The American Bahá’í/Volume 6/Issue 1/Text
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[Page 1]
Weather Balmy in January
Special teaching plan launched in New York[edit]
Near-summer weather in January marked the formal launching of a special teaching and consolidation program for New York State on January 11, on the Cornell University campus at Ithaca, New York. As the temperature rose to an unprecedented 67 degrees, more than 500 Bahá’ís from 115 communities showed their enthusiastic response to the program unveiled by their National Spiritual Assembly.
The new Plan calls for doubling the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies in the state, greatly increasing the number of incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies, opening five Indian reservations and establishing two Local Spiritual Assemblies on Indian reservations, expanding the use of all news media, and making a concerted effort to reach the minority groups—American Indian, Armenian, Chinese, Greek, Japanese, and Spanish-speaking—designated in the Five Year Plan.
The gathering included a Bahá’í galaxy—standard-bearers of the Faith, the Hands of the Cause Zikrullah Khadem and William Sears; Continental Counsellor Sarah Pereira; all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly; and Auxiliary Board member Katherine McLaughlin; as well as members of the National and Regional Teaching Committees.
“Once again, New York, the City of the Covenant, is being called upon to produce results which will go far beyond this state,” declared Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, who was chairman of the gathering, in opening the conference. “New York will play the role of being the recruiting ground for a large number of Bahá’ís who will then scatter across the whole continent and the world, to build the New World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.”
Speaking for the National Spiritual Assembly, Glenford Mitchell, Secretary, pointed out that it was a little more than sixty years since a small group of American believers gathered in New York to welcome the Master at the beginning of His American trip. He went on to say that any victories we have witnessed since that time will undoubtedly be eclipsed by the triumphs waiting for us if we arise and vigorously prosecute this Plan.
Details of the Plan for New York State were then read by Mrs. Kathleen Javid, member of the National Teaching Committee.
Bringing greetings from the Continental Board of Counsellors, Dr. Sarah Pereira reviewed the success of earlier teaching Plans and encouraged her listeners to choose their particular area of service in the present Plan and help to win its goals.
A wave of appreciative laughter greeted Dr. Kazemzadeh when he mentioned, in introducing Mr. Khadem, that he had known Mr. Khadem when he was a member of the National Youth Committee of the Bahá’ís of Iran. The unbroken attention of the friends was then given to the historic scenes from the early days of the Faith recalled by Mr. Khadem.
Citing instances of humiliation to the Prophets of God from the unknowing peoples of the world, Mr. Khadem repeatedly demonstrated the power of God to raise His Manifestations and bring down to abasement their enemies.
“Beloved friends!” he began. “At this time the present order is collapsing and will be replaced by the New World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. Although we are very humble and lowly, we have the assurance of the Blessed Perfection, Bahá’u’lláh, that we will succeed.” He recalled that when Jesus Christ was brought into the gathering of the rabbis, with a crown of thorns on His head, the rabbis questioned Him as to His power and to produce the sceptre of David. Christ replied: “Do you not see the Son of Man standing on the right side of His Father, with all the glory, power and majesty?”
The Hand of the Cause William Sears referred to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablet to the Northeastern States repeatedly as he called New York Bahá’ís to action during the Five Year Plan.
“‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us that people could not see that, but Christ could see that the crowns of the Emperors of the world would be worth less than the thorns on His head,” added Mr. Khadem.
“At the time when the Exalted Báb was brought as a prisoner to Máh-Kú, and had not even a candle at night, He wrote to the Sháh of Persia and assured him that He enjoyed being in the Chamber of Paradise. He said also that all the keys of Paradise were as a ring on His Finger.
“And what are those keys of Paradise?” asked Mr. Khadem. “In fact, the very night of the Declaration of His Holiness, the Exalted Báb, the keys of Paradise started to open all the doors of learning. The keys are you, my dearly loved brothers and sisters of the West! It is you whom His Holiness the Báb addressed when He called upon the people of the West to issue forth from their cities and call people to God. Right from that night, all of the victories started from the fountain of His words.
“Again,” continued Mr. Khadem, “when Bahá’u’lláh was in the Síyáh-Chál in Ṭihrán, He tells us of the Voice which proclaimed: ‘Ere long will God raise up the treasures of the earth—men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him.’
“The blessed Master Himself, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, tells us that He entered the prison as a young man and came out old. The moment He was released, He came to the West, to Egypt, to Europe, back to Egypt, to the United States and back to Europe, over a three-year period. He came to help the ‘treasures’ of the world, the Bahá’ís. He came to inspire the people of the West. In His talk in Kenosha, Wisconsin, He helps us to see how significant was His visit to this country! The friends had told Him that every
Employment Restrictions Increasing
Many Must Volunteer to Fill Pioneer Goals[edit]
As of January 6, 44 of the first 122 United States pioneering goals had been filled.
Filling the remaining goals is expected to become increasingly difficult as time elapses. Governments hurt by the deepening world economic crisis have already begun to respond to conditions by tightening restrictions on the employment of foreign nationals and their continued residency in the afflicted countries.
The International Goals Committee has received notice that two European governments—Belgium and France—have banned the continued immigration of foreigners seeking employment. The Norwegian government is preparing to follow suit on restrictions, thus protecting their citizens from unwanted job competition. The French restrictions will reportedly also apply to territories in the world under French protectorate and to overseas departments.
The Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa recently urged that settlement to African countries by highly qualified Bahá’ís be accelerated in the months ahead in anticipation of expected restrictions. With every passing day it becomes harder to find employment in the African nations and to obtain the necessary residency permits, the Counsellors warned.
Despite the problems in placement of pioneers that appear to be looming ahead, the International Goals Committee still hopes to make significant progress during the remaining months of the Bahá’í year toward completing the preliminary pioneering goals assigned by the House of Justice at Riḍván, said Janet Rubenstein, the Committee’s Secretary.
The Committee reports that more than 100 people have contacted its office in Wilmette expressing interest in pioneering at some time in the future. However, the Goals Committee noted that only a handful of these volunteers are in a position to make immediate plans to settle abroad.
To complete the U.S. assignments, additional volunteers will be required, Mrs. Rubenstein said. Volunteers are especially needed who have professional skills or other technical training that would enable them to easily enter a foreign country to obtain employment.
Among the 44 pioneers that have settled in posts since the start of the Five Year Plan, there have been doctors, engineers, other professional people, licensed tradesmen, students, retired persons with independent incomes, and businessmen.
Several pioneers during this Plan have managed to have their corporations reassign them to overseas posts. The International Goals Committee feels that employment with multi-national corporations may offer Bahá’ís access to overseas posts closed to many other nationals.
Among the countries for which pioneers have yet to be found are Gambia, where positions are reportedly available in education, agricultural engineering, and medicine; French-speaking Cambodia, the newest U.S. goal, where medical doctors and airline pilots can still find employment; and Vietnam. Three posts filled during the Five Year Plan have already been vacated and must be refilled. It is noteworthy, Mrs. Rubenstein said, that the pioneers
[Page 2]
Weather Cooperates in Launching of New York Plan
(Continued from page 1)
nineteen days, at the Feasts in Kenosha, two vacant chairs were placed, one for Bahá’u’lláh and one for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. They longed for the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and this is what the Master said when He spoke there: “I longed very much that means be prepared for Me to come to Kenosha. God has upset heaven and earth, that I come to America. God has changed two Kingdoms (Persia and the Ottoman Empire) that I might come and see your faces. I hope there will be a great outcome from this visit and that a new spirit will appear in the Bahá’í world!”
“Friends!” exclaimed Mr. Khadem, “two Emperors were removed from power by God, just so that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá could come to America and to Kenosha. And first He came to New York. God changed the whole political situation of the world in order that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá could come to this country.”
Citing the accomplishment of the beloved Guardian in raising up the institutions of the New World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, Mr. Khadem reminded the friends that Shoghi Effendi did not leave us until the illumination of the Faith was evident in all the countries of the world, with the supreme body of the Faith, The Universal House of Justice, now bringing us the guidance of Bahá’u’lláh for this historic day. Praising the generals of the Army of Bahá’u’lláh, the National Spiritual Assemblies of the world, Mr. Khadem urged that all listen carefully to the Plan unveiled by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. “Although we are so humble, weak and lowly, yet Bahá’u’lláh is so Great, Powerful and Mighty. All the prophecies will be fulfilled, and the crowns of the world will be placed at His feet! We are sure the world commonwealth of Bahá’u’lláh will come to pass. Let us be an instrument, let us be one of the treasures whom Bahá’u’lláh said in the Síyáh-Chál would be raised up to aid Him. Let us be one of the keys of Paradise, whom the Exalted Báb, in Máh-Kú, although a Prisoner, predicted would be as a ring on His right hand. What glory, indeed, to be one of the keys. Let us fulfill the expectations of the beloved Shoghi Effendi and The Universal House of Justice. Please God, we may achieve it!”
“The friends do not have to be told what to do! They know what to do! It is all in the Writings. They just need to try it!” Recalling these words which he heard as a pilgrim in the presence of the beloved Guardian, the Hand of the Cause William Sears asked, “Do we understand these words? Do we really believe that we don’t have to have meetings and worry about what to do, we just have to get busy and try what we have already been given in the Tablets of the Divine Plan? That is why our heroic generals, the members of the National Spiritual Assembly, have called us together today to see what we can do about this marvelous state of New York. Many things have been said already from the Tablets of the Divine Plan, the charter for the spiritual conquest of the planet. Destined to guide the teaching over the next 500,000 years, this charter was unveiled right here in this state, in New York City.
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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 1st 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 the various institutions of the Cause. 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. |
“Let us remember the praise of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Bahá’ís of the northeastern states and the assurance He gives that these states share a unique spiritual privilege. The Master says: ‘Likewise as the continent of America in the estimation of the True One is the field of the effulgence of light, the Kingdom of the manifestation of mysteries, the home of the righteous ones and the gathering place of the free, therefore every section thereof is blessed; but because these nine states have been favored in faith and assurance, hence through this precedence they have obtained spiritual privilege.... Now all these bounties exist and appear in full in these nine states. The divine Gardener passed by that holy ground and scattered pure seeds from the lordly teachings in that field; the rain of the bounties of God poured down and the heat of the Sun of Reality—that is, the merciful confirmations—shone with the utmost splendor. It is my hope that each one of those blessed souls may become a peerless and unique irrigator and the East and the West of America may become like unto a delectable paradise so that all of you may hear from the Supreme Concourse the cry of ‘Blessed are you, and again blessed are you.’ ”
“Think of it!” said Mr. Sears. “This is you whom the Master is addressing. My hope is that from this room there will appear such a light in the skies of New York that we will win all of our goals. We hold the potential in our hand; we have had the presence of the Divine Gardener in this region.
“Do you know how many times the Master delivered public addresses and made formal visits in New York? In 55 separate places in New York City, He appeared. Now the very soil is throbbing with His foot-steps, and the hosts of Bahá’u’lláh’s battalions are waiting to come to our assistance, if we arise. I hope you will memorize all of these goals, keep them on a little card where you shave or put on your make-up. Keep them somewhere handy and say them each day. It only takes a minute. While you are riding in the bus or the streetcar, say the goals, such as ‘raise the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside in New York to 390.’ Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá Beloved friends, let us call on the powers of the Greatest Name.
