The American Bahá’í/Volume 15/Issue 9/Text

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The American Bahá’í September, 1984

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[Page 1]

Publishing Trust divides operations for better service

As a part of its ongoing effort to provide better, more efficient service and the highest quality books and materials, the Bahá’í Publishing Trust is formally dividing its activities into two separate agencies.

ONE agency will retain the name "Bahá’í Publishing Trust" and will continue to be responsible for publishing the Sacred Texts in the widest range of formats while at the same time assuring a dignified presentation, according to Larry Bucknell, general manager of the Publishing Trust.

"The Trust will also continue to publish books of interest to the Bahá’í community," he says, Questions and answers about the changes at the Bahá’í Publishing Trust are on Page 23. "and to reprint popular titles as demand warrants.

The major change for the Publishing Trust in this reorganization is that the marketing and distribution of its titles in the U.S. will become the responsibility of a newly created agency, the Bahá’í Distribution Service.

"This separation represents much more than a name change," says Mr. Bucknell. "By separating the distribution operation from the publishing operation, we're better able to define job functions, allocate resources to better serve the community, and greatly improve our ability to identify and control the costs of each activity."

The Distribution Service, says Mr. Bucknell, will be the outlet for books, audio and video tapes, posters and other materials for the American Bahá’í community.

It will purchase these materials from Bahá’í publishers and producers—institutional and private—from around the world.

"IN THIS way a wide variety of materials will be available from one source," he says. "The friends will be able to easily obtain books and materials from all over the Bahá’í world without the

Amoz Gibson campaign sees 250 enrollments

OVERJOYED UPSURGE TEACHING, SPIRIT MOVING BELIEVERS RESULTING 250 ENROLLMENTS SIOUX RESERVATIONS SOUTH DAKOTA. TESTIMONY GROWTH MATURITY AMOZ GIBSON TEACHING PROJECT. SEVEN YEAR PLAN GOAL 50 ASSEMBLIES INDIAN RESERVATIONS IN SIGHT. PROGRESS ACHIEVED UNIFIED CAMPAIGN ACTIVE INDIAN TEACHERS, YOUTH, ADULTS. HAND CAUSE KHADEM, NSA MEMBER, NTC MEMBER LEAVING TODAY ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT FURTHER PROGRESS. SPIRIT HIGH CONTINUING PROCESS. SUPPLICATE PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES.

This joyful telex was sent July 28 to the Universal House of Justice by the National Teaching Committee, sharing the exciting news of victories in the Amoz Gibson Teaching Project on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Sioux Reservations in South Dakota.

THE message of victory has a relatively short but most exultant history behind it.

Last summer, the campaign had its beginning under the capable sponsorship of the District Teaching Committee of South Dakota, which, working hand in hand with the National Teaching Committee and American Indian Teaching Committee, invited projecteers to teach the Faith and attract new believers to the Cause of God.

Among those who volunteered were Jaleh Vafai, the widow of a martyr from Hamadan, Iran, and Edwin Roberts, who has served as campaign coordinator both summers.

Youth from various parts of the country played an active part in the campaign last summer. Among them were Navid Haghighi from Louisiana and Saied Mirafzali from Michigan, both of whom dedicated their summer to the campaign.

In an effort to recruit more projecteers, these youth traveled to Texas to attend a regional youth conference and returned to South Dakota with several young volunteers.

One young woman from Texas, Lisa Molin, decided to remain as a homefront pioneer.

BY THE end of summer 1983, more than 60 adults and youth had embraced the Faith and two new Spiritual Assemblies were

BAHÁ’Í FAITH: OFFICIAL SPONSORS OF WORLD UNITY

The Bahá’í community of Simi Valley, California, won a first place trophy for this float in the city's annual 'Pioneer Days' parade. The theme of this year's parade was 'The Olympics,' and the theme of the Bahá’í float was 'Bahá’í Faith: Official Sponsors of World Unity. Included was a large globe and replica of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1984 Summer Olympics.

The parade was seen by nearly 3,000 residents and was televised by the local cable station. After the parade, the replica of the Coliseum was donated to the Simi Valley Public Library and will remain on display there throughout the summer.

Revitalized 'Army of Light' on march again in S. Carolina

The Army of Light is on the march again in South Carolina! Reports of victory have been arriving almost daily at the National Teaching Committee office, according to Charles Cornwell, the secretary of that committee.

"THE JOY of this summer," he says, "has been the reports of victory from all areas of the country, but surely one of the most triumphant events of summer 1984 is the re-formation of the Army of Light.

"The National Teaching Committee is especially pleased to note the resurgence of teaching in the area around the Louis Gregory

94 District Conventions slated October 7 to elect National Convention delegates

The National Spiritual Assembly warmly invites you to attend the annual District Convention to be held in your electoral district Sunday, October 7.

THE PRIMARY purpose of the District Convention is to elect the delegate(s) who will represent your district at the annual National Convention to be held next April 25-28 in Wilmette.

Another vital purpose of each District Convention is to allow for a wide exchange of views among the friends on the important affairs of the Cause in that district.

In compliance with the Universal House of Justice's emphasis on increasing our teaching efforts, the National Spiritual Assembly has removed the responsibility for District Conventions from the District Teaching Committees so that they can focus their efforts more fully on helping the friends arise to teach.

This year, District Electoral Committees have been appointed to coordinate the District Conventions.

If you are prevented by illness or some other unavoidable circumstance from attending the Convention, you may vote by mail.

YOU will receive your ballots in the mail. Should they not arrive,

'Eagle' is launched by eager youth in Southern California

Among the many exciting developments of the summer of 1984 has been a special teaching campaign, based in Southern California, called "Launch the Eagle."

THE campaign, sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of Southern California No. 1, has been characterized by direct and indirect methods of teaching. Working closely with local communities, the planning team met with institutions of the Faith and individuals to map out a series of firesides and service projects.

The campaign was launched in April with a special Youth Conference, which was followed in turn by a one-week retreat designed to prepare the teachers for their demanding summer of service.

The retreat was held at the home of Don and Irma Sullivan in San Marcos. While there, volunteers attended a variety of classes to build a high level of unity and fellowship among themselves.

After the retreat, Launch the Eagle moved to Redlands, where numerous service projects were carried out including painting a local YWCA and clearing and beautifying a jogging trail at a local park.

IT WAS noted that many other organizations had made promises to do these things, but none had ever come through.

When the Bahá’í youth accomplished these and other service-oriented projects on a voluntary basis, local residents and organizations began to voice an [Page 2]

Feast letter

WLGI brings ‘water of life’ to S.C.

To the American Bahá’í community Dear Friends:

We were overjoyed and moved to tears as we heard the tape of the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears’ vibrant voice cutting through the air on its maiden run on radio station WLGI on May 23, 1984.

THIS SIGNIFICANT occasion was highly reminiscent of another age and time when, on May 23, 1844, Samuel Morse tapped out his message: “What hath ‎god God‎ wrought?”

Indeed, what hath God wrought in this day? That we, a small and apparently insignificant mass of humanity, inspired by our deep love for Bahá’u’lláh, and trusting in the promises of America’s spiritual destiny, could have erected, at such sacrifice, the first Bahá’í radio station in North America, and that it could happen in the South in blessed spot called Hemingway, South Carolina! “O Lord, increase my astonishment at Thee!”

The following is the actual sign-on statement heard on July 2, 1984:

“This is WLGI in Hemingway, South Carolina, 90.9 megahertz on your FM dial. The studios are located at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute. WLGI is non-commercial and funded by the Bahá’í communities of the United States of America. The purpose of WLGI is to uplift, inform, educate, entertain and enlighten, socially as well as spiritually. The image of the station will be consistent with its purpose.”

Then, dear friends, the Prayer for America given to us by our true Exemplar, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was read over the air, watering parched and receptive souls who, God willing, will respond to the Creative Words of God.

WLGI IS IN its embryonic garments, latent with possibilities for the gradual emergence of a vital, service-oriented and inspired organism. Who knows but that it could evolve into a key role in the promotion of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh not only in South Carolina but for the whole nation?

Thus, the National Spiritual Assembly urges the friends to foster tender love and support in the evolution of this new voice in the promotion of our blessed Cause, understanding that the station must go through the stages of necessary growth and development before it can take its rightful and destined place in the ears and hearts of a waiting humanity, thereby fulfilling the cherished hope of our beloved Shoghi Effendi to have a radio station in America.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

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

Eagle

Continued From Page 1 interest in the Faith.

The youth also helped in the Fourth of July parade in Redlands in which the Bahá’í communities of Redlands and San Bernardino won first prize for their float which was pictured in the local newspaper.

As the float passed by the reviewing stand, the parade announcer read to the crowd of some 15,000 an accurate description of the Faith he had prepared on his own.

Another victory in Redlands was media exposure, with three newspapers interviewing Bahá’ís for feature articles and one front page article headlined “Bahá’ís have left behind evidence of their beliefs.”

That article, in the Redlands Daily Facts, described the Bahá’í service efforts, pointed out the Bahá’í belief in the oneness of mankind, and gave a brief synopsis of the history and tenets of the Faith.

AFTER leaving Redlands, the 50 young Bahá’ís who were by that time active in the campaign moved on to Westminster to carry out more service projects.

Reports received since then indicate that the campaign continues to be highly successful with a steady number of enrollments resulting.

The most recent campaign report indicated that it was to continue through late August.

“This new ‘Bahá’í Youth Movement’ in teaching, spoken of so highly by the Universal House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly,” the report says, “seems to be growing and will surely continue.

“It is inspiring beyond words to see this project gaining victory after victory as the fame of the Cause of God reaches more and more waiting souls.

“The youth are truly arising and showing their love for Bahá’u’lláh.” —Karen Pritchard

Pictured in San Marcos, California, are many of the Bahá’í children, youth and adults who participated in this summer’s ‘Launch the Eagle’ teaching and service campaign in Southern California District No. 1.

June 1984 U.S. Bahá’í Directory now available

The June 1984 issue of the United States Bahá’í Directory has been published and is available upon request to Spiritual Assemblies and Groups.

The directory contains information on how to contact Spiritual Assemblies, Auxiliary Board members, District Teaching Committees and selected schools and institutes.

Once a community requests a directory, it will automatically receive one every six months.

To request a copy of the directory, contact the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

Comment

Are we demanding too much of ourselves?

This month’s article, “Shedding Our Feelings of Guilt,” was written by Cheryl R. Kettell of San Jose, California.

To complete my master’s degree in sociology a few years ago, I administered a questionnaire to ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ living in the San Francisco Bay area.

ONE OF the conclusions I drew from the work—one that has haunted me ever since—is that a fair percentage of declared ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ are leaving, or contemplating leaving, the Faith because of their feelings of low self-esteem, low self-worth, or guilt associated with feelings of unworthiness.

I am uncertain as to where such feelings arise in every Bahá’í, but I can surmise where some of these emotions are rooted.

First, the controversy over the “duty” of Bahá’í women to have a career, or postpone a career for motherhood, seems to rage on in the pages of The American Bahá’í.

To me, this is very much “old world” oriented, following closely the “super mom” image with which the media bombards us day and night.

I don’t recall reading anywhere in our Writings that any single human being, or either sex, was charged by God via Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation to be “all things to all people,” or, in other words, “perfect.”

IN FACT, it has occurred to me ‎several-times several times‎ that this artificial demand on Bahá’í women’s lives is yet another incarnation, rooted in old world sexism, of the notion of “keeping women in their place.”

The artificial demand to which I am referring is the expectation that Bahá’í women are totally responsible for raising perfect Bahá’í children, preferably while pursuing their potential in the business and professional spheres, and, of course, also participating in Bahá’í community affairs while keeping the household running flawlessly.

All of this, I know, seems grossly unrealistic when stated so bluntly. But it is pretty close to the mark as far as present expectations are perceived by both men and women in our American Bahá’í community.

In Bahá’í World Faith (p. 241), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, “The happiness of mankind will be realized when women and men coordinate and advance equally, for each is the complement and helpmeet of the other.”

Here I’d like to suggest that we are being asked to examine a rather important dual meaning of the word “coordinate.” Not only does it mean “to place in the same order, rank, etc.,” it also connotes the following: “adjust so as to have harmonious action; function harmoniously.”

IT IS difficult to imagine harmonious action between any two people when one of them feels guilty for not being “perfect.”

And if one person (the woman) is actually expecting to accomplish all that has been described here, or is perceived to be responsible for accomplishing so much, what is left for her mate to do? What is his role in the relationship as a spouse, spiritual friend/brother, and/or parent?

One of the horrendous liabilities of old world sexism has been the loss of communication between spouses, and between fathers and their children.

Fueling the fire of Bahá’í women’s insecurities for not becoming “superwomen” therefore carries many risks.

Not “making the grade” is something we all worry about from time to time. We all want to do our best to fulfill our spiritual potential as followers of Bahá’u’lláh.

But by overburdening Bahá’í women with unrealistic expectations of themselves, we run the risk of losing them and their valuable contributions to the Faith.

At the same time, we are affecting Bahá’í marriages adversely by not allowing the husband to see his vital role as helpmate to his wife. By indirectly discounting the husband/father’s role, we are reinforcing the old world blocks to harmonious action and communication within the marriage, and to a strong emotional connection between father and child.

THESE themes probably are strong contributors to the high divorce rate among Bahá’ís.

A second area of guilt among many Bahá’ís is that of divorce.

To help relieve the burden of guilt, I’d like to point out a couple of contributors to the high divorce rate among Bahá’ís that are often overlooked.

Bahá’u’lláh’s protective “tool” of obtaining parental consent before marriage is not properly understood and/or employed in this early stage of our Faith.

See COMMENT Page 4 [Page 3]“The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the flash of differing opinions.” — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The American Bahá’í 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 and opinions, never to derogate another’s opinion or attack anyone on a personal level.

Letters should be as brief as possible (a maximum of 250 words is suggested). Letters are subject to editing for length and style. Please address all letters to the Editor, The American Bahá’í, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

Numbers, charts: They aren’t for everyone

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to a letter (July) in which the Faith is referred to as a “statistical religion.”

LIKE the writer, I have been a Bahá’í for 11 years—all of my adult life. I, too, am uninspired by statistics.

I’ve heard many a fellow believer comment about the Bahá’í “numbers racket.” Some say it ruins the Faith for them, and it can become an excuse for everything from petty grousing to withdrawal.

These Bahá’ís forget two important things. One is that God’s Faith is founded on a principle of unity through diversity, and its obvious extension—the elimination of prejudices of all kinds.

Now, the elimination of prejudice or bias is easy to connect to color or sex or social status, but we often fail to apply it equally to diversity of thought, opinion or motivation.

Perhaps one person responds most to simply reading the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “Of all the gifts of God, the greatest is the gift of teaching. It draweth us unto the grace of God, and is our first obligation.”

ENOUGH said, they think, and go out immediately and teach, or make a point of remembering to contribute regularly to the Fund, or whatever.

Another Bahá’í may need to hear a fiery speech by our beloved champion, Bill Sears, saying: “Arise! Arise! Teach! Teach!”

Yet another may need to see visually what we are to attain and how far we must go to achieve it before he/she truly appreciates what God is asking of us.

To these Bahá’ís, charts, graphs and numbers stand as solid reminders of what they have set out to do and where their energy must go to do it.

This is especially true of Americans and other westerners. They set goals, map them out, and strive to win them.

We all do this to a degree. Some of us simply do it differently than others.

SO, you don’t respond to charts? Fine. Don’t look at the charts. Be motivated by whatever it is about the Faith that motivates you.

But there is no need to be angry or disgusted because others feel they need to use visual reminders of what we are trying to achieve.

Someday, hopefully, we won’t need charts. We’ll all be spiritual and responsive enough to do what we are asked to do without constant reminders from our institutions.

The writer also complained about goals, goals, goals.

It is hard to escape the fact that Bahá’u’lláh has set very definite goals for this planet of ours. However we choose to break them up into achievable pieces, they must be measured. Otherwise, how are we to know what we have accomplished?

Some people measure goals in bar charts, some in how many times they didn’t forget to say their obligatory prayers, etc. Again, the point is that we are a diverse community, unified in one thing—our purpose here is to know and love God, and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.

THERE is another thing we sometimes forget: the Faith is, at its core, a relationship between a loving God and an individual who returns that love.

For a believer to allow someone else’s use of “statistics” to express ideas—or indeed anyone’s different way of seeing or achieving things—to color that relationship makes no sense.

Bahá’u’lláh brought us a blueprint for co-existence. He brought us justice, mercy, love and a creative revolution. He asks of us only that we be unified.

He did not bring flow charts or graphs, and to confuse our own practical devices with the essence of the Faith is a grave error.

The Bahá’í Faith is not a “statistical religion” to me, and no amount of charting or enrollment tallying will ever make it so.

If you find yourself distracted by the graphs and cartoon characters used to help chart our course, read the words of Bahá’u’lláh or ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Feel the love in those words. That is the Faith of God.

If the statistics bother you, ignore them. They’re obviously for someone else’s benefit, not yours.

But, quite literally, for the love of God, don’t allow these things to become a source of contention or a distraction from the essence of the Faith.

Perhaps we face a grave test here—and a subtle one—that of accepting not only diversity of race and color, but diversity of viewpoints as well.

Maya K. Bohnhoff

Grass Valley, California

To the Editor:

I would like to add my thoughts to the discussion about whether or not the Lesser Peace has by now substantially arrived.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá prophesied that the Lesser Peace will have arrived by the end of this century.

I think that many of us tend to think subconsciously that the Lesser Peace will come in this fashion:

One morning we will awaken and there will be no wars taking place anywhere in the world. Or perhaps one day the world’s governments will suddenly decide that there should be no more wars, so the United Nations will open its doors to everyone and write a mandate proclaiming the same.

Too often we tend to believe that God works by miracles—that suddenly, something will happen to rescue us from completely destroying ourselves.

What we perhaps do not realize is that God works through us—He creates His miracles by causing us to do things.

The present floundering attempts by the super powers (at least) to reach some sort of detente would seem to me to be the very beginning of the Lesser Peace.

Granted, the new World Order is still embryonic—but the mother feels the first random flutterings of life long before her child walks on his own.

Kathleen Lehman

Hanover Park, Illinois

To the Editor:

It is my impression that the “letters” section of The American Bahá’í offers insight as to the various stages of development that we as Bahá’ís experience.

Of particular interest to me was a letter (January 1984) from Martin R. Flick of San Mateo, California.

THE points he made about controversy, opinion and viewpoint in relation to appraisal, and the question of withholding names from letters, caused me to desire to consider these issues further.

I feel that although controversy may be an element of the dynamic of growth and development, it is not an end in itself.

Opinions and viewpoints are necessary for an understanding of life. Without them, a sense of identity would be lost.

The outward expression of one’s values tends to confirm self-worth, self-esteem and self-respect.

Appraisal or evaluation, judgment of another’s views, ultimately should be done for the continuity of Bahá’í society.

Every Bahá’í must, it seems to me, in his or her heart desire to feel a sense of belonging. The extent to which an individual is his or her own friend may be a guideline as to what is found or desired in others.

The question of anonymity with respect to one’s viewpoint or opinion involves, perhaps, insight into maturity.

Sometimes, if it were not for awareness and anticipation in life, we would experience an alienation from others in the Bahá’í community or the world at large.

Knowing from a foundation of education which harmonizes the Word of God and human powers may result in a fresh new look at what is desirable, and what by degree we may look for and respect in others.

Richard Hill

Fresno, California

To the Editor:

Those of you who have lost a parent know the terrible sense of loss that ensues, and the difficulty of picking up your lives and going on.

SOMETIMES the fact that the parent was not a Bahá’í can make this an even more difficult time, as the Bahá’í prayers that ease the heart and gladden the soul are not read in a traditional Christian ceremony.

I would like to share with you something that lightened my sense of loss and brought the spirit of the Faith to many of those who attended a brief graveside service for my mother.

Although my mother was not a Bahá’í, I felt the need to have some of the prayers read at the service. Fortunately, I was blessed with an understanding sister whom I consulted about including a brief Bahá’í ceremony in the context of the Christian service.

I also discussed this with the minister, who is a friend of long standing with our family.

As no one had any objections, I asked the Spiritual Assembly of Beaumont to help find someone to attend the service and read a prayer for the departed and two brief passages from Star of the West.

During the service, after the minister had spoken about the lives of both my parents (my father died three years ago), he then said we would now share the service with Mrs. Weaver from Beaumont.

SHE BEGAN by reading the shorter passages, then the prayer for the departed. As she read the quotation from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, something seemed to happen; her voice, lovely anyway, seemed to glow and become a thing apart from this world.

Needless to say she riveted everyone’s attention, and by the end of the passage I found myself smiling with joy that my parents See LETTERS Page 32

Archives seeks help to copy recordings

The National Bahá’í Archives Committee would like to have the names of Bahá’ís who have the expertise and equipment to copy tape recordings in the National Bahá’í Archives which are deteriorating.

Anyone who is able to perform this service is asked to contact the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

Bahá’í Readings

Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for Daily Meditation - each day of the year.

“Recite ye the verses of God every morning and evening.” — Bahá’u’lláh Kitáb-i-Aqdas

A unique publication of daily readings, with special selections for the Holy Days and the Nineteen Day Feasts. The reader follows the compilation through the cycle of the Bahá’í year, while the major themes of the Revelation and the great events of Bahá’í history gradually unfold...

Prayer book size with dark green gold-stamped cover.

Catalog No. 115-088 $5.50 *

Order through your local librarian, or send check or money order (including 10 percent for postage and handling, minimum $1.50) to:

Bahá’í Distribution Service 415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091

• Price valid only in the United States

[Page 4]

the Champion builders

DR. SUSAN I. MOODY

“Dr. Moody — American lady — not only does she know medicine, but also gynecology, obstetrics and women’s diseases. Her good qualities and kind attributes, her love for her Persian oriental sisters, are all equal.

“... WE give the utmost thanks and gratitude to such a noble woman, to such a respected person, whose presence here is a great privilege to the country of Persia.”

So reads part of an article about Dr. Susan I. Moody that appeared in a Tehran newspaper in 1910, not long after her arrival in Iran on November 26, 1909.

She was there at the behest of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to care for Persian women who were at that time deprived of skilled medical help.

Dr. Moody, born November 20, 1851, in Amsterdam, New York, attended Amsterdam Academy, later became a school teacher, then entered the Women’s Medical College in New York City.

After her parents died she moved to Chicago where she began to study painting and sculpture at the Art Institute.

Her education in art continued for three years in Philadelphia, then in New York and finally in Paris.

AFTERWARD, she acted on her increasing urge to finish medical studies and returned to Chicago where she was graduated from a medical college.

It was while in Chicago that she met people who were attending Bahá’í study classes.

Dr. Moody was attracted to the Faith, joined the classes, and, after intensive study with Isabella Brittingham, became a confirmed believer in 1903.

Later, she conducted the first Bahá’í Sunday school in Chicago and was among the group of Bahá’ís who traveled around Chicago’s north side in search of the best location for the construction of a Bahá’í House of Worship.

See DR. MOODY Page 31

About 100,000 people saw this Bahá’í float April 7 in the annual Tallahassee, Florida, Springtime Parade, both along the parade route itself and on local cable television. The float depicts a gondola on a rainbow-colored hot air balloon.

Districts

Continued From Page 1

you may vote by mail using the following procedure:

• On a white piece of paper (about 3x5 inches), print the name(s) of the person(s) you wish to vote for. Please note that you are to vote for the exact number of delegates allotted to your district. Voting for a greater or lesser number will invalidate your ballot. To find the number of delegates for your district, see Pages 16-17.

• Place your ballot in a plain white envelope and seal it. Do not mark this envelope in any way. Then place the sealed envelope into a larger envelope for mailing. Be sure to write your name on the larger envelope and address it to the person in your district who is to receive mailed ballots.

Any Bahá’í who is a member in good standing, is at least 21 years old, and is a resident of your electoral district is eligible to vote and to be voted for as a delegate to the National Convention.

The only exceptions are the Hands of the Cause of God and members of the Continental Board of Counsellors who are exempt from administrative duties.

AUXILIARY BOARD members are eligible for election as delegates; however, if an Auxiliary Board member is elected, he must choose between accepting this administrative responsibility and retaining membership on the Auxiliary Board. He cannot do both.

Please bear in mind these instructions from the Guardian concerning the attitude to be taken in electing representatives of the Faith:

“It is incumbent ... to consider without the least trace of passion, prejudice, and ‎introspective irrespective‎ of any material consideration, the names of only those who can best combine the necessary qualities of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.” (Bahá’í Administration, p. 87)

Registration begins at 9 a.m. Sunday, October 7. An agenda will be distributed at each Convention.

Everyone attending the Convention must present the most current Bahá’í identification card with an expiration date of February 29, 1984. This blue and white membership card is still valid as your Bahá’í credential.

Comment

Continued ‎From From From‎ Page 2

Many times, Bahá’í children are requesting permission to marry from non-Bahá’í parents who haven’t any idea what it means. The child may attempt to explain it, but that isn’t always easy or fruitful.

So the non-Bahá’í parent gives permission to please his/her child, to avoid argument, to end the embarrassment of having an adult child ask for permission to marry, etc.

ON THE other hand, Bahá’ís have been known to “blackmail” non-consenting Bahá’í parents, threatening to marry without permission, to live with the other person, etc.

We all have a long way to go in understanding the wisdom of this necessary mechanism for family unity provided in Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation for this Day.

While it is wonderful that Bahá’ís come from so many walks of life, from diverse backgrounds, races, classes and religions, sociologically speaking, the more differences there are between the husband’s and wife’s origins, the higher the likelihood of divorce.

The more alike a husband and wife are before marriage (racially, culturally, etc.), the better their chances for a lasting relationship.

Since the Bahá’í community is so diverse, we run a much higher risk that our marriages may end in divorce. As time goes by, we can only hope that our spiritual growth will help us to overcome these superficial conflicts of background so that we will enjoy marital as well as world unity.

IN THE meantime, I think it is counterproductive and energy-wasting to feel guilty about divorce, or about any other unhappy experience, for that matter.

Self-judgment that becomes wallowing in guilt does no one any good. I suggest that we can examine our past, learn from it, then let it go.

We must focus our energy on the here and now to accomplish what we hope for in the future. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says in Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (p. 178):

“O thou believer in the oneness of God! Know thou that nothing profiteth a soul save the love of the All-Merciful, nothing lighteth up a heart save the splendor that shineth from the realm of the Lord.

“Forsake thou every other concern, let oblivion overtake the memory of all else. Confine thy thoughts to whatever will lift up the human soul to the Paradise of heavenly grace, and make every bird of the Kingdom wing its way unto the Supreme Horizon, the central point of everlasting honor in this contingent world.”

Glenford E. Mitchell, a member of the Universal House of Justice, greets one of the friends following his talk July 26 to an audience of Bahá’ís only at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. Before his election to the Universal House of Justice in 1982, Mr. Mitchell served for 15 years as secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly.

Heartland School sponsors logo contest

The Illinois Heartland Bahá’í School Committee is sponsoring a design contest for a school logo suitable for programs and advertising, for T-shirts, patches, pins and hats.

It should reflect the Heartland name, be appropriate for teaching the Faith, and be suitable for Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís to use.

Please submit designs by October 4 to Mrs. Amy S. Baker, secretary, P.O. Box 225, Hull, IL 62343. The chosen design will be used at winter school in December. [Page 5]

Fund’s flame burns slowly as contributions fall to 60 per cent

Beloved Friends:

Our summer teaching efforts have sparked new enrollments across the nation—most notably in Wanblee, South Dakota; Norcross, Georgia; and on the Navajo-Hopi Reservation in Arizona and New Mexico.

WE EXTEND a warm welcome to these new believers, and pray that each precious spark will be fanned into a brilliant flame.

The Universal House of Justice likened teaching to “kindling a fire, the fire of faith, in the hearts of men. If a fire burns only so long as the match is held to it, it cannot truly be said to have been kindled; to be kindled it must continue to burn of its own accord.”

As individuals we strengthen our flame of faith by contributing regularly to the National Bahá’í Fund. In turn, the Fund is kept ablaze with consistent donations. Unfortunately, the Fund is in grave need of refueling.

At this time, contributions have reached only 60 per cent of our goal. Because of this shortfall, it was necessary for the National Spiritual Assembly to borrow $200,000 on July 2 to meet basic needs, including our commitment to send $125,000 each calendar month to the Bahá’í World Centre.

In spite of our efforts to cut back on an already bare-bones budget, the need to borrow a similar amount in August is imminent.

The health of the Fund depends upon your immediate and sacrificial action. We urgently call for 20,000 lovers of Bahá’u’lláh to let your light shine!

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

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

Seventh National Treasurer’s Representatives Training Institute at National Center focuses on ways to further Campaign of Unified Action

The seventh National Treasurer’s Representatives Training Institute was held August 30-September 3.

The institute focused on how the NTRs can help further the Campaign of Unified Action.

AS A PART of that campaign, all agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly are pledged to support the teaching work.

The NTRs put the campaign into action by opening one of their meetings to the public for the first time.

Special guest Dr. Glen Eyford, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, delivered a public address in Foundation Hall at the Bahá’í House of Worship on Saturday evening, September 1.

Dr. Eyford’s profession is social and economic development—a topic that is of increasing interest to the Bahá’í community.

Throughout the weekend, the NTRs explored ideas for local development projects that can be initiated or supported by Bahá’ís.

