The American Bahá’í/Volume 12/Issue 4/Text
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Hand of Cause Rúḥíyyih Khánum sees Persian, American friends in L.A. area[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum met last December with Persian- and English-speaking Bahá’ís in the Los Angeles area.
Her meeting December 13 with the Persian-speaking friends was held at the Pasadena Civic Center.
THE FOLLOWING day, about 2,500 English-speaking Bahá’ís met with the Hand of the Cause at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Much of her talk to the Persian-speaking Bahá’ís was given in Persian; those parts that were not in Persian were translated for her by Dr. Amin Banani.
“What are you doing in Los Angeles?” Rúḥíyyih Khánum asked her Persian audience. “Leaving Iran to go to Los Angeles is like jumping from the frying pan to the fire. You should get as far away as you can from any civilization.”
The present situation in Iran, she said, should come as no surprise to the Bahá’ís, since they had been told by the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi what was going to happen there.
Yet for those who have had to leave, she said, it has been a terrible ordeal. They have left their homes, their jobs, and sometimes their families while adjusting to life in a strange new environment.
But as Bahá’ís, said the Hand of the Cause, we know that it is through tests that we grow, and the Persian Bahá’ís have been given a wonderful opportunity for spiritual development.
THEY MUST seize the opportunity, she said, and arise to serve the Faith as never before.
Addressing the English-speaking Bahá’ís the following day, Rúḥíyyih Khánum said she wouldn’t bother telling them to leave Los Angeles—they had been told so many times to leave
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum meditates at the grave of Thornton Chase, the first Bahá’í in America, during her visit last December to the Los Angeles, California, area.
Warm response to appeal eases crisis in Fund[edit]
The November Fund appeal from the National Spiritual Assembly to the believers in America has resulted in an unprecedented outpouring of support.
This overwhelming response is no doubt due to the spirit released by the Iranian martyrs, in whose memory the appeal for action was launched, and whose example has stirred Bahá’ís in America to strive to exemplify the same spirit of sacrifice.
IN THE FIVE Bahá’í months since the appeal was made, the average number of individual believers contributing directly to the National Fund each month more than doubled, to 4,196, resulting in no less than 20,978 separate contributions totaling $1,166,687 over the five-month period.
This includes the peak month of Qawl in which a record number of 5,017 individuals contributed $285,818 (see box).
The monthly participation figures for Assemblies averaged 737 for the first five months of the
| What’s inside
HOMEFRONT pioneering goals are listed by the National Teaching Committee. Page 3 THE NUMBER of U.S. pioneers at overseas posts stands at approximately 1,300. Page 9 BAHÁ’Í schools are growing—in size and in the quality of their curricula. Page 13 WINNIE B. Newman, author of the Bahá’í children’s book, The Secret in the Garden, is guest of honor at an autograph party in San Antonio, Texas. Page 15. LOUHELEN School reconstruction plans await necessary funds. Page 26 |
Counsellors, National Assembly confer
An historic first meeting between 10 members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas and the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S. was held February 21 in Wilmette, Illinois.
The Counsellors came from North America, Central America and South America. Never before had Counsellors from so wide a geographical area met with the National Spiritual Assembly.
THE BOARD of Counsellors for the Americas was created by the Universal House of Justice last November when it appointed Counsellors to five-year terms and realigned the geographic zones, combining into one the former zones of North, Central and South America.
The day-long meeting at the National Hazíratu’l-Quds followed morning devotions by members of both institutions at the Bahá’í House of Worship.
The main topic of discussion was the concern expressed by members of both bodies that local Bahá’í communities take full advantage of all that has been learned in the Americas about the twin processes of expansion and consolidation.
A task force composed of four Counsellors and four members of the National Spiritual Assembly will be formed to review all the available materials on expansion and consolidation.
The information gleaned by that task force, it was further decided, will then be applied to at least two experimental teaching/deepening
Ten members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas meet with the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Wilmette, Illinois. The historic gathering, held February 21, paved the way for even closer cooperation between the two institutions of the Faith during the second phase of the Seven Year Plan that is scheduled to begin at Riḍván.
‘Fireside Playhouse’ new radio drama series, set for May debut[edit]
“In connection with the radio work ... he would suggest that the main consideration is to bring to the attention of the public the fact that the Faith exists and its Teachings. Every kind of broadcast ... should be used.
“The people need to hear the word ‘Bahá’í’ so that they can, if receptive, respond and seek the Cause out. The primary duty of the friends everywhere in the world is to let the people know such a Revelation is in existence; their next duty is to teach it.” (From a letter dated July 24, 1934, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)
•
Starting in May, a dramatic and provocative new series of half-hour radio programs about the Bahá’í Faith, produced in Hollywood for the National Spiritual Assembly, will be broadcast on selected radio stations across the country.
The 13-week series, entitled “Fireside Playhouse,” is written primarily for the non-Bahá’í audience, to acquaint them with the Faith in a non-threatening manner by showing a Bahá’í (more often than not on the periphery of the action) demonstrating Bahá’í principles in his or her everyday life.
FIRESIDE Playhouse was written, produced and directed by Betty Deborah Ulius, a Bahá’í who is an Emmy-nominated television writer and who last year was nominated by the Writers’ Guild of America for the “Best Dramatic Radio Script” of the year.
The locales of the shows range across the entire country, while their subject matter covers all ages and races, both sexes, and a double handful of professions.
The scripts star many familiar faces and voices from radio and television, such as veteran
[Page 2]
VIEWPOINT
Editorial
A new phase of the Divine Plan[edit]
The first touches of spring move us to exult in the wonders of God’s creation and to marvel in the mystery of rebirth.
The marvelous process of renewal operates in the spiritual realm as well. The advent of spring brings a new message from the Supreme Institution of our Faith announcing the next phase of the Seven Year Plan and placing before us sure guidance that, if followed, will lead humanity ever closer to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.
THE SEVEN YEAR PLAN on which we are embarked is the tenth and final part of the divinely propelled process that began 6,000 years ago at the dawn of the Adamic Cycle.
We now have the inestimable privilege of contributing our share to the concluding stage of this majestic process, which, Shoghi Effendi explained, will involve “the penetration of that light, in the course of numerous crusades and of successive epochs of both the Formative and Golden Ages of the Faith, into all the remaining territories of the globe through the erection of the entire machinery of Bahá’u’lláh’s Administrative Order in all territories, both East and West, the stage at which the light of God’s triumphant Faith shining in all its power and glory will have suffused and enveloped the entire planet.”
The Kingdom of God on earth, the inception of which, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, would be marked by the founding of the Mother Temple of the West, already exists in the realm of the spirit.
The deeds we perform, in the realm of action, determine how soon that wondrous Kingdom will arrive and to what extent others will be spared from fearsome suffering.
Now that the springtime has come and we have received a new message from the World Centre, may we all pause to contemplate afresh the supreme privilege bestowed upon us and to rededicate ourselves to the service of God’s Cause.
(For more information about this ten-part process, see Messages to the Bahá’í World, 1971 edition, pp. 153-156, and Wellspring of Guidance, p. 22)
Community building: the real work[edit]
As of March 1, there were approximately 1,494 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the American Bahá’í community.
The National Teaching Committee considers about 300 of these Assemblies to be unable to function without outside guidance. This means that they do not meet and therefore do not function as an Assembly.
THERE ARE another 400 Assemblies that are semi-functional. That is, they meet irregularly, do not contribute to the National Fund, seldom respond to inquiries or suggestions from the National Spiritual Assembly or its committees, and initiate few activities.
There are also at least 200 Groups of nine or more adult Bahá’ís throughout the country. These Groups, by all rights, should become Local Spiritual Assemblies.
If they did, and if we suffered no decline in the number of existing Assemblies, we would win handily our goal of 1,650 Assemblies for the first two-year phase of the Seven Year Plan.
During March and April the National Teaching Committee and its field workers, and the Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, have been visiting many of these communities to help them form their Assemblies.
The results of their labors will largely determine how the American Bahá’í community fares in winning the goal of 1,650 Assemblies.
Behind these statistics stands a problem that, when considered in all its aspects, is quite disturbing.
OVER THE LAST five years, the American Bahá’í community has gained a total of about 500 new Assemblies. Yet the number of functioning Assemblies has not increased.
Moreover, we have carried at least 200 Groups of nine or more for several years, and few of them have developed into Local Spiritual Assemblies.
In both instances, the reason why we have not gained an increasing number of functioning Assemblies, or formed Assemblies in localities with Groups of nine or more, is because we do not have enough Bahá’ís to spend their time visiting these communities to deepen the knowledge of the believers and help them establish the pattern of Bahá’í community life.
This problem should make us ask ourselves a number of questions. Do we ourselves sufficiently understand the value of the Institution of the Local Spiritual Assembly? Do we sufficiently grasp its role in the salvation of mankind?
Why is it that we are able to gather together scores of people to go into unopened localities to tell people about Bahá’u’lláh, but we have a hard time scraping together a handful of people who are willing to take on the chore of visiting, month after month, the same community and patiently and lovingly teaching those who have been enrolled in the Faith what it means to be a Bahá’í and what kind of life Bahá’u’lláh has taught us to live?
Surely, the task of welding together a strong and vibrant Bahá’í community from a group of individuals who hardly know each other is a
Amherst Bahá’ís ‘befriend’ groups[edit]
As a part of “Operation Befriend,” the Bahá’í community of Amherst, Massachusetts, joined with members of other religious groups in that city February 15 to sponsor the seventh annual observance of International Sunday.
International Sunday provides an opportunity for people of all faiths to share in an understanding of different cultures around the world.
About 250 people attended the event including many students from other countries and their families, and 57 Bahá’ís from 11 communities.
The speaker was economist Henry Ouma, an investment officer for the United Nations Pension Fund for Developing Countries.
Mr. Ouma, a Bahá’í from Kenya, East Africa, spoke on “The Economic Interdependence of the Countries of the World.”
Other highlights included songs by an interfaith choir and the release of hundreds of balloons bearing the words “love” or “peace” in one of 20 languages.
Henry Ouma (wearing glasses), a Bahá’í from Kenya who spoke February 15 at the seventh annual observance of International Sunday in Amherst, Massachusetts, his wife Grace (right) and their children share a laugh with William Roberts of Amherst, an assistant to the Auxiliary Board. Mr. Ouma, an economist, is an investment officer for the United Nations Pension Fund for Developing Countries.
Comment
‘Tree of Life’ plays significant role in history of religious symbolism[edit]
By DR. JALIL MAHMOUDI
“Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch.”—Bahá’u’lláh
In religious literature the symbolism of the “tree” plays one of the most significant roles. For instance, in the Old Testament we read:
“And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:9)
IT SEEMS that the main and most important point here is the “tree of life”—“tree,” the most demonstrative symbol of organicism, and “life,” a quality of a vital and functioning being.
Thus the “tree of life” is a creation of the organic ability of growth, of production and reproduction—a living being which, at the same time, is the source of life.
With regard to the biblical symbology of the “tree of life,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says: “The tree of life is the highest degree of the world of existence; the position of the Word of God and the universal manifestation.”
He further asserts, “This is why in the supreme Paradise the tree of life is the expression for the center of absolutely pure sanctity—that is to say, the Divine Universal Manifestation.” (Some Answered Questions, p. 141)
Botanically speaking, the life of the tree (or any plant) depends upon the sap. The sap is the fluid or solution that circulates through the tree’s vascular system, and which is the most essential element of the life of the tree or plant.
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This month’s column, “The Tree of Life,” was written by Dr. Jalil Mahmoudi of Santa Monica, California. Dr. Mahmoudi, an Auxiliary Board member for protection, is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Utah. He is the author of several books including “The Story As Told” and the more recent “Concordance to The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh.” |
The elements required for the formation of the life-giving sap are sun, air, water and earth. The symbolic tree of life also depends on the symbolic “sap” that is the Divine Will and the expression of the Holy Spirit.
LIFE COMES from the tree, but the “source” of life is directly connected to the Supreme Providence. It is from that great “Source” that the essence of life is provided.
The roots are firmly grounded in the “Will” of God and connected to all the branches through a mighty trunk. So each branch receives its needs through this great trunk by which all the branches are connected together and share life.
All of the branches, large or small, are alive, insofar as they are connected to the source of life. Cut them from the tree and they will soon die.
Leaves, flowers and fruits are produced and given forth as long as the branches are connected to the tree and do not deprive themselves of the nutritive elements and life-giving vigor of the “source.”
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The American Bahá’í
(USPS 042-430) Published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL. Editor: Jack Bowers The American Bahá’í welcomes news, letters and other articles of interest from individuals and the various institutions of the Faith. Articles should be written in a clear and concise manner; black and white glossy photos should be included whenever possible. Please address all materials to The Editor, The American Bahá’í, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1980 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. |
The source of this mysterious organic power is unknown to us, as is the miraculous formation and circulation of the sap; although we are aware of its existence and function, it is concealed from our limited vision and comprehension.
Probably one of the more worthwhile endeavors in the realm of spirituality would be to ponder this great creation and phenomenon—to think about the “Creator,” the unknown and unknowable Essence, to see His Manifestation in His “Divine Lote Tree” planted in the right time and
[Page 3]
TEACHING
Homefront pioneers have vital role to play in Plan[edit]
This month, as the first phase of the Seven Year Plan draws to a close, and the second phase begins with all its attendant challenges and opportunities for service, the National Teaching Committee would like to send its special thanks and deepest love to all those Bahá’ís who have in the past, and are now serving as homefront pioneers—a thanks that echoes that expressed by the Universal House of Justice in a letter of November 29, 1970:
“THE SPIRIT of self-sacrifice and devotion that has animated so large a number of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh to leave their homes, to move to posts far and near, to foreign lands and on the homefront, to hoist the banner of the Faith and to promote the divine teachings in well-nigh every populated area of the globe, uplifts our hearts and evokes our profound pride and admiration ...
“Our deep appreciation of the vital role which the pioneers play in the onward march of the Army of Light towards victory arouses in us the desire to comfort their hearts, upraise their spirits, and strengthen their loins by calling to mind the stirring appeal which flowed from the Pen of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
“ ‘...O that I could travel, even on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and, raising the call of Yá-Bahá’u’l-Abhá in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans promote the divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it ...’ ”
Let us befittingly launch the new phase of the Seven Year Plan in the U.S. by pioneering to the homefront, by dispersing to goal localities this year as never before to establish loving, unified, effective, and widespread Bahá’í communities.
The following list includes many areas that are in dire need of pioneers now, and your local District Teaching Committee knows of many other areas, perhaps closer to home and of equal importance.
THE NATIONAL Teaching Committee is praying fervently that many of the friends will prepare now for this avenue of service, and that they will arise, place their trust in Bahá’u’lláh, and grasp those opportunities so graciously offered to us all by Him.
The National Center stands ready to assist you to move to these goal areas. Please write, or phone the National Teaching Committee office at 312-869-9039.
We can be assured by the words of the beloved Guardian that “God’s redemptive grace, flowing through the small yet infinitely wonderful band of His faithful servants will, as in the days past, gradually permeate the world, and infuse into the consciousness of peoples and nations alike the realization that nothing short of the Divine panacea He Himself has prescribed can cure the ills now so sadly afflicting the whole of mankind. What higher privilege therefore than to be the instrument, the channel for the transmission of such divine grace.
“Let us then take courage, and faithfully pursue our mission, and rest ever assured that the promised day of victory ... will dawn upon us and upon a world as yet unconscious of the divine potency of His Message.”
| HOMEFRONT PIONEERING GOALS RIḌVÁN 1981 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CENTRAL STATES | Goal | Filled | Open | |
| Pulaski Co., IL | 2 | — | 2 | |
| New Albany, IN | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Upper Peninsula, MI | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Northern MI | 4 | — | 4 | |
| International Falls, MN | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Northern MN | 6 | — | 6 | |
| S.E. corner Missouri | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Western Nebraska | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Bismarck, ND | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Pierre, SD | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Williston, ND | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Portsmouth, OH | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Superior, WI | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Dodge City, KS | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Dubuque, IA | 4 | — | 4 | |
| —— | —— | —— | ||
| TOTAL | 46 | 46 | ||
| NORTHEASTERN STATES | Goal | Filled | Open | |
| Torrington, CT | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Windham Co., CT | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Aroostook Co., ME | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Eastport, ME | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Nantucket, MA | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Martha’s Vineyard, MA | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Bennington, VT | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Middlebury, VT | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Glens Falls, NY | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Saratoga, NY | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Grafton Co., NH | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Tunkhannock, PA | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Fayette Co., PA | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Berkshire Co., MA | 4 | — | 4 | |
| —— | —— | —— | ||
| TOTAL | 36 | 0 | 36 | |
| WESTERN STATES | Goal | Filled | Open | |
| Douglas, AZ | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Page, AZ | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Winslow, AZ | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Visalia, CA | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Ft. Bragg, CA | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Alturas, CA | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Roswell, NM | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Grants, NM | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Taos Co., NM | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Burns, OR | 3 | — | 3 | |
| Alamosa, CO | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Nampa, ID | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Pershing Co., NV | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Flathead Co., MT | 3 | — | 3 | |
| Cedar City, UT | 3 | — | 3 | |
| —— | —— | —— | ||
| TOTAL | 39 | 39 | ||
| SOUTHERN STATES | Goal | Filled | Open | |
| Key West, FL | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Pensacola, FL | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Tuskegee, AL | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Griffin, GA | 2 | — | 2 | |
| South Central GA | 8 | — | 8 | |
| Greenwood, MS | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Kentucky | 10 | — | 10 | |
| Fayetteville, NC | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Greenville, NC | 3 | — | 3 | |
| Jackson, TN | 2 | — | 2 | |
| McMinnville area, TN | 4 | — | 4 | |
| South Carolina | 35 | — | 35 | |
| Fayetteville, AR | 3 | — | 3 | |
| Laredo, TX | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Presidio, TX | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Bristol, VA | 2 | — | 2 | |
| West Virginia | 10 | — | 10 | |
| Natchitoches, LA | 4 | — | 4 | |
| Dover, DE | 2 | — | 2 | |
| Salisbury, MD | 2 | — | 2 | |
| —— | —— | —— | ||
| TOTAL | 115 | 115 | ||
Teaching Committee to supply ‘Operation Befriend’ guidelines[edit]
The National Teaching Committee will be sending to all Spiritual Assemblies and Groups the guidelines for “Operation Befriend,” the community service project envisioned by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears.
This project was launched initially in the goal states of California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York, and in Washington, D.C.
THE TEACHING Committee now warmly invites your community to join the ever-swelling ranks from the “Army of Light” in this endeavor.
The underlying idea of the campaign is to befriend your village, town or city and the people of your community, especially the ill, the orphaned, the aged, the needy and the underprivileged.
As Mr. Sears said, “Operation Befriend is designed to win the allegiance, respect and affection of all our neighbors and the civil authorities in the places where we dwell because of our loving service on their behalf; so that they, in turn, will arise to support and defend us against our enemies in those critical and challenging days of crisis yet to come.”
Are there homes for the aged in your community? A children’s hospital? What about a half-way house for refugees where you would be able to use your tutoring skills?
