The American Bahá’í/Volume 3/Issue 11/Text
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DEDICATION OF LOUIS G. GREGORY INSTITUTE[edit]
Louis G. Gregory, 1874-1951
The Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute was dedicated and officially opened on Sunday, October 22, near Hemingway, South Carolina. Named in memory of a South Carolinian whose distinguished services to the Bahá’í Faith earned him the posthumous designation of Hand of the Cause of God, the
Institute is intended to be a focal point for the training of new believers in the beliefs and practices of the Bahá’í religion. Training sessions will be held throughout the year and are expected to attract Bahá’ís of all ages from all over the South as well as from among the rapidly increasing Bahá’í membership in South Carolina.
The significance of the occasion was marked by the presence of Mrs. Florence Mayberry and Miss Edna True, members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America, and of the members of the National Spiritual Assembly. Members of the Auxiliary Board and of the National Teaching Committee and all teaching agencies in South Carolina were among the estimated 800 attendees.
In the brief dedicatory program, which included recitation of prayers and readings from Bahá’í scriptures, Miss True extolled the importance of the Institute to the nationwide development of the Bahá’í community; Dr. Sarah M. Pereira, National Spiritual Assembly member, whose family was taught the Faith by Mr. Gregory, gave a sketch of his life as a distinguished teacher and administrator of the Bahá’í Faith; then Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, proclaimed the dedication of the Institute. The event ended with the planting of a tree.
An important point of the program was the introduction of Mr. Harold C. Jackson, the recently appointed Dean of the Institute.
The facilities of the Louis G. Gregory Institute, estimated to have capacity for about 100 students, are a modest group of buildings surrounded by a neat lawn on a rural road. A recent upsurge of conversions across the South, and particularly in South Carolina, prompted the National Spiritual Assembly to establish this center of Bahá’í study.
The following text of the greeting sent by the Hand of the Cause William Sears reflected the spirit of the occasion:
“Louis Gregory was my friend. He was an example to all of us who saw him, knew him, and loved him. I had the bounty of knowing Louis very well, both here in the Deep South where he came to speak at our home at our first fireside in Jackson, Mississippi, where we were pioneering, and where, together, we faced the wrath and antagonism of our neighbors with joy and delight because he was an inspiration to courage. For several years, I listened to Mr. Gregory’s stories at Green Acre in Eliot, Maine. One summer he was the foreman and we were the crew as we put a new roof on the cottage where he spent the last years of his life. We would end our day’s work with tea and stories as Mr. Gregory would captivate us all with tales of his beloved Master. I can see him yet with his shining, smiling, radiant face, and I can see him slapping his knee with delight as he recalled a particularly amusing story.
“Today, I will tell you briefly why this occasion here now is so marvelous, so exciting, and so
(continued on page 2)
Dr. Sarah Pereira, whose family was taught the Faith by Mr. Gregory, gave a sketch of his life as a distinguished teacher and administrator of the Faith.
[Page 2]
Dedication of Louis G. Gregory Institute
(continued from page 1)
significant beyond our imagination. Future history is being made here today, history that will last not for hundreds or thousands of years, but for all the hundreds of thousands of years of the entire Bahá’í cycle! Remember that, as you honor this great human being, Louis Gregory. This day is a landmark, not only in the history of the American Bahá’í community, but in that of the American nation itself, which in time will come to understand, reverence, and glorify the memory of this great American hero as we do. I will mention here only three things, all significant milestones which this noble, brilliant, and, above all, lovable man has placed here to mark the pathway of the future for this nation. First, over and above his worth as a human being, as a teacher, an administrator, a scholar, and an example to us all, is the historic prototype which his marriage gave to this nation. Louis Gregory married Louisa Matthew—an interracial marriage of supreme significance which took place over 60 years ago; a marriage encouraged, blessed, and conducted by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself, the Mystery of God, the Center of God’s Covenant for today, the One to Whom Bahá’u’lláh said we should all turn. He, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, made it clear that this marriage was an example marriage to America. He wrote of such interracial marriage in these words—which you will find on page 359 of Bahá’í World Faith, ‘...gather together these two races, black and white, into one Assembly, and put such love into their hearts that they shall not only unite but even intermarry. Be sure that the result of this will abolish differences and disputes between black and white.... This is a great service to humanity.’ So this marriage stands as an example to us all. Mr. Gregory and his dear wife rendered that great service to humanity, and this was the daily service which Louis Gregory gave in his life, his marriage, and continues now here even after his death.
“Second, Louis Gregory set another example for American history when he was elected to and served on the highest Bahá’í administrative body in this nation, the National Spiritual Assembly. The Bahá’í Faith, through this wonderful man, demonstrated that from the very beginning of its administrative life in America, it has been integrated.
