The American Bahá’í/Volume 6/Issue 9/Text
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Half of pioneer posts filled; quick action urged on rest[edit]
The American Bahá’í community has reached the halfway point in its goal of providing pioneers for the Five Year Plan.
However, much work remains.
In a recent message, the Universal House of Justice urged that pioneer posts be filled by the midway point of the Plan, October 1976. The Universal House of Justice urged the remainder “to arise as quickly as possible before the confusion and chaos which are engulfing the old order disrupt transportation and communications and cause doors which are now open to be closed in our faces.”
The International Goals Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly reported that 157 of 310 posts had been filled as of the end of August.
Particular success was reported in the Americas and Africa. However, efforts to complete the goals in Europe, Asia, and Australasia continue to lag.
The International Goals Committee said well-deepened Bahá’ís with professional or technical abilities and the proper language skills are needed now. Retired persons and students are also particularly suited for pioneering roles.
In addition to giving the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, pioneers must be able to teach and train people to serve on Local Spiritual Assemblies and to assume responsibility in building the structure of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, the ultimate goal of the Bahá’í Faith.
Training for Spiritual Assembly Development plan continues[edit]
The first phase of the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program was completed in August with the training of 20 two-member teams.
The program, a new aspect of the Comprehensive Deepening Program, is a 30-hour course of study prepared under the guidance of the National Spiritual Assembly and is designed to help local institutions understand more fully the nature of Bahá’í Administration.
The 40 persons, appointed from every region of the country, arrived at the National Center August 24 to spend one week at nearby Kendall College studying, absorbing, and discussing the course materials with a special staff directed by Daniel Jordan, vice chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly and project supervisor for the Comprehensive Deepening Program.
Classroom presentations during the week were made by Counsellors Edna True and Sarah Pereira of the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America, and by most members of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Phase two of the program consists of the training of 300 additional two-member teams who will present the course to Local Spiritual Assemblies. Each team trained at the National Center will in turn train 15 teams.
As the new trainees complete the course, they will begin work with Local Spiritual Assemblies. A few Assemblies will take the 30-hour course as early as December, and it is estimated that it will require three weekends to complete the materials.
Each team of trainers will work with four Local Spiritual Assemblies. It is expected that approximately 1,000 Assemblies will be trained before the end of the Five Year Plan.
The highest priority in training is to be given to new Assemblies. Next will be Assemblies in California, Illinois, and New York, where special proclamations are being staged during the Plan to encourage large-scale enrollments.
During their orientation in Wilmette, the first teams of trainers also became familiar with the operation of videocassette players. This equipment will be used at the local level to televise a series of videotape programs that are to accompany the training materials. The programs, which reinforce portions of the written materials, were taped by the Counsellors and by the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Each of the teams was equipped with a videocassette player before leaving Wilmette. These machines will be placed at the disposal of Local Spiritual Assemblies during the time they are taking the course.
Trainees at the Wilmette sessions were Santander Hai of Arizona; Lee Batt, Karl Durand, John Gallagher, Blanche Grant, Vivian Hubler, Fred and Hazel Littman, Stan O’Jack, and Doris Russell of California; Jeanette Brayton and Rhoderoi Myers of Colorado; Roger Blaine of Delaware; Irma Fuller, John Hatcher, and Karen Pritchard of Florida; Robert Hatch of Georgia; Eleanore and John Conkling of Idaho; Carol Allen, Jene Bellows, and Reginald Young Jr. of Illinois; Michael Cavitt of Iowa; Theodies Washington of Louisiana; James Sacco of Maryland; Nancy Jordan and Susan Theroux of Massachusetts; Kenneth Augustine and Marvin Hughes of Michigan; Dorothy Bruner of Mississippi; Anita and Verne Tuttle of Montana; Wilma Brady and Leonard Gilman of New York; Natalie Bowen of Oregon; Elting Smalls and Gertrude White of South Carolina; E. Foy Justice and Howard Menking of Texas; David Lepard of Virginia; and Virginia Martig and Velda Piff of Washington.
Daniel Jordan, vice chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, discusses a point at the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program. The classroom where training took place was also a studio for live videotaped recordings of introductory presentations. Approximately 10 videocassettes are being produced and will be viewed by Local Assemblies when their turn comes to receive training. Videocassette players have been provided to each training team. The sessions were recorded on ¾ inch videocassettes with Sony color cameras and equipment.
Conferences on teaching set Nov. 1-2 in N.Y., Illinois[edit]
“Each One Teach One” will be the theme of four major Teaching Conferences being planned in New York, Illinois, and California.
The New York and Illinois Conferences will be held Nov. 1-2. Sites and other details will be announced later. Conferences in Northern California and Southern California will be held Dec. 27-28.
Purpose of the Conferences is to stimulate action toward achieving the goals of the Five Year Plan.
New York, Illinois, and California were selected as major objectives of the Plan for the American Bahá’í community, namely the development of “intensive teaching and consolidation plans in at least three states, chosen from among those visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, designed to attract great numbers to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh thereby initiating a process leading to the entry into the Faith by troops alluded to by the Master.”
Emphasis at the Conferences will be on individual teaching—each one teach one.
Ways to accomplish this will be discussed. Smaller follow-up Conferences will be held to make plans for specific action to take to achieve the goals of opening new localities, forming Local Spiritual Assemblies, incorporating Local Spiritual Assemblies, and consolidating the community.
There will be 10 follow-up Conferences in New York and 10 in Illinois, to be held simultaneously on Nov. 15-16. There will be 30 follow-up Conferences in California
Plans under way for International Teaching Conferences[edit]
Begin to make your plans now to attend one or more of the International Teaching Conferences to be held in 1976 and 1977. For more information on group rate travel accommodations, see Page 8.
Plans are well underway for the International Teaching Conference to be held July 6-8, 1976, in Helsinki, Finland.
The Helsinki Conference will be the first of eight such Conferences scheduled by The Universal House of Justice during the Five Year Plan. The World Center expects about 1,500 persons in Helsinki.
The main purpose of this Conference, one of two scheduled in the Arctic for July 1976, is the rapid achievement, in the northern hemisphere, of one of the three major objectives of the Plan: “a vast and widespread expansion of the Bahá’í community.”
The Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery will represent The Universal House of Justice at the Helsinki Conference. Finlandia Hall, a modern mid-town congress and concert center, has been reserved for the sessions. The Conference will also provide an opportunity for intensive teaching and proclamation efforts in Finland.
The second Conference in the Arctic will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, July 23-25, 1976. The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone will be The Universal House of Justice representative.
Meanwhile, plans also are being made for group rate travel accommodations from the United States to Helsinki and Anchorage as well as to the six other Conferences. Budget and deluxe tours of up to two weeks are being arranged in conjunction with the Conferences. The tour to Helsinki includes a stop in London to visit the Guardian’s grave site and to Scotland to attend the Summer School at Inverness. The Anchorage tour includes a trip to Vancouver, Canada.
The tour to Helsinki will leave from New York with chartered flights from California, Chicago, and Miami connecting with the New York departure. The trips to Anchorage will leave from New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles with connecting flights from Miami, Atlanta, and Phoenix.
Other International Teaching Conferences will be held Aug. 3-6, 1976, in Paris, France; Oct. 15-17, 1976, in Nairobi, Kenya; Nov. 27-30, 1976, in Hong Kong; Jan. 19-22, 1977, in Auckland, New Zealand; Jan. 28-30, 1977, in Bahia, Brazil; and Feb. 4-6, 1977, in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
The tours to Paris and Nairobi include stops in London to visit the grave site of the Guardian.
Projecteers find ‘rush of spirit’[edit]
Twenty-five Bahá’ís have returned from exciting and rewarding summer traveling teaching projects in Africa, Brazil, and Bolivia.
“This experience has truly been one of the great bounties of my life, second only to discovering the Faith and going on pilgrimage,” said one projecteer who went to Brazil.
“The rush of spirit that flowed from place to place as we traveled was a very uplifting thing,” the projecteer continued. “It brought enthusiasm to the friends wherever we went and attracted many new people to the Faith. And traveling teaching is a wonderful way to learn detachment. It temporarily takes you away from and lifts you out of all the mundane little cares and worries you thought were so important, and allows you to see things in better perspective.”
Seven of the projecteers (five adults and two youth) went to Brazil on the six-week trip.
Despite the fact there was only one semi-professional musician among them, the projecteers formed a singing group, “The Bahá’í Group,” as a teaching tool. It was very effective.
