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[Page 1]

BAHA’I NEWS

Published by
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís
of the United States and Canada
General Office: Evergreen Cabin, West Englewood, New Jersey

No. 85

JULY, 1934

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“The Revelation proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh, His followers believe, is divine in origin, all embracing in scope, broad in its outlook, scientific in its method, humanitarian in its principles and dynamic in the influence it exerts on the hearts and minds of men. The mission of the Founder of their Faith, they conceive to be to proclaim that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is continuous and progressive, that the Founders of all past religions, though different in the non-essential aspects of their teachings, ‘abide in the same Tabernacle, soar in the same heaven, are seated upon the same throne, utter the same speech and proclaim the same Faith.’ His Cause, they have already demonstrated, stands identified with, and revolves around, the principle of the organic unity of mankind as representing the consummation of the whole process of human evolution. This final stage in this stupendous evolution, they assert, is not only necessary but inevitable, that it is gradually approaching, and that nothing short of the celestial potency with which a divinely ordained Message can claim to be endowed can succeed in establishing it.”—Shoghi Effendi.

LETTER FROM THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

To the local Spiritual Assemblies of the United States and Canada.

Beloved Friends:

In the last issue of BAHÁ’Í NEWS it was stated that the National Spiritual Assembly would in future publish its general letters in this monthly bulletin rather than confine them to letters mailed to the local Assemblies.

The purpose of this decision is to save time in bringing important national matters to the attention of the body of the believers, and to assure that all are equally informed. In view of the urgent problems and greatly increased opportunities confronting the American Bahá’ís collectively, the National Assembly assumes that each believer will give full consideration to these monthly reports, and attend the Nineteen Day Feasts in a true spirit of responsibility for contributing his or her share to discussion and action.

A monthly financial statement will, however, be sent directly to each local Assembly, the contents of which are to be shared with the community at the Nineteen Day Feasts.

Last month we reported that the sum of $11,500 would be required by June 15th in order to meet all current obligations of Temple construction and other national activities sustained by the National Fund. This month it is necessary to state that the contributions received up to that date were insufficient by at least $6,000. The Treasurer was able to meet the bank loan of $2,500 in June, and final payment has been made on the dome contract to Mr. Earley, but the Temple Trustees have made no payment on the clerestory contract during the three months beginning April 30, 1934.

We are convinced that nothing more is required on the part of the believers than full knowledge and clear understanding of the facts. The living impulse of true faith will then enable us collectively to overcome every difficulty and solve every problem. The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is in itself complete assurance of victory: there is no room for doubt, for hesitation, for indifference. What appear to be insurmountable problems are nothing else than our privilege of becoming further purified and disciplined for the glory of serving His Cause.

During the past ten years there have been countless impressive evidences of the capacity of the American Bahá’ís to join forces and achieve results previously impossible. But the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh is a constantly flowing stream. It constantly offers fresh impetus to the true believer, and its ceaseless force bears the body of its followers ever onward from victory to victory. It is for us to move with this current of invisible inspiration, and only those who move and grow in the mystery of unity are capable of service. The outlook of the former era is no longer the real Bahá’í outlook; we have the divinely ordained institutions of unity, local, national and international, and apart from these there is no safe path leading through the wilderness of the world or the wilderness of the human heart.

The National Spiritual Assembly feels no need to urge the believers when special difficulties are to be overcome—the difficulty itself will always inspire those imbued with the spirit of faithfulness. What is necessary is the realization on the part of all believers that the essential tasks are national in character, and that BAHÁ’Í NEWS is the source of full and correct information concerning Bahá’í affairs.

Letters from the Guardian

The friends are informed that the National Assembly has decided not to publish any more excerpts from letters written by the Guardian to individual Bahá’ís. As Shoghi Effendi has stated, these letters are intended for the individual and are not instructions for the body of the believers. Moreover, the National Assembly feels very deeply the situation mentioned in the Annual Report, namely, that correspondence from individual believers in America has come to be a burden for the Guardian.

From letters addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly itself, the following important explanations and instructions are quoted:—

Haifa, May 10, 1934. “He also wishes me to express his approval of your

[Page 2] suggestion that as soon as the ornamentation work of the clerestory section of the Temple is completed no new contract be signed for the next unit unless the entire sum required for the contract has already been collected. Economic conditions, both within and without the Cause, are nowadays too unstable to allow us to undertake any extensive scheme before insuring its uninterrupted and successful prosecution. He would urge the friends, however, to continue exerting themselves in order to complete the ornamentation of the clerestory section of the Temple which they have spontaneously undertaken, towards the end of the summer, and if not, at least by the end of the year. Their resourcefulness, courage and self-sacrifice surely offer a sufficient guarantee that they will not fail in bringing their task to a happy and successful completion.

“Concerning local Bahá’í news letters the Guardian strongly feels that they should be primarily devoted to the spread of local news and activities, and should under no circumstances contain any statement implying criticism of or even interference with the policy of the N. S. A. They may occasionally refer to items of a national scope, but this should be done only with the view of assisting and not hindering the national body of the Cause to carry out effectively its program and decisions. There is thus a definite line of demarcation between correspondence initiated by local and National Assemblies. Local activities should always be subordinated to those of a national character and importance. This is intended not to minimize the role of the local Assembly in the administrative order, but to establish and insure a sane relationship between that body and the national organization of the Cause.

“The Guardian wishes you to convey to the N. S. A., and through them to the entire body of the American believers the news of the successful negotiations initiated with the Palestine authorities concerning the exemption from taxation of the entire area surrounding and dedicated to the International Sacred Shrines of the Faith on Mt. Carmel.

“After long repeated representations Shoghi Effendi has succeeded in obtaining from the Government an exemption which is tantamount to a recognition by the Palestine Administration of the sacredness of our Shrines, and of the importance and significance of the international center of our Faith. The exempted area has been purchased largely through the contributions sent for that purpose by the American believers. A section of it has already been transferred to the Palestine Branch of the American National Assembly, while a portion of the remaining part is still registered in the name of individual American believers.

“This exemption granted by the Government constituted, indeed, a triumph which the friends will certainly appreciate, and a step forward towards the further establishment and consolidation of the administrative order of the Cause, in both the Holy Land and beyond its confines. The title deeds which testify to the purchase and transfer of various plots to the name of your Assembly will soon be forwarded to your address. Negotiations are still pending in connection with further purchases and transfers which the Guardian is endeavoring to effect on behalf of the Palestine Branch of the American N. S. A.

“In this connection I am directed to extend to you, as well as to the general body of the American believers, Shoghi Effendi’s abiding appreciation of the American Bahá’ís’ splendid cooperation in preventing the area surrounding the Shrines from falling into the hands of non-Bahá’ís. Now that the town of Haifa is developing so rapidly and so many buildings are being erected along the slopes of Mt. Carmel, the friends can realize the full wisdom of their having kept such an extensive area as an open space around the Shrines. This is becoming increasingly manifest to the government officials and also to the increasing number of tourists and visitors who annually flock to the Holy Land and admire the beauty and impressions of so important a center in the Bahá’í world. And the Guardian cannot, indeed, but feel deeply indebted to you and to those who have cooperated with you in taking such a vital and historic step, as a result of which the Faith has seen its prestige heightened and its interests effectively promoted and insured.”