(continued on page 3)
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THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. Material must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Black and white glossy prints should be included with material whenever possible. Articles and news written in a clear and concise manner are welcomed from individuals as well as assemblies and committees. Address all mail to: The American Bahá’í Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. |
The dedicatory program included recitation of prayers and readings from the Bahá’í scriptures.
Mr. Harold C. Jackson, Dean of the Louis G. Gregory Institute, gave a moving presentation on the significance of the Institute and its role and function.
Children placing earth around a Canadian Hemlock tree which was planted as part of the dedicatory event.
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Qualities to Live By
Show forbearance and benevolence and love to one another. Should anyone among you be incapable of grasping a certain truth, or be striving to comprehend it, show forth, when conversing with him, a spirit of extreme kindliness and goodwill. Help him to see and recognize the truth, without esteeming yourself to be, in the least, superior to him, or to be possessed of greater endowments. The whole duty of man in this Day is to attain that share of the flood of grace which God poureth forth for him. Let none, therefore, consider the largeness or smallness of the receptacle. The portion of some might lie in the palm of a man’s hand, the portion of others might fill a cup, and of others even a gallon-measure. Every eye, in this Day, should seek what will best promote the Cause of God. He, Who is the Eternal Truth, beareth Me witness! Nothing whatever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than dissension and strife, contention, estrangement, and apathy, among the loved ones of God. Flee them, through the power of God and His sovereign aid, and strive ye to knit together the hearts of men, in His Name, the Unifier, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Beseech ye the one true God to grant that ye may taste the savour of such deeds as are performed in His path, and partake of the sweetness of such humility and submissiveness as are shown for His sake. Forget your own selves, and turn your eyes towards your neighbour. Bend your energies to whatever may foster the education of men. Nothing is, or can ever be, hidden from God. If ye follow in His way, His incalculable and imperishable blessings will be showered upon you.... Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 7-9 |
View of the main auditorium of the Institute (foreground), the dormitory (left), and the caretakers’ home (center background).
Interior of the main auditorium.
(continued from page 2)
More, it has given not only equality but preference to the minority races where qualities stand equal. Louis Gregory, an American Negro, was chosen by his fellow Bahá’ís to serve in the highest administrative position to which any human being can achieve in any national Bahá’í community. He was a loving embodiment of the oneness, the equality of opportunity, and the basic Bahá’í principle that we are indeed all the leaves of one tree and the drops of one sea. He gave his life to advancing these principles, and he stands as a monument to the principle of the absolute elimination of all prejudices in the Bahá’í world community, a principle which the world is just coming to understand and appreciate.
“Third and last, Louis Gregory was raised up posthumously to the station of a Hand of the Cause of God—the highest spiritual station which a follower of Bahá’u’lláh can achieve on this planet—because of his purity of heart and his lifelong dedication to the Bahá’í Faith. Mr. Gregory was the first of his race to become a Hand of the Cause of God, so again he pointed the way. He was described by the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as the essence of the love of God and a symbol of guidance to us all.
“Beloved friends, the memory of the Bahá’í hero we honor here today has just begun its journey into the galaxy of the immortal figures of our Faith. As the fame, reputation, and glory of the figures which the world around us today praises and reveres fade, diminish, and vanish from the pages of history forever, the name of Louis Gregory will increase in honor, majesty, and wonder, and the whole world will come to love him as we do here today, and this Institute will flourish, for it is merely the spring that will, in time, become a stream, a river, and a sea, offering the water of life to a bewildered and disillusioned humanity, as Louis Gregory did every day of his life. There is nothing happening today in this entire hemisphere as significant or as important as the dedication of this Institute. Appreciate every minute of every hour of this day and this occasion, and the power of the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh, Who has raised up a native son of this State to become higher than the kings, the rulers, and the leaders of men.”
Bahá’í Child Education and Family Life[edit]
Painting a Beautiful Picture[edit]
The Bahá’í Writings refer to mankind as the flowers of one garden; to the children as roses and as “...flowers of Thy meadow.”
Flowers are beautiful. They are pleasing to the eyes; they have sweetness and freshness, and they uplift our spirits.
How can we make sure that we become truly beautiful “flowers” and that we are helping our children to become true “roses” of the garden of humanity?
Bahá’u’lláh has said: “Be the essence of cleanliness among mankind...let no trace of uncleanliness appear on your clothes.... Immerse yourselves in pure water.... Verily We have desired to see in you the manifestations of Paradise on earth, so that there may be diffused from you that whereat the hearts of the favored ones shall rejoice.” (As quoted in Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, p. 113)
Our National Spiritual Assembly takes great care to see that the House of Worship is kept clean and lovely. Why is this important, and what difference could it make to those who visit it?
Those of us who have been to the Holy Land or have seen pictures of the Shrines and the gardens know how beautifully they are kept. Would they be quite as peaceful and joy-giving if the paths were littered with trash, the grass was left uncut, or the walls and lovely rugs and furnishings were allowed to be stained or defaced? Can we even imagine such a thing being allowed to happen?
