The American Bahá’í/Volume 7/Issue 12/Text
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Integration into American community aim of Persian conference.[edit]
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Persians called upon to fulfill significant role in Five Year Plan Delighted plans Persian conference. Kindly inform Persian friends soonest possible that House Justice considers importance conference impels our sending special message setting forth significant role they can fulfill in concerted drive soon to be launched designed ensure expeditious attainment goals Five Year Plan. Will offer fervent prayers divine threshold blessings Bahá’u’lláh behalf all friends attending timely conference. Loving regards. Universal House of Justice |
Several hundred Persian Bahá’ís residing in the United States are expected in Wilmette, December 25–26, for a special conference called for them by the National Spiritual Assembly.
The conference, conducted in Persian, is intended to assist Persian Bahá’ís to become fully integrated into the American Bahá’í community and to encourage them to lend their support to the achievement of the goals of the Five Year Plan.
It will assist them to prepare themselves administratively to give aid to their home communities, will review the requirements of the Ḥuqúqu’lláh, which Persian believers must support, and seek to repel the danger of rising political activism among Íránians on college campuses, the National Assembly said.
Because of the importance it placed on this conference, the Universal House of Justice cabled it would send a special message to the Persian believers, “setting forth significant role they can fulfill in concerted drive soon to be launched designed ensure expeditious attainment goals Five Year Plan.”
A special taped message, prepared by the Hand of the Cause ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, will be played at the conference. The Hand of the Cause Zikrullah Khadem will address the gathering.
Auxiliary Board members Javidukht Khadem and Jalil Mahmoudi are scheduled to participate, as is Kazem Kazemzadeh, Trustee of the Ḥuqúqu’lláh.
A letter from the National Spiritual Assembly of Írán to Persian believers in this country will also be read.
The Ḥuqúqu’lláh, or The Right of God, is a special tax on wealth established in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
A memorial service for Adelaide Sharpe, an American pioneer who became the first woman to be elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, will be conducted at the House of Worship, December 26. The conference will begin with prayers at the House of Worship each morning.
Conference sessions will be held at the North Shore Hilton Hotel in Skokie, Illinois.
Continental Counsellors call conference[edit]
Some 400 New York area Bahá’ís attended an Oct. 16–17 conference at the Bahá’í Center on East 11th St. sponsored by the Continental Board of Counsellors.
Among the featured speakers were the Hand of the Cause Zikrullah Khadem, Counsellor Edna True, and Auxiliary Board members Javidukht Khadem, Jane Faily, Thelma Jackson, and Albert James.
The purpose of the conference was to stimulate teaching activity in New York, one of three states that must launch intensive proclamation efforts in the Five Year Plan.
Mrs. Khadem identified the purpose of the event when she said:
“The time is short and we must ask ourselves, ‘are we giving it our resources, energies, abilities—for the love of God?’ ”
She reminded the friends that if just 50 families would move from New York City to goal communities, all of the state’s homefront commitments would be fulfilled.
Mr. Khadem was the main speaker Saturday night. He said if Bahá’ís were to give their lives to Bahá’u’lláh as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had, we could be confident of achieving miracles in the remaining years of the Five Year Plan.
Such was the creative power of Bahá’u’lláh, he said, that thousands gave their lives for Him.
“But sacrifice today does not call for lives,” he continued. “It calls for living for the Faith.”
It is written in Hidden Words that for everything there is a sign, Mr. Khadem explained. Now “we must show the sign of our love.”
On Sunday the Regional Teaching Committee for New York made a presentation on New York’s outstanding goals. Nancy Mondschein, Secretary of the Committee, made a plea for homefront pioneers to fill outstanding goals.
Teaching efforts increased in New York[edit]
Teaching efforts in New York are “moving off center” as a result of a unified statewide teaching campaign organized by the State’s Regional Teaching Committee, said Committee Secretary Nancy Mondschein.
“Local Assemblies in the state have stepped up their teaching and their activities are more focused,” Mrs. Mondschein said. “There is greater intensity in the work and there is more excitement about individual teaching.”
The reasons for the increasing momentum appear to be careful advance planning and cooperation among the various Bahá’í institutions in New York, she ventured.
The statewide plan of action was hammered out by the District Teaching Committees and the Regional Committee at the New York Summer School in August, she said. Since then the DTC’s have coordinated their efforts, and while they have their distinct areas of responsibility, they now share personnel and are amply informed of one another’s plans.
DTC bulletins have been combined into a single statewide periodical that goes to every Bahá’í each month.
Under the New York plan, Local Assemblies sponsor teaching teams to work in designated goal areas. The teams are made up of people of diverse backgrounds and interests.
In approaching their assignments, the teams study carefully arranged demographic information collected by the Regional Teaching Committee. The information presents facts about population, including minorities, the local economy, the range of available community services, etc.
The teams visit their goal localities, and after making on-site inspections and talking to local residents, they plan a sensible campaign tailored to the specific needs of the locality in which they find themselves. They then take the necessary steps to put their plans into action.
A range of teaching methods are used by these teams, Mrs. Mondschein said. They may, if local conditions suggest it, hold public meetings, visit community leaders, conduct street campaigns, use the local media, or send material to residents in the mails.
Task forces in various areas of the state handle deepening and enrollment of new believers, Mrs. Mondschein said. The District Committees assist in coordinating the teaching efforts and channeling resources where necessary.
“In order to give people confidence in the program, it had to be done with some kind of order,” Mrs. Mondschein said in explaining New York’s meticulous approach.
