The American Bahá’í/Volume 15/Issue 2/Text

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February, 1984

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February 1984

The Baha'i

American

House comments on attitude to persecutions

During the last four years the persecu It is as if the early days of the Faith have returned in 2 modernized version. Once again we witness boundless heroism and perverse cruelty; once again men, women and children sacrifice their lives for the Cause of God so that mankind may be guided to the Truth and escape annihilation.

It is not easy for us to develop proper spiritual attitudes toward the events that are taking place in Iran. We are fortunate, however, in receiving the guidance of the Universal House of Justice.

The advice of our Supreme Institution and the spirit that permeates its letter of December 7, 1983, will help us to under Vast outpouring of funds wins $1,000,000

SHARE YOUR ELATION HARD-WON SUCCESS FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN WLGI. GRATESSISTANCE HANDCAUSE

HASTEN CONVEY UNIVERSAL HOUSE JUSTICE JOYOUS NEWS ACHIEVEMENT GOAL FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN WLGI $1,000,000 FUL SIGNAL

stand more clearly our role in the historic developments we are witnessing.

‘The National Spiritual Assembly calls upon the friends to study the letter of December 7 from the Universal House of Justice and to absorb and internalize its message.

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States January 5, 1984

To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States Dear Bahá’í Friends,

In recent months the Universal House of Justice has received comments from individual American believers expressing their distress over the continuing persecution of

their beloved co-workers in Iran, and proposing such ways of registering their protest as public demonstrations and the wearing of arm bands and ribbons.

Consideration of these comments has prompted the instruction of the House of Justice that we write you thus.

IT IS INDEED difficult, given the heartbreaking disabilities imposed upon the Iranian Baha’i community and the seeming impotence of the American community directly to effect a positive change, for the friends to be at ease.

But that the situation in Iran, grave as it is, should lead to feelings of depression and alienation on the part of the American believers, as has been reported, or that it should be allowed to hamper their success in teaching on the home front, suggests the

REACHED THREE DAYS BEFORE TERMINAL DATE. WISH TO EXPRESS DEEP GRATITUDE FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND FOR VALIANT

SUPPORT OF MR. SEARS.

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA’iS OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 28, 1983

On Wednesday, December 28three days before the December 31 deadline—the National Spiritual Assembly announced in a cable to the Universal House of Justice the thrilling news that the goal of $1,000,000 for the construction and -operation of radio station WLGI had been met.

ITS accomplishment was made possible by an unprecedented outpouring of funds from Baha’is across the country following a dramatic taped appeal by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears that was broadcast at the Feast of Masa’il (December 12).

Early in December the fundraising drive for North America’s first Baha’i-owned and operated radio station, which was launched less than a year ago at the 74th Baha’i National Convention, had barely passed the halfway mark

Native Americans

with less than $600,000 raised.

But following Mr. Sears’ appeal, in which he reminded the friends that one of the beloved Guardian’s fondest wishes. was that a radio station should be bui in this country, the contributions started pouring in and hadn't stopped as of early January.

By December 31 the count had reached $1,043,000, and by January 5 it had risen to nearly $1,200,000.

“We ... wish to thank every member of the American Baha’i community, whose confidence, courage and capacity to sacrifice produced a triumph of heroic proportions in such a short time,” Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, said in a letter of December 29 that conveyed news of the victory to the Bahá’ís of the U.S. “TO ME, this tremendous victory is a tribute to the marvelous collaboration between the institutions of the Faith and the believers,”’ said Judge James F. Nelson, eon of the National Assem “And especially is it a tribute to the help and support of the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears,”” Judge Nelson added. “His appeal, together with the many activities that were taking place across the country, I think virtually .assured the victory through universal participation.

“‘It is heartening to see that our Campaign for Unified Action is reaching even into the fund-rais SEARS. PRAYING SCHEDULE COMPLETI! EAGERLY ANTICIPATED STATION MAY FULLY REALIZED.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

DECEMBER 29, 1983

ing area.””

In the final days of the WLGI campaign it was indeed apparent that widespread participation had made the victory possible.

The Office of the Treasurer noted that the goal was won by

See WLGI Page 18

Issuance of new 1.D. cards delayed

The National Spiritual Assembly will not be issuing new Baha’i identification cards this month.

Because of a lack of funds, the issuing of new cards has been postponed until late 1984.

Although the current blue and white membership card indicates an expiration date of February 29, 1984, believers should keep their cards as Baha’i identification until new cards are issued later in the

year.

Other National Spiritual Assemblies in North America have been advised that the blue and white membership card is still valid, so the friends should experience no difficulty when visiting Alaska, Canada or Mexico.

Of course, any Baha’ traveling for an extended period of time, or moving his residence to another national Baha’i community, should inform the National Assembly of his intended destination and expected length of stay.

need for a proper perspective.

You will sense in the comments and appeals of the beloved Guardian addressed to the American community during 1955-56 a striking resemblance between the reactions and attitudes of the friends toward the crisis then and now. A re-reading of his letter of August 20, 1955, describing the situation then and the opportunities it created for the proclamation of the Faith, and his cables of January 5, February 2 and June 22, 1956 (Citadel of Faith, pages 133-142) urging action is most instructive.

The American community has displayed in the past a tendency toward periodic immobility, a condition the Guardian commented upon from time to time and which was the main concern of his last letter to

See HOUSE Page 4

(@ ) WLGI goal

[Page 2]VIEWPOINT

The American Baha'i

| | |

Feast letter

Pace of teaching must be quickened

To the American Baha’i Community

Dear Friends:

The triumphal conclusion of the fund drive to put WLGI on the air

has enormously lifted-our spirits. The entire community has been en gized by the signal success gained through the united efforts of indivi dual Baha’is and the institutions.

TO ADD TO OUR sense of elation, we haye been informed by the group of experts who had recently met in Wilmette to inspect and suggest methods of restoring the House of Worship, that the Temple, though in serious condition, is not threatened with imminent collapse.

Therefore the necessary repairs will not have to be made immediately but will be stretched over the next several years.

Though as of this writing we still have no firm figure for the total projected cost of the Temple repairs, we do know that in the current fiscal year we will not be called upon to expend millions of dollars on the reconstruction of the House of Worship.

As we survey the state of the Baha’i community at mid-winter 1984,

‘we see one area where we lag. That area, sad to say,

is teaching.

It seems that the Baha’i community has not yet discovered the ways to turn unprecedented publicity into a wave of conversions that would vastly increase the number of avowed adherents of the Faith of Baha ’w'llah.

THE EXHILARATION we felt from the great victory won for WLGI came from our unified action, from the commitment of the ‘friends all over the land to the achievement of that victory

A similar unified commitment to teaching would doubtless produce

another victory, one that would lead to the rapid fulfillment of every

goal of the Seven Year Plan. With loving greetings,

Comment

National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States

Mayor George Milhim of Hempstead Village, New York (right) proclaimed September 18 ‘World Peace Day’ in the village.

with the mayor are Ina MeN

a Plroetomation

TA

vice-chairman of the ritual As sembly of Hempstead Village, and Cyrus Tommadon, a member of the Baha’i Group of nearby Garden City, Long Island. The

Baha’is of

Hempstead Village onsored 2 World Peace Day car nival which was attended by about

100 people. including many seek

ers.

Assembly must grow, develop toward maturity

First of two parts

It is the evening of the Nineteen Day Feast. From Maine to California, from Seattle to Miami, Ba ha’is have gathered to receive spiritual sustenance from devo: tions, to consult upon and carry forward the work of their communities, and to enjoy fellowship and hospitality.

FROM community to community the essentials of the Feast remain the same. Yet closer scrutiny reveals differences which are based not so much on culture or region as on size.

Smalltown, Anywhere, is a Baha’i community of 12 active members and several others who seldom if ever attend meetings. This evening, its Feast is being held in the home of one of the Baha’

The American Baha’

(USPS 042-430) Published monthly by the National Spiritual As. sembly of the Baha'ts of the United States, 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, postage paid at Wilmette, I. Editor: Jack Bowers Associate Editor: David E. Ogron The American Bahá’í welcomes news, letters ana ‘other items of interest fr various institutions of the written in a clear and concise manner; co black and white glossy photos should be inc! whenever possible. Address all materials to the Editor, The American Bais", Wilmette, II. 60051 Copyright © 1984 by the National Spiritual Assemly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World

The hosts have prepared the devotional part of the Feast and provided the refreshments. The business portion is informal and spirited with those present seated comfortably in the living room. The scene is a fami one to most American Baha’is because Small town’s Feast is representative of the maj of Bahá’í communities. But not all Feasts are quite like this one.

In Burgeoning Suburb, for example, the chairman of the Assembly has stepped to the microphone to call the business part of the Feast to order. There are about 50 adults present, and the children have left for another room to begin their classes.

Burgeoning Suburb has about 75 active members and another 20 or so on the roll who attend meetings only infrequently. As usual, the Feast is being held in a rented room at a local school, which the community has used since it outgrew homes.

Several families have worked together, with guidance from the Feast Committee, to plan the devotions and provide refreshments. The business part of Feast is long and formal and includes many committee reports and announcements. Consultation is limited and often dry. Some older members fondly remember the days when

This month’s article, ‘“The Evolution of a Local Spiritual Assembly,”” is the first of a two-part series by M. Kathryn Jewett, an attorney who lives in Richmond, Virgi

homes, and regret the loss of community intimacy.

THE BIG City Bahá’í com munity outgrew its rented hall several years ago, and this evening has gathered in its Center’s auditorium. Of the 500 people on its rolls, nearly 200 are present. This large Feast is unique because most Big City Feasts are now held in quadrants of the city, the Assembly having divided the community in regions several years ago. Hence, Feasts for the entire community are eagerly anticipated as a chance to see those who live in other areas of the city.

The Feast Committee has planned the devotional program and provided refreshments with money from the local Baha’i Fund. To facilitate consultation, microphones have been placed throughout the auditorium. The business part of Feast has been carefully planned in advance by the Spiritual Assembly. Consultation seems often to consist of

And with so many people present, it is difficult to have more than superficial chats with a limited number during the social part of Feast. Even though the community apparently likes the larger Feasts, the Assembly is discouraged by their cost and by the lack of meaningful consultation. Consequently, it has been debating whether to continue to hold them at all.

Elsewhere, Teeming Metropolis community has not held a community-wide Feast in years. This evening, as usual, its Feasts are being held in yarious locations throughout its jurisdiction, mostly in homes. Tomorrow morning, several more will be held.

There are so many area Feasts in Teeming Metropolis that it is no longer possible for a member of the Spiritual Assembly to be present at each one; therefore, the Assembly has appointed representatives to chair and carry out other tasks at each area Feast. Packets have been carefully prepared in advance to assure that each Feast covers those items of business that the Assembly has determined are important. Consultation flows well and notes are taken so that matters raised can be reported back to the Assembly. In most re speeches instead of a sharing of / spects these area Feasts resemble

ideas because so few are willing to

( the one being held in Smalltown,

Beneath the similarities, the Feasts in Teeming Metropolis reflect the solid foundation of experience gained by that community during its growth and evolution, while the Feasts in Smalitown reflect the fact that the community is still in its infancy

Baha’i Institutions Are Organic

The Writings of the Faith, especially those of the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, are replete with descriptions of the evolutionary character of the administrative order. For example, he refers to the institutions as ‘‘organic’’ and “ever-expanding.’ He speaks of the “‘gradual consolidation of the administrative structure which its avowed followers the world over are labouring to raise and fortify. . .’’ (From a letter written by Shoghi Effendi to the Baha’is of the West, dated October 29, 1926, and quoted in Unfolding Destiny, p. 60). Further, he promises that the Baha’i institutions of the future will not be like those of today:

“|... .NOT only will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies, be styled differently in the future, but.(they) will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh,

‘rights reserved. Printed A. Nineteen Day Feasts were held in speak before an audience of 200. but the resemblance is dece| See COMMENT Page 24

a [Page 3]LETTERS

February 1984

3

Please encourage pioneers to remain at posts

“The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions.””—‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The American Baha'i welcomes letters to the editor on any topic of general interest. The purpose of the “‘letters’’ column is to allow a free and open exchange of ideas, never to derogate another’s opinions or attack anyone on a personal level.

Letters should be kept as brief le (a maximum of 250 suggested). Letters are subject to editing for length and style.

Please address all letters to the editor, The American Baha'i, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

To the Editor:

My husband and I are pioneering in South Korea. We live in a city of 1,500,000 people in which there are only four Baha’js.

We have bei folding regular firesides for more than a year, and are finally beginning to see the results of our efforts. Our most recent Sunday afternoon firesides have been well attended by Korean university students.

Recently my husband made a “rest and recuperation’” trip back to the States. While he was there he visited our former home community, whose members pleaded with him to bring us all back there as soon as possible, as the community was not very active.

I feel a certain regret that this sort of thing had to happen, but I realize too that many Americans do not realize how desperately pioneers are needed in other parts of the world.

I believe the Baha’is at home should do everything they can in

V

A word about EST

The National Spiritual Assembly recognizes the sincere desire of many of the friends to follow programs for personal

improvement.

However, the Assembly firmly believes that the teachings of EST do not uphold the spirit of the Faith.

According to its founder, Werner Erhardt, the purpose of the program is to teach each student that the individual is “the God of his universe.

The goal of personal improvement is admirable, but the belief that an individual can become his own God, or can replace God by self-control or self-assurance is not acceptable.

To those friends who are interested in self-improvement, the National Spiritual Assembly recommends that they investigate the Personal Transformation Program offered by the National Education Committee.

their correspondence with their pioneering friends to encourage them to remain at their posts.

In the case of Korea, which has a population of some 40 million, there are a little over 100 active Baha’is in the whole country.

It is never “easy” to be a pioneer. One faces situations that simply don’t exist in one’s native land. Sometimes the yearning to give it all up and return to the U.S. is very appealing. iends could encourage pioneers to “hang in there’? with a pat on the back through regular letters, it would be a great help.

Sara Hatch Taegu, Korea

To the Editor:

For several years I have been involved with the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence, a unique organization whose purposes are to train clergy and religious counselors in dealing with those problems within the framework of their faith and to make secular and law enforcement agencies aware of the religious dimension in the lives of victims and abusers,

AS THE first, and until recently the only Bahá’í member of the CPSDV board of directors, I have been responsible for adapting the center’s pastoral training programs to the needs of Baha’i Assemblies.

As a result of my paper in the March issue of the ‘Notebook for Bahda’i Studies,”’ I have been asked to give deepenings on the spiritual concerns Baha’ is have in dealing with these problems.

At a recent deepening, I mentioned my concern with an item in one of the Baha’i books on rearing children.

Several others said they had read the book, shared my concern, and urged me to share it with the Baha’i community as a whole.

Our concern is with statements found on page 90 of Mothers, Fathers and Children by A.A. Furitan.

Taken as a whole, the book is a fine one which contains much

which all parents can aspire.

HOWEVER, arbitrary advice to parents never-to allow their children to ‘‘speak ill of others or find fault with them’’ is the worst possible advice in a country where children are disappearing by the hundreds every year, some of them literally kidnapped from under their parents’ gaze.

In a society where incest and sexual abuse of children—especially pre-school children—have reached epidemic proportions, it is both foolish and dangerous to tell your children to speak only of Uncle Joe’s nice blue eyes when your daughter is trying to find a way to tell you that Uncle Joe is

molesting half the kids on the block, and she’s afraid she’ll be next!

Our towns, even our neighborhoods, are full of people who need

-to have ‘evil ‘‘spoken of them’’

because they are evil people from whom we must protect ourselves and our families.

If their “‘fault”’ is child abuse of any kind, then that ‘‘fault’? had better be “spoken of’? and reported to the proper authorities before a child is emotionally scarred for life or one day found dead.

There are many adult Bah: who are not yet spiritually mature or deepened enough to understand that reporting a crime (or the suspicion of a crime) to the authorities is not backbiting—or that going to a mental health professional for counseling is not the same as confession.

How can we then expect a fouryear-old child to be able to distinguish? All she knows is that something is wrong and she is frightened about it.

We must encourage our children to be open and frank with us about their fears and concerns about people who behave toward them in a manner that makes them uncomfortable.

We adults can then determine whether the matter is frivolous or serious.

But to turn a child off with the arbitrary rule that “‘we only listen to good things about people’’ is to place that child in danger of being kidnapped, sexually abused—even tortured or murdered.

As Baha’i parents, we need to encourage open and frank communication with our children. We need to know about th lems with the pressures to in drugs, alcohol, reckless driving, sex, shoplifting, etc.

If we have established a pattern of politely shutting up anything “negative”? when they were small, there is no way they are going to confide in us about their fears and worries as teen-agers. Of that we can be sure.

The world is a mess. It’s a jungle out there. But we must survive it to build the new World Order.

Bahá’u’lláh has told us that our children are a great responsibility. We can’t let our desire for perfection leave our precious little ones defenseless before the alligators.

Janet Tanaka Issaquah, Washington

To the Editor:

I am surprised by the cries of slander and backbiting which I find in the letters section of The American Baha’i.

I find the column stimulating, challenging, open, direct, amusing and lively. I look forward to reading it each month.

Also, I was delighted with Leonard Godwin’s ‘“‘Comment”’ (Oc tober) in which he wrote: ‘‘The escape from the harshness and brutality of our material world into a higher sort of consciousness once offered by religion has been replaced by the poisonous escapes prescribed by doctors and other dealers in drugs.” Bravo! My sentiments exactly. It’s time we obeyed the Bab. “The Bab hath said that the people of Bahá must develop the science of medicine to such a high degree that they will hea $ by means of foods.’’ Jections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 153-54) Winnie Pringle Hillsborough, North Carolina

To the Editor:

I would like to invite every Baha’i to listen to the tape, ‘‘Glenford Mitchell’s Farewell Address.’”

With love, compassion and concern, he gently reminds us of our position in the world, and even more gently chides us for our occasional smugness and arrogance.

To whet the appetites of those who haven’t heard the tape, here are two brief excerpts:

‘‘We must be careful. We must be careful about adopting the very practices that our religion came to eliminate. We are a civil force. We are the nucleus of a civilization, but we are not—we don’t know everything, and we don’t have the complete plan of God in our hands either. Remember this. Part of the plan has been given to us, and we are conscious of the part we have. But there’s a larger plan that involves everybody, Baha’i or non-Baha’i. So we are not the only ones working exclusively on the business of redeeming mankind.”

And again, ‘We have to be sure, friends, that we don’t think that we are the only ones on the

job. We have a conscious part of the plan—that is our blessingthat we know the source of all this. We don’t have the whole ball of wax! So that ought to help us not to be too smug or be too arrogant about things, and to put our thinking and our attitudes into proper balance.”

I believe that the fact that we are only a part of God’s plan for mankind should help us to re-evaluate ourselves as individuals.

Are we separating ourselves from the rest of the world instead of involving ourselves as we have been admonished to do?

We are at the beginning of a 500,000-year-long experience, and it must be remembered that Baha u'llah’s Spirit touches and in fluences not only Baha’is but non Baha’is as well in order for God’s plan to be carried out.

Marian Hurt

Wichita Falls, Texas

To the Editor:

I would like to share some of my thoughts about giving to the Fund.

If we are to be as fountains for the Cause, we are told that we must give freely while trusting God to renew our resources.

BUT in order to give freely we should also be willing to receive freely.

If the water entering the fountain is shut off, the fountain soon stops flowing.

Yet many people, including Baha’is, turn off the input while promoting giving.

Often, we willingly give our time, energy and money for the Cause and for others, but when we are given an opportunity to receive a gift or increase we turn it away or disparage it.

If we are given a sincere compli See LETTERS Page 28

Represnatatives:sof MGR al Assembly of Texarkana, Texas, recently discussed the h and the situation of Baha’is in Iran with Mayor Durwood Swanger of Texarkana. Shown (left to right) are Mrs. Dorothy Cook, a Baha'i

from Atlanta, Texas; Esfandiar Se a member of the

Sever Swanger; and Fuad Akhtar-Khavari, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Texarkana.

[Page 4]

The American Baha’i

4

Cbs

a ion

ders

wea p. HOWARD COLBY IVES

“He looked at me! It seemed as though never before had anyone seen me.””

With these words, Howard Colby Ives, a Unitarian minister from New Jersey, described his first meeting with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

IT HAPPENED in 1912, in a reception room at the Ansonia Hotel in New York City where the Master motioned to Mr. Ives from across a crowded room.

“He beckoned, and such understanding love enveloped me,”’ Mr. Ives recalled in his autobiographical book Portals to Freedom, “that even at that distance and with a heart still cold, a thrill ran through me as if a breeze from a divine morning had touched my brow!””

Howard Colby Ives, born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1867, described his 46 years prior to that meeting with the Master as comparable to the experiences of a 10-year-old child.

As a teen-ager plagued by lung problems, he spent many months on a Wyoming ranch writing poetry while he tended sheep.

In 1905 he was graduated from a Unitarian theological school in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Before moving to New Jersey he served parishes in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

IN ADDITION to his parish work in Summit, New Jersey, he began a “‘Brotherhood Church’”’ that was not affiliated with his regular denominational church work and offered no pay.

It was through an associate in this group of “brothers of the spirit”? that Mr. Ives learned of the Faith and attended his first Baha’i meeting.

After his meeting with ‘Abdu’ lBaha in 1912, he soon gave up his denominational work to become “a minister of the Temple of the Kingdom,”’ a term that the Master

See IVES Page 12

House gives guidance on attitude to persecution

Continued From Page 1

America dated September 21, 1957 (Citadel of Faith, pages 151-58).

While the House of Justice does not now have the impression that the American believers as a whole are depressed, it feels it might be helpful to all concerned to make the following comments on the basis of that assumption, as conveyed in the correspondence received.

THE AMERICAN Baha’i community has for many years been in the forefront of defending the weak and oppressed. Its distinction in this respect won the repeated praise of the beloved Guardian, as, for example, ‘‘The Advent of Divine Justice,” his celebrated letter of December 25, 1938, affirms.

Against an enumeration of afflictions that at that time threatened to force the majority of the existing Baha’i communities into the shadows of retreat, he described the Baha’i community in North America as the ‘‘one chief remaining citadel, the mighty arm which still raises aloft the standard of an unconquerable faith.””

The many instances during subsequent years in which that community came to the aid of other defenseless communities are a testimony to the effectiveness of American responses in times of need and trouble.

But the situation in the world and in the Baha’i community has changed. Consequently, the accustomed reactions to American interventions have also changed.

While this change does not nullify the pre-eminent réle destined for America in the eventual efflorescence of Baha’u’llah’s system in the world, it does require the American believers to obtain a deeper understanding of their situation in relation to the changed circumstances.

THE FRIENDS’ response to the Iranian situation should neither be solely pragmatic nor solely spiritual, but a combination of both; moreover, it must not only meet the test of the immediate crisis, it must also match the challenge of the historic moment. In both these respects a fair appraisal of the results thus far should steel their resolve, not induce depression.

Even though when viewed from the truculent reactions of the powers in Iran, the petitions and protests of the American community in particular, and Baha’i communities in general, appear to have been ineffective in stemming the persecutions of our brethren, there is strong reason to believ: that had the Baha’is around the world not taken these actions, the plight of the Iranian friends would be far more tragic.

And while there is a vast array of direct actions that could be, or could have been, contemplated, not every proposed action is fit ting or timely. Actions perceived to be appropriate within the framework of American society can be counter-productive when viewed in the broader framework of a world community.

The Baha’i world, in its complex diversity, has been guided to act according to the assessment by the House of Justice of the immediate circumstances and the resources at hand, and in consideration of the opinions and judgments of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, which until its recent disbanding, functioned with heroic verve in defending the rights of those under its charge.

Since the Baha’i community must operate as a cohesive entity, it is not conducive to its success for any single unit of that worldembracing organism to go off at a tangent in its reactions to the situation, as well-intentioned as that unit might be.

THE HOUSE of Justice suggests that the American friends look at the great contrast between the relatively low profile the Faith kept before the crisis and the obvious prominence it has achieved since then; that they consider the remarkable impression that the national Baha’i communities throughout the world have made upon their national governments and international organizations; that they contemplate the extraordinary breakthroughs for the Faith in the media of the world compared to the media’s reticence toward the Cause a few years ago; and finally, that they think of the implications of all these new advantages for teaching work and determine dispassionately whether, in fact, the opportunities for the progress of the Faith are greater or lesser than before.

There is no gainsaying the insight set. forth in the Teachings that opposition to the Faith creates opportunities for its progress. By their radiant submission to this insight, the Iranian Baha’is have surely demonstrated their conviction as to its potency.

Motivated by their understanding of it, a number of Baha’i communities in different parts of the world have engaged in activities that are producing concrete results in the expansion and consolidation of the Faith.

