The American Bahá’í/Volume 10/Issue 5/Text
Media, Lawmakers Lend Support to Cause[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly has received several interesting and heartwarming responses to its February 15 mailing of information packets to U.S. senators and congressmen and various news media personalities.
Among the media responses are those from NBC News, ABC News, and WGST Radio in Atlanta, Georgia.
A NUMBER OF lawmakers have responded including Sens. Milton R. Young of North Dakota, Edward Zorinski of Nebraska, Charles Percy of Illinois, William Bradley of New Jersey, William Cohen of Maine, S.I. Hayakawa of California, and Robert Dole of Kansas.
Also, Reps. D. Cheney of Wyoming, Abner Mikva of Illinois, Frank Thompson of New Jersey, Philip Crane of Illinois, Richardson Preyer of North Carolina, Clement Zablocki of Wisconsin, S. William Green of New York, B. Boner of Tennessee, and Michael Barnes of Maryland.
Especially noteworthy are the replies from Congressmen Zablocki and Barnes, both of whom are members of the influential House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr. Zablocki, the committee chairman, indicated that “the information you have provided will be maintained in Committee files and be given full consideration on matters that might have a bearing on the interests of the Bahá’í community.” He also said he would “take the information into consideration as events in Iran unfold.”
Congressman Barnes wrote: “I visited the (Iranian) Embassy here in Washington to meet with Shahriar Rouhani, chief of the revolutionary committee now in charge of Iranian relations with the United States ...
“I HAVE ALSO raised this issue with officials of the United States government, particularly with the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and the President’s Special Representative for Refugees ...
“You can be assured that I will continue to monitor this situation closely and take every action as a member of Congress to assist religious minorities in Iran.”
Shortly after receiving these responses, the National Spiritual Assembly heard from James McPike, an Illinois state representative from Alton, saying he had introduced a resolution on behalf of the Bahá’ís.
In mid-March, the Illinois House of Representatives passed Rep. McPike’s resolution, which calls on the government of Iran to recognize the Bahá’í Faith as an independent religion, entitled to the same rights and freedoms accorded other religious minorities there, and appeals to President Carter to intervene on behalf of the Bahá’ís with the new Iranian government to assure the recognition of the Faith and respect for its rights and privileges as an independent religion.
The complete text of the resolution:
“WHEREAS, it is the avowed foreign policy of the United States of America to encourage worldwide respect for the human rights of all citizens of the world; and
“WHEREAS, the Bahá’í community, the largest religious minority in Iran, is being brutally attacked and accused of hating Muslims and committing many crimes against the nation; and
“WHEREAS, the Bahá’í community in Iran, like Bahá’í communities everywhere, abstains from all political activity, is peaceful, works toward brotherhood among nations and races, promotes religious tolerance and seeks mutual understanding with members of all faiths and groups; and
“WHEREAS, it is therefore most regrettable that the more fanatical and extremist elements among the Iranian Muslims have once again chosen the Bahá’ís as scapegoats, as history
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News From Iran Remains Grim News reports concerning the attitude of leaders in the new Iranian government toward the Bahá’í community in that country continue to sound an ominous note. In a report published in the March 23 edition of The Washington Post summarizing interviews with “radio and television Director Sadegh Ghotbzadeh and deputy Prime Minister Ibrahim Yazdi,” described in the article as “(Ayatollah) Khomeini’s two principal aides during his months of exile in France,” the issue of religious freedom for minority groups in Iran was raised. According to the article, “Religious minorities would continue to be represented in the legislature,” he (Ghotbzadeh) said. “The present tradition of three deputies for the Armenian and Assyrian Christians, one for the Jews and one for the Zoroastrians would be codified,” he said. “Both officials (indicated) that there would be no representation for the Bahá’ís, the most hated sect in the country. They both insisted that it is not so much a religion as a political group.” |
Children of the Mishawaka, Indiana, Bahá’í community took center stage in the city’s 1978 Memorial Day parade. The children, wearing homemade hats and carrying United Nations flags and paper flowers, rode on a truck that displayed signs reading ‘Bahá’í Faith’ and ‘Mankind Is One.’
Bulletin![edit]
Another major homefront goal of the Five Year Plan was won on Wednesday, April 11, when Upper Ojai, California, became the 7,000th locality in the U.S. to be opened to the Faith, the National Teaching Committee has reported.
News of the opening of Upper Ojai was received at the National Teaching Committee office at 2:42 p.m. Six more localities were reported opened by the end of the day. The final 100 localities were opened in a three-day period.
National Assembly Reviews Administrative Proposals[edit]
At its meetings in February and March, the National Spiritual Assembly reviewed the many reports and recommendations sent in by the Continental Counsellors, members of the Auxiliary Board, national committees and Local Spiritual Assemblies.
The materials were submitted in response to a request from the National Spiritual Assembly for suggestions that might help to improve administration of the Faith as the American Bahá’í community prepares to embark upon the new Seven Year Plan of the Universal House of Justice.
“WHAT EMERGES from the recommendations,” said Dr. Magdalene M. Carney, assistant secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, “is the need to simplify procedures, to be consistent in program development and activities, to reduce freneticism in the community, to intensify proclamation, and to help the believers experience the spiritual reality of the Faith.
“The National Assembly was impressed by the depth of thought the recommendations reflected,” Dr. Carney said in an interview with The American Bahá’í. “They helped us in our preparations for the new Plan.
“Most notable, I believe, is the fact that more than half the recommendations had to do with that aspect of teaching we refer to as ‘consolidation.’
“Community development, family life, youth and children are obviously of major concern to the friends, and it is clear that we have to make great strides in these areas during the Seven Year Plan.”
WHILE THERE IS almost universal agreement about the goals of consolidation, the same is not true about the goals of expansion, said Dr. Carney.
“There are definite differences of opinion about how to teach and who to teach,” she noted. “These divisive views must be overcome by frank discussion of fundamentals.”
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On the Inside ... NATIONAL ASSEMBLY plans new ‘Gifts Program’ for Bahá’í Fund. Page 3 GREGORY INSTITUTE hosts gala Ayyám-i-Há party. Page 4 BOSTON ‘WALK’ retraces steps of Master’s 1912 visit there. Page 5 PUBLISHING TRUST releases newly-designed Bahá’í Planning Calendar. Page 6 GOALS COMMITTEE reports U.S. pioneering goals are all but assured. Page 9 A NEW BOOK by Dr. Allan L. Ward chronicles ʻAbdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the U.S. Page 10 200 FRIENDS attend Michigan conference on ‘Most Challenging Issue.’ Page 14 WESTCHESTER PROJECT in New York State sees steady teaching gains. Page 16 |
Next to consolidation, the biggest concern expressed was proclamation.
“The friends clearly favor increased proclamation through the media,” said Dr. Carney. “This is laudable, and we hope to increase substantially the amount and quality of media coverage during the Seven Year Plan.
“We hope, though, that the friends do not equate proclamation with teaching. Proclamation is a part of teaching. Many communities put a great deal of effort into proclamation but do very little personal teaching, and consequently see little growth.”
The National Spiritual Assembly also observed that many of the recommendations could be implemented by the Local Assemblies themselves.
“We hope the Assemblies will take more initiative during the Seven Year Plan,” said Dr. Carney. “When they have completed the goals assigned to them by the National Spiritual Assembly, they should proceed to establish new goals for themselves.”
Another matter that Dr. Carney feels must become a reality during the Seven Year Plan is that of institutional collaboration. Without it, she said, human and material resources will not be expended in a sensible, realistic fashion.
“It is heartening to note,” she concluded, “that the community at large is aware of these problems and is working toward their solution.”
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Assemblies Should Arrange Reports Local Spiritual Assemblies that wish to have a delegate’s report from the Bahá’í National Convention for their community should make the necessary arrangements directly with the delegate. Some Assemblies may wish to host meetings for several communities and Groups within their area. |
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Editorial A new Plan from the Universal House of Justice, like the coming of spring, imbues us with hope and enthusiasm. Our souls are refreshed. We are filled with awe as we contemplate the progress of the Master’s Divine Plan. Our minds are stretched to the limit as we strive to grasp the significance of the message from the Supreme Institution of our Faith. Our spirits are quickened as we rededicate ourselves to the service of the Cause of God. Our Assemblies and committees are regenerated as they consult on the requirements of the new Plan and formulate the measures they will adopt to help fulfill its objectives. IN THE PROCESS, we try to build on the things we did well in the most recent Plan and examine ways to improve what was done poorly. It is an intense, dynamic time, full of promise and challenge. We must remember that while plans and strategies are important and necessary, they are secondary to the real force that attracts people to the Faith: the force of example. The beloved Guardian made this abundantly clear in the following oft-cited extract: “Not by the force of numbers, not by the mere exposition of a set of new and noble principles, not by an organized campaign of teaching—no matter how worldwide and elaborate in its character—not even by the staunchness of our faith or the exaltation of our enthusiasm, can we ultimately hope to vindicate in the eyes of a critical and sceptical age the supreme claim of the Bahá’í Revelation. One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the extent to which our inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.” While plans and strategies are important to the advancement of the Faith, they are of no real value unless behind them stand individuals whose characters are refined, whose actions are stainless, and whose behavior is kind, upright and compassionate. Now that events in Iran have focused increased attention on the Bahá’í community, the need to reflect the attributes of God in our daily lives is made more acute than ever. The most vital and pressing challenge the Bahá’í community faces is not the enrollment of troops, the formation of Assemblies, the support of the National Fund, or the improvement of its administrative machinery. It is bringing our conduct into closer conformity with the Divine standard. This is the objective that should be uppermost in our minds. As we succeed in meeting it, so will we succeed in meeting all our other goals. |
Book About Faith Named Top Academic Selection[edit]
The Light Shineth in Darkness, by Udo Schaefer, has been selected by Choice magazine as one of the outstanding academic books of 1978. Published by George Ronald, the book is available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust (186 pp., paper. Catalog No. 7-32-18, $4.75 NET).
Each year the editors of Choice, a highly-regarded publication that reviews books for college and academic libraries, sift through all of the books reviewed during the past volume year and compile a list of the titles they feel are most outstanding.
This year, out of a total of more than 4,000 books reviewed by the magazine, 510 books were selected: one of these was The Light Shineth in Darkness. The list of top academic books is published in the May edition of Choice.
“Our objective has always been to aid academic and public librarians in the building of outstanding collections in many subject areas,” writes Choice. “This, therefore, is a list of those books which make a permanent contribution to the libraries of today.”
Choice is circulated to more than 5,000 libraries around the world including college, university, public, school, government, and others.
The Light Shineth in Darkness: Five Studies in Revelation After Christ introduces the Bahá’í Faith and deals with popular misconceptions about the Bahá’í Faith and Islám found in the religious and intellectual traditions of the West.
The book is available from Bahá’í librarians. Isolated Bahá’ís and Bahá’ís in communities with no librarian may order directly from the Publishing Trust. Send check or money order for $4.75 per copy (plus 75 cents postage and handling on orders under $5) to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Letters to the Editor
S.C. Teacher: ‘Can’t Wait to Go Back!’[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following letter was written to the Western Pennsylvania District Teaching Committee by Mrs. Pat McMackin of Pittsburgh shortly after she had spent a month teaching the Faith in South Carolina.)
Dear Friends:
I arrived at the Louis Gregory Institute (in Hemingway, South Carolina) at noon and was sent out to teach less than an hour later.
We went into a town where 70 people were enrolled eight years ago and set about locating them. Many still considered themselves Bahá’ís, so the only real problem we encountered was determining the locality in which they lived so that we could help them form Assemblies.
THE NEXT DAY we continued our activities in the same town. We found the believers and prayed with them to share the power of Bahá’u’lláh.
On the third day, I had my first experience in forming Assemblies. We formed two in one day!
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The American Bahá’í welcomes letters to the editor on any subject of general interest. Letters should be written as briefly as possible, and are subject to editing for length and style. Please address letters to The Editor, The American Bahá’í, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. |
We had prayed all night the night before, and on the morning of the third day I felt somehow different. We were charged with the realization of what was happening in the South: it was the beginning of a wave of teaching in which the whole U.S. was soon to be engulfed.
Energized by prayer, we went to our goal areas. Using the special teaching booklets, we helped raise the number of believers to nine in each of two localities. People came to meet us; I believe they felt the power of our prayers!
This constant activity continued for the four weeks I was there. I can’t wait to go back! In the two weeks since I’ve been gone the teams have contacted 60 areas—and there are only a handful of people doing the work. It’s really happening: the Kingdom of God on earth is being built block by block in South Carolina!
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dear Friends:
This is written in response to a letter in the January 1979 issue of The American Bahá’í from a friend who expressed her views about women’s roles in careers.
I, too, understand that women are inclined toward tenderness and service, and therefore are suited to service-oriented occupations such as teaching and nursing; however, I also believe that more traditionally male-oriented jobs—business executive, scientist, etc.—have a great potential for tenderheartedness, service, and love that have in many cases been missing from these occupations since their inception.
When women are able to exert their influence in these traditionally male-dominated and powerful positions, the world will be transformed and our civilization will be able to shed some of its outmoded old-world characteristics, such as war and materialism.
