The American Bahá’í/Volume 7/Issue 7/Text
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International Teaching Conferences to open; many victories expected[edit]
More on Nairobi, Hong Kong Conferences, Page 8
Many teaching opportunities are expected to develop as a result of the eight International Teaching Conferences sponsored by The Universal House of Justice which begin this month.
The Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery will represent The Universal House of Justice at the first conference in Helsinki, Finland, July 5–8.
Three Hands of the Cause will attend the conference in Anchorage, Alaska, July 23–25. In addition to The Universal House of Justice representative, the Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone, the Hands of the Cause of God John Robarts and William Sears will be present, the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska announced.
The third conference will be in Paris, France, August 3–6 with Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum representing the Supreme Institution.
Other conferences will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, October 15–17; Hong Kong, November 27–30; Auckland, New Zealand, January 19–22; Bahia, Brazil, January 28–30; and Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, February 4–6.
According to figures compiled by the International Goals Committee, approximately 300 American Bahá’ís already are scheduled to attend at least one of the conferences.
The National Spiritual Assembly has engaged the services of Bankers Trust Travel Planning Service of New York City, a large international travel bureau with extensive resources in foreign countries, to arrange group travel accommodations. Additional information on the Nairobi and Hong Kong conferences is published on Page 8 along with a reservation form. Complete and mail to Bankers Trust Travel Planning Service, P.O. Box 318, Church Street Station, New York, N.Y. 10015. Information on the other conferences is also available from Bankers Trust. It is necessary that you notify Bankers Trust immediately because many of the host areas need an estimate of the number attending in order to complete the arrangements.
Bahá’ís planning to attend one of the conferences must have current international credentials which are available from the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
The Universal House of Justice is sponsoring the conferences in a major effort to generate tremendous impetus to the progress of the Five Year Plan. In its Riḍván 1975 message, The Universal House of Justice said: “Their aim is to strengthen the bonds of unity and fellowship among the friends, to increase their involvement in the teaching work and their interest in its progress, and to serve as magnets to attract divine confirmations. They are also rallying points for the believers, evidences of the vitality of their love for Bahá’u’lláh, and potent instruments for generating enthusiasm and spiritual drive for advancing the interests of the Faith.”
One of the members of the National Assembly will represent that body at each of the conferences. The representatives will be Magdalene Carney at Helsinki, Daniel Jordan at Anchorage, Firuz Kazemzadeh at Paris, Dorothy Nelson at Nairobi, Glenford E. Mitchell at Hong Kong, Richard D. Betts at Auckland, William Maxwell Jr. at Bahia, and Franklin Kahn at Mérida.
Mr. Furútan to visit U.S. beginning in August[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan will visit the United States for more than a month beginning in early August. He will attend four summer schools and visit at least six cities and the Louis Gregory Institute during his stay.
Mr. Furútan will attend the following summer school sessions: Oklahoma-Texas, Aug. 4–5; Washington East, Aug. 10–12; Bosch, Aug. 17–19; and Green Acre, Aug. 25–27. Mr. Furútan will be at Louis Gregory Institute Aug. 31–Sept. 2. He will visit Wilmette, Illinois, Aug. 1–2 and Sept. 7–11; Albuquerque, New Mexico, Aug. 7; San Jose, California, Aug. 15; Los Angeles, California, Aug. 21; New York City, Aug. 29; and Atlanta, Georgia, Sept. 5.
Mr. Furútan was secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran before the Guardian appointed him a Hand of the Cause in 1951. He was part of the first contingent of Hands of the Cause appointed by Shoghi Effendi.
Mr. Furútan
Urgent need for pioneers[edit]
Bahá’ís familiar with French or Portuguese are urgently needed to fill pioneer posts which will assist in attaining the Five Year Plan goals by October 20.
Unfilled goal areas include Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese) and Mozambique (Portuguese) in Africa; Cambodia (French) and Laos (French) in Asia; and Switzerland (French and German) in Europe.
Bahá’ís interested in responding to the needs should consult with their Spiritual Assembly and then write or telephone the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. Telephone 312/256-4400.
Dates to remember[edit]
- July 9 Martyrdom of the Báb. Holy Day on which work should be suspended. Commemorate about noon on July 9.
- July 9–Aug. 28 Youth teaching project, South Florida. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- July 10–16 Summer School, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.
- July 10–17 Southern California Summer School, Camp Maranatha, Idyllwild, California.
- July 11–17 Summer School, Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, Maine.
- July 13 Feast of Kalimát.
- July 14–Aug. 1 Mass teaching proclamation, North Hempstead, Long Island, New York. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of North Hempstead.
- July 16–18 International Traveling Teaching and Pioneering Conference, Fresno State University, California. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Clovis, California.
- July 16–18 Black Hills Campside Proclamation, Custer State Park, South Dakota. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Rapid City, South Dakota.
- July 17–18 Council Fire, Hobuck Beach Park, Makah Indian Reservation, Washington. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Neah Bay, Washington.
- July 17–23 Summer School, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.
- July 18–24 Summer School, Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, Maine.
- July 19–26 Special youth week, Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, S.C.
- July 23–25 International Teaching Conference, Anchorage, Alaska. Sponsored by The Universal House of Justice.
- July 24–30 Summer School, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.
- July 25–30 Minnesota Summer School, St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota.
- July 25–31 Summer School, Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, Maine.
- July 25–31 Arizona Summer School, Arizona Church Conference Center, Prescott, Arizona.
- July 30–Aug. 1 Youth conference, Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, S.C. Sponsored by the South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee.
- July 31–Aug. 1 Council Fire, Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Wapato, Washington.
- July 31–Aug. 6 Summer School, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.
- Aug. 1 Feast of Kamál.
- Aug. 1–7 Summer School, Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, Maine.
- Aug. 1–7 Colorado West Summer School, Big Spruce Camp, Cedaredge, Colorado.
- Aug. 1–7 Davison Summer School, NEA Conference Center, Battle Creek, Michigan.
- Aug. 2–7 Oklahoma-Texas Summer School, Bridgeport Conference Center, Bridgeport, Texas.
- Aug. 3–6 International Teaching Conference, Paris, France. Sponsored by The Universal House of Justice.
- Aug. 5–8 Oregon Summer School, Asperkaha Camp, Ashland, Oregon.
- Aug. 7–13 Summer School, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.
- Aug. 8–14 Davison Summer School, NEA Conference Center, Battle Creek, Michigan.
- Aug. 8–14 Washington East Summer School, Camp Dudley, White Pass, Washington.
- Aug. 9–14 Special children’s week on unity, Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, S.C.
- Aug. 9–16 New York Summer School, Oakwood School, Poughkeepsie, New York.
- Aug. 12–15 House of Worship Visit Program (by invitation only), Wilmette, Illinois. Sponsored by the Bahá’í House of Worship Activities Committee.
- Aug. 14–20 Summer School, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.
- Aug. 15–21 Summer School, Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, Maine.
- Aug. 16–21 Special youth week, Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, S.C.
- Aug. 16–22 Family Camp, Conifer Hill, Lyons, Colorado.
- Aug. 16–23 New York Summer School, Oakwood School, Poughkeepsie, New York.
- Aug. 19–22 Pioneer Training Institute (by invitation only), Wilmette, Illinois. Sponsored by the International Goals Committee.
- Aug. 20 Feast of Asmá.
- Aug. 20–22 Council Fire, International Peace Gardens, North Dakota. Sponsored by the North Dakota District Teaching Committee.
- Aug. 21–27 Summer School, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.
- Aug. 28–Sept. 2 Summer School, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.
House of Worship visit program is scheduled August 12-15[edit]
Another in a series of special visit programs to the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, will be held August 12-15.
Enrollment is limited to 30 believers on a first-come-first-served basis. Complete the registration form and mail it soon.
The special visit program is an ongoing project of the Bahá’í House of Worship Activities Committee and is designed primarily to refresh and gladden the spirit as well as provide an insight into the functioning of the various departments at the Bahá’í National Center.
Participants will visit all of the offices at the National Center, including the Bahá’í Publishing Trust and the Bahá’í Home. A special display of the National Archives is planned along with many other activities. Talks will be given by Continental Counsellor Edna True and Glenford E. Mitchell, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Housing has been reserved at the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge in nearby Skokie, Illinois. Transportation from the motel to the National Center will be provided. Each participant will be responsible for his own meals.
Many attend poetry reading[edit]
Bahá’í poet Robert Hayden gave a poetry reading at the National College of Education in Evanston, Illinois, May 23. The well-attended reading was sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Evanston.