For the American believers to give true expression to the anguish they feel over the persecution of their brethren, they too must capture the value of this insight and act upol

The vision, the admonitions, the encouragement which ‘‘The Advent of Divine Justice’’ conveyed so many years ago, and which the Guardian elaborated in so many of his subsequent messages, are as appropriate, perhaps even more so, to the current situation as when they were first given.

THE RESPONSES he attempted long ago to evoke are no less

desirable and necessary now; a deeper spiritual awareness, a deeper spiritual maturity are call- | ed for if the American iris ac]

must pursue successfully its de: tined course.

It should not be forgotten that the beloved Master promised, as the Guardian recalled in his early letters to America, to send intellectual, rather than physical, tests to the friends there in order to purify and better prepare them for their divinely appointed destiny.

Nor should the prerequisites of success the Guardian outlined for the American Baha’i community be overlooked. It is in the framework of these prerequisites that the success or failure of the American community must ultimately be measured, not from the standpoint of any frustration in effecting a desired change in the Iranian situation, which, despite its admitted distress for the community, has done more to proclaim the Cause abroad than any other experience in this century.

In a society whose people are as protestant and demonstrative as the Americans, such public displays and symbolic gestures as street demonstrations and the wearing of arm bands and ribbons may have a certain appeal to public attention and may even prove to be effective in the proper context and under the proper circumstances. But the evocative power of such activities is difficult to sustain over a long period.

Particularly is this so in your country where the public demonstrations of a myriad groups constantly compete for attention. The House of Justice feels that while these ephemeral activities might relieve the immediate anxieties of some of the friends, they would have no measurable effect on the course of events in Iran.

OUR HUMAN resources are so limited, they must be devoted to the most effective means of re-. sponding to the situation. Of infinitely more value are actions that! reflect the spiritual profundity underlying these persecutions and that match the dignity, radiance and optimism for the Faith of the valorous victims, who, as their published testimonies show, are quite clear about the reasons for their suffering and dying.

Moreover, in the long view, it would not serve the best interests of the Faith for its members, at the very time of their emergence from obscurity, to impress themselves upon the consciousness of the public as a community identified with such symbols as arm bands and ribbons.

An important point to bear in mind is that our activities in defense of the Iranian believers must be supported by those toward the accomplishment of our stated goals.

Preoccupation with the Iranian crisis, at the expense of neglecting

| achieving the very success nec the Seven Year Plan, would divert the Baha’i world community from

essary to the strengthening of the Faith and the confounding of its enemies. Such a neglect would be unworthy of the sufferings of the Iranian friends.

Indeed, the ideal being constantly pursued is to defend them vigorously, while, at the same time, exploiting the opportunities created by their sacrifices to promote the Cause of God.

THE unprecedented publicity occasioned by the unremitting appeals to governments and international bodies, the increased contacts with leaders of thought, and, above all, the redoubling of teaching activities and the deeper consolidation of the Baha’i community, as called for by the House of Justice, are ultimately the best means of defending and securing the relief of the beleaguered Iranian community; besides, by these means will the world community of Baha’is be better prepared to meet the inevitable opposition yet to come élsewhere.

It is the fervent prayer of the House of Justice that the American friends will be sustained by the same unconquerable spirit that fortifies the resolute faith of their brothers and sisters in Iran, that they will be refreshed from the same fountain of hope inspired by Baha’u’llah’s incontrovertible assurance to the loved ones of God in that land, whom He exhorts “to patience, to acquiescence, and to tranquillity,”” and addresses in these consoling words: .

“Whatever hath befallen you, hath been for the sake of God. This is the truth, and in this there is no doubt. You should, therefore, leave all your affairs in His hands, place your trust in Him, and rely upon Him. He will assuredly not forsake you. In this, likewise, there is no doubt. No father will surrender his sons to devouring beasts; no shepherd will leave his flock to ravening wolves. He will most certainly do his utmost to protect his own.

“Tf, however, for a few days, in compliance with God’s all-encompassing wisdom, outward affairs should run their course contrary to one’s cherished desire, this is of no consequence and should not matter. Our intent is that all the Sriends should fix their gaze on the Supreme Horizon, and cling to that which hath been revealed in the Tablets.””

With loving Baha’i greetings,

Universal House of Justice Department of the Secretariat L December 7, 1983

Counsellors named A

On December 6, the Universal House of Justice announced the appointment of two new Counsellors: Mr. Wingi Mabuku_ in Africa, and Mrs. Isabel P. de Calderén in the Americas.

ce

[Page 5]SS THE FUNDS 5

February 1984

N.E. Georgia, Navajo-Hopi win 1st ‘VIE’ honors

What can “‘vie”’ have to do with the National Fund? Easy! Our contributions to the National Fund are Voluntary, Individual, and Every month.

As our beloved Hand of the Cause of God William Sears reminded us at last year’s National Convention, it was Bahd’u’ll4h Himself Who exhorted the Baha’is: ‘Vie ye with each other in the service of God and His Cause. This is indeed what profiteth you in this world, and in that which is to come ...””

ALTHOUGH Mr. Sears came up with many meanings for the letters in ‘‘vie,’’ we also see in them this message about giving to the National Fund: voluntary, individual and every month!

“‘Vying”’ with one another in giving to the Fund is a new idea for our national community, and

an activity that we should be able to have fun with.

“Vie” is the best kind of competition, because everyone winsthose who support the National Fund win, some Districts will win, and, best of all, the National Fund wins through your increased support.

issue of The it was announced that participation statistics by district are now available to the Treasurer’s Office. Those statistics will now be used to help with this friendly ‘‘competition.’’

Here’s how “‘vie’” will work:

Each month, the Treasurer’s Office receives a computer printout of individual participation and membership figures by district.

FROM that data, a report will

be compiled that shows each district’s National Fund participation percentage.

Each issue of The American Baha’i will provide an update in two areas—how your district is doing compared to every other district, and how your: district is doing compared to itself.

To get each district started on an “equal footing,” we’ve averaged participation statistics for three months (Kamal, Asma and Izzat—August | through September 6, 1983).

That figure represents your district’s ‘‘starting point.”” You’ll be trying to raise your percentage of participation from that figure.

In ‘‘Vie’? Chart No. 1 you will see the information described above, plus your district’s participation percentage for the most

recent Baha’i month (Qawl, ending December 11, 1983).

IN ‘Vie’? Chart No. 2 you’ll find the ‘‘Winners’ Circle’’ in the “race’’ for universal participation. The top 19 districts in two categories will be shown:

1. Highest percentage of participation (each district ‘‘vies’’ with every other district).

2. Most improved (the districts

» having the largest increase in participation from the beginning of the “‘race.’’ Each district ‘‘vies’’ with itself.)

The ‘‘rules”’ of the “‘race”” are easy. To “‘vie,”” you need only remember to give Voluntarily to the National Fund, as an Individual, Every Baha’i month.

You can help your local treasurer to remind everyone to give to the National Fund each month; you can encourage your Bahá’í

family members to give; you can tion and beyond! ‘ 3 VIE’ Chart No. 1 Contributions to the National Baha’i Fund by District irae oer aye neT Most recent month District Name Membership 3-month avg. awl) (12/9/83) No. % No. Alabama S/Florida NW 349 10.7 3.0 uw 3.2 Alabama N 307 21 6.8 4 18 Arizona N 941 51 5.4 46 48 Arizona S 410 21 5.1 25 6.0 Arkansas 476 24 5.0 38 8.0 cari fe No. 1 2,722 1907.0 258 9.4 e 9 ifornia C No. 2 445 40 9.0 52 11.0 California N No. 1 585 70 12.0 90 15.4 Wi n ners California N No. 2 389 41 10.5 50 12.8 = California S No. 1 2,709 180 6.6 237 8.7 California S No. 2 1,158 112 9.7 145 12.5 Circle California S No. 3 441 42 9.5 47 10.7 California S No. 4 981 82 84 108 11.0 Colorado NE 483 61 12.6° 70 14.5 Colorado SE 181 15 8.3 24 13.2 Colorado W 195 23 118 32 16.4 Connecticut 471 37 12.1 7 16.3 DelMarVa 292 15 SA 17 5.8 Florida C 382 19 5.0 28 13 Florida N 284 19 6.7 2 17 Florida SE 1,113 $4 4.9 1 7.0 Florida SW 495 4B 8.7 63 12.7 Georgia NE 339 48 14.2 93 27.4 Georgia NW 876 17 1925 2.9 Georgia S 1,158 8 69 10 86 Idaho N/Washington E 473 63 13.3 81 1 Idaho S 183 21 11.5 20 10.9 Ilinois N No. 1 596 52 8.7 15 12.6 Illinois N No. 2 1,148 143 12.5 221 19.3 Highest Percentage Todinna sa sae % hay sara t of Fartelpation Most Improved Participation rs a a4 ae ie Reg 1. Georgia, Northeastern 1. Navajo/Hopi Ranioe 340 35 103 52 183 2. Minnesota, Northern 2. New Mexico S/Texas W Kentucky 231 25 10.8 38 16.5 zt ae N/Peninsular 3. Georgia, Northeastern eccriaiayiar tN 84 11 13.1 18 21.0 Meh ir 4. South Carolina, Eastern No. 2 Louisiana S 536 21 3.9 34 63 aed 5. Oregon, Eastern Maine 216 26 12.0 36 16.7 5. Tennessee, Eastern 6. Texas, Eastern No. 2 Maryland W/D.C. 752 rt) 10.5 96 12.8 6. Wisconsin, Southern 7. Minnesota, Northern Massachusetts * 946 103 10.9 148 15.6 7. Minnesota, Southern 8. Texas, Central No. 1 Michigan Mainland 1,171 126 10.8 138 11.8 8. Louisiana, Northern 9. West Virginia Minnesota N 166 26 13.7 44 26.5 9. Vermont 10. Tennessee, Eastern Minnesota S 434 719 18.2 92 21,2 10. Pennsylvania, Western 11. North Dakota Mississippi 415 18 43 24 5.8 11. Illinois, Northern No. 2 12. Louisiana, Southern Missouri 657 1s 11.4 80 12.2 12. Pennsylvania, Eastern 13. Texas, Northern Montana 347 36 10.4 42 12.1 13. North Carolina, Western 14, Louisiana, Northern Navajo/Hopi 370 9 2.4 2 6.0 14. New Hampshire 1$:Avkénsas'? Nebuasks 307 45 14.7 49 16.0 15. Idaho N/Washington E 16. Colorado, Southeastern levada N 165 14 8.5 20 12.1 16. Maine 17. Tennessee, Western Nevada S 150 16 10.7 24 16.0 17. Kentucky 18. Iowa New Hampshire 339 44° 13.0 61 18.0 18, Colorado; Western, 7 Nie e; ee —~%_____13.9,_} 19° “(tie) Connecticut and Ohio, 1 “mont See VIE CHART Page 26 Northern

{ep ne RRS SSS SSS TO ri RS AS SEES RP II)

challenge other individuals or communities within your district to raise their participation. And then, watch to see your district’s name in the “‘Winners’ Circle.

The best way to make sure you are counted is to send a contribution to the National Fund yourself.

If you ask your local treasurer to forward a contribution, or earmark a contribution to the National Fund, please be sure to give the treasurer your full name and Baha’i I.D. number.

Don’t be discouraged if your district is presently at .05 per cent—shoot for 1 per cent, then 10 per cent, 20 per cent, etc.

We can all watch with excitement to see what happens to the National Fund and to the Faith as the entire community ‘‘vies’’ its way toward 50 per cent participa

[Page 6]

IGC: PIONEERING

6

The American Baha'i

UNITED STATES GOALS TO BE FILLED BY RIDVAN ALL ENGLISH-SPEAKING

Barbados (2). A goal just assigned to the United States. Dominica (2). Reopened goal because two pioneers left.

Truk (2). A goal assigned to the U.S, in September 1983 with the request that it be filled immediately. Marshall Islands (1). Reopened goal. The community is in dire need of help.

Denmark (3). Reopened goal; the only country that is totally not

Duffy Sheridan and his wife, Jeanne, are shown with some of Mr. Sheridan’s paintings of Falkland Islanders which were displayed November 6-18 at the Ba Pioneer Duffy Sheridan’s art works displayed

Works of art by Duffy Sheridan, a Bahá’í from Alameda, California, who pioneered with his family for seven years in the Falkland Islands, were displayed November 6-18 at the Baha’i Center in San Francisco.

MORE than 350 guests viewed the exhibit during the 13-day period.

The weekly magazine California Living did a pictorial feature on Mr. Sheridan, and he was interviewed by KRON-TV.

The artist and his family are presently touring the U.S. with his paintings.

One of the most popular and talked-about works at the exhibit was Mr. Sheridan’s stunning portrait of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

His other works focus on the rugged and self-reliant people of the Falklands, everyone from sheep-shearers to sea captains,

The portraits were displayed on

Pioneer Training Institute Schedule: 1984-85

1984

March 22-25, Wilmette

May 24-27, Wilmette

July 26-29, Wilmette

September 27-30, Wilmette

November 15-18, Wilmette

1985

January 10-13, Bosch Baha’i School

March 28-31, Wilmette

ha’i Center in San Francisco, California. The portrait to their right, of darts champion and cemetery caretaker Angus Jaffray,

was purchased on the opening day

portable wooden stands _positioned so as to create corridors within the Center’s auditorium.

Sofas and chairs were placed to allow visitors to sit comfortably and view the paintings for as long as they wished.

of the exhibit by a non-Baha’i, Miss Mae Sexauer, who then donated the work to the San Francisco Baha’i Center.

The environment was further enhanced by the soft harpsichord music of Glenna Rodgers, a Baha’i from Albany, California.

Tea, coffee, cakes and cookies were offered to all the guests.

English-speaking. However, most people there speak English.

Goals Committee can help overcome ‘ifs’ in pioneering

The International Goals Committee receives 50 to 100 volunteer offers for pioneering each month.

Many people, then, take that first step. It is a tentative reaching out, most often filled with fear and trepidation.

a degree, if I had some savings, if I weren’t so scared, if our Assembly were not in jeopardy.

The biggest ‘‘if’’ often is “‘if you (the Goals Committee) can find me a job, I’ll be glad to go pioneering.”’

These fears are normal. If it weren’t for the fact that we have fears, we would not need courage, just as we need the night to appreciate the day.

Our Teachings say, ‘‘The beginning of courage is the promotion of the word of God.”’ The ‘‘ifs’” all have their basis in reality and

In Grenada,

The name Grenada was on the lips and in the prayers of many people during the military, invasion there in October 1983. Many Baha’is asked whether the pioneers and others in the Baha’i community were safe. Here, in an article written by Jon Bruss, a pioneer from the U.S., insight is given into recent events. One can readily perceive the Hand of God active in the entire episode, especially when one realizes that a new National Spiritual Assembly will be formed on Grenada at Ridvan 1984,

. Grenada: A Baha’i Perspective By JON BRUSS

It was October, but the chill autumn winds were not blowing here, for this was Grenada, jewel of the Caribbean, basking continually in the warm, tropical sun

We Baha’is were busy planning and carrying out our activities in the hope that our small community would be sufficiently pre

Committee has Manual for Pioneers

The International Goals Committee is now the only supplier in the United States of the invaluable guide, A Manual for Pioneers, by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum. The Baha’i Publishing Trust no longer stocks this book, which is indispensable in preparing to pioneer.

To obtain a copy, please send $5.25 (which includes book rate postage) to the International Goals Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

pioneers carry on work

pared by next Ridvan to form the first National Spiritual Assembly of Grenada.

LITTLE did any of us suspect that the events of the coming weeks would affect not only our individual lives, but those of people throughout the world.

These events were far more than a struggle between opposing forces for control of a strategic location. They were part of a process that was meant to spiritually purify this small island nation so that it would be able to achieve its ultimate and glorious destiny.

These events also were leading the world one step closer to that hoped-for Lesser Peace, and ultimately, to the Most Great Peace.

Being present during the crisis, witnessing the confirmations from the Abha Kingdom that seemed to blossom directly out of the confusion to help us in the work of the Cause, was, and still is, such an exhilarating experience that one cannot but thank God for it.

In the past year our community had been continuously strengthened and growing. Slowly but surely, we were gaining confidence that Baha’u’llah was guiding us in undertaking the tremendous responsibility of laying the foundation for our future National Spiritual Assembly.

ALTHOUGH

we sometimes

reasons for certain happenings, the wisdom behind them later became apparent.

One such event was the loss of a dear pioneer family, forced to leave unexpectedly only a month before the turmoil began.

A member of that family had been suffering from severe, recurring nightmares as a result of his experiences in Vietnam. Although the nightmares were serious, we could not understand why this family had to leave; yet it became apparent later that God was protecting His most loved servants from the coming danger.

Another event that now seems miraculous was the purchase of our future national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.

For many months the Baha’is of Grenada had been stalled in their endeavors to purchase a desirable building. Nothing was moving forward. Even with the appointment by the National Spiritual Assembly of a new Property Management Committee, progress was essentially nonexistent.

THEN, like a bolt of lightning,‘ events began occurring spontaneously.

A house was found, and plans

were made to call the owners who were in Canada. But before we

should be dealt with, because they are in the way of achieving your hopes and dreams.

Perhaps you should replace the word “‘if?? with ‘‘when.’’ Say to yourself, “I will go pioneering when ...””

That is, when the louse sells. Or when I get my degree. Or when Ihave saved $5,000.

ACCEPT the responsibility for the obstacles in your way, set goals and a target date, and work toward them.

The International Goals Committee has trained consultants who are ready and willing to talk with you about your hopes and dreams of pioneering as well as all the obstacles that stand in your way.

It has information about jobs and countries, and can help you find your way through the maze toward your cherished desire.

Make your application for pioneering now. And most of all, persevere with that audacity and tenacity, that consecration and devotion so lauded by our beloved Guardian.

Are you a pioneer?

What are the essential qualities of a pioneer? On page 7 of The Advent of Divine Justice, Shoghi Effendi writes:

““.. the essential qualities of audacity, of consecration, of tenacity, of self-renunciation, and unstinted devotion... have prompted them to abandon their homes, and forsake their all, and scatter over the surface of the globe, and hoist in its uttermost corners the triumphant banner of Baha’u’llah ...”’

Webster defines audacity as “intrepid boldness,”? that is, boldness characterized by ‘‘resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance.’”

The dictionary also defines consecration as the quality of being able to ‘‘make or declare sacred.”” By living the life of a pioneer, we make our lives sacred.

Tenacity is the quality of ‘‘tending to adhere or cling.’’ Adhering to the laws and ordinances of the Faith, ‘‘clinging to the hem ...””

Self-renunciation means ‘‘renunciation of one’s thoughts, wishes or feelings,” which, with unstinted devotion, enables one to devote himself “‘without restraints or limits’? to the work of the

did not understand fully the See GRENADA Page 22. Fi

[Page 7]

YOUTH NEWS

February 1984

7

UN Year for Youth in ’85 offers many fine opportunities

Among the exciting programs anticipated for the not-too-distant future for Baha’i youth is the celebration in 1985 of the International Year of Youth.

THE UNITED Nations has des A ignated 1985 for a year-long ob reves ce youth under the triple theme of ‘Participation, Dev opment and Peace. y Pevsh

he National Youth Committee is heavily involved in the early planning of this commemorative year and has appointed a task force of youth to research program possibilities for Baha’i participation at the local, national and international levels.

The final outline of the program is expected to be announced at the 75th Bahá’í National Convention to be held in April in Chicago.

“This represents a special opportunity for Baha’i youth,”’ says Gilbert Smith, chairman of the National Youth Committee.

“*We’re hoping that the youth will take every advantage of this significant teaching and proclamation event in 1985. Our partici pation also will serve to underscore our fine relationship with the United Nations.””

More information on the International Year of Youth will be forthcoming along with details of the Continental Youth Conference to be held during the summer of 1985 in observance of IYY.

Keep reading the ‘Youth Hotline’”’ and the youth page in The American Bahá’í for program information.

On August 28, 10 members of the Bahá’í Youth Club in Asheville/Buncombe County, North Carolina, participated with several adults in a 10-mile long ‘hike-athon’ through the Mount Pisgah Forest that raised $510 for the National Baha’i Fund. Each participant donated 10 cents 2 mile (or more, if desired) to the Fund. Pic

Enrollments: Last hurdle in National Youth Plan

As the American Baha’i community approaches the closing weeks of the three-year second phase of the Seven Year Plan, careful thought should be given to the goals that remain to be won.

The National Youth Plan has several numerical objectives, and the National Youth Committee is pleased to report that almost all of these goals will be readily won before the April 21 deadline.

THE LAST hurdle of the Na tional Youth Plan is that of enrollments. It is time for all Baha’i youth to direct their attention to this most urgent matter.

If we are to overcome this hurdle, we must seriously and carefully consider our individual responsibilities to teach the Faith to our peers.

Some of the ways in which we can apply ourselves to this allimportant task are:

The dates have been set ... the facilities secured ... the program outlined! The youth of the United States are now cordially invited to participate in the first International Youth Conference hosted by the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada.

The-conference will be held August 24-28, 1984, at the University of Western Ontario, London.

It is open to all Baha’ youth ages 14-24 inclusive.

The National Youth Committee hopes the U.S. national community will be strongly represented, and urges everyone to start making plans“how to attend.

A highlight of the conference will be the presence of the Hand

of the Cause of God ‘Ali-Akbar Furttan.

Early conference information can be obtained by writing to the 1984 International Conference Committee, c/o Jim Heidema, general coordinator,

Ontario Canada L3T 2Al.

Volunteers over age 24 are also needed and should contact the conference committee at the above address to sign up.

Because attendance will be limited to 2,500 youth, early registration is a must. Additional conference information will be appearing each month in The American Baha’i and the “Youth Hotline.”

jects in our districts;

giving our seeker-friends a

chance to become Baha’is by inviting them to firesides and explaining the process of enrollment to them;

hosting youth firesides;

encouraging youth who have

not yet officially enrolled and who are above the age of 15 to make their personal commitment to the Cause of God;

The Universal House of Justice, in its message of October 20, 1983, regarding the role of service, wrote, ‘Ultimately, the call to ac “not

THE LAST HURDLE

tion is addressed to the individual friends ...””

All of our planning and consulting and organizing will come to naught if the individual Baha’i fails to do his or her part.

The National Youth Plan does belong to committees or it belongs to every youth in “Please

clubs: our national community. God, ye may achieve it!

Black History Month perfect occasion to emphasize unity, oneness of mankind

February is Black History Month, and if YOUth haven’t already set your teaching plans in motion, NOW is the time!

BLACK History Month is the perfect time to emphasize the oneness of mankind, unity with diversity, and the destiny of the United

Youth Committees vital to teach

District Youth Committees are playing a vital role in coordinating and planning teaching projects and social activities for youth throughout the country.

In conjunction with college clubs, local and high school clubs, District Youth Committees form

tured here are Baha’i youth (standing left to right) Jerry Mclendon, Marzi Schwandes, Peyam Barghassa, Ronda Mclendon, and (kneeling left to right) Mara MeTendon, Shirin Schwandes, Mo;

deh Barghassa. Also participating were Elizabeth Dobbs, Tara Edmondston, and Blake Kimbrough.

part of a growing Youth Network that is becoming an increasingly valuable resource for teaching activities nationwide.

PRESENTLY, there are more than 70 District Youth Committees, but another 23 districts still do not have one.

Great work is being done by these committees. In many areas they are working to establish cooperation between youth and adults in all phases of Baha’i life.

In Oregon, youth and adults working together are sparking one of the most successful teaching efforts in the country.

In Southern California District No. 1, the Youth Committee has begun a campaign called ‘‘adYOU” (pronounced aid-you) in which adults are being asked to provide transportation, meeting space, and other support—moral and financial—to a growing seriés of youth firesides and other teaching projects. They report a remarkable response to the campaign by adults and youth alike.

In many places, District Youth Committees are producing their own newsletters (Pennsylvania, Oregon, Louisiana, for example) and planning local and even regional conferences, thereby gaining valuable organizational and consultative skills that will serve them well as adults.

FUND-raisers (dance-a-thons, read-a-thons, car washes), social activities (cook-outs, parties, dances), and service projects

ing, planning round out the full range of activities planned and coordinated by these youth.

But this doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen by itself. Each District Youth Committee needs an Assembly or District Teaching Committee as sponsor, supportive adults, and enthusiastic youth to man it.

Here is a list of those districts that do not yet have a District Youth Committee:

Arizona, Southern; Colorado, Northern; Colorado, Southern; DelMarVa; Florida, Central; Georgia, Northeast; Louisiana, Northern; Maine.

Michigan, Peninsular; .Montana; Nevada, Northern; Nevada, Southern; North Carolina, Central; North Carolina, Eastern; Pennsylvania, Western.

Rhode Island; South Carolina, Eastern No. 2; South Carolina,

Western; Tennessee, Western; Texas, Central No. 2. Texas, Southern; Wisconsin,

Northern; Wyoming.

If you are an Assembly member or can help an Assembly, or if you are a youth who would like to form a Youth Committee in your district, contact the National Youth Committee office (200 S.W. 20th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315) and the necessary information will be sent to help guide you.

