The American Bahá’í/Volume 1/Issue 4/Text
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Deep South Teaching Conference Heralds Mass Enrollments[edit]
The community of Frogmore is on an island off the South Carolina coast. It is a collection of small farms and an unlikely place for a revolution to begin. Nonetheless, one did.
The Deep South Teaching Conference met at Frogmore on March 21-22 to discuss and plan for mass teaching and mass conversion in the South.
National Convention to be Held at Two Sites[edit]
The National Bahá’í Convention will be held at two different places this year. Most delegate sessions will take place in Carlson Hall at the National College of Education, two blocks from the House of Worship. The 171 convention delegates will assemble at the college to consult, make recommendations, and elect the National Spiritual Assembly for the coming year.
Separate sites for delegates and observers are being used on a trial basis this year. Increased attendance by observers at National Convention and limited space in the House of Worship necessitated this action, according to Glenford Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Bahá’ís attending the convention as observers will be able to watch all sessions — except the election of the new National Assembly — on videotape in Foundation Hall of the House of Worship. Videotapes of each session will be hand-carried to Foundation Hall for immediate replay after each hour of a delegate session has been recorded.
There will be two joint sessions of delegates and observers. The first will be the opening of convention, held in Foundation Hall on Thursday night, April 30. Hands of the Cause and members of the Continental Board of Counsellors will address those attending convention on Sunday morning, May 3, at Arnold Auditorium at the National College of Education.
The audience listens to a lecture at the Deep South Conference.
What happened at Frogmore
could mark the beginning of
mass enrollments and create
some changes in the consolidation and future administration
of the Bahá’í Faith in the United States.
The events that led to the conference and to this impending change are rooted in the small southern towns of Adams Run, South Carolina; Bogalusa, Louisiana; and Dawson, Georgia. There have been large scale enrollments in these rural towns.
Dawson, Georgia is typical of this new trend. Four months ago, there were only about five Bahá’ís in the town. During the following three months, about 160 persons living in and around Dawson became Bahá’ís, 37 of them in one day.
It is the purpose of the Deep South Committee to promote and foster mass conversion in the rural black South. When large scale enrollments began, the committee decided to hold a conference to show that mass conversion is natural and desirable and to demonstrate how it can be achieved in the South.
The Deep South Teaching Conference at Frogmore was divided into the topic areas of
Pioneers Aid Bogalusa Upsurge[edit]
On March 4, there were 27 declarations over a two hour period at a fireside in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Since then, the Bahá’í Faith has grown steadily in this small town on the Louisiana-Mississippi border. There are now over 60 Bahá’ís living in Bogalusa. Four months ago, there were only three Bahá’ís in the town. Here is what happened.
In August 1969, Thelma Thomas and other Bahá’ís living in New Orleans, Louisiana began travel teaching trips to Bogalusa. The town was a goal area of the Louisiana State Goals Committee. Those going to Bogalusa could do so only one day a week. Not much happened at first.
Activity Begins[edit]
Then, in a six week period, there were three declarations. The Louisiana State Goals Committee told the National Teaching Committee that the chances of large scale enrollment in Bogalusa were good and asked that some Bahá’í be sent to the town to teach on a full-time basis.
The National Teaching Committee arranged for pioneers to go to Bogalusa. The pioneers, all youth, arrived in the town on January 21. Within a week of their arrival, there were seven declarations in town.
Then came Wednesday, March 4. During the day, there was another declaration. That night, at a fireside, people camethroughout the evening to hear about the Bahá’í Faith. In two hours, 27 people signed declaration cards.
Sandy Parr, one of the pioneers, recalls, “People would come to us and want to become Bahá’ís and we found ourselves saying, ‘But you don’t know enough about the Faith yet to become Bahá’ís.’ ”
Discovering that the techniques they had acquired in large cities were turning persons interested in the Faith away, the pioneers let their teaching activity taper off while they reoriented their thinking and revised their approach.
Committee Assistance[edit]
In the meantime, the Deep South Committee held a meeting on the weekend of February 28–March 1 and offered its assistance to Bogalusa. The committee sent two of its members, Eleanor Lombard and Poova Murday, to Bogalusa on a short term basis. They arrived Sunday night, March 1. The following day, there were five more declarations in town.
The newly arrived youth pioneers found that they had to adjust to the environment of the small southern town and solve some problems they had in teaching the Faith.
Since then, visits by Deep South Committee member Magdalene Carney as well as trips to the town by Shanta Murday, Thelma Thomas and Ruth Moffett have furthered deepening and consolidation in the community.
Twenty-two of the Bahá’ís in Bogalusa are adults. The community has enough adult members to form its first local spiritual Assembly and plans to begin the process of incorporating after Riḍván.
Members of the Deep South Committee feel that what has happened in Bogalusa is a prototype and lays the groundwork for large scale enrollments among the rural black population of the South.
In the meantime, the growth of the Bahá’í Faith in the town continues at a rate of about two enrollments per day, making Bogalusa the largest, fastest-growing Bahá’í community in the state of Louisiana.
Bahá’ís and friends at a Bogalusa gathering.
Deep South Teaching Conference[edit]
continued from page 1
A group of new Bahá’ís from Bogalusa, Louisiana tell of the growing interest in the Faith in their town.
“Attitudes for Mass Conversion,” “Methods Used in Mass
Conversion,” and “Materials for
Mass Conversion.” A different
member of the Deep South Committee was the chairman for
each section of the conference.
Three weeks before the conference, the committee met to select 15 target towns in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. The committee decided that one of the conference objectives would be to get pioneers and travel teachers into these 15 goal areas as quickly as possible.
