National Bahá’í Review/Issue 86/Text

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[Page 1]

Land purchased near Guardian's resting place

ANNOUNCE PURCHASE STRIP LAND GREAT NORTHERN LONDON CEMETERY FACING BELOVED GUARDIANS RESTING PLACE ENSURING PROTECTION SACRED PLOT. PRAYERS GRATITUDE OFFERED DIVINE THRESHOLD

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

National Assembly outlines New York's tasks

To the Bahá’ís of the State of New York

Dear Bahá’í Friends:

Six decades and two years have passed since a small band of early American believers gathered in New York to receive ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the first leg of His epic journey to the United States. Establishing New York City as His base, the beloved Master traveled throughout the land on a prodigious teaching campaign. It was in that City that He explained for the first time the weighty implications of His unique office as Center of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, an act which led Him to bestow upon it the title "City of the Covenant." It was here too that His Tablets of the Divine Plan, the charter of Bahá’í teaching, were unveiled in 1919.

Now, largely as a result of such momentous happenings, the Bahá’í world community is embarked on a Five Year Plan, the third global enterprise derived from those portentous Tablets. And New York is to attain in this period a fuller measure of the distinctive potentialities with which the Center of the Covenant endowed it. Your state is joined with California and Illinois in concert with a major objective of the Plan for the American Bahá’í community, namely, the development of "intensive teaching and consolidation plans in at least 3 states, chosen from among those visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, designed to attract great numbers to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh thereby initiating a process leading to the entry into the Faith by troops alluded to by the Master."

Thus, in the spirit of New York's distinguished history in the Cause, we are confident and joyful in the expectation that the friends in this blessed State will arise with eagerness and sustained vigor to accomplish the following tasks by Ridván 1979.

• Raise the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside in New York to 360;
• Open to the Faith all counties where Bahá’ís do not now exist;
• Maintain existing Local Spiritual Assemblies, ensuring that a minimum of 15 adults reside in each Bahá’í community;
• Raise the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies to 56, including 2 on Indian Reservations;
• Increase the number of incorporated Assemblies to 20;
• Take determined steps in each local community to expand the teaching work among those representing at least one of the minority groups — American Indian, Armenian, Chinese, Greek, Japanese, Spanish-speaking — designated in the Five Year Plan;
• Expand the use of radio and television for Bahá’í broadcasts aimed at proclamation of the Faith to greater numbers of listeners on a regular basis; at the same time the regular use of the press should be increased;
• Encourage and organize regular Bahá’í activities and classes for adults, youth and children;
• Organize regular classes to educate Bahá’í children in the teachings of the Faith;
• Foster and encourage youth activities, including firesides, study classes, teaching institutes, local

[Page 2]youth clubs, college clubs, circuit teaching projects, and pioneering;

• Strive toward universal participation in support of the Bahá’í Funds.

Properly viewed, these tasks are only stepping stones toward the distinctive goal called for in the Five Year Plan, namely, "entry into the Faith by troops." Its attainment depends solely upon the wholehearted response of each believer in New York, who must be constantly teaching, constantly studying the Holy Texts and their authentic interpretations, constantly exercising the discipline of enlightened souls whose thoughts and deeds are guided by the standards of Bahá’u’lláh. We ask each of you to strive earnestly to attract at least one person to the Faith each year.

Your immediate supporters and helpers in these strivings are the diligent members of the Institution of the Continental Counsellors and Local Spiritual Assemblies; in addition, agencies have been established for stimulating and coordinating your activities: a Regional Teaching Committee aided by District Teaching Committees, and a Regional Information Committee. We further ask that each of you offer a portion of his or her time and talents to the endeavors of these agencies of the New York teaching program.

From New York to California, the beloved Master courageously proclaimed the advent of the Most Great Peace. Later, in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, He recalled to the friends in New York and the other Northeastern states that He had sown "pure seeds and planted blessed trees" in their states and called upon them "to become heavenly farmers." "Now," He wrote, "the believers of God and the maidservants of the Merciful must irrigate these fields and with the utmost power engage themselves in the cultivation of these heavenly plantations so that the seeds may grow and develop, prosperity and blessing be realized and many rich and great harvests be gathered in."

May the Lord of Hosts confirm you in your endeavors to achieve these glorious ends.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES

GLENFORD E. MITCHELL, SECRETARY

January 11, 1975

Capital city believers assigned goals

To the Bahá’ís of Washington, D. C.