Let’s have a District Youth Committee in. every district in the nation!

States in helping to bring peace to the world through the resolution of the ‘most challenging issue’’the elimination of racial prejudice.

What have other youth done to proclaim the Faith during this month?

1. Sponsored a talk on ‘‘Racial Prejudice: The Poison of America.””

2. Planned a Race Unity dance —the admission to which was to bring a person of a different race.

3. Donated a copy of the book To Move the World to the local library (with much fanfare, of course).

Some other teaching ideas you might consider:

1. Form a friendship team composed of various races and go out and teach together.

2. Write a paper on ‘‘The Oneness of Mankind’’ or a similar topic and present it to your class,

3. Join your school’s speech team and present a talk on how the elimination of prejudice can help bring about peace on earth.

4. Sponsor a quiz show during morning announcements at your school. Give clues to the identity of famous blacks in history with prizes for the winners.

5. Write an editorial on racial unity for your local or school paper.

6. Attend and support the programs in your area sponsored by black clubs and organizations.

What other ideas do you have on how Baha’is can help celebrate Black History Month? Go to it!

The Bedrock of all other Institutions

National Baha’ Fund Wilmette, IL, 60091

"ummm mer SR RE RSE EES ET ES TT HAT

[Page 8]EDUCATION

sembly Development Program

Baha'i Schools

Brilliant Star (Child's Way) Magazine
Local Education Adviser Program

Personal Transformation Program

The American Baha’i

Commentary Children should be integral part of Feast

Attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast helps children to learn what it means to be a member of the local Bahd’{ community—an important part of their Baha’ identity and their Baha’i education.

IN LETTERS to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, the Universal House of Justice wrote:

“Since children of Baha’i parents are considered to be Baha’is, they are to be encouraged to attend all Feasts, there to share the reading of the Writings and prayers and be bathed in the spirit of the community.”” (June 28, 1977)

And again, on October 14, 1982: “Attendance (by children) at the whole of the adult celebration ... becomes a sign of growing maturity and distinction to be earned by good behavior.’’

Many communities are experiencing difficulties with the integration of children into the Feast experience. Adults who are not parents may resent distracting behavior of children at Feast, while parents may feel the lack of support and understanding by others in the community.

Children, responding to these ambivalent attitudes, may not want to attend the Feast, and when they do, they sometimes misbehave.

An extended-family atmosphere at the Feast provides a climate of cooperation that can reduce the incidence of misbehavior by children.

In this atmosphere parents will see as helpful the well-meaning disciplining of their children by other adults, and non-parents will be sensitive to the special needs of children and to the difficulties parents face. Patience and tact by parents and non-parents alike are needed in this mutually-supportive alliance.

IF PARENTS and other adults in the community give the children clear guidance about standards of behavior at Feast, and if that behavior is modeled by the adults themselves, it will contribute greatly to good behavior by children, If a child is disruptive, the Universal House of Justice said in its letter of October 14, 1982, he should immediately be removed from the group by his parents.

The presence of the children should be considered when making plans for Feast. Such preparation and forethought can result in better organized agendas so that the Feast is a more uplifting and enjoyable experience for everyone.

The streamlining of the Feast agenda, which takes into account the more limited attention span of children, will result in eliminating the extraneous, the unnecessary. Didn’t ‘Abdu’l-Bahá say that He never liked to give a talk that lasted more than 20 minutes because He didn’t want to overburden His listeners?

The presence of children in the community can spur adult planners to better organize the Feast program.

During consultation at Feast, if there are a few children present, quiet manipulative materials can be made available in the room so that very young children can be occupied and yet hear what the adults are saying and feel a part of the Feast environment.

Older children can work quietly on individually-assigned Baha’i lessons or projects (which might be shared with the adults during the social portion).

In larger communities where it is inadvisable to keep the children with the adults for part or all of the consultation, planned educational activities can be provided for them in a separate room, or they might, with suitable adult supervision, have their own Feast consultation. Each community will make its own special adaptation to meet the needs of all of its members.

A workshop entitled ‘‘Politeness and Manners: Children and the Nineteen Day Feast’’ is available for use by local communities to develop a behavior standard for children at the Feast. The workshop materials affirm the Local Spiritual Assembly as the point of unity in a community for setting and implementing standards of behavior.

These materials are available by writing to the National Education Committee (a listing appears elsewhere on this page).

In its Five Year Plan message to the Baha’i world, the Universal House of Justice stated that the Local Assembly is ‘‘concerned with individuals and families whom it must constantly encourage to unite in a distinctive Baha’i society, vitalized and guarded by the laws, ordinances and principles of Baha’u’llah’s Revelation. It protects the Cause of God; it acts as the loving shepherd of the Baha’i flock.’”

As more and more families enter the community of the Greatest Name, they will look increasingly toward the local Baha’i community as a hayen in a fragmented and disillusioned society.

2 fund-raisers net $474 for Temple restoration

Workshop, guide for children at Feast

A workshop, ‘‘Politeness and Manners: Children and the Nineteen Day Feast,’’ has been prepared by the National Education Committee for use by local communities. It is designed to help Spiritual Assemblies set standards of behavior for children at the Feast. It includes:

Convenor guidelines, agenda, and workshop

handouts.

Letters on the topic from the Universal House

of Justice.

A cassette tape prepared by the National Education Committee.

¢ A Feast questionnaire that can be used to obtain feedback from parents, youth and children about how local Nineteen Day Feasts are perceived.

Workshop materials cost $5 and can be obtained by writing to the National Education Com mittee, Bahd’{ National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. Checks should be made payable to “‘Baha’i Services Fund’”’ and earmarked ‘‘Politeness and Manners.””

A Children’s Activities Guide for Baha’i Feasts—19 Feast lessons—is presently being developed. The friends will be informed as soon as this material becomes available.

“The instruction of these children is even as the work of a loving gardener who tendeth his young plants in the flowering fields of the All-Glorious. There is no doubt that it will yield the desired results; especially is this true of instruction as to Bahá’í obligations and Bahá’í conduct, for the little children must needs be made aware in their very heart and soul that ‘Bahd’?’ is not just a name but a truth.”’—From Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

December issue of The American Baha’i.

main Baha’is.

Year A B

1975 1,000 1,000 2000 3,500 1,750 2025 8,500 2,500 2050 18,500 3,250 2075 37,000 3,250 2100 74,000 3,250 2125 148,000 3,250 2150 296,000 3,250 2175 592,000 3,250

Answers to last month’s math quiz

Here is the answer to the mathematical quiz presented in the

What’s the numerical increase? Column A: Of 1,000 children born to Baha’i parents in 1975, all remain Baha’is. At age 25, each marries someone who is not a Baha’i but each couple brings up its children as Baha’is. All couples have two children who remain Baha’is. Everyone lives to be older than 75 years. Column B: Same a Column A, except that only one-half of all children re (Number stabilizes; no numerical progession)

Green Acre conference for Spanish-speaking Bahda’is draws 45

About 45 Spanish-speaking Baha’is, adults and children, from more than 10 countries attended the Green Acre Bahá’í School’s third annual conference for Spanish-speaking Baha’ is held last October 22-23.

A HIGHLIGHT of the gathering was the reading of a letter from Counsellor Sarah Martin Pereira.

The friends were deeply touched to learn that Dr. Pereira attached such importance to this conference and had taken the time to write a letter of such seriousness especially for them.

After consultation on the letter, these major points of agreement

See GREEN ACRE Page 22

As a result of two recent fundraising events, the Baha’is of Nevada County, California, were able to raise $474 for the House of Worship restoration fund.

eve of November 12, was a supper honoring the anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.

A month later, the Spiritual Assembly of Grass Valley sponsored

Why not give Brilliant Star for Intercalary Days

Soon it will be Ayyam-i-Ha. These ‘‘intercalary days’’ between the 18th and 19th Baha’i months (that is, February 26 through March 1) are specially devoted to hospitality to friends, the giving of presents, ministering to the poor and’ sick, etc. (Baha’u’llah and the New Era, p. 188)

The editorial board of Brilliant Star magazine would like to suggest subscriptions to the magazine as presents.

What better way to offer a gift that keeps coming all year long (or even two!), provides spiritual deepening in the Faith, and helps support this important periodical of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Another idea the editorial board is especially excited about is the friends offering gift subscriptions to families who cannot afford it. And what better time of year to do that than Ayyam-i-Ha and Naw-Rúz!

Many children and adults have never seen Brilliant Star or received its exhilarating message in the mail every other month.

Wouldn’t it be lovely if all those families were privileged enough to receive subscriptions from friends

The first of these events, on the a hotcake breakfast and auction. who can afford : ¥

Recipients will be sent a gift card from Brilliant Star announcing your present—with or without your name, as you desire.

Send subscription requests to Brilliant Star, Suburban Office Park, 5010 Austin Road, Hixson, TN 37343.

The cost is $9 for a one-year subscription (in the U.S.), $17 for two years, Overseas subscriptions are $1! for one year ($15 air mail), $21 for two years ($28 air mail).

Thank you for your support, and for sharing Brilliant Star with a friend!

eek ne Brilliant Star

ean, A

yes...

to receive Brilliant Star, please enter my subscription for

one year $9.00 (six issues)

C. two years $17.00

C foreign, surface, one year $11.00 O foreign, surface, two years $21,00 OF foreign, air, one year $15.00

O foreign, air, two years $28.00 Please enclose payment in U.S, dollars

street

city state & zip ‘age of recipient _

Brilliant Star Subscriber Service Suburban Office Park 5010 Austin Rd.

send to:

Hixson, Tn, 37343

Enclosed is my gift of $____ to the Brilliant Star Endowment

Fund, established in honor of the Baha'i children of Iran, for the purpose of developing materials for children. [ understand that my gift will become part of a perpetual fund whose

[Page 9]5 GSR GI gi Se EN i i dea | EDUCATION

February 1984

9

Gregory Institute begins ‘Operation Catch-up’

The Louis G. Gregory Baha’i Institute in South Carolina has begun ‘‘Operation Catsup”’ (Catch-up), an educational tutorial and enrichment program for children and youth.

THE IDEA is to serve the general population of the area by providing basic skills, motivation, self-confidence, and a concept of developing divine attributes and promoting the oneness of mankind as expressed in the Baha’i Writings.

According to Dr. Alberta Deas, who is the administrator of the Gregory Institute and a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, the response of area communities to a survey of interests led to offering the first course in the program.

That course trains participants

of all ages in computer use and programming, using an easy, simplified method. There are separate classes for various age groups, but everyone is given thorough, hands-on experience in each session.

Dr. Ralph Scales, one of the course facilitators, emphasizes that the process is easy and fun.

“This is a course that can break down fears,” he says. “Some people think that machine (the computer) is smarter than it really is.’”

THERE is another aspect of the course that is equally important and that goes hand-in-hand with the computer classes.

Through training in interpersonal skills, participants learn to feel more positive about them

Some of the 40 children ato. participated from October to December in the first phase of ‘Operation Catsup,’ an educational enrichment program at the Louis

selves and about what they can expect out of life.

Students are also helped to identify career areas where the economy has a demand for employable skills.

For many youth especially, the combination can be a big boost in finding a job or moving up to a better one.

As for children, they receive an introduction to the increasingly important area of computer literacy. Along with this comes the stimulation to develop more positive feelings about themselves.

ADULTS also participate, either for the reasons already stated or to gain confidence as parents in helping their children with computers.

Dr. Scales, a recently enrolled Baha’i who earned his doctorate at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, donated his time to the first phase of the course.

He was helped by several area educators and others with computer training, most of whom are not Baha’is.

The computer and interpersonal skills program, the first element in “Operation Catsup,” ran from October through early December. Forty children and 20 adults participated.

Future courses in the program will focus on language arts, mathematics, arts and crafts, and other disciplines, as well as computers.

The program coordinator for future phases of the program is Jackie Wiggins.

Gregory Institute in South Carolina, are shown at the keyboard as they learned some of the elements of computer use and programming.

Joseph Woodbury, a school teacher from Lake City, South Carolina, who served as a facili tator of the first phase of ‘Operation Catsup,’ an educational enrichment program at the Louis

Gregory Institute, examines the work of two young computer programming students.

1st National Child Education Conference slated

The first National Baha’i Child Education Conference to be sponsored by the National Education Committee will be held over the Memorial Day weekend May 2627 in Wilmette, Illinois.

Special topics for the conference workshops will include:

¢ Organizing and administering Baha’ inter-community schools.

¢ Baha’i curricula.

Educational materials that are

available from the National Education Committee.

Archives Committee seeks original letters from the Guardian

The National Baha’i Archives Committee is trying to locate original letters from the Guardian to the following individuals:

Mrs. H.W. Birins, Ralph C. Browne, Helen Campbell, Dorothy Dent Dopieralska, Walter Guy, and Bertha Harmon.

The originals or photocopies of these letters are needed by the Universal House of Justice in its efforts to compile and study the letters of the Guardian.

Anyone’ who has information regarding the whereabouts of these letters is asked to contact the National Baha’i Archives, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

Participants are encouraged to bring activities/games that they have developed for teaching children so that these may be shared at the Activities Fair.

“The exchange of ideas—the ‘cross-pollenization’—that can take place through the conference workshops and Activities Fair will be a healthy process in helping the friends to meet the educational needs of the children in their areas,’’ says Janice Lever, coordinator of child education.

“‘We expect this conference to be the first of other national conferences on Baha’i child education.’”

The conference will feature special guests at a Saturday evening program that will include a reception.

Sunday night, participants will meet with the members of the National Education Committee.

Conference workshops will be held at Kendall College in Evanston (a few blocks from the House of Worship) with evening programs at the House of Worship.

Participation will be limited to

(Please print)

Name

300 persons. Two hundred dormitory spaces at Kendall College are available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Other participants will need to make their own overnight arrangements.

Meals will be served in the college cafeteria (vegetarian food will be available). There is no provision for child care. Pre-registration for the conference is required.

Conference costs are: Dorm (shared double room), $12.50 per night per person; meals, $4 per meal (3 meals on Saturday and Sunday, breakfast on Monday); registration fee, $7.

Those who are interested in attending the conference should return the completed registration form with their $7 registration fee to the National Education Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091: (Checks should be made payable to ‘‘Baha’i Services Fund.”’)

Registration letters will be accepted, but they must include all the requested information. Make your reservation(s) now!

Address

Tel. No.

(Please check, if applicable)

Tam a Local Education Adviser I am a Local District Coordinator

Please include $7 registration fee

Send to National Education Committee Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091

[Page 10]—_—__——an—s\lr_-__))1010 nnn nm ka TEACHING

The American Baha'i

10

U.S. communities form ‘spiritual partnership’ with Iran

Last August 29 the American Baha’i community learned that the National and Local Spiritual Assemblies in Iran had been disbanded.

At the 1983 District Conven Committee asked that every jeopardized Assembly in this country be saved and all large Groups brought to Assembly status in the name of one of those that were lost in Iran.

tions, the National Teaching

All over the U.S., cities and

In American society, among others, January | is traditional, the day we look back over our accomplishments of the last year and make resolutions for the next. Generally, we resolve to do better, be better and take better care of ourselves.

During the festival of Ridvan, Baha’i communities elect their Spiritual Assemblies for the coming year. Thus Ridvan becomes the time they look over their accomplishments and make resolutions for the next year.

The outgoing Assembly reports to its community the major events of the year, its growth and changes. Baha’i communities take the opportunity to consult on the events of the past year and to make suggestions to the newly elected Assembly.

One of the major topics for discussion is teaching and enrollments. Will your community have new believers at the election of its Spiritual Assembly? Has your community set a goal for new enrollments? Has it met the goal?

Some communities have found a goal helpful as a way of encouraging teaching. If your community decides to set a goal this year, be generous but not overly optimistic; set a goal you know you can win, and then win it!

Enrollments for December 1983: 116 adults, 33 youth, total 149. Enrollments in December 1982 totaled 159. Total enrollments for 1983 were 1,557; for 1982, 1,755.

Adult Youth Total

Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas

- Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Washington, D.C.

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towns have made themselves spiritual partners with the friends in Iran and have begun to teach with renewed zeal.

The following list is of some of these Assemblies and their extension teaching goals:

California

San Bernardino has adopted Grand Terrace in the name of Yazd.

Colorado

Cortez has adopted La Plata in the name of Yazd. Florida

The Florida Central District has adopted Deland, Altamonte Springs and Apopka in the names of Tabríz, Iṣfahán and Zahedan. Illinois

Evanston has adopted Riverside

in the name of Rasht. Towa

The District Teaching Committee has adopted Dallas Center in the name of Karaj; Cedar Rapids has adopted Linn County in the name of Tehran; Davenport has adopted Bettendorf in the name of Iṣfahán, and Muscatine in the name of Shiraz. New Mexico

Santa Fe has adopted El Rito in the name of Yazd. Nebraska

Grand Island has adopted Kearney in the name of Mashhad.

Nevada

Boulder City has adopted Boulder Beach in the name of Zanjan.

Washington

Pierce County Peninsula will raise itself to Assembly status in the name of Yazd.

Wyoming Newcastle will raise itself in the name of Ma i-Sulaiman.

This dedication to teach the Faith in honor of those who have made such an heroic sacrifice will reap many bounties. A permanent . record will be kept by the National Spiritual Assembly, and someday we will be able to share our victories with the friends in Iran.

If your community would like to dedicate its extension teaching. to a lost Assembly in Iran, a list of names of those Assemblies is available from the National Teaching Committee.

Missouri’s ‘Mankind’ conference is held in University City

Baha’is and their guest’ from several Midwestern states participated September 10-11 in the first “Oneness of Mankind Conference’’ sponsored by the Baha’i community of University City, Missouri.

Speakers included Auxiliary Board members Robert Postlethwaite and Ronna Santoscoy and Artis Mebane Jr., an assistant to the Auxiliary Board.

Topics discussed at the conference included Effective Listening and Communication Skills, the Equality of Men and Women, the Most Challenging Issue, World Peace, Baha’i Community Life, and the Unifying Power of the Universal House of Justice.

Entertainment was provided by members of the Central High School Choral Group of the St. Louis public schools.

Ella M. Young, a Baha’i from Albany, Georgia, who teaches 11th and 12th grade English, was named Terrell County’s Teacher of the Year for 1983 and represented that school system in the Georgia Teacher of the Year program. Miss Young was chosen for the honor over teachers from three other schools. She is an assistant to Auxiliary Board member Adrienne Reeves.

On Saturday, October 22, more than 200 people attended the fifth annual United Nations Day observance in Mesa, Arizona. In ad ion to a wide assortment of international foods provided by Baha’is from four communities and ‘a talk by a representative of the Phoenix chapter of the United Nations Association, there was entertainment by a Javanese

dancer; a woodwind quintet from the Mesa Symphony Orchestra; a trio of Baha’is who played guitar, saxophone/flute, and santour; and a troupe of East Indian dancers, two of whom are shown here. The local community college and several clubs and organizations were among those represented at the event.

[Page 11]

February 1984 ] ] . = . . . . a . nent teawa |Paradise Valley, Arizona, auction, dinner benefit WLGI, Institute FRIENDS EAMS As one response to the Cam- ren) heldadinner and auction De- About 35 Bahá’ís shared a din- ing prayer revealed by ‘Abdu’lpaign of Unified Action, the Ba- cember 2 to benefit WLGI Radio _ ner provided by the host commu- Baha for the Southern states, a hd’is of Paradise Valley, Arizona and the Louis Gregory Bahá’ín- _ nity at a private home. medly of musical introductions (11 adults plus youth and child- _ stitute. This was followed by the teach- from the WLGI Feast tapes, and H f t = inspiring words about the purpose mi of the radio station and Instiometront pioneer tute—all of which helped to create . . he a favorable atmosphere for the Selected Assemblies asked to provide pioneers for homefront auction which raised $3,869.50. <4Many of th tioned items Selected Spiritual Assemblies have been asked to send each of them an acknowledgement of their ar- were Bahdi-related, and all rep, produce homefront pioneers. Some of them have al- _ rival at a post. resented some eacriice on te part ready won or even surpassed their goals. Many more _If your community is aware of homefront pioneers of the donors. individuals have moved to pioneer posts from iso- who have arrived at their post since Ridvan 1983, we The dinner and auction complei lated areas or Bahai localities that are not on this urge you to contact the National Teaching Commit- mented a similar event in October | Although we have emphasized | jist. tee immediately. Pioneers should send us their new at which $4,005 was raised for the fun and friends as results of be- | The National Teaching Committee is keenly aware address, phone number, Baha’ identification num- fenovation of the Baha'i Howe of | | longing to a Friendship Team, the | of the great contribution which each homefront pio- ber, and the name of their previous Baha’ com- Worship. ia (oe On are) is to teach | neer makes to our beloved Faith, and would like to munity. the ‘aith, Ned evericnelen domme wesks CALL THESE LARGE BAHA’{ COMMUNITIES IF YOU NEED A HOMEFRONT PIONEER exida'o; Vacation Pein ae FOR YOUR JEOPARDIZED ASSEMBLY OR LARGE GROUP all of us can travel and teach, and | LOCAL HOMEFRONT LOCAL HOMEFRONT LOCAL HOMEFRONT it’s not possible for everyone to | spIRITUAL PIONEER SPIRITUAL PIONEER SPIRITUAL PIONEER host a fireside in their home. ASSEMBLY GOAL RESULT ASSEMBLY GOAL RESULT ASSEMBLY GOAL RESULT WE ALL, however, can make | . , i ALABAMA St, Petersburg 1 NEW YORK friends. ams ‘ 7 : Birmingham 2 Tampa 1 Brookhaven Town 1 According to Shoghi Effendi, Montgomery 2 GEORGIA Buffalo 1 3—SURPASSED “«... the most effective way for the | ARIZONA Atlanta 2 Hempstead Town 1 WON Bahda’is to teach the Faith is to Glendale 1 DeKalb County South 1 Islip Town 1 make strong friends with their Oe i 4 oi 1 New xo City 1g i i jocnix ; ‘ochester neighbors and aésociates. Pima County 1 Chicago 8 NORTH CAROLINA “When the friends have confi- Scottsdale 1 Evanston 3 Asheville 1 dence in the Baha’is and the Ba- Tempe : hoes sae a eee 2 "4s in their fri Tucson a reensboro Tene ee recs bey SuOUES cA TVORNIA Skokie 1 Raleigh 1 eA rien Pel igo ed BEET 1 Springfield 1 Rowland 1 Cause. Individual teaching of this Berkeley 1 ‘Urbana 1 Tabor City 1 type is more effective than amy | “‘Reverly Hills 1 Wilmette 2 Whiteville 1 other type.”” (From a letter dated | Burbank 1 INDIANA OHIO December 1954 written on behalf Carmichael 1 Bloomington u Cincinnati 1 of the Guardian to an individual Concord 1 Fort Wayne 1 Cleveland 1 believer. For more sound advice | Davis 1 WON Indianapolis 2 Columbus 2 on teaching, read The Individual | Encinitas i TOMA as ‘ Geet onua

Raisi scondido jines

Sartre, ag. the: Divine Preedoni 1 KANSAS Oklahoma City 1 e Fresno 2 Kansas City 1 Tulsa 1 Two Friendship Teams are us- Garden Grove 1 Lawrence 1 OREGON ing quite different means to teach eae, Z LO eae! : ee , hei friends, Hawthorn 1 KENTUCKY Multnomah County 1 In Yakima, Washington, three Buea Beach i see 1 oriland ‘ lew lem ae penta: paseo * | irvine 1 Baton Rouge 1 PENNSYLVANIA Pee Long Beach 2. WON Lafayette 1 Philadelphia 2 . | Los Angeles 21 2—AT POST New Orleans 1 2-SURPASSED Pittsburgh 1 i ree Cate a oa. toncs Bt dn Mountain View 1 Shreveport 1 TEXAS EXCes SUDport ANCE UEP “| Newport Beach 1 MARYLAND Amarillo 1 other in parenting, and make an | Oakland 1 Baltimore 1 Corpus Christi 1 effort to include Baha’ Pasadena 1 Howard County 2 El Paso 2: neighboring communities. Riverside 1 Montgomery CountyC 1 Harris County S.E. 1 weekly meetings have easily be- Sacramento 2 1—AT POST Prince Georges County S 1 Harris County S.W. 1 come firesides when other ‘“‘at- | San Diego 1 Washington, D.C. 2 Lubbock 1 home’? mothers have joined the | San Diego Co.N. J.D. 1 MASSACHUSETTS UTAH : Seth San Francisco 3 Amherst Town 1 Salt Lake City 1 San Jose 4 Boston 1 VIRGINIA In Seattle, two Baha'is get to- pa Lees i ma ; aanstn fe i iendshi an Mateo nn Arbor rlington County S. Bethe oe Seen eat ot: | ead aie 1 Detroit 3 Fairfax County N. 1 Santa Barbara 1 Grand Rapids 1 Fairfax County S.E. 1 i 4 Santa Monica 2 MINNESOTA Fairfax County W. 2 ck pre longr se tepinen) Bala is ae Santa Rosa 1 Minneapolis 2 Falls Church 1 , See Spring Valley 1 ‘St. Paul 1 Norfolk 1 2-SURPASSED neue Semeemma tem OE |) crocktan 1 MISSOURI Richmond 1 the Faith to. “build whatever | Thousand Oaks 1 Columbia 1 WASHINGTON bridges God wills. Ventura 1 2—RECRUITED* — Kansas City 1 1—RECRUITED Bellevue 1 . Ventura County 1 Springfield 1 Bellingham 1 saan a a ionbe, Walnut Creek 1 WON St. Louis 1 Kirkland 1 2SURPASSED hat “ > | COLORADO MONTANA Seattle 4 is present each time. Colorado Springs 1 Billings 1 Spokane 1 Friends teaching friends can be | Denver x eacee i Ue : i ‘ort Collins incoln alla Walla saronder lly olan aod sats: || eLORIDA Omaha 1 2-RECRUITED Yakima 1 then wees ie 167 thadk When Dade County Central 1 NEVADA. WISCONSIN ete He no Ereatet JOy tart WHEN || Fort Lauderdale 1 Las Vegas 1 Madison 1 4—SURPASSED a dear friend declares his faith in | Gainesville 1 5—RECRUITED ~ Reno 1 WON Milwaukee 3 2-AT POST Bahá’u’lláh and points to your | Jacksonville 1 NEW MEXICO friendship as the means that at- Miami 1 “Albuquerque 3. 1—RECRUITED “Recruited: Volunteered to pioneer tracted his heart. Orlando 1 Las Cruces 2 but not yet at post.

ee [Page 12]RACE UNITY

The American Baha’i

12

What others are saying...

