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Convention Cablegram Pledges Fulfillment AII Goals Nine Year Plan
In reply to the cablegram sent to the Universal House of Justice by the delegates to the National Convention, that Supreme Body sent the following message:
“OVERJOYED HEARTWARMING RESPONSE DELEGATES GUIDANCE HAND CAUSE MANIFESTED PIONEEER OFFERS ACTIONS TAKEN GENEROUS ALLOCATION WORLD CENTER. DELIGHTED NEWS VICTORIES ACHIEVED. ASSURE PRAYERS BEHALF NEWLY ELECTED ASSEMBLY EMBARKING LAUDIBLE FAR-REACHING PROGRAM. SUPPLICATING BLESSED BEAUTY SUSTAIN ASSIST FRIENDS A'ITAlN GOALS. DEEPEST LOVE."
The text of the cablegram sent from the Convention was as follows: “DEEPLY MOVED JOYOUSLY EXHILARATED
BOUNDLESSLY THANKFUL YOUR MOMENTOUS MESSAGE OPENING VAST GLOBAL - VISTAS NEW GLORIOUS
TRIUMPHS. AMERICAN BAHA'l COMMUNITY EVER APPRECIATIVE TRUST BESTOWED UPON IT FIRMLY RESOLVED FULFILLMENT REPONSIBILITIES. SIGNS YOUR LOVE CONFIRMATIONS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR NOT ONLY NEW OPPORTUNITIES SERVICE AFFORDED US ALSO THROUGH STIRRING WISE COUNSEL GIVEN US BELOVED HAND CAUSE EFFECTIVE GUIDANCE MOMENTUM REFLECTED OUR NSA. ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY DELEGATES VISITORS WISH TO OFFER THANKS YOUR PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES OUR BEHALF BY ACTIONS RESOLVES TAKEN SIXTIETH CONVENTION. NINETY ONE VOLUNTEER PIONEERS FOUR THOUSAND TWENTY THREE DOLLARS SIXTEEN CENTS SPECIAL CONVENTION GIFI‘ TO WORLD CENTER FUND. EIGHT REGIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCES PLANNED LATE SUMMER 1969. WE SHALL SPREAD ENTIRE AMERICAN BAI-lA’l COMMUNITY SPIRIT MATURITY AWARENESS RESPONSIBILITIES ENTHUSIASM ACTION PRESENT THIS CONVENTION. WITH DEEPEST LOVE TOTAL OBEDIENCE."
The Year I25: A Panorama of Rising Expectations
Annual Report of the National Spiritual Assembly to the 60th National Convention, Riḍván 1969
HE YEAR 125 held extraordinary prospects for the
American Bahá’í Community. At the fifty-ninth National Convention, we faced the heart-swelling expectation of the first Oceanic Conference, scheduled to be held in Palermo to commemorate the anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh's voyage on the Mediterranean Sea; we anticipated the first National Youth Conference with all the unusual circumstances that that would entail; we prepared to cope with unknowns as we launched out on the open sea of proclamation by way of International Human
Rights Year. The panorama of expectations was dazzling, to say the least. But we had barely cleared the outset when we began to realize that we were due for even more momentous events than had been anticipated.
The first of these events came with the swiftness, surprise. and precision of a cablegram from the World Center: The Universal House of Justice had found a way to extend further into the future the functions of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God. The National Spiritual Assembly had just gathered in Wilmette to be present for the National Youth Conference in June when the news came. Little did the Assembly realize then that a further message on this momentous development would elevate Miss Edna True, for many years a notable mem ber of the National Spiritual Assembly, to a new level of service. Thus within a span of two months two members of the Assembly were called to the service of the Universal House of Justice: Miss True. and Dr. David S. Ruhe, who had been elected to that supreme Institution by the Second International Convention. Miss True’s new assignment as a Counsellor and the deeply regretted resignation of Mr. Arthur Dahl necessitated two by-elections during the year.
The Continental Board of Counsellors for the Propagation and Protection of the Bahá’í Faith in North America — comprising Mr. Lloyd Gardner. Mrs. Florence Mayberry. and Miss Edna True — assumed its new tasks with a surge of energy and freshness of purpose which it successfully infused into the five deepening conferences held under its sponsorship during February in Atlanta, Los Angeles. Philadelphia, Phoenix, and St. Louis. Marked by record attendance. these conferences caught the accelerated tempo of the national community and released a great spirit of inspiration and confirmation throughout the land. It was a most auspicious way for the Counsellors to start their ministry. The initial joint consultations between them and the National Spiritual Assembly cast new light on the collaboration intended for these two institutions. We heartily applaud the Hands of the Cause
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for having imparted to the Counsellors so immediately the
selfless spirit which has always actuated the Hands themselves, and we thank the Counsellors and their Auxiliary
Board for their initiative and unstinting services this past
year.
PROCLAMATION
We will have observed in retrospect, and with feelings of wonderment, that the doors of opportunity for large-scale proclamation swung wide open almost immediately upon the release of the message of the Universal House of Justice to the Intercontinental Conferences held in October 1967. The assurances of that message still resound in our hearts and minds: “The time is ripe," the Universal House of Justice asserted, “and the opportunities illimitable.” Our National Assembly left the Chicago Intercontinental Conference bent on exploiting the opportunities latent in International Human Rights Year to proclaim the oneness of mankind. During June, ten Human Rights Conferences were held under the aegis of the North American Bahá’í Office for Human Rights (NABOHR), an organization set up for that purpose in collaboration with our sister communities, Alaska, Canada, and Hawaii. The results of these conferences were to be further advanced in a National Human Rights Conference, held in Chicago on September 15, which attracted a number of distinguished non-Bahá’í participants.
Our observance of International Human Rights Year reached a fitting climax in the presentation of an award each to an individual and an organization which had made outstanding contributions to human rights during 1968. Named in honor of a distinguished Hand of the Cause, The Louis G. Gregory Award for Service to Humanity is a unique piece of sculpture designed and constructed by Mr. Vernon Voelz, a Bahá’í and noted American sculptor of Sarasota, Florida. The sculpture was designed to lend visual symbolism to the NABOHR theme. “Human Rights Are God-given Rights.” The National Spiritual Assembly selected Mr. Clark M. Eichelberger. Chairman of the Committee to Study the Organization of Peace, to receive the individual award and the Xerox Corporation to receive the organization award at a banquet in Washington, D.C. on Human Rights Day, December 10, 1968. The banquet was an immensely successful, particularly elegant public affair and was attended by an array of distinguished people, including: the Israeli Ambassador, representatives of the German and Ugandan Embassies, and members of the Federal and District of Columbia Governments.
The immediate outcome of this chain of special proclamation events has been a discernible uplift in the stature of the Bahá’í Community in the eyes of the United Nations and a wider dissemination of the principles of the Faith. A remarkable benefit from this undertaking was the publication of a pamphlet with the joint sponsorship of the National Spiritual Assembly and the United Nations Association, in which excerpts from the Bahá’í Writings were included. The production of the pamphlet and the wide distribution of over 300,000 by non-Bahá’í organizations were a consequence of the alertness and initiative of the United Nations Committee.
Related to the human rights efforts was the distribution of the pamphlet Why Our Cities Burn to officials at all levels of governments and organizations, beginning with the President of the United States. This distribution was geared to exploit the opportunities brought about by the
JUNE 1969
strife and turmoil arising from racial problems. The pamphlet itself is a compendium of appropriate quotations from the Writings on the dilemma which America faces and the solutions to it. The proclamation efforts of the community did not, however. rest on these large undertakings alone: An appreciable number of human rights programs was sponsored by local communities in addition to their efforts to publicize and broadcast the Bahá’í message by mass communications media. Whereas only a mere two years ago, the friends were still hardpressed to get publicity for the Faith, now it seemed commonplace to see full-page feature articles on the Faith in newspapers around the country.
The CBS production on the Bahá’í Faith, “And His Name Shall Be One”, was shown nationally for a third time on June 30, 1968. The Faith was included in a meditation series produced by WLS-TV in Chicago. A 30minute television interview with Mr. Lynn King, a Bahá’í of Moore, Oklahoma, is presently being carried over educational television stations in Texas. New Mexico, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. The special documentary film on the Faith being prepared by Mr. George Stoney was tentatively scheduled for completion by Riḍván 1969, but the death of his editor, Mrs. Sylvia Betts, has altered the release date. Now the expectation is that the film will be ready by Fall 1969.
The House of Worship remained a constant and magnetic instrument of proclamation. During the 12 months ending December 1968, some 151,000 visitors were recorded.
Many of the gratifying developments in proclamation have been inspired by the enormous work of the Public Information Department, which produced an impressive variety of public information materials this year, including: human rights posters; bumper stickers and buttons; posters dealing with Bahá’u’lláh’s life, teachings. mission, and messages to the kings; a five-minute introductory slide show on the Faith; and reprints of various articles. An outstanding achievement of the Department was the completion and distribution to 500 television stations of a one-minute spot on Bahá’í principles ingeniously designed to take advantage of television's need for public affairs programs. Reports of its appearances have been reaching the National Center. and it is estimated that tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of free publicity has already come to the Faith thereby.
EXPANSION
The groundswell of public interest in the Faith which came as a partial consequence of the proclamation activities had a measurable effect on the growth of the community, so much so, that enrollment figures show a 35 percent increase among adults and a 89 percent increase among youth as compared to the growth last year. Adult enrollments numbered 1,503, youth enrollments 1.303. Four hundred and forty-one (441) assemblies were formed at Riḍván; 2,517 centers, or localities where Bahá’ís reside, were identified.
A major contributor to this greatly accelerated teaching momentum in the country was the meteoric rise of youth activities stimulated by the National Youth Conference held on June 22-23, 1968. The historic outcome of the Conference was the emergence of the Five Year Youth Program on August 31, 1968 to coincide with the anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival at the Most Great Prison. Designed within the framework of the Nine Year Plan, the Program calls upon the youth to: deploy 500 pioneers from
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RENEW
their ranks to goals on the homefront and in Africa and Latin America; increase the number of college clubs to 122 by 1973; assume responsibility for producing $100,000 of the national budget; establish 20 high school clubs; inaugurate a traveling-teacher program, to include circuit teaching by teams and musical groups. The enthusiastic response to the Program was channeled into organized action by means of 22 area youth conferences, at which the youth consulted on each of the goals assigned them and recommended to the National Assembly the names of those they wished to see appointed to 25 Area Youth Committees. These committees exist to assist the youth to coordinate the objectives of the Five Year Program in successive phases.
The National Teaching Committee, which has responsibility for guiding the youth program, functioned with unsurpassed vitality and efficiency this year. At the time that the Universal House of Justice wrote to the National Assembly on August 14 suggesting a phasing of the homefront goals, the National Teaching Committee had already embarked on its phased program. The phased program called for 454 assemblies by Riḍván 1969— 13 more than were actually achieved, 527 by Riḍván 1970, and 600 by Riḍván 1971; 2400 localities where Bahá’ís reside by Riḍván 1969- 117 fewer than were actually achieved. 2700 by Riḍván 1970, and 3000 by 1971. Having settled on a program, the Committee. with the assistance of the state goals committees, selected 1000 localities to establish Bahá’í centers. The teaching and pioneering resources in the community were vigorously recruited and mobilized: 705 circuits were directed to 436 localities; a Bahá’í teacher and speaker list— containing 357 names, addresses and coded biographical data and 215 photographs —was published and sent to all local assemblies and state goals committees along with guidelines for its use; a corps of highly trained teachers was harnessed for special teaching and consolidation assignments; 138 pioneer applications, including 60 from youth, were received and processed.
Teaching among minorities was still not as extensive as the Nine Year Plan would have it. Nonetheless, Indian teaching received a special boost, since eight State Goals Committees (Arizona, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota. Oklahoma. South Dakota, E. Washington, W. Washington) have been directed to give primary attention to teaching among the Indians. The National Teaching Committee held one of its regular meetings on an Indian Reservation to lend added stimulus to this important field of teaching. Approximately 100 copies of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh were presented to heads of tribes or tribal chairmen by state goals committees. Moreover, several special publications have been prepared and offered for use during the year. Negro enrollments came to slightly over 10 percent of the overall enrollments. Teaching among Spanish-speaking, Chinese and Japanese peoples requires special actions, which are currently in the planning stage.
International Teaching.A primary benefit of homefront expansion is the pioneers it produces for international teaching, because in reality the first among the priorities of the American Community is its overseas responsibilities. Basically, our international goals fall into three categories: (1) pioneers to be settled in specific countries, (2) assemblies to be formed in specific countries, and (3) properties to be acquired in specific countries. 01' the 54
goal territories to be settled, 36 have received pioneers;.
of the requisite 127 pioneers, 107 have settled at their posts; the remaining 20 are in the process of settling. Hence, shortly after Riḍván 1969 all of the pioneering goals assigned heretofore will be completed. We have not done quite as well with assembly goals, of which there are five of the original eight still to be formed. These goals are distributed among the following islands: Bahamas 2, Bermuda 2, Falkland Islands 1, Puerto Rico 3. Puerto Rico has 2 assemblies, Bermuda one.
Lack of funds and a tardy beginning limited our ability to acquire all the properties called for in the Nine Year Plan. And yet these are the goals the Universal House of Justice asked us to meet at the outset in view of the inflationary situation in the world. To date, six of the 19 property goals have been acquired. Our figures show a total allocation of $49,932.14 from the National Fund for this purpose; $21,341.45 of this amount was expended this year to acquire a Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds each in Ghana, Reunion lsland, and Liberia.