(In the Guardian’s hand) “The American believers have in recent years shouldered tremendous responsibilities and have acquitted themselves magnificently of their task. The erection of the superstructure of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, the completion of the ornamentation of the dome, their spontaneous decision to proceed with the decoration of the clerestory section, the purchase, the safeguarding and eventual recognition of the precincts of the Shrines on Mt. Carmel, the consolidation, of the administrative machinery of the Faith in their country, the generous assistance extended by them to the needy, the harassed and suffering among their brethren in many lands and the activity they now display in the teaching field are deeds for which the entire Bahá’í world may well feel grateful.”

Haifa, May 19, 1934. “As to the problem which has arisen in connection with the News Letter published and circulated by the Boston Assembly, the Guardian has already written about it to your N. S. A., expressing the view that under no circumstances should any local Assembly be given the right to criticize and much less oppose, the policy duly adopted and approved by the N . S. A. It is his hope that henceforth the problem of the relationship between the N. S. A. and the local Assemblies in matters of this nature will, in the light of his instructions, be carefully understood by individuals and Assemblies alike.”

Haifa, June 11, 1934. “... The Guardian wishes me to again affirm his view that the authority of the N. S. A. is undivided and unchallengeable in all matters pertaining to the administration of the Faith throughout the United States and Canada, and that, therefore, the obedience of individual Bahá’ís, delegates, groups and Assemblies to that authority is imperative, and should be wholehearted and unqualified. He is convinced that the unreserved acceptance and complete application of this vital provision of the Administration is essential to the maintenance of the highest degree of unity amongst the believers, and is indispensable to the effective working of the administrative machinery of the Faith in every country.”

(In the Guardian’s hand) “I wish to reaffirm in clear and categorical language, the principle already enunciated upholding the supreme authority of the National Assembly in all matters that affect the interests of the Faith in that land. There can be no conflict of authority, no duality under any form or circumstances in any sphere of Bahá’í jurisdiction whether local, national or international. The National Assembly, however, although the sole interpreter of its Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, is directly and morally responsible if it allows any body or institution within its jurisdiction to abuse its privileges or to decline in the exercise of its rights and privileges. It is the trusted guardian and the mainspring of the manifold activities and interests of every national community in the Bahá’í world. It constitutes the sole link that binds these communities to the International

[Page 3] House of Justice, the supreme administrative body in the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh.”

Haifa May 18,1934. (Cablegram) “Urge believers strictly adhere (to) National Assembly’s instructions regarding anonymous letters.” (signed) Shoghi.

Decisions of the N. S. A.

The question has been raised by a local Assembly how it shall deal with the matter of members of the local community who have joined national non-Bahá’í organizations, some of which appear to be of a radical character. The National Assembly has recorded the following view: that each local Assembly is in duty bound to point out to the Bahá’í community the Guardian’s instructions conveyed in his letter concerning the Fellowship of Faiths (published in BAHÁ’Í NEWS of August 1933), placing upon the individual conscience of each believer to determine whether membership in any non-Bahá’í organization is justifiable and permissible in the light of the standard upheld by the Guardian.

Those instructions were as follows: “Regarding association with the World Fellowship of Faiths and kindred Societies, Shoghi Effendi wishes to reaffirm and elucidate the general principle that Bahá’í elected representatives as well as individuals should refrain from any act or word that would imply a departure from the principles, whether spiritual, social or administrative, established by Bahá’u’lláh. Formal affiliation with and acceptance of membership in organizations whose programs or policies are not wholly reconcilable with the Teachings is of course out of the question.... We should welcome and seize every opportunity that presents itself, however modest it may be, to give a wider publicity to the Cause, to demonstrate its all-inclusiveness and liberal attitude, its independence and purity, without committing ourselves whether by word or deed to programs or policies that are not in strict conformity with the tenets of the Faith.”

Concerning the activities of traveling teachers, the National Assembly has voted to give new emphasis to the administrative principle under which a traveling teacher is not only subject to the jurisdiction of the local Assembly in each city, but is expected to be concerned only with teaching activities and not to intervene in local problems unless specifically requested by the local Assembly to assist in some local situation where the believer may render good service, under the Assembly’s direction.

With respect to the question of the participation of Bahá’í young people in Nineteen Day Feasts, the following principle has been adopted: that the children of believers can attend the Nineteen Day Feasts and other intimate gatherings and Bahá’í meetings, but when they reach the age of sixteen years, the local Assembly should request from such young people a declaration of their interest in the Cause and their intention to become voting members when they reach the age of twenty-one; and that other young people, not children of Bahá’ís, can also attend Nineteen Day Feasts and other Bahá’í meetings after reaching the age of sixteen years by making a similar declaration to the local Assembly.

The functions of the Reviewing and Editorial Committees have been combined in one committee, which is to carry out the following general procedure:—

1. Determine whether a manuscript conforms to the Bahá’í teachings.
2. Determine whether the manuscript conforms to adequate standards of literary style and taste.
3. Determine whether the manuscript meets a real need in the Cause.

When the National Spiritual Assembly has passed upon the committee’s report, manuscripts fully approved will then be published by the Bahá’í Publishing Committee as finances permit, but the notation “Approved by the Bahá’í Reviewing Committee” is hereafter to be limited to such works as are not only approved by the Reviewing Committee but also published under Bahá’í auspices. Works which after approval are published outside the Cause may not carry that notation, although they may be handled by the Publishing Committee as far as their sale to believers is concerned, provided the National Assembly is satisfied with the dignity and appearance of the printed book or pamphlet.

National Committees which have occasion to employ a printed letterhead are requested to consult the National Assembly in order to use the proper form.

The question has been raised whether, at the local annual elections held on April 21, the presiding officers should be the chairman and secretary of the outgoing Assembly, or whether the local community should at that meeting elect presiding officers in the same manner as the delegates at the national Annual Meeting. This question was referred to the Guardian, who has replied stating that this is one of the matters under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly. The Assembly has voted that until further notice, the annual meeting called on April 21 for the election of the local Spiritual Assembly is to be conducted by the officers of the outgoing Assembly and not by officers elected by those present at this meeting.

It has also been voted to record the decision that in the election of the National and local Assemblies, when the result of the ballot is that eight members are elected but two or more believers are tied for the ninth membership, the second ballot taken to eliminate the tie vote must be limited to voting for one of the two or more names who happen to have received a tie vote for the ninth place.

It has been voted that the believers are to be reminded that the Guardian’s original instructions concerning letters written to him by local Assemblies and National Committees were that such letters were to be sent him through the National Spiritual Assembly. The National Assembly is convinced that full respect paid to this principle will redound to the spirit of unity and confidence throughout the Cause in America. Direct correspondence with the Guardian on the part of local Assemblies, and on the part of Committees appointed by the N. S. S. introduces an element of duality into our Bahá’í activities which, in the recent letter quoted above, the Guardian expressly forbids.

