The American Bahá’í/Volume 6/Issue 12/Text
| ←Previous | The American Bahá’í December, 1975 |
Next→ |
 Proofread onceReturn to PDF view
|
Arise, teach the Cause, individuals urged at National Teaching Conferences[edit]
Illinois[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly feels that the time has come for “a new explosion in the Cause in the United States,” began Glenford E. Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly and first speaker for the Each One Teach One National Teaching Conference in Joliet, Illinois, Nov. 1-2.
Mr. Mitchell recalled the exhortation of the beloved Master that the friends should “organize and institute” meetings for the “diffusion of the fragrances of God ...” and said, “We are now met in accordance with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wish.”
Mr. Mitchell stressed that we are living in the Day which is the purpose of the whole creation, and we are feeling the reverberations, the tremor of the announcement of this glorious Day. “We are the people of the New World Order,” he said, “it is not enough to be excited, to be happy ... we must be doing the business that will allow the New World Order to spread. It is not possible for the New World Order to be established unless there are people who believe in the principles, the laws, the efficacy of that New World Order ... It is not sufficient for us to satisfy numerical goals. Entry into the Faith by troops,” Mr. Mitchell said, “is the real goal of the Five Year Plan for Illinois, New York, and California, three of the states visited by the Master during His trip to this country in 1912.”
And what does entry into the Faith by troops mean? “It means that the next time we meet, this auditorium will be much too small,” Mr. Mitchell explained. “It means that Local Spiritual Assemblies will have to form committees, staffs to enroll people who come in during this Plan. It means that the people of Illinois and the entire nation will get a glimpse of the Kingdom of God — a glimpse which they sorely need.”
Mr. Mitchell pointed out that we do not have to be experts to teach the Cause of God. “One simply has to believe and to know what he believes and then to have the compassion, the selflessness, the zeal to impart his new knowledge to someone else,” Mr. Mitchell said, and he added that we can repay those who taught us the Faith by passing the Teachings on to others.
Mr. Mitchell explained that all the plans are made. “The planning is done. Our National Spiritual Assembly has done all it can do. If individuals don’t respond, plans don’t bear fruit.” He said, “No teaching: no Local Spiritual Assemblies, no New World Order. The continued confusion of humanity, the continued corruption of humanity will not be stopped unless each arises to teach the Cause to somebody else.” Mr. Mitchell said that there are now 119 National Spiritual Assemblies in the world and over 70,000 Local Spiritual Assemblies, “but friends,” he said, “those are too few to reconstruct society. We must have more and more and more until the entire planet is suffused with the power of Bahá’u’lláh.” Quoting those Writings of Bahá’u’lláh which ensure divine assistance to any teacher of His Cause, Mr.
The emphasis at the National Teaching Conferences held Nov. 1-2 at Joliet, Illinois, and Brockport, New York, was the individual and his responsibility to teach the Cause. These faces show the type of inspired response which followed. As Firuz Kazemzadeh, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, put it, “In the last analysis, it is the Bahá’í individual who will determine the destiny of the Cause.”
New York[edit]
“The pressure Bahá’ís are facing in the world today is the pressure of the unfoldment of God’s will in the world,” declared Auxiliary Board member Peter Khan when he addressed the “Each One, Teach One” Conference in Brockport, New York, the weekend of Nov. 1-2.
“After visiting 20 countries during a six-month sabbatical leave this past year, I can assure you that there are many opportunities for the spread of the Faith now, which may not exist in a few years’ time. The collapse of the old world and the building of the New World Order means that Bahá’ís are being called to transcend themselves and achieve a new response to the will of God.”
This feeling of opportunity now, in the face of a questionable future, was evident throughout the Conference. One after another, the speakers brought to the attention of their hearers the exceptional freedom we enjoy to publicize the Faith, to teach it openly and to distribute the Writings. Counsellor Sarah Pereira of the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America, Firuz Kazemzadeh and Magdalene Carney of the National Spiritual Assembly, and Eileen Norman, secretary of the National Education Committee, were warmly applauded as they underlined the many opportunities now existing for attracting ardent believers to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
“Bahá’ís living in New York state enjoy a special blessing, in that New York City is the City of the Covenant,” Dr. Kazemzadeh pointed out to the more than 200 Bahá’ís from New York and six adjacent states who gathered for the Conference.
“New York City plays an important part in the life of the state and country, but to Bahá’ís its special significance is that it was here the Master announced Himself to be the Center of the Covenant. Some of the most important pronouncements He made during His visit were made in New York City, and the blessing of His presence in this area will surround all of our teaching efforts here.”
Dr. Pereira recalled the distinction of the service rendered by early Bahá’ís in New York state, urging that each person attending the Conference return home prepared to “teach one, or more” during the coming year. “Some of the earliest Local Spiritual Assemblies in the country were established in this state,” she recalled, “and many great teaching events have taken place here.”
Dr. Pereira reminded her listeners that the Plans given by The Universal House of Justice are “definitely within our ability to accomplish.” She spoke of her fellow Counsellors, “who remember all the Bahá’ís of this country in their prayers,” and urged that each Bahá’í rededicate himself to winning the goals of the current Plan.
Miss Carney shared some of the circumstances of her own introduction to the Bahá’í Faith, adding: “Through the loving persistence of my Bahá’í teacher, I was set on the road to investigating the teachings
|
Teaching tips
|
[Page 2]
New York Teaching Conference—continued from Page 1
and I am still investigating.” This note, of teaching in such a way that those who enroll in the Faith will be thirsty to study and deepen, was repeated by many of the speakers.
Newly assigned to New York state, Dr. Khan mentioned that this was his fourth weekend in a row in New York, adding that “it is one of the miracles of the Bahá’í community that we become close friends in a short time.”
Commenting on his recent travels, Dr. Khan said that he reached a certain number of conclusions after this extensive trip, including:
1. “A feeling that the world is in much worse shape than I had thought. I read a variety of news magazines and newspapers each week, but the wide degree of anarchy and social breakdown, together with the specter of famine everywhere, is far worse than my reading suggested.”
2. “The Bahá’í community around the world is growing in strength far more than we know. Until you go to a country and experience the ethos of the Bahá’í community, seeing how it is shining in contrast to the rest of society, statistics do not mean too much. In traveling, you can more and more predict who are the Bahá’ís, when you look into the faces of crowds in airports and railway terminals. In many countries, statesmen, leaders and the judiciary are becoming deeply aware of the Faith, no longer regarding it as a Utopian organization.”
3. “There seems to be a rise of repression in the world as more and more countries try to hold their society together by repressive measures. But this is accompanied by more opportunities for the spread of the Faith now. Where countries revert to dictatorships, it becomes more difficult to teach, but at present we have many teaching opportunities which may not recur.”
4. “There is one commodity in desperately short supply all over the world, and that is happiness. People are, to a very large degree, unhappy. The mass of humanity is descending into deeper and deeper levels of unhappiness, with significant economic problems facing every country. People experience a sense of loneliness as a result of alienation in our society and are deeply worried about the future their children will face.
“What is our responsibility as Bahá’ís? We are not here to pursue happiness, but this Faith will bring happiness, serenity and contentment to the world. It is the only way to achieve this for the planet.
“The goals of the Five Year Plan are very challenging,” he concluded. “Through the guidance and power released into the world by The Universal House of Justice, we can confidently expect these goals will be achieved. God will succeed. He is going to make it. But how will each one of us do in relation to the Will of God?
“I pray each of us may share in the victories!”
Commenting on the massive problems facing New York City, Dr. Kazemzadeh drew a parallel between its problems and those faced generally by American society today. “Racism, financial and economic disorganization, extremes of poverty and wealth, moral decline, alcoholism, drug addiction, crime, terrorism are all evident in New York City, as they are in many other parts of the country,” he said. “There is a sturdiness and steadiness present in rural areas of New York, but we must face the fact that provincial prejudices are also to be found there.
“It is in this setting that we look at New York as one of the three goal states for the Five Year Plan. Together with California and Illinois, New York must implement ‘more rapid expansion and more thorough consolidation.’ This is what the Five Year Plan is about.
“We want more Bahá’ís, better-prepared Bahá’ís, because a simple expansion of the Faith leaves us with a large number of cards, but not a large number of deepened, teaching Bahá’ís. In this Plan, the crucial task is faced by the individual. This is the most important aspect of this weekend’s conference, that we leave knowing the goals will be won by dedicated, individual believers who arise to win them.
“It is, of course, easy to shift responsibility to someone else. The Local Spiritual Assembly, the District Teaching Committee, the National Teaching Committee, the National Spiritual Assembly, but we must overcome our natural human lethargy, rise above the affluent and corrupt society in which we live, and accept that, in the last analysis, it is the Bahá’í individual who determines the destiny of the Cause. The institutions will not win these victories, but they can help to channel the energy and activities of the Bahá’ís to accomplish the specific goals of the Plan.”
Commenting on the qualifications necessary for teaching the Faith, he assured his listeners that attending graduate school or having professional teaching training is not requisite to this task.
“The obligation to teach the Faith is spread equally on every Bahá’í. One does not have to have a great deal of knowledge, for we know that many of the early martyrs had only a sentence or two of the Revelation, yet were willing to give their lives. Rather, it is the degree of dedication which will determine the response. ‘All must participate, no matter how humble their origin, however limited their experience, however restricted their means, however deficient their education, however pressing their cares and preoccupations, however unfavorable the environment in which they live,’ ” Dr. Kazemzadeh said, quoting from the words of the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi.
Dr. Kazemzadeh drew a distinction between the process of selling, “which is legitimate and brings rewards to the person who sells successfully,” and teaching the Faith, “which calls for self-sacrifice on the part of the teacher.
“Our motive must be pure,” he said, “for our teaching to reach the heart of others and win them to this Faith. Selling and teaching are not synonymous, for the motivation of one is to make a living, and of the other is to extend a priceless gift to one’s hearer.”
“Bahá’í teachers should go into spiritual training,” Miss Carney said.