“We are dealing with a vast territory, much of it sparsely populated,” she said. “This planning was done to give people direction, to make the lines of communication
Continued on page 7
Conkling new NTC Secretary[edit]
The National Teaching Committee has a new secretary. He is John W. Conkling, of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Mr. Conkling, a Bahá’í since 1952, has served on the NTC since 1974. He sees the widespread expansion of the Faith and the ability to maintain victories won as primary objectives of the NTC at this time.
Mr. Conkling is no stranger to the Wilmette area. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and has been a delegate to the National Convention many times, representing Colorado, Idaho and Utah.
In his early years as a Bahá’í he served on the Regional Teaching Committee for Colorado.
He and his wife Eleanore were homefront pioneers to Provo, Utah, during the Ten Year Crusade. They lived there from 1955–1963.
Mr. Conkling’s work then took him to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he became a member of the State Goals Committee, the District Teaching Committee, and the Western States Regional Committee.
Mr. Conkling’s business career has been in merchandising and the development of an insurance agency. The Conklings have three children.
Asian American Teaching Committee formed[edit]
The newly formed Asian American Teaching Committee would like to know what plans have been made for proclaiming the Faith to the Asian American community in each city.
The mandate of the committee is to “advise, inspire and foster proclamation, expansion and consolidation of the Bahá’í Faith among minority peoples (Asian Americans) in the continental United States.”
The committee asks for a periodic report on teaching events for reaching Asian Americans so teaching activities on a national level may be coordinated; a list of literature which is on hand in your community, in Japanese or Chinese if possible; and a list of names and addresses of Asian American believers, including those friends who are interested in Asian American teaching activities.
The committee wishes to be informed if your community needs assistance in planning projects or demonstration proclamations. A member of the committee may be able to meet with your community, time and money permitting.
Write to Mrs. Jaqueline Ralya, 2528 Little River Road, Haymarket, Virginia, 22069, or call (703) 754-8319.
Child’s Way seeks material[edit]
Material for Child’s Way, a Bahá’í family magazine, is sought for future issues. Welcome contributions would be photographs, especially of children of diverse racial backgrounds; news articles about interesting activities for children; articles which explain a scientific phenomenon or an aspect of nature; and articles about child-rearing or family life based on the Writings.
A special need exists for good quality fiction for both beginning readers and those with a 4–6th grade reading level. The fiction should be imaginative and attractive. It would be desirable that the theme be in keeping with Bahá’í Teachings.
Picture stories which require few or no words would also be useful.
The editorial committee feels that imaginative assistance to Child’s Way is an excellent way to assist with the goals of the Five Year Plan concerning the education of Bahá’í children.
The address of Child’s Way is 8108 Streamwood Drive, Baltimore, Maryland, 21208.
Future openings at National Center[edit]
To help fill future openings, applications are still being sought at the National Center for friends who have a sincere desire to serve the Faith and have skills listed below:
Executive secretaries: Required skills include fast, accurate typing; knowledge of filing systems; ability to compose letters; and administrative experience within the Faith. Applicants should have a minimum of three years experience in this field.
Data entry clerk: Basic duties include key entry and verification. Experience with keypunch, keytape, keydisc or floppy disc is desirable.
Mail services: Duties include the preparation of mass mailings and distribution of mail throughout the offices at the National Center. Must be in good health and capable of strenuous physical activity. Knowledge of postal regulations and experience with mailing machines preferred.
The Maintenance and Grounds departments: seek information from friends who have background and skills as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, custodians, watchmen, shipping and receiving clerks, landscaping, forestry, gardening and general maintenance.
If you feel that you qualify in any of these areas, and have not already forwarded a résumé, send your résumé and a letter of recommendation from your Local Spiritual Assembly or District Teaching Committee to: Personnel Affairs Assistant, Bahá’í National Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Each one teach one.
Have you held a fireside this Bahá’í month?
Bahá’í bookkeeping takes step toward standardization[edit]
A new training manual, Accounting Procedures for Bahá’í Treasurers, published just two months ago by the Office of the Treasurer, has begun to receive favorable reviews from the field.
The manual contains accounting and bookkeeping information for local treasurers, most of whom have had no formal training in managing money. It tells, among other things, how to open a checking account, how to keep a cash journal, how to handle incoming and outgoing funds, how to audit books, and how to make interesting reports to the Bahá’í community.
Accounting Procedures has gone to 1,700 Assembly and Group treasurers, and according to Steve Jackson, Assistant to the Treasurer of the National Assembly, it represents a first step in standardizing Bahá’í bookkeeping procedures throughout the country.
“An organization’s books are like the foundations of buildings,” Mr. Jackson said. “People don’t notice when they function well, but when they don’t, it can be an extreme source of embarrassment.”
“It is essential, if we are to meet our financial obligations in a timely manner, to have a basic understanding of accounting and bookkeeping,” he said. Accounting Procedures helps provide that understanding simply and sequentially, he noted.
The manual was prepared over an 18-month period and was reviewed by more than 50 Assembly and Group treasurers before being issued in its final form, Mr. Jackson said. There are distinct benefits to be derived from its diligent and systematic use, he said.
“The individual treasurer will learn to keep his books in a thorough manner, and he will probably save time,” he explained. “The Assembly or group, as a result of the information provided, will know at all times where they stand financially, and the believers themselves will be encouraged in witnessing the new skills developed by their institutions in managing their precious resources.”
The following are examples of some of the comments received by the Office of the Treasurer:
I am now starting to use the new system and it is really going to make my job a lot easier, not only in the amount of time spent in getting the various charts and reports, but in being able to inform the Local Spiritual Assembly on money matters and decisions on expenditures, in a matter of a few minutes instead of having to be informed of what information will be needed two days ahead of time.