With both wings (male and female) operating fully, the world will be able to fly toward the Most Great Peace.
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Our first two months as pioneers in Japan have sailed by smoothly. Our jobs at the Ube Academy of Foreign Languages are quite enjoyable. We work about 20 hours per week, and teach English to engineers, doctors, teachers, businessmen, housewives and pre-schoolers.
Our boss was pleased when he found out we are Bahá’ís. He started counting all the Bahá’ís he knows. He told us that he is just like a Bahá’í. We asked him who it was that told him that, and he pulled out the Hand of the Cause Alí-Akbar Furútan’s card with his Haifa address!
Needless to say, we were quite overjoyed when, a week ago, after a visit by a traveling teacher, our boss became a Bahá’í! He is now reading Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era in English, and The Hidden Words in Japanese.
The same traveling teacher’s visit led to two other declarations in our city, 19 in Kurashiki and two in Hiroshima at last count.
Our children, ages seven and three, became immediate celebrities when they were enrolled in Japanese schools, as most American children here attend American schools. They were interviewed by local newspapers and national radio and television programs.
Branch schools of our school will be opening soon, and teaching positions need to be filled right away. (Editor’s note: interested persons should contact the International Goals Committee.)
Ube City, Japan
The first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Dodge City, Kansas, was formed last December 17 and held its Recognition Ceremony February 24. Members of the Assembly include (front row left to right) Carol Cottrell, Juanita Spriggs, Barbara Mattingly, and (back row left to right) Vernon Cottrell, Curtis Spriggs, Shahab Omidvaran, Gene Mattingly. Not pictured are Ruth Bennett and Victor Bennett.
‘Gifts Program’ Planned for Bahá’í Fund[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly has announced a plan to establish a “Gifts Program” for the National Fund.
This new program, to be administered by the Office of the Treasurer, will provide individual Bahá’ís with information on how to make special, substantial contributions to the Fund.
Most Bahá’ís know how to contribute regularly to the Fund as individuals; however, when making large or unique gifts, contributing can be more complicated.
Bahá’ís who have accumulated assets may need to take into account tax laws pertaining to such gifts. They must also decide the appropriate form in which a gift should be given—such as real estate, securities, or cash.
The “Gifts Program” will provide information that will allow individuals and their legal or financial advisors to determine the method of contributing what is most appropriate to their needs.
The “Gifts Program” is being developed to provide information in the following areas:
- The importance of a will for estate planning.
- The steps necessary to plan a “thoughtful” will.
- The advantages of making gifts during one’s lifetime.
- The impact of tax laws on gifts made during one’s life or at death.
- The trust as a tool for estate planning.
- The relationship of life insurance and retirement funds to estate planning.
- Additional aspects of planning an estate, including selection of a lawyer, a trustee, or an executor, disposition of business interests, how an estate is actually settled, etc.
Each of these topics will be covered in separate pamphlets to be produced by the Office of the Treasurer starting soon. Further announcements of this program will be made in The American Bahá’í and in the National Treasurer’s letter.
The meeting between Bahá’í teacher Frances Pahr and young Rico Gray of Ruffin, South Carolina, appears to have been mutually satisfactory.
This group of happy believers and seekers was photographed during an afternoon of teaching in Society Hill, South Carolina.
In the South, Skepticism Turns to Tears of Joy[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following report was written by Dan Ware of the National Treasurer’s Office staff after a week-long visit to South Carolina in early March. He and Stephen Jackson, assistant to the Treasurer, went there to participate in the consolidation work and to develop a strategy for incorporating the Bahá’í Fund into the teaching and consolidation process.)
The first waves of large enrollments were beginning among the rural black population of South Carolina when I became a Bahá’í in early 1970. I can still recall the excitement this news generated at Conventions and other gatherings in my home state of Washington, but it wasn’t long before that excitement was transformed into controversy.
After learning that thousands of people had been enrolled in South Carolina, we engaged in endless debates about the validity of the teaching methods used to reach these souls, whether they actually knew what they were joining, and whether they should be considered Bahá’ís when they continued to go to church or to take an occasional drink.
THESE QUESTIONS were never clearly resolved in my mind. When I was asked to visit South Carolina in March to help develop a plan to educate these believers about the Bahá’í Fund, I dusted off my skeptical spectacles and mentally prepared myself for some shocks.
The trip did provide many shocks, but not at all in the areas I had expected. I would rate the trip second only to my pilgrimage in terms of significance in my Bahá’í life, and I hope that this report will help others to sense the spirit of the South, and put to rest any remaining suspicions that the Faith may have started down the wrong road in that area of the country.
My first surprise was the Louis Gregory Institute. I don’t know what I had expected, but I couldn’t help catching my breath when I first saw the carefully manicured grounds, the welcoming sign, the clean and beautifully decorated meeting rooms, the enormous Bahá’í library, and the comfortably efficient dormitories.
I realized at once that the dignity and prestige of the Faith in South Carolina is greatly enhanced by this marvelous property.
WE ARRIVED at the Institute as the believers were gathering to observe the Nineteen Day Feast. We were immediately made to feel like members of a large and loving family.
There are an average of 20 Bahá’ís staying at the Institute at any given time, each of them filled with the spirit that comes from being wholly occupied with the greatest undertaking—to raise the word of God among the masses.
They come from every part of the U.S. and from abroad. Many start by offering to help with the consolidation work for a week or so, then fall in love with the area and remain as long as they possibly can.
Young and old, they travel in teams of two or three to various towns and localities every day to teach the Faith and deepen the believers. The teachers are free to take off two days a week if they so desire.
LIFE AT THE Institute follows a simple routine: breakfast, morning prayers, a de-briefing session (a time for relating the previous day’s experiences), and team assignments.
Teams travel to their assigned communities, spend the day contacting the believers, teaching the Faith to seekers, and organizing evening meetings if possible. They return to the Institute whenever their mission for the day is accomplished.
Each Bahá’í community is visited by a consolidation team at three-week intervals. We were told that, with more manpower, the interval could be shortened to two weeks, which would greatly speed up the development of these communities.
In spite of the loving welcome we received at the Institute, I faced my first day of consolidation work with apprehension. How could I, living now in one of the most affluent areas of the country, and accustomed to conversing on a rather intellectual level, even begin to communicate with these believers?
MY FEARS were compounded when, after our first few stops, I began to realize that the speech patterns of these believers were so different from my own that I was having difficulty understanding what was being said. Then a teaching opportunity arose that melted away all the mental barriers I had spent years erecting.
We stopped to ask directions from a gentleman who was seated on his front porch, and the conversation developed into a two-hour fireside.
I had heard many similar episodes of immediate spiritual acceptance from other people who had taught in the South, but I had inwardly discredited these stories as exaggerated, and I didn’t really believe that the experience was likely to have a lasting impact on the person taught.
But here, before my unbelieving eyes, a soul was responding to the truth of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation!
We could tell that this man was not agreeing with us merely to be sociable—he thoughtfully weighed the spiritual concepts we presented before responding to them. You could almost see him communing with his heart to test the truth of what we said, and I was astonished by the level of understanding his responses indicated.
I COULDN’T help shedding tears of joy as I finally accepted the fact that there are people in this country who are so spiritually prepared that they can immediately recognize Bahá’u’lláh as their Lord.
That single incident marked my conversion to an unreserved acceptance of these thousands of souls (who I had previously been inclined to regard as so many names cluttering our membership rolls) as my Bahá’í brothers and sisters. They know that Bahá’u’lláh has come, they love Him and have a sincere desire to serve Him—how could anyone not consider them Bahá’ís?
At a community meeting that evening, I began to realize how effective the present consolidation efforts have been.
See S. CAROLINA, Page 7
In Ruffin, South Carolina, Gladys Stephens (left) and Dorothy Rose Williams share a laugh during a deepening session.
Gregory Institute Hosts Gala Ayyám-i-Há Party[edit]
More than 200 recently-enrolled Bahá’ís from many South Carolina communities spent the day at the Louis G. Gregory Institute in Hemingway, South Carolina, for a gala Ayyám-i-Há party on Sunday, February 25.
Following a brief welcome by Nabil Hanna, the administrator for the Institute, who explained the meaning of Ayyám-i-Há, the party began with the singing of many joyous songs by the friends.
The afternoon featured indoor games planned and organized by the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Youth Club. The club, which meets every week, is composed of 15 youth who live in or near Hemingway.
The young people began planning the Ayyám-i-Há party two months in advance of the get-together, and came early to help with preparations such as decorating the room with balloons, crepe paper streamers, and banners.
The afternoon of games was followed by dinner. “The most exciting part of our Ayyám-i-Há party,” said Mr. Hanna, “was that the majority of people who came were indigenous believers from all over South Carolina. Some people came by car on their own and brought friends. We went around and picked up others at their homes.
“This was the largest party of its kind we’ve had in a long time. Everyone had a lot of fun.”
Shown here are participants in the recent Oregon Bahá’í Youth Conference, the first one sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Springfield, Oregon, in the Willamette Valley. Activities included games, singing, a program of piano music, and a disco dance. An article about the conference appeared in the Springfield News.
Plan to attend one of six historic gatherings designed to launch the new Seven Year Teaching Plan.
- Each conference will include:
- Presence of members of the National Spiritual Assembly
- Presentations by various National Committees
- Reports by delegates to the Bahá’í National Convention
- Opportunities for YOU to discuss the new Seven Year Teaching Plan
- A special audio/visual presentation
- Displays and exhibits
- Fun and fellowship
BAHÁ’Í REGIONAL CONFERENCES
Sunday, May 27, 1979
LOCATION
| • ATLANTA, GEORGIA | • HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT | ||
| Georgia World Congress Center | Holiday Inn | ||
| 285 International Blvd. N.W. | 50 Morgan Street | ||
| Atlanta, Georgia | Hartford, Connecticut | ||
| Conference | Mr. John Haynes | Conference | Ms. Deborah Reeves |
| Coordinator: | 1342 Surrey Lane S.W. | Coordinator: | 188 South Marshall, Apt. 42 |
| Marietta, Georgia 30060 | Hartford, Connecticut 06105 | ||
| 404-427-1597 | 203-249-0346 | ||
| • DALLAS, TEXAS | • PORTLAND, OREGON | ||
| Villa Inn | Assembly Hall | ||
| 215 East Airport Freeway | Portland Memorial Coliseum | ||
| Irving, Texas 75062 | 11401 North Wheeler | ||
| Portland, Oregon | |||
| Conference | Mrs. Jackie Oswald | ||
| Coordinator: | 804 Ridgedale Dr. | Conference: | Mrs. Pam Wolfe |
| Richardson, Texas 75080 | Coordinator: | 4132 N.E. 6tj Street | |
| 214-231-4261 | Portland, Oregon 97211 | ||
| 503-287-8640 | |||
| • DENVER, COLORADO | • SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA | ||
| Marriott Hotel | Town and Country Hotel | ||
| I-25 and East Hampden | 500 Hotel Circle North | ||
| Denver, Colorado | San Diego, California | ||
| Conference | Mr. Douglas Hartman | Conference: | Mrs. Doris Rodgers |
| Coordinator: | 3155 134th Ave. | Coordinator: | 11185 Calenda Road |
| Broomfield, Colorado 80020 | San Diego, California 92710 | ||
| 303-466-7092 | 714-487-4968 | ||
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VANGUARD Youth News |
Boston ‘Walk’ Retraces Master’s Steps[edit]
Last year, Laura Lupsewicz and Daryl Lowery, young Bahá’ís from the Boston area, completed a painstaking project that became, in Laura’s words, “the most rewarding and exciting thing I’ve done in my whole life.”
The two young people spent many hours researching the places ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited during His stay in Boston in 1912. This was especially difficult, since many of the original buildings are no longer in existence. The fact that no addresses were given in the Bahá’í sources also complicated the search.
TRACKING down the locations of buildings and creating a map of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s travels in Boston had never been done before.
“This is the right time in history to research the Master’s visits to American cities,” says Laura, who lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts. “Soon the buildings He went to will no longer be standing, and it will be increasingly difficult to locate the places He visited.”
After the project was completed last fall, the Boston community celebrated with a “walk” that literally retraced the steps of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
About 35 people participated in the walk, finding it, in the words of one, “rejuvenating and exciting.” Even those who have lived in Boston all their lives commented afterward that “Boston is like a whole new city now.”
Due to popular interest and the length of the complete walk, Boston has decided to make it a biennial event. Each spring, the walk will cover the southern and western areas of the city; each fall, the northern and eastern parts of Boston will be covered.
THE SPRING walk this year will take place Saturday, May 26, and is expected to draw between 50 and 75 Bahá’ís.
Daryl, who lives in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and Laura strongly encourage other communities that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited to consider a similar project.
“The spiritual rewards are tremendous,” says Daryl, “and you’ll be adding to the store of Bahá’í history. The places the Master visited will, after all, be historical landmarks someday.”
If you are interested in the Boston walks or how to start a similar research project in your city, contact Miss Laura Lupsewicz at 617-253-3521 or 617-891-9174.
