The American Bahá’í/Volume 8/Issue 9/Text
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Assemblies[edit]
Their Development a Paramount Goal of Five Year Plan[edit]
One of the vital objectives of the Five Year Plan, the Universal House of Justice said in its Riḍván message announcing the plan, is “strengthening and development of Local Spiritual Assemblies.”
In response to that message and that need, the National Spiritual Assembly two years ago launched an ambitious Assembly Development Program whose goal is to give 1,400 Assemblies by Riḍván 1979 an essential understanding of the station and functions of that Divinely appointed Institution.
In the last five months of 1975, 45 Assembly Master Trainers were taught at the Bahá’í National Center to use a special 30-hour Assembly Development package prepared by a study group appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly and coordinated by Dr. Daniel C. Jordan, chairman of the National Assembly.
These Master Trainers then taught specially designated believers in their areas to use the program, thus establishing a nationwide network of more than 200 two-member training teams whose task is to administer the training directly to participating Local Spiritual Assemblies.
THE 30-HOUR development program is offered to Assemblies over a three-week period. The National Assembly has established only one criterion for training—that at least six members of an Assembly be present at each session for the Assembly to be considered properly trained.
In spite of intensive preparation and considerable effort in promoting it, the program has not moved forward as rapidly as was anticipated.
Now, with roughly a year and a half left in the Five Year Plan, only slightly more than 500 Assemblies are considered properly trained.
“What this means,” says John Berry, coordinator of the Assembly Development Program, “is that we have to train 895 Assemblies between now and Riḍván 1979—430 of which are not yet in existence!
“BUT WE’RE optimistic,” he says, “because we know we can do it. With the network of Assembly trainers we’ve set up, and the new ones we’re training on a regular basis, we could complete the program by Riḍván 1979 with time to spare.
“But we can’t do it without the cooperation and participation of the Local Assemblies themselves. Some of them, I’m afraid, don’t yet understand the importance of the program. So they’ve given it a rather low priority.
“However, the Universal House of Justice has given it a high priority, and it has done so for a reason.
“That reason is spelled out clearly in its Riḍván 1974 Message in which it says, ‘Success in this one goal will greatly enrich the quality of Bahá’í life, will heighten the capacity of the Faith to deal with entry by troops which is even now taking place, and, above all, will demonstrate the solidarity and ever-growing distinctiveness of the Bahá’í community, thereby attracting more and more thoughtful souls to the Faith and offering a refuge to the leaderless and hapless millions of the spiritually bankrupt, moribund present order.’ ”
PROBLEMS have arisen, says Mr. Berry, when Assemblies have either declined to participate in the program, or have had problems assembling the requisite number of members at training sessions.
“We have 167 Assemblies that received the training,” he says, “but didn’t have enough members present to be considered trained under the National Assembly’s guidelines. So they must be re-trained.”
Even more serious, he says, is the unwillingness of some Assemblies to participate in the training program.
“Of course, this is voluntary,” Mr. Berry says. “And of course, we realize other activities such as teaching are important.
“But if they’re important, then this program is super-important, because it goes to the very root of an Assembly’s reason for being. What we’re trying to do is help them function more effectively and more efficiently. In other words, the training program is for their benefit, not ours.
“WE DON’T look at it as a panacea. What we have here are some general guidelines to aid the Assembly in carrying out its responsibilities, which are heavy and getting heavier all the time.
“The benefits of the program depend in large measure on how an Assembly chooses to implement those guidelines.”
The program itself uses techniques ranging from videotapes to written instructional
Teaching Committee Moves To Secure Teaching Gains[edit]
The National Teaching Committee, encouraged by the quickening pace of teaching activities in many areas of the country, is taking steps to assure that an ever-increasing number of declarations and enrollments won’t lead to the sort of administrative problems characteristic of mass teaching efforts in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
One phase of the National Teaching Committee program involved a series of in-person conferences during June and July with District Teaching Committees at which was stressed the importance of preparation, follow-up, deepening and consolidation in the teaching process.
The National Teaching Committee also has maintained close contact with District Teaching Committees by phone to keep abreast of teaching developments and to offer its advice and counsel on matters of concern at the local level.
“We’re trying our best to keep in touch with the friends throughout the country,” says National Teaching Committee Secretary John Conkling. “We’re here to serve them, and that means we must keep the lines of communication open.”
MR. CONKLING says that while the National Teaching Committee has been heartened by recent reports of teaching victories, “some problems have arisen, and we believe it’s necessary to say again that every teaching effort must include an adequate program for deepening and consolidation. Otherwise, whatever victories are won could be jeopardized almost immediately.”
For example, Mr. Conkling points out that there are presently more than 320 Groups of nine or more members in the U.S. that have not organized or elected Group officers, much less formed an Assembly.
The Victory Plan, with its heavy emphasis on study, firesides, and deepening, should, he says, serve to reinforce the importance of a well-rounded teaching program that includes each of these important elements.
“Declaration and enrollment is after all a two-stage process,” says Mr. Conkling. “Once a person has declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh, we are then responsible for guiding him to a deeper understanding of the Teachings and what their meaning is for him.”
Failure to do so, he says, could result in a swift erosion of faith as the declarant becomes confused or disillusioned.
“WE MUST follow ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s advice,” says Mr. Conkling, “and nurse the new believer until he obtains a clearer understanding of the Faith and is able to become an active and productive member of the community.”
What the National Teaching Committee does not want to do, he says, is hamper in any way the teaching activities that are either planned or already under way.
“We certainly want the friends to teach, and to teach regularly, vigorously and enthusiastically,” says Mr. Conkling. “What we are emphasizing in our meetings with District Teaching Committees and in our contacts with the friends is that teaching alone isn’t enough.
“There must also be deepening. And consolidation. We must increase not only the quantity of believers, but the quality as well. And this can only be done through a systematic teaching-deepening cycle.”
THE FRIENDS who do the teaching, he says, should also be the ones who do the immediate consolidation work, as a personal relationship exists between them and the seekers or declarants.
“In unopened localities,” Mr. Conkling adds, “the goal of teaching should be building an Assembly.
“New believers need to understand the nature of an Assembly and its significance.
“A short deepening program, called a
In a unique cooperative advertising venture, the Bahá’í community of Deerfield, Illinois, has enlisted the aid of seven nearby communities to place ads on a regular basis in Chicago North Shore weekly newspapers. Pictured above is the first ad in a series prepared by the Deerfield community with some professional help. The full story is on Page 2.
Secretariat Seeks Personnel Administrator[edit]
The Bahá’í National Center is seeking a qualified personnel administrator to work full-time at the Center. The position requires considerable experience and strong managerial skills. If you are qualified for such a position and are willing and able to serve at the Bahá’í National Center, please send a resume to the National Spiritual Assembly, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
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Inside
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Faith Proclaimed Through Co-Op Ads[edit]
The Universal House of Justice, in calling for “a vast and widespread expansion of the Bahá’í community” during the Five Year Plan, emphasized that proclamation, “following established plans and aiming to use on an increasing scale the facilities of mass communication, must be vigorously pursued.”
One community that is vigorously pursuing proclamation through newspaper display advertising is Deerfield, Illinois, a village of some 20,000 on Chicago’s North Shore that is barely more than a stone’s throw away from the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette.
In a unique cooperative venture, Deerfield has enlisted the support of seven surrounding communities and the Bahá’í National Information Office to produce a newspaper ad that appears on a regular basis in eight weekly North Shore newspapers.
EACH OF the participating communities contributes a part of the cost of the ad which was developed by the Deerfield community with some professional help.
The ad appears twice a month in papers in Deerfield, Wilmette, Evanston and Winnetka, and once a month in papers in Glenview, Glencoe, Vernon and Northbrook.
Though telephone numbers are a part of the ad and some inquiries have been noted, “the thrust of the ad is image, not response,” says Stephen Jackson, coordinator of the Deerfield task force that developed the ad campaign.
“We’re trying to dispel the notion that the Faith is some sort of secret society,” says Mr. Jackson, “and invite people to find out more about the Bahá’ís and what it is they believe.”
The prototype ad shows a smiling group of Bahá’ís of diverse backgrounds with the caption, “Put yourself in this picture and feel part of something good.”