“At one end of this state is the City of the Covenant, and at the other, Hume, the birthplace of the ‘mother teacher of the West,’ Lua Getsinger. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that people will come to visit the land where she walked barefoot as a child, where Bahá’u’lláh Himself chose her for His work in your state. Think of the connection between the western and eastern ends of this state ... it really could become a paradise!
“Do you remember Mr. Roy Wilhelm? He was a Hand of the Cause of God. When Mrs. Sears was on pilgrimage, the beloved Guardian said he was appointed because he was a saint. But he was a very mischievous man and had a lot of good stories which he used very effectively. Mr. Wilhelm said that when he walked down the streets of New York City, the City of the Covenant, with the beloved Master, the Master said that if the believers in New York had really loved each other and arisen to teach, living just one of the principles in their lives, half of the people in New York would have become Bahá’ís by that time. And that was in 1912!
“ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself says that He has scattered the seeds. In the Tablet to the Northeastern States, He promises us that ‘it has often happened that one blessed soul has become the cause of the guidance of a nation. Now we must not look at our own ability and capacity; nay, rather, we must behold the favors and bounties of God in these days, who has made the drop to find the expression of the sea and the atom the importance of the sun.’
“If one blessed soul can do all this, imagine what the number of people in this room could do to bring change not just for this state but for this whole country. We hold the destiny of this country in the palm of our hands. At the pilgrim’s table in the presence of the beloved Guardian one evening, he spoke to us of Miss Martha Root, star servant and foremost Hand of the Cause of the first Bahá’í century. He said there wasn’t anyone at the table who didn’t have more of everything in the world than Martha Root—more health, more resources, more education—but that she had given her love to Bahá’u’lláh. She was completely dedicated. So she was not a hero, not a martyr, not a saint, but all three. A hero, a martyr, and a saint! All of us sitting there felt less than dust, but the beloved Guardian said that we could equal or surpass her record!
“Often the beloved Master was heard to say, ‘Should each one of the friends take it upon themselves to carry out, in all its integrity and implications, only one of the teachings of the Faith, with devotion, detachment, constancy, and perseverance, and exemplify it in all of his deeds and pursuits of life, the world would become another world, and the face of the earth would mirror forth the splendors of the Abhá paradise.’
“So there we have it, from the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh; from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and from the beloved Guardian. If we lived just one principle in our lives! It doesn’t cost anything. Just say, ‘Bahá’u’lláh, here I am. Make something different of me than I was before. Make me an instrument of Thy Cause.’ Then we would see from this room what could happen.
“It says in the Tablets of the Divine Plan that God can change one grain into seven hundred, and if He so wills, He will double these also. If we are 350 in this room, that makes 700, doubled. [Note: Actual attendance was over 500.] If we multiply that by 700, I make that out to be 590,000 believers waiting. And that is not poetry; that is fact! That is the way it works. That is mass conversion. The Supreme Concourse, the powers that created the earth, is our instrument in this day, through Bahá’u’lláh. If we love each other, if we become united in our actions, we’ll reach 590,000, and of course, if we do that every year, by the end of the Five Year Plan we will have 2,950,000 believers in New York State alone!”
In closing, Mr. Sears shared a visual presentation of nine lights, symbolic of the nine members of a Local Spiritual Assembly. He showed the increase in light when all were actively participating, and the darkness when some were absent or only mildly involved in the activities of the Assembly.
Recalling the victories won in the California victory campaign, he said that it wasn’t that anything different in approach was involved there, except that the believers knew what to do and tried it. In one year, there were 37 new Assemblies, reversing the national trend of the previous year when there was an overall loss in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies.
“Should any man, in this Day,” Mr. Sears quoted from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, “arise and, with absolute detachment from all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, set his affections on Him Who is the Day Spring of God’s holy Revelation, he will, verily, be empowered to subdue all created things, through the potency of one of the Names of the Lord, his God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
Mid-way in the meeting, the second movement of the “Mozart Clarinet Concerto” was performed by Brenda Snyder, of Hamburg, New York, accompanied by her husband, Richard, on the piano. For an encore, she played “Fantasie Orientale” by Max D’Ollone.
The meeting closed with the friends sharing baskets of apples, provided by the Regional Teaching Committee, enjoyed in the balmy weather outdoors.
Volunteers for pioneering hear history teaching Plans[edit]
“You are the blessed, privileged channels for the operation of God’s will,” Counsellor Edna True assured prospective pioneers attending a special Pioneer Training Institute December 27-29, at the National Bahá’í Center, Wilmette, coming from all over the United States and destined to fill goals in far corners of the planet. The pioneers shared in an imaginative program designed by the International Goals Committee, and co-ordinated by Janet Rubenstein, to increase their effectiveness when at their posts.
The Hand of the Cause Zikrullah Khadem, speaking on the topic “To Be a Pioneer,” recalled days of the early history of the Faith as an example of heroic action. Mentioning such illustrious believers as Quddús and Badí‘, Mr. Khadem urged the friends to put their full trust in the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh. “He always assists His servants. He will cheer your hearts and bring the great victories we have been promised.”
Other speakers included: Glenford Mitchell, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly; Miss Charlotte Linfoot, Assistant Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly; Eileen Norman, Secretary of the National Bahá’í Education Committee; Carol Allen, Rex and Sylvia Parmelee, Barbara Hubbart, and Lois Goebel.
Formerly chairman of the European Teaching Committee and for many years a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, Miss True evoked profound response with her stories of the assistance from God showered on those who arose at the end of the Second World War to re-establish the Faith in Europe. “Under the guidance of Shoghi Effendi,” she said, “wonderful things happened that were astonishing to all of us, but we humbly accepted them as due to the power of this Faith.”
She stressed that it was the immeasurable power of the Faith itself which won the victories. “I had the privilege to see this power, to be conscious of it as it was working.... The pioneers going out could not possibly have achieved what they did achieve, had they gone for any other purpose. The goals were accomplished through this tremendous power,” she added, “making it possible for twelve National Spiritual Assemblies to be in existence at the end of the Plan as a foundation for the Ten Year Crusade.”
“The beloved Guardian had directed us to undertake ‘systematic teaching,’ a plan that would go from A to B to C, and so on,” said Miss True. “This is what we find, in reviewing the successes of the First Seven Year Plan, the Second Seven Year Plan, the Ten Year Crusade, and now the Five Year Plan from The Universal House of Justice. These are carefully developed, progressive Plans for spreading and establishing the Faith. Pioneering is not only to carry the wonderful news that we bear, but pioneers are to deepen, consolidate and establish the Faith.
“Nothing made the Guardian more unhappy than for the pioneers to return. In the Second Seven Year Plan, he gave me the feeling that the pioneers’ mission ended when they had the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies called for, or the National Spiritual Assembly, but not until then could they freely leave their post. I hope that feeling will be carried with you, that you go not only to introduce the Faith and bear the Glad Tidings, but to do everything you can so that when you leave at least the seeds are in the ground and are growing. Please have that in mind, the permanency of the Faith in these new areas. I hope all of you will be able to feel that you have accomplished that.
“Sometimes,” she added, “it takes many years. I was reminded a short time ago that in 1953, at the Stockholm Intercontinental Conference called by the Guardian, there was a very wonderful young woman from California who had just come unexpectedly to the conference. She arrived one afternoon and offered to help us with pre-conference arrangements, later being present when a call went out for pioneers. There were goals to fill all over Europe. Someone was asked to volunteer for the Lofoten Islands, located off the northern coast of Norway. A wonderful Bahá’í who had pioneered for a number of years in Norway volunteered to go there. When this young woman from California heard this and didn’t see anyone else volunteering, she offered to go too. When the session was over, she asked me, ‘Edna, where under the sun are the Lofoten Islands?’ And I showed her on a map. She gasped. This is where she was going to go! It was a very pure offer and she went. Her difficulties were very great, but she stayed. She finally asked the Guardian what would be the end of her mission, and he replied: ‘the establishment of a Local Spiritual Assembly.’ At that time, she was hoping for her first believer. After a brief visit to the United States to take care of some business affairs, she returned to her post, later dying at it. But it was 16 years before this Assembly was established.
“Pioneers ranging in age from an infant in arms to retirement are shown gathered in front of the House of Worship, Wilmette, during the Pioneer Training Institute in December. They are, left to right: front row, Nina Milton, Saadat and Ghodsieh Ostovar, Behin and May Newport, and Elizabeth Smith; second row, Paul Stirneman, Suzanne Locke, Bertha Stirneman, Frederick Locke, Douglas Honaker, M. Scott Cranswick, John Newport, and James Smith; third row, Frances Falvey, John Johnson, William Zucker, Martha Patton; and, last row, Frances and Gerald Van Deusen, Sharon and Carl Ewing, Derek Patton, Roger and Diane Carson.
“You are the instruments,” continued Miss True. “I know the beloved Guardian will be with you, for he had a special love for the pioneers—a very special love and understanding of the difficulties, the discouragements, the moments when you wonder what is being accomplished. That is the time to turn to the Central Figures of our Faith and to the messages from the beloved Guardian for the encouragement, the reassurance that we need. We never know the results of our efforts. Some of them, I remember, about which the Guardian expressed some of his greatest happiness, would be hard for us to understand at that time, but later the significance would be evident.”
Recalling the settling of Spitzbergen, and Ella Bailey’s pioneering trip to Africa as examples, Miss True said: “I began, in the European work, to understand that when a pioneer goes to a difficult place, he is that light, that spark of light of the Faith, which is a tremendous bounty for that land to have. Even if the Faith cannot be mentioned, that light exists.
“You will be blessed with guidance and assistance at all times,” she concluded, “and I wish you all the success, blessings, and gratification which come when you feel you can give valuable service for our beloved Faith. All of the Counsellors will say prayers on your behalf, that I promise you.”
That session of the Institute closed with one of the pioneers reading the prayer from the Tablets of the Divine Plan which begins, “O Thou Incomparable God! O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! These souls are Thy heavenly army...”
Another Pioneer Training Institute is planned for March.
Many Volunteers Needed
(Continued from page 1)
to these countries did not attend a Pioneer Training Institute prior to departing.
Pioneer Training Institutes are held periodically to help prepare prospective pioneers for their life overseas. Participants are invited to attend by the International Goals Committee once administrative responsibilities are completed. The next Pioneer Training Institute will be held before Riḍván.
Members of the American Indian Teaching Committee met at Window Rock, Arizona, on the Navajo Reservation in mid-November to discuss plans for teaching Indian populations throughout the United States. With Committee members Daniel Defender, Cathy Cook, and Jerry S. Bathke is Pearl Schuyler (second from right), who represented the National Teaching Committee.
Bahá’í Youth[edit]
Progress on youth program slower than was anticipated[edit]
Progress on the Two Year Youth Program has not been recorded at the expected rate, according to the National Youth Committee. By the end of January, 16 percent of the time allotted will have elapsed with the assigned goals still very far from completion, said Committee Secretary Philip Christensen. He listed several areas of the program that need greater attention from Bahá’í youth.
The goal of multiplying enrollments from all walks of life has not received sufficient attention, he said.
“The number of youth so far has remained stable,” Dr. Christensen said. “Youth declarations have not even been high enough to balance the number of youth who turn 21 every month and are then listed as adults.”
To date, there have been 10 youth volunteers to fill homefront pioneer posts. The Two Year Program calls for 100. Twenty-four circuit teaching trips have been scheduled; the program calls for 500. Five international youth pioneers have settled abroad, and 14 international teaching trips have been completed; the program calls for 25 and 75, respectively.