Sri Lanka Requests Teachers[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka would like a teaching team of active and dedicated youth to assist in delivering the Message of Bahá’u’lláh and consolidating the victories already won there.
Anyone willing to undertake such a teaching trip would have to be financially self-sufficient.
If you would like to help Sri Lanka with its Seven Year Plan goals, and are able to travel there, please contact the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Bahá’í Youth Has Spent Her Life As a ‘Pioneer’[edit]
Hi. My name is Cindy Leonard. I’m 18 years old and am living in Houston, Texas.
I am one of those people who holds an American passport but who has only recently come to live in this country for the first time in my life!
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Youth on the Way |
My parents, both of whom are Bahá’ís (I had a great-great-grandmother who was a Bahá’í, which makes me a fifth generation Bahá’í), pioneered during the early part of the Ten Year Crusade to Kodiak, Alaska, a virgin goal, where I was born.
I’ve been “pioneering” ever since, starting in Kodiak, then on to Nassau, in the Bahama Islands (in 1967), where I stayed for nine years, and then to Iquitos, Peru, for one year.
SO WHEN someone asks me what it’s like to pioneer, I really can’t answer, because I’ve never known anything else to compare it with!
I think of pioneering as two things: an attitude and a sacrifice.
Pioneering is the promise we make to ourselves and to God to do our utmost to spread the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh to everyone we can, to raise communities wherever we go, and to try and live a Bahá’í life as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá showed us.
But really, isn’t that the goal of every Bahá’í everywhere? Isn’t that what everyone should strive to do?
Truly, we should all try to exhibit the pioneering spirit whether we’re in our home town or another part of the world. The station of pioneering is attained when we sacrifice and leave our home, friends and community to travel to the place of greatest need to serve the Faith.
SOMETIMES, however, the sacrifice is even greater when we forego the privilege of moving to a new area because we are most needed where we are. The whole point lies in that element of sacrifice, that concerted effort to serve the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
I would gladly be overseas now, but my education needs some attention, as it was sadly neglected during the year I spent in Iquitos.
Iquitos is a city of 150,000 on the Amazon River. During the time I was there a large-scale teaching project was undertaken, and there was a great need for full-time teachers—people who could spend up to 10 hours a day, seven days a week, teaching.
It was the chance of a lifetime, and I had to take advantage of it. Within the first month of the campaign, 198 new believers were enrolled in a relatively small area. All of them were being deepened, and about 25 already were teaching the Faith.
AFTER THREE MONTHS a youth conference was held. About 30 youth attended; four months earlier there were no more than eight Bahá’í youth in the whole area.
This is one of the areas visited by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum during the “Green Light Expedition,” and it is so true that the hearts of these people are ready to accept the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
On my arrival in the U.S., I was blessed with the opportunity to teach with Continental Counsellor Hedi Aḥmadíyyih. The methods and themes he uses in teaching are much like those we used in Peru.
Now I am studying at the University of Houston, taking courses in education and Spanish in hopes of one day returning to South America.
In the meantime, I am a member of the UH Bahá’í Club, the Youth Club in my community (Southeast Harris County), the community’s Teaching Committee, am on the editorial staff of a forthcoming magazine, World Citizen, and am part of a newly-formed musical trio in Houston.
My weekends usually are devoted to studying, teaching, youth activities, and helping to teach the local children’s class.
Cindy Leonard, whose 18 years have been divided among pioneering posts in Kodiak, Alaska; Nassau in the Bahamas; Iquitos, Peru; and now Houston, Texas.
Cindy Leonard, who has spent most of her 18 years as a ‘Bahá’í pioneer,’ performs on the guitar at a Bahá’í meeting in her new ‘home,’ Houston, Texas.
New Planning Calendar Excellent Consultation Aid[edit]
A completely redesigned Bahá’í Planning Calendar is now available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. The calendar, for 136 B.E., extends from March 21, 1979, to March 20, 1980. The price is $5 NET (25 x 38 inches, Catalog No. 6-69-09).
Local Spiritual Assemblies and committees will find the new planning calendar a valuable aid during consultation. The calendar also can be posted at Nineteen Day Feasts and in Bahá’í Centers to help spread the news about coming events.
Bahá’í families and individuals can post the calendar in the kitchen or family room, making it an “information center” for appointments, meetings, deadlines, and outings.
The calendar’s new format makes it easier to use than previous planning calendars, as the 12 Gregorian months are now arranged in conventional fashion rather than in long horizontal lines.
Not only does the calendar indicate all Bahá’í Feasts and Holy Days, it also lists the salient features of the first phase of the Seven Year Plan, Special Events Days, and U.S. legal holidays. Also featured is the Bahá’í logo for the International Year of the Child, “Love That Child.”
This year’s calendar, printed in red, white and blue on white stock, makes an attractive wall decoration. It is shipped in a mailing tube.
To order a planning calendar, contact your local Bahá’í librarian. Isolated Bahá’ís and Bahá’ís in communities with no librarian may send a $5 check or money order payable to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Price includes postage.
The Spiritual Assembly of Greensboro, North Carolina, with help from the Bahá’í communities of Guilford County and Mount Airy, sponsored this float in the annual Greensboro Holiday Parade last December. The Bahá’í float won a second prize of $100 among non-commercial entries. The prize money was donated to International House, a tri-faith organization that enables exchange students to spend the Christmas holidays with families in the Greensboro area. Among the events students attended this year was a potluck dinner sponsored and arranged by the Greensboro Bahá’í community.
Gathering At Green Acre Focuses on Spiritual Life[edit]
From March 23-25, 30 people attending Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine, experienced a unique and exciting weekend whose theme was “Toward Leading a Centered Life.”
The facilitators for the weekend were Babs Conant and Martha Gordon, who are members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), and a Bahá’í, Marie Proctor.
The focus was on finding the pure center within that enables each of us to lead a truly spiritual life.
QUOTATIONS from Quaker works and Bahá’í Writings such as The Hidden Words showed the wonderful similarity in the two religions’ quest for inner enlightenment. A deep feeling of unity and trust grew up between the Bahá’ís, Quakers, and members of other faiths who were present.
Each person in attendance was asked to draw his own life line—a visual representation of his life—and these were presented in small discussion groups.
Artifacts, objects, poems, art work, or prayers that had personal significance to individuals were shared with everyone around a fireplace on Saturday night.
A special time was set aside for Bahá’ís and Quakers to share the teachings of their respective faiths, and bonds of agreement were formed.
Participants came from many areas on the East Coast and from as far away as Quebec City in Canada. Nationalities represented were Egyptian, Dutch, French-Canadian, West Indian, and American. The youngest participant was 16 years old, the oldest over 70.
Two of those who attended had declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh only two days before the weekend conference.
Florida Drive Adds 27 Localities, Five Assemblies[edit]
An ongoing teaching campaign that began last autumn in central Florida led in January to the opening of 20 localities to the Faith, the formation of one new Local Spiritual Assembly, and the enrollment of 30 new believers.
Also in January, Sumter, Indian River and Levy counties were opened; thus there are now Bahá’ís in every county in central Florida.
HAVING surpassed all the area’s locality goals for the Five Year Plan, the friends in central Florida have begun Phase II of the teaching effort, visiting the new believers regularly, helping to strengthen and nourish their love for Bahá’u’lláh, teaching their families and friends, and helping to raise newly-opened localities to Assembly status.
The central Florida campaign got under way shortly after 13 Bahá’ís from that area traveled to south Georgia to help the teaching effort there. They returned with a new perspective and with the new teaching booklet patterned after those used in Central America that had proven so successful in Georgia and South Carolina.
In December, a Spiritual Assembly was formed in Hardee County, which was unopened when the campaign began. Afterward, the friends quickly opened the towns of Ft. Meade (where an Assembly was raised in only four days), Gifford, Flemington, Center Hill, Okahumpka, Williston, Chiefland and tiny Lane Park.
In February, the Spiritual Assembly of Seminole County was formed, along with an Assembly in the town of Lutz. Lakeland and Daytona Beach were well on the way toward Assembly formation.
A total of five new Assemblies and 27 localities were among the results of these initial efforts.
CHILDREN’S classes are being held regularly in many communities in central Florida, and the recently-formed Assembly of Brevard County has received a warm response to its children’s puppet show.
The Bahá’í Club at Polk County Community College, made up entirely of Persian believers, has been well-received by the student body. Two students at the college recently declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
World Religion Day Program Finds Detroit Media Receptive[edit]
The Detroit, Michigan, Bahá’í community enjoyed great success during January in publicizing its World Religion Day program on radio and television and in newspapers.
Press releases were sent to 50 newspapers and spot announcements to local radio and TV stations.
Parts of the World Religion Day meeting were videotaped by WJBK-TV, and an account was presented on the station’s late night news program.
WABK, Detroit’s top-rated FM station, responded to the spot announcement and an introductory pamphlet by requesting that a Bahá’í be interviewed. Christa Suggs of the Detroit Bahá’í community was interviewed for more than eight minutes.
WMZK Radio phoned a member of the Detroit Media Committee, acknowledging receipt of the spot announcement and asking for more information about the Faith. The friends were told that the station planned to air the 30-second announcement verbatim.
The Bahá’í community of Manatee County, Florida, won second prize for its display booth at the Manatee County Fair in January. The exhibit reflected the Fair’s slogan, ‘Manatee’s Growing Is Showing,’ relating ‘More Commerce’ and ‘More Manpower’ to Bahá’í principles of unity and peace. At the top of the display were the words, ‘Mankind One Human Family,’ with appropriate pictures.
[Page 7]
Shamsi Sedaghat (left), a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Trinidad and Tobago, spent nine days last November teaching the Faith in Connecticut. During her visit the Bahá’í Groups of Milford and Hamden were raised to Assembly status, and New Canaan formed its Assembly shortly after her departure. Here she chats with Terrance Powers of the Milford community on the day that Milford formed its Assembly.
400 Observe Naw-Rúz At House of Worship[edit]
News briefs from the Bahá’í House of Worship:
Approximately 400 Bahá’ís and their guests attended the Naw-Rúz celebration Tuesday evening, March 20. The program featured music by cellist Laura McKey and remarks on the significance of the occasion by Mrs. Beth McKenty.
Friends, are you planning to visit the House of Worship? If so, you are invited to:
1. Present yourselves at the Activities Office in Foundation Hall upon your arrival so that you may receive our special hospitality.
2. Teach the Cause of God in this holiest of edifices by offering your services as a House of Worship guide. Please write to the Activities Office for more information about this unique opportunity.
3. Send for an information booklet listing transportation, food and lodging available in the Chicago area.
Attention collectors! In November 1978 three special events took place at the Bahá’í House of Worship:
- Thanksgiving Day devotions (November 25).
- The ceremony honoring the House of Worship’s listing in the National Register of Historic Places (November 25).
- The commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the inception of the Bahá’í House of Worship and the 25th anniversary of its Dedication (November 26).
The printed programs from these three historic events can be yours free upon request. A limited number of sets is available, so write for yours today. Write to the House of Worship Activities Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Every Sunday afternoon at the House of Worship:
- 3 p.m.—Devotions in the upstairs Auditorium.
- 3:45 p.m.—Public meeting (lecture, film or informal discussion) in the Foundation Hall Auditorium.
Hours of operation:
- For individual prayer and meditation (upstairs Auditorium only), March 2 to October 14—6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.; October 15 to March 1—7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Open to the public, May 15 to October 14—10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; October 15 to May 14—10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bookstore:
- Open all year round (except Bahá’í Holy Days) from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Gregory Institute Slates Busy Summer[edit]
The Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute is planning a busy summer of classes and other activities at its lovely and modern campus near Hemingway, South Carolina.
Following is a partial list of summer programs at the Institute. The list does not include those programs geared especially to the local people in South Carolina:
June 10-15: “... And you will be hated of all nations,” an historical perspective on the persecution of various religions throughout history, by Marc Towers.
Also, “Flame of fire, river of life,” a history of the persecution of Bahá’ís from the Dawn-breakers to the present day, by Linda Brown, and the Bahá’í response and responsibility toward current and future persecution, by an Auxiliary Board member.
June 16-21: Workshop on “how to build a solar water heater.” Also, an evening session for the public, “Technology for a New World Order,” by Cecil Cook Jr.
June 24-29: Children’s week.
July 1-6: Unity—Its nature and cost; what it is and what it isn’t; handling disunity; how to create unity.
- Our individual response, by Auxiliary Board member Mrs. Javidukht Khadem.
- Our administrative response, by Geffrey Marks.
- Teaching—“Moths and gnats to eagles and royal falcons,” by National Spiritual Assembly member Soo Fouts.
July 15-20: Youth week.
August 12-17: “Insights into Man’s High Destiny,” by Henry Weil; “Love and Marriage,” by Nadia and Iraj Majzoub; and “The Secret of Wealth,” by the National Treasurer’s Office.
The Gregory Institute, situated on 131.7 acres of land in a natural setting of South Carolina pines, can accommodate up to 40 people. It features separate dorms for males and females with comfortable beds and showers. Bed linens, pillows and towels are supplied, and three meals a day are served in the dining room.
Classes are held in an air-conditioned lounge-type auditorium and library. There are indoor and outdoor classroom facilities for youth and children.
