Bahá’í News/Issue 234/Text
| ←Previous | Bahá’í News Issue 234 |
Next→ |
 Proofread onceReturn to PDF view
|
| BAHÁ’Í |  |
NEWS |
| No. 234 | AUGUST, 1950 | YEAR 107 | BAHA’I ERA |
|
“Confident Exemplary Loyalty” “Inform friends (that) Ruhi, his mother, with Ruha, his aunt, and their families, not content (with) years (of) disobedience (and) unworthy conduct, (are) now showing open defiance. Confident (that) exemplary loyalty (of) American believers will sustain me (in) carrying overwhelming burden (of) cares afflicting me.” (Signed) SHOGHI
Received July 15, 1950 |
I. Southwest curved corner under construction, showing twelve columns on the west and south sides of the arcade about the Shrine of the Báb with capitals.
Report on Shrine Construction[edit]
May 30, 1950
With the passing of an unusually severe winter, and one of many and diverse labors, our beloved Guardian, with you all ever in mind, has directed that another report on the progress of the work on the arcade about the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel be made to you. Despite the adverse weather the construction plans for the winter were more than fulfilled and the completion of this glorious and sacred arcade is rapidly approaching.
At the beginning of the winter, construction on the west and south sides of the arcade began in earnest. The southwest curved corner with its huge rose granite pilasters rapidly took shape. Twelve great rose columns and their capitals were put in place. While this work was going on, the wall of the mountain on the south side of the Shrine was strengthened and the terrace upon which the Shrine of the Báb stands was extended to the east. This extension required the building of a high retaining wall and was a major engineering undertaking in itself, but under the guidance of our Guardian it went forward at amazing speed and is now a flourishing garden.
With these activities at their height the first shipment of the parapet stones arrived. Included in this shipment were the first of the twenty-seven mosaic panels which the artistry and beauty of design conceived by Mr. Maxwell will so enhance the majesty of the glorious crown now being placed upon the towering walls of the arcade which is to protect the holy Shrine of the Báb for all posterity. Our impatience to open one of these cases of panels knew no bounds. When, at last, one of the panels had been carefully exposed it is needless to
Bahá’í Funeral Services[edit]
(From a letter from the Guardian to the NSA through his secretary, dated July 20, 1946. Reprinted from the October, 1946, Bahá’í News).
“There is no objection whatsoever to non-Bahá’ís being present when the long prayer for the dead is read,* as long as they respect our manner of reading it by rising and standing as the Bahá’ís do on this occasion. Nor, indeed, is there any objection to non-Bahá’ís being present during the reading of any Bahá’í prayer for the departed.
“An official Bahá’í funeral service should only be given for a believer, but there is no objection to the reading of Bahá’í prayers, or indeed to a Bahá’í conducting the funeral service of a non-Bahá’í if this has been requested.
“In reporting Bahá’í marriages it is much better to mention that the ceremony was performed by the Assembly, as this is the proper thing to do, and an individual only acts for the Assembly on this occasion. As a funeral is not a legal ceremony more latitude can be allowed, especially as the family of the deceased may want some particular Bahá’í friend to officiate.”
_____
*This explanation deals with the
question raised by the NSA in a letter
to the Guardian: “The Assembly
[Page 2]
II. Columns and capitals on the south side of the Shrine of the Báb and showing the high wall excavated into the side of Mount Carmel.
say our admiration also knew no bounds. The bowl of our expectations overflowed. The craftsmanship of the Italian artisans in stone and mosaic work was beyond compare and Mr. Maxwell’s design and plan had become a noble fruit. As Mr. Maxwell is extremely reticent in speaking of his work and is not given to a display of his emotions one will never know the extreme pleasure it must have been for him to stand before this beautiful creation and know that he had inspired it.
With these wonderful panels on hand the workmen went forward with added zest to prepare for the setting of them. Soon the day came when the first panel on the east side of the arcade was brought carefully into place and raised into position. At the end of the second day the other six panels were placed with the small pillars standing between. Not long after the cover stories and the finials of the pillars were added thus completing the east side of the arcade.
Now the staging needed for all this construction could be removed and the full beauty of these labors stood revealed. The delicate rose of the huge columns and the pilasters, the graceful arches, the light cream of the wall stones and then the wondrous and glorious crown of glory the balustrade with its panels of carved Chiampo granite with a background of light green, glass mosaic with a few flecks of red and a narrow green border of Ugo Vert granite, with subdued touch of color so masterfully added to bring out the full beauty, dignity and glory of this magnificent edifice. And how symbolic of the Báb’s martyrdom are those panels — those gems set in the crown of gloriousness, the balustrade! The white Chiampo stone denoting the pure light of His Message, the green symbolical of His lineage and the red flecks the drops of blood of His Martyrdom. As one stands before this beauty one’s heart is near to bursting.
There is little more to be added to this report but you may all be assured that construction of the arcade about the Shrine of the Báb is nearing its conclusion. A great step forward will have been taken when the last stone has been laid. A breath-taking edifice of beauty will stand in a garden of great splendor, which our beloved Guardian has already created, for all the world to be drawn to in admiration, and all Bahá’ís in reverence and devotion.
III. East side of the arcade of the Shrine of the Báb with the seven huge mosaic panels in place but without the cover stones and small pillar finials.
[Page 3]
IV. Finial of the small pillars of the Balustrade.
Limited Copies Life Eternal Now Available[edit]
Life Eternal, compiled by the late Mary R. Movius. A limited number of copies have been made available from her estate and proceeds from the sale of these copies will be given to the Temple Fund in the name of Mrs. Movius. 178 pages bound in blue cloth. price each $2.50
Calendar[edit]
NSA Meeting
- Sept. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Feasts
- Sept. 8, ‘Izzat, Might.
- Sept. 27, Mashíyyat, Will.
“The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice.”
The Home Front[edit]
WHEATRIDGE, COLO.
