The American Bahá’í/Volume 5/Issue 6/Text
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Hands of Cause together in Wilmette[edit]
The Hands of the Cause of God John Robarts, Zikrulláh Khadem and William Sears during a conference called by the National Spiritual Assembly to brief the Continental Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members of preparations made in the United States to carry out the Five Year Plan. The gathering took place at the National Bahá’í Center in Wilmette Sunday, May 26.
Historic meeting held to advise Counsellors and Auxiliary Boards[edit]
An historic conference to brief the members of major Bahá’í institutions in North America on the measures adopted to execute the Five Year Plan was held by the National Spiritual Assembly in Wilmette, Sunday, May 26.
Present at the conference, in addition to the members of the National Assembly, were the three Hands of the Cause residing in North America (Mr. Sears, Mr. Robarts, and Mr. Khadem); the four members of the Continental Counsellors for North America (Miss True, Dr. Pereira, Mrs. Sherrill, and Mr. Gardner); the members of the Auxiliary Boards; and representatives of major committees of the National Assembly.
It was the first time in the development of the Faith in the United States that representatives of all these institutions came together to discuss aspects of the teaching work. Intended primarily to inform the members of the Auxiliary Boards of the steps to be taken in launching the new Plan, this conference signalized, according to the National Assembly, a new phase in collaboration among the preeminent Bahá’í institutions in this country.
It was also seen as the first implementation of an October 1, 1969, recommendation of The Universal House of Justice that the Counsellors and Auxiliary Boards be well informed of the plans of the National Assembly. In that message outlining the relationship between the Continental Counsellors and the National Assemblies, the Supreme Body, said: “It is the Spiritual Assemblies who plan and direct the work, but these plans should be well known to the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members, because one of the ways in which they can assist the Assemblies is by urging the believers continually to support the plans of the Assemblies.”
At the close of this conference the National Assembly said future meetings with these institutions would be scheduled to keep them informed of developments in the implementation of the Five Year Plan. The Assembly called this particular meeting, “the fifth stage in the launching of the Five Year Plan in the United States.” The stages were explained in the National Spiritual Assembly’s annual report:
“The release of the Naw-Rúz message from the Supreme Institution sounded the bugle call; the initial discussions, involving two Hands of the Cause, all four Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assembly, constitute the rousing of the chief officers; the National Convention, the display of the colors; the post-Convention Conferences, the diffusion of field officers; the anticipated joint meeting of the Continental Counsellors, National Assembly members, Auxiliary Board members, and National Teaching Committee members in May, the issuance of operating orders; and the St. Louis Conference, the complete call to arms—the mobilization of all detachments of the Army of Light toward the conquest of their assigned objectives.”
New York to obtain Center[edit]
A search for a new Bahá’í Center has been initiated in New York City following the recent granting of permission by the National Spiritual Assembly for the purchase of a Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in the City of the Covenant, a decision reviewed and approved by The Universal House of Justice.
The new Bahá’í Center will replace a rented and deteriorating facility at 25 West 15th St., and will be purchased with a view toward increasing the prestige of the Faith in one of the nation’s principal population centers, and a crossroads for international trade, culture, and diplomacy.
It will provide a suitable visiting place for travelers proceeding to and from the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, and it will facilitate bringing the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the millions of people in a city of cardinal importance to the Faith. It will, in addition, provide a proper location for dignified official gatherings of Bahá’í institutions and their guests. The Bahá’í International Community, for instance, will benefit from having a site for conferences and gatherings with fellow diplomats from the United Nations.
The Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds is expected to cost approximately $250,000. The Local Spiritual Assembly has already received more than $80,000 in contributions from the friends in New York. The National Spiritual Assembly made a symbolic contribution toward the effort on behalf of the entire community. A check for $1,000 was presented to the Local Assembly during a dinner March 9, held to celebrate the granting of permission for this important undertaking. The guests of honor were Continental Counsellor Dr. Sarah Pereira, and Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly. Both speakers noted the importance to Bahá’ís everywhere of having a distinctive center for the Faith in the City of the Covenant.
Dr. Kazemzadeh stressed in his talk that the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds would become an important instrument in the future consolidation of the Faith in
[Page 2]
Dr. Kazemzadeh, right, presents the National Assembly’s contribution to New York City’s Assembly treasurer, Hussein Ahdieh. Also in the picture are Continental Counsellor Dr. Sarah Pereira and Dr. Hooshmand Taraz, chairman of the Local Assembly.
City to buy center
(Continued from page one)
this area. He reminded his audience that only after the administration of the national community was conducted through a national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds did teaching activities begin to develop in an organized, fruitful manner.
The decision to purchase a new Center was made by the Local Assembly in late 1973 as the present center became increasingly inadequate for the growing activities of the community.
Announcement made on scholarship support[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly will provide some scholarship assistance to individuals who for financial reasons would otherwise be prevented from attending the St. Louis Conference.
The National Assembly recognizes that special considerations must be given to those Bahá’ís who have demonstrated a sincere and active role in the promotion of the Faith, but who cannot attend this important event for financial reasons.
A range of assistance will be offered, from partial scholarships determined by varying needs, to full scholarships, covering conference materials, services fees, transportation, and housing. No scholarships will include food.
While Local Spiritual Assemblies are encouraged to deputize needy individuals, Bahá’ís may apply for assistance to the National Assembly through their own Local Assembly or District Teaching Committee.
In applying, a believer should indicate the extent to which he or she can meet his or her own conference expenses. Local Spiritual Assemblies and District Teaching Committees should evaluate each application and forward their recommendations on scholarship assistance to the National Assembly. Attention: National Conference Scholarships, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091.
New York designated City of the Covenant[edit]
By Juliette Soderberg
On June 19, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá designated New York as the City of the Covenant. While sitting for a portrait in the studio of the celebrated Bahá’í artist Juliet Thompson, the Master first disclosed to an American believer His station as Center of the Covenant.
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the American Bahá’í THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. Material must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Black and white glossy prints should be included with material whenever possible. Articles and news written in a clear and concise manner are welcomed from individuals as well as assemblies and committees. Address all mail to: The American Bahá’í Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. Copyright © 1974, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. |
In subsequent meetings with the friends, He expanded on this theme of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, with Himself as its Center and defender. Because these momentous declarations were made in New York during His historic visit to America, the Master called it the City of the Covenant.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent a total of 79 days in the city, addressing people at scores of places, including Columbia University, the J.P. Morgan Library (where His original signature is on record), the American Museum of Natural History, and the Bowery. His first public address in the United States was made in New York’s Church of the Ascension on Fifth Avenue and 10th Street. He said after one of His visits to other parts of the country, “I have stayed in New York for a long time. Always I returned to New York because I wish New York to advance greatly.”
New York’s first Spiritual Assembly was formed in 1898. Later, on March 31, 1932, it was incorporated, and its Articles of Incorporation, approved by the beloved Guardian, became the prototype for all local spiritual assemblies throughout the Bahá’í world.
The Hotel Ansonia at Broadway and 73rd Street, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stayed during His visit to New York in 1912.
The history of the Bahá’í community in New York following ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit includes the presence in the community of such Bahá’ís as Horace Holley, Dr. Ugo Giachery (now Hand of the Cause of God), and Stanford and Carrie Kinney (the Kinney’s home was frequently honored by the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His visits to the city).
New guidelines set for art show[edit]
The guidelines for the art show in St. Louis have been modified to make it easier for Bahá’ís to exhibit their work.
The exhibition is no longer limited to paintings, drawings, and photographs only. Any type of art which can be displayed is now eligible for consideration.
In addition, rather than submit a color photograph of their artwork for the judges to consider, artists may instead submit color slides.
The deadline for entries has been extended to July 31, 1974.
All other rules remain the same as listed in the February 1974 issue of THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í. Briefly summarized, they are:
- A panel of judges will be appointed by the National Assembly to select works for display at St. Louis.
- Each Bahá’í artist may submit to the National Assembly color photographs or color slides of up to three works of art.
- Each photograph or slide should have attached to it the following information: the artist’s name, address, and telephone number; the date of submission; title; and dimensions of the actual work of art. No photographs or slides can be returned.
- The artists selected by the judges will be responsible for framing, insuring, and shipping their work to St. Louis. They must agree not to sell any of their work during the course of the Conference.
- The work displayed need not pertain to Bahá’í subjects. No paintings or drawings of the Central Figures of the Faith can be accepted for display.
The National Spiritual Assembly is encouraging all artists to submit up to three works for consideration. The St. Louis Conference will provide an unusual opportunity for the Bahá’í community to enjoy the art produced by its members.
Local Spiritual Assemblies and District Teaching Committees are urged to encourage the friends to take advantage of the St. Louis Bahá’í Conference to display their works.