At the end of the Two Year Youth Program, there are to be at least 350 college clubs; to date only 81 have reported their formation to the National Youth Committee. “We know there are more than 81 clubs in the country at this time,” Dr. Christensen said, “but they simply have not yet reported their existence to the National Center.”
To win the goals of the program by 1976, a greater effort will need to be made by youth, he said. “The youth must begin to develop a personal sense of participation. The goal to be achieved is universal participation.”
Bahá’í youth interested in being of service to the Faith in their communities should contact their Local Spiritual Assemblies or District Teaching Committees for guidance, Dr. Christensen said. The Youth Committee will, in turn, do everything in its power to make youth aware of opportunities for service that may arise.
Youth get a close look at work of administration[edit]
Fifteen Bahá’í youth spent two weeks at the National Center recently taking part in a unique work-study program designed to give them a close look at the national Bahá’í administration and its operation.
The youth came from as close to the National Center as Chicago, and from as far away as Texas and New York. During their stay, they were assigned to various offices to assist in specific ways with the work of the National Assembly and its appointed agencies.
The work was serious and necessary. At Bahá’í News, for example, volunteers assisted with subscriber billing and maintenance, and with a much-needed inventory of back issues.
The volunteers were also given a thorough introduction to the theory and practice of Bahá’í administration in a series of classroom presentations. A session on Bahá’í administration was conducted by National Assembly Secretaries Glenford E. Mitchell and Charlotte Linfoot. Committee Secretaries provided orientations on Committee activities at different times.
The volunteers were given a tour of the National Bahá’í Center which included visits to the House of Worship, the meeting place of the National Assembly at 536 Sheridan Road, and the national committee offices.
The National Youth Committee, which organized the work-study program, encouraged the volunteer youth to schedule teaching projects on their way to and from Wilmette.
During afternoon seminars, projecteers met with various National Committee Secretaries to learn about committee operations. The discussion here is with William Geissler of the National Information Committee.
Several members of the project posed on the steps of the House of Worship. From left to right (back row): Marjorie Cocke (Maryland), Dale Ricklefs (Illinois), June Washington (Texas), and Robert Smith (Texas). Front row: Marian Bustard (Iowa), Kim McQueen (Colorado), David Hawley (New York), and (seated) Shahryar Vahramyan (Illinois).
Paula Nothnagel (Illinois) and David Hawley (New York) work on a project for the National Youth Committee.
The Committee considered the project so successful that it made subsequent plans for two more work-study projects, one in the spring of 1975 (March 24–April 4), and one in the summer.
However, Committee Secretary Philip Christensen said arrangements could be made at any time during the year to use volunteer youth assistance at the National Center. A Bahá’í youth with the time, the skills, and the inclination to work temporarily at the administrative center of the Faith in the U.S. should contact the National Youth Office for additional information: 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Ill., 60091.
Conferences spark interest[edit]
Three conferences initiated at the local level were successful activities in stimulating interest in the Two Year Youth Program, the National Youth Committee reports.
The conferences were held over the Thanksgiving weekend in Frogmore, South Carolina; in South Dade County, Florida; and in Anoka, Minnesota. They were the first three youth conferences of the Two Year Youth Program.
The National Education Committee worked closely with the sponsoring communities in developing the program and materials for these gatherings, and at each event was represented by a Committee member.
The South Carolina meeting at the Penn Center was sponsored by the South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee. Approximately 75 youth attended. Most of the conference sessions were devoted to discussion workshops which were run by the youth themselves. Although there were workshops on developing educational careers, the opportunities for immediate service, and setting personal goals for the Two Year Youth Program, the most popular workshop was on dating, marriage, and family life.
The only formal presentations were given by Elting Small, a member of the Regional Teaching Committee, Robert Phillips (his subject: “A Day in the Life of a Bahá’í”), and Philip Christensen, Secretary of the National Youth Committee.
Thirty-five youth attended the conference sponsored by the South Dade County Spiritual Assembly. The presentations ranged from a talk on international circuit teaching, and a discussion on the growth of the Faith in the Bahamas, to some advice on choosing a career.
The theme of the meeting in Anoka was “Planning a Lifetime of Service.” Sixty believers attended the event sponsored by the Anoka Spiritual Assembly. One of the featured events was a career symposium, where people with experience in different fields of work made presentations about their professions, then entertained questions from the audience. As a result of the program, some high school youth began to consider attending college outside the United States.
Among those who made presentations at the conference were Charlotte Linfoot, Assistant Secretary of the National Assembly, Auxiliary Board member Darrell Borland, Janet Rubenstein, Secretary of the International Goals Committee, and Gary Worth, Chairman of the National Youth Committee.
The effect of these meetings has been to produce some victories for the Two Year Youth Program, Dr. Christensen said.
“Youth have volunteered to become circuit teachers, they have gone back to their communities and supported efforts of their Local Assemblies, and they have investigated the possibility of forming college clubs,” he said.
“Perhaps more importantly, they have started planning future service, such as participation in summer teaching projects, and giving consideration to studying abroad to fill pioneering goals.”
“As far as we can tell, these conferences have been the major stimulus towards progress in the goals of the Two Year Youth Program.”
Villagers in Surinam appreciate Faith for “realism”[edit]
A member of the National Assembly of Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana visited the National Bahá’í Center recently and discussed U.S. pioneering goals to the region with The American Bahá’í.
John Veria, an air traffic controller in Surinam, has been studying in the United States to prepare to teach at a government training school for air traffic controllers in Paramaribo. Mr. Veria was accompanied on his visit to Wilmette by his wife Doolarie, a member of the National Teaching Committee and the Spiritual Assembly of Paramaribo.
In the first phase of the Five Year Plan the United States is given the goal of settling two pioneers in Guyana and two in Surinam. There are currently two U.S. pioneers in Guyana and none in Surinam.
“Pioneers are very badly needed in this northernmost sector of South America,” Mr. Veria said. “The National Spiritual Assembly frequently receives messages from communities in the interior saying that the people are waiting to hear about the Bahá’í Faith and inviting teachers to come. At this time there are not enough workers in the country to meet the growing demand,” he said.
“There are many people in this area who are at this moment receptive to teachings like those of the Faith,” he continued. “Other religions [Moslem and Christian] have clashed in recent years and can come to no agreement. The National Assembly believes the possibilities are there and that they must be cultivated.” Significant numbers of East Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesians, and blacks are represented in the population there.
Mr. Veria said it is becoming increasingly difficult for foreigners to obtain work and settle in Guyana. One must either be employed by the government, or by a company that has obtained governmental sanction for the hiring of foreigners.
“Despite the growing difficulties, medical skills are still in high demand in the country,” he said. “It is still relatively easy for doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and lab personnel to immigrate to Guyana. In Surinam the job market is not as restricted,” he added. Some fields where work potentially exists are business, agriculture, education, medicine, and management. English is spoken in Guyana, Dutch in Surinam.
A pioneer to these countries must prepare to adjust to a culture completely different from that of the United States, Mr. Veria said. And while a pioneer would work in the city, he must also prepare to live in non-urban areas. Teaching work would be done, for the most part, in outlying areas where people have demonstrated a greater receptivity to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
In Surinam there are good schools for children, but all classes are held in Dutch, he said. The one American school there is extremely expensive. Guyanese schools are less a problem because the language of instruction is English, he noted. Also, there are secondary schools and universities in Guyana.
Pioneers arriving in this region must be prepared to serve in some administrative capacity, Mr. Veria explained. “The community is ready to serve the Cause, but it needs guidance. The people, however, are very sensitive and those who are to assist must be extremely careful and conscientious.”
Preferably, some of the pioneers (to Guyana especially) will be black, he said. “Black pioneers can be very effective in Guyana. The people respond more readily to black people. While this is also true to some extent in Surinam, the people there will respond if the pioneers are enthusiastic and vigorous.”
Mr. Veria described many areas in both Guyana and Surinam where the Faith has been accepted by large numbers of people. One of these is Broensweg, Surinam, three hours distant through mountains and valleys from the capital city of Paramaribo. The inhabitants are descendants of slaves; many have accepted the Bahá’í teachings and there are four Assemblies in the area. The people of Broensweg cannot read or write, however, and it is difficult to get these Assemblies to work properly.
The villagers appreciate the Faith for what they call its “realism,” Mr. Veria said. “The Faith does not try to change their culture or their way of life, but instead helps these communities improve themselves,” he explained. “As long as the teachers can live up to the standards of the Bahá’í way of life they are accepted very warmly in the villages.”
Among the Five Year Plan goals for Guyana, Surinam, and French Guiana are to increase the number of believers and double the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies. By the end of the Five Year Plan Guyana will also have its own National Assembly. Surinam and French Guiana will be administered by a second National Assembly. The native areas especially will receive concentrated teaching attention in the years ahead. The National Assembly looks forward to increasing its use of the press, Mr. Veria said, and it looks forward to the time when media can be used to communicate with the thousands of isolated believers.
This part of the world will prove a most interesting assignment for intrepid pioneers, he said, because they will work with people of diverse cultures, customs, and backgrounds, in a concentrated area, helping to create a realization that the Bahá’í Faith is not just an inspiring code of ethics; it is a religion that works. Many groups (“we don’t call them minorities because they exist in almost equal numbers”) have still to be introduced to the Faith. Some of this important work pioneers will do.
Surinam, he said, can be an example of how different cultures and diverse peoples can live together in harmony. In addition to many nationalities, a variety of religious Faiths—Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Christian—are found in large numbers.
In addition to pioneers, traveling teachers with several weeks to spend, are welcome to the region. “Our experience with traveling teachers has been marvellous,” Mr. Veria said. “They have succeeded in many areas where we have had many problems.” Traveling teachers enable the National Assembly to attract more publicity for the Faith and they encourage inactive friends to come out once again and participate in the work. Mr. Veria pointed out that whether one is passing through these countries on circuit teaching trips or as a pioneer, arrangements should be made prior to leaving with the National Spiritual Assembly or International Goals Committee of the United States so that Bahá’í credentials can be forwarded.
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World Order
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Mensajes de La Casa Universal de Justicia[edit]
A Todas Las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales
Queridos Amigos Bahá’ís,
En vista del numero siempre creciente de pioneros y maestros viajeros que ahora están levantándose en varios países para servir a la Causa de Dios en tierras muy diversas en todos los continentes, la Casa Universal de Justicia ha considerado la manera de obtener el máximo beneficio de los servicios de estos creyentes devotos, coordinando sus esfuerzos y previendo las necesidades del futuro.
Los Cuerpos Continentales de Consejeros consultarán con ustedes próximamente sobre la necesidad de pioneros y maestros viajeros para el período que finaliza en Riḍván de 1976.
Las funciones de los Comités Continentales de Pioneros han sido repasadas y desarrolladas de una manera que les permitirá actuar en colaboración más estrecha con los Cuerpos Continentales de Consejeros y las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales en sus áreas. Adjuntamos para su información una copia de la disposición que delinea las funciones recién modificadas de los Comités de Pioneros. Como notarán, los miembros de estos Comités, en adelante, serán nombrados por la Casa Universal de Justicia. No hay cosa alguna en las funciones asignadas actualmente a los Comités Continentales de Pioneros que reste, de ninguna manera, de la responsabilidad primordial de las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales de fomentar y promover la pionería y los viajes de enseñanza.