Dear Bahá’í Friends:

Within ten days after arriving in New York on His epic journey to America, the beloved Center of the Covenant, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, visited Washington, D. C. This was the first of three memorable visits which have left deepening traces of His energetic efforts to proclaim the oneness of mankind in the nation's capital. In reflecting on the Master's momentous activities in your city, we recall that the services of those who were touched by Him then—Louis Gregory, Mariam Haney, Agnes Parsons, to name a few—have illumined the pages of Bahá’í history. And thus we have ample evidence of the as yet unfathomed potentialities with which He endowed the citizens of Washington.

Sixty-two years have passed since your city was blessed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's vitalizing presence. Although the banner of the Faith has remained aloft ever since, the mighty hopes which He cherished for you have not barely been realized. It is time, therefore, to make an earnest, systematic attempt to achieve them. Echoes of His express wishes reach us now as the Bahá’í world community pursues the Five Year Plan, the third global enterprise derived from the Tablets of the Divine Plan:

May the people of Washington become the cause of the spiritual freedom of the people of the world.

May the people of Washington become the cause of uniting all the nations under the Standard of God!

With confidence in the potency of the Master's hopes, we call upon the friends in Washington to gird themselves for heroic action and arise with determination to achieve the following tasks as their contribution to the success of the Five Year Plan.

• Raise the number of believers in Washington, D.C. to at least thrice the current Bahá’í membership, ensuring that a minimum of 9 active believers reside in each residential postal zone;
• Conduct regular weekly firesides with the objective of holding at least 10 each Bahá’í month;
• Expand the teaching work among those representing at least one of the minority groups designated in the Five Year Plan: American Indian, Armenian, Basque, Chinese, Greek, Japanese, Spanish-speaking;
• Expand the use of radio and television for Bahá’í broadcasts aimed at proclamation of the Faith to greater numbers of listeners;

[Page 3]

March 1975

• Utilize the press more widely and frequently to proclaim the Cause, and in this regard publicize Bahá’í activities regularly in neighborhood, minority, college, and foreign-language newspapers in your city;

Encourage and organize regular Bahá’í activities and classes for adults, youth, and children;

• Provide the means of taking new and veteran believers through the Comprehensive Deepening Program;

• Establish a local Bahá’í youth club;

● Institute and maintain a Bahá’í club on any college campus on which there are 2 or more Bahá’ís;

• Develop regular, graded Bahá’í classes for the benefit of Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í children;

● Publish regularly a local Bahá’í newsletter;

. Contribute to the National Bahá’í Fund each Bahá’í month;

• Initiate steps to establish a full-time secretariat so as to increase the executive ability of the Local Spiritual Assembly;

• Open to the Faith 5 localities in Maryland;

• Collaborate with the District Teaching Committee in raising up 2 Local Spiritual Assemblies in Maryland;

• Send travelling teachers to various parts of the continental United States to assist in the homefront teaching program;

• Participate in the international teaching work by dispatching no less than 9 pioneers to foreign posts and by providing travelling teachers to various parts of the world

These goals will undoubtedly be achieved by the wholehearted response of every believer, who must be constantly engaged in teaching the Cause, in studying the Holy Texts and their authentic interpretations, and in exercising the discipline of enlightened souls whose thoughts and deeds are guided by the standards of Bahá’u’lláh. May each of you strive earnestly to attract at least one person to the Faith each year.

As an encouragement to your devoted endeavors, we recite the Master's parting words to the friends in Washington:

May the favors of the Blessed Beauty Bahá’u’lláh encompass you and may the lights of the Sun of Reality be your illumination. May you all become united and assured. May you serve the Cause of God as one single, united force. I give you the glad tidings that the confirmations of God will descend upon you. Be ye assured of this. Ye will become illumined. Ye will become conquerors.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES

Glenford E. Mitchell, Secretary

2 February 1975

Revised pioneer goals for the United States

Africa	Assigned	Filled	Open
(E) Botswana	1	0	1
(F)(E) Cameroon Republic	3	1	2
(F) Central African Republic*	2	1	1
(F) Dahomey	2	0	2
(F) Togo	2	0	2
(F) Gabon*	1	0	1
(E) Gambia	2	1	1
(E) Ghana	5	1	4
(P) Guinea-Bissau (Port. Guinea)*	2	1	1
(F) Ivory Coast*	2	0	2
(E) Kenya*	3	0	3
(E) Lesotho	2	1	1
(E) Liberia	4	4	0
(F) Malagasy Republic	1	0	1
(E) Malawi	2	1	1
(E) Nigeria*	1	0	1
(E) Rhodesia	2	0	2
(E) Sierra Leone	3	2	1
(E) Tanzania	2	0	2
(F) Zaire	3	1	2
(E) British Indian Ocean Terr.**	1	0	1
(E) South Africa*	1	0	1
(P) Angola*	1	0	1
(E) St. Helena*	1	0	1
(P)(S) Mozambique*	1	0	1