Jobs for attorneys open in Micronesia[edit]
There are immediate openings for attorneys to do legislative counseling work with the National Legislature of Micronesia. Applicants should have a background in economics of developing countries, international law, and maritime law.
The Congress of Micronesia has openings for qualified stenographers, whose duties will include: taking minutes, typing transcripts of meetings and hearings of committees, as well as other related duties. Applicants should be skilled at typing and shorthand.
For further details, write the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
St. Louis Conference Information Summary[edit]
The following is a summary of necessary information on the First National Bahá’í Conference in St. Louis August 29-September 1. Much of it has already appeared in THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í; additional details are added here. The friends who plan to attend this significant gathering should study the following material carefully. Many of the more common questions are covered in it.
Nursery[edit]
A cooperative nursery for children from eight months to three years old (not toilet trained) will be set up in an area adjacent to the conference hall in Kiel Auditorium. Each parent using the service will contribute some time toward staffing the nursery, which will be coordinated and supervised by a Conference staff. Nursery hours will be: 8:00 A.M.–12:30 P.M. and 7:45 P.M.–10:30 P.M. daily.
Bahá’ís interested in private babysitting services must make their own arrangements.
Children’s Classes[edit]
A special school for children three (toilet trained) to fifteen years old will be conducted from 9:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. daily at the Chase-Park Plaza Hotel. Buses with supervisory personnel will pick children up at the Kiel Auditorium each morning. A large, trained staff will conduct this portion of the program.
Special Services[edit]
Two large rooms have been reserved at Kiel Auditorium to serve as entertainment and sleeping areas for the children. Movies will be shown during some conference sessions, and cots for naps will be made available. These special areas will be open from 7:45 P.M. until 10:30 P.M.
Travel[edit]
Only three charter flights—from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland—were available when arrangements were made for travel to the Conference. Group affinity fares are offered from other locations. The agreements made with the carriers require that all groups traveling for the special fares be comprised of only Bahá’ís or members of Bahá’í families.
Assemblies and District Teaching Committees in some localities are making separate arrangements for chartered transportation. For further information about independent charters or for assistance with scheduling details, Bahá’ís may contact Tony Lease Tours, 305 North Coast Blvd., Laguna Beach, California, 92651. Telephone: (714) 494-0783.
Parking facilities at a nominal rate will be available for Bahá’ís driving to St. Louis. It is hoped the friends will be able to park their cars during the entire Conference and make use of the bus shuttle service for local transportation.
Housing[edit]
All hotel packages listed in THE AMRICAN BAHÁ’Í include: accommodations for five days and four nights; the seven-and-a-half percent room tax charged by the city of St. Louis; round-trip airport transportation; shuttle bus service within St. Louis to and from Conference events; porterage and tips; Conference services, materials, and fees; and a special travel pack.
There will be no charge for children under 12 in hotel rooms if they are accompanied by parents or guardians.
Bahá’ís not flying to and from the Conference may deduct $5.00 from the listed price.
There is no registration fee for the Conference. The fee referred to will cover the cost of materials and services connected with the Conference. Individuals who have pre-registered with the National Bahá’í Conference Committee, but who wish to purchase a hotel package in addition, will have the service and materials fee credited to the balance owed Tony Lease Tours.
The cost of the hotel room through the tour package is less than can be obtained by making independent reservations. As much as 50 percent of the package price is for services other than a room itself. For example, the room rate for two people in a “B” category hotel is $9.00 per person per night; for three people in a similar room the cost would be $7.00 each per night. Other rates are comparable.
The nearest KOA campsite available is in Barnhart, Missouri, near Interstate 55, 35 miles from Kiel Auditorium. The Conference Committee recommends that reservations be made in advance. To do so call 314-479-4449.
Dormitory space has been secured for a limited number of people. The rate will be $5.00 per person per night for double occupancy. Space can be secured through the Conference Coordinating Committee and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. No shuttle bus transportation will be provided to and from the dormitory.
All those purchasing the hotel package will receive the travel pack and confirmation of reservation prior to the Conference. This material includes a special flight bag with the Conference symbol and dates.
Information desks will be operating at the airport as well as at the various hotels for those who have questions.
A Friendly Visit from Rarotonga[edit]
How remote the tiny island of Rarotonga in the South Pacific must have seemed to Edith Danielsen when she set out in 1953 to win a goal of the World Crusade initiated by the beloved Guardian. Even today, in the greatly shrunken world of 1974, it takes 20 hours to jet to the Cook Islands from Chicago.
During her time there Mrs. Danielsen introduced the Bahá’í Faith to the first Maori woman to accept Bahá’u’lláh. Both Mrs. Danielsen and her now long-time friend, Mrs. Rima Nicholas, were in Wilmette recently, to visit the National Bahá’í Center.
Rarotonga’s 10,000 inhabitants are generally very warm and friendly, Mrs. Danielsen said in a brief interview with THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í. Although the second language of Cook Islanders is English (the Cook Islands were a British protectorate until 1901; presently they form a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand), to teach the Faith, one must have the assistance of a Maori translator. This is how the two women met. In 1953, while making one of her frequent forays about the island, Mrs. Danielsen employed Mrs. Nicholas—at that time a Catholic—as an interpreter.
As the two women traveled together Mrs. Nicholas learned a great deal about the Faith. During the Bahá’í fast period in 1954, Mrs. Danielsen noticed that her young assistant was also fasting. On the morning of Naw-Rúz, Mrs. Nicholas began to eat her breakfast, then stopped suddenly. “No, I don’t want to eat until I become a Bahá’í,” she said. From that time forward she shared many of the responsibilities of teaching on Rarotonga.
Rarotonga is a volcanic island rising some 20,000 feet out of the ocean, located approximately 2,500 miles east of Australia. It has a radius of approximately 20 miles, and is one of the fifteen islands in the group named for Captain James Cook, the English navigator who discovered some of the smaller islands in 1773. The islands produce quantities of citrus fruits and copra for export.
In January 1954, the two women had moved from the island’s capital, Avarua, to the village of Muri, at the opposite extremity of Rarotonga. Their cane dwelling was the only one in the village with electricity, and in the evenings Mrs. Danielsen attracted the Murians with music she performed on a Hammond organ. After the first gathering at their new home a local missionary forbade all youth to visit the Bahá’í pioneers. But this only added an incentive for the people to visit, and so they came in even greater numbers. Muri is still the only community on Rarotonga with a Local Spiritual Assembly.
In 1958 Mrs. Danielsen was transferred to Formosa to help fill important goals there. At the end of the World Crusade she returned to the United States. In 1967, however, she again pioneered to the South Pacific, this time to New Zealand, which was in danger of going below the required number of Local Assemblies necessary to support a National Assembly. Mrs. Danielsen still lives in New Zealand today.
Mrs. Danielsen, left, and Mrs. Nicholas.
Mrs. Nicholas, on the other hand, carried on the Bahá’í work in the Cook Islands after the departure of her friend. She often assists the Muri Assembly with its translation needs, and makes frequent teaching and consolidation trips throughout the islands. This past Riḍván in Aitutaki, an island 140 miles north of Rarotonga, she discovered a new community with more than nine believers and helped form an Assembly there.
Hospitality[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of Kansas City, Missouri, will be pleased to offer hospitality to Bahá’í travelers en route to the National Bahá’í Conference in St. Louis August 29-September 1.
The Assembly reports that it can accommodate between 10 and 20 people who wish to stay overnight while traveling to St. Louis. A number of additional persons with sleeping bags can also be accommodated.
The people to contact for overnight accommodations are Helen Meyer, 2801 Quincy, Kansas City, Mo., 64127, 924-4607; Chris and Cherie Huehnergarth, 4620 Summit, Apt. 12, Kansas City, Mo., 64112, 561-8539; Thomas Jones, 3603 Troost, Kansas City, Mo., 64109, 753-7182.
Developing Bahá’í Characteristics[edit]
A talk given by Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh at the 65th National Bahá’í Convention.
A number of years ago, The Universal House of Justice, in one of its messages, stated: “Wherever a Bahá’í community exists, whether large or small, let it be distinguished for its abiding sense of security and faith, its high standard of rectitude, its complete freedom from all forms of prejudice, the spirit of love among its members, and for the closely knit fabric of its social life.”
When we talk about the distinctive characteristics of the Bahá’í community, we are not talking about something which is new or unusual. As the National Spiritual Assembly analyzed the Five Year Plan of The Universal House of Justice, we were struck by the emphasis placed on certain of its principal objectives. The major objectives enumerated by the House of Justice were: “preservation and consolidation of the victories won; a vast and widespread expansion of the Bahá’í community; development of the distinctive character of Bahá’í life particularly in the local communities.”