Local Spiritual Assemblies which have no permanent headquarters are requested to take a Post Office box which can be used as a permanent address for Bahá’í correspondence, the box to be made accessible to the duly elected secretary from year to year.

Local Assemblies are informed that if they wish to develop local mailing lists for the teaching bulletin entitled “The New World Order” they can obtain copies of future issues from the National Assembly at cost—fifty copies for 75¢, sold in lots of fifty only.

Conclusion

Shoghi Effendi’s communication on “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh” has clarified the fundamental teachings, and likewise his recent letters to the National Assembly, quoted above, reaffirm the unity permeating the administrative order. It is our supreme privilege to live as citizens of the new world created by the power of the divine Will. In conscious acceptance of and devotion to the spiritual and social principles of the Faith we walk upon a path which represents our highest individual well-being as well as the

[Page 4] greatest benefit to mankind. The National Spiritual Assembly will endeavor to do its part in upholding the Guardian’s instructions, carrying out his expressed aims and coordinating the manifold activities of the Cause in America. The effective power, however, must derive from a body of believers who have sound knowledge, pure intention and unalterable conviction.

The present moment of hesitation, evidenced by the depleted condition of the National Fund, must and will be succeeded by an era of renewed enthusiasm and purer devotion. Through the Guardian comes guidance and inspiration more than abundant for every Bahá’í if we but enter into the spirit of his words. There is no final and finished faith, but rather a capacity to grow.

Yours faithfully,

THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY.

July 10, 1934.

STATUS OF THE NATIONAL BAHA’I FUND SINCE THE CONVENTION

At the time of the annual Convention the treasurer presented to the assembled delegates a clear picture of the financial needs of the Cause in this country. His analysis reflected in a most gratifying manner that the believers throughout the United States and Canada were facing the storm and stress of difficult times with undaunted courage and faith, for they had contributed during the year almost $150, 000.

This was, without doubt, a marvelous demonstration of faith and severance. The current year’s budget is for about half that amount. It is therefore the hope of the National Spiritual Assembly that the believers everywhere in this jurisdiction will seriously take upon themselves the plan of steady and continuous regular contributions, each one, rich or poor, contributing his share every month, be the amount large or small, but considered from the standpoint of the lofty spiritual privilege that the giving is for the sake of God’s Cause.

And while we consider the matter let us carefully weigh the import to us of the quotations compiled by one of the friends of Utterances of Bahá’u’lláh and of the Master and the Guardian that follow:—

The purpose of the Bahá’í Faith is to develop faith in God in the hearts and lives of mankind. The following words of Bahá’u’lláh point out the way: “Faith in God and knowledge of Him cannot be fully attained except by practising all that He has commanded and all that is revealed in the Book from the Pen of Glory.” (Tablet of Tajálleyát.)

Up until the present time mankind as a whole has placed its faith in money, influence, power and human beings, but left untried God and His Commandments.

“O people of Bahá!” says Bahá’u’lláh, “each one of the revealed Commands is a strong fortress for the protection of the world. Verily, This Oppressed One wishes only your security and elevation.” (Bahá’í Scriptures, 117.)

Since the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh has the most important place in life, so we must as followers place it first in our lives, not only in dedicating our time and efforts but giving it our monetary support.

In order to live according to the commands of God, (New Order) we must necessarily depart from the ways of man (Old Order) and place our contributions on a par with the rank of the Cause which would place them first and not last. Then too, they must be regular in order to meet the expenses of our Cause, which are regular and constant. “Honor the Lord with Thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase.” (Prov. 3-9.)

In the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá we find the following: “O friends of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—the Lord, as a sign of His infinite bounties, hath graciously favored His servants by providing for a fixed money offering, to be dutifully presented unto Him, though He, the True One and His servants have been at all times independent of all created things, and God, verily is the All-Possessing, Exalted above the need of any gift from His creatures. This fixed money offering, however, causeth the people to become firm and steadfast and draweth divine increase upon them.”

In order to establish the New Day of Faith, we must put into practice the new way of living as given by our Guardian in Bahá’í News Letter of September, 1926, wherein he says:

“We must be like the fountain or spring that is continually emptying itself of all that it has and is continually being refilled from an invisible source. To be continually giving out for the good of our fellows undeterred by the fear of poverty and reliant on the unfailing bounty of the source of all wealth and all good. This is the secret of right living.”

“O ye friends of God,” says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “rest assured that in place of this contribution your commerce, your agriculture and industries shall be blessed many times. Whosoever comes with one good act, God will give him tenfold. There is no doubt that the living Lord shall assist the generous soul.”

Bahá’u’lláh wishes mankind to place its sole reliance upon the mystic Source (Holy Spirit) so that it may turn away from the realm of the seen or limited plane to the realm of the Unseen, and attain its freedom through faith in the Power of the Covenant.

At the present time the contributions that are being received fall far short of current needs. This is, without doubt, the result of a misapprehension regarding the completion of the dome ornamentation, many undoubtedly considering that the completion of the upper part of the dome by Mr. Earley would permit a certain relaxation on their part. But unfortunately even though Mr. Earley proceeded in good faith to carry on and execute the orders of the Temple Trustees, we failed to do our part because of a lack of funds.

For a period of three months prior to the Convention the flow of contributions reached such a low ebb as to scarcely meet even the cost of maintaining established regular demands on the treasury, let alone the overdue payments on the Temple contracts. This situation forced your National Spiritual Assembly to make a loan of ten thousand dollars. This, of course, does not actually relieve us for we must now pay interest on the moneys borrowed and also repay the loan. At the present time there is overdue on the Temple Contract $8,750.01. The current activities of the Cause call for $2,580 each month, so that at the present time the National Treasurer stands in need of at least $10,000.

The National Spiritual Assembly calls upon all Spiritual Assemblies and groups, as well as individual believers, to ‎seriousy seriously‎ undertake the task of lifting from your National representatives and the Cause in our country the stigma of failure in meeting our obligations. If we arise unitedly we can succeed gloriously.

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“The Bahá’í Faith recognizes the unity of God and of His Prophets, up-

[Page 5] holds the principle of an unfettered search after truth, condemns all forms of superstition and prejudice, teaches that the fundamental purpose of religion is to promote concord and harmony, that it must go hand-in-hand with science, and that it constitutes the sole and ultimate basis of a peaceful, an ordered and progressive society. It inculcates the principle of equal opportunity, rights and privileges for both sexes, advocates compulsory education, abolishes extremes of poverty and wealth, exalts work performed in the spirit of service to the rank of worship, recommends the adoption of an auxiliary international language, and provides the necessary agencies for the establishment and safeguarding of a permanent and universal peace.”—Shoghi Effendi.