They used Bahá’í songs and American folk songs to carry a theme. And they quickly learned how to sing the Bahá’í songs in Portuguese.
The projecteers also reported an enthusiastic response from the media. They were interviewed for one radio show and another radio station in the same building quickly asked them to appear.
They also appeared on television talk shows. The projecteers went to one TV station in the northern part of Brazil to explain their purpose. They were immediately interviewed on a live news show and later for an educational program which they were told would be televised to schools in the interior sections of Brazil.
The projecteers went to six major cities and many small towns and were front page news in most of the papers.
Similar success stories were told by the eight projecteers (seven adults and one youth) who went to Bolivia.
Ten projecteers (seven adults and three youth) were on the Africa trip which took them to Togo, Dahomey, and Niger.
In Togo, they slept on grass mats on the floor of mud huts with no electricity and no running water and loved every minute of it.
“The spirituality, the kindness, and the purity of the African people are truly an example for us all,” one projecteer said.
Another told the story of a visit to a remote area of Dahomey. They visited a group of Bahá’ís who discovered the Faith in 1969, but little had been heard from them. When the projecteers asked if they were Bahá’ís, “they all answered emphatically, yes, wanted to know where we had been all these years, and eagerly began to talk about the Faith.”
Indians given the Message[edit]
A group of Bahá’ís from Durango recently completed two of a continuing series of visits to leaders of Pueblo Indian settlements in New Mexico. They visited Pojoaque and Picuris, near Santa Fe, to present Bahá’í materials to tribal leaders.
The trip to Pojoaque and Picurís was the fourth of a series of visits which began in January 1974 and has taken teams of Bahá’ís to five of nine still thriving pueblo settlements within a 50-square-mile sector bounding Santa Fe. In all, there are 19 pueblos in New Mexico.
Each visit of the proclamation team has consisted of a scheduled meeting with the pueblo chief, or governor, as they are called, to discuss the teachings of the Faith. The governor is elected by his community and serves for one year.
Each pueblo in the Santa Fe region is a tight cluster of adobe buildings radiating from a central square, which in many cases is dominated by the community church.
During his morning meeting with the Bahá’ís, the governor of Pojoaque pueblo, Ray Romero, expressed interest in Bahá’í laws, particularly those pertaining to the prohibition of alcohol and drugs, the team reported. The exchange of views lasted approximately 45 minutes. The team was invited to return to Pojoaque in December for the celebration of the pueblo’s annual feast day.
From Pojoaque, later the same day, the team traveled on winding mountain roads to Picurís pueblo where they met with governor Pat Martinez, who had held the post for six years.
Mr. Martinez was presented a copy of the Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh.
‘Great Spirit’ at Council Fire[edit]
The drum beat, first softly, then louder and louder. Indians and non-Indians rose two by two and twice circled the outdoor amphitheater at the International Peace Gardens. They joined hands in a large circle and praised God for the joy of coming together.
It was the conclusion of the Great Council Fire held Aug. 22-24 along the North Dakota-Canadian border in which Indians from 14 American tribes attended.
Highlight of the Council Fire was the reading of a special message from The Universal House of Justice which said:
“LOVING GREETINGS FROM MOST HOLY LAND TO GREAT COUNCIL FIRE INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDENS. MAY GREAT SPIRIT GUIDE INSPIRE YOU FILL YOUR HEARTS HIS LOVE ENABLING YOU CONTRIBUTE A WORTHY SHARE ADVANCEMENT INDIAN PEOPLES TOWARDS THEIR TRUE DESTINY ENVISIONED BY ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE.”
The program opened with greetings from John Halsey, chairman of the North-Central Indian Teaching Committee. Following prayers and songs, Auxiliary Board member Angus Cowan spoke about the role of the American Indian in building the new World Order.
In the evening, a presentation by the New Day Bahá’í Singers from Minneapolis was followed by greetings from Pearl Schuyler of the National Teaching Committee and Cathy Cook of the American Indian Teaching Committee.
After the message from The Universal House of Justice was read on Saturday morning, discussions and talks centered on how the Bahá’í Faith and the “Indian way” blended.
The Saturday afternoon program included songs and legends. Phil Lane shared stories told to him by his 93-year-old grandmother, Martina Sherwood. Mrs. Sherwood told the friends to continue the work in removing all barriers of discrimination.
On Saturday night, the “Lighting of the Council Fire” was featured. A flaming branch was taken from the fire and held aloft to the four points of the compass as these words were spoken, first in English then in Ute, Navajo, Sioux, and Ojibway:
- “We bring our fire to the West. The East comes the sun to give life to the earth. From the East comes the Great Spirit to quicken the children of the earth.”
- “We bring our fire to the West. The West gives rest to the sun. In the West are many secrets of life. The secrets have been lost for many years. The Great Spirit comes again that the children of earth may find the secrets.”
- “We bring our fire to the North. In the North live the Bear People. Give us your strength People of the Bear that we may search and find the secrets that have been lost and are now revealed again by the Great Spirit.”
- “We bring our fire to the South. The South is the place of growth. In the South the earth children laugh and dance and forget the Way of the Great Spirit. Come back—search—find the Way.”
- “Our fire has completed the Hoop. We walk again in the Way of the Great Spirit, in Unity and Beauty and Love. We will dance in the Circle of the Hoop. The earth will tell all her children that we are together again.”
- At the end of these words, everyone joined hands for the Stamp Dance to tell Mother Earth so that she could spread the glad tidings. This was followed by an hour of special drumming, songs, and dancing.
Bounties multiply at Pioneer Institute at National Center[edit]
More than 40 Bahá’ís attended a Pioneer Institute in August to hear from the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem (right), share information, learn about pioneering, and the needs of the Faith. There were serious moments, light moments, and times when eyes glistened with tears as the accomplishments of earlier pioneers were recalled by the speakers.
“Say: God sufficeth all things above all things, and nothing in the heavens or in the earth but God sufficeth....”
These words of His Holiness the Exalted Báb, rising from the lips of a pioneer who first entered the pioneering arena 28 years ago, were a fitting climax to a rare tour of the House of Worship conducted for participants in the Pioneer Institute August 23.
Lasting almost two hours, the tour began at 9 p.m. with information on the building of the temple by Sylvia Parmelee, and on the architecture by Rex Parmelee, at an informal gathering in Foundation Hall.
It continued through visits to the auditorium, the first and second balconies above the auditorium, and ended with prayers in the darkened auditorium, with only one light shining through the Greatest Name in the dome of the temple.
During the Institute, more than 40 pioneers soon to leave for their overseas posts in the Five Year Plan gathered in Wilmette for special training. Although many had pioneered before, there was general agreement during the Institute that the information shared, covering the changing needs of this critical time, was of great value and previous pioneering did not preclude the need for attendance at such an Institute.
For this particular group of pioneers, there were many special bounties. The entire National Spiritual Assembly came into Foundation Hall during one session of the Pioneer Institute and spent half an hour visiting with the participants. The Continental Board of Counsellors, meeting in Wilmette at the same time, also joined the pioneers for morning prayers in the auditorium of the temple.
The Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem fired their enthusiasm with accounts of those early believers sent out by His Holiness the Báb and rewarded for their efforts with an immortal place in Bahá’í history.
As the program unfolded, the pioneers themselves best described the experience as “invaluable,” “beyond our highest expectation,” and “astonishingly informative.”
There was a constant flow of basic, practical facts, such as how to use the metric system, balanced with spiritual gifts, such as the loving encouragement offered by Mr. Khadem and Auxiliary Board member Thelma Jackson. Faces alternately broke into smiles and glistened with tears as the unforgettable names and accomplishments of earlier pioneers were brought to mind by the speakers.
By the second day of the Institute, it was one family that went from session to session, visiting at mealtime and, at the end of a 12-hour schedule, gathering in Foundation Hall Saturday evening to begin their special tour of the House of Worship.
Mrs. Parmelee, blessed as a young girl with the privilege of going on pilgrimage during the lifetime of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, recalled from her own childhood accounts of the effort and sacrifice that went into securing land and making preliminary plans for building the House of Worship.
“I think it is well to remember the building of the temple paralleled the development of the administrative order of the Faith in this country,” she declared. “‘Abdu’l-Bahá assured the early believers that the House of Worship would have a tremendous effect on civilization, as well as its spiritual and religious significance. The fact that it is here is helping and assisting in the growth of this Faith in ways we are not aware of.”