International travel-teaching involved 96 members of the American Community this year, an increase of 38 over last year. Three international youth projects — one more than last year, took teams of four each to Yucatan. Nicaragua, and Panama during summer 1968. Since then many youth have requested to be included in future projects.
Our accomplishments in the foreign field this year can be ascribed largely to the refreshing approach of the Department of International Goals to its work. With the addition of Mr. William Wold to its staff, the Department attained a new level of efficiency and resourcefulness: it proposed bold plans for facilitating the recruitment of pioneers; designated area representatives to assist it in its recruitment; produced a manual, “Preparation for Pioneering," for briefing pioneers; planned and executed a weekend institute on pioneering at the Davison School last summer; and sent its representatives, Mrs. Maurine Kraus and Mrs. Louise Wold, on a fact—finding, lovebringing visit to the pioneers and national assemblies of Latin America.
CONSOLIDATION
The thrust of homefront and international expansion could hardly have been sustained without an equal extension of the consolidation process. Expansion and consolidation, we have been told, must be simultaneous and co-equal. “While the work of teaching inevitably goes first,” the House of Justice states, “to pursue it alone without consolidation would leave the community unprepared to receive the masses who must sooner or later respond to the life-giving message of the Cause.”
Individual and Community Development. Undoubtedly, consolidation begins with the individual, who must constantly be striving to deepen his knowledge of the truths and principles of the Cause, conform his character to the spiritual standards brought by Bahá’u’lláh, acquire an acute awareness of the administrative nature of Bahá’í institutions, and form an accurate vision of Bahá’u’lláh’s purpose in the establishment of the unity of mankind. If the individual is to succeed in these strivings, our institutions must facilitate his efforts by providing the proper instruction and education. Actuated by the understanding that training of the individual begins at the moment of his declaration, the National Assembly completed a rigorous review of the enrollment process and decided to revise the membership declaration card, so that the implications of Bahá’í belief could be more
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immediately understood by the declarant. Furthermore,
the Assembly prepared a brief pamphlet outlining the
basic responsibilities and priviliges of Bahá’í membership. This pamphlet, entitled “On Becoming a Bahá’í”.
will be sent to each enrollee as his membership application is accepted; it will also be an invaluable assistance to
all teachers of the Faith as a checklist of fundamental
verities and principles as they guide new believers to
Bahá’í community life. To encourage individual study of
the Teachings, “A Brief Course in Deepening” was offered
with the February issue of the NATIONAL Bahá’í RI:-:vn-:w for
use during the period of the Fast.
In a sense it can be said that community development is the sum of individual deepening and training. However, consolidation of the community as such requires special approaches other than those suited to individual development. The community functioning as an entity has its peculiar goals and objectives: institutional solidarity and community spirit must be fostered. The goals and objectives of a community include, for instance, legal recognition of certain Bahá’í functions like assembly incorporation, marriage, and observance of Holy Days. This kind of recognition bolsters the stature of the Bahá’í institution and facilitates community functions. To date, Bahá’í marriage is recognized as legal in 44 states plus the District of Columbia; Bahá’í holy days are recognized by school districts in 44 states; 152 local assemblies are incorporated.
Strengthening new assemblies, aiding jeopardized assemblies and restoring lost ones are among the primary concerns of our consolidation work. This year the distribution of study packets designed to facilitate self-conducted conferences among spiritual assemblies was carried forward, as was the representation of the National Assembly at the formation of each new and restored assembly. Moreover, seven Development Program Training Institutes were held in September to train a group of approximately 73 consolidation teachers in the use of the Community Development Manual. More than 150 assignments were completed by these teachers. An adjunct to this activity was the lending of audio-visual deepening materials from the library of the National Teaching Committee. The effect of these combined efforts was that fewer assemblies became jeopardized this year than in any of the previous years of the Nine Year Plan.
Summer Schools. An ongoing source of individual deepening is the Bahá’í Schools, which maintained regular summer programs this year. The Councils of the permanent schools — Green Acre, Davison, Geyserville showed a marked determination to improve the quality and variety of courses while at the same time providing better facilities for attendants. In regions without permanent facilities, a number of committees were established to organize and hold brief summer sessions and, in some instances, winter sessions. In addition, there was an encouraging number of weekend institutes and conferences, the most outstanding of which were the deepening conferences sponsored by the Continental Board of Counsellors. As effective as have been these facilities of Bahá’í training, it became obvious to the National Assembly that more, much more, had to be done to upgrade their performance. The Assembly thereupon undertook an intensive review of the situation and concluded that a National Schools Committee should be established to work out basic courses for all Bahá’í schools and institutes and to coordinate their programs and their use of teacher
JUNE 1969
resources. The work of this Committee will become evident during Summer 1970.
Publishing. The Sacred Teachings, their amplification and exposition, will of course remain the real source of Bahá’í development. The production and distribution of the published Teachings have been the proud functions of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust since 1955. The Trust’s functions are often a gauge of community expansion and development. For the first time in its existence the Trust distributed over one million — 1,010,231 to be exact — books and pamphlets during one calendar year, the 12 months ending December 31, 1968. This figure indicates an increase of 215,000 over the previous year's 795,000. Many new titles have either been published or distributed by the Trust this year: Among them are Bahá’í Holy Places at the World Center and The Bahá’í Faith: Statistical Information ( 18441969) —— both compiled by the Universal House of Justice; Bahá’í School Lesson Plans (Grades: Kindergarten, 1, 2. 6, 7, 9), Teacher’s Handbooks Vols. V and VI; Sing a Song (Children’s illustrated songbook); the pamphlets: Why Our Cities Burn, On Becoming a Bahá’í, Your Role in the Nine Year Plan, Manifestation Not Incarnation, God’s Great Plan Among the titles in production are “Bahá’í Teachings, Light to All Regions" (a pamphlet for Indian Teaching), and an anthology of the major messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-68. Gratified as the Assembly is with the publications of the Trust, it was necessary to determine whether or not the literature as it is currently produced meets fully the test of reaching every stratum of society. The Assembly’s deliberations yielded a decision to extend the scope of the Publishing Trust to include the production of special materials and instructional media. Thus the communication of the printed word will be complemented with the availability of audio-visual materials, especially for‘ deepening.
World Order magazine, a publication primarily intended for proclamation, has become a significant source of individual training and development. The high quality of its articles has fitted several of them for use in fireside and deepening classes. Also of vital assistance to the consolidation work has been the reappearance, after a short hiatus, of Child’s Way magazine with a new format and a variety of stories, games, puzzles, and colors.
The Fund. One of the most effective ways of determining the level of individual or community development is the degree to which the Fund is sacrificially supported. Sacrifice is, of course, the sacred experience of the one making it; but the spirit in which the Fund is supported creates an obvious effect on community development. This year, for the first time in our history, contributions and other income flowing to the Fund exceeded a million dollars, actually $1,023,710.60. This did not make the $1,218,000 that was budgeted, but it demonstrated the growing effectiveness of universal participation in the Fund and augured well for the future. As a means of educating everyone about the true nature and actual uses of the National Fund. the slide program. “Your National Fund—Gateway to Success", first shown at the last National Convention. was reproduced in limited quantity to permit its showing at several summer schools, at the Proclamation-Expansion-Consolidation Conferences in October. and at a number of State Conventions. Illustrated articles on the Fund also appeared almost monthly in the NATIONAL BAHA'I REVIEW, under the title, “Where Our Dollars Go."
Administrative Organization. A large part of community development devolves on institutional efficiency; it
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REVIEW
stands to reason that if Bahá’í institutions are not functioning well they cannot expect to cope with the diversity in membership and community demands, which are the natural consequences of expansion. Hence, community development involves an increase in executive ability, as well as in spiritual cohesion of the community. With this in mind, the National Spiritual Assembly, aided by the guidance of the Universal House of Justice and the expert advice of a management consultant, brought under close scrutiny its various institutional operations at the National Center and beyond. Many troublesome questions, which surmounted concern with the mere efficient running of an office, had to be dealt with: How can the National Assembly deal more efficiently with personal status problems — marriage, divorce, withdrawals. appeals, removals of membership, etc.‘.’ What is the extent of the authority and executive ability of national committees? What are the best methods of evaluating and utilizing Bahá’í manpower? What about the management, maintenance, and sanitation of national properties? How effectively is the community being informed? What is the best way of systematizing the elaborate accounting demands on the Treasurer's Office‘? How well is the community being served‘? How may individual members of the National Assembly improve their service to the Assembly and the community in general? Summed up, these questions pointed to one overall concern: the ability of the National Assembly to measure up to the administration of a vastly expanding community.
Among the significant actions taken were the following: A certified public accountant was appointed as comptroller to streamline the operations of the Treasury; a National Properties Committee was formed to develop and execute policies for the management and maintenance of all properties; the functions and executive prerogatives of the National Teaching Committee, the chief auxiliary institution of the National Assembly, were further defined and resolutely upheld; a simplification in designations of committees and their officers and workers was effected; an amalgamation of publishing and production of Bahá’í teaching and deepening materials was acted upon.
The National Staff itself has been given some special attention. Mr. Robert Desatnick. a management consultant, was retained to give an eight-week course on management to the national staff; this course was followed by a six-week course in Bahá’í administrative principles. The salutary effects of all these developments are partially discernible to the community, but will become more obvious in the immediate months and years ahead.
SUMMARY
In a sense, we entered the Year 125 with somewhat the same Dickensian outlook which inspired the composition of the famous novel, A Tale of Two Cities. It seemed to us —— to borrow some appropriate phrases — to be the best of times, and the worst of times; a season of light, and a season of darkness. Indeed, as the old order sank deeper into the midnight of despair, the star of the Bahá’í Cause rose to attract to its light more numerous and more diverse seekers after the Truth. Our cities burned with hate, we sent loving messages to those responsible, explaining why; the youth railed against the amoral structure of old institutions, we built new avenues to lead them to new institutions; human rights hung light in the balance, we added weight to its significance. These occupa tions, combined with an enlargement of our consolidation efforts, engaged our energies this year; and as a result we can verify that a widespread awareness of the existence of the Faith has been achieved and that a new zest actuates the Bahá’í Community.
No summary of Bahá’í accomplishments these days should fail to pay high tribute to God’s Universal House of Justice: the National Spiritual Assembly knows too well how remarkable has been its kindness to the American community this year. When we seemed too impetuous, it checked our impulses; when we seemed too reserved, it emboldened our approach; when we seemed too weighed down with the tasks at hand, it surrounded us with assurances of prayers and love. Above all, the House of Justice has been especially patient where we failed to understand, and especially magnanimous where generosity could have been withheld. The constancy of its guidance has been a source of comfort and confidence to our frequently hard—pressed National Assembly. The intermingling of spirit, which has been quite evident between these two institutions, is truly one of the highlights of our divine experiences this year. It would be difficult indeed to dissociate any of the actions we have taken over the last year from the inspired influence, direct or indirect, of the House of Justice. This is perhaps the most tangible way in which we can impress upon the believers the assurance that by and large the actions of our national community are being divinely directed. LOOKINGAHEAD And now, in conclusion. a word about the situation ahead. It seems almost trite to say that the Bahá’í Community is insensibly caught on the wings of a transition with extraordinary implications. It is a condition induced no more by the desperation of the old order than by the energetic activities of the believers themselves. The terrible state of affairs forecast in Shoghi Effendi's trenchant message “American Bahá’ís in Time of World Peril", though barely discernible at the time he wrote it in 1954, is becoming frightfully real. Nowadays, the feverish preoccupations of the American people change almost from month to month. A nation inured to the tranquillity of self-centered isolationism and indulgent materialism shakes with social convulsions, at the core of which is the always corrosive influence of racism. What this means for the struggling Bahá’í Community is that, as it grows in spiritual security. it is inheriting at a much increased rate the “lacerated hearts of the bereaved, the maimed, and the homeless" referred to by Shoghi Effendi in his monumental statement, The Promised Day Is Come.
The questions that must properly be asked now are these: Will the American Bahá’í Community rise to the tests of this new situation‘? Will its response to these despairing hearts assure them that the Promised Day has indeed come? Past accomplishments, however enormous. must not produce the kind of satisfaction that will undermine our resolve to deal with these inevitable questions. In the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, victories are not intended to spend themselves at the moment of their acclaim; they are meant to be stepping stones to other vital triumphs. They mu st not merely be contained; they must forge opportunities for new breakthroughs. So here we are, at the end of a rapid succession of triumphs, confronted by greater challenges and more strenuous times.
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JUNE 1969
1969 National Bahá’í Convention Recommendations
The recommendations and suggestions submitted to the National Spiritual Assembly from the 1969 National Convention were considered at the April meeting, and the actions taken are recorded as follows:
1. Recommended that the message to the Convention from Hand of the Cause William B. Sears be made available to the delegates, if possible.
Action: It is not feasible to make Mr. Sears’ message
available to delegates, but excerpts of it have been
included in the tape on highlights of the National
Convention.
2. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States publish as a booklet the compilation on “Teaching Indigenous Peoples" so that we realize the importance of teaching the indigenous peoples,
Action: This compilation will not be published as a
booklet, but mimeographed copies are available from
the National Teaching Committee to anyone upon
request. 3. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly be requested from time to time to come up with pamphlets on deepening of the same sort they distributed with the February 1969 issue of NATIONAL Bahá’í REVIEW.
Action: This recommendation has been referred to
the National Teaching Committee with the suggestion
that it produce one or two leaflets on deepening this
year. 4. Recommended that the NATIONAL Bahá’í REVIEW be used as a medium for bringing to the friends in the United States the need for funds to maintain Bahá’í properties in the U.S. and informing them of the consequence in costs if maintenance of the Temple, summer school facilities and other properties is deferred.
