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No. 521

BAHA’I YEAR 131

August, 1974

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Amatu’l-Baha visits the Far East, page 5

Hawaii 1974, by S. A. Pelle, page 11

Maud Bosio, by Keith de Folo, page 18

[Page 0] page five

page eleven

page eighteen

CONTENTS

Around the World
Passing of Laura Dreyfus-Barney announced	1
Western Samoa: Head of State visits Convention	1
India: New books will aid education of children	2
Colombia: Friends in Cali meet Counsellor Armstrong	2
El Salvador: Faith mentioned in religion courses	2
Canada: Remarkable strides taken by believers	3
Panama: First Páez Indians enrolled in Cause	4
A visit among the Guaymi Indians	4
Rwanda: Book published in Kinyarwanda language	4
Amatu’l-Bahá in the Far East	5
In Memory of Grace Anderson, by Beth McKenty	8
Hawaii 1974, Bahá’í International Youth Conference, by Tony Pelle	11
We must find the listeners, by Keith de Folo	18

COVER PHOTO

The Hand of the Cause of God A. Q. Faizí addresses the opening of the Hawaiian conference.

PHOTO AND DRAWING CREDITS

Cover: National Bahá’í Public Information Office of Hawaii; Page 1: (top) National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France, (bottom) Bahá’í International News Service; Page 2: Rand McNally; Page 3: Bahá’í International News Service; Page 4: Rand McNally; Pages 5, 6: Bahá’í International News Service; Page 8: Sam Dadian; Page 9: Charles Kennel; Page 10: Enrique Campos; Pages 11-17: National Bahá’í ‎Pubic Public‎ Information Office of Hawaii; Page 18: Bahá’í News Photo.

POSTAL INFORMATION

Bahá’í News is published for circulation among Bahá’ís only 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.

Material must be received by the fifteenth of the month preceding date of issue. Address: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, U.S.A.

Change of address should be reported directly to Membership and Records, National Bahá’í Center. 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. U.S.A. 60091.

Copyright © 1974, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

[Page 1]

Around the World

Mrs. Laura Dreyfus-Barney Passing Laura Dreyfus-Barney announced 22 August 1974 ASCENSION DISTINGUISHED MAIDSERVANT LAURA DREYFUS-BARNEY FURTHER DEPLETES SMALL BAND PROMOTERS FAITH IN HEROIC AGE. MEMBER FIRST HISTORIC GROUP PARIS TAUGHT BY MAY MAXWELL SHE ACHIEVED IMMORTAL FAME THROUGH COMPILATION SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS UNIQUE ENTIRE FIELD RELIGIOUS HISTORY. OFFERING ARDENT PRAYERS SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM URGE ALL COMMUNITIES FRANCE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS GRATITUDE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

Western Samoa

Head of State Visits Convention

His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, Head of State of Western Samoa, paid an official visit to one of the sessions of the Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of Samoa at the National Center at Lelata, Apia, on April 28, 1974. This is the first time that a ruling monarch of any country has participated in a Bahá’í function.

Exactly at noon, in accordance with the Convention program, the limousine of the Malietoa stopped outside the Bahá’í property and His Highness walked into the grounds where he was welcomed by Chief Tolefoa and the Counsellor Suhayl ‘Alá’í. The friends were gathering for the official photograph and a place had been made ready for His Highness.

“You can imagine the happiness and enthusiasm of the friends when His Highness took his place in the Convention photograph,” Mr. ‘Alá’í reported. “Many pictures were taken, after which His Highness spoke to a few of the friends and was then escorted to the Teaching Institute building which he expressed the wish to see. He was very impressed with the building and talked in Samoan with a few of the friends who were there, encouraging them to carry on with the work assigned to them. Other friends asked for more photographs and he graciously permitted this. We then escorted His Highness to his limousine. As he departed, he lovingly placed on my shoulders the lei he was wearing,” Mr. ‘Alá’í continued, “expressing his delight to be present at the Convention and wishing the friends success in their deliberations.

“The brief visit of His Highness intensified the discussion of the friends during the Convention sessions and seemed to strengthen them in their determination to teach as never before and attain the goals in the shortest possible time,” he concluded.

The Bahá’ís of American Samoa were invited by station KVZK-TV to prepare a series of 15-minute programs for their daily television show ‘Talosaga’ (Prayer Time).

Three such programs were taped using prayers and readings from the Holy Writings recited by Feti Maiava and Lina Kava, and choral selections by Bahá’í youth.

His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, Head of State of Western Samoa (centre with lei), with Bahá’í friends attending the Annual Convention of Samoa, held at National Bahá’í Teaching Institute, Lelata, Apia, Riḍván 1974.

[Page 2] “These programs have been aired a number of times on a rotational basis with other religious organizations and have been very well received,” said the National Assembly of Samoa.

India

New books will aid education of children

A textbook for use in children’s classes throughout India has been published by the National Assembly’s Education Committee. The book consists of 33 illustrated Bahá’í lessons for children in the first grade. The Hindi translation of the textbook will be introduced to all Bahá’í schools and children’s classes in Hindi-speaking areas. Two additional textbooks for older Bahá’í children are being prepared for publication.

The volume for first graders will be printed in as many regional languages as possible (14 official languages in India). The State Teaching Committees are being encouraged to undertake the work of translation and publication.

A copy of the lesson book is being sent to all National Assemblies in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands.

Colombia

Friends in Cali meet Counsellor Armstrong

The Five-Year Plan was triumphantly launched in Colombia at an international conference called by the Continental Board of Counsellors in South America. The conference was held in Cali, April 12-14, and was attended by believers from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, and by all six members of the Latin American Board of Counsellors, three members of their Auxiliary Board, and eight members of the Colombian National Assembly. A lovely Quechua woman from Ecuador who had made the long trip alone won the hearts of all present by her warmth and devotion to the Cause. When people en route asked her where she was going, and why, she took the opportunity to tell them about the conference and teach them the Faith.

For many of the Colombian friends, the conference provided the first opportunity they have had of meeting the Counsellor Leonora Armstrong, who came to South America as a pioneer in 1920 and is still at her post in Brazil. A talk by Mrs. Armstrong and other members of the Board of Counsellors opened the proceedings and laid a foundation for the reading of the message of The Universal House of Justice, which was discussed point by point.

The specific goals for Colombia were presented, and the National Spiritual Assembly explained the phases into which the Plan had been divided and what the first phase consisted of, the report of the Conference states. Specific suggestions on how to achieve the goals of the Plan and a special booklet with each goal and a space for ideas were distributed among the Bahá’ís.

A special consultation was held for the youth about their participation in the Plan ... the newly formed Bahá’í Club of Quibdó, Chocó, presented a song which was written by one of its members and told of its plans to attract youth to the Faith both by teaching directly and social activities. The youth coordinated and organized small group discussions on various themes; many participants commented on how much they had learned from the experience of searching the Writings and consulting on each subject and afterward listening to the presentation of each group.

A call for pioneers and traveling teachers produced twenty-four offers to visit areas for one or two months in order to deepen the friends and help the Local Spiritual Assemblies function effectively. Two Bahá’ís offered to deputize pioneers—among those who volunteered was a Bahá’í who had declared the day before and who had already taught two friends who became Bahá’ís and came to the conference. They were among the seven who accepted the Faith during the conference.