The NTRs also broke into small task-force groups to develop strategies for furthering the work of the Treasurer’s Office.

THE GROUPS focused on such areas as increasing the number of individual believers contributing directly to the National Fund, improving communications, modifying the deepening courses offered by the NTRs to make them more attractive to non-Bahá’í audiences (again, as a part of the Campaign of Unified Action), developing an outline for a fireside centered around the principles of the Fund, and identifying special materials that could be developed by the Treasurer’s Office to help local Fund administration and education.

Other special guests at the institute included the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, Robert Henderson, who helped the NTRs understand the aims of the Campaign of Unified Action, and Auxiliary Board member Robert Harris, who addressed the NTRs and other Bahá’ís in the area of the House of Worship on Sunday evening.

A further report of the institute will appear in the next issue of The American Bahá’í.

Maine’s competitive spirit makes Faith winner

The great state of Maine tops the list this month of districts with the highest percentage of believers participating in giving to the National Fund.

Forty-seven of the 213 believers in that district contributed during the month of Kalimát (July 13-31)—a total of 22.1 per cent.

ONE OF THE secrets of Maine’s success, according to National Treasurer’s Representative Manny Reimer, is the state’s healthy spirit of competition with the neighboring state of New Hampshire.

The districts have alternately bested each other in the “VIE” statistics, which has increased the enthusiasm for participating. “As more individuals join the contest, the Faith becomes the winner!” says Mr. Reimer.

The National Treasurer’s Representatives in Maine have also been emphasizing the fact that when the believers unite in sacrificial giving, their teaching efforts will be more successful. The NTRs report that the increasing spirit of unity in Maine has brought with it an upswing in teaching activities.

Sam Brown, the district’s other NTR, makes sure that every issue of the District Bulletin contains some encouragement for the friends to contribute to the National Fund.

“Besides,” he says, “there’s a lot of rain in Maine so people stay inside a lot and think about the Fund.

“Seriously, though,” Sam adds, “the believers in Maine don’t get to see one another very often. That makes them more self-sufficient and conscientious about fulfilling their Bahá’í responsibilities, such as regular contributions to the National Fund.

“They’re also good about some of the practical ways of increasing participation, like informing the Treasurer’s Office of the number of children included in a family’s contribution.”

The Office of the Treasurer applauds Maine’s spirit and unity, and hopes that as Maine goes, so will go the nation!

The Winners’ Circle

Highest percentage participation 1. Maine 2. Louisiana, Northern 3. Pennsylvania, Western 4. Idaho, Southern 5. Iowa 6. Vermont 7. Minnesota, Northern 8. Minnesota, Southern 9. California, Southern No. 3 10. Nebraska 11. Washington, Southwest 12. Kansas 13. North Dakota 14. Colorado, Northeast 15. Wisconsin, Southern 16. Colorado, West 17. California, Northern No. 1 18. Wisconsin N/Michigan 19. Idaho N/Washington East

Most improved participation 1. Oregon, Eastern 2. South Carolina, South No. 1 3. Maine 4. Texas, Southern 5. California, Southern No. 3 6. Idaho, Southern 7. Florida, Northern 8. Navajo/Hopi 9. New Mexico, Northern 10. South Carolina, Central 11. Louisiana, Northern 12. Pennsylvania, Northern 13. Florida, Central 14. South Dakota 15. Washington, Southwest 16. Kansas 17. Vermont 18. Florida, Southeast 19. Oklahoma, Eastern

Chart continues to reflect summertime lull

Contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund by District

District Name	‘Starting Block’ Info			Current Month Info (Kalimát)
	Membership as of 12/9/83	Number of participants	Percentage of participation	Membership as of 7/6/84	Number of participants	Percentage of participation
Alabama S/Florida NW	349	10	3.0	336	11	3.3
Alabama N	307	21	6.8	291	16	5.5
Arizona N	941	51	5.4	944	43	4.5
Arizona S	410	21	5.1	402	18	4.5
Arkansas	476	24	5.0	468	18	3.8
California C No. 1	2,722	190	7.0	2617	203	7.8
California C No. 2	445	40	9.0	449	49	10.9
California N No. 1	585	70	12.0	601	81	13.5
California N No. 2	389	41	10.5	378	32	8.5
California S No. 1	2,709	180	6.6	2697	191	7.1
California S No. 2	1,158	112	9.7	1151	147	12.8
California S No. 3	441	42	9.5	441	73	16.5
California S No. 4	981	82	8.4	940	93	9.9
Colorado NE	483	61	12.6	464	70	15.1
Colorado SE	181	15	8.3	178	13	7.3
Colorado W	195	23	11.8	180	25	13.9
Connecticut	471	57	12.1	457	55	12.0
DelMarVa	292	15	5.1	284	18	6.3
Florida C	382	19	5.0	384	29	7.5
Florida N	284	19	6.7	285	33	11.6
Florida SE	1,113	54	4.9	1059	75	7.1

See VIE CHART Page 30 [Page 6]

Dozen pioneers needed for Ireland, Cyprus

"What other community has produced pioneers combining to such a degree the essential qualities of audacity, of consecration, of tenacity, of self-renunciation, and unstinted devotion, that 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 Bahá’u’lláh?"—Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 7

These words are no less true today than when they were written in 1939, although many other countries are now sending out fine pioneers.

The qualities our beloved Guardian wrote about are needed today perhaps more than at any other time in the history of mankind.

This article briefly describes the two countries in Europe for which the Universal House of Justice has assigned goals: Ireland and Cyprus.

Ireland (8 pioneers, preferably Iranians)—For years, people who have wanted to pioneer have asked to go to Ireland and were told it was not a goal.

This year, Ireland has finally appeared on the goals list. "Seize your chance" before the goals are filled.

Happiness is a word synonymous with the 220 Bahá’ís there, and with the Irish people as a whole.

BEAUTY is the word which describes the country, with its lovely mountains, plains and beaches. The weather is moderate, although damp, and the cost of living is fairly reasonable.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Ireland writes:

"We are delighted at the prospect of welcoming pioneer families, whether Persian or non-Persian, from the United States.

"Pioneers from the U.S. have played a major part in the building up of the Irish community and the developing of the administrative order in the Republic of Ireland. Without their services the Faith in Ireland would not be what it is now."

With 20 Local Spiritual Assemblies scattered throughout the country, the National Assembly hopes that pioneers will settle in provincial towns 100 or so miles to the north, west and south of Dublin, respectively.

The populations of the towns in question vary from 30,000 to 120,000. All have good medical care, good primary and secondary schools, third level colleges, and other facilities, while two have good universities. English is spoken everywhere.

SOME of the jobs that the International Goals Committee has found in employment newspapers recently are for mechanical technician; assistant to a publicity officer; senior tax consultant; manufacturing engineer; lecturer in clinical reproduction of farm animals; marketing executive; sales representative; senior and support sales representatives (see classified section in this paper).

While unemployment is high, there is always room for people with top skills. There is a great demand for people in the computer field.

Those who would like to start their own businesses are also encouraged, provided that the Irish Department of Justice feels they have enough backing and that their venture has a reasonable chance of success. Skills and services needed are the same as they are in the U.S.

The cost of living might be estimated at around $300 a month, excluding rent, while renting a house in the city might cost $200 to $300 a month.

Houses in rural areas rent for less, as do apartments. To buy a three-bedroom house, one would need between $24,000 and $42,000.

SHOPPING is a delight in Ireland, with all goods available. Food is fresh and in good supply year round.

Retired people can easily live in Ireland. There is good public transport, and intercity trains cover most of the country.

There is an oft-repeated Irish saying, "When God made time, He made plenty of it." The words "hurry" and "rush" are barely a part of the Irish vocabulary.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Ireland will, however, answer all of your inquiries without delay. It is most eager to welcome you to Ireland.

Cyprus (4 pioneers)—The history of Cyprus goes back 8,000 years, making it one of the oldest recorded histories in the world.

Interest in Cyprus has not ebbed since it was settled by the Mycenaean Greeks in the 13th century B.C.

Presently, the island is divided into two parts. The northern area is controlled by Turkish Cypriots, who have declared an independent state that is not yet recognized, while the south is controlled by the Greek Cypriots, who claim to be the government for the entire island.

Cyprus, in the Mediterranean Sea some 500 miles west of the Greek mainland, is the world’s third largest island, measuring 150 by 60 miles.

The climate is pleasant. Summer is from May to October and is hot, with July and August quite dry and hot. Winter is cool but not freezing, although it does snow in the mountains. Some years it hardly rains at all.

FOOD is plentiful and good. Medical services also are good, with a high doctor-to-patient ratio.

There are no money restrictions, and money taken into the country can be taken out again without problems.

The people of Cyprus are 78 per cent Orthodox Christian and 18 per cent Muslim.

In the south, there is official freedom of religion and freedom to teach in a non-public manner, avoiding publicity.

In the north, the situation is different, and it would be necessary to follow closely the guidance of the National Spiritual Assembly of Cyprus.

Although Greek is the main language in the south, English is also widely spoken and helps in the teaching work.

See GOALS Page 17

Shown are the 52 Bahá’ís who attended a Pioneer Training Institute held July 26-29 at the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette. The speakers included the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem; Glenford E. Mitchell, a member of the Universal House of Justice; six members of the National Spiritual Assembly; and Auxiliary Board member Javidukht Khadem. Participants were making plans to pioneer to Jamaica, Japan, Fiji, Tuvalu, Grenada, Haiti and Korea. Guests at the Institute included visiting pioneers from Honduras, the Turks and Caicos Islands, American Samoa, Zaire, India and Panama as well as returning pioneers from Togo, Dominica and Germany. Participants came from 11 states and included a representative of the Spiritual Assembly of Lawrence, Kansas.

PIONEER ASSIGNMENTS: 1984-85

(Revised August 1, 1984)

‘It is the cherished hope of the Universal House of Justice that these goals will be filled by the end of the first year of this new phase, thereby helping to usher in the triumphant conclusion of the Seven Year Plan.’

AFRICA	Goals Assigned	Pioneers Sent	Left Open Post Goals	ASIA	Goals Assigned	Pioneers Sent	Left Open Post Goals
(F) Benin	4*		4*	(K) Korea	4		4
(E) Lesotho	2		2	(E) Nepal	2	1	2
(E) Liberia	2		2	(E) Philippines	4	1	3
(F) Mauritania	2		2		10	2	9
(E) Tanzania	4		4
(E) Uganda	2	1	1
	16	1	15
AMERICAS				! AUSTRALASIA
Bahamas				Caroline Islands
(E) San Salvador Is.	1		1	(E) Kosrae	1		1
(E) Barbados	2	2	0	(E) Truk	2	2	2
Chile				(E) Fiji	2	2	0
(S) Easter Island	1	1	1	Mariana Islands
(S) Colombia	6	2	4	Rota	2	2	0
(E) Dominica	2		2	(E) Tinian	1		1
Ecuador				(E) Marshall Is.	2		2
Galapagos Is.	1		1	(E) Tuvalu	2		1
(S) El Salvador	2		2		12	6	7
(E) Grenada	2		2
(S) Guatemala	2		2	! EUROPE !! !! !!
(S) Honduras	3		3	(Gr,T,E) Cyprus	4		4
Jamaica				(E) Ireland	8*	—	8*
Cayman Islands	2		2		12	—	12
Leeward Islands
(E) Anguilla	1		1	! CONSOLIDATION GOALS !! !! !!
(E) Montserrat	1		1	Falkland Islands	(Number not specified)
(S) Mexico (Yucatán)	4		4	Turks & Caicos Islands	(Number not specified)
(E) St. Lucia	1		1
(E) St. Vincent	2		2
(S) Uruguay	2	2	0
	36	7	29

LANGUAGE KEY *Iranians preferred E—English F—French GR—Greek K—Korean S—Spanish T—Turkish

TOTALS
Goals assigned	86	Goals filled	14
Pioneers sent to goals	16	Sent to other posts	30
Left post	2	Sent to consolidation goals	0

[Page 7]LEILA RASSEKH

Tennessee Bahá’í named Junior Miss, earns scholarship

Leila Rassekh, a member of the Bahá’í community of Hamilton County, Tennessee, is the 1985 Red Bank Junior Miss and will compete in November in the Tennessee Junior Miss pageant.

Miss Rassekh, who plans to use the $1,300 Junior Miss scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina where she’ll major in law and political science, won top honors in the creative and performing arts competition of the pageant with a gymnastic dance routine titled “Human Nature.”

She is a member of her school Pep Club, French Club, Explorers, Flag Club, and other student organizations, is a member of the track and cross-country teams and manager of the basketball team.

Miss Rassekh is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Ata Rassekh.

Pensacola conference draws 30 Bahá’í youth

Thirty young people from four states were present June 29-July 1 at a Regional Youth Conference sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Pensacola, Florida.

The youth themselves were involved in planning the conference, which was conducted in “rap session” form with all sessions led by Bahá’í youth.

Session leaders were Gilbert Smith, chairman of the National Youth Committee; Gus Chestnut of Fairhope, Alabama; Steve Gardner of Tallahassee, Florida; Layli Radpour of Chattanooga, Tennessee; Amy Scott of Birmingham, Alabama; and Lystra Skallet of Tuskegee, Alabama.

Topics ranged from peer pressure, morality and chastity to a review of what is happening nationally involving Bahá’í youth.

Saturday evening entertainment was provided by a break-dancing group from Pensacola.

An article about the conference appeared in the weekly newspaper, the Pensacola Voice.

Plans for next year’s conference are already under way.

Contests to be part of ’85 Ohio youth conference

To prepare for the International Youth Conference to be held next summer at Ohio State University in Columbus, members of the National Youth Committee visited the campus in early August.

THE FIVE-DAY meeting was scheduled to make final decisions on the program for this important youth gathering, which is expected to draw about 5,000 attendees.

The committee is in fact making initial plans for three special programs, one for youth, one for parents, and another for children.

The last two programs are being coordinated by the National Education Committee in cooperation with the Youth Committee.

The conference, to be held July 3-7, will serve as a highlight of the Bahá’í observance of International Youth Year 1985 as designated by the United Nations.

A series of contests for artistic and scholarly expression has been launched by the Youth Committee to underscore the importance of International Youth Year and the youth conference.

Contests will be held in such areas of expression as essay, song writing, photography, and poster design.

“THE SERIES of contests has been undertaken to allow young Bahá’ís to reflect the Bahá’í theme of ‘YOUth Can Move the World’ in a variety of ways,” says ‎Vicentee Vicente‎ Ferguson of the National Youth Committee, “and to express the United Nations theme of ‘Peace, Participation, Development.’

“We hope that the entries will also reflect a high level of creativity, individual expression, and excellence.”

Each category of expression will have three age levels for entries: 12-15 years, 16-20 years, and 21-24 years. One prize will be awarded to each age group as well as a grand prize in each art category.

Prizes will include gift copies of Lights of Guidance: A Bahá’í Reference File, and the grand prize will be full tuition to the Bahá’í school of the winner’s choice.

Each month from now to December, a contest will be launched and described in The American Bahá’í and “Youth Hotline.”

The first category to be open to competition is song writing. All entries should be submitted on standard cassette tape with lyrics written or typed on an accompanying sheet of paper.

Tapes will become the property of the National Youth Committee and will not be returned.

Entries are due in the National Youth Committee office by October 5, 1984, and should be clearly marked with the name of the composer/lyricist, address and age.

Songs should reflect either the theme “YOUth Can Move the World” or “Peace, Participation, Development.” All prizes will be awarded at the International Youth Conference next July.

Watch future issues of The American Bahá’í for details on the contests for essay, photography and poster design.

Cindy Jo Cornish, a Bahá’í youth from Wasco County, Oregon, won first prize this year in the zoology division of the science fair at Wasco Union High School for a unique project in which she charted the growth of a ‘bum’ (orphan lamb) when it was given a special formula and Bahá’í love. Cindy Jo, the daughter of William and Cynthia Cornish, declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh last December after several traveling teachers visited her community. The orphan lamb she chose for her study, named Merry, continues to grow and respond, surviving the other two ‘bums’ of the litter.

Attention, Bahá’í college students!

Is there a Bahá’í College Club at your school? It only takes two Bahá’í students to satisfy the requirements to form a College Club at most schools.

Whether you are forming a new club, re-forming an old one, or are the only Bahá’í on your campus, please let the National Youth Committee help you in establishing a Bahá’í Club at your college or university.

Contact the Youth office today! Write to us at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , Sunrise, FL 33313, or phone 305-584-1844.

We are ready and waiting to help you teach the Faith at your school!

JASON FISH

Alabama youth excels as student, athlete

Jason Fish, a 17-year-old Bahá’í from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, completes a high school career next June in which he has excelled both academically and athletically.

A member of the National Honor Society since seventh grade and a participant this summer in the Boys’ State program, Jason has played on the Tuscaloosa Academy tennis team for the last two years during which time the school has won the state championship in its division.

This year Jason and his partner won the Alabama doubles title, and Jason won the second-seeded singles.

Jason co-teaches a Bahá’í children’s class in Tuscaloosa County and recently completed the Personal Transformation Program.

He pioneered with his family to Liberia in 1974-75 and lived for six months in The Gambia in 1977-78.

Jason teaches the Faith in Tuscaloosa County with a young Bahá’í friend from the United Arab Emirates, Ramin Yazdani, who is studying to be an engineer.

Applications are being accepted for 3rd annual Youth Pilgrimage to Holy Shrines

Each year, a group of American Bahá’í youth is invited to travel to the World Centre in Israel for a Youth Pilgrimage to the Holy Shrines.

Applications are now being accepted for the third annual Youth Pilgrimage which will begin in late June 1985.

Youth who wish to apply should fill out the coupon provided and mail it to the Bahá’í National Youth Committee. Full details and an application form will be sent to all inquirers, and a final decision made on applications in early February.

The Youth Pilgrimage will accommodate 18 youth and two chaperones. Following the pilgrimage at the World Centre, the pilgrims will serve on international or domestic service or teaching projects.

Priority will be given to those youth who are able to serve a minimum of three weeks following the pilgrimage.

Youth are encouraged to write for their applications as soon as possible.

PLEASE send me information on the Youth Pilgrimage next summer!

Name __________________________ Age _______ Sex ______

Address __________________________________ Phone __________

City ______________________________ State _______ Zip _______

MAIL TO: Bahá’í National Youth Committee

Sunrise, Florida 33313

Tom Gregory, a Bahá’í from Edmonds, Washington, has been chosen to participate in the 1984 ‘America’s Youth in Concert’ program sponsored by the Universal Academy of Music in Little York, New Jersey, whose purpose is to demonstrate internationally the high quality and fine character of America’s youth while enriching and expanding their musical and cultural horizons. Tom, a member of the concert choir, will perform in New York City’s Carnegie Hall, Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Rome, Strasbourg, Vienna, Venice, Florence and Monaco. [Page 8]

EDUCATION

• Assembly Development Program
• Bahá’í Schools
• Brilliant Star (Child’s Way) Magazine
• Local Education Adviser Program
• Personal Transformation Program

Family Unity Night (Fun)

FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER/END OF SEPTEMBER: CONSULTATION. Thought for the week: “Take ye counsel together. ...” (Bahá’u’lláh) Prayer: Unity, p. 204; meetings, p. 111. Lesson: Read and discuss one or more of the suggested lesson materials. Remember in consultation all go along with the group decision cheerfully. 1. Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 38. 2. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 168. 3. Bahá’í World Faith, p. 406. 4. Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 87-88. 5. Sing the consultation song. Activity: 1. After singing the consultation song, consult on a family issue that needs resolution; or (a) consult on how your family will observe the Birth of the Báb; (b) consult on if and how Bahá’í families should participate in Halloween. Use the six steps in consultation: (1) define the issue; (2) find facts; (3) frank and loving discussion; (4) identify spiritual principles; (5) reach a consensus; and (6) act upon the decision. 2. Go for a walk. Observe signs of the changing seasons. Collect leaves to study. Refreshments: Oatmeal and cookies with milk.

SECOND WEEK OF OCTOBER: ‘ILM/KNOWLEDGE. Thought for the week: “Knowledge is as wings to man’s life and a ladder for his ascent ...” (Bahá’u’lláh) Prayer: Teaching, p. 171. Lesson: Read and discuss one or more of the suggested lesson materials. Think about the similarities and differences between knowledge and education: learned or acquired; spiritual-material. 1. Bahá’í World Faith, pp. 321-23. 2. Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 58. 3. Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp. 69-70. 4. Gleanings, pp. 197-98. 5. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 128. 6. The Bible, Ecclesiastes, 12:9-10. 7. Arabic Hidden Words, No. 69. 8. Persian Hidden Words, Nos. 11, 33. 9. Some Answered Questions, pp. 63-64. Activity: 1. Play a “Bahá’í, do you know?” game. Parents and older children make up questions for each other to answer such as: a. Who was called “the Purest Branch”? b. Who was the first American Bahá’í? c. How many Bahá’í Houses of Worship are there, and where are they located? 2. Visit your local public library. Refreshments: Hot chocolate and cinnamon toast.

THIRD WEEK OF OCTOBER: BIRTH OF THE BÁB. Thought for the week: “God sufficeth all things above all things, and nothing in the heavens or in the earth but God sufficeth.” (The Báb) Prayer: Triumph, p. 198; Assistance, pp. 28-29. Lesson: Read and discuss one or more of the suggested lesson materials. 1. Some Answered Questions, pp. 25-26. 2. Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 134-36. 3. Bahá’í World Faith, p. 319, p. 358. 4. The Dawn-Breakers, pp. 72-76. 5. Thief in the Night, p. 194. Activity: 1. Star gazing. On a clear night go out and look at the heavens. Meditate quietly and consider these or other thoughts that might come to you: a. how far away are the stars; b. find some planets; c. talk about manifestations in the heavens to announce the coming of God’s Manifestations (‎Bila’s Biela’s‎ Comet). 2. Have a scavenger hunt. Consult on items to hunt, such as flat rock, round rock, forked twig, feather, blade of grass, leaf. Set a time limit; divide into two or more groups, making sure that an adult or older youth is with the younger children. Happy hunting! Refreshments: Apple crisp (use your favorite recipe) with cream on top.

FOURTH WEEK OF OCTOBER: UNITED NATIONS/WORLD FEDERALISM. Thought for the week: “Glory not in love for your country, but in love for all mankind.” (Bahá’u’lláh) Prayer: Mankind, p. 101, top or bottom. Lesson: Read and discuss one or more of the suggested lesson materials. 1. The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 5. 2. Secret of Divine Civilization, pp. 64-66. 3. Vignettes, p. 100, No. 96. 4. The Advent of Divine Justice, pp. 74-76; pp. 11-12. Your family may wish to visit the library and look up the history of the United Nations. If you have a local UN bookstore, you may wish to visit there also. Activity: 1. On a globe or world map, locate: a. seat of the UN, New York; b. Haifa, Seat of the Universal House of Justice; c. Shíráz, Irán; d. Your hometown; e. some place where you know pioneers live; f. locations of Bahá’í Houses of Worship. 2. Naming game. One person is “it” and stands in the middle of a circle. “It” says the name of a city, state or country and points to another player. That person must say another name that begins with the last letter of the previous name before “it” taps him on the shoulder. Example: “It” calls out “New York” and points to Mom. Mom must say “Kentucky” or “Korea” or some other place that begins with “k” and point to someone else. If she gets tapped, she is “it,” and so on. Refreshments: Bagels and cream cheese.

FIFTH WEEK OF OCTOBER: QUDRAT/POWER. Thought for the week: “The Power of God is in the hearts of those who believe in the unity of God.” (The Báb) Prayer: Protection, p. 133; Teaching, p. 179. Lesson: Read and discuss one or more of the suggested lesson materials. 1. Synopsis and Codification, p. 12. 2. Gleanings, pp. 93-94. 3. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 130. 4. Arabic Hidden Words, Nos. 12, 67. 5. Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

See FUN Page 9

Heartland School has outstanding first session

Thirty-one communities in northern and southern Illinois were represented at the first session of the Heartland Bahá’í School held June 15-17 in Monticello, Illinois.

Among those attending was a non-Bahá’í youth, Viviana Macias from Mexico City, Mexico.

More than 82 people of all ages heard featured speakers James Mock, a member of the National Teaching Committee staff at the Bahá’í National Center; Rachel Weller of Urbana, Illinois, John Woodall of Urbana, and Julia Dorris of LaGrange.

Their topics ranged from teaching the Faith to Christians and our perspective in history to dating, living a Bahá’í life, building world unity, and eliminating prejudices.

Nine discussion groups were held during the weekend, and there was ample time to talk over ideas, renew friendships, make new friends, and exchange news from communities.

A Saturday evening talent show provided a variety of entertainment including skits by the Springfield and Chatham youth groups and their teachers; breakdancing by 11-year-old Jamal Smith of Carbondale, and Eastern dance/defense forms of Tai Chi Chwan performed by E.J. Sullivan of Palatine.

The audience was also entertained by the songs of Bill and Pej Clark with their children, Lua, Julie and John, by Cheryl Dougherty, Mickey Cheek and Sheri McDonnell, and by Dorita Krapf and her daughter, Alexis, of Manhattan, Illinois.

The group also enjoyed one of Shirley Rawls’ poems which she read to a musical background supplied by Ms. McDonnell.

Pictured are most of the more than 80 Bahá’ís who attended the first session of the Heartland Bahá’í School held June 15-17 in Monticello, Illinois.

Gregory Institute hosts children’s classes, youth week

More than 30 children from South Carolina and two visitors from Honduras participated July 11-15 in special classes for children ages 6-12 at the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute.

Kathleen Underwood served as coordinator for classes which were taught by Eva Bishop, Ellen McAllister Stover, Polly Boyd, Yvonne Kraus, ‎Vicentee Vicente‎ (Smokey) Ferguson, and Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Gayle Woolson.

Mrs. Woolson taught the children public speaking, and several of her pupils presented talks at a special session for children, youth, parents and other adults.

Following the children’s classes, 30 youth registered for Youth Week classes for those age 15 and older which began Sunday, July 15, and continued until noon Friday, July 20.

Teachers for the youth session were Florence Bagley of Ozark, Alabama, and Regina Anchondo, a member of the National Teaching Committee staff at the Bahá’í National Center.

Also helping with the youth classes were Mr. Ferguson, who is a member of the National Youth Committee; Ms. Kraus; and Mrs. Woolson.

‘Blessed Is the Spot’ theme of art exhibit in North Carolina

“Blessed Is the Spot” was the theme of a 13-picture art exhibit shown June 3-21 at the Blue Mountain Art Gallery in Boone, North Carolina.

The artist, Nancy Hughes, who became a Bahá’í in Boone in 1981, painted the pictures in water colors on fine rice paper which had been water-soaked and crinkled.

The entire prayer, “Blessed Is the Spot ...,” was written out and framed as the first item in the show.

Beneath each painting was a short phrase from that same prayer.

Ms. Hughes’ goal in the exhibit was to show the oneness of mankind through an awareness that we all share enjoyment of the beauty of nature.

She is a graduate in fine arts from the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Notice

The Bahá’í National Youth Committee has a new address and phone number:

Bahá’í National Youth Committee, Karen Pritchard, secretary, Sunrise, FL 33313. Phone 305-584-1844.

Don’t be sheepish!

The Brilliant Star Editorial Board

send in your subscription to Brilliant Star today!

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Enclosed is my gift of $ __________ to the Brilliant Star Endowment Fund, established in honor of the Bahá’í children of Iran, for the purpose of developing materials for children. I understand that my gift will become part of a perpetual fund whose earnings will support this purpose.

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Send to: Brilliant Star Suburban Office Park 5010 Austin Rd. Hixson, TN 37343 [Page 9]

LOUHELEN BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL FALL SCHEDULE

September 22-23: Regional College Club Conference, sponsored by the National Youth Committee.

September 21-23: Central States Treasurers’ Training, conducted by National Treasurer’s Representatives for Michigan and Sherwood Moore of Ontario, Canada.

October 20-21: Celebration of the Birth of the Báb, featuring deepening classes and devotional and social activities.

October 26-28: Junior Youth Conference for ages 11-14, sponsored by the National Youth Committee and Louhelen Council.

November 10: Parenting Conference, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., conducted by the Louhelen Child Education Committee.

November 23-25: Thanksgiving Weekend Conference, “In His Praise and Thanksgiving.” Teachers for adults will be Dr. Jane Faily, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada; Dr. William Smith and Mrs. Marcia Smith of Sudbury, Massachusetts.

December 7-9: Social and Economic Development Conference, sponsored by the National Assembly’s Committee for Social and Economic Development. Attendance is by invitation; those who are interested can write to the committee c/o the National Center.

December 21-23: Regional Youth Conference, featuring a balanced program of classes, discussions, and recreational, social and devotional activities.

December 26-31: Winter Session. Classes for adults, youth and children will be offered with a variety of recreational, devotional and social activities.

Dates open for community retreats: October 12-14, November 9-11, November 30-December 2, December 14-16.

For more information, write to the Louhelen School at 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423, or phone 313-653-5033. To register, send a $10 non-refundable deposit to the registrar, Louhelen Bahá’í School.

The Bahá’í children’s class in Marathon, Florida, helped by the Bahá’ís of Key West, entered this float last February in Marathon’s ‘Stand Up for America’ parade. The float, whose theme was ‘The Flowers of One Garden,’ won first prize as most entertaining youth entry. The Marathon children’s class, begun last year by home-front pioneers from Canada, has a regular attendance of 12-20 children.