There was, in principle, nothing new about the necessity to develop distinctive characteristics of Bahá’í life. The purpose of the Bahá’í Faith is precisely the creation of a worldwide Bahá’í community and of a Bahá’í civilization. However, this overriding goal, this paramount purpose of the Bahá’í community, had now become part of a concrete, specific plan. Perhaps one could say that until now, the distinctive character of the Bahá’í community came about, to the extent that it did, through the individual efforts of Bahá’ís. It was a little like teaching the Faith in the United States during the early part of this century. There was no National Teaching Committee, there were no institutional agencies to assist the friends, and there were no international teaching plans. Individual Bahá’ís taught and promoted the Faith. Then the time came when the Tablets of the Divine Plan, revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, were translated into a complete, specific plan by Shoghi Effendi, and the institutional framework was created to carry these plans forward, to make them into reality.
Now, apparently, we have reached the stage where the development of the Bahá’í community and its distinctive character, the development of the Bahá’í life, are no longer to be left to the individual endeavor of every Bahá’í. We are now to create an institutional and community framework for the expression of this distinctive character of Bahá’í life.
What is the meaning of the words “distinctive character”? Being a pedant at heart, I went to the dictionaries. The first thing I did—of course, I thought I knew what “distinctive” meant, but just to make sure—I went to Webster’s International, and I found some very interesting things. “Distinctive” means, among other things, “serving to distinguish; setting apart from others; individualizing; special; peculiar; having or giving style; giving distinction.” Therefore, we are talking about those characteristics of the community which would distinguish this community from all other groups or associations. We are talking about characteristics that are special to those who follow Bahá’u’lláh. We are talking about characteristics which are peculiar to the people of God, characteristics which would impart to our community style and distinction. There is much more to it, of course, but even confining ourselves to simple dictionary definitions, we see what an enormous task The Universal House of Justice has now set before us. For the achievement of these goals—and I am speaking now purely as an individual—is much more difficult than the formation of several hundred additional Local Spiritual Assemblies, meeting the goals of the budgets, or sending pioneers all over the world. In fact, there is no more difficult goal than this.
Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh
Once we give ourselves an account of what is meant by the use of words such as “distinctive characteristics”, we have to ask ourselves another question: what are these specific characteristics that we are to cultivate? The answer begins but does not end on page 2 of the Naw-Rúz message of The Universal House of Justice, where the following is written, “This Five Year Plan must witness the development in the world-wide Bahá’í community of distinctive Bahá’í characteristics implanted in it by Bahá’u’lláh Himself.” They come then to the first of these characteristics: “Unity of mankind is the pivotal principle of His Revelation. Bahá’í communities must therefore become renowned for their demonstration of this unity. In a world becoming daily more divided by factionalism and group interests, the Bahá’í community must be distinguished by the concord and harmony of its relationships.”
The Universal House of Justice goes on to say, “The coming of age of the human race must be foreshadowed by the mature, responsible understanding of human problems and the wise administration of their affairs by these same Bahá’í communities.” Who is going to consider the problems of the harassed, driven individual, who is destroyed by a soulless, materialistic civilization? The Bahá’í community will consider them. Friends, do you see how this is related to what The Universal House of Justice wants us to do about the Local Spiritual Assemblies? Only the Local Spiritual Assemblies can create the communities which will take care of the needs of the individual in a collapsing civilization. This process also constitutes the building of that same ark of salvation that we have talked about so much. And the more this civilization collapses, the more important it is to bring the planks and the nails and hammer them together, and to paint and make that ark seaworthy. This is the enterprise in which we must immediately engage.
If unity is important, if maturity and responsible understanding are important, then we must look for the means for achieving these desired qualities. Obviously, the first means for their achievement is contained in the prayer we say so frequently when we supplicate God with the words, “May I follow Thy commandments, and abide in Thy law.” This is where it begins. The translation of these words into reality, the following of Divine commandments and obedience to the law of God, is the only foundation for the creation of the Bahá’í community.
It seems to me that we do not yet have Bahá’í communities in a true sense. Shoghi Effendi repeatedly told enthusiastic Bahá’ís who wrote poems or music, that we had no Bahá’í art. We had art produced by Bahá’ís. We had no Bahá’í music. We had music produced by Bahá’ís. We had no Bahá’í architecture. Even this glorious House of Worship is not Bahá’í architecture, but architecture by a Bahá’í, for Bahá’í purposes. It will require the fruition of Bahá’í civilization for Bahá’í art, or Bahá’í architecture to emerge, in the same sense in which Christian art or Muslim architecture have emerged. However, we have to start somewhere and, of course, the best thing to do is to start with little glimpses. Here and there, elements of the Bahá’í community are already present, and one extrapolates from these glimpses to imagine what a Bahá’í community could become like in the future.
I remember years and years ago in Tehran, when I was still a youngster, climbing on the roof of our house early in the morning during the fast. The city was dark, except for the lines of streetlights along the sidewalks. Then you would see a light go on in a window across the street, then in another window, and in another, another and another. In a few minutes there were dots of light as far as the horizon, and you knew that other Bahá’ís had gotten up to eat their breakfast. These were all Bahá’ís, and under each one of these lights there were people like yourself, saying the same prayers, participating in the same act. All of a sudden you felt that there was a community here. You get this sense of community in whiffs, in fleeting moments, at Bahá’í summer schools. Alas, it does not last these days, but you have to grasp these moments of Bahá’í life, because they will teach you what to do and where to go, in what direction to march.
Obviously, it takes enormous courage to stand apart, and standing apart is one of the meanings of distinctiveness. We must cultivate our own standards of conduct, of speech, of entertainment.
This is obviously not the time to speculate on specifics, which will evolve in the process of the construction of Bahá’í society. Certain things, however, we can know. In The Advent of Divine Justice, for instance, on pages 19 through 25, some prerequisites for success in Bahá’í life are stated. Rectitude of conduct, chastity, integrity, are all indispensable qualities.
In strengthening the community, we must begin with the family. There has never been a society which was not built on family life. The principle of monogamy is less important even than family life itself. In Islam, you had perfectly fine families as the basis of perfectly fine social groups under polygamy. The Mormons also managed it in Utah. The family is what is indispensable. And if we do not strengthen the Bahá’í family, there isn’t going to be Bahá’í community life. A group of people coming together on the basis of broken marriages, with large numbers of fatherless and motherless children, and excessive promiscuity, is going to be not a community, but a madhouse.
Provision must also be made for the education of children. How can you have a community if the children are going to run wild, if they are going to be foul-mouthed and unruly, if they are going to be irresponsible and unpleasant? Is that going to be a community? The education of youth must be looked after. They must develop proper work habits and become gainfully employed. How can you have a community if people don’t work, don’t contribute to the Fund? Questions of leisure time and recreation must also be considered. What do the Bahá’ís do after they come home from work? How do they entertain themselves? What are the Bahá’í standards of entertainment, recreation, and pastime?
Finally, the governance of the community must be attended to. Fortunately, this is the element in which we are strongest, because there we started at the top. But still, there is a great deal to be done, as you can
Channeling Spiritual Power[edit]
It seems to me that this new Plan is concerned with power. We live in a world that is obsessed with power. We have seen to our horror the havoc wreaked by the exercise of military power in the world. We are familiar with what is attempted through economic power. Our newspapers are full of the machinations of individuals with political power.
In this setting, against this background, we have received a message from The Universal House of Justice concerned with power. But the power we are concerned with is not military, or economic, or political, or racial. The power we are concerned with is the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that this message identifies for us basic and very fundamental ways of channeling in greater measure the precious power of the Holy Spirit to a hungry, dying world.
Let me give you a few examples to illustrate my point. The Universal House of Justice calls for the erection of the seat for that peerless body on the slopes of God’s Holy Mountain, Mt. Carmel. I want to suggest to you that the rearing of that edifice is an example of the exercise of power. I say this because there is a passage in the writings of the beloved Guardian in which he says that the processes disclosing the purposes of the World Order, energizing its life and shaping its destiny, all originate at the World Center of the Faith. In that sense, the raising of this noble edifice on the slopes of Mt. Carmel will energize our activities in the length and breadth of the United States, and in every corner of the planet.
Likewise, the precious gift of three volumes of the Holy Texts of the Central Figures of our Faith reinforces our spiritual power by bringing us closer and closer to the creative power of the Revelation. The calling for the construction of Houses of Worship in India and Samoa is again an exercise of power, because the Guardian has said that Houses of Worship are monumental edifices, each designed to serve as a house for the indwelling spirit of God. As has been well discussed at this Convention, the great privilege given to us to be permitted to contribute funds to the Cause of God in this age is one that enables us to draw on and receive the benefits of the power of the Holy Spirit. The call to us in the Five Year Plan to develop our individual lives, to educate the children in our communities, to perfect our moral beings and characters, again are ways in which we can receive to a greater extent the power of the Holy Spirit. And last, but far from least, the great call given in the Five Year Plan to raise up, strengthen, cherish, and nourish the Divine institutions of the Local Spiritual Assemblies is a means without parallel by which the power of Bahá’u’lláh may be established in all parts of the planet. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, from them the spirit of life streams in every direction.
