assurance born of faith, but with experience, for it has been tried and failed. Envy, jealousy, hatred, ambition—all the demoniacal forces which the ego of man can give rise to and which have so unrelentingly been ranged throughout history, against every reformer, every Prophet, and enlightened leader—have raised, in the hearts of more than one person, their ugly heads. Both Shoghi Effendi, as Guardian, and the Faith as such, have been
[Page 14]
violently attacked.
As was to be expected, the very first charge came from the Covenant-breakers: Muhammad ‘Alí, who had tried in vain to discredit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, disaffect the believers, corrupt certain writings of Bahá’u’lláh, and even had on more than one occasion sought to have the Master’s life taken, revived his faded hopes when he beheld such a (as he thought) defenseless youth placed at the helm. His attack was disturbing, if somewhat ludicrous, for he chose to have one of his henchmen seize the sacred shrine of his father, Bahá’u’lláh, and rob the Bahá’í Keeper of the keys. Distressing though the incident was, the case of the successor of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was so clear in the eyes of the British authorities, that in a short time he was obliged to return the keys to Shoghi Effendi’s representative. This was the first, so to speak, crossing of swords with our appointed Guardian, and both the Bahá’ís and local observers, friend and foe alike, learned through it that we had an active and skilled Defender of the Faith!
In Egypt, a proud Armenian, blinded by vanity and ambition, waved his own little flag of rebellion and succeeded in drawing away from the Bahá’í community (at that time in the early stages of its own development) a number of his compatriots and other misguided souls. But the hand that waved the flag soon got tired as it became aware of the futility of trying to coax people out of such a water-tight ark as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Covenant has proven itself to be. Gradually, over the years, those who after such a disillusioning and spiritually unhealthy experience, still possessed any vital spark of faith, returned to knock on the door they had left and were, whenever the sincerity of their intentions was proven, welcomed back into the now actively working and expanding Egyptian Bahá’í community.
An American woman, Mrs. Ruth White, suffering from a truly remarkable form of delusion—namely, that the Will and Testament of the Master is a forgery—expended a great deal of time, money and energy on expounding her views. The document in question, its handwriting, text and style, seals and history is so obviously protected from this accusation that her violent agitation had no effect on the body of the Bahá’ís, with the exception of a few simple souls in Germany. Most of these (who remained devoted to the Faith but confused on this point) have now expressed their deep remorse over these deluded and wasted years they spent outside the Bahá’í community, and have re-entered it in Germany and are among its most active workers.
In Persia Avarih, at one time a very active Bahá’í teacher, developed what must seem to any sane person, a sort of spiritual hydrophobia. He not only attacked the Guardian exhaustively and fantastically in about ten volumes, but turned against both Bahá’u’lláh and the Master as well. His statements, unbalanced, compounded of such a high percentage of lies that even an intelligent and sincere enemy of the Faith would recognize them as such, have poured forth in the cheap press of Persia for practically decades. But the results have been very disheartening from his standpoint, for he neither gathered unto himself a following, nor has he been able to disrupt the affairs of the large, devoted and loyal community of believers in Bahá’u’lláh’s native land.
Ahmad Sohrab, a former secretary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, largely thanks to the generous support given him by a deluded woman, has been able to expend all his gifts of perversion on his favorite theme—a prolonged and windy attack on the Administrative Order of the Faith as it exists at present, with Shoghi Effendi at its head, and soundly organized Assemblies cooperating with him throughout the world in spreading Bahá’u’lláh’s message and building up His divinely ordained institutions. He holds the honor of being undoubtedly the most mischievous of the trouble makers that the Cause has raised up during this quarter of a century. Yes, the Cause of God has raised him up! For what beauty does not produce envy, and what purity does not produce slander, and what goodness does not challenge the evil hidden in an envious heart? This man, who received as charity—as we all do—some drops of God’s overflowing bounty, could have done much to assist the Bahá’ís in carrying out the wishes of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the plans of Bahá’u’lláh. But ambition proved too strong. In our Faith we must submit to having our personal desires and plans integrated into the plans for the whole, for unity is our watchword and we are not only propagating a new Faith with its new principles, but are building a divinely laid down system into society, and this requires the discipline of the personal ego to some extent, and the integration of all members of the community into a coherent pattern. To this Aḥmad Sohrab would not submit, for it did not allow him the personal prominence he craved. The hot wind of his slander has blown upon us for some time now, and though it troubled and disaffected a few hearts, to the vast majority of believers it proved an irritating stimulant, which not only made them cherish more dearly the Master’s Will and its provisions, but spurred them on to greater endeavor.