By presenting the “Prayer for All Nations” to a UNESCO group which meets monthly near them, the Wheatridge and Mountain View Bahá’ís established a valuable contact with the result that the UNESCO group is planning a series of meetings this fall, presenting the teachings of all religions, including the Bahá’í Faith.
LITTLE ROCK, ARK.
Visiting here, April 11 thru 13, Mrs. Dorothy Baker met the friends at a closed buffet supper for discussion of the Temple and believers’ responsibilities. Later she met the editors of two local newspapers and then attended a luncheon for a college professor and several students. Another luncheon for contacts from Hot Springs and a public meeting with 47 attending were held. Mrs. Baker’s talk “Is World Peace Possible?” was covered by a newspaper reporter and prefaced by spot announcements on station KARK.
BRIEFS
FRESNO, CAL. emerges from “small community” category, recently enrolling 17th member. Their public meetings monthly continue to get good publicity and new contacts, total attendance ranging 35 to 45 ... DENVER, COLO. At Leroy Ioas’ talk in Albany Hotel, June 13, the place was “full-up” and folks just wouldn’t go home, keeping him busy with individual questions. One aside comment—“If I weren’t already a Bahá’í I surely would be one now.” ....RENO, the only Bahá’í community in Nevada, holds regular Saturday night meetings and follows up contacts. Its remoteness denies association with nearby groups such as many regions enjoy, so what others may offer is prayers for their growth .... MILLBRAE, CAL. maintains an active youth and adult teaching program and reports applying for permission for Bahá’í high school students to remain out of school on Bahá’í Holy Days. While this was pending, the attendance officer accepted their absence on day of the Declaration of the Báb....LARAMIE, WYO. A party of friends drove to Fort Collins in May to visit a Bahá’í at the Rest Home and show Temple slides to her friends, followed by a talk and discussion.
|
New Editorial Committee for Bahá’í News A new editorial committee for Bahá’í News will take over responsibility beginning with the October issue. All National Committees, all Regional Committees, and reporters for Local Assemblies and Groups are hereby notified that beginning August 20 all news items are to be sent to: Mrs. Eleanor Sweney Hutchens
307 S. Prairie Champaign, Illinois |
V. Present garden of Shrine terrace on north or sea side showing great extension to the west.
Bahá’ís and the Military Draft[edit]
Believers subject to the draft are advised to refer to statements on this subject published in Bahá’í News. Such statements appear in April 1943, pages 3 and 4; October, 1946, pages 9 and 10; and September, 1948, page 6. Your local assembly or regional teaching committee can assist you to locate these issues.
Report Your Local Centenary Programs[edit]
Local Assemblies are requested to send to the National Office a report on their observance of the Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb. This material is important for the preparation of a report to the American Bahá’ís in Bahá’í News, and as a source of material for The Bahá’í World.
Derrick unloading cast stone for the Temple interior for trucking up the long ramp into the Temple.
Children’s Radio Scripts Available[edit]
A series of “We Are World Citizens” radio scripts for children (35 scripts in all) are available for purchase at $15 per set. These were first developed at the Radio and Television Center of Syracuse University and presented during the past two years by the Empire State FM School of the Air. This series has received very favorable commendation from educational magazines and from the United Nations radio section.
All are easily produced with minimum production effort. Casts include from 2-5 people and can be handled using either adults or children as actors, Bahá’í children’s classes could use these for projects, and the content of the broadcasts should be of interest to Bahá’í children’s teachers. Some communities might be able to interest local radio stations in doing the series as a public service.
Orders for copies should be sent to Mr. Lowell Johnson, 315 S. Beech Street, Apt. 8, Syracuse, New York. A sample script will be sent on request. The cost for the series of 35 is $15.00. Mr. Johnson informs us that all orders from Bahá’ís will be filled and the money sent to help liquidate the deficit in the National Fund. If possible, orders should be received before September first.
“O Son of Being!
“My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely stray and perish.”
[Page 5]
Bahá’ís leaving the Temple after the Commemorative Meeting, Sunday, July 9.
Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb[edit]
The Bahá’í House of Worship provided the ideal setting for the program carried out on Sunday, July 9th in commemoration of the Centenary. The “Holiest House of Worship in the Bahá’í World” bestowed its own special blessing upon the great gathering of some five hundred Bahá’ís convened in Foundation Hall at the hour of noon, to see the Portrait of the Báb which the Guardian made a most precious gift and trust to America in 1944.
This meeting, drawn together spiritually by the sublime nature of the occasion, realized anew its grandeur when the Guardian’s cablegram, shared with the “assembled representatives (of) American Bahá’í Community gathered beneath (the) dome (of the) most Holy House (of) Worship (in the) Bahá’í World” his “feelings (of) profound emotion evoked (by this) historic occasion.”* This reading followed a brief period of silence for individual use of the Daily Prayer.
Bahá’u’lláh’s Tablet of Visitation (Prayers and Meditations, pp. 310-313) intensified the emotions to the degree of awe and exalted reverence.
Then, after the Portrait was placed on the rug-covered speakers’ table, flanked by red roses, row by row the friends quietly filed before the Portrait to behold the features and likeness of the Martyr-Prophet whose mission inaugurated the world era in the life of mankind.
When the last row of Bahá’ís had resumed their seats, the gathering departed from the Foundation Hall and entered by the outside steps the auditorium of the House of Worship. Here, though the evidences of construction were so apparent, the interior ornamentation had been completed to a point where the beauty of the finished design impressed the hearts. Indeed, an architectural sketch of the completed auditorium, in color, had been placed outside the Foundation Hall before noon, that the friends might better visualize what the auditorium will be when completed early in 1951.
In this remarkable theatre, signifying both the majesty of the Faith and the sacrificial efforts of the believers, the second part of the Centenary program unfolded: Readings from the Bahá’í Sacred Writings concerning the Station and Martyrdom of the Báb. Seven readers presented these selections: Tablet of Aḥmad; Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 272-276; Some Answered Questions, pp. 30-31; Words of the Báb and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 35-36, p. 34; Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 291-293; Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh 74-75, 144-146; Prayer revealed by the Báb, “Is There any Remover of Difficulties”; Prayers and Meditations, pp. 84-86. The spirit of worship sustained the gathering throughout these readings, evoking power to realize the meaning of these Holy Words and to reconsecrate oneself in service to so holy a Faith.