Photo exhibit to tell story of ‘modern day heroes’

Two Bahá’ís from Southern California have come up with a unique idea designed to focus attention on the plight of Iranian Bahá’ís, and they need your help.

“AFTER the recent article about the persecutions in Iran in Newsweek magazine,” says David Langness of Capistrano Beach, “we decided we had to do something.

“Demonstrations were out, and many of the other things we considered seemed too small and inconsequential. So we decided to put together a photo exhibit.”

Mr. Langness and his wife, Paulette Pappas Langness, who are homefront pioneers in Capistrano Beach, felt that such an exhibit could have an enormous impact in several ways.

“We all know photographs are powerful,” says Paulette, “and the ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ have pictures of the horrors of the torture and martyrdoms that the world should see.”

The Langnesses took their idea to the National Spiritual Assembly, which endorsed it and agreed to provide them access to the photo files in the National Archives.

“THIS exhibit,’’’ says Dr. Robert Henderson, secretary of the National Assembly, “would represent an important opportunity to tell graphically the story of modern day heroes who are willing to die for their beliefs.”

The Langnesses plan to open the exhibit in a large gallery in the Los Angeles area and accompany it with news conferences, a reception, and the possible publication of a book that would serve as a fund-raiser for the Persian Relief Fund.

Then, says Paulette, “The exhibit will be made available for travel to various parts of the country where the possibilities for good media coverage and the potential uses for teaching are excellent.”

But, adds David, “We need the help of the Bahá’í community.

“We’d like to include photos that show Bahá’ís as they truly are—happy, smiling people in racially and culturally diverse groups, to provide a counterpoint to the photos of atrocities being committed in Iran.

“So we’re asking any and all Bahá’ís to send photos—slides or prints—of anything they feel would be appropriate for the exhibit.”

The Langnesses would especially like to receive pictures of any of the Bahá’í martyrs taken before their deaths.

Anyone who wishes to help by sending photos or volunteering their efforts can contact the Langnesses at Capistrano Beach, CA 92624, or phone 714-493-4943.

Bahá’í children in Culver City, California, are pictured with their prize-winning float in the ‘Kiddee Parade’ in this year’s Culver City ‘Festival of the People.’ Shown (left to right) are Tina Parvini (on mother Simin Parvini’s knee), Diane Poehls, Shervin Parvini, and Tamiko Sakaguchi.

Culver City Bahá’ís serve community, win prize in annual ‘Festival of People’

For the past eight years the Bahá’ís of Culver City, California, have participated in that city’s annual “Festival of the People” which the Bahá’ís helped plan.

The festival logo, nine children holding hands around the city seal, was designed by one of the Culver City Bahá’ís.

Unlike the many groups which use the festival as a way to earn money for their organizations, the Bahá’ís stand out with their booth at which free bottled drinking water is offered along with information about the Faith.

Fifteen gallons of water were shared this year, and accompanying each cup was a copy of the prayer revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “O God, refresh and gladden my spirit ...”

As a LEAP activity, the Bahá’í children of Culver City this year entered a float in the festival’s “Kiddee Parade.”

The float, a red wagon on which was mounted a box and globe surrounded by colorful tissue-paper flowers with the theme “Uniting the World One Heart at a Time,” won a first place trophy.

Louhelen sets development conference

Bahá’ís who are interested in attending the first national conference on social and economic development, which is to be held December 7-9 at the Louhelen Bahá’í School near Davison, Michigan, are invited to send their resumés to the sponsoring Committee for Social and Economic Development.

The keynote speaker at the conference will be Counsellor Farzam Arbáb whose presentation will center on the relationship of teaching to social and economic development and the spiritual dimensions of development.

Attendance is by invitation. Those who wish to participate should send a resumé to Alice Bathke, Albuquerque, NM 87122.

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

FUN

Continued From Page 8

Son of the Wolf, p. 91. 6. Bahá’í World Faith, p. 348, pp. 262-63. 7. Some Answered Questions, pp. 210-11. Activity: 1. Discuss differences and similarities between Bahá’í election process and the American system. a. How does the campaigning obscure issues and virtues of candidates? 2. “The ‘Power’ of Cooperation” game. All sit on the floor (or on grass outside if the weather is nice) in a circle facing outward. Link arms at the elbows, and try to stand up. This takes good cooperation and timing! 3. Or play a friendly game of Tug-o’-War. Refreshments: Roasted pumpkin seeds. Use fresh pumpkin. Cut into center and scoop out seeds. Place them on cookie sheet, lightly salt if desired, or pour melted butter on them. Bake at moderate oven temperature until roasted. You may wish to cook the pumpkin for later use in a pie. [Page 10]

The homefront pioneer

Answered below are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Homefront Pioneer Program.

For further details about the program, please write to the National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

We think we’ll move by Ridván—when should we notify the National Teaching Committee?

We are moving tomorrow! Is it too late to be homefront pioneers?

Does the National Teaching Committee provide job placement for homefront pioneers?

Can we obtain a pioneer to our locality?

The National Teaching Committee is making assignments now for Ridván 1985, only six months away!

Goal communities must be identified and matched with potential pioneers—the groundwork must be done now to assure the successful completion of the goals by Ridván.

If you are a potential pioneer please notify the National Teaching Committee now! It is our experience that the placement process takes from six to 18 months to complete. There are exceptions, of course, to this time schedule.

If you are merely investigating the possibility of becoming a homefront pioneer, you should contact the National Teaching Committee as soon as possible.

You’ll be sent a homefront pioneer booklet and an information form to be completed and returned.

Even if you are not able to move until the future, your file will be kept active and reviewed periodically. Perhaps the National Teaching Committee will alert you to an opportunity that could prompt you to go to a post sooner than expected.

If you are planning a move in the near future (anywhere from one week to one year), you’ll want to call the National Teaching Committee immediately. In some cases, it’s possible to obtain goal recommendations over the phone.

In any case, you’ll be advised how to contact the appropriate Bahá’í District Teaching Committee. If you go to a goal area, you’ll be counted as a homefront pioneer once you notify us as such with your new address.

Your completed information form will help us to determine the specific area or type of community where you could best serve as a homefront pioneer. It will also give us information about your employable skills.

The National Teaching Committee has no facilities for job placement at this time; however, we do work from time to time

See HOMEFRONT Page 11

Hard work, planning make Chicago fireside resounding success

Inspired by a workshop on firesides held by the Spiritual Assembly of Chicago’s Teaching Committee, Charles McCullough, who lives in a densely populated, highly diverse lakefront neighborhood on the city’s north side, decided to hold a potluck fireside at his home on the first Saturday of each month.

Following the instructions and advice given at the workshop and adding innovations of his own, Mr. McCullough did the advance promotional work necessary to make his fireside a success.

He put 800 flyers under people’s doors, telephoned and mailed flyers to several others who had filled out “interest cards” at the Bahá’í House of Worship, and placed a classified ad in a neighborhood newspaper.

In addition, he constantly talked about his upcoming fireside to Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís for weeks before it was held.

The net result of all his work was a resounding success as 42 people attended his first potluck fireside in July, 29 of whom were not Bahá’ís.

Although Mr. McCullough’s one-room apartment resembled a crowded elevator, no one seemed to mind. The diversity of those present was remarkable: black and white, Christian and Jew, old and young, prosperous and poor, educated and uneducated.

The program consisted of the Bahá’í movie “A New Wind,” a talk, and a lively question-and-answer period.

Charles McCullough’s fireside is further evidence that there is no excuse for those who say, “Nobody comes to my firesides,” or, “My place is simply too small.”

Soo Fouts, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, addresses the Bahá’ís at a teaching conference and Convention report held June 3 in Orlando, Florida.

Florida responds to House of Justice as 200-plus attend teaching conference

On June 3, more than 200 Bahá’ís from all parts of Florida assembled in Orlando for a combination Convention report and teaching conference entitled “Florida’s Response to the Universal House of Justice.”

Taking its theme from the Ridván message from the House of Justice to the American Bahá’ís, the conference was planned by the delegates from Florida’s four electoral districts.

Its primary purpose was to inspire the friends to take on the responsibility for individual teaching.

Among those attending and taking part in the conference were Soo Fouts, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly; Auxiliary Board member Benjamin Levy; Cap Cornwell, secretary of the National Teaching Committee; Smokey Ferguson, a member of the National Youth Committee; and all seven of Florida’s delegates to this year’s Bahá’í National Convention.

The idea for the conference sprang from the spirit generated at the National Convention, after which Florida’s delegates decided that something different needed to be done to convey directly to the friends in Florida what they felt was the clear consensus of all the delegates—that the “sad lag in enrollments” can only be reversed if each Bahá’í realizes his or her responsibility to teach instead of waiting for plans or instructions from administrative bodies.

After a morning agenda of reports about the National Convention, the afternoon was spent in workshops in which individual teaching plans were established.

Follow-up reports on progress resulting from these plans are to be given at the District Conventions in October.

YES! The National Teaching Committee continues to sell the popular “Reach Out and Teach Someone” button.

The price of 3 for $1 includes postage. Discount prices for large orders available upon request.

Contact the National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

Army

Continued From Page 1

Bahá’í Institute in Hemingway, South Carolina.

“These early victories,” adds Mr. Cornwell, “are, of course, underscored by the fresh opportunities made possible through the broadcasts of WLGI Radio.”

One highlight of this summer came when 20 new Bahá’ís were enrolled in the Faith in July.

Many of these new believers were attending a Regional Youth Conference at the Gregory Institute, which was filled beyond its capacity with energetic young Bahá’ís from throughout the Southern states.

“WE HAVE so many fine resources in South Carolina,” says Mr. Cornwell. “The radio station, the Institute, and a team of dedicated and enthusiastic believers can all be combined into a force that will bring unprecedented victories.”

During the Nine Year Plan and Five Year Plan, South Carolina witnessed the enrollment of many hundreds of Bahá’ís, and it remains the state with the largest number of Local Spiritual Assemblies.

The re-formation of the Army of Light in South Carolina signals a fresh impetus for expansion of the Faith, which the Universal House of Justice has urged the American Bahá’í community to look upon as one of its paramount goals.

Special youth program at District Conventions

A special program for youth is planned for District Conventions which are being held in all electoral districts in the country on Sunday, October 7.

The program is being designed by the National Youth Committee, and youth are encouraged to attend these important sessions.

Details on the location of District Conventions appear elsewhere in this issue of The American Bahá’í and will be published in district bulletins during September.

Enrollment figures for July 1984

	Adult	Youth	Total
Alabama	0	1	1
Arizona	5	8	13
Arkansas	0	0	0
California	16	8	24
Colorado	3	0	3
Connecticut	0	1	1
Delaware	0	0	0
Florida	3	4	7
Georgia	20	2	22
Idaho	0	0	0
Illinois	2	0	2
Indiana	0	0	0
Iowa	2	0	2
Kansas	2	1	3
Kentucky	1	1	2
Louisiana	0	0	0
Maine	0	2	2
Maryland	1	1	2
Massachusetts	3	3	6
Michigan	3	1	4
Minnesota	0	1	1
Mississippi	0	0	0
Missouri	0	0	0
Montana	1	0	1
Nebraska	0	0	0
Nevada	0	0	0
New Hampshire	0	0	0
New Jersey	2	1	3
New Mexico	3	5	8
New York	6	0	6
North Carolina	0	0	0
North Dakota	0	0	0
Ohio	1	1	2
Oklahoma	0	0	0
Oregon	1	1	2
Pennsylvania	1	2	3
Rhode Island	0	0	0
South Carolina	16	8	24
South Dakota	1	1	2
Tennessee	0	0	0
Texas	5	3	8
Utah	0	0	0
Vermont	1	1	2
Virginia	3	1	4
Washington	2	1	3
West Virginia	0	0	0
Wisconsin	0	0	0
Wyoming	0	0	0
Washington, D.C.	0	0	0
	104	59	163

[Page 11]

TEACHING THROUGH FRIENDSHIP TEAMS

August and September are county fair months in most of the United States.

WHO goes to fairs? Almost everyone, if you think about it, from farmers to bakers, 4H youth who raise pigs and stitch quilts, young people who are eager to ride ferris wheels, and towns-people looking forward to a full day of entertainment-almost everyone goes to fairs!

No wonder this is the time of year in which Bahá’ís station fair booths, stock them with pamphlets, and stand ready and eager to answer questions about the Faith.

Keeping a fair booth manned for a week-long event can be a tough job for a small community. In New Jersey and Iowa, Friendship Teams are doing the work. The Monmouth County Friendship Team, with members from four communities, manned a booth at the county fair in late July, then went on to help a proclamation effort in Middletown, New Jersey.

Offering help to the Assemblies and Groups in Monmouth County is this team's personal goal. The Bahá’í newsletter of Iowa has its own Friendship Team column, "Friendship Team on the Move."

THE column, written by Virginia Finch, details the activities of a Friendship Team composed of members from a small Bahá’í Group and isolated believers. The team has participated in many fairs, with the next one being the Buchanan County fair in Manchester.

County fairs might be the ultimate opportunity for fun and service to the Bahá’í community. Teaching the Faith, helping neighboring communities, working together with friends, and then also being able to listen to country music and visit the animal barns (as well as the fun house)-what could be more fun for a Friendship Team?

Homefront

with individual Bahá’ís in the field who may have job leads.

For this reason, it is helpful for potential pioneers to include a resumé with their information form. Any individuals who are in a position to help the National Teaching Committee in this job-referral system are asked to contact the committee.

If you are a member of a preferred goal locality, you can also facilitate the placement of a homefront pioneer in your locality.

Preferred goal localities are those which have been designated by the National Teaching Committee as an area needing consolidation, an Assembly that is non-functioning, or a Bahá’í Group of seven or more adults that could benefit from the presence of a homefront pioneer.

The National Teaching Committee needs individuals in these areas who can provide us with employment and housing leads as well as with a profile of the goal community.

It is especially helpful for the goal locality to designate a contact person who will share the above information with potential pioneers who are referred by the National Teaching Committee.

Your help with any of these tasks will facilitate the placement process for potential pioneers and ultimately help speed the accomplishment of our goals during the last two years of the Seven Year Plan.

In South Dakota: Love, confirmation, victories

By JUANA CONRAD

We hardly had time to gather our thoughts. Only the day before we had heard the marvelous news that more than 250 Native Americans had become Bahá’ís on the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Sioux Nation.

NOW we were rushing across the badlands of South Dakota to embrace the success of the Amoz Gibson teaching project and to lend support and encouragement for further victories.

The Campaign of Unified Action was in motion. And what motion!

The two cars approaching the community center at Wanblee carried books and materials for the new enrollees, and a bit of history. This was to be the first visit to South Dakota by a Hand of the Cause of God.

The Hand of the Cause Zikrullah Khadem had left Wilmette, Illinois, on Saturday afternoon, July 28, accompanied by Dr. Alberta Deas, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, and me. There was action in South Dakota and the institutions of the Faith were responding.

With joy and expectation in our hearts we drove to the meeting hall in Wanblee. We were warmly greeted by the friends who, too eager and thrilled to wait inside, rushed forward to embrace us.

THE LOVE, encouragement and support we had come to deliver was already resident in that radiant gathering. For three weeks the noble projecteers had lived and taught on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and each day had brought additional confirmations of the Holy Spirit.

Two hundred-fifty new believers and eight new Spiritual Assemblies were tangible evidence of those confirmations. Now the goal of 50 Spiritual Assemblies on Indian Reservations was in sight.

We made our way slowly into the center, stopping to exchange hugs and greetings.

We recognized among the teachers Parisa Izadi, a member of the National Youth Committee, and Mrs. Vafai, whose husband was martyred in Iran.

We passed a Lakota Sioux Bahá’í who was preparing the traditional lunch of mutton and fried bread, as she had done each day of the project.

Also present was a carload of young Bahá’ís from South Carolina and another youth from the Navajo Reservation.

ABOUT 60 of us sat in a circle as Doug Harris began to video tape the historic occasion. Ed Roberts, a project coordinator, introduced me as a representative of the National Teaching Committee, and I introduced Dr. Deas.

She presented to the coordinators, Mr. Roberts and Jackie Delahunt, an "ojo de Dios" weaving which had been presented to the National Spiritual Assembly by the Navajo Bahá’ís on the occasion of the dedication in 1981 of the Native American Bahá’í Institute at Burntwater, Arizona.

The National Assembly presented the gift to the Sioux people as a symbol of the unity of all tribes and peoples in Bahá’u’lláh.

After offering words of encouragement and love, Dr. Deas introduced Mr. Khadem who rose to address the gathering.

The Hand of the Cause showered everyone present with love. He spoke of Bahá’u’lláh's promise for the destiny of Native Americans and their role in the spiritualization of America.

HE THEN invited the new believers to come forward and greet him. Close in, a smaller circle was drawn and questions and answers were shared in an atmosphere of praise and thanksgiving.

After a delicious lunch we went outside and formed a large circle of unity, hand in hand.

A Navajo Bahá’í recited the Tablet of Ahmad from memory, after which one of the new Sioux believers, Felix Charging Whirlwind Jr., recited a prayer in the Lakota language.

Tears and loving hugs marked our goodbye. We left behind us hundreds of books including Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, prayer books, and copies of "On Becoming a Bahá’í."

But most of what remained behind was a spirit of dedication and unity that cannot help but inspire all of us to arise in further service to the Cause.

Well done, heroes of Wanblee!

Wanblee

formed.

But that was only the beginning. During the winter, the National Youth Committee held a Youth Leadership Program in Wanblee, South Dakota, the hub around which the project has revolved, and several projecteers returned to help consolidate the victories won in the summer.

And last June, the spirit that had ushered in the successes of the summer of '83 was rekindled with an influx of traveling teachers and other volunteers.

As of the end of July, more than 250 new Bahá’ís had been welcomed into the Faith and eight new Assemblies were formed on the Sioux Reservations.

A large part of the joy experienced has come from the diversity of the projecteers, many of whom have traveled cross-country to contribute to the success of the campaign.

Youth have been in the forefront of the teaching work, with carloads arriving from as far away as South Carolina and Navajoland in the Southwest.

THE statistics and facts of an effort of this kind are always of interest, but the underlying stories of sacrifice and dedication on the part of so many Bahá’ís provide the spirit that moves us all to serve in whatever capacity we are able.

The stories of the Amoz Gibson Project will continue to be shared long after the campaign itself has ended, and will serve as examples of courageous and heroic deeds in the annals of the American Bahá’í community.—Karen Pritchard

The Bedrock of All Other Institutions National Bahá’í Fund Wilmette, IL 60091

The Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem (right) greets one of the Native American believers during Mr. Khadem's visit to the Amoz Gibson teaching project in Wanblee, South Dakota.

'Mock fireside' helps develop teaching skills

To help those who have expressed an interest in teaching the Faith but "don't know how," the Spiritual Assembly of Arlington, Texas, has developed a new concept: the "mock fireside."

Taking note that the number of seekers had declined in recent months, the Assembly invited those friends who wished to practice giving a fireside talk to conduct a mock fireside.

All the conditions of a regular fireside were extant, i.e., people in attendance (no seekers), refreshments, an introduction by the host, an opening prayer, and of course, the talk itself and a question-and-answer period.

Afterward, the talk was constructively reviewed by the group, and each speaker was praised for his or her contribution.

The Assembly reports that as soon as its first speaker "broke the ice," there was a room full of volunteers eager to conduct the next session.

The mock fireside was also the topic of enthusiastic consultation at the community's Sunday morning deepening class.

In its evaluation, the Arlington Assembly concluded that:

(1) firesides are the backbone of teaching efforts;

(2) one's first fireside "speaking engagement" is the hardest and should be done under perfect conditions such as the mock fireside; and

(3) the mock fireside produces community enthusiasm and participation. [Page 12]‘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)

More than 300 attend Springfield race amity conference

More than 300 people from 13 states were present at a two-day conference entitled “Race Amity . . . Hope for the Future” May 26-27 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

AMONG the participants were Dr. Roy Jones, chairman of the National Race Unity Committee; another member of that same committee, Mary K. Radpour; and several prominent educators and professionals from the Northeastern states.

The conference, sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Springfield, was dedicated to the memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Louis G. Gregory who helped plan the last Race Amity Conference in Springfield some 63 years ago.

The gathering drew considerable media coverage including three live television interviews with Dr. Jones, one radio interview, articles in the local newspaper, and a video recording for future broadcast by Continental Cablevision.

The agenda included presentations and workshops on ways to eliminate racial prejudice in the home, the family, the workplace, and in school.

A panel discussion on “the role of the community” was led by five local community leaders including the president of the Springfield chapter of the NAACP, the chaplain of Springfield College, a director of social services, and two well-known educators.

LOUIS Gregory Race Amity Awards were presented to two local educators who have made significant contributions to racial harmony in Springfield.

A special children’s conference, led by Barbara Hacker, which featured games, audio-visual displays, learning centers, stories and songs, all based on the theme of racial unity, was held at the same time as the general conference.

A Saturday evening “jubilee” featured a local gospel singing group, a jazz chorus from a local high school, and other entertainers.

A highlight of the evening was an appearance by the Bahá’í singing group, “New World Generation.”

The Bahá’í musical group ‘New World Generation’ performs during the Race Amity Conference held May 26-27 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Bahá’í unity award to Houston minister

The Bahá’í community of Houston, Texas, has presented its 1984 Race Unity Award to Edward R. Triem, a white Presbyterian minister whose congregation is predominantly black.

The speaker at the Race Unity Day program was Dr. William Maxwell.

In his acceptance remarks, Mr. Triem recalled driving past the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette as a young boy growing up in the Chicago area.

Tampa Bahá’ís in exchange program with Haitian Methodist congregation

For the past 10 months the Bahá’í community of Tampa, Florida, with support from a number of surrounding communities, has been participating in a series of exchange programs with a local Haitian Methodist congregation.

After initial contact was established with the minister last fall, the Bahá’ís presented a Sunday evening program with songs by the “New Horizon” Bahá’í group and a talk on the Faith in French by Auxiliary Board member Ben Levy.

A few months later the Bahá’ís invited the Haitians to a potluck supper, and on June 3 the Haitians reciprocated with a bounteous feast for the Bahá’ís.

More than 50 Bahá’ís attended, and heard themselves praised for being sincere friends to the isolated Haitians and for demonstrating an affirmative move toward racial harmony.

Bahá’í visit, honor mayor of Poughkeepsie

On March 2, a three-member Bahá’í delegation visited the office of Mayor Thomas C. Aposporos of Poughkeepsie, New York, to present him with a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh.

The presentation was made as a token of appreciation to the mayor for a letter to President Reagan in which Mr. Aposporos congratulated the President for speaking out against the “terrible human rights violations taking place in Iran against the Bahá’í minority of that country.”

Presenting the book were M.B. Washington and Judith Washington of Poughkeepsie and Thomas Halstad of Rhinebeck, New York.

Apogee, a bronze sculpture by Ahmad Osni Peii, a member of the Bahá’í community of Norwalk, Connecticut, was donated May 15 to the United Negro College Fund regional office in Stamford to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the UNCF by Dr. Frederick D. Patterson. The presentation was made at the Fund’s Corporate Kickoff Reception hosted by C. Peter McColough, chairman of Xerox Corporation, and John M. Henske, chairman and chief executive officer of the Olin Corporation. Pictured (left to right) are Dr. Benjamin F. Payton, president of Tuskegee Institute; Charles E. Turner Jr., UNCF development director; Christine A. Kennedy, assistant to Mr. Turner; Mr. Peii; and Mr. Henske.

Bahá’í wins art awards

Shirley Gitchell Johnson, a Bahá’í from Hutchinson, Kansas, won two awards at the 1984 Tri-State Exhibition of the Kansas Watercolor Society.

Mrs. Johnson won the S.O. & Beren Foundation cash award of $100 and the Koch Industries Patron Purchase Award for her painting, “Grid Series: Sumac.”

Seventy-six paintings were chosen from among 320 entries to appear in the exhibition.

Cuban Club site of Tampa unity meeting

The Bahá’ís of Tampa, Florida, hosted a Race Unity Day observance in June at the Cuban Club in Ybor City, an historical Cuban settlement in downtown Tampa.

Joining Linda Brown, the Bahá’í representative, as speaker was Mrs. Lila Johnson, a black high school teacher who is a prominent member of the local chapter of the National Council of Negro Women.

Sixty-seven people, more than half of whom were non-Bahá’ís, attended the event, and the program of songs, talks and an abundance of food was well received.

Tampa has been designated a minority teaching center for Hispanic teaching, and it has been the Tampa community’s goal for several years to concentrate its teaching in predominantly black sections of the central city.

On June 10, the Spiritual Assemblies of Eatonville and Seminole County, Florida, co-sponsored a well-attended Race Unity Day observance in Eatonville, which is the oldest incorporated black community in the U.S. The mayor of Eatonville, the Hon. Abraham Gordon, proclaimed it ‘Race Unity Day’ in the city and was one of four speakers on the program. The others were Bahá’ís. [Page 13]

News from the Bahá’í House of Worship

Anne Elise Schaaf, a member of the Bahá’í community of Chicago who is the new choir director at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, was spotlighted in a recent issue of the Chicago weekly newspaper, The Reader.

The paper's reporter, Kyle Gann, was critical of a recent concert presented by the Midwest chapter of American Women Composers.

"But the piece that justified the concert to me...." the reporter continued, "was a little gem entitled Mandala by Elise Schaaf... an all-too-uncommon reminder that art is essentially an activity, however much we try to construe it as a set of discrete objects ...

"Earthy, natural, unself-conscious, this was the pure essence of musical activity, the kind of work that suddenly throws cloudy aesthetic issues into black-and-white relief, and it harbored not a speck of the usual artsy hogwash. Elise Schaaf is the choir director at the Bahá’í Temple in Wilmette, and Mandala filled me with absorbing curiosity about the rest of her work."

Here's Chicago!

In a joint effort of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau and the Chicago Tribune to convey the cultural diversity of Chicago, a movie entitled "Here's Chicago!" was produced two years ago and is being shown in a newly constructed auditorium inside the old water pumping station on Michigan Avenue. The pumping station and its companion water tower were the only downtown structures to survive the great Chicago fire of 1871.

"Here's Chicago!" includes a fantastic aerial view of the Bahá’í House of Worship and its gardens. In recent months so many visitors have been asking for more information on the Temple that the staff of "Here's Chicago!" contacted us recently to request a larger poster of the building and an initial supply of 2,000 Visit Cards even though the Chicago Visitors' Center, located across the street in the water tower, has available the same cards.

The Visit Card gives a brief introduction to the building and the Faith, lists visiting hours and instructions for scheduling tours, and provides directions on how to reach the House of Worship from Chicago or Milwaukee.

Wait 'til you hear this

It is 10:30 p.m. The House of Worship is closed. A car pulls up to the main entrance. The driver reads a sign posted at the stairs, turns on the car radio, adjusts the dial, and, behold!—hears a three-minute message explaining the purpose of the House of Worship, the basic tenets of the Faith, and when to return to visit. When was this to begin? Hopefully, by the middle of August.

The popular 'Children of Time'

The popular 'Children of Time' Bahá’í road show is back in business and available to come to your area in Illinois to proclaim the Faith in song and script. Members of the group are Ann Arp and Judy Griffith (narrators), Donna Kime (singer), Warren Kime (trumpet), Roland Ashby (piano), Wayne Welch (drums), and Derek Polk (bass). They are looking for an additional singer. The original 'Children of Time,' which traveled to colleges throughout the Midwest in 1970-71, was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly. Assemblies interested in bringing the show to their community are asked to contact Donna Kime, Glenview, IL 60025.

A check list for preparing special materials

This is the second in a series of articles prepared for The American Bahá’í to help the friends understand the review process that is necessary for all materials representing the Faith which they wish to reproduce for sale and distribution.

If you have an idea for an item you wish to produce for mass distribution, submit a copy (i.e., final draft of a manuscript, demo cassette, sketch of proposed design, etc.) before you begin the production process.

In this way, you can avoid the expense of having to make any adjustments that may be deemed necessary by the Reviewing Committee before it can grant approval for distribution.

Here is a check list of general guidelines for use in preparing such materials:

Legibility: "Whenever the Sacred Text is illumined or rendered calligraphically it must be done in such a way as to preserve its legibility and purpose—conveying the Word of God." (National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S. in a letter to an individual believer dated December 15, 1982)

Diacritical marks: "Diacritical marks are part of the proper spelling of Bahá’í terms as transliterated by the Guardian and should be used whenever possible." (ibid.)

Sources and translations: Please include a list of the sources of the Sacred Texts used in your materials. The Reviewing Committee will check your quotations against the latest available translation.

"As regards English, the beloved Guardian's translations are obviously the most authentic and should be used. If, for some particular reason, a Bahá’í author when quoting a passage of the Sacred Text which has been rendered into English by the Guardian, his (rest of quote is messed up call Susan Engle to straighten it out)

Dignity and reverence: "Americans, unlike people from Eastern countries, generally lack training in the attitude of reverence, and often are prone to treat the sacred in a casual manner. As Bahá’ís, we are part of a world community and strive to take on a set of values that transcend the values of American society and are identified with the distinctive characteristics of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation.