Es nuestra esperanza y oración que, al desenvolverse el Plan de Cinco Años, se presenciarán en forma creciente en todos los países, evidencias de vínculos más estrechos de cooperación entre las varias instituciones de la Fe.
- Con cariñosos saludos Bahá’ís,
- La Casa Universal de Justicia
22 de julio de 1974
Funciones de los
Comités Continentales de Pioneros
(julio de 1974)
- Los miembros de los Comités Continentales de Pioneros, en adelante, serán nombrados por la Casa Universal de Justicia, la cual, además, asumirá la responsabilidad de proveer fondos para los gastos de funcionamiento de los Comités.
- El trabajo de los Comités Continentales de Pioneros es principalmente ejecutivo, es decir, requiere acción rápida más bien que consulta. Cada Comité, como un cuerpo, debe llegar a un acuerdo sobre las normas generales de procedimiento dentro de las cuales el secretario u otros miembros autorizados por el Comité deben funcionar. Los problemas que se presentan fuera de las normas acordadas deben ser resueltos por el Comité entero en consulta o, si es necesario, deben referirlos a la Casa Universal de Justicia.
- Los Comités Continentales de Pioneros son responsables directamente a la Casa Universal de Justicia. Les corresponde una categoría diferente que la de los comités nacionales y deben mantener una colaboración estrecha y directa con los Cuerpos Continentales de Consejeros en sus áreas. El propósito de esta colaboración estrecha es el de evitar la duplicación de esfuerzos y de asegurar el fluir de información exacta. A continuación se citan ejemplos de la manera en que esta colaboración será aplicada.
- Las responsabilidades de los Comités Continentales de Pioneros cubren tres áreas interrelacionadas: información, pionería y viajes de enseñanza. Estas se complementan, pero de ninguna manera reemplazan las funciones y responsabilidades de los Cuerpos Continentales de Consejeros y las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales.
- Información. Cada Comité Continental de Pioneros es responsable por compilar y suministrar información como se indica a continuación:
- Mantener una lista actualizada de pioneros del extranjero que residen en cada país de su área, así como también, una lista de puestos de pioneros que no se han llenado bajo las cuotas asignadas por la Casa Universal de Justicia.
- Mantener un archivo de información sobre las clases de empleo y oportunidades de trabajo que posibles pioneros podrían obtener en cada país en su área, y sobre las facilidades para estudiar en las universidades, etc.
- Mantener un archivo de información sobre condiciones locales en cada país tal como idioma, nivel de vida, clima, etc., así como datos vitales sobre la entrada y radicación, tal como requisitos para visas y reglamentos gubernamentales.
- Mantener un archivo de información sobre la clase de pionero más adecuado para cada país en su área, sobre las clases de pioneros que son aceptables si no se puede conseguir los más adecuados y sobre los tipos de pioneros que terminantemente no son adecuados (es decir, por razones de nacionalidad, etc.).
- Mantener un archivo similar sobre la clase de maestro viajero que más se necesita, etc.
- Información pertinente de los archivos arriba mencionados debe proveerse libremente, cuandoquiera pueda ser útil a los Cuerpos de Consejeros, las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales y los posibles pioneros y maestros viajeros que tengan interés en ello.
- Intercambio regular de información entre los Cuerpos Continentales de Consejeros y los Comités Continentales de Pioneros en cualquier área no solamente ayudará a los Consejeros en su trabajo sino que proveerá a los Comités un cuadro más completo de la situación en el continente sobre cuya base podrán hacerse recomendaciones a los creyentes que se ofrezcan como pioneros.
- Los Comités deben enviar a la Casa Universal de Justicia informes mensuales sobre el estado de las metas de pionería, el progreso de los proyectos internacionales de maestros viajeros, etc.
- B. Pionería. Una proporción grande de la pionería se lleva a cabo en cumplimiento de las cuotas asignadas por la Casa Universal de Justicia, y la mayoría de estas cuotas deben llenarse por medio de la consulta y la acción directamente entre las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales que suministran pioneros y las que los reciben, o sus respectivos comités nacionales. En tales casos, los Comités Continentales de Pioneros serán hechos partícipes en el asunto meramente para tenerles al corriente de la información sobre el movimiento de los pioneros a fin de que puedan mantener completos a sus datos estadísticos. Asimismo, algunos pioneros individuales planificarán su movimiento en consulta directa con la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional que los recibirá —en este caso, también, el Comité Continental de Pioneros solamente necesita ser informado. Sin embargo, más allá de estos casos generales, hay muchas circunstancias y maneras en que los Comités Continentales de Pioneros pueden ayudar, como, por ejemplo:
- Un Comité Continental de Pioneros recibe un ofrecimiento de un creyente que desea ir de pionero sin tener en mente a ningún país específico. El Comité entonces:
- Evaluaría el ofrecimiento, tomando en consideración la edad del creyente, su salud, las personas que dependen de él, su situación económica, habilidades linguisticas, posibilidades de empleo, etc., consultando, si es necesario, con su propia Asamblea Espiritual Nacional.
- Consideraría si el ofrecimiento podría llenar una de las cuotas que han sido asignadas. Si es así, el Comité debe informar inmediatamente a las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales interesadas. Si se necesita ayuda financiera, puede ser que la Asamblea Nacional que es responsable por enviar a un pionero, esté dispuesta a proveerla para el creyente que se ha ofrecido en vez de enviar a un pionero de su propio país.
- Si no hay ninguna cuota específica que el pionero pueda llenar o que esté dispuesto a llenar, el Comité debe ponerle en contacto con una o más Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales para cuyas áreas él parecería adecuado y donde le necesitan, suministrándole al mismo tiempo cualquier información útil que pueda proveer.
- En todos los casos, el Comité Continental de Pioneros debe solicitar las opiniones y recomendaciones de los Consejeros correspondientes cuando considere que esto ayudará a decidir sobre lo que ha de recomendar al pionero o a la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional.
- Solicitudes para la asistencia del Fondo Internacional de Diputación normalmente se harán directamente a la Casa Universal de Justicia por la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional que es principalmente responsable por un proyecto de pionería. Sin embargo, cuando un Comité Continental de Pioneros llega a saber que un pionero tiene dificultades económicas por haberse interrumpido la comunicación con Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales o entre éstas, debe ofrecerle su ayuda, dirigiéndose, si es posible, a la Asamblea Nacional correspondiente, y, si es necesario, solicitando directamente a la Casa Universal de Justicia un presupuesto o asignación del Fondo de Diputación.
- En general, cada Comité Continental de Pioneros debe estar alerto a los proyectos de pionería propuestos para su área y a los que están llevándose a cabo allí, y debe ofrecer su ayuda a Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales si parece que la necesitan para asegurar la implementación rápida y eficiente de los proyectos.
- Además de las cuotas asignadas por la Casa Universal de Justicia, se presenta frecuentemente la necesidad de los servicios de un pionero, tal como la necesidad de llenar inmediatamente un puesto que quedó vacante. Tales necesidades, lejos de tener que ser referidas a la Casa Universal de Justicia, pueden solucionarse en el lugar por una solicitud de una Asamblea Espiritual Nacional al Comité Continental de Pioneros y/o por medio de la consulta entre el Comité y los Consejeros.
- Un Comité Continental de Pioneros recibe un ofrecimiento de un creyente que desea ir de pionero sin tener en mente a ningún país específico. El Comité entonces:
- Viajes de Enseñanza. Igual que en el caso de la pionería, muchos proyectos internacionales de enseñanza pueden ser programados directamente entre Asambleas Nacionales o entre creyentes individuales y Asambleas Nacionales o Locales. Información sobre tales proyectos, sin embargo, debe ser compartida tan pronto como sea posible con el Comité Continental de Pioneros. Otros posibles maestros presentarán sus ofrecimientos a uno o más Comités Continentales de Pioneros. En el caso de tales proyectos, cada Comité debe ayudar de las siguientes maneras:
- Sería útil que cada Comité Continental de Pioneros elaborase anticipadamente giras de variada duración que cubran áreas donde se necesitan maestros para que pueda sugerir alguna de estas giras a un posible maestro viajero. Al preparar dichas giras, será preciso dar atención a los medios de viaje incluyendo el lapso de tiempo más conveniente a pasarse entre conexiones.
- En general, ningún Comité Continental de Pioneros debe enviar a un maestro viajero a un país sin obtener previa aprobación de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional para el proyecto. En el caso de proyectos grandes, tal acuerdo, sin duda, tendrá que obtenerse para cada uno de ellos, pero como ocurre no infrecuentemente que ofrecimientos de enseñanza que se hacen dejan poco tiempo para hacer los preparativos necesarios, sería útil que cada Comité Continental de Pioneros elaborase junto con las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales en su área, los procedimientos que permitirían que se aprovechen de tales ofrecimientos.
- Debe proveerse información sobre un maestro viajero a la Asamblea Nacional que lo recibirá. Dicha información debe incluir la clase de servicio de enseñanza para lo cual está mejor preparado (es decir, conferencias públicas, reuniones hogareñas, clases de profundización, etc.), su conocimiento del idioma, y si necesitaría hospitalidad en las áreas en que viajará. Podría incluirse información sobre el maestro que sería útil en la preparación de publicidad.
- Se espera que proyectos de viajes de enseñanza serán llevados a cabo, en su mayor parte, sin ayuda del Fondo Internacional de Diputación. Si los proyectos que se consideran de beneficio especial para la Fe no pueden ser totalmente financiados por los individuos mismos, por medio de la diputación personal, o por las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales que ofrecen o reciben tales servicios, el Comité Continental de Pioneros puede recomendar a la Casa Universal de Justicia que provea ayuda del Fondo Internacional de Diputación.
- Cada Comité Continental de Pioneros está autorizado para gastar para proyectos de enseñanza hasta el máximo de $500 en cualquier mes gregoriano sin referirse a la Casa Universal de Justicia. Estos fondos deben ser contabilizados de la manera usual por medio de la Cuenta Corriente del Comité con el Departamento de Finanzas de la Casa Universal de Justicia.
- Se debe aclarar a todos los maestros viajeros internacionales que ellos están bajo la jurisdicción de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional del país en que están viajando, y que ellos deben ser obedientes a las instrucciones de esa Asamblea Nacional.
- Al planificar las giras para los maestros viajeros, el Comité Continental de Pioneros...
(Contined page 13)
- Información. Cada Comité Continental de Pioneros es responsable por compilar y suministrar información como se indica a continuación:
News Briefs[edit]
Florida Assembly presents UN flag to library[edit]
On United Nations Day, October 24, the Bahá’ís of Manatee County, Florida, presented a United Nations flag to the town’s branch library. The presentation was made by Dr. Robert Fuller, Chairman of the Manatee Spiritual Assembly.
The head librarian, Catherine Ramsey, accepted the flag, said a few kind words about the Bahá’í Faith, and promised the flag would be displayed in the building.
The December 1974 issue of the United Nations Association Newsletter published this comment about the Manatee presentation:
“Our hearty congratulations to the Bahá’í community of Manatee County for their recent gift of a full-size United Nations flag to one of the Bradenton public libraries and for their affiliation with the Sarasota-Manatee chapter of UNA-USA. The overriding philosophy of the Bahá’í Faith is their concept of a world government and their acute awareness of the interdependence of peoples of the world. What a beautiful outlook on life, and mankind.”