We live in a world which is dying, which is becoming lifeless, which is shriveling up before our eyes. In such a world we are called upon to raise up Local Assemblies, to raise up bodies through the establishment of which the spirit of life will return to the world, through which the winter of unbelief and the coldness and sterility of materialism will vanish, and through which the life of creativity, the life of joy, the life of love and initiative will return to the world.
There are many mysteries in the movements of the Holy Spirit in the world, and I am far from qualified to speak of them. But there is one aspect I would like to mention; namely, that the goals which have as their objective channeling the Holy Spirit into the world can only be accomplished through the use of the Holy Spirit.
When a Divine institution, such as The Universal House of Justice, releases a Plan, one can consider it accomplished because together with the release of that Plan, a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit is made available to the world. Ours is merely the task—if you will—of receiving this new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, of channeling it through our individual and collective activities, and of using it to accomplish the goals of the Faith, so that the victory of the Five Year Plan will lead to an even greater outpouring of spirit. That outpouring will be used by the believers of 1979 to help them address themselves to even greater goals, which will lead to palpably greater measures of spirit being generated. This process will continue on and on, with ever greater amounts of spirit being released to the world decade after decade, century after century, until every promise, every expectation, every hope in the Writings of our Faith has been fully and totally realized.
There are very many other noble and exciting themes in the Five Year Plan. I will briefly mention two of them. The first is that this Plan discloses to us more about a mysterious interaction which distinguishes our Faith from the religions of the past: that between the individual and the community in which he finds himself. In the religions of the past salvation was won through individual activity. The holy souls retired to a cave, to a desert, to a jungle, to meditate, to work for the development of their characters, to refine their spiritual beings. In this Dispensation we attain our spiritual development by joining together with our brothers and sisters around the world, and building in concert an ark of Salvation. The Five Year Plan stresses that the new world is to be built through individual spiritual activity, and through the nurturing and strengthening of the Bahá’í community.
The second is emerging in this Plan—to a greater extent than in the past—the world civilization promised by Bahá’u’lláh. Men and women have dreamt of it for centuries, for thousands of years. The prophets of Israel had their visionary dreams of it, and prayed for it. Now, in this age, we see it coming closer and closer. We see its outline emerging before our eyes in the Five Year Plan.
We are called upon to respond to this Plan in a time of unprecedented crisis in the world. In the twenty years that I have been a Bahá’í, I have read in The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh that Bahá’u’lláh said the world’s equilibrium had been upset. I had no idea it would mean the things I see today. We see today an increase in the uncertainties of life; things that we took for granted, like gasoline, food, the ability to travel, personal safety and security, have all become uncertain. The world is sinking. Its great institutions are collapsing under the weight of their own iniquities and corruption. In such a setting we are called upon to swim against the tide, to fight the prevailing trends of fashionable opinion, and to identify ourselves with the new world to which we are being called. The Five Year Plan is an appeal addressed to the very fundamentals of our being. It penetrates beyond the shell of exterior behavior, beyond the wall of conventionality and practice that we have built around ourselves, and speaks to our hearts. I think the appropriate response on our part is to examine the Plan in the privacy of our hearts, and to ask ourselves, “What can we do to raise the Cause of God in this day?”
It seems tragic but true that part of human life is to be confronted with the necessities of making decisions which will affect the entire course of our lives. We are at such a time now. Each one of us, alone, is confronted with the fact that what we decide in our hearts in this period will without doubt affect the rest of our lives.
I am overwhelmed by the thought that this Plan presents opportunities, which, if we do not seize them, will slip between our fingers. Others will arise and seize these opportunities. This is our chance. In a very real sense, it is now or never.
I want to close by quoting a few words taken from a Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh (The Bahá’í World, Vol. XII). These few words from the Manifestation of God have been ringing in my ears in these last few days. I feel they are so appropriate to where we are and where we are going. In this Tablet Bahá’u’lláh advises: “When the swords flash, go forward. When the shafts fly, press onward.”
[Page 6]
“The Welcome Change,” a 27-member singing group.
Last session at Geyserville held[edit]
ABOUT 80 PEOPLE attended the final session of the Geyserville Bahá’í School April 5-8, conducted at a rented facility near Santa Cruz, California. Upon completion of its spring session, the renowned school quietly ended its activities, after almost 50 years of service to Bahá’ís in the western United States.
The Geyserville school’s 80-acre campus was located near the Russian River, 90 miles north of San Francisco. It was purchased by the State of California in January 1973 to facilitate a highway expansion project. The school’s subsequent academic sessions were continued—until its closing April 8—in rented facilities in the Santa Cruz area.
Geyserville has been replaced by the new 67-acre John and Louise Bosch Bahá’í School, located sixteen miles from Santa Cruz on the north end of Monterey Bay. The Bosch school will be dedicated in early July, and will begin operations during the summer months.
John and Louise Bosch, distinguished early believers who were present in the Holy Land when the Master died in 1921, donated the Geyserville property to the Faith in the 1920s. The Boschs met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His journey to America in 1912 and served Him faithfully until His passing.
In its final report to the National Bahá’í Schools Committee, the Geyserville School Council said: “We pray that success upon success will follow the future education programs at the new Bosch Bahá’í School. We thank the Bosch trustees for the opportunities given us to serve in the past, the National Bahá’í Schools Committee for their guidance in our work, and the many teachers who have served so well and lovingly in past years.”
The theme for the final spring program was “The Station of Man.” The courses sought to deepen the understanding of students on their station as Bahá’ís, and to prepare them to be better able to teach the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
Among the instructors at this final session were Auxiliary Board member Fred Schechter, who lectured on the session’s theme; Dr. Amin Banani, who spoke on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; Mrs. Violette Haakes and Mrs. Nura Ioas, who formed a team for a two-hour lecture on the Holy Family, emphasizing the station of its women members. Continental Counsellor for Western Asia Iraj Ayman, who arrived at the school unexpectedly, shared impressions of teaching in his part of the world, and assisted Dr. Banani with his class on the Aqdas. A 27-member choral group called The Welcome Change gave a one-hour recital of their music during a balmy Sunday afternoon.
The new Bosch school near Santa Cruz encompasses large stands of redwood, fir, oak, and madrone, extensive areas of open, rolling land, and a small lake. From several vantage points on the property, set at an elevation of 2,000 feet, the Pacific Ocean is clearly visible five miles away.
The main building has a dining hall for about 70 people, a fully equipped commercial kitchen, an expansive lobby, a game room, a snack bar, and locker rooms for the heated, filtered, 30-foot by 60-foot swimming pool on the property. There are, in addition, ten individual cabins (nine with fireplaces), three duplex cabins, and three separate homes on the new campus.
Negotiations for the purchase of the Bosch school began in January 1973. They were completed eleven months later.
Urge present teachings Asian-American areas[edit]
In the message from The Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the United States, we are enjoined to expand the teaching work among those of Chinese and Japanese descent, among others. At the National Convention, Dr. Stephen Yamamoto, a member of the Asian-American Teaching Committee, stated that the national Bahá’í community should feel free to draw upon the resources of the Committee in accomplishing this goal of the Five Year Plan. Dr. Yamamoto emphasized that the Committee is intended to serve the entire American Bahá’í community and said that material is now in review that should assist in proclamation efforts. This packet of material includes sample posters, pamphlets in various languages, and suggestions on how to teach people of Oriental descent.
The Committee is available to assist any community in planning and implementing a proclamation effort among Asian-Americans. Dr. Yamamoto suggested that Bahá’ís should take advantage of international student organizations on college campuses and that we should search out organizations that are specifically Oriental and contact their membership.
The Committee has held two seminars in the past few months, one in New York and one in Boston. The Asian-American Teaching Committee can be contacted through its secretary, Mr. Lee Moody, 112 Tudor Place, Apt. 4-F, Bronx, New York 10457.
Five Year Plan symbol explained[edit]
(Continued from cover)
Our endeavors for the next five years in attempting to achieve the basic objectives of the Five Year Plan:
- preserve and consolidate the victories won;
- expand on a vast and widespread basis the Bahá’í community;
- and develop the distinctive character of Bahá’í life, particularly in local communities.
The symbol is composed of three basic elements that rise and spread into five distinct branches, one for each year of the Five Year Plan. The base represents the three basic objectives of the Plan. The central element represents the development of the distinctive character of the Bahá’í community and it is buttressed on the one side by an element that represents the continuous consolidation of our victories and on the other side by an element that signifies the vast and widespread expansion of the Cause of God. Each element expresses organic growth as it reaches heavenward. The central core of the symbol represents an abstracted version of mankind itself and illustrates the essential and primary role of developing a distinctive character of Bahá’í life.
