National Bahá’í Review/Issue 26/Text

←Previous

National Bahá’í Review Issue 26

Next→

Return to PDF view

[Page 1]

National Spiritual Assembly Explains Purpose of Message

from Treasurer to State Conventions

For the information of all the Bahá’ís in the United States, the National Spiritual Assembly has authorized the publication of the following letter from a local Spiritual Assembly and the reply by the Comptroller in the Treasurer’s office on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly. In support of this decision, the National Spiritual Assembly wishes to quote the following extracts from a letter from the Universal House of Justice, February 9, 1967, instructing the National Spiritual Assembly “to work out ways and means of creating a sense of belonging in the hearts of the believers. One of the ways this can be done is to bring to their attention the needs of the Fund. The National Assembly should neither feel embarrassed nor ashamed in turning to the friends, continuously appealing to them to exemplify their faith and devotion to the Cause by sacrificing for it, and pointing out to them that they will grow spiritually through their acts of self-abnegation, that the fear of poverty should not deter them from sacrificing for the Fund, and that the assistance and bounty of the Source of all good and all wealth are unfailing and assured. . . . (It) should . . . spare no effort and lose no opportunity in bringing to their attention the needs of the hour.”

The local Spiritual Assembly wrote on November 21, 1969: “Dear Friends:

“Following our state convention, a number of deep convictions regarding the Fund arose in our community. After lengthy discussion and soul-searching, the local Spiritual Assembly passed the following recommendation to be sent to the National Spiritual Assembly for consideration and reply. The recommendation is quoted here verbatim as passed unanimously:

‘That asking the state convention to increase as a body its pledge by a certain amount was inappropriate, since each individual could not speak for the convention. It should have been referred to the assemblies. .

‘That constant pleading to the American believers to give to the Fund has not increased the level of contribution; therefore, it should'be abandoned. Instead, a monthly report to the assemblies, groups, and isolated believers,

and a graph in the National Bahá’í Review every three months, for example, would be sufficient.

‘That the idea of a pledge should be abandoned, because it has not worked either and because it interferes with the spontaneity of Bahá’í giving.

‘That it is the individual believer, in the long run, who will gain rewards for giving to the Fund or suffer for not giving. If the present rank and file of believers do not contribute sufficiently, Bahá’u’lláh can always find others who will sacrifice more, and the Cause will be victorious whatever happens.’

“We offer this recommendation with due respect for the administrative body of the Faith and with awareness of its many needs. We also offer this recommendation 'with a deep conviction of the need for change regarding the above-mentioned items due to their effect on this community.

“We await your reply and send our warmest regards.”

The Reply

Dear Bahá’í Friends:

Your letter of recommendations regarding the Fund has been passed to me for reply.

The first paragraph of your recommendation seems to indicate a rather superficial reaction to the National Treasurer’s message to the state conventions and inadequate consultation on the spirit of that message. The state convention was not asked “to increase as a body its pledge by a certain amount.” Instead, the Treasurer's message included the following-sentence:

We ask the convention to take. specific action on your local goals — to reaffirm your determination and ability to meet your goal, or, alternatively, to inform the National Spiritual Assembly of the level of support of the National Bahá’í Fund you consider to be reasonable.

While there is no question that this sentence is worthy of careful consideration by local spiritual assemblies, neither should there be any question of the appropriateness of this point for consultation at the convention and serious consideration by each individual in‘ attendance. Please

[Page 2]2

FEBRUARY 1970

note that no commitment to a higher goal is called for but rather the convention and, by definition, the individual participants in the convention were asked to reaffirm determination and ability to meet the goal — a request for personal commitment. Alternatively, the participants in the convention could consult on and suggest to the National Spiritual Assembly whatever level of support those present, as a consultative body, considered to be reasonable.

