The American Bahá’í/Volume 14/Issue 2/Text

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The American Bahá’í February, 1983

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[Page 1]

Teaching Committee's actions help assure Ridván victory

The National Teaching Committee attempts to inspire the Bahá’í community to achieve the goals of the Seven Year Plan. This is done primarily through letters, phone calls, and visits that focus the attention of the friends on the needs of the moment.

IN ADDITION, the National Teaching Committee produces materials that are designed to aid us in the areas of proclamation, expansion and consolidation.

The following are actions taken by the National Teaching Committee since Ridván 1982 to help assure the accomplishment of the goals of the three-year phase of the Seven Year Plan:

Goal: Pursue a nationwide campaign, with emphasis on the use of the Creative Word, designed to inspire every believer to live the Bahá’í life, thus demonstrating to their fellow-countrymen the beneficent effects of the Bahá’í way of life achieved through adherence to the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.

Produced the booklet, "The Individual in Action," which calls the friends' attention to the importance of prayer, reading the Writings, giving to the Fund, and teaching. This booklet has been distributed to all isolated believers, many Assemblies and Groups, and to the delegates at the most recent National Convention. We continue to receive requests for the booklet.

Goal: Strive to achieve an unprecedented increase in the number of avowed adherents of the Faith throughout the country and from all levels of society.

Letter to all isolated believers emphasizing personal teaching.

Letter to all District Teaching Committees asking them to continue to pursue the goals.

More than 500 consult with National Assembly in Southern California

Chester Kahn (center), a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, chats with some of the friends during the National Assembly's January meeting which was held in Pasadena, California.

The National Spiritual Assembly held its regular monthly meeting in Pasadena, California, January 7-8, during which time it met with members of Spiritual Assemblies in Southern California Districts 1-4 and with about 500 Bahá’ís who gathered for a general meeting on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

PRESENT at the general meeting were Counsellor Fred Schechter and Auxiliary Board members Edward Diliberto and Anthony Lease.

Members of the National Teaching Committee, National Education Committee and Persian Affairs Committee, each of which also met that weekend in the Los Angeles area, were introduced during the program.

Members of the National Spiritual Assembly and National Teaching Committee participated Friday evening in 11 firesides that were held in extension teaching goal areas in Southern California.

During lunch on Saturday, the National Assembly consulted with members of the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles.

Topics discussed included the proposed new Los Angeles Bahá’í Center and fund-raising for it, teaching opportunities presented by the 1984 Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles, and the role that the new Bahá’í Center might play in such plans.

CONSULTATION also focused on the teaching work in Southern California, the integration of the large numbers of Persian Bahá’ís there into the Bahá’í community as a whole, and the relationship of Local Spiritual Assemblies to the National Spiritual Assembly.

Index

Viewpoint . . . . 2 Letters . . . . 3 Goals Committee . . . . 4 The Funds . . . . 5 Youth News . . . . 6-7 Education . . . . 8-9 Teaching . . . . 10-11 BPT price list . . . . 12-13 Spanish . . . . 14 Publications . . . . 15 Classifieds . . . . 16 Persian . . . . 18 Race Unity . . . . 20 Public Affairs . . . . 21 In Memoriam . . . . 23

Dr. Robert Henderson chosen in by-election as new National Spiritual Assembly member

KINDLY CONVEY ROBERT HENDERSON ASSURANCE LOVING PRAYERS HIS BEHALF ASSUMPTION SACRED RESPONSIBILITY MEMBERSHIP NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE DECEMBER 31, 1982

The National Spiritual Assembly announced December 30 that Dr. Robert Henderson of Roswell, Georgia, has been elected to membership on the Assembly in a by-election to fill the vacancy created by the death last October of its vice-chairman, Dr. Daniel C. Jordan.

Dr. Henderson, who served more than five years as chairman of the National Teaching Committee, is presently a vice-president of Atlanta-based Tarkenton and Company, a management consultant firm specializing in human performance productivity, where he is responsible for designing and directing programs aimed at producing measurable improvement in key areas of human performance.

Dr. Henderson's grandmother, Sadie Ellis, and an aunt, Dr. Adrienne (Ellis) Reeves, now an Auxiliary Board member for propagation, were the first members of his family to become Bahá’ís. His grandfather, Charles Ellis, later became a Bahá’í along with the rest of the seven Ellis children.

Dr. Henderson's mother, Dr. Wilma Brady, also is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, marking the first time that a mother and son have served together on that body.

His stepfather, Dr. Thomas Brady, is vice-president for administration at the International Theological Union of the Atlanta University sytem. He has two sisters, Kathleen and Patrice, both Bahá’ís and both living in California.

Dr. Henderson received his degree in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He presently serves as chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Roswell where he lives with his wife, Paula, an accomplished artist, and their children, Camille, Angela and Miles.

This was the second by-election held to fill the vacancy on the National Assembly caused by the brutal murder of Dr. Jordan last October 16 in Stamford, Connecticut.

In November Dr. Allan Ward of Little Rock, Arkansas, was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly, but his election was overturned by the Universal House of Justice because of problems of personal conduct.

Dr. Stanwood Cobb, noted author, educator who met Master, dies

Dr. Stanwood Cobb, a noted educator, author and lecturer who became a Bahá’í at Green Acre in 1906, died in York County, Maine, on December 29, less than two months after his 101st birthday.

Dr. Cobb, who was born a decade before the first automobile and more than two decades before the first airplane, was the author of more than 30 books including several about the Faith and was founder of the Progressive Education Association which he served as executive secretary and later as president.

ONE YEAR later (1919) he founded the Chevy Chase (Maryland) Country Day School.

San Fernando host to historic telecommunication conference

By ROGER COE and STEPHEN CASWELL

Plans to bring the Bahá’í Faith into the forefront in the implementation of modern communications technology were set in motion December 17-19 at an historic telecommunications conference in San Fernando, California.

The conference brought together more than 40 Bahá’ís from the U.S. and Canada who formulated plans designed to help establish the new Bahá’í radio station in South Carolina and to research possible applications of existing computer technology to serve the Faith.

DR. DWIGHT W. Allen, representing the National Spiritual Assembly, galvanized the conference by reading the cable from the Universal House of Justice congratulating the American Bahá’í community on its receipt of a license to build the first Bahá’í radio station in North America at the Louis G. Gregory Institute in South Carolina.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Allen stressed the importance of using science and technology to help our efforts to unify mankind, and said he hoped conference attendees could forge a link between the development of the new radio station and related computer and communication systems.

Also attending the conference was a group of technical experts and enthusiasts who consulted on the future of Bahá’í media. [Page 2]

Feast letter: Time has come to teach all strata

To the American Bahá’í Community for the Feast of Sultán

Dear Bahá’í Friends:

History has repeatedly demonstrated the capacity of the American Bahá’í community to rally in times of crisis, to overcome obstacles, to meet all challenges, and to turn temporary setbacks into lasting victories.

THE CONTINUING persecution in Iran has released enormous spiritual energies and added impetus to the growth and development of the Cause in the rest of the world.

As the Bahá’í community emerges from obscurity, it develops new needs. Among these are the respect and friendship of those in positions of authority and of persons prominent in their various fields.

The Universal House of Justice has repeatedly called upon the friends to "promote wise and dignified approaches to people prominent in all areas of human endeavour, acquainting them with the nature of the Bahá’í community and the basic tenets of the Faith, and winning their esteem and friendship."

In a recent letter to National Spiritual Assemblies the Universal House of Justice has renewed this call and given further instructions on reaching the leading stratum of society.

Bahá’í lawyers, doctors, teachers, businessmen are invited to foster good relations with their non-Bahá’í colleagues and to make known to them the principles of the Faith. That will inspire all of us afresh to carry the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh to even larger segments of a society which will not survive without it.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

Committee named to develop plan to teach prominent people

At its January meeting in Los Angeles, the National Spiritual Assembly approved a motion that the Business and Professional Affairs Committee appoint a three-member ad hoc committee to develop a program of action in regard to reaching prominent persons in the U.S. with the Bahá’í Message.

THE National Assembly's action was taken in response to a letter from the Universal House of Justice dated December 14, 1982, in which the Supreme Body directed the National Assembly to:

"Appoint a committee, if you have not already done so, comprising Bahá’ís who have attained prominence outside the Bahá’í community together with others who, although not similarly prominent, have the capability or are in a position to contact prominent persons, to consider, recommend and, in accordance with your directives, act on the means of reaching persons of influence and cultivating good relations with them."

In announcing the Seven Year Plan, the House of Justice called upon National Spiritual Assemblies to "promote wise and dignified approaches to people prominent in all areas of human endeavour, acquainting them with the nature of the Bahá’í community and the basic tenets of the Faith, and winning their esteem and friendship."

That objective was given further emphasis in letters of January 1981 announcing the second phase of the Plan and including among specific goals given to many National Spiritual Assemblies the fostering of "cordial relations with prominent persons and those in authority."

IN ITS letter of last December 14, the House of Justice wrote:

"The urgency imposed upon the world Bahá’í community during the last four years to defend the persecuted Persian friends has created unprecedented opportunities for good relations to be developed with those in authority in many nations.

"The consequent rise in the prestige of the Faith in the eyes of government officials, and of the mass media, offers a further opportunity and indicates a need to intensify our efforts to introduce the Faith to a wider spectrum of prominent people than has yet been reached."

The Fund Is the Life-Blood of the Faith National Bahá’í Fund Wilmette, IL 60091

L.A. gives 14th Human Rights Awards

Bahá’ís and award recipients are shown at the 14th annual Human Rights Awards ceremony last December 12 sponsored by the Bahá’í communities of Los Angeles County. The recipients are Ariana Manov (third from left), executive director of the Ocean Park Community Center; Mark Mayeda (fourth from left), representing Asian Rehabilitation Services Inc. of Los Angeles; and Mary Henry (fifth from left), executive director of the Avalon-Carver Community Center in Los Angeles. Muhtadi Sallam-Rice (far left) was master of ceremonies for the event. Others (left to right) are Bahá’ís Dash Crofts, Irene Trulear, Dr. Flor Geola, Alex Kirov, John Dugas.

More than 650 people were present last December 12 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, for the 14th annual Human Rights Awards program sponsored by the Bahá’í communities of Los Angeles County.

The 1982 award winners are:

MARY Henry, executive director of the Avalon-Carver Community Center in Los Angeles.

Ariana Manov, executive director of the Ocean Park Community Center.

Asian Rehabilitation Services Inc., an agency dedicated to serving the needs of the Los Angeles Pacific-Asian community.

Among the presenters was well-known Bahá’í entertainer Dash Crofts.

More than half of those attending were non-Bahá’ís including about 300 black and Asian-American guests.

Following a slide presentation on the Faith, Ms. Henry was recognized for her tireless efforts on behalf of troubled youth and individuals seeking adequate medical care.

SHE IS responsible for establishing one of the first summer youth programs in the area (in 1968), which is still going strong, and also launched (in 1970) the first substantive drug abuse center in southwest Los Angeles.

As executive director of the Ocean Park Community Center, Ms. Manov founded Sojourn, a refuge for woman and children who are victims of domestic violence that was one of the first of its kind in California.

She is co-founder of Stepping Stone, a youth crisis center that provides comprehensive services for runaways, young prostitutes, drug abusers, and others ages 7 to 17.

The goal of each of these programs is to help victims become survivors.

Asian Rehabilitation Services employs a two-pronged approach in meeting the needs of the Los Angeles Pacific-Asian community, providing classes in English as a second language and giving vocational assistance to the disabled.

WORKING with refugees and immigrants, as well as residents, the organization determines the specific aptitudes of each individual, trains him in a skill, then prepares him for a job.

The goal is to make the disabled individual independent.

The organization also helps with socialization needs such as developing skills in daily living, and provides group counseling services.

Comment: Here’s a brief check list for you to consider

A comparison of the American Bahá’í community and the public at large offers a striking contrast.

On one hand, never have so many people been aware of the Faith, and never in so favorable a light.

ON THE other hand, our Bahá’í communities are, for the most part, struggling to maintain the bare bones of unity, and some are even stagnant.

It has caused me considerable consternation to see so wide a gulf between potential and reality. I would like to comment on some of the reasons which, in my opinion, have caused this discrepancy to occur.

This month's article, "A Check List for Bahá’í Communities," was written by Edward E. Bartlett of Homewood, Alabama.

1. The need to think of our growth in broader terms.

We know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and the Bahá’í community is more than its individual members. Yet when we talk about problems, we tend to think that the solution lies solely with individuals deepening more in the Writings.

Although this is certainly a part of the answer, broader solutions must be sought in terms of improving community life and making Bahá’í administration more efficient.

2. The need to further decentralize Bahá’í administration.

During the early years of the Faith, one misplaced word or imprudent action could cause incalculable harm in the eyes of a public ignorant of the tenets of the Faith.

Times have changed—today the public by and large understands our basic aims. The centralization appropriate in earlier years is both unnecessary and impractical, considering the size and diversity of our community. [Page 3]

Response to Fund plea a 'mirror' of community

To the Editor:

About a year ago the Treasurer's Office launched a program to cope with the shameful state of the National Fund.

Based on the well-known sacrifice of 20,000 of the Persian friends who gave their all to the Cause of God, an appeal was sent to each Bahá’í in America to step forward and pledge an individual contribution to the National Fund each month to the number of 20,000 and so match the spiritual sacrifice of the Persians with a material sacrifice.

THIS urgent appeal came at a time when once again the Persian friends were giving their lives for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

A year has gone by and the result of that appeal, less than 6,000 pledges, gives us sufficient information for some far-reaching conclusions.

The statistic is like a mirror reflecting accurate information to whatever is placed against it. I suggest that it gives us a fair estimation of the number of informed, dedicated Bahá’ís in this country—about 6,000. We must have the courage to face up to this fact.

I would further suggest that the monthly appeals at Feast are ineffective because, startling as it may sound, the Fund is not the problem.

The poor state of the Fund simply reflects the spiritual state of the Bahá’ís, which appears very poor indeed.

With all due respect to those faithful Bahá’ís who support the Fund, it seems that we Americans are not spiritual enough to be an example for those who are asleep.

CAN WE awaken the sleeping ones by whispering words of inspiration? When a ship is sinking should you not sound an alarm and man the pumps?

We have, it seems, forgotten that the Bahá’í Faith is a religion, and that, as the Guardian said, "the core of religion is the mystical feeling that unites man with God..."

Can anyone doubt that this "mystical feeling" described by the Guardian is love, the love of God and of our fellow-man?

Religion in its fundamental aspect is an intimate personal relationship with God based on prayer and meditation on the Writings.

We must "come into communion with the Spirit of God, then, the Holy Spirit will assist us..." (The Divine Art of Living, p. 46)

Think of it, we can have the power, the protection and the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God every day, moment by moment. Faith in this is religion.

If there ever was a time for courage, it is now. I would like to suggest another "20,000." These new 20,000 "companions of God" will totally dedicate the remainder of the Seven Year Plan to teaching.

Can anything less than this work? We have tried the part-time approach, and it has failed. It is not enough—it will never be enough!

Let's not only keep the ship of Faith afloat—let's put on more sail and head for the horizon.

Charles Beachner Santa Rosa, California

Bahá’í News raises its subscription rates

Rising production costs have forced the National Spiritual Assembly to increase the subscription price of Bahá’í News.

Effective January 1, 1983, the yearly cost for Bahá’í News was raised to $12, and the cost of a two-year subscription to $20 for those who live in the U.S.

Those who live outside the U.S. should check with their National Spiritual Assembly to determine the subscription price.

To the Editor:

In the December 1982 issue of The American Bahá’í you printed a letter regarding SERVAS, an international host organization.

We have participated in SERVAS for 15 years and have found it a worthwhile organization and a meaningful way in which to express the Bahá’í way of life.

There have been many opportunities to teach the Bahá’í principles, and many of our visitors have left with Bahá’í literature and an interest in contacting the Bahá’ís when they returned home.

I would like to add a word of caution. Some visitors have expressed dismay that when visiting families of another religion they have felt like a captive audience. They also found that when they returned to their country, missionaries were waiting to greet them in a forceful manner. This kind of religious behavior they found quite objectionable.

We too are listed as Bahá’ís in the SERVAS directory, but we always make sure the questions and interest in the Faith come from the visitor.

The primary interest in becoming a host family for SERVAS must be to "serve" the visitor. We know what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says about service!

Carolyn and George Galinkin Butte, Montana

To the Editor:

Referring to page 5 of The American Bahá’í (December 1982) I quote: "Dorothy Nelson then reminded the friends that '...no individual or institution in the Faith can ever insist that you give or even suggest an amount.'"

My understanding of this matter is that it is obligatory for all believers to support and teach the Faith.

Because of these obligations, suggested individual contributions (dues) might prove helpful and even desirable in fulfilling these obligations.

I agree with Judge Nelson that we may not insist on the payment of any money to the Faith. This should, of course, be left to the individual's conscience, judgment and ability to meet suggested obligations.

James E. Pier Belvidere, South Dakota

To the Editor:

I have been a declared Bahá’í for a year. My seven-year-old daughter is a second grader in a rural primary school in Banks County, Georgia, a county of "Southern Baptists, Methodists and atheists," according to the school's principal.

Recently I presented a note requesting excused absences for Melissa on Bahá’í Holy Days. The principal came to ask if I knew how this should be counted on her attendance record.

He presented the problem to the school superintendent, who insisted that there was a policy but could find nothing about it in the books. He had to call the state office for their policy!

There will now be a policy written for our county, which had never been confronted with this issue, stating that Holy Days of religions other than Christian will be excused absences, counted as an absence on the attendance record.

What a joy and privilege it is to be a pioneer in a small way for the Cause of God in my locale!

Sheila Parham Alto, Georgia

To the Editor:

I write this letter in deep sorrow to all my Bahá’í friends in the U.S.

A year ago I came forth and declared myself to be one of the 20,000 dedicated to supporting the National Fund. I had high expectations that I would be part of a victory, only to have those hopes dashed by an $800,000 deficit in the Fund.

Nineteen times I sent prayers and checks, knowing that 19 Persian Bahá’ís had died in Iran. My sacrifice is nothing compared to theirs.

Please, friends, let us not fail this year. Send your pennies, or dollars, but send something. We are the only ones left.

Stuart Markham Minnetonka, Minnesota

To the Editor:

The tape for the Feast of Qudrat concerning the $800,000 deficit in the National Fund had a tremendous impact on our Group of six in the Town of Union, New York.

The result of our consultation led to the following agreement: We will dedicate one day in every Bahá’í month to the National Fund. We will have activities such as auctions, bake sales, potlucks, etc., and the money collected will be sent directly to National.

We had our first auction Saturday evening, December 4, dedicating it to the memory of Dr. Daniel Jordan. Although only seven people were present, we raised $85. That may not sound like much, but coming from our Group it was a real sacrifice. And it felt good because it came from the heart.

We would like to recommend that other communities also dedicate one day each month to the Fund, and not deprive themselves of this great bounty.

Mahrooz Khademazad Town of Union, New York

To the Editor:

I am concerned about the approach that many Bahá’ís take to teaching the Faith. I fear that it is our obsession with numbers and growth that is keeping us from growing.

Who wants to be part of a group whose only apparent activity is trying to get more members?... For what?

I FEEL that our duty as Bahá’ís is to spread the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and to be of service to mankind.

Our approach should be to see what teachings are lacking in our community and then to start promoting those teachings.

As followers of God's latest Messenger we should be the leaders in our communities in the promotion of such things as better understanding among cultures, the equality of men and women, elimination of prejudice, and so forth.

We should plan events that will promote these ideals and thereby provide a service to our community.

When people who are attracted to these ideals see the Bahá’ís doing something worthwhile, and beneficial for the community, they will want to be a part of it and help.

But if all they see is a group of people trying to make more Bahá’ís they won't be the least bit interested in joining, even if they agree with all the principles.

There are many activities being planned in our country that meet the needs of communities, such as women's conferences, parent support groups, intercultural gatherings, race unity conferences, etc. Most of these have met with great success.

I would like to see more of this kind of event interspersed with the proper proportion of proclamation and direct teaching.

Judy H. Moe Rockford, Illinois

To the Editor:

In response to the letter on page 12 (December) stating that everyone on earth is at least a 50th cousin, I feel that an error has been made in dealing with mathematics and not facts.

With all due respect to Guy Murchie, Theodosius Dobzhansky and Sir Julian Huxley, the fact is that there are millions of racially pure people in the world today.

I WILL concede that all Chi-

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[Page 4]

In Haiti, 'poor' have abundance of love to give

By SHAWN JAVID (Shawn’s father, Farhang Javid, is a member of the International Goals Committee. Shawn is 20 years old, and filled a youth travel teaching goal.)

In the Tablets of the Divine Plan, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes: "Strive as far as ye are able to send to those parts fluent speakers...Should you be aided to render such a service, rest ye assured that your heads shall be crowned with the diadem of everlasting sovereignty, and at the threshold of oneness you will become the favoured and accepted servants... especially the two black republics, Haiti and Santo Domingo."

HAITI occupies the western half of an island 50 miles southeast of Cuba; its name in Creole means "mountainous land." Creole, its native language, is a mixture of various African dialects, French, and a touch of English.

Eighty per cent of Haiti's 11,000 square miles is rugged mountains. Haiti was the first black nation to become a free and sovereign republic, achieving its independence in 1844.

The present population is about six million. Despite their many problems, the people are happy and love to tease one another.

I had the bounty of visiting Haiti in January with my parents, Farhang and Kathleen Javid. We spent most of our visit in Port-au-Prince, the capital city, with the pioneers and local Bahá’ís.

ONE TRIP, however, was arranged for us to travel and teach in La Vallee of Jacmel.

On our trip to La Vallee, we were escorted by three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Haiti, Moro and Paule Baruk and Farhad Khozouee, and by three well-deepened Haitian Bahá’í youth.

We left Jacmel and traveled on a rough dirt road for about 45 minutes. We then left our vehicles and followed a cobble path over hill after hill for another hour.

At our destination, a simple Haitian house in a valley between large steep hills, we were welcomed by a family of about 20.

One of its members climbed a palm tree and knocked down all of the coconuts. The coconuts, which were green, were split open and we drank the refreshing, sweet milk.

I was extremely touched that this family had shared all they had, these coconuts, with us. After feasting on them and laughing and joking for a while, we sat in a large circle and began a fireside.

MY FATHER began by talking about the reality that we are all of one family, that men and women are equal, and of the need for a universal language and education.

The listeners nodded in agreement and understood the truth of these teachings.

He then spoke extensively about progressive revelation, using the example of Jesus and Moses, the fact that Jesus was not recognized by the rabbis and the learned of His day, but was recognized by the simple fishermen.

A few members of the family asked probing questions that were answered by our youthful Haitian companions. The fireside lasted about two hours, at which point six members of the family declared their faith.

Some other members were opposed to the Faith, while others weren't sure. This was a good sign; it meant that those who accepted the Faith sincerely meant it.

After Maro Baruk went through the teaching booklet with them, we began our journey back by lantern light through the dark night.

I sincerely hope that other teachers will return to visit this family and the thousands of others like them in Haiti.

Haitian Bahá’ís and traveling teachers prepare for a long journey, partly on foot, to LaVallee, Haiti, on January 4. At the far right is Shawn Javid. Second from right is Moro Baruk, a pioneer from the U.S. who is chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Haiti. His wife, Paule, an assistant to the Auxiliary Board, is third from the left.

The pioneers in Haiti must spend so much time earning a living in that poverty stricken nation that they cannot devote the time they would like to such expeditions into the interior.

Haiti dearly needs teachers to visit and assist the pioneers!

Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao

Three Caribbean islands need Bahá’ís to travel, teach, deepen

Only a few months remain until Riḍván. Traveling teachers are needed in a great many places to help teach and deepen new Bahá’ís and to prepare for the formation of Local Spiritual Assemblies.

Three islands that are in desperate need of traveling teachers are Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, which are off the coast of Venezuela.

THEY were originally slave markets, made up of people who were brought from Africa, sold, and transported by ship to other parts of the world.

Curacao is the busiest of the three, and is also quite beautiful, a mixture of tropic and desert. A soft wind blows constantly.

The language of the residents, who are largely black, is Papiamento, a mixture of Spanish and Dutch but mostly Spanish.

Aruba, the oil island, has a population of more than 60,000. The Natural Bridge on Aruba's north coast, carved out of living coral by centuries of thrashing waves, gives visitors an all-encompassing view of the surrounding area.

The average temperature in winter is a high of 86, a low of 76, and the soft breezes blow always.

BONAIRE, also called a "slave island," has a mixture of Dutch and blacks. The island is 40 miles long and five miles wide, rocky, and not too hot.

The southern part of the island has some tourism, and the cost of living is quite high. There is a good relationship between the races, and there are many mixed marriages and open mixed dating.

The islanders are lovely, warm and friendly people, intelligent but not analytical. Most speak three languages.

Dutch is the language of instruction in schools. In fifth grade the children are taught English and then must take another language (French, German or Spanish). In addition, Papiamento is spoken in the home.

The islands present a tremendous opportunity for the Faith. A good teaching team could bring in 200 or more believers in a couple of days.

Three strong Local Assemblies exist, but the need for traveling teachers is great, especially for Bonaire.

Hospitality for short visits is available, and the local Bahá’ís will provide transportation where necessary.

