The American Bahá’í/Volume 9/Issue 2/Text
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Bahá’ís in Los Angeles hand out to seekers balloons imprinted with the Bahá’í Week theme, “One Planet, One People... Please.”
One of 110 in California
Glamor, Excitement Mark Los Angeles Bahá’í Week[edit]
“Whosoever ariseth to aid our Cause, God will render him victorious over ten times ten thousand souls, and should he wax in his love for Me, him will We cause to triumph over all that is in heaven and all that is on earth.”—Bahá’u’lláh
These words are a source of encouragement and inspiration to every Bahá’í. The Bahá’ís in Los Angeles felt the challenge and wanted to achieve these victories.
With the stimulation and guidance of the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles and the talent and efforts of many dedicated workers, Bahá’í Week in Los Angeles became a stunning fulfillment of their hopes.
The California Regional Teaching Committee last summer asked communities throughout the state to hold Bahá’í Week observances and furnished them with ideas and materials to help carry out the request. The Los Angeles Bahá’í Week observance was one of 110 held in California in the latter part of 1977.
The ambitious activities in Los Angeles, which spanned the week of November 13–20, were preceded by the Commemoration of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh on Friday evening, November 11.
This was a festive occasion for the friends in Los Angeles who gathered at the Bahá’í Center to pray for the success of the upcoming Bahá’í Week and to enjoy and support one another’s enthusiasm for the activities and programs in which most would participate.
THE LOS ANGELES Center was kept open to the public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during Bahá’í Week. People could browse freely through the Book Shop and were able to ask questions of volunteers. Dedicated Bahá’ís gave of their time and energy so
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Gratified impressive evidence increased teaching activity American Bahá’í community. Momentum gained recent Victory Campaign should not be allowed to lag. Call upon all Local Spiritual Assemblies all friends maintain indeed increase efforts attract confirm new adherents Faith thereby assuring achievement goals assigned your community. Offering prayers Holy Threshold your behalf. The Universal House of Justice
December 1977 |
Assembly Number Nears 1,000 Mark[edit]
The National Teaching Committee has reported the formation in December of 18 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the U.S., the largest number for any month of the Five Year Plan excluding the annual Riḍván formations.
Although the drive to reach 1,000 Assemblies by December 30, the end of the first 100 days of the Victory Campaign, fell just short of the mark, the formation of 18 Assemblies in a one-month period is nonetheless encouraging, as it reflects the accelerated pace of teaching since the start of the campaign in September.
The Teaching Committee has decided during the remainder of the Victory Campaign to focus its efforts on a series of short-range strategies designed to assure the formation before Riḍván 1979 of 1,400 Local Spiritual Assemblies and to win the other goals of the Five Year Plan.
THE FIRST objective was the formation by November 12, the 160th anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, of at least 25 Spiritual Assemblies on Indian Reservations in this country.
The National Teaching Committee and American Indian Teaching Committee worked closely to achieve the goal, and the result of their collaboration was the formation on November 10 of Indian Assemblies Nos. 25 and 26, giving the U.S. its first homefront victory of the Five Year Plan.
Once that was done, the Teaching Committee turned its attention to the goal of raising the number of Local Assemblies to 1,000 by December 30. Enough Assemblies were in the process of formation to reach the goal, but some of them couldn’t complete the necessary procedures in time.
On Saturday, October 29, the Bahá’í community of Anoka, Minnesota, entered this float in the annual ‘Halloween Capital of the World’ parade that was attended by some 20,000 area residents. The float, using the theme ‘We Are Flowers of One Garden,’ was warmly received by those watching the parade. The event closely followed a mass mailing in which fireside invitations were sent to 4,000 area homes only three weeks before the parade.
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Inside
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Secretariat Seeks 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 résumé to the National Spiritual Assembly, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Persians Meet, Map Plan Goals[edit]
Two hundred of southern California’s 450 Persian Bahá’ís met at the Los Angeles Bahá’í Center in late November to discuss the part they must play in winning the goals of the Five Year Plan in the U.S.
The majority of those who attended the November 29 meeting, which was convened on only six days’ notice, had only recently come to this country, and like most Persian Bahá’ís here, had settled in large Bahá’í communities in California.
One reason the National Teaching Committee asked for the meeting was to urge the Persian friends in California to disperse to goal localities. Similar meetings may be held later this year in New York City, Texas and Utah, where Persian believers also are heavily concentrated.
IT WAS suggested that if Persian believers were aware of goal areas in the U.S. before leaving Irán, they might not settle where there already are many Bahá’ís. Such information could be disseminated through closer cooperation between the National Spiritual Assemblies of both countries, said a report evaluating the meeting.
The meeting began with an address by Steven Foster, former chairman of the foreign language department at the U.S. Embassy in Irán who is now a staff member at the National Teaching Committee office.
“If you have already put down roots in non-goal areas,” he told the friends in their native tongue, “it takes courage to leave.”
Mr. Foster was followed by Fereshte Taheri Bethel, from San Diego. “The union of East and West must become a reality,” she said, adding that the Persians must be largely responsible for this unity.
Some of the friends who attended the Persian Conference in November at the Los Angeles Bahá’í Center.
MRS. BETHEL also traced the importance teaching has played in the Buddhist, Christian and Islamic dispensations. “It has always been a spiritual activity,” she said.
The friends were alerted to the unfilled goals in California by Carol Allen, secretary of the California Regional Teaching Committee.
Dr. Alfred Neumann, representing the International Goals Committee, told the friends they could help win the pioneering goals either by going themselves or by deputizing others.
Mr. Foster said that culturally, Persians are accustomed to being invited or assigned to participate in projects of the institutions and their committees, rather than volunteering. With this in mind, the National Teaching Committee had those at the meeting write on a blank card their names, addresses, phone numbers and ways they would like to serve the Faith.
Almost everyone turned in a card, and each person who did will receive a call from the National Teaching Committee, the Persian Homefront Pioneering Committee or the Persian Orientation Committee, inviting him or her to take part in special projects.
Among the Bahá’ís at the meeting was Houshmand Aghili, one of the most popular entertainers in Irán. He delighted the friends with his songs.
In evaluating the meeting, Mr. Foster said, “The fruits of this meeting will become more apparent when the results of the follow-up phone calls are known.”
Persian singer Houshmand Aghili entertains at the Persian Conference in Los Angeles.
Washington Host to Media Seminar[edit]
Twenty-four Bahá’í communities in western Washington state were represented at a Bahá’í Media Seminar held October 22-23 in Seattle.
Sponsored by the Bahá’í Media Team of western Washington, the two-day conference familiarized participants with the many media opportunities available to Bahá’ís, and discussed ways in which to make media efforts more productive.
The use of newspapers, visual aids, radio and television were presented by local Bahá’ís experienced in these areas.
Also present was George Hill, chairman of the Bahá’í Media Council of Los Angeles County, who attended the seminar at the invitation of the Media Team to discuss media use in southern California.
Among the major points emphasized at the seminar were the need to take advantage of Bahá’í events as sources for media publicity, and for Bahá’í communities to share their media experiences with one another.
The advantages of forming intercommunity committees to combine efforts and resources to use more effectively media outlets in a given area were pointed out, along with the need to establish the sort of warm and dependable relationships with media personnel that can be critical to the successful promotion of the Faith.
Participants returned to their communities in western Washington with an increased awareness of the vital role that mass media use must play to support proclamation activities and win the teaching goals of the Five Year Plan.
James “Big Jim” Edwards retired from the House of Worship grounds crew in October 1977 after serving for 22 years. He has returned regularly as a volunteer since then.
Center Staff Bids ‘Big Jim’ Goodbye[edit]
Although he retired last October after 22 years of service, James Edwards, known affectionately as “Big Jim” to the House of Worship grounds crew and other personnel at the Bahá’í National Center, still helps in the gardens.
He joined the crew in April 1955, “just before Riḍván,” he recalls.
Big Jim says he “knew there was something good about the Bahá’í Faith,” and after nine years on the staff at the National Center he declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
He says the soil in the gardens was poor when he first joined the staff. The roses weren’t growing well. Two years later the garden was filled with beautiful blooms.
“WE USED peat moss and compost and enriched the soil,” says Big Jim. “The change was so great we almost didn’t recognize the roses two years later.”
Seventy-year-old Big Jim says he was given the nickname to distinguish him from another “Jim” on the grounds crew who was several inches shorter.
In appreciation of his years of service, the National Spiritual Assembly in October presented Jim with a commemorative medallion during a meeting of the National Center staff.
The front of the medallion depicts the House of Worship and includes the words, “Bahá’í Faith.” The back has a nine-pointed rosette and says, “All the prophets of God proclaim the same truth,” and “Ye are all the fruits of one tree and leaves of one branch.”
Science Essays Third Volume in Bahá’í Series[edit]
The Science of Religion is a collection of three papers presented by mathematician William S. Hatcher to the Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá’í Faith.
The author, a Bahá’í since 1957, received his doctorate in mathematics from the Université de Neuchatel in Switzerland in 1963, and is presently Professeur Titulaire of mathematics at University Laval in Quebec City, Canada. He has lectured at major universities in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
The first of these three essays has as its theme that “scientific method, rightly conceived, is universal in its application, and that religion, rightly conceived, must conform to scientific method.”
The second article concludes that “while science supplies the method by which we examine and understand religious phenomena, religion based on prophetic revelation provides us with the essential experience of spiritual realities.”
The third article devotes its attention to “all aspects of religion—the esthetic, emotional, cognitive, and social—showing them to be parts of one process.”
The Science of Religion is one of a series of books called Etudes Bahá’í Studies. They consist of selected papers presented at the annual meetings of the Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá’í Faith, and other scholarly works.
The three volumes of Etudes Bahá’í Studies that have been printed so far are Volume I: The Proceedings of the First Annual Meeting; Volume II: The Science of Religion, and Volume III: The Metaphorical Nature of Reality, by John Hatcher.
Only Volume II: The Science of Religion is presently available through the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. The cost is $1.25.
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was incorporated September 1. Members are (top row, left to right) Frank J. Lucatelli, chairman; Paul A. Lang, vice-chairman; John C. Forbes; Wesley Taborn; Dr. Ezzat’u’llah Safapour; Virginia Lucatelli, corresponding secretary. Front row, left to right, are Dr. Yasuyuki Hosoda; Ruth McGlocklin, membership and records; Patricia A. Lang, treasurer.
Gregory Institute Discloses Agenda for February, March[edit]
The following schedule of events has been announced for the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute at Hemingway, South Carolina:
February 19—“Basic Facts,” a talk for new believers by Trudy White, secretary of the South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee.
February 25-26—Intercalary Days celebration with music by the Unity Bluegrass Band, Dayspring, and singer-guitarist Red Grammer.
March 4-5—“Fasting: The Spirit of the Law.”
March 11-12—“To Be Young, Gifted and Bahá’í: Part II,” for persons 15-21 who share the experience of being Bahá’ís in a non-Bahá’í world.
March 18-19—“Forming a Local Spiritual Assembly,” sponsored by the South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee and open to all Bahá’ís.
March 24-26—“The Family Is One,” an exploration of creative ways in which to strengthen the family in service to the Cause.
Further information may be obtained by writing to the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Route 2, Box 123, Hemingway, SC 29554, or by phoning 803-558-5093.
The Fund: Plain Talk About a ‘Touchy Matter’[edit]
(Excerpts from a talk by Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, at the Connecticut District Convention, October 2, 1977.)
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The Beauty of Sacrifice There are different meanings for the word “sacrifice.” The beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, often refers to sacrifice as an act of deprivation and self-denial. He also talks of the “spirit” of sacrifice, its sacred nature. There is yet another meaning that defines sacrifice as “permitting injury.” Could this be our most common understanding, an emotional definition of sacrifice as “suffering, pain, and great tribulation”? The beauty of self-deprivation is the result—a growth both in constancy and severance. The spirit of sacrifice is found in its ancient meaning, “to do something holy; to make sacred.” When we sacrifice for the Faith, we are not asked to do injury to ourselves. We are encouraged to return to God that which He has so bountifully bestowed upon us. With reverence and a sense of justice, we deny our material desires so that we may increase our spiritual attributes. True sacrifice, then, can only be a sign of prosperity—an abundant wealth of spirit. |
There are a few facts about the National Fund which you may not know. The Fund is not doing half as well as it should, and the reason, as we have been repeatedly told by the Universal House of Justice, is not material, but spiritual.
