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No. 307

BAHA’I YEAR 113

SEPTEMBER, 1956

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The Past Bahá’í Administrative Year

A Letter From the Guardian

The following passages of general Bahá’í interest and importance have been selected from a letter written on behalf of the Guardian by his Secretary, addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly under date of July 19, 1956. The Guardian’s hand written postscript to this letter is published as an insert in this issue of BAHÁ’Í NEWS.

“The past Bahá’í administrative year was one full of events, achievements and anxiety. In looking back over it, he feels that concrete progress has been made in many fields; that the American Bahá’í’s have reason to feel encouraged by the scope of their activities, and by the fact that many of their enterprises connected with the Ten Year Plan have reached fruition.

“He was particularly glad to note that a friendly contact had been made with the Chief Executive of the United States, and that he had acknowledged over his own signature, in appreciative terms, the receipt of the Bahá’í prayer your Assembly had forwarded to him. He was also very pleased to note the helpful attitude of the State Department, particularly in connection with the persecutions of our brethren in Írán.

An Important Turning Point

“The establishment of the South and West Africa National Bahá’í Assembly signalizes an important turning-point in the execution of the Divine Plan by the Bahá’ís of America. A capable and representative national body has evidently been elected; and the Guardian cherishes the highest hopes for the unfoldment of the work in that part of the world, a work whose foundations have been so brilliantly laid down by a singularly distinguished and devoted group of pioneers from different countries, chief amongst them those from the western Hemisphere. The new world has indeed paid back part of its debt to the “dark continent” it at one time so ruthlessly exploited.

“The Guardian hopes that the Kampala Temple project, designs for which are now well advanced, and have been carried out by the Hand of the Cause, Mr. Mason Remey. will soon be set in motion. The new National Assembly for Central and East Africa will be directly responsible for this work.

“The new incorporations added during the past year in the United States, although a step in the right direction, are not sufficient. He feels that during the coming year every effort should be made by Assemblies that have a well-grounded, if small, community, to incorporate.

“He was particularly happy to hear of the incorporation of the Tokyo Spiritual Assembly. Indeed the initiative shown throughout the Pacific area in this respect and many others is truly challenging and stimulating: and the American Bahá’ís, the parents of so many of these other communities, should take heed and follow the lead of their exuberant offspring.

“The Guardian feels that during the coming year, the National Assembly should pay particular attention to getting teachers with spiritual capacity and a deep knowledge of the Covenant out to the weaker communities on circuit teaching trips, and that an effort should be made for them to stay for some time in each place. It is evident that one of the reasons that the work on the home front in America is so seriously lagging is that the Bahá’ís themselves, though undoubtedly devoted. loyal and conscientious, are not always very deeply grounded in the spiritual fundamentals of their Faith. This produces a maladjustment, so to speak, in the nature of their service to the Cause; and only through a deeper understanding of their Faith and the inner spiritual strength that this understanding brings will they be able to reinforce themselves to meet their tasks, to see the joy of discharging their duties and grasping their privileges.

Etraordinary Progress

“The Guardian has been particularly happy at the extraordinary progress made in acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and endowments all over the world. The Bahá’ís may well look upon the accomplishments in this field as little short of awe-inspiring, and every believer should feel highly encouraged that one of the most difficult aspects of the Ten Year Plan, namely the financing of such enterprises, has been more than two-thirds fulfilled by the end of the third year of the Plan.

“The Guardian feels that if the friends would meditate a little more objectively upon both their relation-

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ship to the Cause and the vast non-Bahá’í public they hope to influence, they would see things more clearly, The friends are not being forced to do anything, either by the Guardian or by the National Assembly. However, the condition that the world is in is bringing many issues to a head. It would be perhaps impossible to find a nation or people not in a state of crisis today. The materialism, the lack of true religion and the consequent baser forces in human nature which are being released, have brought the whole world to the brink of probably the greatest crisis it has ever faced or will have to face. The Bahá’ís are a part of the world. They too feel the great pressures which are brought to bear upon all people today, whoever and wherever they may be. On the other hand, the Divine Plan, which is the direct method of working toward the establishment of Peace and World Order, has perforce reached an important and challenging point in its unfoldment; because of the desperate needs of the world, the Bahá’ís find themselves, even though so limited in numbers, in financial strength and in prestige—called upon to fulfill a great responsibility. They must, at all times, remember that when the Guardian makes his appeals to the friends, he is only presenting the situation to them. Each one must evaluate what his own response can be and should be: nobody can do this for him. There is no other pressure than the pressure of historical circumstances. He fully realizes that the demands made upon the Bahá’ís are great, and that they often feel inadequate, tired and perhaps frightened in the face of the tasks that confront them. This is only natural. On the other hand, they must realize that the power of God can and will assist them; and that because they are privileged to have accepted the Manifestation of God for this Day, this very act has placed upon them a great moral responsibility toward their fellow—men. It is this moral responsibility to which the Guardian is constantly calling their attention, as he too cannot but obey the compelling force of circumstances and fulfill his paramount duty of calling to the attention of the believers their opportunity, their privileges, and their responsibilities.

“The American Bahá’ís have so far never failed in any mission they undertook, and he hopes and believes there Will be no failure this time. He has the greatest confidence in their loyalty, their faith, and their devotion, and he feels sure that with the help of Bahá’u’lláh they will arise to the occasion which history has literally thrust upon them.”

The Power of God Can and Will Assist Us

Beloved Friends:

While every paragraph in the letter written on behalf of the Guardian has vital significance, the National Spiritual Assembly calls to the urgent attention of every American Bahá’í the passage beginning: “The Guardian feels that if the friends would meditate a little more objectively upon both their relationship to the Cause and the vast non-Bahá’í public they hope to influence, they would see things more clearly.”

In this passage each of us is addressed as an indivi-

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The tympanum of the east facade of the Bahá’í International Archives Building on Mt. Carmel, Haifa, soon after its completion, is shown to the left, assembled for accuracy tests at the Chiampo Marble Works in Italy before shipment to Haifa.

The central Manogram at we Greatest Name is of gilded metal on a green base of marble; the rays departing from the Monogram are or gilded marble. The entire tympanum when packed in wooden cases for shipment weighed more than 60 tons.

Antefixes of the tympanum, ready to be shipped, are shown to the right. Note the number on each one, which is mixed affixed after each piece is tested for accuracy.

dual believer. Each of us stands in the clear light of the Guardian’s spiritual understanding where, if we open our inner eyes, we can perceive the unique destiny each Bahá’í can and must fulfill; and where, if we open our hearts, the warmth of the love of God will quicken our spirits.