Let us hold a family discussion on the picture we are painting with our lives and our homes.
- When we attend Feasts and other Bahá’í events, are we dressed in a way that reflects the spiritual character of these events?
- When we “yell” at the children to keep their rooms neat and clean, are we, as parents, first setting the example with our own belongings?
- Isn’t it possible to have our own individual styles of dressing and living, and still obey the standard of cleanliness set by Bahá’u’lláh?
- How can we help each other learn to be truly beautiful “flowers” of His garden?
‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us: “Cleanliness and sanctity in all conditions are characteristics of pure beings and necessities of free souls.... External cleanliness, although it is but a physical thing, hath a great influence upon spirituality....” (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. 3, p. 581)
Let us try to make the picture we are painting one of cleanliness and sanctity, purity and delicacy, beauty and refinement, for these things exalt humanity and exercise an influence upon the spirit of man.
CHILDREN’S CORNER[edit]
Here is another page for your book on qualities.
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CLEANLINESS My example of being clean |
Add the following page to your book on Bahá’í principles. Color a leaf on your tree when you finish the activity.
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“Be the essence of cleanliness among mankind...” (Bahá’u’lláh, as quoted in Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, p. 113)
With those you like best, make a beautiful picture by pasting them on a piece of paper. |
Materials For Setting Up Children’s Classes[edit]
Local Spiritual Assemblies and District Teaching Committees will soon be receiving a packet of materials to assist in the establishment of children’s classes locally. These materials will include suggestions for curricula, parent-teacher meetings, rental of meeting space, use of a planning calendar, etc.
Please write to this office if these materials are not received within a reasonable amount of time.
- OFFICE OF CHILD EDUCATION
- 112 Linden Avenue
- Wilmette, Illinois 60091
THE PALM OF VICTORY IS NOT YET OURS—
Only Five Months Left to Win the Remaining Goals of the Nine Year Plan[edit]
Below are two lists of remaining goals. One is a listing of pioneering goals specifically assigned to the United States and indicates the number of pioneers needed. The other is a supplementary list recently circulated by The Universal House of Justice showing areas of the world requiring assistance in the completion of their goals.
| AMERICAS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bonaire Island | 1 | |
| (Collaboration goal with Venezuela) | ||
| Martinique Island | (F) \ | |
| Guadeloupe Island (SC) | (F) - | 2 |
| Marie-Galante Island | (F) / | |
| (Note: Although the numerical goals for Latin America have been completed, these remaining assignments must be filled before the end of the Nine Year Plan.) | ||
| AFRICA | ||
| Dahomey | (F) | Filled! |
| Gabon | (F) | 1 |
| Malawi | (E) | 1 |
| St. Helena | (E) | 2 |
| Tanzania | (E) | Filled! |
| Togo | (F) | 1 |
| Zaire Republic | (F) | 2 |
| AUSTRALASIA | ||
| Western Samoa | (E) | Filled! |
| EUROPE | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azores | (P) | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Denmark | (SC) | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Finland | (SC) | Filled! | |||||||||||||||
| Portugal | (P) | 3 | |||||||||||||||
| Ukraine | (CP) | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| ASIA | |||||||||||||||||
| Indonesia | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Japan | Filled! | ||||||||||||||||
| Kazakhstan | (CP) | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Laos | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Portuguese Timor | (CP) | 1 | |||||||||||||||
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| AFRICA | *Territories with greatest need. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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If you can fill any of the goals listed, please contact: INTERNATIONAL GOALS COMMITTEE, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091 (Tel. 312/256-4400)
[Page 6]
Left to right: Dr. Rexford C. Parmelee, Mr. Edward Robinson (Vice-President of the Buford Scholarship Fund), Mr. David W. Kellum, and Mrs. Juliette B. Buford (President of the Scholarship Fund).
PLEASANT HILL GROUP HOSTS PROCLAMATION IN PARK[edit]
Pleasant Hill Park was the site of a week-long proclamation effort sponsored by the Walnut Creek Assembly in California, August 13 through 19.
As part of this teaching project, the City Manager of Pleasant Hill was presented with The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh during a pleasant 20-minute meeting at his office. The Pleasant Hill Police Department was notified of the event through a hand-carried letter delivered to the Assistant Chief of Police.
Prior to the proclamation, two press releases appeared in the local paper, a radio announcement was made, and posters were put up in many places to draw the public’s attention to the Bahá’í Faith. A poster announcing a Folk Music Concert was put up in the park’s swimming pool area where it could be seen by many people.
While the site of the proclamation started out in the Pleasant Hill Park area, by the second day the friends decided to spread out to other parks in the area and to Diablo Valley College in order to reach a larger number of people.