Your reference to “pleading” in the second paragraph of your recommendation is assumed to refer to letters, stories, and articles which have been presented to the American Bahá’í Community in a continuing prayerful and sincere effort to awaken the friends to the urgent need for universal participation in support of the Fund as an objective of the Nine Year Plan of the Universal House of Justice. Contributions to the Fund have continued to increase from year to year although the need for support of the teaching effort continues to be greater than the present outpouring of funds. We fail to understand how a monthly report and a quarterly graph on the condition of the Fund could be sufficient to produce universal participation when our present efforts include a monthly report and graph plus the articles, letters, and stories which are hoped to be inspirational, especially if they are carefully read and their spirit considered, and still have not raised our performance to the level of which we are capable.

Your statement regarding pledges is incorrect. Making a pledge has provided valuable assistance to the contributing habits of some of the friends. For this reason, this approach to giving should not be attacked. Please bear in mind, as has been stated in all correspondence regarding pledging, that an individual is free to make a pledge if he considers it helpful to himself, and that an individual who is not helped by a pledge is equally free to totally ignore the pledge system, For this reason, there is no need for pledging to inhibit spontaneity in Bahá’í' giving— those who give spontaneously have no need for pledges and can simply ignore them.

The Fund—Lifeblood of the Nascent Institutions

The fourth paragraph of your recommendation creates a feeling of deep concern. How is it possible that an institution of the Cause of God could make such a calm, unconcerned statement as “Bahá’u’lláh can always find others” in complete contrast to the spirit of immediacy and urgency carried so clearly by the writings of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice? Universal participation, which includes support of the Fund by every believer, is one of the two objectives of the Nine Year Plan of the Universal House of Justice. We have the bounty of the following guidance on this subject:

As the activities of the American Bahá’í community expand, and its worldwide prestige correspondingly increases, the institution of the National Fund, the bedrock on which all other institutions must necessarily rest and be established, acquires added importance, and should be increasingly supported by the entire body of the believers, both in their individual capacities, and through their collective efforts, whether organized

as groups or as local assemblies. The supply of funds, in support of the National Treasury, constitutes, at the present time, the lifeblood of. those nascent institutions which you are laboring to erect. —Shoghi Effendi, July 29, 1935, Bahá’í’ Administration, p. 198

The continual expansion of the Faith and the diversification of the activities of Bahá’í communities make it more and more necessary for every believer to ponder carefully his responsibilities and contribute as much and as regularly as he or she can. — Universal House of Justice, December 18, 1963, Wellspring of Guidance, p. 19

The healthy development of the Cause requires that this great expansion be accompanied by the dedicated effort of every believer in teaching, in living the Bahá’í life, in contributing to the Fund, and particularly in the persistent effort to understand more and more the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. In the words of our beloved Guardian, “One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and -alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.” — Universal House of Justice, Riḍván 1964, Wellspring of Guidance, p. 25

Universal Participation

The real secret of universal participation lies in the Master's oft-expressed wish that the friends should love each other, constantly encourage each other, work together, be as one soul in one body, and in so doing become a true, organic, healthy body animated and illumined by the spirit. In such a body all will receive spiritual health and vitality from the organism itself, and the most perfect flowers and fruits will be brought forth. — Universal House of Justice, Sept. 1964, Wellspring of Guidance, pp. 38-39

Let the Bahá’ís of the world join in the true spirit of universal participation and win all the victories while there is yet time. Let each assume his full measure of responsibility that all may share the laurels of accomplishment at the end of the Plan. —- Universal House of Justice, Sept. 8, 1968, Wellspring of Guidance, p. 151

What is needed now is the awakening of all believers to the immediacy of the challenge so that each may assume his share of the responsibility for taking the Teachings to all humanity. Universal participation, a salient objective of the Nine Year Plan, must be pressed toward attainment in every continent, country, and island of the globe. — Universal House of Justice, Nov. 16, 1969, Message to the Bahá’ís of the World

While you are quite correct that the individual believer is rewarded for his sacrificial giving, we dare not sit idly