The Bahá’í group which made the presentation to the library, with head librarian Catherine Ramsey holding the flag.
Invitation to pioneer in Tanzania[edit]
An invitation to prospective pioneers to come to Tanzania is contained in a recently-received letter from Jeff Kiely, American pioneer, who reports a particular need for youth and for adults with teaching qualifications.
Citing marked progress of the Faith in mass-teaching areas such as the Mara region in northwest Tanzania, Jeff speaks of the employment opportunities for teachers (pay is $150–200 per month, adequate for living costs in Tanzania) and college and school openings for Bahá’í youth.
“Youth would be especially welcomed in terms of proclaiming at schools and in helping organize youth committees and clubs,” he writes.
His letter contains news of a recent visit to the village of Lwamchanga, in the Mara district, by Mr. and Mrs. George Olinga, of Uganda, Aaron Saisi, of Kenya, and himself.
“At present there are many Local Spiritual Assemblies and groups in that region, and mass-teaching programs have been initiated with some success... In Lwamchanga, following our talks and some singing, Mr. Saisi asked for all those who wished to volunteer to team-teach in mass-teaching projects to please stand. Twelve beautiful souls, most of them older people and some of them women, proudly stood up. They later explained that they had decided to work hard four days a week and to leave the last three days for teaching!” The accompanying picture shows some of the friends gathered at that meeting.
Public information workshop in Tennessee[edit]
The Tennessee District Teaching Committee sponsored a workshop on public information November 16–17. Among the speakers were Gary Matthews, reporter for the Tullahoma News and Guardian, and John Yocum, member of the National Bahá’í Information Committee.
In his presentation, Mr. Matthews explored ways of getting more newspaper publicity. Many of the activities that Bahá’ís sponsor in their communities would make appropriate news releases for the local press, he said. Among the story ideas he listed were these:
- Holy Days and special events days, especially those established by the National Spiritual Assembly (World Peace Day, World Religion Day);
- visits from interesting or well-known Bahá’ís, such as members of the National Assembly or the Auxiliary Boards;
- Bahá’í marriages;
- the results of local Bahá’í elections or the meetings of Bahá’í institutions, such as Regional Teaching Committees or District Teaching Committees;
- the yearly District Convention and the choice of delegates to the National Convention;
- pilgrimages or other journeys by local residents.
It is usually easier to get space in newspapers serving smaller communities than in those serving larger cities where there is always more news copy available than can possibly be printed, he said.
“When you have a news story, type or print it, and take it in plenty of time to one of the news editors on your local paper,” Mr. Matthews said. “If you don’t have the inclination or time to prepare the release properly, speak with the editor or reporter, who can, if time permits, write the story on the spot.”
He emphasized that not all stories will or can be used by newspapers. Bahá’ís should not become angry or discouraged if their material is not always used, or if it is altered to suit the style of the newspaper.
On the second day of the workshop, Sunday, Mr. Yocum outlined the work of the National Information Committee for the 20 people attending. Among the publicity materials being prepared are a series of weekly half-hour radio programs, which will be available for distribution before Riḍván.
Library receives books for collection[edit]
Members of the Amherst, Massachusetts Spiritual Assembly presented several Bahá’í books to a representative of the Jones Library in Amherst during a Bahá’í exhibition in October. Left to right are William Gibson, Carol Rutstein, Bonnie Isman (library representative), and Braulia Caban.
Australian publication now available in U.S.[edit]
Herald of the South, a publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia, is now available to Bahá’ís living in the United States on a subscription basis. The magazine is published quarterly — in January, April, July, and October — at a subscription price of $5.00 per year.
Herald of the South is not a new magazine. It was first published in 1925, later suspended operations, and eventually resumed publication at Riḍván 1974, the date of the launching of the Five Year Plan.
Among the articles in the Riḍván 1974 issue were the following: “A New Race of Men,” by Colin Duncan; “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” by Peter Khan; “May Our Hearts Be Joined in Peace,” a poem by Mansel Morris; and “Kabu of the Purari,” a fascinating story about the growth of the Faith in New Guinea, by David Podger. The magazine’s 32 pages included numerous drawings and cartoons.
If you would like to subscribe, write to: The Subscriptions Department, P.O. Box 125, BROADWAY Queensland, 4000, Australia. Enclose $5.00 in the form of a draft drawn on a U.S. bank or an international money order. Herald of the South will be mailed to you four times yearly via surface mail.
UN University discussed[edit]
Current planning for a United Nations University was discussed by Chancellor G. Weidner, of the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay campus, when he spoke for the Bahá’í Campus Association on United Nations Day, October 24. Sue Schaul, member of the Green Bay Local Spiritual Assembly, spoke on the relationship of the Bahá’í Faith to the United Nations and introduced Chancellor Weidner. Citing the proposed United Nations University as a step toward promoting cross-cultural cooperation, he said it is hoped this center of education will help work toward the goal of a united world and world peace. Shown above is some of the audience following the address.
New Assembly hosts bilingual firesides[edit]
Several dozen seekers, most of Spanish-speaking backgrounds, attended a World Religion Day celebration in Northfield Township, Illinois, on January 12.
Northfield Township is one of 21 communities in the United States that have elected new Spiritual Assemblies since Riḍván. The October formation in Northfield Township was the first in Illinois.
The Spiritual Assembly has been active in teaching minorities since its formation and has conducted several events in addition to the World Religion Day meeting. They have been assisted in the development of these programs by the Spanish Speaking Teaching Team, a task force of the new Illinois Regional Teaching Committee.
Invitations for the World Religion Day event, in both English and Spanish, were distributed at a local factory where several of the Bahá’ís work, and which employs many Spanish-speaking people. With the concurrence of surrounding Spiritual Assemblies, notice of the event was sent to 19 different news organizations. Press releases in Spanish were sent to radio and television stations that broadcast to the Spanish-speaking community.
Presentations on the Faith were conducted in both Spanish and English. Music for the occasion was provided by a group of Chicago-area musicians, who call themselves Hoy Es El Dia (This Is the Day).
Public information meeting held in St. Louis area[edit]
The Arkansas Missouri Information Service conducted the first of a series of conferences on public information, teaching, and deepening on November 23 for the greater St. Louis area. Through the conferences, the Information Service is attempting to develop an expanded perspective and deeper insight of the role of public information and to assist in developing local publicity resources.
Participants from 18 Arkansas and Missouri communities attended the day-long session as well as Bahá’ís from neighboring Kansas who gleaned useful information for conducting a similar conference in that state.
The conference opened with an intensive study of the spiritual qualities which must be reflected in all our personal and community activities. The roles of publicity, teaching, and deepening in the Divine Plan of Bahá’u’lláh and specifically in the Five Year Plan were discussed at length. News releases were analyzed, and the ways of contacting media representatives outlined.
A demonstration workshop on the role of deepening activities and firesides in building community life and generating public information was conducted by committee member Albert Porter. Gladys Livermore, also a member of the service, recalled her seventeen years of radio proclamation of the Faith. Audio-visual and musical presentations supplemented the workshops.
Each person attending evaluated the conference at the end of the day. Typical responses included statements such as these:
- “It was unique, enlightening and the most informative meeting I have ever attended on the subject, and I’ve been a Bahá’í for a long time. Hope we can hold similar meetings more.”
- “I have learned more here than I have at any other meeting. I found that others had the same questions and problems. I no longer feel alone in my situation.”
- “The conference gave me concrete ideas for public information, firesides, and deepenings and an increased desire to serve. And most of all, renewed my spirit. I intend to share all I can with my community.”
- “Excellent consultation.”
- “We received refreshing new ideas.”
- “I have a lot to take back to my Local Spiritual Assembly.”
The Arkansas-Missouri Bahá’í Information Service will hold its next conference, using the same format, in Springfield, Missouri, on Saturday, February 22.
Reservation group exhibits[edit]
A Bahá’í exhibit was constructed at the Cherokee, North Carolina, Fall Festival this year by the Cherokee Reservation Bahá’í group. The fall festival, held annually in October, is a popular local event. The Cherokee group, with eight adult members, is working hard to achieve Assembly status by Riḍván and contribute to the U.S. goal of increasing the number of Assemblies on Reservations from 10 to 25.
Work and study in Wilmette can be helpful to youth[edit]
March 24–April 4 are the tentative dates for a work/study youth project at the National Bahá’í Center. Volunteers will be housed with local Bahá’ís, will work daily at the National Center, and will attend special classes on Bahá’í administration and other subjects. Each person must finance their own meals and transportation to and from the project. Volunteers should be available for at least Sunday night through Friday night of one week. Because dates are tentative, persons available March 16–22 or April 6–12 are also encouraged to volunteer. Interested Bahá’ís should send their name, address, telephone number and area code, dates available, and indicate whether they will have a car, to: National Bahá’í Youth Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. No one will be accepted for the project who has not applied in advance. Jobs are limited—apply as soon as possible!
Teachers Wanted[edit]
The Children’s School Task Force of the Green Acre Council wishes to select teachers who will serve annually on the teaching staff at the Green Acre Children’s School for the remainder of the Five Year Plan.
In its effort to construct an excellent program for children, the Task Force wants to train a corps of teachers over the next five-year period and to develop an entire curriculum for the Green Acre School. During the five-year period, teachers will receive intensive training in educational theory, human development, classroom management, and teaching skills.
It is anticipated that the curriculum will focus on the Central Figures of the Faith, the development of spiritual attributes, and awareness of God’s plan for mankind.
The Task Force is now inviting applications for the teaching staff at the Green Acre Children’s School. Please send: 1) a summary of Bahá’í experience, 2) teaching experience and/or other experience with children, and 3) the name and address of your own or a nearby Local Spiritual Assembly or District Teaching Committee secretary to Ms. Lee Trembath, 10 Day Ave., Northampton, Mass. 01060.
Please respond no later than April 30.
Radio used in proclamation[edit]
Radio and television were used in South Texas recently to help attract people to a Bahá’í proclamation meeting. In addition to familiar ways of advertising meetings, such as handing out leaflets in the street and submitting stories to local newspapers, the South Texas District Teaching Committee purchased twenty 30-second radio spots over a two-day period to help disseminate information about the event in Brownsville.
The spots themselves were designed to proclaim the Faith to radio listeners. In addition to giving information about the time and place of the meeting, the spots briefly mentioned salient characteristics of the Faith: the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation is Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God, Who reasserts fundamental Divine principles and establishes laws from God which are intended to guide men toward unity and harmony.
News of the teaching event was carried to the local television station, which provided public service time for its broadcast.
Banquet an important event for friends in Washington[edit]
For the past eight years, the Bahá’ís of Prince George’s County, Maryland, have celebrated the birth of Bahá’u’lláh with a banquet, to which they have invited seekers and prominent citizens to hear of the Faith. The believers in the entire Washington metropolitan area have regularly attended this event.
Planning for the November 11 event was started almost a year before and was publicized widely through Bahá’í bulletins and the secular press. More than 140 people attended.
A talk on the Bahá’í Faith was given by William Maxwell, recently elected member of the National Spiritual Assembly and former Continental Counsellor in Africa.
Among the special guests were Continental Counsellor Sarah Pereira and Auxiliary Board member Albert James. The Washington Area Bahá’í Chorale provided entertainment.