The Institute is easily accessible by car. The nearest airport is at Myrtle Beach, 45 miles away. The nearest bus stations are 30 miles away, at Kingstree, Conway and Lake City.
For more information about the Institute or its programs, please write to Mrs. Wanda Manuel, Registrar, Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Route 2, Box 71, Hemingway, SC 29554, or phone 803-558-5093.
Corona Hosts Its Recognition Ceremony[edit]
More than 50 Bahá’ís and six non-Bahá’ís were present on World Religion Day, January 21, for the Recognition Ceremony of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Corona, California.
Among those attending were Auxiliary Board member Fred Schechter, assistant to the Auxiliary Board Bob Hart, and representatives from the District Teaching Committee and nearby communities.
A potluck supper was held following the ceremony. An article about the event appeared in the local newspaper.
S. Carolina[edit]
(Continued From Page 3)
We spoke of the life and sufferings of Bahá’u’lláh, showed a filmstrip, prayed and sang. As we were preparing to leave, the woman of the house told us about her experience in becoming a Bahá’í, and how the Bahá’í Faith made her feel spiritually alive.
THEN SHE made a significant comment. She said that even if the Bahá’ís were to disappear and never come back, she would track them down and find them. Through the regular efforts of the consolidation teams, an unquenchable fire of faith had been lit in this believer’s heart.
A major purpose of our trip was to plan ways of educating these believers about the Bahá’í Fund, but we found that there are many things about giving we can learn from them!
They have been raised in an environment where hardship and sacrifice are daily realities. They know that their strength comes from God, and they have developed the habit of showing their gratitude to God through money offerings.
We found that the area of greatest educational need is to help the teachers overcome any personal misgivings they might have about discussing the Fund openly. We mentioned the Fund in every meeting and found that the believers are ready and willing to contribute once they are made aware and given the opportunity.
WE ARE CERTAIN that we will be doing them—and the American Bahá’í community as a whole—a disservice if we do not supply the knowledge that they can participate financially in building the Kingdom of God on earth.
I learned many things during this trip. It caused me to reflect on my attitudes toward the Faith.
There is much work yet to be done in South Carolina, and no Bahá’í who is able to assist should deprive himself of the bounty.
Surely, every Bahá’í, at one time or another, has longed to experience the thrill of pioneering for the Faith.
There is no aspect of pioneering that cannot be experienced by a trip to South Carolina. The culture is different, the language quite different, and the people are generally receptive to spiritual concepts.
You will be welcomed with open arms, and, best of all, you will experience the rewards that Bahá’u’lláh promised to those who arise to teach His Cause.
A word of caution, though, before you go: Prepare to fall in love ... you may never want to return.
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New Bahá’í Books and Materials Ten Days in the Light of Akká ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’a Journey in America Art Print of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Here’s how to order new items announced in this issue of The American Bahá’í:
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Pioneers Water Faith’s Latin American Growth[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article on pioneering in Latin America was written by Mrs. Susan Porch who has pioneered with her husband and two children to Mexico, Brazil and Peru. Mrs. Porch is now in the U.S. completing work toward a Ph.D. degree in education in preparation for her return to the pioneering field.)
“They that have forsaken their country for the purpose of teaching Our Cause—these shall the Faithful Spirit strengthen through its power ... By My life! No act, however great, can compare with it, except such deeds as have been ordained by God, the All-Powerful, the Most Mighty. Such a service is, indeed, the prince of all goodly deeds, and the ornament of every goodly act.” (Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 334)
What is the mysterious attraction that draws Bahá’ís to pioneer posts, that creates a longing in their hearts to “forsake their country” to spread this divine Message? Is it not a lifelong desire within the heart of every Bahá’í to be able to serve the Cause as a pioneer?
FIRED BY the love of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the early heroes and heroines of the Faith set off on long and arduous journeys to proclaim the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
Today, when we witness the multitudes who have accepted the Cause throughout the world, do we pause to realize that it was but 60 years ago that the first pioneers brought the Message to Latin America?
We must remember Katherine Frankland, who, responding to a request from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, first brought the Faith to Mexico. Then Martha Root, inspired by the Master’s call in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, traveled to Latin America in 1919, opening that vast region to the Faith.
She was followed that same year by Leonora Armstrong, now a Continental Counsellor, whose life has been spent in continual service to the Cause.
These and other early pioneers labored alone, carrying the Message to the remotest areas of Latin America, to the most humble of souls and to the leaders of government and business.
IT WAS NOT until 1937, with the inauguration of the first Seven Year Plan, that the Guardian called for a center in each Republic of Latin America and the Caribbean. The first Local Spiritual Assembly in Latin America was formed in 1938, in Mexico City.
Now, some 40 years later, we can bear witness to the existence of numerous National Spiritual Assemblies, Local Spiritual Assemblies, and Bahá’í Groups and localities in Latin America!
Those early believers, whose sacrifices were so profound, whose names are indelibly printed in Bahá’í history, laid the groundwork for present-day teaching work, planting the seeds with constancy and patience.
As Counsellor Armstrong stood before many hundreds of Bahá’ís at the Bahia, Brazil, conference in 1976, what great joy she must have felt to see her “spiritual children,” the result of her unceasing labors and those of the many pioneers who had followed her to Latin America since 1919.
IS THE TASK completed? Are there no more virgin territories? Is the glorious work of these heroes and heroines over? No ... an urgent call can be heard from Mexico, Central America, and southward from the heart of South America, urging the believers to come and help.
One pioneer writes: “You ask what we need here. We need more pioneers! If you could only imagine the work that needs to be done. The indigenous peoples are waiting to hear the Message of Bahá’u’lláh. We need pioneers who can train the new believers to carry the Message to the remote regions where the people have not yet heard of Bahá’u’lláh.”
What word do we have from pioneers who are in the field today?
From Colombia:
“WITH ALL THE missionary efforts of other religious groups, pioneers often are asked why so many of the indigenous people are becoming Bahá’ís. It is because we promise them nothing material; we have no hospitals, clothing, funds, or food for them. We say, ‘Here is the Word of God for this Day.’ They recognize this most precious gift we have to offer.”
From Bolivia:
“The greatest need is for more pioneers. There are now about 100,000 Bahá’ís; this is the first country in this area in which two per cent of the population have become Bahá’ís.
“MOST OF THE work has been done by indigenous traveling teachers. What greater glory is there than to make oneself obsolete as a pioneer, to train local believers who can carry the Message to the regions that the Word of Bahá’u’lláh has not yet reached ...”
From Mexico:
“We visited a village on the weekend, and inadvertently left our materials there. So we had to return the next day without being able to advise the friends that we were coming.
“We expected to find the Bahá’ís asleep—their day is so long, the work back-breaking, and sleep comes early to them.
“What a sight greeted us! We found, in the one-room hut of a Bahá’í family, the friends gathered, seated in a hammock or on stools, holding their meeting, praying together.
“In that moment we could see the fruit of our labors. These precious souls had grasped the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Message, had set about modifying their lives, and had taken on the responsibility of the teaching and deepening work in their area ...”
What is the special attraction that Latin America holds for U.S. pioneers? Here are the words of one such believer:
“... I am asked so often to explain the attraction Latin America has for me, for really, teaching the Faith, wherever one may be, is the most rewarding experience in life.
“AND YET, Latin America, because of its color and beauty, its constant newness, and the challenge of learning Spanish or Portuguese and conveying the Message in those languages, continues to excite me.
“Throughout Latin America one can enter a capital city and walk at once with indigenous peoples in colorful native costumes and sophisticated city dwellers in stylish clothing. One has a totally aesthetic experience, from the variety of climate and geography to the smells and colors of the open markets, the hand-made art work and handicrafts, and the breathtaking loveliness of the mountains, tropical regions and beaches ...
“As an American, from a country so modern and with such a recent history, I share with my fellow pioneers a great love for the ancient cultures whose remnants still survive in Latin America.
“Teaching the Faith in the villages, the greatest joy of my life, clarifies for me constantly the profound meaning of the oneness of mankind.
“The gaps, the apparent chasms that separate us politically, culturally, socially, are bridged when we share the Faith with people from the jungle villages, or the mountain regions. We are suddenly one with humanity ...”
Support[edit]
Continued From Page 1
shows they have done over 100 years, and have extended their campaign to the United States; therefore, be it
“RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we petition President Carter to request Ayatollah Khomeini and the Iranian government to recognize the Bahá’í Faith as solely a religious movement and to assure the people of Iran that all religious minorities including the Bahá’ís will have full political, cultural and religious rights; and be it
“RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this preamble and resolution be forwarded to President Carter and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance.”
U. S. Team Reports From the Solomons[edit]
The team of Americans teaching in the South Pacific for the last four months continues to send back glowing reports of its adventures.
The four-member team of black Americans has been to Fiji and New Hebrides, and is now reporting from the Solomon Islands.
From there they will go to Papua New Guinea, the last leg of their journey. The final episode of their exciting odyssey will appear next month in The American Bahá’í.
THE TEACHING project was organized through the International Goals Committee in cooperation with the concerned National Spiritual Assemblies and the International Teaching Centre. Team members are James Isham, Darral Pugh, June Ritter and Mark Sisson.
Here are some further excerpts from the team’s letters:
“We are just at the end of our stay in the Solomon Islands. At the last Feast it was reported that only 10 more Assemblies are needed to win the goals here. All members of the National Spiritual Assembly and National Teaching Committee are out teaching in the villages and towns.
“The island of Malaita was an experience. We walked about 100 miles through the bush from Buma to Haukui and back. This was not our plan—perhaps it was part of some Master Plan.
“First, the regular boat from Honiara to Haukui didn’t sail; instead, there was another boat going to Auki. We went to Auki, hoping to hop a truck to Haukui from there.
“WE DID GET a truck to take us almost to Buma, but the rivers became too deep for the truck to cross. From there we walked through swamps, jumped over logs, etc. After four or five hours we arrived in Aema as weary travelers, and our party was greeted warmly and accepted with some admiration. Strangers don’t usually march through the bush country.
“The question of where we were headed and why always came up. We gave firesides all the way to Haukui and did our own follow-up on the return trip.
“News of our arrival preceded us. The ‘foreign’ Bahá’ís who walked the bush won’t soon be forgotten.”
Mark Sisson wrote the following letter about his experiences in the Solomons:
“As I reflect on the days and weeks spent here, I am initially struck by the wonder and beauty of this natural earthly paradise, and even more profoundly by a beauty reflected in the daily lives of these lovely people.
“SECONDLY, I am filled with admiration
See S. PACIFIC, Page 9
S. Pacific Warmly Welcomes U.S. Team[edit]
Continued From Page 8
for those pioneers who are so unreserved in their dedication to Bahá’u’lláh’s Cause and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan. Without souls like these, our beloved Faith would still be unknown if not totally lost in a sea of struggling and competing movements.
“I’ve had many wonderful experiences here. Tomorrow we’re scheduled to leave. I look forward to the rest of our trip with little expectation but great anticipation. The team is joining the rest of the Bahá’í world in observing the Fast. This will no doubt add much power to our teaching efforts here, as well as to those of other teachers throughout the world.”
Reports also have been received from National Spiritual Assemblies in countries visited by the U.S. team, such as this one published by the National Spiritual Assembly of New Hebrides in its Bahá’í News of February 1979:
“THE VISIT of four American Negro Bahá’ís to New Hebrides from January 6–20 resulted in some excellent proclamation and publicity for the Faith. The team ... visited the islands of Santo, Malekula, Efate and Tanna.
“They taught the Faith through simple and direct public talks, using songs and the music of drums, flute and organ to convey Bahá’u’lláh’s Message of love and unity.
“Everywhere, people’s hearts were warmed by the team’s happiness and vitality. Radio New Hebrides broadcast news of the team’s progress and recorded an excellent interview with one of the members.
“In Tanna, the team gave seven public talks and one deepening in five days...They report that the best response came from the meeting at Lowyaru where some 200 people attended. There was one declaration, and others appear imminent.
“THE FINAL night of the team’s stay also was the last night of the Youth Conference. A public meeting and farewell dance were held at the Vila Bahá’í Center. It was attended by at least 90 adults, of whom half were not Bahá’ís. It was a memorable evening ... there were two declarations.”
The National Spiritual Assembly of Fiji sent the following report:
“It was a great pleasure to welcome the team to Fiji, and they certainly seemed to enjoy their stay here.
“They threw themselves wholeheartedly into the teaching work, cooperated fully with the plans the National Teaching Committee had made for them, and traveled fairly widely on Viti Levu to carry out village teaching projects.
“They got on extremely well with people of all races in Fiji, and delighted everyone with their music and singing. We were especially pleased to have the team with us for our Summer School, and they made a significant contribution.
“Fiji’s only regret is that their visit (13 days) was all too short.”
THE NATIONAL Spiritual Assembly of the Solomon Islands had this to say about the American teaching team:
“Your tireless efforts and great sacrifice, the courage and dedication shown on your arduous trip on Malaita, and your great charm and happiness have inspired and cheered the hearts of those around you and are an example to us all of the spirit of the Bahá’í Faith.
“Please be assured of a loving welcome when you return to the Solomons.”