The most moving event occurred when ten-year-old Sergio Montenegro offered to travel every weekend to teach the Faith. Sergio is the son of the late Luis Montenegro, former secretary of the National Assembly of Colombia, who gave his life while serving the Cause among the Motilon Indians. Mr. Montenegro died of a heart attack on April 20, 1973, while climbing a mountain to reach the Motilon Indians to help them form their Local Assembly. Sergio offered to go to Villavicencio, a town where he and his father had traveled and taught together. Prayers were offered for the progress of Mr. Montenegro’s soul and for the husband of Mrs. Armstrong, who passed away exactly one year ago.

El Salvador

Faith mentioned in religion courses

The National Assembly of El Salvador recently completed an important goal: to have material on the Bahá’í Faith included in the Ministry of Education’s primary school curriculum on religious studies.

[Page 3] The booklet “Religious Systems of the World”, which the Ministry distributes to the nation’s 14,000 teachers, now includes statistical information on the Bahá’í Faith. The National Assembly has also taken steps to supply more than 200 principals with copies of Divine Symphony, by Gayle Woolson, a book which attempts brief definitions of the major religious systems, including the Bahá’í Faith.

Canada

Remarkable strides taken by believers

“The star of the Cause in Canada is rising,” wrote The Universal House of Justice in its message to the Canadian community at Riḍván 1974. In a cablegram dated May 1974, the Supreme Institution amplified its earlier statement: “Brilliant rise Canada forefront national Bahá’í communities manifested your spirited convention cable ...” The House of Justice went on to applaud the impressive and tangible commitments made by the National Assembly and the Canadian believers in conducting their national and international assignments.

The remarkable forward strides taken by the Canadian community during the Nine-Year Plan under National Assembly leadership, described by The Universal House of Justice in a letter dated April 3, 1974, as “imaginative, audacious, and flexible”, were reinforced during the year 1973-74, a year that witnessed a dramatic increase in enrollments among various minorities in Canada. This growth and a spirit of willingness to assume an even greater share of global teaching responsibility were reflected in the National Convention held in Toronto, April 26 to 29, 1974.

The National Assembly reported the Convention to be “... most successful ... we feel that the Five-Year Plan has been befittingly launched. Approximately 1,500 believers attended from every part of the country, a number half again as great as the largest Convention previously held ... The friends received the Plan with the greatest enthusiasm, and we now have 113 offers for pioneer services in the overseas goals.”

The dedication of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds took place on April 28 at Toronto as one of the events of the Annual Convention. The Hand of the Cause of God John A. Robarts gave the official speech of dedication, taking his opening words from the message of The Universal House of Justice: “The star of the Cause in Canada is rising!”

Mr. Robarts said, in part: “This is a proud and happy day for the Bahá’ís of Canada. Here we are, of all ages, having come from all parts of Canada, to attend our national Convention, and to dedicate our new National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds on this beautiful 18-acre property near the northern boundary of Toronto. This is one of the great occasions in Canadian Bahá’í history.

“In the year 1912, Canada had the blessing of a ten-day visit from `Abdu’l-Bahá in Montreal. Of that visit He said, ‘The time of the sojourn was limited to a number of days but the results in the future are inexhaustible.’ We are seeing one of those results here now ...

“We look back upon the promises of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that ‘the future of the Dominion of Canada is very great, and its historical events infinitely glorious. Thus it shall become the object of the glance of providence and the manifestation of the favors of the Supreme Lord.’ And we realize how greatly blessed Canada has been, and this will be an incentive for us to continue to be ever active in His beloved Cause.”

With members of the newly-elected National Assembly at Riḍván 1974, are the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts (standing, first row, third from right), Continental Counsellors Lloyd G. Gardner and Sarah M. Pereira, (standing, first row, second and fourth from left), and members of the Auxiliary Board.

The Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts (standing, third row, fourth from left) and delegates to the Annual Convention of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada held in Toronto, April 26-29, 1974.

[Page 4] Panama

First Páez Indians enrolled in Cause

The National Spiritual Assembly of Panama reported that during a recent teaching trip to Colombia by a Panamanian citizen, Mr. L. Cuevas, twenty-four Páez tribespeople enrolled in the Bahá’í Faith. The twenty-four were the first Páez Indians to become Bahá’ís. Their home is located near the headwaters of the 950-mile-long Magdalena River, which rises on the eastern slopes of the Andes in southern Colombia.

A visit among the Guaymi Indians

“Without a doubt, this was the most exciting and rewarding trip I ever made into the indigenous zone of Chiriquí,” wrote Auxiliary Board member Ruth Pringle of a visit she made to the Guaymi Indian area of Panama, accompanied by resident pioneer Grace Dean.

“The enthusiasm of the friends was truly touching,” her report said. “Delegations were sent from various communities to beg us to come to them. It was not possible to respond to all requests. Our reception in Cerro Tigre was especially worthy of note.

“To reach there is somewhat like treading the spiritual path to the Abhá Kingdom—long, tortuous, and steep. When the summit is reached, if one does not lose heart and give up, one really enters a paradise of natural physical beauty and spiritual blessings.

“The friends had sighted us from afar and had maintained a loving vigil for over an hour, beckoning to us and encouraging us to persevere. They rushed forth amid greetings of ‘Alláh-u-Abhá! Welcome!’ There must have been well over 60 friends waiting in this manner upon our arrival; later, more came.”

Six communities were visited and five deepening institutes were held. The report continues:

“In most of the communities, there was nearly 100 percent participation by the friends in the meetings; some, of course, were absent from home. It is estimated that at least 823 believers were met and attended at least one session.

“The deeper one penetrates into the area, the more vibrant the communities appear. Cerro Tigre and Quebrada Nigua are examples of this. The latter has a Bahá’í population of nearly 300 believers; between these two communities, it would be fair to estimate that there are probably well over 500 children of school age and no schools or hope for the establishment of a government school because of their isolation and general inaccessibility during long periods of the year. Both communities were opened to the Faith a little over a year ago through the efforts of Luis Cuevas, his brother, and Cerillo Sanchez. Our visit was the first by believers outside the mountain area, one reason for so much rejoicing.

“Cerro Tigre, and especially Quebrada Nigua, are farsighted in their dreams for their future spiritual and material development. The latter was a beehive of activity—bringing the scattered families into a central aldea (hamlet or village) and, through community cooperation, cutting and drying lumber for a center which, God willing, will also serve as a school for the area; clearing a helicopter landing pad; and building a fund for the future piping of running water into their village from the many streams and waterfalls in this area.

“An epidemic of influenza, leaving three deaths in its wake, had recently ravaged the area of Bocas de Remedios. On the initiative of the Local Spiritual Assembly, a medical mission was twice invited to come to their assistance. For the first time in the history of this community, doctors came and promised to return; they returned on March 20. Our classes were suspended so that the health workers could fulfill their duties. They worked on into the night by the light of a flashlight lantern and the battery-operated slide projector we had brought with us. Around midnight, when the medical team recessed for the night, the friends, in spite of their fatigue, begged us to show them some of the slides we had brought along. In the morning, the medical workers continued with their program and the Bahá’í teachers began their long journey back home. The medical team, all young university-educated Guaymi men, were highly impressed by the initiative of the community, the organization, and the smooth manner in which everyone cooperated. They promised that they would mention the highly meritorious work the Bahá’ís are doing. They had many questions about the Faith and expressed interest in receiving literature... One member of the team and his wife are currently lodging in Grace Dean’s house in San Felix until they can find other accommodation.