“Constant attention to prayer and meditation, together with the translation of principles into action, should surely be part of the preparation of every Bahá’í for his mission as a teacher of the Faith. The three principal requisites given by the beloved Guardian in The Advent of Divine Justice—rectitude of conduct, a chaste and holy life, and freedom from racial prejudice—must be present if the teacher would win seekers to this Cause, who will in turn dedicate their lives and energy to the propagation of the Faith.”
“Our persistent, unquestioning friendship, even when people appear to be turned off about the Faith, will bring an eventual result,” declared Miss Carney. “Careful teaching will indeed prevent many of the problems in a community which often consume most of the time and energy of the Local Spiritual Assembly. When each of us comes into a community to teach, we ought to be sensitive to the culture of that community, dressing appropriately and conducting ourselves with dignity. When we interact intelligently with those we meet, showing respect for their environment and ways, we are more likely to win staunch believers to this Cause. It is the quality of the interaction between the teacher and the seeker that will largely decide the degree of his future dedication within the Faith.
“There is no reason why we should not succeed in following in the footsteps of our glorious predecessors,” she concluded.
During the first afternoon of the conference, Bahá’ís divided into workshop groups, to consult on ways to teach in one’s local community. Reporting on results of these workshops, Mrs. Norman said: “It is fascinating how much we have all shared the same experiences.”
Some of the suggestions made were:
- To have Bahá’í decorations in our homes, such as the Greatest Name or a photograph of the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
- Presenting Bahá’í literature to individuals for particular occasions, such as the special gift copy of A Fortress of Well Being to a couple on their marriage.
- To make more effort to observe Bahá’í Holy Days, through closing their own business or arranging to work for someone else at Christmas.
- To teach by listening. Find out what the other person’s interests are, and eventually speak to their own particular interest.
- To join civic organizations, such as garden clubs, Rotary, etc.
- To use Bahá’í topics for school papers or to offer to speak at school on Bahá’í topics.
- To carry Bahá’í literature on buses, street cars, and other public transportation.
- To create a Bahá’í attitude and atmosphere in our homes, with courtesy, hospitality and love evident to our visitors.
- To hold special parties for our children on the festive Holy Days.
- To say teaching prayers every morning, asking Bahá’u’lláh to give an opportunity for teaching every day.
Throughout the workshops, many ideas were contributed that dealt with proclamation, but workshop leaders tried to direct consultation to individual teaching, rather than the general offering of information to the public.
An area which attracted particular comment at this gathering was children’s classes. Parents were encouraged to participate fully in assisting this program, which brought the children to the front of the auditorium for the final session and permitted them to share some of their music with the friends.
A Hand of the Cause of God, Counsellors, an Auxiliary Board member, and members of the National Spiritual Assembly spoke at the important National Teaching Conferences in Illinois and New York. On facing page, the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem tells the friends at Joliet, Ill., to “turn to Bahá’u’lláh and beseech Him to use you” in teaching the Cause. The other speakers included, from left to right, Counsellors Sarah Pereira and Edna True of the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America; Auxiliary Board member Peter Khan; and National Spiritual Assembly members Magdalene Carney, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Charlotte Linfoot, and Glenford Mitchell. The speakers stressed the theme that individuals must know what they believe and then to have the compassion, the selflessness, the zeal to impart this knowledge about the Faith to someone else.
Appreciation for the support of the Brockport Local Spiritual Assembly in helping to arrange the meeting was expressed by Kathleen Javid, of the National Teaching Committee. She cited the need for increased teaching of Indians and minority persons in New York state to fulfill the goals of the Five Year Plan. “Only eight counties remain unopened in New York,” she said.
Members of the Western and Eastern New York District Teaching Committees were introduced. Music for the Conference was provided by the New Wind Singers.
[Page 3]
Illinois Teaching Conference—continued from Page 1
Mitchell exclaimed. “Think, friends, with what power your speech has been endowed!” He quoted the Master. “Rest ye assured that if a soul arises in the utmost perseverance and raises the Call of the Kingdom and resolutely promulgates the Covenant—be he an insignificant ant—he shall be enabled to drive away the formidable elephant from the arena, and if he be a feeble moth he shall cut to pieces the plumage of the rapacious vulture.”
“The vulture of the old world order is upon us,” Mr. Mitchell said, “it is gobbling up our children ... this is no joke ... There is no other plan. We have the plan, and we have detailed instructions.” He stressed that each has a unique approach to teaching, and when each one teaches one, we can reach every class of people. “The power to reach every stratum of society resides in you and in your power as an individual to make your own plan for bringing the Faith to your friends and acquaintances,” Mr. Mitchell explained. “Do you suppose that Martha Root had an exclusive claim on the power that enabled her to teach? You have a claim on that power.”
Mr. Mitchell held up an “Each One Teach One” booklet, a compilation of quotations on teaching from the Writings. The booklet was prepared by the National Teaching Committee to be given to each person at the teaching conferences. The booklets will also be distributed at follow-up conferences and will later be sold through the Publishing Trust. Mr. Mitchell raised the booklet and said, “This is the plan of God being put into your hands.” He reminded the friends that Christ told His disciples that He had much He wished to tell them but they could not bear it, and that Bahá’u’lláh says that the Holy Ones of the past long to return to earth, to aid His Cause on this plane, if only for a moment, in this glorious Day. “This is what Peter couldn’t bear!” Mr. Mitchell exclaimed. “Do it for Peter! He wants to come back ...”
After Mr. Mitchell’s talk, on Saturday afternoon, the friends dispersed for three-hour workshop sessions, seminars on teaching in which they shared personal teaching experiences and methods.
On Saturday evening, the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrulláh Khadem addressed the conference. He recalled Bahá’u’lláh’s announcement that the Prophetic Cycle is now ended. “The Prophets have filled their assignment,” he explained, “which was to bring the people forth from darkness into the light and remind them of the Days of God. All the Prophets taught the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, predicting His Coming, and our assignment is the same assignment as was given to the prophets of God.” Mr. Khadem quoted from the Book of Isaiah: “Arise, shine, for the light is come and the glory of the Lord is given unto thee ...” Then he said, “Isaiah advises us to become Bahá’ís!”
“Do we know the station of the believers?” he asked. “The beloved Guardian calls you the spiritual descendants of the Dawn-breakers. And what did the Dawn-breakers do? Your forefathers—and you have the same capacity; I believe the beloved Shoghi Effendi would not have uttered such a thing if you did not have the capacity—within three years, four years, five years, they changed the whole of Persia-Iraq—every village, every town, wherever you went, there was the Light of the Báb: all classes, everybody heard and was moved. And friends, they had no freedom, did they? They suffered so much. They had 20,000 people who gave their lives for this very purpose: to teach. Each one teach one? Each one teach more than one!”
“And you have been given that station, that title from the Sign of God on earth, the beloved Shoghi Effendi.
“You have everything in the Writings. There’s no one to tell you more. Just turn to Bahá’u’lláh and beseech Him to use you ... follow the example of your forefathers, the Dawn-breakers.”
Mr. Khadem’s talk was followed by a special slide show, prepared by the National Information Office for use at the Each One Teach One Conferences. The slides were accompanied by a recording of the Each One Teach One song, specially written for the conferences. Then the audience of about 400 Bahá’ís, from Illinois and neighboring states, joined in a sing-along led by a chorus of children, who stood on stage glowing and swaying with the music.
The Sunday morning session began with devotions in Spanish, English, Arabic, and Navajo. Joan Bulkin, secretary of the National Teaching Committee, presented a report on the workshops. These teaching tips were gleaned from the experiences of the friends and summarized by the workshop leaders: — Success always came when personal goals were set and prayed for.
— It is important to teach without judging the receptivity of the seeker.
— It is helpful to make a list of people you would like to teach.
— Be sure that library displays make known what Bahá’í books are available in the library.
— Teaching on Holy Days is very effective.
— Give the book Fortress for Well-Being to engaged friends.
— Present a course on the Faith in a college or high school.
— The love of Bahá’u’lláh is contagious. Be happy.
— Be kind to mailmen, garbage men, etc.
— You can reach Jewish seekers through discussion of the Shrines in the Holy Land. When teaching Jewish people, be sure to call Bahá’u’lláh the Lord of Hosts, not the Return of Christ.
— Make Bahá’í literature available in hospitals.
— Make yourselves known to newcomers in your community through the local Welcome Wagon program.
— Sociable firesides with polite suppers are attractive.
— Put a Bahá’í display in an unoccupied building or a shopping center.
— Remember that any effort to teach is a success.
— Put a picture of the Temple on your desk at work. If you have your own business, let it proclaim the Faith.
— If you have a bumper sticker, drive sanely, and keep your car clean.
— Let your children bring Bahá’í items to show and tell sessions at school.
— Open your home to Bahá’í youth and their friends, for prayer sessions and discussions on religion.
— Exploit every opportunity to mention the Faith. Embrace the unknown. Do not be afraid. Be keen and discerning. Trust God, and trust yourself. Be sure of success. Let your fear energize you. Pray and move!
— In discussing the Faith with a seeker, find a point of agreement and go from there. Never contend. Use the creative Word as much as possible.
— Pray for seekers, and when it is fitting, pray with them.
— Get to know your neighbors!
— Wear buttons, carry literature, make real friends, befriend children.
— Have Bahá’í items visible in your home, but be sure they are displayed with reverence. Do not leave Bahá’í books on the floor or put ashtrays and soda bottles on top of them. Display the Greatest Name and photographs of the Master in appropriate places. All human beings have a soul. We can light their spark of Faith by our reverent attitude towards holy things.
— Teach by telling stories of the history of the Faith; make up or find fables which illustrate the principles. This is effective with children, but everyone loves stories.
— Offer lessons in something you’re good at: knitting, cooking, mechanics, etc. Maybe your group could sponsor a Bahá’í arts fair in an unopened county.
Following Ms. Bulkin’s report, Mr. Mitchell stressed that this sharing of personal teaching experiences is what we should do at 19-day Feast. The Feasts should be a forum for the discussion of teaching. Each person should make his or her own teaching goals and report progress at each Feast. He also encouraged the friends not to be shy with the Sacred Text. The Publishing Trust has now issued three small sky-blue books: The Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, The Selected Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and The Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi. Now, when we want to put a comprehensible sample of the words of the Manifestation into a seeker’s hands, we can do it.”