Next month, we’ll have a final report of this historic journey to the South Pacific for the Cause of God as the team travels to Papua New Guinea.
The team of Bahá’ís from the U.S. touring the South Pacific area taught in villages much like this one while in the Solomon Islands.
U.S. Pioneer Goal Seems Assured, Committee Says[edit]
Of the 423 pioneering goals assigned by the Universal House of Justice to the U.S. Bahá’í community during the Five Year Plan, all were filled or in the process of being filled as of March 1 of this year.
In addition, some 548 other U.S. pioneers were settled in various parts of the world. The International Goals Committee reports that there are more than 1,000 pioneers from this country in the field at this time.
THE UNIVERSAL House of Justice also assigned international traveling teaching goals to the U.S. Bahá’í community. More than 2,000 such trips were made and reported during the last five years.
Throughout the Five Year Plan, several projects were initiated by the International Goals Committee. Four black Americans have been traveling and teaching in the South Pacific for the last four months (see article elsewhere in this issue).
During December and January, 14 persons traveled to the Bahamas to assist the teaching work there. Seven volunteers spent last summer in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark on a project planned by the participating National Spiritual Assemblies.
Because of the way the American Bahá’í community has arisen to meet not only the original assignment of international goals, but each subsequent assignment as well, the International Goals Committee is convinced that we are capable of accomplishing anything asked of us by the Universal House of Justice.
IN THE COMING years, with the anticipated increase in social tensions, it is evident that qualitative demands on pioneers will be much greater. For this reason, it is increasingly important that preparation for pioneering be pursued seriously.
The development of needed expertise and sound mental and spiritual attitudes will ensure to an even greater degree our ability to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
The committee wishes to underscore again its theme of “preparation for a life of service,” which means that at every step along life’s path the believers should be striving to acquire qualities and skills that will prepare them eventually for international service.
Along with living the life, a good working grasp of the Administrative Order and experience in teaching the Faith are essential prerequisites.
By and large, American Bahá’ís who wish someday to pioneer in foreign fields are making better preparations to do so, and the committee has been working and is continuing to work with a large number of persons who look to us for guidance in career planning, language training, areas of preparation on the homefront and as traveling teachers, understanding other cultures, employment, etc.
CAREFUL recruiting and orientation of prospective pioneers and supportive communication with them once they’ve reached their posts have increased appreciably the effectiveness of the pioneering program.
The committee notes that the numbers of pioneers receiving deputization is lower than in the past. The policy of assisting with transportation expenses and enough support to facilitate establishment in a country that allows the pioneer the best potential for self-support seems to be a sound one.
During the Five Year Plan, 881 people attended Pioneer Training Institutes at the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette, Illinois.
These three-day institutes are comprised of 14 sessions covering such subjects as the Covenant, Bahá’í Administration, promoting the Cause, the history of pioneering, medical and health advice, and other information to help the pioneer adjust to his new surroundings. Also included is an exhibit prepared by the National Archives Committee.
As the Five Year Plan draws to a close and a new Seven Year Plan begins, the International Goals Committee is confident that an ever-increasing army of supporters of Bahá’u’lláh will arise for service in the international pioneering and traveling teaching fields.
This group of seekers attended a fireside given by Leon Sternberger, a Bahá’í from the U.S. who visited the Turks and Caicos Islands earlier this year. The Turks and Caicos, near the Bahama Islands, were a U.S. consolidation goal of the Five Year Plan.
Network of Language Centers Planned by Goals Committee[edit]
As learning a second language can be a most important part of one’s preparation for international pioneering or teaching, the International Goals Committee plans to inaugurate a nationwide network of language centers to make the study of a particular language more accessible to the friends.
Teaching English as a second language is presently a sought-after skill that can lead to jobs in other countries. For this reason, the International Goals Committee was happy to learn of a course in “Teaching English as a Foreign Language” that is to be offered from July 2–6 at the Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine.
A course in the French language will be given at Green Acre the following week, from July 9–13. These sessions will be intensive and separate from the regular school program. They will be held six hours a day for five days.
At the same time, a course designed to introduce the friends to various aspects of pioneering will be offered. The course includes a video-taped talk by the Hand of the Cause of God Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir, group discussions, and audio-visual presentations on the history and reality of pioneering.
Materials will be made available to those who are interested in considering international pioneering or teaching trips.
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239
Days
Journey Allan L. Ward
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Master’s U.S. Journey Recalled in New Book
The Bahá’í Publishing Trust released a new book on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the Bahá’í National Convention in April. Entitled 239 Days: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Journey in America, by Allan L. Ward, the book is the first to focus entirely on the American journey of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. (209 pp., clothbound, 14 photographs, frontispiece, Catalog No. 7-32-05, $7.50.)
From His arrival on April 11, 1912, until His departure on December 5, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá amazed and captivated the American press and public alike. 239 Days is a day-by-day account of that historic visit featuring accounts from newspapers and magazine articles published at the time and excerpts from the diary of Mahmúd-i-Zarqání, His personal secretary.
Written in an easy-to-read style, the book follows ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from coast to coast, covering His celebrated visits to small cities and towns like Malden, Massachusetts, and Glenwood Springs, Colorado, as well as to larger cities such as New York, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco.
239 Days offers a clear and fascinating picture of how the public reacted to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s presence. Dozens of newspaper and magazine articles quoted in the book show how the press responded to the religious leader who had been a Prisoner for more than 50 years.
One wrote that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “zeal, enthusiasm, animation, hope and faith run over and inundate everything.” Another reported that He was “a figure whose increasing influence is already world-wide in its significance.”
The numerous Bahá’í accounts in 239 Days—including portions of the diaries of Mahmúd, Juliet Thompson, and others—are woven together to give the most complete account yet published of the details of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s journey.
The resulting narrative illustrates how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá worked tirelessly from dawn until late each evening to reinforce the efforts of the early believers and to give them a living example of what it means to be a Bahá’í.
239 Days also includes many excerpts from talks given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to audiences large and small and to individuals. Many of the quotations are from The Promulgation of Universal Peace, which has long been out of print, and from Star of the West.
What makes 239 Days especially intriguing to Bahá’ís is that it translates the perfection of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—the Exemplar of the Bahá’í Faith—into actual daily events, suggesting ways that the reader can apply the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh in his own life.
Individuals of every background—Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í—can develop an awareness of the historical importance of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s journey by reading 239 Days. The book can be presented to school and public libraries to improve their selection of books on Bahá’í history.
The author of 239 Days, Dr. Allan Ward, is widely known for his lectures on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Bahá’í Faith. He has been researching ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s journey in America for more than 20 years.
In Dr. Ward’s doctoral dissertation in Speech Communication at Ohio University, he analyzed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s North American tour, concentrating on His methods as a speaker. Dr. Ward currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Speech Communication at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
To order 239 Days, see your local Bahá’í librarian. Isolated Bahá’ís and Bahá’ís in communities with no librarian may order directly from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Please enclose check or money order for $7.50 per copy for postpaid shipment in the U.S.
Watch The American Bahá’í this summer for the story behind the writing of 239 Days.
Dr. Allan L. Ward, author of 239 Days: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Journey in America, recently published by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
N.Y. Friends Enjoy Food, Fun At New Believers’ Conference[edit]
Recently-enrolled Bahá’ís from four counties in New York State gathered with other believers in February for fellowship and deepening at a New Believers’ Conference in Scarsdale, New York.
The 36 adults in attendance enjoyed music, fellowship, a potluck lunch, and talks by Auxiliary Board member Nat Rutstein and Mrs. Mary Sawicki, an assistant to the Auxiliary Board and member of the Bahá’í International Community’s office at the United Nations.
IT WAS THE first Bahá’í meeting for some of the new believers. Many had entered the Faith only weeks before as a result of teaching projects in Westchester and Rockland counties.
Several were accompanied by their children, who shared in the food and fellowship and, during the talks, enjoyed filmstrips, music, discussions, and arts and crafts.
Mr. Rutstein urged the friends to deepen in the Writings and to teach, saying, “The only way the human family is going to be brought together is if we teach.”
Mrs. Sawicki stressed the importance of acquiring a deeper understanding of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, and recommended that the friends study The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, the Tablets of the Divine Plan, and the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
She and Mr. Rutstein later led a group discussion on the meaning of living a Bahá’í life, and what is involved in “becoming a Bahá’í.”
Music was supplied by Christine Callahan and Claire Segue. Also, Yves Mardice, a recently-enrolled believer, shared a song he said he was inspired to write especially for the conference.
Above, Auxiliary Board member Nat Rutstein addresses the Scarsdale conference. Below, some of the children who attended the February gathering.
Auction Raises Funds for Iran Relief[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of Carpinteria-Montecito J.D., California, sponsored an auction in March that raised more than $1,100 for the relief of Bahá’ís made homeless in the recent political upheaval in Iran.
The bidding was spirited, especially on some Bahá’í-related items. A gold coin given to an early American believer by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1912 was auctioned for $575; a third edition copy of Some Answered Questions brought $17.
The auction was followed by a potluck supper.
20 Non-Bahá’ís Attend Dayton Award Banquet[edit]
Twenty non-Bahá’ís were among the 65 people who attended a Human Rights Award banquet last December 12 at Stouffer’s Plaza Hotel in Dayton, Ohio. The event was sponsored by the Spiritual Assemblies of metropolitan Dayton.
Three area residents (non-Bahá’ís) were honored for their service to humanity and concern for unity among all people. The recipients were selected through voting by representatives of the Kettering, Centerville, Beavercreek, Xenia, and Dayton Bahá’í communities.
Receiving the awards were Mrs. Jessie S. Hathcock, Leo A. Lucas, and Bernard M. Miller.
Guests were welcomed by David E. Seagraves of Dayton; the introduction of guests and speakers was made by Vurleen Guffy of Beavercreek.
William Harlan of Beavercreek was the keynote speaker. Awards were presented by Auxiliary Board member Donald Barrett of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Closing remarks were offered by Ruth E. Dasher of Dayton.
Dinner was served to the accompaniment of music by classical guitarist James E. McCutcheon III.
Reactions Eyed in ‘World Order’[edit]
The Summer 1978 issue of World Order magazine, just published, features an article by Margaret Dean-Deibert entitled “Early Journalistic Reactions to the Bahá’í Faith: 1845–1912.”
Other articles in this issue include “Juliet Remembers Kahlil Gibran,” reminiscences by Juliet Thompson with an introduction by Marzieh Gail; “Pilgrims of the Way,” by Mary Carman Rose; and a review of Udo Schaefer’s book, The Light Shineth in Darkness, by William S. Hatcher. Also included are a poem, “The Witch of Devil’s Canyon,” by Joan Imig Taylor, and an editorial on the International Year of the Child.
This issue concludes with an index to Vol. 12, Fall 1977 through Summer 1978. (The index for Vols. 1-9 is available from the Publishing Trust—Catalog No. 7-69-25, $1.25—and the indexes for Vols. 10 and 11 are published in the Summer 1976 and Summer 1977 issues, respectively.)
Subscriptions to World Order can be obtained by sending $6 for one year or $11 for two years to World Order, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Single issues are available for $1.60 each, plus 75 cents postage and handling on orders under $5.
Classified Ads[edit]
CLASSIFIED ADS in The American Bahá’í are intended as a service to the U.S. Bahá’í community and are printed free of charge.
RAPID CITY, South Dakota, needs homefront pioneers to help increase the size of its small Bahá’í community. Rapid City is situated in the midst of beautiful scenery with excellent seasonal employment. The area is ideal for students or retired persons. For information please phone Wilmar Scott at 605-343-1054 or Mrs. Kwan at 605-343-6025. The Assembly’s mailing address is P.O. Box 565, Rapid City, SD 57109.
MOUNT JULIET, Tennessee, only 20 miles from Nashville, has a two-member Bahá’í Group. As of June 1, a lovely two-bedroom home will be available for rent. It’s only $160 a month—a real steal! We’d love to have you living right across the street from us. If you are even remotely interested, please write to Lysa and James Parker, 106 Highway 70, Mount Juliet, TN 37122, or phone 615-758-8457.
THIS YEAR MARKS the 19th anniversary of “The World’s Largest Annual Bahá’í Conference,” at Green Lake, Wisconsin. The conference’s planning committee is conducting a search for historical data relative to the conference and would be most happy to have your help. Do you have any special memories of Green Lake? Do you recall any particularly inspiring happenings? Are you aware of any prominent Bahá’ís who were affiliated in any way with Green Lake? Do you recall anyone who embraced the Cause there? Do you remember any of the speakers, or would you have copies of programs from the early years of the conference? Is there anyone else you know who might be of some help to the committee? Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Please write to the 1979 Green Lake Bahá’í Conference Planning Committee, c/o Lori J. Block, secretary, 619 Porlier St., Green Bay, WI 54301, or phone 414-432-7110.