On the first day of the conference, the Deep South Committee passed out forms to everyone attending. All were asked to indicate whether they would pioneer or travel teach to one of the 15 target towns. Sixty people responded that they would do one or the other.
Some who came to the conference made on the spot decisions to pioneer and left right after the conference to move to their chosen localities.
“Those people who left that conference are so ablaze with the love of God, so uninhibited, that I don’t think we will have any trouble in bringing in numbers; we may have trouble in managing the statistics,” says Glenford Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.
The Deep South Teaching Conference is distinctive not only for what was planned and accomplished, but what spontaneously arose from the conference.
Frogmore is in an area that is economically depressed. Many of the 300 persons attending the conference were from similar areas. Yet, they gave $3,500 to the National Bahá’í Fund. Women gave their jewelry to be sold for the Fund.
One person drove a car all the way from Albuquerque, New Mexico so that it could be given to the Deep South Committee. Another person, preparing to leave for his pioneering post in Africa, gave his car to promote the teaching work in the South.
Magdalene Carney of the Deep South Committee discusses the goal areas in Mississippi.
One of the most important
things to come out of the conference was a mass teaching
technique that was borrowed
from those areas in India and
Latin America where large
numbers of persons are becoming Bahá’ís.
The technique is not new. As Robert Phillips of the Deep South Committee points out, “It is only new in the sense that this is the first time it has been introduced into the U.S. on a large scale.”
The mass teaching approach is brief and direct. It involves having the Bahá’í teacher tell a person or an audience of people who Bahá’u’lláh is, what the nature of the Bahá’í Faith is and, in brief detail, some of the laws and social teachings of the Faith.
Alberta Williford talks of the growth of the Faith in her home town, Adams Run, S.C.
At the end of the presentation, the listener is asked if he
believes and agrees with what
has been said. If he does, he is
invited to join the Bahá’í Faith.
But often it is not necessary to
invite the people in the South
to become Bahá’ís. It is the experience of the Deep South
Committee that Negroes living
there have, in most cases, a basic
commitment to God and to religion. Their thoughts have been
deeply influenced by their religious beliefs, and by a sense of
expectation. When they hear the
new Message, they are ready to
accept it.
Poova Murday of the Deep South Committee addresses the conference.
The National Spiritual Assembly feels that declarations
based on an accurate and simple
presentation of the Bahá’í Faith
and on the spiritual feeling of
acceptance and recognition of
Bahá’u’lláh are valid and acceptable.
The National Teaching Committee and the Deep South Committee have jointly developed a simple and direct teaching kit for use in mass teaching areas. Other materials such as flip charts, pictures and special booklets for use in areas where large scale enrollments are common are also being developed to be used to consolidate communities.
Enrolling Bahá’ís in the rural South is a two-fold process. Declaration on the basis of a spiritual response to Bahá’u’lláh and His teachings is the first step.
Between the time a person signs his declaration card and the time his card is countersigned, enrolling him as a member of the Bahá’í Faith, it is the responsibility of the local assembly or state goals committee to take the second step and make the newly declared Bahá’í aware of the responsibilities and privileges of Bahá’í membership.
Using this system, Bahá’í institutions assume greater roles for deepening new Bahá’ís and consolidating Bahá’í communities.
The Deep South Committee regards the current large scale enrollments as the first step to mass conversion in the South.
Entrance to the auditorium at Penn Conference Center in Frogmore, South Carolina.
National Committee News[edit]
Construction of the House of Worship in Panama will cost an estimated $1 million. The Temple is scheduled for completion by Riḍván 1972. Half the cost of its construction will be paid by the end of this year, with the remaining half to be paid to the contractor next year.
The Nine Year Plan phase goal of having 2,700 localities in the United States where Bahá’ís reside has been attained. The goal to fill the Nine Year Plan quota is 3,000 localities.
International Goals Committee[edit]
Mrs. Maurine J. Kraus, secretary of the International Goals Committee since its inception, is leaving her position to go foreign pioneering as soon as the new goal areas are announced for the coming year.
The International Goals Committee is waiting for reports from many pioneers who left for their posts earlier this month in order to determine the final status of its goals.
Columbia, one of the countries in Latin America whose pioneering quota has been met, is experiencing large-scale enrollment. Over 800 natives in the Pacific Coast region of the country have recently declared. Efforts are underway to consolidate the area and deepen the newly declared Bahá’ís.
National Teaching Committee[edit]
Office of Community Development[edit]
One of the United States goals of the Nine Year Plan is to secure legal recognition of Bahá’í marriage in all states. Bahá’í marriage has been legalized in all states except West Virginia, Vermont and Rhode Island. A bill was introduced in the Rhode Island legislature to make Bahá’í marriage legal in that state. It passed the House of Representatives and is currently in a special committee of the state Senate.
Regional conferences for new Bahá’ís will be convened beginning late this summer or early fall. Each state goals committee will host and conduct a conference for new believers in its district once every six months. The purpose of the conferences is to help orient newly enrolled Bahá’ís to the objectives of the Nine Year Plan.
Office of Expansion[edit]
Members of this office are waiting to see how many local spiritual assemblies will be formed this Riḍván. Presently, there are over 40 localities with nine or more adult Bahá’ís expected to form assemblies. The goal for this year is 87 new local spiritual assemblies. It is anticipated that, if this year’s goals are met, another 80-90 goal areas will be created for next year in order to reach the Nine Year Plan goal of 600 local spiritual assemblies.