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COMMITTEES OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
1933-1934

Archives

Edwin W. Mattoon, Chairman

Mrs. May Scheffler, Secretary

1821 Lincoln St., Evanston, Ill.

Julia Sobel

Albert Windust

Gertrude Buikema

Bahá’í Index

Mrs. H. A. Harding, Chairman

704 W. Nevada Ave, Urbana, Ill.

Mrs. Anna Kunz

Mrs. Mabel Paine

J. V. Matteson

Bahá’í Magazine

Editors:

Dr. Stanwood Cobb

Mrs. Mariam Haney

1763 Columbia Road, Washington, D. C.

Mrs. Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick

Contributing Editors:

Leroy Ioas

Mrs. Loulie Mathews

Mrs. May Maxwell

Mrs. Doris McKay

Alfred E. Lunt

Mrs. Mabel Paine

Mrs. Dorothy Baker

Marion Holley

Bahá’í World

Horace Holley, Chairman

Mrs. Nellie S. French, Secretary

501 Bellefontaine St., Pasadena, Cal.

Bishop Brown

Mrs. Ruth Brandt

Mrs. Elsa Russell Blakeley

Marion Holley

Mrs. Victoria Bedikian, Photograph Editor

Braille Transcriptions

Mrs. Nellie S. French, Chairman

501 Bellefontaine St., Pasadena, Cal.

Ella Quant

Mrs. Henrietta Rodman

Contacts

Sophie Loeding, Chairman—Central States

4318 Greenview Ave, Chicago, Ill.

Ethel Revell—Eastern States

Mrs. E. L. Mattern—Southern States

Rowland Estall—Canada

Lucy Marshall—Western States

Editing Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Mrs. Corinne True, Chairman

Dr. Zia Bagdadi

Mrs. Edward Struven

Edna True

Esperanto

James Morton, Chairman

Adella Lincoln, Secretary

1120 Bergen St., Brooklyn, N. Y.

Louise Thompson

A. E. Regal

Lucy Marshall

Josephine Krucka

Dr. Charles Witt

Free Literature

George O. Latimer

1927 N .E. 40th Ave, Portland, Ore.

Mrs. Louise Caswell

History of Bahá’í Cause in America

Charles Mason Remey, Chairman

2440 Massachusetts Ave, Washington, D. C.

Mrs. May Maxwell

Mrs. Mariam Haney

Mrs. Ella G. Cooper

Gertrude Buikema

George O. Latimer

Albert Windust

Legal

George O. Latimer, Chairman

1927 N.E. 40th Ave, Portland, Ore.

Horace Holley

Publicity

Mrs. Ruth Randall Brown, Chairman

Mrs. Doris McKay, Secretary

401 N. St. Clair St., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Alice N. Parker

A. F. Matthisen

Mrs. Nina Matthisen

Dr. A. Lawrence Morris

Mrs. Nellie S. French

Willard McKay

Publishing

Horace Holley, Chairman.

Mrs. C. R. Wood, Secretary

P. O. Box 348, Grand Central Station, New York, N. Y.

Ray C. Wilhelm

Mrs. Marie B. Moore

Bertha L. Herklotz

Library

Martha Woodsum

Bahá’í Center, 119 West 57th St., New York, N.,Y.

Race Amity

Louis Gregory, Chairman

47 South St., Portsmouth, N. H.

Mrs. Loulie Mathews

Mrs. Bishop Lewis

Mrs. Mariam Haney

Hooper Harris

Mrs. Ludmila Bechtold

Reviewing and Editing

Dr. Genevieve Coy, Chairman

Mrs. Doris Holley, Secretary

4 East 12th Street, New York, N. Y.

Mrs. Marie B. Moore

Study Outlines

Mrs. Mary Collison, Chairman

681 Castle St., Geneva, N. Y.

Marguerite McKay

Teaching

Leroy Ioas, Chairman

Charlotte Linfoot, Secretary

376- 60th St., Oakland, Calif.

Mrs. Ella G. Cooper

George O. Latimer

Teaching Committee—Field Representatives

Dale S. Cole

Mrs. Florence R. Morton

Dr. Stanwood Cobb

Bishop Brown

Dr. E. Lenore Morris

Mrs. Georgie Brown Wiles

Rowland Estall

Teaching and Training Children

Charlotte Linfoot, Chairman

Mrs. Marian Yazdi, Secretary

1472 University Ave, Berkeley, Cal.

Ella M. Bailey

Mrs. Viola Tuttle

Doris Lohse

Mrs. Harvey Gift

Elizabeth Hackley

Temple Librarian and Photograph Committee

Harry E. Walrath

4639 Beacon St., Chicago, Ill.

Temple Program

Carl Scheffler, Chairman

Mrs. Clarence Ullrich, Secretary

904 N. Hayes Ave, Oak Park, Ill.

Mrs. Shelley N. Parker

Mrs. Corinne True

Mrs. Sarah Walrath

Monroe Ioas

Dr. Pettit

Mrs. Anne Bartholomew

Mrs. Edwards

[Page 6]

Youth

Paul Haney, Chairmen

Marion Holley, Secretary

145½ South Commonwealth, Los Angeles, Calif.

Mary Maxwell

Gertrude Gewertz

Douglas Struven

David R. Hofman

Kenneth Christian

Sylvia Paine

Rosemary Gillies

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LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

Elected April 21, 1934

Phoenix, Ariz. Mrs. C. H. Bugbee, Secretary, Room 16, Out West Bldg.

Berkeley, Calif. Miss Ella M. Bailey, Secretary, 1879 Tacoma Ave.

Geyserville, Calif. Mrs. Edith Whitton, Secretary.

Glendale, Calif. Miss Emmalu Weaver, Secretary, 675 W. Arden Ave.

Los Angeles, Calif. Dr. Doris E. Goodrick, Secretary, Hotel Cameron, 1319 S. Grand Ave.

Oakland, Calif. Mrs. Paul S. Jones, Secretary, 209 29th St.

Pasadena, Calif. Mrs. S. W. French, Secretary, 501 Bellefontaine St.

San Francisco, Calif. Miss Nadeen G. Cooper, Secretary, 291 Broderick St.

Santa Barbara, Calif. Mrs. Marie Lowell, Secretary, 211 East Victoria St.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Miss Anne Savage, Secretary, 99 Guilbault St.

Vancouver, B. C., Canada. Mrs. Rhonda Harvey, Secretary, P. O. Box 744.

Colorado Springs, Colo. Mrs. Gladys Roberts, Secretary, 1512 E. Platte Ave.

Denver, Colo. Mrs. G. N. Clark, Secretary, 4141 Xavier St.

New Haven, Conn. Mrs. C. P. Hillhouse, Secretary, 462 First Ave, West Haven.

Washington, D. C. Mrs. Caroline E. Stewart, Corresponding Secretary, 3 Grafton St., Chevy Chase

Miami, Fla. Miss Alice Halverson, Secretary, 406 N. W. 51st St.

St. Augustine, Fla. Miss Minnie L. Jones, Secretary, BOX 725, Florida Normal School.

Honolulu, Hawaii. Mrs. E. I. Adolphson, Secretary, 712 17th Ave.

Chicago, Ill. Miss Julia Sobel, Secretary, 4034 N. Keystone Ave.

Evanston, Ill. Mrs. Carl Scheffler, Secretary, 1821 Lincoln St.

Peoria, Ill. Miss Helen Hindson, Secretary, 922 Fifth Ave.