[Page 3]REVIEW

waiting for Bahá’u’lláh to locate someone who will bear the responsibility. The Universal House of Justice gives specific instructions to national and local spiritual assemblies in this regard:

The House of Justice believes that the financial needs of the Cause should be met by universal participation in giving and urges national and local spiritual assemblies to pursue this goal with vigor and imagination, recalling to the friends the plea of the beloved Guardian to every believer “unhesitatingly to place, each according to his circumstances, his share on the altar of Bahá’í sacrifice.” The fact that only we, the Bahá’ís, can contribute financially to the Cause is both our honor and our challenge.—Universal House of Justice, Riḍván 1967, Wellspring of Guidance, p. 109

This letter comes to you in a spirit of frank and loving consultation with the hope that it will be accepted and considered by your Assembly in the same context. The rapid decay of the old order necessitates a continuing, vigorous pursuit of the goals of the Nine Year Plan and a constant reappraisal and perfecting of our methods and our understanding. Your interest in this vital subject. the bedrock on which is founded all other Bahá’í institutions, is warmly welcomed and encouraged. With warmest Bahá’í greetings» —DARREL w. ANDERSON

Comptroller December 16, 1969

The Role of Youth

ts

. . No greater demonstration can be given to the peoples of both continents of the youthful vitality and the vibrant power animating the life, and the institutions of the nascent Faith of Bahá’u’lláh than an intelligent, persistent, and effective participation of the Bahá’í Youth, of every race, nationality, and class, in both the teaching and administrative spheres of Bahá’í activity. Through such a participation the critics and enemies of the Faith, watching with varying degrees of skepticism and resentment, the evolutionary processes of the Cause of God and its institutions, can best be convinced of the indubitable truth that such a Cause is intensely alive, is sound to its very core, and its destinies in safe keeping. . . ."

—Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of

Divine Justice p. 58

0Bahá’í communities looking for lists of civic clubs, women’s clubs and other organizations to send their Speaker’s Bureau brochures should check with their local Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber usually puts out a list or has a listing of all such community organizations. Another source is the yellow pages of the local telephone book under the listings: associations, clubs, fraternal orders, labor organizations, social service and welfare associations.

The Bahá’í’ law of Marriage

In the true Bahá’í marriage the two parties must become fully united both spiritually and physically, so that they may attain eternal union throughout all the worlds of God and improve the spiritual life of each other. This is Baháimatrimony.

—TABLE’I‘S or ‘Abdu’l-BAHA

The decay of the vital institution of marriage in presentday society is one of the clearest signs of the disintegration of the old world order. It is an area in which the world most desperately needs the example of the people of Bahá. “And when He desired to manifest grace and beneficence to men. and to set the world in order. He revealed observances and created laws; among them He established the law of marriage, made it as a fortress for well-being and salvation, and enjoined it upon us in that which was sent down out of the heaven of sanctity in His Most Holy Book.” (Bahdi Prayers, p. 187.)

There are two basic requirements in the Bahá’í law of marriage:

I. Bahá’ís who marry must have the consent of all living parents. This applies whether the parents are Bahá’í's or non-Bahá’ís, divorced for years, or not. Where the parents are not Bahá’ís, they should be made to understand that the consent they are asked to give is to

the marriage of the couple and does not constitute ap- _

proval or disapproval of the Bahá’í Faith.

ll. When a Bahá’í marries he must have a Bahá’í marriage ceremony. If he marries a non-Bahá’í who wishes to have the religious ceremony of his (her) faith, the Bahá’í may participate in that ceremony also, provided that it is made clear (1) that the Bahá’í is a Bahá’í by religion, and (2) that by participating in the other ceremony he makes no commitment to any declaration of faith in a religion other than his own. The Bahá’í' must insist on having the Bahá’í ceremony carried out before or after the non-Bahá’í one on the same calendar day. The Bahá’í ceremony must be witnessed by representatives of a local spiritual assembly.