We Bahá’ís are neither afraid to, nor ashamed of, mentioning the names of these prominent backsliders. On the contrary, they represent to us what a soldier’s ribbons do to him: they are the campaigns we have successfully fought and every one of them is dear to our hearts. The storms they have loosed upon us have not only driven the roots of our Faith in Bahá’u’lláh’s system deeper, but have demonstrated to us that, for the first time in history, a religion has been given to men which cannot be split up into sects, for the two Wills—those of Bahá’u’lláh and the Master—are so strongly constructed and so authentic beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is impossible to divorce the body of the teachings from their provisions. The principle of successorship, endowed with the right of Divine interpretation, is the very hub of the Cause into which its Doctrines and Laws fit like the spokes of a wheel—tear out the hub and you have to throw away the whole thing. This is why our enemies have, for a hundred years, failed to establish anything outside the Faith which could thrive or prosper.
As we look back over these twenty-five years, it is with feelings of profound contentment. We Bahá’ís have matured greatly. The little tragedies, the hot discussions, the rocking of the boat by various enemies, seem all far behind us now. We have grown up in the Will. We have stood close to that tree which overshadowed all mankind, and come to realize how live and great it is, how dense its foliage, how heavy its yield of fruits—the tree of our first Guardian, our Shoghi Effendi. Where first we looked to him with affection and
[Page 15]
much pity for his youthfulness and
the greatness of the task laid upon
him, now we look to him eagerly,
waiting each fresh counsel of his
wise, and so well proven, leadership.
With deep love and pride the Bahá’ís labor under his guidance, thanking God not only for this wonderful
Divinely inspired institution of Guardianship, but also for this particular
Guardian, who has steered the ship
of the Cause through so many shoals
and whose sure and patient hand
is guiding it on to the great victories
promised by Bahá’u’lláh for his Faith
in this Century.
Shoghi Effendi’s services to the Cause of God are not yet known. How can they be? There is not yet the required perspective. Only gradually have we been grasping just Who and What the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh were; out of the mists of contemporary events they are now rising like giants on the horizon of Their Own Revelation. “God Passes By” has been the greatest single factor in our beginning to truly appreciate Their significance and station. But it is too early, and he is too close, for us to begin to properly evaluate our first Guardian. We can, however,—always remembering as he in his great modesty would wish us to—that he is guided by God, weigh up a little of what he has done. Let us begin with his presents to us, the dearest gifts he could make us, the translations: The ’Iqán, the Epistle to The Son of The Wolf, The Prayers and Meditations, The Gleanings, The Hidden Words, The Dawn-Breakers, and innumerable gems quoted in his own writings. What would our understanding of and love for the Cause be today without these glorious books? Then let us take his own works: The Bahá’í Administration, The wonderful World Order Letters, The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, The Advent of Divine Justice, The Promised Day Is Come, the ten volumes of The Bahá’í World—child of his vision of the Cause and untiring perseverance and most valuable of all, God Passes By, that unique, exhaustive and marvelous review of the highlights of 100 years of Bahá’í history, in which every factor receives its due importance in relation to every other, a labor no one but the Guardian could ever be qualified to do. To the above must of course be added many important communications addressed to the Persian Bahá’ís in their own tongue.