Each day the friends met for prayers and singing, then proclaimed the Message until evening. Dinner was served in the park each evening and the two films, It’s Just the Beginning and Give Me That New Time Religion were shown at dusk on week nights.
More than 400 pamphlets were distributed during the proclamation period. The pamphlets used were What Is A Bahá’í? and Basic Facts of the Bahá’í Faith. The Bahá’ís identified themselves by wearing Bahá’í Faith name tags.
The proclamation ended with a Folk Music Concert which featured two singing groups, Wednesday’s Children and The New Dawn Singers. This event attracted a number of people who had been invited to attend personally during the week’s teaching activities, as well as passersby. About 100 people heard the concert, including Bahá’ís.
Members of the “Wednesday’s Children” singing group blend with the audience as they listen to “The New Dawn Singers.”
BAHÁ’Í HONORED AT BENEFIT LUNCHEON FOR BENEDICT COLLEGE, SOUTH CAROLINA[edit]
Mr. David W. Kellum, originator of Chicago’s annual Bud Billiken Day parade and picnic, was honored at a luncheon in the Crystal Ballroom of the Sheraton-Blackstone Hotel, in Chicago, September 24, 1972.
This event was sponsored by the John P. and Juliette B. Buford Scholarship Fund, Inc., for the benefit of Benedict College in South Carolina.
One of the features of the program was the presentation of the book, Memorials of the Faithful, written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Making the presentation on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly was Dr. Rexford C. Parmelee, Secretary of the National Bahá’í Properties Committee.
Mr. Kellum is a member of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chicago.
ARKANSAS DISTRICT TEACHING COMMITTEE EXPANDS PROCLAMATION EFFORT[edit]
The District Teaching Committee inaugurated a newspaper publicity effort that has resulted in more publicity for the Faith in 12 weeks than in the last thirty years since the Faith was established in the state!
To begin with, the committee established an Arkansas Bahá’í Information Service, and appointed one of its members as its Public Information Representative, after which the names and addresses of every newspaper in the state were secured. Then through its representative, working in close cooperation with all of the Bahá’í communities in Arkansas, releases of statewide interest were sent to all newspapers in the state, along with photographs. A clipping service is used to secure copies of all articles printed so that the extent of the publicity will be known. The result is that cities which have no Bahá’ís residing in them, and which have never before had information about the Faith, now have newspaper items, often extensive and illustrated, proclaiming the Faith. While the body of the articles sent to the different newspapers is the same, the opening sentence relates it to the specific town. More than 1200 column inches of material has been printed so far. Many Bahá’ís in Arkansas are finding that their friends, neighbors and work associates refer to the publicity they have seen, and a number of interested people have been in direct touch with the District Teaching Committee’s information service.
Since 1966, the Bahá’ís of Arkansas have maintained a Bahá’í booth at the State Fair. This year, a permanent and professionally prepared display was designed and built by Tom Schwandes assisted by Billie Wheeler. The display comes apart in sections and can be transported in a station wagon. The sign lettering was done by Art Hatley.
Most important was the wholehearted cooperation of the Bahá’ís who volunteered two and three at a time to man the booth for two-hour intervals, twelve hours a day, with many of them taking several intervals at a time, for ten days.
On the night the booth was being put up, a young lady who had been looking into the Faith for several months declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
The Bahá’ís report that at their schools and places of work, an unprecedented number of people mentioned having seen the booth and had talked to others about it, commenting on its attractiveness.
Two members of the Arkansas District Teaching Committee survey newspaper articles published about the Bahá’í Faith in Arkansas during a recent twelve-week period as the result of a new statewide publicity effort. Allan Ward, left, serves as public information representative for the committee, and Albert Porter, right, is committee chairman.
Arkansas State Fair Bahá’í booth successfully proclaimed the Faith to thousands from September 29 to October 8. It was manned by numerous volunteers, including those shown above. Standing left to right: Kathy Ryan, Billie Wheeler, Annette Myrick, Art Hatley; seated left to right: Becky Myrick and Portia Porter. Signs in display proclaim “Bahá’u’lláh, The Glory of God”, “One God, One Religion, One Mankind”.
[Page 8]
PALM OF VICTORY NOT YET OURS!
(continued from page 5)
IS VICTORY IN SIGHT?[edit]
It can be with your help!
ONLY FIVE MONTHS REMAIN to win the remaining goals of the Nine Year Plan. There are many goal areas for which believers having United States citizenship cannot obtain entry visas. We are submitting, therefore, the following appeal:
If you have French, Danish, or Portuguese citizenship, or the citizenship of any other European country, AND
If you would like to fill a goal before the end of the Nine Year Plan,
Please contact:
- International Goals Committee
- 112 Linden Avenue
- Wilmette, Illinois 60091
URGENT![edit]
French-speaking traveling teachers needed.