When two Bahá’ís marry they may not be married by the religious ceremony of another faith, nor can they be married in the church or other acknowledged place of worship of the followers of other faiths.

If a Bahá’í has a civil or other religious marriage ceremony without having the consent of the parents and a Bahá’í ceremony, he is subject to the possible loss of his Bahá’í administrative rights.

When difficulties are encountered in the‘ application of these simple and wholesome laws, it is usually because the believers do not realize that the law of marriage affects the very foundation of human society. It is the vital duty of local spiritual assemblies not only to apply the laws of Bahá’u’lláh with justice and firmness but also to increase the understanding of the believers, especially the youth, that in the Bahá’í Faith the social laws revealed by Bahá’u’lláh are as binding as His spirit-ual commands.

[Page 4]The Challenge of Pioneering

The International Goals Committee asked young pioneers to write their impressions and knowledge gained as pioneers. We share with you the response from Robert G. Wilson, Nicaragua.

“There is a wisdom in pioneering, of stepping from one country to another. It is not simply a mixing of people. creating a change of ideas. When one leaves his home for another country he is forced, from the very first day, to take a complete stock of his entire faculties. He is forced to weigh his value and his bias. The money is different; the food is different; the language is different. From the very onset the basic machinery of everyday, commonplace life is changed. There is no corner drugstore. There is no easy way to make a telephone call.

“Occasionally pioneers are fired with romanticism. They do not realize that romanticism is strictly history. What they must face in a foreign country is not romantic adventure. but real adventure. When those who are inspired by romantic adventure face the hunger and disease, or the people who occasionally will run them out of a village, something breaks inside them, and more often than not they hurry home to familiar surroundings.

“Meeting people and dealing with them as very real is a "very real thing. Most people are filled with fears and terrors which are easily brought to surface with new ideas. The good and the bad become apparent in people. Sadly, it is mostly the bad which waves its flag before the good is manifest.

“This requires the pioneer to make extra efforts in talking with people. He must strive to show forth the attributes of God, for they are truly the yardstick by which he and the Bahá’í Faith are measured.

“Each pioneer is a representative of his Faith. What he does is what he is, not so much what he says. Anyone can corner some pretty words and with them make even racism sound good to an unlettered man.

Those Who Respond

“It is among the unlettered and the poor of Latin America that the Faith of God is growing the quickest. It is these dwarfs turning giants who are carrying this Standard forward among their own people. And when this happens on a larger scale, success will be achieved.

“Many times these native teachers will come to the foreign pioneer for deepening and further instruction on the Faith. When this happens, I become embarrassed. I wonder: Who am I to instruct such a pure individual in teachings he exemplifies better than I‘?

“We must remember that the heart is the depository of divine mysteries, and perhaps in the future the heart will become the brain. The simple and the wise see and learn with the heart. A completely cerebral attitude toward the Faith only confuses and diminishes one’s teaching powers.

The Tests and Achievements

“The work towards establishing the Faith on a personal and administrative level is arduous and unrewarding.

FEBRUARY ‘1970

Much pioneering revolves around finding Bahá’ís and bringing them to Feast; only to watch them fall asleep. For their culture has never educated them to think for themselves or to take the initiative of teaching into their own hands. Of course there are those few who, when touched by this Light, will, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá clearly illustrated, ‘illumine the earth.’ They are the treasures which we all seek. They are the rewards which can never be taken away.

"Recently I was in an all-Indian village which had become Bahá’í. They had had no deepening and knew only that the Promised One had come. Of His teachings they knew very little. When I was there with them the Catholic priest came on his yearly trip to baptize the children and give communion. Of their own free will the natives went to the priest and told him he did not need to come there again. They told him they were Bahá’ís now, and God alone would take care of them.

“This is, in every sense, a miracle. To understand how important their previous religion was, with its mystery and saints, its holy days and parades, is important. It is a deep and vital part of them and their culture. Yet of their own will they took the first step, to enter into the new age of man. How many educated people have had this boldness and conviction? And so we see the earth illumined, a little brighter.