There follows a brief explanation of the Bahá’í beliefs in the unity of mankind and of religion, an invitation to learn more about the Faith, and a drawing of the House of Worship.
“OUR FIRST ads,” says Mr. Jackson, “have been experimental. We’re trying to find out what works best, and are in the process now of revising and improving them.”
The first ads appeared in June in North Shore papers and will continue for the next year.
Although Deerfield developed its own display ads, others are available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust for communities whose resources are more limited.
Two camera-ready newspaper ads are included in a Direct Mail Teaching Kit prepared by the National Teaching Committee and available through the Publishing Trust for $4.50.
Also included in the kit are two direct mailers, one entitled “The Bahá’í Faith: The Promise and the Challenge,” and the other, “A New Way to Bring People Together.”
The National Information Office urges those communities who wish to advertise in newspapers but are unable to develop their own ads to use the ones included in the Direct Mail kit, and reminds them that the month-long series of firesides from September 20 through October 20 is an excellent tie-in for local proclamation activities.
Whichever way is best for your community, the National Information Office suggests that you look into the feasibility of using newspaper advertising as a means of proclaiming the Faith in your area.
The National Information Office is interested in seeing examples of ads produced in local Bahá’í communities, and invites the friends to send samples of such ads to the Bahá’í National Information Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Bahá’ís of Glenview, Illinois, participated in the community’s Fourth of July parade. Several thousand people saw the float that proclaimed the unity of mankind. Although the Bahá’ís did not win first place in their division, as they had for the last two years, they received favorable comments about the theme and quality of the float. The tree atop the float represented a tree the Bahá’ís are donating to the community’s park district in honor of its 50th anniversary.
Goal Sheet Motivates Youth[edit]
How can young people be motivated to become “self-starters”?
The National Youth Committee pondered the question, worked on it, and developed a Personal Goal Sheet that was given to nearly every young person attending the 4th Bahá’í National Youth Conference June 29–July 3 at Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
The goal sheet, says David Clayborne, secretary of the National Youth Committee, has the twofold purpose of giving direction to youth and of helping them to evaluate their progress in relation to the Two Year Youth Program launched last Riḍván.
“It is specially designed,” he says, “to help young people become self-starters.”
THE GOAL sheet lists various activities from prayer and giving to the Fund to making new friendships and joining clubs. All the activities listed are related to improving the quality of one’s Bahá’í life, an objective of the Two Year Youth Program.
To evaluate progress, the sheet includes a four-month calendar insert that can be mounted on a wall for handy reference. Each evening, in the space provided, the young person can record his own personal advancement.
Youth who were unable to attend the national conference or who did not receive a copy of the Personal Goal Sheet are invited to request one from the National Youth Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
The goal sheet and calendar, says Dr. Clayborne, should aid young people in “tapping resources heretofore unthought of or untried.”
It should also assist them, he adds, in their relations with other youth, the Local Spiritual Assembly, and the Bahá’í community.
Later this fall, the National Youth Committee plans to send a postcard to youth asking for their opinions on certain questions.
In this way, says Dr. Clayborne, the National Youth Committee will “feel the pulse of the Bahá’í youth community.”
Publishing Committee Announces Decisions[edit]
The Bahá’í Publishing Committee has consulted on several of the recommendations made to the National Spiritual Assembly at the 1976 District Conventions and has made the following decisions:
1. Recommendation that the National Spiritual Assembly see that the promise made two years ago to publish The Promulgation of Universal Peace, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Some Answered Questions is kept.
Comment: The Publishing Trust does have someone working on revisions in The Promulgation of Universal Peace, and the Publishing Trust staff is working on a report for the Universal House of Justice on Some Answered Questions. The report on Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is still in Haifa.
2. Recommendation that the National Spiritual Assembly consider publishing Mrs. Ruth Moffett’s work on the Book of Revelation in the Bible. The book has been published in India.
Comment: The Publishing Committee understands that the National Spiritual Assembly has reviewed Mrs. Moffett’s book and does not feel it is accurate. Therefore, the Publishing Committee has not felt it suitable to ask the National Spiritual Assembly for permission to import the book from India.
3. Recommendation that the National Spiritual Assembly consider establishing a Bahá’í library on microfilm of historical writings such as Star of the West, etc.
Comment: The Publishing Trust has been given permission to reproduce The Bahá’í World volumes and Bahá’í News on microfilm. At the moment, the Publishing Trust does not have the funds to pursue the project. However, the Trust’s long-range plans are to make available a number of the earlier works no longer in print.
4. Recommendation that the National Spiritual Assembly update the Teaching the Masses booklet with more recent mass teaching experiences.
Comment: The Publishing Trust is working on revisions in Teaching the Masses, including some material supplied by the National Teaching Committee.
5. Recommendation that there be greater production of films for personal purchase—Super 8, 16-millimeter films.
Comment: The Publishing Trust has found that 8-millimeter films do not sell well. For example, only four of the 24 copies of The Green Light Expedition purchased in 8-millimeter have been sold. The Publishing Trust does carry 16-millimeter films, and we find that the friends do buy them.
6. Recommendation that several copies of The Green Light Expedition be made available on a rental basis.
Comment: At the present time the Publishing Trust has in hand so many sale copies of The Green Light Expedition that it feels it must sell those copies before it can afford to make copies available on a rental basis.
7. Recommendation that the National Spiritual Assembly reconsider making book sales available on a consignment basis during District Conventions; or if not possible, consider a sample display of books adequate for the Convention’s purpose, from which people could order through their libraries. This would reduce the financial burden on those hosting the District Conventions.
Comment: The Publishing Committee has consulted on the matter of making books available to District Conventions on a consignment basis, and has concluded that the problems involved with such consignments far outweigh the advantages.
The Publishing Trust now asks that the largest Bahá’í library in the District be asked to handle book sales at District Conventions.
The Publishing Committee was to consult on other recommendations from the District Conventions at a later meeting.
Classified ads[edit]
Shiraz, a predominantly Bahá’í music group, is looking for a versatile musician who can play bass, sing well, and play at least one additional instrument (i.e., keyboard, guitar, flute, violin). This person would not only serve an Assembly in Virginia Beach, but must also be willing to work with the group for an extended period of time. If interested, call Iris Harrell at 804-481-4011 as soon as possible. Must be interested in all kinds of music.
One of the goals of the Spiritual Assemblies of Key West and South Dade County is to establish Bahá’í Centers in the lower, middle and upper Keys, better known as the Florida Keys, a chain of islands extending approximately 100 miles from the southern tip of the mainland of Florida to Key West. Please contact Hoberta M. Hilke, secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of Key West, 2405 Linda Avenue, Key West, FL 33040.
Anyone who is looking for a job in a specific field and would like to relocate in beautiful (and spiritually ripe) northern New York may send a resumé or other information to the Saranac Lake Bahá’í Group, c/o the Bahá’í Center, 71 Main St., Saranac Lake, NY 12983, and they will help distribute the resumés to the appropriate agencies.
[Page 3]
Community Profile
Spreading the Word in Mapleton Township[edit]
Mapleton Township, South Dakota, is a rural farming area near Sioux Falls. Since long before the formation of its first Local Spiritual Assembly in 1974, members of the Bahá’í community there had been actively teaching the Faith in the Township and surrounding areas.
One of the Assembly’s Five Year Plan goals is to reach all the residents of Mapleton Township and at least inform them that there is a Bahá’í Faith and offer them an opportunity to receive the precious gift of God’s Message for today. That goal has now been reached.
But despite their success in reaching people with the Message, the friends in Mapleton Township found that most of their teaching efforts were blocked by a solid wall of apathy and indifference. So the Assembly decided to try a different approach.
STARTING with a Bicentennial project of improving the Township’s only park, and continuing through the winter with various activities including a direct-mail campaign, the proclamation effort reached its zenith June 12–19 with a period of intensive teaching activity as the Assembly declared the period “Bahá’í Week” in Mapleton Township.
Activities were planned for each day. On Saturday evening, June 12, a Bahá’í Music Festival was held with musicians from Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota participating.
To inform the public of the events, a mailer was prepared and sent to every household in the Township. Posters were put up in communities within a 20-mile radius, and teams dispatched throughout the area to extend personal invitations.