Asia	Assigned	Filled	Open
(B)(E) Bangladesh*	3	0	3
(C)(P) Macau	1	1	0
(J) Japan*	1	0	1
(E) India..	2	1	1
(F) Khmer Republic (Cambodia)	2	2	0
(K)(E) Korea	2	0	2
(F) Laos	3	0	3
(F)(E) Lebanon	1	1	0
(E) Nepal..	2	0	2
(E) Philippine Islands	2	2	0
(E) Sri Lanka (Ceylon)*	1	0	1

[Page 4]

Asia

(E) Taiwan (E) Thailand (T)(A)(E) Turkey* (E) Vietnam. 2 2 16

Australasia

(E) Fiji Islands* (B) (B)(B)(B)(E)(F)(三) Caroline Islands North-East New Guinea* American Samoa* Western Samoa New Caledonia (E) Tonga Islands*

Americas

(E) Trinidad/Tobago .4 0 (S) Uruguay .2 2 (S) Venezuela .7 1 (E) Windward Islands .6 35 8 27 150 01220 4 2 5 4 38 112 Assigned Filled Open Assigned Filled Open

Europe

1 2 (F) Belgium .6 1 5 2 (Dn) Denmark* .3 2 1 1 2 (Fn) Finland* 4 2 (Gr) Greece .3 2 1 4 (I) Iceland* .2 2 .1 1 0 (N) Norway .3 3 (P) Portugal .8 1 7 14 (S) Spain* .2 2 0 (F)(G)(It) Switzerland .6 4 2 37 12 25 Assigned Filled Open

Americas

(S) Argentina .6 (S)(E) Belize* .3 (S) Bolivia 10 14 (P) Brazil (S) Chile .6 (S) Colombia .8 (S)(E) St. Andrés Island* .1 (S) Costa Rica (S) Dominican Republic (S) Ecuador .7 1 (S) El Salvador* .4 (S) Guatemala (E) Guyana (H)(E)(D) Surinam .5 .4 (F) French Guiana* .2 (F) Haiti. (S) Honduras .6 (E) Jamaica (F) French Antilles .4 (E) Leeward/Virgin Islands Montserrat, St. Kitts .9 (S) Nicaragua .6 (S) Panama .4 (S) Paraguay .4 (S) Peru (Cuczo & Puno) .4 (S) Puerto Rico 4 4 424324622 22342|||||22 3222 6422+ 4

Total Assignments to be Completed by October 1976

Assigned Filled Open AFRICA . . . . . .66 25 41 AMERICAS . . . . . .150 38 112 ASIA . . . . . .35 8 27 AUSTRALASIA . . . . . .17 3 14 EUROPE.. . . . . .37 12 25 305 86 219 X326

• Newly-assigned countries
  • Circumstances permitting

Language Key

A-Arabic B-Bengali C-Chinese (Southern Dialect) D-Danish Dt-Dutch E-English F-French Fn-Finnish G-German Gr―Greek H-Hindi I-Icelandic It-Italian J-Japanese K-Korean N-Norwegian P-Portuguese S-Spanish T-Turkish

Directory Changes

Assembly Secretaries

Alabama Jefferson County: Mrs. Sonya B. Henderson, Birmingham, 35226 Madison: Mrs. Mattie Ragland, General Delivery, 35758 New Jerusalem: Mr. Lester McKinney, Rt. 4, Box 643-K, Tuscaloosa, 35401

Arizona Hard Rock Chapter: Mr. Thomas J. Begay, c/o Au- drie Reynolds, Secretary Navajo-Hopi Teaching Committee, P.O. Box 448, Fort Wingate, New Mexico, 87316. Klagetoh: c/o Audrie Reynolds, Secretary, Navajo-Hope Teaching Committee, P.O. Box 448, Fort Wingate, New Mexico, 87316 [Page 5]

March 1975

Peoria: Miss Linda L. Martin, P.O. Box 1021, 85345

Red Lake Chapter: c/o Audrie Reynolds, Secretary, Navajo-Hope Teaching Committee, P.O. Box 448, Fort Wingate, New Mexico, 87316