The symbol, therefore, captures the spirit and the profound significance of what The Universal House of Justice has called the Bahá’ís of the world to accomplish in the next five years as we go “from strength to strength.”
Temple opens earlier for prayer, worship[edit]
Since Riḍván, the House of Worship in Wilmette has opened daily between 8-10 a.m. to allow the friends to gather to read and to chant the Holy Word. Previously the House of Worship opened to the public at 10 am.
The decision to extend the hours during which the Temple is open for use was made by the National Spiritual Assembly to respond in an effective way to the Five Year Plan goal of developing the distinctive characteristics of Bahá’í society.
In amplifying its explanation of this goal of the Plan, the Supreme Body explained that one distinctive characteristic would be the gathering of the believers daily between dawn and two hours after sunrise, to listen to the reading and chanting of the Holy Word.
The new hours would serve to align the activities of the House of Worship more closely with its essential purpose, the National Assembly said.
No formal devotional program is organized on a regular daily basis. The friends are free to read or chant the Sacred Scriptures, if they feel moved to do so.
On Holy Days, however, the National Assembly has instructed that a formal devotional program be conducted. In addition, on these special days, the House of Worship is to be opened as close to dawn as possible.
As of May 1, the workday at the National Bahá’í Center was scheduled to begin a half-hour earlier than it had before. The staff was to report at 8:30 am, rather than 9:00 am.
If you are going to serve overseas with the Peace Corps or any other international volunteer organization please notify:
- THE INTERNATIONAL GOALS COMMITTEE
- 112 Linden Avenue
- Wilmette, Illinois 60091
National Assembly gives briefing to Counsellors and Auxiliary Board[edit]
May 26, 1974
1. Participants in conference held by National Assembly to brief Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members on preparations for Five Year Plan; 2. Auxiliary Board members Elizabeth Martin and Peter Khan with the Hand of the Cause John Robarts, right; 3. Auxiliary Board member Howard Brown, of Alaska; 4. National Assembly secretary Glenford E. Mitchell briefing the conference; 5. Members of the National Teaching Committee from left to right: Mr. Robert Henderson, Mrs. Joan Bulkin, and Mr. Fereydoun Jalali; 6. The Hands of the Cause John Robarts, right, and William Sears, center, chat with National Assembly member Dwight Allen; 7.The Hand of the Cause John Robarts.
News Briefs[edit]
Shutesbury elects Assembly[edit]
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Shutesbury, Massachusetts, elected Riḍván 1974. Standing from left to right: Dr. Michael Melnik, vice-chairman; Mr. Robert Russell, treasurer; Dr. Mark Rossman; Dr. Dwight Allen. Sitting from left to right: Mr. Nicholas d’Ombrain; Mrs. Maxine Rossman, secretary; Dr. Carole Allen, chairman; Mrs. Ruhi Streets; Mr. Donald Streets.
Assemblies elected in record numbers[edit]
More than 900 Local Spiritual Assemblies were elected at Riḍván, an increase of more than 90 over the 817 Assemblies recognized last year. The National Teaching Committee termed these results “a significant victory for the American Bahá’í Community.” As many as 100 Assemblies were in jeopardy in the months immediately preceding the Riḍván election. “The obvious fact that we have gained Assemblies will mean that we will start...the Five Year Plan with real momentum,” the National Teaching Committee said. The Five Year Plan, launched in the United States during the National Bahá’í Convention April 25-28, requires that at least 1,400 Assemblies be elected before Riḍván 1979.
Green Acre plans training session[edit]
The first extensive program in the United States for training teachers of Bahá’í children was conducted at the Green Acre Bahá’í School June 30–July 6. The staff of the Green Acre Children’s School and teachers for the children’s program at the St. Louis Conference next August attended the initial training session, along with other Bahá’ís with a serious interest in child education.
—William Sears
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The teacher training program, sponsored by the National Bahá’í Schools Committee, was conducted by Dr. Daniel Jordan, Miss Magdalene Carney, and Dr. Donald Streets, with assistance from the Children’s Task Force of the Green Acre Council.
The week-long program included lectures, discussions, study, and practical classroom experience. The teachers discussed the role of child education in building a World Order and explored the values and attributes children’s teachers should possess. Principles of environmental design and classroom management were also discussed.
Students attending the Teacher Training Week had an opportunity to discuss the key issues of Bahá’í education with the teaching staff and planned the types of programs that could be of use in their own communities.
A fuller account of the Green Acre program will be published in a forthcoming issue of THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í.
The Council sees this teacher training week as an important step toward fulfilling the goal to educate children as established by The Universal House of Justice in the Five Year Plan. In its Naw-Rúz Message to the Bahá’í World, the Supreme Body wrote: “The education of children in the teachings of the Faith must be regarded as an essential obligation of every Bahá’í parent, every local and national community, and it must become a firmly established Bahá’í activity during the course of this Plan.”
The Council hoped that National Teacher Training Week, as the program was called, would mark the beginning of a larger process that will lay a firm foundation for child education in the American Bahá’í Community, said Mr. David Walker, chairman of the Green Acre Council. “We hope to train a corps of teachers who will be able to teach at summer schools and who will be instrumental in organizing children’s classes in their local communities,” he noted.
Teacher with students.
The Green Acre School is also one of several Bahá’í schools participating in “Teaching Project 74,” a program designed to help improve classes for junior youth (between the ages of 11 and 15). The National Schools Committee stated that programs for junior youth must meet the high standards of the year’s theme, “Life in a God-Centered Community.” In eight schools throughout the United States, visiting teachers will conduct model classes for the junior youth enrolled in the school and for up to six observers selected to participate in the program. Following the classes, there will be a teacher-training session in which teachers and observers will discuss philosophy and methods appropriate to Bahá’í education.
The schools participating in TP 74 are: the Bosch School (July 14–August 3); the Carolinas School; the Colorado East School; the Florida School; the Washington East School; the Montana School; the Oklahoma/Texas School (all during regular sessions); and the Green Acre School.
To apply to participate in Teaching Project 74 as an observer, contact the registrar of the particular school. (See page 11 for further information on Bahá’í Summer Schools.)
Thinking of Pioneering?[edit]
A Pioneering Emphasis Week, to be conducted by the International Goals Committee, will be hosted by the Green Acre School, July 21–27.
In addition, an hour each day of the summer session at the Bosch School will be devoted to pioneering.
For further information, contact the school you wish to attend.
Local election[edit]
THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY of Hamilton Township, New Jersey, elected Riḍván 1974. Standing, left to right: Mrs. Ginger Unwin, Mrs. Barbara Harris. Sitting middle row, from left to right: Mr. John Unwin, Mr. Bob Harris, Mr. Dave Craft, Mr. Rod Richards. Bottom row, left to right: Mr. Bill Cole, Mr. Tony DeQuinzio.
[Page 9]
Musicians who performed at Little Rock event.
Bahá’í club forms on Arkansas campus[edit]
More than a year ago, Anette Myrick took as her special “pioneering” project the establishment of a Bahá’í club on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The obstacles were many: the school required ten members to even consider a club and there were only two on campus; there were no Bahá’ís on the faculty to serve as club adviser; the official forms, deadlines, and interviews necessary for the process of establishing a group were time-consuming and often discouraging.
But prayer and perseverance, and consultation with the Assembly, prevailed, and by May 1974, as the school year was ending, there were more than enough Bahá’í and other interested students, a Bahá’í faculty member, and the completed paperwork and interviews—and another campus organization was born.
What would be an appropriate way to inaugurate Bahá’í activities on campus? A musical reception. Having faith that the administrative body responsible would give final approval, the club members prepared a program and made posters. When approval came, they were ready to move. The posters and notices in campus publications invited the campus to a musical reception, in the same location used by the university chancellor for his receptions. Bahá’í musicians rehearsed their selections, most dealing with the Faith and some of its Teachings.
The reception opened with club president, Anette Myrick, greeting everyone on behalf of the newly formed organization and reading the aims and objectives of the association. She introduced the musicians, who in turn informally introduced their own selections. The atmosphere was relaxed, enthusiastic, and conducted with simple dignity. Miss Myrick closed the meeting, called attention to the refreshment table, and invited visitors to talk with individual Bahá’ís. Small groups formed around the room, and the air was filled with snatches of conversations concerning inquiries into Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. There was even one student who explained that his teacher had assigned him to come to prepare a report on the Bahá’í Faith for class.
Deepening on marriage in Texas[edit]
APPROXIMATELY 35 YOUTH and adults attended a deepening conference at Rock Lodge Encampment, in Austin, Texas, March 2-3. Auxiliary Board member Eunice Braun conducted the program on marriage, teaching, and pioneering. The conference was sponsored by the Central Texas District Teaching Committee.