There are an infinite number of ideas of how we can be of service to our fellow-man in our community. Perhaps you could contact your local civic organizations to obtain suggestions about where you can best be of service through a Bahá’í-sponsored project in keeping with the spirit of the Faith.
THE UNIVERSAL House of Justice has stated that our success is largely dependent upon “... the degree to which Bahá’í communities embody the distinguishing characteristics of Bahá’í life and attract, by their unity, their steadfastness, their radiance and good reputation, the interest and eventual wholehearted support of their fellow citizens. This is the magnet which will attract the masses to the Cause of God, and the leaven that will transform human society.”
Operation Befriend will end at Riḍván 1982, the 25th anniversary of the passing (on November 4, 1957) of the beloved Guardian, and the 50th anniversary of the passing (on July 16, 1932) of the Greatest Holy Leaf.
Mr. Sears, who recently left to pioneer in Africa, hopes to return at that time on a teaching mission in the U.S.
The National Teaching Committee is eager to learn of your ideas and the successes in reaching the people in your community; some of these stories will be printed in an upcoming issue of The American Bahá’í.
Please write to the National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Counsellors volunteer services for month in U.S.[edit]
Continued From Page 1
campaigns in the U.S.
Participants at the meeting felt that the success of such efforts in the U.S. would exert a favorable influence on similar direct teaching efforts elsewhere in the world, and that the collaboration of Counsellors and members of the National Spiritual Assembly in this work would be vital to its success.
DURING the meeting, the 10 Counsellors present volunteered their services in any way the National Spiritual Assembly deemed advisable during the month between the Continental Youth Conference in Kansas City July 2-5 and a scheduled conference of the 16 Counsellors for the Americas August 7-9 in Lincolnwood, Illinois.
The National Spiritual Assembly gladly accepted their gracious offer, and asked that the Counsellors participate in teaching and consolidation efforts in the goal states of California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York in addition to activities they may engage in elsewhere in the U.S.
The Counsellors and National Assembly also discussed details of the second phase of the Seven Year Plan, which is to begin during Riḍván 1981.
The goals of that phase of the Plan were spelled out by the Supreme Body in recent letters to each of the National Spiritual Assemblies around the world. Another important topic for discussion was international border teaching. It was felt that the restructuring of the Counsellors’ area of jurisdiction provides a fresh new outlook for border teaching and opens many new doors of opportunity for closer cooperation between adjacent countries.
Earlier border teaching campaigns in North America focused on Alaska, Canada and the U.S. That potential has now been widened to include all of the Americas.
The Counsellors who were present at this historic meeting were Dr. Farzam Arbab, Carmen de Burafnto, Angus Cowan, Lloyd Gardner, Lauretta King, Artemus Lamb, Raúl Pavón, Dr. Sarah Pereira, Fred Schechter and Velma Sherrill.
All nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly participated.
JOYFULLY REPORT EFFECTIVE LOVING CONSULTATION DAY LONG JOINT MEETING FEBRUARY 21 COUNSELLORS ARBAB, BURAFATO, COWAN, GARDNER, KING, LAMB, PAVON, PEREIRA, SCHECHTER, SHERRILL AND ALL MEMBERS NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY. FREE FLOWING EXCHANGE IDEAS AUGURS WELL CONTINUOUS MEANINGFUL COLLABORATION FULFILLMENT GOALS SECOND PHASE PLAN. IMMEDIATE OUTCOME WAS AGREEMENT ESTABLISH TASK FORCE COMPRISING FOUR COUNSELLORS FOUR NSA MEMBERS TO EXPLORE PROCESSES FOR ACHIEVING SIMULTANEOUS EXPANSION AND CONSOLIDATION TOWARD UNPRECEDENTED INCREASE NUMBERS AVOWED ADHERENTS FAITH. SUPPLICATE YOUR PRAYERS. LOVINGLY
and National Spiritual Assembly United States
February 23, 1981
DELIGHTED OUTCOME MEETING OF TEN COUNSELLORS ALL MEMBERS YOUR ASSEMBLY. HIGHLY APPROVE PLAN TO ESTABLISH JOINT TASK FORCE EXPLORE WAYS TO TAP RESERVOIR RESOURCES AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY ENLIST WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT PROJECTS ACHIEVE GOALS SECOND PHASE. INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE JOINS US IN FERVENT PRAYERS SUCCESS YOUR EFFORTS. KINDLY SHARE BOARD COUNSELLORS AMERICAS.
February 24, 1981
Los Angeles County honors 3 at 12th Human Rights Day awards ceremony[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Los Angeles County held their 12th annual Human Rights Day awards presentation last December 7 at Norris Theatre on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
About 125 people attended the event that featured entertainment by singer Amy Rawlings and slide presentations of the work of each recipient of the award.
Those who were chosen for the awards in honor of their outstanding services to the people of Los Angeles are:
• Andy Lipkis, an environmentalist who, as founder of the TreePeople, has worked tirelessly to save forests by replanting smog-resistant seedlings, and to encourage community participation in urban forestry through specially designed tree-planting programs across the country.
Mr. Lipkis coordinated emergency volunteer activities to protect private property during various weather disasters in the Los Angeles area.
• Mrs. Sybil Brand, who first became aware of the appalling conditions under which women were being detained in police custody when, as a member of the Los Angeles County Institutional Inspection Commission, she took on an unwanted job—inspecting jails.
Eight years later, in 1963, the Sybil Brand Institute was opened. The institute encourages vocational training programs for female inmates in cosmetology, typing, ceramics and other areas.
• Dr. J. David Bowick, who has a deep personal commitment in his new position as deputy administrator of Los Angeles School District Area 3.
Although his duties now include working with 65 schools, Dr. Bowick has continued his successful philosophy of personal involvement.
“You can’t run an inner-city school from behind a desk,” he says, and his long days include every phase of school activities, including the implementation of innovative learning programs.
The inter-community awards program, which involved all of the Spiritual Assemblies in the greater Los Angeles area, was hosted by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Los Angeles.
Judge James F. Nelson (right), chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, presents a Human Rights Day award on behalf of the Bahá’ís of Los Angeles County, California, to Dr. J. David Bowick, deputy administrator of Los Angeles School District Area 3. Other award recipients at the 12th annual event last December 7 were environmentalist Andy Lipkis and Mrs. Sybil Brand, founder of the Sybil Brand Institute which helps female prison inmates through vocational training programs.
Singer Amy Rawlings provided entertainment during the 12th annual Human Rights Day awards program held last December 7 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
80-plus at Iowa observance[edit]
More than 80 people including more than 20 non-Bahá’í adults were present January 18 as the Bahá’ís of Davenport, Iowa, observed World Religion Day.
The speaker was William Brown, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Des Moines, Iowa. Before becoming a Bahá’í, Mr. Brown was a Methodist minister.
Mr. Brown’s topic was “The Promised Day.”
The observance marked the culmination of more than six months of planning and cooperation by several Local Assemblies, Groups, and individual believers.
Two appearances by Bahá’ís on local radio and television helped publicize the event. In addition, three newspapers carried large articles about the meeting with photos of the speaker and the Bahá’í House of Worship.
The mayor proclaimed January 18 World Religion Day in Davenport.
Many seekers accepted pamphlets, and three of them requested firesides at a later time.
The Bahá’í campus club at the University of Oregon in Eugene set up this literature display to help celebrate World Religion Day in January. The week-long display in the campus student union was seen by several hundred students.
[Page 5]
THE FUNDS
Spirit of martyrs generates warm Fund response[edit]
Continued From Page 1
campaign, while the average for Groups was 317.
Group participation reached its highest level in Qawl at 349, while Assembly participation was 794 in Sulṭán, only six short of 800!
Total contributions from Groups and Assemblies for the five-month period was $722,370.
The combined total for contributions from individuals, Groups and Assemblies is $1,889,057. The monthly totals have averaged $153,811 above the monthly contributions goal, and the initial contributions deficit of $446,654 has been eliminated.
For the first time since an annual contributions goal was established, we stand on the threshold of winning, and even surpassing, our present goal of $4.25 million.
The encouraging support for the Fund has helped to overcome the potentially severe deficit that was faced in November.
Not only were contribution totals low at that time, but it was also clear that estate and other income totals would not reach expected levels.
While contributions have grown dramatically over the last few months, estate income remains critically low. In the past, an unusually large estate bequest would make up for a shortfall in contributions and enable our community to balance the budget.
This year we will need a significant outpouring of funds in excess of the $4.25 million contribution goal if we are to balance the $5 million budget.
In the short time that remains until the close of the fiscal year, a sustained effort with the same spirit of unity and sacrifice that has so far characterized support for the Fund is needed to enable us to begin the new year free from any deficit.
Whatever the final result, the unified support of the believers will stand forever as an example of the strength of our community and its will to accomplish any goal and win great victories for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
| Individuals | Assemblies | Groups | Monthly Total | ||
| Qudrat | |||||
| participation | 3,587 | 668 | 296 | ||
| contributions | $210,653 | $129,902 | $ 340,555 | ||
| Qawl | |||||
| participation | 5,017 | 777 | 349 | ||
| contributions | $285,818 | $182,802 | $ 468,620 | ||
| Masá’il | |||||
| participation | 4,110 | 717 | 321 | ||
| contributions | $235,517 | $138,242 | $ 373,759 | ||
| Sharaf | |||||
| participation | 4,196 | 728 | 296 | ||
| contributions | $221,937 | $124,126 | $ 346,063 | ||
| Sulṭán | |||||
| participation | 4,068 | 794 | 321 | ||
| contributions | $212,762 | $147,298 | $ 360,060 | ||
| $1,889,057 | |||||
Woman’s sacrifice to raise up Temple stands today as lesson in selflessness[edit]
Of all the tasks accomplished by the American Bahá’í community in its brief history, the construction of the first House of Worship in the West stands as one of our most important efforts.
Raised in stages over the course of 50 years, this structure was built through the love and sacrifices of Bahá’ís all around the world.
“... THIS MAGNIFICENT enterprise,” Shoghi Effendi wrote, “deserves to rank among the immortal epics that have adorned the annals of the Apostolic Age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.”
The task of building the House of Worship served as a vital learning experience and testing ground for the nascent Bahá’í community. The institution of the National Spiritual Assembly was raised on this first administrative task.
The project also nurtured the spiritual qualities of individual believers, especially in their relation to the concept of sacrifice. The stories connected with those who sacrificed for the construction of the Temple stand even today as a lesson in selflessness worthy of emulation.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote about one such story in a letter to some believers in Iran. Telling the exciting news of activities connected with the Temple, He related the details of a contribution by a woman in America:
“Having no portion of goods and earthly riches,” He wrote, “she sheared off with her own hands the fine, long and precious tresses that adorned her head so gracefully, and offered them for sale, that the price thereof might promote the cause of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.
“Consider ye, that though in the eyes of women nothing is more precious than rich and flowing locks, yet notwithstanding this, that highly-honored lady hath evinced so rare and beautiful a spirit of self-sacrifice ...
“PONDER and reflect how mighty and potent hath the Cause of God become! A woman of the west hath given her hair for the glory of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. Nay, this is but a lesson unto them that perceive.”
In a letter written to that woman, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá outlined the significance and power of her sacrifice:
“O my well-beloved daughter of the Kingdom! The letter thou hadst written to Dr. Esslemont was forwarded by him to the Land of Desire (the Holy Land). I read it all through with the greatest attention.
“On the one hand, I was deeply touched, for thou hadst sheared off those fair tresses of thine with the shears of detachment from this world and of self-sacrifice in the path of the Kingdom of God.
“On the other, I was greatly pleased, for that dearly-beloved daughter hath evinced so great a spirit of self-sacrifice as to offer up so precious a part of her body in the pathway of the Cause of God.
“Hadst thou sought my opinion,
The Bahá’í community of Grand Forks, North Dakota, celebrated Universal Children’s Day last November 1 by sponsoring its second annual Harvest Party at which nearly 60 children enjoyed games, stories, songs, magic tricks, trick roping, a costume parade, a piñata, wholesome refreshments, and prizes for everyone. The two-hour party was widely advertised through newspaper ads, radio and television spots, posters, and word of mouth.
Treasurer’s Questions
Fund appeal ‘surprise’[edit]
Question: I was surprised to receive your recent Fund appeal. I didn’t realize that the National Spiritual Assembly was allowed to ask for contributions. Could you please explain what the Writings say about Fund appeals? How does this guidance relate to the latest appeal that included references to the martyrs and asked people to use coupons?
Answer: In a letter concerning contributions written on his behalf, Shoghi Effendi indicated that “... the best and noblest method is to have free donations that are made spontaneously and with the sense of making some sacrifice in furthering the Cause.”
We realize that there are a great many believers who contribute regularly to the Fund in this spirit. In time, we know that nearly every believer will reach this level of understanding.
AT THE SAME time, the Guardian instructed the National Assemblies to appeal directly to the believers concerning the condition of the Fund. He wrote:
“... appeals of a general character, carefully worded and moving and dignified in tone are welcome under all circumstances ...”
A letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi also contains the following point: “The Guardian would advise your Assembly to continue impressing upon the believers the necessity of their contributing regularly to the National Fund, irrespective of whether there is an emergency to be met or not.”
The recent appeal concerning the National Fund was aimed at reaching all the believers to remind them of their sacred obligation.
The National Assembly thought it would be a special bounty for all of us to offer our contributions in memory of the martyrs.
This follows the pattern set by Shoghi Effendi himself, who used every crisis, including martyrdoms, to call us to “a greater degree of consecration,” “a nobler spirit of self-sacrifice,” “a concerted, wholly dedicated, inflexible resolve to win the allegiance of a far greater number of adherents to the Faith ...”
The increase in contributions in recent months is due to the fact that a number of believers have a renewed sense of personal consecration as a result of the martyrs’ sacrifices. The spirit generated by these acts unifies the community, and enables us to achieve great victories for the Cause.
AS FOR THE coupons that were sent with each mailed appeal, they were merely a tool to be used as an assistance to the believers.
The coupon itself has no significance, and no Bahá’í has any obligation to use it if he chooses not to. It is a symbol for some that connects the acts with those of the martyrs—a connection that is very real and important in both the spiritual and physical worlds—and stresses the importance of sustained action.
The majority of contributing believers used the coupons as a
[Page 6]
YOUTH NEWS
Growth of ‘Youth Network’ seen as encouraging[edit]
At its most recent meeting, held February 20-22 in Wilmette, Illinois, the National Youth Committee was pleased to note the progress of the goals assigned to American youth for the first phase of the Seven Year Plan.
“In the past few months,” said Cap Cornwell, secretary of the committee, “we’ve heard from more than 200 college and local youth clubs and District Youth Committees.
“The response to the Youth Plan has been very encouraging to the National Youth Committee, and we’re pleased to see that the network of youth organizations is growing stronger in numbers as well as in commitment to the completion of the tasks assigned.”
THERE ARE THREE basic kinds of youth organizations now functioning in the American Bahá’í community: college clubs, local youth clubs, and District Youth Committees.
Each plays a unique role in mobilizing youthful talents and energies in service to the Faith.
Bahá’í college clubs serve to teach and proclaim the Faith on college campuses and are limited in their membership, while local youth clubs draw their manpower from one or more Bahá’í communities.
Local youth clubs are designed to provide youth with a positive peer group and serve a social, deepening and teaching function.
On the other hand, the District Youth Committee is a consultative group that sponsors and designs specific teaching programs for youth in a given district.
All of these youth network components are sponsored by Local Spiritual Assemblies.
Since August, the National Youth Committee has learned of the formation of 200 clubs and committees.
“We’re sure that there are many functioning clubs and committees that have not yet notified the National Youth Committee of their existence and activities this year,” said Mr. Cornwell.
“We are eager to hear from each and every club and committee,” he continued, “so that they can be counted toward the goal of the National Youth Plan that calls for the formation of 500 clubs and committees by Riḍván 1981.”
A listing of youth clubs and committees recorded by the National Youth Committee includes:
BAHÁ’Í COLLEGE CLUBS
Alabama—U. of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Alabama A&M, Tuskegee Institute.
Arizona—Northern Arizona U., Yavapai College, Arizona State U., Cochise College, Central Arizona College, American Graduate School of International Management.
Arkansas—U. of Arkansas at Little Rock.
California—San Francisco State U., Diablo Valley College, U.
North Georgia youth respond to goals with enthusiastic teaching campaign[edit]
The youth of North Georgia have undertaken an impressive schedule of teaching events as a response to the National Youth Plan goals.
Beginning in January, several youth from North Georgia attended a special Youth Leadership Training Session held by the National Youth Committee at the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute in South Carolina.
AFTER SEVERAL days of intensive deepening, the participants went “into the field” to teach in the countryside near the school.
Their newly-acquired skills coupled with their firm spirit of enthusiasm and dedication attracted several new believers to the Faith.
After the youth returned to Georgia, a special teaching project was designed by the District Youth Committee in cooperation with the District Teaching Committee.
More than 40 Bahá’í youth converged on a small community in Central Georgia to teach, deepen and have fun.
The program included a weekend of prayers, consultation, visits to mass-taught Bahá’ís, and enrollment of new believers.
Among the highlights was a roller skating party at a local roller rink that had been rented to accommodate the youth, seekers, and newly-declared believers.
One of the participants, upon leaving, said, “Let’s do this again ... many times!”
God willing, they shall.
Bahá’í youth from North Georgia consult on teaching methods during a teaching campaign that started in January.
Young ‘pioneer’ writes of trials, joys[edit]
The following are excerpts from a letter to the National Youth Committee from Cindi Chessick, a dedicated Bahá’í youth who moved from her large community in Illinois to become a homefront pioneer as a college student in Grinnell, Iowa.
The Youth Committee feels that her letter serves as an outstanding example of the trials and joys awaiting one who arises to serve the Faith in that capacity.
•
“Very much a city girl driving through vast expanses of land ... and I had no idea what to expect. I was on my way to open a new locality!
“On the first day of class, I was late. As I hurriedly found my way to a seat, my professor told me we were speaking about ourselves, and would I kindly tell the others about the Bahá’í Faith?
YOU CAN IMAGINE my surprise, as she had evidently read my application essay in which I’d mentioned the Faith ... and so I began my college career teaching the Faith to others!
“My roommate lent indirectly to many teaching opportunities. I knew she didn’t like me and that she despised the Bahá’í Faith. I never talked about the Faith to her although she knew I was a Bahá’í.
“One day when I was rushing to prepare for my first speech tournament, she stopped me and handed me a pamphlet that she wanted me to read. The heading boldly read: ‘Cult of the Month: Bahá’í.’
“I stammered a shocked thanks and left. Aware that it was the most positive thing that had occurred between us, I kept my temper. It showed, in a remote sort of way, that she was concerned about my soul.
“As I quietly brought the pamphlet out of my purse on the bus, a friend loudly inquired as to its nature. Unsure of his reaction to such a negative portrait of the Faith, I tried to keep down my explanation.
‘Varqa,’ children’s magazine, reappears[edit]
Varqa, a children’s magazine that was published for eight years in Iran, is now being produced on a bi-monthly basis in India in three languages: Persian, English and Hindi.
By subscribing to Varqa, you will not only be receiving a magazine that has more than proved its worth by winning the love and affection of children; your subscription will also enable a child in India who is unable to pay for it to receive the magazine.