Springfield, Ill. Mrs. Rieke Jurgens, Secretary, 201 West Calhoun Ave.

Urbana, Ill. H. J. Snider, Secretary, 506 W. Penn Ave.

Wilmette, Ill. Mrs. Anne W. Bartholomew, Secretary, 1627 Forest Ave.

Indianapolis, Ind. Mrs. L. Barlet, Secretary, 3527 Evergreen Ave.

South Bend, Ind. Miss Nayan F. Hartfield, Secretary, 222 North Scott St.

Eliot, Maine. Mrs. Grace Ober, Secretary, R. D. 1, Kittery.

Baltimore, Md. Mrs. F. W. Hipsley, Secretary, 2803 Allendale Road.

Cabin John, Md. Paul Hannen, Secretary, Cabin John Park.

Boston, Mass. Mrs. Harold Bowditch, Secretary, 44 Harvard Ave., Brookline.

Worcester, Mass. Miss Fanny M. Holmes, Secretary, 103 Webster St.

Detroit, Mich. Mrs. L. W. Eggleston, Secretary, 201 East Kirby Ave.

Fruitport-Grand Haven, Mich. Mrs. Mary Frazer, Secretary, R. D. 1, Box 138, Fruitport.

Lansing, Mich.—Not reported.

Muskegon, Mich. Mrs. Iva Smack, Secretary, 132 Allen Ave.

Minneapolis, Minn. Harold Peter Bye, Secretary, 1916 Calfax Ave., South.

St. Paul, Minn. Mrs. Clement Woolson, Secretary, 1553 Portland Ave.

Montclair, N. J. Miss A. E. Van Blarcum, Secretary, 19 Walnut Crescent.

Newark, N. J. Mrs. Wm. U. Witman, Secretary, 68 Scotland Rd., South Orange.

Teaneck, N. J. Archie C. Tichenor, Secretary, Hill St., Haworth.

Binghamton, N. Y. Miss Mary Georgia, Secretary, 19 Chestnut St.

Buffalo, N. Y. Mrs. Morris S. Bush, Secretary, 406 West Utica St.

Geneva, N. Y. Miss Christine McKay, Secretary, 681 Castle St.

New York, N. Y. Miss Bertha Herklotz, Corresponding Secretary, Bahá’í Center, 119 West 57th St.

Yonkers, N. Y. Mrs. Lillian Stoddard, Secretary, 40 Caryl Ave.

Akron, O. Mrs. Nellie C. Fenton, Secretary, 876 Wyley Ave.

Cincinnati, O. Miss Hilda Stauss, Secretary, 3640 Epworth Ave., Westwood.

Cleveland, O. Miss Lethia C. Fleming, Secretary, 2342 E. 40th St.

Columbus, O. Mrs. Margaret Hespelt—Acebo, Secretary, Box 109, Reynoldsburg.

Lima, O. Mrs. Elma Miessler, Secretary, 319 Westwood Drive.

Toledo, O. Mrs. Cecile Hill, Secretary, 432 Ohio St.

Portland, Ore. J. W. Latimer, Secretary, 1927 N. E. 40th Ave.

Philadelphia, Pa. Miss Jessie E. Revell, Secretary, 2531 N. 19th St.

Pittsburgh, Pa. Mr. Ruth Randall Brown, Secretary, Box 9, Ingomar.

Monroe, Wash. Mrs. E. C. Newall, Secretary.

Seattle, Wash. Miss Elsa Nordquist, Secretary, 4508 18th Ave, N . E.

Spokane, Wash. Mrs. Isobel Campbell, Secretary, 1427 S. Madison St.

Kenosha, Wis. Louis J. Voelz, Secretary, 6108 Sheridan Rd.

Milwaukee, Wis. Mrs. Loftin Clark, Secretary, 1818 N. Oakland Ave.

Racine, Wis. Harold R. Olsen, ‎Secertary Secretary‎, 1332 Russet St.

Please report changes or errors to the National Spiritual Assembly.

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PROGRAM

Pacific Coast Bahá’í Summer School Eighth Annual Session

Bosch Place, ‎Geysersville Geyserville‎, California
July 15th to July 28th, 1934

DEVOTIONS: 9:00 a. m. daily, under Big Tree.

CLASSES: 9:30 a. m. to 12:30 p. m. daily, in Odd Fellows Hall.

ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS: 2:30 p. m. each Tuesday and Friday in the Redwood Grove.

TRAINING AND TEACHING OF CHILDREN: 9:30 a. m. daily in Children’s Library. Under the direction of National Committee for the Training and Teaching of Children.

PUBLIC MEETINGS: Fellowship Dinner with Geyserville Grange, 6:30 p. m. Thursday, July 19th, at the Grange.
Griffith Grove, Santa Rosa, 2:30 p. m., Sunday, July 22nd.
Odd Fellows Hall, Geyserville, 8:00 p. m., Thursday, July 26th.

UNITY FEAST: The annual reunion of the Friends and their guests, 12:00 noon, Sunday, July 15th, under the Big Tree.

COURSES OF STUDY: THE HISTORY OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH—9:30 a. m. daily.
PRINCIPLES OF BAHÁ’Í ADMINISTRATION—10:30 a. m. daily.
FUNDAMENTAL BAHÁ’Í PRINCIPLES (Creative Discussion)—11:30 a. m. daily.

Classes will be conducted by Bahá’ís, including Prof. N. F. Ward, Miss Marion Holley. Mrs. A. R. Seto, Mrs. Louise Caswell, H. R. Hurlbut, G. O. Latimer, Leroy C. Ioas, Miss Agnes Alexander, Madame Gita Orlovo, Miss Charlotte Linfoot, Mrs. Alta Kreuger, Mrs. Clara Weir, etc.

[Page 7] “The period since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing has been characterized by the formation and consolidation of the Local and National Assemblies, the bedrock on which the edifice of the Universal House of Justice is to be erected. There are, according to the latest (1933) reports from Tihran, over five hundred Local Assemblies already constituted in Persia. Organized Bahá’í communities are to be found in every continent of the globe. National Assemblies have already been formed and are functioning in the United States and Canada, in India and Burma, in Great Britain, in Germany, Iraq and Egypt. Such Assemblies are in the process of formation in Persia, Caucasus, Turkistan, and Australia. Local Assemblies and groups have already been established in France, Switzerland and Italy, in the Scandinavian countries, in Austria and the Balkans, in Turkey, Syria, Albania, Abyssinia, China, Japan, Brazil and South Africa. Christians of various denominations, Muslims of both the sunni and shia sects of Islam, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians and Buddhists, have eagerly embraced its truth, have recognized the divine origin and fundamental unity underlying the teachings of all the Founders of past religions, and have unreservedly identified themselves with both the spirit and form of its evolving institutions. All these centers function as the component parts of a single organism, of an entity the spiritual and administrative center of which lies enshrined in the twin cities of Akka and Haifa.”—Shoghi Effendi.