For help with your teaching plans, write to the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

An American learns lesson in reliance on God

Reliance on God must be the first provision in any journey one takes in the service of the Faith. It is, however, a lesson hard learned by many of us, who are accustomed to relying on things seen and felt for most of our needs.

Sara Haymond of Charlotte, North Carolina, has written a report of her experiences in Panama on the way home from the International Conference in Ecuador, in which she learned that we only have to remember to ask Him to assist us, and He will, abundantly.

"There were a number of things that occurred which really reinforced for me reliance on God and Bahá’u’lláh.

"One of the more interesting things happened when I was at the Satellite Conference in Panama on the way back.

"A FRIEND that I had met in Ecuador, Gail Orner from Antigua, and I were staying together in Panama. Getting around was a bit rough, as we were staying in downtown Panama City, which was quite a way from the Conference site.

"Our Spanish was limited, and when we had taken cabs they were 'street cabs' and quite rough. We felt secure only in that Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ioas were staying at the same hotel, and usually Mr. Ioas secured the cab and gave directions.

"The day before we were to leave Panama for the U.S., Gail decided she would stay one day longer and would not be going to the airport with me and taking the same flight back.

"I was tired by this time, and concerned that I would have to find my own way to the airport. The night before I was to leave, I prayed to Bahá’u’lláh to help me in getting to the airport safely.

"As I prayed for assistance, I kept thinking that I should be specific in my prayers, and told Bahá’u’lláh that I did not know if I wanted to be able to find a cab that was in good shape, with a nice responsible driver, or if I wanted a ride with a Bahá’í to the airport, but I begged for assistance either way.

"THE NEXT morning Gail and I left our hotel to go to the hotel where she would be staying until her departure; I planned to go directly from her hotel to the airport.

"As we came out of the hotel one of the rough-looking drivers of a street cab came toward us, then turned back.

"Instead, a cab pulled up that looked marvelous-a big wagon with the name of the cab company and a number printed on the outside.

"The driver was extremely polite and spoke English. On the way to Gail's hotel he heard us discussing how I would get to the airport and asked if I would like for him to come back later and pick me up.

"I was hesitant, because I remembered my prayers of night before and thought that perhaps Bahá’u’lláh would arrange for a Bahá’í to take me to the airport, but I decided that we must take care of ourselves whenever possible, so I agreed that the driver should come back to Gail's hotel to drive me to the airport.

"AS IT turned out, Gail was to stay at the same hotel in which the Hand of the Cause of God Paul Haney was staying, and there were a number of Bahá’ís there.

"As we stood in the lobby talking with some of the friends, Auxiliary Board member Ruth Pringle See RELIANCE Page 17

Puerto Rico interested in traveling teachers to help teach, deepen

The National Spiritual Assembly of Puerto Rico is interested in receiving periodic visits from outstanding, capable traveling teachers who could help them to stimulate the Puerto Rican Bahá’ís to deepen in the teachings in order to raise the level of spirituality in the community and also to help teach and proclaim the Faith.

If you can help, or if you know of any such teachers and could furnish their names and addresses, please do so. It is not necessary for those persons to speak Spanish, since good translators are available on the island.

For further help with your teaching plans, please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or telephone 312-869-9039. [Page 5]

Fund supports consolidation in many ways

This is the fourth in a six-part series on how monies contributed to the National Fund are used. Since the National Fund is, as described by Shoghi Effendi, the bedrock on which all our activities rest, its ability to support these manifold activities depends on the sacrificial and regular contributions of the believers. This series is intended to provide the American Bahá’í community with a fresh look at the range of activities that are supported by the National Fund.

"Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom."

This statement by Bahá’u’lláh concerning the importance of education has special significance in considering the spread of His Revelation.

After an individual has been taught the Faith, and the spark of love for Bahá’u’lláh has been ignited, he must then be introduced to the process through which the life of the Faith is sustained.

THIS process, standing co-equal with teaching itself, is consolidation.

The fact that teaching and consolidation must go hand in hand in efforts to spread the Message of Bahá’u’lláh has been stated time and again by both Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice.

"In fact," the Supreme Body has written, "these two processes must be regarded as inseparable parts of the expansion of the Faith:"

The House of Justice has further emphasized that "consolidation must comprise not only the establishment of Bahá’í administrative institutions, but a true deepening in the fundamental verities of the Cause and in its spiritual principles, understanding of its prime purpose in the establishment of the unity of mankind, instruction in its standards of behavior in all aspects of private and public life, in the particular practice of Bahá’í life in such things as daily prayer, education of children, observance of the laws of Bahá’í marriage, abstention from politics, the obligation to contribute to the Fund, the importance of the Nineteen Day Feast, and opportunity to acquire a sound knowledge of the present-day practice of Bahá’í administration." (Wellspring of Guidance, p. 78)

THE TERMS deepening and consolidation imply study. And although the use of discipline can result in a useful self-directed study course, experience has shown that most people need detailed guidance.

In the process of gathering facts for this article, it became clear that one of the primary tasks at the National Center is providing just that kind of loving help.

The need for well-defined courses of study is great in the Faith, simply because there is so much to cover. And to cover it with any degree of consistency, thoroughness and focus, it is necessary to have a coordinated approach.

Many of the offices and programs at the National Center are geared toward consolidation. This article will examine ways in which the National Fund supports a wide variety of efforts—all originating from the National Center—that address the deepening and consolidation of the individual, the community and the institution within the American Bahá’í community.

The Personal Transformation Program, developed and administered by the National Education Committee, is directed toward the spiritual development of the individual believer.

TRAINED facilitators help present the Writings to enable the friends to understand and apply them in their daily lives.

This program, which has been available for the past four years and has reached some 3,000 believers, takes about $18,000 of the National Education Committee's $237,000 budget to administer.

The Bahá’í Parent Program, also developed by the National Education Committee, is designed for use by groups of parents to deepen their understanding of the role of the family.

When a parent group organizes and wishes to use the program, it simply purchases the materials from the Education Committee office and uses them to direct its own study. About a year of staff time was required to develop the program.

Pilgrimage remains one of the best opportunities for individual deepening. A full-time pilgrimage coordinator at the National Center facilitates pilgrimage preparation and travel, which helps the friends get the most from their experience. Typical yearly expenses for staff, communications and supplies run to $17,000.

NATIONAL Center offices are also involved in consolidation services for the community.

Child's Way magazine (soon to be Brilliant Star) is a publication for use by the family.

Each issue has stories that parents and children can share and enjoy, and that teach spiritual principles along with Bahá’í history.

Also included are games, songs and other activities.

Although much of the work in preparing the magazine is done on a volunteer basis, this year's costs for administration, printing and postage were $19,000.

This was partly offset by subscriptions of $10,000, leaving a balance of $9,000 to be provided by the National Fund.

The National Youth Committee is a subcommittee of the National Teaching Committee, yet its consolidation functions are far-reaching.

The committee's newsletter, Youth Hotline, exemplifies this point. The publication explains youth goals, reports news and activities, carries articles about youth in action, and serves as a forum for discussion. It costs about $6,000 a year to print and mail it to 3,000 recipients.

IN ADDITION, the Youth Committee is responsible for fulfilling the Universal House of Justice's goal of holding five Regional Youth Conferences each year during the second phase of the Seven Year Plan.

Six such conferences were held this year, each of which cost the Fund approximately $2,000.

The Local Adviser Education Program (LEAP), another program of the National Education Committee, sets a standard course curriculum for children based on sound educational theory and the Bahá’í Writings.

This standard is taught to Assembly and Group representatives who, in turn, serve their communities as Education Advisers.

In all, this program costs about $20,000 a year, which is used mostly for telephone, salary and materials expenses.

In the area of institutional consolidation, the Assembly Development Program is perhaps the best example.

The National Education Committee has developed a series of "mini-courses" (six so far) intended to expand the knowledge of an Assembly's functions and responsibilities.

THE COURSES are presented by trained instructors and provide an invaluable source of information about Bahá’í administration.

The development of each "mini-course" requires about $500 in staff writing time, typing, printing and mailing. To keep a single course in use for a year requires an additional $400 in office costs—telephone, evaluations, etc.

Also, volunteers must be recruited and trained as instructors. A single training session costs about $500 for travel, facilities rental and materials.

This year the Assembly Development Program is budgeted at $27,000, which is part of the Education Committee's over-all budget.

A number of National Center programs and services provide a consolidation function for all three areas—individual, community and institutional. All draw support from the National Fund.

THE NATIONAL Treasurer's Representative program, for instance, has the task of deepening the American Bahá’í community on the principles of the Fund.

Films, tapes and courses available through this program enable the individual to explore the topic of sacrifice, or to gain a better understanding of his role as an individual believer in the growth of the community.

The family gains new insights into its personal finances or comes to a better understanding of materialism in America, while the local treasurer benefits by attending a Fund workshop where he or she learns how to keep accounting records and to make an inspiring report at the Feast.

The National Treasurer's Representative program, now in its eighth year, has proven quite successful, and although the Treasurer's Office is reimbursed for many of the expenses, there remains $26,000 in staff, postage and supply costs that must be met by the National Fund.

Bahá’í Schools also offer a source of consolidation for the entire community.

MUCH of the revenue to run the schools comes from tuition, with the National Fund used to supply the rest. Last year, for example, running the Bosch School cost $180,000—of this amount, $71,000 came from the National Fund.

To provide the necessary coordination between Bahá’í schools, a national Schools Coordinator is employed by the National Education Committee.

The coordinator reviews the committee minutes of the three permanent Bahá’í schools (Bosch, Green Acre and Louhelen) and of the 39 summer and winter schools.

Every course outline for every class given at each of the schools is approved by the coordinator. This thorough approach results in an ever-expanding choice of courses for the American Bahá’í community. All of this costs the National Fund about $20,000 a year.

Of the many activities supported by the National Fund, consolidation is perhaps the most critical in its impact on the unfolding of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

Were it also not for the sacrificial and dedicated efforts of hundreds of volunteers involved in these various programs, the quality and variety of programs enjoyed by the American Bahá’í community would be lessened, or, more likely, would not be available at all.

It is a combination of dedication to the Cause and access to the kind of programs supported by the National Fund that brings about progress toward the collective goal we long to attain—the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.

National Bahá’í Fund Statistics

Honor-Sharaf 139 B.E. 5479 $344,458 GOAL $6,480,000

INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION goal—20,000 individuals

CONTRIBUTIONS $400,000 challenge for growth—$421,000 minimum needs—$341,000

YEAR TO DATE TOTALS received: $344,458 shortfall: $723,815 [Page 6]

Commentary: 'Fireside' well defined by Guardian

A floating misconception is diluting the meaning of "fireside." Traveling throughout the country, a 10-second mention of the Faith in an elevator, or inviting a fellow student into a dorm room to hear music (and posssibly notice a Bahá’í poster on a wall), is called a "fireside." Such actions are definitely ways of teaching the Faith, and they may be the most appropriate, spontaneous and comfortable methods for a youth to use in a particular situation. But are they "firesides" according to the Guardian's definition?

IN A LETTER dated February 24, 1950, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, the Guardian defines firesides as teaching groups in one's own home ("The Individual and Teaching," p. 29).

And in a letter dated December 11, 1952, written on behalf of the Guardian to the Spiritual Assembly of Punta Arenas, Argentina, the fireside meeting is noted as "the most powerful and effective medium that has been found so far" and is characterized as a situation in which "intimate personal questions" are answered ("The Individual and Teaching," p. 31).

The National Teaching Committee offers its understanding of the nature of Bahá’í firesides in its pamphlet, "The Individual in Action." Firesides are required every 19 days, and a conscious effort should be made to set aside a day, line up speakers if necessary, and invite people. A valid question is, "So what's the big deal if I teach as opportunities arise or if I offer firesides?" The answer of course is that the Faith needs both.

Too often, it seems, we avoid confronting the need for conscious, deliberate teaching as individuals by assuring ourselves that teaching indirectly or "by chance" satisfies our directive to hold firesides.

It also allows us to not stand out as Bahá’ís (a situation that can make us feel different and under personal scrutiny, particularly as a youth) in a world that regards religion with suspicion.

PLANNED, publicized, regular firesides—inviting people to our homes with the conscious purpose of teaching the Faith—not only provides a service to humanity but also forces us to confront our identity as Bahá’ís. As with contributing to the Fund, the regularity of deliberate action is a catalyst for our own spiritual development.

Shoghi Effendi has clarified for us the unity of teaching by "living the life" and teaching through firesides:

"The Guardian feels that the most effective way for the Bahá’ís to teach the Faith is to make strong friends with their neighbors and associates. When the friends have confidence in the Bahá’ís and the Bahá’ís in their friends, they should give the Message and teach the Cause. Individual teaching of this type is more effective than any other type.

"The principle of the fireside meeting, which was established in order to permit and encourage the individual to teach in his own home, has been proven the most effective instrument for spreading the Faith."

(From a letter dated December 27, 1954, written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, quoted in "The Individual and Teaching," p. 33)

Enjoy the spontaneous teaching that is a mark of our Bahá’í enthusiasm and delight in the deliberate fireside that is a mark of our Bahá’í confidence. The world needs both.

UNIVERSAL DAY OF CHILDREN

John Gronouski (standing), former U.S. Ambassador to Poland, was the speaker last October 1 at a Universal Children's Day dinner sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Austin, Texas. The dinner, which was announced on radio and received good newspaper coverage, raised $1,500 for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

More than 60 Bahá’í youth from the Midwest attend intensive week-long program at Louhelen

More than 60 youth from throughout the Midwest attended the first week-long program at the Louhelen Bahá’í School last December 19-24.

"This was the most intensive learning experience I've had in the Faith outside of personal study," said one of the youth. "I wish the conference was longer—months, or even a few weeks.

"THIS has been the only Bahá’í session I've attended where learning dominated socializing."

Classes were held on "The Nature of Sacrifice" (led by Doug and Samira Samimi-Moore) and on "Shoghi Effendi and His Writings" (led by Changiz Geula).

A daily course in "Human Issues," led by all the teachers, dealt with many of the problems that trouble youth, such as nuclear war, cliquishness, and prejudice.

"The sessions were directed at enhancing both the intellectual and spiritual development of these youth," said Mr. Geula, who is a member of the Louhelen Council. "Through lectures, intense discussion groups, guided library study, and formal assignments, the youth participated in an active and intensive study of the Writings.

"Additionally," he added, "each youth gave a speech and much time was set aside for private prayer, meditation and, study."

THE YOUTH also participated in daily service projects that ranged from building shelves for classrooms at the school and organizing archival materials to sorting food and clothes for the needy at a local church.

Although the sessions were directed toward an intensive study of the Faith, there were daily recreational and social activities including an evening at a nearby gymnasium, a dance, and a talent show.

The Louhelen Council was especially pleased by the youths' reaction to such an intensive week of prayer, meditation and study, as evidenced by their comments and written evaluations.

"The school was an inspiration," one student wrote. "The classes were challenging, which was great; the youth need to be challenged.

"The goal of creating a microcosm of a Bahá’í society was definitely achieved."

"We were greatly encouraged by the week," said Dr. Geoffry Marks, Louhelen's director of academic affairs. "We've seen how hungry youth are for a substantive study of the Faith.

"We are now planning more—and longer—sessions for youth, and hope we can build on this conference and make a strong contribution to the education of youth throughout the country."

A similar program, he said, will be held at Louhelen this summer.

Bahá’ís 15-30 invited to attend gatherings in Honduras, Costa Rica

Young Bahá’ís ages 15 through 30 are invited to attend International Youth Conferences to be held March 31-April 2 in San Jose, Costa Rica, and March 31-April 3 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The conferences are co-sponsored by the Continental Board of Counsellors in the Americas and the National Spiritual Assemblies of the respective countries.

Members of the Board of Counsellors and Auxiliary Boards will participate in the conferences whose activities will include talks, round table discussions, and workshops.

For more information please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. Phone 312-869-9039.

Wright State Bahá’í Club avidly pursues goals

The Bahá’í Club at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, has been actively following the directives of the National Youth Committee.

The club recently sponsored three showings of the video tape of congressional hearings on Iran at the school. In addition:

The office of its congressman was contacted, and a representative from that office came to introduce the tape at its third showing.

A five-minute appointment with the university president to present him with a copy of the book A Cry from the Heart turned into a 20-minute discussion of the beauty of the House of Worship in Wilmette.

The display in the school library has been filled with Bahá’í information since the middle of the fall quarter.

An ad was run in the school's Daily Guardian for two weeks before the showing of the tape, and flyers were displayed all over the campus.

Several copies of A Cry from the Heart were given to department heads who were asked to announce the event in their classes.

Members of a sociology class on "deviant behavior" were required to write their final papers on the treatment of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

The Bahá’í Club also co-sponsored a Human Rights Awards banquet with the Spiritual Assembly of Dayton, arranging for the room, public address system, and the like.

Upcoming efforts are to include a display of the book To Move the World; a fund-raising international dish dinner; a pre-Ayyam-i-Há bazaar; and efforts to have published an article about one of the club's past chairmen, Edwin Rousculp, who was designated one of the country's "Outstanding Young Men" for 1982.

General Information

"So powerful is unity's light that it can illumine the whole earth" Bahá’u’lláh

The Bahá’ís of Salem, Oregon, sponsored this booth last August at the Oregon State Fair in Salem, marking the third year in a row in which the friends in Salem have had a booth at the fair. Fifteen hundred pieces of Bahá’í literature were taken and 35 interest cards were signed by those who visited the booth.

Bahá’í National Center Office Hours 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Central Time) Monday-Friday Phone 312-869-9039 [Page 7]

More than 425 at Disney World Conference

The Regional Youth Conference held December 26-29 at Disney World near Orlando, Florida, brought together 425 youth from many parts of the U.S. and from Brazil, Canada, Germany, Morocco and Trinidad.

The conference was the third held at the well-known vacation center, and plans are under way to hold another such gathering in 1983.

AMONG the speakers were Dr. Farzam Arbab of Colombia, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors; Dr. Dwight W. Allen, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly; Robert G. Wilson, secretary of the National Teaching Committee; and Hussein Ahdieh, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of New York City.

Glenford E. Mitchell, a member of the Universal House of Justice, also attended the conference with his family and addressed the youth on two occasions.

Two other speakers featured during the program were Gilbert Smith, a Bahá’í youth from Tennessee, who spoke on youth teaching their peers, and another youth, Babak Etemad from Pennsylvania, whose topic was "Service and Certitude."

Conference highlights included group tours of the Magic Kingdom and the recently opened EPCOT Center, which were begun with a guest appearance by Mickey Mouse.

Most of the youth who visited the theme park wore the specially designed conference T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan, "The Bahá’í Faith: It Makes a Difference."

Plans for the fourth annual conference at Disney World, to be sponsored by the National Youth Committee, are now being drawn. Registration information will appear in future issues of The American Bahá’í.

Youth Committee finalizing Conference plans

The schedule for the series of 1983-84 Regional Youth Conferences is now being finalized by the National Youth Committee, and initial plans are being set for six youth group gatherings sponsored by that committee.

The Youth Committee expects to hold the conferences as follows: June—Central California. July—San Marcos, Texas. August—Conifer Hill Bahá’í School, Colorado. September—Green Acre Bahá’í School, Maine. October—Louhelen Bahá’í School, Michigan. December—Disney World, Florida.

In addition to these conferences, others of a regional nature are often planned by local youth groups.

These are publicized and supported by the National Youth Committee, and youth planning them are encouraged to advise the Youth Office of their plans as early as possible.

Since the beginning of the present three-year phase of the Seven Year Plan, 11 Regional Youth Conferences have been sponsored by the National Youth Committee with a total estimated attendance of 2,000.

Locally-sponsored conferences also have been held, with the result that Bahá’í youth in all areas of the country have been revitalized, a result that has had a direct bearing on the successful progress of the National Youth Plan.

The Youth Committee urges every youth to make a special effort to attend these important gatherings and to strive to bring a "seeker-friend" with them.

The unique spirit that is developed and displayed at these conferences has a magnetic effect on those important guests.

Regional Youth Conference to be held in Pasadena

Youth from throughout the western states are expected to gather March 25-27 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium for a Regional Youth Conference sponsored by the District Youth Committee of Southern California District No. 1.

Among the speakers and special guests planning to attend are Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, and Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, treasurer of the National Assembly.

The committee also has planned several workshops and a special talent night.

To register, please contact the District Youth Committee c/o Shahraum Sobhani, treasurer, Van Nuys, CA 91401 (phone 213-786-7070) or phone Robert Barnes at 213-231-1383, or Mehr Mansuri, 213-335-9468.

Registrations are being accepted by mail through March 18 with a registration fee of $10. Hotel accommodations are being arranged at the Holiday Inn Pasadena (303 E. Cordova St.). Phone 213-449-4000. Reservations should be made at least 30 days in advance.

Universal Children's Day

The South Florida Bahá’í Road Show is seen performing at the Universal Children's Day party last October sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. A Children's Day proclamation was read at the party by the Hon. Alfonso A. Gereffi, mayor of Lauderdale Lakes.

Eastern Tennessee Youth Committee formed

The District Youth Committee of Eastern Tennessee, encompassing eastern and middle Tennessee and Dalton, Georgia, was recently formed.

Its members are Marzieh Benson, chairman; Gilbert Smith, secretary; Roxana Sepahi, treasurer; Laili Radpour, and Ladan Strain.

The committee's activities have included selling lunches at District Convention and donating the money to the National Fund; having the local Bahá’í Club in Knoxville act as field marshals at a "Wage Peace" program, a silent candle light walk sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Knoxville; and programs at the Tennessee Bahá’í School including a commemoration of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and a bonfire at which youth discussed the bounties of being a Bahá’í.

Disney World Conference Highlights

Above: Bahá’ís at the Regional Youth Conference held December 26-29 at Disney World near Orlando, Florida, show off their distinctive Bahá’í T-shirts while touring the famous theme park. About 425 youth from many parts of the U.S. and five other countries attended the conference.

Right: Younger children at the conference were thrilled, as children always are, to meet one of Disney World's star attractions, Mickey Mouse, who always seems to have a big smile for everyone.

Youth Committee develops new 'Leadership' deepening program

The National Youth Committee recently began a new youth deepening series and plans to schedule several sessions around the country during the spring.

The "Youth Leadership Program" was developed by the Youth Committee to help youth identify and develop skills that will be of immediate service to the Cause and that will also benefit youth as they plan their lives of service for the future.

THE FIRST session in the series was held in Oregon in mid-December and was co-sponsored by the Oregon District Youth Committee.

Included were presentations that defined leadership in Bahá’í terms, skills development exercises for personal and group plans, and programs on the Covenant and Bahá’í administrative order.

A teaching project also was incorporated into the event, as well as individual research projects on historic Bahá’í leaders.

Additional sessions are being planned for other areas of the U.S.: in March at the Green Acre Bahá’í School in Maine; in April in Arizona, California and Utah; in May in Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota; and in June at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute in South Carolina.

The complete schedule will be published in the February issue of Youth Hotline, the monthly bulletin for Bahá’í youth published by the National Youth Committee.

Bahá’í youth invited to International Camp to be held in Suriname

Bahá’í youth from the U.S. are invited to an International Bahá’í Youth Camp to be held April 1-4 at Nieuw Nickerie, Suriname, a border town near Guyana on the Corantijn River.

The event is a combined effort of the National Youth Committees of Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana.

The conference cost is $15 for youth and adults, $9 for those 10 years old and under.

A week-long teaching campaign will follow the conference for those who are able to stay.

For more information please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039. [Page 8]

Study Session: The Most Challenging Issue

Prepared by the National Education Committee

The following deepening program is intended to help individuals and communities assess their behavior and attitudes toward peoples of races different from their own. As we are told by Bahá’u’lláh, we are here in this world to grow and develop. We are not perfect beings, but are continually in the process of perfecting ourselves, as individuals, as communities, and as institutions.

AS WE KNOW, one of the critical factors in anyone's spiritual growth is the ability to bring himself "into account," as Bahá’u’lláh instructs us in The Hidden Words, to increase our awareness of where we are relative to where we are bound.

To that end, it is hoped that this study program will serve to spark awareness and encourage commitment in meeting the daily challenge of the "most challenging issue."

There are two parts to the study session. Part I is composed of questions addressing four aspects of Bahá’í life: the individual, the family, the community, and the Local Spiritual Assembly. The questions can be answered by individual members or by families, communities, or Assemblies where appropriate.

Some may find it useful to write answers, others may use the questions to guide their private moments of reflection on the most challenging issue.

Some communities may want to use the questions to guide discussions on this issue and to help set goals for their community. Some Assemblies may want to know how their community members responded to the questions about the community and Assembly to get feedback and ideas that can help in their consultation on the most challenging issue.

YOU MAY HAVE other ways of using the questions that will be more useful for you and your community. The study session is simply a tool offered to the community to spark awareness and action.

Part II consists of quotations from Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Guardian on the issue of racial prejudice and its effects on the growth of the Faith.

Prejudice has been defined as an emotional commitment to a falsehood that prevails in the face of evidence (knowledge and experience) to the contrary. Because it is an emotional commitment, we are often unaware of how our prejudices manifest themselves in our actions.

That is, prejudice can cause us to see things in an incorrect way. This means we can look for situations that confirm our prejudiced beliefs and overlook those that do not.