“There are various pitfalls in pioneering which we must all try to avoid. Very often the foreign pioneer is looked upon as the equivalent of a priest, or clergyman. His word becomes divine law, and his personality becomes the personality of the Faith of God. We must make every effort to avoid this. It is a deep problem.

“Another problem which presents constant danger to a pioneer is his attitude toward other religions. We must remember at all times that others love their religion as much as we do ours. No matter how impoverished and corrupt, how superstitious and ancient another belief may appear, it still finds a home in the hearts of countless people. If you desire a man to enter your home, you do not do it by destroying his. Religion means much to all people. We must refrain from criticism.

“I can remember that the most bitter person I had ever met was a foreign pioneer. This pioneer was visiting the States. and I met him in Seattle, shortly after I became a Bahá’í, in 1963. I was heartbroken. And yet this opened a new door. A foreign pioneer is not a special person, but a person doing very special work. He is a frail human, relying upon God for his decisions and energy. He is only a drop in an ocean composed of drops. It is the Message he carries which makes him a ‘treasure to the poor.’

Encourages Youth to Respond

“I would encourage others, especially youth, to investigate fully the possibilities of pioneer work in Latin America. The need is unquestionably great. The work undeniably important. There are rewards; and there are heartbreaks.

“But there does come a new strength, and with it a new life. Pioneering truly remains a mystery, designed by God to spread and fuse together principles only dreamed by most.

“There is fear on the part of some about entering another culture and becoming a part of it. There is nothing to fear. There is a world in great need. Everyone can~help.

[Page 5]REVIEW

“Though politically unsettled. religiously intolerant, socially backward and climatically inhospitable, these unexplored territories hold forth inestimable prizes for audacious adventures in the path of Bahá’í service.

. . . Task admittedly laborious, hour laden with fate.

privilege incomparable, precious divinely promised aid unfailing. reward predestined. immeasurable.Shoghi Effendi. cablegram April 28. 1939, Messages to America. pp. 20—2l."

— INTERNATIONAL GOALS COMMITTEE

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

International Youth Projects, Summer ‘1970

Young men and young women—Ages 18-25. A six-week adventure in pioneering outside the United States. Self-fina nced ($350.00—$500.00) . Volunteer now for this learning and teaching experience in preparation for permanent pioneering.

Write: International Goals Committee, H2 Linden Avenue Wilmette, Illinois 6009l—Phone (312) 256-4400.

United States News

Honorable mention goes to John Birkinbine, whose recent article in the American Philatelic Congress, lnc., 1969 Congress Book won the Walter R. McRoy Award. The article mentions the Bahá’í Faith. Also, to Toby Emanuel, a plaque from the hands of the Honorable Claude Pepper in recognition of her sixteen years’ service to the United Nations Association in Miami Beach, Florida.

Slides of “behind the Iron Curtain” places, with narrative and commentary by Mrs. Ludmilla Van Sombeek, highlighted two class sessions in a Reno elementary school.

Las Vegas, Nevada, reports the “Las Vegas Negro newspaper, The Voice, has kindly donated half an hour time on a radio station for Bahá’í speakers each Sunday.”

Bahá’í information week in Little Rock, Arkansas, October 10-19, 1969, brought Mrs. Eulalia Bobo of Beverly Hills, California, and Jim McGuire of Fayetteville to Little Rock for a series of proclamation events, including a school for the blind. a high school, two colleges, and a radio broadcast.

Details of the extensive “moratorium proclamation" in Washington, D.C., are being reported in the new news paper, The American Bahá’í/. The first edition. in January, will also report on the special effort made in the greater New York City area to raise money for the Fund.

James K. Wiley was presented with the 1969 Achievement Award in Rehabilitation by the American Corrective Therapy Association. Blind. Ken works in the field of blind rehabilitation as a field representative for the Veterans Administration in Washington, D.C.

