Bahá’í News/Issue 248/Text
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| BAHÁ’Í NEWS |
| Bahá’ís of the United States |
| NO. 248 | BAHÁ’Í YEAR 108 | OCTOBER, 1951 |
Messages from the Guardian[edit]
[edit]
Announce (to) National Assemblies (of) East (and) West (that) hallowed, historic enterprise which posterity will hail (as) most befitting tribute by present generation (of) builders (of) embryonic World Order (of) Bahá’u’lláh (in) memory (of the) Prophet-Herald (of) Bahá’í Dispensation (is) now entering new stage (of) development presaging (the) approaching year (of) final consummation.
Owing (to) magnitude (of) task undertaken, manifold responsibilities already shouldered (by) Bahá’í communities (of) East (and) West, no further step beyond construction (of) Arcade, erection (of) crowning Parapet (was) originally envisaged. Sudden unexpected worsening (of) international situation, necessity (to) effect economy, exigencies attending rise (of) World Administrative Center (of) Faith impelled me subsequently (to) place contract (in) Italy (for) provision (of) stones required (for) both Octagon (and) Dome, leaving resumption (of) construction work (to) indefinite future date.
Am now encouraged, owing response (to) recent call, (to) take eagerly anticipated decision (to) commence Octagon, first major unit (of) superstructure (of) sacred stately Edifice designed (to) support Drum (and) pave way (for) erection (of) Dome, last remaining unit (of) entire enterprise. Contract (of) approximately thirty thousand dollars (has) just (been) placed (in) Holy Land for construction (of) Octagon including eight Pinnacles, following completion (of) structural work commenced last June.
Further consignment hundred twenty tons, comprising lower part (of) Octagon (and) Pinnacles, four completed Facades, Door, Window Frames (have) arrived (at) Port (of) Haifa.
Invite valiant co-sharers (in) Holy Enterprise join me (in) prayers (for) its uninterrupted prosecution, (in) speedy fulfilment (of) hopes cherished (by) both Bahá’u’lláh (and) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (for) glorification (of) eternal restingplace (of) Primal Point (in) bosom (of) God’s Holy Mountain.
Haifa, Israel,
August 24, 1951.
A Most Blessed Privilege[edit]
There can be no more blessed privilege on earth today than an invitation from the Guardian of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh to join him in prayers for the “uninterrupted prosecution” of the construction of the Shrine of the Báb. For his prayers and meditation are the world’s sole link with the Manifestation of God, the sole source of protection, and the sole agency for the operation of divine guidance.
In this cablegram Shoghi Effendi explains again his original intention of suspending construction with the Arcade and Parapet. But now, encouraged by the flow of funds, he had been able to place a contract to construct the Octagon and Pinnacles. Meanwhile, the contracts for stones placed in Italy are going forward. The cost of these contracts in Italy is being met by the National Spiritual Assembly from contributions made under the new plan of Resolves.
In a time of “unexpected worsening of the international situation” it is miraculous to witness this assertion of indomitable will, this challenge of a new creation to the old order in dire straits. Now is the period of our uttermost self-sacrifice, the heart’s blood poured forth by the Bahá’ís to assure the ultimate triumph of a Faith more loved than our own life.
The Guardian Appeals to Entire Community[edit]
“Delighted (with) progress (of) manifold undertakings. Appeal to entire community (to) rise (to) heights (of) occasion (and) insure complete, glorious success.”
Haifa, Israel
September 11, 1951
This message from the revered Guardian in his gracious but forceful response to a cablegram sent him
by the National Spiritual Assembly during its August-September meeting. In that cable the Assembly reported plans for the beginning of work on the Temple
landscape design submitted by Mr. Hilbert Dahl and
approved by the Guardian. At the same time the Assembly felt it necessary to advise Shoghi Effendi that
an appeal was being sent to every American Bahá’í to
maintain uninterrupted work on the vital current projects.
Here, then, in a few words the spiritual authority and power of the Head of the Faith addresses itself to the Bahá’í community and associates itself with the appeal and explanation issued to individual Bahá’ís on September 7.
Those who in spirit and in action responded to the National Spiritual Assembly in an hour of urgent need,—let them find inexpressible joy in the realization that they thereby demonstrate their love for the Faith and in that love are among the companions of the Lord of the Age.
The Time of Testing[edit]
Dear friends:
As the shadows of world peril deepen, the light of faith can shine with a braver and brighter flame. In the darkness of chaos, men without faith think of themselves. Men with faith cherish the God-given light and hold it high for the help of those in darkness.
Faith is a gift from God. If the gift is not appreciated and used, it is taken away. The light of faith must be actively fed.
Men without faith act blindly and with no responsibility to others. Men with faith have the responsibility of lighting the lives of others. To do this, the selfishness of fear must be replaced by active courage and sacrifice.
Those who received the light of faith from the Báb knew that everything in life belonged to God. For God is the All-Possessing. They willingly gave everything for His sake. For God is the Best Beloved. They knew that money and possessions had their highest value in service to Him. For God is the Giver, the Source of all life.
The light of faith is given from one man to another only through sacrifice. The Báb gave His life. The Dawn-Breakers gave all they had, even their lives, in the path of service to the Beloved. Bahá’u’lláh suffered humiliation, imprisonment and exile. For four generations Bahá’ís walked the path of sacrifice. Their strength came from God Whom they loved above all else. They kept alive the light of faith and enkindled others through sacrifice. Every hour and every day their faith was tested. For only the strong and the stout of heart can carry the light of faith.
To us this gift of faith has come, when the darkness of men’s evil makes the way most difficult. While hatred spreads, we are asked to draw together in love. A world—skeptical, sick and doubtful—watches us to see if our faith is real. When we complete the structure of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order, men will know that our faith is not mere words. They will know that our faith is greater than life itself. They will know that it is redemption from evil and salvation from self.
Our Temple is not a light hid under a bushel, but a beacon of hope enflaming the sky. The Shrine of the Báb is not a mere structure, but a center of power.
And now the time of testing has come. While men lose themselves in hatred and forgetfulness, how will you act? Can you stand with Bahá’u’lláh against scorn and skepticism? Can you share Bahá’u’lláh’s vision against the expediency of the moment? Can you scorn comfort as He did? Can you so act that before God and men it may be said: A Bahá’í so loves God that he acts constantly in faith for the salvation of all men.