Following the report, Counsellor Edna True addressed the gathering. She is the Trustee for the North American Continental Fund. She gave the friends loving greetings from the Counsellors. “I am certain,” she said, “that if ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were here in person the thing He would say to you as He looked into your faces is, ‘Are you happy?’ Because if the Bahá’ís are not happy, who in the world will be?”
Miss True encouraged the Bahá’ís to become familiar with the history of their Faith. “It is the most valuable gift we can have,” she said, “to know our inheritance; what our forefathers accomplished.” She read passages from the Báb’s address to the Letters of the Living. “He sent them forth,” she said, “knowing, no doubt, that to execute their missions would mean death.” His address to them reveals their character as well as His: “the Cause was established by dedicated souls who overcame obstacles and won miraculous victories. They showed us that it is the qualities of devotion and self-sacrifice that bring rewards in the service of the Faith, rather than means and ability. It is a very sacred, precious thing we are dealing with, and we must give our best to it.”
Speaking of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s great love for the Bahá’ís, she said that the Master, according to the Guardian, endured the saddest period of His life when He was cut off from the believers during World War I. He was lonely. During this time He revealed the Tablets of the Divine Plan, outlining the missions of the Bahá’ís of the West. “These missions are great,” Miss True said, “worldwide civilization, worldwide peace. The Guardian and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá saw the end in the beginning, and every once in a while they would lift the curtain and let us look down the aisle and see the things which are going to happen. We have this in the Writings. The beloved Guardian brought into being the Administrative Order needed to carry out the Divine Plan of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.” She cited the Guardian’s brilliant, world-embracing teaching plans, and the Plans of The Universal House of Justice, and stressed that “we must look at all these Plans as one and the same Plan, the Plan of God. At this time, The Universal House of Justice is concerned. The goals of the Five Year Plan are not where they should be. So this is a weighty moment.”
Charlotte Linfoot, assistant secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, then gave the final address of the conference. Speaking on the process of declaration and enrollment, she said that we must mention the Faith to as many souls as we can, and nurture the receptive ones.
Miss Linfoot stressed that when we remember the injunction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Bahá’u’lláh to listen to the seeker, to try to answer the seeker’s needs, we attract people and can easily have a fireside in our home every 19 days, as the Guardian suggested. When a friend declares that he or she wants to be a Bahá’í, then our serious teaching begins. When we read the declaration card, we can see what we must teach: “In signing this card, I declare my belief in Bahá’u’lláh, the Promised One of God. I also recognize the Báb, His Forerunner, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Center of His Covenant. I request enrollment in the Bahá’í Community with the understanding that Bahá’u’lláh has established sacred principles, laws, and institutions which I must obey.”
Miss Linfoot advised each Bahá’í to put a declaration card in his or her wallet or purse and keep it there, and read it daily as a reminder to teach, to “find receptive souls who will join hands with us in building the New World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.”
After Miss Linfoot’s talk, Auxiliary Board member Thelma Jackson briefly greeted the friends, saying, “We are going to bring in great numbers of people. Through our love for Bahá’u’lláh, the goals will be won. I want to serve you; we want to serve each other. This love and encouragement is our lifeline, really, and we can give this to each other.”
Then Mr. Khadem told the people, “The beloved Guardian told me, ‘I send you to the West to witness the mysteries, lights, and glories of the unfoldment of the Cause.’ And here they are! I repeat always, ‘Lord, increase my astonishment in Thee ...’ ”
Each one teach one:
a photo essay[edit]
The Cause of God, “impelled by the mighty forces of life within it, must go on from strength to strength,” The Universal House of Justice confidently predicted on Naw-Rúz 1974.
The Each One Teach One Conferences in Joliet, Illinois, and Brockport, New York, Nov. 1–2, were centers of strength, generating energy.
(1) The Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem addresses believers in Illinois. He quoted the Book of Isaiah, “Arise, shine, for the light is come and the Glory of the Lord is given unto thee ...”
(2) Continental Counsellor Sarah Pereira and Firuz Kazemzadeh, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, share a humorous exchange in New York.
(3) Glenford E. Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, inspires the friends in Illinois.
(4) Speakers are recorded in New York. The Illinois Conference was also recorded.
(5) Donna Kime uplifts the Illinois gathering, planting “O Son of Spirit! With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee ...”
(6) A channel for spiritual energy is advertised in Illinois.
(7) Members of District Teaching Committees are applauded in Illinois.
(8) Bahá’ís bought spiritual ammunition at the conferences and (9) shared teaching ideas in workshop sessions.
(10) “... the purpose of teaching is to attract human beings to the divine Message and so imbue them with its spirit that they will dedicate themselves to its service, and this world will become another world and its people another people ...” — The Universal House of Justice, May 25, 1975.
Children play an active role at Conferences[edit]
While inspiring personal teaching activity to win the teaching goals of the Five Year Plan, the National Teaching Conferences Nov. 1–2 also worked to educate children.
“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 the Plan,” The Universal House of Justice wrote at Naw-Rúz 1974.
Memorize the creative Word, the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem advised the 10–14 year olds at the Joliet, Illinois Conference. “When you are young it is like engraving on stone. When you are old, when you try to memorize the Writings, it is like engraving on sand,” he said.
Mr. Khadem spoke to this group of about 20 children on Sunday morning. He told them the story of a young 12-year-old boy, how he served the Cause and was finally martyred.
On Saturday, the 10–14 year olds had planned and then performed for their parents a skit on personal teaching, improvising their own dance movements and using a prepared script. That night, they led the conference sing-along.
Evaluating their class, these pre-youth said that they preferred creative dramatics to a standard lecture or workshop program, and recommended that an evaluation period be part of all future Bahá’í classes.
The 7–9 year olds enjoyed diverse activities which climaxed in a “Great Turtle Race,” using turtles that they made in an arts and crafts project. Their excited cheers rang through the corridors.
The largest group of children at the conference was the 3-6 year old group. They played with a variety of toys, pressed leaves between wax paper, danced and accompanied each other’s performances with rhythm instruments. They treated their parents to performances and also danced for Mr. Khadem, who told them stories.
The nursery functioned as a parent-cooperative. Each parent worked for an hour, assisted by a nursery coordinator and five aides. This provided a ratio of about one adult for every two children, and each child benefited from the loving attention. The National Education Committee joyfully noted the participation of fathers in the nursery.
28 Local Assemblies complete training, praise new program[edit]
Another phase of the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program has been completed successfully.
The 44 Bahá’ís who were trained at the National Center in August in turn trained 28 Local Assemblies in 12 states in October. The value of the program was recognized immediately by the Assemblies trained. One Assembly wrote to the National Spiritual Assembly that “the training will assist all mankind towards establishing the Kingdom of God on His earth.”
The persons trained at the National Center have broken into two-man teams and will now school 400 Bahá’ís in the details of the comprehensive materials used in 10 three-hour classes. The 400 will then divide into two-man teams and train more Local Assemblies.
The purpose of the trainers is to assist Local Assemblies in making the most effective use of the materials developed for the program.
The materials consist of two new volumes and videotaped talks by Counsellors and members of the National Spiritual Assembly. The volumes—the 365-page Development of the Local Spiritual Assembly and the 154-page Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies—were developed under the guidance of the National Assembly as part of the Bahá’í Comprehensive Deepening Program. Many Bahá’ís spent long hours writing, editing, rewriting, typing, and proofreading the materials in order for them to be published and distributed for immediate use.
John Berry, coordinator of the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program, said that much sacrifice has been evident and more will be required of the trainers and Local Assembly members to ensure success.
The program is designed to help Local Assemblies understand more fully the nature of the Administrative Order without which the spiritual wing of the Faith has no direction.
Mr. Berry explained that it is like a tractor pulling a wagon. The wagon is filled with eager Bahá’ís and the wheels are the four primary functions of a Local Spiritual Assembly: legislative, judicial, protective, and unific. The tractor is the Administrative Order. If the tractor does not operate efficiently and spiritually, the wagon goes nowhere. The purpose of the program is to get the tractor moving in the right direction.
“The program is one of the most significant developments in the history of the American Bahá’í community,” Mr. Berry emphasized. “It is the most comprehensive program ever developed to assist Local Assemblies in meshing the administrative and spiritual wings of the Faith into balance.”
One goal of the Five Year Plan is the establishment of 1,400 Local Assemblies in the United States. The National Assembly intends that these be 1,400 Local Assemblies functioning efficiently.
In a message last May to all National Assemblies, The Universal House of Justice said: “It is becoming increasingly understood by the friends why the Five Year Plan places such great emphasis upon the firmness of the foundation and the efficiency of the operation of the Local Spiritual Assemblies. This is very heartening, for upon the degree to which the members of these Assemblies grasp the true significance of the divine institution on which they serve, arise selflessly to fulfill their prescribed and sacred duties, and persevere in their endeavors, depends to a large extent the healthy growth of the worldwide community of the Most Great Name, the force of its outward thrust, and the strength of its supporting roots.”
Members of the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Davenport and Iowa City, Iowa, study the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program materials during October. The two Assemblies were among the 28 which completed the program in October. Below is John Berry, coordinator of the program.
Umatilla Indian Assembly formed[edit]
The Bahá’ís of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon elected their Local Spiritual Assembly on October 19. This is the 13th Assembly to be formed on an Indian Reservation during the Five Year Plan. The goal of the Plan is the formation of 25 new Assemblies on Indian Reservations by 1979.
The Spiritual Assembly of Pendleton, Oregon, assisted the Bahá’í Group at Umatilla to raise its number to 12 adults, several youth and several children, so that the Assembly could be formed. The Pendleton Bahá’ís were stimulated to this effort through a visit by Auxiliary Board member Paul Pettit. They wrote to him that they were “inspired by the new vision they received of the importance of this Assembly.”
