The American Bahá’í/Volume 6/Issue 11/Text
| ←Previous | The American Bahá’í November, 1975 |
Next→ |
 Proofread onceReturn to PDF view
|
Excavation work continues at site for Universal House of Justice seat[edit]
Work is progressing on schedule in excavating the site of the permanent seat of The Universal House of Justice.
A huge hole is being blasted and dug on the slope of Mount Carmel where the majestic 5½-story Universal House of Justice Building will be constructed.
The Universal House of Justice has stated that the entire project is the greatest single undertaking of the Five Year Plan.
More than 1.5 million cubic feet of stone and earth must be removed at a cost of about $200,000. The completed excavation, averaging a depth of 33 feet, will measure 492 feet by 820 feet and is expected to be finished early in 1976.
The Universal House of Justice has invited all believers to contribute to the building fund to ensure uninterrupted progress of this historic undertaking. National Spiritual Assemblies and Local Spiritual Assemblies have established special building funds.
The building, which will be the largest at the World Center, will be faced with stone from Italy and will contain 60 Corinthian columns. In addition to the council chamber of The Universal House of Justice, the building will contain a library, a concourse for the reception of pilgrims and dignitaries, storage vaults for preservation of original Tablets and other precious documents, and accommodation for the secretariat.
The Universal House of Justice has said the building will last for centuries, to “stand as a visible expression of the majesty of the divinely ordained institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh.”
Individual teaching to be emphasized at Long Beach and San Jose Conferences[edit]
Major Teaching Conferences will be held December 27-28 in Long Beach and San Jose, California.
“Each One Teach One” will be the theme of the Conferences, to be held simultaneously. The purpose is to stimulate action toward achieving the goals of the Five Year Plan.
The Universal House of Justice has pointed out that such Conferences are “rallying points for the believers, evidences of the vitality of their love for Bahá’u’lláh, and potent instruments for generating enthusiasm and spiritual drive for advancing the interests of the Faith.”
The Conferences, sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly, are identical to those held in November in Illinois and New York (see December American Bahá’í for complete reports).
The National Spiritual Assembly urges all the believers in California to attend either the Long Beach or the San Jose Conference. The Long Beach Conference will be held in the Student Union at the California State University at Long Beach and the San Jose Conference will be held in the Morris Daley Auditorium at San Jose State College.
Counsellor Velma Sherrill, Auxiliary Board member Anthony Lease, and National Spiritual Assembly members Firuz Kazemzadeh and Franklin Kahn will participate in the Long Beach Conference.
Participants at the San Jose Conference will include Auxiliary Board members Fred Schechter and Paul Pettit, and National Spiritual Assembly members Richard Betts and William Maxwell.
Emphasis at the Conferences will be on personal teaching and workshops will be held to develop plans for successful individual teaching. Smaller follow-up Conferences will be held January 10 and 11 at 30 locations in California. Seminars are scheduled on how to reach and teach your neighbor, resource materials for personal teaching, and declaration, enrollment and beyond.
California, Illinois, and New York were selected as major objectives of the Five Year Plan for the American Bahá’í community, namely the development of “intensive teaching and consolidation plans in at least three states, chosen from among those visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, designed to attract great numbers to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh thereby initiating a process leading to the entry into the Faith by troops alluded to by the Master.”
The January 10 follow-up Conferences in California will be held at Alturas, Paradise, San Rafael, Santa Monica, Carlsbad, Fairfield, Campbell, Richmond, Clovis, and Orange. The January 11 follow-ups are scheduled at Eureka, Hayward, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Bakersfield, Glendale, Newhall, Palm Springs, San Diego, Santa Barbara, West Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Monterey, Manteca, Cerritos, Pomona, South Gate, Redlands, San Luis Obispo, and Thousand Oaks.
Inquiries from non-Bahá’ís to National Center double in just one year[edit]
The number of inquiries received by the National Information Committee from persons interested in the Bahá’í Faith has doubled in the last year.
Figures compiled by the National Information Committee show that 1,697 persons seeking information about the Faith have written to the National Center since January.
One-third of the inquiries are from persons who have visited the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, again demonstrating the power of the Temple as a silent teacher.
Of the remaining two-thirds, 20 percent say that they heard about the Faith through Seals and Crofts or their albums. Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts are Bahá’ís whose contemporary music is popular, particularly among the youth. Much of their music is about the Faith, and firesides follow their concerts.
Other inquiries come as a result of literature from fair booths, pamphlets from libraries, newspaper articles, radio programs, and the recent Life magazine ad.
About 40 percent want to know about the history of the Faith and the basic principles. Another 20 percent are from Christians who want to know about the relationship of Bahá’u’lláh and Christ, and about Bahá’í views on such subjects as redemption, salvation, and forgiveness of sins.
Approximately 35 percent of the inquiries are from Illinois. California has 10 percent, New York eight percent, Pennsylvania five percent, and Canada, Florida, and Ohio four percent.
World judges, lawyers hear words of Master at law confab[edit]
Dr. Dorothy W. Nelson chats with 1959 Nobel Peace Prize-winner Sir Philip Noel-Baker of England at the World Peace Through Law Conference.
Words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, uttered in 1913 before the Women’s Freedom League in England, were quoted by Dr. Dorothy W. Nelson, dean of the University of Southern California Law Center, when she presided at a panel of eminent women jurists as part of the seventh World Peace Through Law Conference, held October 12-17 at Washington, D.C.
More than 4,500 judges and lawyers from 131 countries participated in the conference, which was highlighted by a reception given by President Gerald Ford in the rose garden of the White House.
Significant in this conference was the contribution of women judges and lawyers from the emerging third world nations. Hon. Biyemi B. Kekeh, president of the Court of Appeals of Togo; Emma Hill, Esq., of Jamaica; Rachael Mayanja, Esq., of Uganda; Lic. Aisa I. Mendoza of Mexico; Maria Luisa Fuster, Esq., of Puerto Rico; Julia Gibson of Liberia; and Dr. Nelson were among the group of women participants who contributed to the dialogue on world peace at the conference.
It was the session presided over by Dr. Nelson which attracted considerable attention from both male and female delegates. Seated in the front row, as the working paper was read by Rachel Mayanja, was Nobel Peace Prize-winner Sir Philip Noel-Baker of London, England, who expressed interest in meeting with Dr. Nelson and voiced his warm approval for her efforts in the field of international women’s rights as well as world peace.
For the Bahá’í delegates at the conference, including Judge James Nelson of Los Angeles, Kiser Barnes of Baltimore, and Dr. Elsie Austin of Silver Spring, Maryland, it was an especially rare moment to hear the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá uttered in this setting:
- “Woman by nature is opposed to war; she is an advocate of peace. Children are reared and brought up by mothers who give them the first principles of education and labor assiduously in their behalf. Consider, for instance, a mother who has tenderly reared a son for twenty years to the age of maturity. Surely she will not consent to having that son torn asunder and killed in the field of battle. Therefore, as woman advances toward the degree of man in power and privilege, with the right of vote and control in human government, most assuredly war will cease, for woman is naturally the most devoted and staunch advocate of international peace.”
In her comments opening the session on the rights of women, Dr. Nelson spoke of the necessity for concerted effort in the field of education, as well as extensive programs directed towards eliminating extreme poverty, racism and ill health. She cited the United Nations charter which provides as one of its purposes the promotion and encouragement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of all without distinction on account of sex, saying that this theme of nondiscrimination based on sex is further enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
She also cited the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, devoted to the establishment of international legal standards through instruments adopted by the General Assembly. A booklet entitled, The Law and Women, prepared by the World Peace Through Law Center and distributed at the conference, was referred to by Dr. Nelson as an important source of information for persons interested in the struggle of women for equal rights.
“The preamble to the declaration sets forth the concerns of the United Nations regarding discrimination towards women and emphasizes the importance of the woman’s role in the development of the cause of peace,” continued Dr. Nelson.
Dr. Nelson mentioned the worthwhile results coming from the World Conference on Women in Mexico City, saying: “I am excited and optimistic about the peace of the world, because at this conference I found that men and women, whether from north or south, east or west, truly believe in the equality of men and women. It was clear at this conference that this alone will
President Gerald Ford, far left, called for greater efforts to understand each other when he greeted lawyers at a reception in the rose garden at the White House during the conference. Three of the Washington-Baltimore area Bahá’ís present at the conference were (center photo) Mrs. Dawn Belcher, left, and Miss Elsie Austin, and (right photo) Kiser Barnes.
Dorothy Nelson wins major award[edit]
Dr. Dorothy Nelson, treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly and dean of the University of Southern California Law Center, was one of six women lawyers cited by the Center Associates of the World Peace Through Law Center for their contributions toward world peace.
The Pax Orbis Ex Jure medallions were presented at a luncheon held October 16 at the Sheraton-Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., as part of the World Peace Through Law Conference.
In presenting the award to Dr. Nelson, Dr. Charles Rhyne, president of the center, said: “In the United States, when we think of distinguished women serving in the field of law, the name of Dr. Dorothy Nelson is sure to come up. Since this award is given to women throughout the world who have contributed significantly to the cause of world peace through their interest in and pursuance of successful international relations, it is natural that we would think of Dorothy in choosing the recipients.”
The first woman to become dean of an accredited law school in the United States, Dr. Nelson was named Woman of the Year in 1968 by the Los Angeles Times. She was introduced to the gathering as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.
“It is fitting that in this year devoted to recognizing the international accomplishments of women, six outstanding women lawyers have been chosen to receive this award,” Dr. Rhyne said. “Professional accomplishment is being honored and we are indeed delighted to present these awards.”
The other winners were Dr. Helvi Sippila, secretary-general of International Women’s Year and assistant secretary-general of the United Nations; Circuit Judge Emma Walser of Monrovia, Liberia, the first woman in her country to serve as a judge; Dr. I.H. Ph. Diederiks-Verschoor of Holland, president of the International Institute of Space Law; Lady Benj Oon of Penang, Malaysia, that country’s first woman lawyer; and Dr. Angela Acuna de Chacon of Costa Rica, Central America’s first woman lawyer and Costa Rica’s representative on the Council of the Organization of American States as well as a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Dr. Charles Rhyne, president of the Center Associates of the World Peace Through Law Center, congratulates Dr. Dorothy Nelson after presenting her the Pax Orbis Ex Jure award (above) for her contributions toward world peace.
Bahá’í exhibit presented for delegates from 131 countries at Law Conference[edit]
Opportunities to speak of the Bahá’í Faith to distinguished judges and lawyers from 131 countries occurred frequently during the World Peace Through Law Conference in Washington, D.C., October 12-17. Bahá’ís from the Washington-Baltimore area were present at a Bahá’í booth where magazines, books, and postcards were offered to conference delegates.
The Bahá’í exhibit used for its background the panels prepared for the International Women’s Year Conference in Mexico City. White birds flying against a black background, with quotations from the Writings on the subject of the equality of men and women, formed a striking exhibit and won considerable praise from visitors.
Many times, foreign delegates mentioned pioneers in their own country. The first visitor to the booth, an Indonesian lawyer, asked if the Bahá’ís knew a Persian family of his acquaintance in Jakarta, adding warm words about his friendship with them of many years. The same was true with lawyers from the Netherlands, but it was especially true of the African delegates. Many of them had visited the Bahá’í House of Worship in Kampala, Uganda, and others had attended firesides or formed friendships with pioneers in their countries. Others recalled hearing the Bahá’í Faith mentioned on radio or television.
