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THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í

AUGUST 20, 2000

ASMÁ’/NAMES ‘IZZAT/MIGHT BAHÁ’Í ERA 157

VOLUME 31, NO. 6

I•N•S•I•D•E

BUILDING THE KINGDOM IT’S OUR TIME

OUR DEVELOPMENT PLAN PAGES 6–7

RACE UNITY DAY PAGES 14–15

VINEYARD OF THE LORD PAGES 22–23

YOUTH • 12 KID’S CORNER • 17 CLASSIFIED • 24–25 IN MEMORIAM • 26 UNIT CONVENTIONS • 27–29 PERSIAN PAGES • 32–34

MESSAGE FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States dated March 14, 2000

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The Universal House of Justice has received a message of unusual interest from a group of 10 Bahá’í men in North Carolina who have initiated a pilot program called “A Supreme Effort, white Bahá’í men ‘contributing their share to the solution of the problem’ of racism in America.” We have been asked to write as follows.

The House of Justice was deeply touched by the pure-hearted response of these friends to the Guardian’s urgent appeal in The Advent of Divine Justice, and it feels that so sincere a commitment to the principles lying at the heart of so vital an issue deserves to be encouraged wholeheartedly. It is important, too, that the Bahá’í institutions offer guidance that will assist them to deal successfully with the complexity and sensitivity of the challenge they have assumed.

The initiatives of white Bahá’í’s, so indispensable to the solution of a problem that involves the black and white races equally, must, of course, be readily and genuinely welcomed; and nothing should be done to dampen their zeal. But to attach the label “white Bahá’í men” to their endeavor can raise unnecessary problems.

SEE MESSAGE, PAGE 5

We are being heard

Media momentum invigorates interest in Bahá’í message, attracts dozens to enroll

BY THE NATIONAL TEACHING OFFICE

Local Bahá’í communities across the nation are experiencing increasing interest in the Faith. In most cases the friends are connecting with the souls who have responded to the call of Bahá’u’lláh through media broadcasts—although consistent community response to the seeker interest is not universal.

Successful follow-up to seekers has resulted in nearly 100 reported enrollments in the Faith. Most of those enrollments have occurred this year. In addition, some 20,000 people have visited the public Web site (www.us.bahai.org) without requesting information.

Since January, more than 10,000 inquiries about the Faith stemming from exposure to the national media campaign have included requests for literature or for direct contact.

The responses are also representing the wide spectrum of American society and occur across the country. Communities that have seen large-scale interest recently include Chico, California; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Washington, DC.

The friends in Broward County, Florida, are mastering the art of successful follow-up through their “Heart-to-Heart” program...

Youth teaching in the South / page 3

SEE MEDIA CAMPAIGN, PAGE 5

‘Every step is a prayer’

The vanguard of the cross-country Spirit Run leads more than 100 people on a walkway to the main entrance of the House of Worship in Wilmette. Photo by James Humphrey

Spirit Runners put the teachings in motion

BY JAMES HUMPHREY

Along the sidewalks of Wilmette, Illinois, the procession sounded the call of Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá over and over, from more than 100 throats. Mostly youths but with a significant sprinkling of all ages, they marched to a steady drumbeat—a beat that had impelled the same call into dozens of towns and cities over nearly two months.

As it approached the Bahá’í House of Worship from the northwest on July 16, the group was led by a drummer and nine young men and women who had taken turns carrying the sacred message of Bahá’u’lláh from the start of this long foot journey, this Spirit Run, this quest to demonstrate the unity of varied peoples through the sacrificial energy of the young.

Ten other youths who also had run for miles with the Message were among the first to follow. Completing the rainbow-colored...

SEE SPIRIT RUN, PAGE 18

THE NATIONAL FUND
Between May 1 and June 30, 2000
$4,500,000 Goal/all funds
$2,431,805 Received
Excluding Kingdom Project See page 3 for details

E•X•C•E•R•P•T•S

“Is not the object of every Revelation to effect a transformation in the whole character of mankind ... its inner life and external conditions?”

—Bahá’u’lláh [Page 2]

ALMANAC

Anniversary of the Birth of the Báb

A Bahá’í Holy Day

• Observed between sundown Oct. 19 and sundown Oct. 20
• Work is to be suspended

“The Báb, whose name was ‘Alí-Muhammad, was born in Shíráz [in Persia], on the first of Muharram, in the year 1235 A.H. [Oct. 20, 1819]. He was the descendant of a house renowned for its nobility, which traced its origin to Muhammad Himself.” (The Dawn-Breakers, p. 14)

A beautiful Tablet revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in honor of the anniversary of the Báb’s birth can be found on page 234 of Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh.

Some significant dates in Bahá’í history

Late August and September

September 1867: Bahá’u’lláh, exiled in Adrianople (Edirne, Turkey), began the process of declaring His mission to the world at large. His Tablet to the Kings and Rulers, revealed about this time, was described by Shoghi Effendi as His “most momentous Tablet.”

Sept. 23, 1893: The Bahá’í Faith was mentioned publicly for the first time in North America, in a presentation at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago by a former Christian missionary who had served in Syria.

Sept. 10, 1911: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá began His first series of public lectures in the Western world, starting at London and traveling to Paris on Oct. 3.

Sept. 19, 1919: The Hand of the Cause of God Martha Root brought her teaching efforts to a succession of Latin American countries that had never been visited by a Bahá’í: Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Panama and Cuba. She was followed almost exactly eight years later by the “Mother of South America,” Leonora Holsapple (later Armstrong), who made the first recorded Bahá’í teaching trips to Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Curacao, Trinidad, the Guianas, Barbados and other Caribbean islands.

Aug. 20, 1921: Agnes Baldwin Alexander was the first Bahá’í to visit Korea.

Sept. 4, 1943: Alaska’s first Local Spiritual Assembly was established at Anchorage. Alaska has had a National Spiritual Assembly since 1957, before statehood.

Sept. 16–17, 1961: The House of Worship in Sydney, Australia, was dedicated by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum in private and public ceremonies.

Sept. 8–10, 1979: The house of the Báb in Shiraz, Iran, was attacked and substantially demolished by crowds overseen by several Revolutionary Guards, part of a wave of repression that accompanied that country’s Islamic revolution.

Aug. 29, 1983: The government of Iran banned the Bahá’í Faith and made membership in its institutions a criminal offense. In response, Iran’s National Spiritual Assembly dissolved all Bahá’í institutions in the country.

Facts in the “Some Significant Dates” section were compiled from A Basic Bahá’í Chronology.

Upcoming Holy Days

Anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh: Nov. 12 Day of the Covenant: Nov. 26 Anniversary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Nov. 29

EXCELLENCE IN ALL THINGS

JOHN ANGELO, a Bahá’í in West Hollywood, California, was presented with a 1999–2000 Community Service Award by the California Parks and Recreation Society for his service involving drama and the arts.

CATHERINE BOROVICKA, a Bahá’í in Conway, South Carolina, was this year’s winner of the South Carolina Black History Month Essay Contest for high school students, sponsored by the state Department of Education. Her winning essay, selected from about 1,500, was on “Louis G. Gregory: Champion of Racial Unity.” As a senior at South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Math, Catherine also had won this year’s South Carolina Public Health Association Award for her community project on recognizing racism.

WILLIAM E. DAVIS, a Bahá’í in Menlo Park, California, and the chair of the National Spiritual Assembly, has been named by the University of Kentucky as this year’s recipient of the Henry R. Heyburn Alumni Public Service Award. This award is given every other year to “the UK College of Law graduate deemed to exemplify an interest in the public good.” In a letter to Davis, the acting dean of the College of Law noted in part, “I can honestly say that I cannot think of a more deserving graduate for this prestigious award.”

‎LSONARD LEONARD‎ EDWARD HYMAN, a 16-year-old Bahá’í from Samoa, has been accepted by the University of Southern California as a Trustee Scholar, the highest scholastic award for incoming freshmen. Educated in Hawaii and Samoa, he is the son of Bill and Jane Hyman, pioneers in Samoa previously living in Morristown, New Jersey. Before entering the university, Leonard is to spend his third straight summer as a reporter for the Samoa News.

KATIE OSVOLD, a Bahá’í who is a high school junior in Jackson County, Oregon, won first place for expository speaking in this year’s state Speech and Debate Tournament, where her team from Ashland High School also achieved first place honors. Her presentation, which she has given at Feasts, is a biographical sketch and tribute to the life of Táhirih that addresses the changing place of women throughout the world. Katie’s use of the talk has provided her with a stream of opportunities to teach the Faith.

RASHUNDA TRAMBLE, a Bahá’í in Greensboro, North Carolina, was honored recently by the North Carolina Associated Press Association for the best television feature story of 1999. It was the second straight year the association has honored the reporter for WGHP-TV in High Point, North Carolina. ♦

Correction/Clarification

• In the June 5, 2000, issue of The ‎Amer-icam American‎ Bahá’í, an article on the upcoming Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies misstated speaker Bahiyyih Nakhjavani’s writing credits. Her credits should have been listed as: The Secret of Our Century, This Ancient Promise, In Memory of Thomas Breakwell and Paroles des Femmes. The Other Dreyfus is still in the making and she did not write Creating a Culture of Growth, which was made by the Bahá’í World Center’s Office of Public Information.
• An article in the Feb. 7, 2000, issue of The American Bahá’í paid tribute to the life and services of Adib Taherzadeh, a member of the Universal House of Justice who passed away on Jan. 27, 2000. For clarity’s sake, the first sentence of the final paragraph should have read:

“He is survived by his wife, Lesley, their son Bahhaj and daughter Maryam, as well as his son Tahir and daughter Vida from his first marriage to Zarin Malmiri.” ♦ [Page 3]

Young teachers spread message in South

Responding to the Master’s hope and to the call of the Regional Bahá’í Council and Youth Coordinating Team for the Southern States, 92 youths arose in July to teach and serve in the South.

The teachers spent six days of intensive training in Melbourne, Florida, before the actual teaching work began. Every day they recited the Tablet of Ahmad, the Fire Tablet and the Báb’s farewell address to the Letters of the Living, to gather energy and spiritual force.

Then they dispersed to nine locales by July 13 to spend 19 days lovingly sharing the news of the word of Bahá’u’lláh, in unique ways for each place.

Roughly from east to west, the communities hosting and locally organizing this undertaking were Durham, North Carolina; Florence and Rock Hill, South Carolina; Gainesville, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Rogers, Arkansas; College Station, Dallas and San Marcos, Texas.

Here are a few abbreviated highlights from early reports. More complete information on the projects will be available for the next issue of The American Bahá’í.

Localities report wealth of teaching, sharing, service

Product 19 En Fuego Gainesville, FL

Music was at the center of joyous contacts between local churchgoers and Bahá’í youths one Sunday, according to a report from the Gainesville project to the Regional Council.

A pastor interviewed Bahá’í youths for her Sunday show on a popular radio station. They presented Bahá’u’lláh’s message of love and unity, telling how the Faith and service to God shaped their lives. The interview ended with the playing of the gospel song “In This Day of Bahá’u’lláh”—prompting requests for the station to play more Bahá’í songs.

Then the pastor invited them to a church service that evening. As one participating youth reported, four of the Bahá’ís offered “testimonies” filled with the words of Bahá’u’lláh. “A Bahá’í read the prayer for unity, and spoke about the importance of youth and the coming of the New Age, and the pastor asked us to lead the congregation in song,” the report continued.

“We sang ‘O Lord My God, Open Thou the Door ...’ And then the pastor requested that we end the evening by singing the ‘Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá’ song (!) and everyone was singing and dancing and hugging.”

That evening the young teachers were amazed as they talked about “feeling the spirit of the Church and the [Bahá’í] Faith working together—it was truly incredible.”

Emma Welter Teaching Project San Marcos, TX

Twenty-one enrollments in the first 11 days. That’s the pace set by a teaching team that included 16 youths, average age about 15, reports to the Southern Regional Council show.

Support and momentum flowed from two bountiful sources: the Houston Bahá’í Youth Workshop, which per-

SEE YOUTH TEACHING, PAGE 31

Enrollments

June 2000	152
July 2000	85
Since May 1, 2000	394

THE FUND

May 1–June 30, 2000 Contributions received by National Treasurer (excluding Kingdom Project)

Received since May 1, 2000:	$2,431,805
Goal for entire year:	$27,000,000

• 9.0% of year’s goal was met
• 16.7% of fiscal year has passed
• April 30, 2001

Total cash-basis revenues and expenditures for Bahá’í National Fund May 1–June 30, 2000

$3,287,855	Revenues (contributions, book sales, school fees etc.)
$4,059,961	Expenditures (operations, capital and debt payments etc.)

While these figures reflect the seasonally low level of contributions, at many locations essential maintenance must be performed during summer.

Mail contributions to: National Bahá’í Fund 112 Linden Avenue Wilmette, IL 60091-2800 Please write Bahá’í ID # on check

Louhelen’s ‘Playscape’ is new again

Children gather on the “Playscape” at Louhelen Bahá’í School. Three weeks’ worth of volunteer work resulted in major repairs and improvements, enjoyed here by (from left) Laura Aylesworth, J’Mag Karbeah, Gabriela Powell, Jaleh Darling, Lua Dibble and Shirin Maani. See story on page 21. Photo by Jim Cheek

National Convention 2001 set in Temple

The 2001 Bahá’í National Convention will be held April 26–29. All sessions will convene in Foundation Hall at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.

The National Assembly eagerly anticipates welcoming delegates, members of the Continental Board of Counselors and their Auxiliaries, members of the Regional Bahá’í Councils and a small number of visitors as we mark the beginning of the Five Year Plan.

Due to a fixed number of seats in Foundation Hall, reservations for visitors will be limited. Registration will remain open for visitors until Feb. 1, 2001.

More details will be forthcoming in the months ahead. If you have any questions, please contact the Conventions Office (phone 847-733-3505, e-mail ).

COVENANT-BREAKER ALERT

The Universal House of Justice has determined, in consultation with the Hands of the Cause of God, that Mrs. Laura Brooks and her two daughters, Miss Kiersten Kansteiner and Miss Avery Kansteiner, of Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, are Covenant-breakers. Mrs. Brooks has been involved with the Covenant-breaker factions of both Jacques Soghomonian of France and the late Leland Jensen in recent years. She has been a confirmed supporter of Soghomonian for 11 years, and has raised her daughters in this same false conviction. Two years ago, the entire family enrolled in the Bahá’í Faith under false pretenses.

The National Spiritual Assembly reminds the friends of the admonition given to every Bahá’í to strictly avoid communication or contact with any Covenant-breaker. As the House of Justice has explained in a letter to an individual believer:

“... When a person declares his acceptance of Bahá’u’lláh as a Manifestation of God he becomes a party to the Covenant and accepts the totality of His Revelation. If he then turns round and attacks Bahá’u’lláh or the central Institution of the Faith he violates the Covenant. If this happens every effort is made to help that person to see the illogicality and error of his actions, but if he persists he must, in accordance with the instructions of Bahá’u’lláh Himself, be shunned as a Covenant-breaker.

“The seriousness of Covenant-breaking is that it strikes at the very center and foundation of the unity of mankind. If God were to allow the instrument to be divided and impaired, how then would His purpose be achieved?

“‘Abdu’l-Bahá has stated that Covenant-breaking is a spiritual disease and that the believers are commanded to shun Covenant-breakers for the same reason as healthy people do not associate with a person suffering from a serious contagious illness. A contagiously sick person cannot catch health from a thousand healthy people, but, on the contrary, he can infect them with his illness. Therefore such a person is quarantined and only those few people qualified to attend him do so. ... Then, if he proves adamant he is free to go his way, but the Bahá’í must cease to have any association with him until such time as he repents when, of course, he can be accepted back into the community. In the meanwhile the friends can pray for him and for his guidance.” (March 23, 1975)

Additional guidance on the subject of Covenant-breaking can be found on pages 5.12–5.17 of Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities: Guidelines for Spiritual Assemblies. Anyone being contacted by a Covenant-breaker should report the matter either to an Auxiliary Board member for Protection and/or to a Local Spiritual Assembly. [Page 4]COMMON JOURNEYS: Bahá’í Women on Gender Equality

This is one of an occasional series of essays on the equality of women and men from a variety of cultural perspectives, excerpted from Common Journeys: Bahá’í Women on Gender Equality. This compilation of papers is available for $5 (make checks to Bahá’í Services Fund) through the National Spiritual Assembly Office of the Secretary, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201.

Equality of women and men: an African-American perspective

BY GWENDOLYN ETTER-LEWIS

The inequality between women and men often is conceptualized in the West as a natural antagonism between two opposing sexes wherein one must be dominant and the other subservient. When difficulties arise as a result of this dichotomy, the tendency is to single out the dominant gender (men) as the most probable cause.

However, other factors complicate the question of equality. One of them is women’s relationships to other women. Focusing on women’s relationships to one another can help us understand different cultural perspectives and simultaneously establish a context for reconstructing our strategies for achieving full partnership with men.

‘All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave’*

The combination of gender and color creates a dual membership for African-American women in two oppressed groups. Black women experience double discrimination, which then becomes a lens through which the world sees them and through which they, in turn, look back at the world.

These circumstances give special meaning to this quote by Anna Julia Cooper: “Only the BLACK WOMAN can say ‘when and where I enter, in the quiet undisputed dignity of my womanhood, without violence and without suing or special patronage, then and there the whole . . . race enters with me.’ ”

When a black woman breaks through a barrier or kicks open a door, by definition she brings across the threshold both black people and women.

Black women’s history of triumph over insurmountable odds suggests that their vision of gender equality may be different from that of other women who have not experienced oppression to the same degree. So no version or definition of women’s equality will not suit all women.

All the Livelong Day: Black Women and Work

I am a descendant of working women. We had no choice.

Inside my home—which consisted of an extended family—daily chores, gardening and leisure time activities such as fishing were shared by every able-bodied member of the household. I grew up seeing the women in my family do “men’s work” like chopping wood and butchering farm animals for the market, and the men carrying out household tasks such as cooking and cleaning. We were not free of double standards, but daily living was not compartmentalized according to gender.

Outside my home, there was a rich family history of labor-intensive work.

• My grandmother’s grandmother was an ex-slave who worked in the “big house” in the kitchen.
• My grandmother’s mother was a domestic worker: she cleaned the homes of white Americans and took in white people’s laundry on the side to make a little extra money.
• My grandmother was a domestic who did day work (in other words, not as a live-in) until she moved to California and became a live-in maid.
• My mother did day work until she earned a scholarship to complete her degree in nursing.

I also did day work on weekends during my high school years. I earned 50 cents per hour until I got a 25-cent raise. My employer sometimes overpaid me by as much as $1—but no amount was too small for her to deduct from my pay the following week.

The tradition of domestic work in my family taught us many lifelong lessons, helped us survive lean times, and—not insignificantly—shaped our relationships with white women. Obviously, these relationships were governed by the dynamics of power and privilege with an overlay of race and social class. So when we broach the subject of equality, we must recognize it is inextricably bound to all other aspects of culture and ethnicity.

Unrelated Kin

In 1921, Coralie Franklin Cook, an African-American professor at Howard University (who along with her husband became a Bahá’í in 1913), wrote that she was no longer an “active” suffragist because, she felt, the most prominent pro-suffrage organization had “turned its back on the woman of color.”

Cook was noted for her activism within and outside the Faith. However, as much as she believed in the unity of the races, she found it extremely difficult to work with white women because of their exclusive practices.

In contrast, nationally renowned suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was of European descent, seemed unaware of the lack of unity between black and white women and of the need to be inclusive. She advocated the vote for black men and white women, but her plan did not encompass black women. Stanton strongly expressed this view in the feminist newspaper The Revolution: “While the dominant party have with one hand lifted up two million black men and crowned them with the honor and dignity of citizenship, with the other hand they have dethroned fifteen million white women. . . .” How could two women working for the same cause be so far apart ideologically?

Unfortunately, the rift between black and white women is longstanding, and inevitably hinders progress toward equality. Even now at the turn of another century the wounds caused by these disparities have not healed fully.

The solution is not to be found in placing blame or in superficial public gestures such as tokenism. Instead, the realization of the equality of women is conditioned by the successful establishment of the unity of mankind. Without basic solidarity, we have nothing. Until we are cognizant of one another as equals, we cannot join together effectively as full partners.

Bahá’u’lláh has assured us: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” ◆

---

• title of book by Hull, Bell-Scott and Smith.

---

Assemblies must remember love within consultation

To the Editor:

I became a Bahá’í as a youth in 1930. It has been my privilege to serve on Local Spiritual Assemblies for over 50 years, and through that experience there has been one important lesson I have learned: All the troubles which Assemblies experience are a result of our old ideas of administration. This is a new order of procedure. We can use the best methods of conducting meetings from “Robert’s Rules” only if we consider that loving consultation is at the heart of the Bahá’í way of administration.

“[T]he keynote of the Cause of God is not dictatorial authority but humble fellowship, not arbitrary power but the spirit of frank and loving consultation.” —Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Administration, p.43 (emphasis added).

This quotation gives us the basis of future consultation by Spiritual Assemblies. Shoghi Effendi further admonished us to avoid exclusiveness, partiality, all prejudice and passion, dictatorial aloofness, a domineering attitude or an atmosphere of secrecy. He also stated the Assemblies should avoid the idea that they are the sole promoters of the Faith. When we read the books about Bahá’í administration we should keep in mind we are just beginning to understand what the new era is about. This is and should be a spiritual awakening, not some sort of “power trip.”

Members of Assemblies only have authority when they are in session as an Assembly. Any function directed by the Assembly should be carried out with loving kindness. This is the lesson we all have to learn. We are all, regardless of our station of service to the Cause, only trying to be Bahá’ís and live the life as shown us by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Oscar P. Stone Marlboro, Vermont

LETTERS FROM READERS

We welcome letters from readers on topics relating to the furtherance of the goals of the current Plan, the principles of the Writings, and response to content in The American Bahá’í. The purpose of Letters from Readers is to encourage an exchange of ideas and opinions, never to denigrate another’s views or attack anyone—openly or subtly. Opinions expressed are those of the writers, not necessarily of the editors. A 250-word maximum length is suggested. Letters will be edited for style and possibly for length.

“[Our] members all feel that the workshop has broken new ground for our Assembly’s functioning.” — a workshop participant

Spiritual Assemblies are working to build a new state of mind.

Join them by taking one of 15 Assembly Development Module Workshops. Contact the Office of Assembly Development at 847-733-3490, e-mail or go to www.usbnc.org [Page 5]

MESSAGE

For one thing, it is illogical that white men should be seen to be more concerned about this matter than white women, or indeed any other segment of the United States Bahá’í community; yet such an impression can be given by this designation. For another, these friends could appear as attempting to imitate the Black Men's Gathering, whereas the Gathering is a distinctive activity with a different agenda. It does not concern itself chiefly with race unity in the Bahá’í community as such. It addresses itself to a special situation faced by a minority that has suffered severe social and spiritual afflictions imposed upon it by the majority. The program of the Black Men's Gathering is unique and exemplary as an avenue for transcending the legacy of anguish, frustration and social pathology that is peculiar to black men in the United States; it urges them towards a fullness of life within the spirit and principles of the Bahá’í Revelation.

The use of the term "white Bahá’í men" to designate a program of activities in the community could be provocative and confusing in view of the current tensions that characterize the multicultural environment in the United States. It could produce the impression, God forbid, that the Bahá’í community is paradoxically divided along racial lines in what should be a common effort of all the diverse elements represented within it. White Bahá’ís can certainly find other ways to demonstrate boldly their involvement in seeking a solution to the problems of racism without attaching such a designation to their efforts.

It has also to be borne in mind how strong is the tendency among your compatriots to rush into popularizing notions and concepts that appeal to their imagination—a tendency that often allows for only a superficial treatment of seriously important things. The hoped-for success of this pilot program in North Carolina could well induce Bahá’ís in other parts of the country with similar well-intentioned motives to apply such terminology to their activities; the friends from other ethnic groups might be similarly influenced. Nothing could be more damaging to the reputation of the Bahá’í community than to have groups bearing various cultural identities springing up all over the country in the name of the Bahá’í Faith with apparently different ethnic versions of what should be a united effort by the diverse elements of the community to realize a common goal, namely, the oneness of humankind.

These comments are not meant to detract in the least from the highly admirable initiative of the dear friends in North Carolina, but rather to improve the possibilities for their success. Indeed, the aims they have set for themselves are most laudable.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

MEDIA CAMPAIGN

to-Heart Program." In an effort to make personal contact with seekers and begin the process of enrolling a participating Bahá’í and a teacher of the Faith, Bahá’ís visit seekers at their homes or in a neutral location, whenever possible. Complete contact information, as well as participation in consolidation activities, is tracked to ensure that the seeker receives any assistance the community can offer. Seven seekers have been confirmed in the Faith through this effort since March.

In recent months, successes in Dallas, Texas (six enrollments), and Tucson, Arizona (five enrollments), have been reported as a result of well-conducted local campaigns that complement the national media effort.

The most successful campaigns are those that have shown a high degree of collaboration between the institutions of the Faith in teaching efforts. Generally, Local Spiritual Assemblies that have led successful media campaigns consult with their Regional Bahá’í Councils and Auxiliary Board members. The collaboration fosters a well-conceived, systematic and sustained effort.

In addition, implementing a media plan also serves as a catalyst for consolidation of the community. Building the infrastructure necessary to meet the seeker demands is essential and includes children's classes, deepening/study classes, devotional gatherings, prayer meetings, well-prepared and unifying Feasts and firesides.

Research data helps define current media audience

Current results from the national campaign—which includes not only national broadcasts, but also a wide range of local efforts—show that seekers respond to the Message at all times of the day.

Responses to the media campaign recorded by the seeker response system (1-800-22 UNITE and the campaign Web site, www.us.bahai.org) are holding steady at nearly 1,900 inquiries per month, plus thousands who visit the Web site and do not request additional information. Inquiries through the Web site are showing steady growth and are averaging 200 per month in the last quarter.

We are also learning more about the people who visit the Web in response to the Message, thanks to a recently completed National Teaching Committee study. Generally:

• More than half (61%) are women.
• More than half (52%) are under age 34, and 40% are ages 35-54.
• Almost half (43%) are single, more than a third (39%) are married, a few (17%) are divorced or separated, while 2% are widowed.
• Caucasians (73%) are more likely to visit the Web site, but the total respondents are racially diverse.
• Almost half (49%) work full time, and almost a quarter (24%) are students.
• More than a third (38%) have at least a bachelor's degree.
• California has the highest concentration of visitors (11%), followed by Texas (7%) and Illinois (6%).

Even more impressive is the dramatic upswing in individual teaching in places such as Seattle, Washington, where a combination of teaching methods has resulted in multiple enrollments. The success of the national campaign has emboldened and strengthened the resolve of the friends to take their place at this historic moment in the development of the Faith.

The national media campaign is soon to be supported by the implementation of a regional training institute course on successful seeker follow-up developed in Atlanta, Georgia, and a training course for seekers being completed by the Aguila del Cielo Regional Training Institute in Central Texas.

Share your successes!

Do you know of a seeker who enrolled in the Bahá’í Faith who was led to your community through the national media campaign? E-mail your story to The Light of Unity.

Teaching Success Stories

The National Spiritual Assembly is interested in learning about your teaching successes. Please complete a form available on the Administrative Web Site (access www.usbnc.org and click on the "NSA Departments" icon at left, then follow the links to the National Teaching Committee and "Teaching Success Survey Form").

The Golden Rule: Found In All The World's Religions

The latest issue of The Light of Unity, a newsletter designed for seekers, is available for downloading from www.usbnc.org (click on the "Media Campaign" icon at left, then click on the "Seeker Newsletter" link and scroll down). The Light of Unity can be sent as is, or changed to include local news and information. If you have questions, please e-mail us.

The Top 19 lists

These Bahá’í communities are fielding the highest numbers of inquiries stemming directly from the national media campaign.

All-time: March 1998-June 2000		Latest quarter: April-June 2000
Community	No. of contacts	Community	No. of contacts
1. New York, NY	541	1. New York, NY	145
2. Chicago, IL	341	2. Chicago, IL	108
3. New Orleans, LA	204	3. Philadelphia, PA	64
4. Philadelphia, PA	167	4. Jefferson Co., KY	41
5. Jefferson Co., KY	161	5. Houston, TX	30
6. Los Angeles, CA	154	6. Chico, CA	30
7. Springfield, MA	153	7. Los Angeles, CA	29
8. Houston, TX	143	8. Memphis, TN	28
9. Portland, ME	141	9. Palmdale, CA	27
10. Phoenix, AZ	139	10. Las Vegas, NV	27
11. St. Louis, MO	133	11. Dade Co. Cent., FL	25
12. Detroit, MI	118	12. St. Louis, MO	25
13. Raleigh, NC	110	13. San Antonio, TX	25
14. Pittsburgh, PA	107	14. San Diego, CA	24
15. Columbus, OH	106	15. Charlotte, NC	23
16. Milwaukee, WI	102	16. Baltimore, MD	22
17. Sacramento, CA	101	17. Milwaukee, WI	22
18. Sioux Falls, SD	98	18. Las Vegas, NV	21
19. Memphis, TN	93*	19. Washington, DC	21

• (Note: Memphis listed at 93 in summary list)

Other communities close behind (All-time): Baltimore, MD (93); Seattle, WA (93); Tucson, AZ (90): Indianapolis, IN (89); Charlotte, NC (86), San Antonio, TX (85); Dade County Central, FL (82); Knoxville, TN (80): Washington, DC (78).