She cited some of the articles written by the Hand of the Cause of God Horace Holley about the significance of the House of Worship, in which he many times indicated it to be a channel releasing spiritual powers for the regeneration of the world.
Throughout her talk, Mrs. Parmelee indicated that other pioneers have found interest expressed in this temple in many remote parts of the world, increasing the importance of future pioneers being well informed as to the history and purpose of this House of Worship.
Points of architectural interest and statistics involved in building the temple were reviewed by Rex Parmelee, longtime assistant at the National Center, before the tour began.
“Although the early believers considered seven designs for the temple, only two models were submitted,” he said. “It had taken Louis Bourgeois three years and extremely sacrificial effort to complete his model in time for this competition. The model was built to a proposed diameter of 450 feet, although the Master later requested that the size be reduced to 150 feet in diameter. This size has proven to be more appropriate and more beautiful for the site,” commented Mr. Parmelee. “Although the temple cost approximately $2 million to build, it was recently appraised for insurance at $7 million.”
Mr. Parmelee mentioned that at the time the temple was built, it was customary for buildings in the Chicago area to be erected on piles. In this case, however, the decision was made to carry the supporting caissons of the House of Worship down to solid rock, a fitting foundation for a building whose crowning dome weighs 300 tons.
“Decisions such as choosing stainless steel and aluminum for the inner and outer domes means that the temple is truly built for the ages,” concluded Mr. Parmelee.
It was a hushed, quiet group of Bahá’ís who carefully climbed the stairs to the first and second balconies. There they attained an unusual view of the gardens bathed in moonlight and the auditorium, far below, attractively furnished with recently reupholstered chairs and new draperies.
As each pioneer returned to the auditorium level and chose a seat under the dome, prayers began, with the familiar words of the Master offered as their blessing:
“O Thou incomparable God! O Thou Lord of the Kingdom!
These souls are Thy heavenly army.”
As the prayers ended, a voice raised the melody of a song composed by a Bahá’í in the Pacific area and everyone joined in:
- “Shine your light on me, Bahá’u’lláh!
- I am over here, Bahá’u’lláh.
- Shine your light on me, Bahá’u’lláh.
- Gloria, gloria” (pronounced glori-ay).
And the other stanzas continued:
- “Help me teach Thy Cause, Bahá’u’lláh.
- “Help me be a lamp, Bahá’u’lláh.
- “Help me light the world, Bahá’u’lláh.”
Above their heads, the Greatest Name was bathed in light, with a halo reflected from it a few feet lower in the dome.
Pioneers cheered by Mr. Khadem[edit]
Quoting words of the beloved Guardian, in which He describes pioneering as “the prince of all deeds” and the “magnet of the bounties of God,” the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullah Khadem addressed the opening session of the Pioneer Training Institute, held at the National College of Education, Wilmette, August 23-25. Citing the power of the Faith “which can move mountains,” Mr. Khadem said: “I do not know what we are waiting for. Pioneering! Go!
“I always repeat that the pioneers have their own language,” he continued. “Others cannot understand unless they follow.” He quoted passages from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, setting forth the significance of the journeys of the earlier Prophets.
Referring to the Address of the Báb to the Letters of the Living, Mr. Khadem declared: “The instructions of His Holiness the Báb referred to their dispersal. Each Letter of the Living went in a different direction. To Mulla Husayn was given the honor of delivering a scroll from the Báb to Bahá’u’lláh, Who indicated upon reading it that it was the Word of God.
“It is from this dispersal of the Letters of the Living that everything in our Faith started,” commented Mr. Khadem. “Now, we are gathered here. The early believers made their gift to the world and we, their spiritual descendants, inherited it. It is you who are called by the Beloved Shoghi Effendi ‘the spiritual descendants of the Dawn-Breakers.’ ”
“No one but Bahá’u’lláh can appreciate your station,” he told his hushed audience. “We get our inspiration from the Letters of the Living and here you are, their spiritual descendants.
“The Cause of God is a great ocean,” he continued, “in which you can find pearls and jewels. Whatever is brought to the surface is only a crop compared to the ocean.” He then quoted passages from the Báb and from Bahá’u’lláh indicating the blessed future of America and the high station of the peoples of the West, adding that the concerted efforts of civil and ecclesiastical officials could not prevent Bahá’u’lláh from fulfilling the prophecies concerning His own coming to the Holy Land.
At the close of his address, each pioneer gave his name and destination. Gambia, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, Finland, American Samoa... the names read like an excerpt from one of the Tablets of the Divine Plan, as the latest contingent of pioneers prepared to leave for their posts.
Continued from Page 1
to be held simultaneously on Jan. 10-11.
Major emphasis will be on the role of the individual in teaching. For example, one isolated believer leads to a Group, then a Local Spiritual Assembly with active teaching.
“The friends must realize their individual responsibility,” Shoghi Effendi said in a letter on his behalf written March 6, 1957, to a Bahá’í couple. “Each must hold a fireside in his or her home, once in nineteen days, where new people are invited, and where some phase of the Faith is mentioned and discussed. If this is done with the intent of showing Bahá’í hospitality and love, then there will be results. People will become interested in ‘what’ you are interested in, and then be interested in studying... There is no substitute for the teaching work of the individual,” the letter said.
The beloved Guardian stressed repeatedly during his ministry that it was incumbent upon the individual believers to hold regular firesides in their homes to gain friends and adherents for the Faith.
Bahá’u’lláh says in Gleanings: “The very moment ye arise, ye will witness how a flood of Divine knowledge will gush out of your hearts, and will behold the wonders of His heavenly wisdom manifested in all their glory before you.”
Pathways to service[edit]
The relationship of education to careers[edit]
By the National Youth Committee
The first three articles in this five-part series on career planning focused on general principles, vocational self-assessment, and job trends. This month we look at training opportunities: the relationship of education to careers.
Just as Bahá’í career planning must start with Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings about the importance of work, so any discussion of training opportunities must begin with His teachings about education. For example:
- Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess.... The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can alone cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.—(Gleanings, pages 259-260)
So important is education that The Universal House of Justice has listed it as one of the three fields of service open to Bahá’í youth:
- The third field of service is the preparation by youth for their later years. It is the obligation of a Bahá’í to educate his children; likewise, it is the duty of the children to acquire knowledge of the arts and sciences and to learn a trade or a profession whereby they, in turn, can earn their living and support their families. This, for a Bahá’í youth, is in itself a service to God, a service, moreover, which can be combined with teaching the Faith and often with pioneering.—(Wellspring of Guidance, page 95)
When a Bahá’í youth begins to consider a trade or profession, he must decide how to acquire the necessary skills.
To highlight some of the possibilities, we are reprinting the following information courtesy of the Institute for Community Development and Services (Continuing Education Service, Michigan State University) and the Detroit Free Press.
Training: What to Consider
Training is a vague word that means many different things. For someone preparing to become a physician or a lawyer, it may mean a long-term academic program extending 10 years or more beyond high school. For someone preparing for a factory job, it may mean short-term, on-the-job training that teaches a new skill in several hours or several days. Some training, such as that leading to a bachelor’s degree in social studies, is fairly general or theoretical. Other programs, such as an appliance repair course or a course in dog grooming or X-ray technology, get right to the point of the specific occupation.
A non-specific training course is likely to be immediately useful, but you should also be aware that additional related study can be important, too. An appliance repair course, for example, will generally prepare you to fix defects in a variety of appliances; but additional courses in retail sales or management may enable you to work as a salesperson in an appliance store or to manage an appliance department until a repair position is available.
While a general or liberal arts course of study may not prepare you for a particular job, graduates of these programs find jobs in a wide range of occupations in which specific skill training is not required. These occupations frequently have a greater potential for advancement.
Once you have decided to seek further training, the questions are: which program? how much training? and where to take the training?
You should select a program that provides basic training for the particular field in which you most like to work while also considering the broader range of possibilities in the given field.
A second major consideration in selecting a training program is the level of training. You must know what level of training is offered so you can decide if that level is enough, too much, or not sufficient for your career purpose.
In order to determine what level of training is sufficient, you should find out both the minimal level of acceptable training for the job of your choice and the actual level of acceptable training an employer feels is necessary. For example, you may need to complete only a two-year certificate program in bookkeeping to become a qualified bookkeeper, but this may not be sufficient training to work as a bookkeeper in the firm for which you hope to work.