Mr. Hayden’s poetry, the fruit of much painful thought and hard work, is poignant and often humorous. His reading brought out the special tone of each poem.
He read a new work, still unpublished, of observations of Americans by a scout from outer space. Several others of his poems dealt with space travel. Most of what he read is in his newly published book Angle of Ascent.
Mr. Hayden’s life is the foundation of his poetry. He read several poems about his childhood in the slums of Detroit, where he was born in 1913. Even his poems which touch on cruel, negative persons and lives are compassionate; at one point he spoke of “hate...glistening like tears” in the eyes of a policeman.
He closed the reading with a poem about the Bahá’í nine-pointed star.
Mr. Hayden was recently appointed Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress for 1976-1977. He is the 24th poet to be appointed to the position, which is the American equivalent of Britain’s poet laureate. He is the first black poet to be appointed to the position.
Robert Hayden visits the House of Worship.
Foreign needs to be outlined[edit]
An International Traveling Teaching and Pioneering Conference will be held at Fresno State University July 16-18, sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Clovis, California.
The objectives of the conference will be to inform participants of the unfulfilled pioneering and traveling teaching goals, to provide information on educational and vocational preparation for pioneering, and to encourage deepening in administration and spiritual principles.
For more information write the conference committee c/o Gayle Fargo, 645 W. Barstow, No. 115, Clovis, California, 93612, or call (209) 299-0600.
Notice to Bahá’ís traveling abroad[edit]
Bahá’ís planning to travel to countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Far East should notify the National Spiritual Assembly in advance.
In addition to traveling teaching trips, many friends go abroad on business or other purposes. It is possible they can render some service to the Faith if the National Assembly is aware of the trip well in advance. In addition, the National Assembly may have specific guidance to offer.
Letters to the editor[edit]
The American Bahá’í welcomes letters from readers on any Bahá’í subject. Write to Editor, The American Bahá’í, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you would like your letter returned. The editors reserve the right to edit letters.
Dear friends
I want to thank you for publishing The American Bahá’í. Sometimes I get hungry to see the growth of God’s kingdom.
It all seems far away at times. But those are mostly the times I have turned from the Beauty of His Light by praying haphazardly; or times I haven’t given to the Fund in the spirit of sacrifice. I guess we all fall down at times. But those are the times that His light shines the brightest, for then I know what my world, my life, could be like without Bahá’í.
As I was reading this month’s American Bahá’í I put down my reading to pray. I am so thankful that I know my purpose in the light of God’s plan for mankind; that I know the fellowship and communion of friends I have found in the Faith. When I think of what it would be like to live without Bahá’u’lláh my soul aches and all it knows is the ache of separation from God.
We must teach every minute in thankfulness for the gift we have: to live new lives unshuttered by veils and loosened from chains of doubt.
Surely those who hate the Faith must be so blinded by His Beauty that they are unable to see. And all the others who have not heard His name—what right do we have to deny them our joy? How their souls must thirst for knowledge of the spiritual laws! How they must long to see God’s will working on this earth to make us new spiritual beings!
Thank you for helping me see the brightness of our Bahá’í community. I long for the day when every corner of this globe will be lit by the light of the love of God.
- Robbie Moorman
- Anoka, Minnesota
Bound sets of World Order available[edit]
A limited number of complete bound sets of World Order magazine are now available.
The sets include Volume 1, Number 1 (Fall 1966) through Volume 9, Number 4 (Summer 1975). Each volume is bound separately in either red or blue quality book cloth stamped in metallic gold.
World Order bound sets should be ordered through your local Bahá’í librarian. Include full payment of $108 and specify choice of red (cat. no. 7-70-00) or blue (cat. no. 7-70-04) binding.
Volumes 1 through 8 are available immediately. Volume 9 will be bound this summer together with an index covering all nine volumes and will be delivered by early fall.
Individuals or communities can also send their own complete sets of World Order to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust for binding at a cost of $54.
Copies of Child’s Way are needed[edit]
The National Bahá’í Archives Committee is attempting to complete its files of Child’s Way magazine and needs copies of two issues to do so.
The committee needs Volume 1, Number 2 (March-April 1969) and Volume 1, Number 3 (May-June 1969). Copies of these issues should be sent to the National Bahá’í Archives Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Assembly Development Program top priority item for communities[edit]
The Assembly Development Office has reminded the friends that the National Spiritual Assembly has given top priority to the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program.
Purpose of the program is to strengthen and develop Local Assemblies, a vital objective of the Five Year Plan. All Assemblies will have an opportunity to complete the program before the end of the Plan with priority going to new Assemblies.
When an Assembly is scheduled for the 30-hour program, the Assembly members should arrange their personal lives and work schedules to enable them to attend, the Assembly Development Office said. The National Assembly has asked all believers to assist by acquiring and studying a copy of Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies and by making it possible for Assembly members to attend the training sessions through moral support and encouragement, providing adequate funds, and offering assistance to children of Assembly members.
During the sessions, trainers will assist Assembly members to become familiar with the basic concepts contained in Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies and a companion book, The Development of Local Spiritual Assemblies, so that Assemblies will be able to use the materials more effectively during consultation.
After an Assembly has been trained, new members can purchase Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies and the audiotapes. As the materials are used during consultation, new members will share in the deepening process. Some revisions have been made in Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies, and Assemblies trained prior to June should purchase new copies. Those trained beginning with June will be sent correction sheets to insert in their existing books.
The Assembly Development Office pointed out that the materials do not contain any new enrollment procedures. A new declarant is eligible to attend Feasts and is considered a member of the community as soon as the Local Assembly approves his enrollment.
Assembly formed in Gainesville[edit]
The first Spiritual Assembly of Gainesville, Georgia, was formed March 20.
Gainesville has been the focus of intensive teaching and proclamation efforts by the Local Spiritual Assembly of North DeKalb and the North Georgia Bahá’í Information Service since last fall. There were no Bahá’ís in Gainesville when teaching began.
Members of the new Assembly are Cheryl Hinshaw, chairwoman; Bobby Bell, treasurer; Dwight Bell; Susan Lewis, secretary; Jimmy Howard; Belinda Storey; Katie Hamilton; Robert Browner, vice-chairman; Leon Hester.
Members of the Assembly have been traveling teaching together in Marietta, where six people recently became Bahá’ís. The Assembly is holding regular firesides in Bobby Bell’s home and received training through the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program June 5-6.
From Holiness Church to Bahá’í Center, Newton County celebrates anniversary[edit]
The former Gospel Peace Mission Holiness Church is now the Bahá’í Center of Newton County, Georgia. The Spiritual Assembly was formed in 1974, and the community recently celebrated its anniversary. Above are Addie Blackwell and Jennifer Murphy. At left is Addie Webb, 85, the oldest member of the community and a member of the Assembly. At right, the friends gather for an event in the Center.
All the members of the Gospel Peace Mission Holiness Church, following the example of their pastor and assistant pastor, became Bahá’ís on March 10, 1974. This year they gathered for their second anniversary unity feast in the church building, which is now called the Newton County Bahá’í Center. The center is in Covington, Georgia, 40 miles west of Atlanta.
The 29 members of the choir sang at the St. Louis Conference and recently made a recording to send to the Bahá’í National Center. The man who made the recording plans to play the tape on his radio station in Atlanta.
The community sponsors two weekly firesides, one in Jamestown in the home of a Bahá’í which is always crowded with friends and neighbors, and the other in Covington in the home of a friend called Miss Minnie, who lives next door to a Bahá’í.
In the past two years, the Newton County believers have remodeled their center, and they meet there each morning for devotions. On Sunday mornings the children have classes, and on Sunday afternoons the community meets for worship. “And our oldest Bahá’í, Addie Webb, is still with us,” said Assembly secretary Janice Dunn. “She’s 85 years old and she declared with the church. She stays happy all the time; she’s an inspiration to all of us.”
Janice Dunn was assistant pastor and Annie Kate Blackwell was pastor of the 14-year-old Holiness Church. When they heard and agreed with the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, they came back to their church so overjoyed with what they had found that all 75 members of the church became Bahá’ís. Many others subsequently declared, and the Spiritual Assembly of Newton County has developed youth clubs and teaching committees.
The church was the first in Georgia to have its entire membership declare, and nearby congregations at first were shocked and mystified by the new sign that said “Bahá’í Center.” But many ministers have come to firesides. During a special week-long meeting, about three months after the Newton community was born, 18 ministers gathered to discuss the Faith.
“This is what God had us waiting for,” said Mrs. Blackwell, Assembly chairman, “to see and hear His new Prophet for this Day. Praise God!”