The world plunges toward destruction. Yet, in every part of the globe the Faith strides ahead. The World Center in Haifa increases daily in significance. The Temple attracts thousands. Everywhere, more attention turns to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. The threat of war requires that we speed up our achievements. The American Bahá’ís stand in a special position. Now is the time of our testing. Is our love of Bahá’u’lláh deep enough to meet unexpected opportunities?
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Memorial Gathering in Honor of Louis G. Gregory[edit]
In Shoghi Effendi’s message concerning Mr. Gregory, he stated: “Advise hold Memorial gathering (in) Temple (in) token recognition (his) unique position, outstanding services.”
The friends are informed that a Memorial gathering will be held in the Bahá’í House of Worship, Saturday evening, November 24th, at 8:00 pm. This meeting is a national Bahá’í observance, and all Bahá’ís who can do so are invited to be present. Non-Bahá’í friends of Mr. Gregory are very welcome to join in this tribute.
The Day of the Covenant[edit]
For observance of the Anniversary on November 26 which commemorates ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as Center of the Covenant, the National Spiritual Assembly suggests that the occasion be made a fruitful opportunity for deepening the understanding of Bahá’ís. To accomplish this purpose of a renewed and reverent study of the meaning of the Covenant, selected passages from the Will and Testament can be read and pondered, with other suitable texts such as the Testament of Bahá’u’lláh, the Tablet of the Branch, and the Master’s exposition of His Station.
To attain more insight into the sublime Life and Ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as it is delineated by the Guardian in “God Passes By”, will fulfil the unique privilege offered believers by this Anniversary.
On Sending Material for Bahá’í News[edit]
The Editorial Committee feels responsible for producing a monthly news letter thoroughly representative of the plans and activities of an international community, and for completing the printing of each successive number for distribution to the believers on a regular schedule.
The two essential points to consider are: while personal and local items must give way to the more important matters now emerging, the Committee points out that any activity or program, local or regional, which illustrates some new and interesting method of public teaching or public contact, may have far more than merely local interest. Assemblies are therefore requested to submit stories of such incidents, with or without photographs, and such material will be used to the fullest possible extent. National Committees are requested to explore the news possibilities of their work, particularly when original and striking methods are used or unusually successful results achieved.
The second point is that to meet our schedule, material must be submitted by the first of the month preceding publication.
National Bahá’í Administrative Headquarters, 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, Illinois.
National Treasurer, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois.
Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois.
Bahá’í News Editorial Office—see notice elsewhere in this issue.
The International Archives[edit]
The article written by Ruhíyyih Khanum, originally published in a 1937 issue of Bahá’í Youth Magazine, has likewise been reprinted in Canadian Bahá’í News for June, 1951. The theme is so majestic, the message so moving, that the National Spiritual Assembly has desired its further circulation among American Bahá’ís through the medium of Bahá’í News.
In this article we have one more inspiring glimpse of the spiritual treasure which the World Center offers to a needy world.
If one could have walked into a museum of the authentic relics of the days and life of Christ, what would
it have meant to the Christian believers? If they had
seen His sandals, dusty from the road between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, or the mantle that hung from
His shoulders—or the cloth that protected His head from
the sun; what atmosphere of assurance, of wonder,
even of adoration would have stirred the inheritors of
His Faith. If their eyes could have rested on even one
fragmentary line penned by His hand....
To most of the people of the world the meaning of such things is beyond their imagining; but to Bahá’ís, believers in the newest Revelation of God’s Will as yet revealed to unfolding mankind upon this planet, this inestimable privilege has been vouchsafed. An iron door swings open upon Mount Carmel and we enter the International Archives of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. A modest series of rooms adjoining the resting place of the Báb, greet us. Framed tablets seem at first glance to be this room’s distinguishing adornment; they stand about and are displayed in cases; we are told these are originals in the writing of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Here is a brief message of Bahá’u’lláh addressing His son: “O thou who art the apple of mine eye”!; here are the tablets of both her father and brother to Bahíyyih Khanum. We glance closer and slowly, unbelievably, the reality of what they are penetrates. This is the exquisite penmanship, in the shikastih script, of the Báb, the fine flow of perfectly formed letters are upon a marvelously illuminated background; flames, golden clouds surround them till the design of their script takes form in a feather, gourd or sunset in brilliant flowers with borders in symmetrical designs, resting on backgrounds of burning blue, green and red. All the famed beauty of the Persian illuminated manuscript frames, one after another, those simple black-ink words. Then, as we gaze, charmed by the beauty, marvelling at the penmanship, we begin to realize that the hand of a Revelator of God’s Will and Laws to mankind, penned those words. That the weight of their import revolutionized the thought of a nation; caused, through the opposition to the onward march of this new step in human progress the weakening of Islamic institutions; inspired 20,000 men, women and children to drink the cup of martyrdom; established the bedrock on which a world religion could be built.
We pass on to gaze upon the miniature of the Báb; nobility, refinement of being to its utmost perfection, resides in the lines of that quiet figure. His mien is so impressive; all the story of His life comes back to us as described in the narrative of Nabíl, The Dawn-Breakers; the sweetness of His voice chanting prayers,
Oak door with wrought iron grille for the Octagon of the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel.
the gentleness of his ways, the fire of his love for
God, for “Him whom God will make manifest,” for
his fellow-men. The dignity of His bearing which overawed all His enemies—the inexpressible fortitude and
readiness with which He bore banishment, imprisonment and final martyrdom. Like springtide seems to
be everything associated with Him; His youthfulness,
the exquisiteness of His speech and writing, the flamelike
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like quality He inspired into His Faith and followers.