Not one of our achievements during this quarter of a Century and briefly touched upon here, could have been made were it not for the untiring labor and patience of Shoghi Effendi. He has encouraged us when we were down-hearted, spurred us on when we decided to take a little inopportune rest, foreseen our needs and supplied us with the plans, the counsel, the passages from the writings, the answers to the questions, which we needed. How well we realize today what a sad state our Cause would have been in without him! So often we have seen his healing touch laid on dissensions, on hurt feelings or wounded pride, always fertile sources of trouble in any community. So often his explanation and interpretation has made the way clear and once again gathered us in deep unity to serve our beloved Faith.
But we can be sure of one thing—all these services rendered us by the first Guardian have not been without cost. A loving and sensitive nature, openhearted and filled with a wonderful eagerness in his desire to serve the Master, and carry out his wishes, he has been assailed most viciously, most unjustly, most pitilessly by enemies both within and without. From the world, any righteous man expects little understanding and acclaim during his lifetime, but from those near in ties of friendship or of blood, he hopes for and expects to receive more. We might have thought that the great tidal waves of distress and calumny, the violent attacks, had subsided with the end of the Heroic Age of our Faith. But this evidently has not been the plan of God. Now we see our Guardian strong, wise, mature, stretching about us his iron arms to protect us in the sanctuary of the Divine Cause, but he himself is much scarred by the blows he has received these twenty-five years, more scarred than the Master surely ever dreamed he could be when he wrote “that no dust of despondency may stain his radiant nature,” indeed, snowed under sometimes with the problems this ever-expanding world Faith engenders in its forward march, and with the many cares and blows that have been his portion.
That which sustains the Guardian, now left so alone amidst his great responsibilities, is the work of the Cause. Good news is like the breath of life to him, and whenever some new goal is achieved, some problem solved, some new enterprise undertaken, his spirit is lightened, his mind freed for some new creative effort, his heart gladdened. So we see that just as we Bahá’ís the world over are his responsibility, given him by Almighty God, so is he our responsibility, likewise given us by Almighty God. Let us not take it lightly! In gratitude for both this mighty institution of Guardianship in which mankind has found a sure refuge in this new age, and in gratitude for this particular first Guardian, this Shoghi Effendi, let us resolve to rise to a truly higher plane of endeavor, and above all a higher plane of spiritual awareness, during these coming years. We must always remember that the only real limitations we suffer, are those within ourselves. Rallied closely about the center of the Cause, loving him and, in him, each other, we can, during the next quarter of a century double our record of achievement.
Every truth, every fact, has so many meanings and aspects. It may take a thousand years to correctly appraise the implications of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will and Testament, but we—the first recipients of it—can, if we will, leave behind us the record of being the generation who made the greatest advances in understanding it and first helped release its wonderful powers upon the world, in history’s darkest years.
Haifa, Palestine
November, 1946
An Ever-Advancing Civilization[edit]
All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Say: O friends! Drink your fill from this crystal stream that floweth through the heavenly grace of Him Who is the Lord of Names. Let others partake of its waters in My name, that the leaders of men in every land may fully recognize the purpose for which the Eternal Truth hath been revealed, and the reason for which they themselves have been created.
Directory[edit]
Assemblies:
- Detroit, Michigan
- Miss Phyllis Hall, Secretary, 2548 Oakdale Avenue, Detroit, 9
- Scranton, Pa.
- Mrs. Helen Beck, Secretary, 449 Quincy Avenue, Scranton, Pa.
- Alhambra, California
- Mrs. Mayme Glass, Secretary, 505 N. Electric Avenue, Alhambra, Calif.
- Montreal, Quebec
- Mrs. Amine de Mille, Secretary, 5120 Westbury Street, Apt. 16., Montreal Que.
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Miss Nayan F. Hartfield, Secretary, 4220 Washington Boulevard, St. Louis, Mo.