Center planned on reservation[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon will build a Bahá’í Center and school on the reservation. Building the center was the first goal set by the Assembly at its formation in October.
Umatilla Bahá’ís celebrated the 12th Day of Riḍván at the center site May 2. Joining them at the celebration were Bahá’ís from Pendleton, La Grande, Portland, The Dalles, and Wapato, Washington.
The site consists of 20 acres on a hilltop overlooking most of the reservation and surrounding area. The land belongs to one of the Bahá’ís who is the first member of the reservation Tribes to become a Bahá’í. The site will be used for a youth summer school and other Bahá’í activities. It will also be open to use by other residents of the reservation. Gordon Jackson, architect from Eugene, will design the center.
A council fire will be held on the reservation during the last week of September at the center site.
Great Council Fire set August 20-22[edit]
The second Great Council Fire will be held at the International Peace Gardens in North Dakota August 20-22.
The three days of activities will include talks by many distinguished Indian speakers. The theme of the Council Fire will be winning the Five Year Plan goal of the establishment of 25 Spiritual Assemblies on Indian Reservations.
A comparison between the Local Spiritual Assembly and the Tribal Council will be given; a children’s program will include crafts activities; a special panel will discuss similarities between the Indian way and Bahá’í life.
Teaching activities will precede and follow the Council Fire. One objective of the gathering is to unite representatives of many tribes.
Yakima Council Fire begins July 31[edit]
The Eighth Annual Council Fire on the Yakima Indian Reservation in Washington will be held July 31-August 1.
Day-time activities will include games and crafts for children, music, prayers, and talks. An evening with guest speakers, music, and Indian dancing is planned.
For more information contact the Council Fire Committee, c/o Spiritual Assembly of Wapato, Box 247, Wapato, Washington, 98951.
Beach park site of Council Fire[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Neah Bay, Washington, will host a Council Fire July 17-18 at Hobuck Beach Park on the Makah Indian Reservation.
The program will feature Indian dances, songs, speakers, and a Makah-style salmon barbeque. Bahá’í musicians will be welcome to participate in the Saturday evening songfest on the Pacific Ocean beach.
48 Bahá’ís attend child education institute[edit]
Doing what children do at child education institute in Los Angeles.
Trainers study materials used in the education of children.
The second in a series of six child education institutes sponsored by the Bahá’í National Education Committee was held in Los Angeles, California, April 13-17.
A total of 48 Bahá’ís from California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and Nevada participated in the institute. The purpose is to train specialists who in turn will train teachers who will be available to Local Spiritual Assemblies to assist in upgrading the quality of the education of Bahá’í children, one of the goals of the Five Year Plan. The goal is to train up to 500 teachers before the end of the Plan.
The first institute was held last December at the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute. Others are planned for Lake Forest, Illinois; the Northwest; the Northeast; and the Mountain States.
The Bahá’ís who completed the institute in Los Angeles learned how to deal with such problems as how to provide high quality classes that children enjoy, how to integrate children into the regular programs of the community, and how to prepare children for Bahá’í service.
One aim of the program is to make parents and Local Spiritual Assemblies more aware of the special needs of children and consider those needs when making plans. Children who feel they are an integral part of Bahá’í affairs will grow to love the Faith and identify with it.
“The education we give Bahá’í children today will determine their ability to serve Bahá’u’lláh and to effect change in the world tomorrow,” said Eileen Norman, secretary of the National Education Committee.
Southern Ute conference held[edit]
A Southern Ute Teaching Conference was sponsored by Auxiliary Board member Margaret Gallagher and the Bahá’í Group of Ignacio, Colorado, May 14-16. Gathered at the One World Center on Pioneer Street, participants committed themselves to increase teaching on the Ute Indian Reservation and among Spanish-speaking people. They volunteered to visit isolated believers and small groups during the summer including those on the Navajo Reservation.
Benjamin Kahn, assistant to Auxiliary Board member Nancy Phillips, addressed a public meeting during the conference. He emphasized the importance of prayer. Chester Kahn of Window Rock, Arizona, also spoke, and he helped prepare two radio interviews which will be used on the new Southern Ute radio station.
Language teachers sought[edit]
The International Goals Committee is seeking experienced teachers of French, Spanish, or Portuguese to conduct week-long total immersion language courses.
These courses will be part of a program being developed for Bahá’ís who wish to prepare for international service, pioneering, or traveling teaching.
Teachers experienced in concentrated language courses are asked to call the International Goals Committee, 312/256-4400.
Children mark class anniversary[edit]
Children of the Daystar Bahá’í School in Middletown Township, New Jersey, celebrated their third year of classes with a campout at Lebanon State Forest in May.
This year, the children’s special project was the production of a puppet show. They took their three-part show, “It’s a Small, Small World,” to a Montessori school and a rest home during Ayyám-i-Há. In both places, they were asked to return. Their show illustrated the Bahá’í principles of the oneness of humanity and kindness to animals.
Daystar students plan and participate in Holy Day events and enjoy field trips to places like the United Nations and the Museum of Natural History in New York City.
News briefs[edit]
Atlanta begins series of Unity Feasts in city[edit]
Bahá’ís of Atlanta presented the first in a series of outdoor Unity Feasts April 18 at Piedmont Park in the heart of the city.
A 40-foot banner suspended between two large trees proclaimed “Bahá’í Unity Feast—All are Welcome.” A booth featured a large photograph of the House of Worship in Wilmette, photos of people around the world, and a brief summary of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh with excerpts from the Writings.
More than 75 Bahá’ís attended with about 40 friends. Hundreds of people stopped to look at the display, enjoy the refreshments, take Bahá’í literature, and join in the singing. Music was provided by many Bahá’ís, including Steve Hampton of Carroll County, Susan Lewis of Gainesville, Janice Dunn of Newton County, and Andy Murphy of Sarasota, Florida.
A young photographer who was a guest expressed interest in doing a photo documentary on the Faith. Other visitors included an Atlanta city councilman and a reporter from the Atlanta World newspaper. The World is the city’s largest black newspaper.
The Unity Feast was publicized by posters and by personal invitations distributed in neighborhoods around the park.
The Atlanta community plans to host at least one Unity Feast every three weeks in different areas of the city through October.
Teaching campaign unites W. Wash.[edit]
The 41 Spiritual Assemblies in Western Washington have united in a teaching campaign. One of their goals is to form 20 new Assemblies by October.
More than 80 homefront traveling teachers have arisen to carry out the plan. They are supported by Bahá’ís who babysit, provide transportation and hospitality, bake cookies, do paperwork, arrange publicity, and, of course, pray.
Emphasis is on teaching families. Direct teaching teams work with teachers who invite seekers to dinner, children’s classes, and other activities.
The teaching program is creating a new love and unity among the Bahá’ís and is revealing the distinctive characteristics of Bahá’í life: there is a new happiness and assurance among the Bahá’ís.
Riḍván explained at Georgia picnic[edit]
About 50 people enjoyed a Unity Feast, honoring the Festival of Riḍván, given by the Bahá’ís of Douglas County, Georgia, May 2.
Guest speaker Jack Perrin of Atlanta explained the meaning of the Festival of Riḍván.
A non-Bahá’í from Carrollton who attended the picnic with his wife and two daughters said, “I knew little about the Bahá’í Faith prior to this meeting, but I am now very impressed by the universality of the Faith and the Bahá’í attitude toward life. It would be very useful for us to learn about the Bahá’í Faith and acquire a Bahá’í way of life.”
Another non-Bahá’í said, “I became curious about the Bahá’í Faith because I was impressed by the attitude toward life of a colleague of mine...” (a fellow elementary-school teacher who is a Bahá’í). “To me she stands for the principles of the Bahá’í Faith.”
Those comments, along with basic information on the Faith, were printed in the Douglasville Sentinel with a photograph.
Amelia Bowman passes at 79[edit]
Amelia Bowman, pioneer to Scandinavia, passed away in May at the age of 79. The Universal House of Justice, in a cable to the National Spiritual Assembly of Norway, described Mrs. Bowman as a “serene devoted maidservant Bahá’u’lláh” and said that her services were “unforgettable.”
Mrs. Bowman pioneered to Sweden in 1947 at the beginning of the second Seven Year Plan.
Mrs. Bowman became a Bahá’í in 1933 in Salmon Falls, New Hampshire. For five years she acted as hostess at the Ole Bull Cottage at Green Acre Bahá’í School. She entertained women’s clubs and other organizations at teas or evening meetings. She went to Oakland, California, in 1941 to help with the first Seven Year Plan, and from 1945 until 1947 she worked for the National Teaching Committee in Chicago.