“Many changes have taken place in Bocas de Remedios since our last visit. The friends, previously dispersed throughout the hills, have come together and constructed a small aldea. The location of the Bahá’í center has been changed, and the center greatly enlarged. Plans are underway and a fund created to put in a cement floor and partial walls of bricks or native stone. In front of the center, an area has been cleared to serve as a helicopter landing pad.”

Rwanda

Book published in Kinyarwanda language

The National Spiritual Assembly of Rwanda has approved for immediate publication in the Kinyarwanda language a Bahá’í children’s book containing twenty-seven lessons. It is planned to make the book available inexpensively so that it may be widely distributed among Bahá’í communities throughout the country.

[Page 5] Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum with President Mohammadullah of Bangladesh, June 7, 1974. (Counsellor Shirin Boman, on the right; Mrs. Violette Nakhjavání, on the left)

Amatu’l-Bahá in the Far East

by Bahá’í International News Service

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum left the Holy Land on April 13, 1974, to attend the first Convention of the Bahá’ís of Hong Kong as the special representative of The Universal House of Justice. The formation at this Riḍván of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Hong Kong and South East Arabia brought to 115 the number of national communities participating in the launching of the Five Year Plan.

En route to Hong Kong, Amatu’l-Bahá, who was accompanied by Mrs. Violette Nakhjavání, spent a week visiting the Burmese Bahá’ís and attending their Convention which, at the request of the Daidanaw friends, was held in their village instead of Rangoon, so they could receive the Hand of the Cause in their midst. The visitors were required to obtain special permission to stay overnight in Daidanaw and application was made and granted on the grounds that the distinguished guests from the Holy Land were coreligionists of Siyyid Muṣṭafá Rúmí and wished to visit his shrine.

Daidanaw is a prosperous village of some 2,000 inhabitants, about 1,800 of whom are Bahá’ís. The most impressive edifice there is the tomb of Muṣṭafá Rúmí, a large white building with a dome, in the center of which is the grave of this exemplary and much-loved pioneer and teacher who established the Cause in Burma in May 1878, accompanied by Jamál Effendi. Muṣṭafá Rúmí died at the age of 99 and was posthumously appointed a Hand of the Cause by Shoghi Effendi in 1946. The Guardian wrote that the resting place of Muṣṭafá Rúmí is the foremost shrine of the Burmese believers. In this single-roomed building, the Bahá’í youth had arranged a very comprehensive book exhibit. Here Amatu’l-Bahá exhibited a framed lock of Bahá’u’lláh’s hair which she later presented as her personal gift to the newly-formed National Spiritual Assembly of Hong Kong. As the Daidanaw friends filed by to view the frame with its precious contents,

[Page 6] Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum visiting the tomb of the Hand of the Cause Muṣṭafá Rúmí, Daidanaw Village, Burma; April 1974.

Amatu’l-Bahá anointed them with attar of rose, a deeply moving experience. Approximately 1,200 believers were present on this occasion.

In her addresses to the friends in Burma, Amatu’l-Bahá pointed out that theirs was an old and distinguished community much loved by both ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. She reminded them that long ago they had provided the beautiful alabaster sarcophagus in which the Master placed the sacred remains of the Báb, and that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had called Daidanaw—one of the first Bahá’í villages in the world—“My village.” In Burma and elsewhere she often mentioned the great example set by Muṣṭafá Rúmí as a pioneer, teacher, and organizer and said that the firm foundation laid by this saintly soul almost a century ago is the reason for the depth of understanding and the devotion of the believers in Burma.

A dinner in Amatu’l-Bahá’s honor was given by the National Assembly of Burma at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Rangoon, attended by prominent guests and members of the press, at which Amatu’l-Bahá gave a talk about the Faith.

On her arrival in Hong Kong on April 24, Amatu’l-Bahá was met by a large number of believers from many countries. A press interview was held in a private reception room at the airport which resulted in excellent coverage on the Faith. At her own request, the following day she visited the island of Macau and spent the night there. The friends showered her with love and very happy hours were spent with the Bahá’í youth and at an evening meeting to which Bahá’ís brought close friends. Prompted by the enrollment during recent months of a number of Chinese and other distinguished new believers in the extremely united and active community of Macau, Amatu’l-Bahá in her remarks to the friends quoted her mother, Mrs. May Maxwell, who likened the growth of the Cause to that of a tree which grows in stages, suddenly putting forth new branches after a period of dormancy; such is the pattern of development of the Faith in many parts of the world.

Writing of the Convention in Hong Kong, Mrs. Nakhjavání reported: “It was a wonderful event for all. After many decades of labor and love by devoted pioneers, a number of whom have passed away, the tree of the Faith had reached its fruition. In many talks in the course of the Convention, tribute was paid to these valiant souls who watched this joyous occasion from the Abhá Kingdom. Like the country itself, the Convention represented the mixed races of humanity, the newly elected National Spiritual Assembly itself demonstrating this in its membership which comprises Chinese, American, Persian, Indian, and Filipino believers, representing the yellow, white, black, and brown races of the world. In moving talks, Amatu’l-Bahá highly praised the Chinese people and referred to the Words of the Master about China and its great destiny. She said that Hong Kong and Macau are not only the obvious gateways to the masses of the members of the Chinese race but must also constitute a reservoir of qualified teachers and pioneers to be drawn upon for teaching the many large Chinese communities throughout the world.”

Amatu’l-Bahá then departed for India to attend a teaching conference in Bombay from May 23-26, one of a series to inaugurate the Five Year Plan, as well as a two-day youth conference held immediately thereafter. The report continues:

Amatu’l-Bahá’s love for India and its people, and their love for her, is a well-known story! On arrival at the airport, she was escorted to a large specially erected tent where over 200 excited and enthusiastic believers awaited her despite the intense heat and lateness of the hour. She was garlanded with many leis of fresh flowers in the beautiful way of India. Amatu’l-Bahá addressed the friends briefly, later shaking hands with each one who was introduced to her by name. In spite of a crippling transportation strike throughout the country, over 500 believers attended the conferences; a large number of guests were from neighboring countries. On the first morning of the opening conference, after two moving addresses by Amatu’l-Bahá, one in English and one in Persian, the friends, without the slightest urging or encouragement, spontaneously poured out a torrent of pledges, cash, and personal ornaments. Although these were primarily for the construction of the new House of Worship in New Delhi, other objectives of the Plan were also supported.

A splendid dinner party was sponsored by the Bombay Spiritual Assembly in Amatu’l-Bahá’s honor. More than 70 guests attended, including government ministers, court officers, and distinguished government figures, who were obviously drawn to the Teachings of

[Page 7] Bahá’u’lláh was introduced to them by the guest of honor in her short talk. In addition, a press luncheon was held, as well as a radio interview, both resulting in good publicity. On several occasions, Rúḥíyyih Khánum held fruitful consultations with the National Assembly and the Board of Counsellors, both jointly and separately.

Amatu’l-Bahá took the opportunity of visiting the New Era Bahá’í School in Panchgani where she was warmly received by the principal, staff, and students and gave a number of addresses drawing much pleasure from the keenly intelligent questions of the youth.