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PUBLISHING ANNOUNCEMENT

The National Spiritual Assembly has recently adopted the following list of discounts which the Publishing Committee can give on Bahá’í literature:

1. To recognized local Spiritual Assemblies, 33⅓% on all orders, irrespective of the amount of the order, except on those few books or pamphlets the cost of which is so nearly the same as the selling price that they must be sold net.
2. To groups and to individual Bahá’ís, 10% on all orders amounting to a minimum of $10.00, but with no discount allowed on books sold net.
3. To groups and individual believers, 20% on all orders amounting to a minimum of $20.00. No discount allowed on books sold net.

None of the above discounts are to be passed on to individual believers or non-believers who purchase them retail from the Assembly, group or individual believer obtaining them from the Publishing Committee. The sole purpose of the discounts allowed to Assemblies and groups is to develop their local Bahá’í Fund; the purpose of the discounts to individual believers ordering in quantity is to assist those teachers who purchase literature to give away.

Free literature. The Publishing Committee has no authority to give free literature to any Assembly, group or individual teacher. Free literature is given only on order from those National Committees, like Teaching and Race Amity, to which the National Assembly has allotted a special “free literature” budget.

New Literature

Do’a—The Call to Prayer, by Ruth J. Moffett, a study of the important spiritual subject of prayer, showing its universal practice in all faiths, with representative prayers selected from different religious writings. Paper cover, 125 pages. Per copy, $0.60.

Index to Bahá’í News—December, 1924 to November, 1933 (No. 1 to No. 79). A necessary key to the contents of BAHÁ’Í NEWS during the first nine years of its existence. Paper cover, 58 mimeographed pages. Price each—net—$0.50. Note: The National Assembly is distributing one copy free to each local Assembly for its official records. A small edition is available for sale to individual believers.

Bahá’í Publishing Committee: Eastern Address, P. O. Box 348, Grand Central Station, New York, N. Y. Western Division: Mrs. Emma F. Smith, Manager, 1245 Broderick St., San Francisco, Calif.

ANNUAL COMMITTEE REPORTS

1933 - 1934

1. Teaching Committee

“The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous system—the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.”—Bahá’u’lláh.

So widespread is the interest in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh today that it seems fitting for the Teaching Committee to review briefly the developments in the Cause during the past year that have brought us up to this unique station, so that we may be better prepared to meet the new responsibilities.

It became apparent to everyone after the Convention in June, 1933, that the major contribution the Bahá’ís of America could render to the amelioration of the problems of the country, was the completion of the ornamentation of the Dome of that structure which symbolizes the ideals of the New Day. Thus, all the spiritual and material resources of the friends were centered on achieving this goal. The unified and harmonized spirit attained by the believers in this encompassing sacrificial effort established a firm foundation through which the dynamic forces of the Bahá’í Faith could diffuse themselves into the world. Furthermore, this experience demonstrated that the lasting foundation of teaching work is perfect integration of all Bahá’í activities.

With the completion of the Dome ornamentation and the release of the spiritual forces which the Guardian stated would attend this epoch-making event, the necessity for intensive public teaching service became evident. The National Teaching Committee, therefore, addressed some fifty individuals, urging them to undertake new teaching work; where possible to make extended teaching circuits, visiting centers where the Cause is developing, and to aid isolated believers in their efforts. The response was not only encouraging but truly inspiring, as the results show fully how the promises of the Guardian will be fulfilled.

The Teaching Committee next wrote individually to all the Assemblies asking them to lend every effort to the constructive development of the teaching work contemplated in the program established by the National Spiritual Assembly and outlined fully in BAHÁ’Í NEWS of July, 1932.

At the same time the Committee wrote to all isolated believers, calling their attention to the unique position they occupied in the Cause as outposts of the new World Order, and asking them to redouble their efforts to establish thriving Bahá’í centers. The service of the Teaching Committee was offered in arranging assistance from near-by Local Spiritual Assemblies.

The entire country realized how propitious was this moment for public work and arose as a body to spread the universal principles of the Faith, bringing forth almost miraculous results.

[Page 8] Viewing the developments of the teaching work from another standpoint, attention is called to the supreme wisdom of the Guardian in insisting upon the early completion of the Dome ornamentation. Previously, the Teachings have been presented in an apologetic manner because of the apparent lack of outward achievement. Now it is a matter of distinction to be connected with that dynamic Faith that has accomplished, during the World’s greatest depression, the adornment of the most beautiful spiritual structure, and that has at the same time established “a humble though perfect pattern” of the future World Order.

Thus, concentration on the ornamentation of the Dome of the Temple has brought the Faith to a position of prestige and high honor and created increasing interest in its universal principles. The friends, through their joint sacrifices, have been more firmly united and have accomplished more perfect functioning of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. Supplementing this, the spiritual forces released into the world, together with the increasing difficulties on every side, are bringing untold thousands to the Fount of Eternal Life.

In a report of this type it is impossible to record the sacrificial efforts of the many loyal and enthusiastic servants of the Faith in promoting the Teachings during the past year. There has been greater vigor in fulfilling this supreme obligation of Bahá’í life than has been witnessed in this country before. To attempt to report in detail the services of even those who have kept the Teaching Committee informed of their activities likewise cannot be done for lack of space. We have, therefore, confined ourselves to the recording of a few of the most interesting experiences during the year which may be helpful in expanding the work and which give evidence of the dynamic spiritual forces now released.

The following is an interesting method employed by Dr. Stanwood Cobb in introducing the Cause in a new city on a very successful sixteen-day teaching trip covering Atlanta, Georgia; Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville, Knoxville, Tenn., and Chapel Hill, N. C.

In one of the cities there were no Bahá’ís who could make contacts for Dr. Cobb. Utilizing a letter of introduction to a professor of the leading university, he secured the names and addresses of the liberals of that city. Later these were his guests at a luncheon in his hotel. After a pleasant discussion of general affairs of the day, Dr. Cobb gave a detailed exposition of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh which was followed by a lively and sympathetic discussion. Dr. Cobb wrote: “This was one of the most inspiring events of a teaching nature I have ever taken part in. It is an absolute demonstration that the world is ready and waiting for this Message. Men of this type would not come to public meetings. They are too busy. A better spirit and inspiration is engendered in a special group than to see them one by one.”

Mr. Louis G. Gregory, in response to a new trend in our teaching work which the Guardian is encouraging, is settling in one of the larger cities of the south and concentrating on that city until a properly functioning Bahá’í Assembly is established. The reports of the way doors are opening and follow-up work being carried on demonstrates the unique possibilities of this method of service. Mr. Gregory has spoken on invitation at various churches, universities, clubs and organizations. Seeds once sown are never lost. One of the professors, reading in the newspaper that a Bahá’í speaker was in town, invited Mr. Gregory to address his classes, saying he had heard Jinab-i-Fadl speak in California and was anxious not only to learn more of the principles of the Faith himself but to have his pupils do so likewise.

Another interesting incident was at the annual convention of the Tennessee State Teachers’ Association where one of the principal speakers insisted on Mr. Gregory being given his place on the program so the school principals might learn of “this wonderful message.” Many questions were asked and Bahá’í literature was distributed.