Dr. William Maxwell
Ft. Yates Bahá’ís attend conference[edit]
Sam and Emma Fly from the Ft. Yates, Standing Rock Reservation, at a recent Bahá’í conference in North Dakota.
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Family life and the Fast
The Fast is approaching! Many communities and families have children’s activities during the Intercalary Days. The Fast should also be a special time for Bahá’í children. Even though they do not abstain from food and drink, they should be introduced to the significance of this unique period of the Bahá’í year. One way to do this is to set aside a brief time regularly each day for the whole family to gather. This is a perfect opportunity for prayers and discussion of pertinent quotations. The calendar below suggests a suitable meditation for each day. Besides prayers and discussion, special children’s activities can also be helpful. They can be particularly valuable for young children who need concrete reminders of the significance of this period. Some possibilities include:
March 3 These are the days whereon Thou hast bidden all men to observe the fast, that through it they may purify their souls and rid themselves of all attachment to anyone but Thee.... Bahá’í Prayers, p. 173 March 4 Fasting is a symbol.... just as a person abstains from physical appetites, he is to abstain from self-appetites and self-desires. Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, p. 189 March 5 O Thou pure God! I am a little child; make Thou the bosom of Thy gift a dear resting-place of comfort. Suffer me to grow and be nurtured with the honey and the milk of Thy love.... Bahá’í Prayers, p. 15 March 6 Whatsoever deterreth you, in this Day, from loving God is nothing but the world.... Yet ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves of His wondrous bounties. Bahá’í World Faith, pp. 134-135 March 7 O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food, and Thy presence my drink, and Thy pleasure my hope, and praise of Thee my action, and remembrance of Thee my companion, ... Bahá’í Prayers, p. 78 March 8 Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. Bahá’í World Faith, pp. 139–140 March 9 May each one of you become a shining lamp, of which the flame is the Love of God. May your hearts burn with the radiance of unity. May your eyes be illumined with the effulgence of the Sun of Truth! Paris Talks, p. 26 March 10 There is nothing greater or more blessed than the Love of God! It gives a healing to the sick, balm to the wounded, joy and consolation to the whole world, and through it man can attain Life Everlasting. Paris Talks, p. 82 March 11 Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind,... 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. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 305 March 12 Let your actions cry aloud to the world that you are indeed Bahá’ís, for it is actions that speak to the world and are the cause of the progress of humanity. Paris Talks, p. 80 March 13 Therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards God, and seek always to do that which is right and noble. Paris Talks, p. 81 March 14 Those who do most good use fewest words concerning their actions. The children of God do the works without boasting, obeying His laws. Paris Talks, p. 17 March 15 Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory, reveal unto me Thy path,... Bahá’í Prayers, p. 76 March 16 He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfill. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 266 March 17 Be most loving one to another.... Do not allow difference of opinion, or diversity of thought to separate you from your fellow-men, or to be the cause of dispute, hatred and strife in your hearts. The Divine Art of Living, pp. 116-117 March 18 All those who seek Truth in the Heavenly Kingdom shine like stars; they are like fruit trees laden with choice fruit, like seas full of precious pearls. Paris Talks, p. 118 March 19 Prayer and fasting is the cause of awakening and mindfulness and conducive to protection and preservation from tests.... Bahá’í World Faith, p. 368 March 20 Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained Naw-Rúz as a festival unto those who have observed the fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent to Thee. Bahá’í Prayers, p. 183 |
Book review:[edit]
A revival of excitement[edit]
by Philip Christensen
The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh: Baghdád 1853–1863, by Adib Taherzadeh. 384 pp. London: George Ronald. $6.50.
George Ronald has just published the first of four volumes by Adib Taherzadeh about the Scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith. Its historical and technological accuracy will be judged by scholars well versed in the Persian and Arabic languages, intimate with the entire range of the Bahá’í Writings, and familiar with the Faith’s early history. Its value to those who are not as sophisticated in their understanding of this magnificent Revelation is, however, already evident. Indeed, the book speaks directly to the large numbers of Western believers who cannot read the Writings in their original form, who are not direct descendants of the dawn-breakers. They will find The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh to be one of the most exciting Bahá’í books published in recent years.
Most new Bahá’ís react euphorically when introduced to the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Every contact brings new answers to long-unresolved problems, to say nothing of answers to questions never before contemplated. It is as if the soul were wandering through a magnificent mansion where each door opens on a new room, more splendid and awe-inspiring than the previous one, and yet each new room has still another door leading the overwhelmed seeker to even greater beauty. The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh reawakens this excitement. Not only does it unlock new doors to new rooms in the mansion of God’s Word, it also uncovers entire wings whose existence was hitherto unsuspected.
Adib Taherzadeh is a fifth-generation Bahá’í who serves as Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Republic of Ireland. He is well-known throughout Great Britain for his depth of understanding and eloquence of expression. His four-part series will cover the entire span of Bahá’u’lláh’s Mission from Ṭihrán to ‘Akká. Not only will it focus on the major works already available in English through the translations of Shoghi Effendi, it will also highlight many other Tablets still unknown in the West. In the author’s own words, the series is “... an attempt to describe, in language however inadequate, something of the supreme spiritual phenomenon of this age, namely, the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.”
The first volume achieves this goal with distinction. Beginning with the Blessed Beauty’s childhood and youth, it concentrates on 1853 through 1863, from the Síyáh-Chál through His sojourn in Baghdád to His public Declaration at the Garden of Riḍván. Four works already familiar in the West were revealed during this time: The Hidden Words, The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, The Kitáb-i-Íqán, and The Tablet of the Holy Mariner. Mr. Taherzadeh devotes a full chapter to each one. He discusses the circumstances of their revelation, their impact on the friends, and their contribution to Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings. Some of the most instructive material in the entire book is to be found here. The chapter on The Hidden Words, for example, includes summaries of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own interpretations of a few passages. Only the section on The Seven Valleys is disappointing, in that it fails to explain the Súfí beliefs which are the context for this frequently misunderstood Tablet.
Many other outstanding Tablets are also discussed, from the poem Rashḥ-i-‘Amá (Bahá’u’lláh’s first known Tablet) to the Lawḥ-i-Ayyúb (the Tablet of Job, revealed on the occasion of the Blessed Beauty’s Declaration). The reader who expects to find some of these hidden gems translated may be
[Page 11]
surprised. The author makes no attempt to render the Word of God into English, confining himself to quoting those passages which have already been translated by the Guardian. But he does describe (when possible) their content and significance in his own words. These brief glimpses are enough to introduce many new concepts, such as the nature of some of the limitless worlds of God (in the Lawh-i-Kullu’ṭ-Ṭa’ám, the Tablet of All Food) and the significance of tests, including their effect on the early believers (in the discussion of the Lawḥ-i-Fitnih, the Tablet of the Test). They clearly demonstrate how much the Revelation is still hidden from Western eyes.
This catalog of Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings, and the commentary presented with it, would alone be a worthwhile contribution to Bahá’í literature. Yet Mr. Taherzadeh goes much further. In discussing the Revelation, he discusses the Manifestation: His life, His family, and the development of His Cause. Also highlighted are the people who were touched by the first rays of His light. Some of the most fascinating sections focus on these early believers (and nonbelievers), often through the author’s own translations of their words. The reader learns about Mírzá Áqá Ján (Bahá’u’lláh’s amanuensis who ultimately broke the Covenant) and, in the process, discovers how the Blessed Beauty revealed Tablets and how they were recorded. Here, too, is the story of Nabíl-i-A’ẓam, the shepherd who once claimed to be “Him Whom God shall make manifest,” yet went on to renounce his delusion and become an immortal historian. Dozens of these personal histories are included.
Thus one volume contains many books: a history, a commentary, a catalog, a collection of biographies, and even an introduction to the Faith, since Mr. Taherzadeh takes pains to clearly explain basic Bahá’í terminology and principles. All of these are written in a lucid style which is both informative and inspirational. We can only hope that the next three sections will be published soon, for they will be eagerly awaited by those whose appetite has been whetted by Volume I of The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.
Pathways to service[edit]
On becoming a circuit teacher[edit]
“The movement itself from place to place, when undertaken for the sake of God, hath always exerted, and can now exert, its influence in the world. In the Books of old the station of them that have voyaged far and near in order to guide the servants of God hath been set forth and written down.”
The Two Year Youth Program calls for youth to undertake 500 circuit teaching trips within the United States, and 75 to foreign lands. Some progress has been made towards accomplishing this goal, but not enough. All goals must be won before September 1976, yet as of January 1 only 25 domestic trips and 15 international trips by Bahá’ís under 21 years old had been reported to the Youth Office.
Any trip away from one’s hometown to teach the Cause can be considered a teaching circuit. More teaching trips by youth of all ages are needed now, before it is too late to win these goals. Trips can be to the next county, or to the next town. They can last two months, or two days. The important thing is arising to proclaim the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, wherever and however possible.
All it takes to begin is one phone call. Any youth can volunteer for circuit teaching by contacting his or her Local Spiritual Assembly, District Teaching Committee, or Regional Teaching Committee. The institutions can help in many ways. But they cannot be circuit teachers. Only individual Bahá’í youth can win these goals.
The following fundamental principles should always guide the traveling teacher:
- It is absolutely essential to cooperate and work with the administrative institutions of the Faith.
- Our most effective tool as Bahá’í teachers is example. Circuit teachers are naturally more visible than local believers. As visitors, they are often considered representatives of the Faith by Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike. We must strive to present an example worthy of the Teachings; and in so doing, even if only for a little while, we benefit from the practice and grow spiritually ourselves.
- The rewards of circuit teaching, as of other spiritual tasks, come from making a sincere effort. Many mistakes may be made, but they are soon forgotten if a united and spiritual atmosphere prevails and everyone is trying to follow the Teachings. It is only when we pray, consult, and strive to be Bahá’ís that the tremendous assistance promised by Bahá’u’lláh is made available to us. And indeed, when we travel for the sake of teaching, a great responsibility rests on us to take our job seriously and present the Faith as best we can. Bahá’u’lláh’s assistance is very much needed—we cannot do without it.
Given these principles, the following guidelines are offered to youth who wish to become effective circuit teachers:
1. Always organize your trip through the appropriate administrative institution. If you are traveling to a nearby area where you are already known, the District Teaching Committee should nevertheless be informed, and then contact may be made directly with the appropriate Local Spiritual Assembly. (If no Local Assembly exists in the locality, the District Teaching Committee has jurisdiction.) If traveling to another state or district, ask your District Teaching Committee to send a letter of introduction to the District Teaching Committee of the state you will visit (unless your group has been there recently and is well known). That District Teaching Committee will then make plans for your visit and communicate, where necessary, with Local Assemblies. Enough time must be allowed for these communications and consultations to take place, preferably two months. When you have received approval to proceed by the District Teaching Committee, final arrangements can be made with the individuals or communities involved directly.
2. Be sure to supply the District Teaching Committees and Local Assemblies involved with adequate information about the teachers and their abilities to enable them to make the proper plans. Very embarrassing situations arise when visiting teachers are advertised as having talents they don’t possess. It is also unfortunate if unusual talents in the teachers are not used due to lack of information in advance.
3. Bahá’ís in the participating communities can often obtain publicity for the teaching efforts planned if they are encouraged to do so and are supplied with the appropriate materials and information. This can be photographs for newspapers, biographical sketches about personalities, or information about musical programs and even artwork for posters, fliers, or newspaper ads. Youth should prepare this material whenever possible.