The next few days were spent in Bangladesh where Amatu’l-Bahá was accompanied, at her own request, by the Counsellor Shirin Boman. The report states:

Because of the turmoil and suffering this new State has recently passed through, Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s heart was greatly drawn to it and the Bahá’í community there; her stay in Dacca, the capital, and her short visit to Chittagong, were crowded with meetings, the most important of which undoubtedly was that with President Mohammadullah. The friendly and cordial interview lasted more than half an hour and created an opportunity for Amatu’l-Bahá to present the President with a copy of Volume XIII of The Bahá’í World. She called his attention to certain sections of the book, assuring him that obedience to government and non-interference in politics are fundamental Bahá’í teachings.

The last two days of Amatu’l-Bahá’s visit to New Delhi were busy ones. On the first of these, she met with the believers in the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, and was interviewed by the press and by the National Broadcasting Overseas Service. The report of the important events that were crowded into the last day states:

The National Spiritual Assembly had arranged four extremely important interviews with the highest officials. The first, at 10:30 A.M., was with the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, Mr. Baleshwar Prasad, with whom Amatu’l-Bahá spoke at length about the erection of the House of Worship in that city, and the purpose and spirit of Bahá’í Temples in the world.

At 4:00 P.M. she had an interview lasting about 15 minutes with President V. V. Giri who received her very cordially, asked questions about the Faith in Iran, expressed his appreciation for the gift of Volume XIII of The Bahá’í World presented to him by the National Assembly, and listened with interest to Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s remarks about the Bahá’í attitude towards obedience to government, about the erection in the near future of a Temple in Delhi, and about the statistical expansion of the Faith.

At 6:00 P.M. an interview lasting about three-quarters of an hour took place with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sardar Swaran Singh, during which not only the same points were covered but the discussion expanded to include Bahá’í relations with the United Nations. He was also presented with a copy of Volume XIII of The Bahá’í World...

At 8:00 P.M. an interview took place at the residence of the Minister for Home Affairs ... to whom any important matter affecting the Bahá’í community in India ultimately might have to be referred ... He was both courteous and cordial and undoubtedly gained from the interview a better understanding of the Faith. Important points affecting the Cause were drawn to his attention and in presenting him with Volume XIII of The Bahá’í World the world-wide nature of the Faith was made known.

Quoting her mother, May Maxwell, Rúḥíyyih Khánum likened the growth of the Faith to that of a tree, which grows in stages, suddenly putting forth new branches after a period of dormancy.

Amatu’l-Bahá was the cherished guest of the Bombay community at a reception held during a one-day stop before her departure for the Holy Land. Addressing the 300 believers in attendance, she thanked the friends of that city for their warm reception of not only herself but all the conference attendants and spoke with appreciation of the generous services the Bombay community is rendering the Faith. As it is the earliest Bahá’í community of India, she expressed the hope that Bombay would lead the way in fulfilling the goals of the Five Year Plan.

[Page 8]

In memory of Grace Anderson

by Beth McKenty

Mrs. Grace Anderson, one of the first American Bahá’ís to be reared in a Bahá’í home, passed away September 19 after an illness of only a few hours. Her Bahá’í funeral, held two days later in Kenosha, Wisconsin, attracted many Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í friends and was a fitting tribute to her life of devoted service.

Blessed with meeting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His visit to Kenosha in 1912, she had the added bounty sixty years later of visiting the Holy Land as a pilgrim and being a guest in His home. She was active in the Faith all her life, although her modesty always led her to question her own ability to serve. She never recognized the sacrificial and devoted quality of her own deeds in this Faith.

For example, when she and her husband, Alfred, heard that arrangements had to be made for someone to live in the basement of the House of Worship during the days when the cement was being poured and the temperature had to be kept constant, they volunteered to take charge of this. “I was lucky enough to find work in a laundry not too far way—we didn’t have paved streets in those days in the Temple area,” she later recalled. “I would go to work evenings and Alfred would work days. This way we could cover around the clock. That was really a privilege, because we lived right there on the grounds for about a year. It helped us always to feel very close to the House of Worship.” It seems appropriate that just three weeks before her death, she was able to attend a special meeting in the House of Worship addressed by the Hand of the Cause Abú’l-Qásim Faizí and she was one of those who lingered, enjoying the fellowship of that evening, until Foundation Hall was nearly empty.

Grace Anderson, of Waukesha, Wisconsin

In September 1972, when the sixtieth anniversary of the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Kenosha was observed, Mrs. Anderson was interviewed at her home in Waukesha. It filled her with happiness to share her memory of being in the presence of the Master. Her gratitude to her parents for having accepted the Faith and for having brought her up to know and serve its Central Figures was evident in her recollections. “I was born June 24, 1893,” she began, “and I guess I kept my mother from going to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago that fall. We lived nearby, in Milton, Illinois, and I remember her saying later that she would have liked to attend, but I was just a few months old and she was busy with her home and with me.”

Grace was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Benning who survived to adulthood. Her mother, Elvira, had lost two sons at birth and another daughter, Frankie, died at the age of nine. One of Grace’s early memories was of a Persian Bahá’í coming to Kenosha at a time when her mother was pregnant and very ill.

“My sister and I were sent next door to stay with a neighbor, as it was time for my mother’s confinement and there were complications,” she continued. “We stood in the yard, and saw a Persian man come to our well and get water. Then he went back into the house and gave some of it to my mother who later improved. (We heard afterwards that when he had arrived, my mother was being attended by a German nurse. He had asked for water, but the nurse didn’t think it would save my mother’s life and wouldn’t tell him where it was.) My father always believed that my mother’s life was saved through the power of prayer. Dad never felt the water had done it, but he used to say, ‘Through the mercy of Bahá’u’lláh, she lived.’ ”

Grace said that because she and her sister had not yet seen a picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, but were very familiar with Him through the teaching of their parents and the Kenosha Bahá’í community, they assumed that the Persian who came to their home was the Master. “We bowed our heads when we

[Page 9] saw him in the yard,” she remembered, “because we believed we were seeing the Master.” This happened when she was about seven years old. At the time the Persian came to visit, she and her sister were attending the Presbyterian Sunday school. When her father questioned the visitor about this, he replied, “As yet, we do not have too much for the children, but you can teach them who Bahá’u’lláh is and who the Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are.” Only a few prayers and some of the Hidden Words had been translated, and the Persian encouraged her father to teach them those. “So,” recalled Grace, “Dad took us right out of Sunday school and that’s all the churchgoing that we did.”

Long before the Master’s visit to Kenosha, many ‎dintinguished distinguished‎ Bahá’í teachers came there. Grace could remember the Hand of the Cause Corinne True, Thornton Chase, Lua Getsinger, Albert Dealey, and countless others who attended Feast or other meetings in the community. Often the Bahá’ís of Kenosha would travel to Chicago for some special occasion.

When she began to speak of the actual day of the Master’s visit, her face became so animated and her blue eyes shone with the excitement of remembrance. “It was all excitement,” she began, “that’s all I can tell you. We had just come from Michigan, my husband Alfred and I. I guess we came a week or so ahead to get a room and get settled. Alfred found a job right away and we were ready when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came. We didn’t go to the station, because the Master had asked that only one or two of the friends meet Him there, so most of us went to the Bahá’í center, which was then located upstairs in the G. A. R. hall, on Park Street.

“It’s funny the things you remember,” she smiled. “There was a tavern downstairs in this hall, and some of my friends teased me that I was going to a tavern, but I explained that wasn’t true. There was a stairway that led up to the second floor and our center was there.