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U.S. pioneers assigned during B.E. 130
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Writer sees, explains explosion of religion[edit]
At the end of a three-day proclamation program in North Hempstead, Long Island, last January, Dr. Stanwood Cobb, the educator and author, addressed more than 250 people on the subject of “The Three Stages of Man’s Development”. His audience reportedly found him to be a humble and captivating speaker, possessed of knowledge, warmth, and wit.
In his talk, he traced man’s development through many ancient stages of history. It was not until he moved to the cities about 5,000 years ago that man found himself with the kind of leisure time that would permit him to explore evil in a really serious fashion, Dr. Cobb said. The result of this development was an “explosion of religion”, according to Dr. Cobb.
To compensate for man’s new and unhappy tendencies, God sent down His Manifestations in rapid (relatively) succession, beginning with Abraham and culminating with Bahá’u’lláh. Despite this outpouring of Divine grace, the world was, as this century turned and marched forward, more than 95 percent “religionized”, but very little “spiritualized”. People have an easier time becoming “religionized”—that is, accepting doctrines, attending services, and trying to lead a good life—than they do becoming “spiritualized” or accepting the responsibility to transform their animal natures into spiritual natures, Dr. Cobb maintained.
Dr. Stanwood Cobb
As humanity increases in sensitivity, he said, it becomes better prepared for “universal spiritualization”: giving instead of grabbing, working in the spirit of service, treating work as worship, and praying to God. It is incumbent upon each person to replace anger and hatred with love, to acquire God-consciousness and become God-motivated, and to attain spirituality. This process of spiritualization is a privilege, not merely a duty, he said; “it is the driving force and sole source for the enhancement of human nature.”
Dr. Cobb also related the story of his most cherished encounter with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. When the Master was preparing to leave Washington, D.C., He embraced Dr. Cobb and instructed him: “Be on fire with the love of God; be on fire with the love of God; be on fire with the love of God.”
Bahá’ís pool funds for t.v. ad campaign[edit]
A number of communities in the Spokane County, Washington, area have pooled their resources to finance a series of ten-second television spot announcements over station KREM in Spokane.
The latest series of 34 ten-second spots, which consisted of brief statements about basic Bahá’í principles, were aired between January 21 and February 23. It is estimated that they reached an audience of 500,000 people, at an approximate cost of $.62 per thousand.
Two other series of television spots have also been broadcast. Contributions were made by Assemblies, Groups, and individuals. The project is under the direction of the Local Assembly of the Second Commissioner’s District of Spokane County.
To date, the Assembly has received 22 requests for additional information. Inquirers are given a copy of The Bahá’í Faith, by Gloria Faizi.
The sponsoring Assembly feels television advertising, which guarantees large audiences, is more economical in the long run than advertising in other media, even when the initial outlays seem to be higher. In addition, experience in Washington has shown that spot announcements of short duration (10 seconds, for instance) elicit a greater response per dollar spent than spot announcements of longer duration (30 seconds, one minute).
Educator speaks at Boulder proclamation[edit]
On February 23, Bahá’ís from all corners of Colorado rallied in Boulder to proclaim the Faith and hear Dr. Daniel Jordan, vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, speak three times during the day. In the morning Dr. Jordan spoke to about 70 believers before they dispersed to bring the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to this college town.
The way had been prepared by the small Boulder Bahá’í community with extensive publicity, posters, radio and newspaper coverage, and a week of prayers. Over 3,000 personal invitations were sent to area educators inviting them to hear Dr. Jordan speak about the ANISA program at the University of Massachusetts. About 120 people attended that afternoon lecture.
An evening proclamation talk by Dr. Jordan, also attended by over 100 people, resulted in several declarations and a number of interested seekers.
Seals and Crofts, above, give a concert hall fireside at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, on Feb. 17. The following day they watched a young woman sign a declaration card following their presentation at Kent State University, Ohio.
Concert audiences stay for firesides[edit]
More than 20,000 people attended concert hall firesides given by Seals and Crofts in towns where they performed between January 11 and March 17. This figure represented between 10 and 15 percent of the audiences attending their concerts throughout the United States. More than 1,000 of those attending concert hall firesides later attended follow-up sessions organized with the help of Bahá’í communities.
The popular Bahá’í musicians try to give firesides as often as possible in communities where they perform. Their goal is to eventually have at least 25 percent of their audiences remain for their post-concert talks. Closer coordination with Bahá’í communities is also planned, to make better use of the concerts for proclamation, and to develop more effective follow-up.
More than 140 people attended a recent deepening institute in Clear Creek, Nevada.
Bahá’í Summer Schools[edit]
- BOSCH
- Location: Santa Cruz, California
- Sessions: July 14–20; July 21–27; July 28–August 3; August 4–10
- Cost: Rates not known at press time
- Registrar: c/o Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- Auxiliary Board member Fred Schechter will be present July 21–27; and Auxiliary Board member D. Thelma Jackson, July 28–August 3.
- Note: The dedication of the John and Louise Bosch Bahá’í School will take place on July 13. Attendance can be accommodated through reservation only.
- CALIFORNIA
- Location: Idyllwild Pines, Idyllwild, California
- Session: June 29–July 6
- Cost: Rates not known at press time
- Registrar: California Bahá’í School Committee, Mrs. Marian Lawyer, Secretary, 16131 La Cubre Drive, Victorville, CA 92392
- Auxiliary Board member Fred Schechter will be present June 30 only.
- CAROLINAS
- Location: Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina
- Session: June 29–July 5
| Cost | Day | Week |
Adults | $8.80 | $49.00 |
6 years to 12 years | $6.30 | $34.00 |
Up to 5 years | $2.50 | $18.00 |
- Registrar: Carolinas Bahá’í School Committee, Mrs. Anne Respess, Secretary, 4310 Romaine Street, Greensboro, NC 27407
- Auxiliary Board member Elizabeth Martin will be present throughout the session.
- COLORADO EAST
- Location: Indian Hills Camp Coy, near Denver, Colorado
- Session: August 19–25
| Cost: | |
Adults (12 years and over) | $30.00 |
6 years to 11 years | $15.00 |
3 years to 5 years | $9.00 |
Up to 2 years | $0.00 |
- Registrar: Mrs. Dora J. Hanna, 5535 Krameria, Commerce City, CO 80022
- COLORADO WEST
- Location: Camp Ilium, Telluride, Colorado
- Session: July 28-August 3
| Cost: | |
Adults | $40.00 |
Youth | $20.00 |
Children | $10.00 |
- Registrar: Colorado West Bahá’í School Committee, Mrs. Pamela Johnson, Secretary, P.O. Box 162, Palisade, CO 81526
- Auxiliary Board Member Peter Khan will be present throughout the session.
- CONIFER HILL
- Location: Conifer Hill, Colorado
- Session: June 22-July 19
- Cost: (tuition): $35.00
- Registrar: Conifer Hill Bahá’í School Committee, Mrs. Marilyn Fisher, Secretary, 437 Pine Street, Boulder, CO 80302
- Note: This is a Work/Study Project.
- DAVISON
- Location: Davison, Michigan
- Sessions: July 21-27; July 28-August 3; August 4-11; August 11-18
- Cost: Rates not known at press time
- Registrar: Davison Bahá’í School Council, Mrs. Elizabeth Brogan, Secretary, 870 W. Drayton, Ferndale, MI 48220
- Auxiliary Board Members Katherine McLaughlin, Darrell Borland, Elizabeth Martin, and Albert James will be present at the following sessions, respectively: first, second, third, and fourth.
- FLORIDA EAST
- Location: Marymount College, Boca Raton, Florida
- Session: July 12-21
| Cost: | |
Adults | $10.50 |
15 Years to 20 years | $9.00 |
2 years to 14 years | $6.50 |
- Registrar: Mrs. Fern McBride, 2301 N.E. 20th Avenue, Wilton Manors, FL 33305
- Auxiliary Board Member Jane McCants will be present throughout the session.
- GREEN ACRE
- Location: Eliot, Maine
- Sessions: June 30-July 6 (teacher training); July 7-13 (regular); July 14-20 (regular); July 21-27 (Pioneering Emphasis Week); July 28-August 3 (youth only); August 4-10 (regular); August 11-17 (regular); August 18-24 (regular)
- Cost: Rates not known at press time
- Registrar: Green Acre Bahá’í School Council, Mrs. Beverlee Miller, Secretary, 188 Main Street, Eliot, ME 03903.