It was soon evident that when Bahá’ís moved away from the booth and themselves visited other areas of the exhibit hall, curious delegates would come to study the literature at the booth and speak about it with each other. They would then welcome discussion with the Bahá’ís, although if several Bahá’ís were seated behind the table of books, people would be less willing to approach.
One item which attracted enthusiastic comments from the women lawyers was the spring issue of World Order magazine which was devoted to women’s year. When they studied the table of contents, several returned to the booth, asking for extra copies for their friends. “When did you Bahá’ís start working for this?” one of them asked, and smiled broadly at the response of “more than 100 years ago!” It was not only the women, however, who expressed interest in this magazine. Many men asked for copies, as well as the pamphlet “Women: Attaining Their Birthright.”
Cont. from page 2
not be sufficient, however, for to achieve world peace and the oneness of humanity we must have universal education, the abolition of poverty, and the abolition of racism.”
“As a matter of history,” said Dr. Nelson, “women have occupied a place in a world that has belonged to men. Until recent times, that place for most women was crowded with economic as well as procreative activity. Women labored to supply the market with food and goods now machine-cultivated or manufactured in most parts of the world. Shorter adult life spans, and absence of effective birth control, made children a dominant concern of most women through most of their lives. Today women in the United States live more than 25 years longer than they did at the turn of the century, and today’s average mother has her youngest child enter school by the time she is 30, leaving many years of productive life that are not entirely child-centered ahead of her.”
Miss Mayanja had mentioned earlier to the Bahá’ís present that one of her teachers in Kampala was a Bahá’í and that she had visited the Bahá’í House of Worship in her home city many times. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she declared in her paper: “Women have suffered various legal, social, and cultural handicaps as a result of which their economic and social position is greatly inferior to that of men.... The fact that 1975 was declared by the United Nations as International Women’s Year is an important achievement. Compliments must be paid to the United Nations, its specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations for the efforts taken in the advancement and realization of women’s rights. No one expects all the rights to which women are entitled to be realized in just this year. However, one hopes that 1975 will witness new efforts towards the struggle for the equality of the sexes.”
When the session was opened to comments from the floor, many men participated in the discussion. One Asian lawyer felt that women should use their charm to win their rights from men; another felt that it was inappropriate that a man, Professor Lung-chu Chen of the Yale Law School, should have been permitted to be a member of the panel; still others urged that women consider their responsibilities as well as their rights.
Through all of this, Dr. Nelson maintained a serene, interested manner which encouraged participants to speak their inner convictions.
Women lawyers from Africa pointed out the severe difficulties of women living under tribal law in rural parts of Africa, where chiefs are permitted literally hundreds of wives. Julia Gibson of Liberia maintained in this session and many others her concept that monogamy should be sought—the “one man-one woman” phrase recurring in her contributions throughout the conference.
In her summation, Dr. Nelson restated her conviction that it was important that men and women work together in the achieving of equal rights for men and women and mentioned the participation of many men in the world conference in Mexico City. She concluded: “The discussion in our panel today should indicate the breadth of the movement toward equal rights and responsibilities for men and women, and should cast in comparative perspective some of the problems encountered along the way.”
House of Justice member addresses record crowd at Gregory Institute[edit]
History was made at the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute on September 28. The largest single gathering of friends since the Institute was dedicated took place that day—and for a very special reason. Hugh Chance, the first member of The Universal House of Justice ever to visit the Institute, was there. This joyful meeting also brought to a successful conclusion an organized work-study weekend.
Since Friday night, the friends had been arriving from various corners of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and receiving their work assignments from Chris Cholis, an assistant Auxiliary Board member from Colorado who had just completed conducting an exciting week-long intensive deepening session at the Institute.
Love and fellowship grew as the Bahá’ís pitched in, building real team spirit as they worked together. By Saturday, organized groups were everywhere—cleaning, painting, mending, raking, and doing whatever needed to be done.
Saturday night, Elizabeth Martin, Auxiliary Board member for South Carolina, led a group study on the challenges facing the Faith in the future.
Even before devotions Sunday morning, still more volunteers arrived to help with the work and the enthusiasm continued to grow in anticipation of Mr. Chance’s visit and talk. Children cleaned up the play areas and all joined together to clear the grounds of debris, rocks, odd bits of wood, etc.
At noon, while everyone relaxed for a festive barbecue and fish fry, still more friends continued to arrive. One of these friends was Felice Sadgwar who is over 80 years old and who has been a Bahá’í for over 50 years.
In all, 367 Bahá’ís had gathered by Sunday afternoon in the new classroom building to meet with their honored guests.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Chance spoke lovingly of the friends and of the teaching work in South Carolina. The member of The Universal House of Justice brought news of the status of the Five Year Plan goals around the world, and gave inspiring examples of the maturing of the institutions of the Faith in these times of trial and growth. Mr. Chance also spoke of the importance of the seat of The Universal House of Justice being erected on Mount Carmel. The House of Justice member also answered many questions directed to him from the floor. It was an exchange of love.
Children sing out in praise of Bahá’u’lláh.
Hugh Chance at Gregory Institute.
Record crowd hears Mr. Chance.
International pioneering[edit]
International teaching work gains momentum[edit]
Since Riḍván 1974, 258 pioneers left the United States for international posts, 170 of whom are filling specific numerical goals of the Five Year Plan.
The International Goals Committee reported that of the remainder, 33 are overfilling goals, 34 went to non-goal areas, and 21 pioneers returned.
Since Riḍván 1975, almost 400 Bahá’ís have volunteered for pioneer service. However, various problems have not made it possible for all of them to depart. A total of 140 pioneers are required at specific locations by October 1976 to achieve the Five Year Plan goal of 310.
No pioneers have gone to 25 of the 87 goal areas assigned to the United States. And of the 25, either English, French, or Portuguese is spoken in 16. English-speaking countries which need American pioneers include Trinidad, Guyana, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, Tonga Islands, South Africa, St. Helena, and Gambia. The French-speaking countries are the French Antilles, Cambodia, Laos, Gabon, and the Ivory Coast. The Portuguese-speaking countries are Portugal, Angola, and Portuguese Guinea. The greatest numerical need is in Portugal where eight pioneers are required.
In a May 25 message to all National Spiritual Assemblies, The Universal House of Justice said: “There are several ways of pioneering, and all are entirely valid and are of great help to the teaching work. There is, first of all, the pioneer who goes to a particular country, devotes the remainder of his life to the service of the Faith in that land and finally lays his bones to rest in its soil. Secondly, there is the pioneer who goes to a post, serves valiantly there until the native Bahá’í community is strongly established, and then moves on to new fields of service. Thirdly, there are those, for example youth between the completion of their schooling and the starting of their chosen profession, who go pioneering for a specific limited period.”
Of the 395 Bahá’ís who have responded to the pioneer call since Riḍván 1975 by volunteering, 55 are from California. Illinois has 26; Florida 25; New York 24; Massachusetts 22; Texas 21; Washington 20; Michigan and Colorado 18; New Jersey 16; Wisconsin and South Carolina 14; Arizona, Oregon, and Ohio 10; and Pennsylvania and Virginia 9.
The Universal House of Justice’s May 25 message also called attention to the need for traveling teachers, both abroad and on the homefront.
Since Riḍván 1975, a total of 171 international traveling teaching trips have been undertaken from the United States, 28 of these by youth. And the International Goals Committee reported that more Bahá’ís are being recruited for future trips to meet the traveling teaching commitments around the world. Almost 200 persons have volunteered for such service in the last six months. California leads the way with 36 volunteers, followed by Illinois, 19; Florida, 14; Texas, 13; and South Carolina, 10.
Meanwhile, plans are under way for further work on the international scene.
A total of 16 Bahá’ís have already volunteered for the traveling teaching project in India in December.
Teaching teams from the United States will again assist the sister communities in Central America during Riḍván 1976, and teaching projects in South America are being planned for next summer.
What one person can accomplish in path of God[edit]
This story results from an interview with a devoted pioneer. His name cannot be used, nor the name of his pioneering post, for the Bahá’ís of that country must now accept restrictions. When the restrictions are lifted, that mass of believers will come forward. As our beloved Master says in Tablets of the Divine Plan, “Blessed are the nameless and traceless poor, for they are the leaders of mankind.”
Mr. M. is the oldest son in a family of pioneers. When he was 20, he asked his National Pioneering Committee where he could serve. They assigned him a post, and on Dec. 4, 1962, his plane landed in his new home. Mr. M. arrived “ready to face anything.” A pioneering post to him meant jungles and tribes; he was uninterested in a “civilized” locale.
The eager young pioneer spent his first night in the Bahá’í Center of a city which, by our standards, was a rural village. The center, built by the first pioneer, had contained a Bahá’í school for children. But the school was closed. Mr. M. found one Bahá’í family in the city, and one pioneer in poor health.
Mr. M.’s first task was learning the language, which he did by “conversing with people and hearing people,” and occasionally consulting a vocabulary book. A faulty postal system limited his communication with the Bahá’í administrative institutions.
Accompanied by a well-deepened believer, the father of the lone Bahá’í family, Mr. M. visited villages and taught the Faith. But the first time he visited a village, he was led by a 12-year-old boy. The boy’s father, a tribesman, was an ironsmith who worked next door to Mr. M.’s city office. His family lived in the tribal village.
The boy took Mr. M. to his family’s house and “they were very kind. They were surprised to see me there because it was not practical for foreigners to go to villages like that.”
Mr. M. told his friends that he had a Message for them. They took him to the headman, and he told the headman of Bahá’u’lláh. The headman embraced the Faith and called a town meeting. Each
Bahá’ís at 15th annual Green Lake Institute learn what total commitment means[edit]
Bahá’ís who attended the 15th annual Green Lake Institute left with a clear understanding that total commitment to the Faith is vital to the development of the individual and of the world.
Daniel Jordan, vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, said that reconstructing human life on this planet “entails each individual struggling from the very depths of his being to transform himself spiritually, and then to work with others who are committed to the same thing to create a new civilization.”
Auxiliary Board member Peter Khan said: “What we are aiming to achieve is priceless—it is setting the course of world events for the next thousand years, it is creating a structure in which millions of human beings will find happiness and security.”
The record 1,200 persons who attended the Institute, held October 3–5 at Green Lake, Wisconsin, were given a blueprint for success by the speakers.
The Bahá’ís were told to become magnets to attract others into the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
In the process of investigation, seekers will check out people who claim to be followers of Bahá’u’lláh. Dr. Jordan said they “should be able to sense in every single person who says he’s a Bahá’í a real struggle in the direction of spiritual transformation. There has to be evidence of the struggle and some results.”
A commitment to transform spiritually means, Dr. Jordan explained, a decision to rob energy used in bad habits and invest it in a new pattern of energy that reflects God’s purpose for man, and to practice that new way of using energy again and again until it becomes a habit.
Bahá’ís were urged to study the Writings and strive to follow the examples set by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In the process, tension between your Bahá’í self and your actual self will develop. That tension is your conscience. “When you do something that is not in accordance with your Bahá’í self, you say your conscience bothers you. To be able to have a bothersome conscience is a sign of spiritual maturity,” Dr. Jordan said.
It is an individual struggle. Dr. Khan said that “each one of us stands alone in the path of God, in our service to God, in the assessment of the character of our commitment to the Faith.”