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The National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka would like a teaching team of active and dedicated Bahá’í youth to assist in delivering the Message of Bahá’u’lláh and consolidating the victories already won there. Anyone willing to undertake such a teaching trip would have to be financially self-sufficient. If you would like to help Sri Lanka with its Seven Year Plan goals and are able to travel there, please contact the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. |
ARISE! Come and teach with us in Chicago. Service projects and fireside teaching. Oriental, Spanish-speaking, and Greek-speaking teachers are especially needed. Begin JUNE 1! Orientation sessions held every other Friday. Housing and transportation within the city provided. Cost: about $100 per person for two weeks. Write: SPECIAL TEACHING PROJECT CHICAGO, 2752 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622, or telephone 312-342-6707 or 312-483-8005. Do it now!
ARE YOU A SINGER, dancer, actor, guitarist, drummer, or piano player? The New World Construction Company is using the performing arts to proclaim the Faith to thousands of people in Wisconsin and Illinois. If you’d like to find out how you can become a member of this dynamic performing group, please contact Ms. Jocelyn Boor, 1721 E. Newton, Apt. 11, Shorewood, WI 53211, or phone 414-962-4625.
THE NATIONAL Spiritual Assembly is continually seeking well-trained individuals interested in serving at the Bahá’í National Center. Among the positions presently open or soon to become vacant are these: central files records clerk, groundskeepers, secretaries, general maintenance helpers, clerks, word processing typist, assistant to the audiovisual producer, purchasing agent, secretarial assistant, office manager for the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. Friends with public relations, press room, or editorial experience also are requested to send their resumes to the Bahá’í National Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, Attention: Personnel. For further information or employment applications, please contact Personnel at the above address or phone 312-256-4400.
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The Fund Is the 112 Linden Avenue |
SEVERAL EMPLOYMENT opportunities are available in Poplar, Montana, tribal headquarters of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation where Bahá’ís are needed to help build the Bahá’í Group in Poplar, open Wolf Point, and assist the Spiritual Assembly of Fort Peck. Teaching positions are open in the four Reservation public schools, and there are jobs for speech therapists, speech pathologists, counselors, light industry workers, and government workers (Bureau of Indian Affairs and others). There also are opportunities for starting one’s own business. For more information please contact Jim or Becky Fairley, Box 983, Poplar, MT 59255 (phone 406-768-3617), or Lillian Beatty, Box 1015, Poplar, MT 59255 (phone 406-768-5230).
YOU’D LIKE TO DISPERSE and be a homefront pioneer, but need the proper location? The 31-year-old Spiritual Assembly of Batavia, Illinois, is in jeopardy and needs you desperately! Batavia, a city of 12,000 in the beautiful Fox River Valley, is 35 miles west of Chicago near the East-West Tollway, Chicago-Northwestern and Burlington-Northern railways, and about 50 miles from the Bahá’í House of Worship. Batavia, the site of the Fermi Lab, is near Waubonsee Community College and Aurora College. There are employment opportunities in the Fox River Valley, houses and apartments available for sale or rent, four neighborhood elementary schools, and junior and senior high schools. For more information please contact Kay McLemore, secretary, Spiritual Assembly of Batavia, 428 Spring St., Batavia, IL 60510.
NEEDED: ONE TEACHER for a proposed mobile deepening institute for Puerto Rico. The volunteer should be single, self-motivated, have a driver’s license, be Spanish-speaking, and willing to offer at least 10 months to this project. Living expenses will be provided for the person selected. An unusual opportunity to pioneer without facing employment or visa uncertainties common to other posts. For more information contact the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
BAHÁ’Í NEWSPAPER COLUMN needs contributors. The column is published bi-weekly. Articles should be on some aspect of the Faith. Copy should be typewritten, double-spaced with one-inch margins, and no more than two standard size (8 x 11 inch) pages in length. Contribute as many articles as you’d like, as often as possible. Send articles for approval to the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Grand Rapids, P.O. Box 1112, Grand Rapids, MI 49501.
HOMEFRONT PIONEERING made easy! An apartment is available in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, for an adult Bahá’í. It is a furnished one-room basement apartment with bath. The present occupant wishes to go traveling and teaching and needs someone to replace him on the Local Assembly. Glenwood Springs is 40 miles from Snowmass and Aspen. For more information please write to Jerome Knudson, P.O. Box 1891, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601.
THE GREATER Las Vegas Bahá’í Media Committee has produced 250 billboards with the theme “One Planet, One People ... Please,” which come in two parts, and 250 with the theme “So Powerful Is the Light of Unity That It Can Illumine the Whole Earth ... Bahá’u’lláh,” which come in three parts. These billboards are suitable for 6-foot by 12-foot junior-sized billboard space. They may be purchased for $10 each, or $7.50 each for 10 or more. Cash in advance is requested; no COD’s. Contact the Greater Las Vegas Bahá’í Media Committee, P.O. Box 4937, Las Vegas, NV 89106.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, experienced, mature, needed in Chester, Vermont. Help win a pioneering goal while being self-supporting as a secretary-receptionist in a doctor’s office. Bookkeeping skills needed. Please send a resume to Mrs. Donna Werner, Ellsworth Clinic, Chester, VT 05143.
TWO RESOURCEFUL BAHÁ’ÍS are needed to homefront pioneer in Roswell, New Mexico, and help save its jeopardized Spiritual Assembly. Farming, ranching, and light industry are the major sources of employment in this growing city of 45,000 in the Great Plains region of southeastern New Mexico. Friends who wish more information should contact the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Roswell, c/o Norma Bowen, corresponding secretary, 22 Neiss Place, RIAC, Roswell, NM 88201, or phone 505-622-2934. If no answer, phone 505-623-9008.
THE SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY of El Paso County East, Colorado, is in jeopardy and urgently needs three adult believers to save it. El Paso County is just outside Colorado Springs, at the foot of beautiful Pike’s Peak. The total metropolitan population is 350,000. There are many job opportunities for those in electronics (technicians, engineers) and machinists and mechanical inspectors. Mild climate, low cost of living, excellent recreation (hiking, fishing, climbing, skiing, camping). For more information contact the Spiritual Assembly of El Paso County East, c/o Antonia Goggans, 303-591-9699.
ALASKA NEEDS PIONEERS for its rural “bush” areas. Employment opportunities in schools are quite good, with quite a number of high schools being built in villages this summer and next. There is a need for teachers with secondary education qualifications. The need also exists for elementary school teachers, but at present, the greater opportunity lies with high school teachers. In most cases they would be working with small classes and a few grade levels since some of the smaller locations have only five to 10 high school students. For more information, please contact the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
HOMEFRONT PIONEERS are needed to save the jeopardized Assembly of the Town of Cortlandt, New York. This sprawling area in the picturesque Hudson Valley north of White Plains has a population of about 35,000 and is about an hour from New York City by train. There are large hospitals, an IBM plant, and several other industries close to the town. For more information or help in securing employment, please contact the Spiritual Assembly of the Town of Cortlandt, c/o Ezat Fairplay, I85 Cortlandt St., Croton on Hudson, NY 10520 (phone 914-739-1038).
THE FOUR BAHÁ’ÍS in Joplin, Missouri, need homefront pioneers to help raise their goal Group to Assembly status. There are a number of job opportunities available, including some in the medical profession as well as for dietitians, medical secretaries, and machinists. Mobility is extremely important. For more information please contact Connie Ellis, 1808 15th St., Joplin, MO 64801, or phone 417-781-0691.
HOMEFRONT PIONEERS are needed in Pasadena, Texas, bordering the metropolitan Houston area. The weather is sunny and mild most of the year. Jobs are plentiful in many fields, especially energy-related (the oil industry is big in Houston). There are educational opportunities in the vicinity. For more information please contact Dianne Stevens, P.O. Box 5465, Pasadena, TX 77505, or phone 713-944-6755.
COME TO HAPPY CAMP! The Spiritual Assembly of Happy Camp J.D., California, needs one or more homefront pioneers to help ensure its status. There are eight adult Bahá’ís in Happy Camp, a mill town with plenty of fresh mountain air, fishing, and other recreation on the Klamath River. Employment in area towns is not plentiful, and one should be financially secure before coming. It’s a perfect area for retirement and good country living. Skilled workers may find jobs in heavy equipment or related logging activities. For more information please contact Eloise Jordan, secretary, or Vinson Brown, P.O. Box 1207, Happy Camp, CA 96039. If you can’t come, please pray for us!
DO YOU WANT to be a homefront pioneer? Do you speak Spanish? Then Delta, Colorado, is the place for you. Delta is a small agricultural community on the state’s Western Slope with a large Spanish-speaking population. Miners with coal or hard rock experience or someone who is interested in Migrant Council work would have a good chance of employment. Delta County is expected to grow rapidly in the next few years as the mines increase production. Rental housing with Bahá’ís is a possibility for a single person. For more information please phone Deborah Doherty at 303-874-4970 or write to her at 611 Howard, Delta, CO 81416.
MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS. Three adult Bahá’ís are needed to help form its Local Spiritual Assembly. Twenty minutes via subway to Boston and businesses. The Bahá’ís of Malden will help with information on employment, housing, etc. Please write to the Bahá’í Group of Malden, David Weigert, correspondent, c/o Nick Cardoso, 135 Alden St., Malden, MA 02148.
Endicott, N.Y., Enjoys Varied Ayyám-i-Há Program[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Endicott, New York, provided many fun-filled activities for children and adults during the Ayyám-i-Há period.
The festivities began February 18 with house decorating and arts contests, and progressed to an afternoon children’s party and an evening of games and fellowship for adults on February 25.
EACH BAHÁ’Í family in Endicott decorated its house, and houses were judged for qualities such as “most original” or “most attractive.”
Outstanding decorations were recognized with certificates of parchment paper with calligraphic writing designed and produced by a member of the Endicott Bahá’í community.
One family’s home displayed ornaments that included nine-pointed stars and miniature people of various races.
Another family spray-painted an unleafed tree branch and decorated it with replicas of people made from disposable household items such as egg cartons. People of all ages took part in the contest.
For the arts contest, Bahá’í children and adults made pictures, macramé, Bahá’í calendars, or jewelry representing some aspect of the Faith. The works of art were displayed on “games night.”
ON FEBRUARY 25, 30 children gathered at a local bank for an afternoon of fun and games. They began the party by making their own party hats and glue-on decorations from construction paper.
The afternoon included balloon games, relay races, a bout with a piñata, and a pin-the-nose-on-the-snowman game.
Several of the non-Bahá’í parents and children who were invited to the party attended. Between the games and refreshments, adult Bahá’ís had an opportunity to talk with the non-Bahá’í parents about the meaning of Ayyám-i-Há and to tell them something about the Bahá’í Faith.
That evening, the adults in the community met for several hours of games. “We found that, for this Ayyám-i-Há, it worked out well to have separate parties for the children and adults,” a member of the Endicott community reported. “This way, the children spent a fun-filled afternoon and had a wonderful time, while the adults spent a quieter but stimulating evening. Everyone had a most enjoyable Ayyám-i-Há.”
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Ten Days
in the Light of ‘Akká
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‘Ten Days in the Light of ‘Akká’ Released
Ten Days in the Light of ‘Akká, by Julia M. Grundy, was released at the Bahá’í National Convention in April by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
The book, which was originally published in 1907 by the Bahá’í Publishing Society, is one pilgrim’s attempt to share with her fellow Bahá’ís the lessons spoken to her by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. (Paperback, Catalog No. 7-32-40, 107 pp., foreword by Howard Garey)
Julia Grundy spent 10 days in 1905 visiting the Holy Land. She was part of a steady and ever-increasing stream of Americans who went to ‘Akká after 1898 to hear the Faith explained by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, whom Bahá’u’lláh had designated as the Center of the Covenant.
HER BOOK was published at a time when printed information about the Bahá’í Faith was quite scarce in North America. The only authoritative Writings available to the friends were the Tablets, or letters, sent by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the early believers—Tablets that were eagerly shared by those who received them.
The other principal source of information about the new Revelation was the pilgrims who, upon their return from the Holy Land, shared the experience of having been in the presence of the Master through word of mouth, private letters, books, pamphlets, and so on.
One of these books of “pilgrim’s notes” is Ten Days in the Light of ‘Akká, which records ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words—as Julia Grundy recalled them—on such subjects as love, soul and spirit, the House of Justice, heaven and hell, women in the Bahá’í Revelation, and the Second Coming.
The book includes several talks given by members of the Holy Household as well as brief accounts of the author’s visits to the Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh, the Garden of Riḍván, and ‘Akká.
THESE AND OTHER pilgrims’ notes, fascinating as they are, cannot be regarded as authentic Bahá’í scriptures. “Only those things that have been revealed in the form of Tablets have a binding power over the friends,” Shoghi Effendi stated in a letter written on his behalf. “Hearsays may be matters of interest but can in no way claim authority.” (Bahá’í News, No. 125, May 1939, p. 6)
In the foreword, Mr. Garey notes some of the points of variance between Julia Grundy’s account and the facts as we now know them from authorized Writings, but concludes that her book was written with “a rather high degree of accuracy.”
Although pilgrims’ notes can be regarded as hearsay and are not binding on the believers, writes Mr. Garey, “what can be more thrilling, short of the immediate experience, than hearing or reading an account in a pilgrim’s own words of his reception in the loving arms of the Master?