We can prove that money is not the problem because whenever there is something for sale, it is bought immediately by the Bahá’ís. For example, a few years ago we organized a ship to take us to the International Conference in Jamaica. All the tickets ($400 apiece) were sold out in three weeks, which means that there are a thousand Bahá’ís or so who are willing to put out $400,000 on the spot for a 10-day cruise to a lovely island in the Caribbean under Bahá’í auspices. Now that, I think, is proof positive that the funds are there. But when you tell the community that you have a $400,000 deficit, nothing happens.
The Fund is not the only area in which we are not achieving our goals. For instance, we have about a year and a half remaining in the Five Year Plan and about 400 Local Spiritual Assemblies to form. We are supposed to have 7,000 localities where Bahá’ís reside. We have approximately 1,000 yet to open.
IT IS MY contention that all of these problems are related, that not one of these potential failures stands by itself. They are all linked together.
When the Bahá’ís realize what is needed, they invariably arise and accomplish the task. But talking about money is a touchy matter, I will tell you why.
In a society which has become progressively more materialistic, money has become progressively more important. Money has always meant certain kinds of power, but in some societies that power has been limited. If you live in a society that lives by gathering coconuts and fishing in the lagoon, a coin may give you some status but there are very few things you may be able to buy.
Our situation is the reverse. Here in the United States everything is evaluated in terms of dollars. I remember how shocked I was the first time I heard somebody on the radio saying, “Today there was a million-dollar fire, three individuals were killed and one fireman was overcome by smoke.”
If three people were killed, how was it a million-dollar fire? Who has estimated the value of human life? We put a price tag on everything.
ANOTHER expression which I learned when I was studying English was, “He’s worth a hundred-thousand dollars.” This means that he has assets valued at a hundred-thousand dollars, but for my money he may not be worth a dollar. So you see we have created confusion in our minds between the value of a bank account or a house, and the worth of a human being.
When a society comes to that point, anyone who talks about money touches you to the quick. You feel endangered and threatened. Anyone who mentions the Fund has bared his knife. It is not the few dollars that are threatened, it is your whole being that is threatened.
Now let us look at the relationship of money to the Bahá’í Faith. Since the Bahá’í Faith has to exist and operate in society, it has to pay its bills. We know, for instance, that the Temple is the Holiest House of Worship ever to be raised to Bahá’u’lláh in this Dispensation; but we have to pay $80,000 a year for insurance on that Temple.
Why pay so much? Because, if somebody should slip on the steps and break his leg, he can sue you for half a million dollars; and he is likely to. Therefore, you have to have insurance.
DO YOU WANT to receive The American Bahá’í in the mail? You have to buy paper, and the price of paper does not move up and down in accordance with the state of the Bahá’í Fund. The printers couldn’t care less. In fact, they do not even read The American Bahá’í. Therefore, they may increase the price by, let’s say, 20 per cent when our budget has only grown by 7 per cent.
In order to operate in this kind of society, we do need money. This is self-evident. However, there is an even more important point which is not as self-evident to the friends. That is the mistaken distinction between what constitutes spirituality and what constitutes materialism.
When you talk about material things, about being captured by the material world to the point where your soul is destroyed, this is evil. But “matter,” as such, is not evil. If matter were evil in essence, why would the good Lord create a body and then put a soul into it? There must be something good about it if the material body is to be the matrix, the form for the education of the soul.
THE SAME reasoning frequently is applied to Bahá’í institutions. People say we have prayers and meditations, and that is our “spiritual” body. They also say we have our Local Spiritual Assembly and its Treasury, and categorize them as “material.”
This is nonsense; the institutions of the Bahá’í Faith could be better compared to a skeleton and the spiritual teachings likened to the flesh of the Bahá’í Faith.
If you take a very beautiful body and extract the skeleton, you know what will happen to the flesh. It is not going to stand there, and it is not going to look very beautiful. It will collapse upon itself. A skeleton walking around by itself will not be attractive, but when it is clothed in flesh you have a whole being.
So let us not think of the National Fund, the local Fund, the local Treasurer, the national Treasurer, and all the other institutions as non-spiritual, somehow distracting us from the business of educating our souls and rising above the entanglements of daily life, because this supposition is a false supposition.
Shoghi Effendi wrote: “The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh ... should be viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not only as further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man’s collective life on this planet.” (World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, page 163)
WE ARE not going to raise mankind to a higher stage of existence unless we mobilize all of our resources. We have to pray and meditate. We have to be able to act, and to achieve this, we have to have material resources.
If we are to send pioneers all over the world to create the framework for the Bahá’í administrative order, we have to buy airplane tickets. If we are to communicate with every Bahá’í, we have to publish a newspaper and write letters. When the number of Bahá’ís in a community reaches the level where they can no longer meet in someone’s living room, we have to rent or buy a local Center or else the community life will be practically destroyed.
These are only a few examples of why contributing to the Bahá’í Fund is an indispensable part of the life of every Bahá’í. If we can begin to surmount the obstacle of wanting to categorize the Fund into a separate part of our lives—then I think we will see just how rapidly the Cause of God can grow and exert its influence on mankind, simply because we have provided everything that is necessary for the existence and the administrative functioning of the Bahá’í community.
It’s Not That Simple. The National Spiritual Assembly of Canada explains why:
“We frequently receive letters and comments from individual Bahá’ís suggesting that the National Spiritual Assembly help the friends to relate to the Fund by supplying a figure (an average or percentage) that could be used as a guide or base for helping them to determine how much to contribute to the Fund.
“The Writings make it clear what the standards for giving are and that they are NOT directly related to the size of the budget or, indeed, the needs of the Fund. These standards are: sacrificial giving, regular giving, and universal participation in contributing to the Fund as well as all other aspects of Bahá’í life. Contributing to the Fund is a personal and therefore a confidential activity of each Bahá’í. The confidentiality protects each of us from making comparisons of our giving with the giving of others. Thus the only comparison any Bahá’í can make is to compare what he is giving to the Fund to how much, how regularly, and how sacrificially he himself could give.
“For these reasons, we do not feel it wise to suggest that if every believer were to give X dollars (an average obtained by dividing the budget by the number of believers) we could meet our national budget. Such a figure could tend to burden those who cannot meet such an average, or to “satisfy” those who feel they have done “their share” by contributing the average amount. There is no support for such a concept in the Writings... The only thing we are called upon to relate ourselves to is what each of us can give and the quality with which it is offered at the Sacred Threshold.”
U.S. Community Holds Key[edit]
Seeing the large deficit that has developed in the National Bahá’í Fund brings to mind a similar situation in 1970. Here is a portion of a letter addressed to the American Bahá’í community from the Universal House of Justice dated December 29, 1970:
“Your National Spiritual Assembly is, at this very time, taking urgent steps to acquaint each one of you with the serious condition of your National Fund, and we are sure that, as soon as you know of this situation, you will respond with the generosity and self-sacrifice that are characteristic of the American Bahá’í community…
“The administration of the Cause in the United States is entering a completely new phase, of high promise, challenging problems, and golden opportunities. You are the cradle of the Administration, and in this development too you can become a pattern for the entire Bahá’í world. The essential requirement at this time is complete unity and whole-hearted support of your National Spiritual Assembly, both in action and in funds.
“Once again, the progress of the Cause throughout the world hangs largely on the response and single-minded devotion of the American followers of Bahá’u’lláh. That they may arise with characteristic youthful fervor and trust in Almighty God is our ardent prayer at the Sacred Threshold.”
The Universal House of Justice
The Bahá’ís of Walnut Creek-Danville Judicial District, California, presented awards to the principal and three teachers from the Glorietta Elementary School in Orinda at their annual Educational Awards Dinner at the Brittany Inn on Friday, October 7. The guest speaker was Ron Gilpatrick, a Bahá’í from San Jose, California.
Fund Donation A Special Gift For Ayyám-i-Há[edit]
Want to give a special present for Ayyám-i-Há? Why not send a contribution to the National Bahá’í Fund in honor of a friend or relative? The Office of the Treasurer will send him or her an attractive engraved card telling of your special gift. Be sure to include the recipient’s name and address with your contribution!
Houston Bahá’ís Active At Women’s Conference[edit]
They ranged from youngsters barely into their teens to the elderly with silver hair and canes. Some were in wheelchairs. They were red or yellow, black, white or brown—and most of them were women.
They came from all parts of the country to the Sam Houston Center in Houston, Texas, the weekend before Thanksgiving to participate in the National Women’s Conference.
“It was a unific expression of America at its best,” said Dr. Wilma Brady, official observer at the conference for the National Spiritual Assembly. “The whole atmosphere of that place was about happiness and unity.”
Dr. Brady, a representative of the U.S. Bahá’í community at the United Nations, said the conference was “the most remarkable example of unity I have seen outside the Bahá’í world.”
OTHER Bahá’ís attending included Dr. Joy Benson, the official government representative from Guam, and Mary Figir, official international guest of the U.S. State Department from the Yap Islands in the Carolines.
The major Bahá’í teaching effort at the conference was organized by the Spiritual Assembly of Houston. One thousand invitations to two Bahá’í receptions were distributed to delegates and observers.
The cover of the invitation depicted a soaring bird and included Bahá’u’lláh’s statement comparing the development of women and men to the wings of a bird.
One of those who received an invitation was an oral historian for the conference. She taped a half-hour interview with Dr. Brady that will be stored at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., along with other tapes from the conference.
THE TWO receptions, at the Houston Bahá’í Center, were times of informal discussion of the Faith. Twenty-five to 30 people attended each of them, including several non-Bahá’ís who wished to learn more about the Bahá’í view of the equality of men and women.
The conference agenda included interfaith services at 8:30 and 10 o’clock Sunday morning. Bahá’ís worked with members of other religions to plan the programs.
The Houston Assembly reports that the Bahá’í concept of the equality of men and women was well-received among the program planners. Mary Helen Brown, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Houston, was a featured singer at the services.
The Bahá’ís of Houston sponsored two receptions for participants at the National Women’s Conference there November 18–21. Seen with Houston Bahá’ís who attended the reception is Wilma Brady, official observer at the conference for the National Spiritual Assembly. Dr. Brady is second from the left in the front row.
Dr. Brady also attended a brunch given by a New York State delegate and attended by a National IWY (International Women’s Year) Commissioner. She was able to mention the Faith when asked her official capacity at the conference.
“Over-all, the conference was an historic step toward peace,” said Dr. Brady.
The next National Women’s Conference in the U.S. is scheduled in 1980.
Burnsville Assembly Teaches, Learns by Mail[edit]
For the Bahá’ís in Burnsville, Minnesota, a largely upper-middle class residential suburb south of Minneapolis, the problem was the same as that faced by many Bahá’í communities in this country—how to introduce an ever-larger circle of people to the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
“We felt rather frustrated,” says Russ Vestlie, one of the nine adult Bahá’ís in Burnsville who make up its Spiritual Assembly. “We knew there were seekers out there, but it was hard for us to contact them and improve the image of the Faith in our community.”
Instead of merely fretting about its problem, the Burnsville Assembly decided to do something about it.
Its frustration gave rise to a three-year Burnsville teaching plan, an important part of which is a direct mail campaign designed to blanket the community before the end of this year with information about the Faith and to give every resident of Burnsville an opportunity to respond to the Bahá’í Message.
THE MAIL campaign was begun in April 1977 when a flyer patterned after one of those offered in the direct mail kit available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust was sent to 350 residents of a large apartment complex in which two Bahá’í families lived.
Although the flyer included an information request card, no responses were received.
Undaunted, the Assembly set to work gathering the sort of information that would make its next mailing more effective.
By coincidence, Mr. Vestlie had gathered information on direct mail theory and practice through a project to which he was assigned by his employer.