In an article last July in a Charleston, South Carolina, newspaper, a 70-year-old world traveler was asked what had impressed him most on a recent trip. “‘It’s the ‘one world’ thing,’’ he responded. ‘‘That’s the biggest change on earth in the last 50 years.’’

During the course of the article, the gentleman explained how among, the peoples of Peru, China, India and Africa he had found the same aims and aspirations, cross-culturization, and English as a common language. He mentioned that in his own family relatives have married people of different races, nationalities and religions.

Also, he said, ‘‘when you think about how the cultures of the world have mingled and diluted each other in my lifetime you have to be aware that eventually—maybe even in the lifetime of babies being born today—there will be only one culture, one main language—and, whether you like it or not, one race.’’

Asked if this would mean more wars, he replied, ‘‘No, but the conflicts would be sort of civil wars instead of nationalistic ones.’”

wee

Not too long ago, a sign was hung on the main street of Greenville, Texas, which proclaimed that that city had ‘‘The blackest land, the whitest people.”’ Now, that Dallas suburb is in the news because of its possible wrongful incarceration of a young black engineer, Lenell Geter.

Some people contend that it was the racism inherent in that street sign which caused this young man to be given a life sentence for a crime many people believe he did not commit. Mr. Geter is accused of robbing a Kentucky Fried Chicken store, but several of his co-workers say he was at work during the time the robbery took place.

In November, a segment of the CBS-TV news program ‘‘60 Minutes’’ was devoted to the Geter case. According to an article in Time magazine, ‘‘60 Minutes”’ received an unprecedented amount of viewer mail expressing outrage over the way in which the case had been handled. As a result of public pressure, Mr. Geter was released on bail with the promise of a new trial.

Although it was probably racism that led to Mr. Geter’s unfair treatment, it is racial amity that will enable him to have another chance.

wee

The eradication of racial prejudice was at the core of the commencement message December 22 to mid-year graduates of the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

Commencement speaker Fred R. Sheheen told the graduates and their guests that “‘... we must understand that the dignity of people is their most precious asset, and that discrimination, even in private activity, eliminates a person’s dignity.””

Mr. Sheheen, who is chairman of the state’s Commission on Higher Education, urged his audience to remember the words of President Theodore Roosevelt: ‘‘Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the great twilight zone that knows neither victory nor defeat.’”

‘The speech is especially worth noting because the College of Charleston did not open its doors to black students until 1971, and the school still has a relatively small black student population.

Dr. William H. Smith (center), a Baha’i from Sudbury, Massachusetts, is shown at the recent dedication of television station WNDS-TV in Derry, New Hampshire. Dr. Smith is president of the station. Among those attending the dedication ceremony was John

Ee EL NM ER NEEDY ESSE SPSS BA SE SI ES a STRATE A I MSE BSNS

Sununu (second from right), the governor of New Hamps! Also pictured are members of the station’s board of directors (left to right) James Stellos; Robert Blum, a Bahá’í from Highland Park, Illinois; and Gerald Nash.

Eugene Andrews (left), a member of the National Teaching Committee who is an executive with the General Electric Company in New York, was the guest speaker October 29 at the 20th an

nual banquet of the Charleston, South Caroli Business and Professional Associ

Jones (third from left), a member of the Associati tional Race Unit

Committee,

‘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)

helped arrange Dr. Andrews’ appearance. To Dr. Jones’ left is Dr. Andrews’ wife, Nancy. Judge Arthur McFarland, president of the Business and Professional Association, is second from right.

Dr. Andrews guest speaker at Charleston’s 20th Business and Professional Association banquet

Dr. Eugene Andrews, a member of the National Teaching Committee, was the guest speaker October 29 at the 20th annual banquet of the Charleston, South Carolina, Business and Professional Association.

WHILE the banquet theme was “Demanding Your Fair Share,” Dr. Andrews, an executive with the General Electric Company in New York, placed his emphasis on “‘Gaining One’s Fair Share.’’

He spoke about the temporary impact of protests, boycotts, and the political process on the economic progress of America’s minorities, and stressed the longterm impact of ‘‘excellence’’ and an investment in the educational and moral development of our young people on economic growth and the quality of community life

Dr. Andrews urged his audience to be the best, to give their best, and to always do their best.

He urged parents to be concerned and involved in the education of their children, and to encourage those children to pursue the sciences and math.

He exhorted community leaders to start computer literacy classes and enrichment programs for youth to augment their education, and asked that we recognize academic achievements as we do athletics.

About 225 people attended the banquet. The Association, which was founded in 1958, is a community and business service organization of 80 business men and women—lawyers, doctors and

educators.

Dr. Andrews’ appearance was arranged by the Spiritual Assembly of Charleston and Dr. Roy Jones, who is a member of the As sociation.

In his introduction, Dr. Jones mentioned that Dr. Andrews is a Baha’.

Ives Continued From Page 4

had applied to him.

In November 1920 Mr. Ives was married to Mabel Rice-Wray, and together they decided to chart an unusual course by selling or giving away all their possessions and taking jobs as salesmen to give them more freedom to move about and teach the Faith.

Their first stop was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where they held 36 Baha’i meetings in a_ six-week period.

AFTERWARD, they moved from city to city, their teaching work bringing many rewards. The Ives taught throughout the eastern, central and southern areas of the U.S,

Mr. Ives was 67 years old when, in Knoxville, Tennessee, he began to write.

Employed as a writer by the Tennessee Valley Authority, he found that he had an ability to write vivid prose, but his health, which had always been frail, was failing.

He suffered from angina, and his hearing and eyesight were fading. Forbidden by doctors to strain his eyes, Mr. Ives learned the “‘touch”’ system of typing and completed Portals to Freedom, which was published in 1937.

He then wrote a book-length poem entitled ‘‘Song Celestial,’’ and two later works that have not been published.

“WHEN I recognize the undoubted fact that all this life has taught me, or could ever possibly teach me,’’ he wrote shortly before his death, ‘‘is but a sign, a token, a symbol, of what the future worlds of God shall surely teach—my whole being is lost in thanksgiving and praise of Him Who has bestowed on me this boundless Gift and this infinite Bounty.”

With his wife at his side, Howard Colby Ives passed to the Abha Kingdom on June 23, 1941, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, cabled his widow:

“Profoundly deplore tremendous loss outstanding promoter Faith. Evidences his magnificent labors imperishable. Deepest sympathy. Ardent prayers.’” (Signed) Shoghi Effendi.

-Pizza party for WLGI

In mid-December, 10 Baha’is from Cicero, Liverpool, Manlius and Syracuse, New York, held a pizza party to raise funds for WLGI radio.

The event -was the centerpiece of a week’s activities that brought in $789 for the station.

[Page 13]

THE MEDIA

February 1984

INTERMEDIA

News from the Office of Public Affairs |

The November 1983 issue of Physics Today includes a two-column letter to the editor written by Gerhard Muller, a Baha’i from Stony Brook, New York. The letter, headlined ‘Woman Physicist Executed,”” reports the execution of Mrs. Ginous Mahmoudi, the Baha’i director of the Department of Meteorology of Iran and president of the Iranian School of Meteorology.

Who has the time?

The Office of Public Affairs recently received an intriguing inquiry from the editor of an encyclopedia: ‘‘We have received a letter from a reader who is anxious to learn the exact time of day when Ali Muhammad of Shiraz, Iran, declared himself to be the Promised One. The date of his declaration was May 23, 1844, and the time is given as two hours and 11 minutes after sunset.’’ In other words, at what time did sunset occur on that date? We contacted the U.S. Naval Observatory, but they are short of staff and could not assemble the information. Does anyone have the answer for us?

.

Bahá’í columns are surfacing among the clippings we receive from newspapers around the country. ‘Pearls of Wisdom,” a column by Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Gayle Woolson of Evanston, Illinois, appears in the bi-monthly North Shore Examiner that is distributed on Chicago’s North Shore. If your community would like copies of the column for your local paper, contact the Office of Public Affairs. George Sevifty a Baha’i in Miami, Florida, has been writing a column in the Mia for 25 years using the pen name ‘Phil Ossofer.’’ He teaches indirectly through the column with Baha’i interpretations of biblical phrases, the inclusion of facts about black history, and an occasional mention of the Faith itself. A column about the Faith by contributing writer Abdullah Brooks appears regularly in the Sacramento Observer in California’s state capital. The history of the Faith and its Founders is related sequentially in each issue. An interesting note—each of these newspapers is aimed toward a predominantly black readership.

.

Reprints of recent statements about the Faith by prominent individuals are available from the Office of Public Affairs. Use these with the background information you are providing to influential people and the media. Prices are as follows: Banning of Baha’i institutions by Iran’s attorney-general, 25 cents each; New York Mayor Koch’s letter to President Reagan, 20 cents; open letter from the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, 50 cents; President Reagan’s human rights proclamation, 20 cents; statement by the Hon. C.N. Dombalis, U.S. alternate representative to the United Nations, 30 cents each. Please include an additional 10 per cent of the total order to cover postage. Make checks payable to “Baha'i Services Fund.””

°

Commentator David Brinkley mentioned the situation of the Baha’ is in Iran on Christmas morning on his television show, “This Week with David Brinkley,”’ on the NBC network.

In November, a Bahd’{ pioneer in Monrovia, Liberia, writing to his mother in the U.S., stopped in mid-sentence and then wrote, “‘Wow! You won't believe this, but I had the BBC on my shortwave radio and the announcer just read a prayer by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and started talking about the Bahd’j Faith!””

°

Among important editorial comments about the persecution of Baha’ is in Iran that appeared during the week of November 20 were those by Suzanne Garment in The Wall Street Journal and by Leanita McClain in The Chicago Tribune.

2 N. American journals publish articles on Iran persecutions

Two scholarly journals in North America have published recent articles on the persecution of Baha’is in Iran.

One of them, Cultural Survival Quarterly, an international magazine devoted to minority issues, included in its fall issue an article entitled “‘The Baha’is of Iran’’ written by Douglas Martin, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada.

A longer article by Mr. Martin entitled ‘The Baha’is of Iran Under the Islamic Republic’ appeared in the November 1983 issue

of Middle East Focus, which carried an earlier article in the same series entitled ‘The Baha’is of Iran Under the Pahlavi Regime.’’

Middle East Focus is published by a group of Canadian academics with a special interest in strategies for peace in the Middle East.

The two articles are based on a larger study by. Mr. Martin entitled ‘‘The Persecution of Baha’is in Iran, 1844-1984”" which is soon to be published by the Association for Baha’i Studies as a special issue in its series of monographs.

This Baha’ booth at the annual United Nations Festival held November 4-6 in Columbus, Ohio, won first prize among 147 booths in the community service category. The booth was designed and hand-painted by Keith Kresge, a

commercial artist in Columbus. It was the eighth and most successful booth sponsored to date by the Baha’is of Columbus, with many inquiries about the Faith and the distribution of every available

pamphlet on the very first day (a record). Shown manning the booth are (left to right) Bob Lohr, Penny Lohr, Norman Rafizadeh, Shireen Connor and Madlen Connor.

Non-Baha’i ‘falls in love’ with concept

Renowned director does 6 TV spots

Responding to a request from two Baha’is, award-winning film director Karl Krogstad recently completed six new television public service announcements for the Faith which will be distributed by the national Office of Public Affairs.

MR. Krogstad’s films are so popular in Germany. that special showings had to be arranged at the famous Metropolis cinema to satisfy public demand.

Film critic Kevin Thomas of The Los Angeles Times, in an article entitled ‘The Genius of Karl Krogstad,”’ terms him ‘‘a dazzling multi-media technician.””

Gene Youngblood, writing in Expanded Cinema, says Mr. Krogstad is ‘‘... a genuine, absolutely authentic talent, maybe even a genius ... few filmmakers, except perhaps Fellini, are capable of such astonishing visual magic.””

Why would Mr. Krogstad, who

is not a Baha’i, take time from his current feature film to direct a series of TV spots for the Faith? His reasons, he says, are both professional and personal.

“I was approached by Burl

Barer and Allen Goldblatt, two men for whom I have the greatest respect,’’ he says. “‘Through them Thad become familiar with the aims and teachings of the Baha’i Faith, and the current persecutions in Iran.

“THEY had the ideas, the scripts, the go-ahead from their Baha’i national office, but a budget that was almost non-existent.

“Well, I fell in love with the

project. This was something I could put my heart into because of the Baha’i principles, which I feel are the most important principles to which people can be

“There was also the thrill of doing six different styles, six forms. No two of these spots are alike, yet they all interrelate.”

The project, if done in Los Angeles, ‘‘would cost no less than $90,000 to $200,000,” says Mr. Krogstad. ‘‘We did it in Seattle for $8,000 including post-production.”

Written and produced by Barer/Goldblatt Associates, the series was filmed at various locations in the Seattle area.

SITES included the outdoor track at the University of Washington and the private offices of a prestigious law firm on the 30th floor of the Bank of California.

One spot features an elaborate industrial scene that is actually a detailed miniature.

Another is done in the style of a TV headache remedy commercial, except the cause of these “‘headaches’’ is a combination of racism and sexual discrimination.

There is also a Spanish-language spot focusing on extended family unity, and a youth-oriented spot dealing with teen-age stereotypes. “Some of these are quite direct in their approach,” says Mr. Barer, “‘others are more subtle. All of them are public service messages, not commercials for the Faith. There is a wide variety of styles; we tried to provide spots that would be of value to any Ba ha’i community, rural or urban.””

Also working on the project was Leslie Moulton, a Baha’i who has extensive television experience. Ms. Moulton was assistant director of such network shows as “Laverne and Shirley”’ and “‘Cag Post-production work was targeted for completion by the end of January, with distribution expected to begin sometime this month through the Office of Public Affairs.

Writers’ workshop, book party held in San Francisco

A book-signing party and writers’ workshop presided over by author Wendy Heller were held in November at the Baha’i Center in San Francisco, California.

About 20 people attended the afternoon event with some coming from as far away as Sacramento.

Ms. Heller has a solid background in writing, having published numerous articles and books on a variety of topics.

In the workshop, she covered such areas as. choosing a topic, deciding on appropriate book or

‘Afterward, a buffet lunch was served and there was an informal discussion with questions and answers.

1 SSS

[Page 14]eee eee eee SE Baha’i Publishing Trust Price List correct as of February1,1986 = 1

Bahdit c Trust STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION TYPE UNIT/ PRICE sersesssssucrssecsseesssascscsecenssseeasesesceese

415 LINDEN AVENUE 364003 # BAHA'I ELECTRL PRESS CDP SC EA $3.50 WILMETTE, ILLINOIS 60091 231059 BAHA'I FAITH INTRODUCTION SC EA $1.50

. 267002 * BAHA'I FAITH TCH BKLT ENG SC 10/ $14.00

332065 BAHA'I FAITH-PRKNS & HRS SC OUT OF STOCK

ALPHABETICAL DOMESTIC PRICE LIST 440004 * BAHA'I FAITH:SPIRIT WAY SC EA $2.00 Current as of February 1, 1984 331096 BAHA'I FOLLOWER OF LIGHT SC EA $3.00

855001 BAHA'I FTH PRSNTN FL FLOR EA $0.50 340080 * BAHA'I FTHISUMMARY RPRNT PH 10/ $4.50

ONS USED 749082 BAHA'I HISTORY CALENDAR 1984 EA $5.00 ea bd iia 831060 BAHA'I HISTORY, LOB CS._EA $9.00 ) 83,084 BAHA'I LAWS, LOB cs EA $9.00 tee eG teas ce 315085 BAHA'I MARRIAGE/FAM LIFE SC EA $2.50 EA = EACH (ONE FOR THE PRICE OF...) 215056 BAHA'I MTS/19 DAY FEASTS SC EA $2.00 FS = FILMSTRIP 769064 BAHA'I POCKET CALENDAR 1984/10 $1.50 HC = HARDCOVER EDITION 115070. BAKA'T PRAYERS He EA $7.00 LOB = LIGHT OF BAHA'U'LLAH 115071 BAHA'I PRAYERS SC EA $3.00 LP = LONG-PLAYING RECORD. (ALBUK) 315005 * BAHA'T PRAYERS GIFT-WHITEHC EA $5.50 LT = LIGHTWEIGHT EDITION LSU? wii’ RATERS (OL EDLT.ONC EA 4.00 1 315054 BAHA'T PRAYERS & $5. eee See 3469033 BAHA'T PRAYERS ERRATA SLIP FREE PH = PHOTOGRAPH : 315072 BAHA'I PRAYERS LEATHER OUT OF STOCK PX = PAKPHLET 332116 BAHA'I PROOFS He EA $18.00 PSTR = POSTER 368003. BAHA'T PUB TRUST '83 CATALOG EA $2.00 PS = POCKET SIZE EDITION 337050 # BAHA'I STDS NK FA $6.00 SC = SOFTCOVER EDITION 332066 * BAHA'I STDS NBK fA $6.00 SET = SET FOR THE PRICE OF... 337052 BAHA'I STDS NBK 3:MARAFAMTLY EA $6.50 SPN = SPANTSH LANGUAGE 332058 BAHA'I STDS LO:CREATIVITY SC EA $4.00 i0/ = TEN FOR THE PRICE OF... 332060 BAHA'I STDS 11:SPIRITUALITY EA $4.00 50/. = FIFTY FOR THE PRICE OF... 337000 BAHA'I STDS 2:SCI/RELIGION OUT OF STOCK ¥ = NEW PRICE SINCE LAST LIST 337002 BAHA'I STDS 4:BAHA'T HISTORY EA 4.00

337003 BAHA'I STDS 6:VIOLNC-FR SOC OUT OF STOCK 332059 BAHA'I STUDIES $9:MNFSTTN SC EA $4.00

STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION TYPE UNIT/ PRICE 340007 BAHA'I TCHNGS FR WRLD FTH PM OUT OF STOCK suessesesssssessesecsssssssssssseemsssessscsscesse 769045 BAHA'I WALL CALENDAR 1984 EA $1.00 331036 ABDU'L-BAHA CENTER/CVNNT HC EA $13.95 315020 BAHA'I WORLD FAITH HC EA $10.00

331037 ABDU'L-BAHA CENTER/CVNNT SC EA $6.95. 340011 * BAHA'I WORLD FTH FR ND MN PM 10/ $3.50 875019 ABDU'L-BAHA COLOR LTH 11X14 EA $12.00 333000 * BAHA'I WORLD VOL 1-12 HC NET $200.00 875020 ABDU'L-BAHA COLOR LTH 5X7 EA $5.00 333001 * BAHA'I WORLD: VOL 1 =I HC EA $11.00 106041 ABDU'L-BAHA IN LONDON HC OUT OF STOCK 333010 * BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 10 =X HC EA $25.00 875047 * ABDU'L-BAHA LITHO 10.5x15 EA $2.50 = 333011 * BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 11 =XI HC EA $25.00 870020 ABDU'L-BAHA LITHOGRAPHS SET 7/ $5.00 333012 BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 12 =XII HC EA $26.00 875045 ABDU'L-BAHA 11X14 LITHO PH EA $1.25 233013. BAHA'I WORLD: VOL 13 =XIII HC EA $27.00 870010 ABDU'L-BAHA 2X2 LITHOS PH 10/ $2.00 233014 BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 14 =XIV HC EA $16.00 108001 # ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE HC EA $11.00 233015 BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 15 =XY HC EA $17.50 108002 * ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE SC. EA $6.00 233016 BAHA'I WORLD: VOL 14 =XVI HC EA $20.00 352080 ALI'S DREAM HC EA $10.95 233017 BAHA'I WORLD: VOL 17 =xVII HC EA $22.50 352081 ALI'S DREAK SC EA $5.95 333002 * BAHA'I WORLDIVOL 2 =II HC EA $15.00 ‘331013 AN EARLY PILGRIMAGE SC OUT OF STOCK 333003 # BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 3 =I1I HC EA $15.00 332036 * ANOTHER SONG/SEASON HC EA $9.50 333004 * BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 4 IV HC EA $20.00 332037 ANOTHER SONG/SEASON SC EA $2.00 333005 BAHA'I WORLD: VOL 5 = HC EA $26.00 353023 ANTHOLOGY FOR BAHA'I CHILD QUT OF STOCK 333006 BAHA'I WORLDVOL 6 =VI HC EA $26.00 831052 # ARE YOU HAPPY?-OLINGA CS EA $7.00 333007 * BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 7 =VII HC EA $27.00 300052 AROHANUI:SHOGHI EFFENDI HC EA $7.00 333008 BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 8 =VIII HC EA $27.00 332035 AUGUSTE FOREL & BAHA'I F SC OUT OF STOCK 333009 BAHA'I WORLD:VOL 9 =1X HC EA $27.00

848094 AYYAH-I-HA BALLOON CD 10/ $2.00 368032 BAHA'I WRITNGS!A CONCRDNC SC EA $9.00 848087 AYYAM-I-HA FRIEND SHIP CD 10/ $2.00 555100 BAHA'IS IN IRAN SC NET $3.00 848099 AYYAM-I-HA GIRAFFE CD 10/ $2.00 831081 BAHA'U'LLAH, LOB CS EA $9.00

331050 BAB:HERALD DAY OF DAYS HC EA $10.95 332047 BAHA'U'LLAH!KING OF GLORY HC EA $24.00 332052 BABI & BAHA'I RELIGIONS HC EA © $29.50 — 231004 * BAHAULLAH AND NEW ERA HC EA $10.00 831085 BAHA'I ADMINISTRATION,LOB CS EA $9.00 231005 BAHAULLAH AND THE NEW ERA SC OUT OF STOCK

340002 * BAHA'I ANSWERS PH 10/ $2.50 315074 BAHIYYIH KHANUM!GR HLY LF HC EA $10.00 931087 BAHA'I COMMUNITY LIFE,LOB CS EA $9.00 315075 BAHIYYIH KHANUM:GR HLY LF SC EA $5.00 769021 * BAHA'I DATE BOOK 1984 EA $2.00 340014 BASIC FACTS/BAHA'I FAITH PH 50/ $4.00

215059 BAHA'I EDUCATION COMP. SC EA $3.50 352055 BIRTH OF BAHA'I FAITH SC EA $1.00

| SS

Bahá’í Publishing Trust Price List correct as of February 1, 2

STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION TYPE UNIT/ PRICE STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION TYPE —UNIT/ PRICE

353019 * BJ & LANGUAGE OF WOODLAND SC EA $3.75 332108 * FROM BEHIND THE VEIL SC EA $3.25

352070 BLACK ROSE, THE SC OUT OF STOCK 332030 FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH SC EA $2.00 848085 — BLOSSOM-ASSORTMENT OF 3 CD 12/ $2.00 648094 FROST AT DAWN RITES CD 10/ $2.00 842001 BOOKPLATES, GREEN 20/ $2.00 332103 GEORGE TOWNSHEND HC EA $19.50 332045 BRILLIANT STARS HC OUT OF STOCK 332104 GEORGE TOWNSHEND SC OUT OF STOCK