Dr. Khan said there will be many obstacles to overcome. He was particularly concerned about what he called the issue of unpopularity. “I think it’s going to get a lot worse, not because people are going to become committed to other religions, but because my perception is that people are becoming more lethargic, more apathetic about the future,” Dr. Khan said.
However, he said Bahá’ís “will be optimistic, bright-eyed, looking to the future, putting our trust in the nobility of man and the power of God, leading others by our example through that darkness beyond.”
A special message to the Institute from the National Spiritual Assembly emphasized the urgency of teaching as the Five Year Plan rapidly approaches its midway point.
“Teaching the Faith is the most urgent requirement at the present hour,” the message said. “The Cause needs more workers, more Assemblies, and more material resources. How else, for example, are we to achieve the 1,500 localities which are necessary to make the goal of 7,000? How else are we to establish the additional 480 Local Spiritual Assemblies which will bring about the total of 1,400 called for in the Plan? How else are we to aid the construction of the seat of The Universal House of Justice? How else, if not through the recruitment of more and more dedicated souls to the Army of Bahá’u’lláh?”
A message from The Universal House of Justice assured the believers that prayers were said for the success of the Institute.
Many people who attended said they left the Institute with fresh inspiration to speed the teaching work.
The Institute included an appeal for direct teaching, a report on national proclamation efforts, presentations on the National Fund and the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, recreation, dancing, hayrides, children’s exhibits, music, booths, and the play “The Education of Henry Halifax III.”
In addition to Dr. Jordan and Dr. Khan, the speakers included Janet Khan; Nancy Jordan; Steve Jackson, administrator of the National Fund; and Joan Bulkin, secretary of the National Teaching Committee.
Considerable attention was focused on family life and the education of Bahá’í children.
Mrs. Khan said that harmony and unity must prevail in Bahá’í family life and that the lines of communication must remain open. To do that, she said, you must have an open mind, respect the views of others, listen, and have a frank expression of views.
Dr. Jordan, who is director of the Center for the Study of Human Potential at the University of Massachusetts, said that a program of child rearing will be developed in the next five to 10 years “so as not to leave it to chance.” He pointed out that much of the spiritual character of a child is established by age four.
Mrs. Jordan urged the youth to use their vast energy in the Cause of God and to obey the institutions of the Faith. Mrs. Khan added that such obedience is for our development and protection.
The spiritual transformation of the individual[edit]
The following story was edited from a talk by Dr. Jordan at the Green Lake Institute.
There is no way of ever achieving a distinctive Bahá’í society without individual transformation. If we recognize that, then we have an obligation of discovering how it takes place and what we can do to facilitate it.
I doubt that most people need any reminder that some transformation is in order. Government figures about trends in American society are a terrifying documentation of the rapidity with which the old world order is rolling up; a signal that we need to get out of the way so we don’t roll up with it; a reminder that we don’t need to do anything to speed it up.
In our society a serious crime is committed every four seconds. Once every 36 seconds there is a violent crime committed such as murder, robbery, assault to kill, or forcible rape. There is a murder once every 27 minutes. There is a burglary every 12 seconds. Somebody steals something every seven seconds. Some of these statistics are from 1973 and 1974, and conditions today are worse. These crime statistics represent the rate at which citizens of our country are outwardly attacking each other. They reflect a society devouring itself because it doesn’t know where it’s going.
In addition to crime, there are statistics pertaining to man’s inward attack on himself. They represent a withdrawal into a world of fantasy and mental illness. When people are distressed and don’t know what to do, it’s terribly painful. They have to handle the pain and the frustration in some way. They try to withdraw. They try to escape. Our society provides many destructive ways of escaping. And we have statistics on how frequently people use those ways. In 1972, Americans consumed $20.3 billion worth of alcohol.
We spent $5.3 million on tranquilizers. We produced and consumed something like four million pounds of tranquilizers.
Rome was 400 years in collapsing and I think a lot of people enjoyed it and some didn’t even notice it. And I suspect part of it is going to be the same with us. We don’t even know that it’s collapsing sometimes, and more damaging, we are probably actively participating, and maybe even enjoying it a little bit without realizing it. Who is going to reverse the trends represented by these statistics? A lot of people are trying. And we have to join hands with all of those people. But so far as I know, there is only one group of people who has a blueprint, a plan for reversing those trends. That’s the Bahá’ís.
Dr. Daniel Jordan.
Our job is to send up a beacon of light so that those who are bewildered and confused and are wondering what’s happening can come and check out this plan; the plan for the reconstruction of human life on this planet. There is a bit of a problem here because when they come to examine the plan, they also want to check out the people who are running this plan, to see whether there’s any credibility. There will be no credibility if the distinctive characteristics of Bahá’í society are not reflected in the personal lives of each person who claims to be a follower of Bahá’u’lláh.
Bahá’u’lláh came not to mobilize the few saints left on the planet, people who are already transformed. No, He came to assist anybody who wants to join, and who is willing to take up the personal struggle of spiritual transformation. So you can’t come into the Bahá’í community and expect perfection. But you ought to be able to sense in every single person who says he’s a Bahá’í a real struggle in the direction of spiritual transformation. That is what will make us credible. There has to be visible, tangible, concrete, observable behaviors that say to somebody who looks, “These people are striving.” And you’ve got to have some results from the struggle; you’ve got to have a sense that we’re better now than we were five years ago. Whether we pull that off depends in large part on the depth of our commitment.
Bahá’u’lláh made the statement that it is incumbent on every man of insight and understanding to translate “that which hath been written” into reality and action. Reams have been written about “what hath been written,” along with “what hath been written.” So, we don’t have any excuse for not knowing.
An important phase of spiritual transformation is creating a level of commitment to being and doing things which reflect what “hath been written.” Commitment refers to an act of will, or volition, which reflects a decision you have made about what you are going to do with your life. Commitment, in Bahá’í terms, means everything—pocketbook, life, talent, every resource, all your abilities, everything. And I think that’s why people hesitate to make such a decision.
What does the decision which sets you on the path of commitment mean? What does it mean in terms of spiritual transformation? What is the chief precious resource you are in charge of that nobody else is in charge of? It’s your energy. You get up in the morning and eat breakfast. And all of that material that you ate had energy in it. As you digest that food, you are given energy; energy to think, energy to feel, energy to study, energy to acquire knowledge, energy to act, to move, to do things. And you are in charge of how that energy will be used. Spiritual transformation means that you are not going to be careless about how that energy is used. And that, in fact, you are going to use it only in behavior patterns that reflect God’s purpose for man as revealed by Bahá’u’lláh for this age.
Habits are nothing more than enduring patterned uses of energy that you don’t think about much. So if you’ve got a bad habit, a patterned use of energy that doesn’t reflect God’s purpose for man in this day, then spiritual transformation means deciding to rob energy from that use and invest it in a new pattern of energy that reflects God’s purpose for man, and to practice that new way of using energy again and again and again until it becomes a habit.
Bahá’u’lláh said that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the embodiment of every Bahá’í virtue. And you can only see those virtues in Bahá’ís in the patterned uses of their energy—in the way they behave, in the way they think, and the way they act. We can get a good notion of what these virtues are by knowing how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá used His energy. Anybody who knows ‘Abdu’l-Bahá just a little bit, and knows just a little bit about “what hath been written,” can ask himself, when he’s faced with a difficult situation, what would ‘Abdu’l-Bahá have done, and chances are he’ll know.
The trick is to ask yourself the question at the critical time. Most people say, “Well, I don’t want to ask myself that question right now because I haven’t finished being mad yet.” It’s easier to contemplate ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when you’re feeling loving and magnanimous.
Essentially what happens in the process of transformation is that we take our knowledge of “what hath been written” and our experience of what it looks like when it’s embodied in the human being by becoming acquainted with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and we project an ideal self. We say, “What would we look like, what would we be like, what would we think, how would we act if we were spiritually transformed?” As we answer these questions, we construct an ideal self—a Bahá’í self.
As we become committed to that, we are able to compare the ideal self that we want to be with our real self. Once this projected ideal self begins to emerge and take place you will always be comparing it with your actual self, and there will be tension between the two. That tension is called conscience. That’s why when you do something that is not in accordance with your self ideal, which is your projected best possible Bahá’í self, you say your conscience bothers you. To be able to
[Page 7]
have a botherable conscience is a sign of spiritual maturity. And yet we have psychiatrists who collect $50 an hour to put people on a couch to get rid of that tension by getting rid of the ideal self. It’s not helping anybody. If you give up your ideal self, you will be spiritually dead.
So when we say someone is conscientious, we say that he makes efforts to reduce the tension between the ideal and the actual so that he gets closer and closer in reality to the ideal. It is one of the functions of meditation, in my view, to formulate and nurture the emergence of that self ideal, a self that reflects the attributes of God. To fantasize that self, and to rehearse it in meditation, are important elements of commitment. It means you give personal quality to the effort of planning the way you are going to use your energies so that they reflect God’s purpose for man.
To respond to that tension we call conscience by trying to make the actual self closer to that ideal self is the evidence of being conscientious. It is the evidence and the sense of being conscientious as a community that makes us credible in the eyes of the rest of the world. People who are becoming spiritually transformed are like magnets: they will attract other people. Somebody who is in the process of personally transforming himself loves others, doesn’t impose on others, has no inclination to be nasty to others. In fact, he wants to help. It is the most powerfully unifying force that we have as Bahá’ís. We cannot legislate for the rest of humanity and impose Bahá’í law on them. We have to attract them so that they will recognize Bahá’u’lláh and then willingly submit to His laws. The only way we can attract is to become a magnet. The only way we can be a magnet is to get on with the job of our own spiritual transformation. And that takes an active will and a nurturing of a sense of mission or commitment that we never lose sight of.
Overcoming obstacles on the path to victory[edit]
The following story was edited from a talk by Dr. Khan at the Green Lake Institute.
The world in which we are carrying out the goals of the Five Year Plan is in a condition of degradation, of unprecedented decline, of fear and terror. It is alarming.
Nevertheless, it is clear from the Writings that the American Bahá’í community is unparalleled in its character, in its significance, and its opportunities.
What we must do is to arise and develop ourselves and the Bahá’í community.
The Guardian tells us that preparation is necessary. He says we must put on the armor of the love of God and Bahá’u’lláh to resist whatever the world has to offer. Then the Guardian says to buckle on the shield of the Covenant, to mount the steed of steadfastness, and to hold aloft the lance of the word of the Lord of Hosts. Our weapon is the word of God because it is the magnet by which we attract the spiritual forces.
We are going to face difficulties and conditions which may look very bleak and very dark at times. Our faith will sustain us. Our faith in Bahá’u’lláh promises that a bright world is coming, that the darkness is going to be lifted.
It is up to each one of us to assess the character of the work before us. We must consult our conscience and turn to the power of the Holy Spirit. We must struggle against our natural inertia and trivial attachments. We must forget our inadequacies and arise to serve the Faith, and we will develop capacities we never knew we had.
There will be obstacles. Nothing that is valuable and enduring comes without effort, and what we are aiming to achieve is priceless—it is setting the course of world events for the next thousand years, it is creating a structure in which millions of human beings will find happiness and security.
Dr. Peter Khan
The Guardian has referred to what he calls formidable obstacles that stand in the path of every would-be warrior in service to Bahá’u’lláh.
The first is the “gross materialism that engulfs the entire nation.” We are expected to struggle against the view of life that regards material things as being the preeminent determinant of human happiness.