National Committees:
- Public Meetings
- Mrs. A. F. Matthieson, Secretary, 422 Melrose St., Apt. 1307, Chicago, 13, Ill.
- Questionnaire Committee
- Mrs. Herbert Suhm appointed.
- World Language
- Mr. Chester Blaski resigned.
Regional Teaching Committees:
- Quebec—Mrs. Adline Lohse, Secretary, 3360 Ridgewood Avenue, Montreal
- Mrs. Ruth Lee, Outremont, appointed.
- New England States—Miss Barbara Morgan, Beverly, Mass., appointed.
- Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska—Mrs. Doreene N. Holliday, Omaha, appointed.
- Texas and Oklahoma—Mr. Charles Woodruff Houston, appointed.
- Miss Dorothea Sligh, Houston, appointed.
- New York—Mrs. Florence C. Steinhauer, resigned
Discovering New Talent[edit]
The Regional Teaching Committee for Texas and Oklahoma has instituted a campaign for discovering the special talents of Baháís in the region. It made a thorough canvas of its members, asking them if they could write, speak, open their homes to fireside groups, or if they belonged to clubs, etc. Some very worthwhile responses resulted from this. For instance Mrs. A. H. Rouse of Carrizo Springs, a school teacher, sent two well written manuscripts on “Education and Religion in the Public Schools,” one of which was forwarded to the National Reviewing Committee as it appeared in “The Texas Outlook,” published by the Texas State Teachers’ Association. Mrs. Rouse was then appointed Journalism Chairman of the Region. She will endeavor to place small inspirational columns in newspapers and magazines reaching the rural sections.
This is a long-range project which will be built on from year to year and will be helpful in utilizing every bit of Baháí power which can be mustered for the Seven Year Plan.
O Son of Spirit!
My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.
Bahá’ís of Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska, attending the first inter-community conference of the region, at Topeka, Sunday, October 13th.
Regional Youth Conference, Dayton, Ohio, July 6-7, 1946
| Page | Col. | |
An Ever-advancing Civilization—Bahá’u’lláh | 15 | 3 |
O Son of Spirit! My first counsel is this: | 16 | 2 |
O Son of Man! Thou art My dominion | 7 | 2 |
| Messages from the Guardian | ||
Nine additional pioneers | 1 | 3 |
I Entreat the Entire Community | 8 | 1 |
| National Spiritual Assembly | ||
Bahá’í Bridgehead in Europe | 8 | 2 |
Southern States Teaching Conference | 9 | 1 |
Treasurer’s letter and report | 7 | 1 |
Twenty-five Years of the Guardianship—Ruhíyyíh Khanum | 9 | 2 |
| Progress of the Seven Year Plan | ||
E.T.C.—Seventh Pioneer departs | 1 | 1 |
I.A.C.—South American Conference | 1 | 1 |
Public Relations—“Pathfinder” article | 1 | 3 |
Public Meetings—Albuquerque, Urbana, Binghamton, Winnipeg | 1 | 3 |
National teaching (U.S.A.) | 3 | 1 |
| | |
British Six Year Plan | 2 | 3 |
Stuttgart Bahá’í Kindles Nurnberg | 2 | 2 |
International Relief | 6 | 1 |
Study Aid—Prerequisites for Bahá’í Living | 6 | 2 |
Bahá’í News—New Policy | 7 | 3 |
Discovering New Talent | 16 | 2 |
State and Province Conventions | 8 | 3 |
Recommendations of 1946 Convention | 3 | 2 |
Calendar | 2 | 2 |
In Memoriam | 2 | 3 |
Directory | 16 | 1 |
Enrollments | 16 | 1 |
| Photographs | ||
South American Conference | 3 | 2 |
Dayton Bahá’í Picnic | 7 | 3 |
Inter-community Conference at Topeka, Kansas | 16 | 2 |