They encouraged the Umatilla Group to begin working with the wife of one of the Bahá’ís on the Reservation. She is an Umatilla Indian, and she had expressed interest in the Faith. The Bahá’ís also worked more earnestly with other seekers, and they located an Indian Bahá’í from Alaska who had just moved to the Reservation and who was eager to be active. Soon, some of the seekers declared, including the Umatilla Indian woman and an entire family, which includes one youth.
The Assembly was elected after an institute for the formation of new Local Spiritual Assemblies was conducted by a member of the District Teaching Committee. An assistant to the Auxiliary Board member will visit the Assembly to ensure further deepening.
Treasurers to get accounting system[edit]
As the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program gets well under way, another administrative aspect of the Cause is receiving the attention of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Pursuant to the Five Year Plan goal of strengthening the developing Local Assemblies, the National Assembly Treasurer’s Office is developing a new system of accounting for Bahá’í treasurers.
First efforts to implement this new system were focused on the state of Illinois. During two weekends in October and November, staff members from the Treasurer’s Office traveled to five locations in Illinois for workshops on accounting procedures with Assembly and Group treasurers.
The one-day course emphasized four basic areas:
- Maintaining adequate books for recording the Assembly’s financial transactions, including how to handle various kinds of contributions.
- Reporting financial information to the Assembly and the community, including the spiritual nature of a Feast report.
- Maintaining records on behalf of the Assembly.
- Preparing for the annual audit.
Over fifty participants were given an opportunity to gain practical experience by actually making entries for income and expenditures in a sample cash journal and by preparing a sample mid-year report.
The office of the Treasurer will continue to develop this program, said Stephen Jackson, assistant to the Treasurer, “and will make it available to all local Treasurers next year. Its implementation throughout the country will mark a great step forward in preparing Local Spiritual Assemblies for the responsibilities they will be called upon to shoulder in the years ahead.”
At left, Stephen Jackson, assistant to the Treasurer, explains bookkeeping entries to a local Treasurer during special course.
New Haven Assembly shows maturity in stand on racial case[edit]
The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of New Haven, Conn., gained new recognition for its strong, non-inflammatory stand in a recent case of racial bigotry in which a Bahá’í and her husband were threatened by hoodlums.
The Assembly wrote an open letter to New Haven Mayor Bartholomew Guida drawing his attention to the matter and urging that the citizens of New Haven be educated to rid the community of such hatred.
The incident and the Assembly’s response was reported widely by the news media. The Assembly’s letter was read by one radio commentator.
Since the incident, the Assembly has appointed a committee which has drawn up a program for racial education in high schools, a program which would combat racism by giving students a proper understanding of race and of the necessity for people of all groups to live in harmony and peace. The program will be presented soon to the newly elected mayor of New Haven as well as to other concerned officials and groups.
The National Spiritual Assembly praised the New Haven Assembly’s actions as exemplary. “We particularly admire the content and tone of the open letter which you addressed on September 1, 1975, to Mayor Bartholomew Guida,” the National Assembly said.
The text of the Assembly’s letter to the mayor follows:
Dear Mayor Guida:
The Bahá’ís of New Haven were shocked and distressed by an incident which occurred in our city late at night on August 31.
A member of our community, Mrs. Patricia Hailey, and her husband Donald Hailey, had moved into their newly rented apartment at 936 Townsend Avenue. Unnoticed by them, some young people had gathered in front of the house. As darkness fell outside, one could hear the shouts of enraged hoodlums threatening the Haileys with injury and vowing to set fire to the house. Needless to say, the Haileys are black.
Shortly after midnight, the Haileys, escorted by the police, left the house and sought shelter at the home of friends. They did not wish to endanger the family from whom they had rented the apartment or to precipitate major racial violence. However, they were deeply hurt by this demonstration of prejudice and inhumanity.
The Bahá’ís of New Haven, without distinction of race, national origin, or religious background, feel deep sorrow that a group of their fellow citizens should behave in a manner that contradicts the highest principles of their religious and moral heritage. We wish to take this occasion to reaffirm our dedication to the unity of mankind and to stress that the elimination of racism remains the most challenging issue confronting this nation.
We have no desire to assign blame for the sad fact that a gentle, kind young couple can be driven out of their home in the middle of night while the city sleeps. However, we do urge you and all our fellow citizens that the issue not be forgotten.
Is it not time to begin a conscious program of educating those who are capable of such base acts? Cannot the city use the schools, mass media, and other means of influencing public opinion, in a campaign designed to help us rid the community of atavistic hatreds that pervert the minds and poison the hearts?
We appeal to you, Mr. Mayor, and to all inhabitants of our city, not to divert their eyes from an evil that is inflicting untold damage upon all the people and has the awful potential of tearing the very fabric of American society.
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of New Haven
Terracing work shown at site of House of Justice permanent seat[edit]
The terracing work at the site of the permanent seat of The Universal House of Justice takes shape as the excavation progresses.
The Universal House of Justice Building will be constructed in front of the terraced area which will be beautified. The purpose of the terracing is to avoid placing the building against the side of Mount Carmel.
Actual construction of the majestic 5½-story building is expected to begin early in 1976.
The believers have been invited to contribute to the building fund in order to ensure uninterrupted progress of the project, called by The Universal House of Justice the greatest single undertaking of the Five Year Plan.
Master’s visit is commemorated at Lake Mohonk[edit]
From left to right, Firuz Kazemzadeh, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, addresses Bahá’ís gathered at New Paltz, New York, to commemorate ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s 1912 visit: Robert McComb, chairman of the program, unfurls the rug which the Master gave to His host; and Mrs. Rouieh McComb, who met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá many times during the 1912 visit, sits in the room which the Master occupied at Lake Mohonk.
More than 200 Bahá’ís gathered at Lake Mohonk in New Paltz, New York, on October 20 to commemorate the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Conference on Peace and International Arbitration held there in 1912.
The program was held in the same parlor where the Master had delivered a memorable address on “The Oneness of the Reality of Human Kind,” explaining Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings and emphasizing that humanity is in need of the power of the Holy Spirit to bring enlightenment and peace.
Following music and prayers, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk, as recorded in the Mohonk records, was read by Robert Fox.
Robert McComb, chairman of the program which was sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Town of Oyster Bay, talked about the Master and told the story of Dr. Zia Baghdadi’s trip to New York City in 1912 to get a rug for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to present to His Lake Mohonk host, Albert Smiley. The rug, still in the possession of the Smileys, was on display for the friends.
The major address at the commemorative program was delivered by Firuz Kazemzadeh, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Dr. Kazemzadeh explained that as the true Exemplar, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was religion in action. He had shown by His life how to live the teachings of His Father, Bahá’u’lláh. If the believers study the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá they will never be at a loss when they ask themselves, “What would ‘Abdu’l-Bahá do?”
Dr. Kazemzadeh talked about the Master’s early childhood difficulties and the sorrows He endured during His youth with Bahá’u’lláh in exile; of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s timeless wisdom and His all-encompassing completeness. He spoke of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Servant of Bahá, calling attention to a phrase in His Pilgrimage prayer, “Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones.”
Dr. Kazemzadeh concluded with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s statement that philosophy is not sufficient, that it is necessary to live the life.
Mr. Robarts cites special goals of New York state[edit]
The Bahá’ís of New York City and others from surrounding areas, even from Maine and Michigan, spent an inspired weekend in October with the Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, Auxiliary Board members Peter Khan and Catherine McLaughlin, and Mrs. Audrey Robarts.
After an introduction by the two Auxiliary Board members, Mr. Robarts spoke of New York state’s status as a special goal area for the United States Bahá’ís during the Five Year Plan. He emphasized the need to increase the teaching effort in New York “so that believers shall come into the Faith in droves.”
Mr. Robarts related the unfoldment of the Faith as he has witnessed it during his Bahá’í life, which has included membership on the National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada and of Southwest Africa. He stressed the value of obedience to our institutions, and of trust in God.
“God will assist all those who arise to serve Him,” he said, quoting from the Writings. “If I can get this point across,” he added, “it will have been a good day.” Mr. Robarts and his wife, Audrey, shared anecdotes of pioneers and dedicated homefront teachers, saying, “We know that God will assist us if we step out, but we just don’t believe it.”
On Saturday evening, the friends saw a slide presentation of the building which the New York Bahá’í community is about to buy and use as a Bahá’í Center. Finding a new Center which can foster large functions is one of the Five Year Plan goals for New York City.
On Sunday, Dr. Khan further inspired the Bahá’ís, sharing ideas on the difficulties and rewards of spiritual development in contemporary America. Dr. Khan has recently been assigned to help New York in its Five Year Plan goals.
Faith proclaimed on U.N. Day[edit]
United States Bahá’ís observed United Nations Day, October 25, in diverse ways.
The Bahá’í community of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, hosted a dinner dance with the sponsorship of the Eastern Pennsylvania District Teaching Committee. Over 65 people attended, including the mayor of Pottstown, the editor of the Pottstown newspaper, and representatives of the radio station.
The Bahá’ís of Inglewood Judicial District, California, honored International Women’s Year on United Nations Day by presenting the International Women’s Year issue of World Order magazine to the Lennox County Library and to the Lennox Women’s Club. They also gave a copy of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era to the Women’s Club, The Bahá’í World, Vol. XIII, and The Bahá’í World, Vol. XIV, to the library.
In Oklahoma, the Norman Bahá’í community had a unity feast on the University of Oklahoma campus. A brief presentation on the Bahá’í relationship with the United Nations was given, followed by a talk by Dr. Helen Calloway on Bahá’í heroines. About 40 people enjoyed the meeting and discussed the Bahá’í Message during the potluck supper which was offered after the talks.
The Bahá’í community of Council Bluffs, Iowa, also linked their United Nations Day activity with International Women’s Year. They had a public meeting with a panel discussion by women from Finland, Vietnam, India, and the United States who spoke about the problems and hopes of women in their respective countries. The title of the meeting was “What in the World are Women Thinking!” and the meeting was advertised in flyers which were given out person-to-person and posted in stores. A reporter from the local newspaper attended the meeting and gave it good coverage in the next day’s paper. Each panelist received a thank-you note and a gift.