“Who can tire of the description of those penetrating eyes, that warm and merry laughter, the wise brow, the wisps of hair escaping from the confining turban?...the sense of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s presence, His quintessential courtesy, His tenderness, His occasional severity, His powers of intellect and concentration—all these are infinitely precious to Bahá’ís, every one of whom is in love with the Master.”
Ten Days in the Light of ‘Akká offers an intriguing glimpse into one segment of the Heroic Age of the Bahá’í Faith.
It is “a personal, though not intimate, record and, at the same time, a document of considerable historical value,” writes Mr. Garey. In it “we hear the voice of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá through the mind and heart of a good and simple person and once again appreciate His ability to teach anyone right to the limit of his spiritual and intellectual capacity to learn.”
Little is known of the life of the author, Julia Grundy. She is mentioned in O.Z. Whitehead’s Some Early Bahá’ís of the West as having been on the same pilgrimage as Mr. and Mrs. Howard MacNutt in 1905, and she was listed as a Bahá’í in Brooklyn, New York, as late as 1944. More information may become available as a result of the publication of this revised edition of her book.
Ten Days in the Light of ‘Akká is available from local Bahá’í librarians. Isolated Bahá’ís and Bahá’ís living in communities with no librarian may order by sending a check or money order for $8 per copy to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Price includes postage.
N.Y.C. Bahá’ís Host Dr. and Mrs. Kahn[edit]
On Sunday, February 4, Dr. Peter Khan, a Continental Counsellor in Australasia, and Dr. Janet Khan, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia, spoke at the Bahá’í Center in New York City.
Counsellor Khan shared his impressions of present world conditions; Mrs. Khan then spoke of recent teaching successes in Australia.
Events taking place today, the Counsellor said, clearly point toward the unfolding of God’s plan for mankind. Two plans, he noted, are working concurrently.
ONE OF THESE is the “major plan” of God that occurs according to the Will of God and affects events outside the Bahá’í community. These events will lead eventually to the unification of mankind.
The other plan is the “minor plan” of God in which the Bahá’ís must establish and spread the Faith and its values throughout the world. The Bahá’ís, he said, must breathe a new spirit into the lifeless body of mankind so that it might awaken to a new spiritual life.
According to the Counsellor, who has been a Bahá’í for nearly 30 years, great spiritual power is available during the final year of every Plan to those who make a special effort to serve the Faith.
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Youth Committee Seeks Cartoonists Do you like to design cartoons? The National Youth Committee would like to have cartoons appear each month in the “Vanguard” youth section. If you have ideas for cartoons giving the “lighter side” of Bahá’í youth subjects, please submit samples of your work to the National Youth Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. |
Such power, he added, is never-ending, but is especially potent at these special times. The path to happiness, he said, involves complete and selfless service to the Faith, even though such a commitment may result in suffering or frustration.
HE WARNED of an increase in attacks on the Faith in years to come. Rather than physical torture or abuse, he said, attacks in the U.S. will be intellectual and mental.
Counsellor Khan stressed that the only shield and protection the believers have against such attacks is certitude. If certitude can be maintained, he said, the Bahá’ís will be free from the doubts that others will try to instill.
Certitude, he said, comes from obedience to the institutions of the Faith, wholehearted support of their decisions, and immersion in the Writings. The time to do this, he added, is now.
Dr. Peter Khan, a Continental Counsellor in Australasia, speaks to the Bahá’ís of New York City during a February meeting at the Bahá’í Center there.
[Page 13]
A Recognition Ceremony for the first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Solana Beach, California, was held January 21. Members shown here are (front row, left to right) Dan Seals, Casey Colley, Red Grammer, and (back row, left to right) Julie Ann Longaker, Andrea Seals, Delores Ordona, Kathy Grammer, Isabel Estrada. Not pictured is Ladan Davoodi.
Among the special guests at the Recognition Ceremony for the Spiritual Assembly of Solana Beach, California, in January were May Charters (left) from Toronto, Canada, and Ahnjayla Colley of Solana Beach.
Careers for Youth
Career in Health Care Mirrors Bahá’í Ideals[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of two articles on careers in health care for young people by Alfred K. Neumann, M.D., M.P.H.; Irvin M. Lourie, M.D.; and Harriet S. Lourie, B.A., M.Ed.)
For the Bahá’í there is an added significance and dimension to selecting and preparing for a career in health.
Each Bahá’í has a spiritual obligation to develop his or her potential to the utmost to maximize the ability to serve his fellow men. Moreover, Bahá’u’lláh has said that “work performed in a spirit of service is worship.”
WITHIN THIS framework of education and service, a high status is given to those who strive to mitigate or prevent ill health.
Parallel to the theme of professional education and service is the individual’s moral, spiritual and ethical preparation. This involves careful study of the Teachings and internalization to the extent that they become an integral part of one’s daily functioning.
In this age of moral decay, with its sad decline in the professional and ethical standards of all too many health professionals, it is all the more important for Bahá’ís to strive to set an example of how one should live and work.
ANOTHER consideration for the Bahá’í who is selecting a career is to fulfill a desire to serve the Faith in areas of need both in one’s own country (homefront pioneering) or abroad (international pioneering).
We will now list and discuss:
- Health-related jobs that maximize potential mobility and self-sufficiency.
- The importance of relevant experience.
- How one fits a career choice to his or her aptitudes and inclinations.
- How one can secure the requisite training.
- Conclusions, including how to find a job and what kinds are most desirable.
Virtually all countries, whether industrially advanced or less developed, will hire foreign nationals only when they cannot find someone in their own country to do a needed job.
These “needed job” categories fall into two classes. The first can include jobs that require a mixture of training and working in locations that few citizens of the country want. Examples of this are job openings for secondary school teachers in math, chemistry and physics in remote rural settings.
INCIDENTALLY, these are almost invariably “local hire” jobs; that is, you have to get yourself to the country concerned and then apply for a post. Overseas travel expenses seldom are provided.
Pay is modest or poor by U.S. standards and is the same as that accorded citizens of the country. Fringe benefits usually—though not always—include housing and free medical care in a government facility. Contracts are usually for one or two years. A benefit of this type of work is that one is close to the people.
The second class of positions available to expatriates is that of the highly-qualified specialist. As a minimum, a master’s degree from a major university and at least 3-5 years of relevant work experience are required. In many cases a doctorate plus relevant experience is specified.
Developing countries, needing expatriate workers, want the best possible; and since they usually cannot interview applicants in their home countries, graduates of major recognized universities are preferred because this is a way of “insuring” that minimum standards will be met.
FURTHERMORE, administrators in developing countries who are responsible for hiring expatriate specialists must see to it that the candidates have the same or better professional preparation for the job than the best-qualified persons in the country.
Examples of health-related professional jobs presently in great demand are systems and cost analysts, planners, program managers, evaluation specialists, computer programmers specializing in small computers who can also function as trainers, applied nutrition specialists and nutrition policy formulators, nurse educators, program evaluators, curriculum development and manual writing experts, epidemiologists, non-formal education specialists, and certain physician specialties.
The latter includes maternal and child health and family planning specialists, program developers, planners and evaluators, nutrition specialists, parasitologists, hospital administrators, and medical school faculty—especially in non-clinical fields.
There are some other fields open to physicians, but usually in the area of community medicine (public health) and infrequently as clinicians.
FOR HEALTH educators, physicians and nurses, a master of public health degree (MPH) or diploma in public health (DPH) is virtually essential. MD’s and RN’s without this additional qualification will find it difficult to secure jobs internationally, even though they are in steady demand in developed countries.
In developing countries there is a very small demand for chiropractors, naturopaths, holistic medicine specialists, etc. Notwithstanding their importance, there is also little demand for social workers, psychiatrists, physical therapists, hearing and speech specialists, physical medicine and occupational medicine specialists in developing countries, although there is a good demand for such specialists in the U.S. and other more developed countries.
The picture presented here reflects conditions at the end of the 1970s and will probably not change very quickly. The statements made are generalizations, and exceptions will certainly be found.
Faith Has Center Stage In Panel Talk at College[edit]
Early this year, the Bahá’í Club at Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma, was invited to participate in Religious Week activities at the university. A Bahá’í devotional service on January 29 and a filmstrip presentation on February 1 were the prelude to a panel discussion that was to climax the week’s events.
Panelists had been invited to represent the Bahá’í, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish faiths, as well as the Protestant, Catholic and Mormon segments of Christianity. Ronna Santoscoy, an Auxiliary Board member, represented the Bahá’ís—but no one appeared to represent the other religions!
The moderator—an Episcopal minister—appealed to the audience, and finally two people said they would say a few words about Christianity.
When Mrs. Santoscoy finished her presentation, questions about the Bahá’í Faith filled the next 30 minutes. One of the Christians then spoke for about five minutes, but the other said he would rather ask more questions about the Faith. The audience did just that—for the next two hours.
Only the necessity of vacating the hall cut short the questions. Many of those who attended left their names and addresses, wishing to be told of future opportunities to learn about the Faith.
During a recent session at the Bosch Bahá’í School in California, children were involved in a demonstration class in movement exploration. Problem-solving is the major thrust in this type of physical education, with specific activities centering on possibly weak areas of perception (directionality, laterality, figure-ground, balance, space-awareness). Shown here is a ‘movement exploration’ exercise that involved grasping the edge of a parachute, raising the chute into the air, and then allowing it to cover the participants. The exercise instructor was Mrs. Marsha Gilpatrick.
200 Attend Conference On ‘Challenging Issue’[edit]
Two hundred Bahá’ís from Michigan, Illinois and Ohio attended the second annual Conference on the Most Challenging Issue last August 11-13 on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing.
The conference was planned and coordinated by the Michigan Task Force on the Most Challenging Issue, a committee of the Spiritual Assembly of East Lansing. The task force was comprised of 29 Bahá’ís from nine Michigan communities.
Dr. Magdalene M. Carney, assistant secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, opened the conference, speaking at a public meeting attended by 75 seekers. Dr. Carney also delivered the keynote address and participated in a panel discussion.
MUSIC WAS provided by the Sterling Glenn Chorale from Detroit.
Four afternoon workshop sessions dealt with various aspects of “the most challenging issue,” and promoting harmony in a multi-racial society through the Bahá’í concept of racial equality.
Dawn prayers on Sunday were said in English, Portuguese, German, Spanish, French and Persian.
Children’s classes were held throughout the conference and were attended by about 50 children. The children participated in the conference itself by singing and displaying T-shirts on which they had silk-screened the theme of their classes: “One Planet, One People ... Please.” Though the conference was for Bahá’ís only, two proclamation events were open to the public and were well-covered by the campus and local newspapers.
Children perform during last August’s Conference on the Most Challenging Issue at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The children’s program was coordinated by Carolyn Mays. Accompanying the children is guitarist Rob Voight.
The first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Orange County, Virginia, was formed February 4. Members shown here are (standing left to right) Barry Sims, Al McNett, and (seated left to right) Chris McNett, Don Stingle, Jo Ann Rivas, Lucia Sims. Other members of the Assembly are Melanie Danch, Charles Strother, and Louise Strother.
Art Print of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Produced by New Technique[edit]
A new art print of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is now available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. The print, by Haynes and Rosann McFadden, was produced using a recently developed graphic technique called “dyttographics.” The portrait sells for $10 (12 x 16 inches, Catalog No. 6-47-06).
A dyttograph is composed of many thousands of small hand-drawn dots patiently placed on paper to complete a final drawing. Because of the many hours involved in this process, dyttographs must be rendered primarily from photographs.
The ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dyttograph is taken from a photograph portrait of the Master by Boissonas and Caponier, in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, wearing gray cloak and white taj, is turned slightly to one side, eyes on the camera.
This print of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is approved for distribution by the Universal House of Justice.
The artists, Haynes and Rosann McFadden, currently reside in Roswell, Georgia. Rosann McFadden, who created the graphic arts style “dyttographics,” is interiors coordinator for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Haynes McFadden is owner of MC Squared Graphics, which manufactures and distributes graphic art and photographic products and services.
To order your ‘Abdu’l-Bahá art print, see your Bahá’í community librarian. Isolated Bahá’ís and Bahá’ís in communities with no librarian may order directly from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Enclose full payment. Price includes postage.
The new ‘Abdu’l-Bahá art print was executed using a technique called dyttographics, demonstrated here on another portrait by artist Rosann McFadden of Roswell, Georgia.
Iran Troubles Spur Interview On Southern Ute Radio Station[edit]
As a result of recent troubles in Iran and statements about the Bahá’í Faith that have appeared in the nation’s press, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of the Southern Ute Reservation in Colorado was interviewed for 20 minutes on KSUT, the official radio station of the Southern Ute Tribe.
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Local Spiritual Assemblies that wish to have a delegate’s report from the Bahá’í National Convention for their communities should make the necessary arrangements directly with the delegate. Some Assemblies may wish to host meetings for several communities and Groups within their area. |
The Assembly also helped sponsor an ad in the Durango Herald, the leading daily newspaper in the area. The ad was prepared by the Spiritual Assembly of Durango.
The Southern Ute Assembly has stepped up its teaching to alleviate misgivings about the Faith among local people who have Bahá’í relatives on the Reservation. As a result, several new friends have been made for the Faith and some people are studying the Faith.