Passing to the adjacent picture we come to gaze upon, ‘Him Whom God will make manifest.’ Our heart has been constricting as slowly we began to be grasped by the magnitude of the relics we are being permitted to see. Now it seems to throb heavily, we feel it beating; we try to feel what we are feeling as we gaze at the photograph of Bahá’u’lláh and remember the description of Professor E. B. Brown: “The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one’s very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow; while the deep lines on the forehead and face implied an age which the jet-black hair and heard flowing down in indistinguishable luxuriance to the waist seemed to belie. No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before One who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh in vain!” What confusion this picture arouses; we remember Who He is to us—we remember His words—words such as have never before been written by any hand—we remember His Revelation’s purpose; the unity of the races of men upon this planet as their home in which they shall live under the benediction of The Most Great Peace. All this from within, and now we must reconcile this inner, more abstract, world of experience with the depicted figure upon which our eyes rest. The two forces clash at first. The human individuality of a Prophet reproduced in a photo is something the spirit of man has never before had to cope with. Here our fond fancies, our personal rovings into the realm of imagination, cease and we gaze at that figure, loved, adored, followed by men as a “Prophet,” down through the centuries, as He was. It is a shock. The personification of divine attributes has always been a mystery to man, but those who came after the ascension of the Prophet could try to adjust or shelve the connection between Godly perfection in a human form, to suit very much their own desires; just imagine it and be perfectly content with their self-made solution. But here is a picture: here are the eyes that gazed into the souls of men, into the secret heart of the problems afflicting them; here the fingers that took pen in hand and revealed the decrees of a Beneficent God to His seeking and Suffering children; here the Figure that paced as He spoke when words rolled from His tongue giving laws for a New World Order of the human race, for the healing of its ailing body and soul. Our imagination stops. We are curtailed by coming face to face with what has been denied everyone except the immediate generation that surrounded a Prophet, of seeing the Form in which the Light became embodied.
Still suffused with shock we cannot yet disentangle and understand, we pass on somewhat dazed. But if the Photograph of Bahá’u’lláh moves and baffles the soul, confounds the reason, when we see some of His tablets we become inwardly impotent. All the torrent of torrential rain, all the weight of light that streams and beats from the sun’s rays, seem expressed in that headlong script; as if no force could withstand it no sheet bear it. Its motion is not stilled by being confined to paper—it moves on and on, the power of those words. All the majesty, the fierce abandon of nature, the magnitude of the cosmos, seems to be symbolized by it, or be but symbols of it. And we still cannot adjust this shock within. “I am a man, and before me is the picture
Completed wrought iron lamposts for the Bahá’í Gardens around the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel.
of a seated man, but he has given life to a dead world
and light to the darkness of our chaos and despair,
how can this be?” We are stupefied.
Passing into the next room, we come to the effects of Bahá’u’lláh. We see his fezes, brocaded; ivory, green, deep red. We see His bedding, quite simple even as that simple room in which He passed away in Bahjí across the Bay. We see even His slippers; these are all little bridges towards the picture of that seated figure; He used them—they are stuff of stuff. We see His comb and remember those words of His, “the comb, too, I have given thee that thou mayest tend My raven locks, and not to wound My throat.” It lies there, a link again between the outer and the inner, the Unknown and Unknowable God who reveals Himself to us through His Manifestation. We see the pen case of Bahá’u’lláh, and can well understand, after gazing at the torrential flow of this table: “at this point the pen broke and the ink gave forth nothing but blackness....” We even see that mirror in its case in which He must have gazed upon His own reflected visage.... “Naught is seen ... in My beauty but His
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Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in Myself
but His Self...”
We then turn to the things associated with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Here a sudden cozy feeling of relief comes to our heart; the Master was always with us, showering left and right His love and kindness, His quick sympathy, His laughter and smiles. Here was a being more tangible, here the perfect man, here the Interpreter and Expounder of that unapproachable power which streamed from Bahá’u’lláh. The West has even found its way to Him; a pair of much used field glasses are among his things, a pair of European summer shoes, even a vocabulary of English-Persian words, with correct English accent annoted by His hand. The warmth of His perfection wraps us ’round and consoles that which has been moved and startled in us by that one glimpse into the face of “Him Whom God will make manifest.” We pass on and come to see at last a pair of spectacles worn by that wife of Bahá’u’lláh who was the Master’s mother; sometimes Bahá’u’lláh used them too. This seems the last straw.... Suddenly life seems much greater than it was before. Its beauty, its privilege enhanced far beyond what mortals dare to dream; all this “wonder” that underlies our universe and lives; all this greatness and glory; all this abandon and beauty of God—so close He lets it come to us that into the form of man, chosen as God’s burning glass, the crucible of His Revelation, He permits and chooses His attributes to abide. “I was a man as other men asleep upon my couch when the breezes of the All Praised were wafted over me,” wrote Bahá’u’lláh.
Foundations for the superstructure of the Báb’s Shrine. Shuttering, in preparation for the pouring of the reinforced concrete, is shown erected on the roof of the original Shrine building. The parapet of the Arcade is seen in the background.
(Aug. 1951)
New work on the Shrine of the Báb. A bridge has been built from the hillside behind the Shrine onto the roof of the building to permit transport of materials. A corner of the parapet of the finished Arcade shows, on the right. (Aug. 1951)
Oh how dear life is to us! How priceless that into a
human form—one of us men—the station, irrevocable,
fixed, seated upon the infinite throne of Prophethood,
should come for a space to dwell and guide us on our
way. The inner and the outer are reconciled; our hearts
are subdued, still stunned, as we leave the archives
by another door than that by which we entered. But
a nearness, a sweet sense of mystery that neither saddens nor appalls, goes with us. We feel prouder to be
men, better to be men, for God allowed our humble
estate to feel the weight of His Perfection.
Can any Faith offer this to the experience of men except that of Bahá’u’lláh?
Haifa, Feb. 1st, 1937.
Removed from Membership[edit]
The American believers are informed that a former member of the Albuquerque Bahá’í Community, Mr. Frank Starr, has renounced his membership in the Bahá’í Community and given his allegiance to a Society which for years has been specifically condemned by the Guardian. In Shoghi Effendi’s words it “will sooner or later come to be regarded as merely one more of those ugly and abortive attempts designed to undermine the foundation, and obscure the purpose of the Administrative Order of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.”
The National Spiritual Assembly reports this incident in order that the friends may be advised. Mr. Starr has been removed from the Bahá’í membership list, and the condition is one where association of Bahá’ís with him ceases.
Remarks of Mr. Alfred P. Shaw, Architect at 1951 Convention[edit]
Being a very bad speaker, certainly not an accomplishment, I have to write a few things down, and the first thing that comes to me is that, although this is essentially a religious gathering, while this may sound material to you, I find that in some religions, and in all religions, possibly, we touch the material things eventually. At any rate, some years ago when we started this project for this interior, one of the most important men connected with original building operation, said to me—he was not a Bahá’í obviously, just a poor fellow in the building business, “Well,” he said, “Al, there is one thing you will find out about these people. They act in business according to their religious professions.”