Action: This recommendation was approved in prin ciple and referred to the Coordinating Committee for
the Fund. 5. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly consider requesting the Cm1.D’s WAY Editorial Committee to include among its wonderful articles something about contributions by children.
Action: This recommendation was referred to the
CHILD'S WAY Editorial Committee for consideration. 6. Suggestion that we involve the youth in the community more, not only to bring in new believers, but to lead the way in helping many to contribute to the Fund. The youth should be encouraged to use their own methods for bringing in money for the brotherhood of man.
Action: The National Spiritual Assembly favors this
recommendation and has referred it to the National
Teaching Committee for appropriate action.
7. Recommended that the Convention go on record as accepting the proposed budget as presented by the National Treasurer, and our commitment as members of local spiritual assemblies. state goals committees and delegates, and that we take this message back in our Convention reports.
Action: Adopted.
8. Recommended that in the future the National Treasurer be encouraged to make the same presentation
that was made this year to the new communities, prior to our coming to the Convention. Action: Adopted. 9. Suggestion that the National Spiritual Assembly should make a wholehearted effort in the summer schools, institutes, etc.. to put out some literature on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Action: The National Spiritual Assembly has made plans for producing more materials on the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. A series of cassette programs on the subject are in process. 10. Recommended that the National Treasurer inform the various local spiritual assemblies and state goals committees of the amount of money that has been contributed by their areas toward the budget of the National Spiritual Assembly as presented to them by the National Treasurer. Action: This recommendation was adopted.
11. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly consider having a National Conference on Indian Affairs. Action: This recommendation was referred to the National Teaching Committee with the encouragement of the National Spiritual Assembly. 12. Recommended that a separate tape be made on Dr. Daniel Jordan's comments on consolidation and deepening, and that the tape be available to the communities as a separate item from the Convention highlights which will be edited and cut. Action: This recommendation was adopted.
13. Recommended that the entire question of reporting election results, in all its aspects, be referred to the Universal House of Justice. This recommendation followed the action of the delegates that in reporting the election of the National Spiritual Assembly, the individual with the highest number of votes be indicated, and that the others be listed in alphabetical order rather than in the order of votes received. The wish was expressed that following the report of the first nine persons receiving the highest number of votes, the names of the next nine persons receiving the highest number of votes be made available to delegates who desired to have them. Some delegates felt that the entire list of those voted for and the number of votes they received should be reported or made available to the delegates.
Action: This recommendation was adopted. 14. Recommended that as a means of expressing the very important teaching we have from Bahá’u’lláh about drugs. the National Spiritual Assembly be asked to hold a dialogue type of conference, between adult Bahá’ís of medical and other professional background and the youth. and that the results of this be published in the NATIONAL BAHA'I REVIEW.
Action: This recommendation was referred to the
National Teaching Committee for consideration. 15. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly place special emphasis this year on developing the art and science of consultation, perhaps in institutes or summer s_chools.
Action: This recommendation was referred to the
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National Bahá’í Schools Committee. 16. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly consider the possibility of making a particular space available in NATIONAL BAHA'I REVIEW monthly for the Hands of the Cause to communicate with the great body of the American believers. Action: The National Spiritual Assembly wishes the friends to know that the pages of Bahá’í NEWS and the NATIONAL Bahá’í REVIEW are open to the Hands of the Cause of God for whatever message they want to convey to the believers. During the last year several major articles by the Hands of the Cause appeared in Bahá’í NEWS, and its pages will continue to carry articles by these high-ranking officers of the Faith as they become available. 17. Recommended that a book be published which would present the teachings and message of the Bahá’í Faith in such a way that it would be useful to high school students and libraries and college libraries as a reference book in comparative religion classes. Action: This recommendation was referred to the Bahá’í Publishing Committee.
18. Recommended that Dr. Dwight Allen's entire talk on the Fund be put on a cassette, along with a slide program on the Fund. Action: This recommendation was adopted. 19. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly find a way that youth can be represented either as youthat-large, or in some other way at our National Conventions. Action: This recommendation was referred to the National Teaching Committee. 20. Recommended that the contribution made during the Convention be sent to the Universal House of Justice as a special gift and that the Convention message to the House of Justice include the number of pioneers who have volunteered. Action: This recommendation was adopted. A sum of $4023.16 was sent to the Universal House of Justice; 91 believers volunteered for pioneering. 21. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly consider making the permanent school libraries depositories for national spiritual assemblies all over the world and that they periodically solicit books from these national spiritual assemblies. Action: It was decided to ask the National Bahá’í Schools Committee to prepare a solicitation program for review by the National Spiritual Assembly. 22. Recommended that the Convention picture be made available to delegates for inclusion in their Convention reports to the communities. Action: In future, delegates will be asked to sign up for pictures, and an effort will be made to have the pictures available to them by the end of the Convention. 23. Recommended that this year an effort be made at our summer schools and conferences to draw on the early pioneers and on the people who took part in the First and Second Seven Year Plan, to come forward and really inspire us with their knowledge. Action: This recommendation was referred to the National Bahá’í Schools Committee. Plans are also being made to record the experiences of these pioneers on tapes, which will be available to summer schools and individuals. 24. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly consider strengthening the proclamation already set up
with more focus on the Name, the Life, and the Person of Bahá’u’lláh.
Action: This recommendation is already in effect. 25. Recommended that a tape of folk-type music be put together for the use of the believers and as music becomes available, publish this information in Bahá’í NEWS.
Action: A record and tape are in production. 26. Recommended that the National Spiritual Assembly consider providing the local spiritual assemblies with an outline of suggestions for improving assembly functions.
Action: This recommendation was referred to the
National Teaching Committee.
THE DOOR OF PILGRIMAGE OPENS TO A GREATER NUMBER OF BELIEVERS
Following the announcement in its Riḍván message that the door of Pilgrimage will be opened to a much greater number of believers, the Universal House of Justice instructed our National Spiritual Assembly to receive and handle the applications of American believers wishing to make the Pilgrimage to the World Center. Henceforth, all believers residing in the United States (exclusive of Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands) wishing to go on Pilgrimage should apply in writing to the National Spiritual Assembly, not to the Universal House of Justice.
Those friends who are presently on the long waiting list will be among the first groups to be invited to the World Center under the new arrangement. Each will hear from the National Assembly in due course. In the meantime, the following excerpts from a letter to national spiritual assemblies from the Universal House of Justice, dated April 11, 1969, should be kept in mind:
“In increasing the number of Pilgrims in each group from twenty to eighty the Pilgrim House will no longer be used for living accommodation. Therefore. it has been decided that beginning with the new season in October, 1969 all Pilgrims will arrange for their own lodging and meals. There are a number of hotels, pensions and hospices in the Haifa area; many are relatively inexpensive. and can be booked through travel agents.
“During the Pilgrimage program planned for the nine day period, transportation will be provided by the World Center on the initial visits to the Bahá’í Holy Places outside the Haifa area. Full instructions will be given to the friends when they are invited to come to the Holy Land and assigned a date. Pilgrims will be permitted to remain a total of 38 days in the Holy Land instead of nineteen, as at present; this change allows them to take advantage of group flights. However, such additional time beyond the nine days on Pilgrimage, if used, must be spent outside Haifa, ‘Akká and environs.”
The 1969-70 Pilgrimage year will begin on October 27, 1969. New groups will be received at the World Center during each two-week period thereafter until the end of July, 1970.
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
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Challenging Observations on
Teaching in North America
After her visit to the United States in 1960, Hand of the Cause of God ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rtjhiyyih Khánum addressed her observations to the National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada and the United States. A slightly abridged version of her letter (printed in U.S. SUPPLEMENT No. 40, June 1961) is reprinted here in response to the many recent requests for its republication and because of the timeliness of her statements.
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada
Dearly loved Friends:
This is certainly a very late date at which to write the letters to you I assured you I would be sending you after my wonderful trip last Spring, through the U.S.A. and Canada! I had planned to write you properly, separately, and touching on points connected with the two different countries but fatigue and the work at the World Center engulfed me before I got around to it. I think this is all to the good for the ideas I wanted to express then are very much clearer now, after my trip through East Africa, and as they are applicable to both Canada and the U.S.A., I am sure you will not mind my sending you a joint letter.
Whatever my trips amongst the friends have produced of good, they could not possibly have had as great an effect on anyone as on me. I have learned so much, had such new thoughts come to me, that I feel as if I was living in a different mental world from before. My perspective has changed very radically and I feel the best way I can be of help to your two Assemblies shouldering such great responsibility as the primary promoters of the Divine Plan — is to just share my new thoughts with you. I have not got time for composition so will just think out loud.
It seems to me if we Bahá’ís, and especially the teachers and assembly members, do not ponder more deeply what lies ahead in the next stages of our development we are not going to be properly oriented towards the work we are carrying on.
Bahá’u’lláh warned us against the evils of civilization when carried to extremes, the Master and particularly the Guardian, elaborated on this theme until at the end of his life Shoghi Effendi fairly thundered against our civilization—particularly the American variety of it. The future Bahá’í culture and civilization is therefore scarcely likely to be patterned on it! It occurs to me (speaking for myself) that we have confused the things so highly praised in our teachings, such as freedom of speech, the democratic method of election, the ideal of justice for all and integrity in administrative affairs, with our materialistic civilization which the Guardian stigmatized as corrosive and corrupt in western civilization and against the dangers of which he constantly warned us. It is these inherent weaknesses that may lead to the greatest catastrophe in history. These thoughts have formed the background in my mind against which other thoughts are beginning to stand out more and more clearly.
JUNE 1969
I remember when we had the first Japanese pilgrim here, Shoghi Effendi said to him that the majority of the human race was not white and that the majority of Bahá’ís would not be white in the future. As up until very recently the Bahá’ís of the world were almost exclusively white it is only natural that their virtues and their faults should have colored the Faith and its community life. It is illogical to suppose that what we have now is either mature or right; it is a phase in the development of the Cause; when peoples of different races are incorporated in the world-wide community (and in local communities) who can doubt that it will possess far greater power and perfection and be something quite different from what we have now? And yet let us ask ourselves frankly if we do not believe that what we North American Bahá’ís, what we Western white Bahá’ís have, is the real thing, practically a finished product, and it is up to the rest of the world to accept it? I think this is our mentality; it was mine up until a few years ago. It seems to me we are ‘confusing the fact that North America is the cradle of the Administrative Order with the old order that already exists there. Perhaps we forget sometimes that just as Bahá’u’lláh appeared in Persia because it was the worst country in the world the Administrative Order was given to America to develop because she was politically the most corrupt. I remember when the Guardian was writing The Advent of Divine Justice and elaborated on this theme how astonished I was. I thought we had been given the Administrative Order because we already had the best democratic system in the world and were therefore best qualified to elaborate it‘.
We all know what great emphasis the beloved Guardian put on mass conversion during the last five years of the Crusade and how urgently he appealed to the Bahá’ís to press forward in teaching the people of Africa and the Pacific region. He likewise repeatedly stressed teaching the American Negro and the Indian people. It has been borne in on me, at least to a limited degree, during my trips in America and Africa. the vast significance of two statements in our Writings. Bahá’u’lláh said the black people are like the pupil of the eye and sight is in the pupil; The Master said when we converted the American Indians to the Faith they would be like the original inhabitants of Arabia. The Words of these Divine Beings, we know, are the very essence of Truth. When Bahá’u’lláh likens the Negro race to the faculty of sight in the human body — the act of perception with all it implies— it is a pretty terrific statement. He never said this of anyone else. I thought the American Negro’s humility, his kindness, friendliness, courtesy and hospitableness were something to do with his oppression and the background of slavery. But after spending weeks, day after day in the villages of Africa, seeing literally thousands of Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, I have wakened up to the fact that the American Negro has these beautiful qualities not because he was enslaved but because he has the characteristics of his race. I learned why the Guardian so constantly spoke of the “pure-hearted" Africans. The emphasis on the “heart” in our teachings is overwhelming. “My first counsel is this; possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart." “Thy heart is my habitation."—“All in heaven and on earth have I ordained for thee except the human heart which I have made the habitation of My Beauty and Glory—" etc. It is this
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spiritual quality defined as “Heart" in our teachings which I think is one of the priceless gifts the Negro race is going to share with others in the community of the
Most Great Name. I can truthfully say my association
with the Africans humiliated me deeply, I felt unworthy, I felt my race unworthy, I have not said anything about intelligence because I firmly believe it is a common characteristic of all human beings, the more primitive they are the sharper their wits!
What about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words concerning the American Indians? When I had the experience of being with them I kept asking myself what did the Master mean? Then I. reviewed in my mind what had been the effect of the conversion of the original inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula to Islam; the spread of the Faith from China to the gates of Vienna, the rise of Islamic culture and civilization which was responsible for the renaissance in Europe which in turn became the cradle of Western Civilization which has given rise to so many good things that Bahá’u’lláh Himself praised. This is what the conversion of the early Arabs meant. And ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says the conversion of the American Indians will be like that other conversion. It certainly gives one food for thought!