Youth and Student Activities[edit]
The foreign goal objectives of the Five Year Youth program to place five pioneers in Africa and 20 in Latin America have been oversubscribed. Increased emphasis will now be given to placing youth pioneers in goal localities in the South and Northern Plains states.
The youth deepening portfolios have been in so much demand that they will become a regular item issued by the Publishing Trust. The second deepening packet, entitled “A New Race of Men,” will be available after Riḍván.
NABOHR[edit]
Mason McCracken, the executive secretary of NABOHR, has left his position to pioneer to the goal area of the St. Pierre-Miquelon Islands off the coast of Newfoundland. John Cook, the administrative assistant in charge of Minority Teaching, will take over the duties of the executive secretary of NABOHR.
The Midwest Regional Conference on Education will be held in Omaha, Nebraska during the month of September. The conference theme is “Education for Worldmindedness.”
The Western Regional Conference on Education will convene in Portland, Oregon on June 6-7. Its theme will be “Education for Becoming Your True Self.”
Public Information Office[edit]
The Public Relations Society of America asked Mrs. Natalie DiBuono, assistant director of the Public Information Office, to make a presentation to the society’s Spring Assembly held in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 22-23. Mrs. DiBuono showed slides and discussed the Public Information Office and NABOHR Human Rights Year program that won the society’s 1968 Silver Anvil award for outstanding performance in the special event category.
An exhibit on the nature and purpose of International Education Year is planned for the Foundation Hall exhibit area. The exhibit will remain in the hall during International Education Year. A travelling exhibit on international education will be prepared for the regional education conferences and the national symposium on education.
The Chicago Lighting Institute has given an award for lighting excellence to the Bahá’í House of Worship for the new floodlighting system.
New Elective System Governs Geyserville[edit]
Last year, Geyserville Bahá’í School underwent a major change that altered 42 years of tradition in the way the school was run. Prior to 1969, during each summer session, a different person was appointed as coordinator of campus activity each week.
His duties were almost unending. Over the years, the assignment became a severe test of skills, patience and judicial acumen.
With the opening of last year’s session, a “school board,” elected weekly from among the youth and adult student body became responsible for running the school.
Crucial Question[edit]
The crucial question was: Would it work?
“No one was more surprised than I to see how responsibly the board was elected and how smoothly it assumed responsibility,” remarked Continental Board of Counsellors member Mrs. Florence Mayberry.
Geyserville Bahá’í School is administered by the Geyserville Bahá’í School Council, whose members are appointed annually by the National Spiritual Assembly.
A Need for Change[edit]
It is impractical for the entire council to attend all sessions at the school. During an all-day critique meeting of the council at the end of the 1968 summer session, someone said that a change was overdue in the way the school was run.
“A profound silence settled on us,” recalls Dr. Megha Shyam, council chairman at the time.
“Then it was almost as if the same inspiration occurred to us simultaneously. Someone voiced what was in our thoughts: ‘Why not elect a responsible body from among the youth and adult members of the student body?’ ”
The proposal was a major departure from past policy and tradition at the school, but it quickly caught on with the council, who decided to try it on an experimental basis.
“... We scheduled Winter Session 1968 as a trial week under school board responsibility and direction,” says Dr. Shyam. It was moderately successful.
The 1969 spring and summer session of the school were also conducted under the new system to see how well the elective process would work.
School Board Elected[edit]
The change in administration calls for a new school board to be elected for each week of a school session. The school board functions within the limits of the broad council policy that is in force for all sessions. The board is directly responsible to the Geyserville Bahá’í School Council through a council member.
The problem of making a smooth transition from the old system of a single coordinator to the new system of a school board was solved by having one council member serve on each week’s new board.
Board Responsibility[edit]
Each elected board “handles the day-to-day affairs of the school, organizes special programs and, when necessary, acts on disciplinary matters. All those attending Geyserville Bahá’í School are answerable to the board and are expected to give full cooperation and obedience to its decisions.
Eight board members are elected from all registrants at the school 15 years of age and above, including non-Bahá’ís. The ninth member is appointed by the council from its own membership. This member is the convenor, and is ineligible for office on the board.
Convenor’s Role[edit]
As Dr. Shyam explains the new arrangement, “The convenor remains in the background as a relatively passive observer at board meeting, and acts as consultant.
“However, provision was made for him to assume complete and arbitrary command of the school in case of emergency in view of the relatively deliberate speed at which consultative bodies necessarily decide and act.
“Further, in the event of breakdown of the consultative body for any reason, he has authority from the council to dissolve the board and call for a new election.”
Board Members’ Reactions[edit]
Persons who have been elected to the boards have commented: “I enjoyed myself immensely.”
“I had no idea there was so much to attend to at the school. I wouldn’t have missed the experience for anything.”
“I thought at first it was an imposition, but it turned out to be the best week I ever spent at Geyserville.”
School Council Pleased[edit]
The Geyserville Bahá’í School Council is pleased with the success of the school board concept. All 1970 sessions of the school will operate under this system, according to Dr. Douglas Gibson, this year’s council chairman.
“The council invites everyone to Geyserville to help create an atmosphere of joy and learning and devotion in a Bahá’í school community of his own making.
“We urge everyone planning to attend this summer to reserve early,” says Dr. Gibson.
A school board of the 1969 Geyserville summer session.
Editorial[edit]
Attitudes Toward Mass Teaching[edit]
Ready or not, the American Bahá’í community is teetering on the brink of mass conversion in this country.
It is all because Bahá’ís read what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi wrote about teaching Negroes in the South and decided that it was past time they did something about it.