The next obstacle the Guardian describes is “attachment to worldly things that enshrouds the souls of men.” This doesn’t mean that we must sell all our material possessions. It doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with having a comfortable automobile or an air-conditioned house. However, it is wrong to become attached to these things.
Another obstacle the Guardian describes is “pleasures and dissipations that fill their time.” Bahá’ís are normal people. We enjoy going to the movies, we enjoy TV, we enjoy relaxing, we enjoy playing games, and going for hikes. These are legitimate and very natural pleasures. But we have to avoid excessive attachment to the pleasures and dissipations with which people fill their time. I have friends who joined a tennis club, not because they enjoy tennis, but rather because it was a means of filling their time. As I got to know them, I realized they had a desperate need to fill their time because otherwise they would be forced to think about the condition of their lives, and the world in which their children were growing up, and they wouldn’t be able to handle it.
The Guardian also cited “prejudices and animosities” which darken the outlook of our society. Some of the obvious prejudices that the Writings talk about are the prejudices against people of other races, particularly people of the black race, the prejudice toward the American Indian, toward the other minorities who are doing so much to enrich the life of the American Bahá’í community.
The final obstacle the Guardian mentions is the “apathy and lethargy that paralyze” the spiritual faculties in the people in the society around us. I continue to lament the change I see on Midwestern campuses. I remember how a few years ago we’d have meetings on the campuses and dozens and dozens, and sometimes hundreds of people, would come. Some would argue, some would disagree, and some would take issue with the Faith, but it didn’t really matter because they were involved. I don’t see that now on many of the campuses with which I have contact. It’s not because the Bahá’ís are weakened; it’s because there’s a creeping apathy and lethargy in our society, and our job is getting harder. We must become stronger, more devoted, more committed, manifest a greater measure of the spirit to combat this creeping apathy and lethargy.
The Guardian tells us that the all-conquering hosts of the grace of God will enable anyone who arises to champion the Cause to win victory. He tells us it will occur undoubtedly, mysteriously, and surprisingly.
The Guardian warns, however, that the sustaining strength of Bahá’u’lláh will be withheld from each individual who fails in the long run to arise and play his part.
It is up to us to take the first step.
The record 1,200 persons who attended the 15th annual Green Lake Institute in Wisconsin engaged in devotion, fellowship, and fun, and heard inspiring talks keyed to individual commitment. At right, John Weiss of the Green Lake Planning Committee opens the Institute as the crowd settles back to hear the speakers. Below left, Daniel Jordan performs a duet with his daughter, Sara, 9. He also shared the piano with another daughter, Melissa, 12. Janet Khan, center, and Nancy Jordan emphasized Bahá’í family life in their talks. On facing page, the friends stroll (1) on the Wisconsin campus and participate in dawn prayers (2). Radiant black (3) declares during the session. Family and friends (4) gather for fellowship, youth take time for recreation (5), and others take to the bike paths (6). A quiet interlude (7) at Green Lake.
World Peace Day celebrated with wide proclamation of Faith[edit]
The Faith was proclaimed across the country on World Peace Day. At top, members of the San Jose, California, Bahá’í community present the book Tokens to Mayor Janet Hayes. From left to right are Ron Gilpatrick, treasurer of the Local Spiritual Assembly; Leon Davis, Assembly chairman; Mayor Hayes; and Cheryl Ketel, a member of the Teaching Committee. In the photo above, members of the Dallas, Texas, Bahá’í community served an international dinner in a park. In the picture below, a singing group from the Bahá’í community of Wilmette, Illinois, performs at a fair which was scheduled on World Peace Day.
United States Bahá’ís celebrated World Peace Day, September 21, in various ways.
In Bountiful, Utah, the Bahá’ís attended a City Council meeting on September 17 and presented the book Tokens from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh to the mayor. The mayor then signed a proclamation, declaring September 21 World Peace Day in Bountiful. A Bahá’í then read the proclamation to the council and, with the mayor’s permission, read from the Writings on the subject of world peace. As she concluded, a man in the back of the room jumped to his feet, exclaiming, “This woman is beautiful! I like what she has to say!” The Bountiful Bahá’ís also presented a tree to the city park system, a law enforcement kit to the police department, and two funeral director’s kits to the local funeral homes.
The Bahá’í Community of Dallas, Texas, gave World Peace Day a Bicentennial theme. Participants wore costumes and served food indicating their heritages: Persian, American Indian, Czechoslovakian, Welsh, German, British, South American, French.
The gathering, announced in newspapers and on radio and television, was held in the evening at Flagpole Hill, a park in Dallas, and featured an introductory talk on the Faith and a brief talk on the history of the Faith in Dallas.
In Canyon, Texas, the Bahá’í Group began planning the World Peace Day event in July. They presented Tokens from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh to the mayor and personally invited him to the event. They also presented Tokens to the president of West Texas State University in Canyon, along with a personal invitation. City and campus police received law enforcement kits. Invitations were sent to 150 city officials, doctors, lawyers, West Texas University faculty members, and other friends. Posters were put up in town and on campus, spot ads were run on two radio stations—one in the large city of Amarillo—and special advertisements were run in the Canyon and Amarillo newspapers.
Richard Suhm addressed the World Peace Day gathering in the Canyon Community Center. His topic was “New Answers for Today’s World.” The event resulted in two declarations. One of the new Bahá’ís is from Pampa, bringing that locality from isolated to group status. The other is from Canyon, raising that group’s number to eight.
Since the Wilmette Community Fair took place on World Peace Day, the Bahá’ís of Wilmette, Illinois, combined their effort with the fair and had a booth focusing on world peace. A Bahá’í music group entertained in front of the Wilmette Village Hall.
The San Jose, California, Bahá’í community hosted a week of World Peace Day events. They presented a book to the mayor, and she signed a World Peace Day proclamation. Their activities included a picnic in a city park, a Bahá’í book giveaway in a local bookstore, displays in the San Jose Public Library and on the campus of San Jose State University, a talk at the university sponsored by the college club, and a talk on the role of women in world peace.
Two weeks after their final event, the largest newspaper in San Jose, with a daily circulation of over 210,000, ran a long, detailed article on the Faith which was headlined, “Bahá’í Faith Experiencing Big Revival in United States.”
The Bahá’ís of Durango, Colorado, hosted two World Peace Day events. A potluck community dinner on September 20 expanded the Bahá’í community’s circle of friendship by including the friends and associates of each Bahá’í. The seekers who attended commented that they were impressed by the diversity of the Bahá’ís. Public services at 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m. on September 21 in the chapel of Fort Lewis College presented selections from various Holy Books, prayers for world peace, and an opportunity for silent meditation.
Deepening projects get under way in California teaching area[edit]
In response to the large number of new Bahá’ís in the Watsonville, California, area, the California Regional Teaching Committee has appointed seven Bahá’ís to a Spanish-speaking Task Force. The purpose of this task force is to meet once a week with the new believers of Watsonville, involve other Spanish-speaking Bahá’ís in the deepening effort, and otherwise assist the Local Spiritual Assemblies in the Watsonville area.
About 70 people entered the Faith in Watsonville this summer as a result of an intensive two-week teaching project. Nearly all of these people are Spanish-speaking migrant workers.
Ernest Lopez, grounds superintendent for the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, spent the first two weeks of October in California on behalf of the National Teaching Committee. Mr. Lopez coordinated the consolidation efforts, providing teaching and consolidation training for the new Spanish-speaking Task Force, other interested Spanish-speaking believers, several Local Spiritual Assemblies in the Watsonville area, the California Regional Teaching Committee, and California Central No. 1 District Teaching Committee.
Conference on women held in Texas[edit]
Lisa Janti addresses proclamation conference.
A proclamation conference called “Women: Striking the Balance” attracted about 200 participants October 17-19 in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area. Sponsored by the Bahá’í communities of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, the conference featured music, a slide show, and many fascinating speakers.
The program began on Friday evening with an original song by June Smith, a Bahá’í from Denton, Texas. She wrote the song especially for the conference, using quotes on women from the Bahá’í Writings.
Winnie Davis, author of the book Fantastic Womanhood, then spoke on the power and authority granted to women in the New Testament. She expressed her joy at addressing the conference, praising the Bahá’ís for their open-mindedness and happiness.
On Saturday, talks covered the history of women in the Bahá’í Faith, with exciting references to the great Bahá’í heroines; the legal status of women, presented by Chris Miller, Texas state representative; the future role of women, an examination of spiritual attributes which will become outstanding in women, and the effects of these attributes on society; and job opportunities for women.
A series of workshops covered such topics as women’s role in establishing world peace, marriage, education, and child-rearing in an atmosphere of equality. The workshops were brief, enabling each participant to attend every discussion. This format resulted in exciting, stimulating discussions with pointed questions and direct answers.
The Saturday evening program began with a slide show on the United Nations Women’s Conference in Mexico City, presented by a non-political women’s organization from Fort Worth. Following the slide show, Lisa Janti gave the keynote address on “Women: Striking the Balance.” Ms. Janti is a Bahá’í from Los Angeles who is a member of the Los Angeles mayor’s executive staff. She is in charge of community service programs. In her talk, Ms. Janti quoted from The Hidden Words and, relating incidents from her own life, illustrated the great power and assistance provided for women and men by the Bahá’í principles.
The conference closed with a breakfast and informal fireside on Sunday.
The meetings had been announced in newspapers and on the radio. Before the proclamation, the sponsoring Bahá’í communities sent three-page press releases to every newspaper in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Three newspapers printed the entire release. Others printed shorter articles. Public relations efforts also resulted in two hour-long radio programs on one station, one about the conference and one about the Bahá’í Faith; another radio station ran a good program on the conference.
Reaching the Japanese seekers[edit]
They met at Japanese Institute. Below is Robert Imagire.
The first Japanese Teaching Institute ever held on the east coast took place on September 14 in Scarsdale, New York.
The Institute, sponsored by the Asian American Teaching Committee and the District Teaching Committee of New York, and hosted by the Bahá’í Group of Greenburgh, New York, was in response to the Five Year Plan goal of teaching more oriental people. Many Japanese currently live in the Scarsdale area.
Some of the Bahá’ís have reached out to these families, inviting them to dinner, participating in local Japanese cultural associations. For the past year, the Bahá’ís of Scarsdale and Hartsdale have placed Bahá’í literature in Japanese in the train stations, and have restocked the literature several times.
Realizing they were breaking new ground, and wishing to teach their Japanese friends as effectively as possible, the Bahá’ís requested help from the Asian American Teaching Committee.
The Institute followed, during which Stephen Yamamoto, chairman of the Asian American Teaching Committee, noted that the first Japanese-American became a Bahá’í in the United States in 1902. Now there are about 75 Japanese-Americans in the Faith.
The keynote speaker, Robert Imagire, a Japanese-American who pioneered for 10 years in Japan, listed several important points that could help the friends reach Japanese seekers:
—The Japanese have a concept of “obligation,” a moral and spiritual obligation to repay all debts. The debt could be material, or an act of kindness. Bahá’ís must be careful to befriend Japanese seekers in a way that will not make it seem an obligation to accept the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
—Gift-giving, in Japan, is a method of introducing oneself into a new community. It solidifies friendships. But it is the Japanese custom to open the gift in privacy, as a family thing, not in the presence of the giver.
—The Japanese concept of God differs from our western concept. The Japanese seeker may respond more positively, initially, to social teachings of the Faith, such as the importance of the family, respect for one’s elders and for authority, group cooperation and the spiritual solutions to economic problems. The biological and spiritual connection to one’s ancestors, which is described in the Bahá’í Writings, may be very attractive to the Japanese seeker, as the Japanese believe in a continuity of family which spans centuries.