The Universal House of Justice has asked the United States Bahá’í Community to supply 5 traveling teachers, fluent in the French language who could spend six months teaching the Faith in Zaire Republic in Africa.
The House of Justice cabled:
“Praying shrine willing qualified soul will soon arrive.”
Are you qualified to meet this urgent appeal? If so, please contact:
- International Goals Committee
- 112 Linden Avenue
- Wilmette, Illinois 60091
- Telephone: 312/256-4400
PIONEERING OPPORTUNITY[edit]
Gentle tradewinds, tropical rain forests, surroundings that call for the spirit of the early pioneers—the Islands of Bahía (the Bay Islands), Honduras, Central America.
- If you are young and vigorous,
- If you are willing to take the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh on foot to the waiting souls, and
- If you can speak Spanish,
- this might be the place for you to serve.
One person can live on $100 a month. Although it would be most helpful if you are self-supporting, it is possible that some funds may be available.
The end of the Nine Year Plan is not far off. This is an unfilled goal. Will you be the one to respond to this immediate need and help win this goal?
If interested, please contact:
- International Goals Committee
- 112 Linden Avenue
- Wilmette, Illinois 60091
Caribbean Appeal![edit]
Although our numerical assignments in this hemisphere have been successfully completed, other communities in the Caribbean need our assistance.
French-speaking pioneers are urgently needed in the following localities:
HAITI needs 5 pioneers.
FRENCH WEST INDIES need 2 pioneers.
If you are able to fill any of these 7 goals, please contact:
- International Goals Committee
- 112 Linden Avenue
- Wilmette, Illinois 60091
CHILD’S WAY[edit]
For gift-giving (especially to children and grandchildren), have you thought of a subscription to CHILD’S WAY? The recipient will be notified of your gift and the giver will also receive an acknowledgement.
CHILD’S WAY is completing its fourth year of publication in its present format. It is directed primarily toward children, but adults enjoy it too!
[edit]
National Teaching Committee, left to right: Mrs. Soo Pouts, Mrs. Erma Hayden, Mr. Richard D. Betts (Secretary), Mr. Phil Christensen, Mr. Bransford Watson, and Mrs. Kathleen Javid (Chairman)
Addressing a Bahá’í Unity conference which was held just outside of Ganado, Arizona, June 2-4, 1972,
The Universal House of Justice wrote: “Praise be to the Almighty that you have gathered in that beautiful spot in a spirit of love and harmony for the purpose of strengthening the bonds of unity between yourselves and among men....” That “beautiful spot” was the site chosen for another more recent conference at which the National Teaching Committee consulted with a number of the believers on Indian teaching.
A familiar passage from The Tablets of the Divine Plan came to mind as the Committee drove through the desert toward Ganado: “You must give great importance to teaching the Indians,...should these Indians...be educated and obtain guidance,...they will become so enlightened as in turn to shed light to all regions.”
(continued on page 9)
[Page 9]
National Teaching Committee Meets on Navajo Reservation to Consult On Indian Teaching (continued from page 8)
Believers experienced and especially interested in sharing the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh with the indigenous peoples of the United States came from various parts of the country. Members of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Ganado, the District Teaching Committee of Northern Arizona, and the Western Regional Indian Committee met with the National Teaching Committee. All came together “to strengthen the bonds of unity” and to find through prayer and consultation with our Indian brothers and sisters a more effective way to share the “Beauty Path” of God with the descendants of the original inhabitants of America.
A “ceremonial” sheep was lovingly prepared by our host, Mrs. Athnebah Net, and her family. This was served with corn and delicious fry bread. Afterwards, there was truly a meeting of the hearts as everyone gathered for prayers, songs, talks and, later in the evening around a campfire, dances by Apache youth. The talks by the older Navajo believers encompassed the years of pain, of the “testing” of the white man who, in the experience of so many of the down-trodden peoples of the world, has spoken with “forked tongue” but who now, in the purity of the garb of the new creation, spoke heart to heart with his brothers and sisters in spirit.
Mrs. Net spoke of the dark-skinned and the light-skinned peoples, and likened them to the sun and the moon. Then quietly, ever so quietly, each Indian believer spoke in his melodic Navajo and we listened to the wisdom gained from the troubles and sorrows that has been their lot. Life is not easy, but they are content and happy in their new-found knowledge of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh. They wanted to show their “appreciation” for our having come so far to be with them, and extended a warm blanket of love and happiness as they opened their hearts and homes to us. The spiritual bonds deepened.
The unfolding, which had begun with some trepidation, began to become more acute as we struggled to understand the true meaning of the organic unity of the human race. There before us were our brothers, and their silent suffering was like a tumultuous shout to the world which pierced us to the core.