"By striving to become more aware of the need to acquire the attitude of reverence, which implies respect, veneration, honor, worship, deference, and adoration, we can increase our spirituality and help uplift the standards of the Bahá’í community." (Bahá’í National Review, 1978)

"While not wishing to limit or restrict proclamation to prosaic or serious methods for conveying the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the people, it is important that we avoid presentations that may produce negative reactions or wrong interpretations of our attitude of respect and reverence for the sacred nature of our Faith.

"Experimentation with new forms and new styles of presentations is encouraged. There are many ways to express the joy and promise of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, but as the Universal House of Justice pointed out in its letter (of July 2, 1967):

"...the standards of dignity and reverence set by the beloved Guardian should always be upheld, particularly in musical and dramatic items....This does not mean that activities of the youth, for example, should be stultified; one can be exuberant without being irreverent or undermining the dignity of the Cause.

"Those responsible for devising artistic, musical, and dramatic presentations, as well as those who participate in them, should be careful not to use material out of context, or any that through misinterpretation may produce a negative reaction on the part of the audience, whether Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í. Careful attention should also be paid to the matters of dress, physical movements, and propriety of the occasion on which the programs are presented.

"The same principles of dignity, good taste, and propriety apply to the design and use of any symbols that are intended to attract attention to the Faith, whether they are for use in the home, at public meetings, for personal ornamentation, or on automobiles. As the Universal House of Justice has stated, ... a flamboyant approach which may succeed in drawing much initial attention to the Cause, may ultimately prove to have produced a revulsion which would require a great effort to overcome. (Bahá’í National Review, 1974)

In a forthcoming issue, watch for guidelines for producing music and for using forms of the Greatest Name and other symbols of the Faith.

As a result of the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran, Eric Daugherty, a ninth grade student at College Preparatory School in north Oakland, California, was able to speak to a class in world affairs on the history, principles and laws of the Faith as well as the history of the persecutions. When the class discussion was centered on Asia, Eric offered to speak about a religious minority in Iran that has been severely persecuted. After asking if he meant the Bahá’ís, Eric's teacher approved the talk.

New from George Ronald, Publisher

The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Volume III ‘Akká, The Early Years: 1868-77 Adib Taherzadeh

In this long-awaited third volume of his survey of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Counsellor Adib Taherzadeh gives us new and fascinating insights into the works revealed during, and the events of, this period. A book every Bahá’í will want to read.

544 pp, 5 x 7¾ in, 36 illus. Hardcover $18.50* (331-094)

Order through your local librarian, or send check or money order (including 10% for postage and handling, minimum $1.50) to:

Bahá’í Distribution Service 415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091 This title not exported by the Publishing Trust [Page 14]

Former pioneer to Nigeria reads paper at 16th annual conference of Society for Music Education

Don Addison, a former pioneer to Nigeria who is presently enrolled in the doctoral program in music and African studies at UCLA, read a paper at the 16th Conference of the International Society for Music Education which was held July 8-14 at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Several thousand music teachers, performers, scholars and writers from all over the world met at the conference, which was the first for the organization on a college campus in the U.S. and only the second ever held in this country.

Mr. Addison, an ethnomusicologist who lectured in music at the University of Nigeria, was invited to submit an original paper on the “Omabe Music of Nigeria.”

He began his presentation at the conference by mentioning the Bahá’í Faith and quoting Bahá’u’lláh’s statement that “the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.”

Musicians from many parts of the world voiced an interest in the Faith, and Mr. Addison’s presentation led to many interesting private discussions throughout the remainder of the week.

The Bahá’ís in Eugene took full advantage of Mr. Addison’s presence to schedule several well-attended public talks.

An official conference tape of Mr. Addison’s presentation including his remarks about the Faith was made available to all the participants.

Mr. Addison hopes to present another paper at next year’s meeting of the Society in Innsbruck, Austria.

265-plus present at Conference of Núr

More than 265 Bahá’ís and their guests attended the Conference of Núr (Light), sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and held June 15-17 on the campus of Elizabethtown College.

The conference theme was “The Jewel of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation—The Kitáb-i-Íqán,” and the speakers superbly enlightened and gave insight into that precious book so that we can serve the Cause of God more effectively.

The youth and children had such great times and sessions together that many of them did not want to leave.

A performance by the Touchstone mime group delighted everyone.

Can you identify anyone in this picture?

This is a photograph of the Bahá’í community of Boston, Massachusetts, which was taken in 1934. If you can identify anyone in the picture, please write to the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

Archives seeks personal papers, photographs of early Bahá’ís

The National Bahá’í Archives is seeking the personal papers of early Bahá’ís, especially original letters, diaries, photographs, manuscripts and personal recollections.

The Archives would like to learn the names of descendants of early Bahá’ís, whether Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í, so that they can be contacted about these papers.

Among the papers being sought are those of Pauline Barton-Peeke, Louise Dixon Boyle, Howard MacNutt, Mary Hanford Ford, Frank Phelps, Margery McCormick and Glenn Shook.

Anyone having information about the personal papers of these or other early Bahá’ís is asked to contact the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

World Centre announces wide range of personnel needs

The Department of Organization and Personnel is in the process of identifying Bahá’ís as potential candidates for service at the World Centre for filling existing as well as future openings.

In some respects, service at the World Centre may be compared to life as a pioneer but without the privilege of teaching. The Fund provides for all basic needs, but no salaries are paid.

In serving at the World Centre, the friends’ aim is to efficiently carry out their assigned duties to the best of their ability and capacity. The life in a diverse community at the World Centre, as well as in the Middle East, is in many ways demanding.

The length of service ranges from short term to definite term (usually two to two and one-half years), and indefinite, according to the need of the positions. Couples who are independent and each able to fill needed positions should feel especially encouraged to apply.

Not all positions are immediately available. A basic need for most positions is a good or excellent proficiency in English apart from other qualifications.

Listed here are some of the skills needed from time to time. Anyone who is interested in serving at the World Centre should send biographical information about himself.

Mechanical technician: To carry out the operation and surveillance of engine room equipment under general supervision; to maintain and repair mechanical equipment.

Garden helpers: Friends with experience in gardening are welcome to offer help in the gardens for six-month terms; extensions are possible for those with professional background. Due to the nature of the work and local customs, only men should apply (except for work in the greenhouse).

Building trades: Professional cabinet-maker, painters (urgent need), plumber, mechanic/driver (urgent need), iron worker, stone mason (urgent need), electrician and janitors; for most positions, solid training and several years of experience are preferred.

Administrative assistant: With experience in purchasing, as well as general secretarial skills and office procedures.

Bookkeeping: Training in general bookkeeping and accounting procedures is essential; good typing skills and experience with data processing equipment would be helpful.

Town and country planner: Experience in elaboration and processing of town planning schemes and related work such as preparation of applications for building permits and updating property records; relevant experience in surveying would be helpful.

Security staff: The function requires shift work, physical fitness and the ability to learn some Hebrew. Only single friends should apply; 18-month to 30-month periods of service (urgent need).

Assistant archivist/modern records: To assist the archivist in drawing up a records management program; full archival qualifications and two years experience in modern records management are necessary.

Librarian: Responsible for the efficient organization of the library and its staff; ‎masters master's‎ degree in library science, knowledge of English and at least two other languages, experience in classification systems desirable, familiarity with Library of Congress classification and AACR2, and at least four years of library experience, part of which should have been in an administrative capacity.

Indexer: To review a variety of documents and record selected data, using a video terminal; work includes analysis of subjects, writing summaries, and teaching work procedures. Requires good analytical and writing skills, basic typing, and knowledge of the Faith; a bachelor’s degree or adequate general education is required; library and/or information science degree, library technician certificate, or experience in these named professions is desirable.

Executive secretary: To compose and draft letters and reports, conduct research, organize and maintain files; at least five years experience in high level secretarial or administrative assistant position, as well as in the Bahá’í Administrative Order; accuracy, good stylistic sense in English are necessary; shorthand, knowledge of more than one language, and familiarity with word processing equipment are desirable but not essential.

Secretary/research assistant: To extract information and prepare reports, to compose and draft letters, conduct research, organize and maintain files, enter data and use a word processor; the work requires good analytical, writing and typing skills, knowledge of Bahá’í administration, bachelor’s degree or adequate general education. Interest in geography, languages, and familiarity with word processing would be helpful.

General office: There are a number of positions at the World Centre that require clerical skills, fast and accurate typing, good spelling ability, and office experience. Some experience using word processing equipment is desirable.

The following is information required to evaluate candidates for service at the World Centre. Please include a recent photo of yourself.

Full name: (Mr/Mrs/Miss).

Home address: For the past five years beginning with present address.

Telephone number: Where applicant can be reached (home and work).

Date and place of birth.

Passport number, date of issue and period of validity.

Marital status: Single, married, widowed, divorced, separated (with dates).

Name of spouse (if applicable): Is he/she a Bahá’í?

Dependents: Number and ages of children; other actual or possible dependents.

Financial responsibilities: Including debts and payments due.

Health: Height, weight, general physical condition; please give a brief description of any disabilities, physical limitations or allergies, or chronic health problems. What illnesses have you had during the past two years?

Bahá’í experience: Date and community of enrollment; description of experience as a Bahá’í including localities where you have lived, service on committees and Assemblies, pioneering posts and travel teaching projects, approximate date of pilgrimage to the Holy Land if applicable.

Education: List post-secondary education, location and duration of study, degrees or certificates earned, major subjects studied, trade schools attended, etc.

Skills: List machines you operate, typing/shorthand speeds, languages you read/write/speak and proficiency in each, etc. (as applicable).

Work experience: Beginning with present or most recent employment, list dates, name and address of employer, title or position, nature of work and duties, and reasons for leaving.

If a couple is applying, separate statements on each should be submitted.

Please send personal and biographical information to the Bahá’í World Centre, Personnel Department, P.O. Box 155, Haifa 31-001, Israel. [Page 15]

THE BAHÁ’Í WRITINGS

Tablets of Divine Plan ‎gives give‎ clear guidance to American Bahá’ís about spiritual destiny

The ringing words of the Báb, on the night of His declaration, to the “peoples of the West” to “issue forth from their cities” and aid His Cause never ‎fails fail‎ to galvanize even the most seasoned fireside attendee.

But ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets of the Divine Plan—do they evoke the same enthusiasm? Or is it a “hmmm,” if not a “ho-hum”?

Now that the Universal House of Justice has sent Counsellor Peter Khan to the U.S. to talk to us about the destiny of America, and a cassette tape of his talk has been issued, together with a study outline, plus a new edition of The Advent of Divine Justice—isn’t it time, in this Faith so often characterized by connections across time and continents, to make some connections in our own thinking, in our local deepenings, in our summer and winter school classes?

The impulse for the Tablets of the Divine Plan, Shoghi Effendi tells us in Messages to America (p. 90), originated in that ringing challenge by the Báb on the night of His declaration.

This means we must rise above facts and figures (14 Tablets written in 1916 and 1917, addressed to the U.S. and Canada, including five prayers for five regions and four general prayers), grasp the import of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “signal mark of His special favor” to us, and set about working out the destiny bestowed upon us.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets of the Divine Plan contain the Master’s “conception” of our “spiritual destiny, His plan for the mission He wished us” to “undertake.”

That mission? Still the same one voiced by the Báb on May 23, 1844: to “issue forth from our cities.” In other words, to teach the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh; teach it at home; and teach it abroad. For our mission is a “world mission,” according to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Now the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. America’s destiny is our destiny. Our destiny is our teaching work. Our conception of the glorious future of America must transcend the view of our country expressed in the national and international press. We must teach at home. We must set our course for other lands, whether in our Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í activities. We have no choice.

The choice we do have is to sit down alone or in groups and study again the Tablets of the Divine Plan, The Advent of Divine Justice, the Peter Khan cassette “The Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh,” and the study outline “America’s Spiritual Destiny.” Now that is a destiny package!

(The titles referred to above are all available from the Bahá’í Distribution Service. See the order form elsewhere in this issue of The American Bahá’í.)

Two-volume history to chronicle U.S. Bahá’ís from 1892-1912

What do Chicago, Illinois; Enterprise, Kansas; and Kenosha, Wisconsin, have in common?

They were the sites of the first three Bahá’í communities in North America, according to Robert Stockman, author of a forthcoming two-volume history of the American Bahá’í community from 1892 to 1912.

The first volume of American Dawnbreakers, covering the years from 1892 to 1900, will be published by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust in the spring of 1985.

The second volume, covering the period from 1900 to 1912, will appear early in 1986.

The earliest Bahá’í in this country, Mr. Stockman writes, learned about Bahá’u’lláh through a series of “private” and somewhat mysterious lessons given by one man—Ibrahim George Kheiralla—who came from Lebanon in 1892 to market an invention in the U.S.

His invention unsuccessful, Mr. Kheiralla remained in the U.S. and began a healing practice through use of “magical or supernatural abilities” that he believed he possessed.

It was through his healing that he attracted some Americans to whom he could teach the Bahá’í Faith. After converting about 60 Chicagoans, Mr. Kheiralla began to travel, first to Enterprise and Kenosha, and later to New York City and Philadelphia.

With the growth of the Faith in each of these localities, it had gained a foothold on the North American continent from which it would spread to Europe and beyond.

Ordering information on American Dawnbreakers will be made available later this year.

Trust maps 1985-86 publishing plan

A planning session was held July 17-19 at the Bahá’í Publishing Trust to revise and extend the list of books to be published by the Trust during fiscal 1985-86.

New and revised editions of the Bahá’í sacred writings and of compilations will include:

• Prayers and Meditations, which will be reissued in a deluxe hardcover edition matching Gleanings and the Íqán in the popular pocket-sized format.
• The Hidden Words and The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, which will also be reissued in deluxe bindings and in pocket-sized editions.
• A new edition of Bahá’í World Faith.
• Messages to North America, which will combine the texts of Bahá’í Administration and Messages to America (which will include additional letters from Shoghi Effendi provided by the Universal House of Justice).
• A youth compilation being published with the National Bahá’í Youth Committee for the 1985 continental youth conference.
• Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1973-1983.
• Floppy disc versions of some of the titles listed above.

New books for adults will include a history, a novel, a self-help book, and more:

• American Dawnbreakers: A History of the Bahá’í Faith in America, 1900-1912, Volume 2, by Rob Stockman (Volume 1 will be published in Spring 1985).
• Hear the Nightingale Sing, a novel by Linda Walbridge covering several generations of a Persian Bahá’í family.
• The Single Life: Bahá’í Approaches, by Linda and Dan Popov.
• An expanded version of the Bahá’í Glossary.
• A new book for youth.

New books for children and youth will include:

• A Bahá’í-content book for 1-3 year olds entitled What Do Bahá’ís Do? by Susan Stengel.
• A Bahá’í-content book for 3-7 year olds, Tablets of the Heart, by Leslie Lundberg.
• A character-development tale for 7-11 year olds, Ruby and the Rose, by Linda Knight Conway.
• A simplified history of the Bábí era entitled The Gate of God, by Mary Perkins.

Publishing Trust staff participating in the two and one-half day planning session were Larry Bucknell, general manager; Dr. Betty J. Fisher, general editor; and Terrill Hayes, production manager.

One highlight of the exciting meeting was a visit from and consultation with Glenford E. Mitchell, a member of the Universal House of Justice, who happened to be visiting in Wilmette.

Trust plans ambitious program of books for children, youth

The mid-July planning session at the Publishing Trust was an unqualified success for books for children and youth, according to Dr. Betty J. Fisher, general editor.

FOR THE first time since 1980, when plans were formalized for a publishing program for children and youth—and since the U.S. Bahá’ís were given, in 1981, a Seven Year Plan goal of enriching “Bahá’í literature for children”—the general editor was able to recommend for publication books for every age from toddlers through teen-agers and young adults.

The manuscripts being considered included ones with direct Bahá’í content (both fiction and non-fiction) as well as character-development tales.

The most promising trend was toward fiction and non-fiction for teen-agers, a long-neglected group of Bahá’ís. One novel for teens (Katie, by Cindy Kaye Savage) will be slipped into the 1984-85 publishing season.

Many parents and teachers will be happy to see more direct Bahá’í-content books in the coming years. I Am a Bahá’í, the final four Sunflower books for 3-7 year olds by Deborah Christensen, will be published later this year, as will Special Strengths, by Gail Radley.

In 1985-86, What Do Bahá’ís Do? by Susan Stengel will appeal to 1-3 year olds. Tablets of the Heart, by Leslie Lundberg, will provide simple Bahá’í passages for 3-7 year olds.

Ruby and the Rose, by Linda Knight Conway, will appeal to 7-11 year olds. The Gate of God, by Mary Perkins, is written for teen-agers and young adults.

Now the challenge, according to Dr. Fisher, is ensuring adequate funds to produce the cornucopia of children’s books.

Anyone who purchased a copy of the leather-bound Bahá’í Prayers contributed to the establishment of a children’s fund that has been used to subsidize (that is, lower the price) of B.J. and the Language of the Woodland, ‎Spotlessly Spotless‎ Leopard, and From Behind the Veil.

Next month we’ll explore other simple, inexpensive ways in which anyone concerned about books for children and youth can make sure the beginning envisioned in 1980 continues to become a reality.

Trust extends ‘Destiny Package’ discount offer through October

Background

Flash! The Universal House of Justice sends Counsellor Peter Khan to the U.S. to speak in several American cities on—the destiny of America.

Flash! Peter Khan’s talk is issued in record time on a cassette ‎taped tape‎ called “Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh: The American Bahá’ís.”

Flash! The Publishing Trust and the Treasurer’s Office collaborate in printing a five-lesson study guide entitled “America’s Spiritual Destiny” which had been prepared long before Dr. Khan arrived in the U.S.

Flash! The Publishing Trust, even before Peter Khan is sent to America, publishes the first new edition of The Advent of Divine Justice in 45 years—with a thematic table of contents and a new index.

Flash! The Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem holds up at the National Convention the only copy of The Advent of Divine Justice sent to Persia by Shoghi Effendi and urges the friends to “study this ... not once, twice, but one thousand times.”

The challenge

A well-choreographed publicity stunt, you’re thinking? Well, think again—and think what someone up there is trying to tell you.

—Things like it’s time to plan an evening with Counsellor Khan via the “Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh” cassette, and see why the Supreme Institution thought it important to send Dr. Khan to the U.S. at this time.

—Things like following the evening with Dr. Khan with a five-week discussion of the study guide “America’s Spiritual Destiny.”

—Things like getting started down the road toward the 1,000 readings of The Advent of Divine Justice that Mr. Khadem urges.

The new Bahá’í Distribution Service is making all these study evenings easy and inexpensive by extending the special prices on the Publishing Trust’s “Destiny Packages” through October 31.

• Destiny Package A (“Apostles” cassette and “America’s Spiritual Destiny” study guide) is $8 through October 31.
• Destiny Package B (“Apostles” cassette, “America’s Spiritual Destiny” and hardcover Advent of Divine Justice) is $19 through October 31.
• Destiny Package C (“Apostles” cassette, “America’s Spiritual Destiny” and softcover Advent) is $13 through October 31.

See the order form on the Bahá’í Distribution Service page in this issue of The American Bahá’í for ordering instructions. [Page 16]

Complete list of U.S. District Convention sites

Alabama, North (1 delegate). Miles College Student Center, Birmingham. Mail ballots to Ms. Jacqueline Logue, 1205 South 13th St., Birmingham, AL 35213. For information phone 205-942-3718.

Alabama, South/Florida, North-west (1 delegate). Monroeville City Park, Monroeville, AL. Mail ballots to Mrs. Nancy Schroeder, Rt. 1 Box 137, Monroeville, AL 36460. For information phone 205-743-3811.

Arizona, North (3 delegates). Mingus Union High School, Hwy. 279 (P.O. Box 248), Cottonwood 86326. Mail ballots to Mrs. Beverly McMillin, 1024 Country Club Dr., Prescott, AZ 86301.

Arizona, South (1 delegate). Northwest Neighborhood Community Center, 2160 North 6th Avenue (south of Grant Rd.). Mail ballots to Mrs. Gail Powers, 1222 E. Seneca, Tucson, AZ 85712.

Arkansas (2 delegates). Leslie Carmichael Community Center, Elm and Crisp Sts., Searcy. Mail ballots to Dr. Peter L. Johnson, P.O. Box 16, University of Arkansas at Pine Brook, Pine Brook, AR 71601. For information phone 501-534-7658.

California, Central No. 1 (7 delegates). San Jose State University, Morris Dailey Auditorium, 125 S. 7th St., San Jose 95112. Mail ballots to the Spiritual Assembly of San Jose, P.O. Box 6381, San Jose, CA 95150.

California, Central No. 2 (1 delegate). Hacienda Lodge, 2550 West Clinton, Fresno 93726. Mail ballots to Robert L. Ruiz, 2108 Sunrise, Modesto, CA 95355.

California, North No. 1 (2 delegates). ‎Pacer Placer‎ High School, 275 Orange Avenue, Auburn. Mail ballots to Keith Stahl, 7401 Center Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95842.

California, North No. 2 (1 delegate). California State University at Sonoma, 1810 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park. Mail ballots to Pamela Bryan, 655 Circle Dr., Rohnert Park, CA 94928.

California, South No. 1 (7 delegates). University of Southern California, University Village Park No. C, Los Angeles 90089. Mail ballots to Mrs. Paula Amaya, 9815 Orange Ave., South Gate, CA 90280.

California, South No. 2 (3 delegates). Corona Civic Center, 815 W. 6th St., Corona. Mail ballots to Richard Costa, 23741 Aliso Niguel, Laguna Niguel 92677. For information phone 714-831-3375.

California, South No. 3 (1 delegate). El Camino School, H and Chestnut Sts., Lompoc. Mail ballots to the Spiritual Assembly of Lompoc, P.O. Box 257, Lompoc, CA 93436.

California, South No. 4 (3 delegates). San Diego Bahá’í Center, 6545 Alcala Knolls Drive, San Diego 92111. Mail ballots to Roya Taraz, 5211 Hewlett Dr., San Diego, CA 92120.

Colorado, Northeast (2 delegates). Arapahoe Community College, 5900 South Santa Fe, Littleton 80120. Mail ballots to Mrs. Tess Ridgway, 1021 S. Cook St., Denver, CO 80206.

Colorado, Southeast (1 delegate). Park Headquarters Bldg., 640 Reservoir Road, South Marina entrance (five miles west of Thatcher and Pueblo Blvd. on Hwy. 96). Mail ballots to Rebecca Houseman, 1406 Wabash, Pueblo, CO 81005. For information phone 303-566-1621.

Colorado, West (1 delegate). Site to be named. Mail ballots to and obtain information from Mrs. Mary Wilson, 706 Oak Dr., Durango, CO 81301. Phone 303-259-3625.

Connecticut (2 delegates). Manchester Community College, Manchester. Mail ballots to Thomas Armistead, 32 Hawley Ave., Milford, CT 06460.

DelMarVa (1 delegate). Holiday Inn, 348 N. DuPont Blvd. (U.S. 13), Dover, Delaware. Mail ballots to Richard F. Rawlins, 203 Briar Lane, Camden, DE 19934.

Florida, Central (1 delegate). Howard Johnson Executive Center Hotel, 304 W. Colonial Drive (state route 50 at I-4), Orlando 32802. Mail ballots to Mrs. C.P. Graham, 252 Mockingbird Lane, Longwood, FL 32779.

Florida, North (1 delegate). University of North Florida, East Hall Auditorium, 4567 St. John’s Bluff Road, Jacksonville. Mail ballots to Joseph J. Bencze, 4529 Sylvan Ramble, Jacksonville, FL 32207.

Florida, Southeast (3 delegates). Santa ‎Luces Santaluces‎ High School, 6880 Lawrence Road, Lantana 33462. Mail ballots to Carolyn Wells, 7480 N.W. 4th Ave., Boca Raton, FL 33428.

Florida, Southwest (2 delegates). Gulfport Community Center, 5730 Shore Blvd. South, Gulfport. Mail ballots to Dr. John Hatcher, 13002 Formosa Dr., Tampa, FL 33612. For information phone 813-971-6255.

Georgia, Northeast (1 delegate). University of Georgia, Tucker Hall, Athens. Mail ballots to Mrs. Sandy Jasnau, 246 Lakeshore Dr., Milledgeville, GA 31061.

Georgia, Northwest (2 delegates). Martin Luther King Center, 450 Auburn Avenue N.E., Atlanta 30212. Mail ballots to Richard McKinley, 3131 Flowers Rd. S., Doraville, GA 30360.

Georgia, South (3 delegates). Friendship Village Inn Restaurant in The Big House, Hwy. 341, 221 and 23, Hazelhurst. Mail ballots to Miss Theolia Kirkland, 2017 Vermont Ave., Savannah, GA 31401.

Idaho, North/Washington, East (1 delegate). Cavanaugh’s Landing, 1101 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick 99336. Mail ballots to Steve Godfrey, 1833 Alder, Richland, WA 99352.

Idaho, South (1 delegate). Best Western Burley Inn, I-80 North, 800 Overland Avenue, Burley 83318. Mail ballots to Jim R. Hathaway, New World Maintenance, P.O. Box 5083, Boise, ID 83705.

Illinois, North No. 1 (2 delegates). Vagabond Resort, Hwy. 51 North, Rochelle. Mail ballots to George Davis, 7708 Woodale, Loves Park, IL 61111.

Illinois, North No. 2 (3 delegates). Site to be announced. Mail ballots to and receive information from Sandra Clark, 417 Highland, Oak Park, IL 60304. Phone 312-848-6192.

Illinois, South (2 delegates). Sangamon State University, Springfield. Mail ballots to Alberta Hogan, 1421 Noble, Springfield, IL 62704.

Indiana (2 delegates). Indiana University, Purdue University at Indianapolis, 1200 N. Michigan St., Indianapolis. Mail ballots to Kimberly K. Isherwood, 4531 Carvel, Indianapolis, IN 46224.

Iowa (3 delegates). Camp Hantesa, Boone. Mail ballots to Fay Himes, Rt. 3, Box 144, Liberty, IA 52765.

Kansas (1 delegate). Newtonian Motor Lodge, 105 Manchester Avenue and 1st St., Newton. Mail ballots to James Hedge, 715 E. 10th St., Newton, KS 67114.

Kentucky (1 delegate). Frankfort High School, 328 Shelby St., Frankfort. Mail ballots to Martha Jeffers, 1410 Scoville Rd., Lexington, KY 40502.

Louisiana, North (1 delegate). Site to be announced. Mail ballots to and receive information from Delores White, 3141 Lillian, Shreveport, LA 71109. Phone 318-861-7659.

Louisiana, South (2 delegates). Garden Center of Baton Rouge, 7950 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge. Mail ballots to Mrs. Furugh Shadravan, 10740 Linkwood Ct., Baton Rouge, LA 70816.

Maine (1 delegate). Multi-Purpose Center, 145 Birch St., Lewiston. Mail ballots to Lisa Cheney, 23 North Belfast, Augusta, ME 04330.

Maryland, West/District of Columbia (2 delegates). Western Maryland College, Westminster. Mail ballots to Samantha Corey, 5707 Westbrook, New Carrollton, MD 20784.

Massachusetts (3 delegates). Keefe Technical School, 750 Winter St., Framingham. Mail ballots to Mrs. Paritchehr Anvar, 14 Shawsheen, Billerica, MA 01821.

Michigan, Mainland (3 delegates). Knights of Columbus Hall, 8428 Davison Road, Davison. Mail ballots to Ms. Hermione Pickens, 10090 E. Coldwater Rd., Davison, MI 48423.

Minnesota, North (1 delegate). Bemidji State University, 15th St. and Birchmont Drive, Bemidji. Mail ballots to Bob Johnson, Rt. 4, Box 502, Bemidji, MN 56601.

Minnesota, South (1 delegate). Lakewood Community College, 3401 Century Avenue North, White Bear Lake. Mail ballots to Steve Milston, 14002 81st St. No., Stillwater, MN 55082.

Mississippi (1 delegate). Paul B. Johnson State Park, Route 3, Box 408, Hattiesburg. Mail ballots to Linda J. Greaux, 3326 Drummond, Vicksburg, MS 39180.

Missouri (2 delegates). University Center East, Centennial Hall, University of Missouri-Rolla. Mail ballots to David Landesman, 7122 Forsythe, Clayton, MO 63105.

Montana (1 delegate). Great Falls Memorial Youth Center, 801 2nd Avenue North, Great Falls. Mail ballots to Mike Maloney, 1512 7th Ave. N., Great Falls, MT 59401.

Navajo-Hopi (1 delegate). Native American Bahá’í Institute, one-half mile east of Burntwater Trading Post, Pinesprings Road, Houck. Mail ballots to Phil Castillo, c/o P.O. Box 395, Tuba City, AZ 86045.

Nebraska (1 delegate). Nebraska Youth Leadership Development Center, one-half mile east on Hwy. 34, Aurora. Mail ballots to Deb Chesterman, 1500 1st Corso, Nebraska City, NE 68410.

Nevada, North (1 delegate). Nixon Hall, c/o 48 W. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca. Mail ballots to Patricia Burlingame, P.O. Box 1023, Winnemucca, NV 89445.

Nevada, South (1 delegate). Paradise Park Community Center, 4770 S. Harrison, Las Vegas. Mail ballots to Carolyn Hensley, 1405 Vegas Valley, Las Vegas, NV 89106.