Madame Margarita Orlova reports many stirring experiences in the teaching work done on the Pacific Coast, particularly in and around Phoenix, Arizona. Addresses were given before all types of gatherings—in churches, universities, Junior Colleges, Agricultural Associations, including eleven talks on the Bahá’í Faith in the Mormon Church in Mesa, Arizona.

Two study classes were conducted for the visitors at the resorts in this area, one at the Arizona Biltmore, the other at Jokake Inn. People from all parts of America were attracted and on returning to their homes will become voting members of Assemblies in those cities. Demonstrating how the efforts of every one will, if selflessly offered, bear fruit, the teaching achievement in these exclusive resorts was brought about through the services of a colored Bahá’í, seamstress at one of the hotels, who made contacts for Madame ‎Orlovo Orlova‎ with those, for whom she worked.

The growing interest in the Faith among religious leaders is of great significance. Mrs. Elizabeth Greenleaf and Mrs. Florence Morton, who have done much successful work in the New England States, report a study group in Gardener, Maine, which has attracted the attention of six ministers. There being no teacher available, the minister of one of the churches who met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when He was in America, has taken charge of the group.

We cannot close this section of our report without mentioning the great services of such capable pioneer teachers in the Cause as Shahnaz Waite, May Maxwell, George Latimer, Ali-Kuli Khan, Horace Holley, Dr. Lenore Morris, Leroy Ioas, and Charles Mason Remey; the untiring work of the Knobloch sisters—Fanny in the Central States and Alma, at the request of the Guardian, in the Southern States; the new study groups established by Ruth Moffett in Kansas City, Topeka, South Bend, etc.; the work of Orcella Rexford in Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Houston, etc.; likewise the constructive teaching and follow-up work carried on by Mrs. Mayme Seto and Dorothy Baker, as well as the quiet deeds of those like Rouhanieh Latimer, Gale Marsolais, Kathryn Baldwin, and Ella Cooper who are doing such intimate work in confirming new souls in the Cause.

Very gratifying indeed has been the systematic manner in which the various Assemblies have organized their teaching work. Where this most important obligation has been delegated to an efficient committee great success has been achieved. While reports have not been received from all Assemblies, it appears the Chicago Assembly has better organized its work than any other city. The Teaching Committee there has actively in hand the development of and assistance to fireside groups, the arrangement of attractive public meetings, the furnishing of teachers to near-by Assemblies, encouraging drama as a means of conveying the Message, establishing Bahá’í reading libraries in various parts of the city, and the conduct of effective public speaking classes. Of great importance is the Contact Department of the Teaching Committee whose duty it is to contact, either in person or through correspondence, all clubs, peace organizations, educational institutions, etc., to make openings for Bahá’í speakers. Where openings are

[Page 9] arranged the addresses are followed up by sending literature to every member of the organization, if a directory can be secured, and inviting them to the regular Bahá’í meetings, study classes, etc.

Illustrating a novel method of introducing the Cause in a new center, the Washington Assembly recently arranged for a round-table discussion at one of the leading hotels of Richmond, Virginia, on the subject: “Peace, Unity, and Stability for a Chaotic World.” Neatly printed invitations, containing the subject, time, place, and names of speakers who, in this instance, were Dr. Stanwood Cobb and Mr. Charles Mason Remey, were sent to the liberally minded people of the city, asking them to join at tea in the consideration of this subject.

One of the most effective means for expanding the work of the Cause is that of Assemblies assisting isolated believers in their efforts. In order to prepare for this important work, the Teaching Committee has carried on correspondence with all the isolated believers, numbering more than two hundred, associating them into Bahá’í groups wherever possible, and endeavoring to bring about closer collaboration between Local Spiritual Assemblies and groups and isolated believers. The inspiring reports from many of these solitary friends of the opening of new doors in their immediate environment reveal the penetrating influence of the new spiritual forces at work in even the remote places of the earth.

This extension work on the part of Bahá’í communities, whether in their own localities or in new fields, increases the necessity for and importance of study classes, not only for the Bahá’ís themselves but also for the newly attracted souls. In keeping with the instructions of the Guardian, the majority of the classes conducted by Local Spiritual Assemblies during the past year, were on the history of the Faith and Bahá’í Administration. One Assembly has adopted the policy of training the friends for public work by having them conduct the spiritual part of the Nineteen Day Feasts. Some Assemblies have arranged teacher training courses to assist those who plan to engage in teaching work outside their own communities.

In reviewing the teaching work of the past year, the National Teaching Committee has the following recommendations to offer:

First. The psychology of Bahá’í teaching is very important. Let us refrain from an apologetic attitude. Humanity is eagerly seeking the Light of Divine Guidance, and the crumbling institutions of the world necessitate the rise of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. Ours is not the attitude of seeking favor, but rather that of bestowing the greatest gift in history. Furthermore, the restrictions in the way of granting voting rights to the student make membership in this World Order a coveted achievement. To be a follower of Bahá’u’lláh is a mark of distinction and honor. Let us who are the custodians of this rich heritage maintain its dignity and glory in our lives and teaching service.

Second: It is impossible to overemphasize the supreme obligation of every individual to increase his or her teaching services. Inasmuch as we have no paid teachers, the expansion of the Faith rests upon the individual Bahá’ís. Teaching the Cause is the glory of Bahá’í life and must represent the sum total of its acts of devotion. Through his secretary the Guardian wrote an American believer recently:

“In the Aqdas Bahá’u’lláh considers teaching as a spiritual obligation imposed upon every devoted believer and servant of His Faith. Should the friends become fully conscious of this duty and arise to do their share, this Cause will soon permeate every home throughout the world and the Kingdom of God will be established.”

Third: The salon type of meeting is the most effective means by which the individual may fulfill his or her teaching obligation, particularly among those of his or her own circle. A survey indicates that the most successful of all teaching work has been the heart to heart discussions possible only in intimate fireside gatherings. Let us recall, in considering the importance of these fireside groups, the basis of the teaching work of the Nineteen Letters of the Living. In the “Dawn-Breakers” it states:

“To each He (the Báb) assigned his own province as the field of his labors.”

Every Bahá’í should hold at least one such meeting every nineteen days, not only to attract new people to the Cause, but also for intensive teaching and follow-up work.

Fourth: Local Spiritual Assemblies have not generally arisen to fulfill their part of the teaching program, namely, that of establishing the Faith in a new center. Cooperation with the isolated believers makes an ideal foundation for such work. We should bear in mind that there are isolated believers in two hundred cities in America and if Assemblies will concentrate on these centers the contact and follow-up work will be simplified.

Fifth: In arranging public meetings of any type, it is wise to use a selective process. Big meetings made up of individuals of widely divergent interests produce little or no result. Meetings made up of people deeply interested in a specific matter permit of constructive presentation of the Teachings on that subject with questions and appropriate follow-up. We are not so much interested in publicizing the Faith as we are in teaching the Cause.

Sixth: Institutions of learning, particularly those having departments in sociology and comparative religion, are showing increasing interest in the Bahá’í peace program, the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and the Oneness of Religion. Every effort should be made to secure openings in such institutions through appropriate capable contact.