“The friends are not being forced to do anything . . . ” No. By his own volition each sought membership in the Bahá’í community; and by his own faithfulness each can fulfil a unique mission in the salvation of mankind.

Each One Must Evaluate

The situation has been presented to us. “Each one must evaluate what his own response can be . . . ” The Cause of God is not a mass movement in which the individual is imprisoned in the cage of one implacable, driving force. We have been reborn in the utter freedom of the Kingdom, established above the tumults of a violent age, whose Governor is love and whose purpose is peace on earth and immortality in the heavens of bliss. The Kingdom, moreover, a new creation whose open portal is the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, stands above the claims of that nature which we share with the animal. Man alone can attain freedom from self, the true freedom granted by obedience to God.

This passage brings the Guardian close to each of us. May we treasure that nearness because it bestows assurance that the power of God can and will assist each of us who arise to serve the Divine Plan.

—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

“This Four-Fold Purpose”

The Guardian’s Challenge to the American Bahá’í Community

“A far greater proportion of the avowed supporters of the Faith must arise, ere the Crusade suffers any setback, for the four-fold purpose of winning over an infinitely greater number of recruits to the army of Bahá’u’lláh fighting on the home front, of swelling to an unprecendented degree the isolated centers now scattered within its confines, of converting an increasing number of them into firmly founded groups, and of accelerating the formation of local Assemblies, while safeguarding those already in existence.” (excerpt from letter of July 19, 1956)

—SHOGHI EFFENDI

HANDS OFTHE CAUSE TELL CURRENT PLANS

In planning missions for members of the Auxiliary Board this, the third year of their teaching work, the Hands of the Cause have acted on suggestions received from all four National Assemblies or their Teaching Committees. The schedule adopted will carry Board members into many Bahá’í Centers of Canada, the United States, Alaska, Central America, the Islands, and South America.

A message received by the Hands, from the Guardian through the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land, defined important goals for the current year: assisting in preparing communities for the formation of five National Spiritual Assemblies in 1957, the need of a new spirit of dedication and consecration on the home front, the dispersal of more believers to new centers, the encouragement of pioneers working in lonely areas, and the possibility of friends settling behind the Iron Curtain.

Each Board Member has been presented with a letter to read to each Bahá’í gathering the member addresses.

The lists of Bahá’í centers receiving visits from members of the Auxiliary Board will be presented in the annual report of the American Hands before the 1957 Convention. From time to time brief statements will be supplied to BAHÁ’Í NEWS outlining some of the special teaching methods which Auxiliary Board members have found effective.

Mrs. Margery McCormick, for example, in order to connect the individual with the creative Word from which she speaks, gives out copies of a brief little compilation she has prepared entitled Spirit-Lifters.

Mrs. Florence Mayberry, when conditions permit, carries on a Seminar for the progressive unfolding knowledge of the Teachings. One Seminar offers five consecutive

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themes: Progressive Revelation; Gateway to a New Era; The Glory of God: Man’s Perfect Example and God’s Covenant: and The Regeneration of Mankind. These subjects carry the audience through the successive eras of the Bahá’í Revelation.

The local Assembly is then prepared, if it wishes, to hold study classes on The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh and The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Mrs. Mayberry can also adapt the Seminar method to a briefer schedule of three themes instead of the five. The purpose is to cover the essentials of Bahá’í membership, and thus assist the local friends in confirming those already attracted besides deepening the faith of the believers themselves.

MRS. CORINNE TRUE

PAUL E. HANEY

HORACE HOLLEY

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

RENEWED APPEALTO UNITED NATIONS

The friends are informed of a very important action taken on behalf of the oppressed Persian Bahá’ís.

Confidential, authentic information was received summarizing the condition of the Bahá’ís of Írán as of June 1956. This report revealed the fact that the assurances given the Secretary-General of United Nations by the Íránian Minister of Foreign Affairs, as a result of the first appeal launched at the Geneva session last year, were not carried out. So grave was the condition that responsible Bahá’ís felt that the future functioning of the Bahá’í community in Írán might be involved.

With the approval of the Guardian, the American National Spiritual Assembly, acting for the Bahá’í International Community, assembled the facts and the International Observer, Mrs. Mildred Mottahedeh, was requested to obtain advice on the best procedure to adopt in addressing a renewed appeal to the Secretary-General.

Thanks to the advice given by a friendly permanent delegate to UN, a letter was addressed to the Secretary-General on June 22, accompanied by a statement of facts which made the renewed appeal imperative. Copies of this document were reproduced and given to the International Observer for use in Geneva. Mrs. Mottahedeh and Amin Banání were appointed the Bahá’í representatives to serve at Geneva during the sessions of the Economic and Social Council beginning July 12.

At Geneva the Bahá’í representatives distributed copies of the Bahá’í document to the permanent delegations and held a press conference attended by representatives of New York Times, London Times, Reuters, the Swiss Press, and also by representatives of the Jewish and Quaker NGOs. A long article about the case was published in the New York Times on July 21. Many personal calls were also made on delegations attending the sessions of ECOSOC.

On July 25 Dr. Jose Vincinte Trujillo, Ecuadorian permanent delegate to UN, First Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council, and Chairman of the Social Committee, opened the session with a talk on human rights and then proceeded to lay the Bahá’í case before the session. The result was that the Bahá’í case was put on the Human Rights section of United Nations for study.

This action by Dr. Trujillo gave our case an official status in United Nations far stronger than the status of the appeal made in 1955.

Returning to the United States via London, Mrs. Mottahedeh held a press conference at the London Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. The first positive result of this has been an editorial in the influential Manchester Guardian of July 27 headed “The Bahá’ís” and summarizing the Bahá’í case and Dr. Trujillo’s action at Geneva.

Our public relations counsel has placed a statement on the Bahá’í case in the release issued by Religious News Service, New York, on July 23.

It was on the advice of the friendly UN delegate that no advance notice of this renewed appeal was made either to the public or to the Bahá’í communities.

Since the case was opened in the session of the Social Council on July 25, a letter has been written to a number of prominent Americans friendly to the Faith, enclosing the Bahá’í documents and requesting each to Write the Íránian Ambassador

Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds In Copenhagen, Denmark, purchased on July 20, 1955.

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Spiritual Assembly of Brussels, Belgium for 1956-1957. The Assembly was incorporated on Jan. 27, 1956.

in Washington. The result of this correspondence will be reported later.