Others communities close behind (Latest quarter): McAllen, TX (20); Columbus, OH (20); New Orleans, LA (20); Phoenix, AZ (20); Pittsburgh, PA (19); Winston-Salem, NC (19); Birmingham, AL (19): Baton Rouge, LA (19); Jackson, MS (18): Kansas City, MO (16): Indianapolis, IN (18); Seattle, WA (18); Montgomery, AL (18); Palm Beach Co. North, FL (18).

Top 5 general question categories

Asked by seekers on www.us.bahai.org, January-June 2000:

1) Finding closest Bahá’í community: 144 2) Enrolling, Bahá’í administration and community life: 83 3) Questions about Christianity, salvation, sin etc.: 64 4) Locating sources for personal study about the Faith: 62 5) Social, lifestyle and political issues: 54

Of the total questions asked by seekers, 52% are related to locating the closest Bahá’í community or about the structure of Bahá’í community life. [Page 6]

MATURING COMMUNITIES

GOAL: STRENGTHEN AND FOSTER MATURITY OF THE BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY ONE YEAR PLAN 2000

• Reinforce external affairs activities
• Encourage success of the Kingdom Project
• Strengthen social and economic development

BUILDING THE KINGDOM IT’S OUR TIME

“Your mission is unspeakably glorious. Should success crown your enterprise, America will assuredly evolve into a center from which waves of spiritual power will emanate, and the throne of the Kingdom of God will, in the plenitude of its majesty and glory, be firmly established.” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá

In 1916 and 1917, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent us His Tablets of the Divine Plan, establishing the mission of the American Bahá’í community and directing our first steps in achieving that mission. As “chief trustees” of this Divine Plan, we have inescapable obligations to our Supreme Body, to our sister national communities and to each other, all across this specially blessed land. Our effort to meet these goals will, in and of itself, hasten the advancement of the fortunes of our Faith.

Our capacity must expand to foster and accommodate dramatic growth, which is fast approaching. Therefore, with the blessing of the Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States has designed a Comprehensive Development Plan to take the American Bahá’í community to our next level of advancement, maturation and service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, building on the spiritual foundation laid by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

A financial commitment of $60 million over the next five years is required to achieve the initiatives listed below.

These goals of the Comprehensive Development Plan represent investments in our future, and demand sacrifices above and beyond the regular contributions needed to carry on the annual operations of our national community and our ongoing commitments to the international Funds of the Faith.

PROGRESS REPORT:

AS OF EARLY AUGUST 2000

• Over $18 million in pledges or cash contributions has been committed to the Kingdom Project.
• More than 2,000 individuals have pledged or given.

COMPONENTS OF THE KINGDOM PROJECT

Mashriqu’l-Adhkár The Mother Temple and Gardens Temple Visitor Center Bahá’í Home for the Aged

National Hazíratu’l-Quds Hazíratu’l-Quds National Archives

Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops Media Initiative Bahá’í Publishing Bahá’í-Owned Schools

Providing for the Future Strategic Reserves Establishing an Endowment

Photo by Patricia Humphrey

National Hazíratu’l-Quds

National Hazíratu’l-Quds In addition to its physical purpose as the seat of the National Spiritual Assembly, Shoghi Effendi described the Hazíratu’l-Quds as “the visible symbol of the steadily-growing National Bahá’í Community in Northern America, and as the chief rallying center for all its activities and plans throughout that Continent.”

Hazíratu’l-Quds The growing prestige of our National Spiritual Assembly and its involvement in the affairs of the world require a facility that reflects the prominence of the Bahá’í Faith worldwide as well as our national community. As people increasingly turn to the Bahá’ís for counsel, an appropriate facility must be available in which our National Assembly can welcome the dignitaries wishing to consult. The current structure is inadequate.

The Hazíratu’l-Quds will be reconfigured to appropriately serve as the meeting place for leaders of thought and other dignitaries. While the original elements specified by Shoghi Effendi will be preserved, the renovation will include a dignified entryway, enlarged administrative office space to support the work of the Assembly and its officers, and appropriate areas for meeting and dining.

Archives The archives of our National Spiritual Assembly hold thousands of historical documents, publications and photographs, as well as sacred items from the Central Figures of the Faith. They are currently housed in a corner of the House of Worship. A special facility will permit sacred items to be displayed and viewed in a dignified manner, and preserved for future generations. ◆

YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW:

Building the Kingdom: It’s Our Time is a development plan of a type never before launched by our National Spiritual Assembly. Therefore, it is only natural that questions arise. Here are answers to some frequent questions:

What is a pledge? A pledge is a voluntary commitment—a promise. Each person or institution prayerfully considers their capacity in a spirit of sacrifice, then decides what amount can be offered between now and Ridván 2005. The total amount is the amount of the pledge.

Is my pledge in addition to regular contributions? Yes. The operational expenses of our Spiritual Assemblies, both national and local, continue and must be maintained.

Why are pledges being requested by Ridván 2002? The National Spiritual Assembly must proceed with some components of the Comprehensive Development Plan immediately. While others will be undertaken later, planning for them relies on the knowledge that resources will be forthcoming from the friends as they unfold.

How do I make my pledge? Once you have decided the total amount you can pledge to contribute during these five years, enter that amount on a pledge card (they have been mailed to Bahá’ís nationwide). If you wish to complete your pledge before Ridván 2005, write in that date. Indicate how you would like to fulfill your pledge: by check, credit card or automatic contribution. Fulfillment of the pledge should be made systematically, with portions paid either monthly, quarterly or yearly over the pledge period.

Where can I get another pledge card? Contact the Kingdom Project (address, phone and e-mail below).

Can I make a contribution immediately? Yes. A check made out to “Kingdom Project” can be mailed to the Treasurer’s Office using any Treasurer’s envelope.

Is the Kingdom Project a separate fund? No. The Kingdom Project is part of the National Bahá’í Fund.

KINGDOM PROJECT Office of the Treasurer 112 Linden Ave. Wilmette, IL 60091-2839 phone: 847-733-3472 e-mail:

[Page 7]

Conservation Team brings energy of youth to upkeep of Temple

BY MILES HENDERSON AND RACHEL WOLFE

This summer 19 young people had the unique opportunity to work for the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. Each year the Conservation Team brings in a temporary summer crew from around the country.

Dennis Davis, director of the Conservation Program, split this summer’s team into four groups: Continuous Care, Construction Coordination, Concrete Studio and Historic Research.

THE KINGDOM PROJECT IN ACTION: THE BAHÁ’Í HOUSE OF WORSHIP

“The House of Worship, I have found, is more a living entity than anything else. In some strange way, it’s alive. The only problem is that it is slightly ill. It is dirty in places, or broken, or risking infection. The job of the Conservation Team is to protect it from infection, repair it, and keep it healthy.”

—Kit Carson

The main focus of the Continuous Care Group this summer was cleaning of the “dome steel.” The structural steel in the dome of the Temple had been exposed to the elements from the completion of the superstructure until it was covered with the ornamental concrete. The steel was left untouched, collecting dirt until 1996. This summer marked the completion of the dome-steel cleaning.

The Construction Coordination Group worked on documenting the current state of the Temple through photography, examination of chairs and taking inventory of electric and phone outlets. Improvements were recorded, and natural wear and tear of structures around the grounds was documented. When construction began on the steps around the Temple, this group was responsible for assisting the construction professionals and for guiding Temple visitors away from the hazards of construction.

The Conservation Team recently rented a Concrete Studio a few miles north of Wilmette, where ornamental concrete for the House of Worship is mixed and poured. New steps will be cast here for the outdoor “monumental stairs” encircling the Temple. Then the massive steps will be moved to the site and put in place.

A good portion of the summer was spent preparing the studio for use, including first-aid stations and interior decoration.

This team had to do a great deal of hands-on research to achieve the style of concrete originally used on the Temple, because the process has been lost through time and could only be repeated through experimentation.

The Historic Research group was busy at the beginning of the summer reading to become grounded in the history of the House of Worship and the early Bahá’ís who made it a reality. They created a list of people to contact who may have information about the ‎consatruction construction‎ of the Temple.

Construction Coordination: A ‘before’ picture

What is the condition of every wall, every floor, every window in the interior of the Bahá’í House of Worship? Where are the electrical and phone outlets, the air ducts, the water pipes? How will future researchers assess the state of the Temple and its gardens as of early summer 2000?

Those answers and more have been provided by the Construction Coordination Group of the Conservation Team. Those workers combed the building with cameras and charts, pen and paper to provide an exhaustive “before” picture by the time renovations began on the first sections of the gardens and outdoor stairs.

With professional construction crews on site, the Construction Coordination Group gains new missions: to support the laborers through errands, information and other general help; to help guide visitors and ensure their safety; and to ease the work of building inspectors as needed.

“I see it as a gift to be near the Temple,” said Nadia Williams of Havre, Montana, a member of this group. “It’s very special, putting a little piece of myself into the Temple and working for its future.”

The team’s basic objective was to supplement our understanding of the construction of the Temple, to make us more knowledgeable when further maintenance is needed. This has included research on Louis Bourgeois, the Temple architect, and John Earley, the man whose company made the ornamental concrete.

Although everyone was assigned to a team, they all came together often to work on a large service project. For example, the entire group replaced a sidewalk in the back of the Bahá’í Home for the Aged so residents could walk outside safely. Each team also had a chance to work on the Continuous Care Group with cleaning of the dome steel or gutters.

Continuous Care: Cleaning the hidden places

Five full summers’ work, employing the hands and steady nerves of three to six people every day, soon will come to this:

The dust and grime of six decades will have been wiped from every square inch of the structural steel beams and crosspieces surrounding the Temple’s interior dome. Likewise for the aluminum frames of the skylights in between that framework and the exterior concrete.

“It’s a major, major accomplishment that required a number of people from all the conservation crews,” said Angeline Widmer, a Chicago student who has served on the Conservation Team every summer since 1996. She trained people this year for the (literally) lofty task.

Members of the Continuous Care Group operate between the exterior and interior shells of the building, high out of the view of visitors. Harnessed securely to the steel framework of the dome itself, they apply a cleaning solution to each length of steel beam, then rinse it. Then they repeat the operation the rest of the day.

It’s a simple operation, but necessary. For one thing, it exposes hidden flaws in the framework that require repair—and some minor cracks and rust spots have been found, Widmer said.

And there’s a principle involved: “It’s good when all areas of the House of Worship are clean,” she said. “Even though this [the inner ‎doma dome‎ area] is a non-public place, it’s important that it’s also cleaned on a regular basis—even if that’s every 30 or 40 years.”

Marie Jester is among shovelers as the Conservation Team upgrades a sidewalk at the Bahá’í Home for the Aged. Photo by Angeline Widmer

The Conservation Team celebrates completion of an early summer project, the sidewalk behind the Bahá’í Home. Photo by Angeline Widmer

“Many times during our break we would go up to the top of the Temple to get fresh air and to look out onto Lake Michigan and Chicago. It is breathtaking! Just knowing that you are helping to preserve this Temple that many travel from across the world to see, and respect so much, is such a bounty.”

—Tahirih Moffett

The summer 2000 Conservation Team

Director: Dennis Davis

Conservation Coordinator: Barbara Geiger

Continuous Care: Ben Hendershot, Brooke Hart, Dustin Hart, Eevi Cunningham, Kit Carson, Lian Davis, Marie Jester, Tahirih Moffett

Construction Coordination: Abby Bush, Andrew Gagnon, Nadia Williams, Sarah Gonzalez

Concrete Studio: Raul Millan, supervisor; Amoz Eckerson, Chris Karps, Dan James, Denise Armbruster

Historic Research: Miles Henderson, Rachel Wolfe

Other team members: Erik Anderson, Angeline Widmer, Badieh Karps [Page 8]

Servants, role models for youth sought as Kellum Award nominees

To salute those whose daily lives are a prayer of service benefiting young people, nominees for the 2001 David Kellum Award are being sought by the Bahá’í House of Worship Activities Office.

Distinguished servants of humankind need not be members of the Bahá’í Faith to be eligible.

Deadline for nominations is Oct. 30, 2000. Recipients will be honored at a ceremony in February 2001 at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.

Each year, our National Spiritual Assembly presents the award to people or organizations who “represent positive role models for youth of all races and who contribute outstanding service to the community.”

The award honors the memory of David Kellum, a longtime member of the Chicago Bahá’í community, who dedicated his life to improving relations between the races. For many years, especially as director of Bud Billiken activities, he focused on development of young people. He also worked as city editor of the Chicago Defender.

For general information on the David Kellum Award, or to receive a nomination form, please contact the Bahá’í House of Worship Activities Office (phone [redacted], e-mail [redacted]). ♦

A state recognizes Bahá’í history is part of its history

Kathryn M. Harris, director of the Illinois State Historical Library, receives a collection of 22 Bahá’í historical volumes from Aden Lauchner, archivist for the Springfield Bahá’í community, on April 6. Anticipating a move into a new facility, the state library invited the local Bahá’í community to begin building a comprehensive collection of U.S. Bahá’í historical books and materials. The Spiritual Assembly of Springfield continues to assemble the collection with the help of the National Bahá’í Archives and individual Bahá’ís across Illinois.

HUQÚQU’LLÁH THE RIGHT OF GOD

Representatives of Huqúqu’lláh in the United States

1. Shidfar Amirkia	17. Vahid Hedayati	27. Melville Thomason
2. David House	18. Marie Scheffer	28. Gisu Mohadjer (incl. DC)
3. Elahe Vahdat Young	19. Perla Talebi	29. James Sturdivant
4. Charleen R. Maghzi	20. Lynette Frieden	30. James West
5. Farhad Sabetan	21. Shokrollah Mirafzali	31. Lauretta Haynes
6. Barbara Marino	22. Dolores Haghighi	32. Elahe Vargha-Schmeil
7. Rhett Diessner	23. Darryl Greene	33. Saradj Aparegan
8. Mardell Harris	24. Riaz Khadem	34. Harris Snoparsky
9. Shidan Dahnad	25. Benjamin Levy	35. Paris Khavari
10. Kevin Locke	26. Adrienne Reeves	36. Afaf Stevens
11. Sharon Babbitt
12. Stephen Ader
13. James Borland
14. Shiva Khadem Ziai
15. Billie Kay Bodie
16. Drucilla Waren

For more information on these representatives, contact the Secretariat of the Board of Huqúqu’lláh in the U.S. (address below).

Payments to Huqúqu’lláh should be made to “The Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust” (please write your Bahá’í identification number on your check) and sent to one of the Trustees:

• Amin Banani, [redacted] (phone [redacted], fax 310-394-6167, e-mail [redacted])
• Stephen Birkland, [redacted] (phone [redacted], fax 651-490-7521, e-mail [redacted])
• Sally Foo, [redacted] (phone [redacted], fax 609-671-0740, e-mail [redacted])
• Daryush Haghighi, [redacted] (phone [redacted], fax 440-333-6938, e-mail [redacted])
• Elizabeth Martin, P.O. Box 178, Winnsboro, SC 29180 (phone [redacted], e-mail [redacted])

Office of the Secretariat, Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust, [redacted] (phone [redacted], fax 440-333-6938, e-mail [redacted]). ♦

Huqúqu’lláh characterized as vital in construction of World Order

“All the world hath belonged and will always belong to God.” —Bahá’u’lláh

This article is excerpted from the pre-amble ‎to the the to the‎ Codification of the Law of Huqúqu’lláh, revised in 1999 at the request of the Universal House of Justice and presented to the delegates to the 91st Bahá’í National Convention in late April. It was prepared with reference to the compilation Huqúqu’lláh, which is available from the Bahá’í Distribution Service. Future articles will deal with the verities of the Law of Huqúqu’lláh.

Huqúqu’lláh (the Right of God) is a great law and a sacred institution. Laid down in the Most Holy Book (Kitáb-i-Aqdas), it is one of the key instruments for constructing the foundation and supporting the structure of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

It has far-reaching ramifications that extend from promoting the welfare of the individual to buttressing the authority and extending the activity of the Head of the Faith. In providing a regular and systematic source of revenue for the Central Institution of the Cause, Bahá’u’lláh has assured the means for the independence and decisive functioning of the World Center of His Faith.

By identifying this law as the Right of God, Bahá’u’lláh has re-emphasized the nature of the relationship between human beings and their Creator as a Covenant based on mutual assurances and obligations; and, by designating the Central Authority in the Cause, to which all must turn, as the recipient of this Right, He has created a direct and vital link between every individual believer and the Head of the Faith that is unique in the structure of His world order.

This law enables the friends to recognize the elevation of their economic activity to the level of divine acceptability; it is a means for the purification of their wealth and a magnet attracting divine blessings.

The computation and the payment of Huqúqu’lláh, within the general guidelines set forth, are exclusively a matter of conscience between the individual and God; demanding or soliciting the Huqúqu’lláh is prohibited: only appeals, reminders and exhortations of a general nature, under the auspices of the institutions of the Faith, are permissible.

That the observance and enforcement of this law, so crucial to the material well-being of the emerging Bahá’í commonwealth, should thus have been left entirely to the faith and conscience of the individual gives substance to “and sheds light on” what the beloved Master calls the spiritual solution to economic problems. Indeed, the implications of the law of Huqúqu’lláh for the realization of a number of the principles of the Faith, such as the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty and a more equitable distribution of resources, will increasingly become manifest as the friends assume in ever-greater measure the responsibility for observing it.

The fundamentals of the law of Huqúqu’lláh are promulgated in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Further elaboration of its features are to be found in other writings of Bahá’u’lláh, in Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and in letters from Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice, mostly in response to questions raised by the friends.

All these major references have been compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and separately published. A study of that compilation makes it clear that the application of the law has been progressive, and will continue to be so, as its ramifications and subsidiary rulings are elucidated. ♦ [Page 9]

Supporting Our National Media Initiative

The most recent videos that have been broadcast as a part of the national media initiative are now available for individual and bulk sales. Whether used for local community support of the media aspect of the National Teaching Plan or for individual firesides, they represent a wonderful advancement in constructing a message ever-more “suited to the capacity of those who hear it.”

Bulk pricing as follows:

1 .....................	$19.95	2-4 ....................	$15.00 ea.
5-9 ...................	$10.00 ea.	10+ ....................	$7.50 ea.

We Are One

(EWAON)

This video explores the effect of Bahá’u’lláh’s extraordinary teachings of oneness on ordinary rural people. It opens with Dan Seals and his son Jesse using the guitar as an analogy to gently introduce principles of unity in diversity. Jesus the Christ is mentioned a number of times with great reverence. Throughout his series of poignant interviews with Bahá’í friends, Dan combines a spiritual compassion with his music and insightful lyrics.

28 minutes 30 seconds

I Am a Bahá’í

(EIABN)

A diverse range of everyday people describe, in their own words, their spiritual fulfillment as members of the Bahá’í Faith as well as the impact their religion has had on their lives. The Bahá’ís interviewed range from single mothers, to midlevel career women and men, to young and old families. They discuss such issues as parenting, professional aspirations, interracial understanding, service to others and the power of the independent investigation of truth as elements of faith.

28 minutes

The Power of Prayer

(EPOPN)

A series of personal and highly accessible profiles introduces the viewer to Bahá’ís from diverse backgrounds and regions of the country and explores how they use prayer in their lives to meet challenges and create unity. Intermixed with basic Bahá’í principles and statistics, The Power of Prayer is a great introduction to basic concepts of the Bahá’í Faith.

28 minutes 30 seconds

The Bahá’ís, CD-ROM

New Bulk Pack of 25 (BCDR/25)

Bulk pricing:

25 .....................	$7.00 each	= $175
50 .....................	$6.00 each	= $300
75 .....................	$5.00 each	= $375
100 ...................	$4.00 each	= $400

For individuals and communities engaged in the media initiative or interacting with seekers who wish to have computer access to this greatly successful Bahá’í introduction tool. The Bahá’ís CD includes: 2 hours of professionally narrated audio, 25 minutes of video, photos of the Arc Projects, text from the Central Figures, including excerpts from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and Some Answered Questions as well as messages of the Universal House of Justice including The Promise of World Peace. Ideal for presentations to newspapers, TV stations, religious leaders or university and local libraries. Provides a dignified and informative gift for friends and relatives, for computer firesides and for presentation at teaching kiosks. (Note: bulk CDs do not include jewel case as with single units.)

The Olive Trees of Bahjí

photographed by Darius Himes

10 blank note cards

$15.00 (OTBNC)

These stunning black-and-white photographs capture the age and majesty of the exquisite olive trees that contribute, so memorably, to the grandeur of the formal gardens that surround the Qiblih of the Bahá’í world. These blank note cards are appropriate for all occasions and are suitable for sending to any friend.

7" x 5"

Táhirih

A Poetic Vision

written & illustrated by Ivan Lloyd

with Persian calligraphy by Saie Monjazeb

$15.95 SC (TAH)

Mr. Lloyd has captured the beauty and heroism of Táhirih by creating a multifaceted work that incorporates a brief and highly readable historical account of her life, with a selection of her own poems represented in Persian and in English. To this he has added nine breathtaking color illustrations, reproduced from his original oil paintings, which depict the significant events surrounding the life and martyrdom of the most renowned heroine of the Bahá’í Faith.

7" x 8¼", 67 pp.

Book of Prayer

A Treasury of Prayers from Around the World

compiled by Juliet Mabey

$15.95 HC (BOP)

From the well-loved classics of the world faiths to the wise words of indigenous traditions, this is a unique treasury of prayers to enrich the soul. Featuring prayers both ancient and modern and including 25 prayers from the Bahá’í sacred writings, this is a rich and thoughtful collection to keep or to share as a loving reminder of the common human experience from which diverse forms of prayer arise.

6" x 6", 208 pp.

Without Syllable or Sound

The World’s Sacred Scriptures in the Bahá’í Faith

Michael Sours

$19.95 SC (WSS)

“Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.” —Bahá’u’lláh

Michael Sours examines Bahá’í teachings concerning the sacred books and scriptures of five world faiths—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. In it he states that the ultimate purpose of the book is “to help Bahá’ís gain an understanding about other scriptures that will facilitate more harmonious interfaith relations.” Suitable for Bahá’ís and “well-read” seekers, the book assumes some prior knowledge of the Bahá’í Faith.

5½" x 8½", 208 pp.

Core Curriculum Learning Activities

Central Figures Strands

The following curricula are taken from Core Curriculum, a project of the National Bahá’í Education Task Force. In light of the recent focus on children, we are pleased to announce that these successful learning activities have been recently released for general distribution through BDS. The flow of activities within each series is designed to help children meet “knowledge,” “wisdom,” “spiritual perception” and “eloquent speech” objectives. Each series of activities may be carried out over the span of several hours, or over several class periods. We are confident that these will make a most valuable addition to your formal and informal children’s classes.

The Báb	Bahá’u’lláh
$13.00 SC (CCLABAB)	$13.00 SC (CCLAB)
8½" x 11", 112 pp.	8½" x 11", 140 pp.

[Page 10]The Glorious Journey to God Selections From Sacred Scriptures on the Afterlife Compiled by Hushidar Motlagh, Ed.D. $15.00 SC (GJG)

This 258-page compilation begins with an introduction to the Bahá’í Faith and proceeds with a useful table of contents detailing more than 300 items related to life, death and afterlife as taken from the Bahá’í sacred writings, the Qur’án and the Old and New Testaments. The Glorious Journey to God is inspiring reading for one seeking individual enlightenment on the topic and is a most useful reference for one searching for the right words to console a grieving friend of any religion. 5½" x 8½", 258 pp.

Death: the Messenger of Joy a Bahá’í compilation on death and afterlife Madeleine Hellaby $3.95 SC (DMJ)

This compilation presents, in a single volume, many of the Bahá’í quotes and stories related to death and afterlife. Topics covered include the nature of the soul, reincarnation, progress through the worlds of God, the harmony of the two worlds and the influence of prayer on the soul. 5½" x 8½", pp. 35

Light After Death Alan Bryson $12.95 SC (LADS)

The phenomenon of near-death experience (NDE) has shown itself to be of considerable public interest. Light After Death examines this topic by reviewing various works related to NDE. Parallels are then drawn from relevant books throughout the centuries ranging from Plato’s Republic to some more-recent bestselling books on the subject. Mr. Bryson then, after a brief introduction to the Bahá’í Faith, begins to explore the many instances in which the Bahá’í writings validate and support the unusually common stories shared by individuals who have encountered a near-death experience. 5½" x 8½", pp. 109

The Singapore Council of Women and the Women’s Movement An account of Shirin Fozdar and the Women’s Movement in Singapore Dr. Phyllis Ghim Lian Chew $5.00 SC (SCWWM)

Dr. Chew’s work documents in ‎scrupulous scrupulously‎ researched detail a now half-forgotten and under-appreciated movement in Singapore, which struggled for women’s betterment throughout the 1950s. Based on interviews, personal letters and records from the Singapore Council of Women, this account documents the history of the women’s movement in Singapore of which Ms. Shirin Fozdar, a Bahá’í, played a significant role. 7" x 9¼", 38 pp.

Spinning Clay Into Stars Bernard Leach and the Bahá’í Faith edited by Robert Weinberg $12.95 SC (SCS)

Bernard Leach wrote, “The spinning wet clay must be kept dead true to the center of the wheel.” Commenting on this, Weinberg states, “The act of throwing thus becomes a metaphor for the unique soul, now centred in God, allowing itself to become malleable so that God’s will may use it as a vehicle through which to operate.” Spinning the Clay into Stars gathers, within one small volume, an impressive and cohesive collection of Leach’s journal entries, essays, letters, sketches, photographs and poems. Bernard Leach, a Bahá’í artist whose achievements and legacy are “... intimately connected to his deep commitment to the spiritual and social teachings of Bahá’u’lláh,” is thought by some as “the leading figure of the modern movement in the western hemisphere as it relates to studio pottery.” 4¾" x 6¾", 140 pp.

Standing Up for Humanity John Huddleston $12.95 SC (SUH)

In his examination of the far-reaching depth and range of the Bahá’í concept of a global society, Huddleston draws upon his training as an intellectual, his wide experience traveling throughout the globe to better understand the economic problems besetting the world, and his sense of justice and compassion. While covering the three monumental subjects of global and national economics, politics, and religion, he clearly presents essays for the enlightenment and empowerment of present and future generations. 5½" x 8½", 428 pp.

Enoch Olinga Knight of Bahá’u’lláh created by Joyce Olinga $29.95 (EEON)

This emotionally engaging video tells the story of the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga of Uganda (1926–1979), his spiritual transformation and the seeds of love he sowed throughout the world. Its 90 interviews, stories, footage and photos all offer ample testimony to the unforgettable impression he left with so many people, and reveal the genuine warmth, love and happiness he showered upon all. The love reflected in these personal recollections provides a triumphant and enduring tribute to a man whose physical life was unexpectedly cut short by a sorrowful and horrendous act. 144 minutes

GOSPEL MUSIC

Live From Toronto First Commandment Gospel Singers $18.00 CD (LITCD)

We Have Come To Praise Him First Commandment Gospel Singers $18.00 CD (WCPHCD)

This group brings a refreshing mix of R&B to their gospel music. Whether performing in the studio, as with We Have Come To Praise Him, or before a live audience as with Live In Toronto, the First Commandment Gospel Singers provide a display of rich vocals with rhythm-and-blues backup to produce a diverse assortment of songs ranging from traditional Christian gospel to original Bahá’í composition. [Page 11]

The Bahá’í World 1998-99

seventh volume

$25.95 hardcover (BW99H) $13.95 softcover (BW99S)

Shoghi Effendi referred to The Bahá’í World as a “testimony to the irresistible march of the Faith and the vitality of its indomitable spirit.” In 1993 the Universal House of Justice stated that it “feels that the availability of a liberally illustrated, attractively designed annual record of Bahá’í activities will facilitate the efforts of the friends and Spiritual Assemblies to present to non-Bahá’ís at all levels of society current information about the Cause. ...” This volume includes an update on the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran and a progress report on the Mount Carmel Projects with numerous color photographs throughout. 6" x 9", 352 pp.

Thoughts On Marriage

Margaret Ruhe $2.95 SC (TOM)

Mrs. Ruhe studied sociology and psychology at the University of Illinois and earned her master’s degree in social work at Bryn Mawr College. In addition to serving as a family case worker for a number of years, Mrs. Ruhe lived in Haifa for 25 years while her husband, Dr. David Ruhe, served as a member of the Universal House of Justice. Throughout the years Mrs. Ruhe has given numerous courses on marriage and family life. Thoughts On Marriage presents a wholesome and spiritual view of the reality of marriage. 5½" x 8½", pp. 22

Health for All

The Challenge of the New Millennium Dr. Robert Kim-Farley $6.95 SC (HFA)

“We stand at the threshold of a new era in health. ... But to ensure a healthy future for all, we must mature to the next stage of our collective existence as a global society: the stage of unity and interdependence.” In his most recent work Dr. Kim-Farley discusses the health issues confronting a shrinking world and offers the viewpoint of a Bahá’í who is responsible for the World Health Organization’s largest country program in the world. 5¾" x 8¼", 40 pp.