William L. Sesco
Mansfield, Ohio
I would like to thank the Office of the Treasurer for preparing the new manual on accounting procedures for Bahá’í treasurers. I was able to attend the seminar in Little Rock, Arkansas, conducted by Barbara Hubbard and Michael Reimer, who did a very fine job. The Fayetteville Local Spiritual Assembly will be in a much better position next year to plan a more accurate budget as a direct consequence of implementing these procedures.
Linda Sue Grim
Fayetteville, Arkansas
I love the accounting procedures and... I love to tell the friends about the orderliness in our lives if we apply this orderliness to our money. It will unfold countless victories. I look out and see an ocean of new believers and heavenly work from this orderliness....
Sally Singer
National Treasurer’s Representative
Jeff Reynolds Show on the air[edit]
Bahá’í communities across the country have purchased 118 copies of a weekly half-hour radio program called “Bahá’í Perspective—The Jeff Reynolds Show”. The series is designed to assist proclamation of the Bahá’í Faith to youth and young adults.
Commentary on Bahá’í topics is interspersed with selected popular music. The series is intended for AM and FM radio stations which feature contemporary or rock music.
Marsha and Rahim Milani were isolated believers in Willmer, Minnesota, when they decided to use the show. Marsha said the program director was “kind of wary” at first. He did not know anything about the show, and thought it was just for Bahá’ís. Rahim offered to listen to the tape with him, and the director realized the show is for everyone.
“We had no calls or response to our post office box as a result of the show,” said Mrs. Milani, “but several people we knew commented that they had heard it. One isolated believer in the county called us “all fired up” after hearing the first show, so the show filled one of goals of the Five Year Plan to deepen believers. He encouraged his friends to tune in.”
The show is aired at 11 a.m. on Sundays, because there was a vacant slot at that time, she said. “We were given free time, and the director has asked for more tapes! We had a couple of good discussions with him.”
“My advice to friends using the show would be to get it aired soon, because the Top-40 music on the tapes is getting old,” said Mrs. Milani.
In North Dakota, the Jamestown Spiritual Assembly used the show with “high success”, said Deborah Hastings, the DTC Secretary for North Dakota. She said the demonstration tape was enough to convince the local radio station to air the show on Sunday nights as part of the religious programming. The Bahá’í community invited people to listen to the show through invitations to a proclamation. Mrs. Hastings said non-Bahá’ís made favorable comments about the show. The same set of tapes will be used in a goal town, Carrington, in January, and the air time will be free.
Anita Tuttle, a Bahá’í in Montana, said the Jeff Reynolds Show was used in the goal town of Red Lodge, Montana, during the week of Bahá’í summer school. The show was at 7 p.m. every day for a week. During the show, the broadcaster announced a proclamation event, phone number and an address for those interested in the Faith. She said the radio announcer “really liked” the show.
“Salt Lake City, Utah, is a religious area,” said Hoda Mahmoudi. “We tried to air the show at two radio stations. They both really liked the demonstration tape, but there was difficulty in finding a time slot because free programming time on Sundays is booked. Now we are trying to find a paid time slot.”
The Jeff Reynolds programs are available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. Programs 8-13 have recently been made available. Work on the second set of 13 programs is continuing at the Bahá’í National Information Office. It is expected that programs will eventually be available for play on a year-round weekly basis.
Twenty-six pioneers needed by Riḍván[edit]
At this time, the United States has 26 pioneer posts remaining to be filled. The International Goals Committee hopes to complete this goal by Riḍván, 1977, through active recruiting of believers.
Of the 612 pioneer posts filled by the midpoint of the Five Year Plan, as announced by The Universal House of Justice, almost one half were settled by pioneers from the United States. Our total goal is 312 posts.
The most difficult posts to complete are in Scandinavia and in areas of the world in which French and Portuguese are spoken. These areas can often be most easily settled by students who are acquiring their education abroad or by retired individuals.
Janet Rubenstein, of the International Goals Committee, asks that prospective pioneers give special consideration to St. Helena, Africa; Finland; and Bangladesh. St. Helena is a conservative area, isolated and very proper, she said. An older retired couple is sought for that area. A pioneer to Finland must know the language. Students could more easily settle there, said Mrs. Rubenstein. Certified teachers are needed to pioneer to Bangladesh.
Mrs. Rubenstein said that although the Solomon Islands is not one of our goal areas, we have been asked to send a pioneer there who has sufficient funds to start a small business.
Those friends who are well-trained and proficient in their trade or profession, and particularly those with language skills, may be able to secure challenging positions abroad through international agencies which recruit highly-qualified individuals for demanding posts.
Bahá’ís interested in pioneering should consult with their Spiritual Assembly and contact the International Goals Committee for more information. The Committee has information to share about opportunities for employment, but the prospective pioneer must pursue the leads given.