Those Bahá’ís who are in the South and those who went to the South have opened up a whole new vista for the Faith in this country. They have taken the first steps toward mass conversion.
Let there be no mistake, though. Mass conversion has not yet occurred anywhere in this country. What has happened in towns like Dawson, Georgia and Bogalusa, Louisiana where there has been sudden growth in the Faith is that large scale enrollment has taken place. And it is spreading.
In the foreseeable future, a great many people in the United States will be declaring their faith on the basis of recognition of Bahá’u’lláh, not because of a detailed, painstaking examination of the inner workings of the Bahá’í administrative order, or because they are favorably impressed with the liberality of Bahá’í social principles or for any other reason.
There is an assumption underlying much of the teaching of the Faith in this country that holds that a seeker must have a tremendous and detailed knowledge of the Bahá’í Faith before he can be accepted as a member of the Bahá’í community.
The Universal House of Justice has written (WELLSPRING OF GUIDANCE, p. 32) that those who declare their belief in Bahá’u’lláh “... need not know all the proofs, history, laws, and principles of the Faith, but in the process of declaring themselves they must, in addition to catching the spark of faith, become basically informed about the Central Figures of the Faith, as well as the existence of laws they must follow and an administration they must obey.”
Predominant methods for teaching the Bahá’í Faith in the United States are very much grounded in literacy, on the rational processes, and on intensive study of the Faith. There is nothing wrong with this. But as the only approach to the Bahá’í Faith, it is too limiting.
In mass teaching areas of the world, those who have declared themselves as Bahá’ís have done so on the response and recognition of Bahá’u’lláh, not on the basis of a learned study of the Bahá’í Faith. Indeed, many of them are illiterate or semi-literate, but this did not prevent their spiritual recognition of the Manifestation of God for this day, in the same way that it did not prevent the Apostle Peter, an illiterate, from recognizing Christ.
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coffee, tea, and
the Word of God. hold a fireside in your home this Bahá’í month |
People that have had little or no schooling, those who cannot read or can barely read have just as much right to be Bahá’ís as do those who have spent years tracing down every loose thread and checking out every facet of the Bahá’í Faith before satisfying themselves that it is the Word of God in this day.
Those whose lack of formal education limits their knowledge of the Bahá’í Faith are just as much Bahá’ís as those whose long-standing services to the Cause are a matter of record. The Bahá’í Faith needs and can function only with people from every stratum of society. This includes those whose education begins with their declaration of faith and whose potential as a new race of men remains largely unknown.
Therefore, those who become Bahá’ís in droves must be accepted and aided to deepen in the Faith because they have tremendous contributions to make to the Bahá’í world,
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THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091. Material must be received by the 15th of the month of its intended publication. Black and white glossy prints should be included with material whenever possible. Articles and news written in a clear and concise manner are welcomed from individuals as well as assemblies and committees. Address all mail to: The American Bahá’í Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091. |
Letter from Vietnam[edit]
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The following excerpts are from a young American believer who, in order to pioneer to Vietnam, accepted an assignment there with the American Red Cross. |
“... My pioneer effort in Vietnam began on time, June 15, 1969, at which time the airplane which brought me landed in Saigon. My first night in Vietnam was disturbed by sirens and the crash of incoming rockets. But, my first words on touching the soil of Vietnam were: ‘Alláh-u-Abhá!’
“Since that time, I have uttered the Greatest Name in many out of the way villages, in the midst of rice paddies, in helicopters flying over the countryside, in sand-bagged bunkers and in jeeps even as rifle fire was being directed towards us by those who count themselves enemies.
“I spent a wonderful day with the National Spiritual Assembly of Vietnam shortly after my arrival in-country. They were kind and most loving in every way. They welcomed me and in consultation it was agreed I should concentrate on reaching the Americans over here at least in the beginning.
“So, to this end, I have been happy to participate in many firesides in many unusual places — walking down dusty roads with tired soldiers, riding in jeeps with Catholic and Protestant Chaplains, sitting about a rustic table in the flickering light of various hootches, (temporary shelters) even having dinner with a General and his staff one evening. For three months, I gave the welcoming speech on behalf of the Red Cross to every new soldier assigned to the 25th Infantry Division and this was a wonderful chance to do indirect teaching about the earth being one home and man one family. I suppose at least a couple of thousand young soldiers from America arrived during this period.
“At Tay Ninh, Vietnam, I met the monks of the new Cao-Dai religion, a religion which seeks to unite the various religions of Vietnam in something of a synthesis. One of the monks became my friend and on my departure, he said ‘We are one in spirit.’
“It has been my function to counsel untold numbers of soldiers and many civilians in every kind of human situation, from drug abuse to marital discord.
“At present, I feel my purpose will be basically accomplished this year, that purpose being to obey the command I received, to do what was possible.”
Letters to the American Bahá’í[edit]
Congratulations on the first issues of THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í. It is a publication that has long been needed. I wish to offer a suggestion, however, in regard to the newspaper.
The suggestion is that THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í should regularly run columns by eminent Bahá’ís who have achieved distinction in the various scientific, social and artistic fields, written in simple layman’s language, and sharing some of their personal insights into the relationship of current discoveries and problems to the Bahá’í writings or social order.
That such columns would necessarily deal with opinion should not disturb us. The American Bahá’í community is mature enough to be exposed to bad news as well as good, to realize that difference of opinion is necessary and sometimes a healthy part of living, and to be thirsty for knowledge of all kinds. Recent and advanced thought presented in easily readable form would help us all to be better rounded individuals more capable of creating a better image of the Faith among those whom we associate with and teach.