San Carlos: Mrs. Ruth Chatlin, P.O. Box 415, San Carlos, 85550

Arkansas

Arkadelphia: Mrs. Cornelia Ross, 71923

Hot Springs: Mr. J. William Mellitt, P.O. Box 23, 71901

Florida

Broward County: Mrs. Mary S. Duckworth, Fort Lauderdale, 33309

Jacksonville: Mrs. Judith Ann Harrington, 32211

Leon County: Mrs. Merry Cathleen Smith, P.O. Box 3442, Tallahassee, 32303

Pinelles County: Mr. William E. Hauck, Chairman, East, Clearwater, 33515

Tampa: Mrs. M. Marjory Tucker, 33616

California

Beverly Hills: Miss Margaret Naismith, 90210

Costa Mesa: Mrs. Gwen Janti, P.O. Box 832, 92627

Daly City: Mr. Kenneth T. Gibson, Treasurer, 94015

East Los Angeles J.D.: Mr. Robert Yavorski, 90063

Fremont: Mrs. Mary L. Johnson, P.O. Box 106, 94536

Hayward: Mrs. Joanne E. DeLucchi, P.O. Box 3474, 94544

Huntington Beach: New address: P.O. Box 749, 92648

Inglewood J.D.: Mrs. Pauline K. Kenerson, 90304

Monterey Carmel J.D.: Mrs. Joyce Dahl, P.O. Box 429, Carmel Valley, 93924

Napa: Mrs. Andrea Jaekle, Chairman, 94558

National City: Mr. Robert K. Anderson, Chairman, P.O. Box 934, 92030

Orange: Mrs. Rosalie Hiam, P.O. Box 5441, 92667

Redondo Beach: Mrs. Margie Handley Mazu, 90277

San Bernardino: Mrs. Ruby Soto, 92410

Santa Clara: Mrs. Johanna A. Anderholm, P.O. Box 2215, 95051

San Leandro: Mrs. Carol Henrie, 94577

Santa Paula: Mrs. Molly S. King, P.O. Box 1008, 93060

Westminster: Mrs. Elaine Calli, 92683

Colorado

Denver: Mrs. Kathi Jo Wyckoff, 80209

Delaware

Newark: Mr. Gilbert K. Nichols, Chairman, 19711

Georgia

Athens: Miss Ann Marie Wasilewski, Alps Road Station, P.O. Box 6123, 30604

Cobb County South: Mrs. Monirih Saunders, Marbleton, 30059

Illinois

Arlington Heights: Mr. Ronald J. Cutaia, P.O. Box 5, 60005

DeKalb: Mr. Dennis Bakula, 60115

Edwardsville Township: Mr. Jacques Von Frasunkiewicz, 62025

Glenview: Mrs. Beatrice Somerhalder, 60025

Highland Park: Mrs. Ruth L. Randle, 60035

Morton Grove: Miss Jacqueline M. Blanchard, P.O. Box 523, 60053

Rock Island: Mrs. Barbara Gimm, 61201

Waukegan: Mrs. Annabel Whittier, 60085

Indiana

Columbus: Miss Charlene McAllister, P.O. Box 1472, 47201

Terre Haute: Mrs. Merrie Stradtner, 47807

Kansas

Manhattan: Mr. Richard L. Vore, P.O. Box 933, 66502

Louisiana

Bossier City: Mrs. Elaine E. Wright, Box 5498, 71010

Maine

South Portland: Mrs. Sherilee E. Baker, 04106 [Page 6]

Massachusetts

Brockton: Mr. Frank W. Mann, 02401 Gloucester: Mrs. Laurel Cutler, Magnolia Station, P.O. Box 3, 01930 Greenfield: Mr. Douglas F. Ruhe, Chairman, P.O. Box 465, 01301 Salem: Miss Lisa D. Turner, P.O. Box 185, Salem, 01970 South Hadley: Mrs. Lillian Brown, Treasurer, P.O. Box 241, 01075

Minnesota

Roseville: Mrs. Lea Iverson, P.O. Box 8191, 55113 Virginia: Mrs. Margaret M. Kent, P.O. Box 1173, 55792

Nebraska

Aurora: Mrs. Lynda Ann Ochsner, P.O. Box 74, 68818 Crete: Mr. Charles Novak, Treasurer, , 68333 Lincoln: Miss Marcia Ann Mather, P.O. Box 80601, 68501