New Hampshire (1 delegate). University of New Hampshire, McConnell Hall, Durham. Mail ballots to Mary Hatcher, 40 Marston Way, Portsmouth, NH 03802. For information phone 603-431-7802.

New Jersey (2 delegates). Busch Campus Student Center, Rutgers University, Davidson Road, Piscataway. Mail ballots to David Rosser, 154 Jackson, N. Plainfield, NJ 07060. For information phone 201-754-9308.

New Mexico, North (1 delegate). Los Lunas High School, Hwy. 6 at I-25, Los Lunas. Mail ballots to Jody Arseneau, 2901 Isleta Blvd. S.W., Albuquerque, NM 87107.

New Mexico, South/Texas, West (3 delegates). Alamogordo Civic Center, 800 1st St., Alamogordo. Mail ballots to Donald S. Hawley, 1401 Michigan, Alamogordo, NM 88310.

New York, East (3 delegates). Site to be announced. Mail ballots to and receive information from Patricia Huebner, 150 Arreba St., Babylon, NY 11703. Phone 516-669-9312.

New York, West (2 delegates). Keuka College, Keuka Park. Mail ballots to Majid Rabbani, 24 Latta Rd., Rochester, NY 14612.

North Carolina, Central (2 delegates). A&T State University, 312 N. Dudley St., Gibbs Hall (corner of Market and Laurel Sts.), Greensboro. Mail ballots to Scott Koehler, 3915 Overland Dr., Greensboro, NC 27407.

North Carolina, East (2 delegates). N.C. State University, Poe Hall, Room 216, Raleigh. Mail ballots to Carolyn Reusche, 120 Gentry Circle, Cary, NC 27511. For information phone 919-469-3334.

North Carolina, West (1 delegate). Forest Hill Elementary School, Ann St., Morganton. Mail ballots to Robert Pickering Jr., P.O. Box 670, Morganton, NC 28655.

North Dakota (1 delegate). Jamestown Civic Center, 212 3rd Avenue N.E., Jamestown. Mail ballots to Mike Moum, 622 3rd St. S.E., Jamestown, ND 58401.

Ohio, North (2 delegates). Ohio State University campus, Mansfield. Mail ballots to Alice Grabler Reid, 458 Chevy Chase, Mansfield, OH 44907.

Ohio, South (1 delegate). Methodist Theological Seminary, 3081 Columbus Pike, Route 23, Delaware. Mail ballots to Eric Beck, 169 W. High St., London, OH 43140.

Oklahoma, East (1 delegate). University of Tulsa, Oliphant Hall, 600 S. College St., Tulsa. Mail ballots to Steve Smith, c/o Tulsa Bahá’í community, P.O. Box 251, Tulsa, OK 74101.

Oklahoma, West (2 delegates). Center for Christian Renewal, 7501 Northwest Expressway, Oklahoma City. Mail ballots to Rudy Koskie, 2200 Hidden Valley Rd., Edmond, OK 73034.

Oregon, East (1 delegate). Bend Riverhouse, 3075 N.W. Jefferson Place, Bend. Mail ballots to Marcia Lang, 61578 S. Hwy. 97, Bend, OR 97701.

Oregon, West (3 delegates). Oregon State University, Milam Auditorium, Corvallis. Mail ballots to the Spiritual Assembly of Corvallis, c/o Mrs. Auli Krayem, P.O. Box 309, Corvallis, OR 97339.

Pennsylvania, East (2 delegates). Pottstown High School, Adams and Wilson Sts., Pottstown. Mail ballots to Franklin Kinder, 1630 Pelham Rd., Philadelphia, PA 19119. For information phone 215-844-0553.

Pennsylvania, West (1 delegate). LaRoche College, 9000 Babcock Blvd., Pittsburgh. Mail ballots to Mrs. Shirleen Zerbe, 5202-A Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15237.

Rhode Island (1 delegate). Metatuxet Yacht Club, Narragansett. Mail ballots to Clifton Leech, 37 Glenridge Rd., Providence, RI 02906.

South Carolina, Central (4 delegates). Columbia Jr. College, 3810 N. Main St., Columbia. Mail ballots to Mrs. Hughia Magnus, 2908 Booker St., Columbia, SC 29210.

South Carolina, East No. 1 (6 delegates). Site to be announced. Mail ballots to and receive information from Charles Thomas, 521 Chase St., Florence, SC 29501. Phone 803-662-8568.

South Carolina, East No. 2 (5 delegates). Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway. Mail ballots to Ernest Hilton, Rt. 2, Box 251, Hemingway, SC 29554.

South Carolina, North (2 delegates). Site to be announced. Mail ballots to and receive information from Helen Thomas, 638 Greenbriar Lane, Rock Hill, SC 29730. Phone 803-328-8395.

South Carolina, South No. 1 (2 delegates). Bethune Center, Rivers Avenue, North Charleston. Mail ballots to Mrs. Debra Beckham, 107 Marline Dr., Goose Creek, SC 29445.

South Carolina, South No. 2 (2 delegates). St. Mary Human Development Center, Hwy. 170, Ridgeland. Mail ballots to Firuz Labib, P.O. Box 5780, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928.

South Carolina, West (1 delegate). Jim Rice Center, 403 Jefferson Avenue, Anderson. Mail ballots to Nancy A. Markovich, 300 Wembley Rd., Taylors, SC 29687.

South Dakota (1 delegate). Riggs High School, 1010 E. Broadway, Pierre. Mail ballots to Barbara Rudolph, 2200 Cedar St., Yankton, SD 57078.

Tennessee, East (1 delegate). Smoky Shadows Motel, South Parkway, Pigeon Forge. Mail ballots to Nader Naderi, 3609 Mission Oak Dr., Chattanooga, TN 37343.

Tennessee, West (1 delegate). Jackson Civic Center, S. Highland Avenue, Jackson. Mail ballots to Farsheed Ferdowsi, 1317 Stonewall, Nashville, TN 37212.

Texas, Central No. 1 (2 delegates). Incarnate Word College, School of Nursing, 4301 Broadway, San Antonio. Mail ballots to Robert Sauter, 9210 Marywood, San Antonio, TX 78250.

Texas, Central No. 2 (1 delegate). Holiday Inn—Country Villa, 4300 W. Hwy. 80, Midland. Mail ballots to

See DISTRICTS Page 17 [Page 17]

Districts

Continued from Page 16

Dale Fowler, __________, Midland, TX 79701.

Texas, East No. 1 (3 delegates). Kathy Burks Marionette School, 3959 North Haven, Dallas. Mail ballots to Walter Palmer, __________, Plano, TX 750704. For information phone 214-423-5032.

Texas, East No. 2 (2 delegates). Texas Southern University, School of Education Building, 3201 Wheeler, Houston. Mail ballots to Dorothea Lacy, __________, Bellaire, TX 77401.

Texas, North (1 delegate). Girl Scout House, Canyon. Contact: Connie Levitt, 806-655-0927. Mail ballots to Sam Parker, __________, Plain View, TX 79072.

Texas, South (1 delegate). Holiday Inn—Corpus Christi Airport, 5549 Leopard Avenue, Corpus Christi. Mail ballots to Farhood Kasiri, __________, Portland, TX 78370.

Utah (1 delegate). Eccles Art Center, 26th and Jefferson, Ogden. Mail ballots to Ms. Lillie DeCair, __________, Salt Lake City, UT 84102.

Vermont (1 delegate). Hartford High School, Highland Avenue, White River Junction. Mail ballots to Michael L. Maynard, __________, White River Junction, VT 05001.

Virginia, North (2 delegates). Lord Fairfax Community College, Middleton. Mail ballots to Mrs. Marcia Strolger, __________, Reston, VA 22091. For information phone 703-860-2584.

Virginia, South (2 delegates). Virginia State University, Harris Hall, Ettrick. Mail ballots to Kimbal Babcock, __________, Fort Lee, VA 23801.

Washington, Northwest (3 delegates). Marysville-Pilchuck High School, 5611 100th N.E., Marysville. Mail ballots to Aileen Rothenberg, P.O. Box 396, Seattle, WA 98111.

Washington, Southwest (1 delegate). Evergreen State College (near the library), Olympia. Mail ballots to Mrs. Barbara Haluapo, __________, Kelso, WA 98626.

West Virginia (1 delegate). Corner Stone Restaurant, 3101 MacCorkle Avenue S.E., Charleston. Mail ballots to Mrs. Betty J. Cooper, __________, Philippi, WV 26416.

Wisconsin, North/Michigan, Upper (1 delegate). Howard Johnson’s, 2001 N. Mountain Road, Wausau. Mail ballots to Bart A. Washburn, __________, Mosinee, WI 54455.

Wisconsin, South (2 delegates). Site to be announced. Mail ballots to and receive information from Gareth Gridley, __________, Sheboygan, WI 53081. Phone 414-458-9355.

Wyoming (1 delegate). Central Wyoming College, Field Station, Lander. Mail ballots to Ms. L. Lorraine Spiering, __________, Riverton, WY 82501.

Association Conference to celebrate ‘vision of Shoghi Effendi’

“The Vision of Shoghi Effendi” is the theme of the ninth annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies.

The dates of this year’s Conference, November 2-4, were chosen to coincide with the 27th anniversary of the passing of the beloved Guardian.

Three of the Hands of the Cause of God—‘Alí-Akbar Furútan, Zikrulláh Khádem and John Robarts—have accepted invitations to speak about their experiences with the Guardian.

David Hofman, a member of the Universal House of Justice, will present a paper on Shoghi Effendi’s vision of a New World Order, while several others who had the privilege of meeting the Guardian also will make presentations.

The keynote address at a special Saturday morning session entitled “Peace and the New World Order” will be delivered by Dr. Rodrigo Carazo of Costa Rica, president of the United Nations University for Peace.

Dr. Carazo will speak on “Peace: A Task for All.”

Dr. Hossain Danesh, chairman of the executive committee of the Association for Bahá’í Studies, will outline the Bahá’í approach to peace in an address entitled “Unity: The Creative Foundation of Peace.”

Other Conference features:

• A complimentary supper and reception Friday evening, November 2, at Tabaret Hall, University of Ottawa, followed immediately by the annual meeting of the Association which includes an annual report followed by open consultation with the executive committee.

• The fourth annual Hasan Balyúzí lecture to be delivered Saturday afternoon. The annual lecture on a history topic was introduced in 1980 to honor the late Bahá’í historian and to recognize excellence in Bahá’í historical research and studies.

• The presentation of awards to and papers by the Association’s annual essay contest winners in each of three categories: high school, university, and general.

• Sunday afternoon workshops to enable participants to exchange ideas in smaller groups.

In conjunction with CP Air, the Association has arranged for special air fares to Ottawa for the Conference. A discount of 20 per cent off regular economy fares as well as excursion and seat sale fares will be available. In Canada, contact CP Air at 1-800-268-4704, specifying “Bahá’í Conference.”

For information about the Conference itself, write to the Association for Bahá’í Studies, 34 Copernicus St., Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7K4, Canada, or phone 613-233-1903.

BAHÁ’Í STUDIES CONFERENCE					Nov. 1/4, 1984
Name Nom					Sharing with: Partageant avec
Address Adresse					Telephone Téléphone	(       )
City Ville					Postal Code Code Postal
Arrival Date Date d’arrivée		Time Heure		Departure Date Date du départ
Special requirements Demandes spéciales					Please circle accommodation required Encercler le prix de la chambre choisie
Reservation requests must be received by hotel 30 days prior to convention date. Check-in time 3:00 P.M. - Check-out time 12:00 Noon Reservations will be held until 6:00 P.M. unless one night is prepaid. Please check: 6:00 P.M. ☐   Guaranteed ☐ To guarantee reservation please send one night’s deposit or advise credit card number. Les demandes de réservations doivent être reçues par l’hôtel au moins 30 jours avant le début du congrès. Heure d’entrée dans les chambres 15h00 - Heure de libération des chambres 12h00. Les réservations ne seront retenues que jusqu’à 18h00 à moins qu’une nuit soit payée à l’avance. Veuillez cocher: 18h00 ☐   Garantie ☐ Pour garantir une réservation, veuillez envoyer un dépôt correspondant à une nuit ou donnez votre numéro de carte de crédit.					Room rates Prix des chambres	Superior Supérieure	Standard Moyenne	Moderate Modérée
					Single Une personne		$74.00
					Double or twin Deux personnes 1 ou 2 lits		$74.00
					Suites Appartements	From $150.00
					*Larger suites on request *Grands appartements sur demande
					If no room is available at rate requested next available rate will be assigned. S’il n’y a plus de chambre libre au prix désiré, nous en retiendrons une au prix le plus approchant. 50M 4/83

Goals

Continued From Page 6

Retired people are welcome, and are allowed to send all their household goods without a residence permit. The cost of living is about one-half the U.S. cost.

WORK is hard to find; however, there are some off-shore companies that may hire non-Cypriots, especially in banking and commerce. Another alternative is to teach English, but the wages can be low.

The government is eager for new investments, and is quite helpful. It is best to go to Cyprus on a three-month tourist/business visa and look for work quietly. No work permit is necessary for jobs with off-shore companies.

British and American schools are both available; some pioneers send their children to government schools in the south, which teach in Greek.

There are no universities on the island, but there are colleges for business administration and marketing, which are considered good.

Medical treatment in government-run hospitals is almost free for residents, but most health care is provided by private clinics.

The importance of the presence of Bahá’í pioneers in Cyprus and Ireland cannot be over-emphasized. Both countries suffer greatly from internal strife. What else but the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh can benefit them?

For complete information about these two important countries, please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

Association invites essays, research

The Association for Bahá’í Studies invites the submission of essays and original research on any topic(s) related to the Bahá’í Faith for its fifth annual essay contest. Awards for excellence in Bahá’í studies will be given in each of three categories:

• best essay by a high school student;
• best essay by a college student; and
• best original research by an individual.

Each award consists of:

• presentation of essay/research paper by the author at the ninth annual Conference of the Association, November 2-4 in Ottawa;
• presentation of a commemorative plaque in recognition of excellence in Bahá’í studies; and
• presentation of an honorarium of $100.

All papers will be reviewed by the Editorial Committee for possible publication. Please mail three (3) copies of your manuscript to the Association for Bahá’í Studies, 34 Copernicus St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 7K4.

Bahá’í National Center Office Hours

8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Central Time) Monday—Friday

Phone 312-869-9039

File:Southwest Harris County LSA 1984.jpg

Members of the recently elected Spiritual Assembly of Southwest Harris County, Texas, are (standing left to right) Riaz Masrour (treasurer), Bonnie Wilder, Claude Sellars (chairman), Kamal Khanjani, Foad Nadji (vice-chairman), and (seated left to right) Millard Wright, Lois Haghpeykar (corresponding secretary), Virginia Baxley, Dr. Parviz Arfai (recording secretary).

[Page 18]

CLASSIFIEDS

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

BAHÁ’Í youth: Please help save the Bahá’í Campus Club at Boise State University in Idaho, situated in the state capital next to the beautiful Boise River. Student housing is inexpensive, and out-of-state tuition is reasonable. There is an active Assembly in Boise; surrounding communities have lost or are losing Assemblies. For more information, contact Virginia Williams, secretary, Spiritual Assembly of Boise, P.O. Box 585, Boise, ID 83701.

THE FIRST Stockton, California, Bahá’í reunion will be held in the summer of 1985. If you or someone you know has been a member of the Stockton Bahá’í community, please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Stockton, P.O. Box 7231, Stockton, CA 95207, or phone the Assembly secretary, Patti McDowell, at 209-467-4210.

MISS Lutgarde Vertongen, a Belgian scholarship student in the arts in Istanbul, Turkey (1963) wishes to re-establish contact with a Bahá’í girl friend, Iranian, who was studying medicine at that time in the same city, but cannot remember her name. Please contact Miss Vertongen at Wemmelstraat 25, 1710 Groot Bijgaarden, Belgium.

THE NATIONAL Bahá’í Archives is seeking copies of the following books by Bahá’u’lláh in good or excellent condition: Gleanings (cloth, 1939, 1943, 1946, 1948, 1952); The Hidden Words (paper, 1921, 1933, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1948, 1952); The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh (paper, 1967); Kitáb-i-Íqán (cloth, 1950). Please write to the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

PIONEER family for Argentina is offered a comfortable two-bedroom home with running water, no electricity, in quiet hills near Tartagal. A car is also available to help reach, teach and consolidate nearby communities. This post needs adventurous, self-reliant people, preferably Spanish-speaking, and with a private income. For more information, please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

ARTISTS: A task force of enthusiastic artists is organizing to help fill the visual void in Oregon (and elsewhere too). Are the graphic needs in your area being met? Do you know how to design, construct and effectively use booths, silk-screen posters, billboards, banners, bulletins, letterheads and logos, displays, and theatrical props? Would you like to see a resource manual developed to help our Bahá’í brothers and sisters design and create their own materials? We’d like to correspond with artists and others as this project gets under way and learn from your experience. Please write to Carol Tabrum, 14041 S.E. Alder Dr., Milwaukie, OR 97222, or phone anytime, 503-654-8418.

THE NATIONAL Spiritual Assembly of Paraguay urgently needs a 16mm projector for use in the teaching work in that country. Please send to Oscar Cardozo, 9900 NW 38th St., ‎Carol Spring Coral Springs‎, FL 33065, for forwarding.

THE BAHÁ’ÍS of Canby, Oregon, in a rural area midway between Portland and Salem, are looking for a Bahá’í family or individual to join their Group of two adult Bahá’ís. Produce is abundant in Canby, housing is reasonable, and people are friendly. Federally subsidized housing for the elderly is available. This is a strong Christian community, and Bahá’ís should be well versed in Christian prophecy. For more information, please write to Michelle Oliveira, 10738 S. New Era Rd., Canby, OR 97013, or phone (evenings and weekends) 503-266-1279.

ANNEKE Schouten-Buys, a Bahá’í from The Netherlands, is planning to write a biography of Rosey E. Pool and is seeking information about Ms. Pool. So far, her search has yielded only tiny fragments of information. If you can supply any additional information, please write to Anneke Schouten-Buys, Zilverschoon 88, 7335 MC Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.

TEACHERS—some need certification, others do not. Various schools in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have openings in education, psychology, kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 5th and 7th grades, secondary social studies, science, physics and English, principal for a primary school, other openings. For more information contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

WERE YOU in Killeen-Fort Hood, Texas, between 1965-75? Would you be interested in attending a “reunion” and teaching effort? If so, please write to Velma Rogers, 1801 N. 2nd St., Killeen, TX 76541.

WOULD YOU be a pioneer for Bahá’u’lláh in Springhope, North Carolina, to help continue the ongoing teaching work there? Job opportunities in nearby Raleigh or Rocky Mount; if handyman, could be self-employed. A lovely, spacious home on 1.2 acres of land with fruit and pecan trees is available to rent or buy ($360 monthly payments). For details, write to Mrs. McNally, P.O. Box 913, Springhope, NC 27882, or phone (evenings or weekends) 919-478-3963.

ENGINEERS: chemical, civil, mechanical, electrical. If you are interested in joining a Bahá’í-owned engineering firm concerned with social-economic growth of developing nations, contact Mag-ed Nerouz at Nerouz, Consulting Engineers, Witikonerstrasse 244, 8053 Zürich, Switzerland.

ON NOVEMBER 14, 1963, the Universal House of Justice wrote to all National Spiritual Assemblies asking for records of the experiences of pioneers in the Ten Year Crusade. The House of Justice has not relaxed its interest in obtaining these reports. The accounts of the Knights of Bahá’u’lláh are of particular, but not exclusive, interest, as reports by all pioneers would be welcomed. Biographical information, a photograph and a sketch of services in the years since the Ten Year Crusade would also be appreciated. The material should be sent to the World Centre, P.O. Box 155, Haifa 31-001, Israel, and, if desired, a copy could be sent to the pioneer’s original national community.

TEACHERS for children of all ages are needed by the Spiritual Assembly of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (a suburb of Tulsa) for a conference October 13 that is to feature an appearance by the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem. Each teacher will be asked to teach for only a small part of the day, and each will have an opportunity to meet Mr. Khadem. Please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Broken Arrow, P.O. Box 242, Broken Arrow, OK 74011.

MICHIGAN: Moving to the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area? The Bahá’í community of Pittsfield Township could use your help in its teaching and consolidation work. The community is less than 15 minutes from the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, and is on the main bus lines. Easy access to Detroit. For a list of rentals, condos and houses, or for further information, write to L. Karch, P.O. Box 7617, Ann Arbor, MI 48107, or phone 313-971-3295.

ARE YOU working in the field of domestic/sexual violence counseling? Would you like to help draft a future Assembly training program on same? We have a core committee in the Seattle area and would appreciate your help. Please contact Janet Tanaka, P.O. Box 405, Issaquah, WA 98027, or phone 206-392-7858 by October 1.

H.F.P. please call home! Have you recently arrived at a homefront pioneer post? Remember, you can’t be counted as a homefront pioneer if we do not have

See ADS Page 24

SPECIAL GIFTS

IN HONOR	And if, at any time, any gift were presented to Him, that gift was accepted as a token of His grace unto him that offered it. —Bahá’u’lláh
Name of Individual Honored: ___________________________________________________________ Honor gift card sent to: _________________________________________________________________ Name ____________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address ____________________________________________________________________________________ City State Zip Occasion (optional): __________________________________________________________________ Examples: Birthday, Graduation, Marriage, Anniversary, Bahá’í declaration or anniversary, Pioneering move, Firesides given, Hospitality, Services rendered, Contributions to other Funds, etc. Name of contributor(s) making gift: _____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ID Number(s)
IN MEMORY	The progress of man’s spirit in the divine world, after the severance of its connection with the body of dust, is through the bounty and grace of the Lord alone, or through the intercession and sincere prayers of other human souls, or through the charities and important good works which are performed in its name. —‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Name of Individual Deceased: _________________________________________________________ Memorial gift card sent to: _____________________________________________________________ Name ____________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address ____________________________________________________________________________________ City State Zip Name of contributor(s) making gift: _____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ID Number(s)

NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í FUND

[Page 19]

INTERMEDIA

News from the Office of Public Affairs

San Francisco Bahá’ís attracted the attention of San Franciscans and conventioneers with an 8 1/4 x 14-inch ad July 15 in the San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle’s Sunday supplement, “A Guide to the Democratic National Convention.” The ad listed row upon row of names, and asked, “What do all these villages, hamlets, towns, cities, islands, countries, nations have in common? ... Bahá’ís.—The Bahá’í Faith.”

Have you considered placing ads to reach convention-goers, symphony and opera aficionados, college or high school graduates, in newspapers, convention guide books, programs or yearbooks? Tailor the ad to the interest of the reader—a fertile field for publicizing the Faith.

The Bahá’ís of Glens Falls, New York, arranged a display in their library’s showcase, “Religions of the World,” containing books and quoting the “golden rule” according to each of the world’s major religions. What a good idea for World Religion Day!

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bahá’ís gained exceptional publicity in the Cedar Rapids Gazette and established a reputation as leaders in the promotion of racial harmony. In one issue of the paper alone, there appeared an in-depth interview that headlined the religion page about an interracial Bahá’í couple who were leaders at a Race Amity Conference, a second article on the conference itself, a five-column article about an Iranian refugee family sponsored by the Bahá’ís, and several indexes mentioning these articles and their page numbers. In addition, the city council signed a proclamation on behalf of the Iranian Bahá’ís—an abundant harvest, the result of three months of well-planned and systematic endeavors.

The Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs has nine major television stations (including the CBS and ABC affiliates) airing the award-winning Krogstad/Barer/Goldblatt Bahá’í public service announcements.

In Santa Rosa, California, a photograph of the Shrine of the Báb covered nearly half a page in the Press Democrat as part of a feature article on the Martyrdom of the Báb that headlined the paper’s religion page. Also, four columns of coverage appeared in the News Herald in an article entitled “More Torture and Death for Bahá’ís.” Many prayers and persistent efforts by the Santa Rosa Bahá’ís finally achieved results.

21 state resolutions censure Iran persecutions

The plan to achieve passage in every state legislature of a resolution condemning the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran is in high gear.

TO DATE, 21 state legislatures have adopted resolutions (see map). Other states have initiated activities that should lead to passage of a resolution, and Bahá’ís in some of the five states where legislatures do not convene until 1985 have designed programs to keep the legislators informed.

The Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs has designated a specific Spiritual Assembly in each state to coordinate these statewide campaigns (see box).

State	Assembly
Arkansas	North Little Rock
Florida	Palm Beach County North
Georgia	Atlanta
Iowa	Des Moines
Idaho	Rigby
Kansas	Topeka
Louisiana	Baton Rouge
Maryland	‎Prince Georges Prince George's‎ County South
Mississippi	Jackson
Missouri	Kansas City
Montana	Helena
North Carolina	Raleigh
North Dakota	Jamestown
New Hampshire	Concord
Nevada	Reno
New York	New York City
Ohio	Upper Arlington
Oklahoma	Oklahoma City
South Carolina	Charleston
Tennessee	Nashville
Texas	Dallas
Utah	Salt Lake City
Vermont	Montpelier
Virginia	Richmond
West Virginia	Charleston
Wyoming	Cheyenne

As long as the suffering and torment of our beloved co-workers continues, and indeed, accelerates, Local Spiritual Assemblies, Groups and isolated believers are encouraged to support the work of these designated Assemblies.

The passage of resolutions in every state will surely propel America forward on its predestined path to spiritual leadership of the planet and will be an impressive addition to the voices of protest being raised around the world.

NEXT MONTH: CITY RESOLUTIONS

JUST FINISHED PRODUCTION!

The latest video tapes of the Congressional Hearings May 2, 1984

WATCH HISTORY UNFOLD ON THIS 52-MINUTE VIDEO CASSETTE

THESE ARE THE EVENTS THAT ARE LEADING THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH OUT OF OBSCURITY!

Make sure your archives are complete ORDER NOW $30 plus $3 postage

Send checks to the Office of Public Affairs Payable to: BAHÁ’Í SERVICES FUND

Specify 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch Rental available in 3/4-inch for $5

Where’s the postage?

WHERE’S THE POSTAGE !?!

In the Days of Olde (when no video was sold), the Office of Public Affairs used to ship orders—even when your check did not include the postage.

Just in case you didn’t notice the “ADD 10 PER CENT FOR POSTAGE (MINIMUM $.75)” line on our order form, we’ve been real nice guys about it ...

Well ... no more Mr. Nice Guy. In the Days of New (when pennies are few), we must insist that your check include the full amount for your purchase PLUS POSTAGE.

Know what happens when you remember to do that??? ...

You make our li’l office very happy—we’re even happier to fill our orders—and you’re even happier to receive them promptly. The cycle is very catchy. LET’S ALL GET HAPPY!!!

Bahá’í in California is author of book on history of U.S. religious broadcasting

Dr. George H. Hill, a member of the Bahá’í community of Carson, California, is the author of Airwaves to the Soul, a book which recounts the growth and influence of religious radio and television broadcasting in America.

Dr. Hill, who was the producer and host of the Unity Award-winning radio program, “Ecumenical Insights,” and the “Interfaith Forum” TV program on Group W cable, has been involved in media activities for more than 20 years.

He was the producer of “Year of Sunday,” the first Bahá’í radio program to be broadcast in Southern California.

He has included in his new book chapters on the Christian radio and TV networks; the early pioneers; the electric church in Hollywood; black gospel trail-blazers; and the pros and cons of religious broadcasting.

The book includes a foreword by James Kastellic, a Bahá’í from Las Vegas, Nevada, who is religion editor for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Those who are interested in obtaining the book may write to P.O. Box 4721, Carson, CA 90749, or phone 213-775-7858.

DR. GEORGE HILL [Page 20]

لجنه امور احبای ایرانی منطقه لس آنجلس

در مرقومه مورخ ۸ مارس ۱۹۸۳ دارالانشاء بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی خطاب به محفل روحانی ملی ایالات متحده توصیه شده بود که تعداد و محدوده مسؤولیت‌های لجنه های ناحیه ای امور احبای ایرانی افزایش داده شود تا بنحو کامل تر و مؤثرتری به مسائل ناشی از استقرار یاران ایرانی در این کشور توجه و رسیدگی شود. در امتثال این امریه لجنه ملی امور احبای ایرانی اقدام به تشکیل لجنات ناحیه ای بیشتری نمود و تاکنون ۱۶ لجنه در اکثر نواحی مملکت که عده کثیری از یاران ایران در آن نقاط سکونت اختیار نموده‌اند ایجاد گردیده است. لجنات ناحیه‌ای معمولا بدرخواست لجنه ملی امور احبای ایرانی توسط یکی از محافل روحانی محلی انتخاب شدند و گزارش فعالیت‌های خود را به محفل محل و لجنه ملی هر دو ارسال میدارند.