A third major consideration relates to the training institution itself. The concern most people have as they near graduation is “Will I get a job?” or “Am I better qualified than the other applicants?” And while no one can guarantee a positive answer, your worry will be reduced by choosing a school that has traditionally offered programs acceptable to a wide range of employers. One way to find out is to ask the placement director of the institution what the placement rate is for a given curriculum—what percentage of graduates from the program are employed in a related field. Training institutions are usually more than willing to share this information with you, particularly if their percentage of successfully placed graduates is high.
It is important, then, that you investigate your placement potential before committing yourself to a training program.
Finally, you should consider very carefully any training program in relation to yourself: Do you meet the entrance requirements of the school? Does the school offer programs at a time you can take them? Can you get to the school? Is it economically possible for you to enroll? Do you really need the training? Are there any alternatives to additional training? For example, you may find out that, with additional training, you will be eligible for promotion within your present job structure. If this is a possibility, you may be able to get on-the-job training, or your employer may pay some of the costs for outside additional training. Since this alternative would alleviate the trouble of finding a new job when the training is completed, it is an alternative that should be explored thoroughly.
The first step in acquiring a trade or profession is, of course, to complete high school. After that, there are a number of post-secondary training programs available in most states. Some of the most common are summarized in the table below, which is also reprinted courtesy of the Institute for Community Development and Services and the Detroit Free Press.
Bahá’í youth who are interested in combining education with foreign pioneering should know that foreign universities usually prefer students from the United States to have completed at least two years of college before transferring (although applications can be submitted earlier). Another avenue is to enroll in an American college that sponsors special programs of study abroad.
Planning one’s education is an important corollary of career planning. It is also a valuable Bahá’í service, a means to victory in the Five Year Plan and the Two Year Youth Program. Bahá’í youth should carefully consider the training opportunities available to them as they plan their lives to be of utmost service to the Cause of God.
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20 youth learn why there is no Faith without the Administrative Order[edit]
A group of 20 youth came to the National Bahá’í Center in August to learn more about the Administrative Order and to serve it.
The youth, 13 of whom are under 21, were participating in a two-week Work/Study Project sponsored by the National Youth Committee. Part of each day was spent in studying various aspects of administration and the rest of the day was spent actually working. Work consisted of such jobs as organizing materials at the various national offices, typing, sorting mail, gardening, guiding at the House of Worship, aiding at the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, editing, proofreading, and sorting and filing old issues of Bahá’í News.
“The administration was a very scary, incomprehensible area,” one youth said as the program opened. “Now I feel that it is the most beautiful expression of Bahá’u’lláh’s love imaginable,” he said at the end of the two weeks. “I have only begun to realize that without the Administrative Order there really is no Faith.”
Other youth said the project renewed their determination to serve the Faith more actively and gave them energy for action.
The youth attended classes conducted by Counsellor Edna True of the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America; Glenford Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly; Charlotte Linfoot, assistant secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly; and members of the National Center staff.
Subjects covered included the Administrative Order, history of the Faith, the role of youth in serving the Cause, the Fund, homefront teaching, pioneering, the House of Worship, and planning a life of service.
One of the highlights was an evening with the Hand of the Cause of God Zikrullá Khadem.
Another two-week Work/Study Project is scheduled to begin Dec. 28. Others will be held in the spring and summer of 1976.
Following the August project, the youth contributed to the National Fund in honor of the people for whom they worked.
As she departed for home, one of the youth said, “I have resolved to live the life more vigorously at home in hopes that my father may someday recognize Bahá’u’lláh.”
Youth participate in special summer teaching projects in 7 states[edit]
Dozens of young Bahá’ís arose this summer to participate in nine teaching projects carried out in seven states. Although many chose to remain in their home communities to support local teaching efforts, they were joined by two dozen volunteers from every part of the country who traveled hundreds of miles to support teaching and proclamation efforts.
The dimensions and specific aims of the projects varied considerably. They lasted one to six weeks; were carried out in farming communities, inner cities, and an Indian reservation; and were sponsored by Local Assemblies and District Teaching Committees as well as the National Bahá’í Youth Committee. Often during the longer projects volunteers were able to stay for only a part of the time, but their efforts were coordinated to make the most effective use of their contributions.
In rural areas the teaching efforts often centered on participating in county fairs. Eleven volunteers, including two from Illinois, set up and manned a geodesic dome at the county fair in Holyoke in the northeastern corner of Colorado. Visitors to the fair who were attracted to the unusual structure often stayed for discussion and left with Bahá’í literature.
Youth from Texas, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota supported the project in Olmsted County, in southern Minnesota. Nearly 20 local and visiting volunteers proclaimed the Faith in the rural communities of Olmsted and three adjacent counties. They supported three weekend public meetings, two area fair booths, and a junior youth conference. Hundreds of people learned about the Faith, and the projecteers reported that most of the people they met had seen the newspaper ads, articles, and posters announcing Bahá’í meetings. Three people declared.
With the assistance of just one youth who had come from California, the community of Hamburg, New York, initiated a proclamation effort at the Erie County Fair, the nation’s largest county fair. For the third year in a row the Bahá’ís of Hamburg entered a float in the fair parade, which was televised to more than two million people in western New York and Canada. The float consisted of a large colorful rainbow that arched over a papier mache globe. Multiracial children from the Hamburg community and the nearby Cattaraugus Indian Reservation sat encircling the globe. The float drew exclamations and applause from the thousands of observers lining the parade route and as it passed the judges, TV commentators read the description provided by the Local Spiritual Assembly. A Bahá’í booth at the fair proclaimed the same message as the float: One God, One World, One People.
In southern Illinois, four volunteers assisted the Carbondale community in a proclamation to the public and three public officials in nearby unopened localities. There were indications that many people learned of the Faith. One person declared.
Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, Bahá’ís participated in a summer Indian cultural festival where over the years they have become respected for their contributions to the event.
South Carolina and Illinois were the only states that supported two projects. Two volunteers assisted the teaching staff at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute in Hemingway by teaching children’s classes during a period of increased activity at the institute this summer. In District No. 2 North, a projecteer from Florida assisted in opening two towns to the Faith and consolidating the community in another. Public meetings and picnics were organized and books were placed in the libraries of three towns. The newspaper in Union, South Carolina, interviewed the volunteers and printed an article about the Faith.
Chicago’s summer project drew volunteers from five states and stimulated the large community to exciting levels of participation. The volunteers decorated and manned a storefront center that had been rented for the project in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood. Passersby frequently dropped in and children’s classes, firesides, and Spanish deepenings were held regularly. Public meetings, picnics, and a film showing were also organized.
Other goals of the Chicago project included visiting isolated believers and initiating a proclamation in Chicago’s Greek community, one of the largest in the world.
“The community lent tremendous support,” said one of the local youth coordinators. Everyone donated what they could: time to man the storefront center, a piece of artwork to beautify it, refreshments. And regular activities in the Spanish community are continuing. The projecteers were most excited about the results of the children’s classes, though. Many of the children that they taught daily had not had religious training before, and keeping their interest and teaching them provided quite a challenge—the youth found themselves using many different talents. But by the end of the project, it was clear that the children’s hearts had been touched. The volunteers felt they had learned a great deal too.”
In Los Angeles, youth volunteers sought to reach two groups—their fellow youth and the Armenian community. A coffee house was set up in the Bahá’í Center where each Friday and Saturday night live entertainment and refreshments were offered. The youth themselves entertained the audiences of 75–100 with a singing and dancing revue, and professional Bahá’í musicians participated as well.
After preparing themselves with classes on Armenian culture, a diverse group of young Bahá’ís attended a church service in the Armenian community and attracted considerable attention. When they presented the priest with a Bahá’í book, a two-hour discussion about the Faith ensued. The youth continued to deepen their friendships and understanding of the culture with visits to social events and the church.
Teaching projects in Chicago and Hamburg, N.Y., were typical. At left, youth lead a children’s class in Chicago. Center is the exhibit set up in a Chicago storefront in an effort to reach Spanish-speaking persons. At right, children ride a Bahá’í float in a fair parade at Hamburg.
Can you serve as a consultant?[edit]
The National Bahá’í Properties Committee has started an ambitious program of identifying professionals within the Bahá’í Community to serve as consultants on various projects.
The Committee is particularly interested in architects, engineers, estimators/appraisers, hotel/motel administrators, and foresters.
Persons in these support areas should have school training, have at least five years of on-the-job experience, be skilled in handling multiple environments, be skilled in written and oral presentations, have time to give, and have a desire to serve the Faith.
The needs are:
Architects—persons are needed to aid in the development of master plans and current building and landscape development plans.