Seventh: If groups can travel together to teach, the results achieved are greater than from individual traveling. In instances where three or four have conducted a teaching campaign, the different presentations made a very great impression.

Eighth: With the increasing attraction to the Faith, it is essential that appropriate study classes be arranged by every Assembly for the instruction of Bahá’í students, particularly on the Administration. Whenever voting rights have been granted new people before they have understood the responsibility of such a right, confusion has resulted and often the individuals have left the Cause entirely. It is recommended that the Spiritual Assemblies direct a study course on the Administrative program of the Faith extending over a period of two to three months. This will serve the three-fold purpose of acquainting the individual with the implications of Bahá’í Administration which voting right obligates him to uphold; permit the Spiritual Assembly through contact over a given period of time to gain an actual knowledge of the views of the individual to assure itself of the qualifications of this person to become a Bahá’í, and lastly, permit the applicant to develop normally into Assembly life.

Ninth: With the increasing world problems, the most effective teaching weapon is the properly coordinated and functioning Bahá’í Community. The eyes of the world are being ‎focussed focused‎ more and more on the Cause, and if they find our community life less than implied in the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh they will turn away dismayed and discouraged. Humanity has had too much of emotional appeal, of philosophic idealism, and intellectual speculation.

[Page 10] It is looking for a way of living. Therefore, if any Assembly has not achieved in its midst the community life implied in the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, it would be better that no public teaching work be undertaken, but that such an Assembly realize that its teaching responsibility is to deepen and broaden among its present members the consciousness of the Faith and its proper functioning.

The Guardian is urging the establishment of the Faith in various countries of the world, commenting that “now is the time of settlement of the world community—it is not so much travel as permanent settlement that is the requirement of today.” He has encouraged those noble pioneers who have left home, families and friends and are spreading the Glad Tidings in other lands, to concentrate their efforts in given centers until the Faith is permanently established there. Thirty of the forty countries where the Bahá’í religion is now established have received the Message through American Bahá’ís. The Cause of God in America has been immortalized through the efforts of such glorious souls, and we here can supplement their endeavors by our constant prayers for their guidance and confirmation. Those who are able, can lend fresh prestige to the Faith by joining the ranks of these Messengers of Truth and establishing the Teachings in still other countries which have as yet not been reached.

The blessings of those who dedicate their lives completely to the Faith and the service of the Guardian can only be contemplated when we reflect on the immortal station of our beloved sister and co-worker Keith Ransom-Kehler who, in the land of its Birth, has achieved martyrdom and become a Hand of the Cause of God.

Respectfully submitted,

LEROY C. IOAS, Chairman

CHARLOTTE M. LINFOOT, Secretary

BISHOP BROWN

GEORGE O. LATIMER

FLORENCE MORTON

E. LENORE MORRIS

ELLA G. COOPER

2. Pacific Coast Bahá’í Summer School

The most remarkable of the excellent schools held at Geyserville, California, was the seventh held July 23rd to August 5th, 1933. Under the inspiration of the epistle which has just been received from the Guardian entitled the “Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh”; as well as the dynamic spirit released by the study of the Dawn-Breakers, the Bahá’ís realized that they were indeed living in two worlds; one the physical world, and the other, the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

The underlying spirit of unity was epitomized this year, as it has in previous years, in the Unity Feast, opening the school. This is the homecoming of the friends, the joyful greetings of those long-separated, the welcome of our beloved hosts, John and Louise Bosch, and that cementing act of breaking bread over the same table. There were in attendance one hundred and seventy-five Bahá’ís representing Assemblies of the entire Pacific Coast area, as well as guests from Australia and New York.

The program of the school, outlined three courses, carried through each morning for twelve days. A modern method was employed by the instructors, who were all Bahá’ís; so that the period included presentation of the subject, with twenty minutes reserved for group discussion. It was a technique new to all. With the help of the round tables, illustrating group discussion, the Bahá’ís gained a new method and achieved results impossible in former years. Group discussion is true consultation, and a real effort to ascertain truth.

The detail of the three courses may be studied in the programs of the Summer School. In brief, they dealt with the following subjects:

1. The Influence of Religion on Society, taught by Mrs. Helen Bishop, Mrs. A. Y. Seto, Prof. N. F. Ward, Leroy Ioas, and Miss Marion Holley.
2. The History of the Bahá’í Faith, taught by H. R. Hurlbut, Mrs. Helen Bishop, Mrs. Louise Caswell, and Mrs. E. G. Cooper.
3. Principles of Bahá’í Administration, taught by Prof. N. F. Ward, Leroy Ioas, and G. O. Latimer.

The first course was designed as one which might adequately serve the needs of young believers, as they approach their contemporaries. The attempt was for objectivity with proofs based upon the social sciences, and for a survey of those essentials of belief, without an understanding of which no proof can be complete and no religion worthy of the name.

The second course of study dealt with the history of the Bahá’í Faith, as ascertained from all available sources, including “Nabil’s Narrative,” “The Traveler’s Narrative” and Prof. Browne’s commentaries, Gobineau’s “Les Religions et les Philosophies dans L’Asie Centrale,” Phelps’ “Abbas Effendi,” Cheyne’s “The Reconciliation of Races and Religions” the various accounts of pilgrims and the actual writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Never has such a comprehensive outline been presented at this Summer School.

The third course on the Principles of Bahá’í Administration created great interest. By citing specific instances of conduct under Bahá’í laws of social relations, the intricacies and possibilities of Administration expanded until its response to universal application was appreciated. In the most amazing manner, and yet in true simplicity, the complexities of present and past administrative schemes are set aside, and the responsibilities of order and development appropriately distributed between voting Bahá’ís and the authorities set up by their vote; in such wise that no abuses could flourish or disrupt the whole. Never in any society has there been a solution quite comparable to this one. Bahá’í Administration is unique, since it rests upon a Divine Foundation.

A description of the course of study barely indicates the true significance of the Summer School. Its activities are as inclusive as life—the life of a Bahá’í group met in fellowship and love. To convey a picture of its full outline—the values gained in personal consultation, the gaiety of Bahá’ís at play under the Big Tree and on annual holiday to Griffith Grove, the friendly intercourse with the community at Geyserville—is quite impossible. Each morning the meetings were prefaced by a short devotional period under the Tree arranged by Mrs. Seto and these times of quiet meditation prepared the hearts for the undertakings of the day. To rise with the mention of Bahá’u’lláh upon the tongue is to convert a common day into a prayer, the prayer of work offered in conscious service.

Four round table discussions were arranged for the afternoons. For these the friends met in the Redwood Grove. There were as well three public meetings; two in Geyserville, attended by local residents for miles around, and the other in the outdoor theater at Griffith Grove in Santa Rosa.

A few statistics may give an idea of the size of the school and the interest of the believers in its development:

Total registration	200
Feast registration	175
Average daily attendance	65
Children’s registration	35

Respectfully submitted,

JOHN D. BOSCH, Chairman

LEROY IOAS, Secretary

MRS. E. G. COOPER

MRS. A. E. COLLINS

G. O. LATIMER