A 4x12-foot sign reading “Bahá’í Week June 12–19. Investigate the Bahá’í Faith” with a phone number for information was erected in the front yard of one of the friends who lives on the main street in Renner, the seat of the Township.
ALSO USED were ads and listings in the church directories of local newspapers, press releases, and announcements on area radio and television stations.
The Assembly chairman was interviewed and an article on the Faith published in the Dell Rapids Tribune, a paper in a nearby township.
A personal invitation was given to the entire Mapleton Township Volunteer Fire Department at its monthly meeting. By the time June 12 arrived, people in Mapleton Township knew the Bahá’ís were doing something.
The music festival was a big success. People came to the park and listened as Bahá’í musicians told of their Faith and the good news of the coming of Bahá’u’lláh through the universal language of music.
Sunday, June 13, a picnic was held to dedicate and present to the Township a merry-go-round that was built and installed in the park by members of the Bahá’í community.
SEVERAL community members attended including the chairman of the Township Board who thanked the Bahá’ís for their gift. Others who could not attend expressed their appreciation for the friends’ concern for the community’s children.
Monday and Thursday evenings were devoted to deepenings, Tuesday and Friday evenings to firesides. Wednesday evening the film, A New Wind, was shown to a fair-sized audience at a public meeting.
Meanwhile, the friends were praying and working, and Saturday night was coming...
This was to be the highlight of the week’s activities, a performance by the Unity Bluegrass Band from the Chicago area, and the Bahá’ís were busy all week advertising the event with posters and telling everyone they met that there was going to be a free square dance and lots of fun and music at Renner Park.
The results were more than worth it. Saturday evening the Unity Bluegrass Band started playing, and the people came—more than 250 of them.
EVERYONE enjoyed the music, and many investigated the Faith by discussing it with the Bahá’ís who were present or picking up literature from a convenient table.
The people clapped, stomped, square danced and said what a good time they’d had. And in that one evening more people heard of Bahá’u’lláh at a Bahá’í-sponsored event than had done so in all of Mapleton Township’s efforts since the formation of its Assembly.
Those who came went home happy and satisfied that Bahá’ís are warm, friendly and happy people, not some strange cult that is out to corrupt their children. Many told their friends and asked when the Unity Bluegrass Band would return.
Bahá’í Week ended with prayers of thanksgiving for a successful week, and prayers for protection for those who had traveled to the community to help in its work.
The teaching has not ended. Even though one goal has been reached, the even more important goal of doubling the community’s adult membership by the end of the summer has yet to be won.
Bahá’ís in Los Angeles celebrated Riḍván and Springtime with the Navajo Culture Club at Ford Park Auditorium in Bell Gardens, California. The Navajos did tribal dances. Navajo Bahá’ís Wayne and Alice Steffes were guest speakers along with Marc Towers, a former Auxiliary Board member in the South Pacific. Seated left to right are Wayne Steffes; Alex Rocco; Myron Denetdale, Navajo Culture Club president; and Marc Towers.
Bahá’ís from 12 communities ended a public meeting at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation on April 2 with the traditional closing tribal dance, done to a drum beat and chanting.
The theme of a recent Farmington, Utah, weekend teaching conference was “Go Walking for Bahá’u’lláh.” Left to right: A Tongan believer talks with a Bahá’í from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Treasurer’s Letter
National Fund Needs Support of Individual[edit]
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
We can appreciate the confusion many Bahá’ís have over the increasing emphasis for individual believers to contribute directly to the National Fund.
The problem of not meeting our National Fund goals has been a matter of concern to the National Spiritual Assembly for quite some time. Recently we researched the writings of the Guardian relating to the National Fund in quest of a solution to the problem.
Our search led us to the conclusion that individual believers must shoulder the responsibility along with Assemblies and Bahá’í Groups in seeing that the needs of the National Fund are being met.
In a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of Central and East Africa dated August 8, 1957, the Guardian wrote:
“The institution of the National Fund, so vital and essential for the uninterrupted progress of these activities must, in particular, be assured of the wholehearted, the ever-increasing and universal support of the mass of believers, for whose welfare and in whose name these beneficent activities have been initiated and have been conducted. All, no matter how modest their resources, must participate.”
Therefore, the theme of recent letters from the National Treasurer has been to encourage individuals to give directly to the National Fund.
This does not mean that the word “privilege” no longer applies in giving to the Fund, for do we not consider as “privileges” all the duties and obligations that fall to us as Bahá’ís when we accept this Revelation? It is our privilege to help build the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.
Each Bahá’í Fund has two explicitly stated sources of support—individual believers singly, and individual believers collectively through Assemblies and Groups.
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Friends traveling outside the U.S. are encouraged to contact the National Spiritual Assembly for international credentials. It is necessary that those who are planning to travel to Haifa receive permission from the Universal House of Justice. |
As we grow in our understanding of the Bahá’í Faith, we undoubtedly want to strengthen our relationship as individuals to all the Bahá’í Funds—National, Continental and International, as well as the local Fund—rather than limiting our contributions to the local level.
the Bahá’ís of the United States
Dorothy W. Nelson, Treasurer
Bahá’ís in southern California recently observed their first anniversary of participation on the Interreligious Council of Southern California (IRC). Dr. Randell Phillips (left), president of the IRC, here discusses upcoming council activities with Bahá’í council delegates Mary Zemke and Anthony Lee, and Fr. Michael Nolan (right).
Homefront Pioneers Needed in South[edit]
The National Teaching Committee says several homefront pioneers are needed in the southern United States.
South Carolina needs Bahá’ís who could help with consolidation. Trudy White, the Regional Teaching Committee secretary, says a retired couple with transportation would be especially helpful.
A homefront pioneer living in Jackson, Tennessee, could use the town as a base for teaching and consolidation work in the western part of the state.
St. Augustine, Florida, one of the first Local Spiritual Assemblies in the southern United States, needs a homefront pioneer.
Southern Alabama, southern Georgia and West Virginia need homefront pioneers.
Other communities that need homefront pioneers are Jefferson County, Alabama; Slidell, Louisiana; McMinnville, Tennessee; and Falls Church, Virginia.
Contact the National Teaching Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
[Page 4]
The first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Shelton, Washington, was formed on February 20, 1977. Members are (seated left to right) Dorothy Lewis; Kenneth Martig, vice-chairman; Virginia Martig, secretary; Rodney Redmond. Standing, left to right: Carol Redmond; James Robinson, chairman; Aundrea Maxey; T. Owen Prellwitz; Juliet Gentzkow, treasurer. The Assembly plans a mass mail campaign and large proclamation effort by February 19, 1978. Extension teaching goals include raising the city of Centralia to Assembly status by next April and restoring the Assembly in Mason County Commissioner’s District No. 1.
Mobile School on Road in S.C.[edit]
The Bahá’í Mobile School, a teaching vehicle that was geared up for use in the South a couple of years ago but appeared to have run out of gas, is back on the road in South Carolina where it is being used to deepen new believers and seekers alike.
It’s actually a new and improved version of the mobile school in which all materials necessary for five lessons on the Faith, for every age group, are contained in three trunk-size boxes.
The first mobile school was contained in one box that was considerably larger than trunk-size and presented some transportation problems since it could be moved only in a large vehicle such as a pickup truck.
The new mobile school was launched in July in the town of Kershaw using three teams of three teachers each, and a fourth “team” of one teacher.
IDEALLY, THE five lessons are spread over three weekends. The three boxes of materials enable the teams to give lessons wherever space is available—in a living room, a backyard, or from the back of a truck, for example.
Each lesson lasts up to 1½ hours and is divided into several segments: music, flip charts, crafts, skits, etc. Everything the teachers need including supplies that enable those being taught to participate fully in the classes is contained in the boxes.
While the main purpose of the mobile school is to deepen Bahá’ís, seekers are welcome to attend the classes. Each person present is given a copy of the materials covered to take home for further study.
Attendance, of course, varies widely according to the size of the locality, the number of believers there, time of year, weather, and other factors.
In Kershaw, 17 pupils attended the “school” in early July.
TRUDY White, secretary of the South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee, says young people are especially attracted to the school and are among the ones most likely to get a lot out of it.