To all of you, I am sure, as it did to me—but especially to you—this must mean something.
These men who were on the Building or Technical Committee then are not the same as now. Some of them are, and there has been some change. However, the same thing, the same feeling, has been the experience on this project of the interior. There has been a constant interchange of ideas and when the very earnest proponent of some fine personal idea was outvoted, he took it as a part of the general progress and went on to the next problem. And I include the architect in this general description. You can see that they almost made a Christian out of him.
As I may have mentioned when I spoke to this Assembly once before, it is not an easy or natural task to take an achievement such as Louis Bourgeois’s great structure here and complete it. The proper solution demands a homogeneity with another man’s inspiration and his aesthetics. Now, although there have been many discussions with the Technical Committee, the most difficult, and the most important were those at the very beginning of our association, which set the pattern for the character of the interior.
By the nature of the instructions from the Head of your Faith, there were certain aspects of the Bourgeois design which were to be adhered to. There was also the natural architectural need of unity and there were certain details and aesthetics also which, after laying aside a design for some years, even the original architect would very likely have wanted to change. There was also, if I may be permitted to say so, the necessity of the present architect believing in the merit of his own achievement. This very principle my colleagues on the Technical Committee very sympathetically required of me, too.
The resulting open lace-like pattern in stone, organized into nine bays horizontally and four general vertical units and woven into one design has taken some of the character of the exterior and brought about a unified quality on the interior. This quality—although, personally, I have not done it for that reason alone—represents, I discover in talking with the members of the Committee, the unity of the beliefs which your Faith symbolizes.
The slow process from sketches to detailed drawings on a great structure like this, through the heating plans and the electrical engineering, the work of the modeler, the craftsmanship of the stonemason, the plasterers, the carpenters and all the other tradesmen and the people who coordinated them, has really resulted in a fine and amazing example of this kind of coordinated effort. In my profession, it happens more than once, and most of the time, that we sometimes forget this aspect, and here in this complicated structure it became obvious to me, as I sat thinking about this, this morning, how all these engineering details, sometimes hidden, sometimes visible, have been woven into what appears to be a unit upstairs, and, while it is not completely finished, it certainly is finished enough so that we know that it is going to be what we had in mind.
I wish there were more of the people here who have done it, but I want to pay a tribute to all these men I have mentioned, these craftsmen, the people who ran this building, the people who coordinated the craftsmen, the people in distant cities who made some of the stone. When I look at this building and see it and recall how much time and effort and individual coordination it has taken, I think this is the place, even if they are not here, to thank them for it, and thank them for the patience they had and the contributions they made.
We, as the architects of the interior, hope and believe that the great purpose of this Temple will be more successfully fulfilled because of this completion of the interior. We also hope that it will be a continuing inspiration to all of you here in America and to all of your Faith. Thank you very much.
Temple Interior Photographs Available[edit]
A series of five photographs of the recently completed interior of the Bahá’í House of Worship were released last month to the nation’s wire services, picture agencies and major newspapers. The series is available for $3.00 from Public Relations. Write the committee at 112 Linden avenue, Wilmette, Illinois.
Bahá’í in the News[edit]
Terrace diners at Evanston’s (Ill.) Hotel Orrington can view a wall-length mural of the Bahá’í House of Worship overlooking Wilmette harbor with its colorful sailboats. The mural, tinted in fall tones and with a large false window, is featured in Commercial Camera, published by the Eastman Kodak company in Rochester, N.Y. ... In Chicago, a “comprehensive guide to a fascinating city,” a two-page aerial photograph looking northward over the famous Loop locates the Bahá’í Temple on the city’s perimeter, a “gleaming white, nine-sided Bahá’í Temple with a dome nearly 200 feet above the ground. This beautiful temple welcomes all races, classes and creeds.” Book is published by Marshall Field & Company, Chicago.... “Where is this?” asks Collier’s Encyclopedia in an advertisement last spring in Collier’s magazine of a picture of the Bahá’í Temple. The answer of course was from the encyclopedia.... “Just what does it mean?” editorialized the student paper at the University of Nebraska. Wrote the editor: “The statements in the succeeding paragraphs have grown out of the reactions of one student to a speaker at a Y meeting last week, concerning a new faith originated nearly 100 years ago. Various reactions have been expressed by campus students. Only by careful consideration can we take a new idea for what it is really worth—either negatively or positively. This is one student’s
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conclusion as the value of Bahá’í.” The excellent
letter followed.... First major newspaper to publish
interior photographs of the interior was Chicago’s Herald-American ... “Bahá’í—Temple of Light.” appeared
in September’s Northwestern Engineer with a full-page
frontispiece featuring the Bahá’í Temple. Other photographs illustrated various stages in building construction. The magazine is a student publication of the Technological Institute at Northwestern University.... A
convention News-Letter of the American Bureau of Public Relations featured the Bahá’í Temple when the public relations group met recently at nearby Hotel Morraine in Winnetka.... Add the Pure Oil Company’s
Trip Map of Chicago to the road maps pointing out the
Bahá’í House of Worship.... An excerpt of David
Earl’s article in Common Cause appeared in the New Outlook, a “digest of ideas and ideals” ... In Northwestern University’s Centennial Picturebook and the International Minerals & Chemical Corporation’s Min & Chem aerial photographs included the Bahá’í House of
Worship, identified by caption and map.
... A “Tour of a Temple — the Bahá’í World Faith” tells the readers of September Where magazine, published by the Greater Chicago Hotel Association, of a visit to the House of Worship where the writer of the article was taken on a conducted tour of the building. ... In the September 24 issue of Quick, the pocket-size news-picture weekly, page 29 featured a picture of the recently-completed interior of the Bahá’í House of Worship. The photograph, released by Public Relations, was being distributed nationally by Wide World, the picture agency of the Associated Press.
Publicity Calendar for Bahá’í Communities Prepared by Public Relations[edit]
Believing that a calendar of important dates and events is a tool of special value to publicity and program committees, Public Relations this month distributed a “Publicity Calendar” for use by local Bahá’í communities.