332026 BUDDHA H-A HAS APPEARED SC EA $9.00 315051 GLAD TIDINGS/BAHA'U'LLAH HC EA $5.95 340098 * BUILDING A UNIFIED CHTY PM 10/ $3.00 103003 GLEANINGS WRT BAHA'U'LLAH HC EA $13.00 108050 CALL TO THE NATIONS HC EA $6.00 103031 * GLEANINGS WRT BAHA'U'LLAH PS EA $3.50 108051 CALL TO THE NATIONS SC EA $3.00 103004 * GLEANINGS WRT BAHA'U'LLAH SC EA $8.00 215058 CENTERS OF BAHA'I LEARNG SC EA $1.50 352043 GOD & HIS MESSENGERS SC OUT OF STOCK

306035 * CHILDREN'S PRAYER CD 10/ $1.50 331074 GOD LOVES LAUGHTER SC OUT OF STOCK 331010 CHRIST AND BAHA'U'LLAH © SC OUT OF STOCK 352086 GOD MADE THE STARS HC EA $4.50 106001 CHRIST'S PROMISE FLFLLD SC EA $3.00 108010 » GOD PASSES BY HC EA $13.50 441009 CIRCLE OF UNITY EA $0.50 108011 GOD PASSES BY SC OUT OF STOCK 108006 CITADEL OF FAITH HC EA $11.00 341012 GOD'S GREAT PLAN SC EA $2.00 108007 CITADEL OF FAITH SC QUT OF STOCK 340057 GOD'S NEW AGE PH 10/ = $1.00

332094 COMMENTRY WL/TST ABDU'L-BAHA OUT OF STOCK 964004 * GREATEST NM 8X10 GOLD EA $2.00 315011 COMMUNION WITH GOD LG/TYPE EA $1.50 _ 964009 * GREATEST NM 8X10 SILVER EA $2.00

315009 * COMMUNION WITH GOD STD. SC 10/ $5.00 352090 GREEN YEARS, THE OUT OF STOCK 368052 CONCORDANCE TO HDDN WRDS SC EA $2.50 835019 HAPPY AYYAM-I-HA LP EA $4.00 368065 CONCORDANCE:GLEANINGS/W/B SC OUT OF STOCK 332085 HE LOVED & SERVED SC EA $6.50

368064 — CONCRDNCE S/W/ABDU'L-BAHA SC EA $9.00 331017 HEART OF THE GOSPEL, THE SC OUT OF STOCK 225002 CONSTITUTION UNIV HS JUST SC EA $1.50 103005 * HIDDEN WORDS BAHA'U'LLAH HC EA $5.50 215064 CONSULTATION COMPILATION SC EA $1.50 103006 * HIDDEN WORDS BAHA'U'LLAH SC EA $3.00 215067 CONTINENTAL BRD COUN COMP SC EA $3.50 352087 HORSE OF THE KOONLIGHT. SC OUT OF STOCK

352071 CORNERSTONE, THE SC OUT OF STOCK 340025 HUMAN RTS ARE GOD GUN RTS PM OUT OF STOCK 332034 COUNSELS OF PERFECTION © SC OUT OF STOCK 332110 —IMPERISHABLE DOMINION, THE SC OUT OF STOCK 332097 CROWN OF BEAUTY, A HC OUT OF STOCK 215084 IMPORTANCE OF DEEPENING SC EA $2.00 332098 CROWN OF BEAUTY, A SC OUT OF STOCK 831050 * IN DAYS OF GUARDIAN..IOAS CS EA $7.00 332086 CRY FROM THE HEART HC EA $8.50 830099 * IN HIS PRESENCE.SAMANDARI CS EA $7.00 332087 CRY FROM THE HEART SC EA $2.50 832025 * IN MEMORY OF THE MARTYRS CS EA $7.00 859012 CRY FROM THE HEART PSTR 10/ $1.50 340077 * IN SEARCH OF SUPREM TLSHN PH 10/ $3.00

332041 * DAILY LESSONS RECVD AKKA SC EA $5.00 368062 INDEX OF QUOTATIONS, AN HC OUT OF STOCK

331053 DAWN BREAKERS HC £A $20.00 368063 INDEX OF QUOTATIONS, AN SC OUT OF STOCK 332018 * DAWN OVER KT HIRA HC EA $4.50 369032 INDEX/ERRATA:S/W/ABDU'L-BAHA FREE 332019 DAWN OVER HT HIRA SC EA $2.00 369031 INDEX/ERRATA‘SEL/WRIT BAB IP FREE 315087 DAYS TO REMEMBER SC EA $7.00 369030 INDEX/ERRATA! TAB/BAHA'U'LLAH FREE 468007 * DECLARATION TRST/BLW LSA EA $1.00 215060 * INDIVIDUAL AND TEACHING SC EA $1.50 365015 * DEEPENING PCK FR NW BLVRS = EA = $4.00 += 315080 INSPIRING THE HEART HC OUT OF STOCK 315076 DESIRE OF THE WORLD HE EA $8.50 315081 INSPIRING THE HEART SC OUT OF stock

315077 DESIRE OF THE WORLD SC EA — $3.50 332093 * IRAN’S SECRET POGROM SC EA $3.50 332107 DIARY OF JULIET THOMPSON HC OUT OF STOCK 339007 ISLAMIC CONTRIB TO CIV SC EA $5.00

340060 * DIVINE LAW:SOURCE HMN RTS PH 10/ $3.00 332053 KHADIJIH BAGUMIWIFE/BAB SC EA $3.75 332099 DOOR OF HOPE HO EA $18.75 332091 KHANUM! GREATEST HLY LF SC OUT OF STOCK 332100 DOOR OF HOPE SC EA $9.75 103008 * KITAB-HQAN HC EA $14.00 ‘364015 * DYNAMIC FORCE/EXAMPLE CDP SC EA $10.00 103032 KITAB-HQAN P§ EA $3.50

331014 EG BROWNE & BAHA'I FAITH HC EA $11.95 364002 * KNOWLEDGE VOLITN ACT CDP SC EA $1.50 332032 * EARTH IS BUT ONE COUNTRY SC EA $7.50 497004 LAO FULFIL BUDD PROPH SADDLE EA $1.50 340056 * ENVIRONMENT/HUMAN VALUES PH 10/ $3.00 497003 LAO NEW GARDEN PERF BOUND EA $3.00 103001 EPISTLE TO SON OF WOLF HC EA $11.00 497001 * LAO PRAYERS & HIDDEN WORDS £A $1.50 340074 # EQUALITY OF HEN & WOMEN PH 10/ $3.00 848046 LEAF _AYYAM-I-HA CD 10/ $2.00 ‘365014 EXPLANATION EMBLM GRTST NN OUT OF STOCK 831054 - LEGACIES OF SERVICE:SET 5 CS SET $30.00 106042 FAITH FOR EVERY MAN SC OUT OF STOCK 315079 LET THY BREEZE RFRSH THEM HC OUT OF STOCK

631072 FAREWELL ADDRESS CS NET $4.50 530040 LIBRARY PRESENTATION PACKAGE NET $30.00 331082 FLAME, THE SC OUT OF STOCK 332074 LIGHT OF BAHA'U'LLAH SC EA $2.50 835009 FLIGHT LP EA $4.00 831089 LIGHT OF BAHA'U'LLAH SET/C$ NET $74.50

352075 FLY THROUGH BAHA'I YEAR SC OUT OF STOCK 308054 * LIGHT OF DIVINE GUIDANCE HC EA $21.00 364004 ® FORTRESS FR WL BNG CLP SC_EA $6.00 332029 LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS HC EA $9.95 364010 FORTRESS FR WLL BNG GT ED HC EA $12.00 332028 LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS SC EA $5.95 106003 FOUNDATIONS OF WORLD UNTY HC EA $10.00 215040 LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY SC EA $0.50

332117 * FOUR ON AN ISLAND HC EA $8.95 31086 LOCAL SPRTUL ASSMBLY, LOB CS EA $9.00 332118 * FOUR ON AN ISLAND SC EA $4.50 935018 LOTE TREE LP EA $4.00 848048 FOUR SEASONS NAWRUZ CD 10/ $2.00 340031 * LOYALTY TO GOVERNMENT PM 10/ $1.50 579079 FRNi BAHA'IS EN IRAN EA $3.00 315083 MAGNIFIED BE THY NAME HC OUT OF STOCK

| SSS SSS SSS [Page 15]

Correct as of February 1, 1

STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION

seseesecssssssssssesssssssez=s:

UNIT/ PRICE STOCK NO. DESCRIPTION TYPE —UNIT/ PRICE 332105 MARTHA ROOT:LION/THRESH HC EA $20.00 331026 PROMISE OF ALL AGES SC EA $2.75 332106 * MARTHA ROOT:LION/THRESH SC EA $12.50 108017 * PROMISED DAY IS COME HC EA $8.00 364001 * MEANING OF DEEPENING CDP SC EA $3.00 108018 PROMISED DAY IS COME SC EA $5.50

340034 MEANING OF WORSHIP PH 10/ $5.00 106039 PROMULGATION OF UNV PEACE HC EA $16.00 106012 MEMORIALS OF THE FAITHFUL HC EA $10.00 340043 * PROPHECY FULFILLED PH 10/ $4.50 332010 * MEMORIES OF ABDU'L-BAHA HC EA $10.00 352072 PROUD HELPER, THE SC OUT OF STOCK 332011 * MEMORIES OF ABDU'L-BAHA SC EA $6.00 940025 _PUZZLE/PUZZLE EA $1.00 340035 * MESSAGE OF BAHA'U'LLAH PH 10/ $3.00 352092 * QUDDUS ~ EA $3.50

108015 MESSAGES TO BAHA'I WORLD HC EA $10.00 215068 * QUICKENERS OF MANKIND SC EA $2.00 225008 © MESSAGES UNIV HOUSE JUST HC EA $9.00 331030 RELIGION FOR MANKIND SC OUT OF STOCK 225009 MESSAGES UNIV HOUSE JUST SC EA $4.00 331032 RENEWAL OF CIVILIZATION SC OUT OF STOCK 415061 MIGHTY RIVER SC EA $0.50 332076 RESPONSE SC OUT OF STOCK 332027. WILLY SC OUT OF STOCK 331090 + REVELATION/BAHA'U'LLAH #1 HC EA $15.00 332090 MIRACLES AND METAPHORS HC EA $11.95 331092 REVELATION/BAHA'U'LLAH $2 HC EA $17.00 332054 MIRACLES AND METAPHORS SC EA $8.95 331093 REVELATION/BAHA'U'LLAH $2 SC EA $9.95 331018 MISSION OF BAHA'U'LLAH HC EA $7.50 331094 * REVELATION/BAHA'U'LLAH #3 HC EA $18.50

353017 * MISSION OF YOUTH CD 10/ $2.00 352076 + SCOTTISH VISITORS SC OUT OF STOCK 332071 MOTHERS/FATHERS/CHILDREN SC EA $6.50 859011 SEAT UNIV HSE JUST PSTR EA $2.50 339001 MUHAMMAD/COURSE OF ISLAH HC EA $19.50 353013 * SECRET IN GARDEN HC EA $4.00 352091 * MULLA HUSAYN EA $3.50 353014 * SECRET IN GARDEN SC EA $2.50 352053 MY BABY BOOK HC EA — $5.00 106006 SECRET OF DIVINE CIVILZTN HC EA $10.00 332092 MY MEMORIES/BAHA'U'LLAH HC EA $11.95 308043 SELECT WRT SHOGHI EFFENDI SC EA $1.00 352077 MY NAME IS NABIL HC EA $6.00 303024 SELECTED WRIT BAHA'U'LLAH HC EA $10.00 831051 * MY ONLY DESIRE. ALEXANDER CS EA $7.00 303023 SELECTED WRIT BAHA'U'LLAH SC EA $1.00 315082 * MYSTERY OF GOD HC EA $21.00 105050 SELECTIONS WRIT OF BAB HC EA . $9.00

215042 * NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASHELY SC EA $1.00 105051 SELECTIONS WRIT OF BAB LT EA $6.00 352078 = NINE DAYS TO ISTANBUL SC OUT OF STOCK 106025 SELECTIONS WRT ABDU'L-BAHAHC EA $10.00

353022 NINE HOLY DAYS QUT GF STOCK 106040 SELECTIONS WRT ABDU'L-BAHALT EA $6.00 352048 0 GOD GUIDE HE SC QUT OF STOCK 106026 SELECTIONS WRT ABDU'L-BAHASC EA $6.00 859009 * 0 GOD, GUIDE HE PSTR EA $1.50 332078 SEVEN MARTYRS OF HURMUZAK HC EA $8.50.

340037 ONE UNIVERSAL FAITH PH S0/ $4.00 332079 SEVEN MARTYRS OF HURMUZAK SC EA $3.95. 340099 * ONE WORLD, ONE PEOPLE PM 10/ $3.00 103015 * SEVEN VALLEYS & 4 VALLEYS HC EA $5.50. 340058 OPEN DOOR, THE W/ENVELOPE PH 10/ $7,50 103016 SEVEN VALLEYS & 4 VALLEYS SC OUT OF STOCK 332101 OTHER PEOPLE/OTHER PLACES HC EA $13.75 225051 * SEVEN YEAR PLAN-1981 SC EA $0.50 332102 OTHER PEOPLE/OTHER PLACES SC EA $4.75 368064 SEVEN YR PLAN:STAT REPORT SC EA $2.50 106015 PARIS TALKS HC EA $7.50 331033 SHELTERING BRANCH HC OUT OF STOCK 106016 * PARIS TALKS SC EA $5.00 331065 SHOGHI EFFENDI/RECLLCTNS HC OUT OF STOCK 406046 ® PER SEL LTRS ABDU'L-BAHA HC EA $8.00 831083 SOCIAL TEACHING, LOB CS EA $9.00 406047 PER SEL LTRS ABDU'L-BAHA SC EA $5.00 106037 SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS HC EA $12.00 403043 PER/ARA TBLT BAHA'U'LLAH HC EA $14.00 106043 * SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS PS EA $3.50 389049 PER'BAHA'I FTH NOT POLITICAL EA $4.00 332112 SOME BAHA'IS TO REMEMBER HC EA $14.95 389068 = PER‘EPISTLE TO SON OF WOLF EA $20.00 332113 SOME BAHA'IS TO REMEMBER SC EA $7.50 389064 = PER'FIRE AND LIGHT QUT OF STOCK 332020 SOME EARLY BAHA'IS/WEST HC OUT OF STOCK 389037 PER:KITAB-I IQAN OUT OF STOCK 332021 SOME EARLY BAHA'IS/WEST SC OUT OF STOCK 389048 PERISTORY OF HY HEART HC EA $13.95 215047 ® SPECIAL MEASURE OF LOVE SC EA $1.00 389061 PERI TABLETS BAHA'U'LLAH K/A EA $19.95 215066 * SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS SC EA $1.00 389069 PERI THE GLORIOUS PETALS EA $6.50 831082 SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS, LOB CS EA $9.00

364008 = PERSONAL TRNSFRNTN PROGR SC SET $20.00 452074 SPN AB CEDARIO BAHA'I EA $4.00 832026 PIONEER CS EA $8.50 415002 SPN ASAMBLEA ESPRT NACINAL EA $3.00 331022 * PORTALS TO FREEDOM SC EA $6.50 431015 SPN BAHA'U'LLAH NUEVA ERA SC OUT OF STOCK

3465001 POWER OF COVENANT-PART 1 SC EA $2.00 425075 SPN CONSTITUCION CASA U EA 95,00 365002 * POWER OF COVENANT-PART 2 SC EA $2.00 440070 SPN DATOS BSCS FE BAHA'I PM EA $0.10 345003 * POWER OF COVENANT-PART 3 SC EA $2.00 452068 * SPN EL REGALO EA 4,00 315078 POWER OF DIVINE ASSIST SC EA $2.00 440047 SPN FE BAHA'I ALBA NU ERA PH OUT OF STOCK 103010 PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS HC EA $11.00 431055 SPN LA FE BAHA'I FAIZI — SC OUT OF STOCK 331024 © PRESCRIPTION FOR LIVING SC OUT OF STOCK 231006 SPN LA FE BAHA'I TCH BKLT SC EA $1.50

‘331048 * PRICELESS PEARL SC EA $5.00 394009 SPN. LOS BAHA'IS EN L IRAN SC EA $3.00 339003 PRINCE OF MARTYRS SC EA $2.75 408083 SPN META NUEVO ORDN MNDL SC EA 1,50 315028 * PRINCIPLES/BAHA'I ADMIN HC EA $6.00 468066 * SPN ON BECOMING A BAHA'I EA $1.25

315027 PRINCIPLES/BAHA'I ADMIN SC OUT OF STOCK 115013 * SPN ORACIONES BAHA'IS SC EA $3.00 103012 PROCLAMATION BAHA'U'LLAH HC EA $7.50 403024 SPN PALABRAS OCULTAS SC EA $2.00 103013 PROCLAMATION BAHA'U'LLAH SC EA $3.00 415032 SPN PRINCIPS ADMIN BAHA'I SC OUT OF STOCK 831088 PROGRESSIVE REVELATN, LOB CS EA $9.00 468056 SPN QUIENES DIOS CONFIA EA $0.50 331025 PROMISE OF ALL AGES HC EA $8.25 353020 * SPOTLESSLY LEOPARD, THE SC EA $3.25

Baha’i Publishing Tr

Correct as of February

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.

STOCK NO, DESCRIPTION TYPE UNIT/

331098 STORIES FROM DELIGHT HRTS HC EA 332024 = STORY AS TOLD SC EA 831056 * STRENGTHENING ADMIN ORDER CS EA

‘By cash through the mail: 332109 STUDIES BABI & BAHA'I HST HC EA

‘A. Use the coupons provided in The American Bahá’í or the

332114 # SUDDEN HUSIC 1A He EA he tonn earlies by the Pobiubiag Troe. 332115 * SUDDEN MUSIC ,A SC EA B, Fill out the order form completely. Add shipping and hand353005 SUNFLOWER BKS YNG SET 4 SC SET ling, and include a check to “‘Bahá’í Publishing Trust." Mail 352088 SUNSHINE TREE HC EA the order to the Baha’i Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, 352089 SUNSHINE TREE SC EA Spat a Oe

555106 SUPPLEMENT: BAHA'IS IN IRAN NET 364005 * SUPREME GIFT GD TO KN CDP SC EA 103020 SYNOPSIS & CODIFIC AQDAS HC EA 103021 TABLETS OF BAHA'U’LLAH HC EA 103029 TABLETS OF BAHA'U'LLAH §=LT EA 106010 TABLETS OF DIVINE PLAN HC EA 106011 TABLETS OF DIVINE PLAN SC EA 352093 * TAHIRIH EA 332088 TAHIRIH THE PURE HC OUT OF STOCK The Baha’i Publishing Trust apologizes for the 332040 * TEN DAYS IN LIGHT OF AKKA SC EA $5.00 large number of titles listed as “out of stock’ on this 332081 THESE PERSPICUOUS VERSES SC EA $4.50 | Price list. Recent declining sales have forced the

" 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.

331060 THIEF IN THE NIGHT HC EA $6.50 | Trust into a temporary inventory shortage. We hope 331061 THIEF IN THE NIGHT SC OUT OF sTocx | t© return to a complete stock position by Rigvan. 303025 THY NAME IS MY HEALING CD 10/ $1.00

332073 # TO HOVE THE WORLD SC EA $7.50

106027 TRAVELLER'S NARRATIVE HC EA. $10.00 106028 TRAVELLER'S NARRATIVE SC EA $5.00 ‘ 831053 * TRIUMPH OF CAUSE..BALYUZI CS EA $7.00 332005 * TWO THIRTY-NINE DAYS HC EA $10.00 108040 UNFOLDING DESTINY HC OUT OF STOCK 352073 UNFRIENDLY GOVERNOR, THE SC QUT OF STOCK 332095 VIGNETTES LIF/ABDU'L-BAHA HC OUT OF STOCK 332096 VIGNETTES LIF/ABDU'L-BAHA SC QUT OF STOCK 831055 * VISIT WITH THE MASTER,/A CS EA $7.00 832027 * WE ARE BAHA'IS cS EA $7.00 225005 WELLSPRING OF GUIDANCE HC EA $9.00 225006 © WELLSPRING OF GUIDANCE SC EA $4.00 332038 WHEN WE GROW UP HC EA $7.50 332039 WHEN WE GROW UF SC OUT OF STOCK 848098 WHITE BLOSSOM RITES CD 10/ $2.00 106020 * WILL/TESTAMNT -ABDU'L-BAHA SC EA — $1.00 859001 WILMETTE HOUSE OF WRSHP PSTR EA $1.00

331064 © WINE OF ASTONISHMENT EA $2.75 332082 WITNESS OF PEBBLES HC EA $10.95 332083. WITNESS OF PEBBLES SC EA $5.95 352094 = WONDERLAMP, THE HC OUT OF STOCK

555200 WORLD ORD/BAHA'IS IN IRAN SC NET $5.00 108020 WORLD ORDER/BAHA'U'LLAH HC EA $11.00 108021 WORLD ORDER/BAHA'U'LLAH SC EA $6,50 $55163 WORLD ORDER, SPRING 1982 SC NET $3.00 332089. YOUTH IN VANGUARD HC EA $14,00 ‘353018 ZAHRA'S SEARCH SC EA $3,00

GENERAL ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS 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

RAB ETE 95: ASSES 21 A SE RR

[Page 16]CLASSIFIEDS

The American Baha’i

16

Classified notices in The American Baha'i are published free of charge as a service to the Baha’i 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.

.

WLGI job openings. At this critical hour in the development of Baha’i radio in North America, there exist opportunities for service that will never come agai Secretaries are needed immediately to help in many aspects of the developing work at the Louis Gregory Institute. There is also an opening for a radio. engineer. Those who feel moved to arise and respond to this call for service should contact Dr. Alberta Deas,

Hemingway, SC 29554 (phone 803-558-5093) or Karen Crenshaw, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 312-869-9039).

NIGERIA has several job openings dealing with a World Bank project to increase food production and farm incomes to be implemented over a five-year period starting this year. Requires at least seven years experience including some in developing countries. Needed are: program manager (must have a degree in agriculture and management experience); chief land use planner (should have a degree in agriculture and some familiarity with aerial photography and other land use planning techniques); financial controller (must be a CPA with soli computer accounting experience); chief engineer (with engineerit degree); chief technical offi (degree in agriculture and considerable administrative ability); chief training officer (degree in agriculture and extensive manpower training and development experience); chief monitoring and evaluation officer (should have a degree in agricultural economics); and a zonal accountant (must be a ‘CPA and will be responsible for budget control). Information about these jobs will be given to those Baha’is whose applications for pioneering have been accepted by the International Goals Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 312869-9039).

WORK-STUDY positions in maintenance, kitchen and office and in teaching children’s classes are available this summer at the Louhelen Baha’i School. Indivicluals are sought who want to work full-time during one session and come to a second session as a student at no charge. There are a limited number of openings for any particular program. Interested individuals can apply by sending a letter stating their interest in a work-study position, the sessions they would like to work and attend, ‘and their quali

fications (applicants must be at least 17 years old). Letters, or requests for more information, should be sent to the Louhelen Baha’i School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423. Phone 313-653-5033.

DO YOU enjoy working with people? Do you have strong organizational ability and good clerical skills? Applications are now being accepted for a variety of positions at the Bahá’í National Center. Word processing and data entry experience are helpful. If you feel moved to serve the developing administrative order in the shadow of the holiest House of Worship, please contact Karen Crenshaw, Personnel Office, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039 for applications or further information.

THE FRENCH-speaking country of Zaire has several U.S. AID job openings. A total of 15 positions-are vacant in agriculture. Areas needed range from agronomy, soil science, and agricultural economics to entomology and plant breeding to training and extension services. Most positions require a master’s degree or PhD, although a couple require only a bachelor’s degree. Information about these jobs will be given to Baha’is whose applications for pioneering have been accepted by the International Goals Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 312-8699039).

THE BAHA’I Publishing Trust is seeking a multi-talented person to serve as Promotions Coordinator in its editorial department. The position requires experience

in writing promotional copy, strong editing bias, and paste clerical rience. Applicants must be widely téad in Baha’i literature. To obtain an application, please contact the Personnel Office, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312869-9039, ext. 265.

HELP establish an Assembly in Anderson J.D., California, a rural community in the northcentral area of the state south of Redding in Shasta County, a sportsman’s paradise surrounded by lakes and mountains. Many of the Baha’is who came to this area to help form communities have been unable to stay because of a tight job market. As a result, the Assembly formed in 1978 has been a Group since 1982. We need a strong foundation on which to rebuild, and would welcome any homefront pioneers, especially those who have an income or are able to make a business invest

ment. For more information please contact Carolyn Herlacher, An derson, CA 96007, or phone 916365-0961.