A European Teaching Committee was organized to activate the second Seven Year Plan. Continental Counsellor Edna True, who was a member of that committee, said that Mrs. Bowman was “a very outstanding pioneer. She was the kind the committee could use on special and delicate missions.” For instance, Mrs. Bowman was one of the Bahá’í representatives who presented a Bahá’í greeting to Ralph Bunche when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, in 1950.
Mrs. Bowman lived in Sweden until 1949 when she settled, at the request of the European Teaching Committee, in Norway. There she lived for the rest of her life with the exception of two years in Strasbourg, France. She was beloved by the Norwegian Bahá’ís, and honored by them. For example, she gave the dedication address for the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Oslo in 1956.
Death of pioneer’s daughter links Indians and Faith[edit]
The passing of seven-year-old Shirrin Marian on March 2 released many forces for the teaching and establishment of the Bahá’í Faith on the Crow Creek Reservation in North Dakota.
Shirrin was the oldest child of JoAnn Marian, pioneer to Crow Creek. Although Shirrin had not been able to move, talk, or see for five years, she could hear and understand, and her mother regarded her as her “pioneer-partner.” Shirrin and her mother shared prayers for the tribe, and when her mother faced a difficult or spiritually potent situation, she depended on Shirrin’s prayers.
On the day of Shirrin’s passing, in fact, within the hour, another Bahá’í moved to the reservation. Then a youth moved in and another pioneer was hired by Head Start. The first Bahá’í public talk at the Crow Creek Reservation was given by Sioux believers from Fort Yates, North Dakota, on the eve of the Anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb.
The Marian family had been on the reservation for five months when Shirrin passed away. The response of the Indian people to the child’s death was overwhelming. The tribal chairwoman assisted with the choice of the burial spot. The tribe prepared a pine box casket. Neighbors gave the family a prized star quilt so that, according to Indian tradition, Shirrin could be wrapped and warmed for her journey. Abundant food was prepared by friends and neighbors so that people could return to the Marian house for fellowship after the burial.
The elementary school requested that the burial be held at 4 p.m. so that the staff could attend. The Head Start staff cared for the younger Marian children during the day and people brought bouquets of plastic flowers for the grave.
It was a sunny day, and the graveside service was simple, with a time for anyone to share thoughts and prayers. People were touched by the prayers, and by the fact that Mrs. Marian offered a prayer for all of the reservation. The Ft. Thompson Community Singers sang a child’s hymn in Sioux.
Now the tribe knows of Bahá’í. The distinctiveness of the Faith seemed to be confirmed by the burial. And because the Indian community feels a close bond with those who have gone into the next world, and Shirrin is buried among them, they feel a profound and permanent connection with the Bahá’ís.
S. Minnesota forms 15 teaching teams[edit]
Southern Minnesota Bahá’ís recently formed 15 action teams as urged in the Design for Victory.
Action teams are teaching teams.
The District Teaching Committee reports that the teamwork is helping those who are shy and that it is a joy to those who have been bogged down with paperwork.
The action teams bring their members back into the realm of teaching, where power is generated.
All members of the teams participate. Some teach directly, others contribute funds, pray, arrange publicity, and drive the teachers to goal areas.
Jobs available for homefront pioneers[edit]
Positions are open for homefront pioneers in Casa Grande, Arizona, and Sparks, Nevada.
The job in Casa Grande, a goal area of the Southern Arizona District, is for a power plant electrician. Interested Bahá’ís should send their resumes to Personnel Director, P.O. Box 5190, Tucson, Arizona 85703.
The job in Sparks is for a doctor, chiropractor, acupuncturist, herbalist or anyone in the field of the healing arts at the Excalibur Medical Foundation. The non-Bahá’í owner of the clinic has requested a Bahá’í to assist him. Write to Dr. S. Zimmet, Excalibur Medical Foundation, Spanish Springs Road, Sparks, Nevada 89431.
Assay Commission honors Miss Christenson[edit]
David R. MacDonald, assistant secretary of the Treasury for enforcement, operations and tariff affairs, presents a 1976 Annual Assay Commission medal to Alva Christenson, a Bahá’í from Arcadia, California. Miss Christenson is a distinguished collector of tokens and medals, and she was one of 27 commissioners appointed by President Ford to the 1976 Assay Commission which met at the Philadelphia Mint February 11 to count, weigh, and assay representative samples of the nation’s coinage.
Miss Christenson served as co-chairman of the counting committee. Her fellow commissioners included a senator, businessmen, bankers, teachers, lawyers, a judge, and a machinist.
The practice of assaying the nation’s coins each year dates from 1972; the Assay Commission is one of the oldest institutions in the United States.
Goals outlined for South Carolina[edit]
Approximately 120 persons attended a statewide meeting May 23 at the Louis Gregory Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina.
Plans for attaining the goals were discussed and many ideas were shared. A total of 21 Bahá’í communities were represented at the meeting. About 40 children were present from one of the four children’s classes sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Florence.
It was announced that Irmo, South Carolina, was opened to the Faith on May 16 and there were eight declarations in just one week.
Mr. Villasenor shows sand-painting art[edit]
A sand-painting demonstration by David Villasenor, sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Redlands, California, May 8, attracted an audience of about 100.
Mr. Villasenor demonstrated his art at the new San Bernardino County Museum. Mr. Villasenor is a Bahá’í whose permanent sandpaintings are exhibited in the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Southwest Indian Museum, and many others. He is an assistant Auxiliary Board member.
Bahá’í literature was available for guests at the proclamation, which the Redlands Bahá’ís term their “most successful.”
The event was featured in the Redlands Daily Facts newspaper and the Sun Telegram which is distributed in San Bernardino, Redlands, Yucaipa, and Loma Linda. It was also publicized through radio spots and cable TV announcements.
Urbana Bahá’ís sponsor arts, crafts festival[edit]
“A group from the University of Illinois brought the message of the Bahá’í Faith to Newton on Saturday,” began a newspaper article about an arts and crafts festival in Newton County, Illinois, recently.
Bahá’ís from Urbana sponsored the festival. Local artists who participated included members of the Senior Citizens Center and a family which is studying the Faith. Fifty-one high school youth entered a poster contest. The winners received a free weekend at the University of Illinois as guests of the Bahá’í Club, and a dozen of the best posters were displayed at the festival. Artists and craftsmen were encouraged to participate through posters, letters, and personal visits by the Bahá’ís. A newspaper article before the festival announced the names of participants. One exhibitor felt newspaper coverage was necessary and brought a photographer and reporter, both of whom stayed several hours at the festival. A large article subsequently appeared on page one, with pictures of the winners of the poster contest and of Sholeh Maani demonstrating slab pottery to the children.
Visitors had been especially attracted by demonstrations of slab pottery making, china painting, and tatting. Other crafts exhibited included quilting, pencil drawing, photography, knitting, crocheting.
Exhibitors received copies of the Bicentennial Issue of World Order or The Bahá’í Faith by Gloria Faizi.
Lake Okeechobee friends fete visitors[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Harlem and Benbow, Florida, cooked and hosted a dinner for a teaching-consolidation team of Bahá’ís from Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, and Boca Raton recently.
Harlem and Benbow are small communities near Lake Okeechobee. The area was a center of teaching several years ago when more than 150 persons were enrolled in the Faith. A teaching-consolidation team is hosting monthly public meetings in the area.
160 attend institute on Christianity, Faith[edit]
The small Bahá’í community of Greenfield, Indiana, was overjoyed with their deepening institute on Christianity and the Bahá’í Faith.
Bahá’ís from Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, New York, Missouri, and Pennsylvania joined friends from Indiana at the institute; total attendance was 160.
Auxiliary Board member Thelma Jackson was the key speaker. Topics for her two talks were “The Station of Christ” and “The Station of Bahá’u’lláh.”
Jack Rhoades, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Greenfield, who is a former minister, spoke at a Saturday night public meeting.
New Orleans Bahá’ís in arts, crafts fair[edit]
Bahá’ís of New Orleans, Louisiana, participated in an arts and crafts fair on May 16 by presenting a booth of Bahá’í literature and work by a local Bahá’í artist.
About 100 people visited the booth which was sponsored by the Teaching Committee of New Orleans. The community plans to participate in other New Orleans arts and crafts fairs.
‘A Night in Japan’ is held in Miami[edit]
“A Night in Japan” was the theme of a proclamation sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Miami, Florida, at the YMCA hotel April 26.
About 100 people attended, including about 75 non-Bahá’ís.
The program began with a demonstration of Japanese flower-arranging by May and Frank Mayeda of Fort Lauderdale and Mary Amemiya of Miami. Robert Imagire, a member of the Asian-American Teaching Committee, presented a slide show called “Religion Around the World” and a movie of oriental dancing.