Using his knowledge and that gained through consultation with a direct mail expert, the Assembly concluded that its second direct mail effort in the fall of 1977 should include these elements:
IT SHOULD be thought of as a teaching tool rather than a proclamation activity. Its purpose should be to find seekers and motivate them to respond. The mailing should be designed to maximize the likelihood that interested persons would return an interest card.
The format of the mailing should be a personal-looking letter and response card in an envelope. This is the format most direct mail experts believe generates the most attention and response.
Since package testing is the acid test of direct mail, various package designs should be tested against one another to determine the best package to use as judged by response rates.
As it has been shown that an informational brochure frequently lowers the response rate by diffusing the reader’s focus, packages should be tested with and without a brochure.
IT WAS decided that a reasonable way to attract a response would be to offer a free book that promised to address important questions the seeker might have. Around that principle, the final package was designed with the help of Tom Kubala, a member of the Burnsville Assembly who is an architect and graphic artist.
Exactly 4,000 addressed envelopes were separated at random into four stacks of 1,000 each. Stacks then were stuffed according to the following scheme:
- All stacks were stuffed with the same letter from the Burnsville Assembly.
- Stacks 1 and 3 were stuffed with a reply card describing two free books and offering a choice of one, while stacks 2 and 4 were stuffed with reply cards describing four free books from which to choose one.
- Stacks 3 and 4 also were stuffed with an informational brochure; stacks 1 and 2 were not. The response cards in stacks 3 and 4 were coded to determine from which stacks responses came.
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“... the mailing brought us into contact with people who’d been searching for years; they’d simply never heard of the Bahá’í Faith.” |
ENVELOPES were hand-addressed or typed using a leased reverse telephone directory, a task that required about 120 to 150 man-hours. Stuffing required another 20 to 25 man-hours.
The mailings were made between October 19 and 21, with roughly 90 percent of the letters sent to single-family residences and townhouses in Burnsville. The other 10 percent were mailed to apartment buildings in the community.
The Assembly managed to get a feature article about the Faith in the city’s most widely-read newspaper, the Burnsville Current, two weeks before the mailing. The newspaper was approached with the rationale that the proposed mailing would raise public interest in the Faith in Burnsville.
Also, ads were placed in two consecutive issues of the paper, one before and one after the mailing.
WHEN THE mailing was completed, a total of 29 responses was received. The number of responses by stacks was as follows:
- Stack 1 (no brochure, choice of 2 books), 6 responses.
- Stack 2 (no brochure, choice of 4 books), 14 responses.
- Stack 3 (brochure, choice of 2 books), 3 responses.
- Stack 4 (brochure, choice of 4 books), 6 responses.
In all, 20 of the 29 responses were from stacks that offered no brochure but a choice of either two or four books.
THE ASSEMBLY thus concluded on the basis of its test that:
- Offering a choice of four books instead of two doubles the response rate.
- Excluding the brochure also doubles the response rate.
An analysis of statistical variance was performed to determine if the results showed statistically significant differences between package designs. The analysis showed that only a 5 percent probability exists that the differences observed between the four package designs came about by chance.
The conclusion was that it was 95 percent certain that offering the choice of four books increased the response rate, and 90 percent certain that excluding the brochure increased the rate.
“WE LEARNED a lot from this mailing,” says Mr. Vestlie. “One thing we found was that The Wine of Astonishment and The Bahá’í Faith were much more appealing, according to the responses received, than the other two books offered, Thief in the Night and The Heavens Are Cleft Asunder.”
Of those who asked for books, 11 requested The Wine of Astonishment, 10 The Bahá’í Faith, only three Thief in the Night, two The Heavens Are Cleft Asunder, and three asked for unspecified books.
As a follow-up to the mailing, the Assembly sent a brief cover letter and Bahá’í Interest Card along with the free book to each of those who responded. The Assembly’s address and phone number were stamped on the inside cover of each book.
Within two weeks of the mailing, the Assembly had received Interest Cards from two individuals and a phone call from another who invited Bahá’í teachers to her home. A fourth serious seeker was contacted through the newspaper article.
“ALTHOUGH the mailing was too small to warrant any hard and fast conclusions,” says Mr. Vestlie, “it seems reasonable to make these observations:
- “1. The four-book offering had a significantly higher response than the two-book offering.
- “2. The response was increased by excluding the brochure.
- “3. The package with the highest response (4 books, no brochure) would have drawn a 1 percent response on a large scale.”
The Assembly plans another mailing next spring or summer covering that part of Burnsville missed in the previous mailing, mostly apartment complexes, and using information gained in the first mailing to put together its package.
“WE MAY look for other books to offer,” says Mr. Vestlie, “or change the description of those we offered in the previous mailing to make them more attractive.
“We’re very excited about the campaign and what we’ve learned from it,” he adds.
“In a community such as Burnsville, which is fairly affluent, we sometimes tend to feel that everyone is apathetic toward spiritual matters. But the mailing brought us into contact with people who’d been searching for years; they’d simply never heard of the Bahá’í Faith.
“The campaign has made the Assembly more aware of its responsibility to reach the waiting souls, and at least to give them an opportunity to respond to the Faith.
“The Assembly Development Program we participated in last year also was quite helpful in impressing upon us the seriousness of the campaign, so that our evaluation was done with painstaking care.”
THE COST of last October’s mailing was $753.65 or 15 cents per letter. The cost per book placed (29 responses) was $22.17.
Based on the information it gained from that mailing, the Assembly estimates a cost of $548.29 for its mailing next summer, or 11 cents per letter. Based on an assumed response rate of 1 percent, the cost of placing each book would be only $10.97.
“While direct mail costs are considerable,” says Mr. Vestlie, “it wouldn’t appear to be out of line to spend, say, $2,000 to $3,000 to announce to 25,000 households, perhaps 50,000 people, the existence of a Bahá’í community in their area and send a free introductory book to the 250 to 750 most interested and receptive persons.
“Our mailing has brought us into contact with many people who are potential Bahá’ís. It has stimulated them to take the first small step in investigating the Faith, and has put a Bahá’í book in their homes. It also has let thousands of others know that the Bahá’í Faith exists in their community.”
Michigan Notes Plan Victories[edit]
Teaching Briefs
A teaching campaign in Jackson, Michigan, has produced good results with three declarations last April and three more in October. Two of the new Bahá’ís opened new localities, winning victories for the Five Year Plan. The Jackson community also has six billboards around the city proclaiming the Faith...
In the last two years, Holland, Michigan, has grown from one believer to six, with two more expected to join that community soon. . .
The Bahá’í Group in Wayne, Michigan, reported two declarations in November, each of whom is eager to begin teaching the Faith...
The Town of Brookhaven, New York, has been alive with teaching and proclamation activities in recent months including a Universal Children’s Day observance at the Little Flower Orphanage, a Bahá’í fair exhibit at Riverhead, New York, proclamation events at two hospitals in Port Jefferson, and a Human Rights Week program at Stony Brook University with posters, information tables, newspaper coverage and a public meeting with assistant to the Auxiliary Board Mrs. Nancy Mondschein as guest speaker and entertainment by the music group Hollow Reed.
The Bahá’í Association at the university has secured the 25 signatures required for recognition there, and regular weekly firesides are being held on campus...
Shown here are some of the 23 Bahá’ís who gathered October 8–9 for a teaching event on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. The photo appeared in the Milk River Press, a newspaper in Havre, Montana, that is run by a Bahá’í, and large ads announcing the teaching event appeared in the Press and the Crier, an Indian publication distributed on the Reservation. In the rear of the group (with hat) is Bob Rinehart, a pioneer to the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. In the middle row (left to right) are Lana Lansing of Bozeman, Montana; Florence Coleman, an Indian believer on the Fort Belknap Reservation; Betty Bennett of Butte, secretary of the Montana District Teaching Committee; Jack Saunders of Victor, Montana; Leila Galinkin of Bozeman. In the front row (left to right) are two daughters of Mrs. Coleman, Mr. Rinehart’s son, and Jennifer Montgomery of Zurich, Montana.
The “Rawlins Love Attack,” a proclamation plan that includes mass mailings, radio and newspaper publicity, public meetings and teaching with a goal of forming a Local Spiritual Assembly in Rawlins, Wyoming, by Riḍván 1978 is underway. The Spiritual Assembly of Laramie has pledged its full support for the Love Attack, and three other Wyoming Assemblies have been asked to contribute toward winning the goal...
A minister in western Washington state attended a Heart to Heart teaching campaign meeting. Afterward, he invited the speaker to his church, where information about the Faith was received enthusiastically by the congregation. Following the presentation, the minister told the Bahá’í speaker that if what he said is true, we should all be Bahá’ís; he then said that the day would come shortly when he would probably lead his congregation into the Faith...
On Friday, October 14, the Spiritual Assembly of Minneapolis, Minnesota, hosted a Unity Feast as a Victory Campaign teaching event. Thirty-two adults and nine children attended, including five non-Bahá’ís. The Minneapolis Assembly was so pleased with the results that it immediately began to prepare for a second Unity Feast on World Religion Day, January 14...
The Bahá’í community of Fort Collins, Colorado, observed Universal Children’s Day in October by presenting two puppet shows at the public library.
The Bahá’í community in Fort Collins, Colorado, observed Universal Children’s Day in October by presenting two puppet shows at the public library. This is one of three photos in the local newspaper, the Coloradoan. Some 400 flyers were distributed, and spots were run on four radio stations. About 170 people attended the shows, most of whom were non-Bahá’ís and 100 of whom were children.
One of the shows, “If Everyone Were Chicken,” was from the magazine Child’s Way; the other, “Monsters and Dragons,” originated with New Mexico Bahá’ís.
The Coloradoan newspaper ran an eight-column-inch ad, then did a feature article with photos about the shows. Some 400 flyers were distributed, and announcements were run on four local radio stations. Around 170 people attended the shows, most of whom were non-Bahá’ís and 100 of whom were children...
Two traveling teachers were interviewed for half an hour each at a local radio station in Ute, Colorado. Most of the people in the town of 800 are members of the Ute Indian tribe. The same two Bahá’ís have been invited back for the Sun Dance in July. The Sun Dance is the most sacred ritual of the Ute, and this is the first time in several years that anyone other than Native Americans has been invited to attend...
A Latin American Bahá’í couple in Chicago, Illinois, opened their home to their neighbors and Bahá’ís on November 26 for a potluck dinner. Despite the bitter cold, an estimated 70 people ventured out to enjoy food, fun and conversation...
Western North Carolina has formed its fifth Local Spiritual Assembly, winning that District Teaching Committee’s goal of the Five Year Plan. By the end of December North Carolina had formed five Local Assemblies in three months...
South Carolina has set a goal of having 1,000 active believers and 80 Local Assemblies by Riḍván 1979. There are now 43 Local Assemblies in the state...
In Lynchburg, Virginia, religion classes at Lynchburg Bible College and a Catholic high school have assigned at least 18 students to write papers on the Faith...
The Bahá’í Youth Club of Palisade, Colorado, which includes the communities of Grand Junction and Mesa County, hosted a party on October 29 under the sponsorship of the Palisade Spiritual Assembly that was attended by 40–50 people, about one-third of whom were not Bahá’ís. The party included a bonfire, hay ride, “ghost house,” fortune teller, campfire singing, costumes, refreshments, and much more...
Mayor Charles Clack of Garland, Texas (fourth from left) receives the book Tokens From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh as a part of the Garland Bahá’í Group’s United Nations Day observance. Making the presentation (left to right) are Chuck Chase, Mary Kay Boyce, Peggy Hatley, Art Hatley, Alice Chase, Bahman Yazdani, Afsaneh Yazdani. After the photo appeared with an article about UN Day in the newspaper, the Group’s chairman was asked by the mayor’s office to serve as UN Day chairman for the city of Garland. The chairman accepted the position and will work with other social and civic groups in the city for UN Day 1978.
The Bahá’í College Club at Idaho State University in Pocatello participated with the District Teaching Committee of Southern Idaho in the Southwestern Idaho State Fair.
Using the theme, “Ye are all the flowers of one garden,” Bahá’í Club members decorated a truck using hundreds of colorful paper flowers. The Bahá’í float won first place in the religious division, and a photo of Bahá’í children from area communities who rode on the float dressed as flowers appeared on the front page of a local newspaper...