TEACHERS: Several positions in several countries are available. Secondary school teachers are needed in Zimbabwe. Need BA and should be able to teach more

than one subject. Zambia also needs teachers; requires an MA. The American-Nicaraguan School has several vacancies, especially in English, math, science and social sciences. Excellent benefits. Persians would be welcomed. South Africa still has many positions open for university teachers. The Pacific island of Fiji needs professors in mathematics, accounting and industrial arts. Also needed are a senior auditor and a director of buildings and grounds. Papua New Guinea needs technical teachers in metal fabrication, electical work, instrumentation, machining, and heavy equipment fitter. The University of Papua New Guinea needs several math instructors and administrators. Information about these positions will be given to Bahda’is whose applications for pioneering have been accepted by the International Goals Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 312-869-9039).

NEEDED: Two adult Baha’is to become homefront pioneers to Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, the state’s largest city with a population of about 800,000. There are many opportunities in health care and research with more than 20 hospitals and clinics within driving distance, while the University of Alabama at Birmingham has several hospitals and clinics and conducts a great deal of research. The area boasts a number of junior and community colleges as well as several four-year colleges and universities. Immediate housing is available for at least one male. For more information or help, please write to the Spiritual Assembly of Homewood, ¢/o Rhodes, P.O. Box 55145, Birmingham, AL 35255.

(CHILDREN’S teachers who wish to teach during June, July and August at the Louhelen Baha’i School are asked to send a letter indicating what ages they would like to teach and a resumé of their teaching experience to the school at 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423. Applications from those who are interested in serving as Child Education Director for the summer are also welcomed.

NANTUCKET, Massachusetts, has a jeopardized Assembly. From May through October there are many opportunities for jobs serving tourist businesses. It’s important to make a commitment soon, as many college students come all winter to secure living quarters and a job. If one has no place to live, one cannot get a job. There may be year-round jobs at a hospital, government offices, a home for the elderly, the airport, a real estate building, etc. One Baha’i has available for summer or year-round an apartment to share at a reasonable rate (for one female only). We would be happy to have a Persian believer. Should one wish to consider his own year round residence, places are scarce and rents high, as are electricity, food, transportation by boat or plane. But Nantucket is a progressive, charming and historic island with opportunities in arts and crafts. Write to Anna Hall,

_ Nantucket, MA 02554, or phone 617-228-2904.

PHYSICAL therapists and nurses are needed for teaching positions in the Asian country of Nepal. Previous overseas experience is desired. Travel and room and board are provided. Contact the International Goals Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312869-9039.

ADMINISTRATIVE assistant needed at the Los Angeles Baha’i Center. Must be experienced in office organization and management, typing, shorthand, computer and other office skills as well as having a working knowledge of Bahá’í administration. Please send a resumé as soon as possible to the Los Angeles Baha’i Center, 5755 Rodeo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90016, or phone 213933-8291.

WANTED: Personal papers of early Baha’is, especially letters, diaries, personal recollections, manuscripts or photographs. The National Baha’i Archives would like to acquire the papers of Baha’is so it needs to learn the names of descendants of early Baha’i whether Baha’i or non-Bah: that they can be contacted about the papers. Among the papers being sought are those of Willard Ashton, Soraya Chamberlin, Howard MacNutt, Shelley Parker, El-Fleda Spaulding, and Percy Woodcock. Anyone who has information about these or other personal papers should contact the National Baha’i Archives, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

BAHA’U’LLAH needs an energetic- individual or family as homefront pioneer(s) to Lebanon, Oregon (population 10,500). Are you the one(s) for whom He is Aooking? Race, age, sex are unimportant; the only requirement is ..@ willingness to arise and serve the Faith, for which you are assured divine assistance and the ‘help of the Spiritual Assembly of Linn County. How can you Jose? But hhurry—this offer is good for a limited time only. Please let us hear from you now. ‘Contact the Spiritual Assembly of Linn County, Scio, OR 97374, or phone 503394-3914.

RECREATION and music directors are needed at the Louhelen Baha’i School. If you have a background in recreation or music and would be able to serve as ‘a rec yfeation or music director at Louhelen during the summer or winter sessions, please send a letter and resumé to the school at 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423. The recreation director should be able to plan and carry out diverse

recreational activities for children, youth and adults that involve traditional games and sports as well as new, cooperative games. The music director should be able to lead groups of children, youth and adults in singing songs. The Louhelen School is building a resource file of individuals with skills in these areas and would appreciate hearing from you if you are able to serve in either capacity.

TO ALL members of jeopardized Assemblies, non-functioning Assemblies, and large Groups: help us to send you a homefront pioneer! Keep us informed of jobs, schools, rooms for rent, homes to share (Baha’i or non-Baha’i) and special situations in your community. Write to the National Teaching Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

WANTED: Photographs, biographical sketches, anecdotes or any other information or materials about famous black American Baha’is for use in a Black History Month presentation in February. Contact Gwen Sisson, secretary, Spiritual Assembly of North Las Vegas, P.O. Box 4408, North Las Vegas, NV 89030, or phone 702-399-3187. .

WANT *to save an incorporated Assembly? There are opportunities in Moorhead, Minnesota, for Bahá’í students and others who need employment . This urban area, which supports a population of 100,000 and is surrounded by beautiful lakes which offer summer and winter sports, is a great place to raise a family without big-city drawbacks. Write to the Spiritual Assembly of Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56560, or phone 218-233-3138 after 5 p.m. Central time.

PSYCHIATRIST is needed immediately on the Caribbean island of Dominica. The assignment is for 2-3 years and involves supervision and on-call duty for psychiatric patients in a ward. Also requires consultations. with outpatients, special clinics and rural hospitals. Will also conduct inservice training in community mental health for nurses and general practitioners. Travel and housing allowance accompany salary. Dominica has a mild climate and low cost of living; English is the main language. Dominica is a U.S. goal yet to be filled by Ridvan. Information about this position will be given to Baha’is whose applications for pioneering have been accepted by the International Goals Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 312-869-9039).

THE LOUHELEN Baha’i School is seeking applicants for the following summer positions: Recreation director to plan and coordinate recreational and some social activities for people of all ages. Child education director to plan and coordinate children’s

See ADS Page 27

| ge eee eer mre eT erm rs eo ea me A Sa PEER RE PE A BN PTET |

[Page 17]

‘PUBLICATIONS

February 1984

17

eT ANSWERED QUESTIONS

BOOKS FOR THE NEW YEAR

for ¢ Adults ¢ Youth ¢ Children

Pocket-Sized Editions

Kitab-i-iqin (pocket-sized ed.)

A portable, inexpensive, handsome edition of Bahá’u’lláh’s masterly discussion of progressive revelation. Bound in maroon to match the pocket-sized Gleanings. Excellent for travel, study classes, students—and

gifts for the new year.

Pocket-size Catalog No. 103-032 $3.50

Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah (pocket-sized ed.)

The pocket-sized edition of Gleanings, together with the new packet [qan,

makes a compact deepening duo for youor a handsome gift for a public official. Pocket-size Catalog No. 103-031 $3.50

Some Answered Questions (pocket-sized) Now available! A pocket-sized edition

of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s answers to questions concerning the Baha’i Faith, plus discussions of Christianity, the Prophets of God, Biblical prophecies—and more. Bound in handsome blue and stamped in gold. A gift for yourself—or a friend. Pocket-size Catalog No. 106-043 $3.50

Compilations

Days to Remember

Guidance and appropriate readings

for each Holy Day assembled under one cover. Excellent for deepenings. Essential for planning Holy Day celebrations and commemorations. (Australia)

Softcover Catalog No. 315-087 $7.00

The Power of Divine Assistance

A pocket- or purse-size compilation

from the writings of the Central Figures afid Shoghi Effendi on divine assistance. Includes the Fire Tablet. (Canada) Softcover Catalog No. 315-078 — $2.00

The Importance of Deepening

Our Knowledge and Understanding

Faith

Your personal road map to the study of the Creative Word and the sacred texts of the Faith. Sets out the basic elements of our Faith that we must master in order

to achieve personal growth and success in teaching and administrative activities. Softcover Catalog No. 215-084 — $2.00

New for Adults

Baha’i Proofs Mirza Abu’l-Fadl’s much-loved treatise addressed to 20th-century Christians.

Also contains short biographies of Bahá’u’lláh, the Bab, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. New preface by Juan Ricardo Cole plus

a new index.

Hardcover Catalog No. 332-116 $15.00

The Revelation of Baha’u’llah, Vol. 3 Adib Taherzadeh’s third volume, covering the nine years from Baha’u’llah’s arrival in ‘Akká to His departure from the prison-city. (George Ronald)

Hardcover Catalog No. 331-094 $18.50

For Children and Youth

From Behind the Veil

Táhirih and the Babis come alive in a novel that captures the audacity of the foremost woman Babi. You will relive your own acceptance of the Faith. Softcover Catalog No. 332-108 $3.25

Mullá Husayn 3 A brief account of the first believer

in the Bab—for children and youth. (South Africa)

Softcover — Catalog No. 352-091 $3.00

Táhirih 4 For children and youth—a retelling of the story of the foremost heroine of the

Babi era. (South Africa)

Softcover Catalog No. 352-093 $3.00

Quddis

An account of the favorite disciple of

the Bab—for children and youth. (South Africa)

Softcover Catalog No. 352-092 $3.00

Calendars

Baha’ Wall Calendar: 1984

Fifteen-month calendar features a photo of the door to the Shrine of Baha’u’llah. Calendar — Catalog No. 769-045 $1.00

Baha'i Date Book: 1984

Page for each month (15 in all) contains space for notes. Includes reminders of Feasts, Holy Days, special-event days,

U.S. legal holidays. Cover features the elen Baha’i School.

Catalog No. 769-021 $2.00

Li Calendar

Bahá’í Pocket Calendar: 1984 Handy pocket calendar contains 12 months from January through December. Feasts, Holy Days, Fast clearly marked.

Calendar Catalog No. 769-064 10/$1.50

Baha’i History Calendar: 1984

Popular calendar from Hawaii features this year stunning photographs of the . Seat of the Universal House of Justice. Calendar Catalog No. 769-082 $5.00

‘Abdu’ll-Baha Lithographs

‘Abdu’l-Bahá Color Lithograph, 11 x 14 In time for Naw-Rúz—a new full-color lithograph of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reproduced from the only known color photograph

of the Master. Suitable for framing. Lithograph Catalog No. 875-019 $12.00

‘Abdu’l-Bahá Color Lithograph, 5 x 7

A small, desk-size reproduction of the lithograph described above. Surprise all your friends on Naw-Riz.

Lithograph Catalog No. 875-020 $5.00

ORDER FORM

Enclosed is my check or money order for $.

(including 10% for

Qty Tie Brice). Qty, Title Price postage and handling, minimum $1.50). __ Kitáb-i-Íqán, PS $3.50 __ From Behind the Veil, SC $3.25 ny __ Gleanings, PS 3.50 __ Mullá Husayn, SC 3.00 Charge to: ($10.00 minimum order) Some Answered Questions, PS 3.50 Táhirih, SC 3.00 even Valleys, HC 6.00 __ Quddús, SC 3.00 i . Seven Valleys, SC 3.00 —‘Abdu’l Baha color litho, 11x14 12.00 VISA MC. Card/expires ower Divine Assistance, SC 2.00 _‘Abdu’l-Bahá color litho, 5x7 5.00 importance of Deepening, SC 2.00 Baha’ Wall Calendar: 1984 1.00 Send to: — Days to Remember, SC 7.00 __ Baha'i Date Book: 1984 2.00 — Baha'i Proofs, HC 15,00 Baha'i Pocket Calendar: 1984 10/$1.50 Name. — Revelation of Baha'u'llah, HC 18.50 __ Baha'i History Calendar: 1984 5.00 Address. City. State. Zip.

Bahai 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.)

Prices good through April 15, 1984

[Page 18]The American Baha’i

18

PLEASE PRINT

(Mr./Mrs./Miss)______(Mr./Mrs./Miss). (Mr./Mrs./Miss).

(Mr./Mrs./Miss).

Address.

75TH BAHA’i NATIONAL CONVENTION (April 26-29, 1984) 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.

USE ONE FORM PER FAMILY

LIST ALL ATTENDEES 15 YEARS OLD AND OLDER

______ Baha’ I.D. No.__ ees Baha’i 1.D. No.. Baha’i 1.D. No..

_— Baha’i I.D. No.

Telephone ( ).

Child’s name Sex Age

CHILDREN’S REGISTRATION

LIST ALL CHILDREN 14 YEARS OLD AND UNDER Please note special needs (medical, emotional, dietary, etc.)

Special needs

A QUALITY CHILDREN’S PROGRAM IS PLANNED. PRE-REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL TO INSURE YOUR CHILD’S PLACE IN THIS PROGRA!

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW! Mail to: Office of Membership, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091

The 75th Baha’ National Convention will be

held April 26-29, 1984, at the

Chicago 60616. The toll-free phone number is 1-800-621-6909 (in Illinois, phone COLLECT, 312-791-1901).

Rates: $48 per night (plus tax)—1, 2, 3 or 4ina room (two double beds). Rollaways are available @ $10 each.

Suites available: 1 bedroom, $96-$200; 2 bedrooms, $144-$248 per night. (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 Baha’i National Convention, April 26-29, 1984. Request confirmation to ensure that your reservation was received. PLEASE (1) give

More information about 75th U.S. Baha’i Convention

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 such rooms is limited.

Sharing rooms: The hotel will NOT find you a roommate. You must make your own arrangements.

There is regular bus service—Continental Air Transport—to the McCormick Inn from O’Hare Airport ($6) and from Midway Airport ($5). Taxis also are available.

The coupon above includes registration information for seating and for the registration of children at the Convention.

Association sets 1st symposium on Baha’i Faith, Islam

The first International Sym rector of the Institute of Islamic

in Haifa.

posium on the Relationship of the Bahai Faith and Islam will be held March 23-25 at McGill University in Montréal, Canada. Co-chairmen of the symposium, which is sponsored by the Association for Baha’i Studies, are Douglas Martin, a member of the Association’s executive committee, and Donald P. Little, di Studies at McGill University.

Baha’i speakers will include Dr. Amin Banani of UCLA; Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly; Dr. Heshmat Moayyad of the University of Chicago; and Vahid Rafati, director of the Research Department at the World Centre

Because of limited space, the symposium is open only to current members of the Association on a first come, first served basis.

For more information, please contact the Association for Baha’i Studies, . .

Ontario KIN 7K4, Canada (phone 613-233-1903).

As a part of their ‘Operation Befriend’ efforts, the Baha’is of St. Charles, Missouri, offered in November to stripe the parking lot at the local library where many of their proclamation events are

held. Although the Assembly of- _

fered to absorb the entire cost, library officials insisted on paying for the paint that was used. The library plans to install a plaque in its main entrance thanking the Baha’is for their contribution.

WLGI

Continued From Page 1

many individuals giving what they could, not by a few making large contributions.

Among the more than 400 letters that arrived in the weeks following Mr. Sears’ appeal were many that included warm messages of love and appreciation to the Hand of the Cause. Each of them is being forwarded to Mr. Sears.

TAKEN together, these letters convey a story of heroic sacrifice seldom equaled by the American Baha’i community. Here are a few examples:

A community that had set up

a memorial fund to honor the memory of one of its members, a CB radio enthusiast, decided to send the entire $260.25 to WLGI.

Youth and children in one

community worked for more than a year at filling a large jar with their coins (and their parents’) which they collected at every Feast and contributed to the station.

One woman wrote that her

husband, whom she sweetly referred to as ‘‘an undeclared believer,’’ had suggested that she contribute to the radio station rather than spend money on a party for their 50th wedding anniversary.

IN TEXAS, two sisters, ages 9

and 4, practiced a program of gymnastics, dances, songs and

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prayers for weeks, then sold “tickets”? to their family for the Thanksgiving day performance. They sent in $33.

These are but a few of the many examples of sacrifice contained in the letters bearing contributions for WLGI.

Others tell of innovative and successful fund-raisers of all kinds, from potluck dinners and auctions to talent shows, dances, fairs and video nights.

Ground was broken last October 16 for WLGI, which is to be built at the Louis G. Gregory Institute near Hemingway, South Carolina.

Among those who were most generous and constant in their fund-raising efforts for the station were the Gregory Institute’s sister schools, Bosch, Green Acre and Louhelen.

As a member of the Louhelen staff put it, ‘‘We were the most recent project to experience the generosity of the American Baha’i community, and we want to share it now with the Gregory Institute.””

On learning of the victory, the South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee sent the following cable to the National Spiritual Assembly:

“South Carolina rejoices meeting WLGI goal. Grateful entire American community its wholehearted support. Local believers and several Local Assemblies South Carolina contributed more than $40,000. Warmest Bahá’í greetings.”

The station itself, as well as the Institute that bears his name, is a monument to the life and work of the Hand of the Cause of God Louis Gregory who was born in 1874 in Charleston, South Carolina.

[Page 19]PERSIAN PAGE

February 1984

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[Page 20]

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The American Baha'i

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[Page 22]The American Baha’i

22

World NEWS

Nine hundred fifty-two people were treated last August 17-23 at the first free Baha’i Medical Camp for Eye Patients in Maddure, Karnataka State, India.

One hundred-twenty of the patients were operated on, while the others received medicine, treatment, and free eye glasses.

Hundreds learned of the Faith, and the head of the Mysore Health District praised the Baha’is for their principles and their actions.

Habib Habibi, a Baha’i from Bangalore, was chiefly responsible for organizing the camp which was proposed after the principal of the local medical college became a Baha’i ...

A French television crew was among a large number of visitors to a Baha’i exhibit last May 27-29 at a European festival in Brussels, Belgium.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Belgium sponsored the booth at the festival, whose theme was ‘‘The.World.We Choose, an Exhibition on the Quality of Life and Human Values.’”

Among the visitors were university professors, artists, writers, a member of the party accompanying King Baudoin of Belgium, members of Amnesty International, and busloads of school children and their teachers ...

Indigenous believers attended the Greenland Baha’i Summer School for the first time this year.

Tle 14 Baha’is who gathered June 24 in Holsteinsborg, a coastal settlement north of the Arctic Circle, included six Greenlanders and visiting Counsellor Lloyd Gardner ...

Seven members of the Spiritual Assembly of Potenza, Italy, and Auxiliary Board member Gianfranco Mazzoni met last June 26 with Emilio Colombo, the Italian minister of foreign affairs.

After discussing the persecution of Baha’is in Iran, the minister said he was well-informed about the situation and promised to do what he could on their behalf ...

The National Spiritual Assembly of the French Antilles reported last October that the 11th Local Spiritual Assembly had been formed on Martinique, and the 17th Assembly was ready to form on Guadeloupe ...

More than 150 people attended a conference on world peace last October 20 sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Panama.

Among the guests were representatives of the United Nations, members of the diplomatic corps, and government officials. The program, which included a guitar and piano concert, commemorated International Peace Day ...

Grenada

Continued From Page 6

could call them, they phoned to say they were coming to Grenada for the sole purpose of completing the transaction.

Within a week of their arrival, agreements were made, lawyers contacted, documents drawn up and signed, all without complication. The Baha’is had finally acquired their Center.

At first we did not understand the rapidity of these events, but that was because we could not anticipate the coming storm that would place our once-secluded corner of the earth in a spotlight for all the world to see.

We signed the documents at 2 p.m. October 14, only minutes before it was announced that Prime Minister Bishop had been placed under house arrest.

ALMOST instantly after that announcement, the city of St. George shut down and boarded up including the attorney’s office we had just left.

Had the signing been delayed for any reason it would not have been completed, for the entire law firm staff quickly disappeared, fearing possible riots and bloodshed.

The owners of the house also rushed away to pack for a return to Canada on the earliest possible flight.

Seeing the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Registry in a state of total confusion, we began to understand why the transaction had to be completed during that week.

It was all a part of Baha’u’llah’s mysterious Plan.

Having witnessed the brutal massacre of innocent people at Fort Rupert, participated in chain prayers with the Baha'is on Grenada during the shoot-onsight four-day curfew, and lived through an invasion by foreign troops, I am absolutely convinced that these events were God’s way of preparing the hearts of the Grenadians for an even greater battle, the spiritual conquest of their country.

THIS preparation, in fact, was begun long ago. This was the island chosen by Dorothy Baker as her pioneer post. She had bought a home here and was en route to settle on Grenada when the plane in which she was a passenger crashed.

There are many bounties for Grenada, but because of her sacrifice alone, the island will always be specially blessed.

A few days before the arrest of the Prime Minister, a young boy, the son of one of the pioneer families, had an unusual dream that warned of the coming chaos.

He dreamed that he was at a beach watching a Grenadian girl who had built out of sand a typical Grenadian house. The house was not abnormal, except that it was quite large.

Suddenly the roof of the house was removed, and disappeared without a trace. Then, as he peered into the roofless structure, the walls began to crumble and wash away with the tide.

THE HOUSE was a symbol of the revolutionary government led

Green Acre

Continued From Page 8

and commitment were made:

Because many of the believers

had not been successful in encouraging their non-Baha’i friends to attend firesides, there was a lengthy discussion on ways to attract others to the Faith.

Inspiring and well-researched talks were presented on such subjects as teaching and the history of the Faith.

The friends left the conference with a renewed commitment to teach the Faith and to deepen their own knowledge of its Teachings.

The Bahá’ís of Overland Park, Kansas, placed this display in the Overland Park library during the entire month of October and in

the Olathe, Kansas, I

vember. The same display is soon to be seen for another month in the Prairie Village library.

by Maurice Bishop, which abruptly lost its “‘roof”’ as Bishop and several of his cabinet ministers were savagely murdered while others were imprisoned or fled.

Even as this is written, the whereabouts of their bodies remains unknown. They simply disappeared without a trace.

The walls of the house came down as waves of troops stormed the island, eliminating the remnants of the previous government.

It is now the task of the Grenadian people and the Baha’is here to build a new house, hopefully with a new spiritual foundation.

Even though we were somewhat shaken by the events of the past weeks, and at times feared for our lives, we have had daily confirmations that Grenada is on the verge of a spiritual revolution.

Our 24-hour chain prayers during the curfew had such a unifying effect on the Bahá’ís that, as though drawn by a magnet, seekers dared the curfew to come to our homes, where we gave them a new sense of hope with the Mesage of Baha’u’llah.

NOW that some peace has returned to Grenada after the invasion, the Faith has spread its wings with a new spirit.

The mere act of our staying as pioneers has produced world-wide publicity for the Faith through such media as ABC News, National Public Radio, the Voice of America, the BBC, the British Independent Television Network, and many newspapers.

The Baha’i pioneers were among the few foreigners who stayed through the crisis, having requested not to be evacuated.

While only God knows for certain, it is interesting to speculate about how these events were a part of His Plan.

For example, the National Assembly would perhaps not have been able to form under the oppressive rule of the military coun Assembly to sponsor marriage institute in Grand Island

The Spiritual Assembly of Grand Island, Nebraska, is sponsoring a marriage institute May 19-20.

Topics to be addressed include “Marriage: An Assistance to Yourselves,”? ‘‘Development and Dimensions of Love in Marriage,’’ ‘Stress and Marital Unity,”’ “Marriage and Service to the Cause,”’ “‘The Developmental Path for the Future of Marriage,’” and ‘Guidance from the Writings.””

Workshops will be held on “Counseling the Couple,” ‘“Remarriage,’’ and the National Treasurer’s workshop, ‘‘The Secret of Wealth.””

Those who would like to attend should contact Mrs. Gwen Parmenter, P.O. Box 953, Grand Island, NE 68802, or phone 308381-1112.

cil that was thrown from power.

It is interesting to note that the new interim government is composed of an administrative council of nine members who are nonpolitical.

WHEN one of our prominent Baha’is was asked by the governor-general what he thought about a 12-member council, he replied that nine persons would be far more effective. And so it came to be.

It is also interesting that our future Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds is across the street from the governor-general’s mansion. Coincidence? Perhaps, but the longer I am a Baha’i the less I believe in coincidence.

Does Bahá’u’lláh have plans for Grenada? We Baha’is most certainly believe so, and thank God for the opportunity to remain on this Caribbean jewel.

20 seekers attend Peace Day meeting in Harrisburg

The Spiritual Assembly of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, sponsored a World Peace Day observance last September 18 at a local park.

Peace Day proclamations were issued by the governor of Pennsylvania, the board of commissioners of Dauphin County, and the mayor of Harrisburg.

About 20 seekers joined the 20 Baha’is at the program to hear Brian Lepard from the office of the Baha’i International Community in New York City speak on “The Long-Lasting Peace’’ and April Neal of Harrisburg speak on ‘‘The Role of Women in the Establishment of Peace.””

The event was publicized on radio and television, and a part of it was filmed by a TV station which showed it on the evening news that same day.

90-year-old Baha’i feted for half-century of ongoing firesides

For more than 50 years, Helen Barrick Marinello, a member of the Baha’i community of Maywood, Illinois, has been holding regular firesides in her home, making hers perhaps the oldest ongoing fireside in the country.

Mrs. Marinello was honored December 2 by the Maywood community on her 90th birthday. Both of her parents became Bahda’is in 1912, the year in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited the U.S.