The purpose of the calendar is to aid communities in planning their activities well in advance, so that the work of the Cause may proceed in an orderly and well-organized manner. The public relations man, like an architect, needs his basic plans before drawing his blueprint. The “Publicity Calendar” contains basic dates of significance in the Bahá’í community, in the city, in the nation, and in the world. With this calendar, Bahá’í communities, groups and committees may discuss their publicity plans and lay out a program of coordinated activity. Cooperation and coordination are the keys to success.
Building Your Bahá’í Library[edit]
From April 1935 to March 1949, World Order Magazine published a wealth of interesting material concerning the application of Bahá’í principles in the solution of personal and world-wide problems. The facts pointed up, and the references given in the articles, are pertinent today and are of great value to Bahá’í teachers and speakers and students. Bound volumes (Vol. I through XIV) are available at $3.00 net each (plus postage) through the Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois.
Directory Additions and Changes[edit]
Local Spiritual Assemblies:
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Mrs. Ethel Murray, Sec’y
- 357 Westminster St., Rm. 410
- Champaign, Ill.
- Mr. Edgar G. Harris, Sec’y
- 202 Ells Ave.
- Fort Wayne, Ind.
- Mrs. JoAnne Menking, Sec’y
- 1821 S. Clinton St.
- Seattle, Washington
- Mrs. Doris Dahl, Act. Sec’y
- 9643 60th Ave., So.
- Oak Park, Ill.
- Miss Marjorie I. Ullrich, Sec’y
- 244 S. Forest Ave.
- Mansfield, Ohio
- Miss Myriam Grabler, Sec’y
- 244 S. Diamond St.
- St. Louis, Mo.
- Mrs. Frieda Fowler, Sec’y
- 2724 Hampton Ave.
- Spokane, Wash.
- Mrs. Irene Nicholaison, Sec’y
- 3112 N. Crestline St.
Regional Teaching Committees:
- New Jersey
- Mrs. Ellen Sims, Sec’y
- 17 Leroy Pl.
- Red Bank, N. J.
- Kan., Mo., Nebr.
- Miss Jennilou W. Ingalls, Sec’y
- Box 589, Rt. 2
- Valley Park, Mo.
National Committees:
- Public Relations
- Mrs. Barbara McCurdy, Sec’y
- 112 Linden Ave.
- Wilmette, Ill.
Souvenir of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
- Mr. Donald Kinney, Chm.
- Mrs. Amy Raubitschek, Sec’y
- 1113 Bromley Ave.
- West Englewood, N. J.
Bahá’í Service for the Blind
- Mrs. Alethe Hogberg, Sec’y
- 616 N. Oxford Ave.
- Los Angeles 4, Calif.
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.
- Mrs. Wally Kimpfler, Bronx, New York, July 23, 1951
- Prof. Raymond F. Farwell, Seattle, Wash., August 10, 1951
- Major Theodore Danielsen, San Francisco, Calif., August 24, 1951
Marriages[edit]
Albuquerque, N. M., Mrs. Margretta Ellis to Mr. Willie J. LeRoy, August 18, 1951
Persia[edit]
The Guardian’s cables appealing for contributions towards the erection of the Báb’s Shrine, particularly his recent detailed communication to the Eastern believers about the history and significance of this sacred enterprise have aroused much enthusiasm and a noble spirit of dedication among the Persian friends prompting them to rise to a higher level of sacrifice.
In Tihrán the Spiritual Assembly arranged 10 special meetings at the National Center, to each of which about 700 believers were invited. At these gatherings passages from the Guardian’s recent communication to the friends throughout the East were read, and his latest cables concerning the building of the Shrine. These were followed by a thrilling talk by Akbar Furútan who ably discussed those various points and issues connected with this historic edifice to which the Guardian had made a very delicate reference in his letter. The talks would end with a fervent plea to make generous contributions in response to the Guardian’s call. At these meetings one would witness such touching expressions of faith and fidelity, such rare and spontaneous acts of generosity as are really hard to describe. There were friends who eagerly subscribed to payments or offered donations well beyond their financial capacity. In addition to generous cash donations, some friends brought in fine carpets, others gave their wrist watches. Many Bahá’í women handed in their precious ornaments, their gold coins, their jewelry, their valuable possessions. Tears of joy and eagerness had dimmed the eyes of many among the audience. Also there is a continuous flow of contribution coming in from various districts throughout the country—a token of that noble spirit of solidarity which binds the Bahá’í World together.
Bahá’í Youth in every community, including Tihrán, endeavour to promote their own knowledge as well as the interests of the Faith. In Tihrán, Youth Conferences are held regularly at the National Center three times a week at which sacred Bahá’í writings are read and discussed, useful talks are given and films with a moral background are shown and enjoyed by all. Moreover in order to deepen their knowledge and understanding weekly meetings and special classes are organized and directed by the Youth Committee. Also sponsored by the Youth are the fireside meetings for “investigation of Truth” to which prospective non-Bahá’ís are invited. These meetings have attractive programs and prove to be highly successful as a teaching medium.
The Child Education Committee conducts various grades of Bahá’í classes to suit children from the age of 7 upwards. To their classes practically every Bahá’í child in this country owes a substantial part of his moral and spiritual training as well as elementary knowledge about the teachings and history of the Faith. During summer recess special classes are arranged for the Youth in various places on the lines of the Summer Schools at which a variety of essential subjects are brought up for discussion.
The officers of the National Spiritual Assembly for the current year are: Mr. Nur-id-din Fath A’zam, Chairman; Mr. Shua’allah ’Ala’i, Vice-chairman; Mr. Ali Akbar Furútan, Secretary; General Dirakhshan, Treasurer.
Egypt and the Sudan[edit]
Receiving a cablegram from the Guardian to “dispatch pioneers Libya and Algeria promptly,” the NSA got in touch with the friends in Tunis and Tripolitania asking for all information useful to pioneers. Upon receipt thereof, it was carefully studied, and contact was made with the authorities concerned in Egypt. The Five-Year Plan committee was reconstructed to confront the new obligation, and with the approval of the NSA has chosen, from those who applied for pioneering, a Bahá’í family who will prepare themselves for pioneering in Libya. Mr. Hassan Sabri was chosen to be sent to the pioneering field in central Africa. In June and July Cairo enjoyed visits with the family of Mirza Jalal Nakhjawani, Mr. Philip Hainsworth, Mr. and Mrs. Banani, Mr. and Mrs. Ali Nakhjawani, and Mr. and Mrs. Hassan Sabri, all of whom were on their way to pioneer in Central Africa.