The non—white world is stirring. Africa is awakening, our civilization is beginning to crumble. I believe the responsibility we Bahá’ís (most of us still white) have at this time is tremendous. We must make haste to obey the instructions of the Master and the Guardian and teach in active, determined campaigns, by every means in our power, the American Negroes and Indians. In the first place it is a duty placed upon us in writing, in the second place we need them in our communities for their characteristics of mind and heart can greatly enrich our Bahá’í community life, and in the third place we cannot estimate at this time how farfiung will be the repercussions of bringing these two races in North America into the Faith. I am convinced that if we start mass conversion of the Indians and Negroes, mass conversion of the whites will follow. The people of the world are tired of words, words, words. They don’t really pay any attention to what we say about “oneness, unity, world brotherhood" although many of them agree with this. What they need is to see deeds, to see Bahá’í communities, local and national, full of people of different races working together, in love, for their common belief. Then the spiritual force such a reality will release (as opposed to words) will bring an inwardly hungry, sad and disillusioned white race into the Faith in larger numbers. It is all there in the writings of Shoghi Effendi; we just don’t think about it enough.
Nero fiddled while Rome burned. God forbid we Bahá’ís should ever be like that! A terrible sense of urgency has come over me. Take Africa alone: her nations are coming into independence rapidly—which surely is the plan of God—but they are in danger internally and externally from immature, calculating political forces. What a difference it would make if there were at least ballast in their new ships launching on the worlds turbulent sea, if there were a strong Bahá’í minority with their good will and vision of the future world, and the non-political quality of a Bahá’í community! And if these new and often turbulent African nations, being taught racial tensions in a world filled with hatred and ambition, could look across the
seas and see that in America and Canada there is a community truly representative of the different races, where the Indian and the Negro Bahá’ís march abreast with those of European descent in serving mankind and promulgating Bahá’u’lláh’s redeeming Faith; think what a force for stability in the whole world this might be! Are we Bahá’ís thinking about those things’? Or are we for the most part absorbed in playing with the Administrative Order, criticizing, judging and disputing with each other? Do we constantly bear in mind that as early as the start of the first Seven Year Plan the Guardian told us that now that we had built up the Administrative machinery we must put it into operation, for teaching the Cause? . ..
I would like to make an observation about teaching the Indians and the Negroes. It is the result of as much analysis as I am capable of. When we Bahá’ís go to teach these people, our first act, I firmly believe, should be to try and give them back their self-respect. Probably the greatest crime of the white man is that in his folly and conceit in the great power of his moneycivilization, he has made other men feel inferior; 2nd. 3rd and 4th class passengers on the boat of life. How deep this acid has bitten into the souls of other men I suppose we white people can never know. But I was startled and moved by something I saw during my African trip. Invariably, whenever I mentioned this injustice of ours, and denounced it as such, there was a spontaneous burst of applause from my listeners, whether at the Teaching Conference in Kampala where the cream of the African Bahá’í' teachers was present, or an illiterate audience way out in the Bush seated under a tree! The arrow is far deeper in the hearts than we dream and we Bahá’ís should draw ,this arrow, in the name of Bahá’u’lláh, and pour the healing salve of His Praises and love into the wound.
I could see the American Indians straighten their shoulders when I asked their forgiveness for the injustices my race had done them and when I praised their great past. The Africans in their wilderness have not, thank God, suffered this humiliation of soul the Indian has because they have been too far away, for the most part, from white people. But they look wistfully at our world and wonder why they have no part. This touched me deeply and I tried to tell them as much as I could about the history of Africa. Again the need to reestablish self-respect. Both the Africans and the Indians should be encouraged to retain their tribal characteristics, their language, their music, their folklore, their crafts. What a people is has grown up in its setting of tribal customs and qualities. If you destroy this through criticism you also, I believe, weaken and destroy all the fine qualities of the race too. It’s a large subject and this is not the place to go into it, but all one has to do is to study primitive people in their own lives—and in our cities or after close contact with us—to see the truth.
There is one other subject I would like to share with you some of my thoughts on, and that is education. One of the products of our Western Civilization is a worship of education. From the Bahá’í standpoint what is the purpose of education? To enable man to acquire a deeper knowledge of God, His ways and His plan for His creatures; to enable him to better carry forward an ever-advancing civilization whose aim is to realize the Kingdom of God on earth. In other words, education
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should bring man closer to God and help him serve his fellow man. Our education does not do this nowadays. . . .
We must guard ourselves against the dry and dead intellectualism of the world in which we live! Over and over again the Guardian told the Bahá’ís to study the talks of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and teach by His methods, simple language, parables, stories, examples. It is teaching through this method that is bringing about mass conversion in Africa and Indonesia, and can do the same, I believe, not only amongst the red Indians and the Negroes, but amongst the white people as well.
Another thing I found in Africa was love. Considering it is the reason God created us and His first law to us is to love Him and one another, to find not just talk about it but the feeling of it was too wonderful for words! If we will bring into the Faith more of these peoplethese black people and brown people—who have the spiritual qualities so greatly needed in our communities, I think we will infuse a new life into the Cause in North America and this will directly assist us in accomplishing our great destiny as outlined by the Master and the Guardian... .
I must really stop.
We have the promises of the Guardian, the
I instructions he gave us, the loyalty and devotion of the
Bahá’ís, what more do we need but self-sacrificing and inspired leadership, and that is surely what your two Assemblies can and must provide. With warmest love to you all, In the service of the beloved Guardian, , (Signed) RllHIYYIH Haifa, Israel March 9. 1961
Caution to be Exercized in Teaching
Persons from Muslim Countries
Over the years the National Spiritual Assembly has repeatedly brought to the attention of the American Bahá’í community certain principles governing association with persons from Middle Eastern Muslim countries who temporarily reside in the United States. Recently the number of Bahá’ís in this country has been increasing so rapidly that many may not be aware of the caution which mu st be exercised in such association.
Since American Bahá’ís have a special affection for Persia, the cradle of their Faith, and for Islam, they frequently seek out students and visitors from Muslim nations, attempt to teach them the Faith, and invite them to Bahá’í public meetings, firesides, study classes, and summer schools.
The friends should keep in mind that in most Muslim countries there exist ample opportunities to learn about the Faith. They should also remember that in many Muslim countries Bahá’ís live under constant pressure and that occasionally outright persecution breaks out, endangering their very lives. American Bahá’ís may not realize how deep hatred for the Faith can run and how our carelessness can imperil individuals and entire communities in certain countries. As early as January 1926, Shoghi Effendi wrote the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada:
“Regarding association with Oriental travelers and residents in the United States and Canada, I desire to emphasize afresh the vital necessity for the exercise
in these days of the greatest vigilance and reserve, prudence and caution, on the part of the American believers in their dealings with them, either in an official or private capacity, whether in business transactions or for purely religious purposes. As the Movement grows in prestige, fame and influence. as the ambitions, malice and ill-will of strangers and enemies correspondingly wax greater. it becomes increasingly important for every individual and spiritual assembly to be on their guard lest they fall innocent victims of the evil designs of the malevolent,
the self-seeking and the greedy." (BA p.101-2)
Bahá’ís must associate with followers of all religions and people of all lands. However, they must be on their guard lest unwise actions produce harmful results.
American Bahá’ís should not attempt to teach the Faith to persons from Middle Eastern and North African Muslim countries unless such persons are permanent residents of the United States. Such a Muslim who happens to be in the United States temporarily cannot be enrolled in the Bahá’í community by our National Spiritual Assembly but must be enrolled upon his return home by the appropriate Bahá’í institution in his country. Muslims temporarily in the United States should not be invited to any Bahá’í activities. Should they come without invitation, they will, of course. be welcomed in a courteous and friendly manner.
—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
National Spiritual Assembly Warns Bahá’ís Against Two Individuals
The Bahá’ís are advised not to respond to any appeals for assistance of any kind from Dean Willis Thompson, a Bahá’í who has been deprived of his membership because of disobedience to the National Spiritual Assembly and for conduct unbecoming to a Bahá’í. If Mr. Thompson is retained by local law enforcement officers, the Bahá’ís should not seek his release, but the National Bahá’í Office may be informed of the incident.
The Bahá’ís are also warned to disregard any communications they may receive from Anthony Sistrom of Monterey, California. Mr. Sistrom has never been enrolled as a Bahá’í. While it does not appear that he has allied himself with Covenant-breakers, he is making malicious attacks on the Faith in communications to authors of religious articles in magazines and to reporters and publications that may make mention of the Bahá’í Faith.
Note an Annual Reports
The National Spiritual Assembly will not publish a booklet of the separate annual reports of its committees and other agencies for the year 196869. The major accomplishments of these committees and agencies have been summarized in the Assembly’s own annual report to the National Convention published in this issue of NATIONAL BAHA'I REVIEW. However, copies of these separate reports as filed have been sent to local spiritual assemblies. In addition, anyone wishing personal copies may have them by addressing a request to the National Spiritual Assembly.
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‘II
The Universal House of Justice Explains New Goal Assignments
“Friends who wish to remain at their pioneer posts for a stipulated length of time should be encouraged to do so, but in order to qualify as filling the goal they should plan to remain at their post for a period of two to three years. Special consideration might also be given, however, in the case of believers wishing to spend a sabbatical leave in a pioneer goal country.”
— Tm: UNIVERSAL House or Jus-rrcs (to National Spiritual Assembly of U.S. March 28, 1969)
In assigning pioneer tasks to the U.S. Bahá’í community the Universal House of Justice wrote giving helpful information about many of the goals. This is given below as assistance to volunteers in selecting their goals and making plans to pioneer. Please refer also to the list of new assignments given on page 2 of the NATIONAL Bahá’í REVIEW for May 1969.
Pioneers for Africa
The Cameroon Republic is in need of four pioneers, preferably French-speaking, who will settle in East Cameroon.
A pioneer couple would be of most assistance to the teaching work in Lesotho, where two American pioneers are assigned. Pioneer couples are also preferable in Gabon (new assignment of two pioneers. one pioneer needed to fill last year’s goal); Central African Republic (four pioneers); and Chad (two pioneers).
Two pioneers are called for to go to Gambia, one is needed to settle in Bathurst and to travel to nearby areas. and one who can travel throughout Gambia during the entire year.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Zambia needs a pioneer (U.S. quota for Zambia is two) who can settle in the North Western Province and who is qualified to supervise construction of a teaching institute to be built there. Hopefully this pioneer could remain at the Institute to assist with holding classes when the building is completed.
Pioneers for Americas
Argentina: a pioneer couple. or single man, to open the Santa Cruz Province; a young, single man, experienced in Indian teaching if possible. to settle in the north of Argentina in or near the Chaco to help with consolidation. Two couples. one to settle in Santa Rosa and one to settle in Bahia Blanca.
Brazil: Needs families who would be willing to open virgin States in that country.
Columbia: two pioneers are needed to serve in the Guajira area; also a mobile team to travel in the Yarruro and Motilon areas.
Dominican Republic: pioneers to settle in localities as yet unopened to the Faith. U.S. quota is eight pioneers.
Ecuador: a pioneer couple, or single man. to settle in Ambato and travel extensively; a pioneer couple to settle in Riobamaba and use their home as a Bahá’í Center; a couple to settle in Canar and travel to nearby areas; a
couple or single person to settle in Loja; a couple or single person to settle in Manta and travel through the Provinces, and a couple to settle in Guayaquil. With the exception of Guayaquil, employment is not available in those territories. The National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador estimates that a pioneer may become self-supporting within six months from the time he settles in Guayaquil.
El Salvador: pioneers are needed who will settle in localities other than the capital city.
Honduras: needs at least two young pioneers who can travel continuously. They should be able to conduct Bahá’í schools, visit the native pioneers and assist with the consolidation and teaching program generally. The National Assembly has stated that it usually requires about one year to find employment in Honduras.
Panama: A Spanish-speaking couple is needed in Panama City. An additional Spanish-speaking pioneer is needed to settle in the Mulatupo area which consists of six islands where 4,000 Kuna Indians reside. Seven local spiritual assemblies in that area are in need of consolidation. A boat will be available for the use of the pioneer who settles in the Mulatupo area. A Spanish-speaking pioneer is needed to live in and travel through all of the central provinces.
Venezuela: Pioneers are needed to settle in Barquisimeto, Maracay, Maracaibo and Puerto Ayachucho. A couple or single person is also needed to settle in Cuidad Bolivar and the Carina Indian Zone. In addition, a mobile teaching team is needed. U.S. quota is now 11.
Pioneers for Asia
In Laos there is a particular need for pioneers who will settle in small towns and in villages. Employment is available for Doctors of Medicine. Engineers, Mechanics and Agriculturists, particularly with a knowledge of rice agriculture.
In Japan at least two families and six Bahá’í youth are needed. North American believers can earn their living by teaching English, and foreign University students are being encouraged to enroll in Japanese universities.
Pakistan needs English—speaking pioneers who can settle in nine specified villages to raise groups there to local spiritual assembly status.
Philippine Islands needs pioneers who are self-supporting full-time traveling teachers or possibly pioneers who could settle in the Provinces and devote at least six months of each year to travel teaching.
Taiwan needs a pioneer who is qualified to assist with the work of incorporation of assemblies.
Pioneers for Australasia
Tonga Islands needs mature. experienced pioneers to assist with consolidation and administration. Retired believers of independent income have a better opportunity to obtain entry visas.
In Western Samoa, school teachers can usually obtain employment.
Pioneers for Europe Forty-six pioneers are needed in a number of cities and villages.
In Portugal, one of the believers has two apartments which she is willing to put at the disposal of pioneers. She is also willing for the pioneers to take over her English classes (private tutoring). She wishes to pioneer elsewhere.