International Teaching Conferences[edit]
| Auckland: Jan. 14-30 | |
| 1/14 | Leave Los Angeles |
| 16 | Arrive Fiji Islands |
| 17 | ½ day sightseeing tour of island |
| 18 | Leave for Auckland |
| 19-22 | International Teaching Conference |
| 23 | Free day |
| 24 | Leave for Rotorua, New Zealand, visit famous caves |
| 25 | ½ day sightseeing and Maori evening concert |
| 26 | Leave for Tahiti |
| 27 | ½ day tour Papeete, Tahiti |
| 28-29 | Free day |
| 30 | Return to United States |
| Cost per person: | |
| Land cost per person based on double occupancy includes all hotels, breakfast each day, airport transfers, taxes, gratuities for baggage handling and sightseeing: $495 | |
| Air fare from Los Angeles and return to Los Angeles based on group of 10 or more: $830 (Smaller group, rate increases) Total $1325 | |
| Note: Air fare from home town, or requested gateway to Los Angeles and return will cost extra. Reservations must be made immediately. | |
| Please note change in dates since last announcement. | |
| Bahia: Jan. 25-Feb. 5 | |
| 1/25 | Leave for Bahia (Salvador) |
| 26 | Arrive in Bahia |
| 27 | Half-day sightseeing tour of city |
| 28-30 | International Teaching Conference |
| 31 | Leave for Rio de Janeiro |
| 2/1 | Half-day sightseeing tour of Rio de Janeiro |
| 2 | Tour of Corcovado and Tijuca Forest (rain forest) |
| 3-4 | Free days |
| 5 | Return to United States |
| 6 | Arrive United States |
| Cost per person: | |
| Land portion only—(includes baggage handling; all transfers; accommodations 10 nights double occupancy (Salvador-Ondina Praia Hotel; Rio de Janeiro-Continental Palace); Brazilian breakfast daily; tours; all taxes and gratuities): $289 | |
| Round trip air fare from Miami: $590 Total $879 | |
| Note: Air fare from home town, or requested gateway, to Miami and return will cost extra. | |
| The National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil urgently advises high tourist season necessitates immediate reservations to assure accommodations. | |
| Merida: Two packages available | |
| Package A - Merida only. Feb. 3-9: | |
| 2/3 | Leave from gateway for flight to Merida |
| 4-6 | International Teaching Conference |
| 7 | Full-day excursion Chichen-Itza (includes lunch) |
| 8 | Full-day excursion Uxmal-Kabah (includes lunch) |
| 9 | Return to United States |
| Cost per person: | |
| Land portion—(includes baggage handling; all transfers; accommodations 6 nights; Continental breakfast daily; tours; all taxes and gratuities) | |
| Four Star: single, $194; double, $145; triple, $125 | |
| Three Star: single, $167; double, $123; triple, $103 | |
| Please note: 1 child under 12, $48; 1 infant (2 years), free; more than 1 child or infant necessitates rate change. | |
| Round trip air fare—from Miami, $154; Los Angeles, $195; New Orleans, $142; New York, $267; Dallas (subject to minimum of 40), $203.50; Chicago, $322. | |
| Each child under 12, half fare; each infant (2 years), $16 | |
| Package B—Merida and Mexico City: Feb. 9-12 | |
| Includes complete itinerary in “A” above, through Feb. 8 | |
| 2/9 | Leave for Mexico City |
| 10 | Full-day sightseeing tour Mexico City, including Pyramids |
| 11 | Half-day sightseeing tour Floating Gardens of Xochimilco; evening performance Folklorico Ballet |
| 12 | Return to United States |
| Cost per person: | |
| Land portion and air fare between Merida and Mexico City only (includes baggage handling; all transfers; accommodations 9 nights; Continental breakfast daily; tours; all taxes and gratuities) | |
| Four Star: single, $386; double, $290; triple, $270 | |
| Three Star: single, $329; double, $256; triple, $235 | |
| Note: Additional air fare from United States gateway and return | |
Bankers Trust Travel Planning Service has been engaged by the National Spiritual Assembly to provide travel arrangements for you. They have assisted us in preparing itineraries that will allow us to include stops in some of those countries assigned to the United States in the International Travel Teaching Program.
We sincerely hope that all who wish to attend these important conferences will find the means to do so. Please notify Bankers Trust immediately of your plans as many of the host areas need an estimate of the number attending in order to finalize their arrangements.
The friends are reminded that all of those planning to attend the International Teaching Conferences must request international credentials from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, Mr. Glenford E. Mitchell, Secretary, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. This would be true even if making your own travel arrangements.
Reservations must be submitted immediately if you wish to attend.
Each one teach one.
Have you studied Design for Victory 1976-1979?
Nairobi: Catapult for Heroism[edit]
The Bahá’í International Teaching Conference in Nairobi, October 15–17, was attended by 1,363 believers.
Four Hands of the Cause were present: William Sears, representative of The Universal House of Justice; Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir; Enoch Olinga; and John Robarts.
‘Azíz Yazdí, a member of The International Teaching Centre, and 13 other Counsellors attended. Dorothy Nelson represented the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.
The message from The Universal House of Justice to the Conference called upon the friends to recognize that “As the forces of darkness in that part of the world wax fiercer, and the problems facing its peoples and tribes become more critical, the believers in that continent must evince greater cohesion, scale loftier heights of heroism and self-sacrifice and demonstrate higher standards of concerted effort and harmonious development.”
Each of the Hands of the Cause addressed the gathering. Mr. Sears stirred the hearts of the friends by reminding them of the responsibility to teach placed on them in the Writings, and of the promised assistance. “Victory can be ours,” he said. “For the promise is that if we arise to serve the Cause every deficiency in our lives will disappear.”
Rededication to the goals of the Five Year Plan and strengthening our desire to follow the will of God were central themes of Mr. Robarts’ address, in which he stressed the effect of prayer on our lives.
Thrilling moments in the conference were provided by the arrival of three cables from The Universal House of Justice, one describing the unique distinction achieved by the believers in Khurásán province; a second reporting on the status of pioneer settlements at the midway point of the Five Year Plan; and a third announcing the first visit by a Bahá’í reigning monarch to the resting place of Shoghi Effendi.