—Bahá’í ethical teachings, such as the acquiring of divine virtues: humility, severance, dedication, modesty, cleanliness, chastity, are also central to Japanese culture.
—Bahá’ís could learn more about Japanese culture and teach the Faith by joining Japanese cultural societies. Bahá’ís who have time could offer to help Japanese guests learn English.
Mr. Imagire stressed that the friends do not have to be experts on Japanese culture; the most important technique, he said, is “living the life.”
Cont. from page 4
family sent its representative to the central part of the village. “There were no electric lights,” said Mr. M. “We had moonlight, so we spoke there about the Faith.”
That night, the village became a Bahá’í village. “I could see from their eyes that they were very touched,” Mr. M. explained. “They are innocent and pure. When we talk about the principles of love and unity and what Bahá’u’lláh has brought, they are touched by these Teachings.”
After his first year there, another pioneer joined Mr. M. The new young man, Mr. A., was one of Mr. M.’s childhood friends. Together, they planned more tribal teaching, remembering that “the prospect of teaching among the tribes was assured by the Guardian.”
Mr. M. and Mr. A. enjoyed working together, “giving courage to each other and correcting each other. We could see from two different perspectives. We could set up a good pattern and a good way of approaching the natives.”
The two friends built a cottage in the village of new Bahá’ís. They lived there for six months, educating the children, deepening the believers, and teaching in nearby villages. In a few months they had raised up “about a thousand believers.”
They did it with love. The pioneers had no literature, but some prayers and Teachings were translated into the tribal language. “When we refer to the Writings we can see the Guardian stressed the importance of the native believers,” Mr. M. said. “He said they formed the bedrock of the community. On them the Faith must stand. But sometimes, unfortunately, the pioneers, when they go to an area, because they love the Faith so much and they want everything to be perfect, put themselves in the front and do everything themselves. Therefore the local believers, being polite and humble, just follow what they say. Rather, they (the pioneers) should educate them and let them carry on the work, let them be the chairmen of the conventions and conferences and Assemblies, let them be the secretaries and take the administrative work in hand, let them become the teachers, let them take over the responsibilities so that when they (the pioneers) leave, the work will be continued. Otherwise, they have just been followers.”
Cont. from page 3
Pictures of the House of Worship in Wilmette won admiration. Some lawyers who had previously been guests of the State Department on visits to America said they had been taken to visit the Temple, with several speaking of the unforgettable gardens.
Although it was not known until three days before the conference that a booth would be available, the efficient staffing of this booth by Bahá’ís from the Baltimore-Washington area and the materials connected with peace, women’s rights, and the oneness of mankind helped to make this a memorable teaching vehicle, with proclamation to persons of eminence in their own countries in a way not ordinarily possible.
One judge from Taiwan mentioned that he and his wife had visited the House of Worship in Wilmette three years earlier, but their party had not understood what the Temple represented. He noted the word “Bahá’í” on Dr. Dorothy Nelson’s card and asked for an explanation, expressing delight when he learned the connection.
He left for Taiwan with explanatory material on the Bahá’í Faith and a copy of the edition of Sing Tao Jih Pao, a Chinese newspaper published in New York and San Francisco, which carried a Chinese translation of the Bahá’í advertisement in Life magazine. It was this same judge who, in a session on disarmament, spoke of the necessity for finding a spiritual foundation upon which peace could be established. When this statement brought sharply critical questions from other delegates, he turned to the Bahá’í lawyer in this group, Kiser Barnes, and asked if he would come to the microphone and speak on this issue. That was a memorable moment in a memorable conference.
Education[edit]
How to use drama as a learning tool in training of children[edit]
Third in a Series
Drama is one of the most exciting of the arts. It provides an avenue through which children can learn and understand the teachings of the Faith. Participation in such an activity within the Bahá’í community should be viewed as a learning process. The emphasis is not on performance. Rather, the emphasis is on learning the Faith through drama in a classroom. Dramatic play, story dramatization, the use of puppets, and role-play help children understand the Teachings.
In a letter to a believer, dated August 19, 1951, the Guardian stated: “The Faith can certainly be dramatized, but two things must be remembered: no personal presentation of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh or the Master, only their Words can be used, but no figure must represent Them; great dignity must be the keynote.”
In dramatic play, a child relives familiar experiences and explores new ones. In spontaneous, imaginative play, the child is unconsciously dramatizing. In dramatic play the child puts himself in the place of the policeman, the fireman, the farmer, etc. He is not pretending, but reflecting his understanding of the situations around him. Dramatic play is most noticeable from kindergarten through third grade.
Boys and girls do not have to be taught dramatic play. Teacher planning, however, is necessary to make it successful. For example, a teacher might instruct a group of five-year-olds: “Let’s have a Feast. What kind of things do we do at a Feast?” A variety of answers, from “pray” to “eat cookies,” can be expected. Through questioning, the teacher points out the need for manners, politeness, and love.
Teachers can provide the children with a rich background of information related to various aspects of Bahá’í life. In the above example, a teacher could use a flip chart available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust entitled “The Nineteen Day Feast” to provide the children with information about Feast. It is from this background material that the dramatization will grow.
The value of dramatic play lies in the process of playing rather than in the finished performance. It should not be extensively directed, otherwise children will reduce their own creative activity and understandings. This simple form of “make believe” is a powerful learning tool. Children will learn how to consciously exemplify various qualities, roles, and situations in life.
Creative Dramatics[edit]
Creative dramatics includes all types of informal drama improvised by the players. Instead of memorizing speeches and acting out specific parts, the children develop plays out of their own thoughts, imagination, or emotions. The combination of thought and physical action increases learning.
A story should be chosen to dramatize. But it should be exciting so the children are emotionally stirred. To do this, the story must be geared to the developmental level of the children producing the play. At seven and eight years old, the enjoyment of fairy tales is at its height. A story like “The Wonder Lamp,” available on cassette recordings from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, could be effective with this age group. The nine, ten, and eleven-year-old enters what is called the heroic period. This is an excellent time to study early heroes of the Faith. The twelve, thirteen, and fourteen-year-old enters the idealistic stage. Stories dealing with such virtues as friendship, loyalty, and courage are particularly effective at this age. However, regardless of the age of the children, the stories should be short enough to emphasize comprehension rather than memory.
The teacher and the class should read the story and discuss its dramatic values. Class members should familiarize themselves with each character in the play. The play then should be performed several times with children taking turns in the various roles. Afterward, they can discuss their thoughts and feelings. Through analysis and interpretation of characters in the play, the children’s understandings of people and situations grow.
Resource material for such projects abounds. Some specific Bahá’í resources are: The Dawnbreakers, Memorials of the Faithful, The Flame, Fire on the Mountain-Top, and stories of the early American believers from volumes of Bahá’í World or Bahá’í News
Structured Dramatization[edit]
Structured dramatization is a play that has been written. Children can either memorize the lines or read them as they “walk out” the play.
For Bahá’í classes, dramatizations involving social problems can be especially useful. They help build values, appreciations, and understandings. Such dramas can be written by upper-grade children after class discussion. The discussion helps all the children to clarify and develop their values.
Excellent resource guides for prepared scripts are, An Index to One Act Plays and Best Church Plays, found in the reference section of the public library.
Role Playing[edit]
This type of drama enables a child to experience another person’s feelings through play. By imitating words and actions, children come to feel like the part they are playing. For example, they can experience how a mother becomes angry at children who are disobedient. They also can feel what it is like to be sympathetic or loving. Through such imitations, children learn a great deal about human interaction. Feeling increases their ability to understand. Through empathy, they come to recognize another person’s point of view.
Role playing can be used in real-life situations. For instance, two young children may be quarreling over possession of a ball. Instead of moralizing, the teacher can ask each child to “become” the other and then give reasons why he claims ownership. When each child is asked to feel and act like his opponent, he is more likely to understand the other viewpoint. Children are often able to arrive at their own solutions.
Role playing also helps Bahá’í children practice Bahá’í reactions to situations. The teacher can structure a hypothetical problem and then have the children act out what they might do. For example, the teacher might inform the class that they are with a friend who steals some gum from a candy counter. The teacher then asks, “What would you do?” Such situations give Bahá’í children opportunities to experience the difficulty of leading the Bahá’í life. They also help children gain the support of Bahá’í peers in finding solutions to real-life problems.
Child education program planned[edit]
A major effort to upgrade the quality of the education of Bahá’í children will get under way in December.
About 25 persons will be trained at a five-day Child Education Institute at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute beginning December 27. Materials have been developed and will be presented by the National Education Committee.
The Institute will be the first in a series of such training sessions which will be held throughout the country by next summer. The persons trained, all involved in or associated with education, will be available to Local Spiritual Assemblies to conduct local child education programs.
In its Naw-Rúz 1974 message outlining the Five Year Plan, The Universal House of Justice said: “The education of children in the Teachings of the Faith must be regarded as an essential obligation of every Bahá’í parent, every local and national community, and it must become a firmly established Bahá’í activity during the course of this Plan. It should include moral instruction by word and example and active participation by children in Bahá’í community life.”
The purpose of the Institutes is to spur the achievement of that goal. The participants will spend three days exploring such subjects as the development of curriculum and materials, setting objectives, planning activities, knowing how to teach, discipline, development of children, the participation of children in Bahá’í community life, the rights of children, the role of the parent, and the role of the trainer. They will also spend two days working with 15 children to test the techniques discussed.
The joy of Bahá’í study and play[edit]
The second session of the summer children’s program at the Louis Gregory Institute in Hemingway, South Carolina, was much larger than the first because many children so loved the first session that they begged their parents to also enroll them in the second. Nineteen children attended the first session, and thirty-four attended the second.
They studied on the beach, in meadows, and in classrooms. They visited sick Bahá’ís in nearby communities, did dishes, made beds, swept, cleaned the yard, and took out the trash. They played games and did arts and crafts.
When they returned to their homes, the children joyously helped deepen many adult believers, thus expanding the energizing influence of the Institute, which is truly a collective center for the Bahá’ís of the South.
These energies also resulted in the formation of a local youth club near the Institute. The club grew out of the youth’s enthusiasm for a summer work project in which they made teaching aids for fellow-students at the Institute and cultivated vegetable gardens which supplied delicious food. They also helped build a new addition to the Institute, mowed lawns, cut wood, painted, repaired, and cleaned.
The enthusiasm was evident at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute last summer as children and youth engaged in study, work, and play. Many of the children attended both sessions.
[Page 11]
Cont. from page 10
Puppets[edit]
The term puppet refers to any type of doll or artificial figure that is manipulated by a puppeteer. Puppets are versatile and are suitable to any age. They dramatize any situation that appeals to the imagination. In addition, they help the child overcome shyness by getting his mind off himself.
There are many kinds of puppets and ways in which they can be used to teach the Faith. Hand or stick puppets are most practical for children from ages 3-8. For example, using a table as a stage, children can crouch behind it to illustrate a basic principle like honesty. After a short introduction to the lesson, children can enact “a lie” and show the results of such an act through the use of puppets. Follow-up discussion is useful to help the children gain a clear understanding of what honesty is and why ‘Abdu’l-Bahá calls it “the foundation of all human virtues.” The puppets then act out the Bahá’í approach to the problem. Paper bag puppets can be used to dramatize stories or solve story problems. These puppets can “perform” with a kleenex box or shoe box acting as a small stage. In this way, two children can present shows to one another.