A meeting in Pontiac, Michigan, attracted seekers from four localities in Michigan. Sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Pontiac, and held in a Bahá’í home, the event began with prayers in English and Spanish. Then the speaker introduced the Faith, concentrating on the unity of Biblical and Bahá’í Teachings. The formal program closed with the chanting of a prayer in Persian. The atmosphere of the home, which was decorated with flags of the United Nations and various countries, invited fellowship and one-to-one teaching.
The Northwestern University Bahá’í Club and the Bahá’ís of Evanston, with the International Club of Northwestern, sponsored a United Nations Day party for foreign students and friends. A brief talk was given on “The Development of Humanity Toward Global Unity.” Several musicians performed and invited audience participation, filling the room with laughter, hand-clapping, and foot-stomping. About 75 people came, both Bahá’ís and friends, including about 20 foreign students from Northwestern University and nearby Kendall College.
The Bahá’í group of Castle Rock, Colorado, which consists of two adults, proclaimed the Faith to about 800 souls on U.N. Day. The chairman of a committee appointed by the city council to plan a U.N. Day event asked the Bahá’ís to help sponsor it, as he knew the Bahá’ís had previously put on U.N. Day programs. The Bahá’ís of Castle Rock helped plan the program and, assisted by some Bahá’ís from Denver, had a booth selling Persian and Israeli food at a U.N. Day food fair. The sign on their booth read, “Let your vision be world embracing ...” And the speaker that evening used the quote, giving credit to the Bahá’í Writings. Two Bahá’í children were in an international fashion show, a Korean child and a Persian child, and the Faith was mentioned in articles on the event in about three newspapers.
United Nations Day observances included proclaiming the Faith. At left, Ruby Jacobs of the Inglewood Judicial District, California, and Freda Embury receive Bahá’í books on behalf of the Lennox County Library. Below, foreign students and friends were guests at a party at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Bahá’ís man display at shopping center in Orlando, Florida.
Wave of Prayer circles the globe for Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh[edit]
The Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh was observed on November 12 with a wave of prayer around the world.
From the Holy Places at the World Center, from Houses of Worship, from cities, from remote villages, from homes, the day of intensive prayer marked the beginning of a vigorous campaign to inspire individual believers to push forward with the work of the Five Year Plan.
The special day of intensive prayer was suggested by the International Teaching Center, and the purpose was to attract Divine confirmations to the sacred task and to quicken the spirit of sacrificial service in each and every followers of the Cause.
Booths, displays used effectively[edit]
About 1,000 people received scrolls labeled “The Best News on Earth” from the Bahá’ís of Hollywood, Florida. The scrolls were available at a Bahá’í booth in the Greater Hollywood Bicentennial Project of Broward County Pioneer Days Celebration.
The scrolls contained news of the Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh. A few days before the fair, every church in Hollywood and some officials, doctors, and lawyers received a copy of World Order magazine’s international women’s year issue with the scroll wrapped around it.
The booth was at the main entrance of the fair and displayed signs saying: Bahá’í Faith — Pioneers for a New Age. Posters showed pictures of the Bahá’í Temples and some early Bahá’ís, and stressed the part religion should play in establishing world unity through world order.
The Bahá’í communities of Orlando and Orange County, Florida, had a display at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando. Labeled “A Token of Our Highest Hope,” the display featured a copy of the ad which The National Spiritual Assembly placed in the Life bi-centennial issue. The copy was enlarged four times. The Bahá’ís also had flyers made from a black-and-white copy of the ad which is available from the National Center. Many people expressed interest, and some are now seriously studying the Faith.
The Bahá’ís of Amarillo, Texas, used an enlarged copy of the logo for the St. Louis Conference as part of their display in the Tri-State Fair in Amarillo, September 15-20. The display also had panels explaining progressive revelation, the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Bahá’í principles, the exile of Bahá’u’lláh, and the Bahá’í Temples.
One panel illustrated the unity of humanity, and another panel was in Spanish. The display folds up flat and can fit in the trunk of a car. The Bahá’ís plan to use it in nearby towns, in shopping centers, and other public places.
In Kansas, several thousand people learned the word Bahá’í from a float built by Brad and Sherry Woellhof and Don Svoboda, travel teachers for Kansas District 3. The float was in parades in Abilene, Chapman, and Wakefield, and will be in other parades next summer.
The Bahá’ís of Yellowstone County and Billings, Montana, built a float for the Bicentennial Days Parade in Billings October 11.
District Conventions include fun, education, work[edit]
Delegates to the National Convention were elected and many subjects were covered in consultation at the District Conventions held in October. And there was plenty of time for devotion, fellowship, and fun.
In the picture at left, a singing group performs at the Western New York District Convention at Buffalo. The singers included Bahá’ís from many Western New York communities. The mobile display in the background, assembled by the Bahá’ís of Cheektowaga, N.Y., is used in shopping malls and at fairs to proclaim the Faith.
The photo at right shows a children’s class at the Northern Ohio District Convention held at Akron.
Many Bahá’ís attended the 88 District Conventions around the country, and at least one attendance record was broken. The new record was established at the Kansas District Convention held at Emporia.
And at least two groups reported 100 per cent participation. All of the members of the Park County and Boulder, Mont., groups attended the Montana District Convention at Bozeman.
District Teaching Committees briefed[edit]
The National Teaching Committee is highly pleased with the consistent, unselfish devotion to the tasks of the Five Year Plan which has been shown by members of the District Teaching Committees.
To help the District Teaching Committees with their work, the National Teaching Committee has sponsored 88 briefings in the last two months. At these briefings, the district committees are asked to always give priority to Five Year Plan goals during their planning sessions. The briefings were presented by National Teaching Committee field representatives. A tape recording made at the National office for use at the briefings included music, and the closing song was a sing-along.
These briefings have given the District Teaching Committees “a fresh impetus for reaching the goals of the Five Year Plan,” said Joan Bulkin, secretary of the National Teaching Committee.
Education[edit]
The environment as a place in which to learn[edit]
By The National Education Committee
Fourth in a Series
Education is an ongoing, vital life experience that takes place anywhere at any time. Using adults as models, children learn and practice the behaviors they will use for a lifetime. Alert to this fact, Bahá’í parents and teachers can consciously turn any situation into a positive learning experience.
Children need many opportunities to see, hear, smell, and taste. Words are abstract. Concrete sensory experiences can provide precise meanings to the host of words children encounter in any learning situation. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states: “The mind comprehends the abstract by the aid of the concrete ...” (Bahá’í World Faith, page 337).
The goal of direct learning experiences is greater knowledge and understanding. Bahá’u’lláh tells us that among the greatest gifts “conferred upon man is the gift of understanding.” Understanding enables us to “discover the secrets of creation.” He then explains the need for sensory experiences in the learning process. “The power of vision (is) the chief instrument whereby (man’s) understanding can function. The senses of hearing, of the heart, and the like, are similarly to be reckoned among the gifts with which the human body is endowed.” (Bahá’í World Faith, page 122). Given the opportunity to build out of his own direct experiences, the child then can look for his own meanings and understandings.
The key is to start realizing the learning potential in the people, places, and processes we encounter every day.
Everyone is a teacher. A good place to start is with the members of your local Bahá’í community. Many of the senior citizens in our Bahá’í communities are natural storytellers. Utilize them in your class. They can make the Faith live for the children. For example: in a visit to a believer who witnessed the slow, painstaking erection of the House of Worship or felt the sense of loss when the Guardian passed away, children can experience historical moments in the Faith. The housewife, doctor, mailman, or college student in your community is also a teacher. All have knowledge and can be used as learning resources. All have been places (Pilgrimage, Institutes, foreign countries); done things (baked bread, fixed cars, delivered a baby); and are trying to live the Bahá’í life. Each can teach the Faith through his own experiences. As a teacher, you can provide opportunities for the children and members of your community to share their knowledge, understanding, experience, and love with each other.
Children can learn from people outside the Bahá’í community, too. Perhaps one of the most interesting ways to gather information is through resource people. Guest speakers are a special source of information. They give the class more details on a subject than can be found in a book. Guest speakers can make the subject come alive because of their special information, knowledge, and interest. They can also provide on-the-spot answers to the children’s questions about the subject being discussed.
Children can also gain information from interviews which they conduct. The purpose of an interview is to gain particular information from an individual on a person-to-person basis. Details and questions can be individually covered. The children should ask questions concerned with who, what, when, where, and why. They can also ask questions concerned with the feelings or the reactions of the people they are interviewing.
We all know that children come equipped with boundless curiosity and energy. The need in them to be active is strong. We must, therefore, seek a balanced approach to the challenge of knowing and doing. If the opportunity exists, substitute a direct experience for the cursory treatment of a topic in books or discussions. Go directly to a situation and have the children actively respond to it.
Field trips are an excellent way to do this. They provide a laboratory for children to search out answers for themselves. They help to make vivid and real the meanings of things which are discussed in the classroom. Through field trips, children also will find that experience is an excellent teacher.
Any well-planned field trip requires pre-planning and discussion by both you and your students. Where you go should be determined by a particular teaching purpose. Ask yourself, “How will this trip contribute to what I want the children to learn?”
The most successful trips or excursions grow out of topics studied in the classrooms and then lead to further study of those topics after the trip has been completed.
The places to visit are limitless. Trips can be as simple or as extensive as you wish and your budget can handle. For instance, a unit on the Four Kingdoms can be reinforced by a trip to a vacant lot to study seed dispersal ... or to Sally’s house to see the robin’s nest in her backyard ... or to a greenhouse to see plants in different stages of development. A trip to an aquarium, a zoo, or a park can also be used profitably in the study of the Kingdoms. The museum can provide firsthand experience for your class on other religions, foreign cultures, evolution, or the arts. If you live in or near a large city, several kinds of museums are available to you — history, science, art, and children’s museums. In smaller neighborhoods, museums are frequently organized for the purpose of displaying arts and crafts as well as historical displays such as books, letters, and documents. Museums also sponsor special programs and exhibits which may be incorporated into your lesson planning. Such programs are frequently listed in the radio or TV section of your local newspaper. The museum is also a good place to turn for a resource person to speak to your class or to share important information. Trips to courts, libraries, theaters, hospitals, department stores, junk yards, and newspapers are all potential learning resources and can provide supplemental information for Bahá’í lessons.