And happy as she is to see the mobile school on the road, Mrs. White is quick to point out that it’s not the only thing happening in South Carolina.
In addition to Operation GRASSROOTS, an ongoing statewide teaching campaign featured in the July issue of The American Bahá’í, there are these other developments:
In Cowpens, in the northwestern part of the state, some 35 migrant workers who were not Bahá’ís attended a fireside conducted in Spanish.
More than 100 seekers inquired about the Faith in Daphne, also in the northern part of the state, during a 19-day teaching campaign in July. Six of the interested persons had declared by the end of the project.
The Daphne Ledger carried articles about the Faith, and two Bahá’ís were interviewed on radio. A children’s program during the campaign was attended by 25-30 children. A Bahá’í spoke at a local church.
Mrs. White says the first anniversary of “Windflower”, a weekly half-hour Bahá’í radio program aired over WWWZ-FM in Summerville, was observed in July.
A FEW phone inquiries have resulted from the program, she says, but most phone calls occur when “Windflower” is pre-empted. The callers want to know when it will be back on the air.
Mrs. White also is heartened by the increasing involvement in Bahá’í community life by newly-enrolled believers.
At Chisholm Island, in the southern part of the state, where several persons recently have been enrolled in the Faith, the Bahá’í Center has a new roof thanks to the hard work of the Bahá’í Group there.
The signs of heightened activity are everywhere apparent, says Mrs. White, as South Carolina mobilizes its forces to help win the remaining goals of the Five Year Plan.
Teaching Briefs
California Workshops Explore Media Use[edit]
The California Regional Teaching Committee and the Bahá’í Media Council recently sponsored Media Workshops at the San Francisco and Los Angeles Bahá’í Centers to acquaint the media representatives from communities in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County with the various ways of using newspapers and radio in teaching activities.
Guest speakers from local newspapers and radio stations shared their knowledge and experiences with the participants in the Media Council’s workshop in Los Angeles.
The Bay Area workshop, which was co-sponsored by the San Francisco Spiritual Assembly, was conducted by George Hill, chairman, Bahá’í Media Council of Los Angeles County, and Joel Roth, Bahá’í Public Information Service of Los Angeles...
More than 80 people including 20 non-Bahá’ís were present at Washington, Illinois, High School on Saturday, May 28, for a concert by the Unity Bluegrass Band presented by the Bahá’ís of Washington. Some 1,700 mailers were sent inviting the public to attend.
The Colorado East Bahá’í Summer School (June 18-24) was a happy success. A lovely mountain setting combined with radiant fellowship to set the scene for a great week.
Students were deepened in subjects including Islam, Bahá’í problem-solving, the whys and wherefores of teaching, ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, and the Kitáb-i-Iqán.
Seventeen non-Bahá’ís attended. Scholarships were provided for three of the 117 participants. Six states were represented: Arkansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Texas and Kansas...
When a Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Bahá’í was admitted to a local hospital, she was asked her religious affiliation.
She said “Bahá’í”, and the admissions clerk kept writing as though she were familiar with the Faith.
A Bahá’í employee in the hospital, hearing of the incident, pulled the patient’s card to see if “Bahá’í” were spelled correctly. It was spelled “NONE!”
The Bahá’í employee called the error to the attention of the Director of Community Relations, who asked for information on the Bahá’í Faith. After reading several pamphlets, he sent a memo and the pamphlets to the Director of Admissions.
The Bahá’í community’s answering service number and information regarding its Bahá’í blood bank were made available to the Department of Admissions...
The Museum of Ethnic Culture in Darlington, South Carolina, was the recipient February 12 of a framed photograph of the Hand of the Cause of God Louis G. Gregory at a program presented by the Darlington County Committee on Ethnic Participation in the Bicentennial observance.
In presenting the gift, the Bahá’ís emphasized Mr. Gregory’s love for humanity, his untiring efforts for race unity, and the honor of his being the first of his race to serve on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, and as a Hand of the Cause of God.
The museum was founded to honor and preserve the cultural contributions of Afro-Americans to South Carolina, particularly Darlington County.
| Five Year Plan Goals - Three States | |||||
| Items | Goals | July | To be filled | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Localities | 708 | 478 | 230 | |
| Counties opened | 58 | 53 | 5 | ||
| Local Assemblies | 265 | 187 R 12P |
78 | ||
| Indian Reservations | (3) | (0) | (3) | ||
| Incorporated Assemblies | 100 | 67 | 33 | ||
| Illinois | Localities | 400 | 311 | 89 | |
| Counties opened | 102 | 66 | 36 | ||
| Local Assemblies | 99 | 56 R | 43 | ||
| Incorporated Assemblies | 40 | 22 | 18 | ||
| New York | Localities | 360 | 296 | 64 | |
| Counties opened | 62 | 58 | 4 | ||
| Local Assemblies | 56 | 30 R 1 P |
26 | ||
| Indian Reservations | (2) | (0) | (2) | ||
| Incorporated Assemblies | 20 | 11 | 9 | ||
| R - Recognized | P - Pending | ||||
Auxiliary Board Sponsors Illinois Team Conference[edit]
Nearly 300 Bahá’ís from Illinois, along with representatives of the Hands of the Cause of God, the Continental Board of Counsellors, and National and Regional Teaching Committees gathered in Peoria the weekend of July 16-17 for an Auxiliary Board Team Conference. Auxiliary Board members working in Illinois introduced their newly-appointed assistants to the community at the conference.
The team conference was one of a series of national conferences mandated by the International Teaching Center nearly two years ago, in order to deliver “fresh inspiration” to the believers in the United States so that they may “commit themselves to greater spiritual responsibilities.”
The goal of these conferences is to provide inspiration, encouragement, consultation, and deepening for the friends.
The team conference in Peoria addressed itself to the challenge of expansion and consolidation on the homefront.
A report was made by the Illinois Regional Teaching Committee concerning the status of goals in the state. Committee members also indicated that offers of assistance in teaching were made by communities in the neighboring states of Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri.
In addition to expansion and consolidation on the homefront, a great deal of discussion and deepening was directed toward the relationship between the Auxiliary Board and the “grass roots”; Local Spiritual Assemblies, Groups and individuals.
Board members pointed out that the Auxiliary Board, while neither directing nor organizing the teaching work, nor adjudicating, was created to buttress the efforts of Local Spiritual Assemblies, Groups and individuals. Members and their assistants are directed to release the energies contained in the Bahá’í communities, and see that these energies are directed toward the prompt winning of goals.
Auxiliary Board members invited the Bahá’ís to make use of their services at an increasing rate, as well as the services of their assistants.
11 Indian Tribes Gather at Ithaca, N.Y., Powwow[edit]
Members of 11 Indian tribes gathered at the Spruce Row campsite near Ithaca, New York, June 24-26 for the Powwow-Council Fire sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Ithaca and the American Indian Teaching Committee.
Letters were sent to all tribal councils and tribal officials in New York state inviting a representative of their Holy Men and other members of their tribes to attend.
Tribes represented at the Council Fire were Mohawk, Inca, Cherokee, Otomi, Seneca, Navajo, Oneida, Sioux, Kickapoo, St. Francis and Choctaw.
On Saturday afternoon informal gatherings preceded workshops on Native American arts including cooking, beading, dancing, tepee construction, and protocol.
The results of the cooking workshop (corn soup and three kinds of fried bread) were consumed at the communal evening meal.
After a round of Indian dancing, about 30 people gathered at the main tepee for a talk by Wayne Steffes, a Native American from California. He spoke about the Great Spirit and how this unifying force enables each Indian to develop to his fullest potential.
At sunset on Saturday a double rainbow appeared above the tepee, delighting the friends.
The spiritual culmination of the weekend’s activities took the form of two declarations: John Sawyer from the Mohawk tribe in Connecticut, and Richard Bey, an Incan from New York City.
The Powwow-Council Fire ended Sunday with an interfaith service at Taughannock Falls. Prayers in Arabic, English, Persian, French and Spanish were presented.
[Page 5]
The Mail
Youth Conference Draws Hearty Praise[edit]
Beloved Friends:
Just a few lines to thank you deeply for the great Youth Conference. It was a life-giving blood to our youth. They came back with a new outlook and a great deal of enthusiasm.