Seeking Volunteers For Expanded International Goals Organization
The United States Bahá’í Community can feel justly proud of its accelerating achievements in international pioneering as it enters the sixth year of the Nine Year Plan. With the original Nine Year Plan quota of 127 pioneering goals among 54 countries almost completed by the end of the fifth year, the actual accomplishment of the United States Bahá’í’ Community in pioneering is much greater than the statistical progress toward the quota would indicate. Two hundred and twenty-five Bahá’ís from the United States actually gathered up their families and /or belongings and left their homes to settle in a pioneering goal abroad. This number is so much greater than specifically assigned goals accomplished because many American pioneers settled in countries where the House of Justice had not assigned a goal at that particular time. Others went to goal countries. wherein the pioneering quota had already been filled. Others. who actually filled an open goal at the time, returned or moved to another country so that the goal had to be refilled within the Nine Year Plan. These are statements of explanation, not criticisms; it doesn’t matter where these pioneers went, they arose to carry the Message abroad, they performed “the most meritorious service“. This simply points up how much greater was the overall pioneering accomplished by the American Bahá’í Community than the achievement of 127 assigned goals would indicate.
The apparent gratification of the Universal House of Justice by such a flow of American Bahá’ís into the field of international pioneering, is reflected in their call for the American Bahá’í Community drastically to increase its pioneering quota to 408 pioneering goals, an increase of 281 over the original quota. With the many more pioneers and countries now assigned, it will be easier than before for the believers to find goals in the countries of their choices. So we are hopeful that it will not be necessary to process such an excess of pioneers above the assigned quota as in the past. Nevertheless, to achieve these new pioneering quotas within the time remaining in the plan will require a tremendous outpouring of American Bahá’ís from their homes.
To help find these increased numbers of pioneers among you, and to help them and guide them to the goal countries, the International Goals Committee is setting up on organization of 14 volunteer Regional Pioneering Representatives. The fourteen regions, with the states they include, are tabulated below. Each region will have a minimum of one, and some will have several Regional Pioneering Representatives appointed by and reporting to the committee. Among their functions will be: to circulate within their regions promoting international pioneering, to give talks on their own pioneering experiences, to utilize the audio-visual aids which are to be provided so that the sights and sounds of international pioneering may be
JUNE ‘1969
American Bahá’ís Visit
Institute in India
At the Rabbani Teaching Institute in Gwalior, India, on the occasion of the visit of Carolyn and George Galinkin of the United States on their recent teaching visit.
conveyed to the friends, to use other means and methods as they may devise on their own initiative to stimulate pioneering among the friends in their regions.
This is excellent work for those who have already pioneered and have returned and so can draw upon their own experiences; but it is equally desirable and beneficial work for those who have not yet pioneered, to do the next best thing: to find, encourage, guide, and help those who can pioneer. If you can volunteer for this kind of work in one of the regions tabulated below, please write or phone the International Goals Committee. If you know or think'of someone who would be good in this kind of activity, please let us know. Help us to help you to meet the challenge of these new pioneering quotas.
. Central and North California
. Central and South California
. Washington, Montana, Idaho. Oregon
. Wyoming, Nevada, Utah
. Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado
. North Dakota, South Dakota. Nebraska,
Minnesota
. Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas
. Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma
. Kentucky,Tennessee, Mississippi,
Alabama 10. Wisconsin. Michigan, Illinois, Indiana. Ohio 11. New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey 12. West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware, D.C., Maryland
13. South Carolina, Georgia, Florida
14. Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts. Connecticu t, Rhode Island
§D®~1 G’>U1u$>DOI\D> —lNTERNATIONAL GOALS COMMFITEE
REVIEW
13
Hand of ’rhe Cause Mr. Sears on Indian Teaching
X “Surely the promise which the Master and the Guardian have given us concerning the future of the work of the Faith, and the great effect which the contribution of those Bahá’ís who are American Indians will have upon that future, should spur us on to make far more gigantic strides in this vital area of activity. We are not able to comprehend the results that will come, and the benefits that will accrue to the Cause of God through our perserverance. Those wonderful and noble souls, when deepened in the Cause and on fire with the Faith, will set ablaze the hearts, and the light of their radiance will be an example which will become an historic landmark in the development of the Faith both in the West and in the world, To make this a reality, we must arise to the call given us in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. They are the Charter of our world redemptive teaching mission, a trust given us by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. They are, He said, the key that will unlock the door to our shining destiny. Surely, when the dear friends become aware of the promises and assurances, not hopes and dreams, but assurances, of what will happen if we touch the hearts of this great and spiritually receptive race of men, they will rise up in great numbers to win this unique victory. It will take patience, perserverance, and tender love, but every sacrifice will be rewarded with a special triumph unique in both its effect on the Faith and on the world around us."
Hand of the Cause of God William Sears sent these words to the American Indian Service Committee on September 15, 1965. Since that time Indian teaching has become the concern of us all. In August 1967 the National Teaching Committee designated nineteen Indian goal areas to open to the Faith and consolidate during the Nine Year Plan. Of the original nineteen American Indian goal areas, five still remain unfilled.
Reservation Goal Location Tribe 1. Ft. Totten Ft. Totten, North Dakota Sioux
2. Apache San Carlos, Arizona Apache
3. Red Lake Red Lake, Montana Chippewa 4. Blackfeet Browning,Montana Blackfeet 5. Winnebago Winnebago. Nebraska Winnebago
The fourteen opened to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh need many more pioneers to secure and consolidate the victories. These areas are:
6. Hopi Indian Reservation, Arizona
7. Seminole Indian Reservation, Florida
8. Nez Perce Indian Reservation, Idaho
. 9, Standing Rock Indian Reservation, South Dakota
10. Omaha Indian Reservation, Nebraska 11. Navajo Indian Reservation, Arizona
12. Mille Lacs Indian Reservation, Minnesota 13. Reno-Sparks Indian Reservation, Nevada 14. Zuni Indian Reservation, New Mexico 15. Cattarangus Indian Reservation, New York 16. Cherokee Indian Reservation. North Carolina 17. Delaware County (Jay), Oklahoma 18. Makah Indian Reservation. Washington 19. Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington
To pioneer on an Indian Reservation requires the same attitude and dedication as going to a “foreign” pioneering post. The ultimate rewards are equally great. We ask that you pray about these goals and then write to the National Teaching Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Serve the Indians In Mame
A pioneer, returned to his home State to serve the Indian people, again calls our attention to the fact that there is great need and opportunity in this area: “I know Maine now, as it is now, not as it was when I left, in the thirties. I know the poverty of the rural poor and I know there are empty hearts waiting for Him to come in. . . you have no idea how very far it is from Bangor to Fort Kent — how far it is in miles, and — in remoteness. Those people are hungry. They are starved! The little town of Eagle Lake is desperate for doctors, yet, who cares’? Are there somewhere Bahá’í medical doctors who will go to them and to the many, many poor areas of this state where there are no doctors? There are no palm trees and soft southern breezes in northern Maine but, oh, there is a need for people who will go. Who cares?”
Further information can be obtained from the National Teaching Committee.
‘:12! the .S;oirif jg)!” Lgnfo
fde gnlire Communily ”
The progress and development of Bahá’í communities are all too often stymied by the believers dwelling on past differences, and while it is important that we endeavor to learn from these experiences, it is equally important that we not continue forever to bring up those matters which can only be a source of disu nity among the friends.
Guidance from the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, is reprinted below from the July 1951 BAHA'I NEWS:
“When criticism and harsh words arise within a Bahá’í community, there is no remedy except to put the past behind one, and persuade all concerned to turn over a new leaf, and for the sake of God and His Faith refrain from mentioning the subjects which have led to misunderstanding and inharmony. The more the friends argue back and forth and maintain, each side. that their point of view is the right one, the worse the whole situation becomes.
“When we see the condition the world is in today, we must surely forget these utterly insignificant internal disturbances, and rush, unitedly. to the rescue of humanity. You should urge your fellow-Bahá’ís to support you in a strong effort to suppress every critical thought and every harsh word, in order to let the spirit of Bahá’u’lláh flow into the entire community. and unite it in His love and in His service."
JUNE 1969
LETSGETTHEJOBDONE...............BY1971 AND SCOREAGREATER VICTORY . . . . . . . . . . BY 1973
FROM YOUR PRESENT ADDRESS THESE PIONEERING POSTS MAY BE ONLY A FEW STREETS . . . OR A FEW STATES DISTANT. PLEASE STUDY THESE PIONEERING OPENINGS CAREFULLY . . . AND PRAYERFULLY . . . AND LET GOD BE YOUR GUIDE
IF YOU LIVE IN A BAHA’I COMMUNITY OF‘ MORE THAN FIFTEEN MEMBERS THE PIONEERING
PRIVILEGE MAY BE YOURS. REMEMBER THE WORDS OF THE BELOVED MASTER:
Therefore, the believers of God throughout all the Republics of America, through the divine power, must become the cause of the promotion of heavenly teachings and the establishment of the oneness of humanity. Every one of the important souls must arise, blowing over all parts of America the breath of life, conferring upon the people a new spirit, baptizing them with the fire of the love of God, the water of life, and the breaths of the Holy Spirit.
(BWF, pp 420-1)
GOAL CITIES AND TOWNS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW IA!-lA"l' LOCALITIES
NORTIIEASTERN STATES
CONNECTICUT
Danbury Litchfieid Manchester Mystic Naugatuck New Canaan Norwich Ridgefield Simsbury Stafford Springs Torrington Waterbury Watertown Willimantic
MAINE
Auburn
‘Bar Harbor Bethel Biddeford Brooks Dover-Foxcroft Eastport Ellsworth Farmington Fort Kent Hartland Norway
Old Town Orland Presque Isle Rockland Waterville
MASSACHUSETTS
Adams Andover Auburn Fall River 'Fitchburg Gardner Lawrence Malden New Bedford Norton Sharon Somerset Spencer Taunton Ware
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Berlin Charlestown Colebrook Derry Franklin Hanover Lebanon New London North Conway Plymouth Raymond Salem Wilton
NEW JERSEY
Belleville Bound Brook Burlington Camden Denville East Brunswick F~anwood Garfield Glassboro Griggstown Hackettstown Hammonton Lawrence Township Linden Madison Middlesex Millville alviorristown
Pennington Phlllipsburg Rahway Tenafly Verona Vineland
WEST NEW YORK
Auburn
Batavia
Corning
Cortland “Elmira
Geneseo
Hornell
Illion
Malone
Massena
Olean
Omponta
Oneida
Oneonta
Salamanca
Town of Arcadia
Town of Alabama
Town of Jerusalem
Utica Waterloo Wellsville
PENNSYLVANIA
Arendtsville Bloomsburg Carlisie Chambersburg DuBois
Hazeltown Indiana J ohnstown Lewistown Lock Haven McKeesport Meadville
‘Millersville New Castle Reading Stroudsburg Washington Williamsport York
RHODE ISLAND
- Barrington
‘Bristol
Central Falls Coventry
East Greenwich Gloucester
J obnston Lincoln Smithfield South Kingstown Tiverton
West Warwick Westerly Woonsocket
VERMONT
Fair Haven Hardwick Ludlow Montpelier Morrisville Newport
St. Albans
St. Johnsbury Springfield Stowe Vergennes White River Jct. Woodstock
SOUTHERN STATES
ALABAMA
Anniston Atmore Bay Minette ‘Bessemer Boaz Center Point ullman Decatur Demopolis Dothan ‘Florence Foley Greenville Headland Jackson Jacksonville Marion Phenix City Prattville Selma Sylacauga Talledega Wilmer
ARKANSAS
Batesvilie Bella Vista Benton Blytheville Booneville Camden
Cherokee Village Conway Crossett
Forest City Greenville Harrison Magnolia Malvern Monticello Morrilton Mountain Home Newport Paragould Russeilville Stuttgart Texarkana
- Warren
West Memphis
DELAWARE
Beliefonte Bridgeville Clayton Delaware City Georgetown Harrington Kent County Laurel
Lewes Middletown Milford
Milton
Odessa Rehoboth Beach Seaford Selbyville Smyrna Sussex County
FLORIDA Arlington
Chattahoochee Cocoa
Dania
Daytona Beach De Land
Eau Gallie
Fort Pierce Fort Walton Beach Immokalee Indiantown Jacksonville Beach Kissimmee Lake City
Lake Worth Leesburg Melbourne Miami Springs Ocala
Palatka Panama City Pembroke Pines Pensacola Pinellas Park Plant City Sanford
Stuart
Venice
Venus
SOUTHERN STATES
ARKANSAS (con.) FLORIDA (Con.)
Vero Beach Warrington West Hollywood West Pensacola
GE ORGIA
Albany Americus Bainbrid e Barnesv' e Brunswick Cartersville Chattahoochee County Cordele Gainesville Garden City Grovetown Macon Monroe Moultrie Rome Statesboro Thomasville Tifton Vaidosta Warm Springs Warner Robbins Washington Waycross
KENTUCKY
Belleview Campbellsville Covington Eliza bethtown Fort Thomas Frankfort Glasgow Henderson Madisonville Maysviile Middlesboro Morehead Murray Newport Owensboro Paris Pikeville Richmond Winchester
LOUISIANA Abbeville Arabi
Baker Bastrop
'Bogaiusa
Covimzton Denham Springs
Donaidsonville ‘East Baton Rouge
Parish Eunice Gonzales Goosport Hammond Harvey
LOUISIANA (con.) NORTH CAROLINA
l-Iouma Jennings Kenner ‘Lafayette Minden Morgan City New Iberia Opelousas Tallulah Thibodaux
MARYLAND
Aberdeen Annapolis Bel Air Cambridge Centerville Crisfield Cumberland Denton Easton Elkton Emittsburg Frederick ‘Frostburg Gaithersburg Hagerstown Havre de Grace La Piata Leonardtown Oakland Ocean City Port Deposit Prince Frederick Princess Anne Queenstown Rockville Snow Hill Stevensvilie Upper Marlboro Westminster
MISSISSIPPI Biloxi Brookhaven Cleveland Columbus Corinth Forest Greenwood Holly Springs Kosciusko Laurel Leland Mccomb Meridian Natchez Oxford Pascagouia ‘Picayune
Philadelphia Raymond Starkville Tupelo Vicksburg Yazoo City
Ahoskie Asheboro Boone Clinton
Elizabeth City Goldsboro Henderson Henersonville Hickory Jacksonville Kinston Laurinburg Lumberton Marion Monroe ‘Morehead City
Murphy Salisbury Smithfield Washington Wilmington Wilson
OKLAHOMA
Altus Ardmore 'Bartlesville Bristow Chandler Chickasaw Claremore Elk City Enid Guthrie Langston Lawton 'McA.lester Miami Ponca City Sand Springs Sapulpa Shawnee Skiatook Stillwater Tahlequah Tecumseh Weatherford
SOUTH CAROLINA
Abbeville Aiken Allendale Bamberg Beaufort Camden Cheraw Chester Conway Georgetown Greenwood Hartsville Kingstree Lancaster Laurens Leesvilie
[Page 15]
REVIEW
GOAL CITIES AND TOWNS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW IAHA/‘I, LOCALITIES WESTERN STATES
SOUTH CAROLINA VIRGINIA
(con.)