A campaign has been launched in the Egyptian newspapers and magazines, with the idea of spreading knowledge of the Bahá’í principles. As a result, articles against the Faith were published, and the Egyptian friends had a good opportunity to reply, stating the ideas and beliefs of the Bahá’í Cause. Many people from different sections of the country are reading the articles, and are writing in, asking for Bahá’í literature; some have even begun to attend Bahá’í meetings.
India, Pakistan and Burma[edit]
During the current year, complying with the Guardian’s call to advance teaching activities to the countries of southeast Asia, valiant Bahá’ís of Pakistan, India and Burma have arisen as pioneers to that region. Mr. J. Sabit left his business and went to Siam, but after staying 6 months, had to return, as his visa was not extended further by the Siamese authorities. Mr. K. H. Payman travelled to Djakarta in Indonesia and settled there. He has called his family to join him, and is also reinforced by one of his cousins, Mr. Rustom Pamanian, and by a pioneer from Pakistan, Mr. Borzoo Soheili. Mr. Payman is trying to get the New Era translated into the Indonesian language. Two of the Bahá’í pioneers in Indonesia, Capt. Buys and Mr. Jan P. de Borst, are Dutch, having accepted the Faith in Holland through the efforts of American pioneers there, and exemplifying in an interesting way how the Cause weaves like a shuttle over the world.
Dr. K. M. Fozdar left his job as medical officer of a large Indian railway, and went to settle in Singapore, Malaya. His son, Dr. John Fozdar, after obtaining his medical degree, has joined him there. Dr. K. M. Fozdar’s talented wife, Mrs. Shirin Fozdar, travels about teaching the Faith, and from time to time visits her family in Singapore, where they have already awakened a tremendous interest in the Cause. They instituted an intensive teaching campaign, resulting in an increasing demand for lectures, and reaching many influential groups, among them important women’s organizations, addressed by Mrs. Fozdar. Says the annual report of the NSA of India: ... “very few people had heard of the name of the Bahá’í Faith, but now it is the talk of the town.”
International teachers also help to spread the Cause in these vast regions. Mr. Ahmed Yazdani, a scholar
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of Tihrán, having retired from a post with the National
Ministry of Finance, has devoted all his time to the
service of the Faith. He has traveled to India and Pakistan, visiting many cities, giving lectures, and contacting noted religious leaders.
In definite further pursuance of the southeastern Asia teaching project, the NSA of India, Pakistan and Burma has drawn up a 19-month plan and submitted it to the Guardian for approval. The plan envisages sending pioneers to Bangkok (Siam), Singapore (Malaya), Indonesia, Borneo, Saigon (Indo-China), Zanzibar, Tanarive (Madagascar) and Khatmandu (Nepal). Another international project is the joining with other NSA’s in the opening of the African continent, and to the NSA of the Indian region, the islands of Zanzibar and Madagascar have been allotted.
On the Home Front the plan aspires to establish 11 new assemblies in India, 4 in Pakistan, 5 in Burma and 2 in Ceylon, as well as to re-establish 6 dissolved Assemblies in India and one in Pakistan. It also has in view to remit Rs 250,000 for the Holy Shrine Fund, and to have Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era translated and printed in Indonesian, Siamese, Malayan, Kachin, Shah and Karen. Inter-assembly conferences will be held in October in Pakistan, and in India, Burma and Ceylon in November, for the purpose of consolidation and expansion. New believers will be taught the implications of their new belief and instructed in the meaning of sacrifice, especially relative to the Shrine Fund and the sending of pioneers into the virgin territories.
South America[edit]
The Highest Capital in the World[edit]
From the highest capital in the world, La Paz, Bolivia, comes the news of one of the coldest winters known there. During this emergency the electric current has been shut off for part of the time in order to save electricity, but in the Bahá’í Center the study groups continue even though they must resort to the primitive use of candles.
Here too, in La Paz, is the National Publishing Committee for South America. At this time they are busy editing a new addition of the Book Contestacion a Unas Preguntas.
South America has a branch publishing Committee in Brazil, because, if you will recall, the official languages of South America are Spanish and Portuguese. All literature must be printed in both languages. There are bulletins in each language also.
South American Bahá’ís in Europe[edit]
One of our Peruvian Bahá’ís, Julie Morales Mercedes, has just returned from a 14 months’ stay in Europe where her husband has been working in the diplomatic service. Julie has had the rewarding experience of helping in the pioneer work in The Hague. She is enthusiastic about the responses to the Faith that she found there. She has returned to her country enriched by her pioneer experience.
Acrisio Lacerda, of Brazil, has also returned from Europe, where he attended Bahá’í meetings in Lisbon, Barcelona, Paris, London, and other places.
In a Land Called Patagonia[edit]
In a far-off land called Patagonia (Big Foot) is located the city of Punta Arenas, Chile, in the Straits of Magellanes — the southernmost Bahá’í outpost in the world.
Certain conditions tend to make it a difficult field. Magallánicos, themselves, often speak of experiencing a psychological reaction due to being “shut away” as they express it from the rest of the world by numerous islands and canals. But perhaps one reason for this feeling, other than a geographical one, may be nostalgia for homelands, for there has been through the years a large European immigration, especially from Yugoslavia, Scotland and England. These groups have formed tight circles of society not easy for the stranger to penetrate. Then there is always the climate! Generally there is a wind blowing at a terrific rate of speed making it difficult to walk.
But here in this city in the Straits is a brave community of Bahá’ís, who with the help of pioneers, are working to maintain their assembly. Recently the news has been most heartening because they have received several new believers, and have made some important new contracts.
A recent letter from the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of South America says in part: “Shoghi Effendi, as you know, attaches particular importance to Magellanes, and to maintain the Assembly there is one of your responsibilities. It constitutes one of the distant outposts of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and represents a hard won trophy; it must be maintained at all costs.” (Written by R. Rabbani.)
Central America and the Antilles[edit]
The second meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America was held at San Jose, Costa Rica, from July 27 to 30, with eight members present. A wonderful spirit of unity, love and harmony prevailed throughout the entire meeting.
A two-year plan based on the three points stressed in the Guardian’s cable to the Central American Convention was presented and approved, and the Assembly made immediate plans for four members of the body to put it into practice in all of the countries from Mexico to Panama. The Islands are to be covered after the third meeting in October.