A small measure of the success of the conference may be gleaned from a cable received at the World Centre which stated that outstanding publicity and media coverage had been obtained, including a special Bahá’í supplement in a local newspaper; that more than 200 volunteers had arisen for pioneering and teaching; that generous contributions had been pledged and all in attendance had affirmed their resolve to hasten the achievement of the goals of the Five Year Plan.
Above: Hand of the Cause William Sears addresses the Nairobi Conference, urging believers to scale loftier heights of service; Inset photo, left: Hand of the Cause William Sears, representative of The Universal House of Justice to the Nairobi Conference; right: Hand of the Cause ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan represented The Universal House of Justice at the Hong Kong Conference.
Below: An overview of the friends gathered at the Nairobi Conference. Inset photos below, left to right: Dorothy Nelson represented the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States at the Nairobi Conference; N.W. Munoko, Prime Minister and Minister for Works, welcomed the Bahá’ís to Kenya; an African mother and child, participants in the conference; Laban Waseka, chairman of the National Assembly of Kenya, introduces the dignitaries to the conference; a group of African youth sang for those at the conference.
Hong Kong: Foundation for Victory[edit]
More than 600 Bahá’ís from 34 countries congregated at the International Teaching Conference in Hong Kong, November 26–28, for the fifth of eight Bahá’í International Teaching Conferences called for in the Five Year Plan.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Hong Kong, which was formed in 1974, hosted the conference. Most sessions were held in English with Chinese and Persian translations.
Hands of the Cause present at the conference were ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan, representative of The Universal House of Justice; H. Collis Featherstone and Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir. William Maxwell represented the National Assembly of the United States. Mr. Maxwell spoke to a full house at a public meeting on Saturday evening on the subject of the world’s economic problems.
Malaysia reported that it had exceeded its goals at the midpoint of the Five Year Plan. The goal of 400 Local Spiritual Assemblies has been exceeded with 406 formed at present; the goal of 1,500 localities has been exceeded with the opening of 1,597 localities. Because some of the sister countries in Asia are hampered by government restrictions, Malaysia has offered to take on some of their goals.
Iran has met its financial goals for the Five Year Plan. Representatives of nearly all the National Assemblies said they are lagging in the Plan and are beginning to feel pressure as 1979 approaches.
Mr. Maxwell and Soo Fouts, Assistant Secretary to the National Assembly, met with American pioneers during the conference. A bond of unity was evident, and the pioneers asked for prayers. Mr. Maxwell was himself a pioneer to Korea and Japan 22 years ago. When he first arrived, no National Assemblies existed in that part of the world. Today there are 86 Local Spiritual Assemblies in Korea. Mrs. Fouts said that Asians teach very differently than we do here.
Mrs. Fouts said the believers in Asia are very admiring and respectful of the American community, its role as Cradle of the Administrative Order and the assistance it has given everywhere.
By the end of the conference, over $17,000 had been collected for the Fund.
Each one teach one.
Have you prayed for the teaching goals?
Omaha Reservation Reopened[edit]
The Omaha Reservation at Macy, Nebraska, has been reopened to the Faith through teaching efforts of the Nebraska District Teaching Committee.
The first Indian Local Assembly in the U.S. was formed at Macy in 1948. However, the Assembly was lost after several years and the community there eventually became inactive. The last pioneer at Macy in the early 60’s was Edna Atkins, whose home was a bustling Bahá’í center. The property was owned by Hand of the Cause Amelia Collins and is still held by the Faith.
On September 10 the Nebraska DTC at the urging of the American Indian Teaching Committee scheduled a clean-up day at the Macy property and combined this with an Indian teaching institute and a fireside for local residents.
Instead of renting a meeting hall in town, the DTC decided to hold their meeting outdoors, around a campfire on the Bahá’í property. To invite residents of Macy, they went from door to door encouraging the people they met to attend.
According to the American Indian Teaching Committee, they didn’t expect the warm response they actually received. At many houses people already knew of the Faith. Some would reportedly say, “Oh yes, we knew Edna Atkins.” Others said they had attended a recent Seals and Crofts concert in Omaha.
Seals & Crofts and their Manager, Marcia Day, are shown with Indians from two reservations near Macy, Nebraska. Seals & Crofts suggested to the believers in that area to approach the tribal council about busing Indian youth to the Seals & Crofts concert on August 6, with free tickets furnished.
But the most remarkable development was the discovery of several adults—the children of early Macy believers—who conveyed very warm and sympathetic feelings about the Faith.
One of them, Vivian Ahlman, had declared her Faith at 15 and had visited the House of Worship with Miss Atkins in the early 60’s. She still considered herself a Bahá’í and she remembered the basic teachings.
Another one-time Bahá’í child, a teacher now, remembered running and playing in the Bahá’í Center, and said he had become close to Miss Atkins. She often encouraged him to continue his education, he said, and eventually he did graduate from college. He remembered so much about the Faith that at the fireside meeting Friday night he gave a brief explanation of the Faith which a Bahá’í augmented.
More than 30 adults attended the fireside. Twenty Bahá’ís were there as well. A number of the adults whose parents had been Bahá’ís reportedly expressed interest in the Faith, but were reluctant to become fully involved until they were assured it would not disappear again.
Efforts to follow up in Macy are continuing. A second public meeting, also well attended, was held November 6. Two believers from nearby Bancroft, Linda and Mark Davis, have been making weekly trips to Macy to meet with their rediscovered Bahá’ís and to have firesides with seekers.