Manning Newberry Oran geburg Seneca Sumter Walterboro Whitmire York
TENNESSEE
Arlington Bristol Brownsville Brunswick ’Clarl-rsville Cleveland Collegedale ‘Cookeville Covington Dyersburg Harrogate Humboldt J ackson Jamestown Lexington Manchester Maryville Millington Pulaski Rockwood Sewanee Smithville Spring City Union City Woodbury
EAST TEXAS
Angleton Athens Bay City Beeville Brady Brenham Bridgeport _ Carrizo Springs Columbus Ennis Edinburg Freeport I-lillsboro Huntsville Kerrville 'Klngsville Lampasas Laredo
New Braunfels Paris Port Arthur Prairie View Rockdale Taylor Temple Texas City Uvalde Vernon ‘Victoria
WEST TEXAS
Abilene Alpine Ballinger Borger Brownfield Canyon Clarendon Colorado City Dalhart
Del Rio Dumas
El Dorado Fort Stockton Lamesa Levelland Maria Monohans Pampa Plainview Pecos
Sierra Blanca Snyder
Sonora Sweetwater Van Horn Blacksburg (élilfton Forge U DGPDEX‘
Falls Church Farmville Fredericksburg Front Royal Hampton l-larrisonburg Highland Springs Lawrenceville Leesburg Lexington Marion Martinsville Nassawadox Norton Radford Ruckersville Salem
South Boston Westmoreland County Winchester Wytheville
WEST VIRGINIA
Boone County Buckhannon Clarksburg Clendenin
Institute Logan Martinsburg Mercer County Moundsville New Martinsville Richwood Romney White Sulphur Springs Wyoming County
CENTRAL STATES
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Anna Beardstown Cairo ‘Carlinville
Centralia Chillicothe Clinton Galesburg Greenville Jacksonville J erseyville Lebanon Leland Grove Litchfield Mahomet
M arion Mccomb Rochester Taylorville
INDIANA
Auburn Clinton Connelton Decatur Fowler Frankfort Greencastle Greensburg Huntington Jasper Lebanon Liberty New Castle North Vernon Plymouth Portland Rushville Sullivan Vincennes Versailles
Atlantic Burlington Centerville Charles City Cherokee Creston Correctionville Ft. Dodge Ft. Madison Manchester Manson Mason City Nevada Oskaloosa Red Oak Spencer
KANSAS
Arkansas City Atchison Chanute Coffeeville Colby Concordia Dodge City Ft. Scott Garden City Great Bend Hays Hutchinson Liberal Manhattan McPherson Newton Ottawa Parsons Phillipsburg Pittsburg
Pratt Scott Cit)’
MINNESOTA
Atkin
Austin Crookston Fairbault Fergus Falls Houston International Falls Morris
New Ulm Ponemah Red Lake Rousseau
St. James Virginia Willmar Winona Worthington
MISSOURI
Boonville Boone Terre Cape Girardeau Carthage Caruthersville Chillicothe Clinton Farmington Fulton
J efterson City Liberty Lebanon Marshall Mexico Moberly Perryville Poplar Bluff Sedalia Sikeston
‘Trenton
Warrensburg Washington
NEBRASKA
Alliance Beatrice Columbus Cha dron Falls City Hastings Kearney Mccook
‘Goal already filled since Riḍván 1968 ‘Localities in bold type represent goals In American Indian reservation areas
CENTRAL STATES IOWA
NEBRASKA (contd.)
Nebraska City Norfolk
North Platte Scottsbluff Schuyler
Valentine Winnebago
NORTH DAKOTA
Beach Bismarck Carrington Devils Lake Dickinson Ellendale Ft. Totten Garrison Grafton Mandan Minot Mott
New Town Pembina Rolla. Williston
OHIO
Alliance Ashland Ashtabula Bellefontaine Chillicothe Conneaut Coshocton Defiance Delaware East Liverpool Fairview Park Hiram Lancaster Lorain Marietta Marion
Mount Vernon New Philadelphia Norwalk Portsmouth Ravenna_ Steubenville Tiffin Washington Court
House
Westerville Wilberforce Wooster Yellow Springs Zanesvilie
SOUTH DAKOTA
Aberdeen Brookin gs Chamberlain Huron
Lead Lemmon Mitchell Pierre
Pine Ridge
SOUTH DAKOTA (contd.)
Sisseton Spearfish Springfield Sturges Watertown Yankton
WESTERN STATES
ARIZONA Ajo Avondale Bisbee Buckeye Casa Grande
loy
Florence Ft. Apache Gila Bend Globe Grand Canyon I-lolbrook
- Kea.ms Canyon
Lake Havasu City Nogales Page Peoria Safford-Thatcher Sedona Springerville Superior Wickenburg Williams
COLORADO
Cortez
Del Norte
Delta
Florence
Glenwood Springs
- Gunnison
Longmont Montrose Pagosa Springs Rockyford Trinidad Walsenberg
IDAHO
American Falls Blackfoot Burley
Gooding Grangeville Kellogg Montpelier Mountain Home
Sandpoint St. Anthony
MONTANA
Anaconda Broadus Browning Conrad Dillon Glasgow Glendive Kalispell Laurel ‘Lewistown
Libby Poison Shelby Townsend Thompson Falls
NEVADA
Babbitt Battle Mountain Carlin Churchill County Dayton Ely Fallon Gardnerville Hawthorne Lovelock
‘Lyon County Minden Reno Rural
Area-North
Tonopah Wells
NEW MEXICO
‘Bernalillo ‘Carlsbad Cnuska Clovis Deming F ort Winga te Grants
Los Alamos County
‘Madrid Portales Roswell Santa Rosa Silver City Springer Truth or
Consequences
OREGON ‘Albany
Gold Beach Gresham Lakeview Lebanon ‘Monmouth Ontario Oregon City ‘Roseburg Seaside
I5
UTAH
Beaver Blancling Brigham City Cedar City Farmington Green River Heber Kanab Moab
Price Richfield
St. George Toole Vernal Wendover
EASTERN WASHINGTON
Colfax Colville Connell Dayton Deer Park Easton Ellensburg Ephrata Grandview Lind Odessa Omak Oroville Othello Ritzville Selah Sprague Sunnyside Tanasket Wenatchee
WESTERN WASHINGTON
Algona
- Anacortes
Auburn Chehalis Hoquiam Jefferson County Medina Mukilteo Oak Harbor Port Orchard Port Townsend ‘Puyallup Raymond Sedro Wooiey 'Snohomisli Tumwater
WY OMING
Buffalo Douglas Lander Medicine Bow Rawlins
Rock Springs
MAIL THIS PIONEERING POSTSCRIPT OR WRITE T0: National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette. Illinois 60091
MY NAME IS
MY ADDRESS IS
MY COMMUNITY IS
THE PIONEERING POST I MAY BE ABLE TO FILL IS
MY ALTERNATE CHOICE IS
Signature
(TOWN AND STATE)
[Page 16]
‘I6
JUNE ‘1969
voum HAND COLLEGE
Summer Proiecfs
The National Teaching Committee recently stated the following concerning summer projects:
“Summer is rapidly approaching and in making your plans, remember Summer Projects — especially important in this youth proclamation year. The organization of these projects has been slightly altered over former years. First, the summer schools will not be holding training sessions apart from their regular curriculum. Second, any training which is necessary for particular projects will be handled on the project site. There are projects available in most sections of the country, including both worker’s and studyservice programs at the House of Worship in Wilmette. If you are interested, please write immediately to Summer Projects, National Teaching Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
If it is not possible for you to leave your community this summer, we strongly urge you to consider the possibilities of organizing your own project with your Assembly or on an intercommunity level. There are so many ways to proclaim the Faith and teach the healing message of Bahá’u’lláh!"
College Club Victories
As the school year of 1968-69 comes to a close, we are happy to report that over 40 different college clubs have been established this year.’ We send our love and appreciation to all of those youth who worked to type up constitutions and wade through the red tape of various colleges and universities in order to have official recognition by the campus administration. We are confident that these clubs will provide a firm base of organization and inspiration upon which to build next year’s exciting proclamation activities on the theme “Youth for One World.”
The total number of active college clubs who are communicating with us and have constitutions is now approximately 80. Over 30 more have requested constitutions this year, and we hope these will soon be submitted for approval.
In case you may be considering transferring to another college, we report to you the states in which we have no record of any active college club (please don’t hesitate to inform us if our records are incorrect):
Alabama New Hampshire Arkansas North Carolina District of Ohio Columbia Rhode Island
Georgia South Dakota Idaho Vermont Mississippi Virginia Montana West Virginia Nevada Wyoming
New Youl-l1 Goal!
The new youth Fund goal set by the National Spiritual Assembly for Riḍván 1969- 1970 is $200,000 of the national budget! Our National Spiritual Assembly is depending on us. One youth has responded, “The impossible we do immediately.”
Suggestion Box
Prayer: “Chant (or recite) the words of God every morning and evening. The one who neglects this has not been faithful to the Covenant of God and His agreement, and he who turns away from it today is of those who have turned away from God.” (Kitáb-i-Aqdas. quoted in Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, p. 114) Suggestion: Let us be “faithful to the Covenant of God” and pray each morning and evening.
Study: “Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.” (Gleanings, p. 136) Suggestion: Carry a Bahá’í book with you everywhere; read while traveling, waiting for people, in-between classes and appointments, etc. It is also a good way to get into conversations about the Faith.
Teaching: “Vie ye with each other in the service of God and of His Cause. This is indeed what profiteth you in this world, and in that which is to come.” (The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 70) Suggestion: Make a chart and give yourself a star for each day in
which you fulfill three or more of the requirements for universal participation—prayer, study of the Writings and teaching (others are: giving to the Fund, fighting your own spiritual battles, and living the Bahá’í life). (Universal House of Justice, September, 1964)
Want a Challenge?
We have available on request a QUIZ for all youth interested in testing their knowledge of some of the Writings. It is based on the two previous study guides and questions that were prepared for the November Area Youth Conferences. If you have not felt sufficient stimulation to deepen, perhaps the quiz will help you. It can be used as a study program if you look up the answers and sources as you go along.
We would be interested in hearing any suggestions you might have about how one can develop regular deepening habits. Please let us share your ideas with other American Bahá’í youth by printing them in future issues of the NATIONAL Bahá’í REVIEW.
Send all ideas about deepening, requests for quizzes, study guides, etc., to Youth and College Activities, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Teaching Technique
One youth writes, “How to answer the first question people ask—What is a Bahá’í? I have come to learn the value of understatement and simplicity, especially with people my age(under 25). I say, ‘A Bahá’í is a follower of the Glory’ . . . I feel that it’s better to teach by friendliness and happiness, with a minimum of words. In this age, people are bombarded with words 16 hours a day, especially philosophical words. Thus these words have very little meaning to them.”
Youlh Session
Be sure to read the report of the Youth Session at the recent National Bahá’í Convention in this month’s BAHA’iNr:ws.
[Page 17]
REVIEW
17
Bahá’í youth attending a conference in San Angelo, Texas. Conference results included a $50.00 contribution toward the Youth Fund goal and three declarations!
High School Club Activities
The members of one of the six new high school clubs write: “On April 5th. the day set aside for prayers for the youth fund. we did some work in order to raise some money. Since work is worship. we decided that this was the best way we could pray, and since the Dawn-breakers shed their blood for the Cause. we thought we could at least shed a little sweat. The work done was leaf-raking, stacking firewood, and washing 'Jerry.‘ (the dog). We earned a ‘whopping’ $2.50, not much. but the amount isn‘t what really counts. . .
Cafchy Suggesfions
Bahá’í students at the University of Washington in Seattle decided to proclaim the Faith in the classified section of their campus newspaper. Sample advertisements were: “TIRED OF‘ MEANINGLESS RITUAL‘? The Bahá’í Faith has no ritual. It has meaning. Call . . . “YOU DON’T LIKE RELIGION‘? You haven’t heard of the Bahá’í Faith! If interested call . . ." “ARE YOU FOR PEACE‘? So is the Bahá’í Faith. If interested call . . . ” AS CONTEMPORARY AS BLACK POWER. That’s the Bahá’í Faith. If interested, call . . ." “THE WORLD IS FALLING TO PIECES. Help build a new world. Investigate the Bahá’í Faith.”
COLLEGE STUDENTS . . . . . . . .