Sunday was a glorious day! We all met together under what felt like the Covenant, but what actually was an arbor of pine boughs, the spot where that precious message from The Universal House of Justice to the Unity Conference was read. Here, there were more prayers, songs, and talks, and again the general meeting of the hearts and the mingling of the spirit. Then amid visible signs of spiritual strength, and resuscitated spirit, we took our leave, assured that we were as one soul in one body. Strains of the song “...look at Me, follow Me, be as I am.... ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá....” entered our minds and stayed with us until we arrived at our temporary counsel chambers in Window Rock, the seat of the Navajo nation.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes in The Secret of Divine Civilization, page 4, these words:
“How excellent, how honorable is man if he arises to fulfil his responsibilities; how wretched and contemptible, if he shuts his eyes to the welfare of society and wastes his precious life in pursuing his own selfish interests and personal advantages. Supreme happiness is man’s, and he beholds the signs of God in the world and in the human soul, if he urges on the steed of high endeavor in the arena of civilization and justice. ‘We will surely show them Our signs in the world and within themselves.’ ”
The members of the National Teaching Committee returned with a keener insight into indigenous teaching, and certainly with a renewed commitment to change and/or be innovative in this vital aspect of the Nine Year Plan on the homefront. What better place to start than on the Navajo Reservation where ten years ago the first glimmerings of mass conversion were witnessed?
‘Abdu’l-Bahá told us that we must give great importance to teaching the Indians. He was speaking to all of us, not only to the believers of Indian heritage, not only to those with some Indian blood, not only to those who were “interested” but to all believers!
National Teaching Committee
Notes from a Hopi Village[edit]
by Nancy Phillips
Before coming up here to spend some time with a dear Hopi friend,
Mrs. Elizabeth Dahe, I received a letter from the Western Regional Indian Committee asking me to write an appeal for pioneers to Indian reservations, noting that although the number of believers among some Indian tribes keeps increasing, the number of pioneers is dwindling.
Now I know that an appeal could have been composed more objectively while still in the city. There, it is easy to write coolly, with one’s thoughts and words well connected.
Here, in Indian heartland, thinking of the need for dedicated, loving pioneers, where now there are so few, tears flow more readily than words. We have waited so long to come.
Are there not Bahá’ís who can come to this beautiful land to bring Bahá’u’lláh’s healing Message for the unity and well-being of all mankind through the example of their lives as well as their words; to listen and learn as they teach; to pray; to love?
A pioneer should be equipped to settle into the midst of Indian families naturally, contributing to the life of reservation communities. A teacher, even with minimum credentials and experience, but with heart, can do this. So can a nurse. A doctor would be heaven-sent. The possibility of other jobs exists.
There is a committee to whom you can talk or write for information about pioneering among the Indians of the western states: Western Regional Indian Committee, Mrs. Audrie Reynolds, Secretary, Box 448, Fort Wingate, New Mexico 87316. Mrs. Reynolds’ telephone number is 505/488-5679.
Mrs. Elizabeth Dahe and grandson outside former home of her grandmother on the Hopi reservation at Oraibi, oldest, continuously inhabited village on the North American continent.
Group of Bahá’ís outside the Jack Kahn residence, Pine Springs, Navajo reservation. Left to right: Eva Kahn and Elizabeth Dahe’s grandson, pioneer Jan Herbst, Mrs. Alta Kahn, Mrs. Ruby Nelson and Roberta Nelson (Pine Springs), and Mrs. Dahe of Polacca (Hopi reservation).