The readings form a gemlike compilation which any believer may from time to time ponder for himself, renewing faith and steadfastness whenever the world seems too violent and chaotic to be overcome and transformed.
(*Cablegram reproduced in July issue of Bahá’í News)
Public Meeting[edit]
At 3:30 p.m. the Bahá’ís reconvened in Foundation Hall for the public meeting. The estimated attendance of believers and non-believers was about nine hundred. Seldom has Foundation Hall held a larger gathering.
Miss Elsie Austin, presiding, graciously welcomed the visitors in the name of the Bahá’ís. She stated the purpose of the Centenary, the significance of the Martyrdom of the Báb, and referred to the Centenary meetings being carried out in all parts of the world.
As Chairman Miss Austin then presented the three speakers: Dr. G. A. Borgese, of the University of Chicago, member of the Committee to Frame a World Constitution, and Director of the magazine Common Cause; Mrs. Dorothy Beecher Baker, long time member of the National
[Page 6]
Spiritual Assembly, worker
for unity, who has traveled widely
and lectured throughout North
America, South America and Western Europe; Mr. William Kenneth
Christian, member of the National
Spiritual Assembly, on the faculty
of Michigan State College, writer,
former member of the editorial staff
of World Order Magazine.
Dr. Borgese, the first speaker, had assigned to him the topic, “A Century of Crisis”, which he developed with a rare gift of spiritual culture. He expressed his appreciation of the high honor of addressing this audience. Stressing the fact that the world crisis has deepened in recent weeks, Dr. Borgese pointed out that one cannot sharply differentiate between political, economic and scientific factors in explaining the crisis. Among the points he emphasized were: (1) the rise of nationalism recognizing no superior sovereignty; (2) the effort made by Napoleon to bring about unity by conquest under France, and the effort of the concerted European Powers to realize peace throughout the continent—both efforts frustrated by the power of nationalism; (3) the industrial revolution, making for further demarcation between wealth and poverty.
The popular and democratic revolutions of 1848 were suppressed. The Manifest by Karl Marx called for a more radical revolution. The national governments eventually grew stronger as result of the popular revolutions.
In 1859 Darwin’s Origin of Species explained evolution as a result of natural selection. Evolution, the speaker declared, has been the real religion of our age. The concept led to two divergent theories—Nietche’s progress through violence; and the more diffused ideal of progress through cooperation.
The universality of humanism fell into fragments, and knowledge became specialized and departmented.
In 1857 the French poet Baudelaire published Fleurs du Mal which undermined all idealism in art and culture. Tolstoy’s What Is Art also attacked culture by making art a function of social theory where it can be controlled by a powerful state.
The greater the crisis, Dr. Borgese pointed out, the deeper our search for a remedy. Search has taken several different directions:
- To review the past,
- To create a new synthesis in the present.
He termed the different activities
of life, art, industry, etc., the limbs
of one tree (religion). The present
century is trying to universalize religion. Tolstoy, for example, wanted
to purify Christianity, and Gandhi
emphasized for Hinduism the element of brotherly love.
Dr. Borgese concluded his presentation with a reading from the Guardian’s “Goal of a New World Order” and the nine texts carved over the Temple entrance doors.
Mrs. Baker, speaking on the subject “The Martyr-Prophet of a New World Faith”, paid tribute to Dr. Borgese as an educator who is promoting universal concepts of humanity.
“We stand today with all the Prophets of old.”
Developing her theme the speaker with poise, clarity and winning grace depicted the mission of the Báb, comparing it with episodes in the life of Christ and other Manifestations. Step by step Mrs. Baker presented the persecution, exile and imprisonment inflicted upon the Báb, culminating in His execution in Tabríz on July 9, 1850. His challenging world mission as the symbol of the oneness of the Prophets; His call to regeneration of character and renewal of faith, and to the teaching of unity, resounded through her words in the hearts of the hearer.
The text of Mrs. Baker’s address is here summarized:
“In that marketplace of Tabríz we can see again the sacrifice of all the Prophets. We know the forty years in the wilderness, the burden borne by Moses, the Law-giver. We stand at the foot of the Cross and note that the rabble cast lots for the clothing of a lordly King—unseeing, unable to perceive the beauty of His radiant Light. We stand, too, beside the Prophet of Arabia who, even in His flight from Mecca to Medina, presaged an age of glory, and whose years of persecution made Him one of the greatly loved Prophetic Figures of the ages.
“The Báb was nobly born. I want you to see Him as a person slight of build, fine of feature. He bore a tranquillity and kingliness unlike common men and was recognized wherever He went as One Who was
Dr. G. A. Borgese, of the University of Chicago, guest speaker at the National Commemorative meeting of the Martyrdom of the Báb.
different. Through His mild influence, raising His hand in quiet and
natural worship He seems to send
forth an almost wordless power at
first that, like a sea of light, begins
to transform His native land. Shaken
to its very depths Persia rises to oppose Him.
“The most striking thing, as we look back upon the life of the Báb, is its likeness to the Prophets gone before Him, and more especially to the life of Christ.
“Jesus promised universality of truth. And so the Báb, who, speaking of the love that every one of these Luminaries bears, said: ‘If all the trees were pens and all the seas were ink it would not suffice to express the love of one of them for the other.’
“One last sign of likeness—the fall of the Roman empire is like the fall of the Qájár dynasty of Persian kings, and all their system with them.
“We who live in the West may build a bridge, a bridge two thousand years long, and step across it into an hour of passion to be succeeded by a fresh victory of eternal truth. Bearing fruits of culture it cannot stop until it spells out the permanent peace that every heart in this noble Temple, and in every Temple, seeks today. ‘It is the hour of unity among the sons of men.’ ”
[Page 7]
The third topic, “A Century of
Spiritual Revival”, assigned to Mr.