“The committee was preparing for the dinner that evening when we arrived, so I did what I could to help, setting the table and arranging the decorations.

“When the Master first arrived in Kenosha, He went to rest at the home of Mrs. Emma Voelz. Mrs. Goodale lived upstairs and had put her apartment at the disposal of the Master and His entourage. Later in the day, He went to the hall, where a large crowd of Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís had gathered.

Mrs. Anderson made her pilgrimage to the Holy Land in June 1973, celebrating her 80th birthday there. She is shown above (second from the right, front row) with her fellow pilgrims. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kennel, of Waukesha, escorted her to the Holy Land.

“I can’t remember exactly what time He came,” Grace said, “but my husband and I were in that crowd waiting for Him. The Master shook hands with each one of us, every single person who came up that stairway and approached Him. He was standing at the head of the stairs, near a railing that led towards a long hallway.”

Grace struggled for adequate words to describe the moment of that meeting. “It’s something you can’t explain, exactly. It’s not for anybody to describe unless they have themselves experienced it. I don’t think I can describe it, the moment when He shook my hand. The only thing I can liken it to at all would be an electric shock. Not unpleasant. But like something just kind of went through you. It thrilled you. And He looked at you. Right through you. And the first thing He did was to say to you in English, ‘Are you happy?’

“That was all. Just that moment. And then you went on. Of course, there were so many people, there was not the chance to do or say anything more then, but later in the evening when the crowds subsided and only the Bahá’ís were left, there was a big dinner.

“We had at that time a big hall, quite long, and tables had been put together on wooden horses, with long boards on top and beautiful table cloths over these. We were then quite a big community, perhaps around forty. I don’t know who had started the custom, but in those days we had two chairs, one placed at the head of the table and one at the foot. The chair at the head was for Bahá’u’lláh and the one at the foot was for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Nobody ever sat in them. There was a red ribbon on each one and at Feast or any other gathering the chairs were there, ready and waiting. I don’t know who originated this but it was always done. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came in and welcomed everybody with a smile. He walked straight to the chair which was His. Then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said to us, ‘This is where I am to sit.’ ”

Of the meal itself, Grace remembers the Master serving food to the children who were present and taking a number of them into His arms. She spoke of the room being filled with happiness and elation. “Of course, you drank in every word that He said and you liked to be as close to Him as you could, but you always had to help the others to get close to Him too,” she recalled. “It was one of those situations where you had to be careful that you didn’t push somebody away. Everybody wanted to be close. Afterwards, when He had spoken, everyone went and shook

[Page 10] hands with Him before leaving.” Grace recalled, also, climbing into a balcony seat at the Congregationalist church when the Master spoke there. “The church was so crowded, every seat was taken. The Master greeted everyone from the platform and each word He said was eagerly received.”

Some extra details of the visit remained clear in Grace’s memory. She spoke of Mr. Epstein, the owner of a men’s clothing store who had one of the few automobiles in Kenosha at that time. When he heard of the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, he offered to drive Him to His engagements. “Mr. Epstein was crippled and had a hunched back,” she mentioned. “He never became a Bahá’í but he always was very friendly to the Faith.”

The experience of being a Bahá’í in a small Wisconsin community, rather conservative in its outlook, always seemed to Grace to be a great privilege. She remembered one day, when she was about fifteen, being asked by some school friends if she would like to attend church with them the following Sunday. Although she was inwardly dubious about it, she asked her father’s permission and he immediately gave it.

“So I went,” she recalled, and began laughing at the memory of it. “I guess I had a little more nerve then than I’ve got now, because I noticed that when the minister gave his text, his sermon didn’t match it. It didn’t relate to it at all. So I went up to the minister after the service and asked him about it. I was curious, not having been to church before, and I asked if he would mind explaining what he meant by the text, and why he had read it but not talked about it. He said to me, ‘I never talk about it.’ So I said, ‘Well, why do you read it then?’ He answered, ‘I read it because it is from the Bible.’ I said, ‘Shouldn’t you talk from the Bible?’ He said, ‘Well, I do in the sermon.’ I said, ‘But the sermon had nothing to do with the text!’ Then he said to me, ‘Well, what do you think the text means?’ I began telling him my understanding, from the Bahá’í books, and he said, ‘I’m not going to contradict you but I don’t know where you get your information.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m a Bahá’í.’ Since that day, I haven’t been back to church!”

Speaking of Bahá’í children’s classes, she said that they memorized a great deal, later rememorizing passages when the improved translations became available. When she herself became a teacher, she wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to ask what she should teach. He replied that it would be best to use the “Hidden Words” and other books then available, and that the children should be encouraged to memorize portions of these. “So that is what we did!” she said.

Perhaps the best tribute to Grace is that she would turn to the Center of the Covenant, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and follow implicitly the advice He gave. To experience hospitality in her home, to be with her at a Bahá’í gathering, to hear her sharing her precious memories with the friends, would help any Bahá’í to deepen in his understanding of the Faith, for her actions were permeated with the love of God, a wholehearted acceptance of His Manifestations, and lifelong efforts to serve His Cause and His servants. Distinguished in her fidelity to the Cause, she now enjoys her reward, and her earthly remains lie at the side of her husband’s in a small cemetery outside of Kenosha, the scene of her memorable happiness.

[Page 11] The conference in Hawaii was called to material and spiritual action by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears.

Hawaii 1974

Bahá’í International Youth Conference

by Salvatore A. Pelle

[Page 12] Official photograph of the Bahá’í International Youth Conference held in Hilo, Hawaii, August 4-8, 1974. Present were the Hands of the Cause of God Abu’l-Qásim Faizí, Collis Featherstone, and William Sears and approximately 1,000 believers from 35 countries.

The royal court of old Hawaii was recreated as part of the entertainment at the Unity Feast Luau that opened the conference. The luau was held at Wailoa State Park.

Auxiliary Board member Jack McCants’s theme was “Today’s Martyrs.”

The Bahá’í International Youth Conference, held in Hilo, August 4-8, 1974, is now history. But for the 1,000 Bahá’í youth and adults from 35 countries who attended, it was a spiritual experience they will not soon forget.

From a platform banked with flowers and traditional decorations of the islands, three Hands of the Cause of God brought greetings from The Universal House of Justice. For three days the Hands of the Cause and a stream of Continental Counsellors, representatives of many National Spiritual Assemblies, Auxiliary Board members, and Knights of Bahá’u’lláh shared with the assembled friends recollections of past events as well as plans for future accomplishments. The spirit of the conference steadily grew as musical groups from the continental United States, from Alaska and from Hawaii contributed their talents to the program. Throughout the conference, the haunting words of the Master, “Look at Me, Follow Me, Be as I am” were sung by many groups and by the entire audience at the closing session.

The conference, the largest Bahá’í gathering ever held in the islands, was also the first international Bahá’í conference ever held there. It received the most publicity ever given to a Bahá’í event in Hawaii, and was instrumental in bringing the Faith to the attention of more people there than had ever before heard of it. More than 16,000 people attended proclamation meetings connected with the conference and many more heard of the Faith from radio and television broadcasts. On the three consecutive Sundays preceding the event, KITV in Honolulu broadcast installments of a new half-hour program on the Bahá’í Faith entitled “The New World.” Newspaper ads announced the broadcasts.