The republication of Varqa is dedicated to the memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Abu’l-Qásim Faizí who loved children and did much to encourage their Bahá’í education.
Members of the Bahá’í children’s class in Little Rock, Arkansas, toured a local bank after opening a children’s fund account there last fall.
Children active in Little Rock community[edit]
The children’s committee of the Spiritual Assembly of Little Rock, Arkansas, has been quite active in recent months.
One of the committee’s first goals was to give the children administrative responsibility by helping them to open their own Bahá’í children’s fund account at a local bank. When the account was opened, the children were given a tour of the bank.
Other activities and projects have included:
• Auctions following Friday evening firesides to raise money for the children’s fund. Items are made or donated by the children or other members of the community.
• A newspaper drive, taking newspapers donated by community members and others to a recycling plant with proceeds going to the children’s fund.
• Visits to a day care center and to one of the newest and most innovative elementary schools in Little Rock.
• Sessions with adult believers to discuss various professions. The children have heard from a commercial artist, a lawyer, a government official, a speech therapist, and a professional musician.
Recently, the children toured the state capitol building with B.J. McCoy, a Bahá’í who served in the Cabinet of Governor William Clinton.
[Page 7]
YOUTH NEWS
A WONDERFUL SUMMER-FULL![edit]
This summer, American Bahá’í youth will be offered a tremendous variety of opportunities for service to the Faith.
To keep you up-to-date on these events, the National Youth Committee is preparing a new monthly column for the Youth Page ... and we hope you’ll consult “A Wonderful Summer-Full” when you begin making your plans!
THE HIGHLIGHT of the summer will be the Continental Bahá’í Youth Conference to be held July 2-5 in Kansas City, Missouri. Details about the conference will appear each month on this Youth Page.
The International Goals Committee has announced a series of international teaching projects for the following countries:
Norway, Guatemala, Leeward and Virgin Islands, Belize, Jamaica and Windward Islands.
If you might be available to travel overseas to any of these countries or to any other countries, be sure to contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Don’t delay ... time is short to make all the necessary arrangements.
A series of border teaching projects is being planned in conjunction with the Continental Youth Conference. Youth traveling to and from the conference are urged to participate in these projects that will be held near the Mexico/U.S. and Canada/U.S. borders.
If you might be able to set aside some free time before or after the conference to work with this important effort, please contact the National Youth Committee.
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Fiji Islands is hosting a Greater Pacific Bahá’í Youth Conference August 27-30 in Suva, Fiji.
The program, entitled “The Spiritual Enrichment of Bahá’í Youth in the Mid-most Heart of the Pacific Ocean,” will be attracting youth from all over the world, and teaching events are being planned before and after the conference.
If you would like more information, please contact the National Youth Committee for a brochure.
During the month of June, the American Indian Teaching Committee and the Navajo-Hopi District Teaching Committee will present the “Trail of Light Teaching Project” preceding the Continental Youth Conference.
This month-long effort, beginning with a Council Fire on the Southwest Bahá’í Institute property, is geared toward “entry by troops” in several goal areas of the Navajo Reservation.
For details, please contact the Navajo-Hopi District Teaching Committee, P.O. Box 395, Tuba City, AZ 86045.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, if you’d like to see something special happen in your area, why not contact your District Youth Committee, District Teaching Committee, or Spiritual Assembly and ask them what’s happening?
See if you can get a special effort started in your area, let us know what you’ve planned, and we’ll feature it next month... so we can all look forward to “a wonderful summer-full!”
Letter[edit]
Continued From Page 6
“To my joy, he indignantly began pointing out all the blatant propaganda techniques in the slanderous document! The whole bus exploded with curiosity, and I spent the rest of the trip explaining the Faith to the whole speech team.
ANOTHER of my acquaintances who lives next door is an atheist whose uncle is a Bahá’í. I respect her views, and I feel she respects mine.
“The interesting thing about our relationship lies in her ability to teach me about the Faith! My growing understanding of the Faith is a growing understanding of what is real. We have a relationship where both search for deeper understanding, and together we grasp new perceptions of reality.”
•
The National Youth Committee is eager to assist any youth who arises to serve as a homefront pioneer.
|
wanna go to a y.l.t.p.? *youth leadership training program... The National Youth Committee will be hosting a series of three programs across the country during the spring school break...if you might be able to attend a session, contact the Committee...call 305-462-1919, weekdays...call collect, if need be. |
If you have a choice of colleges to attend, why not select the isolated one and open it to the Faith? We’ll be happy to help with information, inspiration, and love.
Please contact the Youth Committee c/o the Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
About 80 Bahá’í youth attended a ‘Touchstone III’ youth conference last December 19-21 at the San Fernando, California, Bahá’í Center. The conference was sponsored by the Los Angeles Assembly’s Bahá’í Youth Committee.
Network[edit]
Continued From Page 6
of California at San Francisco, U. of California at Berkeley, California State U. at Fresno, U. of California at Davis, College of Marin, California State U. at Los Angeles, U. of California at Los Angeles, California State U. at Fullerton, San Diego State U., U. of California at Irvine, U. of California at Long Beach, California Polytechnic State U.
Colorado—Western State College, U. of Northern Colorado, Colorado State U.
District of Columbia—Howard U., George Washington U.
Florida—Florida Institute of Technology, Florida A&M, Florida State U., U. of South Florida, Florida Atlantic U., Florida Junior College South, U. of Florida, Polk Community College.
Georgia—Georgia State U.
Idaho—Boise State U.
Illinois—Northwestern U., Northern Illinois U., U. of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Illinois Wesleyan U., Illinois State U.
Indiana—Earlham College, Ball State U., DePauw U., Purdue U.
Iowa—U. of Iowa, Iowa State U., Palmer School of Chiropractic.
Kentucky—U. of Kentucky, U. of Louisville, Eastern Kentucky U.
Maine—U. of Maine at Orono.
Maryland—U. of Maryland at College Park.
Massachusetts—Harvard-Radcliffe, Worcester State College, U. of Massachusetts at Boston, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern U., Mount Holyoke U.
Michigan—U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Saginaw Valley State College, Wayne State U.
Minnesota—U. of Minnesota at Minneapolis, Moorhead State U., U. of Minnesota at Duluth, Hamline U., Mankato State U., Rochester Community College, Winona State U.
Mississippi—Mississippi State U.
Missouri—Northeast Missouri State U.
Nebraska—U. of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Nevada—U. of Nevada at Reno.
New Hampshire—U. of New Hampshire.
New Jersey—Princeton U.
New York—State U. of New York at Buffalo, State U. of New York at Binghamton, State U. of New York at Old Westbury, New York U., C.W. Post College, Pratt Institute.
North Carolina—Duke U., Appalachian State U., North Carolina State U., U. of North Carolina at Charlotte.
North Dakota—North Dakota State U., U. of North Dakota.
Ohio—Wright State U., Ohio State U. at Columbus, Bowling Green State U., Ohio U. at Athens, U. of Toledo.
Oklahoma—Oklahoma State U. at Stillwater.
Oregon—Oregon State U., Reed College.
Pennsylvania—U. of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State U., Drexel College, Temple U., U. of Pittsburgh.
South Carolina—Clemson U., U. of South Carolina.
South Dakota—U. of South Dakota.
Tennessee—Tennessee Technological U., U. of Tennessee at Chattanooga, U. of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Texas—Texas Southern U., Lamar U., Tarrant County Junior College, Southwest Texas State U., West Texas State U., U. of Houston, Southern Methodist U., Tarrant County Junior College Northeast.
Utah—Utah State U.
Vermont—U. of Vermont.
Virginia—Old Dominion U., U. of Virginia at Charlottesville, George Mason U.
West Virginia—West Virginia U., West Virginia Institute of Technology.
Wisconsin—Marquette U., U. of Wisconsin at Green Bay, U. of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, U. of Wisconsin at Madison.
Wyoming—U. of Wyoming at Laramie.
LOCAL YOUTH CLUBS (as of Feb. 19)
Arizona—Greater Tucson.
California—Inglewood JD, Newport Beach, Pleasant Hill, Monterey Peninsula, Marin County.
Florida—Central Dade County, Greater Sarasota County.
Georgia—Marietta.
Iowa—Council Bluffs.
Illinois—Wilmette.
Indiana—Fort Wayne.
Kansas—Overland Park.
Louisiana—East Baton Rouge.
Minnesota—Olmstead County, St. Cloud, Moorhead and Fargo, Mankato.
Missouri—Columbia.
Rhode Island—Providence.
South Carolina—Columbia, Orangeburg.
Texas—Denton.
Utah—Salt Lake City.
Washington—Greater Kirkland.
Wisconsin—Bayside.
Other Local Youth Organizations—“Youthquest,” an intercommunity youth committee in the San Diego, California, area; “Y.O.W.” clubs: Ventura, Los Angeles and North San Diego County, California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington.
DISTRICT YOUTH COMMITTEES (as of Feb. 19)
Alabama, Northern; Arizona, all districts; Arkansas; California, Central No. 1; California, Central No. 2; California, Southern No. 1; California, Southern No. 2A; California, Southern No. 2B; California, Southern No. 3.
Florida, Central; Florida, Northern; Florida, Southern; Georgia, Northern; Georgia, Southern; Idaho, Northern/Washington, Eastern; Illinois, Northern No. 2.
Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Maine; Maryland/D.C.; Minnesota, Northern; Minnesota, Southern; Navajo-Hopi; Nevada, Southern; New Jersey.
New Mexico, Southern/Texas, Western; North Carolina, all districts; North Dakota; Ohio, Northern; Ohio, Southern; Oklahoma, Western; Oregon; Pennsylvania, all districts.
Rhode Island; South Carolina, Northern; Texas, Central No. 1; Texas, Eastern No. 1; Utah; Wisconsin, Southern.
[Page 8]
IGC: PIONEERING
Surinam’s heart ‘open’ to Faith, teacher says[edit]
“Surinam is a country whose very heart is open and ready to receive the Message of Bahá’u’lláh,” says Mrs. Puran Stevens about her teaching trip there last December.
Mrs. Stevens was accompanied on the trip by her husband, Joseph, and their daughters, Linda and Susan.
SURINAM, in the northeastern part of South America, has a population of 440,000 of which 35 per cent are Creole, 35 per cent of Hindustani descent, 15 per cent Indonesian, 10 per cent bush Negro, 2 per cent Amerindian living in the interior, and 2 per cent Chinese.
The official language is Dutch, but English is widely spoken and understood. A native language called Talki-Talki also is spoken.
Mrs. Stevens reports: “The chairman of the National Teaching Committee of Surinam asked us to visit the cities of Moengo and Albina, which are next to the border with French Guiana.
“We visited some of the bush Negroes who had not been visited in many months. We held children’s classes in two of the villages.
“Next we visited several villages where, with the help of Mrs. Akhtar Yazdani, we taught the Faith.
“In one of the villages permission to teach had not been given in the past, but we visited the village captain and talked to him about the Faith. He then gave permission for us to teach in his village.
“We gathered the youth and started to teach them Bahá’í songs and prayers. It was a beautiful experience. Before we left, most of the youth could say at least one prayer.
“THE CITY of Moengo had not yet been opened to the Faith, and the Teaching Committee emphasized the importance of teaching there.
“In that city, we taught in houses, stores and even restaurants. We held a children’s class, and a 10-year-old boy embraced the Faith. A restaurant manager gave permission for us to use the dining room for a proclamation.
“Besides teaching, Susan and Linda met several times with the area Bahá’í youth and shared with them some of the ways in which the youth could serve more actively as a group.
“They talked about forming Bahá’í clubs in their schools and of becoming more active in all community affairs.”
Mrs. Puran Stevens (fourth from left) of Denton, Texas, and her daughters Susan (third from left) and Linda (right) are shown during their teaching trip last December to Surinam, South America. At the left is Terry Madison, a pioneer from the U.S. to Surinam. The photo was taken in an Amerindian village near French Guiana. The man second from left is the village captain who is a Bahá’í. The woman to Mrs. Stevens’ left declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh during the visit.
Pioneers write about serving Faith in distant lands[edit]
“The need for the services of pioneers and traveling teachers remains very great. In the goals for the initial two-year phase of the Plan few specific assignments for the sending of pioneers and traveling teachers have been made. In recent years a steady stream has begun to flow, and the Universal House of Justice calls upon the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the stronger national communities to arise and join this stream.” (The Universal House of Justice, Naw-Rúz 1979)
•
We would like to share with you some extracts from the “Pioneer Post,” a newsletter written by and for our pioneers and sent to them four times a year by the International Goals Committee.
How does a pioneer teach?
DORIS LOHSE, SWITZERLAND—Although 80 years of age, I am mainly working with and teaching young people. Three times a week I leave by train for Zug, making new contacts, returning after 10 p.m.
The rest of the week, same work in Lucerne. Attending all meetings, giving talks, having deepenings, friendship and prayer meetings. Also I’m making many translations. The friends are delighted to receive new information. ...Most powerful, of course, are our prayers.
REED CHANDLER, CHILE—We’ve been living in Temuco for about seven years now, and this town is the “hub” for the teaching work among the Mapuche Indians. ...we now realize that in most areas of mass teaching work it takes a generation to be able to see the real fruits (15-20 years) and with this objective in mind, things don’t seem so discouraging when one looks back over 7-10 years of activity and sees few signs of progress.
It’s not true! Things are moving along, but they are moving naturally and organically like the Guardian used to say about the growth of Bahá’í communities.
Often we want to see fast results, big numbers, etc., but the slow, steady growth of an area like this assures of a sound foundation and strong pillars for the future. So we do most of our consolidation or deepening work with the children and youth because that is the generation that will arise to carry the banner of the Faith.
And friends, it really works. We have only a few Mapuche Bahá’ís who have been members of the community for more than 10-12 years but among them are an NSA member, an Auxiliary Board member, and many assistants to the Auxiliary Board. They are beginning to take their real place in the Faith. ...We should hear greater things from these areas in the near future and we pioneers should just keep on doing the best we can and try to hold onto that long-range vision and be content with the Will of God.
Let’s remember that even though we are all inadequate in our own eyes, we are participating in what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá calls the “Prince of Deeds”!
NANCY HIGHFILL, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC—When I left the States I didn’t realize how one could be continually renewed and more deeply confirmed in the glory of this Cause as I have felt so often here ...
One village we visited was such a light and shining testimony to the power of Bahá’u’lláh and His Message. ...As we approached the village we were met by tens of children calling “Alláh’u’Abhá!”
| INTERNATIONAL SPRING AND SUMMER PROJECTS 1981 | ||
|---|---|---|
| COUNTRY | DATES | TEACHERS NEEDED |
| **Belize | August 1981 | All ages, consolidation |
| Fiji Youth conf. and teaching |
27-30 August | Youth singers and
musicians needed |
| Jamaica | July, August | All ages, able to sing and do street teaching |
| Leeward/Virgin Islands | 25 July- 16 August |
Black youth preferred |
| Norway | July & August | 2-4 people to travel with mobile
teaching camper |
| Windward Islands | 27 July 16 August |
All ages, teaching and
consolidation |
| **Border Teaching Mexico-USA |
Ongoing | Being coordinated by National
Teaching Committee |
| **Guatemala | August | Consolidation in Zacapa and
Coban |
| **Need Spanish-speaking teachers | ||
[Page 9]
IGC: PIONEERING
U.S. believers circle the globe to fill pioneer goals[edit]
At Naw-Rúz 1979 the Universal House of Justice outlined 412 worldwide pioneer goals to be filled during the first two years of the Seven Year Plan.
Seventy-six of these goals were assigned specifically to the U.S. Bahá’í community, and the friends arose immediately to begin filling the goals.
AS THE FIRST two-year phase of the Plan began, the International Goals Committee staff found itself handling three times as many pioneer applications per month as in the previous year.
This increased activity continued throughout the two-year phase. The net number of active pioneer applications on file on any given day increased from about 800 at the beginning of the Plan to between 1,100 and 1,200 in February 1981.
To handle the additional work, the IGC office staff was increased from five to six people.
Throughout this time the staff spent innumerable hours on the phone, at the typewriter, or buried in files, recruiting and gathering information for prospective pioneers; writing letters of encouragement, support, condolence, love and gratitude; helping prospective pioneers find jobs and transportation; handling emergencies and problems in the field; changing addresses and forwarding mail; tracking down lost subscriptions to Bahá’í News and The American Bahá’í; and performing countless other tasks aimed at helping the “Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh” to arrive and stay at their pioneer posts.
One of the most exciting and fruitful of these tasks was the presentation of the Pioneer Training Institutes.
Since the inception of the Plan in 1979, the Goals Committee has conducted 11 such institutes—seven in Wilmette, two at the Bosch Bahá’í School, and two at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, with another planned for the end of March in Wilmette.
INSTITUTE sessions have included everything from classes on the Administrative Order, culture shock, health precautions, and direct teaching and consolidation hints to special tours of the Bahá’í House of Worship and the national Archives.
Speakers have included some of the Hands of the Cause of God, Continental Counsellors, members of the National Spiritual Assembly, Auxiliary Board members, International Goals Committee staff and other professionals, pioneers, and traveling teachers.
More than 434 believers, including prospective pioneers, traveling teachers, and representatives of Local Spiritual Assemblies and District Teaching Committees have attended these institutes during the first two years of the Plan.
In addition to the Pioneer Training Institutes sponsored by the committee, there was a sharp increase in the number of “pioneer emphasis” weekends, classes, and informational meetings sponsored by Assemblies, District Teaching Committees, and Bahá’í schools throughout the country as more communities became involved in helping their members make long-range pioneering plans.
Most of the prospective pioneers who attended Pioneer Institutes are now at their posts, swelling to approximately 1,300 the number of pioneers counted as filling goals for the U.S. from all Plans.
The 289 new Seven Year Plan pioneers who were still at their posts in February were in more than 75 countries.
As the two-year phase drew to a close, the International Goals Committee felt confident that all of the goals assigned to the U.S. would be filled by Riḍván 1981, although the staff anxiously continued its search for two pioneers to Zaire, one to French Guiana, and an unlimited number for the Bahamas.
Figures indicate the number of pioneers in that region who arrived during the first two-year phase of the Plan and who are still at their posts.
[Page 10]
TEACHING
Loss of fear key element in arising to teach Faith[edit]
“The teaching of the Faith is dependent on the individual and his effort. When the individual arises with enthusiasm, with full dedication and consecration, and allows nothing to deter him, then results will be achieved.” (Shoghi Effendi, quoted in The Individual and Teaching, p. 38)
•
By JAMES MOCK
Teaching the Cause of God is the bounty and duty of every follower of Bahá’u’lláh; but it is often a duty that causes anguish and fear for many of the friends.
This fear, due in many cases to an individual’s feelings of inadequacy, can be a stumbling block in one’s efforts to serve the Cause.
FAR TOO OFTEN we look only at our shortcomings, and convince ourselves that we are “unfit” for the task.
It’s easy to look inward and say, “Oh, no, I can’t even ‘live the life’ well—how am I going to be able to teach others?” And we totally forget that Bahá’u’lláh is watching over us and waiting to help.
The beloved Guardian tells us that it is not we who confirm souls; rather, it is Bahá’u’lláh, working through us, Who does so.