Cathy Cook, Secretary of the Indian Teaching Committee, says the goal now is to try to establish a new Assembly at Macy by Riḍván.
“It may seem far-fetched,” she said, “but we have had such a spirit of excitement there already. Officially there is only one registered Bahá’í, but there have been such obvious confirmations, that if we persevere we will surely meet our goal.”
Mrs. Cook said an intensive campaign is planned at Macy in January and February. It will continue as a priority of the Indian Teaching Committee because of its historical significance and the symbolic value of restoring an Assembly in an area that was once of great concern to the Guardian. “Macy was the first Indian community the Guardian communicated with,” Mrs. Cook said. Groping for an analogy, she ventured, “Restoring the Assembly there would be like bringing an Assembly back to a place like Chicago, assuming it had been lost for a period of years. It would mean so much to so many people who have laboured there over the years.”
Jubi-Anne Maggiore, DTC Secretary for Nebraska, has appealed to “permanent, stable people” to homefront pioneer to Macy. Most available jobs are in the teaching and public service fields.
Each one teach one.
Does your neighbor know you are a Bahá’í?
Enrollments boosted in Cook County[edit]
Declaration and enrollment are distinct and simple mental actions, according to Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies.
In declaring, a seeker does three things, the Guidelines say:
- He signifies a belief in the Manifestation of God and a willingness to follow His commands
- He applies for membership in the community
- He indicates a willingness to receive basic information that will prepare him for Bahá’í membership
Enrollment is the subsequent process through which an Assembly or responsible institution determines that the applicant is ready to be enrolled and takes steps to bring that person into full membership.
“The enrollment procedure should essentially be a joyful and confirmatory experience for the declarant,” Guidelines states. “The atmosphere in which he is received into Bahá’í membership should be prayerful, loving, and educational.”
The objective of the enrollment process essentially, is to determine “that the declarant has accepted Bahá’u’lláh and His Revelation, is basically informed about the Central Figures of the Faith, and knows that the Bahá’í Laws and institutions must be obeyed.”
An example of how these interrelated actions work in practice can be seen in recent teaching efforts in Southern Cook County, Illinois, within easy range of the House of Worship.
A concerted drive to boost enrollments was begun by area Assemblies October 10–11, and has continued unabated each weekend since. Approximately 65 people, mostly youth, have signed cards offered in street campaigns.
Hand of the Cause Zikrullah Khadem and Auxiliary Board member Javidukht Khadem attended the opening of the Bahá’í Center in Harvey, Illinois, on December 12.
Declarants have not been immediately or automatically enrolled, however. In each case a careful, individualized deepening process has been systematically undertaken and enrollment has followed in a measured way. Twenty of the 65 Cook County declarants have been enrolled to date. Sustained efforts are underway to bring the rest into full membership.
In the Cook County project street encounters that have resulted in declarations have rarely lasted longer than 15 minutes, participants say. Hence the need for a fuller treatment of the basic information on subsequent visits.
Preparation for enrollment begins in this project immediately after declaration. The new believer is given the pamphlet God’s New Age when he signs his card. He is informed about the prohibitions against the use of drugs and alcohol, is told of the need for parental consent before marriage, and is introduced to Bahá’í prayers and encouraged to use them regularly.
Within days, though usually within 24 hours, he is visited in his home by a Bahá’í teacher. The purpose of the initial visit is to establish a friendship, not to swamp him with study materials. The new believer is invited to firesides and other scheduled programs, but it is not assumed he will be comfortable attending formal gatherings at the outset. Individualized attention continues until the new declarant is finally enrolled in the community.
The enrollment procedure used in Cook County is a guarantee against mistaken or insincere declarations, it is felt. Follow-up meetings begin immediately. If a person has signed a card unwittingly, or has no intention of making a lasting commitment, it is promptly discovered and corrective steps can be taken. Declaration does not mechanically result in enrollment. The friends in Cook County have made funds available to the District Teaching Committee for leasing of a storefront teaching center in downtown Harvey, Illinois, on Chicago’s Southern border. The center, when renovated and dedicated, will be used for firesides, deepenings, and for children’s classes.
“Teaching and consolidation are going hand-in-hand in the Harvey area,” says John Conkling, newly appointed Secretary of the National Teaching Committee. “Consolidation here is neither hasty nor prolonged. It proceeds according to the individual’s needs.”
Bahá’í Physicians Needed[edit]
The Adams and Brown Counties Medical Center, an innovative health care program in the Appalachian region of Southern Ohio, is looking for doctors with interest in preventative medicine, health education, life-style therapy, and episodic treatment.
The center is interested in general practitioners, pediatricians, and diagnosticians on a full-time, part-time, temporary or permanent basis.
The center has two clinics and provides service to a low-income community primarily. It maintains its own laboratory, x-ray, and physical therapy facilities.
The need for Bahá’í pioneers in this area is also extensive. For further information contact: Dr. Bruce Ashley, Rt. 1, Box 10, West Union, Ohio, 45693, or call (513) 587-2256.
Works of Bahá’í artists sought[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of Vermillion, South Dakota, is hosting a Bahá’í art show in the Spring. If you are interested in showing your art or would like more information please send your name, address and phone number to the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Vermillion, Box 402, Vermillion, South Dakota, 57069.
Teaching Briefs[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Kansas have participated in teaching projects in the towns of Dodge City and Pittsburgh. Approximately 30 Bahá’ís handed out invitations to a public meeting in the streets, pausing to speak with interested people about the Faith. One person declared in Pittsburgh.