Spiritual Assembly of Taulabe, Honduras, C.A. April 21, 1951
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The two-year plan referred to covers consolidation of
all the existing Assemblies in the area, extension teaching for the further propagation of the Teachings, and
the deepening of the spiritual lives of the individual
believers. The course is being presented with laboratory classes in which the members of each community
are given an opportunity to practice procedure, and to
solve problems as a training for real life difficulties
which can arise in any community.
As a part of the process of the deepening of the spiritual lives of the individual believers, the Teaching Committee has sent out to the Assemblies a study course on “The Divine Art of Living”, which is to be given by teachers appointed by the Local Assemblies themselves.
Mrs. Ruth Moffett, who has been in the area since the early part of this year, teaching in Jamaica; Colon, Panama; Cuba; and Costa Rica, has attracted and confirmed 40 new believers in these countries. She will return to Jamaica and Cuba, during the end of August to oversee the projects started earlier in her travels.
The German National Spiritual Assembly. Left to right: Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel, Dr. Heide Jager, Gunther Heid, Ruprecht G. Kruger, Dr. Eugen Schmidt, Julius Henseker, Anna Grossmann, Johanna Freifrau von Werthern, Adolf Spieth.
United Nations[edit]
Conference in Nicaragua[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Central America and the Antilles sends the following report:
“The Bahá’í delegation to the Non-Governmental Organizations of the United Nations held its Fourth Regional Conference in Managua, Nicaragua, from the 4th of August to the 11th, with tremendous success. Two resolutions made by the Bahá’ís were accepted, and the delegation made itself outstanding for its fine coordination, unity, harmony, and its lack of national prejudice, in the midst of the disordered thinking and partisanship which characterized some of the other delegations. Mr. Rafael Fusoni, secretary general of the Conference, was so impressed by the excellent work and the world-embracing views of the Bahá’ís that he asked for the addresses of some of the Centers in Panama and the Islands. When he arrived in Panama he called at the office of the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly and spent an hour and a half asking questions about the Faith. As he left, he remarked, “The Bahá’ís can teach a great deal to the United Nations.”
Conference in Indonesia[edit]
From the National Spiritual Assembly of India, Pakistan and Burma comes the news that, at the instance of the Bahá’í United Nations Committee, delegates were sent to the Regional Non-Governmental Conference, called by the Department of Public Information of the United Nations, and held in Den Passar, Bali, Indonesia from July 29 to August 3, 1951. Of the five delegates nominated from India, Pakistan and Indonesia, only two—Capt. Buys and Mr. Soheili—could take part. They were, however, ably assisted by Mr. S. Bolton, Jr., delegate from Australia and New Zealand, and Mrs. Shirin Fozdar, a Bahá’í who had been elected delegate by a non-Bahá’í organization, the All-India Women’s Educational Conference. The Bahá’ís were fortunate in having present at the Conference Sir Mirza Ismail, who is a great friend of the Faith. They were represented on four of the five working committees of the Conference. Although there was no Bahá’í delegate on Committee I, during the discussions on Human Rights, the persecution of Bahá’ís for religious belief was mentioned, and the sympathy of the meeting was undoubtedly gained.
It was felt that the Bahá’í delegates contributed much to the Conference in the enlivening of the Committees, in the general discussions, and in the resolutions submitted. They made valuable contacts with the Indonesian officials present and succeeded in carrying the Message to all those with whom they came in touch, thus stimulating future Bahá’í activity in Indonesia itself, which is one of the outposts of the Faith.
U. S. Africa Committee News[edit]
Plans and hopes of many months to get two American Bahá’ís into the West African Area are expected to materialize within the next thirty days. Two pioneers have been selected who will be located in the Gold Coast and in Liberia. Full details on these pioneers and the work they will undertake will appear in the next issue of the News.
Reports are still coming in on the summer school programs which emphasized the Africa Teaching Project. In addition to the courses at Louhelen and the Bahá’í International School, reported on in the last Bahá’í News, we can now report that Green Acre held an “Africa Night.” This program was both stimulating and informative with Mr. Bullock speaking on “Africa and the New Day”; Mrs. Loulie Mathews on “Teaching in Africa” and David Earle on “The Objectives of the Africa Teaching Project.” A lively question and answer period was held during the last part of the meeting, and at its close two additional persons came forward to volunteer for pioneer work.
The British Committee has asked us to correct two errors which were inadvertently made in the Bahá’í News article covering remarks made on the Africa Project by Miss Austin during the Convention. The areas originally selected by the British for the Africa Project were the Gold Coast, Tanganyika, and Uganda (not Kenya as reported). The report that the first pioneer leaving from England for Tanganyika had obtained employment as Dean of Women in a School was also an
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error. That pioneer, Miss Clare Gung, obtained employment as Assistant Matron in a Boys School in Tanganyika.
This Committee like many others in the Bahá’í Community were deeply grieved over the passing of Mr. Louis Gregory. We are all profoundly impressed by the Guardian’s words on Mr. Gregory’s service to the Faith and the significant statement that generations to come in Africa would revere and be inspired by the memory of this holy soul.
A second Africa Committee Bulletin will be mailed out in two weeks. Assemblies and individuals desiring this bulletin should notify the Secretary of the Committee, Mrs. Marie Rice, 5925 - 14th Street North, Arlington, Virginia. This Bulletin is, of course, for those contemplating pioneer work or programs to assist the Africa Teaching Project.
Among the youth attending the Green Acre Youth Camp in June, 1951, was a young man from Kenya, British East Africa, now a student in an American University. He expressed gratitude for his happy experience at the camp, and extended a cordial welcome to Bahá’ís who visit his land.
American Bahá’í Youth[edit]
The youth conference at the Convention this year was attended by about forty young Bahá’ís. They discusssed the two national conferences which had been held during the past year, the first, “The Victory Plan” on September 23rd and 24th, 1950, and the second, “Practical Religion at Work” on February 10th and 11th, 1951. The two-day conferences were declared to have been a great success.
The Youth Committee publishes two periodicals, the monthly Bahá’í Youth Bulletin, and the Bahá’í Youth News, which appears every six months. The editors of the Bulletin felt that the response to their pleas for news was not very encouraging and urged that more people send in reports. But it was the feeling of the conference that both publications should be continued.