The extent to which your trip is a profitable Bahá’í learning experience will depend on your preparation. A checklist is provided to ensure your success:
- Preparation
- Teacher preparation
- Arrange through your Local Spiritual Assembly for consent to make a trip, including parental consent, if necessary.
- Choose your destination with a particular teaching purpose.
- Plan transportation in detail, including length of time involved.
- Decide who is going.
- Make arrangements with the place to be visited.
- Pupil preparation
- Motivate pupil interest in the trip (photographs, bulletin boards, class discussion, visitors).
- Have the class discuss the purpose for the trip (make up a list of questions that the trip might answer).
- Have the class discuss points of interest to observe during the trip.
- Discuss or have the class set up standards for behavior and safety.
- Teacher preparation
- During the trip
- If there is a guide, give him a set of questions prepared jointly by the teacher and the pupils.
- Provide for a question period with the guide and/or the teacher or pupils.
- Provide a period for independent activities by the pupils (note taking, sketching, observation, etc.).
- Follow-through after the trip
- Group discussion in the classroom.
- Evaluate the place visited. Connect the experience with a Bahá’í teaching or principle.
- Supplement, correct, or complete any hazy understandings.
- Creative Projects
- Write a letter of thanks to the place visited.
- Drawings, poems, stories, constructions, bulletin boards, diaries, etc., based on the trip.
- Provide a way to determine what the children learned:
- Test
- Reports in class or at Feast
- Projects
- Group discussion in the classroom.
The above checklist can be used with visiting resource people also.
In addition to sensory contact with things, children must be taught to consider the roles that things play in larger processes. Sometimes, the use of a process is different than talking about it. For instance, talking about the role of the Feast in the Administrative Order is different from using it. Talking about respect for others is often different from living in a respectful manner.
Children also should be led to understand cause and effect relationships, interdependencies
News briefs[edit]
Robert Hayden wins major poetry award[edit]
The Academy of American Poets announced on Nov. 19 that it has given an award for distinguished poetry to Robert Hayden. Mr. Hayden is a Bahá’í whose books of poetry include Heart-Shape in the Dust, Figure of Time, and A Ballad of Remembrance, which won a prize at the First World Festival of Negro Arts at Dakar, Senegal, in 1962.
Mr. Hayden’s most recent book, Angle of Ascent, includes, he said, “most of the work I’ve done over a period of years,” and the book was considered by the Academy in making the award. His work has appeared often in World Order magazine, of which he is an associate editor.
For Mr. Hayden, the award means that he is now a fellow of the Academy of American Poets, and the stipend which accompanies the award will give him some extra time in which to work on his poetry.
The Academy of American Poets is very active. Its members are poets and people who support poetry, and it sponsors various contests and events. Because of Mr. Hayden’s association with it, the Academy will now be made more aware of World Order magazine.
Mrs. Seals, Mrs. Crofts speak at proclamation[edit]
In August, the Lompoc, California, Bahá’í Group folded and addressed nearly 4,000 flyers and mailed them, inviting the public to a proclamation meeting. Speakers for the meeting were Billie Crofts and Ruby Seals, and there was music by a Bahá’í group called “Half-Light.” The meeting was emceed by another Bahá’í travel teacher, David Hall.
The three travel teachers had a long day. At 8:30 a.m., Mrs. Seals and Mrs. Crofts were interviewed for 1½ hours on a local radio station. Listeners phoned in comments and questions. Later, Mrs. Seals and Mrs. Crofts taped remarks about their husbands’ music, particularly those tunes with lyrics based on Bahá’í Teachings. A master tape, using their remarks and including the tunes, will be used for future radio programs.
In the afternoon, Mrs. Seals, Mrs. Crofts, and Mr. Hall were interviewed by a local clergyman, taping a ½ hour TV show. The clergyman was open-minded and interested, asking for and receiving Thief in the Night. He was also given Paris Talks.
The proclamation was part of an intensive effort by the District Teaching Committee for California No. 3 to focus on increasing the number of Bahá’ís in their area and raising as many groups as possible to Assembly status.
Evening of the arts held in Vermont[edit]
Holly Heyman and Rick Heyman performed in African dress at a special evening of the arts sponsored recently by the Bahá’ís of Brattleboro, Vermont.
About 80 persons, 20 of them non-Bahá’ís, attended.
The program included singing, dancing, the playing of musical instruments, painting, and a talk by Paul Adams of Amherst, Mass.
Films, meetings mark Burlington campaign[edit]
The Bahá’í community of Burlington, Vermont, sponsored a proclamation from October 18–26. Their activities included a film showing on three different days, two public meetings in honor of the Birth of the Báb, and a presentation of the booklet The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States to the mayor and other prominent citizens. The booklet was issued by the National Spiritual Assembly, honoring the 50th anniversary of its establishment.
The Burlington Bahá’ís announced their events on radio, television, and in newspapers, using the time and space available for community service announcements. Their presentation to the mayor was reported as a news item. A black-and-white version of the Life magazine proclamation ad appeared on the birthday of the Báb.
Because they took advantage of their association with two ecumenical groups, one of which sponsors a weekly newspaper column and the other a radio program, the Burlington community had a long article in the paper and a ½ hour radio interview. For the article, they received permission from World Order magazine to reprint “The Answer to Our Ills” (Summer 1973). The full article was printed with a headline: “Bahá’í Article Analyzes Today’s Morality Problem.” The interviewer for the radio program asked the Bahá’ís to supply the questions they would like to be asked during the interview, and the result was a coherent presentation of the Bahá’í Teachings.
Two souls became Bahá’ís during the proclamation, and many more were introduced to the Faith.
Ms. Steinem, audience hear about the Faith[edit]
Gloria Steinem, a leading feminist and the editor of Ms. magazine, remarked, as she completed an address to a large crowd in the University of Utah auditorium at the Third Annual Women Unlimited Conference, October 16, “They (religions) are all the same—all patriarchal, no matter what the name.”
The audience then had an opportunity to address Ms. Steinem. A member of the University of Utah Bahá’í Club strode determinedly to a microphone and told of the Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, expressing the basic Bahá’í principles, including the equality of men and women.
A small Bahá’í booth had been set up nearby, and as soon as the session was over, the booth was overrun with people asking for Bahá’í literature.
The University of Utah Bahá’í Club also gave literature on women’s rights to the Women’s Resource Center of the university, had a follow-up letter published in the university newspaper, and then set up another booth.
Libertyville Bahá’ís begin public programs[edit]
A total of 56 persons, 33 of them non-Bahá’ís, attended the first in a series of community affairs public programs sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Libertyville Township, Illinois, on September 25.
Firuz Kazemzadeh, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, spoke on “World Peace: Dream or Destiny.”
The Libertyville Bahá’ís prepared for the meeting by distributing 48 posters in Libertyville and surrounding towns, placing advertisements in six local weekly newspapers, announcing the program on the local radio, sending press releases to the three local papers, and mailing 120 invitations to local organizations and individuals.
At present, the Libertyville community consists of just six Bahá’ís.
Bahá’í books given to Nashville mayor[edit]
The mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, receives Bahá’í literature during a week-long proclamation to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Nashville.
From left, are Mrs. Maude Barnes, a member of the first Nashville Assembly; Robert James; Mayor Richard Fulton; and Mark Block.
Other activities included a public meeting, a celebration banquet, and Bahá’í displays at the major shopping mall.
Church association receives the Message[edit]
The Local Spiritual Assembly of San Marcos, California, requested that the San Marcos Association of Churches change its name to the San Marcos Association of Faiths, and that it reconceptualize its purpose in broader terms.
After much discussion, the Association voted not to change its name. The Bahá’ís then changed their status from “member” of the Association to “friend.” The Bahá’ís presented the Association with The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, and arranged personal meetings with the seven members of the Association, who represent seven Christian denominations. Each of the seven received The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh. All seven books were signed by all nine members of the Assembly, with a quote from the Writings hand-lettered on the inside cover. At each of these meetings, an individual Bahá’í met with a clergyman. Each meeting was different. At one, the Tablet of Ahmad was read. At another, the sufferings of Bahá’u’lláh were described.
To follow up this teaching effort, a letter is being sent to each clergyman, asking him to investigate Bahá’u’lláh’s Claim to be the Manifestation of God for this Day.
New Bahá’í School in Illinois[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois, gather at the new location of their Bahá’í School. A session for adults was led by Al Dibert, who talked on “Spiritual Truths Relating to Mental Health.” A children’s class heard Holly Hansen discuss her experiences in Kenya.
California official receives literature[edit]
Supervisor Kenneth Hahn receives a copy of The Bahá’í Faith from members of the Bahá’í community of Culver Judicial District, California. From left are Woodrow Jackson, Mr. Hahn, Nancy Dickey, and Raymond Moore. The presentation was made in Mr. Hahn’s office.
Los Angeles cheers New World Food Co-op[edit]
For more than a year, the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles has sponsored a food cooperative for Bahá’í families in the Los Angeles area who wish to participate. The purpose of this cooperative is to strengthen the fabric of Bahá’í community life as well as to provide an opportunity for Bahá’ís to obtain their food at lower prices.
The New World Food Co-op, nicknamed “The Festal Board,” consists of about 30 Bahá’í families, all of whom cooperate to order food in large quantities, pick it up from the central market in Los Angeles, and package it for distribution among Co-op members. Those participating have been excited by this new level of involvement with each other and with the Bahá’í community.
The Co-op is managed by three directors, Louise Burris, Frances Allen, and Lauren Sakaguchi, who are appointed by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles and who are responsible for finances, ordering, storage, etc. The directors work under the supervision of the Local Spiritual Assembly. General membership meetings are held once a month.