Our prayers are with you in your wonderful endeavors.
Angola, Louisiana
Dear Assembly members:
I am writing to send my appreciation and congratulations for the Youth Conference held at Champaign. You and the Youth Committee did a marvelous job of organization and it is appreciated by all who attended.
Hancock, Michigan
Beloved Friends:
May the glance of Baha’El’Abha be directed toward your every endeavor and requirement, and may the strength of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá be your remembrance and staff.
We have this night returned from the company of Bahá’ís and desired to acknowledge fathomless gratitude for the honor of being in company with such beautifully purposed friends and co-workers as attended the 4th Bahá’í National Youth Conference as it unfolded in the month of Raḥmat (June 29-July 3, 1977) 134 B.E.
|
What’s New? Wondering what’s new from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust? Wonder no more! See the Bahá’í Literature and Special Materials for sale at your District Convention, Sunday, October 2, 1977. |
You should indeed do more than shower a well-deserved “Well Done!” on the National Youth Committee, and all who held even a sincere intention to serve the friends at the Youth Conference.
The reflected crystals of Bahá’u’lláh shone brilliantly and sincerely in all of the countenances of friends and co-workers alike in those memorable eons of June 29-July 3, and scattered their legacy in the smiles, the courtesies and the tranquil faces of all who entered that hallowed ground trod by the feet of the Beloved of God.
I am ending this epistle, for my mind is prone to be dissatisfied with any superlative. You are dear to my heart, and I supplicate for your success at the threshold of Bahá’u’lláh.
Battle Creek, Michigan
Dear Friends:
May I join the many friends who are congratulating you for the success of the 4th Bahá’í National Youth Conference. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the evidence of care and good planning that went into the preparation.
There were so many things that impressed me: in addition to the general high quality of the program and accommodations, the attention to such details as the beautiful stage setting, utilization of video enlargement of speakers, the red and white theme colors, direction posts, welcome banners in Assembly Hall corridors, special feature programs and the generous portion of the program devoted to entertainment and the arts added so much to our experience.
My experience there was so much more than I could ever have anticipated. Thanks!
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Dear Bahá’í friends:
I am writing to express my thanks and gratitude for a most inspiring and pleasant Youth Conference.
The location was perfect and the services were too. Everything seemed well organized, and the speakers were tremendous. The career seminars were a great idea, and so were those special features.
The whole conference got me stirred up and thinking of what I can do to spread the Faith. The music added just the right touch to the programming. You really did an excellent job.
I hope that someday I can serve the Faith as well as you have.
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
I just wanted to say what a great success the 4th Bahá’í National Youth Conference was.
I would like to thank all those who helped make it possible. Each day while I was there at the conference I felt as though the veils I had been covering myself with were gradually being removed.
Being at the Youth Conference was one of the nicest things that has happened to me in a long time. It has given me more courage and will to gear up and do something about my life, serving mankind and serving the Cause.
I cannot express how grateful I am!
East Lansing, Michigan
P.S. Enclosed is a check to go to the National Fund.
Dear Friends:
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for, and my appreciation of, the 4th Bahá’í National Youth Conference. I feel that the Assembly and its committees did a superb job.
I was specifically impressed by: 1. the amount of preparation; 2. the smoothness with which that preparation was implemented; 3. the selection of information available in the form of speeches, workshops, special features, career counseling, etc.; 4. availability of facilities for people in wheelchairs; 5. availability of child care; 6. the smoothness of the conference as a whole; and 7. the sophistication that has evolved in the nine years I have been a Bahá’í in dealing with projects of such a nature.
I learned a lot and enjoyed it all. Again, thanks.
Bloomington, Indiana
Bahá’í Youth Club Bergenfield wishes to extend warmest appreciation to the National Youth Committee. 4th National Youth Conference. 80 per cent of the club attended. Derived inspiration, stimulation for local activities: deepenings “Individual and Teaching,” public coffeehouse, fireside month, various teaching, social activities, participation in consolidation New Jersey youth. Praying for success in teaching goals.
Bergenfield, New Jersey
Persian Conference Slated in December[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly has disclosed that the second annual conference for Persian believers in the U.S. is to be held the weekend of December 23-25 in the Wilmette, Illinois, area.
The first of these conferences, held last December, brought together some 500 of the Persian friends in this country for a weekend of fellowship and discussion of ways in which to facilitate the integration of Persian believers into the American Bahá’í community.
The National Spiritual Assembly has acted on several recommendations from that conference, details of which will be published in the October issue of The American Bahá’í along with further information about the forthcoming conference.
Arise
Have You Held a Fireside This Month?
|
Update from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust
To order: Order through Community Librarians if possible! Personal orders, enclose full payment plus $.75 handling charge for orders under $5.00. Order from Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Ave., Wilmette, IL 60091. |
In Memoriam[edit]
- Billy Begay
- Supai, Arizona
- Date Unknown
- Donald Birdsell
- Corvallis, Oregon
- Date Unknown
- John Carnes
- Las Vegas, New Mexico
- April 18, 1977
- Lofton H. Clark
- Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- June 6, 1977
- Roger W. Clark
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- April 8, 1977
- Blanch Collier
- Elloree, South Carolina
- January 25, 1975
- William De Boucher, Sr.
- Tucson, Arizona
- Date Unknown
- Andrew Fleming
- Camden, South Carolina
- July 11, 1976
- Alta Gaines
- Rochester, Michigan
- Date Unknown
- Hildegard Gottfried
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- May 31, 1977
- Ira Griffith
- Sacramento, California
- April 23, 1977
- Tony Hand
- Fort Yates, North Dakota
- May 22, 1977
- Hampton Hawes
- Los Angeles, California
- May 23, 1977
- Grace Von Der Heydt
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- May 9, 1977
- Selma Howard
- Tucson, Arizona
- January 18, 1977
- William D. Jackson
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- May 26, 1977
- Marie C. Jahns
- Racine, Wisconsin
- December 13, 1975
- Rashid Mashriqi
- Rapid City, South Dakota
- June 1977
- Laura Jane McQueen
- Washington, D.C.
- Date Unknown
- Ruth D. Meurer
- Augusta, Georgia
- June 2, 1977
- Saadatullah Ahmadi Namaghi
- Thousand Oaks, California
- April 14, 1977
- Russell A. Neffew
- National City, California
- June 2, 1977
- Anna L. Nelsen
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Date Unknown
- Eugene Pattrick
- Dawson, Georgia
- Date Unknown
- James E. Rice, Jr.