Compilation of Compilations

Volume Three $21.95 HC (COC3)

Continuing in the same excellent quality and format as in its previous editions, Volume Three compiles 11 Bahá’í compilations into a single volume. Dealing with arts, ‎commniunity community‎ functioning, cultural diversity, teaching indigenous people, scholarship and promoting entry by troops, this volume is a convenient reference on many of today’s topical issues and a necessary addition to any home or community reference library. 5½" x 8¾", 319 pp.

The Pattern of Bahá’í Life

A Compilation $3.95 SC (PBLI)

“It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth....” —Bahá’u’lláh.

The Pattern of Bahá’í Life is a pure compilation, without commentary, related to creating in one’s life an individual pattern of behavior as is set forth in the Bahá’í writings. Although the main headings include Purity, Kindliness and Radiance, many other subjects are addressed within its 71 pages. 5½" x 8¾", pp. 71

Making the Crooked Straight

A Contribution to Bahá’í Apologetics Udo Schaefer Nicola Towfigh Ulrich Gollmer 59.95 HC (MTCS)

Referred to in the 157 Ridván Letter of the Universal House of Justice, this significant work is a masterly constructed rebuttal of a 450-page monograph written by an embittered former Bahá’í against the Bahá’í Faith. As mentioned in its foreword, this book “... has wider implications for the study of the Bahá’í Faith than what otherwise might be viewed as a localized scholarly dispute in German-speaking Europe. By the way of an apologia, the reader is led into an instructive exploration of the salient and distinctive features of the sacred teachings and history of the Bahá’í Faith.” 5¾" x 8¾", 862 pp.

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Student group goes international in fight against substance abuse

Responding to the call for Bahá’í youth to be more involved in society and incorporate Bahá’í ideals in the lives of all mankind, a University of California, Berkeley, Bahá’í has founded a worldwide organization to fight substance abuse.

Kevin Sabet, a native of Anaheim, California, began International Students in Action (ISIA) in August 1999 with the help of National Families in Action, the first parent drug prevention organization in the United States.

Sabet, 21, works closely with the U.S. Department of State and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in addition to many nongovernmental ‎organization organizations‎ dealing with substance abuse. ISIA is unique because it not only brings together college students from around the world in fighting and preventing substance abuse on their campuses and communities, but also provides avenues for youth to be involved in influencing federal and even worldwide public policy.

“It is pivotal that Bahá’u’lláh’s message of hope and virtue for society be transmitted boldly by today’s young people,” Sabet said. “Drug use is the single biggest threat to growing up to be healthy, contributing members to society.”

Strictly nonpartisan, ISIA bases its information and policies on science. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which conducts 85 percent of the world’s research on drug abuse and addiction, has partnered with International Students in Action to conduct two national multimedia campaigns to fight “club drugs” (ecstasy, methamphetamine, ketamine, GHB, Rohypnol) and steroid abuse.

“In December, International Students in Action helped NIDA launch its research and public education initiative in response to the increasing use of club drugs,” said Alan Leshner, director of NIDA. “And now, we’re taking the next step by reaching out to student leaders from across the country who we hope will talk to their peers about the dangers of these drugs.”

International Students in Action has been featured at world conferences on drug abuse with the United Nations and in countries such as Thailand, Italy, and England. Its members come from such diverse schools as Harvard University and colleges in Europe and the Maldives. Its message has been presented to people of almost every country on earth. Currently, ISIA is leading a national effort to physically travel inside “rave clubs” to distribute vital information on drugs such as ecstasy and speed.

Sabet, who has been featured on CNN, C-SPAN, ABC and CNN Headline News and in USA Today and People, is working with the White House drug “czar” writing speeches and leading workshops. He hopes to incorporate more Bahá’í youths in the organization, as well as speak to the entire Bahá’í community regarding this issue.

“Bahá’ís everywhere should mobilize around this issue and address it in the perfect way Bahá’u’lláh teaches us: with reason, compassion, and love,” Sabet said. “It is my hope that ISIA can act as a catalyst for change by encouraging others to fulfill the potential that Bahá’u’lláh proclaims we all have.” ♦

THE FACES OF CHAMPIONS

“Becoming Invincible Champions of Justice”—a phrase derived from the Jan. 8, 2000, letter from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’í youth congress in Paraguay—became the guiding principle of a recent youth conference at Bosch Bahá’í School. At the same time as the Southeast Asian Roundtable conference, youths gathered to understand their role in the Bahá’í youth movement, while discussing themes such as gender equality, the role of money as a tool to spiritualize the world, and what it means to be a youth of Southeast Asian descent living in the United States. Participants also benefited from service, artistic and recreational activities. See more information on page 16. Photos by Nancy Wong

OPPORTUNITIES

SERVICE

TEACHING

DEVELOPMENT

FUN

INTERESTED?

CONTACT US!

Office of Youth Affairs Bahá’í National Center 1233 Central St. Evanston, IL 60201 phone 847-733-3499 e-mail

Well, can you tell the believers apart from the teachers?

Participants and facilitators in the course “Every Believer is a Teacher” take a quick break to pose for this photo. The six-week course, offered through the Chicago Regional Training Institute, met in Evanston, Illinois. The facilitators and participants are all youths, demonstrating that youths are playing an active role in the development of training institutes in the United States.

Photos courtesy of Motoko Caldwell

TRUE WEALTH

O SON OF MAN! Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should abasement come upon thee, grieve not, for both shall pass away and be no more.

—Bahá’u’lláh: Hidden Word No. 52 from the Arabic

Web sites

you may want to check out:

• www.Bahaiyouth.com
• www.usbnc.org
• www.youth-south.org
• http://workshops.prohosting.com
• www.bahai_youth_movement.homestead.com
• www.ebyc.org

NOTE: Not all of these sites are sponsored by Bahá’í institutions; please use wise judgment in accessing Bahá’í-related material on the Web. [Page 13]

NATIONAL TEACHING PLAN

One YEAR PLAN 2000

GOAL: CARRY OUT THE NATIONAL TEACHING PLAN

• Involve individuals, communities and institutions
• Encourage leadership and initiative among youth
• Make training institutes fully operational

Youth visit reinforces a unity statement

BY CATIE HONEYMAN

“Isn’t it marvelous to see what a short time it takes to join hands with so many nations and so many people from so many places?”

The Rev. Diane Scribner Clevenger spoke these words to a group gathered around a sculpture in progress, called “World Embracing,” that symbolizes the unity of humanity.

That towering sculpture, representing children dancing around a globe, was the reason members of the Anthems of Unity Bahá’í Youth Dance Workshop traveled from the Czech Republic to Roanoke, Virginia, for an incredible week of teaching and learning beginning May 16.

During its visit, the workshop—based at the Bahá’í-inspired Townshend International School, which draws ‎studnets students‎ from around the world—presented principles of the Bahá’í Faith to tens of thousands of people in schools, over the airwaves and at a celebration of residents of all ethnic origins.

It all began last fall, when sculptor Judith Damon and her husband, Herb Detweiler, visited the Townshend school, about two hours south of Prague. They thought they were simply visiting the spot where her artwork was to be installed upon its completion.

Soon, though, they found their trip was the beginning of another project.

Damon and Detweiler were so moved by the principles taught at the school, they were convinced the message should be shared with others.

“I feel a lot better about the future of our planet, knowing that there are young people like you ‎gettting getting‎ ready to take over!” Detweiler told the students. When Anthems of Unity performed in their honor, the pair realized they had found a way to share that message.

So the couple, members of the Unity Church of Roanoke Valley, undertook six months of planning, organizing, contact making and fund raising. In May, after 26 hours’ exhausting travel through six airports, a delegation from Anthems of Unity arrived in Roanoke and boarded the “Townshend Express” van.

Undoubtedly a highlight was the Local Colors Celebration on May 21, which brought about 15,000 people to downtown Roanoke with exhibits and performances representing more than 60 countries and ethnic groups.

“It gave me chills just to hear the words of Bahá’u’lláh spoken in front of so many people,” one local Bahá’í said.

And the experience was just as incredible for members of the workshop. As one youth recalled, “It felt like a dream to be walking around, in public, in the middle of a city, and to hear the people passing by us say ‘Alláh-u-Abhá!’ ”

Earlier that week:

• Members performed and were interviewed for a local television morning show with an audience of well over 10,000—an amazing opportunity to proclaim the Bahá’í Faith and to publicize their later performances.
• For three days, Anthems of Unity performed at high schools and elementary schools around the area. Many members of the always-enthusiastic audiences stayed to talk to the Workshop and learn about the dances, the Faith and the socially positive principles the workshop expressed.
• Contacts were made to help a group of Roanoke students who want to start their own dance workshop.
• The Unity Church provided a stage for two performances, and for discussion about the Bahá’í Faith involving the entire congregation. This contact has helped prepare the way for future collaborations between the two communities.

Also, thanks to advance work by Detweiler, the Anthems of Unity Workshop met the mayor of Roanoke, David Bowers. They also met state Sen. John Edwards, who presented the group with a commendation from the Virginia State Senate plus a letter from U.S. Rep. Robert Goodlatte that thanked the group for coming to the Local Colors Celebration and providing “the opportunity to see a sample of the wonderful things you are learning in your Dance Workshop.”

As for the sculpture itself? Once the clay figure is finished, it is to be cast in bronze and assembled in time for the dedication of the Townshend school’s new facilities in 2001.

As workshop members and others gathered to publicly honor the artwork at Damon’s studio, Clevenger captured the spirit of the moment: “[A]s we dedicate this sculpture today, we do so from the depths of our hearts and our souls—rejoicing as one, in unity.” ◆

Catie Honeyman of Madison, Wisconsin, spent a year at Townshend International School in Hluboka, Czech Republic, and was a member of Anthems of Unity.

The Anthems of Unity workshop from the Czech Republic adorns the stage at the Local Colors festival in Roanoke, Virginia. Photo by C.A. Whitworth, courtesy of the Roanoke Tribune

A preliminary version of a sculpture by Judith Damon, to be placed at Townshend ‎Inernational International‎ School once finished.

Working with the community

A number of local Bahá’í communities have working relationships with the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), and Roanoke, Virginia, is no exception.

One NCCJ project in which the Bahá’ís have a special place is the annual Local Colors Celebration, which has for 10 years annually celebrated the cultural heritages of all local residents.

Pearl Fu, the Local Colors main organizer and a program specialist for Roanoke’s NCCJ chapter, consistently extends a special invitation the Bahá’í community to participate in the celebration’s Parade of Nations. The Bahá’ís also have a booth at the celebration each year.

“Pearl insists that the Bahá’í Faith is the one most representative of Local Colors’ primary focus ... promoting education, peace and unity through heightened awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity,” the Local Spiritual Assembly wrote recently. ◆

Older friends explore their unique potential for service

You’re never too old to serve the Cause.

The 40 seasoned Bahá’ís who participated in a Young at Heart meeting May 19–21 at Louhelen Bahá’í School surely knew that.

But these over-50s—one is 92 years young—wanted to more effectively put their lifetime of experiences, talents, resources, knowledge and skills to work for the Faith.

And their consultation, facilitated by Beth Bowen and Jeanette Taborn, produced many ideas for individual and collective action.

Attendees came from all over the U.S. Two traveled from California via Amtrak and stopped to do some teaching on the way.

Once at Louhelen, they heard an inspiring talk by Curtis Russell, member of the Regional Bahá’í Council of the Central States; were treated to an impromptu talent show; and held a memorial service for Mildred Mottahedeh.

The veteran believers met as strangers but left as friends, and there was much enthusiasm for another meeting of this type to be held next year. ◆

Curtis Russell addresses the inaugural Young at Heart gathering, designed to foster activity by Bahá’ís over 50. Photo by Judith Griffin

For further information about Young At Heart, contact Virginia Harden, (734) 662-8785, e-mail vsharden@aol.com.

[Page 14]

SAVANNAH: Fish, fellowship, music attract 1,000

Race unity, fellowship and all the fried fish you can eat sums up a wildly successful Race Unity Day picnic attended by about 1,000.

When a small group of Bahá’ís from Savannah, Georgia, heard the First Commandment Gospel Singers last December in Orlando, Florida, they began to develop a dream.

They thought the group would be perfect for the annual race unity picnic, which had been growing in size and recognition in the Savannah area over the past five years.

On June 11 not only was their dream realized but it was far surpassed when musician/songwriter Jack Lenz of Canada joined with the all-Bahá’í gospel group in informing attendees of the Bahá’í Faith and its commitment to racial harmony.

The event was planned by the Savannah Assembly but supported by believers from much of Georgia and coastal South Carolina. It was promoted in local newspapers with announcements and two feature articles.

In addition, the friends worked for weeks to invite friends, associates and co-workers.

Preparation of food to feed a group that large was coordinated with love and patience by Gladys Walker, known to all as “Ms. Gladys.”

And this was no hot dog- and hamburger-only affair, although barbecue chef David King kept those coming.

The masses were also fed nearly 1,000 pounds of fish fried on site as well as barbecued ribs, coleslaw, potato salad, homemade peach cobbler (it is Georgia, after all), cakes and chips.

A mayoral proclamation was presented by the mayor pro tem. The superintendent of education expressed her wish for race unity for all children. The president of the Martin Luther King Day Association also attended.

Crowd response to the rhythmic, hand-clapping, spiritual presentations of the First Commandment Gospel Singers was overwhelming.

For more than an hour after the last set was played, people who had been moved to ask more about the Bahá’í Faith continued to ask questions.

The number of contacts made for this small community was amazing, as 95 people filled out evaluations requesting more information on the Faith. Some of those have since been invited to scheduled Bahá’í activities or firesides.

One interracial couple said they couldn’t believe that they found people who enthusiastically support them.

Exhausted but spiritually high, the Savannah and Chatham County believers reflected that evening on their effort.

They had had a vision of what could be, prayed for assistance, worked hard and with universal participation. And they were rewarded with a large group of interested souls.

Not only that, Savannah has begun to change. A growing number of people are pursuing race unity in daily life. ♦

ST. PETERSBURG: A diversity challenge

More than 40 guests of the Bahá’ís, energized by a day of fun and fellowship at the St. Petersburg, Florida, Bahá’í Center, left with material to read. A few days later, two of those seekers declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.

The Race Unity Day event June 10 was a collaboration with the Gulfport, Pinellas County, Clearwater, Largo, and Tampa Bahá’í communities.

Dorothea Beane, a lawyer and professor at Stetson College of Law, was guest speaker.

Beane quickly engaged everyone by saying, “Imagine how it would be if we all talked the same, looked the same, and had the same thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Thank God we don’t. Look around you. We are all different and it is wonderful.”

She continued: “I challenge you to go out and meet people who are different from you. Celebrate those differences. After all, we are one human family, and it is time we recognized that.”

The Bahá’í Gospel Choir sang and the youth workshop gave a rousing performance. ♦

Mayor David Fisher (seated) receives a copy of The Vision of Race Unity after signing the Race Unity Day proclamation. Standing behind the mayor are (left to right) Karen McCord, René Dignard-Fung and Vinita Junor.

WARREN: Prayer works

Warren, Pennsylvania, Bahá’ís believe their commitment to gather each Monday evening for prayer has helped focus their energies.

Recently the Bahá’í group of Warren participated in a Unity Rally initiated by the town commissioners.

The rally was aimed at diverting attention from a rally staged by the Ku Klux Klan at the courthouse.

The small Bahá’í community of seven received astounding attention and publicity.

When a state representative was unable to attend, Khashaiar Charepoo opened the event with a reading of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s “Abolition of Prejudices” from Paris Talks.

The ceremony concluded with a prayer for unity read by another Bahá’í.

Television reporters from Buffalo, New York, and Erie, Pennsylvania, interviewed the Bahá’ís at the end of the afternoon, asking them to describe the spirit present.

The following day Bahá’ís showed The Power of Race Unity at the library.

In addition, they have aired The Power of Prayer twice on local TV.

Warren Bahá’ís also participated in the town’s annual Fourth of July parade, which draws from 10,000 to 20,000 people.

Next year, fellow Bahá’ís in four nearby communities have said they will join in. ♦

LODI: City lends support

Official support, an interfaith presence and diverse entertainment helped make the fourth annual Lodi, California, Race Unity Day picnic a big success.

Held in a city park to attract as many ethnic groups as possible, the picnic was supported by the city of Lodi with a mayoral proclamation declaring June 11 Race Unity Day in Lodi.

Attendance by Council member Keith Land was a further indication of city support, even though a family event prevented him from speaking this year.

The Rev. James R. “Bo” Crowe from the United Congregational Christian Church spoke briefly. Also among the 100 attendees were Pastor Jim Harvey from the Lodi Community Church and several members of the Breakthrough Project, an organization formed in response to a cross burning in Lodi.

Performers included the Peacemakers Bahá’í Youth Workshop and numerous dancers and musicians, including Hmong, Latino, Japanese, Celtic and Nigerian.

An appreciative audience seemed to relate favorably to the message of unity. Most stayed until the event closed.

The Lodi News-Sentinel spotlighted the picnic with front-page coverage. ♦

The colorful Los Danzantes del Folklorico was one of the many ethnic troupes performing at the officially sponsored and heavily attended fourth annual Race Unity Day picnic in Lodi, California. [Page 15]

EUCLID: Organizations pull together for unity

BY SUSANNE M. ALEXANDER

It takes a community to make Race Unity Day a success—and keep the spirit going.

The Euclid (Ohio) Spiritual Assembly invited the Interfaith Suburban Action Coalition (ISAC) and Euclid Community Concerns (ECC) to co-sponsor Race Unity Day in Euclid on June 24.

The two organizations also agreed to co-sponsor the gift of a plaque to Mayor Paul Oyaski honoring him for his “tireless dedication to race unity.”

The plaque contains a quotation from Bahá’u’lláh: “Welcome all with the light of oneness.”

The Bahá’ís have held Race Unity Day in Euclid for a number of years with small attendance.

This year’s event, held at Henn Mansion, a prominent city historic site, drew approximately 75 people, fewer than half of whom were Bahá’ís.

The Bahá’ís recently joined ISAC, and this was their first co-sponsored event. Craig Farnsworth, the Assembly chairman, has recently been appointed to the board of ECC.

Unified collaboration with both organizations was key to the positive outcome of Race Unity Day.

Mayor Oyaski, speaking at the event, underlined the importance of having an inclusive and team-oriented community and called the award a symbol of community commitment to fight racism into the future.

The Spirit of Unity Bahá’í Youth Workshop bestowed on each person arriving for the event a “No Room in My Heart for Prejudice” sticker.

A banner created by 90-year-old Euclid resident Lillian Horn saying “All the people in the world should reconcile their differences — Bahá’u’lláh” provided a backdrop as the youths performed the “Racism Dance.”

The Bahá’í Choir of Northeast Ohio opened the event by singing “Blessed Is the Spot.” At the end the entire assemblage stood, held hands, and together sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

Race Unity Day was covered by Euclid Cable Channel 51 and broadcast a number of times throughout the city.

The weekly Euclid Sun Journal newspaper devoted almost a full page on the front of its Community Life section to the event.

Reporter Jeff Piorkowski wrote: “It was fitting for the Bahá’í Faith to put on Unity Day in that it is a faith that, while it follows the teachings of the 19th Century prophet Bahá’u’lláh, embraces other religions’ and prophets’ teachings as vital to the spiritual development of mankind.” ♦

Mayor Paul Oyaski (left) is presented with an award by Bob Horn of the Euclid Spiritual Assembly as part of Race Unity Day. The award was inscribed “For his tireless dedication to race unity.” Photo by Timothy Carroll

SPRINGFIELD, MA: New way is on display

For years the Springfield, Massachusetts, Bahá’í community held wonderful Race Unity Day picnics.

This year, primarily because of a time crunch, the Springfield Assembly tried something different.

That set in motion an equally wonderful process.

It started June 3, when the Assembly brought together a diverse group of 40 children from across the community to learn about race unity.

The day began with a story that taught the children that we are really all from the same family.

The children also learned why some people have dark skin and some have light skin, why our eyes may look different and why our hair is different.

Then the children painted wooden figures, about 40 inches tall. They were encouraged to paint a person who reflected how they see themselves on one side and a person of another race on the other side.

A second reason for the event was to generate awareness of the principle of race unity.

The children wanted to say to everyone who saw their work that “we are one family,” so they created a striking race unity display. Little did they know the impact that display would have in the region.

As of latest information, the display had been set up in four different malls across western Massachusetts. And the goal is to put the display on exhibit in at least nine venues around the area.

Local Bahá’ís say that what’s great about the project is that they can maximize efforts by using the display for a multitude of activities and events.

Letters have gone out to nine other communities offering to set up the display in their community in any activities they feel would be appropriate.

The display is a turnkey operation. All a community has to do is say it wants the display. ♦

SPRINGFIELD, IL: Praise

The vicinity of the Illinois Capitol Building turns into a sea of placards promoting race unity.

Local, state and national leaders praised members of the Bahá’í Faith at the third annual statewide Race Unity Rally, June 4 in the Illinois Capitol Building.

The rally, with a theme of “Racism: not in our town, not in our nation,” attracted about 200 people from across Illinois.

Video highlights from the rally aired on television newscasts in several cities.

Springfield Mayor Karen Hasara, who appointed a local Bahá’í to co-chair the city’s newly formed Race Relations Task force, gave “a very special thank you to members of the Bahá’í Faith, to whom we all owe so much. For many, many years, before many of us realized how important this issue was, they (the Bahá’ís) realized it and they started something that we’re now being asked to continue.”

Other rally speakers included Ken Bowers of the Bahá’í National Center, who served as emcee and was featured in several TV news stories on the event; Vibert White, a Bahá’í who teaches at the University of Illinois-Springfield; and four members of the city’s race relations task force. ♦

SANFORD: Funds raised for restoration

A joint celebration of Juneteenth and Race Unity Day raised funds for restoration of a building dear to the hearts of many in Sanford, Florida.

The structure once housed Hopper Academy, a school established by the African-American community to educate its children during segregation.

Restoration will make the building available for use by social service organizations.

The Seminole County West Spiritual Assembly collaborated with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Steering Committee to sponsor the June 17 event.

Bahá’í participation over the years in the annual MLK banquet and interfaith gathering helped pave the way for the partnership, which the Assembly sees as a social and economic development project.

The first phase of restoration was made possible by a $250,000 grant. Interior restoration is next.

The celebration attracted some 120 people, including dozens of former Hopper students and teachers. ♦

K.C.: A portrait

Intercommunity collaboration and the involvement of like-minded organizations extended the reach of Kansas City’s Race Unity Day picnic.

“A Human Family Portrait—Put Yourself in the Picture” was the theme of the event, which drew more than 100 people to a Kansas City, Kansas, park.

This year’s event was planned by a task force from several communities. Also, for the first time, 10 area organizations were co-sponsors. ♦ [Page 16]

Interfaith contact mines rich vein in California

Earn the trust and respect of our fellow believers in God, and they will be drawn to the beauty and truth of the Bahá’í writings.

That’s what Bahá’í communities in and around Rocklin, California, have discovered through their involvement with the Loomis Basin Interfaith Consortium, which has held several interfaith events aimed at safeguarding religious freedom and promoting unity based on fellowship, trust and mutual respect.

An international family potluck May 27 sponsored by the consortium showed tremendous spiritual energy, according to Debra Taylor of the Rocklin Spiritual Assembly. It drew members of several churches, a Jewish synagogue and Bahá’ís from several Sacramento-area communities.

The theme of the gathering at a Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) church was “Ask questions; be nosy!” Each faith community had a table to display artifacts and literature. Each offered prayers before the meal. And in a “hands-on” spirit, a questionnaire “mixer” encouraged people to talk with each other about their faiths’ basic beliefs and practices.

Karen McGhee (left) and Mary Ann Miller staff the Bahá’í display at a potluck gathering of the Loomis Basin Interfaith Consortium near Rocklin, California.

Singing and recitation of Bahá’í scriptures and revealed prayers had an evident effect on a number of people. After Karen McGhee of Sacramento sang a prayer, the bishop from the host church asked her to sing another later in the program.

The assistant pastor of a nearby Methodist church has gone even further:

• Inviting Bahá’ís to sing Bahá’í prayers for several church services.
• Requesting (and receiving) a variety of Bahá’í writings and drawing heavily on them for at least one sermon.
• Publishing Bahá’í prayers in the church newsletter and the weekly handout.
• Attending a fireside along with several members of her congregation.

“Involvement in interfaith groups is a tremendously powerful teaching tool whose time has come. If you do not already have one established in your area, start one,” Taylor said. “We have to share the healing message of Bahá’u’lláh with churches filled with people. The waiting souls whose hearts have been prepared will then begin investigating. ... We don’t know how far this will go, but the time is right for undreamed-of successes.”

The Loomis Basin Consortium was formed by several ministers and a rabbi as an organization of clergy and lay believers, after arsonists destroyed three synagogues. The Bahá’í presence in the group was started through individual initiative, and grew with Local Assembly sponsorship and guidance. ◆

‘Bahá’í World’ site gains recognition

Producers of public television’s Religion & Ethics Newsweekly have honored The Bahá’í World Web site for “significant contribution to religion and ethics” by naming it World Wide Web “site of the month” for July.

The Bahá’í World (www.bahai.org) represents the official presence of the Bahá’í Faith on the Web. It is sponsored by the Office of Public Information of the Bahá’í International Community.

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly described the site as offering “an introduction to the Central Figures and institutions of the Faith, as well as its spiritual truths and sacred writings. The site also offers the opportunity to meet other Bahá’ís from around the world.”

Janice R. Henderson, the program’s information manager, explained that sites are chosen to “inform and educate as well as ... reflect the diversity of religions and belief systems around the world. We believe The Bahá’í World site accomplishes that by providing a detailed primer about the Bahá’í Faith.”

The perseverance of our National Spiritual Assembly’s Office of Public Information in New York might have brought the site to Religion & Ethics Newsweekly’’’s attention.

Ellen Wheeler, assistant director, said the office is “in contact with [show producers] often to provide information and video clips about the Faith for their show.”

She called the show “very supportive of the Faith” and noted that it “did a nice profile on Rúhíyyih Khánum when she passed away.” ◆

S.E. Asian gathering focuses on the young

A light moment is shared at this year’s Southeast Asian Roundtable Discussion Conference at Bosch Bahá’í School. More photos on page 12. Photo by Puran Stevens

Young people were firmly at the center of this year’s Southeast Asian Roundtable Discussion Conference, June 16–18 at Bosch Bahá’í School.

With the Ridván 2000 message from the Universal House of Justice as the main reference for their consultation, participants looked at the topics:

• The role of parents and communities in developing the spiritual capacity of children and junior youths.
• Changes Southeast Asian families face.
• Use of traditional arts to teach children, junior youths and youths to celebrate our different cultures and to learn more about the relationship between traditional Asian and Bahá’í values.

An entire youth program ran concurrently with the main conference, on the theme “Becoming Invincible Champions of Justice”—derived from a letter from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’í Youth Congress in Paraguay in January 2000. Youths gathered to understand their role in the Bahá’í youth movement, while discussing themes such as gender equality, the role of money as a tool to spiritualize the world, and what it means to be a youth of Southeast Asian descent while living in the United States. Participants also benefited from service, artistic and recreational activities.

A multicultural and multigenerational program of traditional Southeast Asian dance, song, music, skits and crafts uplifted, involved and drew all the conference participants together, concluding the evening with a Cambodian circle dance. ◆

Wilmette Institute

DISTANCE LEARNING:

Kitáb-i-Íqán The Kitáb-i-Íqán and Related Texts, Sept. 1–Nov. 30 This course will study systematically the second-most-important work in Bahá’u’lláh’s corpus and will examine parallel texts in Some Answered Questions and other works. Tuition: $150*

Bahá’í Theology, Nov. 1, 2000–Jan. 31, 2001 While this topic sounds over the heads of most Bahá’ís, it is not. Primarily, the course will explore the Bahá’í concept of God, a topic about which people have speculated for thousands of years and which Bahá’í scriptures address in detail. Almost as important to Bahá’í theology are the concepts of the Manifestation of God, divine revelation, the nature of human beings and the nature and purpose of physical creation. From these concepts flow two related ideas: the Bahá’í concept of the nature and purpose of the afterlife (which relates ‎close closely‎ to the nature and purpose of life) and the Bahá’í concept of Covenant (which relates to the idea of progressive revelation).

All these fascinating and profound subjects will be explored through readings, e-mail discussion and conference calls. They will provide a Bahá’í with an understanding of some of the Faith’s most important and basic, but less understood, teachings. Tuition: $150*

• 20% discounts apply to local study groups of three or more

Future offering: A course on the Qur’án is scheduled Dec. 1, 2000–Feb. 28, 2001. Details will be available in future issues of The American Bahá’í.

All courses include e-mail listservers for students and faculty, regular conference calls, systematic lesson plans and a wide variety of learning projects to apply in your local community. All courses are available at an introductory, intermediate (college-level) or advanced (graduate) level. Financial aid is available for students unable to pay full tuition.