JEWISH TEACHING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES PLAN TO FURTHER ENHANCE DIVERSITY OF AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY[edit]
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A Contributing Factor in Successful Teaching
Many seeds had been scattered throughout these islands over the years by dedicated pioneers, visits by Hands of the Cause of God, Continental Counsellors, Auxiliary Board members, traveling teachers, and by the few native believers themselves, which all helped toward the achievement of this goal of the Nine Year Plan. In addition, a team of four traveling teachers, from the United States was sent to the island of Barbados to assist with the teaching work for a six-month period last year. This energetic team was instrumental in attracting 2500 new adherents to the Cause! This was accomplished after the team had split up into two groups, one group taking the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the people and the other following up immediately to deepen the new believers. This essential hand-in-hand expansion and consolidation resulted in the early formation of a new Local Spiritual Assembly, a task which oftentimes is difficult to accomplish in mass teaching areas because of the lack of full-time teachers to do the all-important follow-up work. This project was financed jointly by the United States National Bahá’í Fund and the International Deputization Fund. The deputization of a team of teachers on such a project may cost anywhere between $500 and $3000, the actual amount depending on the cost of travel to and within the goal country. The cost is somewhat higher than that of sending individual traveling teachers; however, the ends justify the expense because the results are much more enduring and far-reaching than with single teachers. It is the privilege and bounty of the United States Bahá’í community to lend support to other Bahá’í communities in the world, both financially and by sending pioneers and traveling teachers. Although there are only a few teaching teams in the field at this time, their activities and achievements give a significant example of the important work made possible by our contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund. BAHÁ’Í NEWS Subscription, $6.00 a year in the United States and Canada (payable in advance). For Bahá’ís only. Bahá’í Subscriber Service, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091 |
“Let any one who feels the urge among the participators in this crusade, which embraces all the races, all the republics, classes and denominations of the entire Western Hemisphere, arise, and, circumstances permitting, direct in particular the attention, and win eventually the unqualified adherence, of the Negro, the Indian, the Eskimo, and Jewish races to his Faith. No more laudable and meritorious service can be rendered the Cause of God, at the present hour, than a successful effort to enhance the diversity of the members of the American Bahá’í community by swelling the ranks of the Faith through the enrollment of the members of these races.” (The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 45)
The above statement by Shoghi Effendi sets the stage for the various thrusts currently being made to enhance the diversity of the members of the American Bahá’í community. While most Bahá’ís are aware of the Teaching efforts among the Negro, the Indian, the Spanish-speaking, the Chinese and the Japanese peoples, the efforts to reach the Jewish people in the United States has, in general, been limited to a random process on the local level. During the 1971 National Bahá’í Convention, the delegates recommended to the National Spiritual Assembly that a concerted effort be initiated to reach the Jewish people, a significant minority in the United States. As a result, the National Teaching Committee was asked to appoint a Jewish Teaching Committee to take up this challenge. This committee is now prepared to cosponsor a number of area conferences to initiate a systematic approach for taking the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the Jewish people in America.
Age-old utterances of the Messengers of God to the Israelites foretold the coming of the Messiah Who would usher in an era of everlasting peace and justice. The Writings of Bahá’u’lláh abound with evidences that this long-prayed-for Messiah and this long-sought-for Day has arrived.
The Blessed Beauty Himself addressed the Jewish people, inviting them to recognize His Truth and assuring them that His Light was “dispersing and expelling the darkness of differences and oppression.”
(Tablet of “Glad-Tidings to the Jews”, Star of the West, Vol. IV,
No. 17, p. 282)
In areas such as New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia, many centers of Judaic culture can be found. Some forty-four percent (six million) of world Jewry reside in North America alone. Here in America are descendants of the ancient Hebrews, who, while identified with their national consciousness, are bound by spiritual ties to the land of Israel.
It is into this unusual religious community that we are about to penetrate, with both caution and energy, to tell the Jewish people that the promised Day has come. There can be no doubt that with the enthusiasm of the American Bahá’í community effective ways will be found to reach Jews of all leanings, whether Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed or assimilated, with the story of Bahá’u’lláh.
Four area conferences are anticipated, one each in the New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami areas. They will be sponsored by Local Spiritual Assemblies or District Teaching Committees or both. A master plan will be presented and from the outset will be considered experimental in nature. During the conferences the Jewish Teaching Committee will also undertake some direct teaching work.
We have been immensely successful, on an individual basis, in bringing people of Jewish background into the Faith. How much more successful we shall be when we pool our efforts to launch this proclamation on a larger scale.
Watch THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í for further information on these conferences!
Jewish Teaching Committee
CONFERENCE
Muna, Yucatán, México
December 23, 24 and 25, 1972
For further information, please write: Comite Regional de Ensañnza Bahá’í del Sureste, Pedro Uicab, Secretario, Calle 64, No. 527, Depto 2, Mérida, Yucatán, México
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE PUEBLA, MÉXICO
December 28, 29 and 30, 1972
For further information, please write: Comite Nacional de Juventud de los Bahá’ís de México, General León 77, México 18, D.F.
BAHÁ’Í BOOKS AND MATERIALS[edit]
DATEBOOK CALENDAR
BEGINS JANUARY 1, 1973
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1973 BAHÁ’Í DATE BOOK |
You’ll enjoy using this new Bahá’í Pocket Date Book. In 32 pages, it provides a full Gregorian calendar for the 13 months from January 1973 to January 1974. Its most significant features include:
- Feast days are shaded in GREEN, with Bahá’í months labeled in both Arabic and English.
- Holy days are identified with a nine-sided rosette, and each page includes information on special observances and days on which work should be suspended.
- Every page includes excerpts from Bahá’í Writings, many of them dealing with the special observances listed on the calendar.
- The calendar weeks begin with MONDAY, putting the two weekend days together for easier planning.
- Elsewhere in the Date Book are information about the Bahá’í Calendar, the Feast of Naw-Rúz, and the Riḍván period, space to write names and addresses of friends; and full Bahá’í calendars for the years 1972, 1973, and 1974.
Illustrated about 3/4 actual size. Date Book is 32 pages, printed in two colors, with bright, green cover.