The situation created by the Bahá’í case in Geneva does not mean any immediate recognition of the right of Persian Bahá’ís to practice their religion in complete freedom, but it does carry forward a process which can but eventate in that prayed-for result.

—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

COLUMBUS, TAKOMA PARK GIVE RECOGNITION TO HOLY DAYS

Children of Bahá’ís in Columbus, Ohio, and Takoma Park, Maryland, may be absent on the Bahá’í Holy Days. This makes a total of 33 cities where the local Assemblies have taken the matter up with the School Superintendent. The Guardian wishes all Assemblies to secure this recognition.

—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

Removed From Membership

Mrs. Marjorie J. Kirk, of Depew, New York, has been deprived of her membership in the Bahá’í Faith because of her refusal to cease association with a Persian who was excommunicated from the Faith by the Guardian some years ago before coming to the United States.

—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

INTERNCONTINENTAL COMMITTEES

Europe

BENELUX CONFERENCE, NORDICK SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS REPORTED

The European Teaching Committee has released reports on the Benelux Conference, held at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in The Hague, Holland, on May 20 and 21, and the Summer School held at Moss, Norway, on May 19-21, from which the following excerpts are taken:

Benelux Conference

The Benelux Conference was opened at noon on May 20, following the dedication of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of The Hague. After opening prayers in French and Dutch and the reading of two messages from the European Teaching Committee, Dr. Hermann Grossmann, Hand of the Cause, spoke on “Prerequisites to Victory.”

“Our task is to follow the Will of God, and to give up our own free will,” he said. “The Will of God is laid down in the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.”

At the afternoon session, Louis Henuzet spoke on the general aspects of the fourth year of the World Crusade, and Roger Swinnen spoke on “Two New Institutions for Benelux:

The Convention and the Regional Spiritual Assembly.” Then there followed an extended consultation on the letter from the European Teaching Committee and the teaching problems of the Benelux countries.

At 8:00 P.M. that day a Unity Banquet Was held at the Municipal Museum in The Hague. During the banquet representatives of the Benelux communities spoke words of appreciation concerning the Conference and the hospitality of the local Bahá’ís.

On Monday, May 21, the Conference was opened by Lea Nys, who gave an inspiring talk on “Spiritual Dynanism.” This was followed by further consultation on overcoming the obstacles to the spread of the Faith in that area.

With the close of the Conference, the representatives returned to their home communities prepared to pass along the many suggestions and inspiring words for local consultations, with the hope that the World Crusade may be reinvigorated in the Benelux countries.

Summer School at Mass

The summer school motto, “Let your Light shine” was in itself an inspiration to absorb as much knowledge as possible from the brilliant lectures and fruitful consultation in which we were able to participate.

After music, prayers for all nations and for mankind, the summer school was opened by the chairman, Palle Bischoff, who welcomed the friends.

Amelia Bowman spoke on “The Three Central Figures in the Bahá’í Faith,” based on Shoghi Effendi’s The Dispensutimt of Bahá’u’lláh. Lotus Grace Nielsen followed with an instructive lecture on “The Covenant,” based on the material from the All-France Summer School of 1955. A discussion period followed.

After dinner the Guardian’s 1956 Convention Message was read. Gud-run Ofstegaard read a translation of Don Corbin’s lecture on the Bahá’í administratlon’s progressive form, its authority, strength, and development, Afterward, the subject was developed further with a discussion on the Hands of the Cause, the Guardian, and the International House of Justice by Amelia Bowman.

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A pupil of the Instituto Cultural Indigenista Bahá’í at Chichicastenango, Guatemala, whose parents, Maya-Quiche Indians, are now registered Bahá’ís. As a result of work at the Institute, four Indians have accepted the Faith.

In the evening there was a splendid talk on the Bahá’í Faith in relation to other world organizations, and comments on the necessity of having a pure, warm, and friendly heart.

The second day there were readings from the Kitáb-í-Íqán, a talk on “Administration, Local and National Spiritual Assemblies,” and a discussion period, followed by the reading of a letter from the European Teaching Committee. After the evening supper an informal fireside was held, Five contacts from Moss were present.

On Monday, the third day of the Summer School, came the consultation on the letter from the European Teaching Committee. The chairman summed up the inspiring ideas that had been brought forth by the many speakers. A brief cable was composed for transmission to the Guardian, and after expressions of appreciation, the school was closed with a prayer for the Guardian.

The Summer School at Moss is over, and it has not only given us beautiful memories of friendly association and beautiful summer days, but it has given us knowledge and strength, each one of us, to go home and endeavor to share with others some of the great gift we had received, and our faith in a happy future for the Bahá’í Faith in our respective countries.

—GUDRUN OFSTEGAARD

Africa

PIONEER LETTER REPORTS TEACHING WORK

Mr. and Mrs. Lyall Hadden, pioneers in Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia, where an Assembly was formed last April, have written of their activities to the United States Africa Teaching Committee. Excerpts from their letter follow:

“We now have eleven African members. One of our youngest members, Micah, 21 years old, has surprised us most happily by bringing into me Faith three new members during the past few weeks. He has been holding firesides in his home once or twice a week, and it is a wonderful experience to sit in that tiny room and listen to Micah translate what we have said into Bemba, and to watch the rapt expressions on the faces of his listeners!

“Many of our members are school teachers who are now on vacation, and who are leaving for their various home villages throughout Northern Rhodesia, where they will teach the Faith during the coming three months. By the first of September there should be many Bahá’ís throughout this country!

“One of the Africans who worked on the building of our house asked Lyall to come to his home and speak to some of his friends about the Faith. Saturday afternoon Lyall and Guy went, and found eight Africans gathered there. The meeting lasted for nearly two hours, and many questions were asked.

“It is strange, but almost always the first question these people ask is “Who was Adam? Was he really the first man?” When we give them the Bahá’í answer to this question they are satisfied and eager to go on from there. They do not accept the teaching of the Church in this respect.

“Dennis pointed out to us one day that most of our African Bahá’ís here in Luanshya were formerly pillars of the church; he, himself, of the Angelican church; Andrew of the Free Church; Paul of United Missions, or some such name; Richard was a Muḥammedan; and the two newest ones were Catholics.

“We have stressed strongly the obligation of teaching, and Andre (the French-speaking Catholic from the Belgium Congo) replied that he recognized and accepted the obligation, that to be a Bahá’í and not teach would be like being a Christian and hiding the Bible under the bed!

“Lyall says he has often heard the Africans talking among themselves in their own language while they were working, and very, very frequently the Words “Bahá’í” and “Bahá’u’lláh” were spoken. There are 25.000 Africans here in Luanskya, and by now a great many of them have heard of the Faith and are trying to find out more about it.