The Michigan S.G.C. bulletin reports details of the recent circuit conducted by Winston Evans in Kalamazoo, Mt. Pleasant, Saginaw Valley College, Oakland University, and Pontiac.

Approximately 200 attended the Los Angeles Community’s celebration of Human Rights Day. About one-third were newcomers. The executive director of the Urban League. John W. Mack, was the speaker, and a Bahá’í children’s chorus was part of the music program. International pastries were featured during the social program.

From Canada comes word that their initial diplomatic appointment to the Vatican, Dr. John E. Robbins, former president of Brandon University, “has ‘great respect’ for Bahá’ísm.”

[Page 6]International Education Year

“International Education” has been designated the Bahá’í proclamation theme for 1970 in conjunction with the United Nations observance of International Education Year, the National Spiritual Assembly has announced. The International Education Year theme began January 1 and will run through December 31, 1970.

Bahá’ís are asked to relate their local proclamation activities to this theme. Two Bahá’í observances have been given titles emphasizing education: World Religion Day, January 18, 1970, has been assigned “World Religion: Basis for World Education,” and Race Unity Day, June 14, 1970, has the title, “Education for Diversity.”

The theme of “Youth for One World,” which began at Riḍván 1969 will continue until Riolvan of 1970. Consequently, there will be about four months of overlap with International Education Year.

Conference Scheduled

A Bahá’í National Conference on Education will be the First major event of International Education Year. The allBahá’í conference will be held February 20-22 at the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, and the nearby National College of Education in Evanston. All Bahá’ís are welcome to attend; particularly needed are Bahá’í teachers and educators, Bahá’í parents, Bahá’í students.

Representatives from all regions of the United States are urged to attend, since the conference experience will be invaluable later in proclamation activities. Three objectives of the conference are: To deepen on principles of education contained in the Bahá’í Writings; to recommend action programs in education to the National Spiritual Assembly; to be a source for news in connection with Bahá’í proclamation.

The first session of the conference will open Friday, February 20, at 6 p.m. in Foundation Hall of the House of Worship, and will close at 10 pm. after talks and workshops. Other sessions of the conference will be held at the National College of Education, where sessions will be held in Five classrooms and a 200-capacity auditorium, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. A registration fee of $8.00 per person will be charged to defray costs of rental of the site, two meals, refreshments, and deepening materials.

Those planning to attend the conference must make arrangements for their own lodging at nearby hotels and motels. Information on this, and on other conference details, will be sent as soon as the registration fee is received by the North American Bahá’í Office for Human Rights. In addition, a packet of deepening materials will be sent so that all conference participants will be better prepared to contribute to the important consultations.

Make the check or money order for the registration fee(s) payable to the North American Bahá’í Office for Human Rights, and mail it to that office at 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.

FEBRUARY 1970

A Glimpse of the Dominican Republic

You can still visit the first fortress, the First university. and the ruins of the first hospital built in the New World; and Columbus himself is said to be buried in the capital of this part of the island he loved so well. Santo Domingo has a population of nearly 462,200 people living in the oldest Spanish city in the Caribbean. Beautiful old colonial architecture mingles enchantingly with modern buildings. The whole atmosphere of the Dominican Republic is one of vigorous progress.

How can you resist being attracted to the Dominican Republic in answer to the call of the Universal House of Justice in the 1969 Riḍván Message to settle ten United States pioneers in the Dominican Republic? We need six more pioneers to fill the quota before Riḍván, 1970. Will you be one of these‘?