در مشاوراتی که در ماه ژانویه ۱۹۸۴ با محفل روحانی لس آنجلس انجام گرفت چنین بنظر رسید که در منطقه لس آنجلس و اطراف آن تشکیل لجنه ای که مستقیماً تحت نظر لجنه ملی فعالیت کند مرجح خواهد بود. پیشنهاد تشکیل چنین لجنه ای از طرف محفل روحانی لس آنجلس و لجنه ملی امور احبای ایرانی جداگانه تقدیم محفل مقدس ملی گردید و مورد موافقت آن عصمه‌نوراء قرار گرفت و لجنه امور احبای ایرانی منطقه لس آنجلس به عضویت خانم منیره زیبا حالت اهورائیان، جناب حبیب‌الله قدس جورابچی، خانم مارگارت کیتن، خانم دکتر شکوه مجذوب و جناب طرازالله نامدار از تاریخ ۲۴ ژوئن ۱۹۸۴ شروع به فعالیت نمود. اهم وظایف و مسؤولیت‌های لجنه مذکور عبارتست از (۱) مطالعه در خصوص فراهم آوردن تسهیلات لازم برای ایجاد اتحاد و یگانگی کامل بین احبای ایرانی و غیر ایرانی ساکن در منطقه، (۲) همکاری با محافل روحانی و جمعیت‌های بهائی آن منطقه که احتیاج به راهنمائی و کمک در مورد امور مربوط به احبای ایرانی احساس می‌نمایند، و (۳) انتقال اخبار و اطلاعات و دستورالعمل‌های محفل روحانی ملی که توسط لجنه ملی امور احبای ایرانی ارسال میگردد به جوامع بهائی و قاطبه افراد یاران در آن صفحات.

لجنه ملی امور احبای ایرانی امیدوار است با توسعه فعالیت‌های لجنه امور احبای ایرانی منطقه لس آنجلس رابطه ای نزدیک تر با یاران آن ناحیه که از لحاظ نیروی انسانی و منابع و امکانات مادی و معنوی غنی ترین منطقه در سراسر مملکت است برقرار نماید و با همکاری و معاضدت لجنه منطقه ای موفق شود نیروهای یاران گرامی را بیش از پیش در جهت تحقق اهداف محفل روحانی ملی و نقشه هفت ساله بیت العدل اعظم الهی بکار گیرد.

مهاجرت به کشور ایرلند

در سال جاری بایستی هشت مهاجر از آمریکا به ایرلند منتقل شوند و بیت العدل اعظم استقرار احبای ایرانی را در آن کشور مرجح دانسته‌اند.

در حال حاضر ۲۰ محفل روحانی محلی در سراسر ایرلند وجود دارد و محفل روحانی ملی ضمن ابراز خوشوقتی از هجرت یاران ایرانی و آمریکائی به آن کشور اطلاع داده‌اند که مایلند مهاجرین عزیز در شهرها و ایالات اطراف که در حدود ۱۰۰ مایل تا دوبلین فاصله دارند سکونت اختیار نمایند. جمعیت این شهرها بین ۳۰ هزار تا ۱۲۰ هزار است و همگی دارای تأسیسات پزشکی خوب و مدارس ابتدائی، متوسطه و عالی هستند و در دو شهر دانشگاه نیز وجود دارد. زبان انگلیسی همه جا متداول است و آب وهوا معتدل و کمی مرطوب است. هزینه زندگی بالنسبه ارزان است. برای مثال مخارج زندگی ماهانه در حدود ۳۰۰ دلار تخمین زده میشود و اجاره یک خانه در شهرها بین ۲۰۰ تا ۳۰۰ دلار است. البته اجاره خانه در مناطق روستائی یا اجاره یک آپارتمان کمتر خواهد بود. برای خرید یک خانه سه اطاق خوابه بین ۲۴۰۰۰ و ۴۲۰۰۰ دلار لازم است.

اگرچه بیکاری در ایرلند زیاد است ولیکن برای کسانی که مهارت و تخصص برجسته ای داشته باشند همیشه امکان استخدام وجود دارد. البته مهاجرت در ایرلند برای بازنشستگان و کسانی که منبع عایداتی دارند بعلت نازل بودن سطح مخارج بسیار جالب است.

لجنه اهداف بین المللی در دفتر محفل روحانی ملی ایالات متحده و همچنین محفل روحانی ملی ایرلند آماده‌اند که به سؤالات داوطلبان مهاجرت پاسخ بدهند.

عشق حقیقی

بگوی دوست بجز پاکدل ندارد راه سمند عشق ضرور است و خاطری آگاه

در این سبیل مجوی مردمانی جاه طلب که میخرند دل خسته اندر این درگاه

میان عاشق و اهل هوی بسی فرق است که آن محافظ راه است و این یکی گمراه

کجاست آنکه دهد خون خویش در ره دوست بانکه فتنه دوران کند عقیده تباه

شهید عشق بهر دم سر فدا دارد بغیر دوست نجوید معین و پشت و پناه

نظر بملک و مقام و علاقه کی دارد کسیکه قبله دل بسته بر رضا الله

بغیر دوست بهشت دگر نمیخواهد نه با کلید فقیه و نه فتح خاک سیاه

شهید راه حقیقت حیات می بخشد قتیل جنگ و جدل با فناء و یأس همراه

همای اوج سعادت نصیب هر کس نیست مقام عشق بلند است و دست ما کوتاه

عبدالحسین بشیرالهی جون ۱۹۸۴

شریان حیات امرالله

حضرت ولی عزیز امرالله جریان تبرعات را به صندوق‌های مختلف جامعه بهاءی تشبیه ‎بجهریان بجریان‎ خون در شریان های هیکل انسانی تشبیه فرموده‌اند. زمانی که به فعالیت‌های متنوعی که از جانب مؤسسات و تشکیلات بهائی اداره میشود نظر میکنیم دقت این تشبیه بخوبی واضح است. تنها در چند ماه گذشته صیت امرالله در این کشور به انحاء وطرق مختلف بلند شده و روز بروز بر توسعه نطاق آن افزوده گشته است. از جهتی کمیسیون‌های کنگره و سنای آمریکا به وضع احبای ایران رسیدگی کردند و با صدور قطعنامه مظلومیت آن عزیزان را رسماً اعلام نمودند و رفتار مسؤولین امور را نسبت با آنان محکوم کردند. در گوشه دیگری از مملکت اولین رادیو بهائی آمریکای شمالی شروع بکار کرد و همه روزه آیات الهی و برنامه های امری و عام المنفعه از آنتن آن رادیو بسمع ساکنان ایالات کارولینای جنوبی میرسد. در غرب کشور نیز فعالیت‌های تبلیغی بسرعت در پیشرفت است و بالاخص جمع غفیری از بومیان اصل این کشور در ظل آئین الهی درآمده اند و بشارت عظیم آنکه هدف تشکیل ۵۰ محفل روحانی در مناطق سکونت بومیان تحقق یافته است.

جميع این انتشارات مستلزم مخارج و مصارف قابل ملاحظه است که بایستی از محل تبرعات کریمانه یاران روحانی تأمین گردد. بعلاوه با ازدیاد عدد احبای ایرانی که در ممالک مختلف آواره و سرگردان شده‌اند محفل مقدس روحانی ملی ناچار بوده است بر میزان سهمیه ای که از بودجه ملی به رسیدگی به امور پناهندگان و اعزام نمایندگانی به کشورهای اروائی و آسیائی اختصاص داده شده بود بیفزاید و امکانات بیشتری در اختیار لجنه ملی امور احبای ایرانی قرار دهد.

در ماه‌های اخیر متأسفانه میزان تبرعاتی که به صندوق ملی میرسد فقط در حدود ۶۰ درصد بودجه هر ماه بوده است. باین ترتیب علی رغم صرفه جوئی هائی که در بسیاری از فعالیت‌های امری صورت گرفته و در نتیجه مخارج ماهانه به ۸۰ درصد مبلغ پیش‌بینی شده در بودجه تقلیل یافته است مع‌ذلک کمبودی در واردات صندوق وجود دارد که محفل ملی برای ادای تعهدات خود نسبت به صندوق بین المللی مجبور به استقراض از بانک گردیده است. یقین است که یاران روحانی کوشش خواهند نمود که با تقدیم تبرعات سخاوتمندانه خود پیشرفت و تقدم امرالله را تأمین نمایند.

اشعار جناب هوشنگ محمودی

خانم رامنا محمودی نورانی صبیه شهید مجید جناب هوشنگ محمودی علیه رضوان الله علاقه مندند که مجموعه ای از اشعار آن بزرگوار تهیه فرمایند. باین جهت از یاران روحانی تمنی میشود که اگر قسمتهایی از آثار آن شهید سعید را در اختیار دارند سوادی از آنرا توسط دفتر لجنه امور احبای ایرانی بجهت خانم محمودی نورانی ارسال فرمایند.

نشانی معاونین محترم امین حقوق الله
Dr. Amin Banani Santa Monica, CA 90402
Dr. Daryush Haghighi Rocky River, Ohio 44116

[Page 21]

منشی جدید محفل روحانی ملی

جناب دکتر رابرت هندرسون روز ۶ آگست ۱۹۸۴ به ویلمت منتقل شدند و وظائف و مسؤولیت‌های خود را در سمت منشی محفل روحانی ملی بطور تمام وقت بعهده گرفتند. در انتخابات هیئت عامله سال جدید محفل روحانی ملی جناب دکتر هندرسون را بجای جناب دکتر فیروز کاظم‌زاده که ناچار بودند مجدداً وظایف تدریس خود را در دانشگاه ییل بعهده بگیرند بعنوان منشی انتخاب نمود.

جناب هندرسون درجه دکترای تعلیم و تربیت از دانشگاه ماساچوست دارند و قبل از انتقال به ویلمت مدیر عامل شرکت هواپیمائی ایراتلانتا و قبل از آن مدیر عامل مؤسسه مشاورین مدیریت تارکنتن (Tarkenton) بوده‌اند.

پروژه تبلیغی ایماس گبسن

در تاریخ ۲۸ جولای ۱۹۸۴ لجنه ملی تبلیغ بوسیله تلکس بشارت اقبال ۲۵۰ نفر را در منطقه ‎خماسی اختصاصی‎ قبیله "سو" در ایالت داکوتای جنوبی به ساحت رفیع بیت العدل اعظم الهی اطلاع دادند. این جزئی از اخبار خوشی است که از نتایج پروژه تبلیغی ایماس گبسن بدفتر لجنه ملی تبلیغ رسیده است.

یاران گرامی بخاطر دارند که برنامه تبلیغی مذکور سال گذشته بیاد ‎متمایز عالی الله متصاعد الی الله‎ جناب ایماس گبسن علیه رضوان الله عضو سابق بیت العدل اعظم الهی بنا گذاری شد و در مناطق مربوط به قبائل بومی در دو ایالت داکوتای جنوبی و نبراسکا موفقیت‌های قابل توجهی کسب نمود. سرکار ژاله خانم وفائی همسر شهید سعید جناب دکتر ناصر وفائی علیه غفران الله از اولین کسانی بودند که برای موفقیت این برنامه کوشش نمودند و عده‌ای از جوانان بهائی ایرانی‌الاصل از جمله نوید حقیقی و جناب سعید میرافضلی در این راه خدمات ذیقیمتی انجام دادند. همچنین خانم لیسا مالین (که از طرف مادر از خانواده جناب محمد لبیب است) پس از خاتمه برنامه تبلیغی در همان نقطه بعنوان مهاجر اقامت اختیار نمودند.

تا انتهای تابستان گذشته بیش از ۶۰ نفر بزرگسال و جوان در آن منطقه تصدیق امر مبارک را نموده بودند و دو محفل روحانی جدید تأسیس شده بود. در طول زمستان نیز لجنه ملی جوانان برنامه‌ای برای پرورش مهارت‌های رهبری جوانان در وایملی که مرکز آن منطقه است ترتیب دادند و عده‌ای از اعضاء اصلی پروژه نیز مجدداً برای تقویت و تحکیم اساس امرالله به آن ناحیه سفر کردند.

از ماه جون امسال سیل مبلغین سیار و داوطلبان بهائی به آن صوب حرکت کرد و با اشتعال مجدد آتش شور و شوق خدمت در دل یاران تا انتهای ماه جولای بیش از ۲۵۰ نفس دیگر اقبال نمودند و هشت محفل روحانی جدید در منطقه قبیله سو تشکیل شد. جوانان بهائی در همه حال در صف مقدم ناشرین نفحات الله بودند و گروه‌گروه از مسافات بعیده برای شرکت در این برنامه وارد میشدند.

آمار و ارقام نمیتواند حق مطلب را ادا کند و روحیه آن خادمان آستان الهی را چنانکه باید توصیف و تشریح نماید. شرح فداکاریها و ازخودگذشتگی‌های آن نفوس مخلصه است که ما را با روحیه ایثار و استعداد و توانائی عظیمی که برای خدمت دارند آشنا مینماید.

کانونشن‌های منطقه‌ای

محفل مقدس روحانی ملی احبای عزیز الهی را بشرکت در انجمن‌های شور روحانی منطقه‌ای که روز یکشنبه ۷ اکتبر ۱۹۸۴ منعقد خواهد شد دعوت مینماید. محل تشکیل انجمن‌ها در قسمت انگلیسی این شماره درج گردیده است.

در امتثال اوامر بیت العدل اعظم الهی در جهت تقویت فعالیت‌های تبلیغی محفل روحانی ملی در سال جاری لجنات منطقه‌ای تبلیغ را از مسؤولیت اداره جلسات کانونشن‌های منطقه‌ای معاف فرموده‌اند تا لجنات مذکور با فراغت کامل هم خود را صرف نشر نفحات الله نمایند. تمهید مقدمات جلسات کانونشن و انتخاب نمایندگان مناطق برای شرکت در کانونشن ملی در سال جاری با لجنات منطقه‌ای انتخابات است که منحصراً به این منظور تشکیل گردیده‌اند.

جلسات انجمن شور روحانی منطقه‌ای گذشته از ایجاد فرصت برای انتخاب نمایندگان حوزه انتخاباتی به ‎کنفرانس کنفرانس‎ بهائی هر منطقه اجازه میدهد که درباره امور مهمه جامعه بهائی در آن ناحیه شور و تبادل نظر نمایند و پیشنهادها و توصیه‌های خود را باطلاع محفل روحانی ملی برسانند.

اوراق رأی قبل از تاریخ کانونشن منطقه‌ای بنام اعضاء ‎دیگرای انفرادی‎ جامعه ارسال خواهد شد تا در صورتی که بعلت کسالت یا مشکل غیرقابل احتراز دیگری موفق به حضور در جلسه نشوند آراء خود را بوسیله پست ارسال دارند.

در بند... یاران ایران

قسمتی از نامه یکی از یاران ایران

... الحمدلله معرف فضل و موهبت جمال اقدس ابهی هر آن آتش بلایا شعله‌اش افزونتر و حرارت و گرمایش مطبوعتر و در جذب رطوبات خمودگی و افسردگی این پژمردگان مؤثرتر میگردد. وقت نیست مختصر کنم. دست تقدیر الهی کلیدهای دیگری را انتخاب نموده که با اراده مطلقه اش یا در رضوان قدس قرب جای دهد و یا ‎بربر پرپر‎ نموده بر زمین بریزد. امید است بدعای شما و همه دوستان و یاران بخصوص بپدر بزرگ مهربان آنچه سبب رضای مبارک است موفق شوند و در این امتحان شدید همه روسفید شوند و شماها که منسوب بآنان هستید افتخار فرمائید.

باری چند روز پیش در... منتظر بودم که همسر مهربان از سفر تهران مراجعت نماید که خبر دادند فوراً ‎بظهران بتهران‎ بیا همانشب حرکت نمودم معلوم شد روز... او که همراه... عزیزم بوده در بین راه بوسیله عده‌ای که آنها را تعقیب مینمودند با ارائه برگ جلب آنها را ‎بظهران بتهران‎ برگردانیده و بزندانها نامعلومی میبرند. چند روز است که مرتباً بزندانها میرویم که نشانی از آنها بیابیم ولی معمولاً چند ماهی باید صبر کنیم تا بدانیم کجا هستند و چه بسرشان آمده و فعلاً چاره‌ای جز تسلیم و رضا نداریم. لذا استدعای عاجزانه این بنده از شما این است که بدعا متوسل شوید... و با اجرای وصایای مقدسه الهیه در جلب رضایش بکوشید. خوشا بحال همه شما که آزاد میتوانید در راه جلب و کسب رضای الهی فداکاری کنید و در ظل رأیت اسم اعظم مستریح باشید.

افتخار کنید فرزندان موطن جمال مبارکید بفرموده مبارکش مطمئن باشید. بعزت افتخار نمائید و از ذلت ننگ مدارید. این نامه را تکثیر و بهمه افراد مذکور برسانید وقت ندارم باید بروم و بزندانها سر بزنم بقیه مطالب را مفصلاً اگر حق خواست خواهم نوشت.

فدای همه شماها و همه عزیزان الهی

فرزند شما

یادداشتی از دارالانشاء معهد اعلی

همانطوریکه بیت العدل اعظم الهی در پیام ۱۴ نوامبر ۱۹۶۳ خویش فرموده‌اند مایلند که شرح حال و خاطرات مهاجرین در طی نقشه جهاد کبیر اکبر روحانی مخصوصاً فاتحین آن نقشه ‎منبیعه منبعثه‎ همراه با یک قطعه عکس آنها برای سوابق مخصوص ارض اقدس ارسال گردد. البته تعدادی از خاطرات تاکنون رسیده است.

این خاطرات هم از نظر تقویم زمانی وقایع اهمیت دارد و هم باید دارای جنبه تشویق و تحریض برای مهاجرین آینده امر مبارک باشد. چنانچه مهاجرین تحت اشراف آن محفل تاکنون این خاطرات را نفرستاده‌اند لطفاً آنها را تشویق به تهیه و ارسال آن باین شطر فرمائید.

کتب و انتشارات فارسی

در حال حاضر تعداد قابل ملاحظه‌ای از کتب امری بزبان فارسی و عربی توسط مؤسسه مطبوعات امری برای فروش عرضه شده است. احبای عزیز میتوانند کتب مذکور را توسط کتابدار محلی یا مستقیماً از دفتر مؤسسه مطبوعات امری در ویلمت سفارش دهند. امید است یاران روحانی از فرصت استفاده نموده قبل از اینکه نسخ موجود تمام شود سفارش خود را ارسال دارند. بالاخص ابتیاع و استفاده از کتبی مانند "دیانت بهائی یک نهضت سیاسی نیست" و "اصول اعتقادات بهائیان" که تحت ارشاد و هدایت معهد اعلی و بمنظور رفع سوءتفاهم و شبهاتی که در اثر القائات دشمنان در ذهن ایرانیان غیربهایی ممکن است ایجاد شده باشد تهیه و طبع گردیده و همچنین جزوه "حیات بهائی" که برای مطالعه و تزیید معلومات جوانان لازم و مفید است از جانب لجنه ملی امور احبای ایرانی توصیه میشود. [Page 22]

San Leandro Bahá’ís produce weekly half-hour TV program

For the past two and one-half years, the Bahá’í community of San Leandro, California, has been producing a weekly half-hour cable television program called “Bahá’í Firesides.”

THE programs are broadcast on LVO Cable TV in San Leandro which also reaches viewers in Hayward and San Leandro.

The idea for the program sprang from the message from the Universal House of Justice announcing goals for the second phase of the Seven Year Plan which included increased use of the mass media including radio and television to proclaim the Faith.

Several months after that message was received, the Bahá’ís in San Leandro were offered a 15-minute spot on black and white TV to publicize a World Peace Day event.

After that program was broadcast, the cable station’s public access manager asked the Bahá’ís to produce four 30-minute programs on the Faith.

Once those programs were evaluated, the Bahá’ís were moved into a three-camera color studio to begin a weekly half-hour program on the history, principles and teachings of the Faith.

The friends sent a letter to surrounding communities asking for help from technicians, talent and production people. The response was immediate and enthusiastic, and the program has never suffered from lack of support or interest.

LVO CABLE has trained the Bahá’ís in production techniques and the use of equipment, and the station manager in San Leandro has helped by conducting periodic training sessions for new crew members.

The only cost to the Bahá’ís has been for the tapes themselves.

“Bahá’í Firesides” uses a talk show format that usually focuses on the history and principles of the Faith.

The friends have also produced programs for World Peace Day, Race Unity Day, United Nations Day, World Religion Day, and on current events in the Bahá’í world.

Program guests have included a member of the International Teaching Centre, members of several National Spiritual Assemblies, a member of the National Teaching Committee, and traveling teachers.

The programs have used video materials from the Office of Public Affairs and music by Seals & Crofts and England Dan & John Ford Coley.

The logo for ‘Bahá’í Firesides,’ a weekly half-hour cable television program that has been produced for the past two and one-half years by the Bahá’í community of San Leandro, ‎Califorina California‎.

Pictured are many of the crew members involved in producing ‘Bahá’í Firesides,’ a weekly half-hour cable television program in San Leandro, California. In the front row (left to right) are Aref Mostaghim, Richard McLaughlin, Rebecca McLaughlin, Jim Mulvany, Larry Curtis. Back row (left to right) are Dewey Shain, Ruby Gubaytayo (guest), William Brown, and program hostess Claudia Mulvany.

Claudia Mulvany (right), the hostess of ‘Bahá’í Firesides,’ a weekly half-hour cable television program produced by the Bahá’ís of San Leandro, California, is shown with the guest on a recent program, Ruby Gubaytayo.

The Hon. Edwin Edwards (center), governor of Louisiana, signed a proclamation May 23 condemning the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran. With Mr. Edwards at the governor’s mansion are Bahá’ís Duane Troxel (left), chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of East Baton Rouge Parish, and Joseph McElroy of Ponchatoula. The governor expressed the hope that his proclamation would have some effect, and encouraged the state legislature to pass a similar resolution. On June 18, Senate Resolution 14, authored by state Sen. Kenneth Osterberger and supported in the House of Representatives by Speaker Pro Tem Joe Delpit, passed both chambers of the Louisiana legislature. (Photo by Stephanie Troxel)

Stereo cassette available

A stereo cassette tape of songs for children and youth is available from the Louhelen Child Education Committee.

The tape, titled “We Will Have a School,” consists mostly of original music, and was produced in 1981 in the spirit of the Louhelen reconstruction project with the intention of providing quality Bahá’í-oriented music while generating funds to support Louhelen’s child education programs.

The tape, which is accompanied by a booklet containing lyrics and guitar/piano chords, sells for $11 including the cost of postage and handling.

Orders may be sent to the Louhelen Child Education Committee, Davison, MI 48423. Checks should be made payable to “The Louhelen Bahá’í School.” [Page 23]

BAHÁ’Í DISTRIBUTION SERVICE

How do they affect the community?

Q and A about Trust’s reorganization plans

Question: How does the reorganization of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust affect our community librarian?

Answer: Any Assembly or Group may still have an account. The account will be with the Distribution Service. The name used to identify those who handle the accounts will be changed to Distribution Representative. This differentiates them from lending librarians and identifies them more closely with the Distribution Service.

Q: Will more titles be available from other publishers and other countries?

A: It is the goal of the Distribution Service to make available as wide a variety of materials as possible. The Distribution Service is a business, and can only buy books it can afford and in quantities that won't tie up too large a portion of its book-buying budget. With the vagaries of international shipping, it will always be a delicate balancing act to keep books that are in demand in stock.

Q: Will book prices go up because of the reorganization?

A: Prices will increase in the future in relation to the increased cost of doing business, but there will be no increases directly attributable to the reorganization.

Q: Wasn’t there once another agency called the “Bahá’í Distribution Center”? What is the difference?

A: The name Distribution Center referred only to the location of our warehouse and order processing operation. It was a part of the Publishing Trust with no separate identity except for its location. The new Distribution Service, on the other hand, allows for a clear delineation of responsibilities with a resultant ability to control costs and manage both operations more effectively.

Q: As an individual, am I still able to order books and from whom?

A: Individuals are still invited and encouraged to order directly from the Distribution Service. Our new computer system makes small personal orders easier to handle and phone orders can be processed as they are received.

Q: When are all these changes taking place?

A: Our computer system is expected to be running by the time this article appears. Plans are nearly complete for the remodeling, and it was scheduled to begin in late August or early September.

Q: What are the addresses of each agency, and how do I know which one to contact?

A: Both agencies have the same address: 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. If you live in one of the 48 contiguous states, you order books from the Distribution Service. National Assemblies and their book distribution agencies order from the Publishing Trust. Individual Bahá’ís in other countries should order through their National Assembly or distribution agency. If that is not possible, they may contact the Publishing Trust in Wilmette. The only exception to this is commercial bookstores outside the country. They should order from the Distribution Service. Authors should submit their manuscripts to the Publishing Trust, as they have in the past. Companies or individuals who have finished products they wish to sell should contact the Distribution Service.

Q: Will the stock numbers of books change?

A: Under our new computer system, stock numbers will be eliminated. The only information needed will be the title of the item and whether it is hardcover or softcover, pocket-size, cassette, poster, etc.

Q: Can the toll-free phone line still be used?

A: Yes, and with the added benefit that orders placed over the phone can be entered onto the computer immediately. We still would like to limit phone orders to 15 separate items (with no limit on the quantity of each item ordered) so as to keep the phone lines from being constantly busy. The toll-free number is 1-800-323-1880.

Got a new address? MOVING? Got a new telephone number? Don’t forget to let your local community secretary and the National Spiritual Assembly know about your new address and phone number right away so there will be no interruption in receiving your Bahá’í mail. For your convenience, there is an address form on the last page of this issue of The American Bahá’í. Simply put it in an envelope and mail to: Bahá’í National Center, Office of Membership and Records, Wilmette, IL 60091.

BDS

Continued From Page 1

problems of international shipping and varying currency rates which they could encounter by ordering directly from overseas publishers.”

Mr. Bucknell says he hopes the Distribution Service will be able to expand both the number of titles it now carries as well as the quantity of each title.

“If books are in demand,” he says, “we’ll try to keep them in stock. It’s important for the friends to remember, however, that the Distribution Service will be operating on its own resources and won’t receive any support from the general fund.

“Therefore, the number of titles and the quantities of each that it can carry will be a direct result of the amount of books that people buy. The more books the Service sells, the more it will be able to stock.”

To help ensure the success of the new Distribution Service, the Publishing Trust is committing the resources necessary to purchase a new computer system and to remodel the Publishing Trust building at 415 Linden Avenue in Wilmette.

The computer system, specially designed for small book distribution services, arrived in August.

“UP TO NOW we’ve been using a modified computer software system designed for a hardware store,” says Mr. Bucknell. “Our new system is designed for our business and means that the customer will be getting information from us that is much easier to understand, while management will be getting information that is more suited to a complete analysis of our operations.

“By remodeling the Publishing Trust building, we’ll be able to move a major part of our warehousing and shipping operation to 415 Linden. Since the building is owned by the Trust, several thousand dollars a year in rental costs will be eliminated and we’ll have much closer contact between order processing and shipping.”

In all, says Mr. Bucknell, “Creating the Distribution Service, adding a new computer system, and relocating our warehouse make it possible for the Publishing Trust to devote more time and money to many of the areas which have needed attention. Until now, neither the time nor the money has been available.”

Soon the Distribution Service will reinstitute a newsletter that will be sent regularly to local communities and will be able to devote more man-hours to processing orders in the warehouse.

“On the other hand,” says Mr. Bucknell, “we’ll be able to give the editorial department of the Publishing Trust some much-needed help.”

Mr. Bucknell adds that due to the reassignment of some personnel and the elimination of some positions that are no longer needed, the reorganization and the improvements it will bring about will all be accomplished without an increase in staff size.

SPECIAL PRICES ON DESTINY PACKAGES EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 31!

Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh The American Bahá’ís a dynamic talk by Counsellor Peter Khan on the challenges and promises of America’s glorious destiny 60-minute cassette Catalog No. 831-047 $7.00

PLUS

America’s Spiritual Destiny a guide for personal or group study; 104 pages Catalog No. 363-026 $4.50

ORDER NOW AND SAVE

special offer good through October 31, 1984

Destiny Package A contains Apostles cassette tape America’s Destiny guide Catalog No. 560-101 $8.00 now ($10.00 after Oct. 31, 1984)

Destiny Package B contains Apostles cassette tape America’s Destiny guide Advent of Divine Justice, HC Catalog No. 560-102 $19.00 now ($23.50 after Oct. 31, 1984)

Destiny Package C contains Apostles cassette tape America’s Destiny guide Advent of Divine Justice, SC $13.00 ($18.00 after Oct. 31, 1984)

ORDER FORM

Quan.	Item	Amt.	Quan.	Item	Amt.
___	Dawning Place, HC	$20.00	___	Advent Divine Justice, HC	$12.00
___	Dawning Place, SC	12.00	___	Advent Divine Justice, SC	6.50
___	Destiny Package “A”	8.00	___	America’s Spiritual Destiny	4.50
___	Destiny Package “B”	19.00	___	Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh, CS	7.00
___	Destiny Package “C”	13.00	___	Tablets Divine Plan, HC	10.00
___	Bahá’í Readings, SC	5.50	___	Tablets Divine Plan, SC	5.00
___	Circle of Unity, SC	9.95	___	Revelation Bahá’u’lláh, HC	18.50
Total			Total plus 10 per cent postage _________ ($1.50 minimum for postage)

Enclose a check for the full amount, or

VISA/MC (CIRCLE ONE) EXP. DATE _________ CARD NO. _________________________________

Name ____________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________

City ___________________ State ________ Zip ________

(All prices are NET—no discounts. No charges on accounts accepted. Credit card orders accepted by phone: 1-800-323-1880.)

Bahá’í Distribution Service 415 LINDEN AVENUE WILMETTE, IL 60091

TAB: 9/84 Prices good through October 31, 1984 [Page 24]

World NEWS

Eight hundred-twelve people from 140 villages in Zimbabwe declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh and seven new Spiritual Assemblies were formed with another seven or eight to be elected last Riḍván as a result of the William Masehla Teaching Campaign.