“Do you think it is the teachers who make converts and change human hearts?” the Guardian asks. “No, surely not. They are only pure souls who take the first step, and then let the spirit of Bahá’u’lláh move them and make use of them ...”
In another letter he points out that if we waited until we felt ready, the progress of the Cause would cease:
“If the friends always waited until they were fully qualified to do any particular task, the work of the Cause would be almost at a standstill ...” but continues by assuring us that “... the very act of striving to serve, however unworthy one may feel, attracts the blessings of God and enables one to become more fitted for the task.” (Emphasis added)
I WOULD LIKE to share a personal story that came from a beloved friend who is serving the Cause in California.
This friend also struggled with feelings of inadequacy, but instead of retreating, he turned his gaze to Bahá’u’lláh, prayed for assistance, and arose with determination to teach the Cause.
Here is his account of the fears he experienced and the victories and blessings he realized through arising:
“Dear Bahá’í Friend,
“I had been considering trying to serve the Cause through some teaching work such as firesides while traveling from my far northern home to Southern California for a family reunion at Christmas.
“I didn’t know how to quickly contact those who might use my help, but God took care of that. A flyer came from the California Central No. 1 District Teaching Committee announcing a teaching effort to begin December 20, and inviting friends from all over to participate.
“I volunteered over the phone, but during the remaining weeks I felt apprehensive about my inadequacies as a teacher and my imperfections as a Bahá’í.
“TRUE, ONE IS never entirely ready, and Shoghi Effendi encouraged the friends to look beyond their own weaknesses to the power of God; yet it still seemed to me that one had to attain a certain degree of spiritual regeneration, and I had grave doubts as to whether I’d fulfill the requirements sufficiently.
“This teaching trip has been a great confirmation for me, and an education in the direct teaching method. Although most of the people we contacted were Spanish-speaking, and I couldn’t understand much of the conversation, a reality transcending all language barriers was manifested.
“These people, living in poor housing in Central California’s agricultural coastal region, have had to turn to God in prayer at an early age. Perhaps the language barrier has protected them from the materialism promoted in the mass media.
“With pure hearts they feel the truth in the Bahá’í teachings and recognize the return of the Spirit of Christ in Bahá’u’lláh.
“One woman opened the door and greeted us with: ‘You have finally come!’
“She accepted everything as the Faith was presented, and her husband also declared his belief. Oh! To see the fire of faith enkindled in the peoples’ hearts; to behold the radiance of their faces at those sacred moments. It was a bounty to witness this.
“GIVEN the results of the teaching efforts, I am forced to alter my understanding of the directives in the Writings about a teacher’s requirements.
“God indeed assisted us as we arose to serve His Cause, laying aside our personal fears of inadequacy. I can now say, not with pride but with thanks and hope, that I’m not as bad off spiritually as I have at times imagined; indeed, God knows us better than we know ourselves.
“May the fires kindled in Southern California spread to all parts of the country and even cross the oceans to other lands.
“May all who hear of the victories, here in this materialistic state, realize the great potential that awaits the teachers as soon as they arise.”
Indeed, God will assist anyone who will arise. As the last fleeting moments of the first two-year phase of the Seven Year Plan draw near, a mighty effort is needed on the part of all. Will you arise?
Thirty-two people gathered January 17-18 at the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute in Hemingway, South Carolina, for the first briefing by the newly-appointed South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee to its five District Teaching Committees. Each committee was to focus its attention on winning South Carolina’s goals for the first two-year phase of the Seven Year Plan and re-electing the state’s 205 Local Spiritual Assemblies. As each District Committee met individually with the Regional Committee for consultation, other committee members were meeting with Auxiliary Board member Adrienne Reeves for thoughtful and spirited consultation on teaching and consolidation.
L.A. presents social activism seminar[edit]
As a partial response to the National Teaching Committee’s “Operation Befriend” campaign, inspired by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears, the Bahá’í community of Los Angeles, California, held a recent seminar on Social Activism and the Bahá’í Faith.
The topic was addressed by four Bahá’í speakers: Anthony Lee, secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles; Sherna Hough, the Assembly’s public relations officer; Dr. Homa Mahmoudi, a psychologist; and David Langness, a writer whose first novel was recently completed.
Mr. Lee maintained that the urgent needs of the Bahá’í community should not preclude Bahá’ís from taking part in outside activities that demonstrate their commitment whenever the opportunity arises.
Ms. Hough told of how her involvement in environmental issues as a member of the Cousteau Society from 1972-79 led to her becoming a Bahá’í.
Dr. Mahmoudi noted the importance of social problems, but cautioned that Bahá’ís should not allow their desire to become involved in them to divert their attention from the pressing needs of the Bahá’í community.
Mr. Langness pointed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s philanthropic activities and expressed his belief that the Bahá’ís should look to the Master and follow His example.
Following the talks, the seminar was opened for a lively discussion of the issues that were raised.
93 non-Bahá’ís at Williamsport rights festival[edit]
The Bahá’í Group of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, collaborated with a community center and several other organizations and individuals to present a UN Human Rights Day festival last December 10.
About 100 people including 93 non-Bahá’ís attended the festival at which a human rights award was presented to Mrs. Lucille Metzger, a retired teacher who has been quite active in community service.
The award was presented by the mayor of Williamsport who proclaimed the day UN Human Rights Day in that city.
The meeting also featured “new games” and magic shows that captured the interest of the many children who attended.
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Teaching Fever Is CONTAGIOUS! — |
It was chaired by Susan Troxel of the Williamsport Bahá’í community. The human rights award was designed by an artist in Williamsport who has expressed an interest in the Faith.
The event generated widespread publicity for the Faith including one front page article and several others in local newspapers.
Questions and Answers[edit]
Continued From Page 5
reminder and as an aid to help them establish a regular pattern of giving to the Fund.
To gain a true perspective of appeals for contributions to the National Fund, one must recall the purpose of those donations.
The work we are doing is God’s work, and the Fund is the lifeblood of the activities of the Cause—the building of the Kingdom of God on earth.
Contributing to the Fund is a privilege to which we are entitled as Bahá’ís and is not extended to those who have not recognized Bahá’u’lláh. If the Fund suffers a shortfall in contributions, it is the work of the Faith that suffers.
Finally, no believer is ever forced or coerced into making a contribution. Each Bahá’í is entirely free to follow his own conscience. No individual is ever singled out for his lack of response to an appeal, and none is ever questioned about his pattern of giving.
The Bahá’í Faith is, above all, God’s gift to man. It is absolutely free and available to every human being without one cent ever being required in return.
Q.: I have found the use of the coupons very helpful as a reminder to contribute to the National Fund. Does the National Assembly plan to produce similar materials for next year?
A.: At its February meeting, the National Spiritual Assembly discussed the idea of providing coupons for the coming year. Its decision was to make available a special folder with Fund envelopes to be sent to local communities.
The material will be similar to envelope packets sent by utilities and other companies for monthly use. Individuals who wish to use this helpful reminder may obtain the envelopes from their community, or from the National Center.
Use of these materials is left strictly to the preference of the individual believer.
[Page 11]
TEACHING
All methods of dignified teaching are acceptable[edit]
Frequently, the National Teaching Committee receives calls or letters from individuals who are seeking guidance in their teaching efforts.
Questions concerning procedures, methods and the like are often posed, with the hope that the answers given will remove the veils of uncertainty and the difficulties that are faced in our efforts to teach the Cause.
How do I teach?
Where do I teach?
Can I go to someone’s door and tell him about the Faith?
I don’t feel comfortable giving talks; how can I teach the Faith?
These are typical questions that are asked regularly. Each individual, while contemplating the “best” way to serve the Cause, will ask similar questions concerning teaching.
Many times, questions are raised about specific methods of teaching and their appropriateness.
Is this method of teaching permissible?
Can we approach people that way?
The Guardian always spoke about firesides. Why aren’t we concentrating our efforts in that direction?
These questions were answered by the Guardian himself:
“There are innumerable ways of teaching the Cause. You can choose the one that suits best your nature and capacity.”
With this counsel, we need not be overly concerned about our ability as a public speaker, or whether our knowledge of the Writings is comprehensive, or the many other anxieties that we encounter in our effort to serve.
Once we understand these words of the Guardian, our difficulties begin to fade. If we don’t like to speak publicly, we don’t have to; if we don’t feel comfortable going to someone’s door, we don’t have to.
Just keep in mind the Guardian’s advice: “You can choose the one that suits best your nature and capacity.”
Another question often raised concerns the “methods” of teaching that are advocated by the National Spiritual Assembly.
The answer to that question, simply, is that all forms of teaching are acceptable, so long as the dignity and principles of the Faith are upheld.
“Teaching by example,” “fireside teaching,” “door-to-door teaching,” “mass teaching,” “public proclamation,” “indirect teaching,” “direct teaching”—though we describe it in many ways, it is all teaching. In fact, the terms are quite irrelevant.
It isn’t important what we call it, or what “method” we choose; what is important is that we do it, and do it continually.
Each Bahá’í must assess his or her own abilities, and then arise wholeheartedly to support the teaching work, locally and nationally.
If the Bahá’ís in this country today were to fulfill the duty given to us by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (to bring one soul into the Faith each year), in only 10 years the Faith would expand in such a manner that the entire planet would be Bahá’í. In only 10 years!
Another situation frequently arises that tends to slow down our teaching efforts; namely, waiting for a “plan” to come from the National Spiritual Assembly.
Rather than arising individually, we often feel the need for a “program” or schedule for our teaching.
Remember, however, that teaching is the sacred obligation of every Bahá’í, and that it is a lifelong, day-to-day process.
The beloved Guardian exhorts us that “ ...Never must they (the Bahá’ís) let a day pass without teaching some soul, trusting to Bahá’u’lláh that the seed will grow ...”
Though all of our efforts must be made with the support and approval of the institutions of the Cause, we must take the initiative and seize every teaching opportunity that presents itself.
THE SEVEN YEAR PLAN
FIRST TWO YEAR PHASE GOALS
| 1980 | 1981 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOAL | APR | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUG | SEPT | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | MAR | |
| Local Spiritual Assemblies | 1650 | 1454 | 1455 | 1457 | 1460 | 1463 | 1467 | 1470 | 1478 | 1484 | 1488 | 1494 | |
| Indian Reservations | 35 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | |
| Localities | 7200 | 6949 | 6941 | 6941 | 6959 | 6966 | 6993 | 7004 | 6980 | 6984 | 6988 | 6998 | |
| Extension Teaching Goals | 700 | 400 | 403 | 403 | 407 | 428 | 430 | 442 | 453 | 536 | 599 | 681 | |
| Enrollments | |||||||||||||
| California | 7000 | 408 | 424 | 454 | 480 | 527 | 624 | 658 | 728 | 755 | 829 | 1256 | |
| Illinois | 2500 | 364 | 376 | 383 | 401 | 428 | 437 | 510 | 594 | 606 | 609 | 630 | |
| New York | 1800 | 132 | 139 | 143 | 146 | 156 | 161 | 174 | 180 | 186 | 188 | 193 | |
| District of Columbia | 125 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | |
| Massachusetts | 900 | 79 | 84 | 85 | 88 | 92 | 98 | 103 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 117 | |
| Total (in U.S.) | 3875 | 4089 | 4233 | 4417 | 4693 | 4993 | 5283 | 5637 | 5764 | 5894 | 6678 | ||
The Bahá’í community of Eugene, Oregon, observed World Religion Day in January with a public meeting on the campus of the University of Oregon. Speakers at the event were (back row left to right) Norma Gimlen, Sean Mehaffey, Chris Ann Olson, assistant to the Auxiliary Board Willard Kimerling, Padideh Ala’í, and (front row left to right) Vernyce Dannells, Deborah A. Wong.
Teaching ... Questions and answers[edit]
Question: The computer membership listing for our community shows that there are 12 Bahá’ís in our locality, but we have never seen or talked to three of them. Soon two of the Assembly members will be moving to pioneer posts overseas. Will our Assembly be in jeopardy when they move, or do we count these three inactive believers in our total membership? If so, should their names be placed on the ballot for a by-election?
Answer: The key word in your question is “believers.” Anyone who has declared a belief in Bahá’u’lláh and has been accepted by the National Spiritual Assembly is a Bahá’í, regardless of the degree of his or her participation.
We must be careful when we use the term “inactive.” This word usually denotes Bahá’ís who have not been heard from in a while and who do not ordinarily participate in Bahá’í activities. But this can be misleading.
We, as individuals, can never judge the degree to which other Bahá’ís are “active” or not. Frequently, due to family conflicts or other personal problems, a believer may choose not to participate in Bahá’í events. This does not mean that the person is not a Bahá’í.
There have been several instances in which an individual would not attend meetings because of an objection from a non-Bahá’í spouse. Yet months or even years later, the Bahá’í community would learn that this person had been teaching the Faith regularly.
Therefore, we can never judge the “activeness” of another Bahá’í. The National Spiritual Assembly itself does not categorize Bahá’ís as “active” or “inactive” (see Bahá’í National Review, June 1978). We must therefore be cautious when using such terminology.
If there are believers in your community whom you have never seen or have not communicated with for a long period of time, you might consider contacting them to see how they are doing.
By making a friendly call, inviting them to dinner or to an upcoming meeting, you may be helping these friends to become more active in Bahá’í community life.
Often it takes only a simple phone call to remind someone that there are other Bahá’ís in the community who care.
Concerning Spiritual Assembly elections, these so-called “inactive” believers should be placed on the ballot so long as they have their administrative rights and continue to reside within the jurisdiction of the Assembly.
Frequently, Bahá’ís move without remembering to inform the National Center or their Assembly of their new address. If this happens, they may not be transferred out of your community.
This is one reason the National Center periodically forwards a copy of the Community Membership Report to each locality.
The friends should check these reports, verify the address of each member of their community, and forward any address changes to the National Center. This will help us to maintain accurate records and to inform you of the status of every community member.
[Page 12]
EDUCATION
After convening, Assembly elects officers, sets meetings[edit]
This is the second in a series of articles on the development of Local Spiritual Assemblies prepared by the National Education Committee. This month’s topics are: convening the Assembly’s first meeting, electing Assembly officers, and establishing a regular meeting time.
•
1. After the Local Spiritual Assembly has been elected, who convenes its first meeting?
“The first meeting of the newly-elected Spiritual Assembly shall be called by the member elected to membership by the highest number of votes, or, in case two or more members have received the same said highest number of votes, then by the member selected by lot from among those members; and this member shall preside until the permanent chairman shall be chosen.” (By-Laws of a Local Spiritual Assembly, Article VIII)
2. If one of the members receiving the same highest number of votes represents a minority, is selection by lot still necessary?
The Universal House of Justice wrote, “The Guardian’s instruction is clear and definite on the following point, namely that when an election results in a tie vote between persons, one of whom represents a minority, that person should unhesitatingly be accorded the priority without having a revote to break the tie ...
“The application of this principle is vital in cases where the election of a local or National Spiritual Assembly results in a tie in the highest number of votes, thereby indicating which person calls the first meeting of the newly elected Assembly.” (Bahá’í National Review, No. 40, April 1971)
3. After the meeting has been convened, what should be the Assembly’s first item of business?
“Each newly-elected Local Spiritual Assembly shall at once proceed ... to the election of its officers ...” (By-Laws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, Article VII)
4. Which officers should the Assembly elect?
“The officers of the Spiritual Assembly shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and such other officers as may be found necessary for the proper conduct of its affairs. The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the entire membership of the Assembly taken by secret ballot.” (By-Laws of a Local Spiritual Assembly, Article VII)
5. Do all the members of the Assembly have to be present for the election of officers?
“All members of the Assembly must be given an opportunity to cast their ballots. In cases of unavoidable absence, it does not contravene the spirit of the By-Laws if the member casts his or her vote by mail or telephone as long as the secrecy of his vote is preserved from his fellow Assembly members. If circumstances prevent a member from participating in the election for officers, the election should not be delayed indefinitely. The important point is that every Assembly member must be given ample notice and opportunity to vote.” (Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 42)
6. Can all the officers be elected from a single ballot, or must each of them be elected on a separate ballot?
“The Assembly members should vote for one officer at a time.” (Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 42)
7. What happens if the balloting for an officer fails to give anyone a majority?
“... it is permissible in electing Assembly officers to announce the plurality of votes after several ballots have failed to give anyone a majority. This question is left to the discretion of the Assembly.” (Letter from the National Spiritual Assembly to a Local Assembly, dated December 11, 1978)
8. Can an Assembly member hold more than one office?
“It is not permissible for the offices of Chairman and Secretary to be held simultaneously by the same person. In general, the National Spiritual Assembly considers it inadvisable for a member to hold more than one office at a time.” (Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 42)
9. Do the election results for officers have to be recorded in the Assembly’s minutes?
“The results of the election of officers must be recorded in the minutes of the Assembly. The information in the minutes should include the full name of each officeholder, the office held, and the number of votes received.” (Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 42)
10. Who reports the election results for officers to the National Spiritual Assembly?
“Immediately thereafter the Secretary chosen shall transmit to the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly the names of the members of the newly-elected Local Spiritual Assembly and a list of its officers.” (By-Laws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, Article VII)
11. How does the Assembly establish a meeting time?
“A meeting of the Spiritual Assembly is valid only when it has been duly called, that is, when each and every member has been informed of the time and place. The general practice is for the Assembly to decide upon some regular time and place for its meetings throughout the Bahá’í year, and this decision when recorded in the minutes is sufficient notice to the members.” (Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 46)
12. How often should the Assembly meet?
The Guardian, through his secretary, stated, “The Spiritual Assembly must decide how often it should meet in order to properly handle the affairs of the Cause under its jurisdiction. Twice a week or twice a month is not the point, the point is that it should be alert and carry on the work adequately.” (From a letter dated October 29, 1950, to an individual believer)
13. What happens if an emergency requiring the Assembly’s attention arises before the regular meeting time?
“When the regular schedule cannot be followed, or the need arises for a special meeting, the Secretary, on request of the Chairman or any three members of the Spiritual Assembly, should send due notice to all members.” (Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, p. 46)
(Additional information on the election of Assembly officers can be found in Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies and The Bahá’í Electoral Process, available through the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.)
65 at Green Acre college weekend[edit]
Sixty-five youth gathered January 24-25 for the annual College Clubs weekend at the Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine.
Among the speakers was Auxiliary Board member Robert Harris who spoke on several topics including teaching and Bahá’í marriage.
A class on Bahá’í non-involvement in politics was conducted by Ramin Abrishamian and Hamed Borhanian.
Evening events included presentations of the film “Jubilee,” depicting the dedication of the House of Worship in Western Samoa, and the filmstrip “The School of Badí’” with comments by Manny Reimer, who has been a Bahá’í for more than 50 years.
The spirit shown by the youthful participants was inspiring. This program is always looked forward to eagerly by students and staff, and will continue to be offered in years to come.
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SUMMER SCHOOLS - 1981
|
Large classes mean success at Green Acre Winter School[edit]
The 11-day Bahá’í Winter School at Green Acre in Eliot, Maine, successfully completed its session with the school operating most of the time at full capacity.
A wide variety of classes was offered. One of the most popular and well-attended was “On Becoming a Person—the Relationship Between Men and Women,” by Mary Sawicki, the alternate representative to the United Nations on the status of women.