The hall was decorated with oriental ornamentation and the Miami Assembly’s World Religion Day book display, a copy of the Prayer for America, and a poster of Houses of Worship around the world, which aroused much interest. Guests took about 48 pieces of literature, including some in Spanish.
The event was publicized with flyers sent to 66 garden clubs, posters, newspaper and TV releases, and an ad in the Sunday Miami Herald. Many of the guests mentioned seeing the ad.
Musical proclamation in Evanston reaches Chinese[edit]
The Chinese Chorus and Instrumental Music Group of Northwestern University performed at a Bahá’í-sponsored program at the university May 8. Arranged by the Bahá’í Club of Northwestern University, the event attracted a full house with a majority of non-Bahá’ís.
Bahá’ís participated briefly in the program. C.C. Cheng was the master of ceremonies, and Beverly Ruhe, Mary Coffee, and Phyllis Rapier sang a Hidden Word. There was time for refreshments and fellowship after the performance. Guests eagerly questioned the Bahá’ís about the Faith.
The musicians were treated by the Bahá’ís of Evanston, Illinois, to a potluck dinner before the program.
Evanston Bahá’ís are systematically proclaiming the Faith to Chinese people. The musical program was their third Chinese teaching event. The first featured a demonstration of Chinese art and calligraphy by Huo Chi-kwang of the Chinese Cultural Academy. The second featured a talk on the Chinese calendar by Thaddeus Yang, principal of the language school of the Chinese Cultural and Educational Association of Skokie.
From square dancing to firesides[edit]
Many non-Bahá’ís attended a musical proclamation May 23 sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Wilmette, Illinois, in a park near the House of Worship.
The event included square dancing to the Unity Band, a concert by the Warren Kirne Jazz Quartet, and a talk on the Faith. It was an official Bicentennial event of the Wilmette Bicentennial Commission.
Some people went directly from the park to the House of Worship for devotions, and a few attended firesides that afternoon.
6 communities march in Maryland parade[edit]
Bahá’ís from six communities in the Washington, D.C., area marched in a parade in College Park, Maryland, April 25. The Bahá’ís, who are black, white, Chinese, Vietnamese, and American Indian, carried banners which read, in part, “The Destiny of America...To upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity...To promote world peace...”
Many spectators were heard reading the Bahá’í message aloud.
The Bahá’ís of College Park, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Washington, Greenbelt, and Takoma Park, who cooperated to make the banners and march with them, plan to use them again in a parade in Takoma Park July 4.
Model of Temple used in parade[edit]
Bahá’ís of Clovis, California, built a model of the House of Worship for their float in the Clovis Day Parade April 24.
Al Ayala built the structure of wood, cardboard, and chicken wire, and then the friends made paper flowers and covered the structure with them. Some of the Bahá’ís took paper to work and made flowers during breaks. Their non-Bahá’í co-workers helped them make flowers and asked about the Faith.
Publicity preceded the float’s appearance in the parade. On the day of the parade, flyers announcing two public talks were given to spectators. Several people contacted at the parade are now attending firesides.
Bahá’í float honored in Cave Creek parade[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Northern Maricopa County, Arizona, won a special trophy for their float in Cave Creek’s recent Desert Foothills Parade.
The parade honored the Bicentennial, and the Bahá’í float supported America’s “melting-pot” dream.
Faith discussed on Raleigh station[edit]
Bahá’ís discussed the Faith for over three hours on radio station WPTF in Raleigh, North Carolina, May 20. The station has a listening audience of 20,000 in the Raleigh area and at night, when the Bahá’ís spoke, it broadcasts as far north as Maine, as far south as Florida, and west to New Orleans, St. Louis, and Chicago.
Auxiliary Board member Jane Faily; Jay Scales, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Durham; and Tom Moore, public information representative for Raleigh, briefly introduced the Faith by answering questions posed by host Dick Stork. Then they began answering questions called in by listeners. The questions dealt with subjects such as the Trinity, progressive Revelation, the second coming of Christ, the station of the Manifestations, the essence of God, the equality of men and women. When the program closed, the phone lines were still busy with incoming calls.
Arkansas-Missouri media workshop held[edit]
Bahá’ís who participated in an Arkansas-Missouri media workshop returned to their groups and Spiritual Assemblies with definite suggestions and the will to act on the suggestions. Almost immediately, one community received two hours of free, uninterrupted radio time in which to discuss the Faith.
Bahá’ís from Arkansas and Missouri met for the workshop in Springfield, Missouri, April 3–4.
The meeting, sponsored by the Arkansas-Missouri Bahá’í Information Service, related proclamation through TV, radio, and newspapers to the spiritual health of the Bahá’í community.
W. Wash. committee produces radio tapes[edit]
Since its formation, the Western Washington Media Committee has produced and distributed nine half-hour radio tapes on the Faith and has advertised the programs in the region’s largest newspaper, the Seattle Times.
The committee was established by the Spiritual Assembly of Seattle.
The half-hour radio shows have been played in 11 communities. The tapes consist of group discussions and interviews ranging from an introductory program to programs on the family, the true meaning of Christ’s resurrection, and the spiritual fulfillment by the Faith of Indian prophecies.
Youth in action[edit]
Youth form teaching project[edit]
Responding to a suggestion by the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, 100 youth gathered for a conference April 16–18 at Palomar College, San Marcos, California. While visiting California, Dr. Muhájir suggested that youth hold conferences twice a year.
The April conference, sponsored by the District Teaching Committee of Southern California No. 2, had as its theme “Commitment, Constancy, and Concentration on Teaching the Faith.”
Youth formed teaching teams at the conference. The teams plan to expand by adding new Bahá’ís. As each team expands to 10 members, it will form new teams.
Special speakers at the conference were National Spiritual Assembly member Richard Betts and Auxiliary Board member Fred Schecter.
A public concert featured England Dan and John Ford Coley and Seals and Crofts. Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts gave a fireside for the audience of 400. Many seekers filled out cards requesting further information about the Faith, and three people became Bahá’ís.
Florida plans summer project[edit]
A concentrated teaching project utilizing vacationing youth will be held in South Florida July 9–August 28.
Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Fort Lauderdale in collaboration with the Spiritual Assemblies of Lauderhill and North Broward County, the project will be aimed at all strata of society.
The program will include direct teaching, proclamations, displays in shopping centers and libraries, and a media campaign.
Youth are encouraged to participate, particularly those with musical talents. Some financial assistance is available. Contact Karen Pritchard, secretary, Project Steering Committee, Box 601, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33302. Telephone 305/772-7706.
Canon City hosts Colorado youth conference[edit]
Youth from all over Colorado came to the Second Annual Youth Conference at the Bahá’í Center of Canon City April 24–25.
The highlight of the conference was a public meeting with John Stevenson speaking and music by the Brooks Sisters. Mr. Stevenson, who is an assistant to Auxiliary Board member Margaret Gallagher, also spoke during the conference on building spiritual character.
Arizona youth list teaching goals[edit]
Bahá’í youth sang on the courthouse lawn in Prescott, Arizona, recently, and then welcomed five seekers to a public meeting.
The fifteen youth were attending a weekend youth institute where Auxiliary Board member Nancy Phillips helped them make teaching goals. Discussions about personal goals, self-discovery, and Bahá’í Law were led by Jeff Keiley of Temple and Rick Wadleigh of Williams.
Conference set at Gregory Institute[edit]
A South Carolina youth conference will be held July 30–August 1 at Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina.
“Bahá’í Youth: Onward and Upward” will be the theme of the conference, which will include workshops, music, and fellowship. A play by Della Glover with music by George Cherry will be presented.
The daily cost will be $5.50 per person, including food and bedding. The fee is $4 if you bring your own bedding and $0.25 if you bring your own bedding and food.
The event is sponsored by the South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee.
Esperantists hear talk on Faith[edit]
Two Bahá’í youth participated in the California Esperanto Conference in San Diego April 10–11. One of the youth gave a talk on the Faith before the 85 Esperantists, who included guests from Mexico and Ireland.
Reservation form, details on Nairobi, Hong Kong teaching conferences[edit]
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Itinerary A (visiting Haifa, Nairobi, London)
- Oct. 7—leave U.S. for overnight flight to Tel Aviv.
- Oct. 8–12—transfer to Haifa. Four nights at hotel of your choice. Continental breakfast daily, visit World Center.
- Oct. 13–20—leave for Nairobi. Eight nights at hotel of your choice. Continental breakfast daily, half-day Masai safari tour, full-day excursion to Nairobi Park.