Older children can use paper mache puppets which they can construct themselves. The children can be encouraged to invent a character to help them solve a real-life problem with which they closely identify. For example, a puppet can find itself in a situation where his favorite friends are engaged in backbiting. The puppet doesn’t want to lose his friend and yet he knows what the Writings say. The puppet expresses his feelings and explores Bahá’í solutions to the problem.
The following plays can be found at most public libraries and address moral issues:
Dawson, Hester, Green World Tomorrow, 9-14; Lensky, Lanski Louis, Change of Heart, 11-14.
Terry, Alice, Gift of the Fairies, 7-11.
Mark, Mildred, Manners, 4-7.
Bueliu, Melony, The Blue Toadstool, 4-8; Hubert, Esther, Little White Cloud, 7-12; Roberts, Helen, The Lonely Fir Tree, 5-12.
Dottard, Richard E., We Fix It, 9-12; Sorenson, Grace, Dorothy’s Thanksgiving Party, 5-12.
Howard, Helen, I’ll Share My Fare, 8-12.
Dawson, Esther, World Tomorrow, 9-14; Long, Nellie, The Passing Cloud, 8-12; Shepard, Katherine, The Magpie Gully, 8-12.
Curtis, Agness Verril, Still Small Voice, 7-12; Sorenson, Grace, General Tests, 12-14.
Beula, Melony, Blue Toadstool, 4-8; Casey, Beatrice, Den of Discontent, 8-12; Nathan, Bertha, If Wishes Were Horses, 8-12; Spamer, Claribel, Prince With No Crown, 4-8.
Mark, Mildred, Manners, 4-7.
Parson, Margaret, Too Much of a Good Thing, 5-12.
Simonds, Natalie, Peter Rabbit, 5-9.
Lanski, Louis, Strangers in a Strange Land, 12-14.
Howard, Helen, Little Circus Donkey, 8-12; Leuser, Elenor, Tommy’s Adventure, 4-8.
Pathways to service[edit]
Many avenues open to youth[edit]
Many Bahá’í youth are asking questions about how they can best serve the Faith in winning the goals of the Five Year Plan and the Two Year Youth Program. Many of the questions concern opportunities for extended Bahá’í service and the possibility of combining pioneering and education.
Bahá’í youth will want to study The Universal House of Justice letter “Pathway of Service for Bahá’í Youth in Every Land” (Wellspring of Guidance, pages 152-154). The following may also be helpful, extracts from a letter written to a Bahá’í youth by the National Youth Committee:
Your letter implies that you intend to continue your education at some point. We strongly encourage you in this plan, so that you may acquire the training necessary to become a distinguished member of your chosen profession and to serve the Faith most effectively. If this is the case, you have 3 basic choices: 1) to defer further education while you devote yourself to special Bahá’í service; 2) to defer further education and find a job, while simultaneously serving the Faith in other ways; or 3) to continue your education immediately, combining schooling and other Bahá’í service.
If you were to choose the first option, you might consider, for example, enrolling in college and using the intervening months for full-time teaching or other special service.
If you were to undertake an extended teaching circuit at home or abroad, you would need enough money to pay for your food, some housing (in those places where Bahá’í community. For example, you and your transportation. In the United States this might involve $150 to $200 per month. International service would require approximately the same amount, plus your air fare to and from another country (which could add between $200 and $2,000, depending on the locality). It is quite likely that you would be able to stay with the friends in some of the places you visit. As for your age, 16 or 17 is certainly not too young to serve the Cause, but it may be too young to undertake a solo teaching trip to some parts of this country or the world. Final answers to these questions would depend on the itinerary you choose.
Another way to offer an extended period of service to the Cause is by assisting one Bahá’í community, for example, you might volunteer to a nearby Local Spiritual Assembly as a clerical assistant to its secretary, as a teacher of Bahá’í children, as a caretaker for the Bahá’í center, or for any other project needing manpower. If you could live at home while doing this, you would greatly reduce the costs involved. Alternatively, the Assembly for which you work might be able to find housing for you.
If you do wish to offer a period of extended, full-time service, it must last at least two months to fill the Two Year Youth Program domestic circuit teaching goal.
There are international teaching projects now being planned for next year. The minimum age requirement for these formal projects (as opposed to teaching circuits) is normally 18 years.
The second possibility is for you to work and serve the Faith in other ways at the same time. This would be easiest within the United States, and would depend upon your particular skills. It is often difficult for youth who have just graduated from high school to find temporary employment, so you will have to look carefully. If you can find a job, however, it will make it possible for you to be self-supporting while you are serving the Faith.
We do not have a list of communities in need of Bahá’í youth. Whenever a youth moves to an existing Bahá’í community, he or she is counted as a Two Year Youth Program pioneer or circuit teacher, depending on the length of stay. You can be of service almost anywhere in the country, especially in the special Five Year Plan areas (California, Illinois, New York, and Washington, D.C.).
The third possibility, that of combining further schooling with special service to the Faith, may be best for you, particularly if you find that your age, your finances, or your lack of professional training limit your possibilities for extended service. You could continue your education immediately, or, as we have suggested above, spend a few months in full-time Bahá’í service and then enroll in a college or vocational training program.
One advantage of this approach is that it can help you to pioneer to a goal area, at home or abroad. You can win goals at almost any college in the United States. You should particularly consider colleges in goal areas and/or colleges where you can form a Bahá’í club. We suggest that you first examine various schools, perhaps with the help of your guidance counselor, to determine which are most interesting to you in terms of your background, interests, abilities, and financial situation. Once you have narrowed down the choice to a short list, send the names to us and we will tell you the status of each school: whether there is a Bahá’í club there, what opportunities for Bahá’í service exist in that community, etc.
Studying abroad is an excellent pathway to service. It is difficult to gain admission to a foreign university until you have completed at least two years of college in the United States. You can, however, choose an American college that has programs of study abroad. Many schools offer their students a chance to study in an affiliated university in some foreign country for at least a year; this is an excellent way to pioneer. Again, your guidance counselor may be able to suggest specific schools or programs which we can then help you evaluate.
You must review your situation and the alternatives you face, explore those possibilities which interest you, consult with your Local Spiritual Assembly, and pray for guidance.
It is never easy to plan a life of utmost service to the Cause. There are many difficult decisions to be made. You should feel certain, however, that the Blessed Beauty will guide you to make your most effective contribution as long as you continue to offer Him your sincere and selfless desire to assist His beloved Cause.
Dates to remember[edit]
November 23 Feast of Qawl (Speech).
November 26 Day of the Covenant, Holy Day.
November 28 Anniversary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Holy Day, should be commemorated about 1 a.m.
December 1 Deadline for receipt of materials for January issue of The American Bahá’í.
December 5-6 Counsellor/Auxiliary Board Team Conference, New Haven, Conn. Counsellor Sarah Pereira, Auxiliary Board members David Smith and Adrienne Reeves. Hosted by the Local Spiritual Assembly of New Haven.
December 10 United Nations Human Rights Day.
December 12 Feast of Masá’il (Questions).
December 12 Proclamation, West Hollywood, Calif. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of West Hollywood.
December 13 Proclamation, Hillsboro, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of East Texas No. 1.
December 13-14 Love and Fellowship Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sponsored by the Continental Board of Counsellors for North American and the Auxiliary Board.
December 14 Proclamation, Mexia, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of East Texas No. 1.
December 19 India project begins. Sponsored by the International Goals Committee.
December 27-28 Teaching Conference, California State University at Long Beach. Student Union, 6101 East 7th Street, Long Beach, Calif. Sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly.
December 27-28 Teaching Conference, San Jose State College, Morris Daley Auditorium, 125 South 7th, San Jose, Calif. Sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly.
December 28-January 9 National Bahá’í Center work/study project. Sponsored by the National Youth Committee.
December 31 Feast of Sharaf (Honor).
January 8-12 National Bahá’í Center special visit program. (By invitation only.)
January 22-25 Pioneer Training Institute (by invitation only), National Center. Sponsored by International Goals Committee.
January 19 Feast of Sultán (Sovereignty).
House of Worship visitation Jan. 8-11[edit]
Another program of special organized visits to the House of Worship will be held January 8-11.
The program, limited to enrolled Bahá’ís, includes a tour of the National Center offices, Archives exhibit, presentations by National Spiritual Assembly members, special devotional programs, and lunch at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.
Housing has been reserved at the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge in nearby Skokie, Illinois, and transportation from the hotel to the National Center will be provided. Each participant will be responsible for his own meals.
Participation is limited to 30 Bahá’ís on a first come, first served basis. The housing fee is payable in advance and must accompany the registration form below.
News briefs[edit]
Advanced classes held at Riverside, Calif.[edit]
Lovers of Bahá’u’lláh and teachers of His Cause are being molded at the Advanced Bahá’í Education Classes at Riverside, Calif.
The monthly day-long classes are conducted by Saeid Khadivian, a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles.
The first series of these classes began in November 1972. Nine months were devoted to studying Bahá’í history. Of the 900 California Bahá’ís who enrolled in this initial series, many expressed satisfaction with the depth and breadth of knowledge gained.
In the second series of Advanced Bahá’í Education Classes, begun in October 1973, some 900 students in both northern and southern California committed themselves to daily reading of the Creative Word. Topics ranged from the Bahá’í World Commonwealth and the history of Islam to the background of the 12 major Bahá’í principles and their validity in terms of modern social science.
The current semesters of the Advanced Bahá’í Education Course, which began in March, are held at the University of California’s Riverside campus. This course will provide a two-year, extensive program of study in four six-month semesters. The first semester theme was “The Distinctive Character of Bahá’í Life.”
The goal of these classes, according to Mr. Khadivian, is to create lovers of Bahá’u’lláh and to develop Bahá’í teachers who are conversant with all the Writings and related books.
Crops are harvested at Green Acre School[edit]
During a special “Harvest Weekend” September 20-21 at Green Acre Bahá’í School, about 35 volunteers brought in the late crops from the Green Acre garden.
A special harvest dinner of turkey and trimmings with fresh-picked vegetables was served on Saturday night. The dining hall was decked with produce from the garden.
Members of the National Bahá’í Properties Committee who were meeting at Green Acre that weekend enjoyed the harvest and fellowship.
Jersey City Bahá’ís work against apathy[edit]
The worst large city in the United States in which to live, according to a federally sponsored survey, is Jersey City, New Jersey.
Four days after the survey was released, the Local Spiritual Assembly of Jersey City informed the National Spiritual Assembly that the report “is in no way a reflection on our small group of concerned Bahá’ís who are trying so hard to uphold the Banner of Bahá’u’lláh” in Jersey City.
“We Bahá’ís in Jersey City are hard-nosed, and have strong hands and tough minds, and the faith—all so necessary to carry on in the face of massive apathy on the part of our co-residents,” the letter continued.
An immediate reply on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly praised the Jersey City Bahá’í community as “a shining light in a sea of darkness.”
Each of 65 metropolitan areas was rated outstanding, excellent, good, adequate, or substandard in five general categories. Jersey City was rated substandard in three, adequate in one, and good in one.
Jersey City was rated substandard in social (racial equality, crime rate, population density), substandard in health and education (death rate, hospital beds, college graduates), substandard in economic (personal income, savings, unemployment), adequate in political (voting, government salaries, public service), and good in environmental (pollution, climate, parkland).