“Our problem now is not how to attract them, but how to handle them if we were to hold a public meeting. So far we have not dared to do so, even if we had been able to find a place in which to meet, for there would undoubtedly be a large number attending, and as these people are still primitive, trouble could arise. We must take the slow way, the small meetings such as Micah holds in his little home, and the small groups the others gather together in their homes.

“When we return home we shall miss pioneering very much—in fact I do not see how we could possibly live without being able to teach the Faith. It has been an experience that we would not have missed—even though it has cost us all we had. To listen to Dennis teach, to see the glow in Micah’s eyes as he talks to his friends, to hear the name “Bahá’u’lláh” roll so smoothly from an African’s tongue, amidst a jargon of words that we cannot understand—these experiences are priceless.”

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Delegates at work during the Convention sessions.

Cairo Convention Forms National Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa

Some of the delegates and friends at the reception tea party at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Cairo on April 23.

Delegates to the Convention at the site of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár on the Nile Corniche on April 26.

Members of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of North East Africa, formed at the Convention, Riḍván 113.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

British Isles

NSA MEMBER VISITS NORTHERN ISLES

“A Journey to the Northern Isles,” an account of the visit of Marian Hofman, member of the British National Spiritual Assembly, to the islands north of England in the Spring of 1956, is published in the British Bahá’í Journal. Excerpts follow:

“A journey to the Northern Isles may well become, for this generation of British Bahá’ís, a longed-for goal which, once attained, will ever be cherished in memory as a wondrous time of spiritual experience. It is perhaps well to remind ourselves that only in the Islands around Britain — not on her mainland — do the Knights of Bahá’u’lláh dwell. The reality of these blessed Knights is veiled from us today, nor does it reveal itself save in their own lands, in these spots which the Hand of Destiny has given over to them, and to them alone, to be the ‘spiritual conquerors.’

“It took but a few hours for the unique quality of Lerwick to come home to me. Our beloved Guardian has extolled the pure hearts of the African people, their severance from undue emphasis on material things, and to this he has ascribed their readiness for the Faith. I have not been to Africa, but in the Northern Isles I found purity and severance to a degree hitherto unknown to me.

“To meet in a few days a number of people athirst for the Teachings, who receive them eagerly and without conflict, their eyes reflecting the growing wonder they see in our Faith — this is an experience dearer than any other. And it was to be mine on several occasions in my nine wondrous days in the Northern Isles. It was blessed privilege, too, to take part in the first public meeting in Shetland, and to find, to my astonishment, 17 new people awaiting my appearance.

“Both in Shetland and Orkney the public meetings were exciting for the scope and profundity of the questions, and both meetings continued for over two hours of penetrating discussion. Our prayer for these meetings had been that only those would come who cared to know, and our prayer was answered. A yet greater joy was the appearance at each meeting of one native person of truly native speech, showing especial interest in our Faith, and sent, so it seemed, by Bahá’u’lláh, since both were unknown to our Knights. Also in each town there came to us one person from an island lying further north.

“In the Northern Isles our Knights are raising up, under the guiding Hand of the beloved Master and our Guardian, a new creation —souls who, like fresh-running streams, will in days to come flow into our main river and invigorate the Cause of God in these British Isles.”

ASSEMBLY MEMBERSHIP, ENDOWMENT REPORTED

The Bahá’í Journal, published by the British National Spiritual Assembly, lists the members of the newly elected Assembly for the 1956-1957.

The Assembly includes Hasan Balyuzi, Chairman; Ernest Gregory, Vice-Chairman and Treasurer; John Ferraby, Secretary; Dorothy Ferraby, Recording Secretary; David Hofman, Marion Hofman, Betty Reed, Louis Poss-Enfield, and Ian Semple.

First Endowment

Land for the first national endowment of the British Isles has been purchased at Wirksworth, Derbyshire. There are two fields known as Hatchetts Close, which are let to a farmer tenant for grazing cattle.

Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of the British Isles, held in Leicester, England, on April 28-30 1956.

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Spiritual Assembly of Adis Ababa, Ethiopia, incorporated on October 19, 1955. One member was absent for the photograph.

Central America

BAHÁ’ÍS GREET PANAMA CONFERENCE CHIEFS

Bahá’ís of Central America achieved outstanding publicity for the Faith at the recent meeting of 19 chief executives of American nations in the Republic of Panama.

A formal message of welcome was presented to the visiting dignitaries, in the name of the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America, Mexico, and the Antilles. The Bahá’í greeting was reported in the Panama Star & Herald, which published the complete text of the message and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Prayer for All Nations.

The two-column headline stated “Local Bahá’ís Welcome All Chiefs of American States.” The Bahá’í greetings stated, in part:

“The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Central America, Mexico, and the Antilles, with headquarters in the city of Panama, and in the name of all the Bahá’ís of the Territories, wishes to express to the illustrious Presidents of the American Republics its warmest and most cordial welcome, and it fervently prays that this historic and transcendental reunion of the Rulers of the American Nations will be crowned with the greatest success.”

After paying tribute to the historic Congress of Panama 130 years ago, the Bahá’í message continued, “. . . the entire world fixes its gaze on this historic gathering which can point out specific ways of achieving a real unity of the American peoples, and which can serve as an example to all the peoples of the world that they can still find in the midst of chaos, both material and spiritual security.

“Over 90 years ago Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í World Religion, wishing to reveal the prerequisites oi the peace and tranquillity of the world and the advancement of its people, wrote: ‘The time must come when the imperative necessity fur the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized . . . ”

Several additional quotations of Bahá’u’lláh were included in the Bahá’í greetings, and the statement was closed with the Prayer for All Nations.

This Bahá’í salutation to the Americans officials was significantly related to the publicized objective of the conference. In another column the Panama Star & Herald stated, “The American nations joined in a ‘rendezvous with history’ at Panama yesterday as 19 of its chief executives gathered to proclaim once more the unity of the hemisphere and its will for peace.”

Germany, Austria

LIST MEMBERS OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

The National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria, in its publication Bahá’í Nachrichten, lists its membership and officers for 1956-1957:

Dr. Eugen Schmidt, Chairman; Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel, Vice Chairman; Mrs. Anna Grossmann, Secretary; Otto Hafner, Treasurer; Hans Randel, Ruprecht G. Kruger, Doris Lahse, Dr. Mehdi Varqá, and Hanni Weber.