MRS. SAWICKI also presented an evening program featuring a film about the portrayal of women by the media in India, Egypt and Haiti.
Other classes were held on “Prayer and Meditation” (conducted by Manny Reimer), “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh” (Michael Winger-Bearskin), “The Challenge of Consultation” (Jane Grover and Tom Sousa), and “Bahá’í Marriage” (David and Betty-Ann Stuart).
The youth were taught by Ron Tomanio, and the children by Claire Cline and Charlene Winger-Bearskin.
Evening programs included a concert of classical Indian music by Ms. Ranga Ayyangar who sang and accompanied herself on the tambura.
An evening was set aside for the many Canadian guests who told of conditions and teaching efforts in that country.
During another program, pioneers to such countries as Venezuela, India and Senegal told of their experiences.
Charlene Winger-Bearskin, who attended the second North American Bahá’í Native Council last July in Wilmette, spoke of the many inspiring occurrences there, as well as of the Native American teaching work in other areas.
The sessions were filled with inspiration, education and fellowship. As in years past, the Winter School proved to be a special and memorable occasion at Green Acre.
Green Acre seeks program director[edit]
The Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine, has an opening for a full-time permanent program director, starting May 1, 1981.
Major responsibilities of the position include developing, supervising and evaluating adult, youth and children’s programs at Green Acre; supervising the school’s library, bookstore, archives and audio-visual materials; supervising the Work/Study program; and writing publicity releases.
Experience in working with groups and individuals is essential, as is the ability to motivate groups and individuals and to work harmoniously with them.
A good working knowledge of educational programming is necessary, along with organizational and writing skills. Office experience would be helpful.
Academic degrees may be useful but are not required.
Although the position is designed as full-time, those who could work less than full-time are welcome to apply, including with their application a proposal about their commitment.
Please apply immediately to the School Administrator, Green Acre Bahá’í School, P.O. Box 17, Eliot, ME 03903.
Next month ...[edit]
“Ten years ago ... in The American Bahá’í,” a brief resumé of events that shaped the U.S. Bahá’í community a decade ago. Watch for it each month!
[Page 13]
EDUCATION
Bahá’í schools growing in number, size, quality[edit]
Bahá’í schools in the U.S. are growing—growing in number, in size, and in the quality of their programming.
Nearly 5,000 people attended Bahá’í schools in this country last summer, and according to reports recently compiled by the National Education Committee, more than 1,300 people attended winter school sessions sponsored by the 10 schools offering winter programs this year.
INCLUDED in these figures were more than 200 youth and 300 children.
Among the highlights reported by the school committees was the note that among the 158 people attending the North Florida Winter School were three who declared their faith in Bahá’u’lláh.
The Bahá’ís at this school also contributed $1,180 to the National Bahá’í Fund.
Plans are already being made by 21 Bahá’í school committees around the country for their 1981 summer sessions.
As many as 10 additional schools and institutes are being proposed and considered in various parts of the country, which should make the enriching experience of a Bahá’í school increasingly accessible to all the friends.
One of the challenges facing the Bahá’í schools in the U.S. today is the need to keep their rates as low as possible so that every Bahá’í can afford to attend them.
This is obviously a difficult task, since inflation keeps driving up costs.
OFTEN, people who want to attend a Bahá’í school and who could really benefit from the experience are kept away because they are unable to afford it.
To help counteract the problem of inflation and make Bahá’í schools accessible to as many of the friends as possible, the National Education Committee is encouraging Spiritual Assemblies to set aside a certain amount of money in their annual budget for Bahá’í school scholarships.
This scholarship money can be used to help selected members of the community attend school sessions during the coming year. It may also be used to help a sincere seeker attend a Bahá’í school with his closest Bahá’í friends.
This often proves to be the confirming experience necessary to encourage a seeker to enroll in the Faith and, as such, can be a vital part of a community’s teaching program.
In areas where there is no pressing financial need locally, scholarship funds can be sent directly to the school committee. The committees themselves must often give financial aid to their teachers to recruit a full staff.
Some committees have scholarship programs to encourage the participation of minorities at the school. Contributions from Assemblies, Groups, and individual believers are greatly appreciated.
BAHÁ’Í schools are indeed growing. They are growing because of the dedication of the school committees who work the year round to attend to the many details of planning, promoting and presenting a successful school session.
Bahá’í schools are growing, too, as a result of the increased support and involvement of the friends themselves.
The National Education Committee sees this growth as further evidence of the continuing growth and development of the American Bahá’í community.
BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL SERVICE AREAS***
AS OF
JANUARY 1981
- 1. Alabama
- 2. Arizona
- 3. Bosch (California)
- 4. North Carolina
- 5. Colorado East
- 6. Conifer Hill
- 7. Florida North (winter only)
- 8. Florida South (summer only)
- 9. Georgia
- 10. Great Plains (Nebraska)
- 11. Green Acre (Maine)
- 12. Green Lake (Wisconsin)
- 13. Louhelen (Michigan)
- 14. Minnesota
- 15. Montana
- 16. New York
- 17. Oklahoma
- 18. Oregon
- 19. Southern California
- 20. Texas
- 21. Washington East
- 22. Washington West
***Circles show approximately a 200 mile radius around the school.
Bosch sets aside 2 weeks for youth[edit]
Two special weeks of youth activities are planned this summer at the Bosch Bahá’í School near Santa Cruz, California, in connection with the Continental Bahá’í Youth Conference.
The Bosch School will hold a “youth week” from June 20-25 with a special emphasis on youth ages 15 to 25.
The following week (June 26-July 2) has been designed for junior youth from ages 12 to 15.
Plans are being made for group travel to the youth conference in Kansas City, Missouri, so that youth attending “youth week” at Bosch will be able to travel together.
Further information is available from the Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
Conifer Hill expands 1981 schedule, seeks support for staff, activities[edit]
The Conifer Hill Bahá’í School Council has expanded its 1981 programming from two to five full weeks and is seeking the active support of the American Bahá’í community to achieve the level of activity that is envisioned.
The council needs qualified teachers for each session, counselors for the children’s camp, candidates for various staff positions, and eager students for all sessions.
CONIFER HILL, the fourth and newest of our Bahá’í-owned schools, is unique in several respects.
It is the most rustic of the schools in the U.S., enough so that it is called a “camping school.”
The property’s geology is unique. Conifer Hill is a “perched valley,” an old river bed raised to its present height of 8,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
The remnants of the ancient river are three small ponds that have growing around them an abundance of aspen and wild flowers.
The school is the most isolated of all the Bahá’í schools because there are four miles of rough, steep road between it and Colorado Highway No. 7. Going from the camp to the nearest town takes at least 45 minutes.
This isolation makes it easier to remove the distractions of the old world and create in their place a model Bahá’í community.
Conifer Hill is also the least expensive of the permanent schools. It costs only $45 a week for youth and adults, and even less for children.
THE CAMPERS at Conifer Hill are involved more in maintaining the camp than at the other schools. Thus service to others is an integral part of the camp.
The Work/Study Camp as an activity for Bahá’í youth is what helped to make Conifer Hill well known.
Campers work in the mornings to help improve the grounds and facilities, then devote afternoons and evenings to recreation and classes, thus participating in a balanced program of work, study and play.
While the Work/Study Camp cries out especially for the energy of Bahá’í youth, everyone is invited to attend. Work/Study sessions are scheduled for July 6-15, July 24-30 and August 7-13.
Also on the schedule this summer are a family camp (July 17-23) with classes, recreation and special events for people of all ages, and a special camp for children.
The children’s camp (July 31-August 6) is designed for children from ages 8 to 14 and includes classes on Bahá’í life, arts and crafts, and nature, along with other summer camp activities.
The Conifer Hill Council hopes that the friends seize the opportunities offered by the expanded 1981 schedule to retreat to the beauty of the Rocky Mountains where they can enjoy fellowship and study the beauty of the Bahá’í Faith.
To offer your services as a teacher, counselor or staff member, or to request more information about the Conifer Hill camps, please write to Mrs. Marilyn Fisher, secretary, Conifer Hill Bahá’í School Council, 437 Pine, Boulder, CO 80302, or phone 303-443-6422.
Counsellor Raúl Pavón visits 16 U.S. communities[edit]
Raúl Pavón, a Continental Counsellor for the Americas who lives in Otavalo, Ecuador, site of Radio Bahá’í, visited 16 Bahá’í communities in this country during January and February after his participation in the first U.S. Bahá’í Audio-Visual Conference January 16-18 in San Fernando, California.
Counsellor Pavón attended firesides, deepenings and impromptu media seminars in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and South Carolina.
IN ORLANDO, Florida, he was interviewed for 30 minutes about the Faith on a Spanish-language radio station.
He also met with Spanish-speaking believers in Florida and the other states that he visited.
At the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute in South Carolina, the Counsellor met with National Spiritual Assembly members Soo Fouts and Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh.
Being involved in the creation and subsequent success of Radio Bahá’í in Ecuador, says Mr. Pavón, has made him aware of the possible usefulness of a Bahá’í radio station in certain areas of the U.S.
“Radio is the answer now in some areas,” he says.
The Counsellor observes that teaching methods used in South America could easily be applied in the U.S., especially among Spanish-speaking people such as Mexican-Americans and Cuban-Americans.
There is no real distinction between expansion and consolidation, he adds, because they are both a part of the teaching process.
Universal education, he says, is needed for Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike.
Before returning to Ecuador, Counsellor Pavón joined nine of his fellow Counsellors for the Americas at a meeting February 21 with the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly in Wilmette, Illinois.
Raúl Pavón (center), a Continental Counsellor for the Americas, is shown with some of the friends in Phoenix during a visit to Arizona that followed the first U.S. Bahá’í Audio-Visual Conference held January 16-18 in San Fernando, California. To Mr. Pavón’s left is Auxiliary Board member Nancy Phillips.
Rúḥíyyih[edit]
Continued From Page 1
the cities that the thought of saying it again made her weary.
But, she said, she would ask them to be responsible for their lives as Bahá’ís in a large city.
In America, she added, people are so used to advertising that says “you should do this, you should buy that,” that when they receive a new teaching Plan from the Universal House of Justice they immediately turn to the other Bahá’ís and say, “You should do this, you should do that.”
They rarely look at a Plan, she said, and ask themselves, “How do I need to change my life to help make this Plan succeed?”
The teaching work of the Faith, said Rúḥíyyih Khánum, is everyone’s responsibility. No one, she said, not even members of the elected or appointed institutions of the Faith, can say that his or her work is too important to take time to teach the Faith.
AND NO ONE, she added, has a valid excuse for not having some kind of teaching activity in his home at least once every 19 days.
“I shouldn’t be giving you lessons about how to teach the Faith,” the Hand of the Cause told her audience, “but it doesn’t hurt even me to hear them again. And I think that what we sometimes forget is that this law of unity that Bahá’u’lláh has given us is the strongest teaching in our religion.
“The single focus in the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is unity. Not only the oneness of mankind and universal peace—it’s much more than that.
“He believes, as I understand it, in trying to produce in each human being a unified self—a healthy mind, a healthy spirit, if possible in a healthy body.
“These are a part of the concept of Bahá’u’lláh concerning unity.
“The point is,” she continued, “that this principle of unity begins in the being of the individual, in his family, in the Bahá’í community. If the Bahá’ís were truly united, as Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá constantly urged them to be, they would find that people couldn’t be kept out of the Bahá’í religion.”
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum (right) chats with Mrs. Sheila Banani at the Los Angeles airport last December. The Hand of the Cause met December 13 with Persian-speaking Bahá’ís in the Los Angeles area, and the following day with English-speaking friends in that area.
Bahá’í receives civil rights award from U.S. Forest Service[edit]
P. Arlene Blumenfeld, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Bozeman, Montana, and the District Teaching Committee of Montana, has been given a cash award by the U.S. Forest Service, where she is employed part-time as a forestry aide, for exceptional interest in and contributions to the civil rights program on the Gallatin National Forest.
Mrs. Blumenfeld, a psychology major at Montana State University, is one of two students from that university chosen as regional semi-finalists in the national Harry S. Truman Memorial Scholarship program.
If selected for the national award, she would receive a four-year $5,000-a-year scholarship to help complete her education.
Pioneers[edit]
Continued From Page 8
By the time we stopped, 50 or more Bahá’ís surrounded us with smiles and kisses of welcome. I have never been greeted so warmly by people I didn’t know.
After finding us a house to stay in we all gathered for a meeting—the lights of the lanterns reflecting in more than 100 faces. They were overflowing with questions and song. People here sing with all their soul...
The spirit and love shown by the village surpassed all my expectations ... All of my needs here have been miraculously met so that I really have had few worries or cause for concern about my safety or ability to stay.
What makes pioneers successful?
EDWARD JONES, ECUADOR—The key—and something that I think has been widely neglected—is the dawn prayers. If every single Bahá’í community would meet together at the break of day, as the Supreme Body instructs us to, and humbly ask Bahá’u’lláh to help us in the work, all the goals would probably be won in the next three months. The Guardian says that unless the inner life is set in order ...(we will) fail to win the hearts of mankind ...
What about children of pioneers?
ROBERTA AL-SALIHI, THE GAMBIA—Our children have a great advantage of flexibility and adaptability. They will learn the ways of our host countries infinitely more rapidly and completely than we adults can ever hope to do. Language, games, and all the cultural trappings will be acquired by them in short order. This, combined with their Bahá’í training and education, will help them to become mature and effective Bahá’ís and teachers who at an early age will outshine our most dedicated efforts in living the Bahá’í life and spreading the Faith ...
A few practical suggestions: encourage the children to teach both at home and at school amongst their peers and in the organized Bahá’í activities (classes, conferences, teaching trips, etc.). Always focus on the positive features of the “different” culture, help the children identify with Bahá’í children and pioneers around the world through Bahá’í children’s magazines and pen pals.
Above all, be assured of the protection and confirmations from on high ...A final observation from experience—the people feel very happy and honored when we entrust our precious children to them (i.e., their schools, clubs, activities). Our attitude in this matter is a very potent teaching tool.
What are the rewards?
CHARYL AND KEITH THORPE, TRINIDAD—This is the beginning of our fourth year of pioneering, and is the first year that I (Charyl) have felt at home. Everything we attempt seems to succeed. ...I feel we are in the last days foretold by all the Messengers of God.
Persecution has started. Now is the time to proclaim the coming of Bahá’u’lláh to all the peoples of the world before these days are irretrievably lost.
Coming soon ...[edit]
“Personal Profile,” a monthly series of thumbnail sketches of Bahá’ís who have distinguished themselves in their professions or in other ways.
In it, you’ll meet actors, artists, doctors, educators, artisans, businessmen and women, and many others who have achieved success while living a life of service to their fellow-men.
[Page 15]
PUBLICATIONS
Favorable notices spark ‘Secret in Garden’ sales[edit]
In the past few months, the new children’s book The Secret in the Garden has received a great deal of favorable attention in the San Antonio, Texas, area, due largely to the promotional work of its author, Winifred Barnum Newman, and others who are impressed by its artistic merit.
An autograph party in January at the Twig Bookshop in San Antonio was a tremendous success.
IN THE SPACE of some two hours, more than 100 copies of Secret were sold. Owners of the store said the turnout was among the largest they had ever had, including those for well-known authors such as Irving Stone.
Mrs. Newman has been featured in newspaper articles in the San Antonio Light and San Antonio Express. She was interviewed on radio station WOAI’s “Morning Magazine” and KSAT-TV’s “Good Morning San Antonio.”
A second autograph party for Secret was held at the bookstore of San Antonio’s Opera Guild.
Secret’s popularity with children has been amply demonstrated in elementary schools in the San Antonio area.
For example, Mrs. Newman was invited recently to address a class of second graders who were enthralled by the book. It has now begun to be circulated in libraries throughout the country.
In February came news of another honor, as Secret in the Garden was nominated with the Bahá’í record album Come and Sing for the prestigious Angel Awards, presented annually by Religion in Media, a Los Angeles based organization dedicated to promoting religious programs on radio and television.
The book’s wide-ranging appeal is perhaps best exemplified by a woman who told Mrs. Newman she was using it to teach her Sunday school class about accepting the handicapped.
Mrs. Newman expressed surprise at this, since there are no handicapped people portrayed in the village about which the book was written.
“Yes, I know,” the woman replied, “but out of so many people and such diversity, we could imagine that there were handicapped people there somewhere.”
Winifred B. Newman, author of the Bahá’í children’s book, The Secret in the Garden, chats with a young admirer during an autograph party for Mrs. Newman held in January at the Twig Bookshop in San Antonio, Texas.
‘Questions’ readied in new edition[edit]
The long-awaited new edition of Some Answered Questions will be available sometime this spring, according to Dr. Betty Fisher, general editor of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
After being out of print for several years, Some Answered Questions returns in a brand new edition that includes revisions and corrections approved by the Universal House of Justice.
Some Answered Questions is a compilation by Laura Clifford Barney of talks given at table by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká from 1904 through 1906.
In a concise but conversational style, the Master addresses questions about proofs of the existence of God, the necessity of Divine Educators, and the origin and development of the human species.
He presents the Bahá’í view on such Christian themes as baptism, the Resurrection, and the Second Coming of Christ, and discusses a variety of other topics such as labor relations, the treatment of criminals, and the erroneous notion of reincarnation.
Some Answered Questions is valuable not only as an addition to one’s library of sacred writings, but as a “reference work” of Bahá’í teachings on a wide range of subjects.
The “publisher’s foreword” to the 1981 edition includes a brief history of the Faith, making this edition especially appropriate for circulation in public libraries.
For price list and catalog number, be sure to check forthcoming issues of The American Bahá’í.
Booklet for youth, ringstone lapel pins among latest Publishing Trust imports[edit]
A booklet on Bahá’u’lláh for youth and new ringstone symbol lapel pins are the latest imports available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
Lowell Johnson’s Remember My Days: The Life Story of Bahá’u’lláh (Catalog No. 7-52-83, $2.50) is a compact, easy to read version of the life of Bahá’u’lláh.
IT OFFERS incidents not generally found in accounts of Bahá’u’lláh’s life, such as the time He visited the Sháh at the age of seven or eight to convince that monarch not to demand any more monetary “tribute” from His father.
There are also touching details about Bahá’u’lláh’s wife, Asíyih Khánum (“the Most Exalted Leaf”), and glimpses of His daughter, Bahíyyih Khánum (“the Greatest Holy Leaf”) and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as children.
This is an excellent book for youth and non-Bahá’ís, offering a brief but personal look at the life story of Bahá’u’lláh, as well as of His family, companions, and followers.
Also available are lapel pins with the Bahá’í ringstone symbol (Catalog No. 6-61-96, $18) elegantly designed in a gold color and featured on an attractive enamel background with five different colors from which to choose.
Lapel pins are subtle but appealing “conversation starters” for teaching the Faith. They will be sold only in sets of five.
To order either of these new imports, see your Bahá’í community librarian, or order directly from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 523 Green Bay Road, Wilmette, IL 60091. You can include the order on the coupon in the “Mini-Catalog” in this issue of The American Bahá’í.
Please include 10 per cent for postage and handling on orders under $100; minimum order is $1.