Engineers—ME’s, CE’s, EE’s, ChE’s are needed to assist with the problems of land development, environment, structure, equipment, etc.
Estimators/Appraisers—Individuals who are well experienced land and building evaluators and negotiators are needed for land acquisition and disposal problems.
Hotel/Motel Administrators—Persons are needed to assist the Committee in the operation of the permanent Bahá’í Schools in a professional innkeeping manner.
Foresters—Individuals are needed to advise on the care, preservation, utilization, etc., of the wooded land under the Committee’s supervision.
Interested and qualified individuals should send their resumes to National Bahá’í Properties Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
These persons would be called upon from time to time as the need arises.
Dates to remember[edit]
- October 3–5 Green Lake Conference, Green Lake, Wisconsin. Sponsored by the Green Lake Conference Committee.
- October 5, 12, 26 District Conventions.
- October 10 Proclamation, West Hollywood, Calif. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of West Hollywood.
- October 11 Proclamation, Jacksonville, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of East Texas No. 1.
- October 12 Proclamation, Palestine, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of East Texas No. 1.
- October 16 Feast of ’Ilm (Knowledge).
- October 19 Proclamation, Lamesa, Texas. Sponsored by the West Texas District Teaching Committee.
- October 20 Anniversary of the Birth of the Báb. Holy Day on which work should be suspended.
- October 20 Lake Mohonk, New York. Commemorative Program. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Oyster Bay.
- October 24 United Nations Day.
- October 24–26 National Spiritual Assembly meeting.
- November 1–2 Teaching Conferences, New York and Illinois. Sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly.
- November 1 Deadline for receipt of materials for December issue of The American Bahá’í.
- November 4 Feast of Qudrat (Power).
- November 6–9 Pioneer Training Institute. (By invitation only.)
- November 6–12 Week-long Proclamation, Emporia, Kansas. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Emporia.
- November 12 Anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, Holy Day on which work should be suspended.
- November 14 Proclamation, West Hollywood, Calif. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of West Hollywood.
- November 15 Proclamation, Corsicana, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of East Texas No. 1.
- November 16 Proclamation, Teague, Texas. Sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of East Texas No. 1.
- November 21–23 National Spiritual Assembly meeting.
- November 23 Feast of Qawl (Speech).
- November 26 Day of the Covenant, Holy Day.
- November 28 Anniversary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Holy Day, should be commemorated about 1 a.m.
Education[edit]
The Bahá’í principles on the education of children[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly has delegated the National Education Committee the responsibility of reorganizing and strengthening child education programs in communities and at Bahá’í Schools. This assignment was prompted by the increase in the number of young parents entering the Faith and by a desire to improve existing child education programs in accordance with the objectives of the Five Year Plan. A series of articles prepared by the National Education Committee will appear in American Bahá’í during the next few months as one attempt to meet this challenge. These articles are designed to explore the application of Bahá’í principles to the education of children and to provide training suggestions which will include the use of children’s literature, games, audio-visual materials, outdoor activities, and handicraft ideas.
By the National Education Committee
Child education is a primary duty of every parent, Local Spiritual Assembly, and community. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stresses its importance in the following passage: “... as to thy question concerning training of children: it is incumbent upon thee to nurture them from the breast of the love of God, to urge them towards spiritual matters, to turn unto God and to acquire good manners, best characteristics and praiseworthy virtues and qualities in the world of humanity, and to study with the utmost diligence; so that they may become spiritual, heavenly and attracted to the fragrances of sanctity from their earliest childhood....” (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. 1, Page 87.)
Parents must take every opportunity to provide the prerequisites for the continuing growth and development of their children. Instruction in the Cause of God is fundamental to that process. Children who grow up in homes where knowledge of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh is provided, and Its precepts exemplified, are prepared to face the uncertainties of a failing world and better equipped to help raise a new World Order.
The Local Spiritual Assembly is responsible for organizing an exemplary child education program. As the Guardian has stated in Bahá’í Administration: “They (the Assembly) must promote by every means in their power the material as well as the spiritual enlightenment of youth, the means for the education of children, institute whenever possible, Bahá’í educational institutions, organize and supervise their work and provide the best means for their progress and development.”
The Bahá’í community must provide the best possible environment for the education of children. In the Five Year Plan, The Universal House of Justice calls for the increased participation of children in all aspects of Bahá’í life. Feasts, Holy Days, social events, and other gatherings must include children. During such occasions the child can be an active and vital member of the Bahá’í community.
PERSPECTIVES ON THE EDUCATION OF BAHÁ’Í CHILDREN[edit]
The precise nature of Bahá’í education will not be known until we have a Bahá’í civilization. The Writings do, however, provide general guidelines for organizing educational programs for children. For example, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states that Bahá’í education concerns the development of the whole child. Bahá’í education, therefore, must be comprehensive. It must equip the child with spiritual qualities requisite to forming a Bahá’í identity. Therefore, in addition to the history of the Faith, Bahá’í children should be trained in the basic laws and values of the Cause and become knowledgeable about their exemplification in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This learning must then find its expression in active participation in Bahá’í community life.
Training in the arts and sciences is another requirement of Bahá’í education. Parents must encourage their children to take advantage of academic opportunities available in the non-Bahá’í community and to encourage them to excel in academic pursuits. The Local Spiritual Assembly and teachers of children’s classes can supplement this aspect of the child’s education by including activities which relate to the arts and sciences in their educational programs.
Learning takes place during every moment the child is interacting with someone or something—materials, ideas, and ideals. We must be alert, therefore, to the teachable moments when a child can be gently guided to understand something and to relate that something to the Divine Standard. For example, baking cookies, gardening, or making a kite can be related to the Bahá’í teachings on cooperation or work as worship. A lesson on the oneness of mankind can be taught by comparing a garden of flowers to the garden of humanity. Both preplanned and spontaneous occasions can result in meaningful learning.
Instruction of this type provides many opportunities for a child to discover truth for himself rather than being told. Whatever he learns will influence his thoughts, feelings, perceptions, intentions, and ultimately his actions. Education which develops these capacities in a way that is consistent with the virtues of the Faith is the ideal toward which we must strive in providing the best educational program for our children.
SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION AND CHARACTER FORMATION[edit]
Bahá’í education must ultimately result in the spiritual transformation of the child. Its objective, therefore, is the development of sound character. The mere acquisition of knowledge about the principles of the Faith is necessary but insufficient for spiritual development. How the child acts is better evidence of his spiritual development and the quality of his character than what he is able to say. In Gleanings, Page 250, Bahá’u’lláh states, “... it is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action.”
In the coming months we will share many approaches to the instruction of children. However, we should caution that methods and materials are secondary to the attitude and competence of the teacher, because how he behaves will have a lasting effect on the children.
The Master sets forth the qualifications for a teacher in these simple words: “If thou wishest to guide the souls, it is incumbent upon thee to be firm, to be good and to be endowed with praiseworthy attributes and divine qualities under all circumstances. Be a sign of love, a manifestation of mercy, a fountain of tenderness, kind-hearted, good to all, and gentle to the servants of God, ... and confront them not save with kindness, with great love and good wishes.”
Winter School Schedule[edit]
| School | Dates | Location | Registrar |
| Southern | Dec. 26-Dec. 28 | Camp Maranatha | Mr. Robert Almony Jr. |
| California | Idyllwild, Calif. | 14351 Yorba Street | |
| Theme: “Destiny of America” | Tustin, CA 92680 | ||
| Carolinas | Dec. 26-Dec. 31 | Pfeiffer College | Mrs. Anne Respess |
| Misenheimer, N.C. | 4310 Romaine Street | ||
| Theme: “These Critical Years” | Greensboro, NC 27407 | ||
| Florida North | Nov. 26-Nov. 30 | Lake Byrd Conference Center | Mrs. Sandra Muro |
| 50 Lake Byrd Blvd., Avon Park, Florida | 158 4th Street NW | ||
| Theme: “Journey into Past, Present, and Future of Faith” | Largo, FL 33540 | ||
| Georgia/Alabama | Dec. 26-Dec. 28 | Camp Sumatanga | Mrs. Sue Simpson |
| Gallant, Alabama | 3200 Deerfield | ||
| Huntsville, AL 35810 | |||
| Oklahoma/Texas | Dec. 26-Dec. 30 | Bridgeport Conference Center | Mr. Firouz Mollaian |
| Bridgeport, Texas | 7600 NW 20th | ||
| Bethany, OK 73008 | |||
| Oregon | Nov. 27-Nov. 30 | Menucha Camp | Mrs. Mary Jane Steiger |
| 20 miles East of | 10370 SW Cynthia | ||
| Portland, Oregon | Beaverton, OR 97005 | ||
| Washington | Mrs. Esther Young | ||
| West | 7417 46th Avenue, N.W. | ||
| Gig Harbor, WA 98335 | |||
| Bosch | Dec. 26-Dec. 30 | Santa Cruz, CA | For information contact: |
| Mrs. Mary Allen | |||
| 1265 Altschul Way | |||
| Menlo Park, CA 94025 | |||
| Green Acre | Eliot, Maine | For information contact: | |
| Dr. Susan Theroux | |||
| 42 Mountain View Street | |||
| S. Hadley, MA 01075 | |||
| Davison | For information contact: | ||
| Mr. David L. Smith | |||
| 716 Wildes | |||
| Midland, MICH 48640 |
Exhilarating spirit abounds at 19 Bahá’í summer schools[edit]
This group attended the summer school in Nebraska.