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, has obtained free advertising in the weekly TV Tempo magazine for the community’s twice-monthly public meetings.
The magazine is distributed each week to various business establishments in the parish. The Bahá’í ad was run in four consecutive issues in October and November, and the TV Tempo management said it would be carried as a filler in future issues...
The Faith was mentioned in an article about American Indians written by Cordelia A. Norder, a Bahá’í in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, that appeared on Thanksgiving Day in the Minocqua, Wisconsin, Lakeland Times. The full-page article dealt with Mrs. Norder’s introduction to Indian culture through her contact with a Chippewa, William Wildcat, and his subsequent invitation to her to attend the funeral of his father, Frank Wildcat Sr....
The Brown University Bahá’í Association in Providence, Rhode Island, has been active this year with a booth at the freshman orientation week activities night, many informal firesides, and activities in support of an Urban League meeting on campus dealing with prejudice. The Bahá’í Association is the only campus religious organization funded by the Student Government, largely because it has been made clear that proselytizing is forbidden...
The Bahá’í community of Dania, Florida, was represented with a booth at the 73rd annual “Dania Days” carnival November 4-14, The Bahá’í booth, beneath a tent, included posters and the words “Bahá’í Faith” and “Bahá’u’lláh” in bold letters. Many people stopped to inquire about the Faith, and a number of firesides were held during the 10-day period.
KUDE radio in Oceanside, California, soon will be airing the Jeff Reynolds Show and has signed a one-year contract to broadcast other Bahá’í programs...
A radio program about the Faith is broadcast each Sunday morning from 7 to 8 o’clock on KXFM in Santa Maria, California...
The Spiritual Assembly of Pocatello, Idaho, observed Universal Children’s Day with a public meeting and UNICEF film that was attended by 11 non-Bahá’ís...
More than 40 non-Bahá’ís attended a United Nations Day program sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Carpinteria, California...
In the Santa Barbara–Goleta Judicial District in California, the Spiritual Assembly observed United Nations Day with a tea to which invitations were mailed to around 60 community leaders and religious organizations. Two non-Bahá’ís attended.
The Bahá’í Student Forum at San Jose State University in California has been “teaching the Faith with gusto,” according to a recent report from its secretary, with firesides each Wednesday evening, announcements on campus about the Faith, an article about the Forum and its activities in the student newspaper, and a planned information table in the student union. Shown here (left to right) are seven of the Forum’s 18 members: Linda Gilpatrick, Brian Skeel, Jean Somerhalder, Kraj Sarvian, Deborah King, Sharam Touloui, Timour Ebrahimy.
Lone Youth Fans Oklahoma Flame[edit]
When Darrin Goucher starts talking about what is happening for the Faith in Weatherford, Oklahoma, a listener might easily assume that a Local Spiritual Assembly and at least 15 or 20 other believers were there. But that’s not really the case. Darrin—age 17—is the only Bahá’í in town.
Darrin moved to Weatherford in August to attend Southwestern Oklahoma State University. In doing so, she opened both the town and Custer County, which was a goal of the District Teaching Committee for the Five Year Plan.
One of the first things she did after arriving was to see to it that the Faith was represented in the university’s Homecoming parade. Darrin spent some 41 hours decorating a Volkswagen with plywood panels that said: “Bahá’í Faith: Pioneering for World Unity for 134 years.” As the parade deadline approached, several friends helped her complete the project in time.
BETWEEN 2,000 and 3,000 people saw the parade, and Darrin says, “At least seven of them had movie cameras, so the Faith will show up in their home movies.”
Darrin feels there was an advantage in building the float virtually alone. She was able to give “about 15 firesides,” she says, because so many people stopped to ask why she was the only person working on it.
In mid-October, two more Bahá’ís moved to Custer County and settled in the town of Clinton, 11 miles east of Weatherford. They were from a community that has a Local Spiritual Assembly, and were unfamiliar with the steps necessary to form a Bahá’í Group.
Darrin was able to help, having lived in Spencer, Oklahoma, which has a Group rather than an Assembly. The Custer County Group was formed at the Feast of Qawl, November 22, when the paperwork was forwarded to the Bahá’í National Center.
IN LATE November, she placed ads for the Faith in the university newspaper and the local paper, largely at her own expense.
When an ad about the Faith was placed in a statewide paper by a nearby Local Assembly, five of Darrin’s acquaintances on campus told her about it. “We saw an ad about the Bahá’í Faith,” they said.
One person who responded to the ad lives in Weatherford; Darrin was given the name and plans to contact the person.
Other residents of Weatherford soon will hear of the Faith when a mailer prepared by Darrin arrives at their homes. She plans to send out 300 to 400 mailers early in 1978.
The mailer is based on one used in Darrin’s hometown of Spencer.
SHE PLANNED to address the mailers during her Christmas vacation, using the telephone book as a resource. She also used her vacation to attend the Oklahoma-Texas Winter School; visit the home of her roommate, who is Vietnamese, in Houston, Texas; and make a university-sponsored trip to New Mexico.
She hoped to mention the Faith on that trip by contacting Bahá’ís whose names she had obtained from the National Center.
“I thought moving to Weatherford would really be rough,” she relates, “and that the people would be unreceptive to the Faith.
“Instead, I’ve found many of the students very receptive. They don’t try to knock down what I say. And I’m happy if they just take time to understand the Faith and not consider it as some way-out cult.”
DARRIN IS excited because the Custer County believers have been able to borrow copies of the Victory Weekend tapes. “We missed them in September,” she says. Even so, she held four firesides in her dormitory room during the Victory Campaign.
The Custer County Bahá’ís have met two or three people in Clinton who had heard of the Faith in other cities and are interested in learning more. Darrin has mentioned the Faith to students from Clinton too.
Darrin declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh on January 4, 1974, one month after her mother declared. Darrin’s sister was the first member of the family to become interested in the Faith; her mother studied it to find out if it was safe for her daughter to pursue.
Darrin says one of her goals is to establish a Bahá’í campus club at Southwestern Oklahoma State, but university regulations require a membership of 15 and an approved charter before a club is recognized.
Darrin hasn’t been able so far to find anyone who will join a Bahá’í club. “They think it’s like joining the Faith,” she says.
What would the energetic student with the “conspicuous Bahá’í button” on her purse do if such a club were established?
“Let me put it this way,” she replies. “Once there are 15 Bahá’ís here in Weatherford, I’ll simply pioneer to another unopened area.”
Darrin Goucher, a 17-year-old believer who opened the town of Weatherford, Oklahoma, and the county it is in when she moved there this summer, folds mailers to be sent to local residents. Her move helped fulfill a homefront pioneering goal of the Two Year Youth Program.
Careers for Youth
Choosing Life Work No Easy Task[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a series of articles on career planning and development for youth written by Dorothy Ha’i and Maxine Rossman of Tempe, Arizona. This month’s article deals with skills for career planning.)
“Upon becoming a Bahá’í one’s whole life is, or should become, devoted to the progress of the Cause of God, and every talent or faculty he possesses is ultimately committed to this overriding life objective.”
Wellspring of Guidance, p. 153
“The advice that Shoghi Effendi gave you regarding the division of your time between serving the Cause and attending to your other duties was also given to many other friends both by Bahá’u’lláh and the Master. It is a compromise between the two verses of the Aqdas, one making it incumbent upon every Bahá’í to serve the promotion of the Faith, and the other that every soul should be occupied in some form of occupation that will benefit society. In one of His Tablets Bahá’u’lláh says that the highest form of detachment in this day is to be occupied with some profession and be self-supporting. A good Bahá’í, therefore, is the one who so arranges his life as to devote time both to his material needs and also to the service of the Cause.”
From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
Some Bahá’í youth may be asking such a basic question as “Why work? Why not teach the Faith full-time?” The answer of course is that work is a Commandment of Bahá’u’lláh. More than that, it has been elevated to the station of worship.
“IN THIS great Dispensation, art (or profession) is identical with an act of worship, and this is a clear text of the Blessed Perfection. Therefore, extreme effort should be made in art, and this will not prevent the teaching of the people in that region.
“Nay, rather, each should assist the other in art and guidance. For instance, when the studying of art is with the intention of obeying the commandment of God this study will certainly be done easily and great progress will soon be made therein, and when others discover this fragrance of spirituality in the action itself, the same will cause their awakening. Likewise, managing art (or profession) with propriety will become the means of sociability and affinity; and themselves tend to guide others to the Truth.”
Bahá’í World Faith, p. 377
Assuming that the Bahá’í youth wish to follow the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh regarding work, the question that is likely to follow is: What kind of career should I choose? To answer that question, the person must consider the following ideas:
1. Knowledge of yourself so that you can achieve an increased awareness and understanding of your interests, aptitudes and responsibilities as they relate to various careers.
2. Knowledge of possible career choices and the education needed to qualify for these occupations.
3. Economic awareness so that the youth understand the world of work and its impact on society.
4. Decision-making skills as they relate to career areas being explored.
5. EMPLOYABILITY skills — possession of entry-level skills upon completing one’s formal education.
6. Appreciation and attitudes — developing an understanding and appreciation for the value of continued learning, the arts, and leisure qualities of life.
As we said in the first part of this series, the youth should take an inventory of their interests, read about the jobs they would be most likely to succeed in, and investigate the type of education or training necessary to qualify for them.
Once a career choice is made it would be excellent if the youth could meet one or more people presently in that career, interviewing them or spending some time with them, even working with them if possible.
Next: How to look for a job.
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53 Bahá’ís in the right places will give us a major victory for the FIVE YEAR PLAN! Students, families, senior citizens! Pioneer in the Prairie! Come to the Heartland of America—come to ILLINOIS—a Central State. In the Tablets of the Divine Plan ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: “Continually my ear and eye are turned toward the Central States; perchance a melody from some blessed souls may reach my ears—souls who are the dawning-places of the love of God, the stars of the horizon of sanctification and holiness—souls who will illumine this dark universe and quicken to life this dead world. The joy of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá depends upon this! I hope that you may become confirmed therein.” Southern Illinois has five state universities, many small colleges, and good employment opportunities in the metropolitan areas in both industrial and professional fields. For information call or write:
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Bahá’í communities in the Greater St. Louis area sponsored a Bahá’í booth at the opening of the new St. Louis Convention Center July 24–August 7. Theme of the booth was “The Oneness of Mankind Is Reflected in You.” Thousands of people saw the booth, hundreds accepted literature, some 35 signed the register to be informed of meetings, and a few already have attended firesides. Bahá’ís manned the booth in three-hour shifts for two weeks in what was the most direct proclamation of the Faith to the widest variety of people in the St. Louis area since the beginning of the Five Year Plan.
W. Africa Seeks Pioneers[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: In a recent letter to the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, the Continental Board of Counsellors in Western Africa said that winning the Five Year Plan goals in several West African countries is largely dependent on the arrival of pioneers, and urged American Bahá’ís to consider pioneering there. Following are the Counsellors’ comments about two of these countries. We’ll have more next month.)
THE REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON (French-speaking) has the lion’s share of goals in Western Africa. The believers there are to establish 300 Local Spiritual Assemblies, build 42 local Bahá’í Centers, acquire three district Centers and 50 local endowments by the end of the Five Year Plan.
With little more than a year remaining in the Plan, hardly half of the assigned goals have been achieved. An average of 10 Local Assemblies per month must be formed to assure winning the teaching goals.
Manpower is crucially needed. Since the beginning of the Plan, Cameroon has lost many of its more experienced pioneers, and no one has replaced them.
As an emergency measure, several of the pioneers and local believers will teach and consolidate full-time until the end of the Plan. However, the support and dedicated service of new pioneers is indispensable to the ultimate success of the Five Year Plan in Cameroon.
NIGERIA (English-speaking) is a vast country with a population of more than 80 million. Statisticians have estimated that one of every four Africans is Nigerian.
An army of pioneers is needed to proclaim and establish the Faith in that country. There are single states in Nigeria with more people than are in entire West African countries, but without a single pioneer or even one Bahá’í.