‘Bahá’í World’ volumes present unusual facts, fascinating stories[edit]
Volumes 4, 5 and 6 of The Bahá’í World offer some unusual facts and stories in chronicling the development of the Faith from the years 1930 through 1936.
For example, it was during this time that certificates were obtained from the U.S. government that made the symbol of the Greatest Name and the word “Bahá’í” trademarks of the Bahá’í Faith.
AMONG THE engaging essays on the Faith is Chan S. Liu’s “A Chinese View of the Bahá’í Cause.”
Mary Maxwell (Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum) considers Nabíl’s narrative as the revival of the “historical romance.”
There is an illuminating discussion of “The Bahá’í Temple—Why built near Chicago?”
The Hand of the Cause of God Keith Ransom-Kehler recounts her experiences in teaching the Faith to the Maori people.
And you’ll also find references to the Faith made by such diverse personalities as Queen Marie of Rumania, Helen Keller, Count Leo Tolstoy, and Luther Burbank.
Included among the illustrations are portraits of Mírzá Buzurg, Bahá’u’lláh’s father, and four of his sons; Keith Ransom-Kehler, the first American Bahá’í martyr; and the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in the world, in ‘Ishqábád, Russia.
These are only a few of the fascinating items that make The Bahá’í World an engrossing and exhilarating account of the growth of the Faith.
Volumes 4, 5 and 6 will be available May 1. To order The Bahá’í World, Volumes 1-12 (Catalog No. 7-33-00, $176 NET), see your local Bahá’í librarian, or order directly from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 523 Green Bay Road, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Maine lunch raises $266.40 for Fund[edit]
The Bahá’í community of Augusta, Maine, was the host January 11 at a unity feast-potluck lunch-auction at which about 30 Bahá’ís including children from nine communities in that area joined together to raise $266.40 for the National Bahá’í Fund.
[Page 16]
SPECIAL VISIT
Put yourself in this picture ...
and be part of something special!
The 1981 Special Visit Programs to the Bahá’í National Center[edit]
View relics of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arranged especially for your visit by the National Archives.
See first hand how the National Spiritual Assembly conducts its business.
Learn how the construction of the “Mother Temple of the West” was a primary stimulus for the development of the American Bahá’í community.
Tour the entire Bahá’í National Center visiting the:
- Office of the Secretary
- Office of the Treasurer
- National Committee Offices
- Bahá’í Publishing Trust
- Bahá’í Home
- Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds
Have fun, make new friends, and participate in a spiritual experience you will never forget.
[Page 17]
RACE UNITY
“When the racial elements of the American nation unite in actual fellowship and accord, the lights of the oneness of humanity will shine, the day of eternal glory and bliss will dawn, the spirit of God encompass and the divine favours descend.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 54)
Opinion
Abu’l-Fadl and the repeating subject[edit]
Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl, the great Bahá’í writer of the Orient who came to America in the early 1900s, was instructed by the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to teach the Cause of God and educate the Bahá’í friends in the principles of the Faith.
It was related at that time that one day, after Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl had given a talk, someone went to him and complained, asking why it was that he saw fit to repeat a simple subject so many times.
“YOU SHOULD know that we are educated people,” he was told, “and therefore it is not necessary to repeat these simple teachings over and over.”
Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl then asked, “What was it that I repeated so many times?”
His listener quickly replied, “I don’t exactly remember now!”
Then, with a loving smile, Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl told him, “Now you know why I must repeat such a simple subject many times.”
Today, more than 70 years after that incident, it is evident that we also need to read and contemplate the same subject over and over again to understand it properly and to take the necessary action.
More than 40 years ago the beloved Guardian addressed the friends in America on the subject of racial prejudice.
With the utmost grace and favor, he pointed out to them their tasks and objectives for a life of service in the Path of God, revealed the magnitude of the racial problem, and warned of the unfortunate consequences of the failure to resolve it.
Among all the subjects analyzed by the Guardian, he singled out the racial issue and declared racial prejudice to be “the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Bahá’í community ...”
THE CLOUD of racial prejudice that is darkening the horizon of the American nation may soon bring a violent storm to inundate the entire structure of American society.
Let us therefore make yet another attempt to understand clearly our responsibilities at this crucial hour in the development of our beloved Faith.
Racial prejudice is one of those subjects that has been repeated many times in Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í publications alike. Evidently the problem still has not been solved!
As we read the illuminating pages of The Advent of Divine Justice, we clearly see the advice of the beloved Guardian encouraging us to follow the example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
“Let them call to mind,” the Guardian affirmed, “fearlessly and determinedly, the example and conduct of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá while in their midst. Let them remember His courage, His genuine love, His informal and indiscriminating fellowship, His contempt for and impatience of criticism, tempered by His tact and wisdom.
“Let them revive and perpetuate the memory of those unforgettable and historic episodes and occasions on which He so strikingly demonstrated His keen sense of justice, His spontaneous sympathy for the down-trodden, His ever-abiding sense of the oneness of the human race, His overflowing love for its members, and His displeasure with those who dared to flout His wishes, to deride His methods, to challenge His principles or to nullify His acts.”
HISTORIANS and writers have recorded the exemplary manner in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá related to both blacks and whites in His lifetime, and especially while He was in America.
If He shook the hands of white scientists and public officials, He also warmly hugged the blacks.
In the case of Robert Turner, the first black person in the West to embrace the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá showered such love on him that Mrs. Phoebe Hearst, for whom Mr. Turner worked, developed a great esteem for him that prompted her to contact the most prominent educators of the Negro race in Washington, D.C., to inform them of the principle of the oneness of mankind and the unity of races in the Bahá’í Teachings.
The Universal House of Justice, in a message of November 1980 to the Bahá’ís of the world, pointed out that events of the most profound significance are taking place in the world.
Halfway around the globe, in the Cradle of the Faith, our Bahá’í brothers and sisters are confronting outrageous persecutions at the hands of the enemies of the Cause of God. Faithfully and courageously, they firmly follow the footsteps of the beloved Báb.
How unbearable it is for us not to be able to attain the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian, when we see that we had the opportunity to be like the martyrs.
On the other hand, we could be enjoying our reward as the result of following in the footsteps of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and fulfilling the wishes and the instructions of the Guardian by loving our fellow-men.
Our hallowed place would be around the throne of the Abhá Beauty, next to those illumined souls who made their faithful breasts the targets of the shafts of the enemies of the Cause.
Racism’s ugly tentacles can ensnare even most dedicated Bahá’í families[edit]
By LINDA JONES
Jim and Connie Smith had been living in a southern town for two years before the first shock came. Their children were absorbing racism.
A Bahá’í couple from another town had been visiting the Smiths. After they left, Connie and her 7-year-old son, Alex, spent some quiet time together, reading and straightening his room.
AFTER A WHILE Alex suddenly asked, “Why is that white woman married to that black man?”
Connie felt a slight burst of adrenaline, her thoughts colliding. “What do I say?” she wondered.
Fighting the urge to preach to her son about the oneness of mankind, and not wanting to disrupt his opening up to her, she asked, “What surprises you about their being married?”
“It’s weird,” Alex replied.
As she drew him out, he remained incredulous that they were married, without being able to say why, despite the fact that he considered them both to be attractive and had warm contact with them.
Connie said little, as she wanted to provide safety for Alex to express any other racist feelings he might be harboring, meanwhile comforting herself with the knowledge that she still had years ahead in which to guide his thinking.
She decided to increase her watchfulness of his feelings, to pray, and to think about the best approach.
THIS WAS the first of a number of incidents that showed the pervasive effects of racism. The Smiths’ children were not immune, even in the midst of a devoted Bahá’í family.
The family had moved South when elder son Jason was 8 and Alex was 5. The boys attended a public school where the racial makeup was half white, half black. Most of the black children were from poor, sub-literate families.
There were cultural barriers such as the English spoken by the two boys and the regional dialect of the black children.
A major problem was the difference in the level of aggressive behavior. As a sometime substitute teacher, Mrs. Smith noted that there was generally more touching among the black children, both in affection and in anger.
Her younger son adjusted to the change by getting “super tough,” as he called it, while the older one coped by withdrawing.
She and her husband discussed what was happening. They felt it made sense to help the children distinguish between self-defense and initiating or provoking aggression.
|
Superiority and Suspicion |
FORTUNATELY, as it developed Alex became close friends with a black classmate.
Mrs. Smith contacted the child’s mother and invited them both to her home for afternoon visits. The Smiths encouraged overnight visits back and forth between the boys.
Avoid denial
It is a mistake for Bahá’ís to deny the effects of racism because what we fear to see in ourselves, we are powerless to change.
As the Smith family noted, none of us is immune to the effects of our society, even if we are raised in a Bahá’í home.
As Shoghi Effendi described it, whites have a “usually inherent and at times subconscious sense of superiority” to overcome.
It follows that if it becomes conscious, we can work to change it.
Feelings first
Jim and Connie Smith tried always to listen to the boys’ feelings first and then examine the facts with the intention of helping the children break through the racist overlay.
FOR EXAMPLE, when Jason came home from school crying about being assaulted by “a black kid,” Mrs. Smith respected his distress.
“You felt helpless with that guy?” she asked, offering him a chance to vent his anger.
When he had talked about it for a while, she asked, “Did you have any thoughts about his being black?”
“At first I did,” said Jason. “The other kids are always talking about ‘those tough blacks.’ But I know it could just as easily have been a white kid. He sure made me mad!”
Teaching, not preaching
Connie and Jim see the training of their children as teaching from the Writings, not preaching. They are careful not to be judgmental.
As a result, their children are quite open and their false beliefs, absorbed from peers, are much more easily corrected.
DISCUSSIONS in the Smith household are frank and loving, as taught in the Bahá’í Writings on consultation.
The Smiths try to arrange corrective emotional experiences for the boys by making sure they have contact with black adult friends who come over socially as well as with other children.
They constantly bear in mind the Guardian’s admonition:
“Freedom from racial prejudice ... should be deliberately cultivated through the various and every-day opportunities, no matter how insignificant, that present themselves, whether in their homes, their business offices, their schools and colleges, their social parties and recreation grounds, their Bahá’í meetings, conferences, conventions, summer schools and Assemblies.” (The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 30)
A Bahá’í identity
The Smiths taught their children passages from the Writings on the oneness of humanity.
They found the relationships formed at the Bahá’í summer and winter schools and institutes invaluable in establishing a healthy, wholesome view of people as people, friends as friends.
They sacrificed other events when money was tight and spent what they had to make sure the children had these live-in Bahá’í experiences.
The Smiths are encouraged by the growth of a Bahá’í identity in the children that is gradually becoming stronger in the battle against non-Bahá’í peer pressure, but they remain alert, open and prayerful.
Writer lauds committee, program[edit]
Dear Friends:
It is most gratifying to see the formation of the Race Unity Committee and especially to hear of its six-year program.
The “year of awareness” is appropriately the first step. Increasing our “awareness” of the racial issue goes far beyond recognizing and discussing the difficulties existing between blacks and whites. It goes even beyond identifying problems within the Bahá’í community.
QUITE FRANKLY, it means that we all have prejudice.
|
Your Turn |
This is often a difficult and quite painful admission, especially for Bahá’ís, because it says we’re not perfect, we’re not ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Even more, it goes to the very heart of our belief in the oneness of mankind. And what Bahá’í would ever wish to acknowledge a lack of perfection in that area?
But lack it we do, or else why would there be so many all-white or nearly all-white Bahá’í communities in the midst of areas
[Page 18]
CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIED notices in The American Bahá’í are printed free of charge as a service to the Bahá’í community. Notices are limited to items relating to the Faith; no commercial or personal messages can be accepted for publication.
•
JEOPARDIZED Assembly in beautiful southwest Colorado, an area that depends largely on tourism and skiing, needs homefront pioneers. A good college town. For information write to Cindy Chavez, secretary, Spiritual Assembly of La Plata County, P.O. Box 1265, Durango, CO 81301.
GREEN ACRE Bahá’í School has summer jobs: directors for children’s, youth and adult programs; innkeeper; registrars; cooks; kitchen helpers; housekeepers; librarian; book sales person; recreation director; night watchman. Please write for an application to the Green Acre Bahá’í School, P.O. Box 17, Eliot, ME 03903.
THE GREATER Pacific Bahá’í Youth Conference will be held August 27-30 at Suva, Fiji Islands. The conference will include lectures, musical and cultural events and other entertainment, consultation among youth from all over the world, workshops on planning for the future, and teaching opportunities before and after the event. A fee of $60 (U.S.) must be paid by June 30, 1981. The fee includes 11 meals during the conference, but does not include sleeping accommodations. For information about those, and further information about the conference and how to make your reservations, please contact the National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
PORTUGAL needs traveling teachers, especially Portuguese-speaking. Contact the International Goals Committee, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
THE NATIONAL Bahá’í Archives Committee is planning to hold its 1981 Archives Institute August 12-16 at the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette, Illinois. Those who are interested in attending the program should submit a brief statement of their background and why they would like to attend the institute. The institute is designed to introduce believers interested in the archival field to the nature and functions of a Bahá’í archives. Attendance will be limited to eight persons, and each participant will be responsible for his or her expenses and housing. Please address requests to the National Bahá’í Archives Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
CONIFER HILL Bahá’í School needs staff and teachers for its summer session July 4-August 14. Director, cooks, work/boss maintenance person. Please send resume with pertinent job information and Bahá’í experience. Teachers: If you have a course in mind, please send an outline and summary of your Bahá’í experience. Mail to Conifer Hill Bahá’í School Council, 437 Pine, Boulder, CO 80302.
URGENT NEED for pioneers to the Faroe Islands. The National Assemblies of Iceland and the United Kingdom are most anxious to have pioneers and traveling teachers. Contact the International Goals Committee, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
MACAO—The University of Macao opens in September 1981. A number of varied faculty positions are unfilled. The medium of instruction for most courses is English. There will be three colleges in which the arts, social sciences, business administration, accounting, economics, statistics, music, languages, marketing, personnel management, geography, etc., will be taught. Contact the International Goals Committee, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
HOMEFRONT pioneers are desperately needed anywhere in Wyoming. Assembly goal areas are Rock Springs, Riverton, Newcastle and Wind River Reservation. Locality goals are Dubois, Lander, Shoshoni, Thermopolis and Wheatland. Our sparsely populated district consists mainly of small communities and isolated believers. Perfect for anyone wishing to pioneer where his or her knowledge and skills are greatly needed and appreciated. There are many job possibilities in energy-related fields. Wyoming has a wide range of climate and topography (deserts to mountains); it is a lovely state inhabited by friendly people. If interested, please contact the Wyoming District Teaching Committee, c/o Bahá’í Faith, Box 1075, Buffalo, WY 82834.
WANTED: Thirteen mature, enthusiastic and energetic young people, ages 18 to 26, to serve as cabin counselors for Junior Youth Week (June 27-July 2) at the Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California. Opportunities will be to lead, foster and guide the attendees (ages 12-15) in fulfilling their role as Bahá’í youth. The session begins Saturday, June 27, and ends at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 2. Selected counselors will attend a pre-session orientation on Friday evening, June 26. Those who are interested in applying should send a brief letter outlining past experience and talents to the Program Director, Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
I WOULD LIKE to hear from Bahá’ís who are deaf or who have knowledge of deafness. We need to establish communications and set goals to spread the Faith to our deaf American friends. We need interpreters; we need to organize. Please let me hear from you. Write to Chuck Bullock, 1952 6th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103, or phone 714-239-8967 (voice/TTY) or 714-234-2123 (voice).
GREEN ACRE Bahá’í School has openings for its work/study program this summer. Sessions run for two weeks beginning June 29 and ending August 31. Please write for an application to the Green Acre Bahá’í School, P.O. Box 17, Eliot, ME 03903.
GREEN ACRE Bahá’í School needs volunteer youth and children’s teachers for its summer session. One- or two-week openings from June 29 through August 31. Send a brief resume to the Green Acre Bahá’í School, P.O. Box 17, Eliot, ME 03903.
THE BOSCH Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California, is accepting applications for its 1981 summer staff. These positions include cook, dishwasher and kitchen helper, lifeguard, recreation director, pre-school teacher, and maintenance assistant. Summer sessions begin June 20 and end September 10. Those who fill the positions will receive room and board on campus plus a small stipend. Those who are interested should send a brief letter of application stating position desired, abilities, past experience, and talents such as singing, dancing, drama, etc., to the School Administrator, Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
MARK your calendars. Plan to come to the second annual Weekend Institute sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Rock Hill, Missouri, from August 28-30, 1981. The institute will be held at Trout Lodge in Potosi, Missouri, a YMCA family and conference center 85 miles southwest of St. Louis in the foothills of the Ozarks. The site offers rolling hills, hiking trails, riding trails, and lovely Sunnen Lake. Cottages are comfortable, and meals are served family style in the Trout Lodge center. Approximate costs for two nights lodging and five meals are $48 for adults, $39 for students (full-time), $26.75 for children, and $7.50 for infants. Conference fee only (no food or lodging) is $4. There will be classes for adults, youth and children. You are invited to share the spiritual fortification, relaxation and fellowship of this radiant weekend.
WANTED: Disabled Bahá’ís who would like to join teams to become homefront pioneers and serve the Faith by combining the abilities of believers who are called “handicapped” by the non-Bahá’í world. If you are interested, please send concise personal data, in return for which I will send you the name of a “handicapped” Bahá’í of the same sex nearest to you, or in the area in which you would like to live. Send data to Mike Sullivan, 322 Crane Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15216.
GREECE needs pioneers who are self-supporting. Contact the International Goals Committee, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
HOMEFRONT pioneer(s) and traveling teachers sought to help preserve and strengthen the jeopardized Spiritual Assembly of New Canaan, Connecticut. New Canaan, in the lovely New England countryside with access to a wide variety of cultural events, is an hour by car or train from New York City. If interested, please contact Herb Dunbar, secretary, 240 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT 06840, or phone Leona Hosack at 203-966-8140.
NANTUCKET, a resort island 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, needs year-round help to re-establish its lost Assembly. One woman has an apartment she would share with another
APPLICATIONS are being accepted for the following positions at the Bahá’í National Center: Accounting Supervisor, Bahá’í Publishing Trust—Supervises billing operations including payables and receivables through general ledger. Working knowledge of data processing operations and basic accounting procedures is essential. Associate Editor, Bahá’í Publishing Trust—Under direction of the general editor, works with authors in conceiving, evaluating, developing and refining literature projects for production. B.A. or B.S. required, M.A. or higher degree preferred. Must have one or more years experience as a copy editor and additional experience as a substantive editor. Compensation and Benefits Representative—Assists the personnel officer in developing a wage and salary program, oversees employee compensation and benefits administration. Communicates with staff at all levels. Experience required, degree in personnel administration or related field desired. Data Processing Manager—Supervises programmers and analysts, prepares budgets, evaluates software packages, oversees equipment service and maintenance. Requires B.S. in data processing or related field and working knowledge of COBOL and RPG. Bi-Lingual Program Coordinator—Under direction of the National Teaching Committee, acts as a liaison with the minority teaching committees. Is responsible for coordinating programs, activities, and volunteer services. Fluency in oral and written communications in both Spanish and English is required. Supervisory skills also needed. Executive Secretary—Requires superior secretarial skills, typing 70-plus wpm, shorthand 100-plus. Must have proven ability to work with confidential information, ability to work well under pressure and with limited supervision. Must be mature, discreet and well-organized. General Office Support—Receptionist, records clerk, clerk-typist needed. Previous office experience is necessary. Program Director/Administrative Assistant, Louis Gregory Institute—Creates, organizes and supervises educational programs, recruits and schedules teachers, publishes calendar of events, supervises kitchen and menu planning, operates audio-visual equipment, performs related duties as assigned. Requires deepened Bahá’í with vitality and ability to work well under pressure. For more information or to apply for any of these positions, please write to the Office of Personnel Affairs, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
SEVERAL American universities are offering grants to teachers and researchers who study the solutions to world hunger. Some of these specialists will be sent to Africa and South America. For further information please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.