Teaching efforts launched in Minneapolis, Minnesota in August have resulted in nine declarations and the opening of a new locality. Bahá’ís are visiting each new believer to assist with deepening.
Dawson County, Nebraska has recently been opened to the Faith. Teaching efforts have been initiated in St. Paul and Lexington as well.
Arizona Bahá’ís have participated in a Border Teaching Project in Douglas, Arizona and its sister community of Agua Prieta across the border in Mexico. There have been more than 50 declarations there in recent weeks.
In Colorado, more than 200 people attended a showing of The Green Light Expedition on the Southern Ute Reservation. Auxiliary Board member Margaret Gallagher was interviewed by a radio station on the Reservation.
Approximately 16 people have declared in Sandpoint, Idaho as a result of recent teaching efforts there.
Twelve people have declared their Faith in Bahá’u’lláh in Klamath Falls, Oregon. In Gilliam County, four people have declared. Every county in Oregon is now open to the Faith. Only one Local Assembly of the 33 in the state is currently in jeopardy.
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Each one teach one.
Have you held a fireside in the last nineteen days?
Bahá’í Books and Materials[edit]
Now Available—The Bahá’í World, Vol. XV: 1968–1973, Stories from “The Dawn-Breakers,” and more...[edit]
New Bahá’í Literature[edit]
The Bahá’í World, Vol. XV: 1968–1973
Prepared under the supervision of The Universal House of Justice, this impressive international record reflects the accelerating development and expansion of the Bahá’í Faith during the latter half of the Nine Year Plan. The volume records, among other events, the centenary celebrations of Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in the Holy Land and of His revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; the commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; the publication of A Synopsis and Codification of the Laws and Ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas; and the adoption of the Constitution of The Universal House of Justice.
The reader will find many interesting features in Volume XV, including an international survey of Bahá’í activities, an account of the travels of the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum during the Nine Year Plan, an “In Memoriam” section recounting the lives of eighty-six devoted servants of the Cause, and music and verse written by Bahá’ís around the world. The volume is bound in deep blue linen cloth and stamped in rich gold foil. Hundreds of illustrations. A prized personal possession and a handsome gift for local dignitaries, libraries, and schools. 724 pp.
7-31-03 cloth..........$15.00 NET
1977 Calendars[edit]
1977 Bahá’í Wall Calendar
The 1977 wall calendar features a beautiful color photograph of the Panama House of Worship, the Mother Temple of Latin America. 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 1977 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 × 11 inches.
6-69-37......... $.25; 10/$2.25; 50/$10.00
The Bahá’í World, Vol. XV: 1968-1973
Stories from “The Dawn-breakers”
1977 Calendars
1977 Bahá’í Date Book
The 1977 Bahá’í Date Book serves as a handy reminder of all Feasts and Holy Days and of important meetings and appointments. The new Date Book—with a bright orange cover—provides a full Gregorian calendar for the thirteen months from January 1977 through January 1978. Feast days are shaded for easy identification, and Holy Days are marked with nine-sided rosettes. Many other features. 32 pp. 3⅝ × 6⅜ inches.
6-69-27................$0.50; 10/$4.75
1977 Bahá’í Pocket Calendar
Designed to fit conveniently in purse or billfold, the 1977 Bahá’í pocket calendar indicates all Feasts and Holy Days. 2⅜ × 3⅝ inches.
6-69-57 ...............$.10; 5/$.25; 25/$1.00; 100/$3.75
New Materials for Children[edit]
Stories from “The Dawn-Breakers”
by Zoe Meyer
recordings by William Sears
Stories from “The Dawn-Breakers,” Zoe Meyer’s book about the dramatic early years of the Bahá’í Faith, is now available with four cassettes featuring the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears. On the cassettes, Mr. Sears addresses himself to Bahá’í children, whom he refers to warmly as “my little sheep” and “fellow workers in God’s Vineyard.” Rather than reading the stories word for word, he elaborates on them and describes—on the basis of his experience on pilgrimage—the House of the Báb, the fortress of Máh-Kú, and other places famous in Bahá’í history. He also mentions many principles and teachings of the Faith not included in the book.
When the book and cassettes are purchased together, they are packaged in a reusable clear plastic bag with handle and hook for easy carrying and storing. The cassettes, with recorded introduction by Dr. Amin Banani, feature Persian instrumental music between the stories. The book, with sturdy library binding, is illustrated with two-color drawings by Carl Scheffler. The former dust jacket design is now printed on the book’s cover. 66 pp.
7-52-58 book only | $4.50 |
7-52-59 book & 4 C-60 cassettes | $13.95 |
6-31-25 cassettes only | $10.95 |
To order:' Order through Community Librarians if possible. Personal orders: enclose full payment, plus $0.75 handling charge for all orders under $5.00.