The receptivity to the Faith and tremendous capacity of Nigeria’s indigenous peoples, coupled with an unlimited freedom to teach, makes it imperative that we Bahá’ís seize our opportunity while there is yet time.
Several areas of Nigeria are beginning to witness entry by troops owing to the dedicated efforts of the pioneers and Nigerian believers. But in terms of the Five Year Plan, little more than half the assigned goals have been achieved.
Fulfillment of the pioneer goals for Nigeria is considered a priority by the Continental Board of Counsellors in Western Africa.
Those who are able to respond to this appeal should contact the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
The Culver City, California, Bahá’í community invited the children of that city to a special ‘storytime’ hour at the Culver City Library as a part of its observance of Universal Children’s Day in October. The friends also presented the Bahá’í children’s book ‘The Gift’ in English and Spanish to the library. Shown making the presentation to a member of the library staff are Culver City Bahá’ís Darrell Metcalf (left) and Gaellen Quinn (center).
Time Runs Short in Meeting Goal in Japan[edit]
Last spring, the Universal House of Justice asked the American Bahá’í community to send 20 pioneers to Japan before the end of the Five Year Plan. Thus far, four from our community have gone.
Because of the time it takes to obtain residency permits, the remaining 16 need to arise now if they are to be settled in Japan by Riḍván 1979.
Referring to Japan, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “Great blessings will descend upon the soul who teaches the Cause in that country.”
Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, is said to be the most “westernized” of the Asian nations. Fully 70 per cent of its population—or slightly more than 70 million people—resides in highly industrialized urban centers where modern forms have pushed traditional patterns into an almost forgotten corner.
Yet beneath the modern surface, observers claim, is a unique Japanese essence. Semi-urban and rural areas of Japan reveal a face less sullied by materialism than the urban areas.
JAPAN CONSISTS primarily of four mountainous islands. The climate is temperate, except for severe winters on the island of Hokkaido, and sub-tropical temperatures on the southern island of Kyushu.
Japan boasts the world’s highest literacy rate, having introduced compulsory education a century ago. A university degree is common, especially among the younger generation, and is almost taken for granted by men working in larger cities.
English is a compulsory subject at both secondary and university levels. However, reading and grammar are emphasized, and few Japanese gain fluency in spoken English.
Social conditions in Japan are stable. Modern facilities and amenities can be found everywhere. Transportation in general and railroad transportation in particular are excellent. Health and medical facilities meet high standards.
AT THE END of the Nine Year Plan in 1973 Bahá’ís resided in approximately 250 localities throughout Japan. There were 62 Local Spiritual Assemblies. Twenty books about the Faith were available in Japanese.
The Five Year Plan calls on the Bahá’ís of Japan to expand the number of Assemblies and localities to 100 and 360 respectively. They are to increase teaching, proclamation, publishing and youth activities.
Deepened pioneers are needed to assist Local Spiritual Assemblies, the majority of which are new.
American pioneers who have a college degree could probably be employed in elementary or secondary schools teaching English as a second language, or to teach children of English-speaking personnel.
Employment also might be possible with Japan-based American businesses.
YOUTH COULD study in Japan at one of the two English-language universities in Tokyo.
Marge Hawbaker, who is presently a pioneer to Japan, says, “The Bahá’í pioneer will find the Japanese people extremely responsive to friendly and loving contact. The Japanese treasure the rare opportunity to be friends with a foreigner on a long-term basis.”
If you are interested in pioneering to Japan or making a teaching trip there, contact the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Native Americans enjoy refreshments during the second annual Council Fire at Milwaukee co-sponsored by the Southern Wisconsin Indian Teaching Team and the Spiritual Assembly of Milwaukee.
‘Unity’ Theme at Council Fire[edit]
A number of non-Bahá’ís attended the second annual Council Fire at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, co-sponsored by the Southern Wisconsin Indian Teaching Team and the Spiritual Assembly of Milwaukee.
The theme of the Council Fire at the Milwaukee Bahá’í Center was “Unity.” Among the features was a film presentation of artwork by Bahá’í and Native American artist David Villasenor.
Speakers were Sherman Miller, a Mohican Indian, who talked of the problems Native Americans face in the labor market; Barney Bush of the Shawnee Nation, who spoke on Native American culture and values, and Ron Ballew, a Bahá’í from the Milwaukee community.
Posters advertising the event were placed in every office in Milwaukee owned or operated by Native Americans, and numerous personal invitations were sent to other Native Americans.
The Milwaukee Indian News carried a notice publicizing the event, and post-Council Fire publicity was published in several inner-city neighborhood newspapers.
The Southern Wisconsin Indian Teaching Team is being reorganized as a committee under the Spiritual Assembly of Milwaukee and soon will be planning other activities to help accomplish the goal of reaching Native Americans with the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
Classified Ads[edit]
THE SUNNY South beckons Bahá’ís who would like to homefront pioneer to open goal localities, help form new Local Spiritual Assemblies and help save jeopardized ones. Listed are some of the more urgent needs, all goals of District Teaching Committees for the Five Year Plan. Alabama: The Local Assembly of Tuskegee is functionally jeopardized. Mobile County needs homefront pioneers. Kentucky: Richmond needs more believers to become a Local Assembly. Tennessee: Wilson County has five adults. The unopened city of Jackson would be a good place to settle as it is close to mass-taught areas that need consolidation. Warren County also needs homefront pioneers. West Virginia: Retzel County needs two adult believers. Deputization is available for homefront pioneers to this county. The Local Assembly in Morgantown is jeopardized. Kanawha County needs home-front pioneers. Contact the National Teaching Committee office at 312-256-4400 Ex. 232 or 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, if you would like to go to one of these areas.
PRESTON, Franklin County, Idaho, is a pleasant rural community needing homefront pioneers to fulfill a goal of the Five Year Plan. Job openings listed in September included dairy herdsman, cook, carpenters, dry wall hangers, domestic help, dental assistant, auto body repair, restaurant workers, secretaries. Also some farm land for sale or rent. Contact the Spiritual Assembly of Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Box 8706, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, or phone 208-237-0813.
A DIRECTORY of Bahá’í poets, both published and aspiring, who live in the eastern United States is being compiled by Paul Vega, 10507 Proctor St., Silver Spring, MD 20901. He asks that you send your name, address and phone number if you are interested in being part of the directory, and that you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the directory to be mailed to you once it is completed.
SPRECHEN SIE Deutsch? If so, you might consider spending at least three months in Austria between now and the end of the Five Year Plan as a member of a full-time teaching team that is working in two goal towns in Austria and one in Germany. Knowledge of the German language necessary, but fluency not essential. Contact the International Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
THE SPIRITUAL Assembly of Denton, Texas, would like a pioneer couple to settle in one of its goal areas, Gainesville, Texas, a progressive city of around 15,000 with an educational center, Cooke County Junior College, and eight Persian Bahá’ís, to help draw the community to a higher level of activity while establishing an Assembly there. For information contact the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Denton, Inc., P.O. Box 1022, Denton, TX 76201.
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.
PIONEERS ARE needed for one year or longer to help win the Five Year Plan goals in several South Carolina communities. One of these is Goose Creek, a city of around 30,000 in the Southern District of the state. Goose Creek is mostly residential. People living there can work within a 30-mile radius. Several plants and naval shipyards are hiring, and there are plans for a new factory, employing around 500, in the area. Employment opportunities require skilled personnel, and those in the medical field as well as teachers. For further information, please write to the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Goose Creek, c/o Mrs. Pauline Weaver, 217 Farm Road, Goose Creek, SC 29445.
San Dieguito, Del Mar Observe ‘Bahá’í Week’[edit]
Entertainment by England Dan (right) and John Ford Coley (left), along with the Bahá’í singing duo of Leslie and Kelly, was a highlight of a public proclamation October 29 at the La Paloma Theater sponsored by the Bahá’í communities of San Dieguito and Del Mar, California. An estimated 700 people attended the event.
The Bahá’í communities of San Dieguito and Del Mar, California, brought their Bahá’í Week observance to a successful conclusion October 29 with three public shows at the La Paloma Theater in Encinitas that featured recording stars England Dan and John Ford Coley and were emceed by comedian Stu Gilliam.
Around 500 adults and 200 children attended the shows that were promoted by radio and newspaper advertising. Bahá’ís also placed free tickets in many business establishments and other places to encourage attendance.
Shortly before the shows, England Dan and John Ford Coley and their wives were interviewed and a lengthy article about them printed in the local paper.
They and their families recently moved to Del Mar, enabling that community to form its Local Spiritual Assembly.
The morning show at the La Paloma included magicians and clowns for the children. Also appearing in the afternoon was the singing duo of Leslie and Kelly, who are Bahá’í youth, along with singers Bob Gundry and Paul Blotd. Other musicians participating were guitarist Ovid Stevens and drummer Gary Bulkin.
England Dan and John Ford Coley gave a fireside in the evening following the program, and Stu Gilliam gave one the next day.
About 25 seekers were attracted who have continued to investigate the Faith since Bahá’í Week was concluded.
Assemblies
Continued From Page 1
“Our office works closely with District Teaching Committees and goal Groups to facilitate Assembly formations,” says John Conkling, secretary of the National Teaching Committee.
“We check membership status and other areas of possible concern, and consult with District Teaching Committees on the best ways to help goal Groups achieve Assembly status.”
The National Teaching Committee also encourages homefront pioneering, especially to communities with Groups of seven or eight adult members; disburses money from the special Deputation Fund to assist those who agree to pioneer to an area in which an Assembly will be formed by the move and to remain there at least until the end of the Five Year Plan; counsels District Teaching Committees on ways to maximize use of the new Cluster Teaching plans, and works with them to see that Groups eligible for Assembly status hold pre-formation seminars.
THE NATIONAL Teaching Committee, says Mr. Conkling, feels “very good” about the new wave of teaching activity that has swept through the American Bahá’í community in the wake of the Victory Campaign.
While complete figures on the number of firesides held during the month of firesides from September 20–October 20 aren’t yet available, those that have been received are indicative of the general upsurge in teaching nationwide.
The fireside goal in the state of Massachusetts, for example, was 367 for the month; the total reported to the National Teaching Committee was 412.
In Connecticut, whose goal was 182 firesides, 306 were reported. Southern California District No. 2, with a goal of 96 firesides, reported 227 held. Southern New Mexico’s goal was 67 firesides; 74 were reported. In North Dakota, where the goal was 105, 106 were reported.
“AND EVEN where the friends didn’t quite reach their goal, the reports we’ve received indicate that they were really trying, and that teaching has increased almost everywhere,” says Mr. Conkling.
“In Vermont, with a goal of 56 firesides, 45 were reported. Considering the number of believers there, that’s quite an encouraging statistic. In north Texas, the goal was 210 firesides; 179 were reported. Here again, while the goal wasn’t reached, the actual level of teaching activity rose sharply.
“It’s the same in many other areas we’ve heard from. There is a much higher level of activity on the homefront since the start of the Victory Campaign. Everywhere, the friends have responded to the challenge and are teaching with regularity and enthusiasm. There is also a greater awareness of the importance of personal relationships and personal contact in the teaching itself.
These very attractive “clowns” were among the entertainers at the Bahá’í Week proclamation October 29 sponsored by the Bahá’í communities of San Dieguito and Del Mar, California. Left to right are Nikki (Worth) Gundry, Muffy Lawrence, Casey Coley.
“Naturally, we’d like to see a similar upsurge in enrollments, but I don’t think the full impact of our renewed teaching activity will be felt for some time yet.”
AS A follow-up to the initial phase of the Victory Campaign, a 12-minute cassette tape by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears was sent to every Local Spiritual Assembly in the U.S. to be played at the Feast of Sharaf.
“The tape notes the change in spirit in the U.S. Bahá’í community and urges the friends to keep the fire burning,” says Mr. Conkling.
The friends also are being encouraged to continue to use the new deepening packet developed by the National Education Committee to deepen both newly-enrolled believers and seekers.
The National Spiritual Assembly, in its Feast letter to the U.S. Bahá’í community at Masá’il (December 12), shared a cablegram in which the Universal House of Justice noted with satisfaction the renewed teaching activity and urged all Local Assemblies and individual Bahá’ís to increase their efforts to attract and confirm new believers and win the goals of the Five Year Plan.