- Oct. 21—leave for London.
- Oct. 23—three nights at hotel of your choice. Continental breakfast daily, half-day sightseeing tour including visit to the Guardian’s grave site.
- Oct. 24—leave for return flight to U.S.
- Itinerary B (visiting Amsterdam, Nairobi, London)
- Oct. 8—leave U.S. for overnight flight to Amsterdam.
- Oct. 9—two nights at hotel of your choice. Continental breakfast daily, half-day sightseeing tour of Amsterdam.
- Oct. 11—leave for Nairobi.
- Oct. 12–20—nine nights at hotel of your choice. Continental breakfast daily, half-day Masai safari tour, full-day excursion to Nairobi Park.
- Oct. 21—leave for London.
- Oct. 23—three nights at hotel of your choice. Continental breakfast daily, half-day sightseeing tour including visit to the Guardian’s grave site.
- Oct. 24—leave for return flight to U.S.
| 4-Star Hotel | 3-Star Hotel | |
| Single | $1597 | $1446 |
| Double | $1504 | $1294 |
| Triple | $1484 | $1274 |
- Includes all from itinerary A or B and air fare as of May 14. Departure from New York. Supplement per person for following gateways: Chicago $119, Houston $189, Los Angeles $141.
- Hong Kong
- Nov. 21–23—leave for Honolulu. Three nights in Honolulu, airport transfers to and from Hotel Americana, Hawaiian lei greeting, no meals in Honolulu.
- Nov. 24—leave for Hong Kong.
- Nov. 25–Dec. 2—eight nights at Excelsior Hotel, airport transfers to and from hotel, full breakfast daily, half-day sightseeing tour of city, full-day excursion to Macau.
- Dec. 3–5—leave for Taipei. Three nights at hotel, full breakfast daily, half-day tour of Taipei, airport transfers to and from Hotel President.
- Dec. 6–7—leave for Honolulu. Two nights at Hotel Americana, transfer to and from hotel, no meals.
- Dec. 8—leave for mainland U.S.
| Single | $1,109 |
| Double | $964 |
| Triple | $944 |
- Includes all from itinerary and air fare from Honolulu as of May 14.
13-part television series on Faith available for use in United States[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears is host-narrator of TV series.
Hawaii Bahá’í Chorus
Healani Alama Hamilton
Dizzy Gillespie
Seals and Crofts
“The New World”, a series of 13 half-hour color television shows on the Bahá’í Faith, is now available for distribution and use worldwide.
The series was initiated in December 1973 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands. Videotaped in a Honolulu television station, the series presents the Bahá’í message through songs and interviews.
The Universal House of Justice requested that the National Assembly of Hawaii handle distribution to other national communities. All proceeds will be sent to the World Center.
The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States has given special permission for Spiritual Assemblies and groups to order the series direct from the National Assembly of Hawaii.
The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears appears in each program as either host, co-host, or guest. He and Robert Quigley, prominent television producer, wrote the scripts. Most of the music in the series was either arranged or directed by Russ Garcia, noted arranger-composer-conductor in the recording, television, and motion picture fields.
Each of the half-hour programs opens with the theme song: “Have You Heard About The New World?” sung by the Hawaii Bahá’í Chorus. Included are close-ups of members of the chorus of different racial backgrounds. A picture of the Bahá’í House of Worship at Wilmette zooms in with the series title.
Special guests on the 13 half-hour series are from varied backgrounds and include, in addition to Mr. Sears and Mr. Quigley, Mr. Garcia and his wife Gina, Auxiliary Board member for New Zealand; singer-musicians Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts; England Dan and John Ford Coley, along with their manager Marsha Day; jazz-trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie; Dorothy Nelson, treasurer of the U.S. National Assembly and dean of the University of Southern California Law School; and Judge James Nelson of the Los Angeles Municipal Court; Honolulu actress Lynne Ellen Hollinger; Healani Alama Hamilton, entertainer and member of the Auxiliary Board, Hawaii. Hawaiian Bahá’í singing groups include the Hawaii Bahá’í Chorus, Sunshine Delight, East of Midnight, Steve and Bunny, and Frank Williams.
Many of the songs sung on the series were composed by members of the Hawaii and U.S. Bahá’í communities. Many of the songs contain excerpts from Bahá’í Writings, particularly the words of
Listing, description of television programs in ‘The New World’ series[edit]
- Program 1
- Seals & Crofts Music Show
- Narrator: William Sears. Seals & Crofts perform their famous songs inspired by the Bahá’í Teachings. Mr. Sears uses a felt board to show the sun and mirrors to demonstrate the oneness of religions. Songs by Seals & Crofts: Hummingbird, Wind Flowers, Year of Sundays, and Hoe Down.
- Program 2
- Russ and Gina Garcia Interview
- Narrator: William Sears. Russ Garcia, Hollywood composer and conductor. Gina Garcia, singer. Both now live in New Zealand, where Russ has been guest conductor of the New Zealand Symphony. They discuss their involvement in the Faith, including several years of travel teaching throughout the Pacific on their boat “The Dawn Breakers”, showing slides of the many islands they visited. Mr. Sears uses the felt board with the Sun and Mirrors to demonstrate the oneness of religions. Songs: Mount Your Steeds, The Soul Catchers, God is One, No More Tears, East of Midnight, Such a Lovely Garden, We Are Soldiers in God’s Army, E’Kodonya. Prayer: Remover of Difficulties in Hawaiian by Auxiliary Board member Healani Alama Hamilton.
- Program 3
- What Can I Tell My Children About the Ills of the World in Which They Are Growing Up?
- Narrator: William Sears. Mr. Sears gives the Bahá’í answers to the above question. He uses a felt board to show pictures of Bahá’í Houses of Worship around the world. Shows the vastness of the Writings of the Faith through a display of books of the Faith. Songs: See the Happy People, Have You Heard of Bahá’u’lláh, The Singing Wind, Oh, What a Beautiful World It Will Be, and Live in the Glory.
- Program 4
- Judge James Nelson and Dean Dorothy Nelson Interview
- Narrator: William Sears. Guests: James Nelson, Municipal Judge, Los Angeles, California; Dorothy Nelson, Dean, University of Southern California Law School; member, President’s Commission on Youth & Aging; member, U.S. National Assembly. Theme of program is justice. Guests discuss the relationship to what Bahá’u’lláh calls the most great justice for all men. Also about their involvement in teaching the Bahá’í Faith. Mr. Sears demonstrates the Bahá’í Administrative Order from the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, Hands of the Cause, Universal House of Justice, and Local Spiritual Assemblies. Songs: Great Is the Day, We Will Have One World, and Seven Valleys.
- Program 5
- Seals & Crofts and Marcia Day Interview
- Narrator: William Sears. Guests: Jimmy Seals, Dash Crofts, and their manager, Marcia Day. The story of Seals and Crofts’ rise to fame, their becoming Bahá’ís, and about their families. Mr. Sears uses light bulbs to demonstrate the oneness of the Prophets of God. Songs: Ruby Jean and Billy Lee (Seals & Crofts); Hoe Down (Seals & Crofts in concert).
- Program 6
- Youth and Their Music
- Narrators: Robert Quigley and Lynn Ellen Hollinger; William Sears; Sunshine Delight; East of Midnight; Frank Williams; Bahá’í Chorus. Featuring songs written by the members of the chorus. Mr. Sears demonstrates on the felt board the Bahá’í Ring Stone. East of Midnight: Open Door; Steve & Bunny: Bahá’u’lláh is Our Messenger; Sunshine Delight: We Are Sheep; Frank Williams: Great Will Be the Day; Chorus: Great Is the Day and Oh, What a Beautiful World.
- Program 7
- England Dan and John Ford Coley Interview
- Narrator: William Sears. Guests: England Dan and John Ford Coley discuss the Bahá’í Faith and sing their songs inspired by the Faith: I’m the Pilot, What Am I Doing?, and The Prisoner. Mr. Sears demonstrates with lights that all the Prophets of God have brought the same light, truth, and joy to men’s hearts.
- Program 8
- The Oneness of Mankind
- Narrator: Robert Quigley. Guest: William Sears. Mr. Sears, using a felt board, discusses the lovers of mankind as well as musical scales and notes: flowers and people of different races, of different colors, to discuss the oneness of mankind, pointing out variety is beautiful in scales, personalities, thought, etc. Songs: This Is the Day, Nightingale of Paradise, One Heart Ruby Red, United Nations Hymn, We Shall Have One World, Can’t You See One World, and The Hatin’ Wall.