- John F. Dumbrill,
- Cheyenne, Wyoming
Hurrah, Hurrah for the tone and color of THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í. My heart experienced the same quickening at reading the articles of such immediate concern as “Disillusioned Bahá’ís” and “About Drugs” (January 1970) as it did at the initial reading of the Hidden Words. I needed to hear, read, know what these articles offer... This extension of assistance is another door open and beckoning us to come all the way up to the facts; the view from the top of the matter with comment on the root problem. How often do we experience those precious moments when someone says what we are feeling and cannot find our way to do it? This is what THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í did for me.
- Blanche Grant,
- Inglewood, J. D., California
The American Bahá’í community was chided several years ago for using too many words and it would seem that its verbosity is alive and living in our latest news organ.
... (the) articles are too lengthy and exhausting to read.
We have Bahá’í News for feature-length articles and the WORLD ORDER MAGAZINE for in-depth analysis. Please, please, please don’t waste this marvelous opportunity to enrich our busy Bahá’í lives by drowning our interest in a sea of words!
- Joan Dilley,
- Oroville, California
The Bahá’í faith, as Daniel Jordan admirably pointed out in his address “The Dilemma of the Modern Intellectual” (World Order, Spring 1967), is an appealing faith for modern intellectuals, who may already believe many of its social teachings. But an understanding of its social principles, even conviction in its divine origin, even deep knowledge of its history and intent is not enough; the intellectual must bring his knowledge and understanding into the arena of personal action — by contributing to the Fund, by holding firesides, by praying, by meditating, by deepening, by living the life. If he combines action with knowledge, he will become a true leader; and as such, his responsibility is very great, to make sure that his deeds always conform with his words, and, above all, never to let his ego interfere with his service of God....
... to quote from an old Jewish sage, Antigonus, as recorded in the Talmud: “Be not like slaves who serve their master for the sake of their allowance; be rather like slaves who serve their master with no thought of an allowance — and let the fear of heaven be upon you.”
- Gerald Parks,
- Renton, Washington
The THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í has arrived and every word read with pleasure. Thank you for giving us a lively and informally written news publication at last.
- Christine Ivanoff,
- Bridgeport, Connecticut
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HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SAID TO YOURSELF,
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YOW!
PAGE[edit]
“That God-born Force, irresistible in its sweeping power, incalculable in its potency, unpredictable in its course, mysterious in its workings, and awe-inspiring in its manifestations... such a Force, acting even as a two-edged sword, is, under our very eyes, sundering, on the one hand, the age-old ties which for centuries have held together the fabric of civilized society, and is unloosing, on the other the bonds that still fetter the infant and as yet unemancipated Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. The undreamt-of opportunities offered through the operation of this Force, — the American believers must now rise, and fully and courageously exploit them.” A.D.J., p. 39
approaching victory[edit]
Success upon success has been ours in the arena of Bahá’í college and high school clubs. Their growth has been steady and rapid, their activities varied and exciting. In February, there were 97 Bahá’í College campus groups; now, the end of March, Bahá’u’lláh’s message is being spread by 119 college clubs — the goal, outlined in the Five Year Youth Program, is 122 by 1973. How wonderful if we could fulfill this goal by Riḍván, 1970!
Want to assist in fulfilling this goal of the Five Year Youth Program? Part of the goal is to establish at least one college club in every state. There are still seven states lacking a club: New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Choose a college in one of these states and form the first Bahá’í club in that state!
Sorely-needed assistance can also be rendered in the arena of high school clubs. We have attained nearly half the goal of 20 clubs, but need even more support in order to exploit the precious opportunities for teaching offered at the high school campuses. If there are two or more Bahá’ís on your high school campus, write Youth and Student Activities, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Ill. to obtain information about forming a club. Be part of the Nine Year Plan — help fulfill this goal of the Five Year Youth Program.
what is sacrifice?[edit]
Fellow Youth;
From behind my Vietnamese glasses old problems take on new perspectives. Here we see and hear of much suffering: of brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers slain or kidnapped; of a culture being destroyed by advancing materialism; of foreign soldiers — Americans, Filipinos, Koreans, Thailanders — giving their legs, their arms, for an unimportant cause. People here are suffering — and not in the path of God. How sad. And how sad it is that as I change the bed of a one-legged G.I., I recall that the youth fund is floundering. Those men give their bodies for the perpetration of decadence; can we not give our — His — money for the founding of unity, peace? —Paul Vaughn
“It is the sacred obligation of every conscientious and faithful servant of Bahá’u’lláh who desires to see His Cause advance, to contribute freely and generously for the increase of that Fund,” Shoghi Effendi.
A MATTER OF SURVIVAL[edit]
In recent months we have witnessed a rising tide of concern about the future survival and well-being of the human race. Across the country, and especially on college campuses, a once academic concern has become a mass movement. American Bahá’í youth must recognize in this growing concern with ecology a new opportunity to proclaim the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Who, after all, is more qualified to discuss the future of mankind than the Bahá’ís?
In its recent letter addressed to the Bahá’ís of the world, the Universal House of Justice explains that the worsening world situation must be attributed to “a lamentably defective social system, unenlightened leadership and a rebellious and unbelieving humanity.” They remind us once again that the governments and peoples of the world are utterly incapable of averting the catastrophies which await us. Of this the Bahá’ís must remain firmly confident.
Ours is not to join the “babel of shouting and protestation” or to devote our energy to some desperate expedient which is ultimately doomed to failure. Rather we are called upon to exploit this chaos for the purpose of building a lasting World Order.