William Kenneth Christian, was designed to balance the subject expounded by the first speaker by
showing the significance of the Mission of Bahá’u’lláh and the Bahá’í
teachings and institutions on which
the hope of universal religion and
world order is based.
His address, scholarly and convincing is summarized in the following key passages:
“We live in a world aligned into opposing armed camps.
“In the past fifty years a world revolution has been carried out. This is the revolution in the nature of time and space. The inner and outer life of men and women can never be the same as it has been in the centuries preceding our own. The peoples of the world have been thrust together. We live in one world whether we like it or not.
“We may react to this condition in one of three ways. First, we may concentrate on ourselves. We may try to carry over the methods and institutions of the past and make them fit new conditions. The third way is to build a new world society founded on the principle of unity.
“Bahá’ís know where they are going. Their goal was set a century ago before the present world need became obvious. This goal came into being through the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. It was the Báb who prepared the way.
“Bahá’u’lláh was the only outstanding leader of the Báb’s Faith, who was not mowed down. His forcible exile projected the Faith into the arena of the world.
“A new life is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth .... They that are intoxicated by self-deceit have interposed themselves between it and the Divine and infallible Physician.”
“Bahá’u’lláh spoke with the authority which comes from God. He declared to the nations that the burden of armaments was too grievous a weight for the people. He urged the rulers to meet together and lay the foundations for a world government. The principles, the laws, and the social institutions created by Bahá’u’lláh are for the purpose of building a united world which can provide justice for all its members. The key principle is the oneness of mankind.
“A religious world order, on the grass roots level of society, is taking shape.
“Have you the courage and the vision to take the outstretched hand of Bahá’u’lláh and join with those who are dedicated to building a divine world order of human society?”
The Shrine and Gardens[edit]
At 5:30 p.m., after the public meeting, the believers gathered once more in Temple Foundation Hall.
This meeting, concluding the Centenary program, had been arranged at short notice in order to project the moving picture film which the Guardian had sent from Haifa as one more contribution to the Centenary celebration.
The showing of the films was preceded by the reading of a letter written by Mr. Ben Weeden from Haifa describing the progress of construction work on the Shrine of the Báb. (See the Weeden report in this issue.)
The film, a composite of numerous selected views, created as a whole an intensely interesting picture of the Shrines and gardens at the Bahá’í World Center — the Guardian’s own project carried out at the spiritual heart of the Faith.
It is not possible to reproduce these vivid photographic scenes in words. For the Bahá’ís present it was no less an experience than a psychic transportation to Haifa and ‘Akká to see with their own eyes what has been done since the days of the Master to glorify the remains of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, the Master and members of the Holy Family, and prepare the way for the building of the international institutions of the Faith to be centered in that holy region. The power of the Guardianship, his vision, his superhuman toil, was realized as seldom before.
The final note was also sounded by Shoghi Effendi in the reading of his cablegram addressed to the believers through all National Spiritual Assemblies, announcing the termination of the initial step of construction of the “domed structure designed (to) embellish (and) preserve (the) Báb’s sepulchre on Mount Carmel.”
“The hour (is) ripe,” the message continued, (to) undertake (the) preliminaries (for the) erection (of the) octagonal first unit (of the) superstructure...
“(I appeal (to) entire body (of) believers (to) seize (this) priceless opportunity (to) stimulate (the) unfoldment (of) this process through generous, sustained contributions (for the) furtherance (of an) enterprise transcending any national institution whether Ḥaẓíra or Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, reared (in the) past or (in) process (of) construction.
“The hour (is) propitious .... (to) repay part (of the) infinite debt (of) gratitude owed its martyrs, through hastening (the) conclusion (of the) holiest enterprise since (the) dawn (of the) Revelation....”*
Thus for the believers this Centenary is not merely a recalling, no matter how reverently, of a great Event which took place one hundred years ago: it is an occasion on which we are challenged to carry forward the work of an ever-living and Divine Faith.
Centenary Pamphlets[edit]
Since this description is intended to record all elements of the Centenary as observed nationally by the American Bahá’ís, reference is made to the two pamphlets published recently as Centenary literature.
The first publication is The Martyr-Prophet of a World Faith by William B. Sears, telling the story of the Báb for a western public.
The second publication is the world survey compiled by the Guardian with data reporting the spread of the Faith from 1844 to 1950, entitled The Bahá’í Faith—1844-1950.
*This cable, dated July 7th at Haifa, appeared as an insert in July Bahá’í News.
In Memoriam[edit]
- Mrs. Marie Steins, Milwaukee, Wis. 5-10-50
- Mrs. Lida McCarrol, Flint, Mich. 5-31-50
- Miss Peggy Brooks, West Englewood, N.J. 6-12-50
- Mr. Charles Whittenbaugh, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 5-27-50
- Mrs. Georgia Ralston, San Francisco, Calif. 6-14-50
- Mrs. P. L. Reed, Los Angeles, Calif. 6-20-50
- Mr. A. Frank Hoffman, Cincinnati, Ohio 5-24-50
“Knowledge is one of the greatest benefits of God. To acquire knowledge is incumbent on all.”
European Teaching Conference Plans Announced[edit]
Our European goal-countries are in the throes of preparation for the Third European Teaching Conference to be held at the International High School in Elsinor, near Copenhagen, from Monday, July 24, to Thursday night, July 27, and to be followed immediately by the First European Teaching Committee Summer School opening Friday morning, July 28 and finishing Sunday evening, July 30. The translation Committees in the different countries have been working hard on the translation of the Conference Book and to get the key-note addresses and the Summer School material ready in the different languages. It is felt that this preparatory work is a considerable advantage and will greatly facilitate the discussion and bring forth a more thorough and satisfactory consultation.
A Unity banquet will be held at the International School on Wednesday, followed by a Fellowship evening during which, in addition to hearing the representatives from the different countries, the friends will have the privilege to hear some of the rare few older Bahá’ís attending the Conference who personally knew and met the beloved Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, such as Corinne True, Laura Barney and Mason Remey. Moving pictures of the Geneva and Brussels Conferences and of other Bahá’í occasions will also be shown.