One of Mrs. Marinello’s closest friends was Nettie Tobin, the woman who in 1912 brought a stone to the site of the future Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette in a baby carriage. The stone was used by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Temple’s dedication stone.

[Page 23]

NATIVE AMERICANS

February 1984

23

By REGINA ANCHONDO

The sky may have been overcast when we arrived with the Trail of Light teaching team in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but our spirits weren’t.

This was new territory and cooler temperatures, both of which excited us enormously.

WE WERE picked up at the airport and taken to the home of Auxiliary Board member Ernie Bruss for lunch and a briefing about the pueblos,we would visit. Ernie would accompany us while we were in New Mexico and Arizona, and we came to call him our “‘wagonmaster.””

Our first surprise was that we would be traveling in two motor homes for the next 10 days.

My second surprise was that I would be driving one of them.

This was a new experience for most of us—the South Americans had never even seen a motor home, let alone “‘lived’”’ in one.

After a brief discussion about who would get which vehicle, we piled in and headed for Espanola, our home base for the next several

ys.

Over dinner with the Baha’is in Espanola, we learned that our first presentation the following day, Saturday, would be at San Juan Pueblo.

WE DROVE to the pueblo early, parked the motor homes and went for a walk around the area.

Striking up a conversation with one of the women leaving a general store, we found that many of the older residents of the pueblo spoke Spanish. She said she would come to the afternoon program and bring some friends.

The threat of rain materialized as we moved into the hall where the program was to take place. Attendance was sparse at first be Counsellor Lauretta King (front row center) is pictured with members of the Trail of Light team (front row left to right) Clemente Pimantel, Sabino Ortega, Leo cause of a previously scheduled baseball game, and some of the residents volunteered to go out and round up the team and spectators.

The program began with a welcome from members of the tribal council and three dances performed by children and an elder who sang for them.

The precision of these children was admirable, especially since pueblo drums alter the rhythm frequently.

The Trail of Light presentation followed, after which gifts were exchanged. At the close of the program, we were invited to visit the San Juan crafts cooperative across the street.

THE WOMEN in the shop hadn’t seen the program, so they asked Clemente Pimantel to play some songs for them on his targa (flute) and charango (a stringed instrument made from an armadillo shell).

Since that evening’s program at another pueblo was canceled, some members of the team visited Pojoaque Pueblo where there are a few Baha’is and had a successful visit.

The next day, Sunday, was District Convention. The team was scheduled for activities at Santa Clara and Taos pueblos, and so we. would not be able to attend.

Instead, team members taped a message to the convention in which they expressed their hope that the friends would be inspired to win the goals for this phase of the Seven Year Plan.

The program at Santa Clara, which took place in the gymnasium, began with dances by the children and youth. As at San Juan Pueblo, male elders played the drums and sang as the younger people danced.

WE HAD seen one of the

poldo Richard and Egon Nieto during their visit to Arizona. In the back row are National Spiritual Assembly member Chester Kahn (left) and Ben Kahn.

dances performed at San Juan the day before, and noted the similarity and differences in its execution.

The eight Northern Pueblos are often referred to as Tewa pueblos because they share a common language known as Tanoan.

Members of each pueblo say they speak Tewa, but add that they cannot understand the Tewa spoken in the neighboring pueblos.

le on the surface the pueblos may appear to be almost idencal, each has its own customs, designs, language, and principal means of support.

Aware of the pride that the pueblo Indians have in their children, Sabino Ortega and Leopoldo Richard made a point of congratulating the children for their mastery of the traditional dances, and their parents for having instilled in them such pride and discipline.

AS THE Trail of Light team became accustomed to its surroundings, new things were added to its presentation.

For example, Leopoldo had brought with him samples of clothing worn by Guaymi women and developed this into an audience participation activity.

Each member of the team had an area of ‘‘expertise.’’ The presentation usually began with an introduction of the members by Counsellor Lauretta King who explained the history of the Trail of Light.

Sabino would then introduce the program itself, stressing that none of them was a professional artist, but that they were simply common people sharing the customs of their ‘‘households.’’

He would introduce Clemente who might say a few-words and then play two songs, one on the targa and another on the charango.

EGON Nieto would follow with a greeting in the Mapuche language, and would explain the meaning of the designs on the head of his kultrun, a small drum made from a hollowed log, covered with goat skin and tied with braided horsehair.

The designs were always of interest to the Indians because they symbolize the four cardinal points —north, south, east and west—to which Indians in this country also make their supplications.

In fact, on the surface at least, the Mapuche culture shared by Egon was the most similar to that of the North American Indians.

As an Auxiliary Board member and dedicated teacher for many years, Sabino had cultivated an ability to speak effectively, so it was always his responsibility to give the ‘‘official’’ message of the Trail of Light during the program, the message of the Faith.

All of us were happiest when this. could be done freely and openly, and the spirits of the team members rose and fell in accord

Members of the Ti team Egon Nieto (left) and Leopoldo Richard display their mu ance with the opportunities to do so.

AFTER Sabino’s joyful if serious announcement concerning the fulfillment of Indian prophecies, it was Leopoldo’s turn. He had the ability to make people laugh and feel right at home. He always had a special story for the children with a moral based on Baha’i principles.

Following group photos with the team members and children in their ceremonial dress, instruments, articles of clothing and ornaments from South America were displayed on tables for our pueblo friends to examine.

People would swarm around the tables asking questions, fingering flutes and banging on drums. There was a great deal of interest in the irridescent parrot feathers worn by Leopoldo, and several people wanted to know where they might get some.

Our first thought was. that the feathers were a novelty, but we were told that, in fact, they are considered sacred and are used in certain ceremonies of the “old religion.””

After lunch we went up to the

Puye cliff dwellings as guests of the Santa Clara Pueblo which owns and maintains the site.

THE VISIT was a tonic for the spirits of Egon, Sabino and Clemente, all of whom come from mountainous areas. Clemente was in the habit of playing his tarqa whenever he felt happy, and the mountains always made him hap py.

As we walked along the top of the cliffs our guide, one of the women responsible for training the children in traditional ways, explained the history of the site.

Until a few years ago, she said, it had been used for a particular ceremony each year. At the last gathering there was an electrical storm and several of the participants were-struck by lightning and killed. Since then they had not returned.

sical talents during a presentation at a pueblo in New Mexico.

We talked, too, about the importance of raising one’s children with an awareness of the traditional ways. Her two-year-old son ran ahead of us, picking up pieces of brush that were similar to those used in certain dances, and began two-stepping in rhythm to an imaginary drum.

She said proudly that he had begun learning to dance earlier in the year.

AS WE climbed into the motor homes to return to the pueblo and prepare for our trip to Taos, my new friend asked if she could come with us.

We took her to her car and then stopped to visit with a woman who lived across the street from the center where we had presented our program. She had asked a friend to bring the team by so she could give them a gift, a lovely piece of pottery that she had recently finished,

We went with our friend while she dropped off her car, then she and her son rode with us in the motor home to Taos where our first stop was a potluck dinner with Baha’is in the area.

Arriving at the Taos Pueblo, we found that our meeting that evening had been canceled. The first frost had occurred the night before,.and the ceremony marking its occurrence had to be performed right away.

All of the elders and the more traditional youth had gone up the mountain, and the pueblo was closed to the public, even to Indians from other pueblos.

We were, however, able to meet with some of the youth, and the evening was quite enjoyable.

‘WE COULD hear those on the mountainside singing the ceremonial songs as they came down, but gave up the idea of approaching them since the youth told us they had probably been drinking.

Instead, we talked to the youth and to a young man who worked

See TRAIL Page 24

[Page 24]ai ig J ia cE ERE TSG peep RUT eT

The American Baha'i

24

Archives has Keith Ransom-Kehler papers

It-is well known that the Hand of the Cause of God Keith Ransom-Kehler went to Iran in 1932 as a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada to try to persuade the government of the Shah to lift its ban on Baha’i literature.

IT IS less well known that prior to this mission, during the course of which she died, Mrs. RansomKehler had undertaken an extensive teaching tour of the western United States and the Orient.

This journey is well-documented in the Keith Ransom-Kehler papers in the National Baha’i Archives.

Although the Keith RansomKehler papers cover only this teaching trip of 1930-32, they nevertheless present a vivid picture of the abilities of Mrs. Ransom-Kehler.

Her trip began in Washington

state, Oregon and California where she fulfilled numerous speaking engagements at universities, churches, clubs and homes.

From her varied background as a university English professor, chicken farmer, and consultant to a large retail store, she was able to offer talks on a wide range of topics: interior decoration, child psychology, international relations, economics, and of course, the Baha’i Faith.

The newspaper clippings and correspondence in the papers show that her wide ranging speaking ability lent added prestige and impact to her Baha’i talks.

MRS. Ransom-Kehler’s tour of the Orient began in Japan and took her to China, Australia, New Zealand, Java, Singapore, Burma and India.

The newspaper accounts from Baha’is and non-Bahá’ís docu

The Creative Word

The Seven Valleys

and the Four Valleys

Among the attributes of God is that mysterious force which attracts all creatures unto Him. Primary among the ways in which that force is

transmitted is the Creative Word.

No manifestation of the Creative Word is more compelling or challenging than the works of mysticism. Foremost among Baha’u’llah’s

mystic writings are His two treatises, Valleys.

, The Seven Valleys and the Four

In these marvelously evocative works the journey is not one of earth, air and water. It is one of the soul and the heart. It concerns a reality that is perceived but never seen. Yet to say these things is to examine but.

one facet of a many-faceted jewel.

To say that The Seven Valleys is merely a reply to questions about Sufi philosophy or that The Four Valleys is an epistle to a Shaykh is an

understatement of the highest order.

As the reader travels through these awe-inspiring valleys, he hears Bahda’u’llah’s mystical voice describing those things that are “‘not to be pictured in words.” Not in words perhaps, but in the Creative Word which goes beyond ideas and concepts to stimulate the mind and offer a

vision for the soul.

(Hardcover, Catalog No. 103-015, $6) (Softcover, Catalog No. 103-016, $3)

The first Spiritual Assembly of

Bloomfield, New Jersey, was formed November 12. Its members include (left to right) Theron Herman, Zizi Gibbs, Edward Gibbs, Bonnie Hill, Farzan Kar

dan, Shelly Herman, Ali Rad, Marjo Dickinson. The Ih member of the Assembly, dosian Daemi-Rachida, was vi

g 2 daughter in Brazil when the photograph was taken.

menting the tour reveal that she made as good an impression throughout that vast area as she had in the U.S.

A letter from the president of a non-Baha’i group in Adelaide, Australia, recommending her to another group as a speaker comments that Mrs. Ransom-Kehler is “interesting as being a different type of American to what we generally meet.””

And her papers include letters from non-Baha’is indicating how she had awakened their interest in investigating the Faith by the quality of her talks, and from Baha’is stating that due to her talks and classes they now more fully appreciated the depth of the Faith.

Something of Keith RansomKehler’s speaking ability can be gathered from the few surviving manuscripts of her talks and articles, which range from martyrdom to marxism, as well as introductions to the Faith.

FORTUNATELY, not only the

public side of Mrs. Ransom-Kehler’s tour is represented in the papers but also the private side, found in the diaries she kept in small notebooks during her journeys. In these diaries we discover how she thought her audiences responded to her, and the joys and stresses of dealing with many different Baha’i communities of varying capacities on short acquaintance, and often while travel-weary and ill.

We can also discover in these diaries the delightfully period contents of her suitcases, the hostesspyjamas and Chanel frock, for instance, as she frequently mentions what she wore to speaking engagements and social gatherings.

In all, the Keith Ransom-Kehler

papers bring to life two strenuous but rewarding years in the teaching career of a distinguished and notable Baha’i, and also inform us of the self-aware and striving human being behind the public person.

Comment Continued From Page 2

not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power .. .’’ (The Baha’i World, Vol. III, p. 108).

As parents who are schooled in child development are better able to carry out their roles in rearing children to adulthood, so the more the process of the development of Spiritual Assemblies is understood, the fewer will be the growing pains. By studying existing Bahá’í communities, from those with the newest fledgling Assemblies to large and longstanding urban communities with mature Assemblies, it becomes possible to discern distinct stages of development. What is presented here is an attempt to delineate those stages.

From the outset the reader should be aware that, while the following comments are generally true, each community will have factors that make it unique, and that therefore some observations

Trail

Continued From Page 23

with them, and then dances were shared and traded.

Egon, Leopoldo and I spent the night in Taos while the others returned to Espanola—each group had radio or newspaper interviews in the respective towns.

The next day we met again in Espanola to prepare for our big night out. We were going to spend a few hours simply wandering around Santa Fe before dinner, then go to the Santa Fe Indian School for a presentation.

The school auditorium was packed with young pople. It took a while for everyone to settle down, but when they did they enjoyed the program thoroughly.

Afterward, there was a reception for the team with older students, many of whom were dressed in the traditional way of their

people. Several youth from the Northern Pueblos mentioned that their parents or brothers and sisters had seen us at Santa Clara or San Juan.

We met Sioux youth as well, and told them about our upcoming visit to their Reservations, hoping they would alert their parents to watch for us.

Leopoldo taught them a Cuna Indian dance, and they showed us a few too,

We left Espanola the following day to return to Albuquerque. As we were about to leave, our friend from Santa Clara Pueblo came by. She wanted to give the team members copies of a Tewa di tionary she had helped compile and some of the Tewa texts she had been working on.

The South Americans went to her office at the school where she gave them the books. As we left, she cried.

Next: Northern Arizona

Pioneer produces cassette tape of songs

Joany Lincoln, a pioneer to Africa for 13 years who is wellknown for her inspiring and heartfelt songs about the Faith and pioneering, has produced a cassette tape featuring several of her songs in English, French and several African languages. The tape is now available from the International Goals Committee.

If you would like a copy, please write to the International Goals Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, and include $8 for the tape and postage costs.

may not apply in particular cases. The key element that serves to determine each stage of growth is the number of active Baha’is in a community. That factor alone, for example, determines how large a facility is needed for the Nineteen Day Feasts and how effective consultation can be. The number of active members has a significant impact on the Assembly itself, with sizable increases in numbers requiring qualitative changes in the way the Assembly operates, aside from the more obvious ‘changes in meeting places.

BECAUSE the key lies in the number of active believers, the stages of community development apply whether the community is rural, suburban or urban. Of course, a town with roughly a thousand residents will never be faced with some of the problems that cities with millions of residents will encounter. Nevertheless, as hundreds of people in that smaller town become Baha’is, it will find itself experiencing essentially the same difficulties that now confront many urban Baha’i communities. *

Many active, vital Baha’i communities stagnate at the point at which they should be evolving into the next stage of their development. This is due partly to fear of change, and partly to their inability to make, the adjustments that are necessary for a successful transition. Change requires flexibility and courage. Looking ahead to future needs can help dispel the fear of change, and plans can then be laid to help bring about and ease the metamorphosis necessary for continued growth.

Next moni tages of growth

Roseville fund-raiser nets $1,500 for WLGI

More than $1,500 was raised for WLGI Radio at a dinner-auction November 19 in Roseville, Minnesota.

About 40 Baha’is from nine Twin Cities suburbs attended the event.

Regional Teaching records are sought

The National Baha’i Archives is seeking the records of Regional Teaching Committees for the 1930s and 1940s, particularly minutes and correspondence. Anyone who has such records should write to the National Baha’i Archives, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

[Page 25]PAGINA HISPANA

February 1984

25

Nuevo México: Intercambio de cultura y corazon

Por REGINA ANCHONDO

Tal vez el cielo estuvo nublado cuando lIlegamos a Albuquerque, pero no nuestros espiritus.

Nos encontramos en un territorio nuevo con temperaturas mas suaves, lo cual nos gust6 muchisimo.

NOS recogieron del aeropuerto y nos llevaron a casa de Ernie Bruss para almorzar y revisar el horario y datos necesarios sobre los pueblos que ibamos a visitar.

Ernie nos acompafiaria durante la gira en Nuevo México y Arizona.

La primera sorpresa fueron los dos “‘trailers’’ (casas rodantes) en los cuales fbamos a viajar y vivir durante los.préximos dias.

Mi segunda sorpresa fue que yo tendria que manejar uno de ellos.

Las traductoras ibamos descubriendo que nuestro titulo cubria una multitud de quehaceres. Fue una experiencia nueva para nosotros—los sudamericanos nunca habian visto tal vehiculo, ni hablar de haber vivido en uno.

Subimos y salimos rumbo a Espafiola, nuestra base de operaciones para los dias siguientes.

NUESTRA primera presentacién fue en San Juan Pueblo. Llegamos temprano. Estacionamos los trailers y paseamos por el pueblo.

Conversamos con una sefiora que saliéd de una tienda y la invitamos al programa. Hablando con ella descubrimos que muchos de los habitantes de mayor edad hablahien espafiol. Ella prometié ‘ir al programa y llevar a unos arias

La amenaza de Iluvia se cumpliéd mientras entramos al salon donde el programa tomaria lugar. Habia poca gente al principio debido a un juego de béisbol y unos residentes ofrecieron ir a traer a los jugadores y su ptblico.

El programa comenzé con la bienvenida por parte de un miembro del consejo tribal y tres danzas presentadas por nifios y un mayor que tocaba tambor mientras bailaban.

Fue nuestra primera oportunidad de disfrutar de tal presentacién. La precision de los nifios fue admirable, especialmente como los tambores pueblos cambian de ritmo con frecuencia.

LA presentacién del Camino del Sol siguié y después un intercambio de regalos. Al final del programa nos invitaron a la cooperativa de artesania del pueblo.

Cada miembro del equipo recibié una grabacién de la misica de San Juan Pueblo, incluyendo la musica para los bailes que recién vimos.

Las mujeres que trabajaban en la cooperativa no podjan asistir a la presentacién y pidieron a Clemente Pimantel que tocara algunas melodias con su targa (flauta) y charango.

de la noche en otro Pueblo fue cancelado y decidimos visitar a Pojoaque Pueblo, donde hay unos cuantos Baha’ is.

Como no les queriamos_ incomodar algunos nos quedamos atras, yo entre ellos.

El dia siguiente me contaron que fue una visita agradable y Clemente regresé con un tambor que le regalaron.

EL DIA siguiente, domingo, era de la convencién del distrito. El equipo ya tenia compromiso en Santa Clara Pueblo y Taos Pueblo, asi que no pudimos asistir.

Sin embargo, grabamos un mensaje a los asistentes de la conferencia para animarles a ganar las metas de la regién.

El programa en Santa Clara tomé lugar en el gimnasio. Estuvimos rodeados por el publico abajo. Arriba en el segundo nivel también muchos se quedaron de pié cerca de la baranda.

La presentacién empezé con bailes por los nifios y jovenes que estudiaban las costumbres tradicionales en un programa especial de la escuela.

Como en San Juan Pueblo, mayores tocaron el tambor y cantaban mientras ellos bailaban. Viendo a los nifios en su ropa tradicional ceremonial nos dimos cuenta de algunas semejanzas y diferencias entre los pueblos en cuanto al vestuario.

Por ejemplo, los colores basicos utilizados en la ropa son blanco, azul turquesa, negro, rojo y amatillo. Las diferencias se encuentran en el color predominante, la combinacién de colores adicionales y los disefios geométricos que se utiliza.

COMPARANDO los _bailes hechos en Santa Clara con los del mismo género que hicieron el dia anterior en San Juan, notamos otra vez las semejanzas.

A los Ocho Pueblos del Norte también se les refiere como los Pueblos Tewa porque el raiz de sus idiomas es un lenguaje de la familia tanoana.

Sin embargo, aunque todos dicen que hablan tewa, también dicen que no estienden el tewa hablado en los pueblos vecinos.

En la superficie los pueblos parecen ser idénticos, pero cada uno tiene sus costumbres, lenguaje, disefios artisticos y medio principal de ganarse la vida.

Enterados del orgullo que los indigenas pueblos tienen para con sus hijos, Sabino Ortega y Leopoldo Richard se esmeraron en felicitar a los nifios por haber demostrado su. destreza en los bailes tradicionales, y a los padres por haberles inculcado tanto orgullo y disciplina.

A MEDIDA que el equipo del Camino del Sol aprendié a trabajar juntos, agregamos cosas nuevas a nuestra presentacién. Leopoldo habia traido ropa tra

inventé una actividad en la cual el publico podja participar.

En Santa Clara pedimos la ayuda de una joven de 16 o 17 afios. La vistimos en la ropa guaymi con sus prendas y pedimos que se sentara con el puiblico hasta que Leopoldo Ia llamara.

Cada miembro del equipo tenia su habilidad. Por lo general, los programas comenzaron con una introduccién por la Consejera Lauretta King, quien presentaba a los miembros del equipo y explicaba la historia del Camino del Sol.

Sabino introducia el programa mismo, enfatizando que ninguno de ellos era artista profesional, sino personas comunes y corrientes que venian a compartir tradiciones de la casa.

Presentaba a Clemente quien tal vez dirigiria algunas palabras al puiblico y tocaba dos canciones con la targa y el charango.

Egon seguia con un saludo a los presentes en el idioma mapuche. Explicaba el significado de los desefios en su kultriin, un tambor hecho de tronco ahuecado cubierto con cuero de chivo y amarrado con crin de caballo.

LOS diseiios en el piel siempre interesabania los indigenas porque simbolizaban las cuatro direcciones cardinales, norte, sur, este y oeste, a las cuales ellos también dirigen sus stplicas.

En efecto, por lo menos en la superficie, la cultura mapuche como Egon la mostraba era la mas parecida a la cultura indigena norteamericana.

Como miembro del Cuerpo Auxiliar y maestro dedicado de la Fe, Sabino habia cultivado la habilidad de hablar eficazmente. Por eso siempre era su responsibilidad dar el mensaje “‘oficial’’ en el programa, el Mensaje de la Fe Baha’i.

Todos éramos mis felices cuando esto> se podia hacer libre y abiertamente y los espiritus de los miembros del equipo subian y bajaban de acuerdo con las oportunidades para hacerlo.

Después del mensaje en cuanto al cumplimiento de ciertas profecias indigenas por la Fe, le tocaba a Leopoldo. Su mayor habilidad era hacer feliz a la gente con sus cuentos y chistes.

ESA majiana en Santa Clara mencioné que el equipo echaba de menos a una hermana para acompafiarles, y que habian encontrado una muchacha en el camino.

La adoptaron y la vistieron de ropa guaymi. Si ella nos podia acompafiar, seria un estémago menos para lIlenar y un cuerpo menos para vestir en el pueblo. Sin embargo a la hermana adoptiva le faltaba nombre.

Cada miembro del equipo sugirié un nombre en su idioma indigena y al puiblico les tocaba aplaudir para el que mas les gusté.

Después de nombrarla Leo

Los miembros del Camino del Sol: Egon Nieto, indigena mapuche de Chile, tejedor y estudiante; Clemente Pimantel, indigena quechua de Bolivia y agricultor; Leopoldo Richard, indigena kuna de

entre los presentes quisiera reclamarla antes de que nosotros la llevaramos. Vino corriendo la abuela, quién refa mientras la abrazaba.

Nunca deciamos a las hermanas adoptivas de que se trataba lo de vestirse en la ropa guaymi; nada mas les pediamos que la modelaran. Siempre se quedaban tan sorprendidas como el piiblico al resultado. Esta vez la joven lloré y nos agradecié por haberla escogido.

DESPUES de fotos con los nifios en su ropa ceremonial, instrumentos, ropa y prendas de sudamérica se mostraron en unas mesas para que los amigos pueblos los examinaran.

Rodearon las mesas haciendo preguntas, tocando flautas y tambores. Hubo mucho interés en las plumas iridescentes de papagallo que llevaba Leopoldo, y muchos preguntaron cémo los podian conseguir.

Al principio pensamos que las plumas eran una novedad nada mas, pero ellos nos informaron que se consideran sagradas y que se usan en ceremonias especiales de la religién antigua.

Debido a leyes muy estrictas en cuanto a la importacién de papagallos, las plumas son muy escasas y caras. Hay una sefiora de edad que mantiene un papagallo pero le es muy dificil repartir a todos.

Les pregunté cuanto tiempo habjan usado las plumas y de dénde las conseguian en el pasado. Alguién mencioné una ruta indigena antigua de comercio entre latino y norteamérica antes de la Ilegada de los conquistadores. le

MIENTRAS yo acercaba otro grupo, oj a varias personas tra Panama que ahora vive en Venezuela donde vende y exhibe la artesania de los indigenas guajiros; y Sabino Ortega, indigena quechua de Bolivia y fotégrafo, peluquero y maestro rural.

con Leopoldo para el envio de plumas.

Después del amuerzo fuimos a las escarpas de Puyé, donde los antepasados de los pueblos de muchos siglos atras habian labrado sus hogares.