1973 BAHÁ’Í DATE BOOK CATALOG NO. 6 69-23 | $ .35 (net) |
Order through your Bahá’í Community Librarian for postpaid handling on orders of $10 or more. PERSONAL ORDERS must include payment, plus 10 percent (minimum $.30) for postage and handling. Use the convenient order forms below to order either through your own community librarian or direct from the Publishing Trust.
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Both the Bahá’í Wall Calendar and the Bahá’í Pocket Calendar will be available for shipment by December 1, 1972. |
SPECIAL MATERIALS[edit]
6-58-31 Love Everybody Poster
A new black and white 8 1/2 x 13-inch proclamation poster is now available. It features the picture of a smiling black child and the plea “O God, please stop all the trouble and hurtin and make everybody love everybody thank you. XXX” Space is reserved at the bottom of the poster for the local community’s name and phone number.
20/$1.20 NET; 50/$2.00 NET
BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE[edit]
Bahá’í Lesson Plans: Grade K
This booklet, as all others in this lesson plan series, covers history, teachings for the individual, and social teachings. The section on “Progressive Revelation” introduces the concept of the Manifestation of God as a mirror of God, and gives the names of all Manifestations and the symbols of all religions. The section on “Spiritual Qualities” lists qualities to be attained and discusses ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Exemplar of these qualities. The section on “Bahá’ís Around the World” develops a feeling for the worldwide character of the Faith by providing imaginary visits to the Bahá’ís in Írán, Mexico, China, and Africa, as well as an imaginary trip to the Bahá’í Shrines in Israel.
$1.40
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LITERATURE IN CHINESE |
Three Chinese pamphlets are now available.
Bahá’í Convincing Answers/$0.20 NET
On Becoming a Bahá’í/$0.20 NET
Proclamation pamphlet (illustrated)
1/$0.05 NET; 10/$0.35 NET
HOW TO ORDER
Literature and Special Materials items must be handled separately. Using the order blank below, total each category in the space provided, and add the appropriate postage and handling charges before figuring the amount of your remittance. Personal orders must include full payment.
If possible, always order through a Bahá’í Community Librarian for postpaid handling on Literature orders of $5 or more and Special Materials orders of $10 or more.
BAHÁ’Í WINTER SCHOOLS 1972[edit]
Davison
- Location: Davison Bahá’í School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, Michigan 48423
- Sessions: From Monday evening, December 25 until Monday noon, January 1. First meal, Tuesday morning, December 26.
- Registrar: Mrs. Elizabeth Brogan, Secretary, 870 W. Drayton, Ferndale, Michigan 48220
Florida (North and South)
- Location: Methodist Youth Camp, Leesburg
- Sessions: December 26-January 1
- Registrar: Mrs. Ruth Thomas, 11 Palmwood Drive, Dunedin, Florida 33528
Georgia/Alabama
- Location: Camp Sumatanga, Gallant, Alabama
- Sessions: December 29-January 1. Registration begins at 1:00 p.m. on December 29, and the school closes after lunch on January 1.
- Registrar: Mr. John Haynes, 3661 N. Decatur Road, Decatur, Georgia 30033
Geyserville
- Location: Geyserville Bahá’í School, Geyserville, California
- Sessions: November 24-26
- Registrar: Mrs. Emma Martensen, Secretary, 3 Coleman Place, Apt. 3, Menlo Park, California 94025
Minnesota (North Central States)
- Location: Lyman Lodge, near Minneapolis
- Sessions: December 30-January 1
- Registrar: Mr. Michael Brytowski, Secretary, 914 – 9th Avenue North, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301
Oklahoma/Texas
- Location: Methodist Camp, Lake Bridgeport, Texas
- Sessions: December 26-30
- Registrar: Dr. Virginia Harden, Secretary, 320 E. Hurd, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034
Oregon
- Location: Menucha Conference Grounds, Corbett
- Sessions: November 23-26
- Registrar: Mrs. Doris Miller, Secretary, 153 Kensington Avenue, Astoria, Oregon 97103
Washington (West)
- Location: Seabeck
- Sessions: December 29-January 1
- Registrar: Mrs. Virginia Martig, Secretary, 409 Oak Street, Shelton, Washington 98584
NOTE:
Information on rates and curricula can be obtained by contacting the registrar of each school.
The American Bahá’í
112 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, ILLINOIS 60091
NOVEMBER 1972
In This Issue
LOUIS G. GREGORY INSTITUTE DEDICATION
REMAINING GOALS OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN
SCHEDULE OF BAHÁ’Í WINTER SCHOOLS
NATIONAL TEACHING COMMITTEE MEETS WITH BELIEVERS ON NAVAJO RESERVATION TO CONSULT ON INDIAN TEACHING
BAHÁ’Í CHILD EDUCATION AND FAMILY LIFE