New Jersey

Montclair: Mr. Hassan Tarafdar, 07042 Peterborough: Miss Karen B. Wines, 03458

New Mexico

Hobbs: Miss Doreethea Gardner, 88240 Roswell: Mr. Robert W. Mitchell, Treasurer, c/o M. Piotrowski, , 88201 Santa Fe County: Miss Helen Tapia, Rt. 6, Box 109 No. D, 87501

New York

Albany: Mrs. Irma Betts, 12203 Beacon: Mr. Frank Post, Jr., P.O. Box 63, 12508 Brighton Township: Mrs. Mary L. Mickelson, 59 Idle Lane, Rochester, 14623 Hamburg, Town of: Mrs. May Gotthelf, ,14075. Jamestown: Mrs. Etta M. Williams, 14701 Rochester: Dr. Floyd C. Tucker, 14607

Ohio

Cleveland Heights: Mr. Neil K. Krandall, , 44106 Columbus: Miss Elizabeth A. Carter, 43202 East Cleveland: Mr. Robert W. Horn, 44118

Oklahoma

Ada: Mrs. Mary G. Watson, Chairman, P.O. Box 952, 74820 Norman: Mr. Nader Vargha, P.O. Box 2212, 73069 Oklahoma City: Miss Cynthia Tarbill, 73118

Oregon

Klamath County: Jeri Marguello, Klamath Falls, 97601

Pennsylvania

Middletown Township: Miss Lorraine Appelbaum, P.O. Box 494, Langhorne, 19047 West Chester: Miss Elyce Stolp, P.O. Box 745, 19380

South Carolina

Columbia: Mr. Ben Hendricks, P.O. Box 5973, 29250 Folly Grove: Mr. Bransford H. Watson, Chairman, Chairman, L. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Rt. 2, Box 123, Hemingway, 29554 29440 Georgetown: Miss Carolyn Hall Austin, c/o Mrs. Caswell Ellis, Orangeburg Municipal District: Mrs. Kathy Jean Daniel, P.O. Box 1545, 29115 St. Andrews Parish: Mr. Henry Wigfall, Chairman, Charleston, 29407 St. Helena Island: Mr. Elting B. Smalls, Chairman, P.O. Box 305, Frogmore, 29920

Tennessee

Memphis: Mrs. Betty Hickerson, 38116

Texas

San Antonia: Mrs. Margaret E. Londos, P.O. Box 12280, 78212 San Marcos: Mrs. Rhea Schuring Kester, P.O. Box 1341, 78666

Virginia

Staunton: Mrs. Claytee M. Blackwell, 24401 Suffolk: Mrs. Margaret B. Tilley, 23403 Virginia Beach: Mr. Dana L. Munden, Fort Store, 23459

Washington

Bellevue: Mr. Loring Newport, [Page 7]Cowlitz County Commissioner's District No. 3: Mrs. Paula C. Warme, Longview, 98632 King County Commissioner's District No. 8: Mrs. Coralee B. McDonald, P.O. Box 78378, Seattle, 98178 Kitsap County Commissioner's District No. 1: Mrs. Kathleen T. Roberts, Rt. 8, Box 8963, Bainbridge Island, 98110 Mason County Commissioner's District No. 3: Mrs. Gloria Jean Watson, Box 133, Matlock, 98560 Whatcom County Commissioner's District No. 3: Mrs. Dorothy S. Jacobs, , Custer, 98240 Yakima: Mr. Randall B. Reneau, P.O. Box 2581, 98902

Wisconsin Delafield: Mrs. Kathryn Firnrohr, , Hartland, 53029 Kenosha: Mr. Paul D. Voelz, Chairman, 53140 Wausau: Mr. Steven P. Myers, P.O. Box 123, 54401

District Teaching Committee Secretaries

Central States Western Iowa: Miss Jo Ann Flowers, , Ames, 50010

Northeastern States Eastern New York: Mr. Robert S. McComb (District Teaching Committee Address) P.O. Box 333, Glenwood Landing, 11547

Southern States Southern Alabama: Miss Belle Smith, Montgomery, 36111 Central Florida: Mrs. Anita Marie Jester, , Largo, 33540 Northern Georgia: Mrs. Carolyn Murphy, Decatur 30032 Eastern Oklahoma: Mr. Philip Michael Walker, Tahlequah, 74464 Northern Texas: Mrs. Barbara Parker, Abernathy, 79311 Southern Texas: Mrs. Irene Friday, Brownsville, 78520 Northern Virginia: Mrs. Katharyn G. Balter, Falls Church, 22042

Western States Utah: Miss Nancy Kirkpatrick, , Salt Lake City, 84102

Job opportunities at National Bahá’í Center

The National Bahá’í Center in Wilmette, Illinois is presently seeking several individuals to fill impor- tant positions. In addition to a sincere desire to serve the Faith, individuals will require extensive clerical skills, the ability to prepare their own correspon- dence, some administrative experience within the Faith, ability to coordinate a variety of functions and to work with others.