The arrangement for the Public meeting on July 27 will call for a departure by motor-coach Thursday noon for Copenhagen which will allow an hour’s sightseeing in the city before going to the Garden-Tea as guests of Mme. Deleuran. The group will then be taken from Hellerup by boat through some of the canals to the National Museum in Copenhagen where the public meeting will be held at 8 P.M. The return to Elsinor after the meeting will be made by motor-coach.
The Summer School immediately following will concentrate on the following subjects: Administration, the Covenant and Teaching. Workshop techniques will be used to deepen the knowledge and render the teaching activities more effective and fruitful, enabling the believers to attract and prepare applicants more effectively and to produce communities better qualified to act with unity, courage and understanding.
All classes of the European Bahá’í Summer School will be held at the International People’s College in Elsinor. It is significant that Martha Root, described by the Guardian as the “archetype” of Bahá’í Itinerant Teachers, has, in past years, attended this institute and given several talks there.
The last evening, Sunday, will be devoted to “Goals Ahead,” at which time the Conference will be summarized and the essential objectives and goals ahead thoroughly engraved in the hearts and minds of all participants, so that, returning home, they will be able to mirror forth and reflect a true spirit of maturity and inspire all those with whom they come in contact.
A large attendance is expected at the Copenhagen Conference. Two Committee members: the Chairman, Edna True, and Dr. Katherine True have sailed to Europe on June 27 with their mother, Mrs. Corrine True. Other believers attending the Conference and assisting in the teaching work of some of the goal countries include: Mildred and Rafi Mottahedeh and their children Peri and Roy, Beatrice Ashton, Katherine McLaughlin and her daughter, Walter Deppe, Eva Mae Barrow, Ruth and Bishop Brown and Charlotte Linfoot.
The intensive work in preparation for the Third European Teaching Conference has in no way interfered
Workman trucking cast stone into the Temple.
[Page 9]
with the activity and steady progress of the local and regional extension work in the different countries. A steady increase of declarations has been flowing into the ETC
office; as latest: 2 new believers in
Naples, making nine, thereby enabling a Spiritual Assembly to be established there on April 21 next; two
enrollment cards from Florence,
Italy, (this community will now also
be able to form a Spiritual Assembly next April); 7 new believers in
Copenhagen, increasing the community to 30 believers! From Switzerland: “Four Spiritual Assemblies,
four groups and one isolated believer—showing nine flags on the
map of Switzerland!” From Luxembourg: “An indication of the interest
of these devoted friends is the fact
that almost the entire community
have made reservations to be present at the Copenhagen European
Teaching Conference and Summer
School.” Belgium has published its
first monthly Bahá’í Newsletter reflecting their intensive activity and
spirit of initiative.
The Committee has asked Rita Van Sombeek to serve as a full time pioneer when she returns to Europe the last of August. Her past experiences should make her very valuable in the European Teaching field.
As a matter of record we would like to report that 4 Bahá’í marriages so far have taken place in Switzerland:
Hubert Matthias and Louise Baker were married in Bern, June 11, 1948; Friedrich Schár and Olga Spreng were married in Bern, July 9, 1948; Manutcher Bahi and Renée Vuichet were married in Geneva in 1949; Dr. Manutcher Zabih and Margot Gfrörer were married in Basle, April 2, 1950.
“O Son of Spirit!
“There is no peace for thee save by renouncing thyself and turning unto Me; for it behoveth thee to glory in My name, not in thine own; to put thy trust in Me and not in thyself, since I desire to be loved alone and above all that is.”
Inter-America Work Moves Forward[edit]
The Inter-America Committee is happy to announce that Mrs. Dorothy Campbell, Miss Lydia Martin, and Dr. Sarah Pereira have arrived on Latin soil and are taking up their summer task of holding Conference Institutes in Mexico and neighboring countries. Miss Evelyn Larson will join them in a few days; Mrs. Katherine McLaughlin plans to spend part of July and August in Jamaica, and Mrs. Ruth Blackwell expects to immediately take up a five month post in Haiti. This bevy of pioneers bids fair to set on fire the northern area with the “heat of the Covenant” which, with lessons prepared for a more prolonged study of the Institutions of the Faith, will provide the springboard for a year of study and attraction.
The Committee would like to share with the friends in brief an outline of the teaching plan for the year in Latin America. The emphasis follows three seasons, and moves from deepening of the existing group to fireside attraction and finally a public campaign, without a lessening at any point of the deepening and preparatory process begun.
Summary[edit]
- August Institutes.
- Materials and Basis.
- North American Institute Book and additional preparatory material, designed to produce enthusiasm for, and understanding of their fulfillment in the election of twin National Institutions in April.
- Basis of selections and classes, the statement of Shoghi Effendi, April 19, 1949: “After all, the paramount duty of deepening the spiritual life of these newly fledged, these precious and highly esteemed co-workers, and of enlightening their minds, regarding the essential verities enshrined in their Faith, its fundamental institutions, its history and genesis—the twin Covenants of Bahá’u’lláh and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the present administrative Order, the future World Order, the Laws of the Most Holy Book, the inseparable institutions of the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice, the salient events of the Heroic and Formative Ages of the Faith, and its relationship to the Dispensations that have preceded it, its attitude toward the social and political organizations by which it is surrounded—must continue to constitute the most vital aspect of the great spiritual crusade launched by the champions of their sister Republics in the south.”
- Divisions of the conference material for presentation:
- Introduction; Teaching in the Divine Plan.
- The Major Covenant of God.
- The Laws and Institutions of the Most Holy Book.
- The Twin Covenants of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
- The World Order, Present and Future.
- Your National Spiritual Assembly and Its Convention.