Ecology is the study of natural systems. We are now living in a world society. Our natural system has become the globe, and our vision must be raised to that level. Bahá’ís may contribute to the discussion of ecology by focusing on Bahá’u’lláh’s teaching of the unity of mankind.
A spiritual solution to economic problems is also relevant. One major reason that pollution continues is that it is profitable. A Bahá’í might point out that only when spiritual values govern economic pursuits — only when men are persuaded to work for the good of the whole, rather than for momentary economic gain — can the problem be solved.
Of course, the Bahá’í Writings also discuss man’s relationship to nature directly. Any Bahá’í can easily deepen himself in this area. The following references are offered as a mere beginning to those who are interested:
- GLEANINGS, p. 216
- FOUNDATIONS OF WORLD UNITY, p. 48-50
- REALITY OF MAN, p. 39
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“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 House of Justice. |
are you a pioneer?[edit]
The National Teaching Committee and the International Goals Committee, with the approval of the National Spiritual Assembly, have decided upon a definition of a pioneer:
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“A Bahá’í pioneer today is one who, in response to the Bahá’í Writings and the appeals of the Universal House of Justice and/or the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, leaves his home to relocate in a goal with the primary intention of serving the Faith in the goal area, in full collaboration with the Bahá’í institutions in his new location.”
In order for you to be counted as a pioneer in fulfillment of a goal of the Nine Year Plan, through the Five Year Youth Program, you must notify the Office of Youth and Student Activities of your move and Membership and Records (at the National Bahá’í Center) of your change of address. In compliance with the spirit and principles of the Cause, be sure your parents are aware of and consent to your move.
“It is now imperative for every Bahá’í to set for himself individual goals. The admonition of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to lead at least one new soul to the Faith each year and the exhortation of Shoghi Effendi to hold a Bahá’í fireside in one’s home every Bahá’í month are examples of individual goals. Many have capacities to do even more, but this alone will assure final and complete victory for the Plan.” Universal House of Justice
News Briefs[edit]
The first Intercontinental Council Fire will be held near Oroville, Washington on May 9-10, 1970. Called the Canawash Council Fire, it will take place in Osoyoos State Park just north of Oroville, four miles from the Canadian Border. Those planning to attend this council fire should bring their own camping gear and enough food for the weekend. The state park is equipped with electricity, running water and rest rooms. There is a charge of $1.75 per car or for each six persons using the grounds and facilities at the park.
Another council fire is planned for the weekend of June 6-7 at the Mescalero Apache Reservation near Alamagordo, New Mexico.
An all Bahá’í Indian gathering and deepening conference will convene on the weekend of June 12-13 on the Navajo Indian Reservation at Chinle, Arizona.
The annual Toppenish Council Fire will be held this year on July 18-19 at Toppenish, Washington.
A year ago, Marie Bohmann of the Chicago Bahá’í community began saving trading stamps for a new piano for the Chicago Bahá’í Center. Through friends, word of her activity spread and soon she was receiving trading stamps from all over the United States and parts of Canada. During the months that followed, she managed to collect 360 books of stamps. The books were redeemed and, in early February, a new piano was delivered to the Bahá’í center in Chicago.
Intercalary Days[edit]
Celebration of the Intercalary Days in the Bahá’í community of National City, California included a visit to the sick and aged at the Castle Manor Guest Home in National City. The community provided entertainment and gifts to more than a dozen of the residents of the home.
Community members learned that those living at the home had a great need for personal items. The Bahá’ís of National City were asked to provide combs, brushes, mirrors, note paper, cologne, hand lotion, tooth paste, handkerchiefs, etc. to be assembled into “gift packs” for some of those living at the home. The packs were given to 14 residents of the home at a special Intercalary Days party.
Bahá’í youth in the Spokane, Washington area planned all the observances of Intercalary Days this year.
Activities for the period began with a deepening class on Friday, February 27. The next day, 15 children from Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í families were taken on a tour of a museum.
That evening, a potluck dinner began a program that was highlighted by the demonstration of different styles of Indian dancing. There was singing, an informal talk on the Faith and games to round out the evening. About 50 people attended, almost half of them non-Bahá’ís.
One weekend a month, Bahá’í youth from all parts of Ohio gather at Kettering, Ohio for the Kettering Youth Study Institutes. Inaugurated in January, these institutes are designed both to deepen the youth and provide them an opportunity to get to know each other.
The youth institute is currently studying the first youth deepening portfolio, “A New World Order.” Future plans call for study and discussion of all the upcoming youth deepening portfolios.
Bahá’í youth at the Kettering, Ohio Youth Study Institute.
Bahá’í Finds Teaching At Base Exciting[edit]
Bahá’í teaching possibilities on military bases are “just tremendous” says 29-year-old Raymond Cote, a First Class Petty Officer and Bahá’í coordinator for the Chaplain’s Office at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago, Ill.
Cote has been coordinator for members of the Bahá’í Faith ever since he sought the permission of the Base Chaplain to hold meetings a year and a half ago.
“The Chaplain’s office helped me from the very beginning. They helped me set up a place to have Bahá’í services in the Jewish chapel, and have proved cooperative ever since.”
Activity Increases[edit]
When Cote first started firesides, he was the only Bahá’í on the base. Now there is a group of six Bahá’ís, and there is much Bahá’í activity both on the base, and in the city of North Chicago whose Local Spiritual Assembly has jurisdiction of the Bahá’ís at the base.
Cote, whose home is Rochelle, Ill., became a Bahá’í in 1963 while stationed in the San Francisco area.