Youth march in Marlboro, Mass., parade[edit]
Bahá’í youth marched in the annual Marlboro, Mass., Labor Day parade. The entry, sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Westborough, Mass., consisted of two banners and a boy pulling a wagon with a globe on it. The banners said, “The world is getting smaller” and “The Bahá’í Faith unifies mankind.” More than 800 homemade flowers, with the attached quotation, “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens,” were distributed.
An estimated 10,000 persons saw the parade.
UNICEF calendar lists Bahá’í Holy Days[edit]
Four Bahá’í holy days—the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the Birth of the Báb, Riḍván, and Naw-Rúz—are again mentioned in the 1976 edition of the UNICEF wall calendar, an attractive and unique calendar which features drawings of children throughout the world.
In a section of the calendar entitled Holidays of Special Interest, the significance of Riḍván is concisely and accurately explained.
The calendar is available in English only for $1.25. They may be obtained from local United Nations Associations or you may order them from United States Committee for UNICEF, 331 East 38th Street, New York, NY 10016.
Nashville Assembly marks 40th anniversary[edit]
The Nashville, Tennessee, Bahá’í community joyously commemorated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Nashville with a special banquet crowning two days of special events, October 4-5.
The banquet was blessed with the presence of Auxiliary Board member Albert James, who was the first Bahá’í youth in Nashville; and Mrs. Maude Barnes, an original member of the first Local Spiritual Assembly. Mr. James was taught the Faith by the late Hand of the Cause of God Louis Gregory, who traveled throughout the South, sowing the seeds of the new springtime.
New Believers’ confab planned in Wisconsin[edit]
New Bahá’ís, and veterans, too, will gather for a “Heart O’Winter” New Believers’ Conference at the Holiday Acres Resort in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, January 23-25.
National Spiritual Assembly member William Maxwell will address the Conference, along with National Fund administrator Steve Jackson.
The Bahá’í Group of Oneida County is the host community for the Conference, which is sponsored by the Wisconsin-Michigan District Teaching Committee.
Accommodations will be limited so reservations should be received by January 2. For more information, or to make reservations, write: Bahá’í Faith, P.O. Box 783, Rhinelander, Wisconsin 54501.
Family Life Conference held at Renner, S.D.[edit]
A Bahá’í conducts a children’s class at a Family Life Conference held August 30-31 in Renner, South Dakota. Five South Dakota Bahá’í communities were represented at the conference, which was cosponsored by the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Sioux Falls and Mapleton Township.
Two Bahá’í Groups sponsor fair booth[edit]
An estimated 250 persons stopped to examine the Bahá’í booth and discuss the Faith at the Carroll County Fair in Georgia. The booth, sponsored by the Carrollton and Carroll County Bahá’í groups, was open on all four days of the fair, September 13-17. Many inquirers took pamphlets, the most popular being Prophecy Fulfilled.
The booth was planned and prepared very quickly by the two Bahá’í groups, who learned of the fair only two weeks before it began. Using a Bicentennial theme, the Bahá’ís decorated their booth with red, white, and blue. The focal point of the booth was a large copy of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Prayer for America, which attracted considerable attention.
The booth won a fifth-place ribbon and $50 prize money, which the two groups donated to a local nursing home. During the informal presentation to the home, the Bahá’ís conducted a sing-along and were enthusiastically invited to return.
Service Institute held at Fort Collins, Colo.[edit]
More than 50 Bahá’ís representing 19 communities in four states attended an Areas of Service Institute at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Sept. 12-13.
Janet Rubenstein and Marcia Mather of the International Goals Committee presented a slide program which outlined the goals won and the goals to be filled throughout the world by pioneers during the Five Year Plan.
John Conklin, representing the National Teaching Committee, spoke on the individual and the Five Year Plan.
Representatives of the District Teaching Committee of Colorado and Wyoming presented programs on pioneering and traveling teaching.
After the Institute, participants and guests enjoyed a potluck dinner at the Fort Collins Bahá’í Center. The events were sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Fort Collins.
Positions open at National Center[edit]
As the National Bahá’í Center continues to expand, the need for friends who can serve at the National Center is growing. Applications are now being sought to fill certain immediate positions and to prepare for future openings. Some of these areas include the following:
Executive Secretaries: Required skills include fast, accurate typing; good shorthand; knowledge of filing systems; ability to compose letters; and administrative experience within the Faith. Applicants should have a minimum of two years experience.
Administrative Support: Requires extensive clerical skills; ability to handle dictation; good grasp of letter composition; and administrative experience within the Faith. Experience with automatic typewriters would be helpful.
Data Entry Clerk: Basic duties would include key entry and verification. Experience with keypunch, keytape, key disc, or floppy disc is desirable.
Activities and Program Coordinators: Duties would include developing, scheduling, and monitoring a variety of activities relating to a specific committee mandate. Must enjoy personal contact, be skilled in oral and written presentations; have the ability to handle a diversity of job assignments; and have administrative experience within the Faith.
Records Coordinator: Duties would include the development and coordination of the Secretariat records room. Must have experience in library or records management and some administrative experience within the Faith. Experience with microfilm would be desirable.
Mail Room Assistant: Basic duties include the routing and distribution of mail throughout offices at the National Center. Must be in good health and capable of strenuous physical activity. Knowledge of postal regulations and experience in a mail room are preferred.
If you have a sincere desire to serve the Faith and feel that your ability and experience qualify you for any of these areas, send your resume and a letter of recommendation from your Local Spiritual Assembly to: Personnel Affairs Assistant, National Bahá’í Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
College club sponsors display in library[edit]
This is one of the displays sponsored by the Bahá’í Club of New Mexico Junior College. The materials were displayed in the library at the college in Hobbs, New Mexico.
The club was formed recently by Dick and Pauline Hoff, second and third from left, who enrolled in a Spanish class at the college. The club’s college sponsor is Oran Hatch, left, the librarian.
Music, groups sought for Alaska Conference[edit]
A musical program is being prepared for the International Teaching Conference to be held in Anchorage, Alaska, July 23-25, 1976.
The International Conference Committee has asked the music groups or individual musicians who have set some of the Bahá’í Writings to music, or who have composed original songs expressing a Bahá’í sentiment, to please send a cassette of a selection of their music to:
- Victor A. Wong, Music Coordinator
- Bahá’í International Conference Committee
- 1601 Nunaka Drive
- Anchorage, Alaska 99504
Persons who plan to attend the Conference and are interested in performing have been asked to send a brief description of their group to the above address. A reply will be made directly to all groups informing them whether they have been selected to perform.
Couple is sought to manage Center[edit]
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Washington, D.C., is seeking a mature married couple to live in and manage the Washington Bahá’í Center.
The couple should be experienced homeowners or property managers and flexible enough to meet the needs of a large Bahá’í community. Couples interested should send their resume to: Local Spiritual Assembly of Washington, 5713 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20011.
Quebec City to host French Conference[edit]
Le Comite d’Enseignement Bahá’í, on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, invites French-speaking American Bahá’ís to their upcoming national Teaching Conference in Quebec City, the heart of French Canada, December 27-28. The Conference will be conducted entirely in French.
The purpose of the Conference is to stimulate and consolidate French-speaking Bahá’ís in teaching the Cause. Recently, two French-speaking American Bahá’ís from Connecticut traveled through Quebec on teaching trips, bringing great joy to the believers there.
Upon learning of this innovative conference, the International Teaching Center wrote, “... our hearts and thoughts will be with you on those days, and we will offer prayers at the Holy Shrines for the complete success of this historic gathering.”
For further information, contact: Comite d’Enseignement Bahá’í, 1042 des Erables, Quebec 6, P.Q. G1R 2M9, telephone 418-681-2559.
How to subscribe to Bahá’í News[edit]
In recent months, subscribers to Bahá’í News have been enjoying inspiring and informative articles and reports on the progress of the Faith around the world.
Recent articles have included:
—Progress report on work at the site of The Universal House of Justice Building.
—A complete report on Bahá’í participation at the International Women’s Year World Conference in Mexico City.
—The significance of Mount Carmel and the Tablet of Carmel by the Hand of the Cause of God Dhikru’lláh Khádem.
—A two-part series on the journey of friendship of the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum to the Indian tribes of South America.
—‘Ishqábád: the first House of Worship raised in Bahá’u’lláh’s name.
—A historical overview of the Faith in India.
In addition, reports have been published on activities in such areas as Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Portugal, Zaire, Liberia, Ghana, Malawi, Iran, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Bolivia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia, Windward Islands, and Leeward and Virgin Islands.
To join the growing group of Bahá’í News subscribers, simply complete and mail the coupon below, enclosing the proper payment.
Bahá’í News is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly.
Ferry trip takes Bahá’ís to Institute[edit]
To attend the Reflect and Arise Institute, sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of San Juan Island during September, 25 Bahá’ís traveled by ferry to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, off the coast of northwest Washington.
The two-day, closed-campus program included dawn prayers in a local park, which was also the site of a noon picnic and traditional island salmon bake, and sessions on prayer and meditation, pilgrimage and the Guardianship, Bahá’í law, Bahá’í administration, and pioneering. Auxiliary Board member Opal Conner conducted a class on “Our Obligation to Teach.”
Faith is proclaimed at Jeffersontown, Ky.[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Jefferson County, Kentucky, participated in Jeffersontown’s annual Gaslight Festival by distributing Bahá’í materials. The festival, held September 6-7, was attended by about 10,000 people.
This activity was part of the Jefferson County Bahá’ís’ proclamation effort in Jeffersontown, which also included film showings in the public library, talks to women’s clubs and senior citizens’ clubs, and ads in the weekly newspaper.
Bahá’í books and materials[edit]
Materials for the Education of Children[edit]
“The Supreme Pen enjoins upon all to instruct and educate the children. ... He who educates his son, or any other’s children, it is as though he hath educated one of My children.”—Bahá’u’lláh
“The education of children in the teachings of the Faith must be regarded as an essential obligation of every Bahá’í parent, every local and national community, and it must become a firmly established Bahá’í activity during the course of this Plan.”—The Universal House of Justice
Second of a two-part series
The first segment of this two-part series (see September American Bahá’í) described a number of books which parents and teachers of Bahá’í children's classes could use in educating their children. This final segment describes Star Study Program materials which may be used for teaching children and suggests special materials—posters, photo prints, plaques, postcards, and cassette tapes—which may be used to create a Bahá’í atmosphere in children’s rooms and throughout the home.
Star Study Program
Families can use the cassette tapes at right to learn stories and principles of the Faith together. Parents can decorate children’s rooms with colorful posters and postcards (far right). Star Study Program materials, identified by the Program’s logo at left, are helpful in the spiritual education of children as well as adults.
Star Study Program[edit]
All of the Star Study Program materials can be used successfully to educate children as well as adults. Some of these materials are described below:
Bahá’u’lláh
This captivating booklet covers the life and Writings of Bahá’u’lláh in nine brief and easy-to-read chapters. In general, children age nine and older can read Bahá’u’lláh themselves, while children under nine learn from having it read to them. Illustrated by Lori Block. 15 pp. 5½ x 8½ inches. Star Study Program.
7-64-50 paper.............$.40
The Local Spiritual Assembly
The Local Spiritual Assembly booklet describes the station, duties, and organization of the Local Spiritual Assembly as well as the institution’s relationship with the believers and other features of its operations. By reading the booklet or having it read to them, children begin to develop a reverence and love for the Spiritual Assembly. Handsomely illustrated by Gordon Laite. 17 pp. 5½ x 8½ inches. Star Study Program.