A teachers’ conference was held in Panama, May 23-25, to study and discuss the presentation of these subjects in the summer conferences. Those attending were Mrs. Cora Oliver, Miss Elisabeth Cheney, Mrs. Sheila Rice-Wray, Mrs. Louise Caswell, Mrs. Ruth Fendell, Mrs. Natalia Chavez, Mrs. Blanca de Campos, Mr. Manuel Gorgas, Mr. Larry Kramer, and Mrs. Dorothy Baker. The Inter-America Committee hopes to conduct conferences with all future outgoing pioneers to discuss not only the essential points of these presentations, but also existing problems and backgrounds.
- Materials and Basis.
- The Panel of present and immediate pioneers:
South America:
- Venezuela: Katherine Meyer, Gayle Woolson, Dorothy Campbell.
- Colombia: Gayle Woolson, Elise Shreiber, Dorothy Campbell.
- Ecuador: Blanca de Campos.
- Bolivia: Sheila Rice-Wray.
- Paraguay: Sheila Rice-Wray, Eduardo Gonzales.
- Peru: Eve Nicklin, Esteban Canales.
- Chile: Alexander Reid.
- Uruguay: Mr. and Mrs. Rangvald Taetz.
- Argentina: Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Miessler.
- Brasil: Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Miessler, Margot Miessler, Robert Miessler, Mrs. Leonora Armstrong, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Worley, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Mencken, Mr. and Mrs. Sylbert Holmes.
Central America and the Antilles:
- Mexico: Larry Kramer, Sarah Pereira, Lydia Martin, Evelyn Larson.
- Guatemala and Salvador: Natalia Chavez, Dorothy Campbell, Maria Riviera.
- Honduras: Antonio Bonilla, Marcia Stewart.
- Nicaragua: Katherine Cole, Larry Kramer.
- Costa Rica: Louise Caswell, Antonio Bonilla.
- Panama: Cora Oliver, Elisabeth Cheney, Raquel Francois.
- Cuba: Ruth Moffett, Jean Silver.
- Jamaica: Katherine McLaughlin, Malcolm King.
- Haiti: Ruth Blackwell, Matthew Bullock, Amelie Bates.
- Dominican Republic: Elena Marcella.
Fall[edit]
- Deepening Classes.
- Institute material in detail, with questions. (Material in preparation in Panama.)
- Fireside Stimulation Campaign.
- Stimulating Letters from CEBMA and CEBSA; locally chosen teachers in addition to pioneers.
- Courses supplied, combining the NEW APPROACH TO BAHÁ’U’LLÁH AND THE NEW ERA (North American) and the course by Mrs. Natalia Chavez. (Now in preparation in Lima, Peru.)
Winter[edit]
- January Institutes. These will be week-end meetings, not lengthy like the summer conferences and will provide city-by-city intensive training for election and conduct of a National Spiritual Assembly and the conduct of a Convention. (Material to be supplied by the National Assembly of the United States.)
- Winter deepening classes with brief question outlines for the two new books released, GOD PASSES BY and BAHÁ’Í WORLD COMMUNITY.
- Preparation for membership, with new outlines for WILL AND TESTAMENT, DISPENSATION OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.
- Public event honoring World Religion Day. (Locally planned and conducted.)
- Public campaign, country-by-country, conducted by carefully chosen North American Itinerants.
- Radio campaigns, (locally conducted.)
The committee believes that it
should act on the principle of sending North American pioneers with
the expectancy of remaining at least
one year after the election of the
National Assemblies, with the hope
that self-sustaining positions can be
obtained after the first year.
Enrollments[edit]
Enrollments reported by Local Spiritual Assemblies:
CALIF., El Monte Twp. 2; Fresno 1; Los Angeles 1; CONN., New Haven 1; DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 1; ILL., Chicago 5; Maywood 1; MD., Baltimore 1; MASS., Boston 1; MICH., Lansing 1; NEW YORK, New York City 1; WASH., Seattle 1; WIS., Milwaukee 1; YOUTH 3.
Enrollments reported by Regional Teaching Committees:
NORTHEASTERN STATES
- Conn. So. New York 2
CENTRAL STATES
- Kan., Mo., Nebr. 1
- Wis. 1
- Mich., 1 and 1 Youth
WESTERN STATES
- Ore. 2 and 1 Youth
- So. Calif. 3
- Alaska 1
- Ariz. 1 Youth
- No. Calif., Nev. 1
SOUTHERN STATES
- E. Division
- Del., Md., Dist. of Columbia 1
- W. Division
- Ark., Okla 1
- Texas 1
TOTALS:
- Adults, 33
- Youth, 6
Centenary of the Báb[edit]
Chicago Broadcast July 8th, 3:15 to 8:30 over NBC’s local outlet WMAQ.
Through the assistance of Howard Keegan (who directed our 1944 Centenary broadcast over WCFL) we were given this time over the NBC station.
Miss Judith Waller, head of Public Affairs and Education for the National Broadcasting Company, read the script carefully and arranged for the time.
|
Bahá’í Addresses
National Office:
Treasurer’s Office: 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. Make Checks Payable to:
National Bahá’í Fund Bahá’í Publishing Committee:
Make checks for books and pamphlets payable to: Bahá’í Publishing Committee
Bahá’í News Editorial Office:
|
We asked Howard Keegan to do the narration himself, but upon the receipt of the script he called saying he didn’t feel he was good enough and that he had taken the liberty of asking “one of the top-notch men of NBC, Arthur Peterson” to do it for us. Mr. Keegan suggested the background music from “The Seven Last Words” of Christ, which was beautifully done by the staff organist.
(This very background music permitted us to explain our conception of the “oneness of the prophets” to the director of the program and the organist.)
All those taking part, which included the director of the program, the announcer, organist and reader were tremendously moved and impressed. The reader, Arthur Peterson, could scarcely talk when we thanked him afterwards, and he said very reverently: “It was a privilege.”
Boxed announcements of the broadcast “BAHÁ’Í CENTENARY OF A MARTYRED-PROPHET” were in the radio columns of the four Chicago Metropolitan papers. (These and the Chicago publicity have been turned over to Richard McCurdy.) The four Chicago Metropolitan papers and the Chicago Defender carried write-ups of the Sunday meeting.