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Bahá’í Youth Encouraged to Attend Conference To all Bahá’í Youth Dear Bahá’í Friends, We are the vanguard for the “coming of age of the entire human race.” In every corner of the globe, familiar and tested ideas are being discarded through pressure for change by the world’s peoples. In the decades ahead, Bahá’í youth must play a vital role in the emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture. We must prepare ourselves now to meet the challenges before us. The program of the Fourth Bahá’í Youth Conference, to be held in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, June 29–July 3, will explore intensively some of the immediate challenges facing our efforts to serve in the building of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. It will stress the importance of developing and reflecting new forms of behavior in our everyday lives and speak to three basic areas of human interaction:
The conference will reinforce the direction already given to Bahá’ís by the Guardian in Bahá’í Administration, page 66. He said: Not by the force of numbers, not by the mere exposition of a set of new and noble principles, not by an organized campaign of teaching—no matter how worldwide and elaborate in its character—not even by the staunchness of our faith or the exaltation of our enthusiasm, can we ultimately hope to vindicate in the eyes of a critical and sceptical age the supreme claim of the Abhá Revelation. One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh. For the first time, the National Spiritual Assembly is permitting non-Bahá’í youth to attend a Bahá’í youth conference. This means that your friends who are close to the Faith can accompany you to the conference to hear how we propose to direct our lives in response to the problems of our world community and witness Bahá’u’lláh’s transforming influence on their fellow youth. The National Assembly has set down guidelines for attendance by your non-Bahá’í friends. Your Spiritual Assembly, District Teaching Committee, or Bahá’í Group will soon receive instructions about this. We encourage each of you to begin now to prepare yourself spiritually and materially to attend this conference. We look forward to greeting you in Champaign-Urbana and to discussing with you your ambitious plans for service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
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The Mail[edit]
Dear Friends:
The Rockford, Illinois, Bahá’í community hosted its sixth annual U.N. Day Dinner at the local Y.M.C.A. Log Cabin Lodge. In attendance was Mr. McGaw, the mayor, and over forty individuals from a local Spanish group. The total attendance for the evening was 145 individuals, over 100 of whom were non-Bahá’ís.
The Bahá’ís prepared dishes from around the world, which was followed by local international talent. The exciting part of the event was that in our attempt to locate international talent, we contacted many difficult to reach minorities in the Rockford area. To begin our search for “ethnic” organizations, we went to our local chamber of commerce, which has a card file with names and addresses.
Once we located the organizations, we selected a few to contact for possible entertainment for the evening. All of the organizations were sent invitations, which were followed by a friendly telephone call to verify their possible attendance. When one organization told us forty members of their group were coming, we were stunned.
This is the kind of event which leads the way to individual teaching of hard-to-reach minorities.
- Sincerely,
- Linda Somerhalder
- Rockford, Illinois
Dear Friends:
Blacksburg, Virginia, is a college town that is very close to Assembly status.
Young people over 21 who might like to continue their education could help the Bahá’í Faith by attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute & S.U. If two more Bahá’ís settle in Blacksburg, two goals will be won—the establishment of a new Assembly and the launching of an Assembly in a part of Virginia where there is only one other Assembly. Blacksburg is a goal area for Virginia because it is near unopened rural communities.
- Stephen Weiss
Dear Friends:
We strongly feel the need to bring the following episode to the attention of the American Bahá’í Community, as it points out in a succinct way the desperate need at the present hour to contribute to the Bahá’í Fund.
We recently submitted the Jeff Reynolds radio series demonstration tape to a major local radio station. It was reviewed and highly approved by the station’s staff. They enthusiastically agreed to remove another program from the air in order to broadcast the Jeff Reynolds show at no cost, if we could assure them of an ongoing program for approximately one year.
We had already ordered the available tapes 1 through 7 and immediately made plans to purchase tapes 8 through 13. However, we inquired if more tapes would be produced so that we could proceed with this invaluable teaching effort.
This was the saddening and sobering reply we received from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust:
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Thank you for your inquiry on the Jeff Reynolds radio series. We regret to inform you that we do not expect that there will be tapes additional to the thirteen now available. There had been plans to produce many more; however, with the condition of the National Bahá’í Fund, it does not seem possible at this time.
- With warmest Bahá’í greetings,
- Bahá’í Publishing Trust
We witness here a teaching opportunity of far-ranging consequences at our fingertips, but out of reach. Why do we Bahá’ís allow the future to slip away?
- With much Bahá’í love and devotion,
- Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of
- San Luis Obispo
Editorial note:
The Jeff Reynolds programs are available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. Programs 8–13 have recently been made available. Work on the second set of 13 programs is continuing at the Bahá’í National Information Office. It is expected that programs will eventually be available for play on a year-round weekly basis.
Dear Friends:
This is written to joyously share with you the good news that we have been successful in obtaining air time for “Bahá’í Perspective—the Jeff Reynolds Show” on the new local radio station—WRNJ! The station manager was impressed with both the “flavor” and quality of the material he heard on the demonstration tape.
Sunday morning, we listened from 10:30–11:00 a.m. to the first half-hour broadcast of the series and were thrilled with the quality of the presentation and production of same!
- Bahá’í Group of Allamuchy Township,
- New Jersey
Each one teach one.
Have you brought a friend to a fireside this month?
Pioneering opportunities in Alaska[edit]
Pioneering opportunities for teachers in Alaska will soon be opening. A number of new village schools are under construction and will soon be recruiting permanent staff. Some of these villages have no resident Bahá’ís and can be opened by pioneers. Others are close to Assembly status and will be greatly aided by a new resident.
For information, write International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Continued from page 1
more predictable and reliable, and to promote unity, understanding, and cooperation. We wanted to establish a pattern that would pull the state together and give people a sense of security about the teaching efforts.”
Many, many people were involved in planning the teaching, she said. Consequently, they have developed a personal commitment to seeing the projects carried out properly and successfully. “We each know what the others are thinking and what they are doing,” she said. “It makes us feel as part of one goal state.”
| Teaching efforts increased in New York | Jeff Reynolds Show on the air | Twenty-six pioneers needed by Riḍván |
| Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 2 |
David Clayborne, Secretary of the Bahá’í National Youth Committee, points to Champaign-Urbana, site of the Fourth Bahá’í National Youth Conference to be held June 29-July 3, in a planning session with the Youth Conference Committee. Turn to page 7 for registration information.