The New World Food Co-op has affiliated with a confederation of food co-ops in Southern California and has found many opportunities for teaching through their membership in this organization. Having begun by distributing produce and milk products, the Co-op has now branched out to include meats, vitamins, grains, teas, jellies and jams, nuts, and other kinds of foods.
The Assembly of Los Angeles feels that this experiment has brought the Los Angeles community closer to establishing its own identity and has provided the believers with practice in carrying out many distinctive qualities of Bahá’í life.
Members of the New World Food Co-op gather fruits and vegetables at the central market in Los Angeles, bottom left, and distribute the food to Bahá’í families. The food cooperative is supervised by the Local Spiritual Assembly.
Arts fair held at Green Acre School[edit]
Labor Day weekend at Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine, was devoted to the arts. Bahá’í weavers, painters, photographers, writers, folk dancers, and musicians shared their skills with others in an arts fair which had as its theme the Tablets of the Divine Plan. A series of prayers from the Tablets were illuminated and framed for permanent display at Green Acre.
A roaming minstrel sang and strummed as the artists exhibited their works and taught their crafts, which included making musical instruments, sculpting in wood, and bonsai horticulture. Other arts were discussed in workshops, and Indian sand-paintings, western scenes, and portraits were exhibited. An evening of folk dancing began with an Indian unity ceremony.
A public meeting was held at the Unitarian Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which featured an organ concert and poetry reading.
Oregon hosts Child Rearing Institute[edit]
A total of 124 persons attended a statewide Child Rearing Institute near Eugene, Oregon, on September 20–21.
Auxiliary Board members Opal Conner and Paul Pettit, assistant to the Auxiliary Board Ethlyn Lindstrom, and Institute leader Mary Gabriel participated in the program. Much time was spent in workshops with the emphasis on adult-child communication.
The Institute was sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Central Lane County and was held in a community recreational center.
Dates to remember[edit]
- December 25–28 Winter School, Fort Flagler, Port Townsend, Washington.
- December 25–30 Winter School, Green Acre, Maine.
- December 26–28 Winter School, Camp Sumatanga, Gallant, Alabama.
- December 26–30 Winter School, Bridgeport Conference Center, Bridgeport, Texas.
- December 26–31 Winter School, Camp Maranatha, Idyllwild, California.
- December 26–January 1 Winter School, Davison Bahá’í School, Michigan.
- 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 28–January 2 Winter School, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.
- December 31 Feast of Sharaf (Honor).
- December 31–January 4 Winter School, Green Acre, Maine.
- January 2–4 Winter School, Bethlehem Center, Broomfield, Colorado.
- January 2–4 Winter School, Arizona Church Conference Center, Prescott, Arizona.
- January 8–12 National Bahá’í Center special visit program. (By invitation only.)
- January 9–11 National Spiritual Assembly meeting.
- January 17–24 Winter School, Green Acre, Maine.
- January 19 Feast of Sultán (Sovereignty).
- January 22–25 Pioneer Training Institute (by invitation only). National Center. Sponsored by International Goals Committee.
- February 7 Feast of Mulk (Dominion).
- February 20–22 National Spiritual Assembly meeting.
Pathways to service[edit]
75 more college clubs needed in United States in six months[edit]
The Two Year Youth Program college club goal is in jeopardy.
By September 1, 1976, we must have 350 college clubs in order to meet this goal. As of November, we have only 278, even counting some whose status is uncertain (see National Bahá’í Review for a complete list). The rest must be formed before the end of the academic year, since few clubs operate over the summer.
In other words, we must form almost 75 college clubs by next June.
How can you help? Here are some possibilities:
Form a Bahá’í college club on your campus. The National Spiritual Assembly requires only two Bahá’ís on a single campus to form a college club. These don’t even have to be students; faculty, staff, alumni, and their families can also be counted. Some colleges and universities require more than two members for a club, or limit membership to students only. Since non-Bahá’ís can join Bahá’í college clubs, however, you may still be able to establish one with a small number of believers. If you have enough members for a club, write to the National Bahá’í Youth Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, and ask for our college club guidelines. You will get step-by-step instructions on how to form a club on your campus.
Reactivate a club on your campus. The list in this month’s National Bahá’í Review shows over 100 clubs whose status is either inactive (I) or uncertain (?). A college club must contact the National Bahá’í Youth Committee at least once each year to be considered active. If you have a functioning college club, but have not been in touch with the Youth Committee since this September, please drop us a line right away. Include your current address and a list of members and officers, if possible. But at the very least, send us a postcard so that we can add you to the active list. If there is some problem with your club (for example, too few members), let us know and we will try to help.
Teach the Faith on campus. Perhaps you are the only Bahá’í on a college campus, and you need at least one other believer to form a college club. Go out and find that soul. Maybe you live near a college where there are no Bahá’ís. Start teaching on that campus. Get a Local Spiritual Assembly or District Teaching Committee to help you. Once you find two Bahá’ís, you have taken the first step towards a new club. This is the most significant way to win the goal—through new enrollments. Is there any reason why we can’t find 150 new Bahá’í college students in six months?
Pioneer to another campus. Even though it is the middle of the academic year, you may still be able to pioneer to a college campus and help form a Bahá’í club. For example, some high school students can graduate in January and start college during the spring semester. Others can start in the summer, in time to meet the Two Year Youth Program deadline of September 1. Students already in college may be able to transfer to another campus. Even if you spend only one semester at your goal college, you will have time to teach the Faith and bring in new believers there. When considering campus pioneering, you should first examine your own professional and educational goals; then see if there is another school where you can meet those goals while helping with college teaching. Don’t shortchange your preparation for a life of service; try to combine it with the needs of the hour.
Strengthen your existing club. It is not enough to form college clubs. We must maintain them from year to year. This is a real challenge, since graduation can rob the club of its members. The only answer, of course, is teaching. When new Bahá’í students enter the Faith, especially if they are underclassmen, the future of the club is more secure.
Pray for the goal. All Bahá’ís can offer a prayer for the teaching work on campuses and for the college club goal. The National Spiritual Assembly has explained that the dynamic qualities of Bahá’í youth are necessary for the success of the Five Year Plan. The Two Year Youth Program is the channel for those qualities. Its success should be everyone’s concern.
Why is all this important? One reason, of course, is that we need 75 more clubs to win the Two Year Youth Program. But there is another reason, too. College clubs are an extremely effective means of teaching young people. Since 1937, when the first college club was formed at the University of Illinois, these organizations have provided a vehicle for spreading the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to youth.
College clubs give Bahá’í students a focal point, an agency which can help improve and organize their teaching efforts. They allow students to plan public events and other activities to follow up their personal teaching efforts. They give non-Bahá’ís an introduction to the workings of the Bahá’í community and Bahá’í administration. They make it easier for the National Bahá’í Youth Committee to communicate with Bahá’í students, through regular mailings. They provide important recognition for the Faith on campuses all across the country. And they allow Bahá’ís to gain access to school facilities which would otherwise be closed to the friends.
Now is the time for all young Bahá’ís and, whenever possible, their adult coworkers, to ensure the existence of 350 college clubs by next year’s deadline.
For more information, advice, or assistance, write the National Bahá’í Youth Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Youth receive opportunity to study, work in national administration[edit]
The National Bahá’í Youth Committee invites participation in a unique work-study program, Dec. 28–Jan. 9, which is designed to give Bahá’í youth a close look at the National Bahá’í administration and its operation.
During the day, the youth will work in various offices of the National Bahá’í Center, at jobs such as typing, numbering old photos for archives, filing, editing and proofreading, helping at the bookstore, organizing old copies of The American Bahá’í, guiding at the House of Worship, working on posters and other audio-visual materials, working in the gardens at the House of Worship, assisting with billing at the Publishing Trust.
In the late afternoon and evening, special classes on Bahá’í administration and the role of Bahá’í youth in the Cause are taught by members of National Committees. The classes cover topics such as the Fund, homefront teaching and pioneering, how decisions are made, and the history and tour of the Temple.
The Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem and Continental Counsellor Edna True will address the participants in the work-study program.
Anyone wishing to attend the project for December should write immediately: National Youth Committee, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Ill. 60091. The cost of the project for each youth consists of transportation to and from Wilmette and about $5 a day for food.
32 pioneers leave for posts following institute at National Center[edit]
Pioneers dispersed to all five continents from a Pioneer Institute held at the National Bahá’í Center in Wilmette, Illinois, Nov. 7–9.
Counsellor Peter McLaren of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South America gave a class at the Institute and also attended each session. He said he was grateful for the chance to participate, because when he left the United States to pioneer in South America such institutes were not provided.
Several of the 32 pioneers were returning to the field, and they remarked that when they first pioneered they went without the guidance of a pioneer institute. They commented that the information available at the Institute deepened their awareness of the role of a pioneer, and that the spirit generated by the gathering would certainly uplift and sustain them in times of test.
[Page 13]
Continued from Page 9
and total concepts. These processes affect us daily and should be included when we are planning learning experiences for our children. For instance, a good look at business life in your community will help children learn about family income and the problems that families have earning their livings. Such an awareness can help to strengthen the child’s concept of the Bahá’í family as an economic unit. Then, the family’s relationship to the Fund can be discussed.
A technique called “webbing” illustrates the principle of interdependency very well. Take anything — think of ways it changes other things or the ways other things change it. Write all those “things” down and draw lines to show the connections. For instance, a child brings a flower to class. The teacher invites the class in close to the board and writes the word flower in the center of the board and then as the children call out their ideas, the teacher jots them down, drawing lines from the center word to the idea. In an actual Bahá’í class, children came up with the following words related to flower. They were: color, fragrance, soil, air, sun, beauty, rose, love, gardener, etc. The teacher then led a discussion on the interdependency of the four kingdoms. After the discussion, the students demonstrated their understandings through drawings, mobiles, and string constructions.
People, places and processes can be utilized as learning experiences only to the extent that the teacher plans for their effective use. The child’s environment can be a valuable source of learning in a Bahá’í education program. Hopefully, direct learning experiences will lead the children to good questions rather than answers, since it is with questioning that learning truly begins.
Continued from Page 8
The float drew applause as it traveled the parade route.