As Bahá’ís, we must use our rational faculties combined with our emotional commitment to and faith in Bahá’u’lláh's laws and principles to confront the most challenging issue.

The Guardian addressed this issue forcefully and directly on numerous occasions to the American Bahá’í community. In The Advent of Divine Justice he tells us in strong, clear language that overcoming the most challenging issue is critical to the growth of the Faith.

ON PAGE 30, he instructs us that "Freedom from racial prejudice... should be consistently demonstrated in every phase of their activities and life," and "should be deliberately cultivated through the various and every-day opportunities, no matter how insignificant, that present themselves..."

The following are but a few selections from the Bahá’í Writings that can guide an individual's, a family's, a community's, an Assembly's meditation, study and action on the most challenging issue.

The National Education Committee would like to hear how you use this study session and what action you are taking or have already taken to address the most challenging issue.

The Individual

1. When you hold a party or social gathering, do you make a deliberate attempt to invite people of varying races? If not, what can you do to change this?

2. Among your five best friends, are there any individuals of a different race?

3. Are you aware of any employee or co-worker on your job who is being discriminated against because of race? If such a matter should come to your attention, how would you deal with it?

4. Do you socialize with Bahá’ís of different races outside of planned community activities? If not, what can you do to change this?

5. Have you read any books or articles to acquaint yourself with the cultures of the various minorities that make up this country? If not, what can you do now?

6. Is it easier for you to socialize with people who are Bahá’ís and of a different race than with those who are not Bahá’ís? If yes, what can you do to change this situation?

7. a. Have you ever been in a situation where you were the minority? b. How did you feel? c. What did you learn about others who may experience this situation more frequently?

8. a. When you became Bahá’í, were you aware that the Faith is a multi-racial and multi-cultural body? b. What have you done since becoming a Bahá’í to enrich and stimulate interaction between yourself and people of different racial backgrounds?

9. At meetings where there are blacks and whites, do you make it a point to speak to those whose race is not your own?

10. Have you ever taken a course in race relations or studied the background of races other than your own?

The Family

1. Does your family socialize with families of other races? If not, what can you do to change this?

2. When your children begin to develop friendships with children of other races, how do you respond?

3. Would you hesitate to give consent to your child to marry someone of another race because of race-related problems? Why?

4. Would you be willing to occasionally exchange your children with those of another race in order to broaden your children's cultural experience? How would you initiate this?

5. By what criteria do you choose a new home? Do you consider the racial diversity of your new neighborhood?

6. How do you demonstrate the principle of race unity to your family members who are not Bahá’ís?

7. How do you teach your children about race unity?

8. Does your family discuss the most challenging issue? What resolutions and actions have come from these discussions?

9. What are your views on inter-racial adoptions?

10. Does your family attend cultural events of other races?

11. Has your child ever made a racial slur? How did (would) you handle this?

12. How are you teaching your children to deal with racial prejudice in their schools?

The Community

1. How do your Feasts/Holy Days reflect the racial diversity in your community?

2. In what ways could your Feasts/Holy Days better reflect the racial diversity in your community?

3. What kind of events does your community hold that celebrate race unity?

4. How does your community participate in events sponsored by local organizations that promote race unity?

5. Is your community comfortable about discussing the most challenging issue? Why?

6. What kind of service projects are you or would you like to be doing that demonstrate the principle of unity between the races?

7. How can the Assembly help your community to establish firm and honest friendships with people of other races?

The Local Spiritual Assembly

1. How frequently does your Assembly consult on the most challenging issue?

2. On page 34 of The Advent of Divine Justice, the following quote appears: "Let neither think they can wait confidently for the solution of this problem until the initiative has been taken, and the favorable circumstances created, by agencies that stand outside the orbit of their faith." What do you think local and national institutions of the Faith can do to alleviate racial tensions in this country?

3. What contact does your Assembly have with local organizations that reflect the principle of race unity?

4. What do you do to commemorate Race Unity Day?

5. What kind of deepenings are sponsored on the most challenging issue?

6. Do you have any ideas for improving these deepenings?

7. What is the Assembly doing to teach minorities in your area?

8. How well known is the Bahá’í Faith in the black community?

9. How can the above be improved?

10. How often is the Bahá’í Faith associated with race unity in the local media?

11. What contact does the Assembly have with minority organizations?

12. How can you improve or establish contacts with minority organizations?

13. How can the Assembly help your community to establish firm and honest friendships with people of other races?

14. How is the most challenging issue addressed in your programs for children and youth?

15. What is the major obstacle to teaching minorities in your area? [Page 9]

THE MOST CHALLENGING ISSUE

Quotations for Meditation, Study and Action

No two men can be found who may be said to be outwardly and inwardly united. The evidences of discord and malice are apparent everywhere though all were made for harmony and union. (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 218)

Justice is in this day bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of tyranny have darkened the face of the earth, and enveloped its peoples. (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 85)

O Children of Men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory. (The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, No. 68, p. 20)

It behoveth the people of Bahá to render the Lord victorious through the power of their utterance and to admonish the people by their goodly deeds and character, inasmuch as deeds exert greater influence than words. (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 58)

Intense is the hatred, in America, between black and white, but my hope is that the power of the Kingdom will bind these two in friendship, and serve them as a healing balm. (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 113)

Let all be set free from the multiple identities that were born of passion and desire, and in the oneness of their love for God find a new way of life. (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 76)

The love of race is limited; there is some union here, but that is insufficient. Love must be free from boundaries! To love our own race may mean hatred of all others, and even people of the same race often dislike each other. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 36)

• Do not listen to anything that is prejudiced, for self-interest prompts men to be prejudiced. They are thoughtful only of their own will and purposes. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 42)

• Know ye, verily, that the happiness of mankind lieth in the unity and the harmony of the human race, and that spiritual and material developments are conditioned upon love and amity among all men. (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 286)

For the accomplishment of unity between the colored and whites will be an assurance of the world's peace. Then racial prejudice, national prejudice, limited patriotism and religious bias will pass away and remain no longer. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p. 35)

• 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 dawn, the spirit of God encompass and the Divine favors descend. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Divine Art of Living, p. 110)

• As to racial prejudice, the corrosion of which for well nigh a century, has bitten into the fibre, and attacked the whole social structure of American society, it should be regarded as constituting the most vital and challenging issue confronting the Bahá’í community at the present stage of its evolution. The ceaseless exertions which this issue of paramount importance calls for, the sacrifices it must impose, the care and vigilance it demands, the moral courage and fortitude it requires, the tact and sympathy it necessitates, invest this problem, which the American believers are still far from having satisfactorily resolved, with an urgency and importance that can not be over-estimated. (The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 28)

Freedom from racial prejudice, in any of its forms, should, at such a time as this when an increasingly large section of the human race is falling victim to its devastating ferocity, be adopted as the watchword of the entire body of the American believers, in whichever state they reside, in whatever circles they move, whatever their age, traditions, tastes, and habits. (The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 30)

• This question of the union of the white and the black is very important, for if it is not realized, erelong great difficulties will arise, and harmful results will follow. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 33)

• Let there be no mistake. The principle of the Oneness of Mankind—the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve—is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not merely identified with a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and goodwill among men, nor does it aim solely at the fostering of harmonious cooperation among individual peoples and nations. Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family. It does not constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence. It implies an organic change in the structure of present day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced. (The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 42-43)

"This question of the union of the white and the black is very important," He warns, "for if it is not realized, erelong great difficulties will arise, and harmful results will follow." "If this matter remaineth without change," is yet another warning, "enmity will be increased day by day, and the final result will be hardship and may end in bloodshed." (The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 33)

Love for each other, a deep sense that we are a new organism, the dawnbreakers of a New World Order, must constantly animate our Bahá’í lives, and we must pray to be protected from the contamination of society which is so diseased with prejudice. (Directives from the Guardian, p. 9, in U.S. Bahá’í News, No. 217, March 1949)

In the conduct of this twofold crusade the valiant warriors struggling in the name and for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh must, of necessity, encounter stiff resistance and suffer many a setback. Their own instincts, no less than the fury of conservative forces, the opposition of vested interests, and the objections of a corrupt and pleasure-seeking generation, must be reckoned with, resolutely resisted, and completely overcome. (The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 35)

• The object of life to a Bahá’í is to promote the oneness of mankind. The whole object of our lives is bound up with the lives of all human beings; not a personal salvation we are seeking, but a universal one... our aim is to produce a world civilization which will in turn react on the character of the individual. (Shoghi Effendi, in U.S. Bahá’í News, No. 231, p. 6)

If we allow prejudice of any kind to manifest itself in us, we shall be guilty before God of causing a setback to the progress and real growth of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. (The Universal House of Justice, July 13, 1972)

Education Committee still has supply of UN Teacher Packets for parents

Bahá’í parents are reminded that UN TEACHER PACKETS are still available from the National Education Committee office.

The packets contain UNICEF materials especially designed for use by children and teachers including the UNICEF calendar for 1983, which shows all the Bahá’í Holy Days..

They provide a tangible means of sharing the Faith with your child's teacher, and help to establish in a dignified and effective way the child's Bahá’í identity in the classroom and among classmates.

Included in the packets are:

• The 1983 UNICEF calendar.
• A special packet of lesson plans, maps, etc., for grades 4 through 6 (teachers can adapt the materials for younger children) entitled "Big World, Small World, My World."
• U.S. Committee for UNICEF materials for children (posters, decals, etc.) courtesy of the U.S. Committee for UNICEF.
• A fact sheet entitled "The Bahá’í Faith and Its World Community" (for the teacher's information).

The UN TEACHER PACKET can be obtained by writing to the National Education Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. The price is $6. Please make checks payable to "Bahá’í Services Fund" and earmark them for "UN Packet."

The Fund Is the Life-Blood of the Faith

National Bahá’í Fund Wilmette, IL 60091

Bosch work weekends an enjoyable experience

Whether hammering nails, mending rugs or digging trenches, Bahá’ís from all walks of life offer their time and skills to insure the upkeep and expansion of the Bosch Bahá’í School in the Santa Cruz mountains of California.

According to school administrator Jim Kelly, a substantial savings is realized each year through the efforts of volunteer laborers. MANY projects accomplished during work weekends, he adds, would not even be considered if the school had to pay for the services.

Some 10 to 18 work weekends are scheduled periodically during the school's off-season. Bahá’ís, from children to senior citizens, offer their help for a variety of reasons.

For Phil and Joyce Park, the Bosch School became a special project after they attended its dedication ceremony 1974. "We decided we would devote our spare time and resources to the school," says Phil. Even their six-year-old son has helped to paint, buff floors and put in windows at the school.

Missy Martin, a nutritionist who came with her husband, parents and two children, says, "It's a good place to have the family together, to get exercise, and to know you're doing something for the Faith." MISSY and her parents often work together planting and tending the gardens.

For Bob Grimson, a dentist who has offered his assistance since the school first opened, "Working with Bahá’ís is one of the fullest and nicest ways to get to know one another."

And Marvin Newport, a retired salesman, says, "There's one reason that covers it all—I love the place. It's like a second home, and I'm happy that I live close enough to work here."

Whatever the reasons, work weekends at Bosch have proved highly successful in helping to maintain the school.

Bahá’í given top award

Jim Talebreza, a Bahá’í who is public works director in Salt Lake City, Utah, recently received a national award for outstanding support of the National Guard.

An article and photo about the award, which was presented to Mr. Talebreza by the Adjutant General of Utah, Brig. Gen. John L. Matthews, appeared in "Official Rumor," the monthly newspaper for Salt Lake City employees.

Salt Lake City employs about 2,000 people, some 300 of whom work in Mr. Talebreza's department. [Page 10]

John H. Wilcott: Homefront Pioneer

John H. Wilcott, homefront pioneer from Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Kendall, Montana from 1910 until his death in 1963.

In September we printed a letter written many years ago to Bahá’í News by John Wilcott, whose photo appears above this column. Little did we know the effect it would have on his family.

Mr. Wilcott's daughter, Ethel Frost, wrote from Puerto Rico expressing her surprise and pleasure at her father's belated recognition. Following her father and grandmother's example, Mrs. Frost is a veteran homefront and international pioneer. We would like to share portions of her letter with you.

Dear Friends:

You can't imagine the thrilling surprise I received upon opening The American Bahá’í and seeing my father's picture heading the column on homefront pioneers! You need not worry that he and my grandmother are not ecstatically happy to know that after all these years they are remembered!

HOW HE wanted things written about him while he was alive. The only place we ever found anything was in the first Star of the West... a tiny black book called "Bahá’í News." It carried the same picture but a different letter. I was so happy to be able to read the one you printed.

I'd like you to know that they both stayed at their posts until death. My father was 94 years old when he died in 1963. He is buried by his mother and my mother, just yards from where he pitched the tent spoken of in the letter.

Roy Wilhelm was his spiritual father. He was a charter member of the Kenosha, Wisconsin, Spiritual Assembly in 1907 before pioneering.

My father was the one who convinced John Behrens (to Idaho) and Thornton Chase (to California) to go pioneering. They all set out together in 1910, when a letter was received from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stating that He wanted at least one Bahá’í in every state when He arrived in the U.S. in 1912.

HOW MY father wanted to meet Him, but he thought it was more important to obey. Of the three, only Thornton Chase had...

Seven Year Plan Goals

Goal: Raise the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies to at least 1,750 Including 50 on Indian Reservations.

Consider the feasibility of conducting a large-scale teaching project within their Districts.

Financial support given to several teaching projects throughout the country.

All letters sent to the community have emphasized the need for increased firesides and personal teaching.

Letters to District Teaching Committees and Local Spiritual Assemblies asking that teaching be placed on their agendas.

Goal: Endeavor to increase the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies and localities in those states where their number is relatively small, thus achieving a more balanced distribution.

Additional Assembly and locality goals have been assigned to those areas that have low Bahá’í populations or a small percentage of localities open to the Faith.

Homefront pioneers are being encouraged to move into sparsely populated areas.

Goal: Continue the special teaching plans and consolidation activities already under way in the states of California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York, and in the District of Columbia, designed to attract great numbers to the Faith.

Special plans have been developed for the goal states. These include the publication of a booklet entitled "Teaching: Proclamation, Expansion and Consolidation." This booklet will be presented at a series of statewide conferences (or multi-District conferences) where goals will be set and teaching teams developed that will concentrate on proclamation, expansion and consolidation.

Each of the goal states has been assigned additional goals (above the number given to the other states).

440 large "preferred goal Groups" have been identified as having good potential to form as Assemblies at Riḍván 1983.

Letter to all Assemblies encouraging adoption of one of these Groups with the aim of raising it to Assembly status.

The National Teaching Office has telephoned more than 200 Assemblies asking them to adopt a specific Group and help raise it to Assembly status. Of those called, the vast majority have accepted the goal and are taking steps to assure its achievement.

Letter to Local Spiritual Assemblies outlining activities in their extension teaching goal area.

Letter to all individuals living in an area whose Assembly is in jeopardy, asking them to increase personal teaching and offering suggestions and methods of assuring their re-formation.

Traveling teachers are being assigned to large Groups and jeopardized Assemblies to help insure their formation at Riḍván.

Homefront pioneers are being recruited to help save or form Assemblies.

Articles in The American Bahá’í list jeopardized Assemblies and goal Groups.

Goal: Encourage the adoption and pursuit of extension teaching goals by all Local Spiritual Assemblies.

Letters and telephone calls (mentioned above) to encourage the adoption of extension teaching goals. Letters included suggestions for the pursuit of activity in the goal areas.

Goal: Raise up Spanish- and Chinese-speaking Bahá’í teachers.

Regional Asian and Hispanic teaching committees are identifying teachers from those minority backgrounds.

Correspondence courses have been developed in Spanish and Chinese.

A series of audio-visual materials and television programs have been produced or translated into Spanish and Chinese.

Goal: Intensify teaching activities among significant minorities, and provide an effective means for the integration of all believers into the life of the Bahá’í community.

Significant minorities are addressed in our letter regarding activities in extension teaching goals.

Significant minorities are being identified by our minority coordinator and by the Regional minority committees, and teaching and consolidation aids are being developed.

Goal: Greatly intensify teaching activities among and by American Indians and ensure their participation in the promotion and development of the Faith, thus hastening the fulfillment of the high destiny envisioned for them by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

There are presently 43 Indian Assemblies; an additional seven potential Assemblies have been identified and are being worked with.

Traveling teachers (from the "Trail of Light" fellowship team) have visited several Reservations throughout the U.S. The American Indian Teaching Committee continues to support the efforts of American Indians.

Goal: Construct and develop a teaching institute on the Navajo Reservation.

The central meeting place has been completed and dedicated. The National Teaching Committee sent a gift of 50 prayer books to the Institute.

Goal: Give support to the vigorous activities of Bahá’í youth in promotion of the Faith.

District Teaching Committees have been asked to assign specific teaching goals to District Youth Committees.

The National Youth Committee has published Great GREAT Deeds: Action Manual for Bahá’í College Clubs which is designed to help youth in the formation of a college club and teaching activities.

Twenty-five youth have been selected to participate in the National Traveling Teacher program.

Goal: Hold at least five Regional Youth Conferences annually.

Eight Regional Youth Conferences have been held since Riḍván.

Goal: Develop in consultation with the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska and Canada cross border projects giving special attention to Indian Reservations.

Letter to District Teaching Committees on these borders has encouraged the development of cross border teaching projects.

The National Teaching Committee met informally with the National Teaching Committee of Canada during the International Conference in Montreal to discuss ways in which to implement such projects.

The Southern New Mexico/West Texas District Teaching Committee continues to hold special projects along the border.

Goal: Assist the National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico in re-establishing teaching projects in northern Mexico.

The District Teaching Committees in New Mexico and California continue to have teaching events in northern Mexico.

As a part of its winter teaching project, the District Teaching Committee of Southern New Mexico/West Texas visited and taught in several communities in northern Mexico.

GOALS FOR THE SECOND YEAR OF THE THREE-YEAR PHASE

Goal		May 82	June 82	July 82	Aug 82	Sept 82	Oct 82	Nov 82	Dec 82
Local Spiritual Assemblies	1750*	1613	1613	1615	1616	1617	1619	1627	1629
Indian Reservations	50	43	43	43	43	43	43	43	43
Localities	7400	7326	7326	7347	7347	7347	7318	7326	7328
Assemblies with Extension Teaching Goals	800**	691	707	709	709	699	725	718	736
Enrollments Total***		702	1008	1284	1499	1638	1801	2132	2327
Youth	1150	71	129	165	241	318	376	412	447

• The National Teaching Committee has assigned goals to each district. If each district won its assigned goal, we would have 1,844 Assemblies by Riḍván 1983.
  • The Plan from the Universal House of Justice calls for the encouragement of all Assemblies to adopt and pursue extension teaching goals.
    • There is no goal for total enrollments.

Ex-prisoner in Iran praises Bahá’ís for their faith, courage

An article about the imprisonment in Iran of an American businessman, Zia Nassry, that begins on Page 1 in the January 17 issue of The New York Times includes Mr. Nassry's respect and praise for Bahá’ís who "went to their deaths rather than renounce their faith."

The Bahá’ís who shared his imprisonment, says Mr. Nassry in the article, "were killed in cold blood for their faith but they never broke.

"They were my friends, and I was in awe of their faith and courage."

Mr. Nassry, who was kidnapped in 1979 from a hotel in Tehran, spent 966 days in Iranian prisons until he was told last November 6 that he was free to leave Iran and return to the U.S. [Page 11]

Isolated pioneer carries out Rights Day event

Nancy Seydell, an isolated believer from Michigan, has responded to the National Teaching Committee's request for stories of present-day homefront pioneers with the following article and photo. Inspired by the committee's October letter to isolated believers, Mrs. Seydell planned a proclamation event for Human Rights Day last December 10. The Bahá’ís of Jackson and Jackson County helped her carry it out.

Dear Friends:

Motivated by National's request that individuals and isolated believers "redouble their energy" and arise to teach with help from a nearby Assembly, I decided that United Nations Human Rights Day was a good opportunity to teach the Faith.

With the help of the friends in Jackson and Jackson County, two books were purchased and donated to the Jackson city library. A PHOTO of the event was printed in a local newspaper, The Blazer, which is circulated free to minorities in our city. Also, a Bahá’í name plate was placed in each book.

We had one-minute radio spot announcements explaining the Bahá’í Faith and human rights for three days preceding the program. We served an international dinner with dishes from 25 countries. Centerpieces around the room were tiny blue and gold globes with "Mankind Is One" and flags from nearly every country on earth.

Mrs. Sundra Moyyad spoke on "The history of the Bahá’í Faith concerning human rights and the United Nations."

She also came dressed in a lovely costume worn by a nomadic tribe, and demonstrated the versatility of one single attire in a changing climate and constantly changing lifestyle.

WE HAD 50 people attend, many of whom were non-Bahá’ís. Two were serious seekers.

I feel that the proclamation was a big success because we reached so many people who had never heard of the Faith.

We invited the Human Rights Commission, NAACP, city officials, relatives, friends, and neighbors. Perhaps in the future these seeds will bear fruit.

Also, I want to say that the "hub centers" that our county has been having under the direction of our Local Spiritual Assembly has really helped to bring us closer together as friends, has deepened us in the Faith, and, personally, has helped me to grow in self-assurance through speaking and researching of Bahá’í materials.

This self-assurance has been difficult for me to gain, but the love and support of our Bahá’í Group has made it possible and given me courage to put on this proclamation.

Nancy Seydell River Junction, Michigan

Nancy Seydell (right), an isolated believer from River Junction, Michigan, and Michael Schubert are shown presenting two Bahá’í books to Linda Williams, Jackson County library readers' adviser, as part of a UN Hunan Rights Day proclamation effort last December 10.

We would like to feature more articles from homefront pioneers and pioneer families. Your stories inspire all of us to make a greater effort in teaching the Faith. Please send pictures and articles to the National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

Traveling teacher number raised

The National Teaching Committee is increasing the number of traveling teachers across the country.

The committee has appointed 25 youth and is actively seeking deepened and dedicated Bahá’ís from among the Asian, black, Hispanic and Native American believers for the program.

At present, traveling teachers have been assigned to 68 preferred goal Groups (Groups of seven or more adult Bahá’ís) in 26 states to help raise them to Assembly status before or at Riḍván.

Twenty-seven of these Groups may form at any time before Riḍván, and the traveling teachers have been encouraged to pursue this. They have also been assigned many additional teaching responsibilities, such as speaking at firesides and public meetings in extension teaching goals at the request of Assemblies and/or District Teaching Committees.

In an effort to increase the effectiveness of the traveling teacher program, traveling teachers will be appointed in many areas not presently served by the program: Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, the Texas panhandle, Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia.

75 Bahá’ís gather for business conference at N.Y.C. Center

Seventy-five Bahá’ís from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states gathered last October 30 at the New York City Bahá’í Center for a Business and Professional Affairs Conference.

PARTICIPANTS shared views, questions and ideas on such issues as ethical concerns in business and the professions, the perceptions and misperceptions of the notion of wealth in the community, activating community members to greater participation, specific suggestions for teaching the Faith to business and professional people, and the need to sustain and further develop the unity of all Bahá’í communities.

Two panel discussions set the stage for the frank and open group exchanges.

In the morning session, Mildred Mottahedeh, Paul Reynolds and Shahab Fatheazam shared insights into the Writings colored with fascinating stories revolving around the theme of "Excellence and the Individual."

In the afternoon, Larry Miller, Robert Henderson and Robert Harris shared viewpoints and stories in addressing the far-ranging subject of "Teaching."

The Business and Professional Affairs Committee is a committee of the National Spiritual Assembly. The major thrust of its work is reaching business and professional people with the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, and its objectives are reflected in the theme of the conferences it supports—"Understanding, Recognition and Action."

That is, action in implementing effective teaching demands understanding the Writings on work, excellence and wealth, and recognizing the contribution that can be made to the Faith by all people.

Conferences and other activities of the committee are open to everyone who wishes to participate.

Frost

...the privilege of meeting the Master.

I have been fortunate to answer every call of the Guardian from the first Seven Year Plan in 1937 through the World Crusade (I am not a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh).

I was "homefront" pioneering, then went on to Bermuda and South America, residing for three years in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, for two.

Then back to the "homefront" and on to Aruba and Venezuela; back home again to the Mexican border town of El Paso, and in 1971 I came to Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Since my declaration in 1936 at 18 years of age I have known no other life but the Faith. And like my father before me, I don't leave my post unless there are at least 15 believers.

In His service with Bahá’í love,

Ethel Frost (Ethel Wilcott McAllaster Frost) Ponce, Puerto Rico

District Teaching Committees mobilizing friends in final drive for Ridván victory

District Teaching Committees are mobilizing the friends now in order to win victories by Ridván. The goals of the committees are to re-form all Assemblies that were lost last Ridván, and to form at least one new Assembly in each District.

ALREADY, victories have been reported as the District Teaching Committees move steadily forward in the teaching field.

The National Spiritual Assembly appoints District Teaching Committees each year, and they are assigned goals and responsibilities by the National Teaching Committee.

Among the goals of District Teaching Committees are: to open new localities to the Faith, help isolated believers to attain Group status, help Groups of five or more adults toward Assembly formation, and work with non-functioning Assemblies.

A District Teaching Committee is responsible for knowing what is happening in its District, where the teaching is taking place, and what the goals of its Local Spiritual Assemblies are.