In order not to miss any of the exciting issues of Bahá’í NEWS and NATIONAL Bahá’í REVIEW, be sure to send your summer address before June 13. using the clip-out form at the end of the REVIEW. If you plan to return to college this fall. please remember to send your college address before September 12. By keeping the National Bahá’í Center informed of your address changes. you can remain “tuned in” to what is happening in this period of rapid growth and development of the Faith.
A . : ,1.
Member of high school club standing victoriously over chopped, wood.
_. I/«Ills for l ' On: Worl.J’0!“ M"'k"'J
Members of the Bahá’í Association of the University of Texas (Austin) hard at work supplying the campus community with pamphlets, mini-teaching cards and mimeographed information sheets during one of the Universitz/s registration days.
Notes
I An American youth who attended the York Winter School in England reports: “You cannot imagine the admiration the entire British Bahá’í community has for the American Bahá’í youth. A letter addressed to the youth at York Winter School from the National Spiritual Assembly of Britain was almost entirely about the American youth—praising their (our!) adoption of the Five Year Youth Program and urging the youth there to do similar things (but reminding them of our size and wealth compared to theirs). Everywhere I went, people remarked about the American Bahá’í youthhow much they had accomplished and how dedicated they are to Bahá’u’lláh. . . .”
Letterhead used by the Bahá’í Forum of Southern Methodist University in Dallas,
Texas. It serves well as a teaching tool.
,Bahá’í forum of SMU
Unity of Maniin3
Unity of Q03 "Ulla cart}! it 511! one country, am) lwunkiml its citizen"
Box 655 SMU Dallas, Uexa: 75222 EM 3-8090 Unity of fleligion
fish ’u '1 Iain
[Page 18]
JUNE 1969
THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY RESPONDS — OUR $|.500.000 BUDGET
Universal participation is the key to success in our Bahá’í activities. This theme and an overwhelming expression of support dominated the responses to the budget letter sent out April 1 by the National Treasurer. The percentage of replies received to this letter, which requested the response of the American Bahá’í Community. was also higher than has been experienced in the past. Before discussing the replies, a summary of the letter should be made for the benefit of those who are not familiar with it.
In order to utilize the principle of universal participation to the fullest extent possible, the National Spiritual Assembly this year announced the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year before the National Convention. Further, the National Spiritual Assembly asked the American Bahá’í Community to consult on this proposed budget of an unprecedented $1,500,000, before its adoption and, most important. before a deficit begins to accumulate.
Since our contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund in the year just ended were about $200,000 short of our budget, it is particularly important that new approaches be developed to support the foundation of the Nine Year Plan—the Fund. The Bahá’í population of each State Electoral district was analyzed in relation to the proposed budget to reach a distribution of budget requirements according to the resources of each area. This is a new approach never before attempted, and the tentative nature of each area’s “goal" is very strongly emphasized. Overall, the total budget is allocated using the following Averages:
450 Assemblies at $1.000 $450,000 750 Groups at $100 75,000 12,000 Adults at $55 660,000 3,000 Youth at $50 150,000 Special gifts and bequests 165,000 TOTAL BUDGET $1,500,000
Since the total budget tends to be a rather immense figure to consider, it is hoped that a breakdown by electoral districts will provide figures which will appear more within reach and will illustrate more clearly that the American Bahá’í Community is capable of supporting a budget of this size. Again, the importance of universal participation is emphasized.
Consultation on the proposed budget and area goals was requested for the Feast of Jalél, with particular emphasis on approaches to meeting the challenge we face. Consultation with Convention delegates was also suggested to expand the ideas available to the National Convention. Direct correspondence with the National Treasurer is urged in order to acquaint him with the ideas and opinions of the American Bahá’í Community regarding the proposed budget and the area goal approach. Only with complete knowledge of facts collected in this manner can the National Spiritual Assembly approach its obligations with an informed point of view.
The responses received by the National Treasurer to the letter just summarized reflected widespread appreciation for the opportunity to consult on the proposed budget before its final adoption. The area goal approach was thought to be quite helpful in clarifying and emphasizing
the obligation of support of the National Bahá’í Fund. As previously stated, the need for universal participation was repeatedly emphasized with full support of the new budget pledged to the extent of available resources.
Many ideas were proposed which can be applied on a local level to assist in meeting our challenge and our obligation. A system which might be described as the Fund of the Month plan was suggested. In using this approach, a local spiritual assembly (or a group or an individual believer) designates one of the various Bahá’í Funds to receive all contributions made during that Bahá’í or calendar month. This is frequently an encouragement to believers with limited resources whose contributions are necessarily small in size. Directing contribu tions to only one Fund each month eliminates the possibility that a small total contribution, when divided among several Funds, will appear so small in individual amounts that the contributor withholds what appears to him to be insignificant contributions.
Many assemblies have realized the need to set their budget above the $1,000 average in order to make up for other assemblies who are unable to produce the average. This is a very critical point which must be considered by groups and individuals as well as assemblies. In order to attain an average it is necessary to have as many individuals, groups and assemblies exceed the desired average as the number who do not reach the average. It must be kept in mind, then, that the average figures which have been published are only a broad, general guideline and that three questions must be answered before any level of contributing is set for .any individual. group or assembly:
l—ls my (our) committment to the Bahá’í Faith low,
average or high?
2—Are my (our) resources low, average or high‘?
3—What level of sacrifice can I (we) sustain for the
Cause of Bahá’u’lláh?
Many individuals may find useful the idea to file a fund envelope with bills payable whenever they receive one with their receipt from a previous contribution. This will be helpful as a reminder to make the regular contributions that are so necessary for full support of our teaching objectives.
Deepening in the obligation and privilege of support of the Bahá’í Funds is an extremely vital part of being a Bahá’í. Full realization of the status of the National Fund as one of the Institutions of our Faith must be impressed upon all of the friends. Deepening programs should be developed on individual, group, assembly and state goals committee levels as well as those initiated nationally. Cooperation among these various units is essential to achieve the greatest possible understanding. The use of local and state goals committee newsletters as a deepening medium should not be overlooked. Constant awareness of the need for deepening in the Fund as well as other aspects of the Faith before and immediately after enrollment must be vigorously maintained.
Many of the friends may be able to engage in hobbies or part-time work which could earn additional money for contribution to the Bahá’í Funds. This is an excellent way to use time and talents for full support of the Cause
[Page 19]
REVIEW
of Bahá’u’lláh.
Some local spiritual assemblies may wish to reconsider the use to be made of local center funds which may have accumulated. Acquisition and maintenance of a local center may be far in the future. beyond the present capabilities of the local community or not vital in relation to the needs of the National Fund. These or other reasons may cause a local spiritual assembly to reconsider the use to be made of funds accumulated for acquisition or support of a local Bahá’í Center. It is emphasized that this type of decision can only be considered on an individual assembly basis and that the possible action described here is not to be construed as a recommendation. Care must be taken, also, to observe the wishes of contributors of earmarked funds.
A basic approach to increased support of the Bahá’í Funds is to increase feast attendance. Many ideas have been suggested to achieve this very desirable result. Among them are use of a bulletin to annouce feasts, telephone reminders. providing transportation, using a “buddy” reminder system, having feasts during morning or afternoon hours as well as evenings to provide night workers with an opportunity to attend, holding deepenings on the importance of the Feast. and rotating program responsibilities among the friends in the community.
It has been suggested that fees be charged for subscriptions to Bahá’í News and NATIONAL Bahá’í Rsvn:-:w as a means to increase income to the National Bahá’í Fund. This idea does not presently seem feasible because of the importance of these publications as a tie between the National Center and the individual believers. Perhaps the best approach to this suggestion is to recommend that each believer who favors this idea send to the National Bahá’í Fund the amount that he feels would be appropriate for such a subscription. In this way, the benefits of the subscription idea are realized without risking impairment of a vital communication link which many believers may not be able to afford.
In addition to the ideas which might be developed on the local level, many suggestions were offered which may be useful at the National Bahá’í Center. One of the most important is to provide periodic progress reports to the friends on how each area is progressing in relation to its goal. Comparison to last year’s figures was also recommended. Systems are currently being developed to provide this statistical information.
Continuing NATIONAL Bahá’í Ravu-:w articles as well as more slide programs were recommended to inform and deepen the believers with regard to the National Bahá’í Fund. The cassettes which are being developed as part of the new audio-visual program will provide additional informative material to the friends.
A suggestion has been made that sets of fund envelopes imprinted with month names should be made available. This would provide a useful reminder system and encourage regular contributing. Many of the friends would also like to see specifically what a contribution does in terms of concrete examples. Various approaches to providing this information are under consideration.
The foregoing is illustrative of the value and diversity of the many responses received to the National Treasurer’s April 1 letter. A very important part of the joy of receiving these letters has been the beautiful spirit conveyed by their tone. The following, quoted from one of these letters, is exemplary of this spirit:
‘I?
“The very purpose of our lives is to achieve the glorious new goal that combines individual growth and fulfillment with helping to build a divine new World Order. To gain a clearer apprehension of this purpose is what is desperately needed, as the Universal House of Justice told us two years ago. It is the only realistic approach to life, and to budgeting our time and money. But as long as we think we are being good Bahá’ís by squeezing into our tight human routines a little teaching and some administrative activity, we’re going to be out of touch with reality, and there can be no appreciable rise to the level of sacrificial giving. For to reach this level there must be a complete reorientation of motive and purpose behind the use of our assets.
“As human beings we are all working for well-being and success in the realm of human affairs, and this demands just about all of our resources and attention. But when we begin to desire wholeheartedly to achieve the real purpose of our lives, those human and material goals become less important and we find we can (and want to) cut down on the time and money we have been spending on them. It's a matter of facing reality and developing a clearer apprehension of why we are alive."
National Bahá’í Fund
MONTHLY INCOME: 1969-1970
3 |75,000 150.000 {lzslooo Monthly Goal l00.000 ' 75,000 ;50.000 ' 25.000 L &«?‘=’—*§'”Ef'z:=‘-as < 2 % % < J4 0 z o -"3 J? 2 INCOME FOR APRIL W69 Regular Contributions 5 68,824.88 Special Contributions 4.8| L49 Total Contributions 3 73,636.37 Estates -2 Other Income . . j Total Income $i3.636.37 Budge! for April $l25.000_-P9
Human Rights Year Report
A report of the activities in observance of International Human Rights Year 1968 sponsored by the North
American Bahá’í Office for Human Rights (NABOHR) has been published and is available to Bahá’í communities and individual Bahá’ís.
The 102 page report is printed on special light yellow prestige paper and is 8% inches by 11 inches in size. The cover which is in a complementary color bears the title: Human Rights are God-Given Rz‘ghts—Report of Activities In Observance of International Human Rights Year 1968. The report was prepared by NABOHR and Public Information.
Contents of the report include: The Bahá’í Statement on Human Rights —“Human Rights Are God-Given Rights"; a summary of the reports of the regional conferences on human rights and the National Conference on Human Rights; recommendations for action of both the regional conferences and the National Conference; highlights of conference addresses; the Human Rights Awards Banquet; details on personnel involved in the conferences; and a proposal for a program in community education for human relations.
The report is illustrated with photos of the regional conferences, the National Conference and the National Human Rights Awards Banquet. A special envelope was also designed and produced to mail the report. The envelope. as does the cover of the report, has on it the symbol of the International Human Rights Year 1968—a wreath with a flame in the center.
The report has been mailed to those persons who attended the National Human Rights Conference which was held in Chicago, September 15-16, 1968 and to all speakers at the regional conferences. Additional mailings of the report have been made to key Federal government officials, to government and private agencies concerned with human rights and civil rights, to Governors of the states, to state government human rights agencies, and to key national individuals.
Communities and individuals can
purchase copies of the report from Bahá’í Distribution and Service at a cost of $2.00 per copy. Included with the report is the special matching envelope in the event the community or individual desires to mail the report to another person. Bahá’í communities and groups are encouraged to send the report to key human rights and civil rights leaders, mayors and other local officials and leaders they deem appropriate.
New Television Spots
In Production The success of the one-minute public
service television film across the United States has encouraged the Public Information Department to
start production on three more such films.
The new one-minute spots will cover the subjects of youth. education and prejudice. Each film will deal with one subject and will be in color and are 16 mm. The films will be distributed when ready to nearly all television stations in the continental U.S. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands has purchased copies of the first one-minute film for use in the islands.
The first film of the new series that will be sent out will be the one dealing with youth since the proclamation this year has youth as its theme. Next year is International Education Year and the film on education will be tied into that theme. It is expected that the first film of the new series will be sent out to television stations in the early Fall.
Meanwhile reports are still being received on the further showings of the first television public service spot. To date the film is known to have been shown over stations in Oakland, San Francisco. Bakersfield, California; Hartford, Connecticut; Des Moines, Waterloo, Iowa; New Orleans, Louisiana; Portland, Maine; Billings, Montana; New York City; Charlotte, North Carolina; Lima, Toledo, Ohio; and Baltimore, Maryland.
Total cost of the first film including distribution of 500 copies to television stations was $3,500 and it is estimated that some $50,000 in free time has already been given to the Faith by the broadcast of these spots. The first spot film, as will future films, incorporates Bahá’í principles in its scenes, ends with a view of the Bahá’í House of Worship. The final words are, “This has been a public service announcement of the Bahá’í Faith.”
JUNE ‘1969
Feature Article in Religious Magazine
A feature article on the Bahá’í Faith by Mrs. Natalie DiBuono, Assistant Director of the National Bahá’í Public Information Department appears in the March 1969 issue of The Churchman. The article is titled (by the editor). “The Bahá’í Religion” with the subtitle, “Emphasis Is On Mankind’s Oneness.”