The successful campaign was named in honor of Counsellor Masehla who died last year ...

About 100 people including Counsellor Athos Costas, the local mayor, the sub-prefect of the province, and reporters from television and the press were present March 31 for the first broadcast by Radio Bahá’í in Caracollo, Bolivia.

On May 23, the station increased its broadcast schedule from two to four hours a day.

Reports indicated that the signal was strong and clear in Huayllamarca, Inquisivi Province, and in the La Paz Department of Bolivia where ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ were running from house to house to learn how to tune in Radio Bahá’í ...

Two reports from Burma describe the enrollment of 316 new Bahá’ís in the Rangoon area, 100 more in Shan State, and another 325 in the Okalapa area. It was also reported that during a five-day teaching campaign, 123 people were enrolled in the Faith in that country and 12 new localities were opened ...

Seventy Bahá’í women attended Kenya’s first national Women’s Conference last March 30-April 2 at the Bahá’í National Center in Nairobi.

Its purpose was to help women to deepen in the spiritual teachings and to provide them with information and skills that will help them in their daily lives ...

Twenty people in the village of Saramacca, Suriname, recently became Bahá’ís as the result of a teaching trip undertaken by believers from Cayenne, French Guiana.

The formation of a Spiritual Assembly in Saramacca fulfilled the goal of 12 Assemblies in Suriname before Riḍván ...

The first Border Conference involving Bahá’ís from Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil was held last February 11-12 in Boa Vista, Brazil.

Consultation was centered on teaching, proclamation, economic and social development projects for Indian people, and translations of the Writings into Indian dialects ...

One hundred children and youth from two months to 20 years old attended a recent Bahá’í children’s conference on Savai’i, the largest island of Samoa.

One of the speakers was Counsellor Suhayl ‘Alá’í ...

Ads

Continued From Page 18

notice of your arrival. Please send your new address, Bahá’í I.D. number, phone number, and previous Bahá’í address to the National Teaching Committee, Homefront Pioneer Coordinator, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039, ext. 235.

WONDERING what to do with your American Indian books, periodicals, audio and video tapes, films, etc.; facts, information or reports on Bahá’í American Indian activities; or simply want to coordinate your American Indian interests? Please send the materials to or contact the newly formed Bahá’í American Indian Resource Center, c/o the Dallas Bahá’í Center, Dallas, TX 75224, or phone Trulia Slosek Pulley, 214-252-3853, or Dick Suhm, 214-696-8181. We’d also like to know about sources of information and about individuals who are or want to be involved in the effort. The Resource Center is a library for the weekly Bahá’í radio program, “Beyond Bows and Arrows,” and will make available materials for American Indian activities including radio program tapes.

COMBINE a teaching vacation with work experience on an Indian Reservation in northern Wisconsin. A Bahá’í-owned printing shop will exchange room and board for labor on a temporary basis; could evolve into year-round employment for the right person or persons. Experience helpful in graphic arts, journalism, newspaper layout, press, or as a building custodian. Possibilities open for high school student year-round. Have recently reached Assembly status and need help in deepening and consolidation. Contact Cordelia Norder, Lac du Flambeau, WI 54538, or phone (day or night) 715-588-3323.

WANTED: a set of the republished “Star of the West” in good condition. Will pay reasonable price. Contact John Ives, Albany, CA 94706, or phone 415-527-7817.

KWAJALEIN Atoll in the Marshall Islands has several technical job openings: radar systems engineers, electronics technicians, telecom technicians and scientific programmers. Help fill this important goal. Contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 312-869-9039).

THE NEW “Homefront Pioneer Booklet” is available from the National Teaching Committee. The booklet lists and explains the committee’s priorities for homefront pioneers as well as helpful information for all Bahá’ís regarding homefront pioneering. You’ll want to have this information for yourself and your Assembly to be knowledgeable about the homefront pioneer program and how we can use it to help win the goals of the Seven Year Plan. For free copies of this new publication, please write to the National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039, ext. 235.

WANTED: for Bahá’í-oriented pilot project in the field of social and economic development, an individual who is well-versed in contracts with a demonstrated proficiency in grant and proposal writing. For information, contact Beaumont, TX 77702.

HELP WANTED: The incorporated Spiritual Assembly of Walnut Creek-Danville J.D., California, is in jeopardy and needs two devoted Bahá’ís to save it. The community is in a rural area only a half-hour from San Francisco. For information, please write to the Bahá’ís of Walnut Creek-Danville J.D., Walnut Creek, CA 94596, or phone 415-938-1629.

APARTMENT or room needed in Washington, D.C., by a Bahá’í who has accepted a fellowship in chemistry at Georgetown University. He is a registered chemical engineer-in-training who does not smoke or drink. If anyone in the Washington community knows of an apartment or room for rent, please contact Van Eric Housman, c/o Rebecca Housman, 19 Dartmouth Avenue, Pueblo, CO 81005.

HOMEFRONT pioneers are needed in eastern Oklahoma, especially in Tahlequah, home of Northeastern Oklahoma State College; Bartlesville; Okmulgee and Tulsa County, each of which must re-form its Assembly. Job and educational opportunities in nearby Tulsa make these communities ideal places in which to pioneer. Muskogee (with a VA hospital) needs only one family to form its first Assembly, while Wagoner, Broken Arrow and Sapulpa need to maintain their present Assemblies. Stillwater, home of Oklahoma State University, needs American ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎. Think about Oklahoma!

CIVIL-structural engineer wants to establish a referral network with other Bahá’í entrepreneurs in related disciplines. Contact Amir H. Farzaneh, Cleveland Hts., OH 44121, or phone 216-381-3749.

SEVERAL job opportunities are available in Ireland: mechanical technician, assistant to publicity officer, senior tax consultant, manufacturing engineer, lecturer in clinical reproduction in farm animal clinical studies, lecturer in farm animal clinical studies, marketing executive, senior and support sales representatives. For more information, please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

THE NATIONAL Bahá’í Archives is seeking the records of Regional Teaching Committees for the 1930s and 1940s, particularly minutes and correspondence. Anyone having such records is asked to write to the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

SOUTH Carolina: Traveling teachers who can stay for a day, a week or a month are urgently needed this fall and winter to work with 230 Assemblies and help with consolidation and expansion projects in this vital state. South Carolina offers some of the most rewarding field experiences anywhere in the country for those who come to serve the needs of children, youth, adults and the media. To help, a training session is to be held October 27-29 at the Louis Gregory Institute. Hospitality can be provided for teachers in various parts of the state. The native believers in South Carolina are asking for your help; please find the time to respond. Contact the Regional Teaching Office, Hemingway, SC 29554, or phone 803-558-5093.

THE BAHÁ’Í National Center has an immediate opening for a switchboard operator. Pleasant telephone manners, typing (50 wpm), and previous office experience is necessary. Word processing or microcomputer skills are desirable. For more information or application, please contact Karen Crenshaw, Personnel Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

SPANISH-speaking or bi-lingual homefront pioneers are needed on any of three Indian Reservations in Washington state: Toppenish, Wapato and Yakima. Please contact the National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039, ext. 235.

DO YOU work in an employment agency or related field? Consider helping in a referral network with other ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ around the country. Please write to the National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039, ext. 235.

NORTH Dakota needs you! Bismarck, Fort Yates, the Sioux Reservation, Fort Berthold Reservation, Devils Lake Sioux Reservation all need homefront pioneers. Youth are especially needed and are encouraged to inquire about the low-tuition schools compared to other states. Residency can be granted after only six months. For details, contact the National Teaching Committee, 312-869-9039, ext. 235.

KWAJALEIN Atoll in the Marshall Islands has several job openings for single persons: carpenter, master mechanic, ceramic tile layer, roofer, painter, cement finisher. Seven years experience required. To help fill the goals of the Seven Year Plan, please contact the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

DOMINICA, a goal country in the West Indies, is facing a critical shortage of lawyers. Qualified persons interested in pursuing this opportunity may write to the International Goals Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039.

NEED a homefront pioneer? Help us to send one to your locality. Keep us informed about jobs, schools, rooms for rent, homes to share, and a general description of your community. These are most helpful in matching pioneers to posts. Please write to the National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 312-869-9039, ext. 235.

COME to Columbus, Indiana, a clean city with unique architecture. Needed are people with business skills, industrial and technical engineers, and those in all areas of medical work. For more information, please phone the Bahá’ís of Columbus, 812-372-5936.

Chester Kahn, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, came to Idaho Falls, Idaho, with his wife, Brenda, on Saturday, July 14, to speak at a proclamation at the Littletree Inn. His topic, ‘The American Indian and the Bahá’í Faith,’ was enthusiastically received by Bahá’ís and seekers alike. The following day, the Kahns traveled to the Fort Hall Indian Reservation where Mr. Kahn shared his experiences with the ‘Trail of Light’ teaching team in South America. [Page 25]

Varqá Children’s Magazine

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Members of Bahá’í Esperanto League attend 69th Universal Esperanto Congress in Canada

Members of the Bahá’í Esperanto League (BEL), which has an organizational membership in the Universal Esperanto Association, attended the 69th Universal Esperanto Congress held July 21-28 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

THEY represented the U.S., Canadian, Mexican and Hawaiian Bahá’í Esperantists.

Each year since 1973, when the BEL was organized under the direction of the Universal House of Justice, the Bahá’í Esperantists have been scheduled to hold one public information meeting at the Universal Congress.

BEL is one of seven religious organizations affiliated with the Universal Esperanto Association.

Bahá’í books and pamphlets, translated into Esperanto, can be purchased by Esperantists around the world from the book service of the Universal Esperanto Association.

Each year, members of the BEL have a booth at the Universal Congress where they answer questions about the Faith and can give out fact sheets about its principles and its relationship to the Esperanto movement.

Interest in the Faith is high among Esperantists, many of whom recognize the sincerity of our efforts to construct a new world order, our sense of world citizenship, and our interest in an international auxiliary language.

THE Universal Esperanto Association has the same status at the UN as does the Faith. The Association is active in promoting human equality and human rights.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi and Dr. J.E. Esslemont were among the early Bahá’ís who studied Esperanto.

During His travels in the U.S. and Europe, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at several Esperanto meetings, encouraging use of the language. He strongly advised that the Bahá’ís learn Esperanto and associate with Esperantists.

The Guardian sent official greetings to the Universal Congresses during his ministry and encouraged the Bahá’ís to study the language.

Dr. Esslemont translated The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh into Esperanto and made several references to Esperanto in his book, Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era.

Two other well-known early Bahá’í Esperantists were Martha Root and Lydia Zamenhof.

MISS Zamenhof, the daughter of Ludwig Zamenhof, the founder of Esperanto, was taught the Faith by Miss Root during her travels in Poland.

Miss Zamenhof later translated Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era into Esperanto. That translation, available through the Universal Esperanto Association, is responsible for much of the interest in the Faith among Esperantists today.

The mission of the Bahá’í Esperanto League is to spread the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh among the world’s Esperantists. Membership in BEL has grown from nine in 1973 to 240 in more than 20 countries today.

Pictured are members of the Bahá’í Esperanto League (BEL) who attended the 69th Universal Esperanto Association Congress held July 21-28 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Back row (left to right) are Mr. and Mrs. Richard Heiser, Alberta, Canada; S.S. Milani and Jim Stone, U.S.; Julie Rigal, Mexico. Middle row (left to right) are Fred and Janet Bixby, Roan Stone, Rosemund Brenner, U.S. Front row (left to right) are Stuart Kittridge and June Fritz, U.S. Not pictured is Walter Gnagy, Hawaii.

Information about BEL can be obtained by writing to the secretary, Mrs. Roan Orloff Stone, Desert Rose Mobile Home Park, Gallup, NM 87301.

Information about Esperanto is available from your local Esperanto Club, or from the Esperanto League of North America, P.O. Box 1129, El Cerrito, CA 94530.

Bahá’í non-Gypsy accepted as participant in Romani Union

For the first time ever, a non-Gypsy has been accepted as a participant in the Romani Union, which represents some five million Gypsies throughout the world.

She is Dawn Edwards, a Bahá’í from Seattle, Washington, who is executive secretary of the Bahá’í Regional Media Committee in the Northwest and a representative of the Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs.

Ms. Edwards, who was recommended by Joseph Andrejchack Galata, a Bahá’í and a Gypsy who lives in Sparks, Nevada, has been appointed official Romani Union media consultant to the United Nations.

Another Bahá’í, Marco Kappenberger of Switzerland, is acting as legal adviser to the Romani Union.

Ms. Edwards will be working closely with Mr. Galata and with Dr. Ian Hancock, a prominent Gypsy author and educator who is a professor of English at the University of Texas.

DAWN EDWARDS

‘The more one can give, the better it is ...’ National Bahá’í Fund Wilmette, IL 60091 [Page 26]

PÁGINA HISPANA

Sabiduría y paciencia: cualidades del Maestro

Shoghi Effendi, el amado Guardián, se refirió a ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, así: “debe para siempre ser considerado como el Centro y Pivote de la Alianza incomparable, que todo lo abarca, de Bahá’u’lláh, como Su más exaltada obra, como el Espejo inmaculado de Su Luz, el perfecto Ejemplo de Sus enseñanzas, el infalible Intérprete de Su Palabra, la personificación de cada uno de los ideales Bahá’ís, la encarnación de cada una de las virtudes Bahá’ís, la Más Poderosa Rama salida de la Antigua Raíz, el Miembro de la Ley de Dios, el Ser ‘a Cuyo alrededor giran todos los nombres,’ el Resorte Principal de la Unidad del Género Humano, la Insignia de la Paz Suprema, la Luna del Astro Central de esa santísima Dispensación, nombres y títulos que son implícitos y hallan su más real, su más alta y más hermosa expresión en el mágico nombre: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.”

La vida de ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ofrece a cada creyente ejemplos de cómo nos debemos comportar para con nuestro prójimo y del amor que siempre debemos llevar en el corazón para la creación entera. En este número y los próximos, se ‎presentará presentarán‎ anécdotas de la vida del ilustre “Maestro,” para inspirar nuestros corazones y acciones.

Todos nos juntamos nuevamente en el comedor para la comida y mientras nos sentábamos para nuestra primera comida en el Hogar Sagrado, una luz resplandeció sobre nosotros, y el Maestro dijo: “Bendito es aquél que comiera pan ‎el Reino en el Reino‎ de Dios.”

ENTONCES nos dijo que la profecía de Cristo fue cumplida ahora y que deberíamos agradecer a Dios constantemente y con todos nuestros corazones por esta gran bendición que estaba más allá de nuestro poder para entenderlo.

Nos dijo que la comida estuvo compuesta de dos partes: la espiritual y la material, que el alimento material no tenía gran importancia y sus efectos duraban solo veinticuatro horas; pero el alimento espiritual era la vida del alma, y que los efectos de esta comida espiritual de la cual disfrutábamos duraría para siempre.

Habíamos aprendido que estar con ‘Abdu’l-Bahá era toda vida, alegría y bendición. Estábamos por aprender también que Su Presencia es un fuego purificador.

El peregrinaje a la Tierra Santa no es más que un crisol en que las almas son probadas; en donde el oro es purificado y la escoria es consumida.

No parecía posible que otra cosa que no fuera el amor, pudiera jamás animar nuestras palabras y acciones.

Sin embargo, esa misma tarde yo hablé en contra de un hermano criticándolo y dando expresión a la maldad en mi propio corazón con mis palabras.

MIENTRAS estábamos todavía sentados juntos, nuestro Maestro, Quién había estado visitando a los pobres y enfermos, regresó e inmediatamente mandó a buscar a mi madre espiritual, Lua, quién estaba con nosotros.

Le dijo que durante su ausencia una de Sus siervas había hablado mal de otro, y que afligió Su corazón que los creyentes no se amaran los unos a los otros o que hablaran contra cualquier alma.

Entonces El la instruyó para que no lo diera a conocer sino que rezara. Un poco más tarde todos fuimos a cenar y mi duro corazón permanecía inconsciente de su error, hasta que mis ojos buscaron el amado rostro del Maestro.

Encontré Su mirada tan llena de bondad y comprensión que mi corazón se afligió profundamente.

Pues de alguna manera maravillosa Sus ojos me hablaron, y en ese puro y perfecto espejo yo ví mi propia miserable realidad e inmediatamente me deshice en lágrimas. El no me prestó atención por un tiempo y, mientras los demás continuaban con su cena, yo quedé en Su querida Presencia, lavando con mis lágrimas algunos de mis pecados.

Después de unos momentos, El se volvió y se sonrió y pronunció mi nombre varias veces como si me estuviera llamando hacia El.

EN UN instante una felicidad tan dulce invadió mi alma y mi corazón fue consolado con una esperanza tan infinita, pues supe que El me purificaría de todos mis pecados.

Al día siguiente nos congregamos, como antes, para oír Sus palabras y cuando todos estuvimos presentes El dijo:

“Todos los sufrimientos que experimentan en ganar el Reino de Dios serán olvidados cuando alcancen su ‎perfecto perfecta‎ felicidad.

“Es como un hombre que ha estado muy enfermo y débil por algunos años y después se pone muy fuerte, entonces desaparece todo recuerdo de su dolor.” (An Early Pilgrimage, pp. 15-19)

La sabiduría de ‘Abdu’l-Bahá para enseñar la Fe

Una vez uno de los primeros Bahá’ís norteamericanos, un señor muy bueno y devoto, que se llamaba Harlan Ober, tuvo el propósito de visitar la India y de enseñar la Fe a la gente de ese país.

Pero ‎Antes antes‎, él visitó a ‘Abdu’l-Bahá en ‘Akká para pedirle Sus consejos sobre el proceder apropiado en ese caso.

Harlan Ober preguntó a ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “¿Cuál es la cosa más importante que debo enseñar a la gente de la India?”

Respondió ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “Hay que decirles: Dios puede ser comparado con el sol, y el Espíritu Santo con los rayos del sol. Los profetas viven en el mundo del Espíritu Santo. La humanidad puede ser comparada a la vegetación que resulta de los rayos del sol.”

Esta respuesta no impresionó al Sr. Ober. Continuó hablando con el Maestro sobre varias cosas y al fin, preguntó otra vez: “Pero ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ¿no tiene algunas instrucciones especiales sobre mi conducta al llegar a la India?”

“Sí, Harlan,” el Maestro contestó, sonriendo, “hay que decir a la gente de allí: ‘Dios puede ser ‎comparar comparado‎ con el sol, y el Espíritu Santo con los rayos del sol. Los Profetas viven en el mundo del Espíritu Santo, mientras la humanidad puede compararse a la vegetación que crece como resultado de la influencia de los rayos del sol.’”

Creyó el Sr. Ober que el Maestro hacía una broma para su beneficio y, un poco más tarde, por la tercera vez, preguntó al Maestro en el momento de salir del cuarto de éste: “Ahora, Maestro, cuando estoy saliendo para la India, dígame ¿cuáles son las instrucciones más importantes para mí?”

Los ojos del Maestro centellearon con buen humor, y le contestó por tercera vez: “Harlan, cuando llegue a la India, hay que decir a la gente: ‘Dios puede compararse con el sol y el Espíritu Santo con los rayos del sol, y los Profetas de Dios viven en el mundo del Espíritu Santo, mientras la humanidad puede compararse con la vegetación que resulta de los rayos del sol.’”

Cuando el Sr. Ober llegó a la India, descubrió que cada vez que dictó una plática basada en sus propias ideas, no dió buen resultado, pero cada vez que usaba estas palabras de ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, alcanzó un gran éxito, porque la gente de la India tenía la idea que un ser humano es una parte de su Creador y no podía entender la relación real entre Dios, Sus Profetas y la humanidad sin la explicación dada por ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. (Materia Auxiliar a “El Plan Divino,” p. 12)

The LEAP team of western Oregon recently planned and carried out a pre-youth ‘sleep-over’ in the metropolitan Portland area (Troutdale) for Bahá’í children from fifth to eighth grade. The goal and expectation of the 24-hour event was expressed in its theme, ‘God Loves Laughter.’ Included were new games, roller skating and fellowship with three meals and snacks furnished. No fee was charged, but donations were graciously accepted. Twenty-one children (13 boys, eight girls) from as far away as Corvallis participated. They stayed overnight in separate houses about a block away from one another, then had breakfast together the following morning and heard a talk on service and sacrifice from a Bahá’í youth whose mother was martyred in Iran. The children left for home at noon, remembering their new-found Bahá’í friends and the shared laughter on this, the first of many pre-youth social gatherings planned by the LEAP team of western Oregon.

A reminder: Monies raised by Bahá’í college clubs can only be used for club activities and cannot be donated to Local Spiritual Assemblies, the National Fund, or any other institution or committee associated with the Faith. If there are any questions about this policy, please contact the National Youth Committee, 305-584-1844.

New from Kalimát Press

CIRCLE OF UNITY

Bahá’í Approaches To Current Social Issues

edited by Anthony A. Lee

An attempt to present Bahá’í positions on the most pressing issues of our times—the nuclear arms race, racism, feminism, economic development, Marxism. Ten essays by Bahá’ís on important social issues.

$9.95* paperback only

Available in paper only. 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 inches, 258 pp. Catalog No. 332-134

Order through your local librarian, or send check or money order (including 10% for postage and handling, minimum $1.50) to Bahá’í Distribution Service 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091

• Price valid only in the United States.

[Page 27]

Text of oral statement on torture to Senate committee

The following is the oral statement made June 26 at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on torture around the world by Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly.

My name is Firuz Kazemzadeh. I am professor of history, chairman of the Committee for Middle Eastern Studies at Yale University, and vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

OVER the last four years the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran have used torture as an instrument of policy.

Among the victims, members of the Bahá’í community have occupied a special place. They have committed no crimes, participated in no anti-government activities, presented no danger to the regime, yet they have been made an object of unrestrained hatred on the part of Iran’s clerical rulers and their supporters.

The president of the Revolutionary Court of Shiráz, Hujjatu’l-Islám Qazai, clearly revealed the underlying religious motivation of all attacks on Bahá’ís when he publicly stated in 1983 that ‘the Muslim nation of Iran ... will, God willing, fulfill the prayer of Noah (mentioned in the Koran): ‘And Noah said, Lord, leave not a single family of infidels on the earth ...’’

The judge invited the Bahá’ís to recant their faith and embrace Islam. ‘Otherwise,’ he said, ‘the day will soon come when the Islamic nation will deal with them in accordance with its religious obligations, as it has dealt with other hypocrites.’

A genocidal campaign against the Bahá’ís is now in progress in Iran. Already, some 175 Bahá’ís, most of them members of the governing bodies of the Bahá’í Faith, have been put to death. More than 700 others are languishing in jails.

ALL Bahá’í community properties have been confiscated. Bahá’ís have been dismissed from jobs, denied pensions, deprived of education, severely restricted in their economic activities, and subjected to enormous psychological pressure.

Last but not least, they have become victims of the barbarous practice of torture.

The authorities of the Islamic Republic have used and are currently using torture against the Bahá’ís systematically and relentlessly for two purposes: (1) to force recantation of faith and conversion to Islam; and (2) to extract false confessions of spying and other illegal activities allegedly performed by Bahá’ís in the service of Zionism, imperialism, and the super powers.

One of the earliest cases of torture was reported from the city of Hamadan where, on June 14, 1981, the bodies of seven executed members of the Local Spiritual Assembly were released to the families for burial. Each body bore unmistakable signs of heavy torture.

A year later, in the infamous Evin Prison (in Tehran), the notorious interrogator Mesbah Tolui ordered the torture of a Bahá’í who may still be alive and whom I cannot name in public. An eyewitness has written:

‘...THE guards proceeded to hurl him down against the hard surface of the bench, causing his forehead and jaws to be severely injured and to bleed ... then ... his feet were tied ... his arms were pulled forward and tied ... he was lying on his abdomen with hands and feet tied and the soles of his feet turned upward.

‘Tolui ordered the guards to start lashing and to continue until ... recanted and gave the names of committee members or died ...’

In March 1983 Mrs. Tuba Zaerpur was tortured in Shiráz before being executed. An eyewitness reports that after receiving 225 lashes on three consecutive days her whole body was a wound: ‘‘Her toes were bleeding and the toenails fell off as a result of injuries.’’

In June 1983 five more Bahá’ís were tortured and put to death in Shiráz. Since January 1984 at least four Bahá’ís, one of them a college professor, died after torture.

Three more died in prison under mysterious circumstances. Their bodies were buried secretly in unknown graves.

More recently the actions of the Iranian authorities have taken an even more sinister turn.

EARLIER, Bahá’ís were tortured to compel recantation and conversion to Islam. Now, however, torture is being used primarily to extract false confessions of fictitious crimes such as spying.

A few broke under torture. Their ‘‘confessions’’ were videotaped for possible use on Iranian television.

Such ‘‘confessions’’ are needed because the authorities do not have a single document implicating the Bahá’ís in any wrongdoing. Thus Islamic prosecutors and judges resort to torture as a means of convicting Bahá’ís out of their own mouths.

American Bahá’ís are deeply concerned about the fate of more than 700 of their co-religionists in Iran’s prisons.

We are particularly anxious about those who have been or will be tortured. We feel that the United States cannot ignore torture no matter where or by whom it is practiced, for torture is a threat to our dearest convictions and an affront to our most deep-seated feelings. Acquiescence to torture is a compromise with evil unworthy of this nation.

We hope that the government of the U.S. together with the governments of all nations that profess love of humanity will seek, through the United Nations and through all other legitimate means, the total eradication of torture from the world.

Mrs. Marguerite Sears is shown with Kevin Locke, a Native American Bahá’í from South Dakota, during her visit last October to the ninth annual Indian Arts Festival on the Miccosukee Reservation in southern Florida. Mr. Locke, a Lakota Sioux, performed a traditional Sioux hoop dance at the festival. Mrs. Sears was in South Florida with her husband, the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears, and together they presented a slide program to an audience of more than 100 during a commemoration of the anniversary of the Birth of the Báb.

National Assembly plans to aid refugee agencies through Persian Affairs Office

With new government regulations making it easier for people from the Middle East including Bahá’ís to enter the U.S. as refugees, the National Spiritual Assembly has decided to provide help through its Persian Affairs Office to volunteer agencies that are involved in finding sponsors for refugees.

WHILE many Persian Bahá’ís who have friends or relatives in the U.S. have been able to enter the country, there are others who are stranded abroad with no relatives or friends here and no possibility of permanent settlement anywhere else.

Individuals or groups of Bahá’ís may offer to sponsor one or more such believers, both as a humanitarian gesture toward their Bahá’í brothers and sisters and as a means of helping them to settle in homefront goals.

Sponsoring refugees generally means receiving them on arrival at their destination, preparing housing and food for their immediate needs, providing moral support, and helping them become oriented to their new environment.

This may include helping them get Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses and the like, enrolling them in English-language programs and their children in schools, and guiding them in finding employment so that they can become self-sufficient as quickly as possible.

A number of volunteer agencies such as the International Rescue Committee, the U.S. Catholic Conference, and the World Church Service are involved in the resettlement of refugees in this country.

ORDINARILY, they contact relatives of the refugees to arrange for their sponsorship.

But in the case of those who have no relatives here, these agencies need help in locating sponsors.

Bahá’ís who are interested in the possibility of sponsoring one or more refugees are asked to contact the Persian Affairs Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 for more information. The telephone number is 312-869-9039.

The National Assembly hopes that the enthusiastic cooperation of the friends and the loving guidance of the National Teaching Committee will make it possible for many of the arriving refugees to settle in localities with jeopardized Assemblies or large Bahá’í Groups so that the homefront goals of the Seven Year Plan can be more easily won.

For most of May and June, Bahá’ís in the San Francisco Bay area treated hundreds of thousands of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) passengers to a system-wide publicity campaign for the Faith. The Bahá’í Public Information Service of Contra Costa County placed posters in the trains and included a list of 22 community phone numbers on tear-off sheets for further information. Some communities reported “huge increases” in calls for information on their Bahá’í telephones. More than 25 Assemblies and 50 individuals supported the effort by sponsoring one or more posters. (Photo by Cammie Toloui)

Text on BART Poster:

The Bahá’í Faith

It’s time for a change

The Bahá’í House of Worship Wilmette, Illinois A National Historical Site

Our House of Worship is Open to All Mankind So are Our Teachings:

• The Unity of Mankind
• Elimination of All Prejudice
• Harmony of Science & Religion
• The Equality of Men and Women
• Establishment of World Peace
• Divine Source of All Religions

‘There can be no limit to one’s contributions ...’ National Bahá’í Fund Wilmette, ‎II. IL.‎ 60091 [Page 28]DR. ROBERT HENDERSON

Dr. Henderson assumes duties as secretary

Dr. Robert Henderson arrived August 6 at the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette, Illinois, to assume his duties as secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Dr. Henderson, who was first elected to the National Assembly in a by-election in December 1982, was named secretary shortly after this year’s National Convention, replacing Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh.

Dr. Henderson comes to Wilmette from Roswell, Georgia, where he was vice-president and executive officer of Air Atlanta, a new airline specializing in providing services for business travelers.

Before becoming a co-founder of Air Atlanta, he served as managing director and vice president of Tarkenton and Company, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm.

Dr. Henderson earned his doctorate in education in 1976 from the University of Massachusetts.