[Page 19]
NATIVE AMERICANS
NATIVE AMERICANS[edit]
[edit]
The Navajo-Hopi District winter deepening, planned and coordinated by Barbara Nakai, an assistant to Auxiliary Board member Ernest Bruss, and Ken Morphet-Brown, chairman of the Navajo-Hopi District Teaching Committee, was held February 14-16 at the Silas Camp, Aneth Chapter, Utah.
The deepening was hosted by Gladys and Dickie Silas who began the weekend with a talk on the traditional Navajo ways and the importance of living a spiritual life.
DURING the weekend, Ben Kahn, an assistant to Auxiliary Board member Nancy Phillips, spoke about the relationship of the Bahá’í Faith to the native Navajo religion.
Chester Kahn spoke about the institution of the Local Spiritual Assembly and how it can function in a traditional Navajo community, on the necessity for deepening on spiritual matters—as is the traditional way—and on consultation in a spiritual, cooperative manner.
Henry Bainbridge conducted a session on unity, the Covenant, the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the institutions of the Faith.
All sessions were presented in the Navajo language with translations into English.
A high point of the weekend took place Saturday evening when Chester Kahn explained the Bahá’í electoral process and assisted non-English speakers in the election of the Spiritual Assembly of Aneth Chapter, Navajoland!
The new Assembly held its first consultation and decided to sponsor and host a Blessingway Ceremony in April to pray for the spiritualization of mankind.
THIS IS THE FIRST Assembly in the Utah portion of the vast Navajo Reservation and the 36th on Indian Reservations in the continental United States.
An added bounty of this fruitful weekend was the enrollment of eight new believers—five from Aneth Chapter and three from Hard Rock Chapter—who were among relatives and friends of the host family and were invited to participate.
This gathering was a further confirmation of guidance stressing the importance of bringing the Faith to families and close groups so that the friends may be supportive of one another and work together from the strongest base of unity—the family and community.
Some of the believers from Aneth Chapter and Sweetwater who participated February 14-16 in the Navajo-Hopi District winter deepening on the Navajo Reservation at Aneth Chapter, Utah.
Bahá’í youth and young adults are urged to consider serving this summer (June 1-July 1) in the ‘Trail of Light’ teaching campaign on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona.
‘Trail of Light’ campaign slated[edit]
A Council Fire and briefing on the Southwest Bahá’í Institute property in Arizona will kick off a “Trail of Light” teaching campaign from June 1-July 1 on the Navajo Indian Reservation that is aimed at a long-awaited “entry by troops” among the Navajo people.
From the Institute land, teams will be dispersed into three major areas centered in Rock Point, Tsaile-Wheatfields, and Houck.
SMALL TEAMS will later spread out into surrounding areas. In each major area, a home or community center will be the focal point for public meetings and deepening new believers.
Indian Bahá’ís from all tribes along with non-Indian believers are being recruited to commit one or two weeks (or the entire month if possible) to serve as facilitators, drivers, cooks, and translators.
Filmstrips, slide programs, and tapes in the Navajo language will be available.
An appeal to Bahá’í youth and young adults is extended to fill special needs of the project—to participate and assume a support role of living with Navajo families for a week or more to help with child care and Bahá’í children’s classes with plenty of opportunities to teach their peers.
Herding sheep and maintaining the home are tasks that would be shared with family members to free Navajo parents for teaching in goal areas.
This project is not for those who are unable to give up modern conveniences and creature comforts, but the American Indian Teaching Committee is confident that it will be a rewarding experience for anyone and will provide inspiration for continuing commitments that it is hoped will be transported to the Continental Youth Conference that immediately follows the project.
Come, “walk in beauty” on the Trail of Light with your Navajo brothers and sisters.
For more information, please contact the Navajo-Hopi District Teaching Committee, c/o Gordon Tong, secretary, P.O. Box 395, Tuba City, AZ 86045, or phone 602-283-5675.
Consultation was intense at a special conference January 25 in Española, New Mexico, sponsored by the Northern New Mexico District Teaching Committee to consult on teaching plans for the 19 Pueblos in that district.
30-plus attend New Mexico conference[edit]
More than 30 believers attended a special conference January 25 in Española sponsored by the Northern New Mexico District Teaching Committee to consult on plans for spreading the Faith among the 19 Pueblos in the district.
In some villages the teaching work has already begun to blossom, while others remain untouched by the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
THE AMERICAN Indian Teaching Committee was represented at the conference by two of its members, Cathy Cook and Wayne Steffes, who stressed the necessity of acquiring firm volunteer commitments to goal areas and of encouraging an exchange of Native American traveling teachers from nearby Reservations.
An immediate priority was set to restore the Spiritual Assembly at Zuni Pueblo as part of the American Indian Teaching Committee’s goal of 40 Assemblies on Reservations by Riḍván.
Bahá’í activity at Zuni, whose Assembly was lost prior to the Nine Year Plan, has been renewed with the recent settling of homefront pioneers John and Susanna Sutton, and the commitment of traveling teachers Jim Stone of Gallup and Sharon Smith of Grants.
Regular teaching efforts will hopefully raise the number of believers at Zuni from the present eight adults to sufficient strength to restore the Assembly.
There are presently Assemblies at Jemez Pueblo and the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in Northern New Mexico. As resources are organized and commitments increase, this area promises to provide a beacon of light among the Native American population.
Community building[edit]
Continued From Page 2
difficult task. But isn’t this what it’s all about?
IS NOT OUR PURPOSE to bring into being a new civilization? Are not the foundation stones of this civilization the villages, hamlets and towns throughout the country and over the entire planet?
Those few workers who quietly and patiently visit, month after month, Bahá’í Groups and new Assemblies, and whose goal is to help the friends acquire independence and establish the pattern of Bahá’í community life, deserve the highest praise the Bahá’í community can offer.
May their ranks swell in numbers during the second phase of the Seven Year Plan, and may we add large numbers of communities to the list of those that are self-sufficient and from which the basic elements of Bahá’í community life are shining brightly.
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PERSIAN PAGE
[Page 21]
PERSIAN PAGE
[Page 22]
PERSIAN PAGE
‘Uncle Wiggily’ stars in ballet created by Bahá’í[edit]
“Uncle Wiggily and the Duck Pond,” an original story by Mrs. Mabel Garis, a Bahá’í from Amherst, Massachusetts, was presented in ballet form in April 1979 by the Amherst Ballet Theatre Company and since then has been seen by thousands of children in schools throughout that area.
“The ballet is booked at least through June 1981,” says Mrs. Garis, who began writing the Uncle Wiggily stories after the death of her father-in-law, Howard Garis.
MR. GARIS created the popular Uncle Wiggily rabbit character while working as a newspaper reporter in 1910. He and his wife, Lillian, also wrote such other well known children’s series as Tom Swift, the Bobbsey Twins, the Motor Boys, the Bedtime Stories, Happy Home books, Circus Animal series, the Buddy books, and many others—more than 1,100 books and short stories in all.
Mabel Garis, who has a degree in English literature from the University of Massachusetts, is the widow of Howard Garis’ son, Roger, who was a well-known short story and television writer and playwright.
Two of her books of Uncle Wiggily stories were published in England in 1977, and two more in 1978. She has also rewritten and edited several of Howard Garis’ original Uncle Wiggily stories.
The idea for the duck pond story, she says, came to her while she was driving from Massachusetts to Vermont to speak to high school students about World Peace Day.
“At the last minute,” she recalls, “I was asked to speak to elementary school children too.
“I asked how I could speak to such young children about world peace, and someone said, ‘Oh, tell them an Uncle Wiggily story.’ So I thought it over and came up with the duck pond story.”
IN IT, the Wibble Wobble Ducks are driven from their pond by the aggressive Skillery Skallery Alligator, and the first reaction of the ducks and other animals is to lash back with violence and force him to leave.
However, the loved and trusted Uncle Wiggily convinces them that kindness, understanding and a willingness to share will do more to resolve the situation.
Instead of fighting, the ducks bring gifts for the alligator and treat him with kindness, and together they learn to share the pond in peace.
Later, when Mrs. Garis was approached by the Amherst Ballet Theatre Company about presenting a ballet based on the Uncle Wiggily stories, the duck pond tale seemed to be a natural.
The ballet premiered April 21, 1979, in Amherst and has been presented many times since then via an in-school touring program in that area.
Its music was composed by Karen Tarlow, a graduate student at Boston University, with choreography by Therese Brady Donohue, artistic director of the Amherst Ballet Theatre Company.
Costumes were designed by the well known New York designer, Campbell Baird.
‘Uncle Wiggily’ (right), the debonair rabbit whose wise counsel is sought by the other animals, shows he’s also adept at dancing in this scene from the ballet ‘Uncle Wiggily and the Duck Pond.’ The ballet, based on a story by Bahá’í author Mabel Garis of Amherst, Massachusetts, has been presented in schools throughout that state since it was first performed in 1979 by the Amherst Ballet Theatre Company.
Virginia believers proclaim Cause[edit]
On the weekend of November 22-23, the Bahá’ís of Vienna, Virginia, helped by friends from surrounding communities, delivered a proclamation package by hand to each of the 5,000 households within the Vienna city limits.
Local officials were given prior notice of the project and the necessary approval was obtained.
THE PACKAGE included five items: (1) a letter from the Spiritual Assembly of Vienna inviting neighbors to a meeting at the Community Center at which information about the Faith and the recent persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran would be shared; (2) a concise two-page summary of the Faith; (3) articles from Newsweek magazine and the Washington Star about the persecutions in Iran; (4) a color postcard showing Bahá’ís from around the world on the front and a list of Bahá’í principles with a Bahá’í address and phone number on the back; and (5) a return mail card on which the recipient could request further information about the Faith or notification of Bahá’í meetings.
The delivery was made by dividing the city into 10 sections and having five teams of four to five Bahá’ís each, in cars, cover two sections apiece.
The materials were placed in clear plastic bags that could be easily attached to the front doorknob at each house.
CONVENCIÓN NACIONAL BAHÁ’Í 1981
La Asamblea Espiritual Nacional le invita a asistir a la
72nd Convención Nacional Bahá’í
30 de Abril a 3 de Mayo
en la
Casa de Adoración Bahá’í
en Wilmette, Illinois
y
McCormick Inn en Chicago, Illinois
La mayor parte de las actividades tomarán lugar en McCormick Inn y programas devocionales y otras actividades en la Casa de Adoración Bahá’í.
Se les facilitará transportación de un sitio al otro a los participantes. Alojamiento:
- McCormick Inn
- $44.00 por día para un individuo
- $58.00 por día con cuatro personas
- Los Hoteles Ascot y Essex cuestan
- aproximadamente $10.00 dólares
- menos por día
- niños de 16 año o menos, gratis en
- compañía de dos adultos
Deben hacer sus reservaciones directamente con los hoteles e indicarles que es para la convención Bahá’í.
Sirvase a llamar este número gratis para hacer su reservación en cualquiera de los tres hoteles.
(800)621-6909
Cuidado de niños se proveerá sin arreglos especiales simplemente incluya los nombres, sexo y edad de cada niño.
Credenciales Bahá’ís
La Convención Nacional Bahá’ís es solamente para Bahá’ís. Credenciales Bahá’ís válidas y actuales serán requeridas para la entrada.
Continental YOUTH Conference ’81
Kansas City, Missouri ❃ July 2-5
[Page 25]
THE MEDIA
Radio series presents strong contemporary drama[edit]
Continued From Page 1 character actor Hans Conried, whose credits include everything from Professor Kropotkin in the old “My Friend Irma” radio series to Danny Thomas’ Uncle Tanoose in “Make Room for Daddy” on television.
Mr. Conried enjoyed doing the programs so much that he is featured in three of them.
Linda Kay Henning reviews the script for ‘The Battle of Canby Hill.’
Another familiar face to TV viewers, Ross Martin (Artemus Gordon in “Wild, Wild West”) stars in a two-parter opposite Jared Martin (no relation; he plays Dusty Farlow in “Dallas”).
The final program in the series, a dramatization of the hostage-taking at the Bosch Bahá’í School several years ago (slightly fictionalized and with names changed) stars Mason Adams, who portrays managing editor Charlie Hume on the “Lou Grant Show” and whose voice is heard on innumerable radio and TV commercials.
THESE ACTORS are not Bahá’ís but extremely well-known Hollywood players who accepted the parts because they liked the scripts and were willing to work for a fraction of their usual television fees to help bring the series into being.
Fireside Playhouse will be broadcast on some local radio stations, as well as on many whose signals cross the country.
Letters will be sent to Local Spiritual Assemblies once syndication of the series is complete, so that the friends will know the day, time and station on which they can hear the programs in each area.
“This series does not say, ‘Become a Bahá’í and all your problems are solved,’ ” says Ms. Ulius. “Its message is that today’s problems must be solved by spiritual as well as material means, and that the Bahá’í Faith is there if the listener wants to investigate it.
“In writing the scripts, I took the toughest subjects I could imagine,” she says. “Not problems of the 1950s, which aren’t going to cause many shock waves today, but the real problems of the ’80s: infidelity, child abuse, corruption in high places, racial discrimination, mid-life crisis, terrorism, sex in the office, and so on.
“Each show is a strong, hard-hitting contemporary drama, and some may raise a few eyebrows among the friends.
“BUT IF WE want to reach people who aren’t already in the Faith,” she continues, “especially younger people, we must deal with the problems that are out there. The fact that we, as Bahá’ís, have coped with these problems and overcome them is the underlying message of the series.”
Here are some of the fictional people whom you’ll meet during the 13 weeks of Fireside Playhouse:
• Joanna March in “Focus.” Once a topflight fashion model, now a New York photographer, her personal feeling of worth is based on her physical appearance. When she must undergo a mastectomy because of breast cancer, it takes her Bahá’í daughter to put the trauma into perspective.
• Gene Munroe in “Breaking Out” (played by Hans Conried). At 52, fired from a job he has never been able to admit he dislikes, he is helped by his Bahá’í son to rebuild his life in a more meaningful way.
• Elena Hernandez in “Guess What They’re Saying About Elena?” Seventeen years old, of Mexican descent, in line for a college scholarship but about to lose it because of the vicious and untrue gossip circulating in her small California town. Her promising career in science is saved by her teacher, who is a Bahá’í.
• Adam Reed in “Soul Brother.” He’s 16, black, hungry for cars and stereos, and wanting them now. His friendship with an elderly white Bahá’í in a town near Chicago changes both their lives.
• Cordelia Canby Fielding in “The Battle of Canby Hill.” Mrs. Fielding is a New Englander, in her 70s, determined not to acknowledge that a charming young Bahá’í pop singer who has moved into a nearby cottage is the half-Portuguese daughter of her dead son.
Then a large gambling syndicate works to take over the town, to turn it into a gambling mecca, and Mrs. Fielding and the girl, Katie Vargas, find themselves on the same side of the fight.
• Rachel Davidson in “The Crying of Children” is a Bahá’í doctor in a small town near Washington, D.C. When an esteemed soon-to-be senator arrives to spend the summer with his wife and three small children, Rachel must deal with a shameful secret the man has never faced: that when he is away, his wife physically abuses their children.
• Arnold Stone in “Hostage!” (played by Mason Adams) is one of 53 Bahá’ís at the Bosch Summer School when a young man with a long history of mental disturbance shows up to hold them hostage at gunpoint.
The Bahá’í Teachings in each of these programs are presented subtly and tastefully; however, at the end of each drama, an announcer gives the address of the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette for those listeners who would like to learn more about the Faith.
Veteran character actor Hans Conried with (left to right) Carol Bilger and Salome Jens in the Fireside Playhouse drama, ‘The Girls in the Office.’
The announcer also mentions that information about local firesides may be found by calling the local Bahá’í listing in the telephone directory.
FIRESIDE Playhouse is trying to arrange to have some of the radio stations give a local Bahá’í phone number as a “live-end” tag, says Ms. Ulius, so that the teaching ball will literally be dropped at the local Bahá’í Center’s doorstep.
She suggests that Bahá’í communities schedule firesides around the programs in advance, so that full particulars can be given to anyone who phones asking for information.
Another good idea, says Ms. Ulius, is to call the station and comment on the series. And be sure your non-Bahá’í friends are aware that a first-rate, highly professional Bahá’í radio series is on the air. One may even invite them to his home to listen together.
Firesides can be built around several of the topics presented on Fireside Playhouse. For example, what exactly is the harm of gossip and backbiting?
Or, why do Bahá’ís believe so strongly in dealing with justice, rather than with mercy? What is the harm in “idle dreams and vain imaginings”? What’s wrong with a love affair that you believe hurts only yourself?
“This series won’t please every Bahá’í,” says Ms. Ulius, a native New Yorker who has been a Bahá’í for 26 years. “That simply isn’t possible. It covers so many age ranges and so many topics that it is bound to ruffle a few feathers.
BETTY DEBORAH ULIUS
“Fireside Playhouse isn’t a saccharine-sweet Sunday school lecture, because that isn’t going to do the job.
“WE’RE TRYING to ‘tell it like it is’ in a difficult and confusing world, and perhaps show others how to help themselves by discovering a Faith they can wholly believe in.”
One of her most pleasant surprises in producing the series, says Ms. Ulius, “was the number of actors who knew someone who is a Bahá’í.
“Both Ross Martin and Jane Rose mentioned that they have friends who are Bahá’ís, and when I spoke to Mason Adams for the first time—prepared, as always, to explain the Faith—he said, ‘Oh, I know all about the Faith. I used to be a good friend of O.Z. Whitehead’s!’ ”
Several actors asked for Bahá’í literature after the shows, and a few weeks ago, when the taped programs were being transferred to records, the woman engineer, who had sat through 13 shows in a period of two days (“Enough,” says Ms. Ulius, “to make anyone glassy-eyed”) said she would be interested in attending a fireside.
[Page 26]
LOUHELEN SCHOOL
Louhelen plans can proceed as soon as funds are raised[edit]
Plans for the reconstruction of the Louhelen Bahá’í School in Michigan are complete. The building work can begin as soon as $1.25 million is received through contributions, loans or the purchase of promissory notes.
By the beginning of March, approximately $300,000 had been raised. The National Spiritual Assembly is facing a deadline of August 31, 1981, to raise the remaining $950,000.
IF THIS deadline is not met, the promissory notes that have already been sold will have to be returned to the purchasers and the reconstruction of the school will be delayed indefinitely.
What is a promissory note? Many of the friends have asked that question, since this method has never before been used to finance a building project within the American Bahá’í community.