7-64-58 paper.............$.40
The Nineteen Day Feast
The Nineteen Day Feast flip chart explains the Feast simply, using both words and pictures. Excellent for teaching children (and new believers) about the purpose of the Feast and the way it is celebrated. Children can participate by adding color to the black and white line drawings. Illustrated by Dale Martin. 10¾ x 15½ inches. 45 pp. Star Study Program.
6-56-50.............$6.00
Bahá’í Felt Lessons
Bahá’í Felt Lessons are designed to present basic teachings of the Faith by means of analogies—a teaching technique frequently used by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Children learn quickly and easily as the parent or teacher uses colorful felt pieces and a simply written script to teach important concepts such as the oneness of religion and the elimination of prejudice.
Each felt lesson contains the following: pieces of uncut felt; a pattern sheet with adhesive backing and directions for making felt figures; a script to be read with each lesson (much like the narration for a filmstrip program); and a teacher’s guide containing many suggestions for activities both before and after the felt lesson is presented.
Two of the lessons are described below:
The Oneness of Religion felt lesson teaches that the different religions of the world—like lamps of different shapes which shed the same light—are in reality one religion. Star Study Program.
6-56-76.............$3.00
Spiritual Growth felt lesson compares man’s spiritual growth with the growth of a plant. For example, the human soul will bear the “fruits” of virtuous conduct only as a result of “nourishment” from the Word of God. Star Study Program.
6-56-78.............$3.00
Felt Lessons Kit includes all four of the felt lessons—the two described above as well as The Elimination of Prejudice and The Station of the Manifestation (6-56-77 and 6-56-79, $3.00 each)—plus a felt background at a reduced price. Star Study Program.
6-56-75.............$10.50
Felt Background is available separately for those who purchase individual felt lessons rather than the Felt Lessons Kit. Blue, 18 x 18 inches. Star Study Program.
6-56-84.............$.75
Greatest Name Plaques[edit]
The symbol of the Greatest Name is displayed in a dignified manner in Bahá’í homes throughout the world. The symbol means “Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá” or “O Glory of the All-Glorious,” a phrase often used to appeal to God for assistance. Several inexpensive Greatest Name Plaques—excellent for children’s rooms—are available:
Greatest Name Plaque, black on white stock, 7½ x 10 inches.
6-64-03.............$.30; 5/$1.25
Greatest Name Plaque, gold on white stock, 7½ x 10 inches.
6-64-04.............$.30; 5/$1.25
Greatest Name Plaque, black on white stock, 3 x 4 inches, printed explanation on reverse side.
6-64-05.............5/$.50; 20/$1.50
Photo Prints of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá[edit]
The Publishing Trust carries a number of photo prints of the Master—prints which make ideal additions to children’s rooms. Note: Photo prints are fine screen halftone photo reprints—not photographs. Specially reprinted as a less expensive but high-quality substitute for photographs, the photo prints feature wide borders and are excellent for framing. For a complete listing of photo prints, see your local Bahá’í librarian.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá sepia-tone reprint (front, same picture as in The Secret of Divine Civilization), 8 x 10 inches.
6-75-13.............$.35; 10/$1.50; 20/$2.50
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Chicago, 1912 (standing, holding flower). 6¼ x 9¼ inches.
6-75-17.............$.30; 10/$1.00; 20/$1.75
Home Decorations[edit]
To help create a Bahá’í atmosphere in the home, parents can decorate children’s rooms with a variety of posters, photographs, and other visual media. Some suggested materials follow:
Fluorescent 20-poster assortment
This bright and colorful assortment includes four each of five posters entitled “Investigation of Truth,” “Oneness of Mankind,” “Leaves of One Tree,” “Race Unity,” and “What is a Bahá’í?” The posters feature simple drawings by Joan Ucello on 8½ x 11-inch fluorescent-colored paper. Excellent for children’s rooms.
6-58-13 assortment.............$2.50
Bahá’í Faith Unifies Mankind poster
A brilliant blue poster with yellow, green, and aqua sun symbolizing the dawn of a new day. The colors will brighten any room in the house! 15 x 19¾ inches.
6-58-32.............$.50; 10/$2.50; 500/$100.00
1967 Conference jumbo postcard
Children gain an appreciation for the diversity of the Bahá’í Faith by seeing this 6 x 9-inch card with photos of Bahá’ís in Uganda, Panama, India, and the U.S.
6-46-03.............$.20; 10/$1.50; 50/$6.50
Bahá’í Temples colorprint set
This economically priced colorprint set includes full-color prints of each of four Houses of Worship—Frankfurt, Kampala, Sydney, and Wilmette. Printed on 11½ x 12½-inch card stock with border and legend for display or framing.
6-71-00 set of four.............$2.00; 10/$15.00
Music for Children[edit]
Many children love to hear music playing in the background, both during the day and at bedtime. A few examples:
Fire and Snow
A recording of sixteen original compositions by Bahá’í composers, including “World Citizens,” “Dawn Song,” “New Wind Blowing,” “Bahá’u’lláh,” and the title song “Angels of Fire and Snow.” The songs can contribute to a peaceful Bahá’í atmosphere in the home. 45 minutes.
6-30-37 cassette.............$3.75
Bahá’í Victory Chorus
Bahá’í Victory Chorus features eighteen selections which announce the advent of world peace and unity. The recording includes arrangements of prayers and passages from the Bahá’í Writings as well as original compositions. Several of the songs make soothing lullaby music. Directed by Russ Garcia. 31 minutes.
6-30-38 cassette.............$3.75
6-35-01 12’’ LP .............$3.50
Selected Writings—Exciting New Resources for Teaching[edit]
“The selections included in this small volume are but a drop out of the fathomless Ocean which has flowed from the pen of Bahá’u’lláh. It is hoped that the reader will be inspired to immerse himself more fully in that sea of divine knowledge by going to the books from which these excerpts were chosen.”
Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi are two popular books which, now revised and redesigned, are available again for the first time in many years. (Selected Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is not yet available.) Distinguished by their convenient size and brief selections, these books are particularly inviting to seekers and Bahá’ís who, though interested, may be overwhelmed by more comprehensive volumes (such as Bahá’í World Faith). After exploring each book, the reader can use the list of references at the end to help him decide what to read next. Useful for all Bahá’ís, the Selected Writings books are highly recommended for personal teaching.
Many new items are available from the Publishing Trust this month. Among them are the 1976 Bahá’í calendars (above), Selected Writings (of Bahá’u’lláh and Shoghi Effendi, center), A Manual for Pioneers (upper right), and a new poster on the equality of men and women (lower right). Complete descriptions are given below.
New Bahá’í Literature[edit]
Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, completely revised and redesigned, is arranged in six sections, including passages on “The Day of God,” “God and His Manifestations,” “The Path to God,” “Unity, Peace and Justice,” “The Soul of Man,” and “The Covenant Renewed.” The volume, though small, answers many questions and will inspire the reader to investigate further. An excellent gift for seekers and newly enrolled Bahá’ís. Light blue cover designed by Conrad Heleniak. 4½ x 6½ inches. 37 pp., references.
7-03-23 paper.........$0.50; 10/$4.50
Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi
Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi has also been revised and redesigned. Containing twenty-one selections from the Guardian’s writings, the book is arranged in thirteen sections, including “The Báb,” “‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” “‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Testament,” “Difference Between Bahá’í Faith and Ecclesiastical Organizations,” and “The Radiant Future.” A compact and thorough summary of the history and aims of the Bahá’í Faith, Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi is excellent for both teaching and deepening. Light blue cover designed by Conrad Heleniak. 4½ x 6½ inches. 36 pp., references.
7-08-43 paper.........$0.50; 10/$4.50
A Manual for Pioneers
by Rúḥíyyih Rabbani
Here is a new book which Bahá’í teachers everywhere will read for its practical, no-nonsense approach to pioneering for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. Written by a person whose wide travels uniquely qualify her for such an undertaking—the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum—A Manual for Pioneers covers everything from “Where to Pioneer” and “What to Do When You Get There” to “Tribal and Local Customs” and “Eating and Other Habits.” The book’s forty-eight sections also cover such basic topics as visas, sanitary facilities, common illnesses and hazards, and food. A Manual for Pioneers is a must for those planning to pioneer now and in the future, whether to fulfill goals of the Five Year Plan or of subsequent plans. Bahá’í Publishing Trust of India. 5¾ x 8 inches. 228 pp.
7-68-29 paper.........$3.00
1976 Calendars[edit]
Bahá’í Date Book, 1976
The 1976 Bahá’í Date Book serves as a handy reminder of all Feasts and Holy Days as well as of important meetings and appointments. This year’s Date Book—with an attractive blue cover—provides a full Gregorian calendar for the thirteen months from January 1976 through January 1977. Feast days are shaded for easy identification, and Holy Days are marked with nine-sided rosettes. Detailed information about the meaning of the Bahá’í calendar and notes on special observances and days on which work is suspended are included. Each page contains excerpts from Bahá’í writings. Calendar weeks begin with Monday, putting the two weekend days together for easier planning. A convenient section for names and addresses is provided. On the last page of the Date Book appear full calendars for the three years 1975, 1976, and 1977. Printed on the inside of the back cover is a listing of special events days and U.S. legal holidays. 32 pages, 3⅝ x 6⅜ inches.
6-69-26.........$0.50; 10/$4.50
Bahá’í Wall Calendar, 1976
The 1976 wall calendar features a beautiful color photograph of the approach to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí, the Qiblih of the Bahá’í world. Bahá’í months are indicated within the Gregorian months by alternating blocks of green and orange numerals. Feast days and Holy Days are indicated by circles and squares around the numerals. Detailed information on special observances is printed on the back of the calendar. Printed on 8½ x 11-inch white card stock, the calendar is a decorative addition to all Bahá’í homes, helps create a Bahá’í atmosphere in children’s rooms, and is an effective silent teacher at the office.
6-69-36.........$0.25; 10/$2.00; 25/$4.50
Bahá’í Pocket Calendar, 1976
Designed to fit conveniently in purse or billfold, the 1976 Bahá’í pocket calendar indicates all Feasts and Holy Days. The back of the calendar lists Bahá’í Holy Days, noting which ones require suspension of work; the intercalary days; and the days of fasting. Blue, 2⅜ x 3⅝ inches.
6-69-56.........$0.10; 5/$0.25; 25/$1.00
New Special Materials[edit]
The Bahá’í Faith:
An Approach to the Equality of Men and Women poster
This handsome new poster on the Bahá’í teachings on the equality of men and women can be used to spark interest in the Bahá’í Faith in your locality. The quotation from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—printed in both English and Spanish—begins with the words: “Humanity is like a bird with its two wings.” The block in the upper right provides space for information on the title of your program, speaker, time, date, and location. Printed on 100 lb. enamel stock, white on black. 18 x 24 inches.
6-58-75.........$0.50; 10/$4.00; 30/$10.50
Shrine of the Báb Notecard (day)
Sending a note to someone? The new Shrine of the Báb notecard can lend a special touch to your message. Like the color notecards of the Houses of Worship, this new card is perfect for notes and invitations to all your friends, Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í. Envelopes included.
6-48-42 box of 15.........$2.25
| Excavation at House of Justice Building site on schedule | World Law Conference hears words of the Master | Commitment: Bahá’ís learn what it means at Green Lake |
| See Page 1 | See Page 2 | See Page 5 |