Positions include working on and developing many challenging projects designed to help the American Bahá’í community successfully meet the goals of the Five Year Plan.

If you qualify, please send your resume to: Per- sonnel Affairs Assistant, National Bahá’í Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette Illinois, 60091.

St. Louis lost and found

Many items that were turned into the Lost and Found at the St. Louis Conference are still available at the National Bahá’í Center, such as wearing ap- parel, prayer books, cameras, etc. If you lost any items at the Conference, please send a complete description to the Bahá’í House of Worship Ac- tivities Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Any items unclaimed after May 1, 1975, will be disposed of.

Administrative rights removed

The National Spiritual Assembly has announced that , widely known in the United States Bahá’í Community as , has been deprived of his Bahá’í administrative rights and privileges because of his disobedience to the Bahá’í law regarding marriage.

Appeals for funds

From time to time the friends receive appeals, either as individuals or communities, from pioneers needing financial assistance. It is advisable when such an appeal is received to contact the Interna- tional Goals Committee so that inquiries can be made and the true situation ascertained. The address is: International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Illinois 60091. Telephone: (312) 256-4400. [Page 8]

Sustained level of contributions vital

To: All Local Spiritual Assemblies and Bahá’í Groups

Dear Bahá’í Friends:

Once again we have reached that special time of reflection and spiritual renewal in preparation for the new year. As we consider our past endeavors, several events come to mind of which we as a national community may be proud. In an unprecedented achievement, the monthly Fund goal was exceeded for three consecutive months. The National Hazíratu’l-Quds of the Bahamas was secured with a down payment of $12,500, and the higher level of contributions combined with the loans from the friends has made it possible to have the remaining $112,500 on hand to pay for this property.

It is vitally important that we sustain our present level of contributions in order to achieve our annual goal, for as we look to the coming year, we see that the challenges before us will require much greater devotion and sacrifice than ever before. Your National Spiritual Assembly and its National Committees have focused their attention on the requirements of these challenges and are developing exciting new programs to ensure that they are met. For example, the National Education Committee reports that it has been most active the last few months meeting with the various school committees in a joint project designed to develop an interesting education program for this next year, and has recently launched a series of family life conferences. However, the successful execution of our plans, no matter how exciting, is directly dependent upon the degree to which the believers in this land, so blessed with material riches, pour forth their resources in support of the National Fund.

While traveling in America, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was heard to exclaim:

O Bahá’u’lláh! What has Thou done? O Bahá’u’lláh! May my life be sacrificed for Thee! O Bahá’u’lláh! May my soul be offered up for Thy sake! How full were Thy days with trials and tribulations! How severe, the ordeals Thou didst endure! How solid the foundation Thou hast finally laid, and how glorious the banner Thou didst hoist!

Dear friends, as we arise at dawn each morning during the coming month to thank our Creator for the privilege of having been enabled to recognize His Manifestation and assist in the unfoldment of the New World Order, let us recall these words of the Master and contemplate how we too might offer up our souls for Bahá’u’lláh. May the spiritual energies generated during the Fast weld us into a community wholly dedicated to the attainment of every Five Year Plan goal.

With loving Bahá’í greetings, NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES Dorothy W. Nelson, Treasurer February 22, 1975

National Bahá’í Fund

• • ANNUAL GOAL BY RIDVAN 1975: $2,600,000**

• • Monthly Goal: Sultán (Sovereignty)**
• Budget Goal: $137,000
• Contributions: $137,883
• Overage (Shortage): $883

• • Year to Date**
• Budget Goal: $2,055,000
• Contributions: $1,773,237
• Overage (Shortage): ($281,763)

• • Total Number of Assemblies Contributing**
• Goal: 750
• Current: 614 (As of Sultan)
• Previous months: 651, 606, 601, 581, 663, 682, 700

Contributions may be addressed to: National Bahá’í Fund, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Illinois 60091; Bahá’í International Fund, P.O. Box 155, Haifa, Israel; and Continental Bahá’í Fund, 418 Forest Ave., Wilmette, Illinois 60091.