Summer Schools

Also reported were four summer schools scheduled for the season:

Bahá’ís and friends at the first Northern Ireland Weekend School held at Belfast Castle, Feb. 4-6, 1956.

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Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í Gujranwala, Pákistán, formed April 21, 1956.

Bahá’í Youth Summer School in Reichenbach/Odenwald, Germany, July 23-31; Bahá’í Summer School in Esslingen/N, August 12-18; Austrian Summer School in Gosaumuhleam Hallstatter See, Salzkammergut, August 26-Sept. 2; and a Teaching Conference in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, Frankfurt/M, Sept. 30 through the beginning of October.

India, Pakistan, Burma

REPORT CRUSADE ACHIEVEMENTS

The National Spiritual Assembly of India, Pakistan, and Burma, in its publication, Bahá’í News Letter, gives its pre-convention Annual Report listing the goals for the past year and the progress toward their attainment. This report is summarized as follows:

1. Purchase of Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds at Columbo and Djakarta: Completed.

2. Rebuilding of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds at Rangoon: Taken in hand and completed in nine months.

3. Establishment of the Publishing Trust at New Delhi: It was established in November 1955, and is now actively working as 2 distinct and separate institution under a Managing Director who will be elected every year.

4. Translation of Bahá’í literature into 40 languages: Out of the 26 languages undertaken to translate, translation and printing of nine languages have been finished, while the translation into five languages awaits printing. Negotiations for another three languages are going on, and it is hoped to complete these translations and printing within several months. Almost all the remaining nine languages belong to countries under the Communistic sway.

5. Registering of local Spiritual Assemblies: In India there are 29 local Spiritual Assemblies; 16 were already registered, three were registered during the past year, and out of the remaining ten, Articles of Association have been filed for three and their certificates of registration are being awaited. Preliminary steps are being taken to get another three registered. In Pákistán there are 13 local Spiritual Assemblies; four were already registered, one is awaiting its certificate of registration, and efforts are begun to file the By-laws of three more for registration. In Burma there are six local Spiritual Assemblies; two were already registered, one was registered during the past year, and By-laws have been filed for the remaining three, and their certificates of registration are being awaited.

In foreign territories the Local Spiritual Assembly of Colombo has been registered, and efforts are being made to register the Kalutara Assembly. In Malaya three out of four assemblies have been registered. In Indochina the Local Spiritual Assembly of Saigon has been registered, and the Bahá’í Marriage Certificate has received official sanction. In Indonesia the Local Spiritual Assembly of Djakarta has been registered.

6. Doubling of the local Spiritual Assemblies: The definite number awaits reports of the elections on April 21, 1956, but it appears that six groups in Pakistan and three in Burma will form assemblies.

7, Multiplication of Bahá’í Centers: During the past year 23 new centers were opened, bringing the total to 35.

8. Bahá’í endowments in Karáchí, Colombo, Rangoon, and Djakarta: In Pákistán a building was endowed for the Cause some years ago. In Ceylon, Burma, and Indonesia negotiations are in progress.

Spiritual Assembly of Kanpur, India, registered on June 5, 1956.

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HOUSE OF WORSHIP WELCOMES MANY VISITORS=

The Bahá’í House of Worship continues to draw large numbers of visitors every day of the week, and particularly on Sundays, when the attendance sometimes runs as high as 1800. They come singly, in small groups, and often by bus loads, to make the tour under special guides arranged for in advance. Occasionally conventions meeting in Chicago ask for special tours for groups sometimes as large as 300 persons.

A most distinguished and interested group to visit the Temple the first week in August was His Excellency Mr. U Win, Ambassador from Burma to the United States, and his family. After spending more than half an hour viewing the Temple, gardens and exhibits, the Ambassador wrote in the guest book these words: “Most beautiful and magnificent. Wonderful idea bearing fruit. Has brought wonderful union of faith.”

Another unusual group was one of ten Eagle Scouts from Korea on a good will tour of the United States. Among them was an enrolled Bahá’í youth from Seoul and two others who are studying the Faith.

The gardens, too, are attracting special attention, and requests come from time to time from men’s and women’s garden clubs for a tour guided by the superintendent of the buildings and grounds.

During the first five days of August, the visitors who signed the guest register came from 25 states in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, Lebanon, and India.

DUMONT OFFERS SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

A $50.00 award to a member of the Dumont, N.J. High School graduating class was offered by the Dumont Bahá’ís this Spring as a means of promulgating the Bahá’í teachings.

In a letter from the local Spiritual Assembly to the school principal, the qualifications for the selection of the student were specified: “A high mor-

His Excellency, Mr. U. Win, Ambassador to the united States from Burma, with his family and an attache, on the occasion of their visit to the Bahá’í House or Worship, Wilmette.

al character, a universal outlook toward the world of tomorrow, with a total lack of prejudice of any kind, and a well-trained mind. The senior selected preferably should be one who plans to make teaching his career and life’s work. The teacher is given high regard by Bahá’u’lláh, Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who said that every Bahá’í should remember his teacher in his will, making him the beneficiary of one-seventh of his estate.”

At the commencement exercises, when this scholarship was presented, the principal explained how the recipient was selected. After reading the above qualifications, he said that the faculty selected nine names, which were then presented to the Student Council, which in turn reduced this number to three. Final choice from these three was based upon the Vote of the entire senior class.

As a result of this scholarship, the Faith was mentioned at the graduating exercises before several hundred students, parents, guests and public officials. The Dumont Assembly believes this gesture improved the friendly relationship of the Bahá’ís with the community.

REFERENCE LIBRARY SERVICES LISTED

The National Reference Library Committee has been authorized by the National Spiritual Assembly “to supply on request Bahá’í references on particular subjects.”

This opens the door to two kinds of service: (1) Answering questions from reference material already compiled; and (2) Receiving and distributing valuable compilations, indexes, outlines, or other reference material on special subjects that individuals have accumulated.

Reference Material Compiled

The sources from which the Reference Library Committee can supply answers to questions consists of material which it has laboriously compiled over a long period of time, such as a complete index of BAHÁ’Í NEWS through 1955, an index of all references in the Bahá’í Writings to any part of the Bible text, and a concordance for most of Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings. (A concordance locates all references using a specific noun or verb.)

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SEPTEMBER, 1956

None of the foregoing material can be sent out to the believers, but the committee will be glad to supply answers to questions from it.

Papers Available for Duplication

The following compilations and “papers”, approved by the National Reviewing Committee, are available for duplication:

Compilation on “Teaching.”

Compilations of the Guardian’s instructions on certain subjects as published in BAHA’I NEWS during the last ten years.