- Program 9
- Youth Program
- Narrator: William Sears. Mr. Sears uses the felt board to demonstrate how the youth are working to make the world a better place in which to live. Songs: Seals & Crofts: Ruby Jean and Billy Lee. Dizzy Gillespie plays a tune on his trumpet. Hawaii Bahá’í Chorus: World Citizens, Praise Be, and Time Is a One Time Thing.
- Program 10
- A Bahá’í Community at Work
- Narrators: William Sears and Auxiliary Board member Healani Alama Hamilton. Hawaii Bahá’í Chorus. Bahá’í float in Aloha Week Parade and Bahá’í exhibit at the Ala Moana Shopping Center are viewed to show what Bahá’í communities do. Mr. Sears at the felt board uses pictures of the Temple and how they demonstrate the spirit of the oneness of God. Songs by Chorus: See the Happy People, Ye Are the Stars; Seals & Crofts: Year of Sundays.
- Program 11
- Books and Prophecy
- Narrator: Robert Quigley. William Sears uses a felt board to discuss prophecy and the Bahá’í Faith, prophecy from Micah; talks about the books “Thief in the Night” and “God Loves Laughter”. Prophecy from Bible. Songs: Toko Zani, See the Happy People, Love Your Neighbor, God Is One, There’s a New Wind Blowing, and There Once Was a Man.
- Program 12
- Dizzy Gillespie Interview
- Narrators: William Sears and Robert Quigley. Guest: Dizzy Gillespie, famous trumpeter. Discusses the Bahá’í Faith. Mr. Sears pays tribute to the Hand of the Cause of God Louis Gregory and uses a pitcher of water and several glasses to demonstrate the continued flow of spirit from one Prophet to the next. Bahá’í Chorus sings: Building Bridges, Praise Be.
- Program 13
- The Bahá’í Faith; The Holy Land and the United Nations
- Narrators: William Sears and Robert Quigley. Guest: Victor de Araujo, representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations, discussing the role of the Bahá’í Faith at the United Nations. Mr. Sears discusses the World Center of the Bahá’í Faith and why it is in the Holy Land, with scenes of the Bahá’í World Center, Haifa, Israel. Hawaii Bahá’í Chorus: The Wind Is Singing in the Mountains, Have You Heard of Bahá’u’lláh?, The United Nations Hymn, and Blessed Is the Spot.
What Bahá’ís Are Doing to Celebrate the Country’s Bicentennial[edit]
Bahá’ís of the United States are continuing to host and participate in American Revolution Bicentennial events following the request of the National Spiritual Assembly.
About 75 people came to a Bahá’í Bicentennial quilting bee in Sonoma, California, in January.
Bahá’ís came prepared with hand-sewn blocks for the quilt. Many had Bahá’í quotations on them. Bahá’í literature was displayed. Guests working side-by-side with the Bahá’ís had much opportunity to ask questions.
The quilt was sent to Rob and Paula Seigle, pioneers to Chile, who reported that the gift gives them a great feeling of unity and support.
As the Bahá’ís’ “Freedom Train” float was televised during the Industrial Days Parade in Henderson, Nevada, the announcer said, “The spirit of Bahá’u’lláh is in the street today.”
“The Bahá’ís of America move into this country’s third century riding a Freedom Train. The cars of the train represent certain freedoms which the Bahá’ís hope will be America’s destiny,” said the parade announcer as the float moved through the largest crowd ever assembled for the Industrial Days Parade.
The Henderson community of less than 20 believers built a float resembling the Bicentennial Freedom Train which travels through cities across the United States displaying the history of the country. The Bahá’í train consisted of an engine followed by two cars, one painted with the words “freedom from prejudice,” the other with “freedom from materialism.”
Bahá’ís of New York are hosting a series of Sunday morning meetings called “Conversations with Americans.” The meetings are publicized throughout the city and especially in the area of the Bahá’í Center.
The conversations are presented as interviews with Hussein Ahdieh as the interviewer. Speakers have been Dennis Smith on education for an ever-advancing civilization, Ina McNeil on American Indian heritage and culture, Benjamin Kaufman on history and religious freedom in America, Mildred Mottahedeh on the search for standards in business, Edward S. Carpenter on prospects for a unique civilization, Josephine Nichols on theater of the rational—theater of ecstasy, Shahab Fatheazam on a labyrinth from Adam to 1844 (the Báb), and Wilma Brady on a new race of men and women.
After each conversation the floor is open for questions. Guests are invited to converse with the speakers, and the response has been excellent.
Two Bahá’ís of Cincinnati, Ohio, sang on a city bus May 22 as part of Cincinnati’s ongoing Bicentennial celebration. Many local musicians are playing on Cincinnati’s buses or at bus stops.
Jane McIver and Karen Tarlo sang show tunes, folk tunes, and songs by Bahá’ís.
A TV station covered the event and broadcast it on their news programs.
Newport Beach, California, Bahá’ís had a booth in a Bicentennial festival at a junior high school.
The Prayer for America was displayed with fresh flowers and Bahá’í statements in the background. Many copies of the prayer were distributed.
As a result of presentations to officials, the chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Jersey City, New Jersey, gave a talk to the City Council about Bahá’í aims and principles. The Spiritual Assembly of Jersey City presented Mayor Paul Jordan with the Bicentennial Issue of World Order and a framed copy of the ad “A Token of Our Highest Hope” May 4.
The Assembly chairman then presented World Order to all the Jersey City Council members and gave them one framed copy of the ad to hang in the council chambers. All other city officials received World Order with a cover letter and a copy of the Prayer for America.
Dover, New Hampshire, Mayor Michael White (right) receives Bahá’í literature from Melinda Armstrong and Shirley Grammar.
Jersey City Mayor Paul Jordan (center) receives framed copy of Bicentennial ad from Nayer Bushrui, second from right. Bahá’ís Nicholas Giammarrese (left) and Lullita Fluellen (right) look on with Councilman Morris Pesin.
Bicentennial quilt prepared in Sonoma, California.
Hussein Ahdieh (right) interviews Ina McNeil on “Conversations with Americans” in New York City.
Bahá’ís of Reno and Sparks, Nevada, had a booth in a Folklore Festival and Folk Fair hosted by the Sparks Bicentennial Commission.
The festival theme was “A Nation of Many Nations.” The Bahá’í booth’s theme was “Setting the Stage for World Unity.”
A special Bicentennial edition of the Bahá’ís’ Northern Nevada News Era was prepared for the occasion. At least 100 of the bulletins were mailed to seekers, and more were given to booth visitors.
A Bahá’í float proclaimed unity through diversity in the Parada del Sol in Scottsdale, Arizona, during January.
The Parada del Sol is the fourth largest horse-drawn parade in the country. All floats must be moved by horse or manpower.
Scottsdale Bahá’ís submitted a float design made by two college students. The design was accepted with a comment from the parade chairman praising the uniqueness of the design.
Bahá’ís pushing, pulling, and walking beside the 500-pound float were exhilarated by favorable comments from some of the 200,000 spectators.
The float has been used for three other parades in nearby towns.
Bahá’í Week in West Hollywood, California, honored the Bicentennial. The week began with a luncheon for West Hollywood officials May 5. Lisa Janti, a member of the staff of the mayor of Los Angeles, spoke at the luncheon.
A Senior Citizen’s Day on May 7 featured a play by Jon Angelo, a West Hollywood Bahá’í.
The week climaxed with an all-day proclamation on May 8 called “Children’s Day at the Park.” A free concert by England Dan and John Ford Coley capped the evening. Marc Towers spoke on the world-embracing vision of the Faith.
Bahá’ís of Dover, New Hampshire, presented Mayor Michael White with the Bicentennial issue of World Order and Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era. They also gave copies of World Order to 40 civic and religious leaders and participated in an arts and crafts display sponsored by the Dover Bicentennial Committee.
Continued from Page 9
Bahá’u’lláh. Other songs express the feelings of individual Bahá’ís about various aspects of the Faith.
Bahá’ís from all over Hawaii participated in the making of the series. The series was supervised by Tracy Hamilton, chairman of the National Assembly of Hawaii.
In Hawaii, the series has already been shown twice over the NBC television affiliate and is scheduled to be shown a third time, all without charge. Reaction to the series has been extremely favorable. Because of the series, the Bahá’í Faith is better known and respected in Hawaii. The series has increased the number of inquiries on the Faith and has been an excellent overall proclamation and consolidation tool.
The series is now being shown in Alaska in over 40 cities, and the series is the basis of weekly firesides in numerous towns. Canada and Samoa have also used the series. Samoa reports that it has received many comments as a result of the programs and many people sing the songs from the series. Mr. Sears said that showing the television programs is like holding a fireside in the viewer’s home.