As the friends arrived on Sunday, August 4, at the airport they were greeted and transported by bus to the conference registration area at the Hilo Civic Auditorium. There they received their conference badges, programs, folders, and other information. That evening the friends gathered for a Unity Feast Luau at Wailoa Park, a few blocks from the Auditorium.

[Page 13] The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone reads the message from The Universal House of Justice.

Music and entertainment at the Luau were under the direction of Auxiliary Board member Healani Alama Hamilton. Presenting a court of Old Hawaii, with the costumes of the time, the entertainment featured the music and songs of various ethnic groups of the Pacific area.

On Monday, the Bahá’ís visited the volcano area of Hilo by bus. Bahá’í Conference signs were all over the Hilo area—at the hotels, on the many conference buses, at the Civic Auditorium, at Wailoa Park, and at the dormitory. Conference meals—lunch and dinner—were served at the Wailoa Park where visiting Bahá’ís could enjoy the beauty of Hawaii’s land, water, and sky as they dined.

The conference was officially opened by Carol Johnson on Monday evening, a Bahá’í youth from the Waianae Bahá’í Community. Tracy Hamilton, Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Hawaiian Islands, welcomed the friends to Hilo. Greeting the conference on behalf of Hilo’s mayor, Bruce McCall, was Miss Merle Lai, an administrative aide to the Mayor. The conference then had the joy of hearing from the Hands of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone, William Sears, and A. Q. Faizí bringing messages from The Universal House of Justice and the International Teaching Center.

Miss Lani Tamanaha, Chairman of the National Youth Committee of Hawaii, spoke of the challenges to Bahá’í youth today. She said they must not become complacent in the Faith and must never take it for granted. Bahá’í youth must prepare themselves now to serve the Faith in later years. They must do more than their share in teaching, proclaiming, pioneering, and supporting the Funds, she said.

In their various talks, the Hands of the Cause of God brought inspiration, spiritual guidance, and the experience of their dedicated lives to enrich all who heard them. Mr. Collis Featherstone said the Guardian gave a very high station to those “who arise to serve the Cause.” The Five Year Plan, he said, is oriented toward Local Spiritual Assemblies. Its major objectives are to preserve and consolidate victories won, to emphasize that Local Spiritual Assemblies are the bedrock of the Administrative Order, and to stress that the Local Spiritual Assemblies have the primary function of providing protection to the Faith and to the believers. There are, he said, two types of Bahá’ís: those who join the Faith for its social qualities, and those who upon joining fall in love with the Faith and become the servants of the servants. He called on the Bahá’ís to develop those distinctive characteristics that will proclaim to the world that they are “the new race of men.” Conflict and contention, he said, are not the Bahá’í way. We should turn our vision outward to the masses of mankind and reach them—change their hearts and their minds with the healing message of Bahá’u’lláh, Mr. Featherstone said. Bahá’ís should read the Writings and then release those forces that are God-given forces.

The Hand of the Cause William Sears pointed out that the International Teaching Center, of which the Hands are members, is an institution ordained by Shoghi Effendi and Bahá’ís everywhere should encourage and nourish this body. The Center will coordinate teaching programs developed by The Universal House of Justice, and will provide the Supreme Body and the Continental Boards with progress reports of activities throughout the Bahá’í World.

During a question and answer period, Mr. Faizí said that this is an age of exploration and discovery—man, a miniature of the universe, should have material wealth, knowledge, and other talents, all of which are God-given. However, Bahá’ís should remember that these gifts should be used for beneficial purposes and for education. These gifts are excellent servants but make the worst kind of masters. “Have them under your feet,” Mr. Faizí said the Guardian once told him. When he was asked numerous questions dealing with present-day world problems, Mr. Faizí said Bahá’ís should learn to base their answers to these questions on the Bahá’í writings—“It is time to train Bahá’í scholars,” he said.

[Page 14]

[Page 15] ABOVE: Seals and Crofts headlined the entertainment at the public proclamation held in conjunction with the Bahá’í International Youth Conference. The proclamation held at the Civic Auditorium in Hilo attracted between 3,500 and 4,000 people. The event was also broadcast over local radio in Hilo.

UPPER LEFT: The Hands of the Cause of God attending the youth conference answered questions submitted in writing from the audience. Shown above from left to right are: the Hands of the Cause of God A. Q. Faizí, H. Collis Featherstone, and William Sears. Shown on the right is the moderator of the afternoon program, David Habermann.

LOWER LEFT: Mr. Featherstone addresses some 1,000 Bahá’ís attending the conference.

[Page 16] Three Hands of the Cause of God attended the conference. Shown front row, from left to right, are the Hands of the Cause of God A. Q. Faizí, William Sears, and H. Collis Featherstone. Mrs. Featherstone is also shown next to her husband.

Many messages were read to the gathering. These included messages from the Hand of the Cause of God Dhikru’lláh Khadem regretting his inability to attend and sending love and greetings; from the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia; from the Bahá’ís of Holland; the Bahá’ís of Korea; and the National Youth and Goals Committee of Australia.

During the conference, prayers were read in more than twenty languages. Entertainment was provided by the Jin-‘Ai Singers, 25 Bahá’ís from the Seattle area. Mike Tanaka, formerly of Kona, Hawaii, directed the singers. The Windflower group from Alaska also performed at the conference. From Hawaii, entertainment was provided by the New World Chorus, directed by Russ Garcia; by East of Midnight, a group from Kauai; by Steve and Bunny, also from Kauai; and by Sunshine Delight, from Oahu.

The conference exhibit area was located in a building adjoining the Auditorium. Exhibits promoting the Hawaiian teaching and pioneering goals were on display. A nursery for children of parents attending the conference was also conducted.

During one afternoon session, Auxiliary Board member Gina Garcia and Russell Garcia conducted a panel on teaching through music and song. Seals and Crofts participated in the presentation. They told of their experiences in teaching through music, and said that greater numbers of people are staying to hear of the Bahá’í Faith after their concerts.

On Tuesday evening, the National Spiritual Assembly held a banquet for approximately one hundred people, including civic and government leaders of Hawaii, at the C. Brewer Banquet Hall in Hilo. Among the guests were Mayor Bruce McCall of Hilo, and State Representative Stanley H. Roehrig, who was representing Governor John Burns. The Hand of the Cause of God A. Q. Faizí, Dorothy Nelson, Dean of the School of Law, University of Southern California, and Judge James F. Nelson of the Los Angeles Municipal Court were the speakers. The Nelsons spoke on “A New Era of Justice.” They attributed much of the present trouble in the world to a dwindling sense of purpose and pointed to Bahá’u’lláh’s plan for mankind as the solution for man’s ills. Entertainment at the banquet featured Frank Williams, a baritone, and Minou Falahi, a soprano, who performed songs and operatic selections. The master of ceremonies was Tony Pelle.

On Wednesday, the conference program dealt with youth in the modern world. The discussion chairman was Continental Counsellor Richard Benson. Next was a session on “Pioneering-Culture Shock,” with Counsellor Elena Maria Marsella as moderator. This was followed by a call for pioneers. More than sixty Bahá’ís responded to the call, volunteering to fill needs around the world.

On Wednesday afternoon, youth again were the focus. The topic: “Youth—Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” This discussion was conducted by a panel comprised of Continental Counsellor Suhayl ‘Alá’í, Marsha Wolcott Gilpatrick, and Catherine Nourse. The Hand of the Cause A. Q. Faizí spoke again in the afternoon, followed by Auxiliary Board member Jack McCants, whose topic was “Today’s Martyrs.”