List of historical events relating to the Bahá’í Faith in America up to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s arrival in the United States, from The Bahá’í Magazine.

“Papers” by Gene Crist (primarily compilations) on “Prophecies Fulfilled, Arranged by Time, Place, Name, and Characters”; “The Return of Christ,” “God’s Everlasting Covenant,” and “Progressive Revelation.”

If there is sufficient demand for the latter, mimeographed copies will be prepared and supplied at 2c per sheet.

Believers are asked to send to the committee secretary any material of this nature that has proved helpful in teaching or in deepening in the Faith; also any other reference material that has been found to be useful in the past, but is no longer available. If demand warrants, effort will be made to mimeograph these and supply them at cost.

In two or three months it is hoped to publicize a larger list of available references on particular subjects. Suggestions as to what subjects should be concentrated on, are solicited.

The committee continues to welcome volunteer workers for its various projects. A new indexing system is to be tested, for which help is especially needed.

In requesting references from the Index of BAHÁ’Í NEWS, write to Mrs. May Stebbins, 69 University Drive, Menlo Park, Calif. All other communications should be addressed to the Secretary of the National Reference Library Committee, Mrs. Marian Crist Lippitt, 1587 Virginia Street East. Charleston, W. Va.

Spiritual Assembly of Compton Judicial District, Calif., for 1956-1957. The Assembly was formed in 1955.

TEACHING CONFERENCE HELD AT FAIRBANKS

The Alaska Teaching Committee held a Conference in the Mining Building at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, on July 27-29. Bahá’ís came from Anchorage, and the Anchorage Recording District, Nome, Valdez, Point Barrow, and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.

Features of the conference included three sessions on the Covenant and Administration; three Workshops on Procedure, including Instructions to New Assemblies, Enrollment, Assembly Problems, Importance of Consultation, and Backbiting; a Round Table Discussion on “Reaching and Teaching the Eskimos, Indians, and Aleuts,” by the Northern Peoples Teaching Committee; a report on the New Delhi Conference and on the National Convention by Hazel Mori; and a Youth Session.

For diversion there was an interesting boat ride up the Tanana River, with a picnic supper on Saturday evening, and a picnic supper on Sunday evening at the close of the Conference.

At 8:00 P.M. Sunday evening, Hazel Mori spoke at a public meeting at the Travelers Inn, Fairbanks, on “The Ancient Prophecies Fulfilled.”

ALL-FAITH CHAPEL GIVES BAHÁ’Í SERVICE

A demonstration of the Unity of Religion was afforded the Faith in San Diego, Calif., on August 1, when the chaplain of the Solar Aircraft Co. All-Faith Chapel asked a Bahá’í employee, Waldo T. Boyd, to lead the two regular Wednesday services on that date.

Sixty employees attending the meetings listened to readings from the Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Christian, Muslim, and Bahá’í Sacred Writings. The chaplain, Tipton L. Wood, a member of the Episcopal Church in Escondido, Calif., read the opening prayer, selected from Bahá’í Prayers. Vic Alexander, Chula Vista, Calif., Bahá’í and a Solar employee, read the Prayer for America as the closing prayer.

Response to the program varied from mild curiosity to enthusiastic approval. A number of inquiries about the Faith resulted, and two deeply interested contacts for firesides were made.

Bahá’í is the third major faith to be recognized at the chapel in this way. Fourteen denominations of Christianity, and the Jewish Faith have preceded.

This industrial chapel is unique in that it has been constructed entirely by volunteer labor by company employees. The chapel was built on company property, and was dedicated on May 28, 1955.

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BAHÁ’Í FAITH PRESENTED ON CHICAGO TELEVISION

An outstanding opportunity to present the Bahá’í message to Chicago area television viewers was offered by WTTV, Chicago’s non-commercial, educational television station, on July 18. In a projected series of half-hour features explaining the major world religions, the Bahá’í Faith was given the opening program.

William B. Sears and Robert Quigley, professionally trained in the presentation of television programs, prepared the script Mr. Sears served as the off-camera announcer during the program, and was interviewed briefly on his pioneer work in Africa. Mr. Quigley interviewed the guest speakers, which included Horace Holley, speaking on the many friends of the Faith who have written appreciations; Dr. Manuchir Javid, providing the background of heritage with Írán, the birthplace of the Faith, and of the continuing persecutions there; Miss Charlotte Linfoot, giving factual material illustrating the spread of the Faith to many lands; and Mr. Sears, relating the worldwide expectations of the Return of Christ that prevailed in the middle of the nineteenth century, culminating in the appearance of the Báb and of Bahá’u’lláh.

There were close-ups of representative volumes of the Holy Scriptures of the great world religions and of several Bahá’í publications, and pictures of the laying of the cornerstone of the Bahá’í House of Worship by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1912 and of the dedication ceremonies in 1953.

The program closed with an appealing prayer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, read over a background of impressive music, with the camera focused on a picture of the Bahá’í Temple.

“VOICE OF AMERICA” EXPLAINS BAHÁ’Í FAITH

The “Voice of America,” broadcasting by short wave radio to the Middle East, gave an account of the Bahá’í Faith on July 10, 1956.

The 15 minute program dealt with a discussion of religious freedom in the United States. The narrator and author, Mrs. Margaret Abdel-Ahad Pennar, explained that one could worship as he wished in the United States, and that a fairly new religion, the Bahá’í World Faith, had made big strides here.

She then explained the main beliefs of the Bahá’í Faith, its connection with the United Nations, a description of the Bahá’í House of Worship, short resumé of the history of the Faith, and a description of a fireside.

She opened the program by saying that she knew a member of the Bahá’í Faith, Keith de Folo, and that she had attended one of his firesides to “find out what it was all about.”

This program, part of the regular series broadcast to the Middle East, was beamed to all of the Arabic speaking countries, except Írán, including Yemen, Syria, Libya, ‘Iráq, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. It reached these millions of people during the evening hours.

BAHÁ’Í IN THE NEWS

Lew Ayres, in his book Altars of the East, writes that he spent several days in the area around Haifa, and after a brief statement on the Bahá’í Faith, he writes: “As a contributing factor in any movement for world peace the importance of such an organization cannot be overestimated. The aims and principles as set forth are, to me, above reproach. They present a beautiful and mature ideal of world fellowship in the broadest possible aspect.”