THE WILMETTE INSTITUTE 536 Sheridan Road Wilmette, IL 60091 Phone/fax: 877-WILMETTE (toll-free) E-mail: Web site: www.wilmetteinstitute.org The Web site is now secure for accepting credit card payment of tuition. [Page 17]

KINDNESS AND GOOD FAITH!

“...to all must they show forth kindness and good faith; to all must they wish well.” — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Sharon Arbtin • Age 10 Story, activity and illustrations by Sharon for the Office of the Treasurer

Have you ever been around people who are unkind? How does it feel? Not too good, right? We have some suggestions for you as to how you can act around people when they are unkind.

“You’re Stupid!” “I’m not stupid, just different.”

A FEW KIND WORDS

Everybody can have a bad day, even you. Remember when you had a bad day? Aren’t you glad people were still kind back to you? Maybe the person who is unkind is having a bad day too. But keep being patient and kind.

If the person is saying mean things to you, you can say, “Why are you mean to me? Did I do something wrong? I thought we were friends.”

If the person is talking unkindly about someone else, you can say, “I like that person. I wish you wouldn’t say mean things about other people because it’s not nice.” Be sure not to say mean things back because that will make it worse!

If the person is really upset, stay calm and leave them alone. Sometimes when you are upset, it helps to have a “time out.” You can talk to the person later and see what the problem was and how you both can work it out.

If the person continues teasing, you can say, “Why are you picking on me? I’m always trying to be nice to you. If we can’t be friends, let’s just leave each other alone.”

If you feel like the person might physically hurt you, go to a safe place and get help from an adult. If you can help it, don’t pick a fight. Stay calm.

If you ever feel stuck in a situation, you can always ask for help from your parents or another trusted adult. You can also silently say a prayer, like Yá-Bahá’u’l-Abhá, for guidance.

Remember, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us to be kind to everyone because every person comes from God and even those that are unkind need and want love.

For subscriptions to BRILLIANT STAR, call Bahá’í Distribution Service at 1-800-999-9019 or see page 25 to subscribe. For questions about your subscription please contact

E-mail your stories and activity ideas to

LOOKING FOR KINDNESS

How many words can you make from the letters in the word KINDNESS? (Clue: you may use words from any language.)

Free Examples...

• kin
• in
• Kid
• es (Spanish)

If you find: 9 words, you are ........ A Word Herder 15 words, you are .......... The Fly Eye 19, you are ........ A Stupendous Seeker 25, you are ........ A Fantastic Finder 30 is for .......... A Dazzling Detective 40 makes you ........ A Radical Revealer 50+ is for .......... A Totally Tantalizing Tongue Twisting Word Transformer [Page 18]

In the runners’ words

Witness the confidence of eight core runners, as young as 15 and only two older than 21, as they spoke to nearly 200 gathered at Foundation Hall in the Bahá’í House of Worship on July 16:

• Christopher Shattuck: “The effects [of the Spirit Run] are difficult to see because we’re like a wind passing across. We can’t see what’s happening in our wake.”
• Mike Pennington: “I wanted to do this because, basically, I was tired of seeing [social situations in which] ... over there it was all whites and over there it was all African-Americans and over there it was all Asians.”
• Micah Reed: “I’ve had the absolute pleasure of going from community to community, seeing people gather and prepare for us together. ... I want everywhere to be like this [diverse House of Worship gathering] when I’m done with this.”
• Charles Nelson: “[While others see lines of difference between the races,] I look out and see family. And it looks to me like you’re all family. ... I encourage you to go out in your communities and make this family bigger.”
• Billy Harris: “It’s amazing, it’s like ripples in a pond. ... Seeing people’s smiling faces, it just spreads. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
• Sahar Sattarzadeh: “We are like a thread crossing the country. ... we are sewing together a quilt that will unite all of humankind.”
• Samaan Sattarzadeh: “We have all suffered from prejudice in some way. ... What I’ve learned through this is that we have to put away all the negatives and focus on the positive, because we’re not going to be able to build anything out of the negatives.”
• Alfred Kahn: “We all have the common goal of race unity, but ... we don’t grow until we actually overcome the tests we’re presented. ... All of the difficulties we’ve had have been of benefit.”

Top and above: Runners gather in a Wilmette, Illinois park before gathering in a group of about 100 for a procession to the Bahá’í House of Worship. Photos by Kenneth Duszynski

Above left: “Core runners” for the Spirit Run react after being presented plaques as gifts from the National Teaching Committee on the Temple steps. Photo by James Humphrey

Approximate route of Spirit Run with some stops through mid-July

SPIRIT RUN,

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

colored group that streamed around a corner onto the Temple grounds were the dozens more who had joined the white-shirted “core runners” at a Wilmette park two miles away.

They started up the main steps, then marched clockwise in a full circle around the Temple and its gardens. They sang, then on cue rhythmically shouted, the Most Great Name.

They joined elders, support volunteers and more well-wishers at the base of the monumental stairs leading to the sacred building’s main entrance, bringing the chanting, love-enthralled crowd to more than 200.

A major leg of the Spirit Run was concluded. The message of Bahá’u’lláh had been carried on foot from Seattle, Washington, through cities, towns and Indian reservations to America’s spiritual heartland.

The runners could pause, somewhat, before crossing another state line three days later on their eastward trek.

By the time you read this, God willing, the Spirit Run will have reached its completion at the Shinnecock Reserve in New York state.

‘29 hours a day...’

“Every step is a prayer,” Arthur Fernandez-Scarberry told a gathering that evening at Foundation Hall in the House of Worship. “With every step we’re crying out from the depths of our being ... that the people will be reminded that we all come from the same Creator, that we’re all part of the same human family.”

Those depths, from all accounts, had grown steadily as the journey lengthened.

Having met as strangers in all but their common faith, the company of the Spirit Run has proved to be a traveling crucible in our laboratory of unity in diversity. Its inspiration comes not only from the desire to carry the message of Bahá’u’lláh to American Indians across the breadth of the continent, but also to demonstrate racial unity in action.

The runners bring Caucasian, American Indian, Persian, East Asian, Pacific, Hispanic and African-American backgrounds to their mobile community. Socially they range from urban to suburban to rural, prosperous to impoverished. The journey’s principal elder, Bill Ekomiak, is an Inuit from Canada; other traveling helpers have joined the group from many origins and areas of the country.

That cherished diversity means different ways of seeing things—for example, privacy and sharing—different personal habits, and sometimes clashes.

As principal organizer of Spirit Run, Scarberry testified the nine core runners have been together “29 hours a day, nine days a week, three years over the past month.” Unlike in a normal American Bahá’í community, the runners cannot go home every night to cool off.

It can be gut-wrenching, he said. But they have used the “talking circle” to iron out differences under the guidelines ‘Abdu’l-Bahá established for consultation. A jointly understood commitment reinforces this: “Leaving is not an option,” Scarberry said.

The runners’ bonding is a confirmation that “what Bahá’u’lláh calls us to do can be done,” said Erica Toussaint, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly who served as a “driver and cheerleader” for the group.

The talking circle became a hallmark of Spirit Run. Daily, or on request, the runners (and any invited crew) would gather to discuss their pains and joys and to grow deeper in their understanding, consideration and love for each other. A cherished consultative aid was their “talking stick”—a colorful staff bearing carvings representing several Native nations of the Pacific Coast, and one of the first gifts presented by an Indian leader to the Spirit Run.

Evidence of the circle’s importance came in the Wilmette ceremonies, where the talking stick was prominently carried as an emblem of the group’s unity.

Toussaint praised the youths’ consultation with such terms as “speaking dispassionately but without circumventing the truth. ... love but frankness. ... something that each one of us is called upon to learn.”

“These are not saints, but real people who become saints in striving for community,” she said.

Carrying the message

“Running,” Fernandez-Scarberry said drily, “is the easy part.”

Off the freeways, over steep ridges or in the open plains, in weather that could be chilly-wet or searing hot, each runner covered a mile at a time, carrying booklets with the message of Bahá’u’lláh in a bundle with other precious items. Then the bundle was handed off to the runner responsible for the next mile.

Vans rolled ahead of and behind the runners to put motorists on alert. A camp trailer served as a traveling kitchen. On days when camping plans had to be changed, a motorcyclist scouted locations ahead.

The goal was an average of 54 miles traveled each day. Many people of all ages ran some of those miles at one time or [Page 19]Drummers from the Chicago American Indian Center perform an honor song for the runners in the House of Worship gardens. Photo by Kenneth Duszynski

Art Shegonee, on behalf of American Indians in the Chicago area, greets Spirit Run organizer Arthur Fernandez-Scarberry at the Temple garden ceremony. Photo by Kenneth Duszynski

Respected elders have their own table among about 200 people at the Hazíratu’l-Quds, across the road from the House of Worship, for dinner with the Spirit Run crew. Photo by Caswell Ellis

Nick Savage of Redding, California, pauses amid preparations at the Fort Thompson, South Dakota, campsite to reflect on the “phenomenal” group. Photo by James Humphrey

another—Bahá’ís who live along the way, their friends, or admirers they chance to encounter.

In Western Montana, the runners not only were assisted by 20 Navajo Job Corps students who happened to be serving in the area. They also crossed paths with, and for several days lent some runners to, an entirely different project: the Peace and Dignity Run, an Alaska-to-Mexico venture organized to bring recognition to Native nations of North America.

The encounter with the latter group of runners was almost miraculous, runner Christopher Shattuck noted in an interview for a Chicago-area radio station: “We didn’t know about them beforehand. ... We just happened to be running on the same road at the same time of day in the same city in the U.S. as them,” he said.

Muscle aches, shin splints, worn shoes and such may have hindered individuals but did not halt the progress. Some of the core runners had to stop running for a few days to prevent minor injuries from becoming major. But they still did their share in carrying the message: they would walk several miles in the wee hours each morning, to avoid delaying the run.

“These kids are phenomenal. Phenomenal,” support volunteer Nick Savage of Redding, California, said at a camp near Fort Thompson, central South Dakota, two weeks before the Wilmette celebration. “There’s no grousing, no sniping. When there’s a difference, when something comes up, it’s ‘Let’s consult!’”

Savage would have choice opportunity to hear any complaints. His duties included the morning wake-up and a number of camp arrangements. But, he said, “we’re all aware this is a Spirit Run.” Inconvenience is accepted with grace.

“Yesterday [June 30] was the first day without rain. Do you think they’ve griped? No,” he said.

The healing message was clearly established by deed. But in case anyone missed the point, the power of words was also channeled: in firesides, in celebratory gatherings, in chance encounters, in reports and interviews on local radio, television and newspapers.

Bahá’ís in large cities, small towns and points in between showered the runners with hospitality. Tribal leaders on many reservations welcomed them formally, held banquets in their honor, blessed them in joyous ceremony. The Spirit Run presented elders of each tribal group with a red-bound collection of Bahá’í writings.

In the Temple gardens

The arrival of Spirit Run at the Temple in Wilmette brought an afternoon ceremony of a type this House of Worship seldom sees. Lake breezes and coveted tree shade helped cool the attendees in a garden on the northeastern side of the sacred edifice.

Honor songs rang out before, during and after the hourlong welcoming event, played by a drum circle from the Chicago American Indian Center. The singers carried the Menominee, Potawatomi, Ho Chunk, Ojibway, Cherokee and other

Tales from the trail

Consider these few stories, drawn mostly from reports submitted to the Web site (www.spiritrun.org) and certainly leaving out many other inspiring events:

• Great Falls, Montana: The Rocky Boy Tribal Council, having heard of the Spirit Run from the Blackfeet Tribal Council, arranged a dinner and ceremonies at the Montana State Fairgrounds. A television station and a public radio station interviewed runners by the next morning.

During a proclamation/teaching event in a park, runners chatted with a Browning Indian fire crew preparing to fight fires in Colorado. That evening a new believer presented his enrollment card.

• Billings, Montana: Not only TV and newspaper reports drew attention to the runners. The singing and drumming procession on a Sunday morning was granted a police escort, with traffic directed for the safety of the runners. Churchgoers were seen parking their cars and asking questions of Bahá’ís along the route.

• Sheridan, Wyoming: To ensure the runners could attend a dinner and talk at the YMCA, local believer Bill Henderson agreed to carry the Message in its bundle the last 13 miles into town. “The Run brought a revitalizing spirit to our community,” Henderson noted.

• Newcastle, Wyoming: The Spirit Runners and crew were by far the largest-ever contingent of Bahá’í visitors here, said Bill and Nancy Moore, longtime homefront pioneers who own KASL radio. Of course, the runners were interviewed for the regular Sunday morning Bahá’í program.

• Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota: Students of Treehaven alternative school—which teaches academic and virtues classes—prepared food and lodging for the Spirit Run. Some 41 students took part in a 2½-mile leg of the run for the sake of the racial unity message, teachers Chuck and Barb Bennett wrote.

• Lower Brule Reservation, South Dakota: Two evenings in the vicinity brought celebrations involving Pierre-area Bahá’ís and many people from the reservation: one evening a picnic and dancing in the streets, the next a dinner in honor of the Spirit Run arranged by the head of the tribal council.

• Redwood Falls, Minnesota: One woman here provided warm hospitality for a teaching event at her house on a small reservation, though she was not a Bahá’í. According to runner Nancy Torres, the event so moved the woman that she followed her heart to the Spirit Run celebrations several days later at the Temple in Wilmette—and there declared her faith in Bahá’u’lláh.

• Minneapolis, Minnesota: The Indian Ministries organization had prepared for the Spirit Runners’ arrival the morning of July 8, and the moment did not disappoint. “To see the faces of the people who were waiting for us brighten as we came up and to see so many smiles was awe-inspiring,” wrote Diane Kerr, a local believer. After a traditional honor song and welcoming ceremony, the gathering was treated to a talk by Chester Kahn—a Navajo elder among the Bahá’ís—and a youth workshop performance that portrayed an Anishinambe creation story.

• La Crosse, Wisconsin: The Ho Chunk nation was the host when about 50 people gathered at the Three Rivers House. Questions and discussion went steadily into the night as the runners and Erica Toussaint discussed the power of consultation toward creating unity during the run, according to Iowa visitors Karen and Bill Alexander.

[Page 20]

SPIRITUAL DISTINCTION

One YEAR PLAN 2000

GOAL: INTENSIFY DEVELOPMENT OF SPIRITUALLY DISTINCTIVE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

• Foster love, happiness and spiritual devotion
• Insure children and junior youth acquire spiritual virtues and are free of prejudice
• Foster devotional life of individuals and community

Cultivating Distinction

A national program of focused study in 2000

The study material for July through December includes these six letters from the book The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh:

• The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh
• The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh: Further Considerations
• The Goal of a New World Order
• The Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh
• America and the Most Great Peace
• The Unfoldment of World Civilization

Gratitude for service to the young

Bahá’ís go the extra mile to honor schoolteachers

As young Bahá’ís and their families strive for distinction, in at least two communities they have taken a simple but unusual step—expressing public gratitude for schoolteachers, an often-underappreciated group.

Cary, North Carolina Expanding on the initiative of two Bahá’í families, the Spiritual Assembly of Cary has sponsored a Teacher’s Appreciation Dinner for six years. It has attracted more people every year—with 100 participating each of the past two years—and now involves the neighboring Bahá’í communities of Wake County and Raleigh.

Students in the communities are encouraged to invite up to four of their teachers to be honored. The inviting families provide dinner for the teachers and their guests.

A guest speaker talks on the importance of education, as referenced by the Bahá’í writings, in children’s lives.

Teacher Lynn Bitting (left) and her husband, Paul, flank 11-year-old Christopher Mills at the recent Teacher’s Appreciation Dinner in Cary, NC.

The children usually then offer a gift of appreciation to their teachers in the form of a presentation: song, dance, artwork, or craft.

Teachers respond very positively. One teacher, who first learned of the Bahá’í Faith as a result of the dinner, is now an active Bahá’í. A principal, invited for the second straight year, remarked, “I have never felt so honored in my life before. I would not miss this dinner for the world.”

Claremont, California Preparing to graduate as valedictorian of Claremont High School, Nava Geula felt strongly she couldn’t take all the credit for her achievement. So she and her family arranged for a dinner in gratitude for her teachers.

All her teachers, that is—from grade school through high school. About 30 teachers attended the May 26 event at the Geulas’ home.

Dorothy Nelson, a National Spiritual Assembly member, and James Nelson, a Regional Bahá’í Council member, spoke as “special ambassadors” on behalf of the family and the Bahá’í community.

“We all know you brought this great flame to Nava, [and for that] we give you our undying gratitude,” Dorothy Nelson was quoted as telling the teachers in a community edition of the Los Angeles Times.

Teachers reacted with warm gratitude, and sometimes plain incredulity. “I was tickled. It’s a unique kind of thing this family would do,” Elizabeth Sides, Nava’s fourth-grade teacher, was quoted as saying.

In fact, 10 years ago, the family held a dinner for teachers of Nava’s brother Naisan.

Michigan Assemblies praise Weekend Visit at National Center

BY THE OFFICE OF ASSEMBLY DEVELOPMENT

Members of eight Local Spiritual Assemblies from the Detroit, Michigan, area came to their Bahá’í National Center in June as part of the Assembly Weekend Visit program.

These 32 people had an opportunity to see relics of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Archives, say prayers in the Mother Temple, tour the offices of the Bahá’í National Center, hear updates on new initiatives from several offices, and have their questions answered by a member of the National Spiritual Assembly.

The Weekend Visit program has welcomed 285 people from 60 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the past four years. The goal of the program is to inform Assemblies of the resources available to them at the Bahá’í National Center, form closer bonds between the Local Spiritual Assemblies and the National Spiritual Assembly and its offices, and help renew a sense of excitement and importance about the work of the Cause.

Results over the years have shown that the visits are very successful in achieving these goals. Evaluations show a near-perfect score in “usefulness ratings.” The most recent evaluation forms included the following comments:

• “I feel so close to our National Spiritual Assembly now. To say that I trust them implicitly is an understatement.”
• “This will definitely strengthen the relationship between our LSA and our NSA. The knowledge and understanding created by this visit, along with the wonderful hospitality shown us, can only improve the bond.”
• “This visit made me feel more connected to the National Center, more inspired to teach the Faith and deepen.”
• “The information we learned here will be shared with our community to enlighten them of the wonderful behind-the-scenes work that goes on here and the need for volunteers, money and workers.”
• “As a secretary it is helpful to know what department does what. It is amazing how few people in each department achieve all they do.”
• “I had a spiritual transformation seeing the level of sacrifice in our friends who work in our center. The warmth and loving attitude and helpfulness of all the staff and the degree of awareness it gave me were particularly appreciated.”
• “Very inspiring. I feel so much more connected to the Kingdom of God here on Earth. It’s more than regenerating. My capacity has increased.”
• “I have a greater desire to execute my duties as an LSA member. I needed the inspiration to rise up and make use of the materials that we already have, and I got it this weekend.”

The Weekend Visits originally started 10 years ago, drawing people from around the country. The program was expanded to offer local institutions the same benefits.

Improvements in the program include additional opportunities to interact with the National Spiritual Assembly, coordinated visits for several Assemblies from a single area, and child-care opportunities.

Any Local Spiritual Assembly is welcome to attend one of these quarterly events as long as it can send a quorum of its membership (this requirement is relaxed when visits are coordinated for all the Assemblies from a certain area).

Interested Assemblies should contact the Office of Assembly Development (phone 847-733-3490, e-mail ).

Building a foundation of reverence first

Joel Orona (playing flute), Michael Orona (with gourd rattle) and Chic Day provide meditative music for the dedication of land for a future Bahá’í center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, on a breezy April 29. During the prayerful ceremony, words of welcome were spoken and the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, from his talk at the laying of the cornerstone for the Bahá’í House of Worship, were recited. A pink granite stone was placed in the ground, and singing of “Alláh-u-Abhá” finished the dedication. “Our hearts were touched by the beauty of the land, the music, and the words spoken during this wonderful occasion. The views of the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and the Rio Grande Valley are imprinted in our minds,” a report stated. Photo by Barbara Nakai. [Page 21]

Green Acre Bahá’í School

188 Main Street · Eliot, ME 03903 207 439 7200 www.greenacre.org

A ‘family’ feeling

COMPILED BY PHYLLIS RING

Green Acre Bahá’í School’s June 30–July 5 session was a “family reunion of the spirit,” according to one participant.

Everyone watched the Peace Flag announce summer’s official arrival. The striped concert tent nearly danced across the lawn as Red Grammer shared a musical menu of fun for all ages at the Concert Picnic. And Jack McCants’ words inspired hearts and paid tribute to the progress of the American Bahá’í community and its administration over the past 75 years.

Responding to the call of the Universal House of Justice in the One Year Plan to intensify the development of spiritually distinctive families and communities, presenter Kathy Grammer led a lively and informative session on family virtues.

Future all-ages sessions will include:

• Oct. 6–9: “Talking and Listening: The Art of Spiritual Parenting.”
• Nov. 24–26: “Children: Toward Functional Families and Caring Communities.”
• Dec. 26–31: Winter School, “Institute on Marriage, Family and Relationships.”

During the Family Virtues week, Tobias and Cammy San Luis of Virginia Beach, Virginia, were accompanied by their son Koa, 2, and Tobias’ mother and stepfather, who are not Bahá’ís. “The session helped us all feel like family and community together,” Tobias noted—adding that many fathers were exemplary, helping with baby care to support their wives’ participation.

One topic Cammy found especially meaningful was the spiritual destiny of children. “As a parent, your job is to recognize and nurture that, as well as help them be physically and spiritually safe,” she said. “It became very obvious this week how we need the whole community to do this ... with a focus on our commitment to grow as spiritual beings.”

Tucker Cruikshank of Rochester, Vermont, viewed the session from the perspective of an isolated Bahá’í family.

“For our children, being at Green Acre helped them understand that they are part of a larger community. Our children are the only Bahá’ís in their school and I know from experience that this can be difficult,” he said.

Tucker attended the session with his wife, Lisa, and their children Midori, 9, Sierra, 7, and Maya, 3. At the close of the week, Lisa announced her decision to enroll in the Bahá’í Faith and join the spiritual family she had experienced throughout the week.

Junior Youth Academy participants help ready the garden under Green Acre’s Peace Flag for the Family Virtues week that opened Green Acre’s summer season. Photo courtesy of Green Acre

Laura and Miguel Rivera attended the session with daughters Olivia, 3, and Victoria, 1. In Fairport, New York, Laura runs a virtues group for at-home mothers.

“‘Abdu’l-Bahá said we are here to acquire virtues, that this is our purpose. What could be more important than this?” Laura asked.

She especially valued “the concept that you need to accept and understand problems, rather than struggle against them. They are your path, the path God has chosen for you, and acceptance helps you apply virtues to them.”

Many agreed that the sessions conducted by Jack McCants on the Administrative Order complemented the Family Virtues course well. “These showed how the same things ... apply on the community level,” Cammy San Luis said.

Complete list of upcoming Green Acre sessions on Calendar, page 36

Louhelen Bahá’í School

3208 S. State Road · Davison, MI 48423 810 653 5033 www.louhelen.org

A renewed ‘playscape’

In its Ridván 2000 letter to the Bahá’ís of the world, the Universal House of Justice called special attention to the need to nurture children, saying: “Children are the most precious treasure a community can possess. ...”

This thought was the driving force of some recent volunteer service at Louhelen Bahá’í School. Major repairs and improvements were made to Louhelen’s beloved “Playscape” structure by Ed Phillips, a Bahá’í from Clifton Springs, New York, during three weeks’ volunteer service he offered in May.

Ed’s family, including his children, not only cheered him on but directly helped him get the project completed. This tremendous spirit of family unity and commitment in service to others, especially to children, is a wonderful response to the Universal House of Justice’s call to arise and serve.

Ed and his family sent along this letter to tell more about the project and why it is important to them:

“Hello, girls and boys.

“My name is Ed and I have had the bounty and pleasure of working on the Louhelen grounds this spring and wanted to share with you some thoughts. I would like to take a moment to invite you and to encourage you to attend Louhelen Bahá’í School this summer and to experience the new playscape. If you have ever been to Louhelen, you will marvel at the changes and everyone will love the fun.

“While having fun in the playscape, take a look at the many changes that have taken place to make it a safer environment for you. One of the new additions is a ‘Unity Castle.’ This small building at the end of a walkway offers you the chance to see the world around you through many shapes. As one of the staff members at Louhelen so humorously put it: ‘Remember, it is a Unity Castle, so there is no hassle in the castle.’ Another area of the deck provides benches to just sit and relax. Elsewhere, a porch swing hanging from one of the main braces offers a place for you and your parents to quietly sit and say your prayers together while overlooking the beautiful surroundings.

“Tell your parents, the playscape is not just for kids. Grab their hands and go down the slide together, or better yet, with a new twin yellow slide combination side by side, you get on one slide and race them down the other. Have some fun together and bring a smile to you and your parents’ faces.

“I will say that the time I spent working on the playscape was done with the prayers, the thoughts and the goal of making it a safer place for you, the ‘precious treasures.’ I hope you find that it is a place in which to play, be safe, have fun and be a kid.

“Please enjoy your summer. Have a wonderful time praying and playing at Louhelen this summer and for many years to come.

“All my Bahá’í love, Ed Phillips”

You too, can be a part of this process of arising to serve. Volunteer! Louhelen has a wide variety of needs for volunteer service and will happily consult with you regarding possible avenues of service that will assist the approved plans of the school.

Complete list of upcoming Louhelen sessions on Calendar, page 36

Bosch Bahá’í School

500 Comstock Lane · Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831 423 3387 www.bosch.org

Ocean of Light

Nearly 100 Bahá’ís from Fiji, Yap, Tonga, Samoa and other Pacific islands joined in spiritual conference at the fifth annual Ocean of Light Conference June 30–July 3 at Bosch Bahá’í School.

Sione Tu’itahi, member of the Continental Board of Counselors, returned to this year’s session to help create an inspiring atmosphere and share with the friends the urgency of teaching the islanders whose receptive hearts eagerly await the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.

One participant, ‎Calrence Clarence‎ Raj from Fiji, shared the story of an entire village waiting for one by the name of Bahá’u’lláh to arrive and establish unity among all the people. Pioneers arrived at the village and told the leader they wished to share with him the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. He told them to leave and come back that evening when he could gather all the people of his village and surrounding villages to hear the long-awaited message of the Blessed Beauty.

Other teaching stories also drew attention to the importance of teaching tribal leaders and heads of state because of their great influence on those they lead.

The session ended with a night of entertainment, as dancers and musicians inspired the friends to give freely so that others might attend the conference next year. The free spirit and happiness of the islanders left an indelible atmosphere of spirituality and light, rejuvenating the staff and volunteers at Bosch as they prepared for the very busy summer months.

Upcoming sessions

Sept. 8–10: Latino Conference. The Latino Teaching Desk of the Western Region invites all active teachers and those interested in reaching Hispanics to this spiritual conference. The goals are to review the contributions Hispanics have made in the development of the Faith and to examine the need for heroic sacrifice in reaching and embracing entire populations from the countries and cultures of the Americas.

Sept. 29–Oct.1: Family Session: “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh” with Habib Riazati. This seminal letter of Shoghi Effendi, released on Feb. 8, 1934, outlines in unequivocal language the fundamentals and essential verities of belief and understanding of the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. The letter is the essential thesis of the Bahá’í Faith and amounts to a testament of belief. The Guardian explains the stations of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb as the twin Manifestations, the unique position of the Master and the balancing role of the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice in the Administrative Order. The final paragraph of the letter synthesizes the purpose and the goal of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh having as its foundation “God’s immutable Purpose for mankind in this day.” The study and comprehension of this letter is essential in developing a progressive understanding of being a Bahá’í.

Complete list of upcoming Bosch sessions on Calendar, page 36 [Page 22]

INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTER BUILDING/COMMON AREA: RACING TOWARD COMPLETION

With a Counselors’ Conference planned for January 2001, a sense of urgency has emerged to furnish ‎the the the‎ International Teaching Center Building and Common Area, and to make them ready to be occupied by the end of this year.

Furnishing is nearly complete in the Common Area, where several departments of the Bahá’í World Center will be relocated.

Also, work is progressing in the council chamber, the offices for the Counselors, the Teaching Center Secretariat, the Auditorium, the dining rooms and the kitchen and servery in the Common Area.

Woodwork and carpeting are under way in the Library on the top level of the Teaching Center Building.

In the Auditorium, with woodwork, carpeting and seating in place, the final installations of audiovisual equipment have begun.

As landscaping of patios inside the building began, the external slopes were being planted with lawn grass and star formations much like those on the slopes below the Seat of the Universal House of Justice and the Center for the Study of the Texts.

BUILDING UNDER TERRACE 11 IS PARTIALLY OCCUPIED

In June, the Bahá’í World Center Department of Security and the Office of Public Information moved into new premises in the building under Terrace 11, marking another significant milestone in the Mount Carmel Projects.

Nearly complete in the same building is a Visitors Center, designed to accommodate interest in the Bahá’í Faith and its activities, both within Haifa and across Israel, which has been rising as Bahá’í World Center facilities expand.

The main exhibition space in the Visitors Center will be in a rotunda beneath a star-shaped skylight.