A public proclamation Wednesday evening featured Seals and Crofts, England Dan and John Ford Coley, and other singing groups present at the conference. Free tickets for the proclamation had been given out weeks in

[Page 17] advance on the island of Hilo and were in great demand. The Bahá’ís placed an exhibit in the center of town to promote the Bahá’í teachings and the public event. Between 3,500 and 4,000 people attended the concert and received the Bahá’í message. As they left the auditorium, the visitors were offered Bahá’í literature. The proclamation program was also broadcast live on radio.

The conference closed on Thursday noon. That morning the Hand of the Cause William Sears addressed the friends, urging them to arise and serve the Cause. The Faith, he said, requires not only our teaching efforts and our spiritual growth, but it also requires our support for the Fund, which in turn supports the worldwide expansion of the Cause.

Several proclamation programs were conducted after the conference. On Thursday evening, a public meeting was held on Maui at the War Memorial in Wailuku. About 150 people heard a talk by Maury Willows and music by England Dan and John Ford Coley, and other singing groups from Hawaii.

On Friday evening in Lihue, Kauai, more than 100 people gathered to hear talks by Dorothy and James Nelson and music by England Dan and John Ford Coley and the Hawaii New World Singers. The program was broadcast live over radio.

On Saturday evening at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu, approximately 12,000 people heard the Hand of the Cause William Sears proclaim the Bahá’í message and were entertained by Seals and Crofts, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Windflower, East of Midnight, Steve and Bunny Gaines, and Sunshine Delight. After the program, hundreds remained for a fireside with Seals and Crofts. Bahá’í literature was made available.

The Hand of the Cause of God A. Q. Faizí addresses the opening of the Hawaiian conference.

[Page 18] Mrs. Bosio (second from left) talking with Dr. A. Bausani at a Bahá’í gathering in Italy.

Maud Bosio, a distinguished maidservant

An account of service rendered to the Cause in Italy

by Keith de Folo

[Page 19] Born an Episcopalian on Staten Island in 1899, she traveled to Florence in the early twenties and became an American expatriate. The journey of Emily Maude Waterworth Bosio to Italy was paralleled by a deeper and longer voyage through Catholicism, eastern philosophies, and skepticism—all a prelude to the discovery of the Bahá’í Faith.

Although she was 54 years of age when she declared as a Bahá’í in 1953, Maud Bosio’s singular and firm dedication to the Faith greatly stimulated the progress of the Bahá’í community in Italy. Everyone who remembers Mrs. Bosio, Bahá’í or not, speaks of the strong “sense of duty” that spurred her to accept any and every assignment—on national committees, organizing conferences, large and small, traveling and teaching widely in Italy and Switzerland. Mrs. Bosio also served on the Florence Assembly and on the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy. In addition, she held memorable firesides in her home for many years.

“It seemed,” a friend recently observed, “as if Maud were making up for coming late into the Faith—as if there would be no tomorrow.”

When in 1928 Maud Waterworth married Gherardo Bosio, a talented Italian architect, she was a tall, willowy, blue-eyed American girl—the product of a well-to-do family and a correct education. As daughters were born to them, Mrs. Bosio turned her energy and ingenuity to rearing and educating her children. But she was troubled, because she had found no spiritual path. Her husband joined her search, and together they studied and investigated the Catholic doctrine. Finally, in 1940, they became Catholics. (Years later, Mrs. Bosio said: “Even then, I had serious doubts—many.”)

Tragedy struck the young family when Gherardo Bosio died at the age of 38, the victim of a brain tumor. That was in 1941, and Mrs. Bosio spent the war years in Florence giving her four daughters the best education, food, and lodging possible under strained circumstances. Then and later, during her own illness, the obstacles of life seemed to strengthen Maud Bosio. Adversities were challenges to be confronted and overcome. During the war years and afterwards, as she struggled for her family, she continued to search for a stronger faith—for a way of life that would bring meaning and sense to those years of tragedy in Italy.

She investigated everything that was offered, and ultimately rejected each. “None offered a help to all of humanity,” she later said.

Then in 1948, Mrs. Marion Little, the vivacious and intrepid pioneer, came to Florence from America with the objective of building a strong Bahá’í community. In her bright, sun-splashed room on Piazza Santa Trinità, Mrs. Little spoke of the Teachings that were weaving all men into a tapestry of brotherhood. At first, Mrs. Bosio wondered if this were “another one of those strange American sects.” She listened carefully and read some of the Writings. Again, she questioned, investigated, and tested what she heard and saw. And she found that this new Faith was not wanting.

At the time of her declaration in January 1953, she told artist Edwige Poggi, an intimate friend:

“At last, I have found what I need.”

This was the start of fifteen years of unceasing service to Bahá’u’lláh. (Not long afterwards, two of her daughters declared, and her mother, Mrs. Margaret Waterworth, became a Bahá’í in Florence at the age of 87.)

When the news of Maud Bosio’s conversion spread throughout the fashionable salons of Florence, she was criticized, pitied, and snubbed by many old friends. But that didn’t bother or stop her. (Eventually, most of her friends learned something of the Teachings and came to understand her decision.)

On becoming a Bahá’í, she immediately started a series of firesides in her home. For the rest of her life, wherever she lived, Mrs. Bosio’s firesides were strongholds of free inquiry, confirmation, and friendliness for young and old, for people of all colors and languages.

When the news of Maud Bosio’s conversion spread throughout the fashionable salons of Florence, she was criticized, pitied, and snubbed by many old friends.

Dr. Julio Savi, a physician in Bologna, frequently spoke at her firesides during the time he was a university student. He vividly recalled the meetings in the spacious Bosio apartment on the Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci:

“The beautiful paintings, the Russian icon,

[Page 20] the Florentine oil lamps, the tall windows facing the River Arno—everything reflected her grace and gentility. But what distinguished those firesides was Maud’s love for people. A love that poured through that house, a love that brought in the spirit of God.”

When the Italo-Swiss National Assembly was formed in 1953, Mrs. Bosio began her service to that Assembly. Eventually, Marion Little, Honor Kempton, and she helped to open the first Italo-Swiss Summer School. Later, Mrs. Bosio served for many years on the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy. Preparing and executing plans for Assemblies and committees took nearly all of her time, but that’s what she liked—to be kept busy with Bahá’í projects.

Nothing made her happier than to fill her car with Bahá’ís and a lunch basket and head over the autostrade for Genoa, Mantova, Bologna, Milan, or Pisa. It was the bi-monthly trips to Pisa, organizing dinners, meetings, and seminars which laid the foundation for the present Pisa community.

Always, Mrs. Bosio refused to speak at public gatherings. Her talents were directed in contacting people, organizing and presenting the Faith in a dignified and beautiful setting. Dr. Savi explained the probable reason for Mrs. Bosio’s fear of the speaker’s podium:

“She thought—maybe she was told—that her use of the Italian language wasn’t very good. This was not true. She spoke beautifully, with the slightest American touch that gave it charm.”

This writer clearly recalls those firesides in the early sixties when the angular form of Mrs. Bosio rose and greeted every guest with an outstretched hand. She always said a few, brief words in Italian to open the meeting—her right hand brushing through her light hair in an unconscious and unnecessary apology for her language.