La vista de las escarpas fue como elixir para los espiritus de Egon, Sabino y Clemente, quienes son de regiones montafiosas. Clemente tenia el habito de tocar su targa cuando se sentia feliz.

El y otros decidieron bajar por las escarpas para investigar las casas y los que nos quedamos para pasear arriba escuchamos las melodias de su flauta llevadas por el viento.

Una sefiora responsable para el entrenamiento de los nifios en las costumbres tradicionales nos acompaiié como guia. Ella ensefia el idioma tewa y bailes tradicionales en la escuela.

TAMBIEN practica la religion antigua de su pueblo. Mientras caminamos me conté la historia del local.

Hasta hace pocos afios se lo habia usado para una ceremonia especial anual. Durante la ultima reunién hubo una tormenta eléctrica. Algunos participantes sufrieron golpes de rayo y se murietron. Desde entonces no volvieron a repetir la ceremonia alli.

Hablamos de la importancia de criar en los nifios un conocimiento de las costumbres tradicionales. Su hijito de dos afios corrié hacia delante, agarré dos ramas de arbusto parecidas a las que se usa en ciertos bailes y empezé a bailar al ritmo de un tamber imaginario. Ella comenté con orgullo que él recién empez6 a aprender los bailes.

[Page 26]

26

This is a picture of the Spiritual Assembly of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, date unknown. Please

Can you identify anyone in this picture?

send any information you may have about the names of the individuals, or the date, to the Na | Baha’ Archives, nal Center,

Wilmette,

Baha’i

IL

District Name

New Mexico S/Texas W New Mexico N

New York E

New York W

North Carolina C North Carolina E North Carolina W North Dakota

Ohio N

Ohio S

Oklahoma E Oklahoma W

Oregon E

Oregon W Pennsylvania E Pennsylvania W

Rhode Island

South Carolina C South Carolina E No. 1 South Carolina E No. 2 South Carolina N South Carolina $ No. 1 South Carolina $ No. 2 South Carolina W South Dakota Tennessee E

Tennessee W

Texas C No. 1

Texas C No. 2

Texas E No. 1

Texas E No. 2

Texas N

Texas S

Utah

Vermont

Vir Virginia S Washington NW Washington SW West Virginia

Wisconsin $ Wyoming

Wis. N/Peninsular Mich.

VIE Chart No. 1

Continued From Page 5

Fo ea es aR RTT a

Membership 3-month avg. (12/9/83) No. % 979 2 2.2 481 37 17 1,254 93 14 582 8 13.4 636 31 49 654 7 2.6 408 32 18 137 16 11.7 $51 66 12.0 388 46 11.8 358 26 13 499 28 5.6 216 4 14 1,255 103 8.2 452 60 13.3 195 26 13.3 108 13 12.0 1,314 10 16 2,397 3 13 2,017 \ 6 29. 21 4 49 627 : 6 1.0 794 4 50 386 15 3.9 266 a 2.6 159 23 14.5 300 1963 $28 34 6.4 105 3 2.9 1,269 83 6.5 838 70 14 186 13 7.0 219 12 5.5 251 29 11.6 156 20 12.8 670 53 19 538 40 14 1,011 93 9.2 356 38 10.7 178 15 8.4 237 ‘ 41 17.3 787 130 17.2 151 15 10.0

Most recent month

No.

46 49 127 3 34 16 33 26 90 52 32 38 uf 120 87 38 16 10 4 i

112 108 21 18 40 uM 73 56 142 52 2s 57 179 19

(Qawl)

%

46 10.2 10.1 16.0 5.3 24 8.1 19.0 16.3 13.4 9.0 7.6 2.5 9.6 19.2 19.5 14.8 716 Jeb 55 12 1.3 13: 44 2.6 23.9 10.0 10.8 3.8 8.8 12.9 11.3 8.2 16.0 19.9 10.9 10.4 14.0 14.6 14.0 24.1 22.0 12.6

Publishing Trust announces price increase on many items

Effective February 1, the Baha’i Publishing Trust raised its prices on many, but not all, of the titles it sells, according to Larry Bucknell, general manager of the Trust.

The price increase is the first of any significance since January 1982.

“WE HAVE effected many economies to bring the prices of books down,’’ says Mr. Bucknell, “but higher expenses for printing and operating have finally forced us to make a price increase.’”

The Publishing Trust, he explains, “unlike other national Baha’i committees, is entirely selfsupporting. It pays all its own bills, and receives no support from the National Baha’i Fund.””

It should be noted, says Mr. Bucknell, that while some prices have been raised, others remain the same and some have actually been lowered.

For example, the prices on the following titles have been reduced: The Local Spiritual Assembly (compilation); Deepening Packet for New Believers; In Search of the Supreme Talisman; Memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; The Promised Day Is Come; and the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Prices on a number of additional items remain the same.

Among them are:

Baha’i Prayers; Epistle to the Son of the Wolf; The Dawnbreakers; Gleanings (hardcover); The Light of Bahá’u’lláh; The Open Door; The Promulgation of Universal Peace; Some Answered Questions; and Tablets of the Divine Plan.

The new Bahá’í Publishing Trust price list, effective February 1, appears as an insert in this issue of The American Baha'i.

Bay Area Baha’is attend introductory Esperanto session

More than 15 Baha’is from the Bay Area attended an introductory session on Esperanto held in November at the Baha’i.Center in San Francisco, California.

The session was conducted by Bruce Kennedy, a well-trained and knowledgeable Esperantist.

Included were a history of Esperanto, a profile of its founder, Dr. Ludwig Zamenhof, and his daughter, Lydia, a brief history of languages, and an explanation of the recent languages conference held in Budapest, Hungary,

The Baha’i Esperanto League, headquartered in Gallup, New Mexico, was discussed and book lists were distributed.

A buffet luncheon followed the session.

Camino del Sol

De Pag. 25

Cuando subimos a los vehiculos para regresar a Santa Clara, mi amiga pidié permiso para acompafiarnos a Taos, la préxima destinacién. La llevamos a recoger su carro y paramos a visitar a una sefiora que vive cerca de donde hicimos la presentaci6n.

Ella habia pedido a nuestra amiga que nos trajera a verla. Quiso regalar un ejemplo de su alfarareria al equipo.

AL LLEGAR a Taos Pueblo descubrimos que se habia cancelado la reunion. La noche anterior habia traido la primera escarcha y habia que celebrarla con la ceremonia apropriada lo mas antes posible.

Todos los mayores y los jévenes tradicionales habian subido a la montafia y el pueblo se cerré al publico, inclusive a indigenas de otros pueblos.

Logramos reunirnos con algunos j6venes y pasamos una tarde agradable. Se podia oir a los celebrantes cantando los cantos ceremoniales mientras bajaban.

Nos quedamos charlando. tercambiando bailes con los j6venes y un sefior que trabaja con ellos.

All llegar la hora de despedirnos, varios dijeron que antes no tenian el menor interés en los bailes tradicionales y que iban a aprenderlos. Otro jéven nos con

fio que nunca habia bailado hasta aquella noche.

EL DIA siguiente partimos de Espafiola para pasar la tarde en Santa Fe. Paseamos por la plaza mayor con sus tiendas y vendedores, cenamos y llegamos a la Escuela Indigena de Sante Fe donde habia otra presentacién.

El auditorio se llenaba de j6venes. Tomé un rato hasta que todos se tranquilizaran, pero gozaron del programa.

Después habia una recepcién con los estudiantes mayores, muchos de ellos vestidos en su ropa tradicional. Varios muchachos de San Juan y Santa Clara Pueblo nos dijeron que sus familias nos habian visto y nos acordamos de algunos de ellos.

Conocimos jévenes sioux y les advertimos de nuestra proxima visita a sus tierras con la esperanza _ de que ellos dirian a sus familias que asistieran nuestras presentaciones.

Salimos de Espafiola el dia siguiente para siempre, rumbo a Albuquerque.

Pero antes de irnos llegé nuestra amiga de Santa Clara Pueblo. Ella quiso regalar ejemplares de un diccionario tewa que habia compilado y unos textos para nifios, también en el idioma tewa.

Los sudamericanos la acompafiaron a su Oficina en la escuela para recogerlos. Cuando nos despedimos, ella llor6.

Préximo: Arizona del Norte.

[Page 27]

The American Baha'i

February 1984

27

... in The American Baha’i

The Continental Board of Counsellors announces the appointment of six new Auxiliary Board members in North America: Darrell W. Borland, assigned to Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Dakota; Raymond Hudson, assigned to Alaska; Elizabeth Martin, assigned to South Carolina; Nancy Phillips, assigned to Arizona, New Mexico and the northern and western districts of Texas; Fred Schechter, assigned to Southern California District No. 3 and southern Nevada; and Dr. William Tucker, assigned to Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia ...

The National Teaching Committee reports a significant movement of homefront pioneers to communities whose Assemblies are in jeopardy.

So far, the committee says, 50 Assemblies have been saved, 22 of them in California,» while the number of jeopardized Assemblies has declined from 112 in January to 89.

“It’s a little late, but it’s still encouraging,”’ says Dr. Philip Christensen, secretary of the National Teaching Committee. “If the friends increase the momentum we may be all right at Ridvan.”” ...

An energy conservation plan for Bahá’í properties is adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly to cooperate with government efforts to conserve fuel supplies during the nationwide shortage.

As noted in the press, the floodlights that surround the Baha’i House of Worship are turned off each night as a part of the energy conservation program.

Other measures include lowering room temperatures in offices at the National Center and at other Baha’i properties ...

The Green Acre Baha’i Winter School has among its speakers Dr. Magdalene Carney, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly; Auxiliary Board member Katherine McLaughlin; Robert McLaughlin, an architectural consultant to the Universal House of Justice; and Jamshid Monaghem, a Persian Bahá’í who has pioneered in Iráq and Ethiopia ...

More than 125 people attend a fireside conducted by renowned jazz musician John Birks (Dizzy) Gillespie at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts ...

Actor Jay Silverheels, who portrays Tonto in the ‘‘Lone Ranger’. television series, is a recipient of the annual Human Rights Award presented by the Baha’is of Los Angeles County, California ...

Ads

Continued From Page 16

classes and to develop curriculum plans and materials for the school’s future use. Program coordinator to help with planning and running adult sessions. Librarian to staff the library and work on developing the library and archives. Maintenance/ grounds assistant to help m; ain and clean the buildings and to direct volunteers in grounds development. Assistant secretary/registrar to serve as registrar at sessions and to help with secretarial and

VICK) CLARE KATZ

Clare’ Katz, former pioneer to Liberia, dies at 29 in Texas

Vicki Clare Katz, a former pioneer to Liberia, died November 30

years old. After her service in Liberia from 1977 to 1979, where she was

“a member of the National Teach ing Committee, National Publicity Committee and Liberian Summer School Committee, Miss Katz returned to the U.S. and worked in the International Goals Committee office at the Baha’i National Center, first as a volunteer and later as a pioneer coordinator.

She resigned in August 1978 to pursue a master’s degree in International Health and Tropical Medicine, in her words, ‘‘in the hope of returning to Africa.””

Two recent teaching campaigns in the Houston area were carried out in her memory.

clerical needs. The school is seeking qualified people in these areas. Married couples without children are preferred. Employment would be from mid-June (exact date can

be negotiated) to Labor Day. Al-.

though the school would like one person per position for the entire summer, consideration will be given to qualified individuals for part of the. summer. Lodging, meals and a weekly stipend of $50 will be provided. If you are it terested in any of these positions, please send a letter stating you: terest and including a resumé of your professional activities and Baha’i service to the Louhelen Baha’i School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423. Phone 313653-5033.

STUDENTS and permanent residents—the adult Baha’i population of Bowling Green, Ohio, has dwindled to nine, with the possibility of others leaving soon. I? you are 21 or older, please come ane help us save our Assembly. Bowling Green, about 20 miles south of Toledo, is a typical smali midwestern town, the home of Bowling Green University and its 16,000 students. The city has about the same number of residents. Students, professionals, those who are interested in small industry work, and those who are retired may be most able to relocate here because jobs are scarce,

’ though not impossible to find. For

more information please contact Vicky Corbitt, Bowling Green, OH 43402.

A POSITION (GS-11) for an electrical engineer is open in lovely Alamogordo, New Mexico, only 19 miles from a ski lift and tall pines. Near the Apache Indian Reservation and Mexico. Must be a US. citizen, as this is a federal government position. Write to Don Hawley,

Alamogordo, NM 88310.

BEAUTIFUL Lompoc, a city of about 27,000 in southern California, 50 miles from Santa Barbara and 10 miles from Vandenburg Air Force Base, where six Baha'is are striving to rebuild a lost Assembly, is again seeking help in developing a more diverse racial community to continue building strength in our teaching efforts. The temperature in Lom

Mrs. Cuellar, first Bolivian Baha’i, dies

Mrs. Yvonne Cuellar, the first declared Baha’i in Bolivia, died December 7 in Colorado. She was 87 years old.

She and her husband Arturo came to the U.S. in 1954 and subsequently served as pioneers to Spain and Portugal and as traveling teachers in Brazil.

The Cuellars were planning to return to Bolivia as pioneers in 1977, but Mr. Cuellar died before their plans were completed and Mrs. Cuellar, who even then was in failing health, was unable to go alone.

Instead, she remained active in

teaching the Faith in Colorado.

In 1981, Mrs. Cuellar canceled a pilgrimage to the Baha’i Holy. Places because, as she wrote to the National Spiritual Assembly, she had ‘‘disposed of the money to help our brethren Persians (who have been) persecuted and (I) have sent all I could to the Universal House of Justice.”

Her exemplary devotion and dedication prompted the House of Justice to cable:

“‘Saddened learn passing, Yvonne Cuellar. Offering prayers Sacred Threshold progress her soul Abha Kingdom.””

poc averages in the 70s all year, and is rarely hot. The Lompoc Valley serves a population of more than 50,000. Please contact

us at Lompoc, CA 93436. THE BAHA’E Group of Blacksburg, Virginia, needs two more adults to form an Assembly. Blacksburg, the home of Virginia Tech, a friendly town that offers academic positions, business opportunities and a clean and scenic area, is one of two goal Assemblies for southern Virginia. Contact the Baha'i Group of Blacksburg, P.O. Box 708, Blacksburg, VA 24060, or phone 703-552-8667.

H.F.P. (homefront pioneers), please call ‘‘home!’’ Remember, you cannot be counted toward the goal of 200 homefront pioneers until you tell us you have arrived at your post! Please send us your new address, Baha’i 1.D. number, phone number, and previous community. Thank you. The National Teaching Committee, Baha’i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

THE NORTHEAST a possibility for-relocation? Then consider Arlington, Massachusetts, which has easy access to historic Lexington and Concord; the urban diversity of Boston; the student centers of Harvard, MIT and countless other colleges; and is a onehour drive to the Green Acre Baha’i School. Suburban location with excellent public schools and public transportation. Also, a

small but active Baha’i community whose Assembly is jeopardized. Contact the Spiritual Assembly of Arlington, P.O. Box 451, Arlington, MA 02174.

HAMILTON Township, New Jersey, is planning a celebration after Ridvan to mark the 10th anniversary of the formation of its Spiritual Assembly. Anyone who has helped build this community is cordially invited to participate. Visitors, those who have lived here, passed through, or know of anyone who has, please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Hamilton Township, P.O. Box 2529, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690.

THE NORTH Haven, Connecticut, Fair-Planning Committee is seeking ideas from successful communities for booth design, exhibits, themes, activities, etc. Please write to Howard Garey, correspondent, North Haven Baha’i Group, Mount Carmel, CT 06518.

WANTED for a forthcoming book: historical or personal material and sources concerning Baha’u’llah’s fulfillment of the prophecies of Native Americans, Afro-Americans, and Jews. We are especially interested in any outstanding similarities and/or distinctions in the recent (since 1844) history of these three groups. Please send materials or comments to Bunch and Judith Washington, _ _ Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

In Memoriam

Edward Barton Jr. Julia Golden Amadore Phone Boise, ID Quitman, GA Dulce, NM November 27, 1983 Date Unknown Date Unknown Guy Bizelle Willie Grant Helen M. Price Lima, OH Lumpkin, GA Fort Myers, FL

Date Unknown

December 2, 1983

Charles Browning Inez Greeven Joy G. Simmons Riverside, CA Carmel, CA Aurora, CO November 20, 1983 July 1983 January 15, 1983 Fannie Butts Fernando Grasselly Naim Sobhani Brownwood, GA Arvada, CO Van Nuys, CA Date Unknown October 17, 1983 November 20, 1983 Thelma Cawood Alfred Irby Harry Stewart Jersey City, NJ Phoenix, AZ Tucson, AZ October 24, 1983 November 1983 November 1, 1983 Yvonne Cuellar Robert D. James Claramae Taylor Arapahoe County, CO Bellingham, WA Apex, NC December 7, 1983 October 20, 1983 Date Unknown Enda Dennis Vicki Clare Katz Cherlia Todd Bolton, MS Houston, TX Bay City, TX 1980 November 30, 1983 1980

Pedro Encarnacion Sr. Noreen Keith-Beattie | Addie Towns Passaic, NJ Ruidoso, NM Butler, GA November 14, 1983 November 26, 1983 July 22, 1983 Grace Fox Gayle Ketcham May Verhoeven Newtown, ND Bellingham, WA. Glendale, AZ

August 30, 1983

Juanita Garcia Jemez Pueblo, NM Date Unknown

Gertrude Gillam Atlanta, GA October 30, 1983

November 28, 1983

Ralph Miller Longboat Key, FL November 21, 1983

Iraj Mirzapour Elmhurst, IL November 29, 1983

October 3, 1983

Bertha Lee White Bolton, MS 1976

2 A ES IEEE NS TPE SR EEE EEE SE

=

[Page 28]The American Baha'i

ey Cp

Y) -—Yo— 14 Glas

Letters Continued From Page 3

ment, instead of offering a simple “thank you’’ we profess our unworthiness, thereby unwittingly disparaging the intent of the gift from God, for God works constantly through His servants. Many of us are embarrassed or apologetic if we make a good income and play it down, even if we give a goodly share to the Fund. All gifts are from God. Who are we to tell Him or His servants that He has made a mistake and so we cannot accept His gift? If we do this, is it any wonder that the fountain stops flowing? Let us learn to accept the gifts of Bahá’u’lláh as willingly as we have learned to give, and I believe that with all the inlet pipes opened the fountain will be a mighty and glorious sight to behold! Kenyon Foroughi-Gross Muscatine, lowa

To the Editor:

This is a suggestion that in our efforts to proclaim the Faith we look to those associations and organizations whose goals and purposes are similar to those of the Faith.

One way we might do this is to send them announcements of our public meetings and ask that they inform their members about them,

It would also be a good idea, I think, to include a pamphlet or the Baha'i House of Worship card, which includes a list of “‘what Baha’is believe in’’ ...

So many of us are working as organizations for the same purposes: universal peace, a spiritual solution to our problems, equal rights for men and women, the elimination of prejudices—we really should get to know and support each other in our efforts.

Violet Wuerfel Clark Highland Park, Michigan

To the Editor:

Can a married Baha’i couple “remain childless by choice’?

In the October issue, a writer says she and her husband have made such a choice, and goes on to say that child-rearing is an option that ‘‘not every individual will sele

ALTHOUGH Baha’u’llah did not reveal it as a specific law, that one of the purposes of marriage is to have children can be extrapolated from the Baha’i prayers:

“Marry, O people, that from you may appear he who will remember me ...””

And elsewhere: ‘‘... Thou hast enjoined marriage upon the peoples, that the generations of men may succeed one another ...’”

Since my husband and I are childless (not by choice), | have been alert to references on this issue.

On page 4 of the recent compilation ‘‘Baha’i Marriage and Family Life,”’ a letter to an indi.

vidual from the Universal House of Justice is quoted:

“A decision to have no children at all would vitiate the primary purpose of marriage unless, of course, there were some medical reason why such a decision would be required.”

So if the only acceptable reason a married couple do not have children is because it is medically impossible or unsound, can we say that this is an ‘“‘option’’?

On the contrary, I believe this statement from the Universal House of Justice removes childrearing from the arena of personal choice.

If there are other references on this issue, I would appreciate hearing about them.

The writer says she wrote to the Universal House of Justice, and quotes in part its response to her: “*... the condition of being childless is a matter personal to the couple, and should not be the concern of their fellow Baha’is.””

This comment refers to indivi. dual privacy and courtesy, which are important matters, but does not address the issue of being “childless by choice.’’

Gail Meyer Selcuk Rancho Palos Verdes, California

To the Editor::

I attend various events in the secular community, and have recently noticed that conversation always seems to settle on world conditions.

I am struck by the depth of people’s disturbance. At most of these events, the eventual questions are: What is happening in the world? What can we do?

1 am also struck to see the comprehension upon hearing Shoghi Effendi’s description of the age in which we live, the colossal challenge of the call to world unity, and the trauma that mankind must face as we enter the final stage of human evolution.

These people do not realize they are hearing Shoghi Effendi; suddenly, however, their vision is enlarged, and their world makes more sense.

1 am writing in the hope that the American Baha’i community can be encouraged to read and study The World Order of Baha'u'llah as a means of helping others to better understand the current events of their world, and as a preparation for their eventual acceptance of the principles and the Faith of Baha’u’llah.

Bonnie J. Taylor Glencoe, Iinois

To the Editor:

One of the special bounties that Baha’u’llah has showered upon us is the re-definition and spiritualization of much of realit

This includes such aristic terms as ‘‘war,’’ “‘army,”” “ranks,”’ etc. So despite our ‘‘old world’’ associations to these words (as indicated in a letter in your November issue), Baha’u’llah’s meaning is, of course, of the utmost purity.

In Epistle to the Son of the

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of The American Baha’i. Because we don’t need extra copies, please remove my name from the mailing list for this publication.

BAHA’i NATIONAL CENTER Wilmette, Illinois 60091

ica A de a Es a AN peas magia

Wolf (p. 24), He writes: “We have decreed that war should be waged in the path of God with the armies of wisdom and utterance, and of a goodly character and _praiseworthy deeds.’”

It seems to me that the Divine Educator is teaching us to look on these things with a new eye, one turned toward strength and courage without abuse of the same.

Another precious gem which the Educator of the age has bestowed upon man is the pri iple of the sin-covering eye, as expressed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in this passage from Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá . (p. 169):

“One must see in every human being only that which is worthy of praise. When this is done, one can be a friend to the whole human race. If, however, we look at people from the standpoint of their faults, then being a friend to them is a formidable task.”’

As we are able to embody this principle of the Faith more and more into our own inner spiritual lives, the concerns we have for the questionable attitudes and behavior of our beloved Baha’i coworkers will disappear.

Lee Nelson

S. Juan Capistrano, California

To the Editor:

None of us has trouble seeing evidence of the crumbling old world order.

“What is sometimes difficult to ‘see, and especially to show to those who are not Baha’is, is the evidence of the inexorable rise of Baha’u’llah’s new World Order.

For those who have this diffi culty, may I recommend Alvin Toffler’s The Third Wave?

This book defines the old world order without considering religion per se. It delineates the degree to which this old order has been undermined, and documents the evidences of a ‘tnew wave’’ of cultural, thinking which will inevitably build a new world.

The world Mr. Toffler sees coming is one in which individual diversity can be extended for more effective action and greater productivity.

As society fragments (his word is ‘‘demassify’’), people will be bound in greater unity by worldwide communications networks.

His description of how we can have both greater unity and the diversity to bring the ‘‘wisdom of many’’ to human society is the

Twin Ci

The Baha’i Metropolitan Women’s Committee of the Twin Cities is sponsoring a conference on Baha’i community life and the education of children April 7 at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus.

Dr. Jane Faily, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, will address the theme of Baha’i community life, while Dr. Stephen Suhm, a school psychologist from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, will speak on the education of children.

The theme of this year’s conference was chosen to fulfill a goal of the Seven Year Plan, the ‘‘development of Baha’i community life with special attention to the

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's Baha’i Women’s Committee sponsors conference on community life

first I have seen that makes sense.

Every one of us is a product of the old world order. To the degree that we are able to see the shape of the new Order, we can liberate ourselves from the old.

All too often, with tunnel vision, we cling to our old world concepts and put new labe's on them a practice that causes disunity ana alienation in Baha’i communities, and troubled spiritual lives for many individuals.

I believe Mr. Toffler’s book illuminates both our problems as “children of the half light’? and the splendor of the world the Revelation of Baha'u'llah is forging before our very eyes. I highly recommend it.

Annette Hinshaw Tulsa, Oklahoma

Baha’i education of children and the spiritual enrichment of communities.””

The Baha’i Metropolitan Women’s Committee, formed in 1979, is sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of St. Paul.

The committee has held several conferences which have drawn up to 150 Baha'is from a five-state upper Midwest area.

Hospitality is available at the April conference for those from out of town. For information, please write to the committee at

West St. Paul, MN 55118, or phone the secretary, Liz Pawlak-Kanyusik, 612457-9293.