Thirty-four Bahá’ís from nine Colorado counties attended the first Summer School reunion February 18 at the Colorado Federal Savings & Loan in Denver. Slides, movies and photos from previous Colorado Summer Schools were shared to welcome those who haven’t yet had the bounty of attending Summer School and to provide a touch of nostalgia for the ‘old-timers’ present. Special guests were Sandi, Branden and Jared Guthridge of Granby, Colorado. Sandi declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh at last year’s Colorado Summer School, then returned home to open Grand County to the Faith. In the photo, some of the friends contribute memories of Summer School to a mural drawn by everyone attending. This year’s Summer School is to be held June 16-22 at the Black Forest Baptist Assembly in Colorado Springs.
Members of the grounds maintenance staff at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, pose with snow removal equipment purchased last winter to keep parking spaces cleared and maintain access to the House of Worship. The winter of 1978-79 was marked by the heaviest accumulation of snow in history in the Chicago area, with nearly 100 inches having fallen by the end of February. In the lower photo, two new snow removal trucks stand poised and ready in front of the House of Worship.
Myrtle Wendler: A Life Full of Service[edit]
By SOPHIE LOEDING
Myrtle Wendler was born in Chicago, Illinois, March 10, 1906, the daughter of Ernest and Clara Van Meer, who also had two sons, Ernest and Robert.
The family was related to Miss Elizabeth Muther, one of the early believers in Hawaii. Largely through the influence of Miss Muther, with whom Mr. and Mrs. Van Meer maintained a correspondence, the Van Meer family became interested in the Faith and began to investigate it in Chicago. In the early 1930s Mr. and Mrs. Van Meer and Myrtle became Bahá’ís; in 1936 Robert also embraced the Faith.
MEANWHILE, Myrtle had married Fred Wendler. Before his death 20 years later, after a long illness, Mr. Wendler had become a Bahá’í.
Following the death of her husband, Myrtle Wendler came to share in the work of the Secretariat at the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette.
She remained there for 29 years. During the later years of her life, ill health interrupted her activities a number of times, but when she was able she always returned to carry on.
Myrtle Wendler was a quiet person, very industrious, excellent at matters requiring great accuracy and fine detail. She was discreet, dependable, trustworthy and completely loyal.
Her many years of service at the National Center were marked by the great confidence shown in her by the National Spiritual Assembly, for whom she performed the task of typing the minutes after the Assembly’s meetings.
Horace Holley was secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly when Myrtle came to the National Center. Later, she served with Charles Wolcott, Hugh Chance, David Ruhe, and the present secretary, Glenford E. Mitchell.
Myrtle lived in Chicago until shortly before her death, when she moved to the Bahá’í Home in Wilmette. During the time she was living in Chicago she served for many years as secretary of its Local Spiritual Assembly.
Myrtle Wendler passed from this earthly life on January 3, 1978, at the age of 71.
More than 100 people including approximately 40 non-Bahá’ís attended a proclamation event March 3 in the goal community of San Gabriel, California, that featured music by John Ford Coley, Leslie & Kelly, Bob Gundry, and Friends. After the concert, John Ford Coley gave a brief fireside and told how he became a Bahá’í. The event was coordinated by the Los Angeles Teaching Committee and by Jan Uebel, a homefront pioneer to San Gabriel. A follow-up fireside was held the next weekend at the San Gabriel Valley Bahá’í Center.
Youth Committee Offers ‘Spiritual Exercise’ Plan[edit]
As you know, your body needs regular exercise to keep it healthy and fit. In this way it can serve you to its optimum level and for the longest period of time.
Have you ever considered that your soul needs to be exercised as well to maintain good spiritual health? Developing your soul should be given daily attention if you wish to avoid spiritual weakness.
A REGULAR routine of prayer, meditation, and study of the Writings, combined with more active pursuits such as teaching the Faith, supporting community events, applying oneself to school and career, and exemplifying Bahá’í characteristics are activities that will lead to spiritual growth.
This may seem like a lot to do all at once, but if you apply ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s advice of “little by little, day by day,” you’ll find that a basic program of spiritual exercises can become, eventually, a daily pattern of “living the life” to your fullest capacity. And the process, all along, will be strengthening and maturing your soul.
Following are three programs that can help you start your own daily pattern of spiritual exercises. Choose one that fits your lifestyle and personal goals; and don’t forget that these are suggested programs. Combine or expand the components if you feel they would work better for you that way.
Also, if you already have a program that works well for you, share it with others! Get a group (maybe your Youth Club) together and exchange ideas on attitudes, techniques, and activities. A group like this can also supply needed peer support and encouragement.
Note: Prayers cited are from Bahá’í Prayers (U.S. edition).
PROGRAM NO. 1, “The Traditional Approach” (for the person with a regular school or job schedule):
Morning—Read Prayer No. 38, 40 or 77.
Briefly review your activities for the day. Make a point of being punctual and courteous.
Noon—Read the short Obligatory Prayer (remember—this prayer can be recited any time between noon and sunset).
Be aware of potential situations where you can teach the Faith.
Evening—Concentrate on improving relations and communications within your family or with your roommate (think about your own reactions too).
Attend Feast, a Holy Day program, a deepening, or other local activity if there is one. If you lack transportation, bring this up at the next Feast.
Before you go to bed—Read one Hidden Word and meditate on how it can be applied to your life (it may contribute to your intellectual understanding, inspire you to behave differently, make you feel more secure or happy, help you to teach more effectively, etc.). Read Prayer No. 16.
PROGRAM NO. 2, “The ‘I’m Going to Have to Find Time’ Approach” (for the person who has difficulty getting him or herself organized).
Morning—Each night, set your alarm clock for five minutes before you ordinarily get up. Keep a prayer book by your bed, and before you get out of bed in the morning, read “Blessed Is the Spot.”
Smile as you walk or drive from place to place (or class to class). Walk with nobility.
Noon—Decide on some item you see every day (preferably something you wear, such as a ring, watch, etc.) and consciously associate this item with saying the short Obligatory Prayer. It will serve as a reminder for you to say this prayer sometime between noon and sunset.
Keep a small Bahá’í pamphlet, booklet, or book with you, and read when you have some solitary moments.
Teach the Faith as you go from place to place.
Evening—During dinner, meditate on being punctual for whatever evening activities you have planned. Keep a calendar (one that has squares you can write on) by the telephone and/or dinner table so you can readily mark and see all Feasts, meetings, and social events. Make a habit of keeping this calendar up-to-date and referring to it while eating and/or talking on the phone.
Before you go to bed—Either read a prayer or memorize a short prayer that you can say before drifting off to sleep.
PROGRAM NO. 3, “The Creative Approach” (for the person who likes to try something different every now and then).
Morning—Say a prayer from Prayers and Meditations.
Set a goal for the day (something simple, like “I will not speak badly about any person,” or “I will complete my homework assignments.”). Meditate on this goal throughout the day.
Noon—Bring a copy of Bahá’í World Faith to school or to work. Find sections that relate to your goal for that day (use the index). Also, someone might see you and ask about the Faith.
Evening—Relate to your family in terms of your daily goal.
If you have Feast to attend, think of some way to make a contribution other than giving to the Fund (i.e., making a recommendation to the Assembly, relating a teaching experience, saying a special prayer, helping the host or hostess if they wish, etc.).
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Arise! |
Before you go to bed—Read the long Obligatory Prayer.
Evaluate how well you achieved your goal for the day.
In Memoriam[edit]
- Andrew J. Allison
- Durham, N.C.
- March 4, 1979
- Dan Aylward
- San Francisco, Calif.
- February 3, 1979
- William J. Babcock
- Millers Falls, Mass.
- Date Unknown
- Thomas Birch
- Latta, S.C.
- Date Unknown
- Lee Brown, Jr.
- Society Hill, S.C.
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Rose Clifton
- Denmark, S.C.
- September 1978
- Willie Clifton
- Denmark, S.C.
- February 20, 1979
- Walter Cooper
- Sumter, S.C.
- 1978
- Miss Eliza Drain
- Smoaks, S.C.
- February 6, 1979
- Douglas P. Hillhouse
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- December 1978
- Foster M. Mudd
- Grand View, Wash.
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Harriet Kleinschmidt
- Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
- February 21, 1979
- Hasteen Manybeads
- Oraibi, Arizona
- Date Unknown
- Charles W. McCrary
- Phoenix, Arizona
- January 5, 1979
- Dan Paisly
- Lake View, S.C.
- Date Unknown
- Miss Barbara J. Roberts
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- October 23, 1978
- Miss Charlotte Small
- Mattapan, Massachusetts
- December 19, 1978
- Lucelia Suska
- Kent, Washington
- Date Unknown
- Paul Williams
- Lake View, S.C.
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Wondrus Williams
- Greenville, Texas
- November 24, 1977
- Johnny L. Wright
- Gulfport, Mississippi
- August 26, 1978
- Joseph Zingali
- Biloxi, Mississippi
- Date Unknown
Westchester Project Marks Steady Gains[edit]
Last summer, the National Spiritual Assembly initiated and funded special teaching projects in the key states of California, Illinois and New York for the purpose of “initiating the process of entry by troops” before the end of the Five Year Plan.
Among these projects was the Westchester County Project in eastern New York State. From its beginning in May 1978 through last Naw-Rúz, the Westchester County campaign led to the enrollment of 51 new believers in eastern New York.
THE PROJECT is directed by the Bahá’í Committee of Westchester (BCW), an ad hoc committee of the National Spiritual Assembly. Its present members are Mrs. Annette Gilman, Leonard Gilman, Shannon Javid, Mrs. Pi Johnston, Mrs. Deborah van den Hoonaard, and Steven Nawi.
During the summer of 1978, the BCW organized extensive teaching activities in White Plains, supported by public events, firesides and deepenings. The results included several enrollments, more than 120 interest cards, and a springboard for teaching in other parts of the county.
The White Plains teaching led also to the deputization of a team of full-time teachers to carry out the main thrust of the campaign until the end of the Plan at Riḍván 1979.
Following a meeting with the National Spiritual Assembly last October in Rochester, New York, the committee sent its full-time teaching team to Georgia to gain experience in teaching methods that had led to numerous enrollments there and in South Carolina.
The team returned after a 10-day visit to Georgia with such a renewed spirit that within the next 3½ weeks, 23 souls were found who were ready to declare their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
ALTHOUGH the number of enrollments slowed during the winter months, the teaching continued unabated, led by the core group of full-time teachers: Mark Foster of White Plains, Cathy Larivee of Scarsdale, Jennifer Minichello of New York City, Claire Segue of Scarsdale, and Gregg Suhm of Hartsdale.
The team was bolstered by the assistance of traveling teachers who joined the project on weekends, and local Bahá’ís including all members of the BCW.
Twenty-six of the 51 persons enrolled as of Naw-Rúz are from one locality, the Village of Ossining, where a new Local Spiritual Assembly was elected last December 16.
The Westchester Project has been blessed by the presence of two members of the Universal House of Justice, Hushmand Fatheazam and Borrah Kavelin; Continental Counsellor Peter Khan of Australasia; Janet Khan, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia; Soo Fouts and Firuz Kazemzadeh, U.S. National Spiritual Assembly members, and Auxiliary Board member Nat Rutstein.
MRS. FOUTS has joined the project for three weekends, spending most of her time “on the street” with the teaching teams.
A Bahá’í Information Center in downtown White Plains is open five days a week. The Center, which has a lending library, is manned full-time by Mrs. Meg Saul who also serves as executive secretary of the BCW and is in charge of publishing the committee’s monthly newsletter.
The BCW has sponsored a number of public meetings, the most recent of which was a Women’s Conference last April 7 in White Plains. The conference theme was “Women Launching Universal Peace,” and the keynote speaker was Auxiliary Board member Javidukht Khadem.
Consolidation has gone hand-in-hand with the teaching, with much of the consolidation work done by the teaching team.
To aid consolidation, the District Teaching Committee of Eastern New York organized a “New Believers’ Conference” last February in White Plains.
Simultaneously, the BCW prepared two programs: a consolidation booklet to be used by the teachers, and a correspondence course—a series of brief, simply written lessons on the Faith—to be mailed at the rate of one a week to each of the new believers.
The seeds planted last fall, and during the winter, are only now beginning to blossom. With this in mind, the team has been concentrating its efforts in the Ossining area while the BCW planned special weekend events to augment the teaching effort.
Members of the full-time teaching team deputized by the Bahá’í Committee of Westchester in eastern New York State are (back row left to right) Mark Foster, Jennifer Minichello, and (front row left to right) Cathy Larivee, Gregg Suhm, Claire Segue.
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Bosch Seeks Summer Help The Bosch Bahá’í School in Santa Cruz, California, is accepting applications for employment for its summer program June 16-August 31. Positions available include assistant cook, lifeguard, recreation director, children’s pre-school teacher, dishwasher, and maintenance helper. Room and board are provided in addition to a small stipend. Transportation costs to and from school will be the responsibility of employees. Applicants should send a resumé and a letter of recommendation from their Local Spiritual Assembly to the Bosch Bahá’í School Administrator, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. |