4. Youth should keep in mind, when suggesting trips and arranging itineraries, that often their most important service will be to reach, teach, and deepen other youth. In the words of The Universal House of Justice (Wellspring of Guidance pp. 94-95): “The second field of service, which is linked intimately with the first, is teaching the Faith, particularly to their fellow youth, among whom are some of the most open and seeking minds in the world.” Musical programs, dramatic presentations, and fun-oriented gatherings such as picnics and pot-lucks are often very successful methods for youth teaching.
5. Circuit teachers are frequently offered hospitality, and youth should bear in mind that their hosts will often have a somewhat different lifestyle from their own. In such situations, basic courtesy and thoughtfulness are all that is needed to strengthen the Bahá’í bond that unites and bridges differences.
6. An effort should always be made to ensure that proclamation activities are adequately followed up and that deepening for new believers has been arranged. This is usually the responsibility of host communities when traveling teachers visit, but teachers can assist by making suggestions, encouraging the host communities, and sometimes by adjusting their schedules to allow for deepening programs and follow-up work.
7. Praying and deepening together is an essential part of establishing unity in a teaching team. Teams traveling by car can often conduct deepening sessions or say preparatory prayers on their way to a destination. The following references to the writings of Bahá’u’lláh may prove useful for any such moments: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pages 319, 334–335, 339, 287, 289, 280.
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This article is adapted from material compiled by Gregory C. Dahl.
Thoughts on the care of children in times of peril[edit]
One of the friends in Massachusetts discovered this article on children in an issue of World Order published during the Second World War. Because the article suggests ways of reassuring and training children in times of grave peril, the reader felt it might be useful to parents of this day also and recommended that it be reprinted in The American Bahá’í for the benefit of the entire community. The editors of World Order kindly agreed to permit the reprinting of this copyrighted material in this issue of The American Bahá’í. Ed.
What sort of days are these in which we are now living? Where are the gardens for the children? The gardens where the flowers of love, of justice, of security, of unity, of hope, of dreams, grow? These are indeed days in which disruptive things are happening. Fathers are leaving for war; families are torn apart; children are being transferred from familiar scenes they have known always to new and strange surroundings; home becomes a crowded house with no place to play, perhaps even a trailer camp; mothers are going off to work, and children are left to the care of strangers. Surely these are abnormal times for all of us but especially so for the very young. Adults might well become philosophical and accept these days as a challenge to better living; opportunities for greater service; stimuli for a keener devotion to the Cause of God.
“This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the world are luminous, and the world will become indeed as a garden and a paradise. It is the hour of unity of the sons of men and the drawing together of all races and classes.” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá
But what about the children? Ask the teachers, the psychologists, and the parents. How can normal children develop properly in abnormal environments? How can flowers grow with roots in the sand, ever shifting, ever changing? What can we tell our children about the love of mankind when they know that blood is being spilled all over the world? Where is unity except perhaps among those on our side? What about racial equality when lessons of hatred are scattered abroad the land? These and many other perplexing questions arise. No one can give the complete answer to all of them. One thing is certain, and that is that anyone helping to mold the lives of children must himself have a philosophy of life. This must be a philosophy which fits into the pattern of the modern world; one which presents a practical way of life; one which points out the need for the oneness of mankind, the oneness of religion, the reconciliation of religion and science, and equal opportunities for all. Indeed, it must be more than a philosophy—it must be a religion so vital, so real, so inspiring that it will transform a person of doubt, of fear, of bewilderment into one of radiance and confidence regardless of the chaos all about him. It will stand for justice and love for all. This and much more is embraced in the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith.
Let us look at the Bahá’í children. By a Bahá’í child, we mean one whose parents are living the Bahá’í life. Such parents are in a position to bring to their children peace, serenity, and assurance. The Hidden Words are full of promises of safety and security. “O Son of Being! My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, and he that turneth away shall surely stray and perish.” “O Son of Utterance! Thou art My stronghold; enter therein that thou mayest abide in safety. My love is in thee, know it, that thou mayest find Me near unto thee.”
From the Sacred Writings, parents find their own security and can translate it to their children. The emotional coloring of adults tints the lives of children as silently and as effectively as the sun pigments the green leaves and the green grass. Fear begets fear; anger begets anger; joy begets joy; and so on through the whole range of human emotions. Religion is the master emotion, and in a Bahá’í home where the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh are put into practice, one finds a protective environment where a child may grow normally. The house may have been a temporary one-room shack and the children may have sat on makeshift apple boxes, as we have witnessed, but upon their faces was a glow of happiness and a serenity of spirit. Here then is a protective environment in so far as its influence will help to offset all of the confusion and chaos that the child feels everywhere else. Even though he is very young and cannot understand what it is all about, yet he senses a disrupting influence which is detrimental to his best development.
In a Bahá’í home there will be no excessive discussion of the war; certainly no dwelling on its gory details or glorification of it. The emphasis will be upon the peace that is promised to the world.
“The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and the fundamental oneness of religion.” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In a Bahá’í home there is hospitality extended to all regardless of color, race or creed. “Consort with all the people in love and fragrance. Fellowship is the cause of unity and unity is the source of order in the world. Blessed are they who are kind and serve with love.” —Bahá’u’lláh
Children delight in hospitality. Meeting strangers in their homes gives them a confidence in new people. And in a Bahá’í home there will be no discord. Faces will be radiant, giving the child a feeling of happiness which is his birthright. Knowing the love and protection of his parents, the child will have no difficulty in accepting the thought of the love and protection of God. Training in obedience to his parents in earthly matters will set up a pattern for obedience to the commands of God on spiritual matters as the child develops. For every destructive thought that enters his mind, a Bahá’í parent, as soon as he is aware of this thought, will substitute a constructive one. This does not mean that the child will be encouraged to run away from his problems; in fact, quite on the contrary, he will be encouraged to face his problems according to his age and understanding. But every thought of hate, a Bahá’í parent will replace with a thought of love; thoughts of discouragement with those of encouragement; terror with safety. Little Katy, age three, brought her kitten to nursery school one day because she said she did not want any bombs to fall on the kitten. Katy felt secure at nursery school because there was no talk of falling bombs, but by implication she did not have that same feeling of safety at home. A Bahá’í child would never feel that his home was an unsafe place but rather the opposite. A Bahá’í home then, gives its children a feeling of security through example of serenity on the part of the adults. Instead of an atmosphere of tenseness and confusion there is one of calm, happiness and courage. “The beginning of courage is effort to promote the Word of God and to remain firm in His love.” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá
There are other factors contributing to this all-important feeling of security that every child, from infancy onward, should have, particularly in wartime. Honesty is of great importance. By nature, a child places his confidence in the adults about him. This confidence must never be broken. Unbroken confidence in his parents makes faith in God a simple step for a child to take as he grows older. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, “I say unto you that anyone who will rise up in the Cause of God at this time shall be filled with the spirit of God, and that He will send His hosts from heaven to help you, and that nothing shall be impossible to you if you have faith. And now I give you a commandment which shall be for a covenant between you and Me—that ye have faith; that your faith be steadfast as a rock that no storms can move, that nothing can disturb, and that it endure through all things even to the end; even should ye hear that your Lord has been crucified, be not shaken in your faith; for I am with you always, whether living or dead, I am with you to the end. As ye have faith so shall your powers and blessings be. This is the balance; this is the balance; this is the balance.” Surely faith as thus described would be a bulwark against any storm, any disruption that might occur.
Justice is another factor. Children have a very fine sense of justice unless it is destroyed by wrong examples. Bahá’u’lláh says much about justice. Here is a quotation which contains the Bahá’í golden rule: “O Son of Man! If thou lookest toward mercy, regard not that which benefits thyself and look to that which benefits all mankind. If thou lookest toward justice, choose thou for others what thou choosest for thyself.... Verily, through meekness man is elevated to the heaven of power; and again pride degrades him to the lowest station of humiliation and abasement.” Surely it is difficult to explain to a child all of the injustices which are going on in the world today. A small child should not be told anything relative to these matters. He needs himself to be treated with justice and to be encouraged to treat others in his small world in the same way. When an older child comes with these questions that puzzle him, the teacher or parent must explain that sometimes lesser injustices are committed in order that a greater justice can be accomplished. He can be told that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá once told the children that if a wolf molests or destroys the lambs—then the wolf must be destroyed. It might be explained to an older child that at present mankind has not yet as a whole become aware of the effectiveness of spiritual laws and hence uses methods that are man-made. However, eventually these crude and inhuman methods will be eliminated when the great Day of God is more fully realized and that each of us has a part in helping to hasten the coming of this Day through our own practice of justice toward, and love of, mankind.
Prayer should be a part of every child’s life. At first, there will be his parents’ prayers offered for him even before he enters the world. Later he will be given short, simple prayers to say. Verbal repetition is, of course, not enough but at first, this is all that the prayer may mean to the child. However, if the prayer is one of great beauty and in terms that the child can understand, he can learn it without much difficulty and through repetition, it becomes a part of himself. As he grows older the meaning of the prayer unfolds itself. Here is a prayer that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave for the children: “O God! Rear this little babe in the bosom of Thy love and give it milk from the breast of Providence. Cultivate this fresh plant in the rose-garden of Thy love and nurture it by showers from the clouds of Providence. Make it a child of the Kingdom and lead it to the divine world. Thou art powerful and kind! Thou art the Giver, the Bestower, Whose blessings transcend all else!” Early prayers should be those of joy and thanksgiving; later will come prayers for protection and guidance; then those of supplication. Finally, the time will come when the child, like his parents, will find great comfort, confidence, and solace in prayers and meditation. Making a child go through a habitual routine of saying his prayers has no value but to create in him a desire to pray—that is a spiritual achievement on the part of his parents or guardians. Also, it is important that a child should know that an act of service in the sight of God may be considered a prayer if it is done with love and joy.
Finally, having laid down a spiritual foundation, it might be well to add a few simple suggestions for our children from the field of child psychology, particularly since we are taught that science and religion go hand in hand and that fundamentally there is no
Dates to remember[edit]
February 8-28 Proclamation through the Arts, Geneva, New York. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Geneva.
February 14-16 National Spiritual Assembly Meeting.
February 15 Consolidation/Public Information Institute, Campus of St. Olaf's College, Northfield, Minnesota. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of the Bahá’ís of Southern Minnesota.
February 16 Proclamation, San Augustine, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of the Bahá’ís of East Texas No. 1.
February 17 Proclamation, Ft. Hall, Idaho. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Idaho Falls.
February 22 Public Information Conference, Springfield, Missouri. Sponsored by the Arkansas-Missouri Bahá’í Information Service.
February 24-28 Week-long Proclamation, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee campus. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Milwaukee.
February 26-March 1 Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days).
March 1 Deadline for receipt of materials for the April issue of The American Bahá’í.
March 1-2 Proclamation and Consolidation Conference, Waskom and Longview, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of the Bahá’ís of East Texas No. 1.
March 1-2 Proclamation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Philadelphia.
March 1-20 Period of the Fast. Begins sunset March 1 and ends sunrise March 20.
March 2 Feast of ‘Alá’ (Loftiness).
March 16 Proclamation, Clarksville, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of the Bahá’ís of East Texas No. 1.