“Above all,” the National Spiritual Assembly added, “the challenge is to increase our efforts to bring in new believers. This challenge faces primarily the individual Bahá’í, whose constant teaching endeavors are the key to all the successes being sought in the Five Year Plan.
“Therefore, the essence of the Supreme Institution’s message for each person is this: A good beginning has been made. Persevere. Teach! Teach! Teach!”
Supplemental List of U.S. Target Goal Groups[edit]
Alabama—Tuscaloosa (12), Mobile County (6).
Arizona—E. Maricopa County (6), W. Maricopa County (5), Coconino County, Cottonwood (5), Gilbert (9), Pinal County (8). Sells (7), Greasewood Chapter (7).
Arkansas—Saline County (8), Dardanelle (6).
California—Colfax-Alta-Dutch, Oroville (6), Vallejo (8), Woodland (6), Ft. Bragg (5), Napa MCD (7), Sanel JD (5), Marin County, Central JD (8), Antioch (6), Watsonville (14), Pacifica (8), San Bruno (6), Bakersfield JD (6), Covina (6), San Dimas (5), Paramount (7), La Puente (7), Rosemead (6), Lynwood (5), Redondo Beach (10), Los Alamitos (6), Palm Desert (6), Seal Beach (5), San Bernardino Central JD (5), Orange County Central JD (5), San Juan Capistrano (6), Yucaipa (5), Laguna Beach (6), Solvang JD (5), Guadalupe (6), San Luis Obispo South JD (7), Incon Indian Reservation (0).
Colorado—Garfield County (6), Southern Ute Indian Reservation (7), Arapahoe County (6), Fountain (6), Golden (6), Lake County (5), Pueblo County (5), Ramah (5).
Connecticut—Berlin (8), Danbury (7), E. Hartford (7), New Haven (6), Ridgefield (5), Tolland (8).
Delaware (Delmarva)—Newark (5).
District of Columbia (Maryland/D.C.)—Carroll County (9), St. Mary’s County (8), Bowie (6).
Florida—Micanopy (6), W. Palm Beach (9), Cape Coral (8), Martin County (7), Miramar (8), Riviera (7), Delray Beach (6).
Georgia—Paulding County (9), Carrollton (6), Douglasville (5), East Point (6), Roswell (5), Union City (9), Moultrie (8), Columbus (6), Thomasville (5).
Illinois—Barrington (2), Belvedere (1), Buffalo Grove (5), Crete (2), Crystal Lake (3), Elk Grove Twp. (6), Elmwood Park (3), Freeport (5), Evergreen Park (1), Hanover Park (2), Harvey (4), Hoffman Estates (5), La Grange (2), La Grange Park (3), Lansing (4), Lockport (0), Loves Park (2), Melrose Park (1), Moline (2), Morris (0), Mundelein (2), Naperville (4), Northfield (3), Oak Forest (2), Oak Lawn (5), Olympia Fields (2), Robbins (1), Rolling Meadows (2), St. Charles (3), Sycamore (1), Washington (4), W. Chicago (4), Wheeling Twp. (0), Wood Dale (6), Wood River (2).
Indiana—Lafayette (8), Hammond (5), Plymouth (6).
Iowa—Coralville (7), Linn County (7), Mason City (5), Sioux City (6).
Kansas—Garden City (5).
Kentucky—Richmond (14), Radcliff (6).
Louisiana—St. Tammany Parish SE (6).
Maine—Sanford Town (5), Town of Yarmouth (5).
Maryland—See Maryland/D.C.
Massachusetts—Danvers (5), Franklin (6), Lynn (5), Framingham (7), Pittsfield (8), Waltham (5), Attleboro (7), Shutesbury (6), Haverhill (5), Needham (5), Watertown (5), Nantucket (5), Holyoke (7), Marlborough (7), Yarmouth (7), Ayer Twp. (5), Greenfield (6), Plymouth (5).
Michigan—Flint Twp. (7), Croton Twp. (5), Alpena (11), Niles (9), Romulus (13), Fruitport Twp. (6), Holland (6), Huntington Woods (6), Manistee (5), Novi (5), Plymouth (6), Port Huron (5), Grand Blanc Twp. (6), Leoni Twp. (5), Vassar (6), W. Bloomfield Twp. (5).
Minnesota—Beltrami County (7), St. Louis County (6), Winona (12), Edina (7), St. Louis Park (5), Brooklyn Center (5).
Mississippi—Meridian (13).
Missouri—Kirkwood (7), Maplewood (7), Rock Twp. (7), Rogersville (6), Gravois Twp. (5).
Montana—Blackfeet Indian Reservation (6).
Nebraska—Sarpy County (7), Macy Indian Reservation (5).
Nevada—Elko (5), Lyon County (5), Reno-Sparks Indian Colony (5).
New Hampshire—Conway (5), Exeter Town (6), Hinsdale Town (6), Hudson Town (5), Town of Derry (5), Lincoln (5).
New Jersey—Pleasantville (8), Westwood (6), Cherry Hill (6), Summit (6), Glassboro (7), Palmyra (5).
New Mexico—Zuni Indian Reservation (7).
New York—Saranac Lake (7), Plattsburgh Town (3), Hudson Falls (1), Saratoga Springs (1), Hudson (2), Rhinebeck (3), White Plains (3), Freeport (5), Henrietta (7), Sodus Point (5), Brockport (7), Cattaraugus Indian Reservation (5), Fredonia (5), Town of Pittsford (5), Canandaigua (4), Mexico (2), Oswego (4), Town of Junius (2), E. Bloomfield (4), Liberty (2).
North Dakota—New Town (5).
Ohio—Weller Twp. (7), Findlay (7), Euclid (8), Hiram (6), Warren (6), Centerville (6), E. Cleveland (8).
Oklahoma—Ponca City (5), Midwest City (5).
Oregon—Burns (8), Bend (6), John Day (5), Dayville (5), Lincoln County (5), Newport (6), Madras (9).
Pennsylvania—Radnor Twp. (7), Bristol Twp. (5), Chester Twp. (5), York (5).
Rhode Island—Newport (5).
South Carolina—Aiken (6).
Tennessee—Oak Ridge (5), Haywood County CD No. 5 (18), Wilson County (5).
Texas—Huntsville (6), Harris County SW (5), Deer Park (7), Canyon (6), Plainview (5), Hereford (5), Brownsville (5), Port Lavaca (6), Mission (8), Alpine (6).
Utah—Orem (6), Logan (4).
Vermont—Burlington (8).
Virginia—Winchester (8), Chesapeake (9).
Washington—Raymond (9), Aberdeen (8), Clark County CD No. 1 (5), Bothell (5), Coupeville (5), Mt. Vernon (6), Woodland (5), Port Madison Indian Reservation (5), Orcas Island (5), Klickitat County CD No. 1 (5), Mason County CD No. 1 (5), Whatcom County CD No. 2 (6), Omak (8), Wenatchee (7), Richland (7), Cheney (5), Yakima County CD No. 1 (6), Yakima County CD No. 3 (6).
West Virginia—Raleigh County (8).
Wisconsin—Burlington (12), Brookfield (5), Greenfield (6), Menasha (6), Stevens Point (6), Chippewa County (5), Appleton (6), Chippewa Falls (5).
Wyoming—Rock Springs (5), Laramie County (6).
(Note: Number of adult believers is in parentheses.)
[Page 9]
Letters From Pioneers
‘Moths’ Really Can Become as ‘Royal Falcons’[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Last August the International Goals Committee addressed a letter to Bahá’í pioneers for the United States abroad expressing appreciation for their sacrificial service in the Cause of God. Following are some responses to that letter from the pioneers themselves.)
Dear Friends,
I was deeply touched by your beautiful letter of October 14. My mind went back to the occasion, just a few months after my coming to Brazil, and shortly before the passing of the beloved Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, when I received from Him a Tablet in which He addressed me as a “herald of the Kingdom.”
I remember how completely unworthy I felt of such a designation, but I knew also that He sometimes addressed us as what we were potentially, and so turned to Him, supplicating humbly and earnestly that through the grace of Bahá’u’lláh I might little by little really become a “herald.”
The prayers which accompanied the Tablets of the Divine Plan have through the years been a constant source of inspiration and comfort, helping me to realize, as they do, that through the “breath of the Holy Spirit” it really is possible for “moths” to become as “royal falcons.”
And so I continue to pray that, however undeserving I may be of such a privilege, I may be assisted to perform more devotedly, and more effectively, that “prince of all goodly deeds.”
It is truly comforting to know that the pioneers are being remembered daily in your prayers, and being greatly helped by them, I am sure.
As I see more and more pioneers coming to serve in this vast and promising field of South America, where in so many areas can now be reaped a truly abundant harvest, I realize the value of the untiring efforts of the devoted International Goals Committee.
And I sometimes recall the time when I alone on this whole continent was endeavoring to spread the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, and am indeed overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh at witnessing the work today of these “heralds calling forth the name of the one true God.”
With my sincere appreciation and thanks for your letter, and deep Bahá’í love,
Brazil
Dear Friends,
The entire Amazon region is alive with activity. American pioneers work arm-in-arm with pioneers from other parts of Latin America and native believers.
Though most of us are young and relatively inexperienced, we are confident that with the outpourings of Bahá’u’lláh’s might and the guidance of our beloved Counsellors and National Assemblies, the victorious unfoldment of God’s Faith is certain.
Even in so remote a region as the jungles of South America the worsening world situation is strongly felt. Perhaps it is more accentuated here, where viewed at a distance from its sources, the effects of a vicious materialism rapidly encroach upon and sharply contrast with the pure-hearted indigenous peoples.
Historically, the Amazon region has been a center of speculation and exploitation as well as an area of a great deal of evangelizing. Naturally, we are anxious for the day when we will have the means of penetrating the great river’s tributaries, where peoples have been less affected by “civilization.”
We, the pioneers, are merely catalysts for the growth of the Faith here. Ultimately, reaching these masses rests upon the efforts of confirmed local believers.
Much also depends upon continuing support from the North American community. I’m sure my countrymen would be deeply moved if they could see first-hand what triumphs are being achieved all over the world as a result of their humble and sacrificial offerings.
Colombia
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your encouraging letter. Indeed, one can easily forget the task for all the details. God help all of us as we attempt to stay detached during these spiritually perilous times. It is so refreshing to catch once again a glimpse of that pure spirit we took for granted while being a member of the vastly rich American Bahá’í community.
Belgium
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Fort Collins, Colorado, was incorporated on January 21, 1977. Seated, left to right, are Ken Willey Jr., Barbara Campbell, John Lawson, Debra Booman, Bruce Wright. Standing, left to right, are Carol Lawson, Tahireh Eimani, Jan Willey, Kay Rohwer.
Call to the Nations[edit]
The book is arranged in five chapters. With clarity and potency, Shoghi Effendi discloses the reasons for the present worldwide moral and social chaos, explains the principle of the oneness of mankind, sets forth a pattern for future society, and foretells a World Commonwealth that is even now unfolding. The concluding passages, which deal with the destiny of mankind, paint a picture of both adversity — “prolonged, world-wide, afflictive” — and a world civilization — “a civilization with a fullness of life such as the world has never seen nor can as yet conceive.”
The Universal House of Justice has stated that Call to the Nations “is intended for proclamation and presentation, as well as for study by the friends.” Your Local Spiritual Assembly or group can present the book to local dignitaries and opinion leaders. You can use Call to the Nations for your personal deepening and as a gift.
Call to the Nations includes a Foreword by The Universal House of Justice and an Introduction drawn from a statement prepared by Shoghi Effendi for a Special Committee of the United Nations. 66 pp., references.
7-08-30 cloth $3.50 NET
7-08-31 paper $1.75 NET
To order: Order through Community Librarians if possible. Personal orders: enclose full payment plus $.75 handling charge for orders under $5.00.
World Order Indexes Helpful[edit]
If your friend the economist would like to know more about the Faith, you might share with him “The Economy of a World Commonwealth,” which appeared in the Summer 1975 issue of World Order magazine.