The television tapes are being produced in two sizes 2-inch and ¾-inch. Most commercial television stations can now use either size. Most cable television stations use the ¾-inch tape. It is best to check with your local television station to see which size they can use. The ¾-inch size is best since it is cheaper. Cost of the 2-inch tape per program to purchase is $230 or $2,990 for the 13-program series. Cost of the ¾-inch tape per program to purchase is $80 or $1,040 for the 13-program series.
Tapes can also be rented at $60 each program for the 2-inch tape for three days and $20 each program for the ¾-inch tape for three days. The tapes are sent directly to the television station.
In Hawaii, the series made the front cover of the Sunday newspaper television section with a feature article. The Hawaii Bahá’í Public Information Office has developed a series of advertisements for the series, and copies of these are available to purchasers of the series.
Where there are several Bahá’í communities within the range of the same television station or stations, these communities could cooperate in the purchase of the series. After the series has been used on commercial television stations, it can be used on local cable television stations, which are always in need of material.
Sponsoring Bahá’í communities should make available to the television station carrying the series both an audio tape and slide indicating the telephone number and address from which more information on the Faith can be obtained—these would be used at the close of each program.
Bahá’í communities wishing to purchase or rent the television series should write to “The New World” TV-Series, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Hawaiian Islands, 3264 Allan Place, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817.
Be sure to include the name and address of your Local Spiritual Assembly, whether this is a request to purchase or to rent, what size tape 2-inch or ¾-inch number of tapes or if the entire series is wanted, dates of rental and television station it is to go to, and any other pertinent information. Tape sizes other than those indicated are available on request. Please advise of your requirements, and costs will be forwarded for your approval. Also, an 11-inch by 14-inch poster advertising the series is available for purchase.
Bahá’í Books and Materials[edit]
Now Available—‘Bahá’í Writings: A Concordance’, House of Worship poster, new filmstrip programs, and more...[edit]
Shown left to right: Bahá’í Writings: A Concordance, a new reference work helpful in locating the source of words or ideas in the Bahá’í Writings; Design for Victory; The Power of the Covenant, Part One: Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant with Mankind, the first of four new booklets on this important subject; the 1976 National Bahá’í Convention Highlights tape; a new color poster of the House of Worship Wilmette; and scenes from two new filmstrip programs, A Meditation on God (top) and A Meditation on the Manifestation of God.
New Bahá’í Literature[edit]
Bahá’í Writings: A Concordance
This valuable new reference work is designed to assist one in locating the source of words or ideas in the Bahá’í Writings. Hundreds of principal words used in Bahá’í literature are cross-referenced in the book. To use the concordance one can look up a word—“soul” for example—and find a listing of the contexts in which it is used and the page numbers of books in which these quotations can be found. The six volumes used in the concordance are Bahá’í World Faith, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, The Kitáb-i-Íqán, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, and Bahá’u’lláh (by H.M. Balyuzi). Bahá’í Writings: A Concordance is useful in preparing firesides and public talks. It is also helpful in preparing personal and group deepenings on specific topics. Published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of New Zealand. 180 pp. 8 x 11½ inches.
7-68-31................... $9.00 NET
Design for Victory 1976-79:
Goals for Individuals and Communities during the Five Year Plan
Design for Victory is an important new book intended to assist individuals and communities in their efforts to win the goals of the Five Year Plan. The book has two major purposes: it suggests personal goals which individuals can adopt to help win the goals, and it indicates ways in which individuals can assist in winning the goals adopted by Local Spiritual Assemblies and Regional and District Teaching Committees.
Design for Victory is arranged in two parts. Part one discusses teaching on the home front, teaching internationally, proclaiming the Faith through mass communications, involving youth, and educating the community. Part two consists of more than 140 pages of maps of states and/or districts with accompanying charts specifying goals already named. The charts indicate the year in which the goals are to be won and provide space for individuals and communities to add other goals.
Design for Victory is highly recommended as a teaching aid for all Bahá’ís and Bahá’í communities. Prepared by the National Teaching Committee with the collaboration of other national committees. 8½ x 11 inches. 162 pp.
7-68-41 paper........$2.50; 10/$24.00
The Power of the Covenant Part One:
Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant with Mankind
Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant with Mankind is the first of four booklets on the Covenant to be published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada. The other three booklets will be entitled The Problem of Covenant-Breaking, The Bahá’í Faith and Its Critics, and Our Covenant with Bahá’u’lláh. The series is being produced in response to an appeal by The Universal House of Justice (dated November 1974) in which National Assemblies were asked to inform the friends of the “critical contests that lie ahead” as the expansion of the Cause accelerates and opposition to it increases.
This first booklet, which combines quotations from the Bahá’í Writings with commentary, shows how “The secret of the organic wholeness of Bahá’u’lláh’s community is the Covenant He established.” It is through the power of this Covenant and the laws of God for this Day that the goal of divine justice and unity among peoples will be attained. The purpose of the Administrative Order is to safeguard the unity of the Faith, ensure the continuity of its authority, and maintain the flexibility of its teachings. All of these matters are covered in the new booklet, which concludes with quotations from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi on the opposition the Cause is destined to arouse. Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant with Mankind is recommended reading for all Bahá’ís, whether individually or in group deepenings. Local Spiritual Assemblies in particular can help to strengthen their communities by planning sessions for the friends to read and study this booklet on the Covenant (and the three to follow). 5½ x 8½ inches. 37 pp., references.
7-65-01............... $.65; 10/$6.00
Star Study Program[edit]
Two new filmstrip programs just released supplement the Star Study Program. The two programs, A Meditation on God and A Meditation on the Manifestation of God, described below, focus on spiritual teachings of the Bahá’í Faith. They supplement the soon to be published Star Study Program booklet Spiritual Teachings.
A Meditation on God
(filmstrip program)
A Meditation on God is a new filmstrip program which focuses on the attributes of God as revealed through His Creation. Depicting nature as an outpouring of God’s reality, the program combines a prayer revealed by Bahá’u’lláh with scenes of exceptional natural beauty. The narration is from Prayers and Meditations, page 272. Solo guitar music accompanies the narration. The program is particularly useful for presentations at Feasts and other occasions when a reverent, meditative atmosphere is desired. With a suitable introduction, it can be an excellent presentation for firesides and other teaching and proclamation activities. Star Study Program. Includes filmstrip, cassette, narration booklet. Color. 5 minutes. 36 frames.
6-02-12 ...............$6.00
A Meditation on the Manifestation of God
(Bilingual filmstrip program)
This new filmstrip program, which features many scenes of Bahjí and the surrounding gardens, focuses on the Station of Bahá’u’lláh and the incomparable greatness of this Day of God. The narration—recorded in English and Spanish—is accompanied by solo guitar music and consists of selections from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. A Meditation on the Manifestation of God is recommended for presentations at Feasts and other occasions when a reverent, meditative atmosphere is desired. With a suitable introduction, it can be used to highlight teaching and proclamation activities. Star Study Program. Includes filmstrip, cassette, narration booklet. Color. 4 minutes. 35 frames.
6-02-82 ..............$6.00
New Special Materials[edit]
Bahá’í House of Worship color poster
A beautiful new color poster of the Wilmette House of Worship—the Mother Temple of the West—is now available. The poster features the photograph which was used in the Bahá’í advertisement in the Bicentennial issue of Life magazine. Suitable for framing. 17x22 inches.
6-59-01..............$1.00; 4/$3.00
1976 National Bahá’í Convention Highlights
The 1976 National Bahá’í Convention Highlights tape—now available—is recommended for the individual believer who wishes to stay abreast of major developments in the American Bahá’í community. Included on the tape are the Riḍván 1976 message from The Universal House of Justice; highlights of the report of the National Spiritual Assembly; excerpts from inspiring talks on teaching by the Hands of the Cause of God Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir and Mr. William Sears; excerpts from the report of the Continental Board of Counselors; plus additional talks, comments, consultation, and surprise announcements. The recording captures the spirit as well as the substance of the 1976 National Convention.
6-30-58...................$3.75
[Page 12]
Bahá’ís join in celebrating nation’s Bicentennial
Bahá’í communities across the country are hosting and participating in events marking the American Revolution Bicentennial. Above, a Bahá’í “Freedom Train” float was entered in the Industrial Days Parade at Henderson, Nevada. At right, a Bahá’í float proclaimed unity through diversity in the Parada de Sol at Scottsdale, Arizona. Complete roundup of Bahá’í Bicentennial activities on Page 10.
International Conferences to begin—see Page 1