- Arlington, Virginia
- May 24, 1977
- Hazel Rodgers
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- May 21, 1977
- Patricia K. Rothman
- Rockville, Connecticut
- June 21, 1977
- Gaetano Russo
- Riviera Beach, Florida
- May 25, 1977
- Florence Sarmento
- Sarasota, Florida
- June 24, 1977
- William Scholling
- Pasadena, California
- March 19, 1977
- Vivian A. Stoneman
- Capistrano Beach, California
- Date Unknown
- Howard S. Struven
- Owings Mills, Maryland
- February 5, 1977
- Ben Williams
- Wilson, North Carolina
- July 1976
- Eugene Williams
- Los Angeles, California
- June 20, 1975
1977 Bahá’í District Convention Sites[edit]
Number of Address for ballots[edit]
| District | Number of Delegates | Place of Convention | Address for ballots Sent by mail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama, N. | 1 | University of Alabama, Bldg. 1, Rm. 152 13th Street South Birmingham, Alabama |
Catherine McDonald 250 Cambo Drive Birmingham, AL 35226 |
| Alabama, S. | 1 | Admiral Sims Hotel 251 Government Street Alabama |
Margot Beers Campus Road, Cottage 43 Tuskegee Institute, AL 36088 |
| Arizona, N. | 1 | Phoenix Bahá’í Center 4012 E. Indian School Road Phoenix, Arizona |
Pamela Womack 2410 E. Loyola Tempe, AZ 85282 |
| Arizona, S. | 1 | El Pueblo Neighborhood Center 101 W. Irvington Road Tucson, Arizona |
Doris Kirkham 6320 N. Mango Way Tucson, AZ 85704 |
| Arkansas | 2 | UALR, Student Union Building 33rd & University Avenue Little Rock, Arkansas |
Tim Bodishbaugh 7001 Amherst Little Rock, AR 72205 |
| California, N-1 | 2 | Solano Community College 292-A Suisun Valley Road Fairfield, California |
Cynthia Busher P.O. Box 921 Susanville, CA 96031 |
| California, N-2 | 1 | Carson Memorial Harris & J Streets Eureka, California |
Barry Gerdts 3418 Nevada Street Eureka, CA 95501 |
| California, C-1 | 4 | San Francisco Bahá’í Center 170 Valencia San Francisco, California |
Charles Garda II 8072 Winthrope Street Oakland, CA 94605 |
| California, C-2 | 1 | Curry Village Yosemite National Park California |
Steve Worth 647 W. Barstow, No. 118 Clovis, CA 93612 |
| California, S-1 | 7 | Hacienda Hotel (N. Starlight Rm.) 525 N. Sepulveda Blvd. El Segundo, California |
Juana Conrad 1940 Deermont Road Glendale, CA 91207 |
| California, S-2 | 4 | California State University at Fullerton 800 N. State College Blvd. Fullerton, California |
Maureen Anne Lawrence 102 C Avenida Gaviota San Clemente, CA 92672 |
| California, S-3 | 1 | California Polytechnic State University Union Chumash Auditorium San Luis Obispo, California |
Donald Wallace 445 Atterdag Road Solvang, CA 93463 |
| Colorado, E. | 2 | Douglas County High School High School Road Castle Rock, Colorado |
Cynthia Muse 1246 S. Dillon Way Aurora, CO 80012 |
| Colorado, W. | 1 | Town Hall First & Main Hotchkiss, Colorado |
William Bright P.O. Box 877 Alamosa, CO 81101 |
| Connecticut | 2 | University of New Haven St. Union 300 Orange Avenue West Haven, Connecticut |
Patricia Hailey 1319 Boulevard New Haven, CT 06511 |
| DelMarVa | 1 | New London Community Center New London Road (Rt. 896) Newark, Delaware |
Dianne Nichols 29 Patrick Henry Ct. Newark, DE 19711 |
| Florida, N. | 1 | University of Florida Reitzman SU Building Gainesville, Florida |
Deanna McCollum 307 W. 10th Street Panama City, FL 32401 |
| Florida, C. | 1 | Mulberry Civic Center Mulberry, Florida |
Carlos Plascencia 5508 Terrace Ct., No. 1 Temple Terrace, FL 33617 |
| Florida, S. | 3 | Holiday Inn 2066 W. 1st Street Ft. Myers, Florida |
Samantha Corre 3300 N. State Rd No. 7, Box A-47 Hollywood, FL 33021 |
| Georgia, N. | 3 | Life Chiropractic College 1269 Barclay Circle Marietta, Georgia |
William Varner 895 Gresham Avenue SE Atlanta, GA 30316 |
| Georgia, S. | 5 | Ramada Inn 231 Boundary Street Savannah, Georgia |
Joan Shinnick 612 May Joe Street St. Simons, GA 31522 |
| Idaho, S. | 1 | YMCA 1751 Elizabeth Blvd Twin Falls, Idaho |
Diedra Conkling 5512 W. Broadway, No. 10 Idaho Falls, ID 83401 |
| Illinois, N-1 | 2 | Joliet Junior College Joliet, Illinois |
Linda Nixon 1041 Unit E. College Avenue Wheaton, IL 60187 |
| Illinois, N-2 | 4 | McCormick Place Chicago, Illinois |
Tom Halstead 527 Fairway View Dr., No. 2C Wheeling, IL 60090 |
| Illinois, S. | 2 | Sangamon University Springfield, Illinois |
Mary Kale Yntema 22 Dean Park Dr., RR7 Springfield, IL 65707 |
| Indiana | 2 | Ball State U., English Building Riverside Ave Muncie, Indiana |
Ehasan Kousan 1109 W. Cowing Drive Muncie, IN 47304 |
| Iowa | 1 | YMCA 101 Locust Des Moines, Iowa |
Mark Skallman 102 S. Grimmel, No. 12 Jefferson, IA 50129 |
| Kansas | 1 | Salina Vocational Technical Inst. 2562 Scanlan Avenue Salina, Kansas |
Rosana Ryson 524 W. Elsworth Street Salina, KS 67401 |
| Kentucky | 1 | University of Louisville Shelby Campus, Burhams Hall, Rm. 1 Louisville, Kentucky |
Marie Van Brunt Rt. 586, Box 196 Monticello, KY 42633 |
| Louisiana, N. | 1 | Holiday Inn Bossier City, Louisiana |
Everett Hubbard 2330 Scovell Cl Shreveport, LA 71104 |
| Louisiana, S. | 1 | Joan’s Day Care Center 1708 Carrollwood Avenue La Place, Louisiana |
Robert Ancker 1712 Carrollwood Avenue La Place, LA 70068 |
| Maine | 1 | YWCA 175 Second Street Bangor, Maine |
Ken Pierce 38 Water Street Gorham, ME 04038 |
| Maryland/DC | 2 | Rock Terrace High School 390 Martin’s Lane Rockville, Maryland |
Dr. William Love 518 Carr Avenue Rockville, MD 20850 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Salisbury Laboratory Hall Worcester, Massachusetts |
Grace Tavares Betty’s Pond Road Hyannis, MA 02601 |
| Michigan (Mainland) | 4 | St. Clair Community College 323 Erie Port Huron, Michigan |
Vinson Poole 5289 N. Jennings Road Flint, MI 48504 |
| Minnesota, N. | 1 | Bemidji St. U., Student Union Bldg. 15th Street & Birchmont Avenue Bemidji, Minnesota |
Meg Luckenbill P.O. Box 296 Sauk Rapids, MN 56379 |
| Minnesota, S. | 1 | Mayo Civic Auditorium North Hall Rochester, Minnesota |
Richard Klann 415 Fifth Avenue SE. Stewartville, MN 55967 |
| Mississippi | 2 | YWCA 517 N. Parish Jackson, Mississippi |
Janelle Ramsey 1826 Grand Avenue Yazoo City, MS 39194 |
| Missouri | 2 | Columbia College, Launer Audit. 10th & Rogers Columbia, Missouri |
Theresa Hacker 3170 West Clay, No. 411 St. Charles, MO 63301 |
| Montana | 1 | Jorgenson’s Restaurant 1714-11th Avenue Helena, Montana |
Betty Bennett P.O. Box 3095 Butte, MT 59701 |
| Navajo-Hopi | 1 | Window Rock Recreation Hall Window Rock, Arizona |
Audrie Reynolds Kaibito Boarding School Kaibito, AZ 86053 |
| Nebraska | 1 | Hastings College Fuhr Hall Hastings, Nebraska |
John Hanke 800 S. Wabash, Lot 79 Hastings, NE 68901 |
| Nevada, N. | 1 | Fernley Community Improvement Center Fernley, Nevada |
Michael Gwathney Box 147 Fernley, NV 89408 |
| Nevada, S. | 1 | U. of Nevada, Student Union Bldg. Maryland Pkway & Flamingo Las Vegas, Nevada |
Maxine Grainger 2409 N. Bruce Street North Las Vegas, NV 89030 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | Contoocook Valley Regional High School Peterborough, New Hampshire |
Cornelia Leavitt Shelleylane, RR No. 1 Mt. Vernon, NH 03057 |
| New Jersey | 2 | Princeton University Woodrow Wilson Hall Princeton, New Jersey |
Eileen Kershaw Box 118 B, Lot 5 Pleasantville, NJ 08232 |
| New Mexico, N. | 1 | Albuquerque Convention Center 401 Second NW Albuquerque, New Mexico |
Michael Miller Box 3524 Albuquerque, NM 87110 |
| New Mexico, S. | 1 | Girl Scout Hut 1012 Oregon Avenue Alamagordo, New Mexico |
Ann E. Mitchell 1814 N. Maryland Roswell, NM 88201 |
| New York, E. | 4 | White Plains YMCA 250 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains, New York |
Victoria Abas 8 Sussex Court Suffern, NY 10901 |
| New York, W. | 2 | RIT, Gen. Studies Bldg., Rm. 820 One Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, New York |
Ray Waite 211 Huckleberry Road Macedon, NY 14502 |
| North Carolina, E. | 3 | Vernon Park Mall - The Gold Room Vernon Road Kinston, North Carolina |
Teri Hamrick 103 Moseley Street Edenton, NC 27932 |
| North Carolina, W. | 1 | Bannerman Lecture Hall Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, North Carolina |