Or if you have been asked to speak at the next meeting of the local chapter of Women in Communications, you might get some ideas from “Concerning the Rights of Women,” in the Spring 1975 issue of World Order, or “TV Journalism: Meeting the Challenges of World Awareness,” in the Winter 1969–70 issue.
“The Human Dimension of the Viet Nam War,” “The Architectural Implications of the Bahá’í Community”... the list of fascinating essays goes on and on in the World Order indexes.
One index catalogs articles that appeared in World Order Volumes 1–9, from Fall 1966 to Summer 1975.
The articles are listed both by author and title, and the index tells if the article was illustrated, or had a bibliography or footnotes. Some articles also are listed by topic.
Annual indexes are available for Volumes 10 and 11, 1976 and 1977. The index for Volume 11 is in the Summer 1977 issue of World Order.
The index for Volumes 1–9 may be purchased from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust for $1.25. The index for Volume 10 sells for $1.60.
Child’s Art Calendar Published[edit]
A 1978 Bahá’í Children’s Art Calendar was published in December by the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Center. The new calendar features 14 illustrations by the children of the New Era School, an international school founded by the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’ís of India and Burma. All Bahá’í Holy Days and Nineteen Day Feasts are indicated on the calendar.
Mrs. Eileen Norman, secretary of the National Education Committee, commented that the calendar “is a lovely way for Bahá’í children to see and enjoy what their Bahá’í brothers and sisters in India are doing. A teacher could use it to tell about India and show pictures to the class. A child can use it to keep track of Bahá’í Holy Days.”
The new calendar is distributed by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust and can be purchased from local Bahá’í librarians for $.75. The Publishing Trust advises the friends to order early, as the supply is limited.
The first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Watauga County, North Carolina, was elected October 14. Front row (left to right) are Janie Dougherty; Elizabeth DeWitt; Audrey (Mike) Matz, secretary. Back row (left to right) are Bartlett Dougherty, vice chairman; Gerald Bagley, chairman; Steve Greer; Roger Maurice, treasurer; Kathy Daunis; John DeWitt.
Many non-Bahá’ís had an opportunity to become acquainted with Bahá’í principles, especially the equality of men and women, at a Bahá’í display booth sponsored by the Eastern New York District Teaching Committee at the first New York State Women’s Meeting July 8–10 at Albany. The conference was a part of the President’s National Commission on the Observance of International Women’s Year.
Bahá’í Conference Focuses on Health[edit]
“The Reality of Man,” a Bahá’í conference on better living, was held November 5–6 at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California.
The conference was based on the concept that health is wholeness, not only for the individual, but for the human species as well.
Sixteen professionals in the fields of health, counseling, nutrition, law, art, stress therapy, architecture, communications and others were among the lecturers. The conference was sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Santa Cruz County.
Speakers on the first day of the conference were Robert Malouf on “Nutrition—Foundation of Physical Health,” Molly King on the “Spiritual Approach to Family Communication,” Jules R. Vautrot on “Health in the New Age,” Gordon Jackson on “Prisons and the Role of Architecture,” John and Homa Mahmoudi-Snibbe on “Anxiety Management Through Holistic Techniques,” and Harry Massouth on “Science and the Phenomena of Revelation.”
The friends attending the two-day “Reality of Man” health conference gathered Saturday evening for fun and fellowship at the Bosch Bahá’í School near Santa Cruz, California.
On the second day, speakers were Ayesha Lewellen on “Nutrition in an Evolving World,” Dennis Gayle on “World Law—a Viable Alternative to Chaos,” Dennis Best on “Gravity and Your Body Structure,” Guity Jam on “Visual and Perceptual Problems in Children With Learning Disabilities,” Ron and Marsha Gilpatrick on “Parent Involvement and the Teaching Experience,” Ken Zemke on “Does the Media Elevate Man?” and Ken Stephens on “World Holocaust or Dawn of a New Spiritual Era?”
Each day’s session ended with a panel discussion.
Several articles and ads concerning the conference appeared in local newspapers.
‘Friends,’ a Bahá’í group from Los Angeles, entertains at a social gathering between sessions of the two-day ‘Reality of Man’ health conference at Aptos, California.
Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, site of the ‘Reality of Man’ Bahá’í health conference held November 5–6.
Publishing Trust Produces 2 New Full-Color Posters[edit]
The Bahá’í Publishing Trust recently announced the publication of two new 11x17 inch color posters. The Map of Bahá’u’lláh’s Exiles poster traces Bahá’u’lláh’s journey of exile from Ṭihrán in 1853 to ‘Akká in 1868, naming the cities and towns in which He spent one or more days.
The Mazra‘ih poster depicts the first residence of Bahá’u’lláh after His departure from the prison-city of ‘Akká. Bahá’u’lláh lived at Mazra‘ih for approximately two years before going to Bahjí.
The poster designs are identical to the designs of two jigsaw puzzles published earlier this year. Both posters are priced at $1.50 and can be ordered through Bahá’í librarians.
The Bahá’í community of Carpinteria-Montecito JD, California, observed United Nations Day in October with a public meeting at the Biltmore Hotel. The film “Visions of Tomorrow,” narrated by Philippe Cousteau, was shown.
Pictured here (left to right) are members of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Carpinteria-Montecito JD: Fattaneh Scott, Michael Scott, Esther Singer, Charles Clark, Fay Clark, Mausur Assassi, Nusrat Assassi, Betty Goddard, Jack Singer.
Treasurer’s Letter
From Ghana, Loving Thanks[edit]
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
We would like to share with you a letter our International Goals Committee just received from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Ghana:
Dearly Beloved Friends:
The National Spiritual Assembly was very moved by the loving spirit of sacrifice which has enabled you to pledge assistance to our teaching goals. This participation on the part of your dear community has added great strength to our program of work for the months ahead; indeed, without it our plans would have been seriously curtailed.
We are assured that the dear American community will be spiritually affected by this generous and loving gift, and that the teaching work on both continents will be assisted because of it.
We pray that Bahá’u’lláh will ever confirm you, and that you will be enabled to raise an army of pioneers and travelling teachers to lead the Cause to resounding victory during the year ahead.
- With deepest love,
This is only one of the many heartwarming letters we receive each year from countries whose teaching work is directly supported by our National Fund. Since your gifts to the National Bahá’í Fund are felt by your fellow-believers around the world, their faces are turned expectantly toward the Cradle of the Administrative Order, eager for news of victory.
Let us prove our strength and solidarity by winning our National Fund Goal and, indeed, every other goal set before us in the Five Year Plan.
- With loving Bahá’í greetings,
the Bahá’ís of the United States
Dorothy W. Nelson, Treasurer
In Memoriam[edit]
- Mrs. Zibandeh (Helen) Awatefi
- Venice, California
- Unknown
- Mrs. Ana R. Beauchamp
- North Miami, Florida
- September 6, 1977
- Conrad Carter
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- November 6, 1977
- Mrs. Jacqueline L. Carter
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- November 6, 1977
- Mrs. Bella Cook
- Santa Barbara, California
- October 16, 1977
- Charles H. Cox
- Seattle, Washington
- April 23, 1977
- Arturo Cuellar
- Littleton, Colorado
- March 14, 1977
- Legrand Cabbagestock
- Hartsville, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Ben Chamberlain
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- May 21, 1977
- Miss Cleta A. Clemmer
- Denver, Colorado
- Unknown
- Clem Dove
- Cheraw, South Carolina
- June 17, 1977
- Flanders Evans
- Denmark, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Mrs. Lessie Feust
- Denmark, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Riley Golden
- Fort Valley, Georgia
- Unknown
- Fred Haertle
- Cudahy, Wisconsin
- Unknown
- Mrs. Thelma Isreal
- Denmark, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Miss Ella Johnson
- Hartsville, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Mrs. Rosalie Johnson
- Denmark, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Fredrick D. Kendrick, Jr.
- Hinsdale, New Hampshire
- April 1977
- Miss Grace K. Mann
- Huntington Park, California
- October 17, 1977
- Roland R. Mann
- Huntington Park, California
- August 13, 1977
- Mrs. Fannie McHenry
- Wagoner, Oklahoma
- December 1976
- Herbert Melete
- Hartsville, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Wilbur Mercer
- Greenville, North Carolina
- Unknown
- Mrs. Alafair Mines
- Denmark, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Mrs. Willie Mae Newman
- Hartsville, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Mrs. Fern E. Palmer
- Omaha, Nebraska
- October 23, 1977
- Mrs. Lorine Palmer
- Brownsville, Tennessee
- Unknown
- Jimmy Lee Postell
- Fort Valley, Georgia
- Unknown
- James Powe
- Cheraw, South Carolina
- April 12, 1977
- Alfred B. Reed
- Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- May 1977
- Joe Robinson
- Florence, South Carolina
- September 4, 1975
- Uley Sallie
- Denmark, South Carolina
- Unknown
- John Henry Shaw
- Brownsville, Tennessee
- Unknown
- Miss Lena Marie Big Shield
- Poplar, Montana
- Unknown
- Mrs. Rosia Thomas
- Hartsville, South Carolina
- Unknown
- Campbell Thompson
- Mira Loma, California
- October 21, 1977
- Myrtle Wendler
- Wilmette, Illinois
- January 3, 1978
- Charles R. Witt
- Santa Monica, California
- November 20, 1977
- John Woodard
- Thomaston, Georgia
- Unknown
- Miss Carol B. Yellow Boy
- Pine Ridge, South Dakota
- October 1977
[Page 11]
Community Profile
Teaching, Love Swell Ranks in Los Banos[edit]
Less than a year ago there was only one Bahá’í — a new believer — in Los Banos, California.
In May of last year, the Los Banos Bahá’í population was doubled and a Group established when Bob Katzakian, who had been sent by the Auxiliary Board to deepen the new believer, became her husband.
Since then, there have been 41 declarations in Los Banos.
Mr. Katzakian attributes the growth of the Faith in Los Banos to intensive teaching done during Bahá’í Week, which the Group held from August 29–September 5. The success of Bahá’í Week is attributed by the Katzakians to several factors: prayer, assistance from area believers, and proper organization.
BEFORE THE week’s activities began, Bob and Jackie, his wife, spent time praying in several areas of town. They also invited Bahá’ís from surrounding communities to help them during Bahá’í Week.
They mailed information about the Faith to local residents, arranged for free 30-second radio spots to be broadcast every two hours during the week, placed a full-page ad in the newspaper, and submitted an hour-long tape about the Faith to a local radio station, where it was aired.
By the time Bahá’í Week was over, 41 people had said they wanted to become Bahá’ís, and the Katzakians had the names and addresses of 12 others who were interested in the Faith. They have since sent them introductory literature on the Faith.
Bob said there could not help but be declarations, “so much love was pouring out” from the influx of Bahá’ís.
Those who asked to join the Faith are representative of every race and of diverse cultural backgrounds, including Native Americans, Italians, Mexicans and Portuguese.
FOURTEEN OF the new believers are people who had been visiting Los Banos during Bahá’í Week. They are from Bakersfield, Calexico, Clovis, Los Palos and Gilroy, California; Yuma, Arizona; and Mexico.
The declaration cards of these individuals have been forwarded to the appropriate Local Spiritual Assemblies for follow-up.
Of the Los Banos residents who declared, 16 are adults and 11 are youth. One of them, a Navajo Indian, had been enrolled by October 1. The principle of the oneness of religion, she said, is what made her feel right about becoming a Bahá’í.
Another declarant, from Clovis, was enrolled immediately following Bahá’í Week.
The Katzakians have visited nearly every person in Los Banos who declared, and have found all of them open to follow-up visits. The new believers have been invited to a weekly fireside and a weekly deepening class. By October, four of the declarants had been to firesides.
LANGUAGE WAS a barrier in some of the follow-up visits. Many of the new declarants are Spanish-speaking, and the Katzakians are not. These declarants had been taught the Faith by Spanish-speaking Bahá’ís who assisted with the Los Banos Bahá’í Week.
Two Spanish-speaking Bahá’ís from a neighboring community have lent assistance in consolidating the new believers, but more help is needed. “We’ve put a call out for volunteers,” said Mr. Katzakian.