We share with you in part a letter from Dale Woods. one

of the pioneers there:

“I arrived in the Dominican Republic October 3, 1969. It was very exc_iting to glimpse the Island for the first time. We came in at the Northeast side and saw a sparsely vegetated landscape at first. The closer we came to Santo Domingo, the more tropical and lush things became. . .. “I’ll tell you a few things that will make you cry with joy. First it is very apparent that it is close to mass conversion in the Dominican Republic. It is so apparent that every one you talk to is interested to hear about the Bahá’í Faith. It truly is exciting. If only there were pioneers for each of the cities in the Dominican Republic. “I have been treated with the finest Bahá’í hospitality. I have every experience, and I came from an extremely close—knit community in the Northwestern United States. I was literally given the last piece of meat and vegetable in the home for my lunch, with the utmost joy on the hostess’s face, and I truly know she meant it from the bottom of her heart. And she wasn’t a signed Bahá’í. Her son is a Bahá’í. His name is Santos. I wish I could quote that about the parent raising the child in this day in such a way as to recognize His latest Manifestation. “I have been served with utmost dignity orange juice from a tomato can, the finest orange juice I ever drank. I was served the fruit of the breadfruit tree, and it has to be cooked for a long time; the day was very hot and Santos’ mother prepared it just for me. It was very good, and even better, because you knew the effort that went into cooking it on an open hearth... .” This pioneer also writes that a single person can live on $100.00 a month, a husband and wife on $150.00 per month. “. . . for $65.00 per month I have a nice size room (12x14), two beds (includes laundry), and a new mosquito net. I get three meals per day, and very good food, and I’m a big eater. I’ve never left the table hungry . . ." This beautiful island is in urgent need of dedicated pioneers. Can we count on you? —— INTERNATIONAL GOALS COMMITTEE 112 Linden Avenue Wilmette, Illinois 60091 Phone (312) 256-4400

[Page 7]REVIEW

A NEWS

Presentation of Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Left to right: Milton Goodwin, Brunilda S. Irene, Warren Weiner, representing Mayor James H. J. Tate, Dr. Bijan Etemad and Jon Victoru.

In Memoriam

Mrs. Hazel Mae Patterson Munroe Falls. Ohio November 25. 1969

P. E. Bennett Birmingham. Ala. No Date

Mrs. Muriel Hallett Stagg HenricoCo..Va. December 2. 1969

Mrs. Ruth B. Burleson Flagstaff, Ariz. December 5. 1969

Miss Louise Thompson Eliot, Maine December 8. 1969

Mrs. Elsie Fuhrman Cooke Prince Georges Co.. Md. November 2. 1969

Clarence Ullrich Manatee C0,, Fla. December 16. 1969

Frederick D. Hoffman. Sr. Shawnee Twp.. Ohio November 26. 1969

Mrs. Mildred Merriweather Detroit, Mich. November 7. 1969

Herbert L. Voigt Milwaukee. Wisc. November 26, 1969

Miss Leola Walker Savannah. Georgia No Date

Miss Mary Montgomery Greenville Co.. S.C. June 1969

Mrs. Mamie R. Pardo Cleveland Heights. Ohio December 1, 1969

at Nafiona|BahaiFund

MONTHLY INCOME: 1969-1970

175.000 150,000 Monthly Goal

125,000

I 00.000

75,000

50,000

25.000

E" 2‘ 2? .2’ 3% 3 E .5; 5; é E‘ December Fiscal Year lNCOME 1969 to date Regular Contributions $ 85,503.l8 $ 630,065.07 Special Contributions . 5l.l50.b3 l48,780.37 Tofa|Coniribu+1'ons . . $l36.653.8l $ 778,845.44 Estates . . . . . 882.40 30,394.35 Other Income 557.72 |9,52l.l0 Total lncome , . . $l38.093.93 5 831,260.89 Budget . . V ':".$l25.000.'00 $l,'l'25,000.0'0

Bahá’í Publishing Trust

An Early Pilgrimage. By May Maxwell. Now available in a reprinting with some revisions and a new introduction. An account by May Maxwell of her pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1898. 5 1/8 X 7 5/8, 44 pp.

Per copy . . . . . . . ..' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$0.75

Renewal of Civilization.. (Revised American edition) By David Hofman.