- The Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem and his wife, Auxiliary Board Member Javidukht Khadem, will be present at the July 14-20 session. Auxiliary Board Members D. Thelma Jackson, Elizabeth Martin, Jane McCants, and Katherine McLaughlin will be present at the following sessions, respectively: July 7-13, July 28-August 3, August 4-10, and August 11-17; Auxiliary Board Member Ted Oliver will be present for two days only between July 21 and 27.
- MONTANA
- Location: Red Lodge, Montana
- Session: August 11-17
| Cost: | |
Adults (15 years and over) | $33.00 |
8 years to 14 years | $22.00 |
2 years to 7 years | $10.00 |
- Registrar: Mrs. Betty Ann Entzminger, 710 Agate, Billings, MT 59101.
- Auxiliary Board Member Eunice Braun will be present throughout the session.
- NEBRASKA—Cancelled
- NEW YORK
- Location: Oakwood School, Poughkeepsie, New York
- Session: July 27-August 3
- Cost: Rates not known at press time
- Registrar: Jillian Smith, RD 6, 31 Edmond Drive, Ballston Spa, NY 12020.
- Auxiliary Board Member Adrienne Reeves will be present throughout the session.
- OKLAHOMA/TEXAS
- Location: Lake Bridgeport, near Denton, Dallas
- Session: August 12-17
- Cost: Rates not known at press time
- Registrar: Oklahoma/Texas Bahá’í School Committee, Dr. Virginia Harden, Secretary, 320 East Hurd, Edmond, OK 73034.
- Auxiliary Board Member Darrell Borland will be present throughout the session.
- OREGON
- Location: Silver Creek Falls, near Salem, Oregon
- Session: July 7-12
| Cost: | |
Over 5 years | $19.00 |
Up to 5 years | $9.50 |
- ($1.00 for members of family where 3 have paid one of the above rates, regardless of age.)
- Registrar: Mrs. Ethlyn Lindstrom, 4874 Cedar Street, Astoria, OR 97103.
- WASHINGTON EAST
- Location: Camp Dudley YMCA, White Pass, Washington
- Session: August 21-25
| Cost: | |
21 years and over | $20.00 |
15 to 20 years | $15.00 |
9 years to 14 years | $11.00 |
5 years to 8 years | $6.00 |
2 years to 4 years | $4.00 |
- Registrar: Washington East Bahá’í School Committee, Mrs. Wendy Burns, Secretary, Box 338, Buena, WA 98921
- Auxiliary Board Member Angus Cowan will be present throughout the session.
- WASHINGTON WEST
- Location: Seabeck, Washington
- Session: June 22-28
| Cost: | ||
Adults.....(six days) | $49.50* | $41.25** |
12 years to 18 years | $39.50 | $33.50 |
5 years to 11 years | $30.50 | $24.50 |
1 year to 4 years | $24.50 | $18.50 |
Adults.....(four days) | $33.00 | $27.75 |
12 years to 18 years | $26.50 | $22.50 |
5 years to 11 years | $20.50 | $16.50 |
1 year to 4 years | $16.50 | $12.50 |
Adults.....(two days) | $17.50 | $15.00 |
12 years to 18 years | $14.50 | $12.50 |
5 years to 11 years | $11.50 | $9.50 |
1 year to 4 years | $9.50 | $7.50 |
- Registrar: Mr. John Martig, 409 Oak Street, Shelton, WA 98584.
- Auxiliary Board Member Javidukht Khadem will be present throughout the session.
- * Modern accommodations
- ** Older facilities
- Note: Arizona and Minnesota already held.
Summer Schools Strive to Elevate Youth Classes[edit]
Junior youth (ages 11-15) are important at Bahá’í schools. Recognizing that programs for junior youth must meet the high standards of this year’s theme, “Life in a God-Centered Community,” the National Bahá’í Schools Committee will sponsor at selected schools a special program called Teaching Project 74.
The purpose of Teaching Project 74 will be to improve the classes for junior youth and to provide for continuing improvement in the quality of teaching these important young Bahá’ís. Visiting teachers will teach a model class for the junior youth enrolled at the school, and for up to six observers specially selected to participate. Following the class, there will be a teacher-training session in which the teacher and the observers discuss philosophy and methods appropriate for Bahá’í education.
Tentative schedule for this program is listed below. If you wish to apply to be an observer at one of the schools, please write to the Registrar (information above).
Bosch School | July 14-August 3 |
Carolinas School | During regular sessions |
Colorado East School | During regular sessions |
Florida East School | During regular sessions |
Green Acre | June 30-July 6 |
Montana | During regular sessions |
Oklahoma/Texas | During regular sessions |
Washington West | During regular sessions |
BAHÁ’Í BOOKS AND MATERIALS[edit]
BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE[edit]
O God, Guide Me!
A colorful new prayer book for children is now available. O God, Guide Me! contains prayers for divine guidance, spiritual education, protection, spiritual happiness, morning, obedience to God, healing, the light of God, and assistance from God. The attractive royal blue and lime green cover and the numerous illustrations by Gordon Laite will appeal to both children and adults. The prayer book is set in large, easy-to-read type and has a sturdy cloth library binding. 4x6 inches. 39 pp.
7-52-47 ......cl $1.25
Prayer for Expectant Mothers
This prayer, which appears in Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was originally included in a letter to an early American believer. Attractively printed in brown ink on heavy ivory stock, the prayer for expectant mothers is illustrated on the reverse side with a touching line drawing by Gordon Laite. The card is 3¾ x 6 inches and will fit inside the green prayer book.
7-15-15 ......$.10; 5/$.35; 25/$1.25; 100/$4.50
The Straight Path
The Straight Path, an attractive brick red and cream brochure which will be helpful in Indian teaching, is now available. It contains the message from The Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’í Unity Conference held in Ganado, Arizona, in June 1972. The illustrations by David Villaseñor contain a number of Indian motifs. The rainbow on the front panel is the symbol of the spiritual path. Father Sky and Mother Earth on panel two represent heaven and earth. The sun on the back panel is the emissary of the Great Spirit who returns anew each day to share the life-giving bounties. Man and woman, who are also depicted on the back panel, are reminded by the sun’s reappearance of their dependence upon the great creative force and of their need to establish daily contact with the Great Spirit through prayer.
7-40-70 ......25/$1.50; 100/$5.00
SPECIAL MATERIALS[edit]
The Five Year Plan: America’s Role in the Third Global Teaching Campaign
A new audio-visual program highlighting the goals of the Five Year Plan is now available. The filmstrip focuses on the three major objectives of the new Plan: the consolidation of the victories of the Nine Year Plan, the expansion of the Faith, and the development of the distinctive character of Bahá’í life, which includes tapping the energy, zeal, and idealism of youth; educating children; and developing and strengthening the Local Spiritual Assemblies. It also outlines the major goals of the new Plan—the World Center tasks to be accomplished, the new National and Local Spiritual Assemblies to be formed, the localities to be opened, the Temples to be built, the properties to be acquired, the publishing trusts to be founded, the conferences to be held, the minorities to be reached, and the pioneers to be sent out. Particular emphasis, in the program, is given to the goals assigned to the American Bahá’í Community, which has once again received the “lion’s share” of the tasks.
Individual Bahá’ís, communities, summer schools, and institutes will find this program invaluable in informing the friends of the new responsibilities assigned in the Five Year Plan and in stimulating and inspiring them, as individuals and as a community, to arise and play their part in winning the goals of the new Plan. Color. 97 frames.
6-02-01 filmstrip with script and cassette $8.50
1974 National Bahá’í Convention Highlights
A new cassette program consisting of portions of the official recording of the proceedings of the 1974 National Bahá’í Convention in Wilmette is now available.
The 86-minute program features excerpts from several talks by the Hand of the Cause of God Paul E. Haney, who represented The Universal House of Justice at the Convention. Also included are parts of a taped message to the Convention from the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears. This tape is excellent for communities or individuals planning deepenings on the Five Year Plan.
6-30-74 ......cassette $2.50
The Martyrdom of the Báb: An Opportunity to Teach and Deepen[edit]
With the anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb fast approaching, Bahá’í communities around the world are making plans to commemorate the historic event with public observances and personal as well as community deepenings. To assist the American believers in their preparations, the Publishing Trust would like to call to their attention the following books and special materials. These items will help the friends in their endeavor to teach both themselves and the vast public about the remarkable events surrounding the dawn of the new Revelation.
The Báb: Herald of the Day of Days
By H.M. Balyuzi
This biography of the Báb concludes the Hand of the Cause of God H.M. Balyuzi’s trilogy on the Central Figures of the Faith. In addition to presenting a captivating and scholarly account of the life and mission of the Báb, Mr. Balyuzi includes material on the activities of the dawn-breakers. Mr. Balyuzi makes liberal use of official documents from government records containing eyewitness accounts of Western diplomats who had the opportunity to observe the Báb and His followers. The Báb, which contains fifteen illustrations, extensive notes, several appendices, a bibliography, and an index, is essential for the reader wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the Herald of the Faith and His followers. 192 pp.