- Each Bahá’í should “consider such an occasion (summer school attendance) as a welcome and precious opportunity so to enrich, through lectures, study, and discussion, his knowledge of the fundamentals of his Faith so as to be able to transmit, with greater confidence and effectiveness, the message that has been entrusted to his care.”—Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, p. 45
Many American Bahá’ís seized on the summer of ’75 to follow the beloved Guardian’s advice. Thousands of believers attended 19 Bahá’í summer schools.
Settings were both beautiful and serene—whether located in a redwood forest, perched on a white-water river between mountain ranges, planted atop a hill overlooking scenic countryside, or tucked under tall trees amidst rolling hills. Settings were as varied as the American continent itself. But all afforded a sense of tranquility for reflection and growth.
More important than the settings, Bahá’ís found one another. Believers of every age and background participated in the schools, occasionally bringing non-Bahá’í relatives and friends. They worshipped, learned, sang, played, and worked together. Real Bahá’í communities were born. With them came an exhilarating spirit. Unity in diversity became a way of life.
As one believer explained: “The presence of Bahá’u’lláh becomes a sure thing when we are surrounded by believers.” Another exuded: “Now I know what it is to be a Bahá’í.”
Adult deepening classes received special emphasis at the schools.
Many classes explored Bahá’í history and principles, such as:
- —“Laws and Principles” at Bosch School
- —“Harmony of Science and Religion” at Nebraska School
- —“The Covenant as an Aid to Self-Fulfillment” at Conifer Hill School
- —“Bahá’u’lláh: His Station, Purpose and Teachings” at Arizona School.
Other courses examined goals of the Five Year Plan. Davison School, as well as several others, explored “The Local Spiritual Assembly.” Green Acre School held a special weekend program on “Family Life.” Washington West School focused on “Participation of Children in Bahá’í Community Life.” The Georgia/Alabama School discussed the “Distinctive Character of Bahá’í Life.” Many schools also offered courses on the Qur’án, following instructions of the Guardian that “knowledge of this sacred Scripture is absolutely indispensable for every believer who wishes to adequately understand, and intelligently read, the writings of Bahá’u’lláh.”
In addition, the schools featured child and youth programs. Several schools tried new teaching techniques. Children at the Minnesota and Washington East Schools, for example, worked at learning stations. The stations offered a variety of learning activities that children selected and pursued at their own pace. The Carolinas School actively involved students in their course work. Three-to five-year-olds learned about “Pioneering” by making cardboard boats and planes and taking imaginary trips to Mexico, Africa, Japan, and Micronesia. Youth, meanwhile, studied “Economics in the New World Order” by reading pertinent sources and applying their knowledge in mock situations.
Other schools taught children about the Faith through examples. Children at Colorado West School studied “‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Perfect Exemplar.” “Bahá’í Heroes,” from Mullá Husayn through Louis Gregory, were discussed by children at the Florida South School. Nine-and ten-year-olds at the Oklahoma/Texas School read stories about Central Figures of the Faith from The Chosen Highway and Fire on the Mountain Top. Music and art also were highlighted at many schools. Children at the Southern California School, for example, received special instruction in the arts each day. They then performed for adults in the evenings.
Classes took a practical bent at several schools. Believers at Colorado East School produced a roadshow for traveling teaching. Youth at the school practiced the dynamics of prayer and meditation on a mountain walk. Even young children at Davison School prepared themselves to host firesides.
Change of pace activities also abounded. Consider:
- —A costume party using only materials available at the school
- —A film festival and play production of “Purest Gold”, a play about Louis Gregory
- —Dawn canoe trips by youth
- —Parachute exercises involving all ages (on the ground!)
- —Folk dancing
- —Campfire singing
- —Volleyball, swimming, fishing, hiking, horseback riding.
Activities offered suited the schools’ locales and facilities. Participants burned up energy—having fun, relaxing, and drawing closer to one another.
These activities and courses, as well as all physical arrangements at the schools, were planned by committees and councils. (The three permanent Bahá’í schools—Bosch, Davison, and Green Acre—have councils). Each school committee or council consists of believers from the area in Bahá’í education. Their efforts were overseen by the National Education Committee, which also helped schedule Hands of the Cause of God, Continental and Auxiliary Board members at the schools. Over twenty of these distinguished teachers participated in schools this summer. The National Education Committee also offered special courses to the schools. One such course, “The Surest Way”, prepared by the Office of the Treasurer, was enthusiastically received at 15 schools.
All courses and activities held at Bahá’í schools had one primary goal—the spiritual transformation of individuals. This same goal was first given by the Báb to the Letters of the Living over 125 years ago: “It behooves each one of you to manifest the attributes of God, and to exemplify by your deeds and words the signs of His righteousness, His power and glory.” (The Dawn-Breakers, p. 92)
Participants at one school did just this, causing nearby residents to exclaim in awe: “Who are you people?” The Bahá’ís were obviously different, distinctive. This tribute is one to which all Bahá’ís, both at schools and at home, aspire.
The group at left attended the summer school at Davison. The friends enjoy a kayak race, bottom far left, at Colorado West. It’s time out for music at the Nebraska school, bottom near left. Dr. William Maxwell, right, conducts a school at Davison. Lunch is topped with a songfest at Nebraska, bottom.
International Teaching Conferences 1976/1977[edit]
In order for the friends to derive the greatest benefit from their attendance at the International Teaching Conferences, we have engaged the services of the Bankers Trust Travel Planning Service to provide travel arrangements. Not only does this provide convenience for you, but the utilization of group rates with the airlines and hotels will also prove financially advantageous.
Although these travel arrangements have not been completely finalized, we would like to give you the basic information so you can begin to formulate plans for attending the Teaching Conferences of your choice. More details and prices will be published soon.
1 Helsinki, Finland
Estimated total cost from New York $1,150. Charters from California, Chicago, and Miami will connect. Depart New York July 3, 1976. Tour Helsinki July 5. The Conference will be held July 6–8. July 9 free for optional tour. Flight to Scotland on July 10 for Summer School at Inverness. Proceed to London July 15, visit the Guardian’s grave site and tour the city. Return to New York July 17.
2 Anchorage, Alaska
Estimated total cost from Chicago $650. Charters to Anchorage from New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles, with connections from Miami, Atlanta, and Phoenix will depart July 22, 1976. Teaching Conference will be held July 23–25. A tour to Matanuska Valley on July 26. July 27 free for optional tour. Fly to Vancouver on July 28 for a visit through July 31. Return to originating city on August 1.
3 Paris, France
Estimated total cost from New York $850. Charters from California, Chicago, and Miami will connect. Fly to Paris August 1, 1976. Teaching Conference will be held August 3–6. August 7 visit Versailles. August 8 go to Lenzburg, Switzerland, for Summer School. Proceed to London on August 12 for a visit to the Guardian’s grave site and a city tour. Return to New York August 14.
4 Nairobi, Kenya
Estimated total cost from New York $1,300. Fly to Amsterdam October 10, 1976. Fly to Nairobi on October 12. October 13–14 visit the Game Park or free for optional tour. The Conference will be held October 15–17. Optional camera safari and visit to Treetops on October 18–20. Fly to London October 21. October 22–23 visit the Guardian’s grave site and tour the city. Fly to New York October 24.
5 Hong Kong
Estimated total cost per person from Los Angeles $1,400. Depart Los Angeles November 21, 1976, for Honolulu. Tour Honolulu November 22–23. Depart November 23, cross international date line and arrive Hong Kong November 25. Teaching Conference will be held November 27–30. Visit Macao by hydrofoil on December 1. Possible stop in Taiwan December 2–3. Depart for Hawaii December 4, cross international date line and arrive Honolulu on December 5. Depart for Los Angeles December 7.