This is a popular introductory book. It gives a brief account of the history of the Faith and a lucid explanation of its teachings, aims, and present position. First published in 1946. it has now been revised by the author and an American edition published by arrangement with the British publisher.

Per copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , ..$2.25 /, Orders for the above titles should be sent to Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. Individuals should order through their local librarians.

[Page 8]FEBRUARY 1970

Bahá’í_ Directory Changes

Assembly Secretaries Northern California Central Sonoma County J.D.: Mrs. Arlene M. Batt, 3904 Sebastopol Rd., Santa Rosa, 95401

Central California Dist. No. 1 San Jose: Miss Margo Wakeland. 232 S. 10th No. 5. 95112

Southern California Dist. No. 1 Hermosa Beach: Mrs. Sharyn Mclntyre, 502‘/_> Hollowell Ave., 90254 Inglewood: Miss Sandra Neal, P. O. Box 587, 90307

Southern California Dist. No. 2 Laguna Beach: Mrs. Gussy Littman, Vice-Chr.. 306 Cypress, 92657

Colorado Pueblo: Miss Claudia Plymell, 1718 Craig. 81003

Florida Lee County: Mr. Robert Pickering. Jr.. P. O. Box 1469, Fort Myer Beach 33902

Northern Illinois Waukegan: Mr. John Fisset. Chr., 1637 Partridge St.. 60085 _Zion: M1s. Jeanette Taylor. Treas., 3110 Ezekiel Ave.. 60099

Iowa Cedar Falls: Mrs. Joy Kortemeyer, 3104 Grand Blvd.‘, 50613

Eastern New York New York: Mrs. Viola Wood, 505 Crown St., Brooklyn 11213

North Carolina Asheville: Mrs. 28803 Greensboro: Mrs. Charmion A. Winful, 605 Ross Ave., 27406

Ruth Datta, 129 Lakewood Pkwy.,

Oregon Corvallis: Mrs. Betty Abel, 806 N. 4th, 97330

Utah Ogden: Mrs. Nancy Fulkerson. 907 E. 25th St., 84401

Wisconsin Shorewood: Mrs. Arden Lee. pro-tem, 4336 N. Sheffield, 53211

Pictures of the Bahá’í float entry in the Bristol, New Hampshire, Fourth of July parade were carried in two local newspapers. The float featured a seven-foot globe topped with the words “The Earth Is But One Country; And Mankind Its Citizens”.

Faith Promoted thru Charity Fair

Bahá’ís of Islip, New York, displayed a poster of the principles of the Faith and utilized a beautiful booth as they participated with other non-profit organizations in a recent public charity fair, sponsored by a local shopping center in Bay Shore, N.Y. With the approval of the Spiritual Assembly of Islip, the Bahá’ís had a bake sale and gave the proceeds to a non-Bahá’í children’s summer camp fund. The seeds planted during the service project began to germinate at the follow-up fireside attended by sixteen very inquisitive youth and some adults.

Nearby Bahá’í communities and assemblies assisted the Islip friends in the successful proclamation of the Faith through the public service project.

Calendar of Events

Feasts February 7—Mulk (Dominion) March 2—‘Alé’ (Loftiness)

Intercalary Days February 26 to March 1—Ayy.-§m_i-H§

U.S. National Spiritual Assembly Meetings February 27—March 1, April 3-5

U.S. National .Bahci'I/Convention April 30-May 3

PLANNING TO MOVE DURING THE NEXT 30 DAYS?

Help us keep your address up-to-date CUT OUT OR PROVIDE SAME INFORMATION ON POST OFFICE CARD FORM 3578, AND MAIL TO: NATIONAL BAHA'| CENTER ‘I12 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, ILL. 60091

ATTACH YOUR OLD ADDRESS LABEL HERE

Name (Please Print) N EW Address City State Zip

I‘ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

NEW Telephone: Area

Name of new locality‘

I (If different from city name)

Reminder: Have you ALSO notified your community and SGC secretaries of your new address?

I)