Exhibit panels in the window alcove, an interactive computer kiosk next to it and exhibit panels in the room at the back of the rotunda will provide graphic information for visitors.

Woodwork for all these facilities is nearly complete.

Nearby is a 164-seat auditorium fully equipped for electronic media presentations.

Furnishing is complete here, and the acoustic system is being fine-tuned.

This majestic eagle sculpture provides a dramatic foreground for the Terraces above the Shrine of the Báb in this photo taken June 29.

ATTENTION TURNS TO PLANTING ON TERRACES ABOVE THE SHRINE OF THE BÁB

With balustrades, fountains, ornaments and other fixtures in place on the Terraces just above the Shrine of the Báb, work has turned to completing the landscaping of these Terraces. On Terraces 13, 14 and 15 the areas around the fountains have been planted, as have the outer areas west of these Terraces and of Terrace 11.

Red stone service paths, weaving a serpentine pattern through these informal gardens, are near completion. Only a few rugged patches remain unplanted.

Close to these Terraces, the roof of the Center for the Study of the Texts is abloom with multicolored bougainvillea, flame-colored Pyrostegia, glossy dark green Carissa, vine red Pennisetum and other drought-tolerant plants—adding to a harmonious blend of colors on the eastern side of the mountain above Hatzionut Avenue.

The remaining months of the 20th century, gateway to a new millennium, promise to be months of intense and hectic ‎activityfor activity for‎ the Bahá’ís of the world in general, and the Mount Carmel Projects in particular.

The significance of these months can be gauged from ‎thefollowing the following‎ words of the Universal House of Justice: “We have arrived at a portentous convergence of ends and beginnings in measures of Gregorian time and the Bahá’í era.”

With the impending completion of the Projects on God’s Holy Mountain and the public inauguration of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb planned for May 2001, time is of the essence in the tasks that remain to be completed.

The members of the Mount Carmel Projects team beseech the prayers of the Universal House of Justice and their Bahá’í brethren spread across the length and breadth of the globe that the labours initiated in God’s Vineyard may be brought to a successful conclusion.

Mount Carmel Projects, Office of the Project Manager [Page 23]

Haifa—and the Bahá’ís

BY DR. JOHN HAYNES HOLMES

This extract from an article that appeared in The Bahá’í World Vol. III, 1929–1930, is part of an occasional series of articles providing historical perspective on Haifa and the Bahá’í gardens on Mount Carmel.

By eight o’clock we were speeding down the mountain highway to our next stop, Haifa. This city is the port ... where ships can land only in small boats and in good weather, but soon to be made by extensive building operations the finest harbor on this Mediterranean coast. I was coming here to examine this project, and to visualize the fleets of ‎ship ships‎ which would be floating in years to come upon these waters. I wanted also to see the Technicum, the famous institute of technology and preparatory school, founded years ago by the Germans ... But most I wanted to see in this place the head of the world-wide Bahá’í Movement, Shoghi Effendi, and make my pilgrimage to the graves of the immortal Prophets of this noble Faith. This was my desire on behalf of American friends, and in expression of my own devout reverence for this great inclusive religion of our time.

Our ‎frst first‎ view of Haifa was from Mt. Carmel, where Elijah in the ancient day confounded the prophets of Baal. ... On the left, the dazzling blue of the Mediterranean; on the right, the wide curve ‎of of of‎ the beach sweeping to the walls of ‘Akká; in front the bay, with one great ship and numerous smaller craft peacefully at anchor; below, like a tumbling waterfall, the white stone houses of the town; and just in the center, like a lovely gem, the garden in which reposed the bodies of the honored Bahá’í dead.

We visited this garden the next morning, after a special audience with the head of the Bahá’í Movement. In the center towered the cluster of noble cypresses, beneath whose grateful shade the venerable ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sought quiet and refreshment. Around these trees, winding from terrace to terrace, and lined with giant hedges of geraniums, were paths, paved with broken fragments of red tile, which tempted the feet to meditative wandering. Rose bushes, gorgeous with blossoms a few weeks hence, broke frequently the stretches of fresh, deep-rooted grass. On the lowest terrace, facing a straight avenue which shot down, and then like an arrow, to the sea, was the granite mausoleum. We removed our shoes ... and stepped into the large room, dimly lighted, through stained windows, in which lay the body of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. ... We stood shoeless upon rugs so soft and heavy as to be warm to the feet. We saw silver vases laden with flowers standing like candles about the grave. A great peace lay upon the place. I had never seen a tomb so beautiful! After long moments of reverent salutation, ‎vve we‎ moved away, and entered a second room where lay the body of the Báb. This great Forerunner of the Faith, martyred in the awful persecutions of the early days, for years had no rest. His body had been snatched secretly from place to place by loyal disciples, hidden wherever a moment’s security could be won. But here at last it had found peace, and therewith itself had become a shrine. In this room, as in the other, were the rugs, the vases and the flowers. This dauntless hero of the spirit was not without His great reward! ♦

ENTRANCE PLAZA TO TERRACE 1

To speed the manufacturing of marble components for the Entrance Plaza’s spectacular water features—a star-shaped fountain, a cascade and water channels—contracts were awarded to three different contractors in Italy. Installation is expected to begin in September.

In the meantime, walls have been built at the edge of the Bahá’í property along Hagefen Street, and decorative stone cladding has begun.

Drains, irrigation and electric lines have been installed, and the slopes of the Plaza have been covered with topsoil, ready for lawn grass. ♦

PHOTOS BY RUHI VARGHA

Left: Landscaping around the International Teaching Center building. (Below) Entrance facade of the Center for the Study of the Texts.

Installation is under way for wrought-iron fences and ornamental gates leading into the courtyard of the building under Terrace 11.

An ornamental lamp stands ready to light the path to the Center for the Study of the Texts. [Page 24]

CLASSIFIED

Classified notices in The American Bahá’í are published free of charge to the Bahá’í community. Because of this, notices are limited to items relating to the Faith; no personal or commercial ads are accepted. Some of the opportunities have not been approved by the National Spiritual Assembly; the friends should exercise judgment and care in responding.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

If you know of anyone who has skills in the following areas, or know of people who may ‎jknow know‎ others with these skills, especially for positions listed in the “Urgent Needs” section, please contact our Human Resources Department.

AT THE BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER, EVANSTON, ILLINOIS

Maintenance Team Leader, Properties. Will manage facility/building maintenance and engineering staff to provide timely services at minimal costs; plan, estimate, schedule maintenance requests and projects; ensure that all equipment and buildings are efficiently and effectively maintained. Needs at least five years’ experience in all areas of building maintenance (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, painting, cleaning etc.) with three to five years as a maintenance manager; valid driver’s license; supervisory command of English.

Staff Producer, Media Services. Full range of video/audio production tasks, especially writing/development of Bahá’í Newsreel. Will keep day-to-day production process in order; research, gather news, write and edit finished Newsreel stories, at times without assistance; help develop network of correspondents; arrange for duplication/distribution. Needs knowledge/experience in all production aspects of broadcast journalism; flexibility, organizational skills, familiarity with Bahá’í administration.

Concrete Artisan, Conservation Office. Assists Concrete/Stone Conservator in the conservation of the Bahá’í House of Worship and its surroundings. Must have competence in mixing, placing, finishing and curing concrete flatwork or architectural precast components, experience in building forms or making molds; should be familiar with pressure or acid cleaning, sandblasting or pneumatic demolition; leadership or supervisory experience beneficial. Also essential: valid driver’s license, ability to work comfortably at heights and to wear full or half-mask respirators, good communication skills and ability to interact pleasantly with public. Organized, thorough, patient, cooperative manner desired.

U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office, Evanston: Administrative Assistant (part-time). Prepares correspondence to refugees and to Bahá’í, government and other agencies involved in refugee resettlement. Develops reports, maintains records, helps process Southeast Asian Bahá’í refugees. Helps compile and write the Southeast Asian Helpers Bulletin, articles for The American Bahá’í and other publications. Needs proven ability to work with confidential information, strong skills writing and speaking English.

Switchboard Operator/Receptionist, Office of Human Resources (part-time). Receives and routes telephone calls; greets visitors to the Bahá’í National Center in a pleasant and friendly manner; interacts with all staff and National Assembly agencies as well as the Bahá’í community at large and some international contacts. Must be flexible, effective in service as a team member in a fast-paced environment, able to promote unity within the workplace.

URGENT NEEDS

Bahá’í Distribution Service, Fulton County, Georgia, or Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, IL: Marketing Manager: Will plan, budget, implement, track and report on effectiveness of marketing campaigns for titles produced by Bahá’í Publishing Trust for both Bahá’í and retail markets. Will prepare research-based marketing strategies; sales estimates and sales/inventory reports; advertising in several media, publicity and other marketing materials. Should have marketing degree, professional marketing experience in publishing, catalog/advertising copy-writing experience, strong interpersonal skills. Knowledge of Bahá’í literature and trends in religious and children’s publishing are highly desired.

Bahá’í Distribution Service, Fulton County, Georgia: Customer Service Representative. Will process phone, fax and electronic orders, respond to customer queries, maintain customer records, and handle correspondence. Should have strong communication skills, strong data entry skills, experience in telephone customer service or related work, pleasant and patient demeanor. Knowledge of Bahá’í literature is a plus.

Office of the Secretary, Evanston: Administrative Assistant. Interacts with all departments, composes responses to all correspondence, handles high volume of detailed information with frequent interruptions. Needs sound problem-solving/organizational judgment, ability to work with confidential information and to work as part of a team (with and without supervision), written and interpersonal communication skills, proficiency in word processing, driver’s license.

Office of the Treasurer, Evanston: Administrative Assistant. Coordinates administrative tasks; maintains relationships with institutions and volunteers through phone, mail and electronic correspondence; and helps in executing tasks assigned to the Office of the Treasurer by the National Spiritual Assembly.

If interested, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430). ♦

URGENT NEED

DIRECTOR OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION NEW YORK, NY

For a complete job description with responsibilities and qualifications: Visit www.usbnc.org and click on the “Current Opportunities for Service” link in the What’s New list.

We regret that no inquiries (by phone, fax or mail) or visits to the Office of Public Information or to the Office of External Affairs can be accepted.

OFFICE OF INFORMATION SERVICES

Applications Developer: Provides high-level analysis, design, implementation of information systems. Familiar with variety of technologies: Visual tools, database and Web tools.

Senior Applications Developer. Provides high-level analysis, design, implementation of information systems. Familiar with a variety of technologies: Visual Basic, SQL7, Microsoft Access, Web tools, Delphi, C++.

Network Administrator/Engineer: Responsible for configuration, maintenance and security of all computer networking infrastructure (LAN and WAN) including servers, cabling, routers, switches and NICs. Maintains documentation of network and servers setup and structure.

SQL Database Administrator: Coordinates database development. Responsible for Enterprise SQL server including security rights, table design, normalization. Responsible for design and implementation of user and departmental applications as front ends to SQL using MS Access, VB or other tools as determined.

Help desk. Coordinates support activities for LSAI project. Provides training and support for LSAI. Handles or delegates requests for support. Develops training-related materials, assists promotion and education.

FOR BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE, WILMETTE, ILLINOIS

Activities Editor (10 hours per week). Will develop, acquire and compile fun and engaging activities for children and junior youths, network with contributors, help foster cultural diversity, participate in magazine and article development including research, writing, editing and on-site proofreading for all six issues each year. Must be able to stay abreast of trends and needs in Bahá’í children’s activities, participate in regular staff meetings, assist with marketing and promotional activities. Should be self-motivated, flexible with time, comfortable with a creative, deadline-driven atmosphere, and broadly familiar with Bahá’í writings and principles. Needs background in education and in children’s varied learning styles. Must be a good communicator. Experience with publishing preferred. Applicants who live within 100 miles of Evanston, IL, are preferred.

If interested in any of these Bahá’í National Offices posts, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

Receptionist/Office Assistant. Receives phone, e-mail and fax communications; greets visitors in a courteous, efficient manner; provides administrative support for co-administrators, registrar, program coordinator; helps bookstore manager with sales and inventory. If interested, please contact Jim Sacco, co-administrator, Green Acre Bahá’í School, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME 03903 (phone 207-439-7200, e-mail [redacted]).

AT NATIVE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í INSTITUTE, HOUCK, ARIZONA

Children and Youth Program Coordinator. Carries out administrative, training and social tasks to coordinate day-to-day operation of youth programs, including Youth Service Corps volunteer program; collaborates with administrators to design and run an effective service, training and community involvement program for youth volunteers; communicates with youths from around the region and the country; develops youth newsletters, periodic conferences, organized retreats and deepenings, facilitating an abundance of good times for all; completes special projects and other duties. Needs driver’s license.

Administrative Assistant. Maintains relationships with institutions, volunteers, staff, and the public through phone, mail and electronic correspondence; prepares newsletters, flyers, bulk mailings and reports; maintains financial records; coordinates Institute purchasing; other duties. Must be able to maintain confidentiality of sensitive records and materials.

If interested in either post, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

INTERNATIONAL

China: Numerous openings for English teachers and professionals willing to travel for service in this rapidly developing country. For information contact Susan Senchuk (phone 847-733-3506, fax 847-733-3509, e-mail [redacted]).

PIONEERING / OVERSEAS

The Office of Pioneering is eager to assist the friends preparing for international service. For information regarding jobs and study abroad, or international traveling teaching opportunities and other events, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3508, e-mail [redacted]).

AT GREEN ACRE BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL, ELIOT, MAINE

Assistant Facilities Coordinator. Helps with inspections, maintenance, exterior and interior repairs. Needs skills in housekeeping, maintenance of buildings, equipment, vehicles, grounds.

IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY

Honor those you love on their special days or remember them after they’ve passed on	You may get these Treasurer’s Office forms:
... with your gift to the National Bahá’í Fund. Each gift sent with an “In Honor” or “In Memory” form will be beautifully acknowledged by the National Spiritual Assembly.	On the Web: Printable forms for these special contributions are available on the Administrative Web Site (www.usbnc.org). Through the mail: Printed forms are available from the Office of the Treasurer, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (e-mail [redacted])

[Page 25]

BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTER SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Managerial: Audio-Visual Dept., Cleaning Maintenance Dept., Dept. of Gardens, Dept. of Statistics, Dept. of Publishing, Office of Personnel, Dept. of Security, Administrative Development

Audiovisual: A/V and darkroom technicians, media specialists, archivists/cataloguers

Clerical: Administrative assistants, data entry, document analysts, secretaries

Computer: Programmers, support assistants, systems administrators

Conservation: Analytical chemists/biochemists, cleaning specialists and helpers

Financial: Accountants, auditors

Gardening: Gardeners, horticulturists, pest management, assistants

Language-related: Working knowledge of Persian or Arabic as well as English

Legal: Lawyers (contract, insurance, property, labor)

Librarianship: Acquisition, reference and periodicals librarians, cataloguers, A/V services managers, archival assistants

Security: Dispatchers, guards, warehouse assistants

Purchasing: Buyers, import/export administrators, storekeepers

Trades: A/C and electronics technicians, carpenters, electricians, irrigation engineers, masons/tile-setters, painters, printers, plumbers and others

Service terms: 12 months, 18 months, 30 months or indefinite English language ability required for all positions Bahá’ís in good standing, age 18 or older

For more details or an application contact the Office of Human Resources at the Bahá’í National Center (phone 847-733-3427, e-mail ________).

PIONEERING / HOMEFRONT

A change in homefront pioneering appeals

The four Regional Bahá’í Councils have taken on responsibility for coordinating U.S. homefront pioneering. Because of this, The American Bahá’í has changed the way it presents appeals for homefront pioneers. We will regularly print contacts and/or top-priority localities in each region for homefront pioneers, as reported to us by each Council. Please see page 31 in this issue.

“Classified ads” seeking homefront pioneers have appeared in The American Bahá’í almost from its inception in 1970. However, at this time it is preferable for local communities to turn first to the Regional Councils for this purpose.

WANTED

Desert Rose Bahá’í Institute Inc. in southern Arizona is rapidly developing as a major center of learning for an integrated community of Bahá’ís of all ages. Provisions are being made for construction of independent living units for those who may have left the work force and would like to be a part of this exciting concept. In the short term we aim to offer training courses, programs and conferences as well as to develop an outreach program beyond the Bahá’í community. Longer-term plans include an accredited center of learning focusing on the arts. We wish to utilize the knowledge and expertise retirees may wish to contribute while living in a Bahá’í community on the Institute’s 80-acre grounds. If interested, please contact Ruth Tobey Hampson, project manager, Desert Rose Bahá’í Institute, ________ (phone ________, e-mail ________).

ARCHIVES

The National Bahá’í Archives is seeking original letters written on behalf of the Guardian to the following: Amy Dwelly, Pearle Easterbrook, Mabel Eastman, Elizabeth H. Eaton, W.F. Eberlein, Elcore Ebersole, Bert Edgecomb, Mabel Edgecomb and Mara V. Edmonstone. Anyone knowing family members or relatives who might have these Guardian’s letters is asked to contact the National Bahá’í Archives, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611 (phone 847-853-2359).

The National Bahá’í Archives is seeking copies of the following works by Bahá’u’lláh in good or mint condition: Kitáb-i-Íqán, paper, 1985, 1989; Hidden Words, paper, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1990. Anyone with copies they could donate is asked to send them to the National Bahá’í Archives, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611.

MISCELLANEOUS

Discover Europe’s best kept secret: The Bahá’í Studies Review! Over the past eight years, this annual publication has come to be regarded as the leading Bahá’í studies journal in the world, at the cutting edge of discourse on issues related to Bahá’í thought and practice. Each issue is packed with lively and scholarly articles, ranging from invited commentaries by eminent writers (Ian Semple and John Hick are past contributors), to substantial pieces of original scholarship, to brief reflective essays, to obituaries on outstanding Bahá’í thinkers, to reviews of books, music and film. Several articles are already classics: Moojan Momen on women and on fundamentalism, Robert Stockman on Jesus, and Udo Schaefer on morality (see our Web site, http://bahai-library.org/bsr/). Orders to: ABS-ESE, 27 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PD, UK (e-mail ________).

BAHÁ’Í SUBSCRIBER SERVICE • 800-999-9019

World Order

Your window to teaching, deepening and external affairs

Winter 1999–2000 issue

• Editorial: Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum 1910–2000
• Julio Savi examines “Religious Pluralism: A Bahá’í Perspective”
• Gwendolyn Etter-Lewis, Stephen Friberg, Geoffrey Marks, Gary Morrison, Jim Stokes, Milan Voykovic and others survey significant non-Bahá’í books of the 20th century
• Sandra Hutchison examines Rúhíyyih Khánum’s written legacy
• Ahang Rabbani translates into English a 1901 plan for surveillance of Bahá’í activities in Palestine and Iran

Still Available: Fall 1999 Issue

• Editorial: “Taking Dogmatism Seriously”
• Interchange: The editors reflect on the film Magnolia
• Robert Hariman on Christian detachment in Erasmus’ Praise of Folly and Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction
• Jim Stokes on the power of Shakespearean comedy
• Duane L. Herrmann on “Turbulent Prairie: Politics, the Press, and the Bahá’í Faith in Kansas, 1897”

Subscriptions: U.S.—$19 / year, $36 / 2 years Outside U.S. surface mail—$19 / year, $36 / 2 years Outside U.S. air mail—$24 / year, $46 / 2 years Single copy: $5 + shipping/handling

Brilliant Star

Bimonthly children’s magazine by the U.S. National Assembly

Subscriptions: U.S.—$18 / year, $32 / 2 years Outside U.S. surface mail—$18 / year, $32 / 2 years Outside U.S. air mail—$28 / year, $52 / 2 years Single copy: $3.50 + shipping/handling See Kid’s Corner, page 17

One Country

Quarterly about development by the Bahá’í International Community

Subscriptions: U.S.—$12 / year, $22 / 2 years Outside U.S. surface mail—$16 / year, $30 / 2 years Outside U.S. air mail—$20 / year, $36 / 2 years Single copy: $3.50 + shipping/handling

The American Bahá’í

10 times a year; available by subscription to Bahá’ís outside the continental U.S.

Outside U.S. surface mail—$24 / year, $45 / 2 years Outside U.S. air mail—$32 / year, $60 / 2 years Single copy: $3 + shipping/handling

Herald of the South

Quarterly by National Assemblies of Australia and New Zealand

Subscriptions: U.S.—$28 / year, $50 / 2 years Outside U.S.: Contact Herald of the South, e-mail ________

Single copy: $8 + shipping/handling

Use a separate copy of this form for each subscription

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Check/money order payment must be in U.S. dollars from U.S. bank, payable to Bahá’í Distribution Service. Do not combine subscription payments with payments for back issues or other single items. Georgia residents include applicable sales tax.

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Phone orders: 800-999-9019 • E-mail orders: ________

Mail orders: Bahá’í Subscriber Service, 4703 Fulton Industrial Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30336-2017 [Page 26]

Frank Jenkins is remembered for leading by example

BY SUSANNE M. ALEXANDER

Frank Jenkins’ life was exemplified by service to neighbors, friends, families, city and the greater Cleveland Bahá’í community. His passing left holes that will be difficult to fill, and memories unlikely to dim, as people dedicate themselves to service in his honor.

Frank passed away from a heart attack May 28, 2000. He was 58.

When family and friends remember Frank, they invariably speak of his love for people, greeting each person he met with a smile and often a hug. For many, he demonstrated Bahá’u’lláh’s words, “Blessed is he who mingleth with all men in a spirit of utmost kindliness and love.”

A 31-year resident of Warrensville Heights, a Cleveland suburb, and a member of the Bahá’í Faith for over 40 years, Frank gave his volunteer time as trusted treasurer for: Friends of the Warrensville Heights Library, the Texas Instruments Computer Club, the Crimson Ark Bahá’í Institute, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Warrensville Heights, the Gladstone Residents Association and the Midwinter Bahá’í Youth Conference.

He also served as librarian and bookstore manager for the Bahá’ís of Greater Cleveland, and for many years as a national treasurer’s representative.

He served the Greater Cleveland Bahá’ís by teaching children and adults at the Crimson Ark Bahá’í Institute, driving youths long distances to participate in activities, maintaining databases of membership records and videotaping community events.

Frank was deeply committed to demonstrating the oneness of mankind through the interracial mix of his own family, which welcomed people of all hues into their home. Frank and his wife, Mary Lou, made the decision as a white couple to move to Warrensville Heights, a predominantly African-American suburb, early in their marriage. This had a profound effect on friends and neighbors.

For many years Frank gathered people from across the spectrum to march in the Warrensville Heights Memorial Day Parade and share in a backyard picnic. Many people remarked after his death how they always felt a sense of belonging and warmth in Frank’s presence, no matter where they encountered him.

The National Spiritual Assembly, in a letter read at the memorial service on June 3, referred to him as “dearly loved Frank Jenkins, a stalwart servant of Bahá’u’lláh, and cornerstone of the Cleveland Bahá’í Community.” The letter went on to say, “Frank Jenkins will be well remembered for his determination to further the Cause of God and for the kind and generous spirit with which he served the Community. He was a mentor and a spiritual haven for many youth, encouraging and inspiring them by his words and deeds to carry high the banner of Bahá’u’lláh. His most important legacy is his passionate commitment to the Faith that will forever enrich the lives of his children.”

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Mary Lou; their four children, Dawn, Nevin, Jennifer and Kyle, all of the Cleveland area; his mother, Sylvia Jenkins of Sedalia, Missouri; four brothers, a sister and a grandson. ♦

IN MEMORIAM
Parizad Badkoubeh Montrose, CA January 13, 2000	Benjamin Mashaw Kalamazoo, MI April 30, 2000	Bradley R. Schmidt Westminster, MD April 8, 2000
Merle B. Borden Wheeling, WV June 7, 2000	Clifford L. Mays Antioch, CA December 7, 1999	Larry G. Scott Pass Creek District, SD May 27, 2000
Lua J. Daniel Butte, MT May 29, 2000	Earletha L. Mouzon Kingstree, SC April 2000	Carl Shaunessy St. Petersburg, FL June 2, 2000
Evelyn L. Godard Muscatine, IA August 19, 1999	Leonora P. Norman Ipswich, MA December 8, 1999	Zahra Shahnematullahi Fresno, CA June 20, 2000
Frank S. Jenkins Warrensville Heights, OH May 28, 2000	Rufina P. Peabody Ipswich, MA January 27, 1999	Bonnie F. Wells Orange, CA May 1, 2000
Roderick E. Jensen Reno, NV June 9, 2000	Dorothy E. Roberts Orange County, FL June 26, 2000	Annie B. White Moffat Rock Hill, SC June 4, 2000
Robert Kogan Norman, OK June 8, 2000	Leo Rovin Costa Mesa, CA May 31, 2000	Dolores V. Williams Victorville, CA June 5, 2000

Runners

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

nations in their bloodlines.

A delegation of National Spiritual Assembly members—Secretary-General Robert C. Henderson, Assistant Secretary Juana Conrad and Toussaint—conveyed the Assembly’s welcome. Henderson noted that 20 years earlier to the week, a historic North American Bahá’í Native Council drew hundreds of people to the precincts of the House of Worship, dedicated to helping the spiritual power of this country’s indigenous peoples blossom.

He praised the Spirit Run for its part in the Bahá’í mission to awaken “all of America to a more noble calling and a new history ... to lead the world spiritually as it has led materially.”

Art Shegonee, before pronouncing a blessing on behalf of the Chicago American Indian Center, praised the gathering of nearly 200 for its diversity. “Look around you in the audience—the people are from every place,” he said. Not only the run itself, but the sacred spot of the Temple, is dedicated to the unity of all peoples: “It’s about peace. It’s about reconciliation,” he said.

Welcomes were also extended on behalf of the National Teaching Committee and the Regional Bahá’í Council for the Central States. Rebecca Ellison, in a statement for the NTC, noted that Spirit Run represented an infusion of the energy of the young into the work of reconciliation. “Their struggle may be great but the fruits of their exertions can not only rejuvenate the communities of this country but the towns and cities of the world for generations to come,” she said. “Their dedication, moral courage and purity of heart represent the standard which all should follow.”

Morris Taylor of the Regional Council lauded the run as a living embodiment of the beloved “Blessed is the spot ...” prayer. The run, he said, “is evidence that society’s future is going to be different.”

House of Worship Director Caswell Ellis, also a member of the Regional Council, said he was particularly proud that the run would pass through seven of the Central States—more than any other region.

In his turn, Fernandez-Scarberry expressed great gratitude to everyone who supported and prayed for the Run. He cautioned that the runners themselves were not the focus—but all eyes should be drawn to the message they bear. “All we’re doing is carrying this message and this light,” he said.

From Chicago forward

The company spent two more days in the Chicago area. Another welcoming ceremony was held at the Chicago Bahá’í Center, plus a fireside and general socializing the next evening. Naturally, the youths had more time at the Temple to pray, wander the gardens, or circulate among visitors.

Then it was on eastward, through Indiana, Ohio and Michigan into Canada, then across New York state to a rendezvous with the Bahá’ís of New York City and the Shinnecock Reserve on Long Island. The runners, elders and some organizers were invited to attend a United Nations event focusing on the indigenous of the world, and the Spirit Run and its message of interracial unity was to be recognized from the podium.

“The Glory of Glories has caused us to see just how glorious these days are,” said Ekomiak, who joined the chorus of praise for how the young runners have evolved in character. He added: “I used to feel I didn’t belong [in the Bahá’í community], but more and more and more I see I do.” ♦

The Spirit Runners and volunteer helpers, including Bahá’ís from nearby Pierre, start to set up camp in Fort Thompson, South Dakota. Photos by James Humphrey [Page 27]

2000 Electoral Unit Conventions

Here is the latest information on Electoral Unit conventions, which will be held across the country in early October to elect delegates to the Bahá’í National Convention of April 2001.

• Electoral Units are listed by region. Boundaries of some have been adjusted since last year, partly to ensure no EUs straddle two different regions. Also, some units have been combined with others.
• If you don’t know your Electoral Unit (EU) number, it will be printed on the envelope in which you receive your ballot.
• Information here is more complete and, in cases, changed from the list as it appeared in the July 13 issue of The American Bahá’í. Please note: Corrections in mail-in ballot information for Units EU022, EU053 and EU054 are indicated in italics.

For children’s programs at Unit Convention: Enhance your curriculum with the Teacher’s Toolbox. It can be ordered online at www.usbnc.org or by mail ($10 per copy) from the Education and Schools Office.

Northeastern States

EU001: ‘Akká of the West, Green Acre Bahá’í School, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME; Sunday, Oct. 1 (register 8 am). Mail ballots to LSA South Portland c/o Victoria Smith, (phone ).

EU002: Webster Town Hall, 945 Battle St., Webster, NH; Sunday, Oct. 1 (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Concord, P.O. Box 785, Concord, NH 03302-0785 (phone 603-753-4593).

EU003: River College, Education Ctr., Clement St., Nashua, NH; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Manchester c/o Elizabeth Corgnati, (phone ).

EU004: Boston Bahá’í Ctr., 595 Albany St., Boston, MA; Sunday, Oct. 1 (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Cambridge c/o Nancy Tancredi, P.O. Box 380376, Cambridge, MA 02238-0376 (phone 617-492-6691).