6 Bahia, Brazil
Depart New York January 25, 1977, with possible stop in the Caribbean. Conference January 28–30. Fly to Rio de Janeiro January 31. February 4 depart Rio for a visit to the Caribbean. Depart for New York February 6.
7 Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Tour price to be announced soon. Charter flights depart February 3, 1977, from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Miami. Teaching Conference February 4–6. Tour Yucatán Peninsula February 7–8. To Mexico City February 9. Return February 12.
8 Auckland, New Zealand
Tour price to be announced soon. Depart Los Angeles January 13, 1977. Cross international date line and arrive Fiji Islands January 14. Fly to Auckland January 17. The Teaching Conference will be held January 19–22. Free for optional tours January 23–25. Depart Auckland January 26, cross international date line and arrive Papeetee, Tahiti, the same day. Depart for Los Angeles January 29.
The prices include charter air transportation, transfers, baggage handling, gratuities, sightseeing in each area visited, hotel accommodations with continental or full breakfast, depending on the local custom. Lunch and dinner are on your own, with the exception of Switzerland and Scotland where dormitory-style accommodations with full board will be provided.
All prices are per person, based on full occupancy of chartered aircraft. Moderate-priced hotels, double occupancy.
Connecting group flights to departure cities in the United States will be arranged, using the lowest applicable fare.
News briefs[edit]
Counsellor Yazdí visits Los Angeles[edit]
About 200 Bahá’ís attended a meeting for Counsellor ‘Azíz Yazdí of the International Teaching Centre on July 26 at the Los Angeles Bahá’í Centre.
Mr. Yazdí talked about Bahá’í activity all over the world, including news from the World Centre. He was introduced by Auxiliary Board member Anthony Lease. Following the talk, Mr. Yazdí chatted informally with the friends.
The meeting was sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles.
Program planned at Lake Mohonk Oct. 20[edit]
Firuz Kazemzadeh, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, will be the guest speaker at a special program commemorating the 1912 visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Lake Mohonk at New Paltz, N.Y.
The commemorative program will be held on the afternoon of Oct. 20 in the parlor where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke. The Master addressed the Conference on Peace and International Arbitration at Lake Mohonk.
The program is sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of the Town of Oyster Bay. An observance of the Birth of the Báb will be held on the evening of Oct. 19.
Women’s Year subject of Niagara booth[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Niagara Falls and Lockport sponsored a booth at the Niagara County (N.Y.) Farm and Home Days.
Bahá’ís from the two communities manned a booth during the Aug. 6–8 event. International Women’s Year was the theme of the booth, which attracted many persons.
Eight-foot mobiles made up of the United Nations Women’s Year symbol hung on either side of a pastel blue panel with black silhouettes of a man and a woman. Between the figures was a quotation from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with a royal blue star above it.
Mrs. Augusta Reagle passes at 93[edit]
Mrs. Augusta Reagle, a Bahá’í since 1906, passed away in Decatur, Ill., on May 19. She was 93.
She was living in Washington, D.C., in 1912 when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited that city. She saw and talked with the Master several times. Those meetings had such an influence upon her that many persons who came in contact with her through the years became attracted to the Faith.
Mrs. Charlotte Grover passes at 92[edit]
Mrs. Charlotte E. Grover passed away on June 7 in Davis, Calif. She was 92.
Mrs. Grover was born in Nebraska and served as a missionary in China and Japan before she became a Bahá’í.
Considered an excellent and dedicated teacher, Mrs. Grover responded to the call for pioneers under the first Seven Year Plan for North Dakota and helped to form the first Local Spiritual Assembly in that state.
She had lived in Davis, Calif., since 1962.
Visitors to House of Worship[edit]
These believers participated in one of a series of special organized visits to the House of Worship and the National Centre on Aug. 28–31.
They heard talks by Counsellor Edna True of the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America; Glenford Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly; toured the House of Worship; had lunch at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds; toured the National Centre; and attended a banquet with members of the National Spiritual Assembly, an Auxiliary Board member, pioneers, and members of the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program workshop.
Redlands marks Women’s Year[edit]
Thirteen invited guests attended an International Women’s Year luncheon sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Redlands, Calif.
Nora Newman of Mira Loma spoke on the equality of men and women. Randall Dighton played the lute as part of the program. A question-and-answer session followed.
Ann Arbor Bahá’ís have booth at fair[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Ann Arbor, Mich., proclaimed the Faith July 16–19 at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, one of the largest events of its kind in the nation.
Several hundred persons inquired about the Cause, and most of them accepted literature.
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Ann Arbor has sponsored a booth at the fair for the past five years, progressing from a small card table in 1971 to a large, covered structure this year. The portable booth that was constructed for this year’s event was designed by an engineering student at the University of Michigan.
‘Living the Life’ Conference is held in New Jersey[edit]
Four Auxiliary Board members and more than 200 Bahá’ís from eight states attended a regional conference on “Living the Life” July 12–13 at Rider College near Trenton, N.J.
The Board members were Mrs. Javidukht Khadem, Mrs. Katherine McLaughlin, Mrs. Elizabeth Martin, and Albert James. It was announced at the conference that Ben Kaufman had been appointed an assistant to Mr. James.
Seekers are found at West Allis booth[edit]
The Bahá’ís of West Allis, Wisc., proclaimed the Faith at the recent four-day West Allis Western Days Fair. The Bahá’í bake sale booth included posters and literature. The people who stopped at the booth were reported to be more receptive to the Faith than in past years.
Mayor receives book during proclamation[edit]
Mayor Joe Poindexter of Bellaire, Texas, receives a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh from Barbara Christian, a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Bellaire. Presentation of the book was part of a public proclamation event Aug. 7 sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Bellaire.
Riverton holds Race Unity Day picnic[edit]
The 13-year-old boy, his eyes wide in amazement, asked one of the group: “You did all this for us? Bahá’í? I’m going to remember that.”
That one boy, that one remark, made a lot of time and effort very worthwhile for the four members of the Bahá’í Group of Riverton, N.J., who held a Race Unity Day Picnic on June 14.
It was estimated that more than 150 persons attended. The picnic centered on entertaining 40 children, ages 10 to 15, whom the Group had invited. Theme of the picnic was harmony within a community.
Musical portion of the program was presented by Van Gilmer of Washington, D.C., and David Clossen of Pennsylvania. A local rock combo offered its talents later in the day. Also on the program was Mr. B Happy (Gary Rai-Arth), a lovable clown, who delighted the younger children with his antics and magic.
The highlight was a demonstration by the local police department of its K-9 Corps. The children met the men and their dogs.
Publicity was accomplished by the distribution of posters, individual letters to all area churches and public offices, and a news release to the local newspaper.
Las Vegas mayor signs proclamation[edit]
Mayor Oran Gragson of Las Vegas, Nev., holds a proclamation which he signed recently in conjunction with Bahá’í participation in a special Indian Art Show.
At left is Zona Murdock, secretary of the District Teaching Committee of Southern Nevada, and at right is Gary Wood.
The Bahá’í proclamation included television and radio interviews with Indians and Bahá’ís, programs of Indian songs and dances and speakers, and a Bahá’í booth at the art show.
The Committee secretary said the proclamation was the most successful in Southern Nevada in recent memory.
Camp-out deepening in New York[edit]
Bahá’ís attended the third annual Camp-Out Deepening at Taughannock Falls State Park in New York. Sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ithaca, N.Y., the program was about the distinctive character of a Bahá’í community.
The park, which includes the highest waterfall (215 feet) east of the Rocky Mountains and a beautiful gorge trail with 400-foot cliffs, was a perfect setting for the spiritual and recreational program.
Berkeley Bahá’ís reminiscence[edit]
A special “Tea and Reminiscences” event was held June 15 as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Berkeley, Calif.
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation by Ruth Collier, chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly, to Marion and Ali Yazdí of roses and a copy of Bahá’í World, Vol. XIV, as tokens of the community’s love and appreciation for their many years of faithful service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
Mr. and Mrs. Yazdí shared with the friends their experiences in the early days of the Faith in Berkeley, the highlight of which was recollections of a talk on “What Is Truth?” given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at Berkeley High School on Oct. 9, 1912.