During her fifteen years of service, Mrs. Bosio was usually a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Florence, the community that had been nurtured into life by Marion Little. Says Colonel Giulio Jacoviello, 78 years old, who was the first Bahá’í in Florence:

“The Faith made progress in Florence because of people like Signora Bosio. Never did she stop working. The Faith was more important to her than anything—even her health.”

In 1962, she made the pilgrimage to Haifa. This experience, she always said, gave her strength to go through the difficult days that lay ahead. Always seeking to serve her fellow man, she had an opportunity during the days after the great flood in Florence in November 1966. She and other Bahá’ís visited families in the devastated areas of Florence, and distributed food, clothing, and medicine sent by Bahá’í communities from many countries. Not content with a single visit, the Bahá’ís saw the families many times and gradually, through actions and words, the meaning of the Faith was made clear to many Florentines.

Never did she stop working. The Faith was more important to her than anything—even her health.

In 1968, the National Assembly of Italy undertook the organizing of the Bahá’í Mediterranean Conference at Palermo, Sicily. Teresa Taffa, Sohrab Payman, and Maud Bosio were appointed to a committee to plan and supervise arrangements for the three-day conference in August. The committee went to Palermo months in advance to arrange hotels and food, contact officials, equip the auditorium, publish conference literature, and carry out many other tasks. Hardly resting, the friends worked in Palermo and often made trips to the mainland. Inevitably, the strain and weariness began to aggravate Maud Bosio’s physique, which had been weakened by various ailments over the years. She developed phlebitis in her right leg. During a quick trip to Florence only days before the conference, she consulted her physician. He examined the swollen leg, warned her of the danger of a blood clot, and ordered her to go to bed immediately. But Mrs. Bosio insisted on returning to Sicily and she did so despite the protests of family and friends.

The Mediterranean Conference, attended by nearly three thousand Bahá’ís, was a great success. The Faith was publicized throughout Italy and Europe. Following the conference, Mrs. Bosio and a few friends stayed on to attend to a few details, then she returned to Florence, exhausted, but filled with happiness.

On September 8, the night of the Feast of Might, Maud Bosio suffered a heart attack. For three weeks, she lay in a hospital near Fiesole. On October 2, 1968, she passed away.

Today, there is a simple marble headstone over the grave of Maud Bosio at cypress-ringed Allori Cemetery on a hill above Florence. No word can describe the motivation for life that coursed through Maud Bosio. Dr. Julio Savi caught a glimpse of it after telling her that it was difficult for him to speak of the Faith to strangers.

“But you must. We must!” she replied. “Bahá’u’lláh has asked us to find the listeners.”

[Page 21]

Symbol of Hope for Man

It beseemeth all men, in this Day, to take firm hold on the Most Great Name, and to establish the unity of all mankind. There is no place to flee to, no refuge that anyone can seek, except Him.”

“Arise before the nations of the earth, and arm thyself with the power of this Most Great Name, and be not of those who tarry.”

“Address yourselves to the promotion of the wellbeing and tranquillity of the children of men. Bend your minds and wills to the education of the peoples and kindreds of the earth, that haply the dissensions that divide it may, through the power of the Most Great Name, be blotted out from its face, and all mankind become the upholders of one Order, and the inhabitants of one City.”

Thus Bahá’u’lláh addresses mankind in this Day of God (Note 1). What is this “Most Great Name” or, as it is often called, “The Greatest Name?” Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizí explains (Note 2): “The identity of the Greatest Name, a mystery concealed from time immemorial ‘behind the mystic veil’ and preserved in the treasure house of the knowledge of God, was to be revealed and manifested to men’s eyes at its appointed time in accordance with the Divine Plan, like the other manifold and basic truths of the New Age.”

There are many forms of the Greatest Name, both verbal and symbolic. Many Bahá’ís display one form on wall plaques in their homes. This is the invocation Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá, which means “O Glory of the All-Glorious.” It is displayed sparingly and in a dignified setting.

Another form, an emblem believed to have been designed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Note 2) and penned by the famed Bahá’í calligrapher Mishkín-Qalam, is commonly known as the “ringstone symbol” because of its use on Bahá’í rings and other jewelry. It also adorns the Shrine of the Báb. It is made up of the letters “B” and “H” in Oriental script intertwined in such a way as to symbolize the interrelationships among God, His Manifestations, and man.

Part of the symbol comprises three levels that represent the underlying belief that forms the basis of all the religions of God:

The first level is the World of God, the Creator.

The second is the World of His Manifestations.

The third is the world of man.

The symbol demonstrates the function of the Manifestations by having the three levels joined by a vertical representation of the World of God’s Manifestations:
The Manifestations thus join the World of the Creator to that of His creation.

The twin five-pointed stars on each side of the central emblem represent the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, the twin Messengers of God for this Age. ☆ ☆

Note 1 - Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pages 203, 28, and 333-334.

Note 2 - “Explanation of the Emblem of the Greatest Name” by Hand of the Cause of God Abúl-Qásim Faizí in Bahá’í News No. 451, October 1968, pages 8-12.

It is this symbol that is available to Bahá’ís on rings, pins, brooches, and pendants. Worn in this way, it serves many purposes. It is a mark of recognition among Bahá’ís throughout the world. Among friends and acquaintances who are not Bahá’ís, the symbol often becomes a point of discussion and provides opportunities to teach the Faith.

But perhaps most important when we wear it, the symbol of the Greatest Name reminds us of how man can never recognize God and attain His presence without His Manifestations. It keeps before us the twin duties of recognizing God’s Messenger for this day and of obeying Him.

Inexpensive enameled, gold-plated Bahá’í identity jewelry is now available to Bahá’ís in most parts of the world.

For those wishing rings that can be worn all the time, solid gold rings are available with the ringstone symbol engraved in the gold, or with ringstones carved with the emblem and inlaid with gold. Also, separate ringstones are available in natural gems of carnelian, onyx, and agate, as well as synthetic gemstones representing aquamarine, blue sapphire, amethyst, ruby, topaz, peridot, white sapphire, and emerald. These handcrafted gemstones can be set into rings by a competent jeweler.

Information on where to obtain these materials may be obtained from the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre, 1640 Holcomb Road, Victor, N.Y. 14564, U.S.A.

One form of the Greatest Name. It is also called the “ringstone symbol.”

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Bahá’í Identity Jewelry

“The graceful ringstone symbol at the heart of each piece of enameled jewelry is gold-plated and set into various backgrounds. There are inexpensive rings that can be adjusted to fit nearly any finger, with matching pins, brooches and pendants. These have a cloisonné enamel background in red, green, blue or black. Because they are inexpensive, they are not designed to withstand continuous wear or abrasion.

How to Order

Your local Bahá’í librarian or authorized Bahá’í distributor may have this jewelry in stock or he may be able to supply you with prices and ordering information.

If, however, this jewelry is not available in your area, please write to the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre, 1640 Holcomb Road, Victor, N.Y. 14564, U.S.A., for information on where it may be obtained.

	Product Numbers
	Red	Green	Blue	Black	Gold**
Ring	20006	20007	20008	20009	*
Pin	20010	20011	20012	20013	*
Brooch	20014	20015	20016	20017	*
Pendant, 18 mm.	20018	20019	20020	20021	20633
Pendant, 29 mm.	20022	20023	20024	20025	*
* Not available.
** Gold plated. No enamel.

Display kit of one of each of the five designs, assorted colors: Product Number 20686.