A note about earmarking:

Although earmarking was discouraged by the Guardian (lest too much earmarking should tie the hands of the National Spiritual Assembly), if you do wish to make an earmarked gift please be specific; for example, gifts have been received recently which merely say “House of Worship” or “Temple construction” or even “Mashriqu’l-Adhkár”—but no designation as to which House of Worship (Wilmette, Samoa, India?). Please include all information to assure that your gift is expended as you intended—otherwise the Treasurer’s Office must either contact you or make an assumption as to your intent—neither of which is efficient.

27 SUBJECTS YOU WOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT:

1. The Afterlife	11. The First 138 years of Christianity
2. Health and Nutrition	12. The Deification of Jesus
3. Work and the Economic Problem	13. Drug Abuse
4. The Social Philosophy of Alain Locke	14. The First 138 years of Islám
5. The Importance of Meditation	15. Mormonism and the Bahá’í Faith
6. International Health Work	16. Four Kinds of Love
7. The early years of Louis Gregory	17. The First 138 years of the Bahá’í Faith
8. Bahá’u’lláh’s Prison Sentence	18. Robert Hayden
9. Spiritual Education	19. Bahá’í Bhajans
10. Children and Television Violence	20. Freedom and Authority

21. Congressional Resolutions 22. Walter Harke’s Art 23. Juliet Thompson and Khalil Gibran 24. Mark Tobey 25. Solving Urban Problems 26. Raising Bilingual Children 27. The Persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran

IF YOU READ . . .

World Order

Articles on every one of these subjects have appeared in recent issues of World Order. But it should really come as no surprise that this magazine has dealt with many of the major social and intellectual issues of the times. The careful scrutiny of current affairs is really what this Bahá’í journal is all about. Its purpose is to stimulate, inspire, and serve thinking people in their search for relationships between religious thought and contemporary life.

All back issues of World Order are available with the exception of the Winter 1969/’70, the Fall 1971, and the Fall 1982 issues. Some issues have limited quantities, so order now to be assured of receiving the issues you want. Write for order form.

World Order is a vital spiritual resource for contemplative minds, for thinking people like you. Why not fill out the subscription coupon below and mail it today? It may turn out to be the most thought-provoking decision you have made in a long time.

---

World Order 415 LINDEN AVENUE. WILMETTE, ILLINOIS 60091 U.S.A.

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PLEASE PRINT

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Sorry we are unable to provide billing service. Please enclose payment. [Page 29]Pictured are women of various faiths who participated this April in the annual retreat sponsored by the Interreligious Council of Southern California (IRC). Kneeling (left to right) are Mildred Moser (Ecumenical Council), Lisa Janti (Bahá’í), and MSS Krishna Kaur Khalsa (Sikh Dharma). Standing (left to right) are Susan Imady (Islamic Center), Aqueela Jaffer (Islamic Center), Violet Eaton (Vedanta Society), Sister Diane Tillman (Brahma Kumaris), Heidi Singh (Roman Catholic Archdiocese), Irene Trulear (Bahá’í), and Karu Na Dharma (Buddhist Sangha Council).

The first Spiritual Assembly of Rutherford County, Tennessee, was formed at Riḍván 1984. Its members are (on stairs left to right) Clarice Minter (corresponding secretary), George Minter (treasurer), Judith (Diti) Geissler, William (Bill) Geissler, Joanne Kallenberger, Joyce Reichel (recording secretary), and (front left to right) William (Bill) Ahlhauser (chairman), Vahideh Ahlhauser, Klaus Kallenberger (vice-chairman).

Bahá’ís in Los Angeles area develop fruitful relationship with Interreligious Council of Southern California (IRC)

For several years, Bahá’ís in the Los Angeles area have had a warm and productive relationship with the Interreligious Council of Southern California (IRC).

The relationship was especially fruitful during the summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles when that city’s Bahá’í Center was listed as a place where visitors could obtain information about city services and Olympic events.

The Faith was included in all the brochures and press releases sent out by the Council.

More than 100 press kits were distributed which listed the names of members of the Council’s public relations committee including the Bahá’í representative, Lisa Janti.

Also in the press kit was a photo of women of various faiths who attended the annual IRC retreat this year. The Faith was represented by Ms. Janti and Irene Trulear.

The Bahá’í community of Santee, California, won a trophy with this float which took part last October 22 in the city’s annual parade.

The Bahá’ís of Hamilton Township, New Jersey, with help from the friends in nearby communities, sponsored a display booth June 2-3 at the annual Heritage Days festival in Trenton whose purpose is to salute the varied ethnic groups in the community. An estimated 80,000 people attended.

THE DAWNING PLACE

Bruce W. Whitmore’s long-awaited story of the building of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette and the forging of the North American Bahá’í Community

331 pages with foreword, appendices, notes, index 83 black-and-white photographs and illustrations Hardcover Cat. No. 332-119 $20.00* Softcover Cat. No. 332-120 $12.00*

Order through your local librarian, or send check or money order (including 10% for postage and handling, minimum $1.50) to

Bahá’í Distribution Service 415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091

• Price valid only in the United States.

[Page 30]

VIE Chart

Continued From Page 5

District Name	'Starting Block' Info			Current Month Info (Kalimát)
	Membership as of 12/9/83	Number of participants	Percentage of participation	Membership as of 7/6/84	Number of participants	Percentage of participation
Florida SW	495	43	8.7	500	45	9.0
Georgia NE	339	48	14.2	327	34	10.4
Georgia NW	876	17	1.9	859	12	1.4
Georgia S	1,158	8	0.7	1159	10	0.9
Idaho N/Washington E	473	63	13.3	484	63	13.0
Idaho S	183	21	11.5	191	38	19.9
Illinois N No. 1	596	52	8.7	578	66	11.4
Illinois N No. 2	1,148	143	12.5	1158	144	12.4
Illinois S	742	68	9.2	703	70	10.0
Indiana	541	66	12.2	519	44	8.5
Iowa	383	63	16.4	363	68	18.7
Kansas	340	35	10.3	350	53	15.1
Kentucky	231	25	10.8	223	21	9.4
Louisiana N	84	11	13.1	78	16	20.5
Louisiana S	536	21	3.9	501	15	3.0
Maine	216	26	12.0	213	47	22.1
Maryland W/D.C.	752	79	10.5	779	69	8.9
Massachusetts	946	103	10.9	931	103	11.1
Michigan Mainland	1,171	126	10.8	1156	118	10.2
Minnesota N	166	26	15.7	155	26	16.8
Minnesota S	434	79	18.2	448	75	16.7
Mississippi	415	18	4.3	390	16	4.1
Missouri	657	75	11.4	645	77	11.9
Montana	347	36	10.4	348	31	8.9
Navajo/Hopi	370	9	2.4	365	15	4.1
Nebraska	307	45	14.7	289	46	15.9
Nevada N	165	14	8.5	184	16	8.7
Nevada S	150	16	10.7	155	12	7.7
New Hampshire	339	44	13.0	344	41	11.9
New Jersey	693	78	11.3	693	76	11.0
New Mexico S/Texas W	979	22	2.2	978	30	3.1
New Mexico N	481	37	7.7	480	61	12.7
New York E	1,254	93	7.4	1238	71	5.7
New York W	582	78	13.4	594	73	12.3
North Carolina C	636	31	4.9	619	24	3.9
North Carolina E	654	17	2.6	653	24	3.7
North Carolina W	408	32	7.8	400	36	9.0
North Dakota	137	16	11.7	119	18	15.1
Ohio N	551	66	12.0	541	69	12.8
Ohio S	388	46	11.8	392	46	11.7
Oklahoma E	358	26	7.3	328	34	10.4
Oklahoma W	499	28	5.6	470	28	6.0
Oregon E	276	4	1.4	257	14	5.4
Oregon W	1,255	103	8.2	1281	98	7.7
Pennsylvania E	452	60	13.3	446	52	11.7
Pennsylvania W	195	26	13.3	194	39	20.1
Rhode Island	108	13	12.0	97	12	12.4
South Carolina C	1,314	10	0.76	1299	16	1.2
South Carolina E No. 1	2,397	3	0.12	2329	3	0.1
South Carolina E No. 2	2,017	6	0.29	1976	2	0.1
South Carolina N	821	4	0.48	808	2	0.3
South Carolina S No. 1	627	6	1.0	593	13	2.2
South Carolina S No. 2	794	4	0.5	789	3	0.4
South Carolina W	386	15	3.9	376	14	3.7
South Dakota	266	7	2.6	256	10	3.9
Tennessee E	159	23	14.5	158	16	10.1
Tennessee W	300	19	6.3	297	18	6.1
Texas C No. 1	528	34	6.4	518	25	4.8
Texas C No. 2	105	3	2.9	92	2	2.2
Texas E No. 1	1,269	83	6.5	1271	94	7.4
Texas E No. 2	838	70	7.4	865	66	7.6
Texas N	186	13	7.0	179	17	9.5
Texas S	219	12	5.5	209	21	10.0
Utah	251	29	11.6	239	27	11.3
Vermont	156	20	12.8	151	28	18.5
Virginia N	670	53	7.9	681	49	7.2
Virginia S	538	40	7.4	554	35	6.3
Washington NW	1,011	93	9.2	997	84	8.4
Washington SW	356	38	10.7	366	58	15.8
West Virginia	178	15	8.4	170	13	7.6
Wis. N/Peninsular Mich.	237	41	17.3	250	33	13.2
Wisconsin S	757	130	17.2	741	105	14.2
Wyoming	151	15	10.0	150	18	12.0

Teaching Native Americans an exciting, rewarding task

Life on the Amoz Gibson Project

The following account of teaching in the Amoz Gibson Project in South Dakota was written by John Khadem, an 18-year-old Bahá’í from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Teaching on an Indian Reservation is torture physically, but absolute heaven spiritually.

Life on the project means sacrifices, which include everything from food and clean clothes to dry bedding.

IT MEANS dealing with ‎tics ticks‎, spiders, mosquitos and tornados. It includes long walks in the hot sun among interested and receptive people who gladly welcome you into their homes.

But most important, it means teaching the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

It means meeting men who, having heard about the Faith, say, “I’ve always been a Bahá’í. You just came now and are telling me about it.”

It means meeting people who declare without hesitation and immediately want to give to the Fund.

It means old men who come to your place at night to tell you old Indian tales, and by midnight become Bahá’ís.

It means teamwork—seeing Bahá’ís, non-Bahá’ís, Indians, Persians, whites, blacks, boys and girls working together in unity to produce a volleyball field from waist-high grass (lawn mower not included).

IT MEANS seeing an 18-year-old Indian boy, a heavy smoker and drinker, become a caring Bahá’í, join the project, and become chairman of the local Youth Committee.

It means observing an Indian woman who is so loving and so dedicated that she brings back declarations every time she goes teaching among her people.

Teaching the Cause among the American Indians is indeed exciting.

The day begins at 6:30 a.m. with a wake-up call sung by the project director, Edwin Roberts.

After an hour of hasty preparations, everyone unites in a circle for dawn prayers and meditation.

At 8:30 breakfast is served, and at 9 we gather again for orientation.

By 10 o’clock everyone who is not associated with children’s classes leaves the hall, as the children are soon to arrive.

IN THE CAR, on our way to teach, we pray and sing. On reaching the day’s destination, we stop for a “project lunch,” which consists of a creative mix of peanut butter and anything else that is available.

The afternoon and early evening is devoted to teaching, which gives one the chance to experience the Divine Power at work.

The most loving feeling is usually experienced when one is talking about the Faith to someone and he or she says, “Yes, I am a Bahá’í, and I want to join you.”

Dinner, which is served between 6 and 7 p.m., is a time for sharing stories and comparing experiences.

Each Tuesday and Thursday evening, the youth play volleyball with local young people.

On other weeknight evenings there are rap sessions in which we reach out to the non-Bahá’í youth, share our feelings and form friendships.

After these activities have died down, the friends gather round for camaraderie and fellowship.

But what is seen on the surface is only the tip of the iceberg. The best part of the project lies in the feelings, the experiences, the friendships which are visible but not tangible.

Every difficulty is a joy. We experience the deepest satisfaction in knowing that we are serving the Cause—which is the best service of all.

We are truly united in that we are working for one goal. We share friendships, tests, joys, successes and sacrifices.

Friends, we hope that you will come and share all of this with us.

Stamp of approval

Pioneers, prospective pioneers and philatelists, take note.

The September/October issue of Brilliant Star magazine is of special interest to you.

The cover is a breathtaking collage of stamps from around the world collected by the editor of Brilliant Star over the past few years. And all collected from correspondence to the magazine!

The issue focuses on pioneering—from letters to the editor to the Persian pioneer song.

A special Parents’ Page, “The Two Pennies of Octavia,” was submitted by Lea Nys at the request of the Universal House of Justice.

Great stories, crafts, poetry, and two picture essays round out the issue.

One picture essay is entitled “Serving the Samovar” and shows the steps necessary to properly prepare for one’s guests.

The other, “A Visit to Green Acre,” wonderfully shows and tells the events that two boys experience at a Bahá’í school.

Don’t miss out a moment more—subscribe now, for yourself, your community and your friends.

One year, $12; two years, $23. Send to Brilliant Star, Suburban Office Park,

Hixson, TN 37343.

Committee seeks course information

The National Youth Committee is seeking information on correspondence courses designed to deepen new believers. Any information (course outlines, curriculum designs, etc.) would be welcomed. Please send any pertinent materials to the National Youth Committee,

Sunrise, FL 33313.

Teaching Fever Is CONTAGIOUS!— have YOU Caught the Fever Yet? [Page 31]

Ten years ago...

... in The American Bahá’í

More than 10,000 Bahá’ís are present in St. Louis, Missouri, for the largest Bahá’í conference ever held. The conference marks the final stage in the phased launching of the Five Year Plan.

Among the special guests at the four-day conference are the Hands of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (representing the Universal House of Justice), H. Collis Featherstone, Zikrullah Khadem, John Robarts and William Sears, as well as members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in North America and of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly.

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum appeals to American Bahá’ís to improve the quality of community life and to make it "the talisman that will draw mankind quickly under the shadow of Bahá’u’lláh" and "hasten the advent of the Kingdom of God on earth."

The National Spiritual Assembly announces that California, Illinois and New York have been chosen as states in which intensive proclamation and teaching activities are to take place during the initial phase of the Five Year Plan.

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, D.C., also are selected as sites for concentrated teaching efforts to be directed by their Local Spiritual Assemblies.

Among the highlights of the conference is a first ever meeting between members of the National Spiritual Assembly and members of hundreds of Local Assemblies from across the country.

The National Spiritual Assembly announces a special Two-Year Youth Program which relates to the goals of the Five Year Plan, and calls upon American Bahá’í youth to become even more active in circuit teaching, minority teaching, and college club involvement. In all, the National Assembly lists a dozen goal areas for youth.

Meanwhile, nearly 1,700 children attend an experimental Bahá’í school that functions as a part of the St. Louis conference under the guidance of more than 75 specially trained teachers.

The conference generates extensive publicity including promotion of an exhibit at Washington University of 23 works by Bahá’í artist Mark Tobey ...

Forty-six Bahá’ís from several areas of North Carolina attend a one-day teaching conference in Greensboro sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of Central North Carolina and hosted by the Spiritual Assembly of Greensboro ...

Dr. Moody

Continued from Page 4

When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá learned of a request for an American woman doctor to travel to Iran to help care for Persian women, Dr. Moody was suggested to Him as someone who could fill that need. The Master then told her she had been chosen for that work.

"I KNEW then," she said, "why I had felt so strongly the urge to study medicine..."

En route to Iran, Dr. Moody stopped to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and He gave her instructions and encouragement for the work ahead.

In parting, the Master told her that she would need to exercise patience, and that He would always be with her.

Dr. Moody later described those three days in the Holy Land, during which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave her the name "Amatu’l-A’lá" (Handmaid of the Most High), as being "all of her life."

During her 15 years of service in Iran, which began when she was 58 years old, Dr. Moody faced many hardships, and often she prayed for the guidance ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had promised.

HER many letters to the U.S. include descriptions of her work, impressions of Iranian society (which included lack of freedom or education for women and the custom of wearing the veil), as well as of her work in helping to establish a Bahá’í hospital, a girls’ school, and a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.

Eventually, she started the Tarbiyat School for Girls and began Bahá’í study classes for them. Later, she changed the name of the school in honor of Lilian Kappes, the first American teacher to die in Iran.

Forced to leave Iran temporarily because of worsening political conditions, Dr. Moody returned to the U.S., arriving in January 1925.

Three years later, at age 77, Dr. Moody responded to a request from the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, and, accompanied by Adelaide Sharp of San Francisco, set out once more for Iran where she received an overwhelming reception upon her arrival.

Although weakened by age, she continued her work at the Kappes Memorial School.

Six years later, in 1934, Dr. Moody died in Tehran. Hundreds of people attended her funeral including scores of school girls who walked in a procession through the city carrying flowers.

On receiving news of her passing, the Guardian described Dr. Moody as a "... far-famed pioneer who, through her indomitable spirit, ceaseless services, earned (a) unique distinction.

"(She) forged (the) first link in (the) chain uniting (the) spiritual destinies (of the) cradle of our faith and (the) community (of its) stalwart defenders in (the) great American Republic. ..."

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

Knight of Bahá’u’lláh George R. True, pioneer to Canary Islands, dies at post

George R. True, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh who pioneered in 1953 to the Canary Islands with his wife, Peggy, died at his pioneer post April 9, only 19 days before the formation of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Canary Islands.

Mrs. True is one of the nine members elected to serve on that National Assembly.

Mr. True, who earned a degree in engineering at Cornell University, learned of the Faith in the early 1930s from his employer, Lou Eggleston, in Detroit.

The Trues became Bahá’ís in 1936 and, soon afterward, moved to Grosse Pointe Farms, thus becoming two of the first U.S. homefront pioneers.

Mr. True was a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Detroit and the Spiritual Assembly of Grosse Pointe Farms, and served for a time on the Michigan Regional Teaching Committee.

In September 1953, responding to the Guardian’s call for pioneers, the Trues left Michigan for Nigeria.

But when they arrived in London, the Guardian cabled that there already were Bahá’ís in Nigeria, and that it would be best if they were to settle in a virgin territory.

En route to one of these places, they landed on October 18, 1953, on Tenerife in the Canary Islands and cabled the Guardian that there were no Bahá’ís there.

The Guardian cabled back, "Settle Canaries."

In spite of not knowing the language, Mr. True was able to establish a successful cinder block factory, the first of its kind on any of the islands.

In 1955 the first Spiritual Assembly of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was formed with Mr. True as its chairman.

The Trues continued to serve on that Assembly until 1979 when they moved to Valle Gran Rey on the island of La Gomera, thus opening another island to the Faith.

Edith M. Danielsen, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh

Edith Miller Danielsen, who was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, after pioneering in 1953 to the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, died January 29 in Juanita, Washington.

Mrs. Danielsen, who became a Bahá’í around 1950, offered her services as a pioneer following the death of her husband, Ted Danielsen, in an airplane accident in 1953.

After opening the Cook Islands to the Faith, she taught in Australia and New Zealand, then traveled to the Falkland Islands and other areas of the Pacific.

She also carried the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to mainland China and Taiwan.

Francis Johnson, served 12 years at World Centre

SADDENED ANNOUNCE PASSING DEVOTED SERVANT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH FRANCIS JOHNSON. HIS SINGLE-HEARTED LOYAL DEDICATION BELOVED CAUSE DISTINGUISHED BY TEACHING WORK AMONG INDIANS AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CROWNED BY 12 YEARS MEMORABLE SERVICES WORLD CENTRE. ARDENTLY PRAYING PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE FEBRUARY 14, 1984

Rexford C. Parmelee, who served Cause in many capacities over 45-year period

SADDENED NEWS PASSING REX PARMELEE. HIS UNASSUMING, QUIET AND DISTINGUISHED LABORS BEHALF CAUSE HE SERVED WITH DEVOTION FOR OVER THREE DECADES IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL AND IN WILMETTE WERE EXEMPLARY. KINDLY CONVEY OUR SYMPATHY AND ASSURE DEAR SYLVIA OF OUR PRAYERS AT THE HOLY SHRINES FOR PROGRESS HIS SOUL.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE JULY 30, 1984

Rexford C. Parmelee, who served the National Spiritual Assembly in many capacities during his 45 years as a Bahá’í, died July 27 in Evanston, Illinois. He was 76.

After retiring from a position as chief economist and chief statistician for the U.S. Bureau of Mines in Washington, D.C., Mr. Parmelee moved with his wife, Sylvia, to Wilmette so that the two of them could offer their services to the National Assembly.

Mr. Parmelee was at one time a member of the National Teaching Committee, and also served in the national Treasurer’s Office and as the manager of NSA Properties Inc.

He served for nearly 20 years as a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Wilmette, and at the time of his death was an assistant to Auxiliary Board member D. Thelma Jackson.

In Memoriam

Mabel J. Boutin Greenfield, WI July 3, 1984	Walter Henderson Livingston, TX May 1984	David Pavone Vancouver, WA May 1984
Dorothy Brodshaug Butte, MT June 25, 1984	Ethel Hill Vallejo, CA July 17, 1984	Marianne Relyea Orange, NJ June 9, 1984
Helen Brushorn Poplar, MT February 16, 1984	Albert Hogan Milton, DE January 31, 1982	Edward Rivers Dallas, TX Date Unknown
Gertrude Carter Winter Springs, FL June 18, 1984	Anne Marie Huff Sacramento, CA Date Unknown	Sam Somerhalder Santa Cruz, CA July 24, 1984
Edith Danielsen Juanita, WA January 29, 1984	Janet Lindstrom Bedford, NH July 3, 1984	Mildred M. Soper Ann Arbor, MI May 6, 1984
Roderick Delaney Tucson, AZ June 8, 1984	Sarah J. Martin Whittier, NC July 23, 1984	Willie Sparkman Andrews, SC October 25, 1980
Carole Dempler Carlsbad, NM September 8, 1983	Roy L. Miller Northridge, CA July 11, 1982	Gustave Tolka Rosendale, NY November 22, 1983
John H. Dent Adams Run, SC May 1984	Joseph Monroy Reedley, CA March 1984	Luther Turner Lewisville, TX August 16, 1983
James S. Gillis Porterville, CA July 1983	Helen Newton Ann Arbor, MI June 29, 1984	Yadullah Vargha Garden Grove, CA June 26, 1984
Willa Harris Wauchula, FL June 6, 1984	Rexford Parmelee Wilmette, IL July 27, 1984

[Page 32]

Letters

Continued From Page 3

...were united in the next world as surely as they had been in this one.

This was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, and many of those who were present told Mrs. Weaver they felt they had been blessed by hearing her read.

My aunt asked for a copy of the flowers and readings, as she thought they were so beautiful.

In my acknowledgments of the flowers, I intend to enclose a copy of the passages and prayer that were read, in the hope of sharing with others the Faith which has so sustained me.

Deborah Khalajabadi Port Arthur, Texas

To the Editor:

A pearl of infinite beauty and lustre is “generation of the half-light” as used by the Guardian in The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh (p. 168).

An aspect of this jewel is found in The Promulgation of Universal Peace (p. 465) in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in a talk to the Theosophical Society of New York, said:

“Therefore, we say man is a reality which stands between light and darkness. ... The animal nature is darkness; the heavenly is light in light.”

Paul speaks to this theme when he says, “Now we see through a glass, darkly.” (I Corinthians 13:12).

Related to this is Majnun’s search for Layli; the seeker in the valley of knowledge; Lancelot’s search for the Holy Grail.

It is the adventure of being human, of being faced with the unknown. The light is always behind us; ahead is the new experience, the new development, the new spiritual discovery, the new scientific breakthrough.

We shall always be the children of that “generation of the half-light.” Praise be to God!

Fred Bell Houston, Texas

To the Editor:

Ervin Laszlo, director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, speaking to the 8th annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies last year in Chicago, said that “in the early 1990s it is quite conceivable that we will have a massive financial breakdown ... the rain forests of the world could well disappear by the turn of the century if we continue cutting them down ... Not that it would even produce good agricultural land because the unprotected soils wash away.”

A solution for this is given in the book Survival Into the 21st Century by Viktoras Kulvinskas. The same area of land will support one carnivore, 10 vegetarians or 20 fruitarians.

By shifting our eating habits from animal products toward tree crops, we could save our soil and have enough to feed everyone, and they would be better fed.

“As there are fruitarian groups the world over that do not suffer protein deficiencies—in fact they appreciate superior health and freedom from disease—it is obvious that the protein content of fruits is fully adequate.” (T.C. Fry, president of the College of Life Science, Phoenix, Arizona)

An exception to this is the apple, which often has been pictured as the “forbidden fruit.” Although it is similar to a pear, an apple has only one-third as much protein. The average protein content of fruit is about the same as mother’s milk for a growing baby.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written: “At whatever time highly-skilled physicians shall have developed the healing of illnesses by means of foods, and shall prohibit mankind from living as slaves to their lustful appetites, it is certain that the incidence of chronic and diversified illnesses will abate, and the general health of all mankind will be much improved. This is destined to come about.” (Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 156)

Darlene Evans South Holland, Illinois

To the Editor:

Write on, Rouha Rose ... your letter (July) concerning letters to our legislators was quite a propos.

As Bahá’ís, we often get to see the divine wisdom of the principles of the Faith in action. This is an instance in which the principle appears to be linked to the answer to a question raised by Mrs. Rose: “Should a Bahá’í write to (his) elected representatives?”

As Bahá’ís, we are enjoined to abstain from partisan politics. Thus, when an election is over, all the elected representatives, regardless of party affiliation, become our representatives.

Because we haven’t aligned ourselves with particular candidates, we needn’t feel that an individual who might not have been our choice doesn’t represent our needs.

So all elected officials are there to serve us, regardless of political ties. If we have real human needs, these folks need to hear from us.

Perhaps if we can communicate with politicians on the issues that affect us directly, they may be moved to take legislative action to help solve our problems.

David Terentieff Walla Walla, Washington

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BAHÁ’Í FAITH

To the Editor:

I’d like to thank Robert Smith for writing (June) about something that has concerned me in the several years that I’ve been a Bahá’í.

It seems that too many Bahá’ís have an unjustified disdain for modern medical science. Although nothing need be added to Mr. Smith’s comments, his letter has encouraged me to write briefly about the role of nutrition in medicine.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá said diseases would one day be treated with foods, and since that time many diseases have indeed been treated with foods.

Foods that are rich in thiamine (pork, fresh vegetables, beans) will prevent and treat beriberi; foods rich in vitamin C (citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables) can prevent and treat scurvy.

Foods rich in folacin (liver, citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables), vitamin B-12 (animal products) and iron (beef, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables) again will prevent and treat various anemias.

Adequate protein from food can prevent and treat kwashiorkor (protein malnutrition), while adequate food (calories) will prevent general wasting or marasmus.

This is an incomplete but representative list. All of these diseases have been common in previous centuries, and unfortunately, they are still prevalent in many parts of the world where there is not enough knowledge or means of production for a varied and adequate food intake.

Nutrition plays an important part in medicine, but it can never replace other medical treatments for most disorders. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not say it would do so.

Valerie Sims Spring, Texas

To the Editor:

Last month (June) The American Bahá’í ran a letter concerning Bahá’í involvement in the “peace movement.”

THE LETTER left the impression that the peace movement includes only “anti-war demonstrators” and “peace activists.” This is not accurate.

We are all aware that there are many approaches to take in expressing a desire for world peace. There are, however, many other approaches that do not challenge, but build peace.

This is no small matter, because unless individual conscience continues to awaken and respond to cries of human suffering, how can a collective conscience evolve?

It is the evolvement of this “unity of conscience,” as expressed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, that will assure the foundation of a universal peace.

The human spirit manifests itself through deeds of conscience. We do not have to be known as “conscientious objectors” in a world at war, but we should be known as “conscientious cooperators” in a world struggling to build a lasting peace.

There exist now myriad opportunities to “build peace” which beg our involvement. There are many non-profit, non-political community projects and programs that seek, through service, ways to bring people together in a common accord.

THESE local, grassroots community development programs, both here and abroad, offer Bahá’ís a way to actively reach out and participate in a growing cooperative network of people helping people at the local level—which is the place where peace can be demonstrated with great effect.

Mutual help and self-help networks have been and are serving as powerful agents in creating positive social change. They rely on local volunteers who are willing to sacrifice some of their time by joining a greater effort.

History attests to the fact that a truth once seen, even by one human mind, will end by imposing itself on the whole of human consciousness.

The point is that any individual effort put forth in the Cause of God and service to others will be magnified in wondrous ways.

“Consider ye that He says, ‘in groups,’ united and bound together ... with sincere intentions, goodly designs, useful advices, divine moralities, beautiful actions, spiritual qualities ... When holy souls, through the angelic power, will arise to show forth these celestial characteristics, establishing a band of harmony, each of these souls shall be regarded as one thousand persons.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith, pp. 401-402)

As Bahá’ís, we are aware that no future awaits man except in harmony with other men. If we believe, as Bahá’u’lláh has told us, that mankind was created “to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization,” then we must also accept that the evolutionary change taking place within the minds of humankind, which promises to expand our awareness from individual consciousness to world consciousness, is ordained by our Creator.

It then follows that to advance this civilization toward its culmination in universal peace, we must rush into the body of the world as participants, quickening every effort that is helping to bring into being this new age.

Carol R. Goodrich Bellingham, Washington