The District Teaching Committee also seeks to use all Bahá’ís in its District as resources: youth, veteran believers, traveling teachers, isolated believers, strong Groups, and those with unique talents.

DISTRICT Teaching Committees also plan and coordinate the annual District Conventions, channel the energy of volunteer Bahá’ís to teach and consolidate, keep an updated membership list, produce a regular District bulletin, and keep the National Teaching Committee and Auxiliary Board members informed of the teaching plans and activities in the District.

Members of District Teaching Committees are carefully chosen for their dedication, experience and service to the Faith.

They must have administrative experience and be known for their enthusiasm for teaching, have the ability to work well with others, have a knowledge of current policies of the National Spiritual Assembly, devote time to their meetings, be able to travel frequently, and love and support the divine institution, the Local Spiritual Assembly.

Last year the District Teaching Committees were responsible for helping to form more than 400 Spiritual Assemblies at Riḍván. Many of these were weak or non-functioning Assemblies.

DISTRICT Teaching Committees have enrolled 470 new Bahá’ís since Ridván, or 55 per cent of the total number of believers enrolled this year.

The National Teaching Committee's goal is to establish 1,844 Local Spiritual Assemblies by Ridván 1983. Local Spiritual Assemblies have so far taken on 800 extension teaching goals, more than 200 of which are Groups of seven or more believers.

The District Teaching Committees are now concentrating their energies on large Groups and lost Assemblies. The combined efforts of the District Teaching Committees and Local Assemblies can easily bring into existence the 200 Assemblies needed to win this goal of the Plan! [Page 12]

EXPLANATION OF ABBREVIATIONS USED

CD-CARDS (GREETING, TEACHING, PRAYER) CS CASSETTE EA EACH (ONE FOR THE PRICE OF...) FS FILMSTRIP HC HARDCOVER LP LONG-PLAYING RECORD (ALBUM) LT LIGHT WEIGHT O/S OUT OF STOCK PH PHOTOGRAPH PM PAMPHLET PSTR POSTER SC SOFTCOVER SET SET FOR THE PRICE OF... 10/TEN FOR THE PRICE OF...

ALPHABETICAL DOMESTIC PRICE LIST

STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION TYPE UNIT/PRICE 331036 ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ CNTR/COVNT HC EA $10.00 875045 ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ 11x14 LITHO EA $1.00 870010 ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ 2x2 LITHO 870012 ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ 4x5 LITHO 340000 ABOVE ALL BARRIERS 108001 ADVENT DIVINE JUSTICE HC EA $4.50 108002 ADVENT DIVINE JUSTICE SC EA $2.00 352080 ALI'S DREAM HC EA $8.50 352081 ALI'S DREAM SC EA $3.50 340001 332036 ANOTHER SONG/SEASON 332037 ANOTHER SONG/SEASON 831052 ARE YOU HAPPY?-OLINGA 308052 AROHANUI: SHOGHI EFFENDI HC EA $10.95 848094 AYYAM-I-HA BALLOON 848087 AYYAM-I-HA FRIENDSHIP 848099 AYYAM-I-HA GIRAFFE 331050 BAB: HERALD DAY OF DAYS HC EA $11.00 332052 BABI & BAHÁ’Í RELIGIONS HC EA $18.00 108004 BAHÁ’Í ADMINISTRATION HC EA $10.00 108005 BAHÁ’Í ADMINISTRATION SC EA $5.00 340002 BAHÁ’Í ANSWERS PM 10/ $5.00 769033 BAHÁ’Í DATE BOOK: 1983 215059 BAHÁ’Í EDUCATION COMP. SC EA $1.50 364003 BAHÁ’Í ELECTRL PRCS CDP EA $5.00 231059 BAHÁ’Í FAITH INTRODUCTN 267002 BAHÁ’Í FAITH TCH BKLT ENG 332065 BAHÁ’Í FAITH-PRKNS & HNS HC EA $9.00 440004 BAHÁ’Í FAITH: SPIRIT WAY 331096 BAHÁ’Í FOLLOWER OF LIGHT 769043 BAHÁ’Í WALL CLNDR: 1983 315020 BAHÁ’Í WORLD FAITH HC EA $11.00 340011 BAHÁ’Í WRLD FTH FR MD MN PM 10/ $3.00 333000 BAHÁ’Í WORLD VOL. 1-12 HC SET $176.00 333001 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 1 =1 HC EA $10.00 333002 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 2-II HC EA $14.00 333003 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 3-III HC EA $14.00 333004 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 4-IV HC EA $16.00 333005 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 5-V HC EA $18.00 333006 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 6-VI HC EA $26.00 333007 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 7=VII HC EA $26.00 333008 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 8-VIII HC EA $26.00 333009 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 9-IX HC EA $27.00 333010 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 10-X HC EA $24.00 333011 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 11 XI HC EA $24.00 333012 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 12 XII HC EA $26.00 233013 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 13-XIII HC EA $27.00 233014 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 14-XIV HC EA $20.00 233015 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 15-XV HC EA $22.50 233016 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 16-XVI HC EA $26.00 233017 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 17-XVII HC EA $27.00 215045 BAHÁ’Í YOUTH COMPILATN SC EA $2.00 555100 BAHÁ’ÍS IN IRAN SC EA $3.00 846002 BAHÁ’ÍS IN UNITY TEACHING CD 50/ $2.50 364050 BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SSP SC EA $0.50 332047 BAHÁ’U’LLÁH: KING GLORY HC EA $22.50 231004 BAHÁ’U’LLÁH AND NEW ERA HC EA $10.00 231005 BAHÁ’U’LLÁH AND NEW ERA SC EA $2.00 315074 BAHIYYIH KHANUM: GHL HC EA $10.00 315075 BAHIYYIH KHANUM: GHL SC EA $5.00 340014 BASIC FACTS/BAHÁ’Í FAITH PM 50/ $4.00 340015 BECOMING YOUR TRUE SELF PM 10/ $1.00 352055 BIRTH OF BAHÁ’Í FAITH SC EA $2.00 848085 BLOSSOM-ASSORTMENT OF 3 CD 12/ $2.00 332026 BUDDHA M-A HAS APPEARED SC EA $9.00 340098 BUILDING A UNIFIED CMTY PM 10/ $2.50 848091 BUTTERFLY CD 10/ $2.00 352084 CALL ME RIDVAN SC EA $1.90 108050 CALL TO THE NATIONS HC EA $6.00 108051 CALL TO THE NATIONS SC EA $3.00 848082 CELEBRATION CD 10/ $2.00 215058 CENTERS OF BAHÁ’Í LEARNG SC EA $1.50 306035 CHILDREN'S PRAYER CD 10/ $1.00 106001 CHRIST'S PROMISE FULFLD SC EA $3.00 441009 CIRCLE OF UNITY SC EA $2.00 108006 CITADEL OF FAITH HC EA $11.00 108007 CITADEL OF FAITH SC O/S 832020 COME AND SING CS EA $5.00 835021 COME AND SING LP EA $4.00 340090 COMING TERMS W/DEATH PM O/S 315011 COMNTRY WL/TST ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ EA $2.25 315009 COMMUNION W/GOD LG TYPE EA $1.50 315009 COMMUNION W/GOD STD SC 10/ $4.00 368052 CONCORDANCE HIDN WRDS SC EA $6.00 225002 CONSTITUTN UNIV HS JUST SC EA $1.50 215064 CONSULTATION COMPILATION SC EA $1.50 830036 CONT BD CNSLRS: ROLE/STATN CS EA $6.00 215067 CONTINENTL BD COUN COMP SC EA $3.50 332097 CROWN OF BEAUTY HC EA $14.75 332098 CROWN OF BEAUTY SC EA $9.75 332086 CRY FROM THE HEART HC EA $8.50 332087 CRY FROM THE HEART SC EA $5.00 332041 DAILY LESSONS RCVD AKKA SC EA $3.00 331053 DAWN BREAKERS HC EA $20.00 331054 DAWN BREAKERS SC EA $11.00 332018 DAWN OVER MT HIRA HC EA $4.50 332019 DAWN OVER MT HIRA SC EA $2.00 468007 DECLARATN TRST/BLW NLSA SC EA $1.50 365015 DEEPENING PK FR NW BLVRS EA $5.00 315076 DESIRE OF THE WORLD HC EA $8.50 315077 DESIRE OF THE WORLD SC EA $3.50 340018 DESTINY OF AMERICA PM 10/ $5.00 315023 DIVINE ART OF LIVING SC EA $3.50 364015 DYNAMIC FC EXAMPLE CDP SC EA $9.00 331014 EG BROWNE & BAHÁ’Í FAITH HC EA $10.95 803024 EACH ONE TEACH ONE FP O/S 367008 EACH ONE TEACH ONE SC O/S 340056 ENVIRONMT/HUMN VALUES PM O/S 103001 EPISTLE SON OF WOLF HC EA $11.00 340074 EQUALITY OF MEN & WOMEN PM 10/ $2.50 365014 EXPLANATN EMBLM GRTST NM EA $1.00 631072 FAREWL ADDRESS: G. MITCHL CS EA $4.50 835009 FLIGHT LP EA $4.00 848047 FLORAL BROCADE NAW-RUZ CD O/S 364004 FORTRESS FR WL BNG CDP SC EA $5.00 364010 FORTRESS FR WL BNG GT ED HC EA $12.00 106003 FOUNDATNS WORLD UNITY HC EA $10.00 848048 FOUR SEASONS NAW-RUZ CD O/S 810018 FOUR SEASONS HOW SLIDES 5/ $3.00. 332030 FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH SC EA $4.00 848096 FROST AT DAWN CD 10/ $2.00 481076 GER BAHA UND NEUES ZTLTR SC EA $5.00 103003 GLNINGS WRT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $13.00 103004 GLNINGS WRT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SC EA $7.50 308028 GOAL OF NEW WORLD ORDER SC EA $0.50 353003 GOD AND ME SUNFLOWER 31 SC EA $2.00 331074 GOD LOVES LAUGHTER SC O/S 352086 GOD MADE THE STARS HC EA $4.50 108010 GOD PASSES BY HC EA $12.50 108011 GOD PASSES BY SC EA $6.50 340057 GOD'S NEW AGE PM 10/ $2.50 365007 GREATEST GIFT SC EA $1.00 864008 GREATEST NM 3.5x5 EMBSSD EA $0.50 864010 GREATEST NM 8x10 GD EA $1.00 864004 GREATEST NM 8x 10 GOLD EA O/S 864009 GREATEST NM 8 x 10 SL EA $1.00 631073 GREEN LK 1982 SET OF 5 CS 05/$17.50 484006 GRK HIDDEN WORDS & PRYRS O/S 468037 GUIDELINES FOR LSAS SC EA $4.00 468040 GUIDELINES/DVLPMT/LSA SC SET $6.00 835019 HAPPY AYYAM-I-HA LP EA $4.00 332085 HE LOVED & SERVED SC EA $6.50 103005 HIDDEN WORDS BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $5.00 103006 HIDDEN WORDS BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SC EA $2.50 352087 HORSE OF MOONLIGHT SC EA $3.00 340025 HUMAN RTS GOD GIVN RTS PM 10/ $3.00 340026 I AM BAHÁ’Í: TRIB REPRINT PM 10/ $3.50 831050 IN DAYS OF GUARDIAN-IOAS CS EA $6.00 830099 IN HIS PRESENCE-SAMANDARI CS EA $6.00 832025 IN MEMORY OF THE MARTYRS CS EA $6.00 315010 IN PRAISE OF GOD PM 10/ $2.50 340077 IN SEARCH OF SUPRM TLSMN PM 10 $5.00 215060 INDIVIDUAL AND TEACHING SC EA $2.00 810019 INTERIOR/EXT WL HOW SLIDE 5/ $3.00 332093 IRAN'S SECRET POGROM SC EA $5.50 339007 ISLAMIC CONTRIB TO CIV HC EA $15.00 499001 ITN BAHÁ’U’LLÁH E NUOVA ERA SC EA $3.00 332053 KHADIJIH BAGUM: WIFE BAB SC EA $3.75 332091 KHANUM: GREATEST HLY LF SC EA $2.75 103008 KITAB-I-IQAN HC EA $13.00 103028 KITAB-I-IQAN SC EA $7.50 364002 KNOWLEDGE VOLITN ACT CDP SC EA $2.00 497004 LAO FULFIL BUDD PROPH SC EA $1.50 497003 LAO NEW GARDEN SC EA $3.00 497001 LAO PRAYERS & HIDDEN WORDS SC EA $1.00 848046 LEAF AYYAM-I-HA CD 10/ $2.00 831054 LEGACIES OF SERVICE: SET 5 CS SET $30.00 332074 LIGHT OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SC EA $3.00 631070 LIGHT OF MUSIC CS EA $4.50 631068 LIGHT OF ONENESS CS EA $4.50 332029 LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS HC EA $8.95 332028 LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS SC EA $4.95 215040 LOCAL SPIRITL ASMBLY: COMP SC EA $1.50 835018 LOTE TREE LP EA $4.00 340031 LOYALTY TO GOVERNMENT PM 10/ $2.00 848092 MAGNOLIA HOLY DAY CD 10/ $2.00 830090 MAJESTY & GRTNESS...LSA CS EA $8.50 367013 MANUAL FOR PIONEERS HC $11.95 364001 MEANING OF DEEPENING CDP SC EA $5.00 340034 MEANING OF WORSHIP PM 10/ $5.00 106012 MEMORIALS OF FAITHFUL HC EA $10.00 332010 MEMORIES OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ HC EA $13.50 332011 MEMORIES OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ SC EA $6.50 340035 MESSAGE OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH PM 10/ $2.00 108015 MESSAGES TO BAHÁ’Í WORLD HC EA $10.00 225008 MESSAGES UNIV HOUSE JUST HC EA $9.00 225009 MESSAGES UNIV HOUSE JUST SC EA $4.00 415061 MIGHTY RIVER SC EA $1.00 332090 MIRACLES & METAPHORS HC O/S 303009 MISSION OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $4.00 303009 MISSION OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SC EA $2.00 339001 MUHAMMAD/COURSE ISLAM HC EA $18.50 352053 MY BABY BOOK HC EA $10.00 353001 MY BAHÁ’Í BOOK SNFLOWR 1 SC EA $2.00 353002 MY FAV PRAYERS/PSGS SNF 2 SC EA $2.00 332092 MY MEMORIES/BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $11.95 352077 MY NAME IS NABIL HC EA $6.00 831051 MY ONLY DESIRE...ALEXANDER CS EA $6.00 215042 NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASMBLY SC EA $1.50 365011 NEW RACE OF MEN DPNG PT 2 SC EA $1.50 358004 NEW WIND BLOWING SC O/S 352078 NINE DAYS TO ISTANBUL SC EA $2.50 352048 O GOD GUIDE ME: PRAYERS SC EA $3.00 859009 O GOD GUIDE ME PSTR EA $1.00 468009 ON BECOMING A BAHÁ’Í '80 SC O/S 631069 ON FIRE WITH LOVE CS EA $4.50 340037 ONE UNIVERSAL FAITH PM 50/ $4.00 340038 ONE WORLD ONE FAMILY PM 50/ $4.00 340099 ONE WORLD ONE PEOPLE PM O/S 340058 OPEN DOOR W/ENVELOPE PM O/S 353004 OUR BAHÁ’Í HLY PLCS SNF 4 SC EA $2.00 106015 PARIS TALKS HC EA $7.50 106016 PARIS TALKS SC O/S 340040 PATTERN FOR FUTURE SCTY PM 10/ $2.00 406046 PER SEL LTRS ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ HC EA $10.00 406047 PER SEL LTRS ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ SC EA $5.00 389048 PER/ARA HIKAYAT-DIL HC EA $13.95 403043 PER/ARA TBLT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $14.00 364008 PRSNL TRANSFMATN PROGRM SC SET $20.00 315063 POLITCL NONINV/OBED GVT O/S 365001 POWER OF COVENANT-PART 1 SC EA $1.50 365002 POWER OF COVENANT-PART 2 SC EA $1.50 365003 POWER OF COVENANT-PART 3 SC EA $1.50 103010 PRAYERS & MEDITATIONS HC EA $11.00 331024 PRESCRIPTN FOR LIVING SC EA $2.50 331048 PRICELESS PEARL SC EA $8.00 769063 BAHÁ’Í POCKET CLNDR: 1983 10/ $1.00 115070 BAHÁ’Í PRAYERS HC EA $7.00 115071 BAHÁ’Í PRAYERS SC EA $3.00 315054 BAHÁ’Í PRAYERS & TBLT/YNG HC EA $5.00 315005 BAHÁ’Í PRAYERS GENERAL HC EA $5.00 315072 BAHÁ’Í PRAYERS LEATHER EA $15.00 332058 BAHÁ’Í STUDIES 10: CRTVTY SC EA $4.00 332066 BAHÁ’Í STUDIES NTBK VOL 7-I SC EA $5.50 340007 BAHÁ’Í TCHNGS FR WLD FTH PM 10/ $5.00 440008 BAHÁ’Í TCHNGS: LT FOR REGNS 10/ $5.00 855001 BAHÁ’Í FTH PRSNTN FL FLDR EA $0.50 340080 BAHÁ’Í FTH: SUMMARY RPRNT PM 10/ $3.50 215002 BAHÁ’Í HLY PLCS WLD CTR HC EA $10.00 842001 BAHÁ’Í LIBRARY BOOKPLATES 20/ $4.00 215056 BAHÁ’Í MTS/19 DAY FEASTS SC EA $2.00 332094 BAHÁ’Í WORLD: VOL 4-IV HC EA $16.00 (Note: Corrected per previous lists) 848091 BUTTERFLY CD 10/ $2.00 332091 KHANUM: GREATEST HLY LF SC EA $2.75 364050 BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SSP SC EA $0.50 315011 COMNTRY WL/TST ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ EA $2.25 215064 CONSULTATION COMPILATION SC EA $1.50 106012 MEMORIALS OF FAITHFUL HC EA $10.00 830090 MAJESTY & GRTNESS...LSA CS EA $8.50 364001 MEANING OF DEEPENING CDP SC EA $5.00 332011 MEMORIES OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ SC EA $6.50 108015 MESSAGES TO BAHÁ’Í WORLD HC EA $10.00 225008 MESSAGES UNIV HOUSE JUST HC EA $9.00 225009 MESSAGES UNIV HOUSE JUST SC EA $4.00 315023 DIVINE ART OF LIVING SC EA $3.50 364015 DYNAMIC FC EXAMPLE CDP SC EA $9.00 331014 EG BROWNE & BAHÁ’Í FAITH HC EA $10.95 364004 FORTRESS FR WL BNG CDP SC EA $5.00 106003 FOUNDATNS WORLD UNITY HC EA $10.00 810018 FOUR SEASONS HOW SLIDES 5/ $3.00. 332030 FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH SC EA $4.00 365011 NEW RACE OF MEN DPNG PT 2 SC EA $1.50 352078 NINE DAYS TO ISTANBUL SC EA $2.50 352048 O GOD GUIDE ME: PRAYERS SC EA $3.00 859009 O GOD GUIDE ME PSTR EA $1.00 340037 ONE UNIVERSAL FAITH PM 50/ $4.00 340038 ONE WORLD ONE FAMILY PM 50/ $4.00 315076 DESIRE OF THE WORLD HC EA $8.50 315077 DESIRE OF THE WORLD SC EA $3.50 340018 DESTINY OF AMERICA PM 10/ $5.00 332018 DAWN OVER MT HIRA HC EA $4.50 332019 DAWN OVER MT HIRA SC EA $2.00 103003 GLNINGS WRT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $13.00 103004 GLNINGS WRT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SC EA $7.50 308028 GOAL OF NEW WORLD ORDER SC EA $0.50 353003 GOD AND ME SUNFLOWER 31 SC EA $2.00 352086 GOD MADE THE STARS HC EA $4.50 108010 GOD PASSES BY HC EA $12.50 108011 GOD PASSES BY SC EA $6.50 340057 GOD'S NEW AGE PM 10/ $2.50 365007 GREATEST GIFT SC EA $1.00 864008 GREATEST NM 3.5x5 EMBSSD EA $0.50 864010 GREATEST NM 8x10 GD EA $1.00 864009 GREATEST NM 8 x 10 SL EA $1.00 631073 GREEN LK 1982 SET OF 5 CS 05/$17.50 332085 HE LOVED & SERVED SC EA $6.50 103005 HIDDEN WORDS BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $5.00 103006 HIDDEN WORDS BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SC EA $2.50 352087 HORSE OF MOONLIGHT SC EA $3.00 339007 ISLAMIC CONTRIB TO CIV HC EA $15.00 499001 ITN BAHÁ’U’LLÁH E NUOVA ERA SC EA $3.00 332053 KHADIJIH BAGUM: WIFE BAB SC EA $3.75 103008 KITAB-I-IQAN HC EA $13.00 103028 KITAB-I-IQAN SC EA $7.50 364002 KNOWLEDGE VOLITN ACT CDP SC EA $2.00 497004 LAO FULFIL BUDD PROPH SC EA $1.50 497003 LAO NEW GARDEN SC EA $3.00 497001 LAO PRAYERS & HIDDEN WORDS SC EA $1.00 332074 LIGHT OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SC EA $3.00 631070 LIGHT OF MUSIC CS EA $4.50 631068 LIGHT OF ONENESS CS EA $4.50 332029 LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS HC EA $8.95 332028 LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS SC EA $4.95 215040 LOCAL SPIRITL ASMBLY: COMP SC EA $1.50 835018 LOTE TREE LP EA $4.00 340031 LOYALTY TO GOVERNMENT PM 10/ $2.00 848092 MAGNOLIA HOLY DAY CD 10/ $2.00 353004 OUR BAHÁ’Í HLY PLCS SNF 4 SC EA $2.00 106015 PARIS TALKS HC EA $7.50 340040 PATTERN FOR FUTURE SCTY PM 10/ $2.00 406046 PER SEL LTRS ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ HC EA $10.00 406047 PER SEL LTRS ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ SC EA $5.00 389048 PER/ARA HIKAYAT-DIL HC EA $13.95 403043 PER/ARA TBLT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $14.00 364008 PRSNL TRANSFMATN PROGRM SC SET $20.00 365001 POWER OF COVENANT-PART 1 SC EA $1.50 365002 POWER OF COVENANT-PART 2 SC EA $1.50 365003 POWER OF COVENANT-PART 3 SC EA $1.50 103010 PRAYERS & MEDITATIONS HC EA $11.00 331024 PRESCRIPTN FOR LIVING SC EA $2.50 331048 PRICELESS PEARL SC EA $8.00 [Page 13]

Bahá’í Publishing Trust Price List

308043 SELECT WRT SHOGHI EFFENDI 106025 SELECT WRT ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ 106026 SELECT WRT ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ 303024 SELECT WRT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH 303023 SELECT WRT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH 105050 SELECTIONS WRIT OF BAB 332079 SEVEN MARTYRS HURMUZAK 339004 SEVEN MYSTERIES OF LIFE 103015 SEVEN VALLEYS 4 VALLEYS

STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION TYPE UNIT/PRICE

STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION TYPE UNIT/PRICE 339003 PRINCE OF MARTYRS HC EA $7.00 315028 PRINCIPLES BAHÁ’Í ADMIN O/S 103012 PROCLAMATION BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $7.50 103013 PROCLAMATION BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SC EA $3.00 108017 PROMISED DAY IS COME HC EA $10.00 108018 PROMISED DAY IS COME SC EA $5.50 106039 PROMULGATN OF UNIV PEACE HC EA $16.00 340043 PROPHECY FULFILLED PM 10/ $4.00 840025 PUZZLE/PUZZLE EA $2.50 215068 QUICKENERS OF MANKIND SC EA $3.50 331032 RENEWAL OF CIVILIZATION SC O/S 332076 RESPONSE SC O/S 332057 RESPONSE TO REVELATION SC EA $2.50 331092 REV/BAHÁ’U’LLÁH: AD HC EA $17.00 331093 REV/BAHÁ’U’LLÁH: AD SC EA $9.00 728018 RHYTHM OF GROWTH 16MM FILM O/S 352076 SCOTTISH VISITORS SC EA $2.50 106006 SECRET DIVINE CIVILIZATN HC EA $10.00 832005 SECRET IN GARDEN: CASS CS O/S 353013 SECRET IN GARDEN HC EA $6.00 353014 SECRET IN GARDEN SC EA $4.00 106040 SELECT WRIT ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ HC EA $10.00 105051 SELECTNS WRITINGS OF BAB HC EA $10.00 103016 SEVEN VALLEYS 4 VALLEYS SC EA $1.50 215065 SEVEN YEAR PLAN-1979 SC EA $1.50 225051 SEVEN YEAR PLAN-1981 SC EA $1.50 631071 SHEDDING NEW LIGHT SC EA $1.50 848093 SHRINE OF BAB HOLY DAY CD 10/ $2.00 810020 SLIDE SETS WILMETTE HOW SET $5.00 106037 SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS HC EA $12.00 106038 SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS SC EA $6.00 215047 SPECIAL MEASURE OF LOVE SC EA $1.50 215066 SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS SC EA $1.50 452094 SPN AB CEDARIO BAHÁ’Í SC EA $4.00 431015 SPN BAHÁ’U’LLÁH Y NV ERA SC EA $5.00 425075 SPN CONSTITUCION CASA U PM EA $0.10 440070 SPN DATOS BSCS FE BAHÁ’Í HC EA $7.00 452068 SPN EL REGALO PM 10/ $2.00 440047 SPN FE BAHÁ’Í ALBA NV ERA SC EA $1.50 431055 SPN FE BAHÁ’Í: INTRODUCTN PM EA $0.30 231006 SPN LA FE BAHÁ’Í TCH BKLT SC EA $2.00 408083 SPN META NUEVO ORDN MNDL EA $0.50 440051 SPN NUEVA ERA DE DIOS HC EA $9.00 115013 SPN ORACIONES BAHÁ’ÍS SC EA $5.50 468056 SPN QUIENES DIOS CONFIA EA $1.50 331098 STORIES FROM DELT HRTS SC SET $7.50 332024 STORY AS TOLD SC EA $2.50 365012 SUFFERNG BAHÁ’U’LLÁH DPNG SC EA $5.00 353005 SUNFLOWR BKS SET 4 HC O/S 364005 SUPRM GIFT GOD MAN CDP SC EA $3.00 103020 SYNOPSIS & CODIF AQDAS SC EA $3.95 103021 TABLETS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $6.50 106010 TABLETS OF DIVINE PLAN HC $3.00 106011 TABLETS OF DIVINE PLAN CD 50/ $2.50 332088 TAHIRIH THE PURE (KP) HC EA $10.00 332040 TEN DAYS IN LIGHT OF AKKA SC EA $6.00 332081 THESE PERSPICUOUS VERSES HC EA $10.00 331060 THIEF IN THE NIGHT SC EA $1.50 331061 THIEF IN THE NIGHT SC EA $2.50 303025 THY NAME IS MY HEALING CD 10/ $1.00 340045 TO BE A BAHÁ’Í PM 10/ $5.00 332072 TO MOVE THE WORLD HC EA $16.00 331035 TOMORROW AND TOMORROW SC EA $0.50 106027 TRAVELLER'S NARRATIVE HC EA $10.00 106028 TRAVELLER'S NARRATIVE SC EA $5.00 331049 TRIBUTE TO SHOGHI EFFENDI EA O/S 831053 TRIUMPH OF CAUSE-BALYUZI CS EA $6.00 368013 TRUSTED ONES OF GOD/LSA SC 10/ $1.00 332005 TWO THIRTY-NINE DAYS HC EA $12.00 340046 UNIVERSAL & LASTING PEACE PM 10/ $3.00 367019 VICTORY PROMISES SC EA $2.00 332095 VIGNETS LIFE/‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ HC EA $13.50 332096 VIGNETS LIFE/‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ SC EA $5.95 848081 WATERFALL CD O/S 225005 WELLSPRING OF GUIDANCE HC EA $9.00 225006 WELLSPRING OF GUIDANCE SC EA $4.00 332038 WHEN WE GROW UP HC EA $6.50 332039 WHEN WE GROW UP SC O/S 848098 WHITE BLOSSOM CARD CD 10/ $2.00 340050 WHY OUR CITIES BURN PM O/S 848080 WILDFLOWER CD O/S 106020 WILL/TESTMT ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ SC EA $1.50 859001 WILMT HOUSE WORSHIP PSTR EA $1.00 840002 WILMT HOUSE WORSHIP MEDAL O/S 846027 WILMETTE HOW NGT TCHNG CD 50/ $2.50 332082 WITNESS OF PEBBLES HC EA $10.00 332083 WITNESS OF PEBBLES SC EA $5.95 555200 WRLD ORDR/BAHÁ’ÍS IN IRAN SC HC EA $5.00 108020 WORLD ORDER/BAHÁ’U’LLÁH HC EA $11.00 108021 WORLD ORDER/BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SC EA $6.50 555163 WORLD ORDER SPRING 1982) SC EA $3.00 332089 YOUTH IN VANGUARD HC EA $14.00 353018 ZAHRA'S SEARCH SC EA $3.00

BACK IN STOCK/NEW TITLES

STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION TYPE UNIT/PRICE 769081 BAHÁ’Í HISTORY CALNDR 1983 EA $4.50 332059 BAHÁ’Í STD 9: MANIFESTATION SC EA $4.00 332060 BAHÁ’Í STD 11: SPIRITUALITY SC EA $4.00 352085 HORSE OF MOONLIGHT HC EA $7.50 369030 INDEX: ERR: TAB BAHÁ’U’LLÁH FREE 369031 INDEX: ERRATA: SEL WRIT BAB FREE 369032 INDEX: ERRATA: S/W ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ FREE 831089 LIGHT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH CASS PRO CS $79.50 NET 353017 MISSION OF YOUTH CD 10/ $1.50 315078 POWER DIVINE ASSISTANCE SC EA $2.00 315027 PRINCIPLES BAHÁ’Í ADMIN SC EA $4.00 331090 REV/BAHÁ’U’LLÁH: BD HC EA $14.95 415002 SPN ASAMBLEA ESPIR NACNL LT EA $6.00 403027 SPAN EPISTOLA HIJO DEL LOBO SC EA $6.50 103029 TABLETS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH LT EA $6.00 846032 SPN BAHÁ’ÍS UNITY TCHNG HC EA $10.00 800066 TRUSTED ONES GOD/FILMSTRIP FS EA $16.00

GENERAL ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS

Current as of November 1982

If an item is not on the price list, it is not available from the Publishing Trust at this time.

IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL. THERE ARE 3 WAYS TO ORDER:

1. Through your local librarian 2. Cash order by mail 3. MasterCard or VISA by phone or mail

Through your local librarian: A. If your community has a librarian, he or she can place the order for you. B. Write down what you want and give it to the librarian at Feast. He or she will combine all orders from your community and place one order with the Publishing Trust.

By cash through the mail: A. Use the coupons provided in The American Bahá’í or the order form provided by the Publishing Trust. B. Fill out the order form completely. Add shipping and handling, and include a check to "Bahá’í Publishing Trust." Mail the order to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.

By MasterCard or VISA: A. The Bahá’í Publishing Trust accepts MasterCard and VISA for personal orders over $10.00, by telephone or mail. B. To call in your order, phone 1-800-323-1880. Be sure to have your MasterCard or VISA card handy.

IF YOU ARE A LIBRARIAN ORDERING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY:

A. All Bahá’í communities registered with the Bahá’í National Center (including organized Groups) are eligible to open a charge account for their community librarian. B. The account must be authorized by your Local Spiritual Assembly or Group. C. Authorization forms are available from the Publishing Trust. D. Please notify the Publishing Trust of address changes. A community will be charged a minimum of $5.00, plus postage, for materials returned from a non-functioning librarian.

Discount policy remains unchanged:

A. Librarians who have an account with the Publishing Trust will receive a 10 per cent discount on all items except "Rhythm of Growth" packages, Bahá’í World sets, and the deluxe leather prayer book. B. You must order more than $25.00 to receive the 10 per cent discount. C. The short, unmarked line in the lower right-hand corner of the order form is for subtracting your discount. D. The Publishing Trust no longer gives "case lot" discounts.

Postage and handling charges:

A. You will be billed for the exact amount of the postage or United Parcel Service charges. B. There are two methods of shipment available: 1. Fourth Class. This is by far the cheapest way (7 cents per pound), but it is also the slowest because it is of low priority in the postal system. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. (Please do not inquire about your order within the first 5 weeks.) 2. United Parcel Service (UPS). They will deliver almost anywhere in the country in 1 week. (Note: They cannot deliver to a post office box.) If you add to this the few days it takes the Trust to process an order, you should have it in about 2 weeks. This method is more costly, but it is worth the extra expense if you are planning an event and want to be sure to have the order. (Please do not inquire about your order within the first 2 weeks.)

Returning unsold items for credit:

A. Unsold items may be returned for credit of 90 per cent of the purchase price, provided the following conditions are met: 1. Notification of intent to return is mailed to: Customer Service Department, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, within 6 months of the date of invoice for the items being returned. 2. The items are returned, postpaid, to: Bahá’í Distribution Center, 523 Green Bay Road, Wilmette, IL 60091, in saleable condition. 3. A copy of the invoice or a list of the items showing the stock numbers, quantities, titles, librarian's account number and the original invoice numbers is included with the shipment. B. Upon fulfillment of the above conditions, the library account will be credited for 90 per cent of the amount originally charged for the materials.

Returning damaged items and items shipped in error:

A. These items are not subject to postage or handling charges. B. You will be refunded or credited for 100 per cent of the amount, plus any shipping charges. C. Send the items to: Bahá’í Distribution Center, 523 Green Bay Road, Wilmette, IL 60091. 1. Enclose a note explaining the error or damage, along with your account number and the number of the invoice on which these items appeared. 2. Try to return merchandise within 30 days. D. Please do not ignore mistakes. We cannot make you happy if you do not make us aware of the problem.

MasterCard and VISA:

A. If a librarian calls the Trust with an order, we will charge the librarian's account and give the librarian's discount. B. If the same librarian calls and insists that we put the order (minimum $10.00) on MasterCard or VISA, it will be handled as a personal order, and no discount will be given. [Page 14]

Curso de estudio número 11: La Paz Universal

"No existe alma alguna cuya conciencia no atestigue, en este día, que no hay otro asunto más de importancia en el mundo que la Paz Universal... más la unidad de conciencia es esencial para que la base de tal asunto sea segura, su establecimiento firme y su edificio fuerte." —‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Una de las enseñanzas enunciadas por Bahá’u’lláh, mientras se hallabra en prisión, a mediados del siglo pasado, fue aquella relacionada con "La Paz Mundial."

En un tiempo cuando las naciones sólo prestaban atención al engrandecimiento de su poder y la extensión de sus imperios Bahá’u’lláh escribe, en Su prisión, la siguiente profecía:

"El Ser Supremo, deseando revelar los prerrequisitos de la paz y tranquilidad del mundo y del progreso de sus pueblos, ha escrito: Tiempo vendrá en que universalmente se llegue a sentir la necesidad, imperiosa de convocar una vasta asamblea que represente a todos los hombres. Los mandatarios y reyes de la tierra habrán de atenderla y, participando en sus deliberaciones, habrán de considerar tales recursos y medios que puedan echar los cimientos de la Gran Paz del mundo... Tal Paz demanda que los grandes poderes resuelvan, para el bien y tranquilidad de los pueblos de la tierra, reconciliación completa entre si. Si un rey hubiere de levantar armas contra otro, todos unidos deberán alzarse e impedirselo. Si se hiciera esto, las naciones del mundo no requerirían armamento alguno, excepto para el propósito de preservar la seguridad dentro de sus dominios...

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Intérprete Autorizado de las enseñanzas de Bahá’u’lláh, escribió en 1920 lo siguiente:

"No obstante que la Liga de las Naciones ha sido puesta existencia, sin embargo, es incapaz de establecer la Paz Universal, mas el Tribunal Supremo que Bahá’u’lláh ha descrito llenará esta sagrada labor con la más grande soberanía y poder."

Comentando sobre la importancia de establecer la Paz Universal, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dice:

"La paz es luz, mientras que la guerra es oscuridad. La paz es vida, mientras que la guerra es muerte. La paz es guía, la guerra es error. La paz es la iluminación del mundo de la humanidad, mientras que la guerra es la destrucción, la del fundamento humano... La paz es salud y construcción, la guerra es enfermedad y desolación. En todas las épocas la guerra ha sido un factor de desorden y malestar, mientras que la paz y la hermandad han traído seguridad y consideración hacia los intereses humanos."

"En el mundo de la naturaleza, la nota dominante es la lucha, por la existencia, cuyo resultado es la supervivencia del más fuerte. La ley de la supervivencia del más fuerte es el origen de todas estas dificultades. Es la causa de guerras y odios entre los seres humanos. Mientras los requisitos del mundo animal desempeñen una parte importante entre los hijos de los hombres, el éxito y la verdadera prosperidad de la humanidad serán imposibles."

Bahá’u’lláh nos dice que si deseamos ascendar por la escala del progreso, en lugar de mirar hacia atrás, hacia el mundo animal, debemos dirigir nuestra vista hacia adelante y hacia arriba, tomando a los Profetas como nuestros guías.

Por lo tanto, el Señor de la humanidad, sintiendo gran amor y misericordia, ha originado la aparición de los Profetas divinos y la revelación de los Libros Sagrados, para que, mediante la divina educación, la humanidad pueda librarse de la corrupción y de la ignorancia, y adquiera virtudes, ideales y atributos espirituales.

Desde la antiguedad los Profetas de Dios han anunciado la llegada de una era de "Paz en la tierra y buena voluntad entre los hombres." Bahá’u’lláh confirma estas profecias y anuncia que ésta es la época para su cumplimiento, pero que requerirá el esfuerzo de los hombres para lograrlo. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, el Intérprete de las Enseñanzas de Bahá’u’lláh, agrega:

"En esta maravillosa época la tierra se transformará y la humanidad se revestirá de paz y belleza. Las disputas, contiendas y exterminio se reemplazarán por la armonía, la verdad y la concordia... Serán establecidas la cooperación y la unión y las guerras serán suprimidas por completo. La paz universal levantará su tienda en el centro de la tierra y el bendito árbol de la vida se desarrollará con tal magnitud que su sombra cubrirá al Este y al Oeste... El mundo se llenará de ciencia, con el conocimiento de las realidades de los seres y con el conocimiento de Dios."

"Las fuerzas de la tierra no se pueden oponer a los privilegios y dones que Dios ha ordenado para este siglo grande y glorioso. El hombre puede poner resistencia a cualquier cosa excepto a aquello que es propósito divinamente establecido para la época y sus necesidades. Ahora se encuentran amantes de la paz en todos los países del mundo, y estos principios se están extendiendo entre toda la humanidad."

"Llegará el tiempo cuando toda la humanidad estará unida, cuando todas las razas serán sólo una y cuando los prejuicios religiosos y raciales habrán muerto para siempre. Ese será el día en el que la unidad del género humano elevará su estandarte y la Paz Universal, como un claro amanecer, inundará el mundo con su luz."

"El plan de Paz Universal, ha de ser tal, que todas las comunidades y religiones encuentren su más alto anhelo realizado en el." —‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Hay dos clases de Bahá’ís: Aquellos cuya fe es Bahá’í y aquellos cuya vida es Bahá’í

Selección de los Escritos del Báb

La Comunidad Bahá’í ha estado deseando que llegara el día en que pudiera disponer de una amplia selección de los escritos del Báb. Desde que Shoghi Effendi tradujo y publicó Los Rompedores del Alba y expuso en sus obros monumentales la exaltada estación del Báb, los Bahá’ís de todo el mundo, y sobre todo los del Occidente, han estado deseando contar con una compilación auténtica de las enseñanzas y escritos de quien no sólo fue el Heraldo de su Fe sino también el Portador de una Revelación independiente. Se desea que este volumen sea un paso inicial y eficaz en esa dirección.

Dirijan sus pedidos a: EDITORIAL BAHÁ’Í DE ESPAÑA Castellet, 17 - TARRASA Barcelona (España)

LA MANO DE LA CAUSA PAUL E. HANEY: 1910-1982

Con profunda tristeza informamos de la repentina gran perdida para el mundo Bahá’í de nuestra amadisima Mano de la Causa de Dios Sr. Paul Haney acecido el dia 6 de Diciembre de 1982 en Haifa, Israel, en un accidente automovilístico.

El Sr. Haney nacio en los Estados Unidos de America y fue Licenciado en Economia. Fue nombrado Mano de la Causa en 1954 por nuestro Amado Guardian Shoghi Effendi, antes de su nombramiento servia a la Fe como Secretario de la Asamblea Nacional Espiritual de los Bahá’ís de Estados Unidos.

PAUL Haney amaba mucho a Latino America y en especial a Mexico. En 1961 fue como representante de las Manos de la Causa de Dios para elección de la primera ANE en Mexico. Tambien en Febrero de 1977, asistió como representante de la Casa Universal de Justicia a la Conferencia Internacional de Mérida, Yucatán, con asistencia de más de dos mil personas.

Su ultima visita a Latino America fué en la Conferencia de Quito, Ecuador, donde asistieron 1,450 creyentes, con representantes de las Americas, Asia, Europa, y Australasia. El estuvo representando a la Casa Universal de Justicia.

El Sr. Haney abrió la Conferencia Internacional con el mensaje de la Casa Universal de Justicia, hablando sobre la responsibilidad del bahá’í, el gran futuro predicho por ‘Abdu’l-Bahá para los Bahá’ís, especialmente habitantes originales de las Americas, y de sus extraordinarias declaraciones de que cuando lleguen a ser educados en la Fe, "ellos llegaran a ser tan iluminados que alumbraran al mundo entero."

Tambien se dijo que hay dos clases de Bahá’ís, aquellos cuya religion es Bahá’í, y aquellos cuya vida son Bahá’ís.

El Sr. Haney en sus palabras de clausura en esta conferencia de Quito expreso: "hablando en las tareas futuras y en las batallas que tenemos que ganar uno de nuestros desafios es aprender a utilizar más efectivamente cuatro de las poderosas armas que Bahá’u’lláh a puesto en nuestras manos, estas son los Sagrados Escritos, las Instituciones divinamente creadas de nuestra Fe, el poder de la oración y el cuarto el espiritu de amor y camaraderia Bahá’í," acerca de esto explico: "un amor universal que ha sido elevado a un nuevo nivel y a una dimension en nuestras enseñanzas no podemos tener la unidad de la humanidad y conseguir nuestras metas, sin una demostracion convincente de ese amor de los unos por los otros que nos ha sido ordenado por Bahá’u’lláh."

ACERCA de enseñar la Fe compartió una cita de Bahá’u’lláh que dice: "AMARME A MI ES ENSEÑAR LA CAUSA." Y por eso la enseñanza de la Fe debe ser la primera prioridad en nuestras vidas por encima de cualquier otra consideración.

En referencia a las Manos de la Causa de Dios, la Casa Universal de Justicia ha declarado "que estos galantes, dedicados y pocos creyentes cuyò lugar en la Historia esta para siempre asegurada por la virtud de su nombramiento a su alto puesto, son realmente un apreciado legado, dejado a nosotros por nuestro amado Guardia."

Oracion para las Manos de la Causa

Luz y gloria, salutaciones y alabanzas sean sobre las Manos de Su Causa, atraves de quienes la luz de grandes sufrimientos ha brillado hacia adelante, y la declaracion de autoridad esta probada de Dios, El Poderoso, El Fuerte, El Independiente, y atraves de quienes el oceano de bendiciones se ha movido, y la brisa del favor de Dios, El Señor de la humanidad ha soplado. —Bahá’u’lláh [Page 15]

Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh

Now that the Universal House of Justice has noted the "need to intensify our efforts to introduce the Faith to a wider spectrum of prominent people than has yet been reached" and has officially made such activities a goal of the Seven Year Plan for the U.S., we must all assess the Bahá’í literature available to use in approaching prominent people.

The hardcover edition of Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh was originally designed and published as a presentation volume. The current emphasis on making "wise and dignified approaches" to prominent people provides a new use for the book.

Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, handsomely bound in red and stamped in silver, contains a convenient selection for a reader who wishes to sample a small portion of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Most passages take up only one page; a few run two or three pages. The shortness of the extracts, together with the relatively large, clear type, and the grey ribbon bookmark, invites reading and meditation in short sittings.

The theme of the extracts chosen for Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh—spiritual teachings of interest to all—makes the book especially attractive for gifts and presentations to prominent people. The six sections cover the fulfillment of past religions; God and His Manifestations; the path to God; spiritual aspects of the coming World Order; the soul; and the renewal of God's covenant with man.

A brief foreword setting out the history and teachings of the Faith and noting that the volume is only a tiny drop from the ocean of Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings further enhances and makes the volume inviting without being overwhelming.

You and your community can find a number of uses for Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (HC, Cat. No. 303-024, $10) in your own lives as you set out to find a means for reaching and fostering good relations with persons of prominence. You can, for example, plan a two- or three-week deepening on the book, and discuss how you can use its passages for opening and continuing conversations with persons of prominence.

To order Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh (1) see your local Bahá’í librarian; (2) send a check or money order for the total amount (plus 10 per cent for postage and handling, minimum $1.50) to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust; or (3) use the convenient coupon on this page of The American Bahá’í.

A Crown of Beauty

Splendid Naw-Rúz gift too Crown of Beauty fine new introductory book

A Crown of Beauty, written by Eunice Braun and conceived and designed by Hugh E. Chance, is now available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust by arrangement with George Ronald, the book's publisher.

A Crown of Beauty is a unique introduction to the Bahá’í Faith. At first glance it appears to be only an elegant coffee table book, graced with 44 full-color photographs, 29 black-and-white photographs, 12 line illustrations, and two maps.

A closer perusal, however, reveals that A Crown of Beauty uses the photographs and illustrations of Bahá’í Holy Places and administrative buildings in the Holy Land to tell, in engaging, easy-to-read text, the history of the Bahá’í Faith and to explain its universal principles and its goal of a peaceful world society.

Hence you will find many uses for A Crown of Beauty (Catalog No. 332-097, $14.75 hardcover; 332-098, $9.75 softcover). It makes an excellent addition to your own library and could be a wise choice for introducing a friend to the Bahá’í Faith.

It will also make an elegant Naw-Rúz gift for new Bahá’ís discovering the scope and history of their new Faith. Spiritual Assemblies and other institutions will find A Crown of Beauty excellent (and timely) for making wise and dignified approaches to prominent people, a goal of the Seven Year Plan.

Eunice Braun, an Auxiliary Board member in the U.S., was for 20 years managing director of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, which published her book, From Strength to Strength: The First Half-Century of the Formative Age of the Bahá’í Era (Catalog No. 332-030, $4 softcover).

Hugh E. Chance was secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly from 1961 to 1963, when he was elected to the Universal House of Justice.

To order A Crown of Beauty or From Strength to Strength, (1) see your local Bahá’í librarian; (2) send a check or money order for the total amount (plus 10 per cent for postage and handling, minimum $1.50) to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust; or (3) use the coupon on this page of The American Bahá’í.

Two children's books among Trust's new titles for spring '83

Two new books for children will be among the new titles released by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust this spring.

Both, according to Dr. Betty J. Fisher, general editor of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, are being subsidized by the special fund for children's materials established from the proceeds of the sale of the deluxe edition of Bahá’í Prayers.

B.J. and the Language of the Woodland, written by Alvin N. Deibert and illustrated by Carol Joy, is the first chapter book the Publishing Trust has released for 7- to 11-year-olds.

B.J. (short for Bernadette Juliana) Frigby is a green frog with bulging eyes and black splotches who sets out to learn the languages of the other animals of the forest.

Her encounters with the animals—a hungry owl with a penchant for frogs and a near-sighted snake, among others—convince her that communication has its perils.

But B.J. also learns that talking to others has its rewards. In the end, a wise suggestion leads to a great council with representatives from all the animals who invent a language that all can learn and that leads to unheard of cooperation.

The Spotlessly Leopard, the second of the two new books for children, is also for 7- to 11-year-olds. It is written and illustrated by Winifred Barnum Newman, whose The Secret in the Garden won the prestigious Angel Award from Los Angeles-based Religion in Media in 1981.

The Spotlessly Leopard will certainly evoke discussions between parents and children about accepting one's own special self and about resolving identity crises.

Details on prices, stock numbers, and dates of publication will appear in future issues of The American Bahá’í.

House of Justice offers free indexes

Free indexes are now available, the Universal House of Justice has announced, for the three books it published during the Five Year Plan.

The three books are Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, and Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Anyone who has purchased any of the three books, either in hardcover or in softcover, may obtain copies of the appropriate index or indexes (1) by writing to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Dept. I, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, or (2) by ordering them from the coupon on this page of The American Bahá’í.

Titles from Around the World

ABS—Association for Bahá’í Studies GR—George Ronald KP—Kalimát Press WC—World Centre

New Lightweight Editions

The Universal House of Justice has recently released lightweight editions of the 3 volumes it published during the Five Year Plan. Each book is printed on Bible-like paper and has a flexible cover. Each also contains the new index described on this page of The American Bahá’í. The three volumes are:

Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. (LW, Cat. No. 103-029, $6) (WC)

Selections from the Writings of the Báb (LW, Cat. No. 105-051, $6) (WC)

Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (LW, Cat. No. 106-040, $6) (WC)

New

Bahá’í Studies, Volume 9 (Manifestation) Juan Ricardo Cole's discussion of the concept of manifestation in the Bahá’í Writings. (ABS) (SC, Cat. No. 332-059, $4)

Bahá’í Studies, Volume 11 (Spirituality) William S. Hatcher's monograph on the concept of spirituality. (ABS) (SC, Cat. No. 332-060, $4)

My Memories of Bahá’u’lláh The reminiscences of Bahá’u’lláh’s barber, Ustád Muḥammad-‘Aliy-i-Salmání, of his life in exile with the Manifestation of God. (KP) (HC, Cat. No. 332-092, $11.95)

Back In Stock

Mothers, Fathers, and Children The Hand of the Cause of God A. Furútan's practical advice to parents on training children according to Bahá’í principles. (GR) (SC, Cat. No. 332-071, $6.50)

To order any of these titles, (1) see your local Bahá’í librarian; (2) send a check or money order for the total amount (plus 10 per cent for postage and handling, minimum $1.50) to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust; or (3) use the coupon on this page of The American Bahá’í.