Quite simply, buying a promissory note is the same as lending money to the National Spiritual Assembly.
The only difference is that the length of time you will be letting the National Spiritual Assembly use your money is fixed, as is the interest that will be paid to you. These figures are:
- Term
- 10 years
- 15 years
- 20 years
- Interest
- 6 per cent
- 7 per cent
- 8 per cent
Let’s say you purchase a 20-year promissory note for $10,000. That means that in 20 years the National Spiritual Assembly will repay you $10,000, and in the meantime will pay you 8 per cent ($800) every year until the note is repaid.
One concern frequently heard is that the rate of return (the interest rate) is not competitive with other financial investments a Bahá’í might choose to make.
The purchase of a promissory note should not be regarded as an “investment” in the old-world-order sense.
It is an investment in building an institution of the new World Order that represents our optimism and hope for the future of mankind and that will greatly benefit the rapidly developing Bahá’í community today.
Seen in this light, no investment opportunity on earth looks so bright or promising.
The promissory notes are being offered for sale in 23 states. They may be purchased in the amounts of $500, $1,000, or any multiple of $1,000.
Anyone who wishes to purchase a promissory note should ask for an “offering circular” either from a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly in his or her state, or directly from the Office of the Treasurer, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Louhelen facility, endowment honor Mr. Faizí[edit]
At a recent meeting, the National Spiritual Assembly named the classroom facility at the Louhelen Bahá’í School in Michigan in memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Abu’l-Qásim Faizí.
A “Faizí Endowment for Education” also was established to help build the school facility and to provide for its continued operation in the future.
A SPECIAL insert in the May issue of The American Bahá’í will describe more fully the memorial that has been established for Mr. Faizí.
In addition to providing a lasting memorial to the life-long work of Mr. Faizí, there are many compelling reasons for rebuilding the Louhelen Bahá’í School at this time.
One has only to look at the world around him—the immorality and corruption surrounding our youth, the destructive forces attacking the institution of marriage—to realize that we desperately need to train teachers and parents in the art of teaching the children how to live in this world and not be a part of it.
Your contributions to the Louhelen School will help to memorialize a beloved Hand of the Cause of God, and will help also to provide a strong anchor of faith to which parents and children can cling during these tumultuous days.
‘Minister’s Lot’ surprises New Hampshire believers[edit]
Donald Jacobs, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Keene, New Hampshire, was surprised one morning last December to find a check for $61.50 in the mail from the city manager of Keene.
With the check was a season’s greetings card labeled “The Minister’s Lot.”
Looking into the matter, Mr. Jacobs found that in times past in that area, a wooded lot was customarily made available to ministers, free of charge, to help them through the long New England winters.
Later, this became a fund that is now allocated annually as a gift to the ministers, who no longer chop wood themselves.
After consultation, it was decided by the Assembly that its chairman should contact the city manager to explain that the Bahá’í Faith has no clergy and cannot accept funds from non-Bahá’í sources.
The money was given to a local charity, Project Share.
The Assembly in Keene was pleased to have a chance to spread still further the teachings of the Faith in that city—and to receive such proof that it is officially regarded as a part of the city’s religious establishment.
Conference spurs teaching in northern Florida[edit]
Forty-eight adults and 15 children representing 10 communities in northern Florida attended a Propagation Conference on January 24, making it one of the largest Bahá’í gatherings held in that part of the state.
The conference was called by Auxiliary Board member Benjamin Levy and hosted by the Spiritual Assembly of Jacksonville.
It dealt with such topics as Bahá’í institutions, the Bahá’í Fund, district teaching activities, and the Nineteen Day Feast.
At its conclusion, a 12-week teaching campaign was adopted to win the district’s remaining goals for the opening phase of the Seven Year Plan.
Wyoming Institute examines Covenant[edit]
Forty-three people including 18 children attended the first Wyoming Bahá’í Institute held over the last Labor Day weekend in the Big Horn Mountains near Story, Wyoming.
The speakers were Auxiliary Board member Dennis Jenkyns and Gary Marx from Montana who addressed themselves to the conference theme, “The Ark of the Covenant.”
The institute was dedicated to the memory of the Hands of the Cause of God Hasan Balyuzi, Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir and Enoch Olinga.
A silent auction was held one evening with more than $300 raised, some of which was used to aid the teaching work on the Wind River Reservation.
A children’s class at the first Wyoming Bahá’í Institute held over the last Labor Day weekend near Story, Wyoming. Eighteen children were among the 45 people who attended.
[edit]
Doc Whitesinger, a Navajo Indian who was perhaps this country’s oldest living Bahá’í, died last December 29 in Tuba City, Arizona.
Although his exact age was unknown, he was believed to have been between 114 and 119 years old when he passed away.
NEARLY 100 years ago, Mr. Whitesinger, whose given first name was “Dike,” received a U.S. census tag, one of the first 100 such tags issued.
Since he later told his adopted son, Ray Helmick of Phoenix, Arizona, that he was 15 to 20 years old when he was issued the tag, it was determined that his age was at least 114 or more.
Mr. Whitesinger, who became a Bahá’í in 1971, was an active believer whose entire family including his sister, Alice Carter; his daughter, Mary Whitesinger Luther, and his grandchildren are all Bahá’ís.
The Navajo medicine man was born in a cave on a sacred mountain on the Navajo Reservation. He later recalled that his first clothes were made from animal skins.
In 1973, Mr. Whitesinger left the Navajo Reservation for only the second time in his life to attend the 64th Bahá’í National Convention in Wilmette, Illinois, where he fulfilled his desire to chant a prayer in “God’s hogan,” his name for the Bahá’í House of Worship.
He was impressed by the Convention, especially to see so many Bahá’ís together in one place.
“THIS IS very good,” he told Mr. Helmick, “that people of all kinds and colors come together to pray.”
Mr. Whitesinger’s prayer at the Convention was for the safe return home of the friends, his “brothers and sisters,” and for God’s blessing on the proceedings.
Later, Mr. Whitesinger attended the Bahá’í Youth Conference in Oklahoma City, and returned to Wilmette in 1978 for the 69th Bahá’í National Convention.
Doc Whitesinger (wearing headband), a Navajo Indian who was perhaps the country’s oldest living Bahá’í before his death last December 29, and his brother, Hosteen Manybeads (wearing hat) are shown at a Bahá’í meeting in 1977 in Dennebito, Arizona.
Tree of Life[edit]
Continued From Page 2
at the right place, so as to continue the functions of its predecessors with new life and vigor.
IN THE SACRED writings of Islam, this tree is referred to as “Sadrat’l-Muntahá,” which means the last tree or the tree that makes the boundary; or the Lote Tree of the extremity (Qur’an 53:14)
In the Bahá’í Faith it is referred to as and symbolizes the “Manifestation of God.”
How rewarding would be one’s meditation on the “Source” and to recognize its awesome existence. How sacred the task of knowing the creation of His Manifestation to bear new glory and new fruit for the sustenance of all who seek shelter under this magnificent “Tree of Life.”
We have many references to this “tree of life” in the Bahá’í Writings. For example:
O MY FRIENDS!
Have ye forgotten that true and radiant morn, when in those hallowed and blessed surroundings ye were all gathered in My presence beneath the shade of the tree of life, which is planted in the all-glorious paradise? Awestruck ye listened as I gave utterance to these three most holy words: O friends! Prefer not your will to Mine, never desire that which I have not desired for you, and approach Me not with lifeless hearts, defiled with worldly desires and cravings. Would ye but sanctify your souls, ye would at this present hour recall that place and those surroundings, and the truth of My utterance should be made evident unto all of you. (Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Persian No. 19, p. 27)
Added to the symbology of the “tree of life” is another lovely abstraction in the Bahá’í Writings, the “tree of love.”
Reading the Writings and meditating on them will undoubtedly open new doors of understanding and offer new paths in our spiritual and mystical journey to the realm of glory.
Here are two other pertinent declamations from Bahá’u’lláh:
O DWELLERS OF MY PARADISE!
With the hands of loving-kindness I have planted in the holy garden of paradise the young tree of your love and friendship, and have watered it with the goodly showers of My tender grace; now that the hour of its fruiting is come, strive that it may be protected, and be not consumed with the flame of desire and passion. (The Hidden Words, Persian No. 34, p. 34)
And again He says:
O SON OF LOVE!
Thou art but one step away from the glorious heights above and from the celestial tree of love. Take thou one pace and with the next advance into the immortal realm and enter the pavilion of eternity. Give ear then to that which hath been revealed by the pen of glory. (The Hidden Words, Persian No. 7, p. 24)
What a bounty to ponder and meditate upon these wonderful words, to awaken our dormant spirit and remind us of our “covenant” and destiny.
Sacrifice[edit]
Continued From Page 5
I would in no wise have consented that thou shouldst shear off even a single thread of thy comely and wavy locks; nay, I myself would have contributed in thy name for the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.
“THIS DEED of thine is, however, an eloquent testimony to thy noble spirit of self-sacrifice. Thou hast, verily, sacrificed thy life and great will be the spiritual results thou shalt obtain.”
Today the believers are called upon to carry out other tasks that are vital to the development of the Cause of God and to the progress of mankind on this planet.
In a letter written on his behalf, the Guardian said that the Bahá’ís “are too close to their task to correctly value it and realize how much hangs on its complete success, but in the future the fruits that will grow out of their present labours will astonish them.”
Whether involved in raising the Temples of the future, in carrying out the assigned goals of the present Plan, in giving to the Fund, or in any other service to the Cause, these projects too will only be successful if we are willing to put forth an effort and to sacrifice ourselves for the Faith.
“And though it be thine hair that thou hast sacrificed,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá concluded in His letter to the woman of Manchester, “yet thou shalt be filled with the spirit, and though it be this perishable member of thy body which thou hast laid down in the path of God, yet thou shalt find the Divine Gift, shalt behold the Celestial Beauty, obtain imperishable glory and attain unto everlasting life.”
National Center has new phone number[edit]
|
The Fund Is the Life-Blood of the Faith 112 Linden Avenue, |
The National Spiritual Assembly wishes to advise the friends that the new telephone number for the Bahá’í National Center and Bahá’í House of Worship is 312-869-9039. Please address correspondence to the Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.
In memoriam[edit]
- Mrs. Helen Armstrong
- Jackson, Michigan
- April 24, 1980
- Michael Beck
- Scranton, Pa.
- October 10, 1980
- Mrs. Auburn Bolden
- Aurora, Colorado
- Date Unknown
- Riley Brown
- San Francisco, Calif.
- January 26, 1981
- Carson Clark
- Kershaw, S. Carolina
- November 30, 1980
- Mrs. Mary Ellen Crocker
- San Antonio, Texas
- January 23, 1981
- Mrs. Dorothy Daugherty
- Colorado Springs, Colo.
- February 10, 1981
- Mrs. Nannie Davenport
- Pleasantville, N.J.
- February 3, 1981
- Mrs. Esther Dersch
- Peoria, Illinois
- February 15, 1981
- Mrs. Alice L. Dieck
- Gresham, Oregon
- September 6, 1980
- Miss Lorena M. Door
- Crow Agency, Montana
- January 1, 1981
- Orville H. Good
- Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Dora Green
- Burton, S. Carolina
- October 1978
- Inez Hernandez
- Anthony, N. Mexico
- October 10, 1980
- Willie Hobson
- Somerville, Tenn.
- Date Unknown
- John Hutchins
- Somerville, Tenn.
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Martha Hutchins
- Somerville, Tenn.
- Date Unknown
- Wallace Johnson
- Clewiston, Florida
- January 31, 1981
- Robert Jones
- Galveston, Texas
- Date Unknown
- Joe Kelly
- Somerville, Tenn.
- Date Unknown
- Ramon Marquez
- Tornillo, Texas
- January 1981
- Mrs. Josephine McKee
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- January 20, 1981
- Mrs. Eva Pickens
- Bend, Oregon
- December 1980
- Miss Violet E. Randall
- Winter Haven, Florida
- July 1980
- Mrs. Flarrie Ratchford
- Gastonia, N. Carolina
- 1979
- Loretta Scherer
- Burlington, Wis.
- October 30, 1980
- Mary H. Sherman
- Nantucket, Mass.
- January 1981
- Mrs. Catherine Smith
- Santa Paula, Calif.
- Date Unknown
- John F. Snider
- Boca Raton, Florida
- November 1980
- Mrs. Della Stevens
- Tucson, Arizona
- December 23, 1980
- Marian Anita White
- Bakersfield, Calif.
- January 13, 1981
- Dike Whitesinger
- Tonalea, Arizona
- December 29, 1980
- Raymond G. Wilcox
- Woodcliff Lake, N.J.
- January 18, 1981
California Bahá’í named ‘Communicator of the Year’[edit]
Dr. George Hill, a Bahá’í in Carson, California, who is an author, publicist, and radio and television producer, was recently named “Communicator of the Year” by the National Association of Market Developers (NAMD) at its 15th annual awards banquet in Los Angeles.
Michael Anderson, president of NAMD, said Dr. Hill was chosen for his demonstrated excellence in print and broadcast media and for his selfless devotion to his community for more than 20 years.
DR. HILL is the author of Airwaves of the Soul, a new book on the influence and growth of religious broadcasting in America.
He is the religion writer for the Carson Courier, and his syndicated newspaper column, “Focus on Business,” appears in publications on the East and West coasts.
Dr. Hill is vice president of Nightingale Communications and Media in Carson, and is among a handful of blacks in the U.S. to achieve the APR designation from the Public Relations Society of America.
He has pioneered interfaith radio in Southern California through his Unity Award-winning program, “Ecumenical Insights.”
Dr. Hill has a Ph.D. in communications and five other college degrees including graduate degrees in religious information, business administration, and the humanities.
DR. GEORGE HILL
‘Involvement’ key to Chattanooga drive[edit]
A series of proclamation activities in Chattanooga, Tennessee, during the weekend of January 15-17 resulted in unprecedented publicity for the Faith in that area and record numbers of seekers at Bahá’í firesides.
Dr. Wilma Brady of New York City, a member of the National Teaching Committee, was the speaker at three meetings, which marked the culmination of many months of careful planning by the friends in the Chattanooga area.
DR. BRADY first spoke on “The Impact of Race Relations in the U.S. on World Peace” to an audience of about 60 at the United Nations Association.
Her topic at a second meeting, before a group of about 30 students, faculty and others at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was “The Oreo Question: the Black Graduate and Social Responsibility.”
That meeting was sponsored jointly by the university’s Bahá’í Club and Black Students Association.
Later, Dr. Brady spoke on “A New Race of Men” to an audience of about 45 at a potluck dinner and fireside.
A total of about 90 non-Bahá’ís attended the three meetings.
In addition, Dr. Brady taped a television interview that was aired both on the public broadcasting station and the local CBS outlet, and was interviewed at length by one of Chattanooga’s two daily newspapers.
These meetings not only drew the attention of many seekers, but also were attended by two black ministers, one of whom is chairman of the Hamilton County Commission; numerous faculty members at the university; the local chairman of the NAACP, and many local social activists.
PLANNING for the proclamation events began as long ago as April 1980 following an outbreak of racial violence in Chattanooga in which five elderly black women were shot.
From that time on, the Bahá’í community of Chattanooga took an active role in city-wide efforts to find answers to the problem of racial strife.
As a result of its involvement, the Bahá’í community was asked to send a representative to meetings of the Chattanooga Clergymen’s Association, and a Bahá’í was asked to serve on the steering committee of the Urban Forum, a local group that plans events at which influential representatives of a wide variety of points of view can exchange ideas.
DR. WILMA BRADY
After becoming involved in several other organizations devoted to bettering relations between the races, the Bahá’ís themselves formed a community organization, “Person-to-Person,” that meets about once a month for dinner and fellowship between families of many races and nationalities.
In July 1980, a Bahá’í was asked to address an audience of several hundred at a local women’s conference where she spoke in detail of the example of Ṭáhirih.
In September, a local clergyman offered his church for a memorial service for the martyred Bahá’ís in Yazd, Iran. Ten non-Bahá’ís attended that service.
EVERYWHERE, the Bahá’ís were asked to explain the teachings of the Faith. One couple was asked to speak to the United Nations group about Iran and was extremely well-received.
Last November, the community decided to hold weekly firesides and to send flyers to its newly expanded mailing list detailing the next six meetings.
Since then, every fireside has had at least one seeker; the most recent have had a minimum of 10 seekers and have been attracting black clergymen as well.
One minister who attended a fireside spoke to his congregation about the Faith the following morning and, in remarks broadcast over local radio, said Bahá’ís are those who live their belief in the oneness of mankind.
The Bahá’í community of Chattanooga is now engaged in follow-up activities including personal dinner invitations, regular community firesides, further proclamation activities, and continued support for community groups whose goals are in harmony with those of the Cause.
Your turn[edit]
Continued From Page 19
densely populated by blacks?
Persistent denial of the problem or refusal to face its origin can only delay indefinitely the attainment of true unity and love between the races.
A constructive step toward increasing our awareness of our own prejudice is to recognize its origin.
We must face the fact that this society has been founded on and supported by racist principles.
ITS POISONOUS influence is everywhere: in our textbooks, on television, in our literature (children’s and adult), our jobs, schools, neighborhoods, churches, etc.
Whether we were raised in this country or have come here from another country, this influence surrounds us.
And whether we were raised in prejudiced households, tolerant households, or even Bahá’í households, we have all been tainted to some extent.
The most dangerous attitude one can take is that he or she has no racial prejudice.
Society’s efforts to remedy the problems caused by prejudice have been painfully inadequate and often downright harmful.
But it could hardly be expected to do otherwise, since it has so consistently and stubbornly rejected the teachings of God’s Manifestations, especially the Redeemer for this Day: Bahá’u’lláh.
The beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, has given us step-by-step, day-by-day rules to live by in combating prejudice.
In The Advent of Divine Justice, he takes us from recognition of the problem (pp. 28-34) to the Bahá’í principles we must follow, to the individual responsibilities of blacks and whites in eradicating this scourge from our midst.
The Guardian warns us quite plainly that the duty of solving this “most challenging issue” lies squarely with the Bahá’ís and not with any agency outside the Faith, and that “a long and thorny road, beset with pitfalls, still remains untraveled.”
Belford, New Jersey
Introducing ...[edit]
“The Champion-Builders,” brief sketches of some of the Bahá’ís who helped lay the foundation of the Administrative Order in this country.
Watch for it soon in The American Bahá’í!
Florida Bahá’ís have Home Show display[edit]
The Bahá’í Group of St. Lucie, Florida, had a booth and literature display January 15-17 at the annual Home Show in nearby Fort Pierce.
Included in the Bahá’í presentation was a free drawing for a Seals & Crofts album, “The Longest Road,” and cassette tape, “Taking It Easy.”
There were 181 entries for the album and 143 for the tape.
The Bahá’ís also gave away several hundred 1981 pocket-size Bahá’í calendars with an invitation to attend a World Religion Day observance January 18.
The Bahá’í display was produced by Ethel and Irene Becker with help from their brother, Chester Becker, a non-Bahá’í.
More than 150 pieces of Bahá’í literature and about 500 bookmarks (hand-made by the Becker sisters) were distributed.
The Home Show is sponsored each year by the Pilot Club, a professional and business women’s service club.