Seven Steps to Peace, by Ruth Bjorkman Samson (Exposition Press, Inc., New York) lists in its index five different references to the Faith One reference states that “Bahá’u’lláh is the author of the expression, ‘The Most Great Peace;’ ” another quotes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the new age “in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization will be more evenly balanced ; ” another quotes Dr. Esslemont on the “healing of humanity as a whole, of nations and of individuals;” Bahá’u’lláh’s statement to Prof. Edward G. Browne is quoted in full; the Master’s Tablet stating that arts, sciences and crafts are counted as worship is cited; and we find also an excerpt from Dr. Esslemont’s book on harmony between religion and science.

“Land of the Bible,” a movie short, illustrates scenes in the Holy Land, including one of the Shrine of the Báb.

The program of the International Dinner held by the American Overseas Educators Organization in Portland, Oregon, on July 5, 1956, shows that the invocation read at the dinner was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's Prayer for America. Miss Violet Wuerfel, of the Ann

Annual Ridván Garden Party held at the Baumgartner Nursery, Miami, Fla. There were 88 present, including Bahá’ís from the Miami area, visiting pioneers, non-Bahá’í friends, and children.

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SEPTEMBER, 1956

Braille copies of “Christ’s Promise Fulfilled” and “The Renewal of Civilization” ready for distribution to Distributing Libraries for the Blind. These volumes were prepared by the Bahá’í Service for the Blind. There is also I. six-volume edition of “Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh” in their lending library.

Arbor Bahá’í Community, was elected the first President of AOEO.

Bergen (N.J.) Evening Record, Week-end Magazine Section, July 14, 1956, devoted an entire page to an exposition of the Faith by Curtis D. Kelsey, of the Teaneck Bahá’í Public Relations Committee. The statement was illustrated with a photograph of the Master, one of the House of Worship, and one of the Shrine of the Báb. Mr. Kelsey summarized the aims and teachings of the Faith under fourteen interesting heads.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette, Sunday, July 22, carried an illustrated feature interview with Richmond Bawnah, a Gold Coast student who has left Cedar Rapids to serve his people as instructor in pharmacy at Kumasi College of Technology in the Gold Coast.

“A serious-minded youth, Rich became a member of the Bahá’í Faith before leaving Cedar Rapids. He became interested in the religion, which describes itself as espousing world unity and encompassing all faiths, when he was in Denver in the summer of 1953.”

Bahá’ís will recall Norman Cousins as one of the guest speakers on the programs of public meetings conducted during the Intercontinental Teaching Conference held in Chicago in observance of the Centenary of the Birth of the Mission of Bahá’u’lláh. As Editor of The Saturday Review, New York, he has written a truly enlightening and inspiring Editorial in the August 4 issue, entitled “Think of a Man.” Briefly, he appeals to the individual to become aware of the real meaning of the dangers of H-bomb warfare, and to assert his innate but undeveloped passion for justice and world order. At the climax of this challenging appeal the author invites the individuals to think about the great spiritual leaders in human history—“about the prophets of the Old Testament” . . . the “purity, simplicity, and grandeur of . . . Jesus” . . . “About Bahá’u’lláh and his effort to provide a basis for spiritual and social unity among all men.”

J. A. Rogers, writing of his impressions of the French people as compared to American, on the editorial page of the Pittsburgh Courier, July 14, 1956, emphasized the strong reaction of the French to the status of Negroes in America. After listening to one Frenchman he “told him that I know societies in America like the Bahá’ís, the Ethical Culture, the Riverside Church, and others, who are a hundred per Cent against injustice based on color . . . ”

BAHÁ’ÍS ACTIVE IN INDIAN CLUB

In Sioux Falls, S. Dak., an Indian Club was formed by a local Indian last Spring. Five of the Sioux Falls Bahá’ís joined the club to increase their contacts with the Indians.

One Bahá’í was elected Secretary of the club, and another was appointed to the Welfare Committee.

Some of the club meetings have been held at the Bahá’í Center, which has given some 20 Sioux Indians the opportunity to see a picture of the Bahá’í House of Worship, a picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the words “Bahá’í World Faith” for the first time. One of the members of the club is now attending a fireside given by a local Bahá’í.

AMERICAN INDIAN NEWS

The American Indian Service Committee appeals to the Bahá’í with the desire for pioneering deep in his heart, to consider the yet unfilled post on the Omaha Indian Reservation at Macy, Neb. Rebuilding this first American Indian Bahá’í community offers perhaps the greatest challenge to pioneering in this country today.

In and around Macy are employment possibilities for school teachers, farmers, veterinarians, nurses, dentists, and doctors. Opportunities for selfless Bahá’í service are unlimited. Those whose hearts are turned toward pioneering, without stint of time or dedication, are invited to write to the American Indian Service Committee for further information.

Nelson Green, a Makah Indian youth aged 19 from Neah Bay, Wash., was given a week’s scholarship to attend the Bahá’í School at Geyserville, Calif. The scholarship, provided by the Northwest Area Teaching Committee, is a wonderful way to not only support our Bahá’í Schools, but also to make real contact with our American Indian friends.

A second Bahá’í has joined in the pioneering effort at Devil’s Lake Indian Reservation, Fort Totten, N. Dak. Among the group are the first declared Indian believers there, Mrs. Margaret Brown and Mrs. Mary Louise Swift Eagle. Children and adult classes have been established.

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NATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS

A 25 minute interview of the “Homemakers’ Club” program, conducted by Alma John on Radio Station WWRL in New York City, was given over to questions and answers on the Bahá’í Faith. Edward Schlesinger of New York and Curtis Kelsey of Teaneck, N. J., the Bahá’í's interviewed, gave an excellent presentation of the Faith. Miss John has requested Bahá’í presentations on her program for the next 13 weeks, to begin shortly.

The Flint, Mich., Bahá’í community sponsored a series of three radio broadcasts or 15 minutes each over Radio Station WBBC in observance of the 25th anniversary of the Louhelen Bahá’í School. Harlan Ober spoke on the Bahá’í Faith on July 17, Stanwood Cobb spoke on “The Meaning of Life” on July 31, and a third broadcast was scheduled for August 7.

A series of firesides in Kapaa, Kauai, T. K., are being conducted by the pioneers there as a follow-up to the recent visit of Auxiliary Board Member Florence Mayberry. Seven interested contacts have attended.

The Los Angeles, Calif., Bahá’í' Assembly has appointed a Proclamation Committee to develop outstanding regular monthly public meetings, in place of the former weekly Sunday afternoon meetings. The first Proclamation Meeting was held August 24.

San Francisco, Calif., area Bahá’ís heard two pioneers of Swaziland, Africa, tell of their experiences in a talk at the San Francisco Bahá’í Center on June 26.