The Berkeley Bahá’ís also shared with the Yazdís the joy of the declaration of a sixth-generation Bahá’í, Dorie Markert, the Yazdís’ granddaughter.
Classes, fellowship in Ohio[edit]
Classes were blended with fellowship, devotion, and fun at the third annual Northern Ohio Van Buren Bahá’í Camp-out Aug. 15–17. The camp-out at Van Buren State Park, north of Findlay, Ohio, was organized and conducted by the Bahá’í Group of Bowling Green and sponsored by the Northern Ohio District Teaching Committee. About 45 adults and children attended.
Arizona Group holds proclamation[edit]
The Bahá’í Group of Pinal County, Ariz., held its first proclamation event on Aug. 5, a musical recital and talk by John Cook.
Mr. Cook, who sings professionally as Jonathan, performed “Songs for a New World” and talked about the Faith at Central Arizona College.
The event was announced in the local newspaper and was well attended by persons from the Coolidge, Florence, and Casa Grande areas.
The Bahá’í Group of Pinal County was the result of home front pioneers coming to the area to establish a Bahá’í community. The Group plans more proclamation events as it consolidates and expands.
Bahá’í books and materials[edit]
The education of children—‘an essential obligation’[edit]
“The education of children in the teachings of the Faith must be regarded as an essential obligation of every Bahá’í parent, every local and national community and it must become a firmly established Bahá’í activity during the course of this Plan.”—The Universal House of Justice
The Five Year Plan calls upon “every Bahá’í parent, every local and national community” to regard the education of children in the teachings of the Faith as “an essential obligation.” As an assistance to the Bahá’í community, the Publishing Trust begins in this issue the first of a two-part series on Bahá’í literature and materials for the education of children. The first installment deals with Sacred Literature, Books about the Bahá’í Faith, and Curriculum Aids. The next installment will describe how Star Study Program materials can be used for teaching children and how special materials items—posters, photographs, and cassette tapes—can be used to create a Bahá’í atmosphere in children’s rooms and throughout the home.
SACRED LITERATURE[edit]
O God, Guide Me!
An attractively illustrated prayer book for children, O God, Guide Me! contains prayers for divine guidance, spiritual education, protection, spiritual happiness, morning, obedience to God, healing, the light of God, and assistance from God. Royal blue and lime green cover. Set in large, easy-to-read type. Sturdy cloth library binding. 4x6 inches.
39 pp. 7-52-47 cloth.............$1.25
Bahá’í Prayers for Children
Containing selected prayers for children of all ages, Bahá’í Prayers for Children is illustrated with pen and ink drawings by Jean Hutchinson. Bound in soil-resistant jonquil yellow Sturdetan, 6¼ x 7¾ inches. 64 pp.
7-52-03 cloth.............$1.50
Blessed is the Spot
A prayer of Bahá’u’lláh set in large, easy-to-read type and illustrated in color by Anna Stevenson. The scenes of children and animals on each page are designed to attract the hearts and minds of young Bahá’í children (and their parents!). Sturdily bound, with illustrated cover. 7 x 8½ inches. 31 pp.
7-52-40 cloth.............$2.50
BOOKS ABOUT THE FAITH[edit]
God and His Messengers
by David Hofman
A delightful collection of stories for children, God and His Messengers presents stories about several of the Manifestations of God, including Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Muḥammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh. Written in a warm, conversational style, the book is illustrated by Zohreh Zahra’i. Specially suited for grades K-5. 5¾ x 7⅜ inches. 55 pp.
7-52-43 paper.............$.75
Stories from “The Dawn-Breakers”
by Zoe Meyer
These dramatic stories, ideal for children up to eight or ten years of age, are based upon Nabíl’s eyewitness account of the opening years of the Bahá’í Era. The stories cover such exciting figures as the teacher Shaykh Aḥmad, the Letters of the Living, Mullá Ḥusayn, Quddus and Ṭáhirih, and many others in addition to the Báb Himself. Illustrated with two-color drawings by Carl Scheffler. 8¾ x 10¾ inches. 66 pp.
7-52-41 cloth.............$3.00
The Kingdoms of God
by Janet Lindstrom
The Kingdoms of God discusses the five kingdoms of creation (mineral, vegetable, animal, human, and divine) with emphasis on the Divine Plan which underlies the order of the universe and the dependence of all existence upon this spiritual foundation. Each page is illustrated with drawings by Anna Stevenson. Library binding. 8 x 10 inches. 41 pp.
7-52-44 cloth.............$3.00
NOW AVAILABLE[edit]
- Paris Talks
- by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
- 7-06-15 Cloth.............$3.50
- 7-06-16 paper.............$2.25
- The Bahá’í World, Vol. XIV: 1963-1968
- 7-31-01 cloth.............$12.50 NET
- The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh: Baghdad 1853-1863
- by Adib Taherzadeh
- 7-31-90 cloth.............$7.50
CURRICULUM AIDS[edit]
For the teacher of Bahá’í children’s classes, the Publishing Trust carries a series of Bahá’í School Lesson Plans (Grades K-9) and a book entitled Bahá’í Holy Days for grades 1-9. The lesson plans provide the teacher with a set of easy-to-use materials. They include lesson goals, references, methods, stories, scripts, games, and helpful aids and reminders. Each grade level is organized into eighteen lessons, six on history, six on teachings for the individual, and six on social teachings. The lesson plans, which are 8½ x 11 inches in size, range in length from 89 to 137 pp.
Also available for the teacher are two Bahá’í Teacher’s Handbooks, including Bahá’í References on Education and a combined volume entitled Children’s Classes; Crafts, Games and Songs. All of these curriculum aids are described briefly below.
Bahá’í School Lesson Plans
Grade K: Contains lessons on Progressive Revelation, Spiritual Qualities, and Bahá’ís Around the World.
7-52-20 paper.............$1.40
Grade 1: Contains lessons on Bahá’í Heroes, Knowledge of God Through His Prophets, and the Elimination of Prejudice.
7-52-21 paper.............$1.40
Grade 2: Contains lessons on The Báb, The Nature of Creation, and the Oneness of Mankind.
7-52-22 paper.............$1.40
Grade 3: Contains lessons on Bahá’u’lláh, Man’s Relation to God, and the Harmony of Science and Religion.
7-52-33 paper.............$1.40
Grade 4: Contains lessons on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Rewards of Obedience, and the Principle of Consultation.
7-52-24 paper.............$1.40
Grade 5: Contains lessons on Shoghi Effendi, The Example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Living in the Bahá’í Community.
7-52-25 paper.............$1.40
Grade 6: Contains lessons on Hands of the Cause of God, the Immortality of the Soul, and the Nature of True Education.
7-52-26 paper.............$1.40
Grade 7: Contains lessons on History of Religions, Covenants of God, and Justice.
7-52-27 paper.............$1.40
Grade 8: Contains lessons on the Heroic Age of the Faith, Bahá’í Obligations, and World Government.
7-52-28 paper.............$1.40
Grade 9: Contains lessons on the Formative Age of the Faith, Teaching the Cause of God, and Bahá’í Institutions.
7-52-29 paper.............$1.40
Bahá’í Holy Days: A series of thirty lesson plans, ten each for three age groups (Primary, Intermediate, and Junior), for use in teaching children the significance of Bahá’í Holy Days. 167 pp.
7-52-35 paper.............$2.50
Bahá’í Teacher’s Handbooks
Volume I—Bahá’í References on Education: A Compilation. Containing selections from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, this compilation is organized into sections covering “Education, Instruction and Training,” “Teaching,” “Teachers,” “Knowledge,” “Learning,” and “Mind.” 8½ x 11 inches. 102 pp.
7-63-14 paper.............$2.00
Volumes V-VI—Children’s Classes: Crafts, Games, and Songs. These two handbooks combined into one volume are designed to assist and encourage Bahá’ís in their efforts to set up and develop Bahá’í children’s classes. The volume contains practical guidelines, suggested materials, aids, and references for the teacher as well as an illustrated section on crafts and games. 8½ x 11 inches. 128 pp.
7-63-19 paper.............$2.50
| Training teams in phase two of Local Assembly program | Planning starts for July 1976 International Conferences | A warm spirit flourishes at 19 Bahd’i summer schools |
| See Page 1 | See Page 2 | See Page 4 |
| Plans are under way for two International Teaching Conferences scheduled in July 1976. The Helsinki, Finland, Conference will be held July 6-8, and the Anchorage, Alaska, Conference will be held July 23-25. For information on group rate travel accommodations on all eight International Teaching Conferences, see page 8. |