The Churchman is an independent journal of the Protestant Episcopal Church and has a select readership including leaders in education, religion and law.
A former editor of the magazine the late Guy Emery Shipler asked Dr. William F. Madsen, a Bahá’í from Pasadena. California. who was one of his physicians, to arrange for the article.
This article is but another indication of the interest in religious circles about information on the Bahá’í Faith. In the past few years articles on the Faith have also appeared in other religious publications such as Dominion, The Lutheran, The Register-Leader (Unitarian), The Episcopalian, Lutheran Youth, Friends Journal and U.S. Catholic.
New Advertising Series in Preparation
A series of new advertisements for use by Bahá’í communities and groups in their local newspapers is now in preparation by Public Information.
The new ads will incorporate modern design and symbolism and the best in new advertising techniques. The advertisements were researched and designed by a professional company. Ron Berns & Associates of Chicago.
The story of the new ads is another story in the continuing assistance that is coming from all sides to aid in the forward march of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. To secure the services of a large advertising company or public relations firm is beyond the present budget. But, a way opened up.
Last year a flower show was held at the Unity Savings Association in Chicago and Ron Berns & Associates was in charge of the show. They asked the Bahá’í House of Worship to participate in the show and offered a choice location. The exhibit was placed in the show and was an outstanding success being viewed by many thousands of persons, who also learned something of the Bahá’í Faith. As a result of this
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REVIEW
21
exhibit and the cooperation with Ron Berns & Associates. the firm offered at no cost to the Faith, to design a new series of advertisements. The designs are presently being converted into finished art work and will be made available to Bahá’í communities in the near future. The designs will also be used to make a new series of posters for proclaiming the Faith.
Proclaiming the Faith to the Public
In another page of this issue of the NATIONAL Bahá’í REVIEW there appears a list of the special event days for proclaiming the Bahá’í Faith to the public during 1969-1970.
Each year these special event days have brought more and more publicity to the Faith and they continue to be an excellent way of proclaiming the Faith at the local level. For each of the
MKOOW Umdzmmmfiv
Bahá’ís of Los Angeles have given copies of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to six city councilmen, all of whom seemed to be very favorably impressed by the purpose for which the book was presented. Photos above show Mrs. Barbara West and Mrs. Sophia Jordan, Bahá’ís of Los Angeles making presentations to: (left to right) Councilmen Paul Lamport, Arthur Snyder, and Billy Mills. Photos below show Mrs. West and Mrs. Betsy Haynes with Councilmen Thomas Bradley (left) and L. E. Timberlake
(right).
The Prince Georges County Bahá’í Community in Maryland recently presented sixteen copies of Bahá’í books to the County Memorial Library fir distribution to the main branches at Hyattsville, Oxon Hill, Bowie and Laurel. Mrs. Elizabeth Abolin, right, of the librai-y’s Adult Services, accepts books from Bahá’ís, left to right: Mrs. J. Wesley Austin, Mrs. Reuben
Clayburn, Mrs. Linda Head.
events the Public Information Department provides. months in adVance, suggestions on the observance, sample press releases. radio and television announcements, sample proclamations. etc.
The events listed represent the minimum which the National Spiritual Assembly desires every Bahá’í locality —assembly, group and individual to use in proclaiming the Faith to the public and in establishing relations with a larger circle of acquaintances. All such events should be directly sponsored, announced and conducted under Bahá’í auspices. and their Bahá’í identity is not to be submerged in an interorganizational arrangement;
exceptions to this are United Nations Day and Human Rights Day which are officially sponsored by the United Nations and co-sponsorship or cooperation with other local organizations is
Mayor Kinghom,
encouraged where appropriate. As in the past many localities will also use occasions other than those listed to proclaim the Faith in their communities.
With each public information kit or U.N. Committee Kit supplied for the above events, a report form is included which requests a report to be sent to the appropriate agency. Bahá’í communities and groups holding events in conjunction with these days should document them well and if at all possible photograph the events. The story of these Observances will, along with photos. appear in future issues of Bahá’í NEWS, or NATIONAL Bahá’í REVIEW.
Further details on the events. particularly on planning and materials to be used, will appear in future issues of NATIONAL Bahá’í Rsvmw and the Public Information Newsletter.
Bahá’ís of Littleton, Colorado present The Proclamation of
Bahá’u’lláh to Mayor John Kinghorn, of Littleton, as part of
Bahá’í Week held there last Fall. Shown are, right to left:
Mrs.
Graham Stewart, chairman of the local Spiritual Assembly.
Pearl Lindenmeier, Robert Bitts,
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2’ JUNE ‘1969
1969-1970 Special Events For Proclaiming the Bahá’í Faith to the Public
Date and Event Theme Bahá’í Material Recommended September 21, 1969 Youth — WPD Public Information Kit World Peace Day Builder of a New World WPD Poster
Pattern for Future Society Destiny of America One God, One Truth, One People
October 24, 1969 The United Nations — Material Suggested by U.N. United Nations Day View Toward One World P C0mY}Y‘{m99 oster it
A Pattern for Future Society One Universal Faith Bahá’í’ Peace Program
NOV€mb€l" 12. 1959 Bahá’u’lláh — Public Information Kit Birth Of Bahá’u’lláh His Challenge to Youth POSIGI‘ Kit The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh Bahá’u’lláh — His Call to the Nations Lord of the New Age Bahá’í’Answers
December 10, 1969 Human Rights — Material Suggested by U.N. Human Rights Day A Universal Standard Commiltee Poster Kit Tomorrow and Tomorrow‘ One World One Family Bahá’í’ Declaration of Human Rights Bahá’í'Statement on Human Rights Why Our Cities Burn.
January 18, 1970 World Religion — WRD PIu{blic Information Kit - ' ' ' ~ Poster it
World Religion Day Basis for World Education Meaning of Worship
Bahá’í’— World Faithfor Modern Man
Lord of the New Age The Future of Mankind
March 21. 1970 Public Information Kit Naw—RL1z Faithfor Freedom
June 14. 1970 Education for Diversity RUD Public Information Kit Race Unity Day RUD Poster Man One Family Bahá’í’: Way of Life for Millions (EBONY) Why Our Cities Burn What is Race?
Order Literature from Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 110 Linden Ave., Wilmette, 111. 60091 Order Posters from Bahá’í Distribution and Service Department, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, 111. 60091
[Page 23]
REVIEW
Bahá’í Week in Peoria, Illinois
Proclamation Week, March 23 through 28 in Peoria was a busy time for the believers of that city and surrounding area. It began with a public meeting at an Inn at which Glenford Mitchell. Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, presented The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to the Mayor. Mr. Robert Lenhausen. The Mayor also signed a statement proclaiming the week as Bahá’í’ Week in that city. A program from the Bahá’í writings was given and a coffee hour enjoyed by some sixty Bahá’ís and their guests. The meeting was reported at length in the local paper with photograph included.
During the following days Bahá’í speakers were featured before many audiences in the city: Salvatore Pelle addressed many classes at high schools. choosing the topic “Outer Space“ as the subject and introducing the students to the Faith. He also was interviewed on television and on radio and spoke at a meeting of the Kiwanis Club as well as at Bradley University. Richard Betts of the National Teaching Committee spoke to the Optimist Club and Dr. Eugene Byrd of Baltimore. Md. addressed youth at the Carver Youth Center on the topic “Keys to Harmony."
A youth night was held at the Bahá’í Center as well as a press conference the latter resulting in a long article on the Faith in the local paper. The first public Bahá’í meeting was held in nearby Pekin. the goal for teaching on the part of Peoria believers.
The newly acquired Bahá’í Center was kept open daily with open house every evening. The believers who worked hard to plan and carry out this week of teaching felt well rewarded. for at least 7800 students. among others. heard of the Faith. thereby making an excellent beginning for youth proclamation.
Bahá’í booth, manned by Miss Lois Sokup, at Trade Fair of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community, near Scottsdale, Arizona. The Bahá’ís were happy to accept the invitation to sponsor this booth as it was the first response to a long time Bahá’í goal of becoming acquainted with the people of this tribe. With replica of the Temple gardens designed by Helen Becker and posters by Frances Mathis and Julie Sater the display attracted Indian visitors who stopped also to view slides of Bahá’í Council Fires shown every evening.
23
Mayor Robert Lenhausen of Peoria, Illinois, right, receives The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh from Glenford. Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.
In Jacksonville, Arkansas, William Melchoir and Albert Porter prepare the first Bahá’í display at Little Rock Air Force Base Library. The display, lasting 13 days in April was well placed to attract the attention of those going to the library. The thirteen Bahá’í books used for the display were catalogued afterwards in the Base library.
PLANNING TO MOVE DURING THE NEXT 30 DAYS?
Help us keep your address up-fo-dare CUT OUT AND ’M’AiL TO:
NATIONAL BAHA'| CENTER ‘I11 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, ILL 60091
ATTACH YOUR OLD ADDRESS LABEL HERE
Name (Please Print)
NEW Address
—--1'
Sfafa Zin
r
E: qr
- Name of new localityI
J-——Cfl—————fi—————D—————————‘
(if different from city name)
'4-..-------------------n------nun--------n
Reminder: Have you ALSO notified your community and SGC secretaries of your new address
Bahd'|’ Distribution and Service Department
New Slide Sets Available
Another new set of slides is now available to add to a collection of color slides of Bahá’í buildings. Set shows five different views of the House of Worship near Sydney, Australia. Three are exterior views, showing the surrounding trees and grounds. The other two views are of the interior, one of which is taken from the balcony.
Five slides, packaged in a sleeve . . . . . . . . . . . .$1.00
A set of 36 slides taken at the 1969 National Convention is now available. Included are pictures showing: Hand of the Cause of God Mr. William Sears with members of the Intercontinental Board of Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members; members of the newly elected National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States; children's. pre-youth and youth sessions; a few candid scenes showing unity in diversity among the Bahá’ís. The set comes with a printed description of the slides.
1969 Convention Slides (set of 36) . . . . . . . . . . . 39.00
Tape Recording
Highlights of the 1969 National Bahá’í Convention have been recorded and are available on one hour tape. The tape can be ordered both in cassette—type cartridge and on reel-tape.
Cassette cartridge 1-7/8 i.p.s . . . . . . . $2.75 Reel tape 3-3/4 l.P.S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.75 (app1-ox.) Reel tape 7-1/2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Price to be detcrmined
Order from: Bahá’í DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT, 112 LINDEN AVENUE, WILME'I'l‘E, ILL1Nols 60091.
In Memoriom
Willie Astor Mrs. Mary Ann McCanless
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. _Kannapolis, No. Carolina Nevada ' March 10, 1969 April 1968
P. Robert Meinhard Sarasota, Florida April 3, 1969
Mrs. Ethel Beckman Mountlake Terrace. Wash.
Apr“ 18’ 1969 Mrs. Glenna Pignata Dana I_ Grover Sacramento, Calif. Davis, Calif. March 21. 1969
April 3, 1969
Dr. Edward H. von Seeth Atascadero, Calif. April 12, 1969
Mrs. Grace B. Silber Shorewood, Wisconsin March 21. 1969
Mrs. Anna H. Wing Little Falls, N .Y. March 14, 1969
Chester Harness Scottsdale. Arizona April 1, 1969
Mrs. Freida W. Hay Bangor, Michigan April 21, 1969
Josef J. Hoffman, Sr. Santee, Calif. March 30, 1969
Mrs. Patricia Kratt Inglewood, Calif. April 13, 1969
JUNE 1969
UNITED STATES BA:-IA"I' SUMMER SCHOOLS—1969
Additions and Corrections (refer to NATIONAL Bahá’í REVIEW April. p. 12)
North Central States Bahá’í Summer School
415 Rice St.. Anoka. Minnesota 55303
August 23 through August 30
Rates: Persons 13 years and over per day: $4.50; per session: $27.00; children (6 through 12) per day: $3.50; per session: $20.00; children (3 through 5): per day: $2.75; per session: $16.00. Camping: $27.00 per week per family. Registration fee included in all prices.
Reservations: With deposit of $5.00 should be sent to: Alma Goodrich. 1028 Carroll Ave., St. Paul. Minn. 55104
Southeastern Bahá’í School
Rates: Persons 18 years and over per day: $3.50 (overnight); per session: $27.00; youth (7 through 17) per session: $22.00; children (4 through 6) per session: $12.00. On a per day basis: adult meals: breakfast: $.75: lunch: $1.00; dinner: $1.25; Children under 4: $.40 per meal milk twice a day. (These rates may vary somewhat depending on number attending)
Southwestern Bahá’í School
Rates: It has been necessary to charge the following. somewhat higher rates than in previous announcement. Persons 14 years and over: $48.00 per session; children 10 through 13: $38.00 per session; children 6 through 9: $28.00 per session: children 5 and under: $14.00 per session. The clay rates are: $8.00 for the first day. $7.00 thereafter for those over 10 yrs.; $4.50 for those 6 through 9', $2.00 for those 5 and under.
Calendar of Events
Feasts June 5 —N1'ir (Light) June 24 — Rahmat (Mercy) July 13 — Kalimat (Words) August 1 —-— Kamél (Perfection)
Holy Day July 9—Martyrdom of the Báb
Proclamation Event June 8.-— Race Unity Day
U.S. National Spiritual Assembly Meetings June 13-15; July 11-13; August 23-25
Convention Photograph
Bahá’ís desiring to purchase a copy of the official photograph of the 1969 National Bahá’í Convention held in Wilmette. Illinois can do so by sending their order with a check or money order for $3.00 to: Oscar & Associates, 63 E. Adams St.. Chicago, Ill. 60603.