EU005: Smith Vocational High School, Rte. 9, Northampton, MA; Sunday, Oct. 1; 8 am–3:30 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Amherst c/o Mabel Garis, P.O. Box 2118, Amherst, MA 01004-2118 (phone 413-256-6277).

EU006: Site TBA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 8:30 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Barnstable, P.O. Box 1275, Hyannis, MA 02601 (phone 508-775-6820).

EU007: Albertus Magnus College, 700 Prospect St., New Haven, CT; Sunday, Oct. 1 (register 8 am). Mail ballots to LSA New Haven c/o Michelle Schrag, (phone ).

EU008: Community Room, City Hall, 125 East Ave., Norwalk, CT; Sunday, Oct. 1 (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Mount Vernon c/o Ellen Wheeler, (phone ).

EU009: Waldorf School, Cambridge Ave., Garden City, NY; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9 am–1 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA North Hempstead c/o Luann Scribani, (phone ).

EU010: New York Bahá’í Ctr., 53 E. 11th St., New York, NY; Sunday, Oct. 1, 1–5 pm (register 12:30 pm). Mail ballots to LSA New York City c/o Janice Smith, (phone ).

EU011: Grice Middle School, 901 Whitehorse-Hamilton Square Rd., Hamilton, NJ; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 am–3:30 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Hamilton c/o Janet Richards, Ziegler, (phone ).

EU012: Wilhelm Bahá’í Property, 130 Evergreen Pl., Teaneck, NJ; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 am (register 9:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Clifton, P.O. Box 335, Clifton, NJ 07011-0335 (phone 973-684-5509).

EU013: Site TBA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 8:30 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA New Paltz, P.O. Box 1158, New Paltz, NY 12561 (phone 914-255-3229).

EU014: Pittsford Middle School, 75 Barker Rd., Pittsford, NY; Sunday, Oct. 1 (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Greece c/o Holly (phone ).

EU015: Ramada Inn, 1450 S. Atherton St., State College, PA; Sunday, Oct. 1 (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA State College, P.O. Box 1376, State College, PA 16804-1376 (phone 814-238-7214).

EU016: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Philadelphia c/o Franklin D. Kinder, (phone ).

EU048: SUNY at Fredonia Campus, Thompson Hall, Fredonia, NY; Sunday, Oct. 1 (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Amherst c/o Sarah Johnson, P.O. Box 1555, Williamsville, NY 14231-1555 (phone 716-839-2181).

Southern States

EU017: JD’s Cafe, Concord Plaza, 3505 Silverside Rd., Wilmington, DE; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 am–3:30 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA New Castle North c/o Lynn Paul, (phone ).

EU018: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Baltimore, P.O. Box 2015, Baltimore, MD 21203-2015 (phone 410-563-2294).

EU019: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Montgomery Co. Central, P.O. Box 6536, Silver Spring, MD 20916-6536 (phone 301-962-8232).

EU020: Adele H. Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park, MD; Sunday, Oct. 1, 11:30 am–6 pm (register 11 am). Mail ballots to LSA College Park c/o Susan Rishworth, (phone ).

EU021: Fairfax Co. Govt. Ctr., 12000 Government Center Pkwy., Fairfax, VA; Sunday, Oct. 1, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Greater Vienna, P.O. Box 156, Dunn Loring, VA 22027-0156 (phone 703-821-3485).

EU022: George Mason Univ. Student Union 2, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Fairfax Co. Central South, P.O. Box 10514, Burke, VA 22009-0514 (phone 703-425-6727).

EU023: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Henrico County, P.O. Box 4271, Glen Allen, VA 23058-4271 (phone 804-360-4972).

EU024: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Virginia Beach c/o Martha Tillet, (phone ).

EU025: Wilmington Bahá’í Ctr., 15 N. 8th St., Wilmington, NC; Sunday, Oct. 8, 1–5 pm (register 11 am). Mail ballots to LSA Wilmington c/o Roger Hamrick, (phone ).

EU026: Intercommunity Bahá’í Ctr., 5103 Revere Rd., Durham, NC; Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 am–4 pm (register 8 am). Mail ballots to LSA Durham, P.O. Box 51116, Durham, NC 27717-1116 (phone 919-402-0538).

EU027: Coastal Carolina Univ. Admissions Bldg., Hwy. 501, Conway, SC; Sunday, Oct. 8, 11 am–4 pm (register 10 am). Mail ballots to LSA Conway, P.O. Box 348, Conway, SC 29528-0348 (phone 843-248-3325).

EU029: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Charleston, P.O. Box 21887, Charleston, SC 29413-1887 (phone 843-406-7640).

EU030: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Lady’s Island c/o Mrs. Lynn Bryant, (phone ).

EU031: Site, date TBA.

EU032: H. Odell Weeks Community Ctr., 1700 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC; Saturday, Sept 30, 10 am–4 pm (register 9:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Orangeburg, P.O. Box 2463, Orangeburg, SC 29116-2463 (phone 803-536-2752).

EU033: Heathwood Park, 800 Abelia Dr., Columbia, SC; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9:30 am–2 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Richland Co. N., P.O. Box 210351, Columbia, SC 29221-0351 (phone 803-798-7116).

EU035: Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, 1313 Williams Hill Rd., Hemingway, SC; Saturday, Oct. 7, 1:30–4:30 pm (register 1 pm). Mail ballots to LSA Donnelly, P.O. Box 915, Hemingway, SC 29554-0915 (phone , e-mail Debbie Jackson).

EU037: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Florence c/o Steven Bret Breneman, (phone ).

EU043: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Rock Hill c/o Helen Thomas, (phone ).

EU044: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Spartanburg, P.O. Box 2893, Spartanburg, SC 29304-2893 (phone 864-574-2800).

EU045: Site TBA; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Charlotte, P.O. Box 221155, Charlotte, NC 28222-1155 (phone 704-531-8708).

EU046: Mebane Arts & Community Ctr., 622 ‎Corrigedor Corregidor‎ Dr., Mebane, NC; Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 am–12:30 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Orange County c/o Gregory Samsa, (phone ).

EU047: Holiday Inn, I-81 and Rte. 275, Staunton, VA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Staunton, P.O. Box 2682, Staunton, VA 24402-2682 (phone 540-885-6247).

EU052: Catherine Spalding Retreat & Conference Ctr., Bardstown Rd., Nazareth, KY; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9 am–4 pm (register 8 am). Mail ballots to LSA Lexington, P.O. Box 22102, Lexington, KY 40522-2102 (phone 606-263-1820).

EU053: Lake View Clubhouse (Lake Tomahawk), 401 S. Laurel Circle Drive, Black Mountain, NC; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am–3 pm (register 9:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Asheville, P.O. Box 882, Asheville, NC 28802-0882 (phone 828-274-7676).

EU054: Barnett Shoals Elementary School, 3220 Barnett Shoals Rd., Athens, GA; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9 am–3 pm (register 8 am). Mail ballots to LSA Athens-Clarke County, P.O. Box 5304, Athens, GA 30604-5304 (phone 706-369-0102).

EU055: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA De Kalb Co. S. c/o Esther Onaro, (phone ).

EU056: Comfort Inn/Six Flags, 4330 Fulton Industrial Blvd., Atlanta, GA; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10:15 am–4:30 pm (register 9:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Roswell, P.O. Box 651, Roswell, GA 30077-0651 (phone 770-643-4998).

EU057: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Cobb Co. N. c/o Nancy Markovich, (phone ).

EU058: Office of Dr. Bahram Darugar, 132 Sparta Hwy., Eatonton, GA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am–4 pm (register 9:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Augusta, P.O. Box 14031, Augusta, GA 30919 (phone 706-738-3104).

EU059: East Macon Park Recreation Bldg., 3326 Ocmulgee E. Blvd., Macon, GA; Saturday, Oct. 7, 11 am–3 pm (register 10:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Peach Co. c/o Penelope Raeside, (phone ).

EU060: Duncan residence, 3 Mink Ct., Midland, GA; Saturday, Sept. 30, 9:30 am–noon. Mail ballots to LSA Columbus, (phone ).

EU061: Gainesville Bahá’í Ctr., 4451 N.W. 19th St., Gainesville, FL; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 am–3:30 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Gainesville, P.O. Box 357412, Gainesville, FL 32635-7412 (phone 352-338-4565).

EU062: Florida Tech, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne, FL; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Brevard Co. c/o Ladan Delpak, (phone ).

EU063: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Lake Worth c/o Karen V. Murk, (phone ). [Page 28]

SOUTHERN, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

EU064: Recreation Dept. of Palm Greens (Clubhouse), 5801 Via Delray, Delray, FL; Sunday, Oct. 8, 11:30 am–4:40 pm (register 11am). Mail ballots to LSA Palm Beach Co. South c/o Iris Tarafdar, (phone ).

EU065: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Sunrise c/o Susan Akhtarkhavari, (phone ).

EU066: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Dade Co. Central, P.O. Box 165231, Miami, FL 33116 (phone 305-598-7243).

EU067: Ramada Inn Lakeland, 3260 U.S. Hwy. 98 N. (at I-4 Exit 18); Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Polk Co. c/o John Wing, (phone ).

EU068: Pinellas County Bahá’í Ctr., 2898 Gulf to Bay Blvd., Clearwater, FL; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9:30 am–4 pm (register 8 am). Mail ballots to LSA Pinellas County c/o Sarah Shurcliff (phone ).

Bansemer, (phone ).

EU069: Rezvan Ctr., 1310 Cross Creek Cir. Ste. D, Tallahassee, FL; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 am–3 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Tallahassee c/o Barbara Cook, (phone ).

EU070: Fort Walton Beach High School, 400 S.W. Hollywood Blvd., Fort Walton Beach, FL; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9:30 am–3:30 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Okaloosa c/o Linda Long, (phone ).

EU071: ‎Sheperd Shepherd‎ Community Ctr., ‎Sheperd Shepherd‎ Rd. off Hwy. 153, Chattanooga, TN; Saturday, Oct. 7, 9:30 am–3:30 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Hamilton Co. c/o Linda Hendrickson, (phone ).

EU072: Gallatin Civic Ctr., 210 Albert Gallatin Rd., Gallatin, TN; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9:30 am–5 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Nashville c/o Katherine Diaz, (phone ).

EU091: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Little Rock c/o Angelic Caruthers, (phone ).

EU092: Health and Wellness Center, Tougaloo College, Jackson, MS; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 am–3 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Jackson, P.O. Box 1489, Jackson, MS 39215-1489 (phone 601-373-4107).

EU093: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Baton Rouge c/o Connie Naqvi, (phone ).

EU094: Barbara Jordan Ctr., 2803 E. Commerce St., San Antonio, TX; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA San Antonio c/o Margaret Leeds, (phone ).

EU095: Houston Bahá’í Ctr., 2121 Oakdale, Houston, TX; Sunday, Oct. 15, 9 am–3 pm (register 8 am). Mail ballots to LSA Bellaire c/o Elizabeth O’Dear, (phone ).

EU096: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Houston, P.O. Box 301190, Houston, TX 77230-1190 (phone 281-531-0975).

EU097: Austin Bahá’í Ctr., 2215 E.M. Franklin Ave., Austin, TX; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9:30 am–3 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Austin c/o Bijan Ma’sumian, (phone ).

EU098: Waco Bahá’í Ctr., 2500 Bosque Blvd., Waco, TX; Sunday, Oct 1, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Waco, P.O. Box 8995, Waco, TX 76714-8995 (phone 254-772-7951).

EU099: Duncanville Senior Citizens Ctr., 206 James Collins, Duncanville, TX; Sunday, Oct. 1, 1–5pm (register noon). Mail ballots to LSA Duncanville, P.O. Box 381653, Duncanville, TX 75138-1653 (phone 972-709-3877).

EU100: Dallas Bahá’í Ctr., 4235 W. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, TX; Sunday, Oct. 1, 1:30–5:30 pm (register 12:30 pm). Mail ballots to LSA Dallas c/o Rhonda Sue Palmer, (phone ).

EU101: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Flower Mound, P.O. Box 270094, Flower Mound, TX 75027-0094 (phone 817-430-1361).

EU102: McKinney Community Ctr., 2000 S. Central Expwy., McKinney, TX; Sunday, Oct. 1, 2–6 pm (register 1 pm). Mail ballots to LSA McKinney c/o Beth Anderson, (phone ).

EU103: Noel Center, Odessa College, 619 N. Grant, Odessa, TX; Saturday, Oct. 7, 9:30 am–3 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Midland c/o Lisa Shaffer-Harris, (phone ).

EU104: Heritage Inn, 6030 Skelly Dr., I-44 & 41st St., Tulsa, OK; Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 am–5 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Tulsa, P.O. Box 251, Tulsa, OK 74101-0251 (phone 918-573-5033).

EU105: Edmond Bahá’í Ctr., 321 E. Campbell, Edmond, OK; Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Edmond c/o Suzette Rattenbury, (phone ).

EU201: Tarrant County Bahá’í Ctr., 723 E. Border St., Arlington, TX; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9 am–3 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Hurst, P.O. Box 948, Hurst, TX 76053 (phone 817-282-4530).

Central States

EU049: Baker Hall, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9 am–4:30 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Cleveland Heights c/o Melody Yates, P.O. Box 18092, Cleveland, OH 44118 (phone 216-291-2512).

EU050: Crestview High School, 1575 State Rt. 96, Ashland, OH; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Mansfield c/o Mina R. Behi, (phone ).

EU051: Live Oaks, 5956 Buckwheat Rd., Milford, Ohio; Saturday, Sept 30, 1–5 pm (register noon). Mail ballots to LSA Cincinnati c/o Lia Ruhiyyih Ferrell, (phone ).

EU073: Executive Inn, 1 Executive Blvd., Vincennes, IN; Sunday, Oct. 8 (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Bloomington c/o Richard Hatch, P.O. Box 1004, Bloomington, IN 47402 (phone ).

EU074: Indiana Purdue U. at Fort Wayne, 2101 Coliseum Blvd. E., Fort Wayne, IN; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9 am–4 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Fort Wayne c/o Carol Butler, P.O. Box 10007, Fort Wayne, IN 46850-0007 (phone ).

EU075: KVCC Arcadia Commons Campus, 202 N. Rose St., Kalamazoo, MI; Sunday, Oct. 8, 12:30–5 pm (register 11 am). Mail ballots to LSA Kalamazoo c/o Dede Lucatelli, (phone ).

EU076: Detroit Bahá’í Ctr., 19711 Greenfield, Detroit, MI; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Canton Twp. c/o Barbara Laferier, P.O. Box 87454, Canton, MI 48187-7845 (phone ).

EU077: Louhelen Bahá’í School, 3208 S. State Rd., Davison, MI; Sunday, Oct. 1; 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Davison Twp. c/o Daniel Lorsignol, 3208 S. State Rd., Davison, MI 48423 (phone ).

EU078: Dominican Sisters Marywood Campus, 2025 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids, MI; Sunday, Oct. 15, 9 am–5 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Grand Rapids c/o Herbert Reynolds, P.O. Box 1112, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-1112 (phone 616-245-9781).

EU079: Wisconsin Lions Camp, 3834 County Rd. A, Rosholt, WI; Saturday, Oct. 7, 1–5pm (register 11am). Mail ballots to LSA Green Bay c/o Gwendolyn Hazen, (phone ).

EU080: Wilson Town Hall, 5933 S. Business Dr. Hwy. OK South, Sheboygan, WI; Sunday, Oct. 8; 2–6 pm (register 1 pm). Mail ballots to LSA Milwaukee c/o Helen Doxy, (phone ).

EU081: Madison Bahá’í Ctr., 324 W. Lakeside St., Madison, WI; Sunday, Oct. 8, 11 am–4 pm (register 10 am). Mail ballots to LSA Madison c/o Elvora Jacobi, (phone ).

EU082: Holiday Inn of Greater Beloit, Hwy. 51 & 75, South Beloit, IL; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Rockford c/o Judy Hannen Moe, (phone ).

EU083: Radisson Hotel, 1725 Algonquin Rd., Schaumburg, IL; Sunday, Oct. 8, 8:30 am–1 pm (register 8 am). Mail ballots to LSA Vernon Hills c/o Regina Blum, (phone ).

EU084: Bahá’í House of Worship, Wilmette, IL; Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 am–2 pm (register 8 am). Mail ballots to LSA Wilmette c/o Pamela Mondschein, P.O. Box 775, Wilmette, IL 60091-0775 (phone ).

EU085: Illinois Institute of Technology, Herman Union Bldg., 3241 S. Federal St., Chicago, IL; Sunday, Oct. 1, 4–6 pm (register 3:30 pm). Mail ballots to LSA Chicago c/o Addison Bibb, Chicago Bahá’í Ctr., 3321 S. Calumet Ave., Chicago, IL 60616-3933 (phone ).

EU086: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Naperville c/o Ralph Chapman, P.O. Box 851, Naperville, IL 60566-0851 (phone ).

EU087: Northfield Inn, 3280 Northfield Dr., Springfield, IL; Sunday, Oct. 8 9:45 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Springfield c/o Aden Lauchner, P.O. Box 1841, Springfield, IL 62705-1841 (phone ).

EU088: Ambroz Recreation Ctr., 2000 Mt. Vernon Rd S.E., Cedar Rapids, IA; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 am–3:30 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Cedar Rapids c/o Janet King, P.O. Box 2298, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-2298 (phone ).

EU089: Jesse Wrench Auditorium, Memorial Union UMC, Columbia, MO; Sunday, Oct. 8, 1–5pm (register noon). Mail ballots to LSA Boone Co. c/o Jennifer Pollard, P.O. Box 30757, Columbia, MO 65205-3757 (phone ).

EU090: Heman Community Ctr., 975 Pennsylvania, University City, MO; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 am–3 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA University City c/o Janet Klutho, P.O. Box 3121, University City, MO 63130-0521 (phone ).

EU106: Wichita State U., Rhatigan Student Ctr., Wichita, KS; Sunday, Oct. 15, 10 am–5 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Wichita c/o Linda Munhall, P.O. Box 1979, Wichita, KS 67201-1079 (phone ).

EU107: Jack Reardon Civic Ctr., 500 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, KS; Saturday, Oct. 7, 9:30 am–3 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Overland Park c/o Omalley Abel, P.O. Box 4355, Shawnee Mission, KS 66204 (phone ).

EU108: Ramada Inn, 1101 W. Bond, Lincoln, NE; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 am–4 pm (register 8:30 am). Mail ballots to LSA Lincoln c/o Brian Lepard, P.O. Box 80601, Lincoln, NE 68501-0601 (phone ).

EU109: U. of Minnesota, Humphrey Ctr., Minneapolis, MN; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 am–4 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Minneapolis c/o David McKune Ingham, P.O. Box 580145, Minneapolis, MN 55458-0415 (phone ).

EU110: Best Western Maplewood Inn, 1780 E. County Rd. D (just off I-694 and White Bear Ave.), Maplewood, MN; Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 am–3:30 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Stillwater c/o Steve Milston, (phone ).

EU111: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Fargo c/o Pamela Ludwig, (phone ).

EU112: Treehaven, Box 407 (12 miles N of Hwy. 18 and road to Allen, SD), Kyle, SD; Sunday, Oct. 15, 11 am–3 pm (register 10 am). Mail ballots to LSA Rapid City c/o Alberta Schulte, (phone ). [Page 29]

Western States

EU113: Laramie Co. Community Coll., 1400 E College Dr., Cheyenne, WY; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Cheyenne c/o Deborah King-Bua Chaplin, P.O. Box 20763, Cheyenne, WY 82003-7016 (phone ).

EU114: Metro Denver Bahá’í Ctr., 225 E. Bayaud, Denver, CO; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9 am–5 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Douglas County c/o Roberta Smith-Lange, (phone ).

EU115: Univ. of Southern Colorado, University Ctr., Pueblo, CO; Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Pueblo c/o Melonie Housman, (phone ).

EU116: Ramada Inn, 2803 W. 2nd, Roswell, NM; Saturday, Oct. 7, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Hobbs c/o Curtis Wynne, P.O. Box 5161, Hobbs, NM 88241-5161 (phone ).

EU117: Albuquerque Bahá’í Ctr., 202 Harvard Dr. S.E., Albuquerque, NM, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Albuquerque c/o Manijeh Kavelin, (phone ).

EU118: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Alamogordo c/o Linda Gurinsky, P.O. Box 1461, Alamogordo, NM 88311-1461 (phone ).

EU119: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Oro Valley c/o Sharon Ewing, P.O. Box 68557, Oro Valley, AZ 85737-8557 (phone ).

EU120: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Chandler c/o Sina Mowzoon, P.O. Box 3393, Chandler, AZ 85244-3393 (phone ).

EU121: Phoenix Bahá’í Ctr., 944 E. Mountain View, Phoenix, AZ; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am. Mail ballots to LSA Phoenix c/o Marjan Halstead, P.O. Box 9961, Phoenix, AZ 85068-0961 (phone ).

EU122: Peoria Community Ctr., 8335 W. Jefferson, Peoria, AZ; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9:30 am–1 pm (register 9 am). Mail ballots to LSA Peoria c/o Donna Kime-Jeffers, P.O. Box 1021, Peoria, AZ 85380-1021 (phone ).

EU123: McDowell Mtn. Elementary School, 14825 N. Fayette Dr., Fountain Hills, AZ; Sunday, Oct. 1, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Fountain Hills c/o Michelle Arbab, (phone ).

EU124: Northern Arizona Univ., Du Bois Ctr., Bldg 54, Flagstaff, AZ; Saturday, Oct. 14, 1–5 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Flagstaff c/o Jacqueline Holland, P.O. Box 2533, Flagstaff, AZ 86003-2533 (phone ).

EU125: Site TBA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9 am. Mail ballots to LSA Tsaile-Wheatfields c/o Jeanette Coffey, P.O. Box 84-B, Tsaile, AZ 86556-0084 (phone ).

EU126: Univ. of Utah Student Union, 200 S. Central Campus Dr., Salt Lake City, UT; Saturday, Oct. 14, 12:30–9 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Salt Lake City c/o Amanda Gottsegen, P.O. Box 58305, Salt Lake City, UT 84158 (phone ).

EU127: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Billings c/o Rosalyn Cottrill, P.O. Box 50458, Billings, MT 59105-0458 (phone ).

EU128: West Valley High School, 8301 E. Buckeye Ave., Spokane, WA; Saturday, Oct. 14, 1–8 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Spokane Co. Comm. Dist. #2 c/o Mary Beth Bertis, P.O. Box 14724, Spokane, WA 99214-0724 (phone ).

EU129: Walla Walla High School, Abbott Rd., Walla Walla, WA; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9 am–3:30 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Walla Walla c/o Patricia Parrish, P.O. Box 2016, Walla Walla, WA 99362-0948 (phone ).

EU130: Winnemucca Convention Ctr., 50 W. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV; Note: Two days: Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, 10 am–4 pm each day. Mail ballots to LSA Reno c/o Hillary Rath, P.O. Box 6447, Reno, NV 89513-6447 (phone ).

EU131: Las Vegas Bahá’í Ctr., 7035 Oakley Blvd., Las Vegas, NV; Sunday, Oct. 1, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Las Vegas c/o Mary Pat Fathe-aazam, (phone ).

EU132: La Mesa Community Ctr., 4975 Memorial Dr., La Mesa, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Spring Valley c/o William Hargis, P.O. Box 2582, Spring Valley, CA 91979-2582 (phone ).

EU133: San Diego Bahá’í Ctr., 6545 Alcala Knolls Dr., San Diego, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA San Diego c/o Susan Collins, (phone ).

EU134: Carlsbad Cultural Arts Ctr., 3557 Monroe, Carlsbad, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 8:30 am–1 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Encinitas c/o Angelina Allen, P.O. Box 230088, Encinitas, CA 92023-0088 (phone ).

EU135: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Corona c/o Amy Schechter Vahid, P.O. Box 1011, Corona, CA 92878-1011 (phone ).

EU136: South Orange Cty. Bahá’í Ctr., 3316 Avenida del Presidente, San Clemente, CA; Sunday, Oct. 8, 8:30 am–1 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Mission Viejo c/o Vanessa Piper, P.O. Box 2696, Mission Viejo, CA 92690-0696 (phone ).

EU137: Edison Community Ctr., 21377 Magnolia, Huntington Beach, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 1–7 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Huntington Beach c/o Dale Neuls, P.O. Box 1791, Huntington Beach, CA 92647-1791 (phone ).

EU138: Yorba Linda Community Ctr., 4501 Casa Loma Ave., Yorba Linda, CA; Sunday, Oct. 8, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Upland c/o Dr. Zabihullah Azizi, (phone ).

EU139: Cerritos Park Community Ctr., 12234 166th St., Cerritos, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 8 am–2 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Cerritos c/o Pejmun Motaghedi, P.O. Box 4821, Cerritos, CA 90703-4821 (phone ).

EU140: Culver City Veterans Memorial Bldg., 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am–2 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Santa Monica c/o Sheila Banani, P.O. Box 1066, Santa Monica, CA 90406-1066 (phone ).

EU141: Arcadia Community Ctr., 365 Campus Dr., Arcadia, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Monrovia c/o Joannie Yuille, P.O. Box 346, Monrovia, CA 91017-0346 (phone ).

EU142: Los Angeles Bahá’í Ctr., 5755 Rodeo Rd., Los Angeles, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Los Angeles c/o Randolph Dobbs, (phone ).

EU143: Canyon Country Park, 17615 Soledad Canyon Rd., Santa Clarita, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA La Crescenta c/o Rebecca Morris, P.O. Box 615, Verdugo City, CA 91046-0615 (phone ).

EU144: Borchard Community Ctr., 190 ‎Reinord Reinard‎, Newbury Park, CA; Sunday, Oct. 8, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Camarillo c/o Leo Misagi, (phone ).

EU145: Nine Oaks Bahá’í Institute, 1201 Old Oak Park Rd., Arroyo Grande, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA San Luis Obispo c/o Leslie V. Nelson, P.O. Box 3333, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-3333 (phone ).

EU146: Northminster Presbyterian Church, 315 Alvin Dr., Room 11, Salinas, CA; Saturday, Oct. 7, 11 am–5 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Prunedale c/o Jana Davis, (phone ).

EU147: Fresno Bahá’í Ctr., 2240 N. Agnus, Fresno, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Fresno c/o Richard Rowland, P.O. Box 5501, Fresno, CA 93755-5501 (phone ).

EU148: San Jose Regional Bahá’í Ctr., 945 Willow St., San Jose, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Live Oak-Santa Cruz c/o Michelle Reid, P.O. Box 3068, Santa Cruz, CA 95063-3068 (phone ).

EU149: Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Ln., Santa Cruz, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 1–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Santa Cruz c/o Naghmeh Towfigh, P.O. Box 8264, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-8264 (phone ).

EU150: Burlingame Lion's Hall, 990 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 8:30 am. Mail ballots to LSA Burlingame c/o Diane Downing, P.O. Box 117628, Burlingame, CA 94011-7628 (phone ).

EU151: Alameda Cty. Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 11:30 am–5 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Pleasanton c/o Fereshte Faustini, P.O. Box 22, Pleasanton, CA 94566 (phone ).

EU152: Site, date TBA.

EU153: Morris Hall, 808 E. Morris Ave., Modesto, CA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Modesto c/o Cynthia Christensen, P.O. Box 1893, Modesto, CA 95353 (phone ).

EU154: Cordova Community Ctr., 2197 Chase Dr., Rancho Cordova, CA; Saturday, Sept. 30, 9 am–2 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Rancho Cordova c/o Lisa Kewish, P.O. Box 2784, Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-2784 (phone ).

EU155: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Davis c/o Andrea Atkinson, P.O. Box 578, Davis, CA 95617-0578 (phone ).

EU156: Sonoma State U. Student Union, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, CA; date and time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Santa Rosa c/o Sonja Rustad, P.O. Box 2744, Santa Rosa, CA 95405-0744 (phone ).

EU157: Martin Luther King Ctr., Redding, CA; Note: Two days: Saturday, Oct. 14, 4 pm-evening and Sunday, Oct. 15, 9 am–5 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Shasta County c/o Mahin-Taj Raines, P.O. Box 494057, Redding, CA 96049 (phone ).

EU158: Umpqua Community Ctr., 1140 College Rd., Roseburg, OR; Sunday, Oct. 1, 10 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Roseburg c/o Rodney Olson, P.O. Box 2056, Roseburg, OR 97470-0442 (phone ).

EU159: Clemens Primary School, 535 S.W. 19th St., Philomath, OR; Note: Two days: Saturday, Sept. 30, 1–5 pm and Sunday, Oct. 1, 8 am–3 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Benton County c/o Paula Siegel, P.O. Box 396, Philomath, OR 97370-0396 (phone ).

EU160: Camas Community Ctr., Camas, WA; Sunday, Oct. 1, 9 am. Mail ballots to LSA Lake Oswego c/o Negar Meshkin, (phone ).

EU161: Portland Bahá’í Ctr., 8720 N. Ivanhoe St., Portland, OR; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9 am–4:30 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Gresham c/o Roberta Hafenstein, P.O. Box 532, Gresham, OR 97030-0120 (phone ).