Trust says thank you for prompt payments

The Bahá’í Publishing Trust would like to thank all its customers who have been paying current bills promptly and who have helped reduce the Trust's accounts receivable by some $150,000 in the last eight months.

"Prompt payment of bills," says Larry Bucknell, general manager of the Publishing Trust, "reduces the expenses involved in distributing books, enables the Publishing Trust to operate more efficiently, and, in the long run, helps lower the cost of books.

"Now that many of the past-due accounts have been paid, we hope that all Bahá’í librarians will continue to pay bills promptly."

Coupon for Ordering Titles on This Page

• Tablets Bahá’u’lláh, LW - $6.00
• Sel. Writings Báb, LW - $6.00
• Sel. Writings ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, LW - $6.00
• Sel. Writings Bahá’u’lláh, HC - $10.00
• Crown of Beauty, HC - $14.75
• Crown of Beauty, SC - $9.75
• From Strength to Strength, SC - $4.00
• Memories of Bahá’u’lláh, HC - $11.95
• Mothers, Fathers, Children - $6.50
• Bahá’í Studies, No. 9 - $4.00
• Bahá’í Studies, No. 11 - $4.00
• Index/Tablets Bahá’u’lláh - FREE
• Index/Sel. Writings Báb - FREE
• Index/Sel. Writ. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá - FREE

Enclosed is my check or money order for $ _________ (including 10 per cent for postage and handling, minimum $1.50).

Charge to: ($10.00 minimum order) Visa _______ Card expires _______ MC _______ Card expires _______

Name _________________________________ Address _______________________________ City ________________ State ____ Zip ____

Bahá’í Publishing Trust 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091

(All orders are NET-no discounts. No charges on librarians' accounts accepted. Credit card orders accepted by phone: 1-800-323-1880.) [Page 16]

CLASSIFIEDS

Classified notices in The American Bahá’í are published free of charge as a service to the Bahá’í community. Notices are limited to items relating to the Faith; no personal or commercial messages can be accepted for publication. The opportunities referred to have not been approved by the National Spiritual Assembly, and the friends should exercise their own judgment in responding to them.

THE DEPARTMENT of Organization and Personnel is building a file of Bahá’ís who are potential candidates for service at the World Centre for use as and when openings appear. Anyone who is interested in World Centre service should send biographical information about himself directly to the Department of Organization and Personnel at the address given below. Apart from other qualifications, a basic need for most positions is good or excellent proficiency in English. Following is a listing of the types of skills needed from time to time. Photo Lab Technician: Professional experience in the manual processing and printing of black and white and color film is necessary; samples of work are appreciated. Electrical Technician: To carry out the operation and surveillance of engine room equipment under general supervision; to maintain and repair pertinent electrical equipment. Garden Helpers: Friends with experience in gardening are welcome to offer help in the gardens for short terms; physical fitness is important, and due to the nature of the work and local customs only men should apply. Building Trades: Professional carpenters, painter/plasterers, plumbers, electricians and janitors; solid training and several years of experience are preferred. Electrical Foreman: With several years experience in supervision, to organize and take part in the repair and service of existing electrical installations; additional experience in plumbing and mechanics would be welcome. Store Helper: To help with maintaining an office supply and hardware store, as well as in distributing supplies; some storekeeping experience and physical fitness are important. Bookkeeping: Requires training in general bookkeeping and accounting practices; experience with data processing equipment is necessary. Cashier: Bank-teller and general bookkeeping experience would be appreciated. Computer Operator: Operation of several medium-sized computers, assisting users and possibly some programming. Must be able to work well with people and with machines. Security Staff: The function requires shift work, physical fitness and the ability to learn some Hebrew. Single men only should apply. Assistant Archivist/Persian, Arabic: Academic background and a good knowledge of Persian and Arabic; experience with and appreciation for the needs of researchers; a mind for detail and accuracy and a general appreciation and/or experience in archives are necessary. Assistant Archivist/Modern Records: To help the archivist in drawing up a records management program; full archival qualifications and two years experience in modern records management are necessary. Librarian: Responsible for the efficient organization of the library and its staff; master’s degree in library science, knowledge of English and at least two other languages, experience in classification systems desirable, familiarity with Library of Congress classification and AACR2, and at least four years of library experience, part of which should be in an administrative capacity. Cataloguer: To catalog materials in more than 350 languages, maintain the classification and subject heading systems with librarian; master’s degree in library science, experience with Library of Congress classification and AACR2 necessary as well as two years work in cataloging position; knowledge of Persian and Arabic desirable, ability to handle and recognize a number of languages essential. Library Clerical Assistant: To provide secretarial and clerical assistance for library operations; experience in library operation and use of word processing desirable. Indexer: To review a variety of documents and record selected data, using video terminal; work includes analysis of subjects, writing summaries and teaching work procedures. The work requires good analytical and writing skills, basic typing and knowledge of the Faith; a bachelor’s degree or adequate general education is required; library and/or information science degrees, library technician certificate or experience in these named professions is desirable. Research Assistant Statistics: To extract information and compose reports, organize and maintain files, enter data and use automated systems; a degree in sociology or equivalent experience and education, research and editorial ability are necessary; interest in languages, geography or legal matters would be welcome. Executive Secretary: To compose and draft letters, conduct research, organize and maintain files; many years experience in offices as well as in the Bahá’í administrative order, accuracy, high level typing skills and good stylistic sense in English are necessary; shorthand, knowledge of more than one language, and familiarity with word processing are preferable. General Office: There are a variety of positions at the World Centre that require clerical skills, fast and accurate typing, good spelling ability, and office experience. Some experience using word processing is desirable. When applying for any position, please include a recent photograph of yourself if available, and send your application to the Department of Organization and Personnel, Bahá’í World Centre, P.O. Box 155, 31-001 Haifa, Israel.

SEIZE this opportunity! Serve the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh at the Bosch Bahá’í School in Santa Cruz, California. Spend your summer living and working with Bahá’ís from all over the world. The Bosch School is accepting applications for its summer program, June 16-September 5. There are a limited number of positions for assistant cook, recreation director, pre-school teacher, dishwashers and maintenance assistant. Room, board and small stipend provided. Transportation costs to and from the school are the responsibility of the employee. Applicants should be at least 18 years old. For an application, write to the Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Please include a letter or resumé stating your qualifications.

HOMEFRONT pioneers are needed in the goal area of Belen, New Mexico where three pioneers have formed a Group that is working toward Assembly status. Job possibilities include nursing in an expanding hospital and an unlimited variety for commuters to Albuquerque. Contact Evelyn Walters, Belen, NM 87002 (505-864-7780), or Joyce and Bob Chalmers, 1100 Santa Anita, Belen, NM 87002 (505-864-7363).

HOMEFRONT pioneers are needed in Rockville Centre, New York, where a Group of five Bahá’ís (all living in the same home) with a three-room apartment available would like to regain Assembly status after losing it last year. Rockville Centre is on Long Island, 45 minutes from downtown Manhattan. For more information please write to the Spiritual Assembly of the Town of Hempstead, P.O. Box 235, East Meadow, NY 11554, or phone 516-536-2084.

IDEAS and materials needed! We know from reading The American Bahá’í that American Bahá’ís are full of teaching ideas. Our community is seeking ideas and/or materials to construct one or more lightweight, easily assembled public displays on the principles of the Faith. Sources for large color photos and price listings would be appreciated. If you or your community has such a display, please share your design ideas with us. It’s time to come out of obscurity! Contact Paul Dunn, Durham, NC 27705.

VICKSBURG and Warren County, on the banks of the Mississippi River in west central Mississippi, need Bahá’ís to help teach in a challenging area and to help them regain Assembly status. Not only is the area rich in history, but the potential for industrial relocation and expansion is great; there is a new river port and several new industrial parks. Also a fine retirement location for self-supporting individuals, although jobs on the local level are few. There is an opening for a certified children’s librarian at the public library. Contact the Bahá’ís of Warren County, c/o Rohani, Vicksburg, MS 39180, or phone 601-636-9439.

OPPORTUNITY is available in Nantucket, Massachusetts, a town, county and island of about 6,500 people including seven Bahá’ís 30 miles off the New England coast, for a couple or single person to serve as “guardian” for two recently orphaned, brilliant, though slightly physically handicapped children, a brother (age 17) and sister (12). Unless the person or persons have an independent income, it is permissible to work; there is no salary for the position. Contact Philip Read, a neighbor and innkeeper of Jared Coffin House, at Nantucket, MA 02554, or phone him at 617-228-9115 (home) or 617-228-2400 (Jared Coffin House). If you come for an interview, please contact the Bahá’ís at 617-228-1861 or 228-0948 for lodging, etc.

“WAGE PEACE—Bahá’í Faith” buttons available. Stimulate public awareness of the Bahá’í position on world peace with this succinct phrase taken from the Master’s remark, “Why not wage peace?” For orders of 100 or more, the buttons are 25 cents each, plus $1.50 for postage. From the Bahá’í Public Affairs Committee, Box 66235, Seattle, WA 98166. Phone 206-628-0698 or 206-244-7114.

HOMEFRONT pioneers are needed to establish an Assembly in lovely Frederick County, Maryland. Four adults are needed to win the goal by Ridván! Frederick has the advantages of small town living, yet is only an hour from either Baltimore or Washington, D.C., so commuting to jobs is quite normal. For more information write to P.O. Box 1476, Frederick, MD 21701.

WESTERN Nebraska’s first Spiritual Assembly is in jeopardy. Homefront pioneers are needed in Gering (pop. 7,500) to help restore this community of seven adults to nine. Gering is adjacent to Scottsbluff (pop. 14,500) and lies along the history-rich North Platte River and the Oregon Trail. It has a good public school system, a junior college nearby, and an active arts community. Employment opportunities are best in medicine, health care, and human services. Please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Gering, P.O. Box 675, Gering, NE 69341, or telephone 308-436-5240. We will help those who are interested to make contacts for employment and housing.

WE NEED YOU in Morganton, North Carolina. Our Spiritual Assembly needs two adults or a Bahá’í family to help maintain Assembly status. This is beautiful country with many outdoor activities. Morganton is a progressive community of about 20,000 with a junior college, fine schools and modern conveniences. Would be happy to offer hospitality to anyone considering our locality. Many Bahá’í seeds have been planted here. Write to the Spiritual Assembly of Morganton, Route 3, Box 726, Morganton, NC 28655, or telephone us at 704-433-4407.

ARIZONA: If you need a Bahá’í to move to your community, I would be willing to relocate to these areas: Page, Heber, Prescott, Payson, Tucson, Tolleson, Phoenix area, Casa Grande, or any others south of Flagstaff. Am interested in employment as an elementary or pre-school teacher. Please write to Ginn Kincaid, P.O. Box 383, Many Farms, AZ 86538.

SIX dedicated Bahá’ís are needed by Ridván to help save the jeopardized Assembly in Carson City, Nevada. Must have an independent income, as work is scarce, and be willing to stay and hold the Assembly together. Carson City is in a beautiful area with open, friendly people and a healthful, invigorating climate. Please contact Vince and Elaine Calli, 3759 Highway 50 East, Apt. 3, Carson City, NV 89701.

BAHÁ’Í musician and composer is looking for Bahá’í songs (new or old), lyrics for Bahá’í songs, or songs and/or lyrics with universal Bahá’í teachings (i.e., unity). They are to be used for recordings for Bahá’í groups. Please send whatever you can to K.C. Porter, 8040 Reseda Boulevard, Apt. 206, Reseda, CA 91335.

BACK ISSUES of Bahá’í News (1955; 1957-71; 1974-77; 1979) and National Bahá’í Review (1968-82) are available. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Dan MacLachlan, Uniontown, OH 44685.

HOMEFRONT pioneers are needed in Montclair, California, which is one adult short of forming an Assembly at Ridván. Montclair is 35 minutes from Los Angeles via two separate freeways. Local industries abound, but the offer is best suited to those who are attending college. Strong Bahá’í intercommunity activities include teaching, child education and the media. Anyone who would like further information may contact T.A. Womack, P.O. Box 4971, Montclair, CA 91763.

FEMALE dance partner wanted for collaboration in performing for proclamations and special events. Must have several years experience in ballet and modern dance, and ideally live within a two-hour drive of the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., area. Contact Norbert DuBois, c/o Bahá’í Center, Baltimore, MD 21207, or phone 301-448-1512.

THE BAHÁ’Í community of Plano, Texas, is seeking homefront pioneers to settle in Allen, [Page 17]

Champion builders: DAGMAR DOLE

The idea of pioneering was not new to Dagmar Dole when she first learned of the Faith and almost immediately became a Bahá’í.

Dagmar's great-grandfather and his wife had left Massachusetts in 1841 to become Protestant missionaries in the Hawaiian Islands. Her grandfather was born in Hawaii.

DAGMAR was born June 14, 1902, in San Francisco, California. Soon after becoming a Bahá’í she moved with her close friend, Virginia Orbison, to Glendale, California, to help maintain a Spiritual Assembly there under the first Seven Year Plan.

She became active in committee work for the teaching efforts in Central and South America, serving as chairman of the Inter-America Committee, the first international pioneering committee in the U.S.

Miss Dole later pioneered to Anchorage, Alaska, to help with consolidation activities there. From Anchorage she traveled to the Bristol Bay area near the Bering Sea where she worked among the Eskimos and Alaskan Indians who were employed in the fishing industry. Offering her love and compassion to the people she met, Dagmar soon won their friendship.

When the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, announced the second Seven Year Plan in 1946, the call was raised for pioneers to travel to Europe.

MISS DOLE volunteered her services and was assigned to Copenhagen, Denmark, the home of her mother's family. She, along with other pioneers, was instrumental in bringing 47 people into the Faith in Denmark.

Her last pioneering post was in Italy where she served in both Naples and Milan.

Assembly

In a "State of the American Bahá’í community" address during the Saturday afternoon general meeting, Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, cited the need for a greatly expanded, resourceful Bahá’í community to support the work that must go forward.

He discussed a recent letter from the Universal House of Justice calling for National Assemblies to create a committee to develop ways of reaching more "people of prominence."

Dr. Kazemzadeh also touched on the situation in Iran and the integration of Persian Bahá’ís into the mainstream of the American Bahá’í community.

He reported on the first Bahá’í radio station in North America to be built at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute in South Carolina and the fund-raising needs for it, for the new Los Angeles Bahá’í Center, and for other capital projects including badly needed repairs on the dome of the House of Worship in Wilmette.

NEARLY 300 Bahá’ís including members of Spiritual Assemblies in Southern California attended the Saturday evening gathering at the University of Southern California.

During that meeting, individual members of the National Assembly each presented a short talk that focused on a specific area of concern.

Dr. Magdalene M. Carney, assistant secretary of the National Assembly, discussed Local Assemblies and the goals of the Seven Year Plan; Dr. Kazemzadeh discussed the integration of Persian Bahá’ís into the American Bahá’í community.

Judges James and Dorothy Nelson, chairman and treasurer, respectively, of the National Assembly, centered their remarks on the nature of personal status problems that reach the National Assembly.

Dr. Dwight Allen spoke about Bahá’í community life, Dr. Wilma Brady and Soo Fouts discussed teaching, Dr. Robert Henderson spoke about the Fund, and Chester Kahn presented a status report on the Southwest Bahá’í Institute.

The talks were followed by a question-and-answer period in which all the members of the National Assembly participated.

Above: Dorothy W. Nelson (center), treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly, and its chairman, James F. Nelson, talk things over with one of the friends in Los Angeles. Below: Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, secretary of the National Assembly, enjoys a hearty laugh during a break in the Assembly's hectic schedule of meetings.

Reliance

...came in, joined our group and asked how I was going to the airport.

"When I replied that a cab was coming for me, she asked if it was the cab that was parked outside.

"Looking out, I told her that it was indeed the same cab. She responded, 'Did you know that the driver is a Bahá’í? He is also the head of the cab drivers' association in Panama City.'

"Counsellor Angus Cowan, Gail and I rode with the Bahá’í cab driver to the Conference Center, and then I went on to the airport.

"ON THE way to the Center, Mr. Cowan asked me if the driver really was a Bahá’í, and in Spanish I asked the driver.

"He responded by reaching up on the dashboard for a copy of The Hidden Words in Spanish, and in further conversation we learned that he had been a Bahá’í for 14 years, and that his wife is also a Bahá’í.

"I laughed over this many times. Bahá’u’lláh takes such wonderful care of us. We just have to remember to ask Him to help us."

Chester Kahn interviewed for radio series

Chester Kahn, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly who is a Navajo Indian artist, was interviewed January 7 by KLAC radio in Los Angeles for what is to become two programs for Native American listeners in a series entitled "Our American Heritage."

During the longer-than-expected interview at the Los Angeles Indian Center, Mr. Kahn, from Houck, Arizona, answered questions about his life and association with the Faith, his professional experience as a member of a tribal council, and the role of Native Americans in the world's future.

References to the Faith were made throughout the one hour and 20-minute taped interview that was seen by an audience of native people at the Center.

Arrangements for the interview, originally planned to be 30 minutes long, were made by the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles, but the groundwork for the proclamation that resulted was laid by a small group of Bahá’ís who are involved in activities at the Indian Center and who have been providing assistance to Indian people, according to Stacy Dobbins, public relations officer for the Los Angeles Assembly.

These Bahá’ís have attended eight area pow wows, participated in holiday activities at the Indian Center, and provided food baskets for needy Native American families.

"A large Native American audience listens to 'Our American Heritage,' which is heard throughout the Los Angeles area and as far away as Palm Springs," says Miss Dobbins.

Mr. Kahn was in Los Angeles for a meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Mt. Pleasant Bahá’í is salutatorian of Central Michigan University class

Harold R. (Hal) Simon Jr. of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, was salutatorian of the December graduating class of 2,000 at Central Michigan University.

Mr. Simon, who received a bachelor of science degree in education with a major in physical science and a minor in mathematics, earned a 3.99 grade point average at Central Michigan after completing two years at Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville, Michigan.

A graduate of Ludington High School, Mr. Simon postponed his college career after two years at Glen Oaks to serve from 1972-80 in the U.S. Navy's nuclear power program.

After being discharged from the Navy, he and his wife, Lori, settled in Mt. Pleasant.

While at CMU Mr. Simon became acquainted with the Bahá’í Faith and became a Bahá’í soon afterward.

HAROLD R. SIMON JR.

He was active in the Bahá’í Club, serving as chairman and secretary-treasurer. He also was national secretary-treasurer of Chi Gamma Iota, an honor society.

Besides these activities, he and his wife have been employed by the university as apartment supervisors, managing 48 apartments and serving as a liaison between tenants and the Housing Office.

In January, Mr. Simon taught children's classes at the Louhelen Bahá’í School's inquirer's conference. In Mt. Pleasant, he teaches Sunday school classes to children ages 10 to 14.

Mr. Simon plans to attend graduate school while teaching on a part-time basis and to complete a children's book on creation myths.

He is the son of Delores and Dr. Harold R. Simon of LeRoy, Michigan.

Warning

Douglas Jones, recently deported from Bolivia to the U.S. for misconduct, has been telephoning Bahá’ís throughout the country seeking money. Should you respond to his requests for money or hospitality, you would do so at your own risk.

Arise!

[Page 18]

ترجمه پیام معهد اعلی مورخ ۳ ژانویه ۱۹۸۳ که با تلکس مخابره شده است

عبر تأسف اثر اعدام جنابان هدایت سیاوشی که روز اول ژانویه در شیراز بدار آویخته شد و سومین نفر از پنج نفریست که در ۲۲ سپتامبر ۱۹۸۲ به اعدام محکوم شدند سبب اضطراب و نگرانی شدید گردیده برای سرنوشت دو نفر باقی مانده جنابان فرهاد قدرت و گرج علی ممتازی و نیز دو نفر از اعضاء محفل روحانی زنجان جنابان عباس آیدلخانی و اسدالله مهدیزاده که به اعدام محکوم شده و اجرای حکم به تأیید مقامات مربوطه در طهران موکول شده است بیمناکیم.

بیت العدل اعظم الهی

در طول ماه دسامبر ۱۹۸۲ نیز پیامهایی از معهدا علی واصل گردید که طی آنها دستگیری جمع کثیری از یاران مدینه شیراز اعلام شد. با دستگیریهای اخیر ظاهراً بیش از یکصد نفس از احبای ثابت قدم و جانفشان آن خاک پاک در زندان بسر میبرند.

لطفاً رابرت هندرسن را به ادعیه محبت بمناسبت تعهد مسؤولیت مقدس عضویت محفل اطمینان دهید.

بیت العدل اعظم ۲۱ دسامبر ۱۹۸۲

تشکیل جلسه محفل روحانی ملی و برخی از لجنات ملیه در کالیفرنیای جنوبی

جلسه عادی ماه ژانویه محفل مقدس روحانی ملی کشور روزهای ۷ و ۸ ژانویه در پاسادینا در ایالت کالیفرنیا تشکیل گردید و فرصتی حاصل شد که اعضاء محافل روحانیه محلیه کالیفرنیای جنوبی و جمعی قریب به ۵۰۰ نفس از یاران آن منطقه در دو جلسه مختلف با اعضاء محفل روحانی ملی ملاقات نمایند در این جلسات عمومی جناب فرد شکتر عضو محترم هیئت مشاورین قاره‌ای، اعضاء هیئت معاونت نیز حضور داشتند.

همزمان با این جلسات لجنات ملیه تبلیغ تربیت امری و امور احیای ایرانی نیز جلسات خود را در آن منطقه تشکیل دادند و از فرصت استفاده نموده با بعضی محافل محلیه و قاطبه یاران ملاقات و تبادل نظر نمودند. محفل مقدس ملی در ملاقات با اعضاء محافل و سایر یاران لزوم توسعه نطاق امر الهی در این کشور و ابلاغ کلمة الله به مردم سرشناس و صاحبان نام و مقام اهمیت مشارکت کامل یاران ایرانی در فعالیتهای جامعه بهائی و نیازهای مالی جامعه را مورد تاکید خاص قرار دادند از جمله بشاراتی که با طلاع دوستان رسید تحصیل اجازه رسمی برای تأسیس اولین فرستنده رادیو در ایالات متحده بود که قرار است در محل مدرسه بهائی لوئیس گرگوری در ایالت کارولینای جنوبی بنا شود. قسمت آخر هر یک از دو جلسه عمومی نیز به طرح سوال از جانب شرکت کنندگان و اعطای جواب از طرف اعضاء محفل ملی اختصاص داده شد.

اعضاء لجنه ملی امور احیای ایرانی در این سفر با اعضاء محترم لجنات امور احیای ایرانی لس آنجلس و سن دیگو نیز ملاقات نموده از فعالیتها و اقدامات آن لجنات مطلع شدند و از پیشنهادها و نظریات آنان برای طرح برنامه‌های جدید استفاده نمودند.

انتخاب عضو جدید محفل روحانی ملی

در تاریخ ۲۰ دسامبر ۱۹۸۲ محفل روحانی ملی انتخاب دکتر رابرت هندرسن را بعضویت آن محفل اعلام نمود. جناب دکتر هندرسن از خانواده بهائی قدیمی است. جده ایشان اولین عضو این عائله است که به شرف ایمان فائز گشت. والده ایشان خانم دکتر ویلما بریدی نیز عضو محفل مقدس ملی هستند و این اولین بار است که یک مادر و پسر در زمان واحد عضویت محفل روحانی ملی را عهده دار میشوند. جناب دکتر هندرسن قبلاً برای مدت پنجسال در سمت نظامت لجنه ملی تبلیغ خدمت نموده بودند و هم اکنون ریاست محفل روحانی محل اقامت خود را بعهده دارند.

جناب دکتر هندرسن دومین فردی است که بجای فقید سعید دکتر دنیل جردن که در ماه اکتبر گذشته در ایالت کنتیکت بقتل رسید بعضویت محفل ملی انتخاب میشود قبلاً در ماه نوامبر آقای دکتر الین وارد بعضویت محفل ملی انتخاب شده بودند ولکن این انتخاب بدلیل مسائلی که از لحاظ رفتار فردی ایشان وجود داشت مورد تایید معهدا علی واقع نشد.

صعود خادم برازنده آستان الهی جناب دکتر امین الله مصباح

علیه رضوان الله

از صعود حامی غیور امرالله امین مصباح عمیقاً متأثریم. خدمات ایشان در میادین هجرت در سه قاره از قارات عالم و مجهودات ایشان در نشر معارف و خلوص و از جان گذشتگی کامل ایشان همواره در خاطره‌ها خواهد ماند و الهام بخش دوست داران بیشمارشان بود. مراتب همدردی و محبتمان را به اعضاء عائله ابلاغ فرمائید. در اعتاب مقدسه بجهت تقدم روح پرفتوحش در ملکوت ابهی دعا میکنیم.