The College Bureau reported that the Bahá’í Group at Stanford had a constitution which has been reviewed by the NSA and can be used as a guide for other college constitutions. It may be obtained from the NSA.
Closer cooperation with the committee on the part of the youth was urged, and praise was given to the Northeastern, the Western, and the Southern Area Committees for the teaching work they had done. The Southern Area particularly, widely scattered as it is, had accomplished a great deal.
At the University of Chicago, the two young Bahá’ís registered there discovered that they could be recognized as a campus organization if they could find ten sympathetic students. They found them in the first ten young people they asked. The university recognition gave them a free meeting place, free use of campus bulletin boards, and free publicity in the campus paper. They got out a poster which could be filled in afresh each week, and arranged a series of meetings. “The ease with which we were recognized,” they report, “once we decided two Bahá’ís on the campus were enough to attempt teaching (one could have done as well, as any skeptic can prove for himself, if he lets Bahá’u’lláh guide him on his college campus), makes us want to enthusiastically recommend an immediate organization of Bahá’í groups on all college campuses. It can be done!”
American News[edit]
Methodist Minister Visits Shrines in Haifa[edit]
Rev. Edward W. Potts of the Paseo Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri, recently went to Israel as a member of the Palestine-American Committee. Before going he expressed a desire to visit the Bahá’í Shrines in Haifa and wrote to Rúḥíyyih Rabbani for permission. Upon his return he gave a sermon on Prescription for Living, acknowledging its author, mentioning his visit at the home of Shoghi Effendi, and offering his congregation the opportunity of seeing pictures from Haifa after the service. Bahá’ís were special guests for the morning.
In the past Rev. Potts has allowed Dorothy Baker, Ruth Moffett, and Louis Gregory to give the Bahá’í Message in his church.
Modern Wedding[edit]
Via wire recording and trans-Atlantic telephone call, the wedding of Lou Holmes and Robert Kinsey was transmitted to the bride’s parents Mr. and Mrs. S. D. Holmes, pioneering in Santos, Brazil. The entire wedding ceremony and the high spots of the reception were recorded on wire and sent on to South America to two anxious parents who will joyfully share this day despite the separation of many miles. A trans-Atlantic call was placed previously for a suitable hour during the reception. The newly married couple are residing presently at Indiana University where Mr. Kinsey is studying in preparation for law school.
Bahá’í Holy Days Recognized[edit]
The Milwaukee Spiritual Assembly has obtained permission from the Milwaukee Superintendent of Schools for Bahá’í children to be excused from school on the Bahá’í Holy Days. This permission was granted in a letter dated March 22, 1951.
Cathedral of the Pines[edit]
Three hundred worshippers heard the Message of Bahá’u’lláh at the Cathedral of the Pines near Rindge, New Hampshire, the afternoon of August 11. There were Bahá’ís and their guests from each of the New England states, from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
The prayers of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the explanation of the Bahá’í World Faith were given in a natural setting of great beauty. Worshippers gathered in a clearing made by hurricane and storm in the forests and looked out across a lake strewn valley to the majestic slopes of Mt. Monadnock.
Dr. Manucher Javid of Boston was chairman of the service planned by the Regional Teaching Committee of the Bahá’ís of Maine and New Hampshire. Mrs. Joy Earl of New York spoke on “Man’s Relation to God”, and Mr. Borrah Kavelin of New York, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, spoke on “The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh”. Music was furnished by Leslie D. Weiland, concert organist from Boston, and Mrs. Ruth Price Silva, a Bahá’í singer from Portsmouth. Mrs. Emma M. Rice of Hamilton, Massachusetts, read the prayers.
The Bahá’ís hope to be able to use the Memorial Cathedral of the Pines next year. Believers of all Faiths are welcome to hold services during the month when the weather permits out-of-door worship.
Lutherans Invite Bahá’í[edit]
The Fellowship Groups of three Camden, New Jersey, Lutheran churches were represented at the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church on Yorkship Road in Camden to hear William B. Sears speak on the Faith. Reverend John D. Newpher, the pastor who had invited Mr. Sears, wrote following the meeting: “We all benefitted very much by the formal talk, the question period and the informal discussion afterward. I am sure the field of brotherhood in our midst was enhanced by this fresh viewpoint. If there is any way that I can ever be of service to you, please feel free to call upon me.”
Participants in the Program at the Cathedral of the Pines near Rindge, N. H. Left to right: Dr. Manucher Javid, Mrs. Emma M. Rice, Mrs. Joy Earl, Mrs. Ruth Price Silva, Mr. H. Borrah Kavelin. (Aug. 1951)
Trip to Europe Spreads The Faith in America[edit]
An isolated Bahá’í in Albin, Wyoming writes: “On May 15, I was interviewed at our radio station, KFBC, Cheyenne, regarding our trip to the Scandinavian countries in 1949. Just before we went on the air, I told my interviewer of the Bahá’í Faith and its progress in the Scandinavian countries. She asked me to tell of the Faith during the last five minutes I had on the air. In this space of time I told of some of the highlights of meeting the Bahá’ís there and their activities, and read the first paragraph of Pattern for Future Society. Colored slides of the trip, which have been shown to over 1,800 people, have also provided many opportunities to give the Bahá’í message.
BAHA’I NEWS is published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. Copies are sent without charge to Bahá’ís throughout the United States, and to Bahá’í administrative bodies in other lands. Its purpose is to keep members of the Faith informed of international, national and local Bahá’í developments, and serve as an organ for the distribution of messages written by the Guardian of the Faith, the International Bahá’í Council, and the general announcements prepared by the American National Spiritual Assembly.
Reports, plans, news items and photographs of general interest are requested from national committees and local assemblies of the United States as well as from national assemblies of other lands.
BAHA’I NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee. The Committee for 1951-52: Miss Garreta Busey, Managing Editor, Mr. Wm. Kenneth Christian, Miss Mae Graves, Mrs. Doris Holley, Mr. Horace Holley, Chairman, Miss Flora Emily Hottes, Mrs. Eleanor Hutchens, Mrs. Ruth Jones. EDITORIAL OFFICE: 502 West Elm St., Urbana, Illinois, U.S.A. CHANGE OF ADDRESS should be reported to National Bahá’í Administrative Headquarters, 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, Illinois.