“I never thought then I’d end up in this position — as a kind of chaplain on a base of 15,000 men; I didn’t even like to give talks then,” he said.
Now he holds a fireside every Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Chapel By The Lake on the base —
Fund Forum[edit]
Suggestions for increasing contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund continue to arrive at the forum. One such letter is from an isolated believer:
“I have, during the past few days, worked up an idea, the implementation of which, I feel, could result in a very substantial augmentation of the National Bahá’í Fund. I want to share it with you, in the hope that consultation on the idea might lead to a healthier Fund.
The idea grew out of a decision I made to sell a packet of Persian postage stamps that I have and to send the proceeds, along with my regular contribution, to the Fund. After making that decision it seemed natural to look around and see what else would come to light. I have a four-volume set of bound issues of World Order Magazine running from Number 1, Volume 1 of April 1935 to Number 12 Volume 4 of March 1939. These volumes, a source of joy to me, were a wedding gift to me and my wife. If I could find a Bahá’í who would give $100 or more to the National Bahá’í Fund in return for these four volumes (which are in near perfect condition), provided that that $100 was not deducted from that Bahá’ís regular contributions to the Fund.
Now the basic idea is this: could not THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í devote a page to advertisements, each of which offers for sale an item or items with the understanding that every object thus offered is to be paid for with a check made payable, not to the person offering the item, but to the National Bahá’í Fund? The buyer would mail his check to the seller, who would in turn mail the item to the buyer and the check to the Fund.
I see three possible types of objects which might be offered by my Bahá’í brothers and sisters.
- One-of-a-kind items (a book, a wristwatch, an antique of some sort or other, a slide-rule, etc.)
- Items created in one’s spare time (retired Bahá’ís with productive hobbies might find this an interesting idea).
- It happens on occasion that one finds a channel — through one’s job perhaps — through which one can obtain objects of value at a very small fraction of their market price.
Such “selling” involves an obvious sacrifice on the part of the person offering the object. The sacrifice could take the form of cash, time, sentiment or a mixture of the three. On the part of the buyer there must be no unintended sacrifice. That is, items offered for sale must be described accurately as to condition, content and worth.
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A Source of Information Your area International Goals Representative Get in touch — Consult! Then write to:
International Goals Committee |
The Book Review[edit]
THUS SPAKE GURU NANAK, 112 pages, published by the Ramakrishna Society, Madras, India, 1966, Available in the U.S. from The Vedanta Book Store, 1946 Vedanta Place, Hollywood, Calif. Send 25 cents plus 15 cents for postage and handling.
Bahá’u’lláh instructed his followers to approach believers of other faiths in a spirit of love and harmony. Those who earnestly seek to follow this teaching will find it useful to look for points of agreement and to emphasize similarities between their own creed and that of others.
In the case of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion of India, this is relatively easy for a Bahá’í to do. More than 400 years ago, Nanak was telling the Moslems and Hindus of India that the essence of the two religions was the same. Sikhism began as an effort to create harmony by acknowledging the best in these two dominant religions of India, and for this reason alone Guru Nanak is worthy of our attention.
He was born in 1469 in Lahore, now a part of West Pakistan. It was a period of marked religious decline, with the same excessive emphasis on ritual and the same abuses of priestcraft which prevailed in the Europe of that time. It is interesting to note that Nanak was a contemporary of Martin Luther. Unlike Luther, who tried to purify Christianity with a great schism, Nanak attempted a great synthesis. He tried to form a new faith that would appeal to Moslem and Hindu alike. To the extent to which he was successful, the new creed lessened religious strife by forming a buffer-state between the warring followers of Muḥammad and Krishna. In time, however, the Sikhs were forced to defend themselves against the members of both religions. As a result, they retain to this day their reputation as India’s finest fighting men. About six million of them now live in the Punjab region of Western Pakistan and northwest India.
Nanak was a remarkable man. Detached and spiritual even in early childhood, he also possessed the strength and character that was needed to withstand the oppression of rulers and priests. He traveled all of India, associated with both sadhu and fakir, visiting both temple and mosque, quoting both Qur’án and Bhagavad-Gita. He journeyed through Persia and even completed a pilgrimage to Mecca. If we remember the years in which he lived (1469-1538), we will realize the uniqueness of his vision of religious unity.
The Teachings of Guru Nanak[edit]
What did Guru Nanak teach? It is difficult to compress without distorting, but a brief summary may be useful. To quote from the introduction to THUS SPAKE GURU NANAK: “God is one, God is love, God is unity. The same God resides in the temple and in the mosque and outside as well. All human beings are equal in the eyes of God. Devotion to God and service to mankind irrespective of caste, creed or color is the duty of every one ... The Sikh religion is strictly monotheistic, believing in nothing but the one Supreme God, Absolute and All-pervading, the Eternal, the Creator, the Cause of causes ... The two basic postulates of Sikhism are: 1. That life is not sinful in origin but has emanated from a pure source; 2. That no caste is high or low, no man a condemned sinner or a sanctified being.”
Sacred Scripture[edit]
The sacred book of the Sikh faith is the GURU-GRANTH, compiled many years after Nanak’s death by the fifth of the spiritual leaders who succeeded him. This line of succession ended with Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru, who established the GURU-GRANTH as the guide for all Sikhs, and established the community of believers itself as the final arbiter in all matters. This de-emphasis of the priestly role is yet another affinity between Bahá’ís and Sikhs. It should be remembered that Nanak, although he stated that his teachings were divinely inspired, made no claim to be a manifestation or incarnation of God. Here is a brief sample of those teachings:
“The highest religion is to rise to universal brotherhood.”