پیام فوق در تاریخ ۲۰ دسامبر ۱۹۸۲ به بازماندگان جناب دکتر مصباح مخابره گردیده است. بیت العدل اعظم الهی

احبای عزیز ایران عموماً با مقام رفیع علمی و خصائص و کمالات روحانی و خدمات برجسته جناب دکتر مصباح در تشکیلات امریه ایران بالاخص در سالهایی که عضویت محفل مقدس روحانی طهران را بعهده داشتند آشنایی دارند و بسیاری از آثار منظوم ایشان را در نشریات بهائی مطالعه نموده‌اند. این نفس جلیل که خصائل و فضائل و ذوق و قریحه را از اب بزرگوار جناب عزیز الله مصباح علیه غفران الله را به ارث برده بودند علیرغم طی مدارج عالیه علمی و نیل به مقامات مختلفه دانشگاهی و اداری هیچگاه هدف اصلی یعنی خدمت به آستان الهی و مجاهدت در سبیل نشر نفحات رحمانی را از خاطر دور نداشته بکمال انقطاع پشت پا به جیفه دنیوی زدند و به کرات جلای وطن مالوف نموده در اقطار و بلاد بعیده مستقر گشته مراکز جدید بهائی تاسیس فرمودند.

جناب دکتر مصباح که تحصیلات پزشکی خود را در کشور فرانسه به پایان رسانده بودند ابتدا در دانشگاه پاریس و سپس در دانشگاه طهران بخدمت مشغول شدند و کرسی فیزیوپاتولوژی را احراز نمودند. در طول نقشه جهاد کبیر اکبر بقصد مهاجرت و بعنوان متخصص سازمان جهانی بهداشت عازم کشور حبشه شدند. پس از آن به مراکش عزیمت نمودند و چندین سال ریاست بخشی آناتوموپاتولوژی بیمارستانهای آن مملکت را بعهده داشتند. عاقبت پس از چند سال تدریس مجدد در دانشگاه طهران متقاعد شده به کشور فرانسه عزیمت کردند و سالهای آخر حیات را در هگنهایم در شرق فرانسه مستقر شده به خدمت امر الهی در آن صفحات و ادامه مطالعات و تألیفات خود پرداختند از جمله در این مدت در کتابخانه‌های فرانسه و آرشیوهای دولتی آن کشور بتجسس پرداختند و مدارک و منابع تاریخی ذیقیمتی درباره تاریخ امرالهی جمع آوری نمودند. آخرین اثری که تا ایام اخیر حیات پربرکتشان سرگرم اکمال آن بودند تاریخ آئین مقدس بهائی به نظم بود.

مراسم تشیع جنازه جناب دکتر مصباح با حضور جمع کثیری از دوستان بهائی و غیربهائی ایشان روز جمعه ۲۱ دسامبر ۱۹۸۲ در هگنهایم انجام گرفت.

انتشارات فارسی

بعضی از یاران گرامی به دفتر لجنه امور احیای ایرانی مراجعه نموده نسبت به ابتیاع کتب و آثار امری بزبان فارسی و عربی ابراز علاقه می‌نمایند گاهگاه نیز این قبیل تقاضاها به دفتر مؤسسه مطبوعات امری واصل می‌گردد.

بدینوسیله باستحضار احبای عزیز میرسد که اکثر انتشارات جدید بزبان فارسی و عربی که در نقاط مختلف عالم بهائی بطبع می‌رسد توسط مؤسسه "کلمات پرس" وارد شده و در دسترس یاران رحمانی قرار می‌گیرد. علاقه‌مندان میتوانند به نشانی ذیل با مؤسسه مذکور مکاتبه نموده صورت کتب و قیمتها را بطلبند.

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لجنه امور احیای ایرانی در حال حاضر تنها دو کتاب ذیل را توزیع می‌نماید.

• گوهر یکتا، بقلم ایادی امرالله آقای ابوالقاسم فیضی — ۱۳ دلار
• توشه رحمانی مجموعه ای از الواح و مناجاتها با ترجمه انگلیسی (چاپ سوم) — ۷ دلار

مؤسسه مطبوعات امری مشغول اقدام است تا بیست سلسله از کتب و انتشارات امری به زبان فارسی و عربی را وارد کرده در محل تشکیل انجمن شور روحانی ملی (کانونشن) بمعرض فروش بگذارد.

اجتماعات بهائی محل خرید و فروش نیست

در ماههای اخیر اطلاع محفل روحانی ملی رسیده است که گهگاه بعضی احباء از جلسات ضیافات یا سایر اجتماعات بهائی برای معرفی کالاهای خود استفاده می‌نمایند. حتی اگر نیت این افراد تقدیم قسمتی از منافع بعنوان تبرع به صندوقهای امری باشد ادامه این کار مجاز نیست زیرا ممکن است موجب ناراحتی بعضی از یاران گردد.

محافل روحانیه بایستی در این مورد مراقبت نموده اگر ملاحظه میشود که کسانی از جلسات بهائی یا صورت اسامی اعضاء جامعه برای نفع شخصی استفاده میکنند از آنان بخواهند که فورا به این اقداماتشان خاتمه دهند.

صدور معرفی نامه از اختیارات محفل روحانی ملی است

بدیهی است که با مشکلات موجود در ایران تأیید عضویت احبای ایرانی گاه بطول می‌انجامد و محفل ملی آگاه است که این تأخیر ممکن است موجب ناراحتی شود ولکن بحران کنونی احتیاط بیشتر را ایجاب میکند. امید است که یاران رحمانی با کمال دقت کارت عضویت تازه واردین را بررسی نموده محفل روحانی ملی را در ادامه این روش یاری و یاوری فرمایند.

این مطلب بالاخص در مورد افرادی که از کشور مقدس ایران آمده‌اند بایستی مراعات شود. تا زمانی که محفل روحانی ملی عضویت این افراد را در جامعه بهائی تأیید ننموده نمیتوانند از امتیازات عضویت در جامعه از جمله حضور در جلسات ضیافات و عضویت در تشکیلات بهائی برخوردار باشند.

محفل روحانی ملی یاران گرامی را یادآور میشود که کارت بهائی و معرفی نامه برای احبائی که از کشور دیگری به این مملکت وارد میشوند تنها از طرف آن محفل مقدس صادر میشود. [Page 19]

Huntsville, Alabama, presents

The Spiritual Assembly of Huntsville, Alabama, held its second annual Human Rights Award presentation January 10.

Honored were U.S. Sen. Jeremiah A. Denton, who was one of the co-sponsors of Senate Concurrent Resolution 73 which calls for an end to the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran, and Wanah Diane Weston, clan chief of the Echota Cherokee Indian tribe.

In a letter written to be read on his behalf at the award ceremony, Sen. Denton said, "...the Bahá’ís in Iran have lived in a climate of constant repression, brutal attacks and severe religious persecution since the middle 1800s. The U.S. State Department regards this as the most serious case of religious persecution in the world.

"Not only do we feel this is the worst form of civil and human rights violation," the senator's letter continued, "but the horror and terror inflicted on the Bahá’ís in Iran is inconceivable to the American public."

A special plaque for Sen. Denton was presented to a member of his staff by the Huntsville Bahá’í community in the name of the Bahá’ís of Alabama.

Ms. Weston, meanwhile, was honored for her "long-standing efforts in promoting the human rights of American Indians and protecting the cultural diversity of American Indians."

She was nominated for the Bahá’í-sponsored award by the Huntsville city school administration, which credited her with having "turned around" a faltering Indian education program in that system.

Media coverage of the award ceremony included reports on two of the three local TV stations and two radio stations, and an article in a Huntsville newspaper.

In addition, both AP and UPI carried state wire service reports on Bahá’í human rights award presentations in Huntsville and Birmingham.

Conferencia juvenil durante semana santa

Las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales de Costa Rica y Honduras y el Cuerpo Continental de Consejeros de las Americas auspiciarán dos Conferencias Internacionales de Juventud durante la semana santa. Jovenes entre los 15-30 años estan invitados a participar.

En estas conferencias tomará parte un muy selecto grupo de maestros internacionales incluyendo miembros del Cuerpo Continental de Consejeros y del Cuerpo Auxiliar.

Bahá’ís de Panama, Mexico, la República Dominicana, Nicaragua, Alaska, Estados Unidos, Puerto Rico y Canadá estan directamente invitados a estos eventos historicos.

Las conferencias se efectuarán:

Costa Rica—31 de marzo al 2 de abril, en San José.

Honduras—31 de marzo al 3 de abril, in Tegucigalpa.

Si planean asistir estas conferencias por favor pónganse en contacto con: International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

Unity Feast in Bemidji

Twenty-nine Bahá’ís including 13 children attended a Unity Feast last October 31 in Bemidji, Minnesota, that honored the fall season and the Bahá’ís of Ponemah, Minnesota.

The Feast, suggested by Native American Bahá’ís in Bemidji, was sponsored by that city's Spiritual Assembly with support from the Northern Minnesota District Teaching Committee.

The traditional Indian offerings were made, and the Ponemah Bahá’ís offered traditional prayers along with a Bahá’í prayer for unity.

Also presented was a puppet show for the children.

A decision was made to continue to share this Feast through all of the seasons in the hope that eventually more of the friends from Ponemah can participate.

Georgia Bahá’í Winter School

"To Move the World" is the theme of this year's Georgia Bahá’í Winter School, to be held February 25-27 at Epworth-by-the-Sea, a Methodist camp on St. Simons Island.

Speakers will include two members of the National Spiritual Assembly, Robert Henderson and Soo Fouts; Dr. Roy Jones of Charleston, South Carolina, and Duane and Mary Dumbleton of Jacksonville, Florida.

The focus will be on the elimination of racial prejudice, with Dr. Jones' presentation on the life of the Hand of the Cause of God Louis G. Gregory.

A children's program has been planned to meet the needs of all ages.

Costs for housing and meals vary according to the number of people in each room and their ages. The range is from $20-$60 for the entire school session.

For registration information please phone John Haynes at 404-427-1597.

Friendship Trail

The first part of a newly found "Friendship Trail" was explored by 31 Bahá’ís from Alberta, Canada, and northern Montana last December 10-12 in Cut Bank, Montana.

Two small and remote Bahá’í groups in Browning and Conrad, Montana, made the arrangements and invited other isolated believers to come and celebrate human rights and their own unity with an opportunity to consider further activities including teaching in border areas as called for in the Seven Year Plan.

The day-long conference included presentations by two assistants to the Auxiliary Board, Allison Healy of the Blood Reserve and Earl McCauley of McGrath, Alberta.

A third assistant to the Auxiliary Board, Daniel Telfer, also participated.

Four non-Bahá’ís attended a Saturday evening public meeting. All had learned of it through a newspaper article that included some background information on the Faith and small announcements in the weekly newspaper and a mimeographed shoppers' guide.

Santee Float

The Bahá’ís of Santee, California, entered this float in the city's annual parade last October 23. In keeping with the parade theme, 'Fall Festival,' the float had boxes of fruits and vegetables surrounded by hay on the trailer, and in the middle a tree with various fruits cut from colored cardboard to exemplify the oneness of mankind: 'Ye are all the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch."

PREPUBLICATION OFFER for GUIDELINES FOR BAHÁ’Í ARCHIVES

Price is $6.50 up to May 1, 1983, and $7.50 after May 1

The Guidelines for Bahá’í Archives (72 pages) covers in detail the organization and functioning of a Bahá’í archives. It is highly suitable for larger communities faced with the need to organize a local archives.

Name__________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________

City___________________ State ________ Zip ____________

Order form with payment should be sent to: National Bahá’í Archives Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

Letters

Continued From Page 3

...nese are probably 50th cousins or less. But in the world as a whole, I believe that through the ages less than 5 per cent have intermarried or interbred with other racial stock—primarily those of the Far East, Polynesia, and the western coasts of the Americas, and these only during the last century.

Earlier than 500 years ago, most of the world's races and nationalities were 90 per cent pure. Even today, interbreeding between races cannot be more than 10 per cent worldwide.

Even within the Americas I doubt that more than 10 per cent of Caucasians can honestly claim black, Oriental or Amerindian bloodlines.

Black Americans, however, have a 97 per cent average, having Caucasian blood as a result of their history as slaves.

Only now are interracial marriages becoming socially acceptable. These, along with the interbreeding of the races, go back at most only four or five generations.

I DO NOT believe that worldwide "cousinhood" will become a reality before another few hundred years—eight to 10 generations.

All Caucasians might well be 50th cousins, likewise all Orientals, all Eskimos, all North American Indians, all Central American Indians within a given area, all Polynesians, all Semitic peoples, all Africans within certain geographical boundaries.

This is possible; however, we have not yet reached that stage on a worldwide level.

But when, as prophesied, most of the Caucasian race is eliminated by the destruction of Europe and North America, the people of Africa, the Orient, and Australasia may achieve that relationship within the next 200 years, thus effectively ending racial prejudice forever.

Antoinette Isaac Lordsburg, New Mexico

World Order A Gift For Every Season

Within United States: 1 year...... $10.00 2 years..... $18.00

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Send to: Name__________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________ City___________________ State ________ Zip ____________

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Sorry...we are unable to provide billing service. Please enclose payment to: World Order, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. [Page 20]‘When the racial elements of the American nation unite in actual fellowship and accord, the lights of the oneness of humanity will shine...’ (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 54)

Commentary: Bahá’ís must learn sensitivity too

A Bahá’í conference. Children playing tag outside. One child, about to 10 years old, occasionally calls others by derogatory racial names with pretended, that is, imitative, scorn.

When spoken to about it, she says, "It's not hurting them." This is true. She and they know about oneness and unity. What is missing? Where is the harm? How does one explain?

CHILD, I KNOW you've only been in this world a short time. I know you've mostly been around Bahá’ís and it all must seem so simple. Almost like a game.

But it's important that you learn something about what has been happening for the past few hundred years—and also how everyone living today is affected by it, especially people who have not yet accepted and worked with the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh.

Even the Bahá’ís must struggle to understand and to live the principles of oneness. It is not a joke. The beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, called the task of securing racial unity "the most challenging issue,"

Black people have been oppressed, humiliated, hurt, segregated and denied human rights. White people have been taught and pressured to deny the basic humanness of others and thereby themselves. They have suffered from insensitivity and irrationality, a burden of which they were often unaware.

REMNANTS of these tragedies still exist. There are wounds and scars in people's minds and hearts that may never heal.

We can help by bringing them the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh, but we must understand how they feel and why they are afraid to see the truth.

We must be sensitive to others in order to be effective Bahá’í teachers. We can't make fun of the things that cause them pain and torment. We can't be insensitive to their problems. We mustn't appear to feel superior in our unity.

Roxanne Erickson White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico

Maryland Bahá’ís welcome 600-plus: 1st E. Shore Multi-Cultural Fest

More than 600 people from seven states were present last October 9 at the first Eastern Shore Multi-Cultural Festival held on the campus of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore in Princess Anne.

The theme of the festival, which was sponsored by the Delmarva District Teaching Committee, was "Unity in Diversity." It was developed through displays, ethnic foods, and many entertaining performances from a variety of cultures.

THE DAY'S events began at 11 a.m. with an international coffeehouse and display of cultural exhibits in the Student Union.

At 2 p.m. the festival moved outdoors for music and clogging led by the Gravelly Run bluegrass band.

Later that afternoon Dr. Wilma Brady, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, delivered the festival's keynote address in the Performing Arts Center.

Another member of the National Assembly, Dr. Dwight Allen, then served as master of ceremonies for a variety of entertainment by Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís.

Bahá’í performers included dancer Norbert DuBois from Washington, D.C., soprano Janis-Rozena Peri from Norfolk, Virginia, and the Touchstone Mime Theatre from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

NON-BAHÁ’Í groups included the UMES stage band, the Crisfield High School dance troupe from Maryland, the Nanticoke Indian dance troupe from Delaware, and the S.E. Hayward gospel choir from Accomac, Virginia.

Publicity for the festival was widespread. A local radio station produced three public service spots as a courtesy to the Bahá’ís that were aired regularly on about 10 stations in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

Articles appeared in at least five newspapers for several weeks in advance of the event, and more than 500 posters were displayed in public places throughout the Delmarva peninsula bearing the festival emblem, a black bird and a white bird joined by a heart.

Many festival visitors learned about the Faith at a professionally produced, three-dimensional display that framed the information booth.

Many other teaching opportunities arose during the planning stages and on the day of the festival itself.

Shown beneath the festival banner and flanked by the Bahá’í exhibit at the first Eastern Shore Multi-Cultural Festival last October 9 at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore are Bahá’ís (left to right) Pepper Oldziey, Joan Trapp, Jennifer James, Peter Oldziey (holding Kalim Oldziey), Ginger Scott, Sandra Ennis, Florence Avis, Katherine Scott, Bud Scott. The festival was sponsored by the Delmarva District Teaching Committee.

Human Rights Award presented in Birmingham

On December 12, the Bahá’ís of Greater Birmingham, Alabama, presented a Human Rights Award to Mrs. Geraldine Moore, founder of the 'Help One Another Club' and the first black reporter ever hired (in 1964) by The Birmingham News. Mrs. Moore, who is not a Bahá’í, was chosen for her lifetime of service to others that has included success as an educator, author and journalist. In addition to a plaque, Mrs. Moore was given a copy of To Move the World, the biography of the Hand of the Cause of God Louis Gregory. Shown (left to right) are Elaine Greer; Ashley Alvis; Lewis White (seated), administrative assistant to Mayor Richard Arrington; the Bahá’í speaker, Mrs. Eulalia Bobo Taylor; Mrs. Moore; Bobbie Piper; Bruce Inglis, and John Smith.

Bahá’ís from three states attend Choctaw Indian ‘unity Feast’

In November, Bahá’ís from Mississippi and two other states attended a Choctaw Indian "unity Feast" at a lodge near the sacred mound of the Choctaws at Nanih Waiyah near Philadelphia, Mississippi.

The chief of the Choctaw tribe, who was invited, was out of town but sent the Choctaw historian as his representative.

In all, five Choctaw Indian Bahá’ís attended with eight adult non-Bahá’í Indians, 13 Bahá’ís from seven localities in Mississippi, three from Alabama, two from Oklahoma, eight youth and five children.

The morning speaker was J.B. (Butch) Fuller of Montevallo, Alabama, who is part Cherokee Indian.

In the afternoon, the speaker was Michael Winger-Bearskin of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Evelyn Hardin of Meridian, Mississippi, spoke on questions relating to the Bible, and the tape of the Native Council meeting held at the Bahá’í House of Worship was shown.

Mr. Winger-Bearskin and Dennis Wahkinney from Oklahoma were able to stay for an extra day to visit the Indian Bahá’ís and their friends.

Plans are being made for follow-up activities.

Shown here is Bahá’í Paul-Bahá, a Bahá’í from Washington, D.C., who hosts a four-hour radio program, 'Positive Force,' every Thursday morning on Washington's WPFW-FM. The program, which he also produces and arranges, has a format that includes contemporary jazz, interviews, and comments about the Faith. [Page 21]Marcia Day and Roger Coe are shown making a presentation during the historic Bahá’í telecommunications conference held December 17-19 in San Fernando, California.

Bahá’ís find TV opening up to news, features about Faith

Bahá’ís around the country are finding that now as never before the emergence of the Faith from relative obscurity is helping them open the doors to commercial television.

The first opening came with "The Spiritual Revolution" series, which was run initially on stations in Los Angeles and Chicago.

THEN the video tape of the congressional hearings on Iran provided a tool with which to make initial contact with stations. Helena, Montana; North Platte, Nebraska; Rochester, Minnesota; and Spokane, Washington, all ran the tape on local network affiliates.

In Helena, the tape was followed by a brief interview about the Faith. After that, Bahá’ís approached the station about running "The Spiritual Revolution." Originally, the station offered time just before CBS' "60 Minutes" for the show at $200 a week for 13 weeks, according to Diana Virostko, the media representative in Helena.

Then, through a complicated series of events, the time was changed to just before pro football on Sundays and the price was reduced to $70 a week, she says.

NOW, because of the changes in the football season and the juggling of the program, the station is asking for more Bahá’í material because it feels badly about the schedule changes, says Ms. Virostko. One seeker already has declared after watching the series.

In Spokane, the Bahá’ís paid to place a slightly shortened version of the congressional hearings tape on the air, then used the rest of the time for an interview with Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Judge Nelson also appeared on several radio stations while in Spokane for the taping and was interviewed by several other reporters.

When the program was aired in November the station and the Bahá’ís were surprised by the response. About 50 calls were received praising the program, and none of the calls was negative. Now the station is offering the Bahá’ís a regular program at greatly reduced rates.

"We're starting with a monthly one-hour program," says Dave Notley of the area media committee. "We hope to be able soon to increase that to weekly programs."

SHOWING the congressional hearings tape had a dual benefit in Rochester. Not only did the Bahá’ís receive an hour of time on TV, but the local newspaper, "which had been throwing out our material for 22 years," called and wrote an article on the Faith.

Perhaps the most unique opportunity, however, is the one that has been offered to the Bahá’ís in Omaha, Nebraska.

A station there has decided to devote a half-hour on Sunday mornings to programs by local religious groups.

Each of them is to be given 13 weeks of programs, and the Bahá’ís in Omaha will be one of the first groups to have their own 13-week local series.

A representative from the national Office of Public Affairs met recently with the Omaha Bahá’ís working on the program to help them develop a suitable format.

"EXCEPT for a few people who had been part of cable television interviews, no one there has experience in producing television programs," says Robert Blum of the Office of Public Affairs.

"By the time the series is finished this summer, I am sure they will all be seasoned veterans," he adds.

"The Spiritual Revolution" series is now running on a commercial station in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is to begin soon in Bend, Oregon.

Both "The Spiritual Revolution" and the tape of the congressional hearings have been shown on numerous cable television stations.

THE GUARDIAN ON SCIENCE AND COMMUNICATION

Was Auxiliary Board member Dr. Jalil Mahmoudi who emphasized the importance of the endeavor to coordinate the use of Bahá’í expertise in these fields.

Dr. Alberta Deas, administrator of the Gregory Institute, presented a detailed look at the teaching and consolidation needs in South Carolina and encouraged the conference to develop specific plans that would be immediately applicable for use of radio to expand and consolidate the Faith in that area.

Dr. Riaz Khadem, a consultant to the Universal House of Justice and the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly on computers and communications, gave an overview of the present computer facilities at the International and National Centers.

HE SPOKE of the potential benefits of integrating the operation of computer facilities at all National Centers around the world with the system in use at the World Centre.

Other speakers included Dr. Marion Finley, professor of telecommunications at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada, who gave an informative overview of the present and future capabilities of computers and telecommunications; and Stephen Caswell, president of Network Innovations, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, who presented an historical look at the relationship of the Bahá’í Faith to telecommunications.

The conference was organized by individual Bahá’ís in the communications field who saw the need to bring together professionals to establish quickly a connection between themselves and others who are interested in the communication sciences.

A list of Bahá’ís with knowledge and experience in media and the communication sciences is to be compiled by a proposed new Bahá’í Computer and Telecommunications Association so that resource people within the entire community can be identified and their work coordinated.

The conference was culminated with the adoption of three proposals, each subject to approval by the National Spiritual Assembly, to help the Faith in its utilization of developments in science and technology.

THE FIRST of these proposals, called "action-plans," would establish guidelines for several task forces to help launch the Bahá’í radio station in South Carolina. After completing preliminary planning, these task forces would meet together at the Gregory Institute to develop an over-all plan for the implementation of the radio station.

An especially exciting part of this plan is to study the feasibility of a "teletext" information system that would send text information to home television sets simultaneously with the radio station's audio signal.

Such a system, if established, would greatly enhance the power of the station to deepen local Bahá’í communities, to deliver community news and services, and would make the station one of the most innovative in the world.

The second "action-plan" would link key attendees into ongoing efforts of the External Data Processing Team to improve the use of computers and communications at the Bahá’í National Center.

PLANS are being laid to monitor developments in the computer field and to study the feasibility of various methods of integrating computerized activities at the National Center with computer processing and record-keeping that could be carried on at the local, district or regional levels.

Through the use of relatively inexpensive yet powerful microcomputers owned by individual Bahá’ís, the possibility exists for the implementation of projects such as maintaining and updating district-wide membership records; facilitating access to the Bahá’í writings in computer-readable form; using computer programs to help in tallying votes for convention delegates in districts with large Bahá’í populations; maintaining local treasurer's records; updating the Spiritual Assembly's policy files, and so on.

The third action-plan involves the establishment of a Bahá’í Computer and Telecommunications Association to monitor developments in these fields and to serve as a "clearing-house" for evaluating the potential for application of new technology for service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

One such application might be setting up a computer network to link Bahá’ís across the country in an interactive conferencing system involving hundreds or even thousands of Bahá’ís.

If approved by the National Spiritual Assembly, the Association would be sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Red Lake Chapter, Navajo Reservation, New Mexico.

For information contact the Bahá’í Computer and Telecommunications Association (BCTA), c/o Roger and Sheryl Coe, Box 95, Navajo, NM 87328. Phone 505-777-2230.

Two more media conferences set

West The Inter-Mountain will be the setting for the next two media conferences.

The first will be held February 19 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

For more information contact Jan or Shahab Said, Salt Lake City, UT 84106.

The next day, February 20, a media conference will be held at the Holiday Inn in Casper, Wyoming.

For information contact Richard M. Miller, Casper, WY 82609.