Another bit of radio activity was the recording of the story of the martyrdom of the Báb, by a group of Bahá’ís and this recording was broadcast over the Kenosha, Wisconsin station WLIP on Monday evening, July 10th at 6:15. The Kenosha friends told us that the station management was very pleased with the recording when it was run beforehand and no doubt we will have more to report about this later.
Those taking part were: Alan McCormick, Larry LaRocque, Rouallah Zagapur, Milton Heath and Bernice Buettner.
Let’s Be Practical![edit]
From Bahá’í News Bulletin published by the NSA of the Bahá’ís of Australia and New Zealand, February, 1950, No. 23.
(The following is the body of a paper prepared by Mr. Bertram Dewing and delivered at one of the sessions of the fourteenth Yerrinbool Summer School.)
On the grounds that it is being practical, errors in behaviour are often made by one believer to another. No matter how stoutly the claim to be impersonal might be, these errors remain what they are—backbiting, unkind criticism, hasty judgment due to anticipating insincere motives and not knowing the facts, personal prejudice and all the rest.
The very characteristic in a fellow believer that we do not like, is the very one, quite likely, that enables him or her to do their best work.
Would you have an American behave like an Oxford Don, or an Englishman gesticulate like a Frenchman, or the Frenchman become staid like a Dutchman? They would all become ineffective.
And so it is with personality. The one who is slow to “cotton on” to a point, thus holding things up in an assembly meeting, may be extra sound in judgment when given time, and have a highly retentive memory. The not-very-clever one may have an extra spiritualising influence on the rest of the community.
The mercuric, illogical artistic type would be unable to produce works of art or think up ideas if he was as matter-of-fact as a stock broker, as some think he should be.
The emotional type will frequently do valuable work that the dignified one will never attempt. These people can often work longer and faster than ordinary people. They are worth their weight in gold. They seem to live on their nerves and do not spare themselves.
The Bahá’í Faith teaches quite definitely — no criticism. So why criticise?
Remember:
- Most Bahá’ís are doing the best and the one you are criticising probably is trying the hardest of all.
- Could you do better or as much?
- Criticism dries up the fountain of endeavour. Show love and suggest kindly — start off politely, “Don’t you think ...” or “May I suggest ...” Rudeness belongs to the outside political world, not within a Bahá’í gathering. Most Bahá’ís — in fact I have yet to meet one who is not — are willing to learn, improve methods, or accept constructive criticism if approached the right way.
- And do not be in too big a hurry to change things. Remember committees and believers as individuals give great thought, perhaps over a period of years, to their work and many things are apparent to them that are not apparent to outsiders. Methods suit temperaments too, so be cautious or you might throw them off balance.
- The worker MUST make mistakes.
- Why are you not making some mistakes of your own? Get busy, do what the Guardian says that Bahá’ís in these parts must do — teach more — and then you will find the other fellow’s mistakes are not so important after all. You may not even notice them.
- Time taken up with criticism means that much time wasted that could otherwise be used in constructive planning.
- Criticism, like jealousy or suspicion, when practiced repeatedly, becomes a definite mental disease. It grows with practice and the person afflicted with it — this very practical person — is in a most unhappy frame of mind and usually shows it. To begin with, no one likes the over-critical who see in every person and in every situation only the bad and the incorrect. Learn to watch your own mental reactions.
Yes! Let’s be practical!
And who are the practical people in the world? If the stoutest claimants are the ones, they are the politicians, the military leaders, and all who dispense with the teachings of the Prophets. Was Jesus a practical man by their standards?
Study the life of Muḥammed and you will see how the Holy Prophet conceded when the practical ones said “Stand firm,” and He stood firm when these same ones said: “Be cautious!” His greatest successes invariably followed these episodes. After conceding every point at the signing of the Treaty of Uddabiyyah with the Meccans, He was faced with the unanimous revolt of his indignant followers who left Him to lead prayers alone. Later, when this same treaty resulted in vast numbers of new converts, they were forced to admit they were wrong.
And Bahá’u’lláh? Was He being practical when He left His most precious family in the care of His arch-enemy Subhi Azel and disappeared into the wilderness of Sulhimaniyyah? Nor was it very practical by material standards to reject the attractive offer of sanctuary by the Russian minister thus choosing to remain with His persecuted followers.
To these and countless other episodes may be added those of a similar nature in the lives of the Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Yet the courses of action taken by them is proof of their spiritual station.
The fruit of consultation and collective thought is often just this type of guidance. Pause, therefore, before criticising administrative decisions because the collective wisdom is bound to be greater than the wisdom of one, and who dare say: “My wisdom is greater than theirs, I know better?”
And the facts? What makes you think the facts upon which you base your decision to criticise, are complete?
Forgive the use of the second person, but this concerns the lifeblood of progress in the Faith and the use of this pronoun makes emphasis easier. Absence of right to criticise does not mean absence of right to suggest, comment, or question. It is what is in the heart that counts with God.
Let us concern ourselves with the broad vision and the rest will follow.
wishes to know whether one of the prayers used for the departed is to be read only when those present are all Bahá’ís, or whether its use is unrestricted like other texts. This is the prayer appearing on pages 70, 71 and 72 of Bahá’í Prayers.”
Two Important Pamphlets[edit]
The Bahá’í Faith, 1844-1950; Information Statistical and comparative, compiled by Shoghi Effendi. This 36-page pamphlet is a mine of information about the history and growth of the Faith. Believers will find it handy for quick, personal reference. This would also make an excellent item to present to public and college libraries. Per copy $.25.
The Martyr-Prophet of a World Faith is a new pamphlet written by William B. Sears for the Centenary of the Báb’s Martyrdom. This is a dramatic telling of the story of the life of the Báb. Twenty pages with stiff cover. Per copy $.15; for orders of 50 copies or more, the cost is $.10 per copy.
Memorial Contributions June 1950[edit]
- A. Allen, Dr. William Young; Ashley, Della Gust; Ashley, John Pritchard.
- B. Báb, The; Benedict, Carrie E.; Benedict, Sewell; Braun, Conrad; Braun, Elizabeth; Brooks, Peggy.