“God is not pleased by obstinate penance nor by many religious rituals. He who fashioned the vessel of the body and poured into it His ambrosial gifts will only be satisfied with man’s love and service.”
“To work miracles is vain and empty show; One is separated, another to union attains; we receive only what He ordains. O may we rise up on the current of the Holy Name to His presence, and wish peace unto all the world, under His will.”
For the Bahá’í reader, a few hours spent with Guru Nanak should prove rewarding, and may provide an interesting approach to the theme of unity which can be used to give variety to Bahá’í teaching. For this writer, at least, the story of Nanak provided still another example of the essential unity of the world’s major religions.
Teaching at Base[edit]
continued from page 6
with the approval of the Chaplain’s office.
“They also cooperate by publishing the Bahá’í meetings in the Plan of the Day which goes to every man in the command, and have agreed to distribute Bahá’í literature through the same channels which they use for other denominations and Faiths,” he said.
Ray’s full-time job is manager of the 65-piece Navy Service School Band, even though he holds an Electronic Technician’s First Class rating. The job involves a busy 12-hour day and takes him travelling with the band all over the midwest. During his off hours, he helps teach the Faith.
Emotional Conflict[edit]
“Many young men are in real emotional conflict about what the military stands for and the taking of human life, and Bahá’í teachers can help them keep their minds straight.”
For those who do become Bahá’ís, there is an exciting prospect, he said. “When a serviceman who becomes a Bahá’í gets transferred to his next duty station, it is like he is being paid to pioneer.
“I would urge any Bahá’ís who have a military base near them to take advantage of the teaching opportunities there,” he said. “It is one of the best ways to make contact with young people.” — Mason McCracken
Longhouse Fellowship[edit]
Imagine walking into an Indian longhouse for a potluck dinner and auction that you read about in a newspaper. At a glance you notice only Indians, all seated, already eating (the paper did say 5:30 p.m.). At first, no one speaks to you or even bothers to look up. It crosses your mind — are you really invited? But then, a woman, her hair tied in one long braid, invites you to sit. You eat venison, Indian dumplings, bitterroot, camas, salmon, huckleberries, and other even less familiar foods.
After eating, all the men group together at one end of the room and the women busy themselves cleaning up and doing dishes. This leaves you at somewhat of a loss for what to do, but you pitch in and help clear the dishes. No one speaks to you, although your hear the occasional mutter of a few of the older women speaking in their native language.
Find Ways to Meet[edit]
An auction begins, your name is asked and the procedure explained to you. Now things become less strange and somehow more friendly.
At the end of the evening, as you leave, you realize that perhaps this is the first time in your life that you have been in a minority group. The majority are people who are still very close to their age-old customs that you understand very little about.
The dinner and auction are a weekly affair. It gives you a chance to meet people you are not acquainted with. It offers you a new experience to teach the Cause and live the life. As you attend on a regular basis you are welcomed and motioned to seats near people you have come to know. Your contribution to the auction is complimented. People chat with you during the meal, and you joke and converse easily before the auction. Many of your new acquaintances recognize and greet you and sit down near you. Everyone is friendly. All of this seems a miracle, an answer to your prayers to find friends among Indians.
Bring a Friend Home[edit]
The next step is to invite some of your new friends to your home. And, from there, the Faith. It is slow and indirect in comparison to the more direct and fervent ways of reaching the young people in the cities. But then, you have time and you are looking toward the promise of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that once the Indians become enlightened by the Divine Teachings, the whole world will be illumined. They, in turn, will shed light on all regions.
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You and Our Pioneer Goals How are your plans developing? If your community can dispatch at least one pioneer the goals can be won. Let’s arise and push Phone: Write: |
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are you to go through FIND OUT DIFFERENTLY WRITE:
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The Illumined Horizons (De Upplysta Horisonterna), by Sverre Holmsen, has been issued
by a publisher in Sweden. The book covers the
historical background of the Faith and its Central Figures, its basic principles, the administrative order and institutions, and Bahá’u’lláh’s
proclamation to the rulers and includes an
extensive bibliography. A number of photos,
maps, and diagrams are also contained in this
book of 178 pages.
Although literature in the Swedish language is not used very broadly in the United States, perhaps many communities would find it possible to present this book to Swedish school libraries or fraternal organizations, as well as to individuals of Swedish background. The National Spiritual Assembly of Sweden is hopeful that this can be done. It has been purchased by over 400 state libraries in Sweden and has served in this way as a major proclamation tool.
The Illumined Horizons sells for $4.85 in Sweden. It can be purchased at the same price (net) from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Ill. 60091.
Bahá’í Medic Wins Commendation[edit]
For George Danenberg, the phrase “service to mankind” took on a new meaning.
Private First Class Danenberg was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his actions as a medic that saved a man’s life. On May 1, 1969, while stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, he was assigned as a medic to a practice firing range. During the course of the firing, a gunner received two penetrating wounds in the abdomen. PFC Danenberg immediately attended to the injured man. The wounded soldier was evacuated by helicopter to the camp hospital where doctors credited PFC Danenberg’s actions with saving the man’s life.
George Danenberg is a Bahá’í. He was one of the first Bahá’í youths to work on a summer youth project on the Navajo Indian Reservation. When his time came to enter the service he was classified as a conscientious objector, inducted into the army, trained as a medic and sent to Fort Bliss.
PFC Danenberg receiving the Army Commendation Medal.
- APPLICATION TO MAIL AT
- SECOND CLASS POSTAGE RATE
- IS PENDING AT WILMETTE, ILL. 60091