"A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity... In such a world society, science and religion, the two most potent forces in human life, will be reconciled, will cooperate, and will harmoniously develop..."—The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 203-4

"...The world, (is) contracted and transformed into a single highly complex organism by the marvellous progress achieved in the realm of physical science, ..."—The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 47

"It would indeed be no exaggeration to say that the absence of those facilities which modern scientific progress has placed at the service of humanity in our time made of the problem of welding the American states into a single federation, similar though they were in certain traditions, a task infinitely more complex than that which confronts a divided humanity in its efforts to achieve the unification of all mankind."—The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 45

Media committee in Seattle sponsors Peace Day event

In response to the Seven Year Plan goal to "establish special programs for reaching the leaders of thought and people of influence," members of the Bahá’í Public Affairs Committee in Seattle, Washington, sponsored a special World Peace Day meeting last December 1.

Present was a group of 80 distinguished guests—community leaders of thought, and various religious and media representatives who are committed to the peace movement.

The guests were given "Wage Peace—Bahá’í Faith" buttons as they entered, and were most receptive to a thought-provoking address on the Bahá’í viewpoint and plan for peace by Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Judge Nelson was interviewed on four local radio stations, giving excellent coverage to the event while spreading the timely Bahá’í answers for universal peace.

As a result, some other Bahá’í communities in Washington, Oregon and California have begun making plans for their own "Wage Peace" campaigns. [Page 22]

74TH BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CONVENTION (May 26-29, 1983)*

CONVENTION SEATING REGISTRATION REGISTRATION BY LETTER IS ACCEPTABLE; HOWEVER, PLEASE INCLUDE ALL THE INFORMATION REQUESTED BELOW. NOTE: THIS DOES NOT RESERVE HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT THE HOTEL DIRECTLY.

PLEASE PRINT USE ONE FORM PER FAMILY LIST ALL ATTENDEES 15 YEARS OLD AND OLDER

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CHILDREN'S REGISTRATION LIST ALL CHILDREN 14 YEARS OLD AND UNDER Please note special needs (medical, emotional, dietary, etc.)

Child's name \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Sex \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Age \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Special needs \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

A QUALITY CHILDREN'S PROGRAM IS PLANNED. PRE-REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL TO INSURE YOUR CHILD'S PLACE IN THIS PROGRAM. MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW!

Mail to: Office of Membership, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091

• Memorial Day weekend. It is imperative that reservations be made as early as possible!

Make plans now for 74th National Convention

Since the members of the National Spiritual Assembly will be in Haifa, Israel, next April to participate in the election of the Universal House of Justice at the fifth International Bahá’í Convention, the 74th U.S. Bahá’í Convention will be held later than usual, from May 26-29 at the McCormick Inn in Chicago.

The friends should note that this is the Memorial Day weekend, when travel is generally heavy and accommodations hard to find, and make their plans early if they wish to attend the Convention.

Following are some facts that should help to make that planning easier:

CONVENTION SITE: The McCormick Inn, 23rd & the Lake, Chicago 60616. Toll free number, 800-621-6909 (in Illinois, phone COLLECT, 312-791-1901).

RATES: $48 per night (plus tax)—1, 2, 3 or 4 in a room (2 double beds). Rollaways are available @$6 each.

SUITES AVAILABLE: 1 bedroom, $96-$200; 2 bedrooms, $144-$248. (All suites have parlors with sleepers in addition to the bedrooms.)

RESERVATIONS: Must be made directly with the hotel. Please be sure to identify yourself as attending the Bahá’í National Convention May 26-29, 1983. Request confirmation to ensure that your reservation was received. PLEASE (1) give the names of ALL those sharing the room with you, and (2) indicate any special facilities needed for the handicapped (rooms to accommodate wheelchairs, etc.), as the number of these rooms is limited.

SHARING ROOMS: The hotel will NOT find you a roommate. You must make your own arrangements.

TRAVEL: Although you are free to make your own travel arrangements, you may find it helpful to use the "meeting services desks" offered by the following airlines to help ensure that you receive the lowest possible fare for travel to Chicago. Toll free numbers have been provided. When using these numbers, please state that you are planning to attend the Bahá’í National Convention May 26-29, 1983.

American Airlines, 800-433-1790 (Texas, 800-792-1160); Northwest Orient Airlines, 800-328-7747 (Minnesota, 800-552-1290); Continental Airlines, 800-525-1130 (Colorado, 398-3000, ask for group desk).

There is regular bus service—Continental Air Transport—to the McCormick Inn from O'Hare Airport ($6) and from Midway ($5). Taxis also are available.

The coupon above includes registration information for seating and for the registration of children at the Convention.

Comment

Continued From Page 2

Greater decentralization at the national and local levels is in order. The principle of unity in diversity applies as much to administration as elsewhere.

3. The need to take a more responsible attitude in promoting the affairs of the Faith.

Bahá’ís are capable of carrying out demanding responsibilities on their jobs and with their families. Yet when they engage in Bahá’í activities, assignments are sometimes forgotten, communication mishaps occur, and tasks remain uncompleted.

I think that too often we rationalize such glitches by saying, "We'll flow with the spirit," "God's will be done," or "If God had wanted this to turn out differently, it would have happened that way."

I really believe that we put more blame on God than He would prefer to accept, especially when the progress of the Faith is at stake! This passive attitude, I believe, is a natural outgrowth of point number 2.

4. The need to develop skills in the resolution of personal conflicts.

Bahá’ís often have their feelings hurt by the unwitting comments or actions of other Bahá’ís. Too often these feelings are left unresolved, and they build up over a period of months or years.

Although the Local Assembly is ultimately responsible for maintaining unity, individual Bahá’ís can do much to promote love and unity by taking the initiative to talk to the other person to get to the roots of any misunderstanding.

We must also become comfortable with racial and cultural diversity within our communities. To do this, I think we need to become better at accurately communicating our feelings to one another.

5. The need to be more open-minded.

In our love for the Faith and our desire to keep it unsullied by the influences of the society around us, we have adopted a somewhat fundamentalist attitude in our tendency to accept only the Bahá’í Writings as a source of illumination.

Surely Bahá’u’lláh did not enunciate the principle of the harmony of religion and science unless He desired that we gain knowledge and insight from the sciences!

Likewise, we have much to learn and gain through association with other educational and charitable groups. We should not expect them to support us in our activities if we do not support them in theirs.

6. The need for more balance in our personal application of spiritual values.

One of the fundamental teachings of the Faith is moderation in all things. The highest expression of many spiritual qualities is achieved when they are balanced by a complementing attribute. Consider:

a. Are we becoming dignified without becoming equally loving?

b. Do we temper honesty with tactfulness during our Assembly consultations?

c. Do we try to submerge honest differences of opinion or persistent injustices under the cloak of unity?

d. Do we allow the principle of "seeing the one good quality" to foster naiveté and acceptance of mediocrity in others?

e. Do we blend mercy with justice in our dealings with children and employees?

Friends, let us follow in the footsteps of the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who manifested consummate wisdom, moderation, open-mindedness, and perseverance in promoting the affairs of the Faith.

Grenada, soon to have National Assembly, needs Bahá’í materials

The island of Grenada will soon form its own National Spiritual Assembly and needs all kinds of materials: Bahá’í books, posters, pictures, 16mm films, slide shows, filmstrips, pins, office equipment, etc.

A pioneer leaving at the end of March can take all contributions with him. Call Manouchihr Hakimi collect, 502-633-4773.

Dagmar

Continued From Page 17

In spite of an illness she had suffered from for some months, Miss Dole arrived in Luxembourg at the end of August 1952 for the fifth annual European Teaching Conference, but became too ill to participate.

Arrangements were made for her to be sent to the Valmont Clinic in Switzerland where she received medical treatment for two months.

Miss Dole lapsed into a coma on November 8 and passed away five days later.

MEMBERS of her family gathered with Bahá’ís from all over Switzerland for the funeral service. Burial was in the village of Glion, high on the slopes of the Alps.

"Her spiritual station is very high," said the Guardian. "Her grave will be a great blessing to Switzerland—to all Europe. She is the first to give her life for the Cause in the European project. Her resting-place is important."

When first informed of her passing, the Guardian cabled: "Grieved passing distinguished, consecrated pioneer Dagmar Dole, outstanding record unforgettable, reward bountiful. Praying progress soul Kingdom." [Page 23]

Ten years ago... in The American Bahá’í

Impressed by a constant flow of newspaper clippings arriving at the National Center, the National Bahá’í Public Information Committee reports that the establishment of local and regional Bahá’í public information representatives is proving to be a great success.

The committee says 650 one-minute color film public service announcements about the Faith were sent during the past year to major television stations in the U.S. Most of those films, it says, were put to use immediately, some on a fairly regular basis.

The committee reports that the films "It's Just the Beginning" and "Give Me That New-Time Religion" have been shown on TV stations across the country, reaching an estimated audience of 1 million people...

The National Spiritual Assembly asks that local Bahá’í communities devise plans for proclamation during the period from April 21 through May 24.

The month-long proclamation campaign, it says, should include publicity on the completion of the Nine Year Plan and the holding of the third International Convention for the election of the Universal House of Justice ...

A total of 33 Bahá’ís participate in two "WE" Institutes held simultaneously in Prescott, Arizona. The institutes are reported to have been so successful that the District Teaching Committee has decided to hold them every six weeks or so...

The Music and Drama Review Committee requests choral music set to the Holy Texts for use by the choir at the House of Worship, and lists guidelines for original compositions that may be submitted...

The Office of Youth and Student Activities reports that there are two or more Bahá’ís attending each of 190 high schools across the country, and adds that 55 high school clubs have been formed...

The University of Massachusetts Bahá’í Association sponsors a week-long proclamation that includes a large display in the Campus Center, firesides each night during the campaign, and a well-attended multi-media presentation on the Faith by "Dawning," a group of musically talented Bahá’ís from the Amherst area ...

The International Goals Committee announces summer youth projects in Mexico, Europe and India ...

Dr. Cobb

land) Country Day School which he directed until his retirement in 1960.

In 1935 Dr. Cobb founded Avalon Press "to publish my books that were too erudite for the general public."

Among his best known Bahá’í works are Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Security for a Failing World.

His most popular book was Discovering the Genius Within You," and his most recent was his autobiography, Saga: A Tale of Two Centuries, published in 1977.

After graduating from Dartmouth College and taking an M.A. in philosophy and comparative religion at Harvard University, Dr. Cobb spent three years abroad as an instructor at Robert College in Constantinople, an experience that led to the publication of his first book, The Real Turk.

GRIEVED PASSING STANWOOD COBB. HIS LONGTIME SERVICES CAUSE BEGINNING AS CONTRIBUTOR STAR OF THE WEST AND SUBSEQUENTLY CO-EDITOR WORLD ORDER MAGAZINE EARNED HIGH PRAISE BELOVED GUARDIAN. HIS SCHOLARLY ACHIEVEMENTS SPECIALLY FIELD EDUCATION HAVE GREATLY ENRICHED LITERATURE FAITH. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE DECEMBER 31, 1982

A CAREER in writing came quite naturally to Dr. Cobb, the child and grandchild of literary men and women. He learned to read before attending school, and at the age of seven read the Bible from cover to cover as a form of literary enjoyment.

It was while studying at Harvard that Dr. Cobb first came into contact with the Bahá’í Faith, and soon afterward he "accepted it as the all-embracing goal of human search."

WE ARE SADDENED BY THE PASSING OF STANWOOD COBB, WHOSE DEVOTED SERVICE TO THE CAUSE SPANNED ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF THIS CENTURY. HIS LOVE OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ, HIS LITERARY ACTIVITY, HIS TEACHING EFFORTS EARNED HIM THE AFFECTION AND ADMIRATION OF ALL THOSE WHO KNEW HIM. THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY JOINS THE ENTIRE BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY IN PRAYING FOR THE PROGRESS OF HIS SOUL IN THE ABHÁ KINGDOM.

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 30, 1982

Dr. Cobb had the bounty of meeting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Constantinople, during the Master's visit to the U.S. in 1912, and in Paris in 1913.

In 1925 he became co-editor of the Bahá’í Magazine, the forerunner of today's World Order magazine.

Vigorous and young at heart until the very end of his life, Dr. Cobb was a frequent guest at youth conferences and other Bahá’í events, and only last September had spoken at a Regional Youth Conference at Green Acre.

In 1981, during another youth conference at Green Acre held only two months before his 100th birthday, Dr. Cobb related how he had sat beneath an apple tree at the school with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and was told by the Master that if he were faithful to the Covenant he would live to be 100.

George Miller, long-time pioneer to Butte, Montana, dies at 90

George D. Miller, a pioneer to Butte, Montana, for more than 34 years, died last November 4, less than a month after his 90th birthday.

In 1948, Mr. Miller, a senior clerk at the Federal Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C., retired from government service and moved to Butte in response to the Guardian's appeal to Bahá’ís to leave the larger cities.

BORN in Reading, Pennsylvania, the fifth of nine children, he had wanted to become a doctor but was forced instead to go to work to help his family after completing high school.

Mr. Miller began his career with the Bureau of Standards in 1912 and resumed it in 1919 after service in World War I.

Introduced to the Faith in 1914, he later recalled that he had become a Bahá’í sometime in 1916 while reading The Hidden Words, although in those days there were no formal enrollment procedures.

Elected to the Spiritual Assembly of Washington, D.C., in 1925, Mr. Miller served as its secretary from 1925-47 and helped in its incorporation.

He also served for many years as secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of Butte, and was a member from the time of its formation until Ridván 1981.

MR. MILLER recalled that while taking a walk in Washington in 1912 he saw several Persian gentlemen outside the home of a Mrs. Drum and believed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was among them, although he had not heard of the Faith at that time.

He served on a Regional Teaching Committee after arriving in Montana, and was for many years active in teaching the Native Americans there.

In 1961 Mr. Miller and Sampson Knowlton, an indigenous Bahá’í from Canada, spent two weeks on the Blackfoot Reservation, the first real teaching event on a Montana Reservation.

While a member of the Assembly in Butte, Mr. Miller prepared poster displays for a small rented window near the bus depot that was lighted 24 hours a day and sponsored by the Assembly for about 22 years.

Another exacting project involved making 35mm slides of photos in The Dawn-breakers to be used for teaching.

While in Butte, Mr. Miller organized the Butte-Anaconda chapter of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, served as its president for 11 years and as education committee chairman for many years afterward.

His interest in education led him to pursue legislation for tuition-free college for the elderly, and by 1982, 35 of the 50 states were offering support for this free education.

Mr. Miller, who never married, is survived by a brother of Abington, Pennsylvania.

In Memoriam

Stanwood Cobb Chevy Chase, MD December 29, 1982

Murrie Abas St. Paul, MN July 11, 1982

Mrs. Homayoun Akhavan Fargo, ND October 31, 1982

Ali Baba Al-Najdi Los Angeles, CA October 23, 1982

Frank Archibald Birmingham, AL October 19, 1970

Douglas Barrett Pullman, WA September 1982

Edward Brown Birmingham, AL March 18, 1979

Sharky Brownlow Greenwood, MS Date Unknown

Joe Butler Greenwood, MS January 1982

Willy Butler Greenwood, MS November 1981

Mrs. Luesiller Carter Birmingham, AL Date Unknown

Mrs. Neva Jean Claus Roswell, NM October 30, 1982

Mrs. Nell Deniston Zenia, OH Date Unknown

Carl Douglas Duarte, CA August 1982

Frank Hairston Birmingham, AL 1981

Mrs. Jean Harber Central Point, OR December 5, 1982

Michael N. Heller Los Angeles, CA November 25, 1982

Mrs. Lueller Holston Birmingham, AL Date Unknown

Miss Sandra Kay Hunter Charlotte, NC October 31, 1982

Mrs. Mohtaram Kerendian Concord, CA November 28, 1982

Roy C. Kimball Walla Walla, WA December 3, 1982

Mrs. Banner Lawrence Olympia, WA Date Unknown

Eduardo Lawrence Brooklyn, NY December 11, 1982

Edward Lippitt Sr. York, ME Date Unknown

Mrs. Thora Montoya Dulce, NM Date Unknown

Mrs. Helen Nichols Norwalk, CT December 27, 1982

Mrs. Portia Nickens Glen Mills, PA May 27, 1982

David Pogue Woodstock, IL January 8, 1983

Archie Powell Los Angeles, CA December 31, 1982

Harry E. Pringle Orlando, FL November 17, 1982

Mrs. Khorshid Quobadi Montecito, CA December 4, 1982

Mrs. Fannie Rivers Birmingham, AL 1979

John Rivers Birmingham, AL 1982

Mrs. Eula Rogers Birmingham, AL Date Unknown

Carl Scherer Burlington, WI Date Unknown

June Shapiro Bloomfield, NY Date Unknown

Calvin W. Smith Birmingham, AL 1979

Howard S. Smith Peoria, IL November 29, 1982

Mrs. Velma Smith Benton Harbor, MI October 1982

Sen San Sun Pembroke Pines, FL August 1982

Joseph Tilley San Jose, CA December 1982

Jimmie Woody Birmingham, AL Date Unknown

G. Nolen Zeigler Birmingham, AL 1980 [Page 24]

Louhelen Council revises February-March schedule

The Louhelen Council has revised the school's program offerings for February and March from the schedule published in the December issue of The American Bahá’í:

February 4-6—Community retreats.

February 5—Planning your family's Ayyam-i-Há celebration. Michigan District Youth Committee.

February 11-13—Marriage Enrichment Institute, Dr. Dan Popov and Mrs. Linda Kavelin Popov. An intensive weekend institute for married couples intended to help them strengthen their marriages.

February 18-20—Community retreats.

February 26-27—Ayyam-i-Há Festival, 10 a.m. to midnight, followed by a Sunday morning brunch.

March 2-20—Fast Study Program (for those who wish to spend a part of their Fast in prayer, meditation and study at Louhelen).

March 4-6—Community retreats.

March 5—Fast Deepening Program featuring Auxiliary Board member Dorothy Borhani.

March 11-13—Youth Conference organized by the Mainland Michigan District Youth Committee.

March 18-20—Community retreats.

March 19—Fast Deepening Program featuring Auxiliary Board member Dorothy Borhani.

March 25-27—Single Adults Conference.

Harvard shows tape

About 35 Bahá’ís and six non-Bahá’ís were present last December 8 at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government for a showing of the video tape of congressional hearings on the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran and a talk by Dr. Dwight W. Allen, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly.

The event was sponsored by the Harvard University Bahá’í Association, which worked hard on publicity and other arrangements after rescheduling its planned presentation of the video tape to take advantage of Dr. Allen's visit to the Boston area.

A lively question-and-answer session followed, and copies of A Cry from the Heart and other Bahá’í literature were made available to the non-Bahá’ís who attended.

Moving? Tell us your new address

To avoid unnecessary delays in receiving your copies of The American Bahá’í send your new address and your mailing label which includes your ID number to the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, as soon as you know that you are going to move and what your new address will be. We will do our best to see that changes are processed quickly so that the transfer of mail to your new home is accomplished with all possible speed.

NOTE: Use this form for individual changes only.

Name (Mrs, Miss, Full name-DO NOT use nicknames) Residence Address (House or Space Number, Street, or Description) City, State, Zip Code Mail Address (Street, Rural Route, or Post Office Box Number) City, State, Zip Code Home Telephone (Area Code, Number) Work Telephone (Area Code, Number) New Bahá’í Community (Name of Local Assembly, group, or isolated locality where this person resides) Moving Date

We have been receiving more than one copy of The American Bahá’í. Because we don't need extra copies, please remove my name from the mailing list for this publication. Please check box.

Ads

Texas, by Ridván to help raise that city to Assembly status. Allen, a fast-growing suburb of Dallas, is on a major expressway 15 miles north of the city. The Plano community will provide house- and job-hunting assistance to pioneers willing to settle in this prime sun belt location. For more information contact the Bahá’í community of Plano, P.O. Box 1322, Plano, TX 75074, or phone 214-423-4634.

ATTENTION, all airline employees. An Airline Employees' Bahá’í Club is being formed to facilitate spreading the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh "in the air." Please send your name, address, phone number, name of airline and job classification to Phillip J. Sisson, Los Angeles, CA 90057.

JIM COULDN'T, Tom wouldn't—perhaps you can. There are no Bahá’ís in Veneta, Oregon, and someone is needed who can open this neat rural community to the Faith. Veneta (population 2,500) is in gorgeous Oregon countryside, near a large lake about 10 miles from Eugene and the University of Oregon and only one hour from the Pacific Ocean. The economy is tight, but there is work in Eugene. Please contact Kathy Myhre, Eugene, OR 97404, or phone 503-689-5027.

JEOPARDIZED Assembly in Cochise County, Arizona, where the scenery is out of this world and one can go international travel teaching by driving less than an hour. Other assets: small town rural living, pure air and room to breathe it, lovely sunsets, mountain ranges better known as "islands in the sky," proximity to Indian Reservations and the Mexican border (Spanish classes are offered at Cochise College). For more information write to the Spiritual Assembly of Cochise County, c/o Mrs. LaRue Keys, secretary, P.O. Box 225, Hereford, AZ 85615.

NANTUCKET Island, Massachusetts, serving some 25,000 tourists, has many excellent jobs in summer for college students in shops, as waitresses, etc. The big problem is summer housing for these workers. One Bahá’í has a separate room with kitchen privileges, off-street parking, within walking distance of town (female preferred). Phone Anna Hall, early morning or evenings, 617-228-2904, or write to 7-B Eagle Lane, Nantucket, MA 02554.

IF YOU are looking for beauty, please read this. You can beautify your soul in the beautiful North Carolina mountains and help bring the sheer beauty of an indigenous American Spiritual Assembly to full bloom. The Western North Carolina District Teaching Committee is looking for a homefront pioneer for the Cherokee Indian Reservation whose Assembly needs a deepened Bahá’í willing to help the Cherokee Bahá’ís grow and learn about the Faith they have accepted and the institution on which they serve. Their hearts glow with the reflected splendor of the mountains in which they live. Please, if you can help this sleeping giant awaken, contact Melanie Danch-Powell, Apt. 3, Boone, NC 28607.

AT LEAST one homefront pioneer is required to save the jeopardized Assembly of Montezuma County, Colorado. This is a lovely rural area surrounding three towns and encompassing four cultures—Spanish, Ute, Navajo and Anglo. The area is growing rapidly due to construction of a water project and oil-related activity. Job opportunities are fairly good considering the recession, especially for people with skills. There is an excellent vocational school with a four-year college only 50 miles away. Good recreational opportunities with perhaps the best climate in Colorado makes the area well suited for retirees. For information contact the Spiritual Assembly of Montezuma County, P.O. Box 543, Mancos, CO 81328, or phone 303-533-7771.

AMERICAN pioneer to Colombia needs half a dozen copies of the book Portals to Freedom by Howard Colby Ives for a deepening class. Anyone who wishes to sell or donate a copy in good condition may contact T.A. Womack, P.O. Box 4971, Montclair, CA 91763.

HELP wanted: Real estate appraiser to settle in goal city. Position available with established fee appraiser. Must be FNMA approved. Membership or associate membership in SREA or AIRE helpful but not required. Send resumé to Michael E. Bryan, SRA, Residential Appraisal Service Inc., Rohnert Park, CA 94928.

WHY NOT live 365 days a year in Minnesota's heartland vacation paradise? Jeopardized Assembly in Bemidji, Minnesota, needs Bahá’í families to settle in this lovely lakes region, the retail and educational center for a wide area reaching to the Canadian border and encompassing five Indian Reservations. This is an ideal pioneering opportunity for a Persian or American Indian family. Bemidji State University offers baccalaureate programs in many areas as well as an associate degree program for those who wish to transfer to a larger school. For more information write to the Spiritual Assembly of Bemidji, P.O. Box 56, Bemidji, MN 56601, or phone Sue or Bob Johnson, 218-751-0317.

THE BAHÁ’Í community of Norwalk, California, desperately needs five adult pioneers who are active and willing to support the community in its activities and its desire to become incorporated. Norwalk, with easy access to downtown Los Angeles and Orange County, is a clean and desirable place to live for people of all ages. Cerritos College and Rio Hondo College are in the city district, and Cal State-Fullerton and Cal State-Long Beach are minutes away. Other attractions nearby include Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and the MovieLand Wax Museum—all within 15 minutes. Please give your support in maintaining this Assembly; and please do not hesitate to contact us. Phone Mehrdad and Pari Haghighi, 213-864-0788; Shahnam Meshkin, 213-864-1369; or Carolyn Corbin, 213-864-8676.

HONDURAS: A pioneer couple is starting a book exchange and needs paperback books. The books should be in English and in good condition. The couple will reimburse for the postage costs. If you can help, please send the books by Book Rate, in boxes not exceeding 22 pounds, marked "LIBROS USADOS" and listed as having no value on the customs sheet. Do not insure the boxes. Please send them to Ken Cutler, Escuela Internacional Sampedrana, Apartado Postal 565, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Central America.

BE A guaranteed success! (Last chance this year.) During 138 B.E., in its extension teaching goal of Lebanon, Oregon, the Spiritual Assembly of Linn County, Oregon, held eight public meetings, three direct teaching projects, placed 189 column inches of newspaper coverage including 10 display ads, sent 10 letters to "leaders of thought," donated a book to the local hospital chapel, and had the name of the Faith listed with the Chamber of Commerce, in the telephone directory, and on a newspaper church page. Lebanon was formerly an Assembly; it can have one again. And while we undertake to increase our efforts in Lebanon, your success as a homefront pioneer is guaranteed! Contact the Spiritual Assembly of Linn County, Scio, OR 97374, or telephone 503-394-3914.