March 21 Naw-Rúz (Bahá’í New Year), Holy Day on which work should be suspended.
March 21 Feast of Bahá (Splendor).
March 22 Teaching Conference, Springfield, Illinois. Topic: “Opening Counties: What Works?” Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of the Bahá’ís of Southern Illinois.
March 28-30 National Spiritual Assembly Meeting.
April 1 Deadline for receipt of materials for the May issue of The American Bahá’í.
April 4-6 Institute on the Distinctive Character of Bahá’í Life, Springfield, Illinois. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Springfield.
April 5 Proclamation and Consolidation Conference, Mineral Wells, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of the Bahá’ís of East Texas No. 1.
April 21-May 2 Feast of Riḍván (Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh).
April 21 First day of Riḍván. Holy Day on which work should be suspended.
April 24 National Spiritual Assembly Meeting.
April 25-27 National Convention, Wilmette, Illinois.
Caring for children in times of world peril
(Continued from page 12)
By way of repetition, we shall again state that a feeling of security is as important to the mental and emotional welfare of a growing child as food is for his body and prayers are for his spiritual development. Feeling secure is the opposite of being afraid. At best, the world is a puzzling place in which to find oneself, and people, with their great variety of reactions, are very unpredictable; for example, one time mother is angry and another time amused at the same kind of behavior. Furthermore, as one three-year-old put it, speaking to her father, “You are so big and I am so little.” No wonder a child feels insecure. Then added to these natural conditions, we have the chaotic condition of the world falling apart. Here are some fundamental principles to observe:
- Continue the child’s routine day with minimum changes.
- If the home is to be broken up, let the child take with him all of his possessions if this is possible. If not, then let him take at least those things most precious to him, even if this means that you may have to leave some of your possessions behind.
- If father or brother or any other beloved male relative must leave the home, make every effort to find some man who might be willing to be a friend to the child. Children miss men in their lives.
- Give the child affection. Take him on your lap and comfort him. This enhances a feeling of security if it is not overdone.
- Be more patient and understanding of his irritability, which may be his reaction to the tenseness of conditions he does not understand.
- Give him nourishing food, plenty of sleep, and all of the out-of-doors you can manage.
- Take time to answer his questions until you are sure that he is not disturbed by them.
Much, much more could be said, but seeking parents can find this help elsewhere. The emphasis here is that the best basis for intelligent mental and emotional care of children will be found where there is a religious foundation which is shorn of superstition, is spiritual in essence, and is soul-satisfying.
Surely a Bahá’í child is singularly blessed.
In conclusion, let us quote from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “The children must receive divine and material education at the same time and be protected from temptations and vices. How wonderful will it be if the teachers are faithful, attracted and assured, educated and refined Bahá’ís, well grounded in the science of pedagogy and familiar with child psychology; thus they may train the children with the fragrance of God. In the scheme of human life the teacher and his system of teaching plays the most important role, carrying with it the heaviest responsibilities and most subtle influences. A teacher is like unto a gardener. Just as a gardener sows the seeds and watches carefully over their sprouting, looks after their growth and progression—so also a teacher must watch over the education of the children and inculcate in their young lives the highest ideals of truth and justice.”
Comités de Pioneros
(Continued from page 7)
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dependerá mucho de información al día provista por los Cuerpos Continentales de Consejeros, y el Comité no debe vacilar en referirse a los consejeros para solicitar sus consejos acerca de ofrecimientos individuales.
- Cualesquier informes que el Comité Continental de Pioneros reciba de maestros viajeros deben ser compartidos con prontitud con los correspondientes Cuerpos Continentales de Consejeros, que los compartirán, si lo estiman prudente, con las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales interesadas. Si tales informes contienen datos de interés especial, deben ser compartidos, también, con la Casa Universal de Justicia para su información y para posible uso en el “Servicio de Noticias Internacionales Bahá’ís.”
BAHÁ’Í BOOKS AND MATERIALS[edit]
What Shoghi Effendi wrote about The Dawn-Breakers:
“Feel impelled appeal entire body American believers henceforth regard Nabíl’s soulstirring narrative as essential adjunct to reconstructed teaching program as unchallengeable text book in their summer schools as source of inspiration in all literary artistic pursuits as an invaluable companion in times of leisure as indispensable preliminary to future pilgrimage Bahá’u’lláh’s native land and as unfailing instrument to allay distress and resist attacks of critical disillusioned humanity.” (Cablegram dated June 20, 1932)
New Edition of The Dawn-Breakers Now Available[edit]
The Dawn-Breakers: Nabil’s Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Revelation
Now available for the first time since summer 1973. Translated and edited by Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers is an extraordinary eye-witness account of the early years of the Bahá’í Era. centering around the Báb.
This new edition of The Dawn-Breakers was printed by the lithographic process, which is technologically superior to the letterpress process used in previous printings. As a result, the photographs in the new edition are noticeably sharper and clearer than in former editions.
Beautifully bound in green fabrikoid—a color chosen by the Guardian because it represents the Báb’s family—the book features more than 150 photographs of persons and scenes intimately connected with the Heroic Age of the Faith; a colored frontispiece of the interior of the Shrine of the Báb; and facsimiles of the Báb’s Tablets written to the nineteen Letters of the Living and to Bahá’u’lláh.
The text is liberally annotated from the writings of European historians and scholars. Because many of the footnotes are in French, it is suggested that you also purchase Emily McBride Perigord’s Translation of French Foot-notes of The Dawn-Breakers, listed below.
Every Bahá’í will benefit from a thoughtful reading of The Dawn-Breakers. Includes appendix, glossary, index, genealogy of the Báb, and map of Persia. Introduction by Shoghi Effendi. 668 pp.
7-31-53 The Dawn-Breakers | $12.00 |
7-31-55 Translation of French Foot-notes (paper) | $1.50 |
7-63-03 A Study Guide to The Dawn-Breakers (paper) | $1.00 |
The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh:
Baghdád 1853-1863
by Adib Taherzadeh
The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh: Baghdád 1853-1863, by Adib Taherzadeh, is the first of a four-volume survey of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. This volume, just published, focuses on the Tablets revealed in Baghdád between 1853 and 1863. In addition to descriptions of a great number of Tablets—many of which are unknown in the West—the book includes fascinating material concerning events in the lives of Bahá’u’lláh and His companions. An excellent gift both for individuals and for your nearby public, school, and university libraries. Includes eighteen illustrations, four appendices, bibliography, and index. 314 pp.
7-31-90 cloth | $6.50 |
BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE[edit]
The Environment and Human Values:
A Bahá’í View
If your non-Bahá’í friends and acquaintances are concerned about the deteriorating world environment, the revised and redesigned pamphlet The Environment and Human Values: A Bahá’í View may interest them. Attractively printed on green paper, the six-page folder contains, in addition to an outline of Bahá’í teachings, a summary of the Bahá’í International Community’s work with the United Nations.
7-40-56 | 10/$ 1.00 |
Memorials of the Faithful by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
This handsome book is a compendium of ’Abdu’l-Bahá’s remembrances of seventy-nine early believers, most of whom followed Bahá’u’lláh into exile and prison. The brief sketches record the spiritual qualities of faithfulness which earn their own rewards and constitute themselves their own memorials. Translated by Marzieh Gail. 203 pp.
7-06-12 | cl $4.50 |
O God, Guide Me!
A colorful prayer book for children, 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 illustrations by Gordon Laite appeal to both children and adults. Set in large, easy-to-read type. Sturdy cloth library binding. 4 x 6 inches. 39 pp.
7-52-47 | cl $1.25 |
THE KITÁB-I-ÍQÁN IS BACK IN STOCK[edit]
The Kitáb-i-Íqán: The Book of Certitude by Bahá’u’lláh
Revealed within the space of two days and two nights in 1862, The Kitáb-i-Íqán sets forth the grand redemptive scheme of God, revealing the oneness of religion and its continuity and evolution through the successive Prophets of God. The Íqán clarifies the meaning of some of the allegorical and abstruse passages of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Scriptures.
The beloved Guardian wrote of The Kitáb-i-Íqán that it ranks “Foremost among the priceless treasures cast forth from the billowing ocean of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation....” Written in fulfillment of the Báb’s prophecy that the Promised One would complete the Persian Bayán, the Íqán, wrote the Guardian in God Passes By, “broke the ‘seals’ of the ‘Book’ referred to by Daniel, and disclosed the meaning of the ‘words’ destined to remain ‘closed up’ till the ‘time of the end.’ ”
Translated by Shoghi Effendi. Introduction by Helen Bishop. Gold metallic jacket design by Conrad Heleniak. 257 pp., glossary, and index.
7-03-08 cloth | $4.50 |
Bahá’í Administration by Shoghi Effendi
Bahá’í Administration, a compilation of letters from Shoghi Effendi in which he outlines the fundamental principles upon which the institutions of the Faith are to be established, is now available with an attractive red cover. The book consists primarily of the Guardian’s messages to the Bahá’ís of America, or to their National Spiritual Assembly, during the years when that National Assembly and several others were formed. Important reading for all Bahá’ís. Introduction by Horace Holley. 197 pp., index.
7-08-04 cloth | $4.00 |
BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE[edit]
The Five Year Plan: Messages from The Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the World and of the United States
Now available in one convenient booklet — the Five Year Plan announced in the Naw-Rúz 1974 messages from The Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the World and of the United States. An outline for the growth and development of the Faith through April 1979, the rust-colored booklet is a valuable resource for all Bahá’ís, committees, and Local Spiritual Assemblies. 5½ x 8½ inches. 16 pp.
7-25-50 | $.30; 50/$12.00 |
The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh: Selected Letters by Shoghi Effendi
The second revised edition of The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh is now available. The volume contains seven letters from the Guardian which, as Horace Holley wrote in the Introduction, disclose “the full degree to which Bahá’u’lláh’s Message applies to the world of humanity and not merely to those who are believers at this time.” Includes “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh,” “America and the Most Great Peace,” and “The Unfoldment of World Civilization.”
7-08-20 cloth | $4.00 |
7-08-21 paper | $2.50 |
7-63-22 The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh: A Study Guide | $.45; 10/$4.00 |
SPECIAL MATERIALS[edit]
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Do you have your 1975 Bahá’í Calendars yet?
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Bahá’í Faith Unifies Mankind poster
Is your community planning a proclamation? Here’s a publicity idea: use the “Bahá’í Faith Unifies Mankind” poster, and adapt it to your local needs. Cover up the printed St. Louis conference message by pasting your community’s announcement on the poster as shown. Also makes an excellent souvenir. 15 x 19¾ inches.
6-58-32 | $.50; 10/$2.50; 500/$100 |
Five Year Plan stickers
Want to remind your friends about the Five Year Plan? Use “Five Year Plan stickers”! Each inch-square sticker has an adhesive backing and attaches easily to envelopes and letters as well as to notebooks and clipboards. Excellent for all Bahá’í correspondence.
6-44-04 | 100/$1.50 |
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Auxiliary Board member Katherine McLaughlin, the Hands of the Cause William Sears and Zikrullah Khadem, and National Assembly members Richard Betts, Daniel Jordan, and Magdalene Carney were among the more than 500 Bahá’ís gathered in Ithaca for the launching of the teaching plan for New York. |
Special teaching plan launched in New York, page 1
Villagers in Surinam appreciate Faith for realism, page 5
Thoughts on care of children in time of peril, page 12