EU162: Duncan Law Seafood Ctr., 2021 Marina Dr., Astoria, OR; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Clatsop Co. c/o Carrie Bartoldus, (phone ).

EU163: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Lakewood c/o Joan Belshaw, P.O. Box 98496, ‎Tahoma Tacoma‎, WA (phone ).

EU164: Woodinville High School, 19819 136th St. N.E., Woodinville, WA; date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Woodinville c/o Barbara Larson Moses, P.O. Box 768, Woodinville, WA 98072-0768 (phone ).

EU165: Lake Wilderness Ctr., 22500 S.E. 248th St., Maple Valley, WA 98038; Sunday, Oct. 15, 10 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Kent c/o Jerome Jacobs, (phone ).

EU166: Site, date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Bellingham c/o Lina Zeine, P.O. Box 103, Bellingham, WA 98227-0103 (phone ).

EU167: Masonic Temple, 878 5th St., Bremerton, WA; Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30 am–4 pm. Mail ballots to LSA Kitsap County Central c/o Caroline Sbragia, (phone ).

EU202: Meadowdale High School, 6002 168th St., ‎Lynwood Lynnwood‎, WA; date TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Edmonds c/o Nancy Smith, (phone ).

EU203: Seattle Bahá’í Ctr., 3001 E. Yesler Way, Seattle, WA; Sunday, Oct. 8, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA Seattle c/o Robert Wilson, (phone ). [Page 30]

2000 BAHÁ’Í CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE AMERICAS

December 14–17, 2000 • Rosen Plaza Hotel • Orlando, Florida

THEME: ADVANCING THE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMING THE WORLD

TOPICS The organic nature of social and economic development. What is SED all about? A new vision for the arts in building Bahá’u’lláh’s new order. SED and Indian Peoples in the Americas. Agriculture and Environment:: Bound by the Covenant. Use of music as a metaphor for racial harmony. Youth leadership for community service. Getting to the nitty gritty: identifying community realities as a first step in development planning for the individual and community planning. Living the life of SED. Conflict resolution techniques in Bahá’í administration. Moral Leadership program ... and much, much more.

MUSIC AND DRAMA Inspirational learning through the arts, Leslie Asplund, director; featuring the talents of Laura Lee, Farzad Khozein, Eric Dozier, Gina and Russ Garcia, Bill and Bridget George, Narges, Dan and Andi Seals, Anne and Tim Perry, the Quinn Family (Martin, Wendy and Caitlyn), Christina and Richard Quinn, Kathryn Tahiri, Shahram Shahriary, Mansoor Sobhani, Ludwig Tuman, Anne Tomas, Susan Lewis Wright, Phil Lucas, Mark Ochu, Joyce Olinga, and more.

[Photos: Eloy Anello, Elizabeth Bowen, Eric Dozier, Narges, Children’s Theatre Co.]

This year’s conference theme is “Advancing the Process of Transforming the World,” which was inspired by the draft compilation prepared by the Office of Social and Economic Development: “Seminar on Social and Economic Development—July 1999.” Virtually all the topics of the keynote addresses have been drawn from this valued and profoundly enriching document. Key elements of the program plan include a mixture of full plenary and smaller concurrent sessions featuring presentations on SED principles, concepts and core processes and in-depth case studies, with a number of repeat sessions to assist the friends in being able to attend sessions of interest.

Featured speakers: Peter Adriance (U.S.), Douglas Allen (U.S.), Dwight Allen (U.S.), Eloy Anello (Bolivia), William Davis (U.S.), Danielle Locke (U.S.), Patricia Locke (U.S.), Gordon Naylor (Canada), Susanne and Andras Tamas (Canada), Ludwig Tuman (U.S.), Mark Wedge (Canada), Donald Witzel (Venezuela), Johanna Merritt Wu (U.S.)

Registration & Fees

Register online at our Web site: www.rabbanitrust.org For general information, call 407-740-5415

Adults $120 • Youth (15–20 years) $80 • Children and Junior Youth (3–14 years) $60 • Add $19 contribution if possible for scholarships

Add $20 per person after Nov. 10 • No refunds for “no-shows” • All cancellations subject to a $20 cancellation fee

TO REGISTER BY MAIL: Use the Multipurpose Form on this page • SEPARATE COPY FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL REGISTERING

Mail check (in U.S. dollars) to Rabbani Charitable Trust • 2693 W. Fairbanks Ave. Suite A • Winter Park, Florida 32789

OR: To pay by credit card (Visa, MC, Amex, DC, CB), under “Special Information” write card number, exp. date, amount paid, cardholder’s signature.

HOTEL/AIRLINE/RENTAL CAR INFORMATION Hotel rooms at the Rosen (formerly Clarion) Plaza Hotel in Orlando: $50 per night (up to 4 people per room)

Limited availability—call promptly 800-627-8258; mention Bahá’í Families

Delta Airlines discounts through American Travel Consultants 800-393-5050 File #164074A

Avis Car Rental discounts 800-331-1600 • Avis Worldwide Discount Group #D131183

INFORMATION ON YOUR INTERNATIONAL TEACHING TRIP

To record achievement of traveling teaching goals, the Office of Pioneering needs information on all international trips taken for the sake of promoting the interests of the Faith. This information is important whatever the level or amount of service and regardless of whether your trip was exclusively for service to the Faith or was combined with a trip for business, holiday, family, study or otherwise.

Just contact the Office of Pioneering, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3508, fax 847-733-3509, e-mail ).

Use the Multipurpose Form below to respond by mail. Include the following special information (use a separate sheet as needed):

• Names and ID numbers of all Bahá’ís on each trip
• Names of each country visited, plus the one or two main localities, and date(s) of visit(s)
• Main purpose of your travel
• Did you arise to meet the call of the Universal House of Justice for:

Native Americans to teach in the circumpolar areas?

Hispanic believers to teach in Latin America?

African-Americans to teach in Africa?

THE UNITED NATIONS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF “TRICK-OR-TREAT FOR UNICEF”

Held every year in October, “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” educates American children about the needs of other children in developing countries and encourages community fund-raising efforts that support UNICEF programs.

Your donations will help UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, provide children with lifesaving medicine, better nutrition, clean water and sanitation, education, and emergency relief. The leading children’s organization in the world, UNICEF works in more than 160 countries and territories.

What can you do to help?

• Call 1-800-FOR-KIDS or visit us online to make a contribution or find out about volunteer opportunities in your area.
• Find out more about UNICEF educational materials online at www.unicefusa.org.
• Buy or sell UNICEF greeting cards for special occasions.
• For more information about “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF,” see the story in the June 5 issue of The American Bahá’í.

Sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the U.S.,

MULTIPURPOSE FORM

CLIP OR COPY AS NEEDED

For which event or activity? __________________________________________________

Name ____________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________ State, ZIP ____________________

Phone _______________________________________ E-mail ______________________

Special information (please include dates if reporting international teaching trip): __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

TAB 8/20/00 [Page 31]

ARISING TO TRAVEL FOR THE FAITH

International service

The enthusiastic services of Bahá’í youth are needed all over the world. Contribute your experience through the hands-on pioneering work in another culture. Learn how to:

• Reach new kinds of people with the message of Bahá’u’lláh.
• Help children, youths and adults learn how to be active.
• Be teachers and builders of the Cause.
• Support the administrative work of Bahá’í institutions.
• Promote social and economic development.
• Proclaim the Faith through the arts, and let it spread like wildfire!
• Mobilize the youth of a region or even a country.
• Share the teachings for which they thirst with fellow students and professors while studying overseas.

The Office of Pioneering has a list of more than 150 specific international goals and opportunities for youth pioneers on every continent, provided by the Bahá’í World Center, National Spiritual Assemblies or other Bahá’í institutions.

If interested, please contact: Office of Pioneering 1233 Central St. Evanston, IL 60201 phone 847-733-3508 fax 847-733-3509 e-mail pioneering@usbnc.org

Serving on the homefront

Detailed information to help those who wish to travel and teach or pioneer within the 48 contiguous states is available on the Administrative Web Site (www.usbnc.org), in the Regional Bahá’í Councils section.

Southern States

To inquire about locating as a homefront pioneer or about traveling teaching, please contact the Southern Regional Traveling Teaching and Homefront Pioneering Coordination Team c/o Anne Jalali, secretary (phone 561-392-5636, e-mail ajalali@usbnc.org) or Connie Donley, (phone 918-258-4544, e-mail cdonley@usbnc.org).

The Regional Council has placed top priority for homefront pioneering on cities with populations of 50,000 or more and no Local Spiritual Assembly as of March 2000.

• Arkansas: Fort Smith, Pine Bluff
• Florida: Daytona Beach, Hialeah, Melbourne, Miami, Pensacola, Sarasota, West Palm Beach
• Georgia: Albany
• Kentucky: Owensboro
• Louisiana: Bossier City, Kenner, Lake Charles, Monroe
• North Carolina: Gastonia
• Oklahoma: Broken Arrow
• South Carolina: North Charleston
• Tennessee: Jackson
• Texas: Baytown, Beaumont, Galveston, Killeen, Laredo, Longview, Mesquite, Odessa, San Angelo
• Virginia: Danville, Lynchburg, Portsmouth, Suffolk
• West Virginia: Huntington

Northeastern States

To inquire about locating as a homefront pioneer, contact the Northeast Regional Bahá’í Council secretary, Joel Nizin (phone 201-933-2533, e-mail jnizin@usbnc.org). To inquire about traveling teaching, contact the traveling teaching coordinator, Diana Rouse Kaufman (phone 508-435-0317, e-mail rkaufman@usbnc.org).

Central States

To inquire about locating as a homefront pioneer, contact the Central Regional Bahá’í Council secretary, Lynn Wieties (phone 309-828-5693, e-mail lwieties@usbnc.org). To inquire about traveling teaching, contact the appropriate state traveling teaching coordinator (list is available on www.usbnc.org in the Regional Councils section) or contact Marilyn Ray (phone 248-356-6202, e-mail mray@usbnc.org).

Western States

To inquire about locating as a homefront pioneer or about traveling teaching, contact the appropriate traveling teaching-homefront pioneering coordinator for each state (list available on www.usbnc.org in the Regional Councils section), or one of the regional coordinators: Traveling teaching: Jan Saeed, (phone 801-299-1300, e-mail jsaeed@usbnc.org). Homefront pioneering: Flor Toloui, (phone 760-721-6925, e-mail ftoloui@usbnc.org).

For information on American Indian reservations (localities listed below marked with *), contact the American Indian regional traveling teaching-homefront pioneering coordinator, Helen Kiely, (phone 505-890-5020, e-mail hkiely@usbnc.org).

The Regional Bahá’í Council has put emphasis on Assembly goals in the seven “breath of life” states designated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan: Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Goal localities include the following (complete list on www.usbnc.org):

• Arizona: Apache Junction, Bapchule District*, Buckeye, Chino Valley, Goodyear, Kingman, Houck Chapter*, Surprise, Tolleson
• Idaho: Ada Co., Fort Hall Indian Reservation*, Kootenai Co., Meridian
• Montana: Blackfeet Indian Reservation*, Crow Agency*, Flathead County, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Kalispell, Lewis and Clark Co., Northern Cheyenne Reservation*, St. Ignatius, Yellowstone County; Assembly communities seeking support: Billings, Bozeman, Butte-Silver Bow, Missoula County, Ravalli County
• Nevada: Boulder City, Churchill Co., Lyon Co., Pahrump, Winchester
• New Mexico: Artesia, Deming, Grants, Jicarilla Apache Reservation*, Los Lunas, Lovington, Luna Co., Mountainair, Rio Arriba Co., Shiprock Chapter*, Socorro
• Utah: Bountiful, Centerville, Farmington, La Verkin, Layton, Midvale, Ogden, Roy, Uintah-Ouray*; Assembly community seeking support: West Valley City
• Wyoming: Casper, Cody, Gillette, Laramie County, Newcastle, Rawlins, Rock Springs, Weston County, Wind River Reservation*; Assembly communities seeking support: Cheyenne, Laramie
• Colorado: 11 goal communities, including jeopardized Assemblies in Lafayette, Manitou Springs
• California: 42 goal communities, including jeopardized Assembly in Sierra Madre
• Oregon: 19 goal communities
• Washington: 40 goal communities, including jeopardized Assembly in Washougal

YOUTH TEACHING

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3)

formed at a park and later at a shelter for troubled youths; and training sessions conducted by Richard Hoff, which left them “confident and inspired to teach.”

Door-to-door teaching brought plentiful opportunities to connect hearts with Bahá’u’lláh; in one day, the team accounted for “seven enrollments by lunch time, three more in the afternoon and two more in the evening for a total of 12,” the report states.

On the campus of Southwest Texas State University, the healing message of Bahá’u’lláh was offered as an ultimate solution to youth violence.

Follow-up began immediately. The youths launched visits to the homes of several new Bahá’ís, and welcomed all into their new worldwide family by phone and by postcard—to be followed again by letters from the Local Spiritual Assembly.

Florence, SC

The project here got off to a shining start when youths, children and adults rallied around plans for a “Calling All Colors” racial unity conference for young people.

On the second day of the project, the youths presented statements to the mayor and police chief and visited three recreation centers. Then they went to designated neighborhoods and invited children to the Calling All Colors conference the following week—as well as publicizing a fireside series on the power of unity.

As if that weren’t enough for one day, a youth that evening convened a meeting to plan the Calling All Colors event. Not only the visiting youths but local children were in on the consultation, which was also attended by “a dozen adults who were thrilled with the idea of a diverse group of youth planning a conference for kids on racial unity,” a message to the Regional Council stated.

“The adults were shining with the light of Bahá and were so attracted to our youth and the Bahá’í spirit that many fireside discussions were going on outside the recreation center until the sun set!” enthused Anne Breneman, a representative of the Local Assembly’s task force for the project.

“Thank you and the [Regional] Youth Committee for the great training for the work!” Breneman added. “We in turn are being trained by their presence.” ◆

Charitable Gift Annuities

now offered by our National Spiritual Assembly as a gift-planning option

A charitable gift annuity is a contract between you, as the donor, and our National Spiritual Assembly—providing advantages for both.

Under a charitable gift annuity:	Benefits:	Requirements:
A donor irrevocably transfers funds to our National Spiritual Assembly, which are invested with other annuity funds. Regular quarterly payments are made to you, the donor, for your lifetime. The remainder of the annuity fund is transferred to the Bahá’í Fund after your passing.	Guaranteed fixed payments for life, a portion of which is non-taxable. A charitable income tax deduction for a portion of the gift in the year in which the annuity is established. Reduced capital gains taxes if funded with an appreciated asset. Increased support of the Bahá’í Fund.	Must be at least 60 years of age to enter into an annuity agreement with our National Spiritual Assembly. Must establish the annuity with a minimum of $10,000. Must irrevocably transfer the funds. Will receive a lifetime annuity payment.

Examples (based on a $10,000 annuity):
Age 60: Charitable deduction $3,782.30; annual lifetime annuity $660	Not yet licensed in Arkansas, California, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin
Age 70: Charitable deduction $4,261.20; annual lifetime annuity $750
Age 80: Charitable deduction $4,907.40; annual lifetime annuity $920

This eight-page brochure from the Office of the Treasurer

contains some Bahá’í teachings and practical advice on:

• Importance and advantages of a will
• Five steps to creating a successful will
• Checklist for preparing a will
• Burial instructions
• Bequests to the Bahá’í Faith

Individual copies may be requested free. There is a nominal charge for ordering these brochures in quantity.

The Writing of a Will

The National Spiritual Assembly’s Gift and Estate Planning Program

has been established to help believers make a variety of financial arrangements for themselves, their families and the Bahá’í Faith:

• Providing for the Bahá’í Faith in your will
• Making a gift of securities
• Making a gift of real estate
• Making a gift through life insurance

Receiving income from your gift:

• Charitable Gift Annuities
• Charitable Remainder Trusts

To order The Writing of a Will or to find out more about the gift and estate planning program:

• Phone 847-733-3466 / e-mail psolon@usbnc.org
• Or, fill out the form with the Bahá’í Funds envelope attached to this paper.

[Page 32]گروه مذکور متشکل از گروه‌های قومی گوناگون از جمله سفیدپوست و سرخپوست و سیاهپوست و زردپوست و ایرانی و اسپانیائی زبان است. سن اعضای گروه از ۱۵ سال تا اندکی بیش از ۲۱ سال است.

این گروه روز ۱۶ جولای سال جاری به شیکاگو رسید و در مشرق‌الاذکار با استقبال گرم بیش از ۲۰۰ نفر از احباء از جمله دو تن از اعضای محفل روحانی ملی و نمایندگان لجنه ملی نشر نفحات و شورای منطقه ای بهائی روبرو شد.

بانی این اقدام آرتور فرناندز اسکاربری Scarberry معتقد است که هر قدمی در این راه به مثابه دعائی است. آقای اسکاربری می‌گفت دویدن بخش آسان این برنامه است.

یکی از مسؤولان داوطلب می‌گفت این جوانان واقعاً نمونه‌اند. نه پرخاش و شکایت می‌کنند، نه غر می‌زنند. اگر اختلاف نظری داشته باشند به مشورت می‌پردازند.

تأثیر اقدام تبلیغی این جوانان عزیز در شهرهائی که از آن گذشته‌اند، دیده شده است. در یکی از شهرهای ایالت مانتانا Montana یکی از ایستگاه‌های تلویزیونی با جوانان مصاحبه‌ای ترتیب داد. در شهر دیگری افسران پلیس آنان را همراهی می‌کردند. در ایالت وایومینگ Wyoming نیز از طریق یک رادیوی محلی مصاحبه‌ای ترتیب داده شد.

همت این عزیزان جوان به راستی محرک حس غرور است. تأییدات الهی همراه‌شان باد!

دیدار از دفتر محفل ملی

ASSEMBLY WEEKEND VISITS

در ماه جون سال جاری اعضای ۸ محفل روحانی منطقة دیترویت از دفتر محفل ملی دیدار کردند.

سی و دو نفری که در این دیدار شرکت داشتند، فرصت یافتند که در دارالآثار ملی یادگارهائی از حضرت بهاءالله و حضرت عبدالبهاء زیارت کنند و در مشرق‌الاذکار به دعا و مناجات پردازند و دوائر گوناگون دفتر محفل را ببینند و گزارش اقدامات اخیر بعضی از دوائر را بشنوند و پاسخ سؤالاتشان را از یکی از اعضای محفل روحانی ملی دریافت دارند.

از ۴ سال پیش تا کنون ۲۸۵ نفر از ۶۰ محفل روحانی محلی در این دیدار‌های آخر هفته شرکت داشته‌اند. دیدار‌های مذکور بدین هدف صورت می‌گیرد که محافل محلی از منابعی که در دفتر محفل ملی وجود دارد، باخبر شوند و پیوند نزدیک‌تری در میان آن‌ها و محفل روحانی ملی و دفاتر و دوائر آن ایجاد گردد و حس شور و هیجانی که احباء نسبت به اهمیت امور مربوط به امر مبارک دارند تشدید و تجدید شود.

نتایجی که در چند سال گذشته حاصل شده است، نشان می‌دهد که این دیدارها در راه رسیدن به اهداف بالا با توفیق همراه بوده است. شرکت کنندگان در این دیدارها نسبت به مفید بودن آن اتفاق رأی داشته‌اند.

از محافل محلی دعوت می‌شود که در این برنامه دیدار از دفتر محفل ملی شرکت نمایند. دوستان می‌توانند برای دریافت اطلاعات بیشتر با دفتر تقویت محافل The Office of Assembly Development تماس حاصل نمایند.

شماره تلفن: ۳۴۹۰-۷۳۳ (۸۴۷)

مبارزه با مواد مخدر

FIGHTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE

آقای کوین Kevin ثابت یک دانشجوی بهائی دانشگاه برکلی در کالیفرنیاست که سازمانی جهانی برای مبارزه با مواد مخدر بنیاد نهاده است.

آقای ثابت در آگوست سال ۱۹۹۹ سازمانی با عنوان (International Students in Action (ISIA تشکیل داد که با سازمان National Families in Action همکاری نماید. این سازمان اخیر اولین سازمان جلوگیری از استفاده از مواد مخدر است که توسط مادر و پدرها تأسیس شده است.

آقای کوین ثابت که ۲۱ ساله است، با وزارت امور خارجة ایالات متحده و مؤسسة ملی بررسی مواد مخدر National Institute on Drug Abuse و نیز چندین سازمان غیردولتی همکاری نزدیک دارد. ISIA سازمان یگانه‌ای که هم عده‌ای دانشجو از سراسر جهان برای مبارزه با مواد مخدر گرد هم می‌آورد و هم برای جوانان راه‌هائی ایجاد می‌کند که بتوانند در سیاست‌های داخلی مربوط به مبارزه با مواد مخدر تأثیر داشته باشند.

آقای ثابت معتقد است که پیام امید بخش حضرت بهاءالله و دستور ایشان به تخلق به فضائل اخلاقی باید با شجاعت به جوانان جهان اعلان شود. به گفتة او استفاده از مواد مخدر بزرگ‌ترین مانع رشد سالم جامعه است.

دنباله در ستون بعد

(مبارزه با مواد مخدر، دنباله از ستون قبل)

ISIA سازمانی کاملاً غیرسیاسی و غیرحزبی است و اطلاعاتی که به دست می‌دهد بر اساس یافته‌های علمی استوار است. مؤسسة ملی بررسی مواد مخدر National Institute on Drug Abuse که تنها مؤسسة علمی است که ۸۵ درصد تحقیقات راجع به اعتیاد و استفاده از مواد مخدر را به عمل می‌آورد با ISIA همکاری نزدیک داشته و متفقاً دو برنامة مخصوص رسانه‌های گروهی برای مبارزه با برخی از مواد مخدر تهیه کرده است.

ISIA در کنفرانس‌های جهانی که سازمان ملل متحد در بارة مبارزه با مواد مخدر برگزار کرده، از جمله در تایلند و ایتالیا و انگلستان، شرکت داشته است.

آقای کوین ثابت در شبکه‌های خبری تلویزیونی از جمله CNN و C-SPAN و ABC و CNN Headline News شرکت داشته و از فعالیت‌هایش در روزنامة USA Today و مجلة People یاد شده است. همچنین با مسؤول مبارزه با مواد مخدر در کاخ سفید همکاری داشته و به نگارش متن‌های سخنرانی و برگزاری کارگاه‌های گوناگون پرداخته است. او امیدوار است بتواند تعداد بیشتری از جوانان بهائی را در فعالیت‌های سازمان مذکور سهیم گرداند.

انجمن ادب و هنر ایران

(شعبه انگلستان)

‎برگذار برگزار‎ می‌کند:

دورۀ دکتر علی مراد داودی

پنج شب و روز فراموش نشدنی مشتمل بر جلسات سخنرانی، شعر، موسیقی و دیگر برنامه‌های هنری

سخنرانان: برهان ابن یوسف، مرجان داودی، دکتر جهانگیر دُرّی، فرح دوستدار، دکتر فرهنگ جهانپور، دکتر شاپور راسخ، دکتر وحید رأفتی، شکوه رضائی، مهندس هوشنگ سیحون، دکتر خاضع فناناپذیر، دکتر بهمن مقصودلو، حشمت‌الله محمدحسینی، دکتر مظفر یوسفیان و ....

... کلاس‌های آموزش خواندن و نوشتن فارسی، به نونهالان، زیر نظر خانم فردوس روشنگه (ثابت ایمانی)

موسیقی: با هنرمندی شکوه رضائی، مهندس منوچهر وهمن و دیگر هنرمندان

زمان: تعطیلات زمستانی ۲۶ تا ۳۰ دسامبر ۲۰۰۰

(روز ۲۶ دسامبر از ساعت ۱۲ تا ۲۳ و دیگر روزها از ساعت ۹/۴۵ صبح تا ساعت ۲۳)

مکان: Ealing Town Hall, New Broadway, London W5

هزینه ها: نام‌نویسی و شرکت در جلسات سخنرانی و برنامه‌های هنری شب ۳۰ پوند

۹ وعده غذای ایرانی ۵۵ پوند

هتل ها (۴ ستاره) با صبحانه:

Holiday Inn اتاق یک تخته ۴۲ پوند، اتاق دو تخته ۵۴ پوند

Jarvis Int. اتاق یک تخته ۴۴ پوند، اتاق دو تخته ۵۴ پوند

توضیح و توصیه

• به علت محدودیت جا و پیش‌بینی اقبال بیشتر یاران، نسبت به کنفرانس پیشین، هر چه زودتر جای خود را رزرو فرمائید.

• استفاده از بخشی از برنامه‌های کنفرانس مشروط بر بودن جا، امکان‌پذیر خواهد بود، ولی از قبل رزرو نمی‌شود.

برای کسب اطلاعات بیشتر و رزرو جا لطفاً هر چه زودتر با شماره تلفن‌های زیر تماس بگیرید:

+44 (020) 7602 7569 & +44 (020) 8731 9447

FAX: +44 (020) 8731 9447

E-mail:

شرکت در مدارس بهائی

BAHA’I SCHOOLS

برنامة مدارس بهائی دوره به دوره بهتر می‌شود و حمایت از آنها اساس امر مبارک را در این دیار تحکم می‌کند. دوستان می‌توانند برای آگاهی از موضوع دوره‌ها و تاریخ آنها به صفحات انگلیسی مراجعه فرمایند. [Page 33]

امر مبارک و رسانه‌ها

MEDIA NOTE

شبکة تلویزیونی پی‌بی‌اس PBS در برنامه‌ای با عنوان Religion & Ethics News Weekly که اختصاص به دین و اخلاق دارد ذکری از نشانی کامپیوتری امر بهائی کرد و در ماه جولای سال جاری آن را با عنوان نشانی ماه (site of the month) ستود.

در این برنامه گفته شد که حضور امر بهائی در شبکة جهانی "سهم مهمی در زمینة دین و اخلاق ایفاء می‌کند". مطلب دیگری که در برنامة مذکور به آگاهی بینندگان رسید این بود که در نشانی مذکور "طلعات قدسیة دیانت بهائی و تشکیلات اداری امر مبارک معرفی شده‌اند و کلیاتی دربارة حقائق روحانی و آثار مبارکه درج گردیده است. همچنین بهائیان می‌توانند با استفاده از نشانی مذکور با یکدیگر در سراسر جهان تماس حاصل نمایند."

نشانی امر بهائی در شبکة جهانی www.bahai.org نماینده رسمی امر مبارک در اینترنت است و دفتر امور اطلاعاتی جامعة بین‌المللی بهائی دست‌اندرکار تهیه و تنظیم آن است.

فراموش نباید کرد که همت و پشتکار دفتر امور اطلاعاتی محفل روحانی ملی در نیویورک سهم مهمی داشته است که توجه تهیه‌کنندگان این برنامة تلویزیونی به امر مبارک معطوف گردد.

یکی از کارکنان دفتر مذکور می‌گفت که آن دفتر اغلب با تهیه‌کنندگان در تماسند و اطلاعاتی از طریق ویدیو برای آنان می‌فرستند. وی همچنین اظهار داشت که تهیه‌کنندگان در امر مبارک حمایت می‌کنند و بعد از صعود امة‌البهاء، روحیه خانم گزارش خوبی تهیه و پخش کردند.

وحدت نژادی

UNITY RALLY

احبای وارن Warren در ایالت پنسیلوانیا بر این عقیده اند که جلسات مناجاتی که دوشنبه هر هفته تشکیل می‌دهند سبب شده که فعالیت‌های مهمی صورت دهند.

احبای وارن در یک گردهم‌ائی که مأموران ‎بلندیایة بلندپایة‎ دولتی در آن شهر ترتیب داده بودند، شرکت کردند. گردهم‌ائی مذکور برای خنثی کردن تأثیر تظاهراتی بود که کیو کلاکس کلان Ku Klux Klan برپا کرده بودند. (گروه مذکور جمعیتی است که به برتری نژاد سفید اعتقاد دارد.)

گروه بهائی که متشکل از ۷ نفر از احباست، توجه بسیاری را به خود جلب کرد.

نمایندة ایالتی به علتی نتوانسته بود در مراسم مذکور شرکت کند. در نتیجه یکی از احباء، دکتر خشایار چاره‌پا، آن مراسم را با خواندن یکی از خطابات حضرت عبدالبهاء افتتاح کرد. نفر بعدی یک کشیش بود که در بارة خطابه‌ای که تلاوت شده بود با هیجان گفت: "واقعاً از این خطابه خوشم آمد! از چه کتابی آن را خواندید؟ حتماً باید نسخه‌ای از آن را به دست بیاورم."

بلافاصله، دکتر چاره‌پا با نهایت خوشوقتی نسخة انگلیسی خطابات حضرت عبدالبهاء را در پاریس به کشیش مذکور اهدا کرد. گردهم‌ائی مذکور با تلاوت مناجاتی دربارة اتحاد پایان پذیرفت.

هر طرف احبا می‌رفتند با پرسش‌های مردمی روبرو می‌شدند که می‌خواستند بدانند بهائیان کیستند و چه اعتقاداتی دارند. خبرنگاران تلویزیونی از بافالو Buffalo و نیویورک و ایری Erie در ایالت پنسیلوانیا مصاحبه‌هائی با احباء ترتیب دادند.