He believes that everyone in the town of 10,000 has now heard the word “Bahá’í.” He said, “We had tremendous cooperation from the mayor, who signed Bahá’í Week into existence, and the newspaper.”
In speaking about the full-page newspaper ad, which said, “Christ has returned and His new Name is Bahá’u’lláh,” Mr. Katzakian noted, “Nobody objected to the ad; some people were absolutely amazed by it. Those who declared fully accepted the statement that Bahá’u’lláh is the return of Christ.”
A week after the teaching project, Mr. Katzakian spoke with the mayor and was told that city hall had received favorable comments from the citizenry concerning the conduct of the 50 or so Bahá’ís who helped the Katzakians during Bahá’í Week.
“The whole town has opened up,” said Mr. Katzakian. “My wife has walked into stores and had acquaintances ask how Bahá’í Week turned out. She’s had one person ask her to drop in and tell her more about the Faith.”
The Bahá’ís of Los Banos hope to form their Local Spiritual Assembly soon, as more of the believers are enrolled.
Bahá’í Week in Los Banos, California, was formally recognized by Mayor Scott Lower, seated center. Bahá’ís who attended the ceremony were (front row, left to right) Jackie Katzakian, Lori Katzakian, Bob Katzakian and Verona Suhm, and (standing, left to right) Jonothan Risley, Mary Ann Risley, Rebecca Gilmore, Gilbert Gomez and Clarence Suhm.
‘Halloween’ was the theme of a parade held on October 29 in Troy, Missouri, in honor of the annual pumpkin festival. With ghosts and goblins on everyone’s minds, the Bahá’í float reminded an estimated 1,500 parade watchers that “Everyone Is Beautiful on the Inside.” The friends also had a booth during the two-day festival. One of the believers, Anita Henderson, said, “Several times it looked as if our plans would have to be abandoned, but God gave us a boost whenever we needed it.”
The recently-formed Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Guilford County, North Carolina, held its Recognition Ceremony on Sunday, November 27, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Berryhill in Climax. Guests at the ceremony included Robert Landreth of the Board of County Commissioners of Guilford County (fifth from right, back row); assistant to the Auxiliary Board Mrs. Vedad Jurney of High Point (third from left, back row), and assistant to the Auxiliary Board Mrs. Jean Scales of Durham (second from right, back row), representing the National Spiritual Assembly. Mrs. Scales presented the new Assembly a copy of the book, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly.
More Teaching Briefs
Gift of Land Honors Martha Root[edit]
In honor and memory of the Hand of the Cause Martha Root, 120 acres of land in the foothills of North Carolina have been donated to the Faith.
One-third of the land is cleared, and two-thirds of it is natural forest.
The land remains frost-free all winter, because it is located in a thermal belt, where the air flows up a mountainside and creates a temperature inversion.
The Newark, Delaware, Bahá’í community had a booth at the recent Community Days event in that city to which many visitors came, attracted by the free ice water offered by the friends. Response to the booth was quite favorable.
Proclamation in Worcester County, Maryland, continues, with Ginger Scott of Snow Hill, Maryland, and Helen Shenton of Ocean City placing ads and news releases in local papers. One of the results of their efforts is a paragraph about the Faith in a recently-published history of Worcester County. The book’s authors took their information from a news release that had appeared in one of the county’s papers more than two years ago.
The Bahá’í Group in San Luis Obispo, California, Judicial District No. 4 has received excellent newspaper publicity for its United Nations Day and World Peace Day observances and other recent events.
The UN Day observance was given more than half a page in the Five Cities Times-Press-Recorder in Arroyo Grande with an article and four pictures.
Comprehensive articles also appeared prior to the UN Day and World Peace Day observances. Other recent articles noted the presentation of a slide show of a trip to the South Pacific by Russ and Gina Garcia, pioneers to New Zealand, and Ron and Lois Schneider of Montebello, California, and a public meeting whose speaker was Mrs. Molly King, program director at the Bosch Bahá’í School in Northern California, who was one of 63 of the friends held hostage at gunpoint for several hours there in August...
The Spiritual Assembly of San Marcos, Texas, commemorated Universal Children’s Day in October with a monthlong display at the public library. The display, three feet tall and 16 feet long, included dolls from other countries, United Nations posters, and appropriate Bahá’í quotes.
An estimated 12,000 persons viewed a flower booth sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Alturas, California, that won first prize at the Modoc County Fair.
The Bahá’í flower booth won first prize at the recent county fair in Bakersfield, California...
The Bahá’ís of Dorchester County, Maryland, now have their own Bahá’í Center. It was donated by Tom Deal and his late wife, Elizabeth, and is their former home.
Bahá’í Week was observed November 7–11 at California State University–Fullerton. Members of the Bahá’í Forum there—Rich Knownacki, Terry Wilson and Cherri Veazey—had a display on campus, spoke to three classes, and also presented the Faith in classes at nearby Fullerton College. Banners were put up, flyers handed out, and notices about Bahá’í Week placed in the Calendar section of the school newspaper, the Daily Titan. Attendance at Bahá’í Week events was estimated at 500.
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Redmond, Washington, was formed for the first time on September 27. Its members, kneeling, left to right, are Sheila Walsh, Ken Wells, Joyce Kidd, Mary Wells. Seated, left to right, are Niki Sellers, Kathleen Marcey, Jean Berthelote, Chris Hansen, Maria Muhlenbein.
Shown are some of the friends who gathered in September for the second annual Commemoration of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, during the Master’s visit to America in 1912.
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Los Angeles
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that the Bahá’í Center could remain open.
Outside the Center, motorists and pedestrians on Pico Boulevard noted the huge black-and-white banner proclaiming the Bahá’í Week theme: “One Planet, One People... Please.” Stickers that matched the banner could be seen throughout Southern California on cars, bicycles, notebooks and doors of Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís.
Prior to Bahá’í Week, the Mass Teaching Task Force, a committee of the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles, directed teaching plans and activities.
The Assembly had identified three high-density areas of Los Angeles. The Task Force determined appropriate times and locations, then visited the areas, placing posters announcing Bahá’í Week in many shop windows.
THE FOLLOWING week, the friends revisited the areas wearing their T-shirts and buttons on which were printed the Bahá’í Week slogan.
Bahá’ís invited the public to come to a “Giant Fireside” on Sunday, November 20, and also offered passersby helium-filled balloons imprinted with the Bahá’í Week theme.
The most gala event of Bahá’í Week in Los Angeles was the dinner on Sunday, November 13, in the famous Biltmore Bowl ballroom at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
The event drew nearly 1,000 people, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, to hear the mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley, read the heart-stirring proclamation that officially opened Los Angeles’ Bahá’í Week.
The evening delighted everyone, and the excitement grew as the program unfolded. The ballroom in which Mayor Bradley was guest of honor seated 700 persons to a full-course dinner.
AFTER DINNER, the mayor recalled his many memories of Bahá’ís, spanning more than 20 years, and spoke of the “inseparable relationship” between the Bahá’ís and himself.
Mayor Bradley remembered firesides, meetings with Dr. David Ruhe in Wilmette, and reminisced about his visit to the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Israel, and to the Bahá’í Shrines there.
He went on to say that it was “such an inspiring occasion to meet and chat with Charles Wolcott and Amoz Gibson, and to see that magnificent Shrine and be inspired by the very presence there.”
Not a sound could be heard as the mayor continued: “Some of you may have heard me say, on more than one occasion, that when you are in the presence of Bahá’ís, there is a special kind of atmosphere, a certain kind of energy that you won’t find anywhere else in the world.
“You really are special to me,” he said. “You’ve been a source of great encouragement, indeed, of inspiration. I cherish your friendship and our relationship, and it’s a special privilege for me to come here tonight to proclaim Bahá’í Week in Los Angeles.
“IT SEEMS to me that the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh say it best,” the mayor added: “ ‘Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.’ ‘So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.’ That, I think, captures the very essence of what you and your Faith are all about.”
The mayor ended by saying, “I think we are leading to the very essence of the principle of the unity that must come, and to the oneness of mankind. That’s why I feel a very special warmth whenever I am with you. That’s why I’m privileged tonight to present this proclamation.”
The standing ovation that followed his talk visibly moved the mayor, and was an appropriate introduction to the marvelous show that was to follow.
Recording artists Seals and Crofts, Walter Heath and Danny Deardorff were among the performers, and their music was intertwined with that of Monuchehr Sadeghi, playing the Persian santour, and cellist Kara Woods.
READINGS from the Bahá’í Writings were presented by Mrs. Gloria Ferguson and well-known actor Alex Rocco. Seals and Crofts closed the show with their hit song, “Year of Sundays.” The all-Bahá’í show was not only a delight for the performers, it was an entertainment extravaganza for the audience.
Some of the friends who gathered for a dinner at the Biltmore Hotel ballroom November 13 at which Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles formally proclaimed Bahá’í Week in the city. Left to right are Richard Grieser, Manila Lee, Jim Seals, Gertrude Jacoby, Mayor Bradley, Lisa Janti, Anthony Lee, James Nelson, Leonard Keith, Richard Betts, Oscar DeGruy (partially hidden), Dash Crofts, Mona Grieser, Harold Edwards.
And there was more to come. In the audience was the famous Persian singer, Houshmand Aghili, who recently came from Ṭihrán to make his home in Los Angeles.
Mr. Aghili delighted everyone by chanting a poem by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and singing some popular songs from Irán. His melodious voice lent a lovely, mysterious eastern flavor to the evening.
The display of unity through diversity truly depicted another Bahá’í principle among the many that were evident on this memorable occasion. The unexpected performance of Mr. Aghili left everyone in a joyous mood for the dance that was to end the heart-warming evening.
AS THE eventful week went on, Bahá’ís throughout Southern California eagerly awaited the evening of Friday, November 19, when the entire National Spiritual Assembly was to meet with more than 700 of the friends.
The National Assembly members spoke on subjects of concern to every Bahá’í such as Bahá’í family life and child education, the need for Bahá’í academic institutions, the responsibility of each Bahá’í to teach the Faith properly, the use and purpose of the new Enrollment Card and Seeker Interest Card, and the urgent necessity to win the goals of the Five Year Plan.
The National Spiritual Assembly then invited questions from the audience. Each Bahá’í left the meeting deeply inspired by the power, wisdom and guidance of this remarkable Institution.
The culmination of Bahá’í Week came on Sunday, November 20, as the National Spiritual Assembly hosted a giant public fireside at the Aquarius Theater in Los Angeles.
DR. DANIEL C. Jordan, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, welcomed the audience of 800 to the “Giant Fireside.” He introduced seekers to the Faith by vividly retracing the physical and spiritual evolution of mankind from the days of the dinosaurs to the present time of rapid worldwide change.
Outlining some of today’s pressing issues such as starvation, conservation, pollution, warfare, and others, Dr. Jordan clearly demonstrated how the only solution to world problems must come in the form of world unity, which is what the Bahá’í Faith offers mankind.
With that explanation, the audience was invited to ask questions of National Spiritual Assembly members. The questions were stimulating and interesting: “Do Bahá’ís spank their children?” “How does a member of the Jewish faith relate to the Bahá’í Faith?” “Why should I become a Bahá’í?”
At the conclusion of the “Giant Fireside,” which formally ended Bahá’í Week in Los Angeles, the crowd began to mingle, and the questions and conversations spanned an emotional range from intense concern to joyous satisfaction.
While the results of the week’s activities cannot yet be accurately measured, the reward to each individual believer was immediate. Their involvement and participation assisted them to improve the collective community life as well as to develop further their own spiritual qualities.
Los Angeles is proud of its Bahá’í Week effort, but the goals are not yet won. Each of the friends must constantly remind himself of these important words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
“In this day, the beloved of God must not hesitate or delay an instant in teaching the Cause of the Manifestation, and reconciling words of the religion of majestic oneness; because, verily, in this day, to the soul who is the cause of guidance to another soul the recompense of a martyr in the way of God will be assuredly recorded by the pen of the Cause for his deed. This is from the bounty of God unto thee. Do according to what has been commanded, and do not be of those who tarry.”
Flight Album Delayed[edit]
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