Janie Daugherty P.O. Box 107, Dwntn. St. Boone, NC 28607 |
| North Carolina, C. | 3 | YMCA 1010 Mendenhall Road (Off I-85) Thomasville, North Carolina |
Beth Ann Hinshaw 1806 Palmer Street Durham, NC 27707 |
| North Dakota | 1 | Civic Center Jamestown, North Dakota |
Richard Hastings 701-18th Street NW Minot, ND 58701 |
| Ohio, N. | 2 | Univ. of Bowling Green Offtenhauer Tower, 11th Floor Bowling Green, Ohio |
Lillian Horn 13855 Superior Rd., No. 301 East Cleveland, OH 44118 |
| Ohio, S. | 1 | Yellow Springs Outdoor Recreational Center Yellow Springs, Ohio |
Rebecca Johnston 333 E. Kossuth Columbus, OH 43206 |
| Oklahoma, E. | 2 | Community Hall, Civic Center Henryetta, Oklahoma |
Margaret Jamir 1126 E. 6th Street Okmulgee, OK 74447 |
| Oklahoma, W. | 1 | Lincoln Plaza, Senate Room 4543 Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Neil Van Kley 7109 NW 17th Street Bethany, OK 73008 |
| Oregon | 2 | Inn of the 7th Mountain Bend, Oregon |
Judy Armatta 274 N. Eliot Coquille, OR 97423 |
| Pennsylvania, E. | 2 | YMCA Washington Street Reading, Pennsylvania |
Marie Procter P.O. Box 494 Langhorne, PA 19047 |
| Pennsylvania, W. | 1 | Penn Alto Hotel Altoona, Pennsylvania |
Linda Kogan 319 Ridge Point Circle Bridgeville, PA 15017 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | Cold Spring Community Center 80 Boston Neck Road North Kingstown, Rhode Island |
Sue Berge 9 Western Hills Lane, No. 4102 Cranston, RI 02920 |
| South Carolina, N-1 | 1 | Community Center W. Queen Street Pendleton, South Carolina |
Martha McKie P.O. Box 255 Easley, SC 29640 |
| South Carolina, N-2 | 3 | Howard Johnson Motel I-71 at US Hwy 21 Rock Hill, South Carolina |
LeLand Gardner 44 Lincoln Street York, SC 29745 |
| South Carolina, E-1 | 5 | Center Theater 214 N. 5th Street Hartsville, South Carolina |
Dr. Lee Grinsley, Jr. Box 1033 Lake City, SC 29560 |
| South Carolina, E-2 | 6 | Watsonia Recreation Center Marion, South Carolina Latta, SC 29565 |
Mrs. Bradie Erby Rt. 2, Box 216 |
| South Carolina, E-3 | 4 | Louis Gregory Institute Hemingway, South Carolina |
Vida Wiles Rt. 2, Box 76J Pawleys Island, SC 29585 |
| South Carolina, C. | 5 | Home of Dr. & Mrs. Wayne Daniel Lake Edisto Road Orangeburg, South Carolina |
Kathy Daniel Rt. 5, Box 136M Orangeburg, SC 29115 |
| South Carolina, S. | 4 | Ramada Inn Hwy 95 & 63 Walterboro, South Carolina |
William Weaver 217 Farm Road Goose Creek, SC 29445 |
| South Carolina, W. | 1 | Bank of Trust Unity Montague Street Greenwood, South Carolina |
Robert Ferguson P.O. Box 1011 Greenwood, SC 29646 |
| South Dakota | 1 | Fort Thompson Elementary School Fort Thompson, South Dakota |
Barbara Rudolph General Delivery Lower Brule, SD 57548 |
Measure of Faith[edit]
Hand of Cause Paul Haney Sets Forth Principles Of Giving To Funds[edit]
The following is an address by the Hand of the Cause of God Paul Haney at the Bahá’í International Conference, Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico, February 5, 1977.
Every Bahá’í knows that our beloved Guardian has referred to our contributions to the various Funds as the lifeblood of the Bahá’í institutions ordained by Bahá’u’lláh which we are striving to develop and strengthen.
It is a self-evident truth that no organism can function without its lifeblood, and the rapidly expanding institutions and activities of the Cause are no exception to this physical law.
However, the concept of giving our material means for the advancement of the Faith has been raised to a new dimension and a new concept in this Dispensation. When a new Manifestation of God appears, a transformation takes place as a result of the spirit released by His life and teachings, and even words take on new meanings.
Two of the words that take on new meaning and significance in this great Day of God are Funds and Contributions. Another is work, which has been raised to an act of worship when performed in the spirit of service.
THE COMPENSATION we receive for our work is a material thing, but when we contribute a portion of it to the Funds of the Cause in a joyous spirit of love, and above all with the element of sacrifice, those contributions become spiritualized and the material substance transformed into something that confers a spiritual bounty upon the giver.
Our beloved Guardian has told us that contributions to the Fund constitute a practical and effective way whereby every believer may test the measure and character of his faith, and prove in deeds the intensity of his devotion and attachment to the Cause.
Shoghi Effendi also has given us certain basic principles to be applied in relation to contributions to the Funds of the Cause. I shall mention four of these and quote briefly from his writings on these subjects:
1. The voluntary character of Bahá’í contributions.
“... I feel urged to remind you of the necessity of ever bearing in mind the cardinal principle that all contributions to the Fund are to be purely and strictly voluntary in character. It should be made clear and evident to everyone that any form of compulsion, however slight and indirect, strikes at the very root of the principle underlying the formation of the Fund ever since its inception. While appeals of a general character, carefully worded and moving and dignified in tone are welcome under all circumstances, it should be left entirely to the discretion of every conscientious believer to decide upon the nature, the amount, and purpose of his or her contribution for the propagation of the Cause.”
2. No pressure must be exerted.
“Shoghi Effendi has repeatedly stated that no pressure should be used upon the friends, and psychological pressure falls under that category. But there is much difference between such gatherings often used by religious bodies and a true, quiet, prayerful atmosphere when a person is, of his own accord, aroused to make some sacrifice.”
3. Only Bahá’ís may contribute to the Funds for the work of the Cause.
“Non-Bahá’ís cannot contribute to our work or do it for us, so really our first obligation is to support our own teaching work, as this will lead to the healing of the nations.”
4. Universal participation.
“The institution of the ... Fund, so vital and essential for the uninterrupted progress of these activities must, in particular, be assured of the wholehearted, the ever-increasing and universal support of the mass of believers, for whose welfare and in whose name these beneficent activities have been initiated and have been conducted. All, no matter how modest their resources, must participate.”
We all know the power of prayer, but I wonder if we realize how we can draw upon this power to enable us to give more to the Cause. We can not only pray for greater means in order to support it more liberally, but we can also pray to have the things in us, in our characters, that hinder us from giving—be they fear of the future, worry, greed, selfishness, or self-indulgence—transmuted into their opposite qualities—trust in God, reliance upon Him, generosity, unselfishness, and self-sacrifice.
The duty and privilege of giving lies squarely on the shoulders of every Bahá’í because our Faith is the spiritual ocean that has bathed us with its healing and life-giving waters, and back into that ocean should go some token of our love for the Cause—some tangible thing that will enable it to spread out further, and reach other souls, and quicken them with its water of eternal life as it has quickened and transformed and revivified us.
IN CLOSING, I should like to leave you with these words from the Master, ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, in which He reveals to us the meaning of the mystery of sacrifice:
“Verily, the Beauty of Abhá has destined for the servants who are pure and holy, a Station before which the greatest of the earth shall bow, and the necks of heroes bend in humility.
“Is there any blessing greater than this high Station? But the magnet for this glorious gift from the Majestic One is attained by the mystery of Sacrifice in the Path of God.