روز بعد نیز احبا ویدیوی Power of Race Unity را در کتابخانه محلی به نمایش گذاشتند. ویدیوی مذکور از یک ایستگاه تلویزیونی محلی نیز پخش شده است.

علاوه براین، احبای وارن در مراسم راهپیمائی روز چهارم جولای (روز استقلال ایالات متحده) نیز شرکت کردند. مراسم مذکور بین ۱۰ تا ۲۰ هزار نفر را به خود جلب می‌کند. احباء پیراهن‌هائی با رنگ‌های چشمگیر پوشیده بودند که روی آن شعاری به این مفهوم نوشته شده بود که جامعة بشری یک خانواده است (We R 1 Family).

قرار است سال آینده برنامة مفصل‌تری داشته باشند و از هم اکنون احبای چند شهر دیگر برای شرکت در آن اظهار علاقه کرده‌اند.

انتشارات جدید

NEW PUBLICATIONS

منتخباتی از مکاتیب حضرت عبدالبهاء ۴ چهارمین مجلد از منتخباتی مکاتیب حضرت عبدالبهاء اخیراً توسط مؤسسة ملی مطبوعات امری آلمان در ۳۱۸ صفحه با چاپ و تجلید نفیس به چاپ رسیده است. در این مجموعه ۱۹۰ فقره از منتخبات مکاتیب حضرت مولی‌الوری جمع‌آوری شده است. کتاب شامل فهرس اعلام و مطالب و اصطلاحات و آیات است.

خدیجه بیگم حرم حضرت اعلی مترجم این اثر دکتر مینو ثابت (درخشان) در مقدمة آن نوشته‌اند: "ایادی عزیز امرالله جناب حسن موقر بالیوزی تألیفات متعددی در زمینة تاریخ دیانت بهائی از خود به یادگار گذاردند.... یکی از این تألیفات ناتمام "خدیجه بیگم، حرم حضرت اعلی" بود که فرزند ایشان رابرت بالیوزی به مناسبت اولین سالگرد صعود پدر به اتمام رسانید و به زیر چاپ برد.... قسمت اعظم مطالبی که در این مقاله ذکر شده توسط جناب ابوالقاسم افنان... جمع‌آوری و در اختیار جناب بالیوزی قرار داده شده است.... اکنون این کتاب نفیس با ترجمة جدید در اختیار خوانندگان فارسی‌زبان قرار می‌گیرد...."

در ابتدای کتاب آمده است: "سال‌ها پس از شهادت حضرت اعلی، خدیجه بیگم حرم مبارک آن حضرت اغلب خاطراتی از زندگی غم‌انگیز خود را برای افراد جوان خانواده بازگو می‌کرد. مدت‌ها بعد ازآن، مریم سلطان بیگم، دختر حاجی میرزا ابوالقاسم که برادر خدیجه بیگم بود، این خاطرات را نقل کرد و امروز نوة او جناب ابوالقاسم افنان با جمع‌آوری آن خاطرات، آن را به صورت شرح زندگانی خدیجه بیگم ثبت و ضبط نموده اند."

بیست و یک نامه نگارندة این نامه‌ها دکتر هوشنگ طراز در مقدمة این مجموعه می‌نویسد که یکی از دوستان "در سال‌های بعد از انقلاب اخیر ایران دو جلد کتاب نوشته بود و یک نسخه از آنها را برای من فرستاد.... در این دو جلد... درد دل‌ها بر کاغذ ریخته بود. در جوار این درد دل‌ها... مقداری هم پرخاش و اعتراض به اسلام و اعتقادات مذهبی و روحانی، تلاش در نفی خدا و پیامبران، و به طور کلی طرد روحانیت و تحسین از ماده‌پرستی وجود داشت. طی تقریباً یک‌سال و نیم در نامه‌های متعدد مسائل مختلف مطرح کرد و مکاتبات ما را به‌صورت یک جنگ اجتماعی یا فلسفی نمی‌دانم چی درآورد. دوستانی... تسهیلاتی فراهم آوردند که قسمت‌های اصولی این مکاتبات در مجلة وزین عندلیب... منتشر گردد. بعد از انتشار این مقالات تعدادی از دوستان گرامی تشویق نمودند که آن سلسله مقالات را به‌انضمام گزیدة مطالبی که در مکاتبات دیگر مطرح شده بود به‌صورت کتابی منتشر نمایم.... اینک این کتاب را به حضور شما خوانندة عزیز تقدیم می‌دارم....."

مشروعات اداری بهائی: تشکیلات محلی و ملی

محقق گرانمایه جناب غلام‌علی دهقان چند سال پیش مجموعة "ارکان نظم بدیع" را که شامل نصوص مبارکه دربارة تشکیلات بین‌المللی بهائی بود، تدوین و منتشر کردند. کتاب حاضر حاوی نصوص مقدمة دربارة مسائل تشکیلاتی ملی و محلی است. کتاب به ۴ فصل تقسیم شده و حاوی لغت‌نامه و مآخذ و فهرست اعلام و مواضیع مهم است و با چاپ و تجلید پاکیزه توسط مؤسسة انتشارات مرآت به چاپ رسیده است.

نیایش

عنوان دومین مجموعة آثار جناب هوشنگ روحانی (سرکش) است که در دو سه سال اخیر منتشر شده است. کتاب با مقدمه‌ای متضمن نظریات جناب روحانی دربارة انواع شعر فارسی آغاز می‌شود. سپس آثار مختلف ایشان که به شیوه‌های کهنه و نو سروده شده، درج گردیده است. این مجموعه با خط زیبای هنرمند ارجمند جناب سعادت‌الله منجدب خطاطی شده و توسط انتشارات مرآت به چاپ رسیده است.

علاقه مندان می‌توانند برای خریداری کتاب‌های فوق با مؤسسة Images International تماس حاصل نمایند. شماره تلفن: ۴۵۲۵-۴۷۰ (۸۰۰)

برنامه‌ی تبلیغی

THE SPIRIT RUN

تعدادی جوان بهائی بر آن شده‌اند که پیام حضرت بهاءالله را پای پیاده از سیاتل در ایالت واشنگتن تا نیویورک به هر کس که بر سر راه ببینند ابلاغ کنند.

این گروه که اعضای اصلی آن ۹ نفرند، در سر راه از مناطق سرخپوست‌نشین گذر و دیدار می‌کنند. قرار اولیه این بوده است که اعضای گروه روزانه ۵۴ مایل بدوند. [Page 34]

دستخط دارالانشاء بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی

MESSAGE OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE TO THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY Dated March 14, 2000

خطاب به محفل روحانی ملی بهائیان ایالات متحده مورخ ۱۴ مارچ ۲۰۰۰

چندی پیش گروهی متشکل از ۱۰ نفر از بهائیان ایالت کرولاینای شمالی برنامه‌ای برای حل مشکل نژادی طرح دید. این برنامه که عنوانی به مضمون "تلاشی عالی از جانب مردان سفیدپوست بهائی جهت کمک به مشکلات تعصب نژادی در امریکا" دارد، توجه معهد اعلی را به خود جلب کرد. دارالانشاء دیوان عدل الهی به اشارۀ معهد اعلی مأمور تهیۀ نامه‌ای شده است که خلاصۀ مفاد آن در زیر درج می‌شود.

در نامۀ مذکور نخست از توجهی که گروه مذکور به مسألۀ نژادی مبذول داشته، اظهار قدردانی شده و از آنان برای تلاش در رفع مشکلی که حضرت ولی امرالله در کتاب ظهور عدل الهی بدان اشاره فرموده‌اند، سپاسگزاری کرده است. تردیدی نیست که اقدامات بهائیان سفیدپوست برای حل مشکلات نژادی باید بدون هیچ مانعی در راه اجرای آن مورد استقبال همگان قرار گیرد.

اما افزودن عبارتی چون "مردان سفیدپوست بهائی" در توصیف این همت ممکن است باعث ایجاد سوء تفاهم و مشکلات نالازم شود. زیرا از یک سو ممکن است برداشت شود که مسؤولیت مردان سفیدپوست از مسؤولیت زنان سفیدپوست یا دیگر بخش‌های جامعۀ بهائی ایالات متحده بیشتر است. از سوی دیگر ممکن است این نقشه، برنامه‌ای در برابر "جمعیت مردان سیاهپوست" تلقی شود که طرحی است خاص برای بررسی مشکلات ویژۀ مردان سیاهپوست در رابطه با گرفتاری‌های شدید اجتماعی و روحانی تحمیل شده بر آنان.

از جهت دیگر استفاده از عبارت "مردان سفیدپوست بهائی" ممکن است در جوّ اجتماعی ایالات متحده در زمان حاضر محرک ‎عبرق عرق‎ تعصبات برخی شود و این سوء تفاهم را ایجاد کند که خدای نکرده جامعۀ بهائی از لحاظ نژادی تقسیم‌بندی می‌شود.

در نامۀ دارالانشاء معهد اعلی آمده است که اصولاً توصیف نقشه‌ها و فعالیت‌های امری با عباراتی که حاکی از گروه‌های قومی ویژه‌ای باشد - به غیر از مواردی چون "جمعیت مردان سیاهپوست" - از جامعیت فعالیت‌های امری می‌کاهد.

در پایان این مرقومه از هدف غائی برنامۀ احیای کرولاینای شمالی دوباره ستایش و قدردانی شده و اظهار امیدواری گردیده که اهداف آن دنبال شود.

کانونشن ملی سال ۲۰۰۱

NATIONAL CONVENTION 2001

کانونشن ملی سال ۲۰۰۱ از ۲۶ تا ۲۹ اپریل سال مذکور تشکیل خواهد شد و در آن اهداف نقشۀ پنج‌ساله اعلان خواهد گردید.

از آنجا که کانونشن مذکور در سالن اجتماعات مشرق‌الاذکار (طبقۀ تحتانی) تشکیل خواهد شد، به غیر از نمایندگان کانونشن و مشاورین قاره‌ای و اعضای هیئت معاونت و شوراهای منطقه‌ای تنها عدۀ کمی از احباء خواهند توانست در کانونشن شرکت کنند. بدین جهت از علاقه‌مندان درخواست می‌شود که هر چه زودتر برای رزرو جا اقدام فرمایند.

دوستان می‌توانند برای دریافت اطلاعات بیشتر با دفتر کانونشن تماس حاصل نمایند. شمارۀ تلفن: ۳۵۰۳-۷۳۳ (۸۴۷) e-mail:

اطلاعیه مجله پیام بهائی

PAYAM-I-BAHÁ’Í

در دستخطی از دارالانشاء بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی به تاریخ ۱۵ شهرالجمال سال ۱۵۵ بدیع آمده است: "... بحمدالله پیام بهائی در این ایام که احبای مهد امرالله در سراسر عالم پراکنده‌اند سهمی عظیم را در حفظ پیوند روحانی و فرهنگی آنان با کشور مقدس ایران ایفاء می‌کند.... بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی چنین مقرر فرمودند که از نمایندگان محترم مجله تقاضا شود که در این سبیل کوشش مخصوص نمایند و یاران عزیز ایرانی را در هر مملکت تحریض و ترغیب نمایند که این مجله را برای خود و خانوادۀ خویش تهیه کرده، از فواید معنویه اش برخوردار شوند."

از مشترکین عزیز مجلۀ پیام بهائی که تا به حال موفق به پرداخت حق اشتراک مجله برای سال‌های ۱۹۹۹ و ۲۰۰۰ نگردیده‌اند، خواهشمند است برای هر سال مبلغ ۵۴ دلار آمریکایی به شرح زیر پرداخت فرمایند. موجب تشکر است.

دوستان عزیز باید چک خود را در وجه Bahá’í Services Fund صادر نمایند و آن را به نشانی دفتر امور احبای ایرانی/امریکایی ارسال فرمایند.

PERSIAN-AMERICAN AFFAIRS OFFICE BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER, 1233 Central St. Evanston, IL. 60201 USA

خدمات جوانان در مشرق‌الاذکار

CONSERVATION SUMMER TEAM OF 2000

مسؤولان برنامۀ حفاظت مشرق‌الاذکار هر سال گروهی از جوانان را به‌طور موقت از سراسر ایالات متحده جهت کمک به کارهای مربوط به نگاهداری مشرق‌الاذکار گرد هم می‌آورند. تابستان امسال نیز شاهد خدمات ۱۹ جوان بهائی در ام‌المعابد غرب بود.

مدیر برنامۀ حفاظت مشرق‌الاذکار جوانان را به ۴ گروه تقسیم کرده بود که هر یک مسؤولیت جداگانه‌ای بر عهده داشت.

وظیفۀ گروه اول تمیزکاری بدنۀ فولادی زیر گنبد بود. این بدنه از زمان اتمام رویبنای مشرق‌الاذکار تا وقتی که با تزئینات سیمانی آن پوشیده شد، در معرض خاک و دیگر عناصر طبیعی بوده است.

گروه دوم مسؤول گردآوری و تهیۀ مدارک و اسناد برای ثبت وضع عمومی مشرق‌الاذکار از طریق عکس‌برداری و آزمایش صندلی‌ها و غیره بود. همچنین گروه مذکور اصلاحات نتائج استهلاک ساختمان را به نحو مستند ثبت می‌کرد.

گروه سوم مسؤول فراگیری فنون مربوط به مرمت و بازسازی مواد سیمانی و تزئینات آن بود. این گروه در کارگاهی که به فاصلۀ چند مایلی مشرق‌الاذکار کرایه شده بود کار می‌کرد. از آنجا که فنون ساختن تزئینات سیمانی که در ساختن مشرق‌الاذکار به کار رفته، مورد استفاده قرار نمی‌گیرد، تنها با تجربه و آزمایش می‌توان آن را فرا گرفت.

گروه چهارم مسؤولیت مطالعۀ تاریخ مشرق‌الاذکار و احبائی را که در ساختن آن دست داشتند، بر عهده داشت. اعضای این گروه صورتی از اسامی کسانی که احتمالاً اطلاعاتی دربارۀ بنای مشرق‌الاذکار دارند، تهیه کردند که بعداً با آنان تماس حاصل کنند.

با این که هر یک از جوانان به گروه ویژه‌ای تعلق داشت، معذالک این عزیزان اغلب اوقات در اجرای برنامه‌های بزرگ با هم همکاری می‌کردند. به عنوان مثال هر ۱۹ نفر در بازسازی پیاده‌رو پشت خانۀ سالمندان شرکت داشتند.

یکی از اعضای گروه، مشرق‌الاذکار را به موجودی زنده تشبیه می‌کرد که در حال حاضر اندکی بیمار است و در بعضی از اعضایش شکستگی دیده می‌شود و در جاهایی هم احتیاج به تمیزکاری دارد. کار گروه حفاظت پاک کردن و بستن شکستگی و درمان بیماری آن است.

اعلامیه مؤسسه معارف بهائی

جزوات مؤسسۀ روحی

ASSOCIATION FOR BAHÁ’Í STUDIES IN PERSIAN

یاران عزیز الهی استحضار دارند که برای اجرای اوامر معهد اعلی در خصوص تأسیس شبکۀ مؤسسات آموزشی و کسب معارف بهائی به نحو منظم، جزواتی با عنوان "جزوات مؤسسۀ روحی" به زبان انگلیسی تهیه گردیده و مورد استفاده قرار گرفته است. برای این که یاران عزیز فارسی‌زبان نیز بتوانند از این جزوات استفاده نمایند، به ترجمۀ آنها به زبان فارسی اقدام شده است.

مؤسسۀ معارف بهائی مفتخر است که اولین جزوه از کتب "مؤسسۀ روحی" را به زبان فارسی چاپ کند و در دسترس احباء قرار دهد. یاران عزیز فارسی‌زبان و مؤسسات تبلیغی و آموزشی می‌توانند آن را از کتاب‌فروشی‌های بهائی و یا مستقیماً از مؤسسۀ معارف بهائی خریداری فرمایند.

شمارۀ تلفن: ۳۰۹۰-۶۲۸ (۹۰۵) شمارۀ فکس: ۳۲۷۶-۶۲۸ (۹۰۵)

Internet: www.absp.org e-mail: [Page 35]

School turns to Temple for inspiration

Each year, several hundred school groups visit the Lotus Temple in Bahapur, India. In most cases, the emphasis is on information about the Bahá’í Faith, and a relatively brief time is spent in the prayer hall.

A very different school visit took place May 4, as a public school group of 50 students went to the House of Worship mainly to pray and meditate.

Shyama Chona, principal of the nationally renowned R.K. Puram branch of the Delhi Public School system, requested permission to launch the school’s “Gift of Service” campaign at the Bahá’í House of Worship. She wanted the students to begin with meditation in the prayer hall to help them decide how best they could serve humankind.

The summer service campaign gives summer students an opportunity to visit, interact with and try to understand the needs of orphans, senior citizens disowned by their families, the physically and mentally challenged, and those detained by the law.

During their Temple visit, the students were told about the purpose of the House of Worship and the various institutions that will be built around it in the future. A special devotional meeting included quotations about service were read and chanted from the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, the Qur’án and the Bahá’í writings.

“The students were truly uplifted by their experience in the prayer hall,” a report stated. “Dr. Chona was very happy and we hope that people from the school and its various branches will now visit the House of Worship on a regular basis.” ♦

The “Lotus Temple” near New Delhi, India, attracts visitors by the millions each year.

Raising ‘a banner of light’

Netherlands Bahá’ís stage proclamations each day of Ridván

The Festival of Ridván has 12 days. The Netherlands has 12 provinces. This coincidence inspired the National Spiritual Assembly to coordinate an ambitious proclamation campaign: a public event each day of Ridván in a different province’s capital, to raise “a banner of light” across the land.

“Never in the history of the Faith in Holland has such a proclamation been held on such a scale,” the National Office of Public Information reported. Newspaper and broadcast coverage was plentiful.

The April 21—May 2 events included:

• Handing out of 360 red roses to passers-by at a busy train station in Haarlem, followed by a barbecue and discussions.
• An “open feast” with readings and music in ’s-Hertogenbosch. Literature was distributed in the town center.
• A talk in The Hague, attended by 100, discussing the vision of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His Tablet to that city.
• Distribution of flowers and literature in Middelburg, focusing on abolition of racial prejudice.
• A reception in Arnhem emphasizing the individual’s role in world peace.
• A well-publicized forum in Lelystad presenting ideas on elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty.
• A well-received evening information display on the main street of Zwolle, on a “world auxiliary language” theme.
• On the theme of “work in the spirit of worship,” presentation of appreciative gifts to 30 service agencies in Assen.
• A performance by the Belgian Dance Theatre in Maastricht, followed by a talk on the unity of humanity.
• An open-air Youth Workshop performance in Utrecht, with nearly 100 pamphlets distributed.
• An educational nature experience for children ages 9–11 in Leeuwarden.
• An information table on the harmony of science and religion in Groningen, including an attractive video.

A Ridván Working Group formed by the National Spiritual Assembly coordinated the themes and arranged for production of literature and a Web page. ♦

TEACHING

• Tanzania: The Local Spiritual Assembly of Iringa set out to meet with people of capacity in its region to introduce them to the Faith and present them with Bahá’í literature. By the end of Ridván the friends met with 23 dignitaries, including the regional and district commissioners, the mayor, a member of Parliament, bank managers and others.

Nearly all the meetings went well beyond the 15–20 minutes originally allotted, as dignitaries who had heard of the Bahá’í Faith asked detailed questions. One office asked the Bahá’í delegation to return with more literature. ♦

EDUCATION

• Germany: Twenty-six countries or regions from across Europe were represented among the 26 people attending an April 21 seminar on training institutes sponsored by the International Teaching Center and the Continental Board of Counselors. Study, marked by “good humor and laughter,” included Ruhi Institute tutor training, and resulted in a fertile exchange of ideas for advancing development of training institutes. ♦

DEVELOPMENT

• Marianas Islands: The third annual Global Unity Symposium, April 8 on Guam, featured a legislator, educators and a journalist speaking on the equality of men and women, including a Bahá’í perspective presented by a University of Guam professor. An active sharing of ideas followed among a number of educators, students and other members of the wider community. ♦

Reaching across the border

Indigenous participants in a special international Trail of Light teaching project this summer are pictured in Nowat, Mexico. The Native American Bahá’í Institute in Houck, Arizona, trained three teams to spread the Bahá’í teachings among indigenous people in Mexico, as well as cheering the hearts of pioneers and isolated believers with their visits. Teams traveled in June and July to rural and urban areas of Chihuahua state near the border and to the Nacimiento del Rio region of eastern central Mexico. There were four immediate enrollments and dozens of requests for follow-up. The teachers, mostly American Indians, reported that their eyes were opened to the needs of their neighbors across the border, and that their desire to teach the Faith had been heightened, according to a report from NABI. Photo courtesy of NABI

ARTS

• United Kingdom: The National Chamber Orchestra of Wales and Cardiff’s Ardwyn Singers performed the world premiere of “Ridván—the New Dawn Oratorio” on March 25 in Brangwyn Hall in Swansea.

Denver Morgan, a Bahá’í, composed the large-scale piece by setting one of the Ridván Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh to music for solo singers, choir and orchestra. Every member of the audience, choir, orchestra and the soloists received a copy of a presentation booklet of the Tablet.

All the musicians involved have been prominent in development of new musical works, Morgan said, adding that “their collaboration with a Bahá’í composer is an important breakthrough in the acceptance of the Bahá’í writings as a source of musical inspiration.” ♦

YOUTH

• Canada: The vision of the Bahá’í youth movement grew to encompass the whole Western Hemisphere as more than 500 young Bahá’ís attended the sixth annual Youth Forum May 26–28 in Kingston, Ontario.

Speakers Duncan Hanks of Bolivia and Meim Smith of Canada put Ontario’s Bahá’í youth activity in the context of the youth movement across the Americas. “The new Bahá’í culture referred to in the Ridván message was easily visible,” an attending Auxiliary Board member reported, citing the youths’ love for the Faith, humility and selflessness in service.

• Belarus: Twenty-five friends from seven cities attended the first National Bahá’í Youth Deepenings, May 13–14 in Gomel. Organized by the National Youth Committee, the event featured lectures and seminars centering on Bahá’í identity, service and virtues, given by two Auxiliary Board members, two members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Belarus, one member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Lithuania and three National Youth Committee members.

• Kyrgyzstan: The Raduga Mira youth group proclaimed the Faith through music and dance in packed halls around the north of the country March 11—April 2. With selections on the themes of equality of men and women, elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty, prohibition on the use of drugs and setting aside of racial prejudice, each performance was followed by a fireside. Two enrollments in Kara-Balta resulted directly.

“Your dances are different from what I know,” one young man in Tokmak responded. “There are special meanings in them that make me think about the destiny of humankind.” ♦ [Page 36]

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly or its agencies at the Bahá’í National Center, please phone 847-869-9039 and ask for the relevant department. Numbers and e-mail addresses for the permanent Bahá’í schools and institutes are: Bosch Bahá’í School, phone 831-423-3387; fax 831-423-7564; e-mail . Green Acre Bahá’í School, phone 207-439-7200; fax 207-438-9940; e-mail . Louhelen Bahá’í School, phone 810-653-5033; fax 810-653-7181; e-mail . Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, phone 843-558-5093; fax 843-558-9136; e-mail . Native American Bahá’í Institute, phone 520-587-7599; fax 520-521-1063; e-mail .

SEPTEMBER

1-4: Homecoming Weekend: “Bahá’u’lláh, the Individual and Teaching” at Louhelen.

1-4: “I Dedicate Myself to Thee: The Power of Devotional Life” at Green Acre.

1-4: “Cultivating Distinction and Parenting” Family Session; Bay Area Bahá’í Social Group at Bosch.

1-4: Shenandoah (formerly Massanetta Springs) Bahá’í School, Harrisonburg, VA. Registrar: Ruth Clements (e-mail ).

1-4: Kentucky Bahá’í School, Faubush, KY. Registrar: Nancy Ordaz, (phone , e-mail ). Pre-register by Aug. 25.

1-4: Tennessee Bahá’í Institute, Monteagle, TN. Registrar: Kaihan Strain, (phone (information only phone ; please leave your e-mail address).

1-4: “Heralds of the Kingdom” youth retreat, Camp Chestnut Ridge near Chapel Hill/Durham, NC. Sponsored by Spiritual Assembly of Chapel Hill. For more information e-mail or visit the Web site (www.chapelhillbahai.org).

8-10: Two sessions at Bosch: Latino Conference; Seekers Weekend.

15-17: Urban Assembly at Bosch.

15-17: “Developing Patterns of Community Life” SED training part 1 by MDS at Green Acre.

15-17: Oklahoma Regional Bahá’í School, near Stillwater, OK. Classes for adults, youths, children. Registrar: Cathy Turner, (phone , e-mail ).

21-24: BNASAA Conference at Bosch.

22-24: “Reflections on the Life of the Spirit” Ruhi Institute Book 1 course at Green Acre.

22-24: Campus Association Weekend at Green Acre.

22-24: Ruhi Book 6 training at Bosch; part 2 will be Sept. 29–Oct. 1.

28: 89th annual Memorial Service for Thornton Chase, the first American Bahá’í; at Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 E. Florence Ave., Inglewood Park, CA. Sponsored by Spiritual Assembly of Inglewood (phone 310-518-1911 or 310-677-2898).

29–Oct. 1: “Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh” Part 1, Family Session at Bosch.

PAID SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

at the Bahá’í National Offices

• BDS: Marketing Manager, Customer Services Rep
• Information Services: Developers, Administrators, Help Desk
• Also: Administrative Assistants, Video Producer, more

See page 24

OCTOBER

Early October, weekends: Unit Conventions; dates and times vary. See pages 27–29 for updated listings.

6-8: ‘Irfán Colloquium and Seminar at Louhelen.

6-8: Local Spiritual Assembly Team Development at Bosch.

6-9: Two programs at Green Acre: “Talking and Listening: The Art of Spiritual Parenting”; “A True Pattern in Action: Solving Problems and Improving Relationships.”

20-22: Assembly Development Forum at Green Acre.

20-23: “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh” Part 2, Family Session at Bosch.

26-28: “Establishing Training Institutes” Facilitator Training for Ruhi Book 1 at Green Acre. Prior completion of Ruhi Institute Book 1 course required.

26-29: Pioneer Training Program at Green Acre.

27-29: College Club Weekend at Bosch.

NOVEMBER

3-5: Royal Falcon Fall School, Best Western Hotel, Pensacola Beach, FL. Registrar: Carol Payne (phone 334-774-0020, e-mail , Web site http://bahai.home.mindspring.com); pre-register by Sept. 17 for discount. Hotel reservations: Best Western (phone 800-934-3301); deadline Oct. 15 for special rate.

10-12: Two programs at Green Acre: “Teaching Christians More Effectively”; Junior Youth Session: “Getting Real While Staying ‘Dry in the Sea’ ” for ages 12–15.

10-12: Louisiana Bahá’í School, Covington, LA; “Cultivating Distinction: Spiritually Distinctive Families and Communities” with Counselor Tod Ewing, Auxiliary Board members Jeanette Hedayati and Farah Guchani-Rosenberg. Registrar: Marilyn Jennison, (phone , e-mail ). Pre-register by Nov. 1; discount before Oct. 1.

17-19: ‎Principles and Practice” “Principles and Practice”‎ at Green Acre.

23-26: ‘Irfán Colloquium and Seminar at Bosch.

24-26: Conference on Children: “Functional Families and Caring Communities” at Green Acre.

Participants in this year’s Southeast Asian Roundtable Discussion Conference at Bosch Bahá’í School take a few early-morning moments for a tai chi session. See story on page 16, photos on page 12. Photo by Puran Stevens

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

To avoid unnecessary delays in receiving The American Bahá’í, send all family members’ names, new address and mailing label to: Membership Office, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611. If acquiring a Post Office box, your residence address (B) must be filled in. Please allow three weeks for processing. (This also updates the National Center’s database.)

A. NAME(S)
1.	ID#
2.	ID#
3.	ID#
4.	ID#
B. NEW RESIDENCE ADDRESS	C. NEW MAILING ADDRESS
Street Address	Street Address
Apartment # (if applicable)	Apartment # (if applicable)
City	City
State / Zip code	State / Zip code
D. NEW COMMUNITY	E. HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER
Name of new Bahá’í Community / Moving Date	Area Code / Phone Number / Name
F. WORK TELEPHONE NUMBER(S)
Area Code / Phone Number / Name	Area Code / Phone Number / Name
G. WE RECEIVE EXTRA COPIES BECAUSE:	H. I WOULD LIKE A COPY
[ ] We do not have the same last name. We do not want extra copies, so please cancel the copy for the person(s) and ID number(s) listed above. [ ] The last names and addresses on our address labels do not match. We have listed above the full names of family members as they should appear on the national records, their ID numbers, and the corrections so that we will receive only one copy.	[ ] Our household receives only one copy of The American Bahá’í. I wish to receive my own copy. I have listed my name, ID number and address above.

BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER 112 LINDEN AVE WILMETTE, IL 60091-2849

AUGUST 20–SEPTEMBER 26, 2000 ASMÁ’, ‘IZZAT • B.E. 157