- C. Coney, M. R.
- D. Davis, Thos. Gunning; Dobbins, Joy Rose.
- E. Elfenbein, Celia; Elfenbein, Samuel.
- F. Fieldman, Solon.
- G. Gibis, Vincent A.; Guinzburg, Mamie; Guinzburg, William.
- H. Hansen, Hans P.; Harris, A. O.; Heiskall, Rolland; Haensel, William B., Sr.
- I. Ioas, Charles; Ives, Howard Colby.
- J. Johnson, Joseph.
- K. Kasab, Mathew; Kelsey, Mr. Edward E.; Kelsey, Mrs. Edward E.; Kragness, John; Kuhlman, George.
- M. Mair, Mrs. Mathilde; Martlin, Isaac B.; Matthison, Mrs. Hanna; Maxfield, Mrs. Helene Bagg; Miller, Lester R.; Morgan, Charles L.; Movius, Mrs. Mary Rumsey; Myers, Edward A.
- Mc. McConaughy, Henry; McFarland, H. F.; McFarland, Ona P.
- R. Roberts, Faye; Robinson, Marion E.; Rodgers, Alice; Rowland, Ezra Augustine.
- S. Sawyer, Joseph Jefferson; Schott, Mary Lois; Seiner, Mrs. Helene; Simpson, Euclid G.; Stearns, John; Stern, Sydney.
- T. Thrum, Thomas G.
- U. Ullrich, Mrs. W. E.
- V. de Vere, Adrienne.
- W. Watson, Evelyn; Westerman, Mrs. Corinne; Wigfall family; Wittenbaugh, Charles; Wright, Henry Otto.
CORRECTION
Mrs. Kaisar Sarosh Irani (previously listed as Mrs. Xaisar Sarosh Irani.)
Contributions from Assemblies for the Month of June, 1950[edit]
Alaska — Anchorage. Arizona — North Phoenix, Phoenix, Tucson. Arkansas — Eureka Springs, Little Rock. California — Alhambra, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Escondido Twp., Fresno, Glendale, Glendale Twp., Inglewood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monrovia, Monrovia Twp., Oakland, Oceanside, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica.
Colorado — Colorado Springs, Denver. Connecticut — Greenwich, New Haven. Dist. of Columbia — Washington. Florida — Jacksonville, Miami. Georgia — Atlanta, Augusta. Hawaii — Honolulu, Maui. Idaho — Ada County, Boise. Illinois — Batavia, Champaign, Chicago, Danville, Evanston, Maywood, Oak Park, Peoria, Springfield, Urbana, Wilmette, Winnetka.
Indiana — Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend. Iowa — Cedar Rapids, Waterloo. Kansas — Topeka. Louisiana — New Orleans. Maine — Eliot, Portland. Maryland — Baltimore. Massachusetts — Beverly, Boston, Springfield. Michigan — Ann Arbor, Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Muskegon.
|
Bahá’í News is published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States as the official news-letter of the Bahá’í Community. Edited for the National Spiritual Assembly by Bahá’í News Editorial Committee: Mrs. Roberta Christian, chairman, Mr. Richard Nolen, Mr. Gordon A. Fraser, Editorial office: Mrs. Roberta Christian, 1001 West Genesee St., Lansing, Mich. Please report changes of address and other matters pertaining to distribution to the Bahá’í National Office, 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, Illinois. |
Minnesota — Duluth, Minneapolis, St. Paul. Mississippi — Jackson. Missouri — Independence, Kansas City, St. Louis. Montana — Great Falls. Nebraska — Macy, Omaha. Nevada — Reno. New Jersey — Dumont, East Orange, Englewood, Jersey City, Newark, Ridgewood, Teaneck. New Mexico — Albuquerque. New York — Binghamton, Buffalo, Geneva, Jamestown, Mount Vernon, New York, Rochester Syracuse, Waterloo, Yonkers.
North Carolina — Greensboro. North Dakota — Fargo. Ohio — Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lima, Toledo. Oklahoma — Oklahoma City. Oregon — Astoria, Portland. Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, Scranton, West Chester. Rhode Island — Providence. South Carolina — Greenville, Columbia. South Dakota — Sioux Falls. Tennessee — Memphis, Nashville. Texas — Houston, San Antonio.
Utah — Salt Lake City. Vermont — Brattleboro. Virginia — Alexandria, Arlington. Washington — Kirkland, Monroe, Richmond Highlands, Seattle, Spokane. West Virginia — Charleston. Wisconsin — Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, Shorewood (May and June), Somers Twp., Wauwatosa. Wyoming — Laramie.
Total number of Assemblies | 167 |
Assemblies contributing | 142 |
Assemblies not contributing | 25 |
Groups contributing | 55 |
Individuals contributing | 155 |
Special contributions:
- Bahá’í Congress in Peru.
- NSA of Bahá’ís of Australia & New Zealand.
- Bahá’í Assembly of City of Adelaide, Australia.
- Madison Bahá’í Children’s Garden.
| Guardian | |
Bahá’í Funeral Service | 1 |
“Confident Exemplary Loyalty” | 1 |
Bahá’ís and Military Draft | 4 |
Calendar | 3 |
Centenary of Martyrdom of Báb | 5 |
Chicago Centenary Broadcast | 10 |
Children’s Scripts Available | 4 |
Contributions from Assemblies | 12 |
Enrollments | 10 |
European Conference Plans | 8 |
Home Front | 3 |
In Memoriam | 7 |
Inter-America | 9 |
“Let’s Be Practical” | 11 |
Memorial Contributions for June | 12 |
New Editorial Committee | 4 |
Pictures |
|
Believers leaving Temple | 3 |
Dr. G. A. Borgese | 6 |
Shrine Progress | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
Temple Construction | 4, 8 |
Publishing |
|
Life Eternal copies | 3 |
Two Important Pamphlets | 12 |
Report Centenary Programs | 4 |
Shrine Construction Report | 1 |
The Light of Unity[edit]
“The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship ... So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.”