The Anchorage, Alaska, Bahá’í Assembly sponsored a public meeting at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds on June 20. Mrs. Robert Atwood, wife of the editor of the Anchorage Daily Times, spoke of her recent trip to the Middle East with a group of newspaper editors. She told of the struggle for nationalism, and the problems people of various religious faiths face in breaking away from old traditions and finding their way in the modern world.

A public meeting in observance of the Martyrdom of the Báb was given by the Anchorage, Alaska, Recording District Bahá’í Assembly on the evening of July 9 at the Anchorage Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.

WORLD CRUSADE BUDGET

Fourth Year — 1956 - 1957

Annual Budget ..........$500,000.00

Total Requirements

May 1 to August 15 ... 145,600.00

Total Contributions

May 1 to August 15 ... 103,000.00

—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

AREA NEWS BULLETINS

The first Iowa Teaching institute was held at Scattergood Quaker Farm School near Iowa City, Iowa, on June 30 and July 1, the Area Bulletin for the Central States reports.

A Bahá’í International Club has been formed at Delaware State College, Dover, by two local Bahá’ís. The Area Bulletin for the Central Atlantic States reports that the first program featured an exchange student from New Zealand, who entertained with stories, songs, and dances of his homeland.

The Area Bulletin for the South Atlantic States lists locations for the first in a series of Area Conferences held on July 29: North Augusta, S.C,, Atlanta, Ga., and Miami, Daytona Beach, and Tampa. Fla. An open air meeting, combining a box-lunch picnic and conference, was planned.

A Youth Teaching picnic was held at Princeton, N. J., on July 22, with outdoor activities in the morning, and a discussion program in the afternoon. The Area Youth Committee sponsored this meeting, the Area Bulletin for the North Atlantic States relates.

The Rocky Mountain States Area Bulletin states that a Sunday Children’s Class has been established in Roswell, N. Mex.

BAHÁ’Í HOUSE OF WORSHIP

Visiting Hours

Weekdays:

10:30 A.M.—4:30 P.M.

7:00 P.M.—9:00 P.M.

Sundays and Holidays:

10:30 A.M.—9:00 P.M.

(Auditorium only will be open in the evenings)

Service of Worship

Sunday at 3:30 P.M., lasting until 4:15.

BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST

The Religion of Mankind

Horace Holley. The essays and talks in this book are selected from the work, during half a century, of a Bahá’í who has served for more than thirty years as secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, and in recent years as a Hand of the Cause. The book deals with many aspects of the Bahá’í Faith and the application of its principles as a solution to modern man’s dilemma, both individual and collective. One never-to—be-forgotten chapter of the book deals with the author’s privilege of meeting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Europe.

The Religion of Mankind is excellent for presentation to libraries and to all interested seekers as well as for each personal Bahá’í library.

248 pp. (Ronald). cloth . . . $3.00

Available from

BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST

110 Linden Avenue

Wilmette, Illinois

Part of the display of Bahá’í literature at the Los Angeles Bahá’í Center, where books and pamphlets are available to the community.

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SEPTEMBER, 1956

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

FEASTS

September 8—‘Izzat (Might)

September 27—Mashíyyat (Will)

PROCLAMATION DAY

September 23—to proclaim America’s spiritual mission; to observe the anniversary of the Faith’s introduction to America.

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY MEETING

August 31, September 1, 2, 3

October 12, 13, 14

MARRIAGES

Helena, Montana: Miss Jean Stalnaker to Mr. Robert J. Gagnon on June 22, 1956.

Albuquerque, New Mexico: Miss Barbara Anne Key to Mr. Don Hawley, on June 29, 1956.

Columbus, Ohio: Mrs. Bertha Harman to Mr. Frederick L. Morey on June 17, 1956.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Miss Phylliss Creager to Mr. James Doherty on July 29, 1956.

National Bahá’í Addresses

NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í ADMINISTRATIVE HEADQUARTERS:

536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, Illinois.

NATIONAL TREASURER:

112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois.

Make checks Payable to: National Bahá’í Fund

BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST:

110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois.

BAHÁ’Í NEWS:

Editorial Office:

110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

Subscription and change of address:

112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

IN MEMORIAM

Mrs. Mary Williams Olsen

Seattle, Washington

May 2, 1956

Mrs. Lucy B. Mallory

Ypsilanti, Michigan

June 6, 1956

Mrs. Caroline Keller

Orlando, Florida

June 9, 1956

Mrs. Lillian Kasse

New York, New York

July, 1956

Mr. Henry W. Davis

Washington, Dist. of Columbia

July 10, 1956

Miss Mary E. Isham

Wilbraham, Massachusetts

July 16, 1956

Mrs. Virgie Vale Preston

Washington, Dist. of Columbia

July 27, 1956

Mrs. Belle Costanten

North Hollywood, California

July 29, 1956

Mrs. Emily Carter Gillette

North Pembroke, Massachusetts

July 30, 1956

BAHÁ’Í DIRECTORY CHANGES

ASSEMBLY SECRETARIES

Alabama

Birmingham: Mrs. Rose Terry Brown, 988 North First Street, Z 4

Alaska

Fairbanks: Mrs. Kathy Rodgers, P.O. Box 1659

Arizona

Yuma: Mrs. Lucy Belle Anderson, 2154 Sixth Avenue

California (South)

National City: Mrs. Irma Haukedah, 1747 E. 24th St.

Illinois

Batavia: Mrs. Chester R. Oleson, 420 Delia Street

Iowa

Davenport: Miss Ethel W. Meyer, PSC Box 632

Maine

Eliot: Mrs. Charlotte E. Milden, Rural Route 1, Main Street

Minnesota

Minneapolis: Miss Sina O. Olsen, 123 S. 11th St., Apt. 401

Montana

Helena: Mr. Robert J. Gagnon, 860 5th Avenue

Nebraska

Omaha: Mrs. Syndna Moore 3114 Miami

North Carolina

Greensboro: Miss Zoe Meyer, 309 S. Trenton Dr.

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh: Mrs. Jean Minney, 806 Southern Avenue, Z 11

Wyoming

Laramie: Mrs. Solveig Velle Corbit, Sec. pro tem., 815 Ivinson

BAHA’I NEWS is published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í World Community

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. Material is due in Wilmette on the first day at the month preceding the date of issue for which it is intended.

BAHA’I NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee. The Committee for 1956-57: Mrs. Eunice Braun, Miss Charlotte Linfoot, Mr. Richard C. Thomas.

Editorial Office: 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.

Change of address should be reported directly to National Bahá’í Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.