“A man should sacrifice all things—even his spirit, his body, his glory, his possessions, his self and his identity, and he should become humble and lowly, and then extend his wings over every believer in the world—nay, rather over all men in the Universe.
“This is the Station of the servants who believe and are pure and holy in the Kingdom of their gracious Lord. When the ray reaches the sun it becomes annihilated and vanishes; the drop when attaining the sea disappears, and a true lover when seeking the loved one becomes extinguished.
“So long as a man has not reached the Station of Sacrifice, he is deprived of every gift ... The place of sacrifice is the field of severance, and when one reaches it, the verses of immortality will be chanted.
“Be ye entirely quit of yourselves as much as you can, and be ye attached to the Luminous Face; when ye attain to this Station of adoration, ye will find that all the world is under your shadow.”
Treasurer’s Reps Attend Institute[edit]
The Office of the Treasurer hosted a National Treasurer’s Representative Institute over the Labor Day weekend at the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette, Illinois.
Approximately 80 attended the three-day institute September 2–5 whose purpose was to train representatives who, in turn, will set up area workshops for local Treasurers.
The handbook, Accounting Procedures for Bahá’í Treasurers, plus several chapters from Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies were the main references for the program.
Among the primary aims of the institute was helping local Treasurers present a more varied and interesting Feast report. Similar institutes are planned each year over the Labor Day weekend.
1977 Bahá’í District Convention Sites[edit]
Continued from Page 6
| Tennessee | 1 | Vandortbilt Holiday Inn 2615 West End Avenue Nashville, Tennessee |
Joyce Block 6320 Thunderbird Drive Nashville, TN 37209 |
| Texas, N. | 1 | Women’s Department Club 107 Avenue “E” NW Childress, Texas |
Barbara Parker 609 W. 10th Plainview, TX 79702 |
| Texas, E-1 | 4 | Sheraton Inn Loop 323, Hwy 69N Tyler, Texas |
Cynthia Summers 954 Highland Drive Grand Prairie, TX 75050 |
| Texas, E-2 | 2 | Waterwood Hwy 190 & Lake Livingston Huntsville, Texas |
Bahá’í Faith Box 2817 College Station, TX 77840 |
| Texas, C. | 2 | Austin Savings & Loan 308 E. Hopkins San Marcos, Texas |
Jeff Bryant 2167 NE Loop 410, No. F14 San Antonio, TX 78217 |
| Texas, S. | 1 | Simon Hall 3106 E. Lone Tree Road Victoria, Texas |
Thomas Ryan 1618 E. Taylor Street Harlingen, TX 78550 |
| Texas, W. | 1 | Commercial Bank Bldg. 2301 W. Wall Midland, Texas |
Richard Smith P.O. Box 4521 Midland, TX 79701 |
| Utah | 1 | Weber St. Col. Union Bldg., Rm. 338 3750 Harrison Blvd. Ogden, Utah |
Alice Kasai 83 “D” Street Salt Lake City, UT 84103 |
| Vermont | 1 | Hotel Coolidge White River Junction, Vermont |
Margaret Parrott 4 Wheel Drive, RFD 1, Box 406 Norwich, VT 05055 |
| Virginia, N. | 1 | Fred M. Lynn Middle School 2451 Longview Drive Woodbridge, Virginia |
Sheila Cowan 6334 Edgemoor Lane Alexandria, VA 22312 |
| Virginia, S. | 2 | YMCA 918 Chamberlayne Hwy. Richmond, Virginia |
Bernice Wiggins 2845 Clarendon Drive Richmond, VA 23235 |
| Washington/Idaho | 1 | Walla Walla Senior High School Abbott & Fern Walla Walla, Washington |
Karon McConnell 308 S. Roosevelt Walla Walla, WA 99362 |
| Washington, W. | 4 | University of Washington HUB (Student Union Bldg.) Seattle, Washington |
Deborah Todd 15268 Greenwood N. Seattle, WA 98177 |
| West Virginia | 1 | West Virginia Wesleyan College Campus Ave., Middleton Hall, Rm. 16 Buckhannon, West Virginia |
Mae MacClinton 26 Shawnee Terrace Apts Buckhannon, WV 24712 |
| N. Wisconsin in Pen. Michigan |
1 | Nicolet College, Rms. 210 & 211 Northwoods Center Rhinelander, Wisconsin |
Muriel Potter 725 West Spruce Street Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 |
| Wisconsin, S. | 3 | YMCA 1865 Riverside Drive Beloit, Wisconsin |
Elinor Kolehouse 17665 Steven Drive New Berlin, WI 53151 |
| Wyoming | 1 | Holiday Inn 300 W. “S” Street Casper, Wyoming |
Joanne Mortensen 102 E. Jefferson Riverton, WY 82501 |
[Page 8]
Development Program Aids Assembly Growth
Continued From Page 1
materials from the books, “Guidelines for the Local Spiritual Assembly” and “Development of the Local Spiritual Assembly.”
As a part of the Comprehensive Deepening Program, it covers, among other things:
- Significance of the Divine Institutions.
- Basic functions of an Assembly.
- The Assembly’s executive and managerial functions.
- GENERAL competencies of consultation and communication.
- Policies and procedures of the National Spiritual Assembly.
“We don’t expect Assembly members to memorize these materials.” says Mr. Berry. “This is simply a starting-point for their own further study of the station and functions of an Assembly.
“And while some of it may seem elementary to some of the friends, that doesn’t mean it is any less important. No matter how well an Assembly thinks it is functioning, there is always room for improvement.
“What we have to do in the few months remaining in the Five Year Plan is impress upon the friends, and especially those on Assemblies, the importance of this program, and persuade them to rearrange their priorities to make it possible for them to participate.
“Perhaps they should re-read the Universal House of Justice’s Riḍván 1974 Message, or its letter of May 1975 to National Spiritual Assemblies in which it said this:
“ ‘It is becoming increasingly understood by the friends why the Five Year Plan places such great emphasis upon the firmness of the foundations and the efficiency of the operation of the Local Spiritual Assemblies.
“ ‘This is very heartening, for upon the degree to which the members of these Assemblies grasp the true significance of the Divine Institutions on which they serve, arise selflessly to fulfill their prescribed and sacred duties, and persevere in their endeavors, depends to a large extent the healthy growth of the world-wide community of the Most Great Name, the force of its outward thrust, and the strength of its supporting roots.’ ”
The Bahá’ís of Babylon and Islip, New York, proclaimed the Faith on Naw-Rúz with tree-planting ceremonies in both communities. Government officials were present at both ceremonies. The public relations departments of Babylon and Islip photographed the ceremonies and volunteered to submit publicity to the local press.
105-Year-Old Believer Passes Away[edit]
Mrs. Minnie Brockington of Nesmith, South Carolina, one of the oldest Bahá’ís known to be living in this country, entered the Abhá Kingdom on June 30, 1977, at the age of 105.
Her husband, David Brockington, died in May at the age of 101. Mr. Brockington, who learned of the Faith in 1972 at a Kingstree, South Carolina, tobacco warehouse, taught actively until his death, using a cassette tape recorder.
The Brockingtons were believed to have had one granddaughter and one great-grandson who are Bahá’ís.
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Coming Next Month in The American Bahá’í |
Teaching
Continued From Page 1
‘pre-formation seminar’ has been developed by the National Teaching Committee to help with this understanding.
“Completion of the seminar not only helps the believers understand the nature and functions of an Assembly, it also provides the National Spiritual Assembly with information about the boundaries of the community and that the Bahá’ís have been duly enrolled.
“APPROVAL for holding the election or joint declaration is then given, the Assembly forms, and recognition of the formation of the Assembly can be made within 48 hours after the papers reach the National Office.
“While these are simple suggestions and should be basic to any good teaching program,” says Mr. Conkling, “their effect upon the ultimate fate of an Assembly is incalculable.”
Many a Local Spiritual Assembly, he says, might never have been lost or jeopardized had deepening and consolidation followed on the heels of the teaching work.
“And with upwards of 400 Assemblies to be formed in the few remaining months of the Five Year Plan to reach our goal of 1,400,” says Mr. Conkling, “we can’t afford to lose any. Each one of them is precious, and every effort must be made to assure that it rests on a firm and lasting foundation.”