7-31-50 | cl $5.25 |
Release the Sun
By William Sears
Release the Sun, by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears, is a moving, historical account of the mission and martyrdom of the Báb. The reader is led from the events of May 23, 1844, when the Báb revealed to Mullá Husayn that He was the One foretold in all the holy books of the past; through the spontaneous recognition of the Báb’s exalted station by seventeen other souls, the Letters of the Living; through the persecutions, the imprisonments, the exiles; to, finally, the extraordinary events of July 9, 1850, when a hail of bullets felled the Báb and His disciple and “a gale of exceptional severity arose and swept over the whole city.” The narrative concludes with a foreshadowing of the role to be played by Bahá’u’lláh. The appendix gives extensive affirmation of biblical prophecies concerning the coming of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. 250 pp.
7-31-27 | cl $2.75 |
7-31-28 | p $1.50 |
Land of Resplendent Glory
(Three-part filmstrip program set)
A three-part, 225-frame, black-and-white filmstrip program series on the Báb, the Letters of the Living, and Bahá’u’lláh. Part I traces the footsteps of the Báb, with 115 photographs of landmarks and holy places of great significance to the Bahá’í Faith. Part II shows, in 45 frames, many landmarks made famous by the heroic deeds of the Báb’s earliest followers, the Letters of the Living. Parts I and II will be of particular value in the coming weeks as the friends prepare to observe the anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb. Part III, with 98 frames, traces the journeys of Bahá’u’lláh into exile and imprisonment. All three programs were written and photographed by Guy Murchie and narrated by Marzieh Gail.
6-00-24 3 Filmstrips, Cassettes, Narration Books | $16.00 |
6-00-15 Part I: The Báb | $6.50 |
6-00-19 Part II: Letters of the Living | $5.00 |
6-00-23 Part III: Bahá’u’lláh | $6.50 |
Economy housing[edit]
Housing accommodations have been secured for those Bahá’ís who wish to avail themselves of the most economical Conference housing. The following packages do not, however, include the Conference Services and Materials Fee, which must be sent separately with your Conference Registration form.
All space will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited for Packages 1 and 2, so send in your reservation form as soon as possible if you wish these accommodations reserved for you. We must reserve the right to switch to Package 2 if Package 1 is filled.
| 1. | Two double beds in each room Television Conference shuttle bus service Full bath facilities |
$27.00 per person four to a room |
| 2. | Dormitory-style accommodations, Full bath facilities | $23.00 per person four to a room |
Campgrounds[edit]
KAO campgrounds, Phone 479-4449, south of St. Louis on Interstate 55 in Barnhart, Mo. Approximately 35 miles from Kiel Auditorium. $3.50 per site—vehicle and camper and 2 people per day, $0.25 for each additional person, $0.25 additional for electric, $0.50 additional for air-conditioning, $1.00 for sewage hook-up. Campgrounds equipped with showers, store, pool; 2 miles from shopping.
Cahokia Mounds State Park, Illinois on old Highway #40,6 miles from downtown St. Louis. 10 sites available for campers at $2.00 per night. Unlimited campsites available at $1.00 per night per unit. Outside plumbing only—electricity and water available. No shower facilities—24-hour patrol. No reservations accepted.
You must make your own arrangements for these camping accommodations.
[edit]
Mr. Dan Yazzie, a Navajo medicine man who hosted a large Bahá’í proclamation on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona last July, was one of the many visitors to the 65th National Bahá’í Convention in Wilmette last April 25-28. Mr. Yazzie first encountered the Faith in 1971 and has since taught many people on the reservation, where he is an honored and respected tribal leader.
Mr. Franklin Kahn, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, translated Mr. Yazzie’s remarks during an interview at the National Bahá’í Center. Although he did struggle to understand the proceedings in English, Mr. Yazzie said he could grasp the spirit and motive of the consultation. He said the need for a universal auxiliary language was very clear and that Indian youth should strive to become proficient in English. Mr. Yazzie studied English years ago but has since forgotten much of it.
He was pleased to meet other Bahá’ís and said he was impressed with the unity, sincerity, and enthusiasm of the delegates. The Convention was unique in his experience of political and religious meetings because Bahá’ís were highly motivated in achieving their goals, he said. Mr. Yazzie felt this was a great accomplishment.
At the close of our interview, he expressed thanks “to the leaders who planned the meetings” and said he would take his impressions of the Convention to his people, to educate and uplift them with the spirit he felt at this Convention.
Right: Mr. Dan Yazzie. Below: Bahá’ís who gathered at Mr. Yazzie’s home at Dinnebeto last July, in the center of the vast Navajo Reservation in Arizona.
1st National Bahá’í Conference - 5 Year Plan
St. Louis, Missouri
Aug. 29 - Sept. 2, 1974
[Page 15]
Bahá’í behavior
(Continued from page four)
see from the Five Year Plan, where the strengthening of the Local Spiritual Assemblies is emphasized to such a degree.
As we march forward into this future and try to construct the Bahá’í community, we should turn to the writings of Shoghi Effendi. Shoghi Effendi was able to translate the powerful and transcendent words of Bahá’u’lláh into language we can understand. The words of the Manifestation are cryptic and mysterious. They contain so much energy that the human mind is frequently unable to decipher them. Shoghi Effendi took these words and spoke them again, and as you study his work, you begin to get more and more of the sense of what the Manifestation wanted to convey to us. And Shoghi Effendi spoke about the Bahá’í community most eloquently.
Dates to Remember[edit]
- June 21-23 National Spiritual Assembly Meeting, Wilmette, Illinois
- June 24 Feast of Raḥmat (Mercy)
- July 1 Deadline for Artwork for St. Louis Exhibition; THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í Deadline for August Issue
- July 9 The Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb (1850)
- July 12-14 National Spiritual Assembly Meeting, Santa Cruz, California
- July 13 Feast of Kalimát (Words); Dedication of the Bosch School, Santa Cruz, California
- August 1 Feast of Kamál (Perfection); THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í Deadline for September Issue
- August 9-11 National Spiritual Assembly Meeting
- August 29-September 1 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE
Steps to Avoid Confusion in Moving[edit]
Every time a Bahá’í moves, he or she should take steps to inform Bahá’í administrative agencies of their plans. Here are some important things which must be done if confusion and wasted funds are to be avoided:
- Make sure that your move will not jeopardize your Local Spiritual Assembly.
- If you wish to become a home front pioneer or settler, please consult with the National Teaching Committee (112 Linden Avenue; Wilmette, Illinois 60091) before making your final plans. If you are from an area served by its own Local Spiritual Assembly, you may also ask that body for its guidance.
- If possible, move to a locality served by a jeopardized Local Spiritual Assembly. This is a great service to the Cause of God. The National Bahá’í Review regularly lists jeopardized Local Spiritual Assemblies and also gives information on other homefront pioneering opportunities. You may also ask for information directly from the National Teaching Committee.
- Contact the Local Spiritual Assembly of your new community, or your District Teaching Committee, as soon as possible. In fact, it is a good idea to do this even before you leave your old home. You may obtain the proper address from your own Local Spiritual Assembly or District Teaching Committee.
- Make sure that your new address is given to the proper Bahá’í authorities. You may do this by contacting your Local Spiritual Assembly or District Teaching Committee before you move, or you may write directly to the Membership and Records Office (112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091). If possible, include a recent label from your copy of The American Bahá’í (or any other Bahá’í publication). Be certain to give the names of your old and new Bahá’í communities if they are different from your mailing address.
- If you are a home front pioneer or a home front settler (a Bahá’í who moves to fill a goal, such as saving a jeopardized Local Spiritual Assembly or bringing a Group to Assembly status), you should inform the National Teaching Committee as soon as you arrive at your post.
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Registration Information
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| INSIDE | THE SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY of New York City has announced plans to purchase a new Bahá’í Center in the City of the Covenant. The new center will increase the prestige of the Cause there. Story page 1. | TWO PRESENTATIONS made at the National Convention are published in this issue. One on developing Bahá’í characteristics, on page 4, the second on the power of the Holy Spirit, on page 5. | NEW GUIDELINES for the planned art show in St. Louis have been established by the National Spiritual Assembly. The deadline for entries has been extended to July 31. Story page 2. |
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First National Bahá’í Conference/Five Year Plan
Kiel Auditorium/St.Louis, Missouri Aug. 29-Sept.1, 1974 |
The National Spiritual Assembly selected the phrase “from strength to strength”—found in the Naw-Ruz message of The Universal House of Justice—and adopted it as the theme of the first National Bahá’í Conference of the Five Year Plan. It also commissioned a symbol to reflect the spirit of
(continued page 6)