Residents of Texas and Louisiana saw a Bahá’í information booth at the South Texas State Fair, October 10-19. Sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Beaumont, the booth displayed many Bahá’í posters, and pamphlets were available.
The Los Angeles County Fair at Pomona, California, from September 12-28, is the largest county fair in the country, sometimes attracting up to two million people. The Los Angeles County Fair Bahá’í Information Booth was displayed at the fair this year. It has appeared in the fair every year since 1965. The booth is organized by the Bahá’í Booth Committee of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Members of the committee represent Bahá’í communities throughout Southern California.
Bahá’í float in Bicentennial Days Parade at Billings, Mont.
Plans move for International Teaching Conferences[edit]
Details are being finalized for travel arrangements to the eight International Teaching Conferences scheduled by The Universal House of Justice in 1976 and 1977.
In order to get the maximum benefit of these Conferences, the attendance of believers from the United States is being planned with the close cooperation of Bankers Trust Travel Planning Service of New York City, a large international travel bureau with extensive resources in foreign countries. Bankers Trust has had widespread experience dealing with large international conferences.
The eight International Teaching Conferences are to be held at Helsinki, Finland, July 6-8, 1976; Anchorage, Alaska, July 23-25, 1976; Paris, France, August 3-6, 1976; Nairobi, Kenya, October 15-17, 1976; Hong Kong, November 27-30, 1976; Auckland, New Zealand, January 19-22, 1977; Bahia, Brazil, January 28-30, 1977; and Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, February 4-6, 1977.
At right is an outline of the itineraries and other details for the Conferences in Helsinki, Nairobi, and Merida. Tours to the five other Conferences will be similar. For complete details, complete the form below and mail it.
Helsinki, Finland[edit]
- Depart New York July 3, 1976.
- Return to New York July 17, 1976.
- Information on the total tour cost, including charter air fare from New York, will be available soon.
- The itinerary:
- July 3—Depart New York; overnight flight to Helsinki.
- July 4—Arrive Helsinki.
- July 5—Introductory tour of Helsinki.
- July 5-8—Teaching Conference in Helsinki.
- July 9—Free day for independent activities.
- July 10—Evening departure for Edinburgh by air. Upon arrival, transfer to the Inverness Conference Center.
- July 11-13—Summer School in Inverness.
- July 14—Departure for London by either rail or air.
- July 15—Sightseeing of London, including stop at Great Northern Cemetery to visit the Guardian’s grave site.
- July 16—Free day.
- July 17—Return flight to New York.
- The prices will include accommodations in hotel category selected in Helsinki and London, including taxes and mandatory gratuities along with continental breakfast. Accommodations in Inverness at the Conference Center with three meals daily, transfers and porterage of baggage between airport and hotels in each city. All sightseeing as indicated in itinerary.
Nairobi, Kenya[edit]
- Depart October 8, 1976.
- Return October 24, 1976.
- Information on the total tour cost, including charter air fare, will be available soon.
- The itinerary includes:
- Amsterdam: hotel accommodations for nine nights, continental breakfast daily, airport and hotel transfers, half-day sightseeing tour.
- Nairobi: hotel accommodations for nine nights, continental breakfast daily, airport and hotel transfers, half day Masai Safari tour, full day tour of National Park including lunch. Overnight optional tour to Treetops is available at extra cost.
- London: hotel accommodations for three nights, half-day sightseeing tour including trip to Great Northern Cemetery to visit the Guardian’s grave site, airport and hotel transfers.
- An optional trip to the World Center for a brief stay is available. However, persons going to Haifa will not be able to stop in Amsterdam.
Merida, Yucatan, Mexico[edit]
- Depart United States February 3, 1977.
- Return to United States February 12, 1977.
- Information on the total tour cost, including charter air fare, will be available soon.
- Departures will be available from New York, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles.
- The itinerary:
- February 3—Departure for Merida by air from selected U.S. city.
- February 4-6—Teaching Conference in Merida.
- February 7—Full-day excursion to Chichen-Itza (lunch included).
- February 8—Full-day excursion to Uxmal and Kabah (lunch included).
- February 9—Departure by air to Mexico City.
- February 10—Full-day sightseeing, including highlights of Mexico City followed by a visit to the pyramids.
- February 11—Half day excursion to the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. Evening performance at the Folklorico Ballet.
- February 12—Departure by air to the U.S.
- Prices will include all transfers and porterage of baggage between hotels and airports, accommodations in selected category with continental breakfast, taxes and mandatory gratuities, sightseeing as indicated in itinerary with meals where indicated, U.S. departure tax.
Bahá’í Books and Materials[edit]
Each One Teach One—New Booklet Emphasizes Role of Individual Believer in Teaching[edit]
“If one of the believers be kind to one of the negligent ones and with perfect love should gradually make him understand the reality of the Cause of God in such a way that the latter should know in what manner the Religion of God hath been founded and what its object is, doubtless he will become changed; ...
If by this method every one of the friends of God were to try to lead one soul to the right path, the number of believers would be doubled every year.”—‘Abdu’l-Bahá
(Published in Bahá’í World Faith, p. 386, and quoted on title page of Each One Teach One)
Each One Teach One:
A Call to the Individual Believer
This attractive new booklet is designed, as its title suggests, to help the individual Bahá’í understand the importance of teaching the Faith to at least one person each year and to assist him in his teaching efforts. Arranged in an easy-to-read question and answer format, the booklet draws primarily on Bahá’í Writings such as the passage quoted at left, with some connecting comment. It answers such questions as “Why Must I Teach?”; “What Must I Do to Prepare?”; “How Should I Teach?”; “What Is Fireside Teaching?”; and many more.
Each One Teach One is essential reading for individual Bahá’ís and is a convenient resource for Spiritual Assemblies and teaching committees. The booklet was originally designed for use at “Each One Teach One” conferences in Illinois, New York, and California and is now available for general distribution. Compiled by the National Teaching Committee and National Education Committee. 5½ x 8½ inches. 19 pp.
7-68-33............$.35; 10/$3.25
Bahá’í Literature[edit]
Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, completely revised and redesigned, focuses on spiritual teachings of interest to all: the fulfillment of past religions, the Manifestations of God, the path to God, spiritual aspects of the coming World Order, the soul, and the renewal of God’s Covenant with man. The volume makes a thoughtful gift for seekers and newly enrolled Bahá’ís. 4½ x 6½ inches. 37 pp., references.
7-03-23 paper............$.50; 10/$4.50
Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi
Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi has also been revised and redesigned. Containing twenty-one selections from the Guardian’s writings, the book is arranged in thirteen sections, including “The Báb,” “‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” “‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Testament,” “Difference Between Bahá’í Faith and Ecclesiastical Organizations,” and “The Radiant Future.” A compact and thorough summary of the history and aims of the Bahá’í Faith, Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi is excellent for both teaching and deepening. Light blue cover designed by Conrad Heleniak. 4½ x 6½ inches. 36 pp., references.
7-08-43 paper............$.50; 10/$4.50
Japan Will Turn Ablaze!
Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Letters of Shoghi Effendi and Historical Notes About Japan
This inspiring new book is a collection of Tablets and letters to individuals and institutions associated with the rise of the Bahá’í Faith in Japan. Among the individuals addressed in the Tablets and letters are such renowned figures as the Hand of the Cause of God Miss Agnes Alexander, Dr. George C. Augur, Mr. Kanichi Yamamoto, and Mr. Saichiro Fujita. The title of the book is taken from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s prophecy of the spiritual future of Japan, as quoted by Shoghi Effendi. Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Japan. 8 illustrations, bibliography. 90 pp.
7-32-12 cloth............$4.95 NET
A Manual for Pioneers
by Rúḥíyyih Rabbani
Here is a new book which Bahá’ís everywhere will read for its practical, no-nonsense approach to pioneering for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. 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. The book 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
Paris Talks
by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Paris Talks is a collection of penetrating addresses by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which were delivered, usually informally and to small audiences, during visits to Paris and London in 1911 and 1912. The paper edition is available at a new lower price. Edited by Lady Blomfield. 184 pp.
7-06-15 cloth............$3.25
7-06-16 paper............$2.25
Now in Paperback[edit]
The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh:
Baghdad 1853–1863
by Adib Taherzadeh
Now available in paperback, this very popular book is the first of a four-volume survey of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Includes eighteen illustrations, four appendices, bibliography, and index. 314 pp.
7-31-91 paper............$4.75
7-31-90 cloth............$7.50
Special Materials[edit]
Blessed is the Spot plaque
Imported from England, the new Blessed Is the Spot plaque is the first acrylic wall hanging available to the American Bahá’í community. The words of the familiar passage from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh appear in gold on a rich maroon background. The plaque, which has a simple gold border, can help create a distinctive Bahá’í atmosphere in the home and makes an attractive gift. 9¼ x 7⅛ inches.
6-64-06............$4.50
1976 Calendar[edit]
Bahá’í Wall Calendar, 1976
The 1976 wall calendar features a beautiful color photograph of the approach to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí, the Qiblih of the Bahá’í world. Feast days and Holy Days are indicated by circles and squares around the numerals. Detailed information on special observances is printed on the back of the Calendar. The 1976 wall calendar is a decorative addition to all Bahá’í homes, helps create a Bahá’í atmosphere in children’s rooms, and is an effective silent teacher at the office. 8½ x 11 inches.
6-69-36............$.25; 10/$2.00; 25/$4.50
|
Special Booklet Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly Designed for public information and proclamation uses.
The National Assembly itself will present the book to public figures as part of a national publicity and proclamation program. Local communities are encouraged to utilize the booklet as a tie-in to the national effort—particularly as a prelude to the forthcoming National Bicentennial Year proclamation now being planned. The new booklet is a particularly effective document to present to community leaders, editors and broadcasters, educators, and others with whom the local Bahá’í community must deal. The document, entitled The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, is 10 inches square, 16 pages in length, and features a heavy maroon cover with the title stamped in gold foil. Sections cover the origin, history, functions, and achievements of the National Assembly and the National Bahá’í Community. One section presents biographical sketches of the present members of the institution. 7-32-08
|
each one
teach one
