The American Bahá’í/Volume 9/Issue 14/Text
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Victory! Assembly Goal Is Won![edit]
OVERJOYED SUCCESS NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN DESIGNED ATTAIN LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY GOAL FIVE YEAR PLAN. VICTORY EVIDENCES SPIRITUAL PRIMACY CONFERRED BY MASTER ON VALIANT AMERICAN COMMUNITY. BE ASSURED OF OUR ARDENT PRAYERS BEHALF DEDICATED EFFORTS NATIONAL TEACHING COMMITTEE AND FRIENDS THROUGHOUT NATION WIN NAY EXCEED GOAL LOCALITIES ENABLING ESTABLISHMENT BASES FUTURE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES.
November 28, 1978
On Monday, November 27, the National Teaching Committee joyously announced that the goal of establishing 1,400 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the U.S. by November 26, the Day of the Covenant, had been won.
The total number of Assemblies reported to have been formed by November 26 stood at exactly 1,400, thus winning that goal of the Five Year Plan, a goal that a bare two months before had appeared to be almost out of reach.
At Riḍván 1978 the number of recognized Local Spiritual Assemblies in the U.S. was 987, only 165 more than the total number at the start of the Five Year Plan.
ON OCTOBER 1, with less than seven months remaining before the end of the Plan, the number of Assemblies in the U.S., according to the National Teaching Committee, was 1,100.
By November 26, thanks largely to a fresh wave of teaching and consolidation, primarily in the southern states, the number had risen to 1,400, an astonishing increase of 300 Assemblies in less than two months.
The figure is even more remarkable when one considers that the net increase in Assemblies formed from Riḍván 1977 to Riḍván 1978 was 49.
As of December 1, the number of recognized Local Assemblies was 1,258, according to the Department of Community Administration, whose function it is to recognize new and restored Assemblies.
WITH THE Assembly goal won, the National Teaching Committee planned next to focus its attention and resources on winning the goal of establishing 7,000 localities in which Bahá’ís reside in the U.S. The target date for winning that goal is December 31, which coincides with the Feast of Sharaf.
In addition, the National Teaching Committee has adopted a supplemental goal of forming a total of 1,550 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the U.S. by April 20, 1979, the end of the Five Year Plan.
Once the localities goal has been won, said John Conkling, secretary of the National Teaching Committee, the U.S. Bahá’í community can then turn its attention to other goals of the Plan, such as increased teaching among specified minority groups, developing new consolidation programs, and preparing for the initiation of the process of entry by troops.
Hamid Moayad (standing) talks with a seeker in Midlothian during the North Texas teaching campaign that resulted in the formation of 10 new Assemblies in a one-week period in November.
Southern Teaching Wave Sweeps Into Southwest[edit]
The recent acceleration in teaching and Assembly formations that began in North Georgia and South Carolina has swept into Texas, where the number of Assembly formations increased dramatically by mid-November.
With South Carolina counting more than 80 new or restored Assemblies and Georgia listing more than 45, the number nationwide on November 12, the 161st anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, reached 1,318, thus exceeding the National Teaching Committee’s goal of 1,300 by that date.
TEACHING in Texas, already under way on many fronts, shifted into even higher gear the weekend of November 10-12 with a teaching conference in Dallas hosted by the East Texas No. 1 District Teaching Committee and conducted by Continental Counsellor Hidáyatu’lláh Aḥmadíyyih.
The conference was attended by approximately 160 Bahá’ís including Mrs. Jolie Haug, a member of the National Teaching Committee, and three members of the committee’s staff.
Others present included members of four of the other five Texas District Teaching Committees, representatives of both District Teaching Committees in Colorado and in Oklahoma, and believers from as far away as Arkansas, Alabama and Virginia.
As a result of the conference, seven Assemblies were formed that weekend in East Texas District No. 1, with three more reported within the next week.
THE DISTRICT, whose goal was 12 new Assemblies by next Riḍván, had formed six up to the time of the conference. As of November 17 the total stood at 16, or four above the goal.
As of November 17, the National Teaching Committee reported the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies existing in the U.S. as 1,339. The goal was to form 1,400 by November 26, the Day of the Covenant, thus winning that goal of the Five Year Plan.
Much of the recent upsurge in Assembly formations is credited to a teaching method that concentrates on contacting and re-teaching people who were enrolled in the Faith during large-scale teaching campaigns near the close of the Nine Year Plan.
In many instances, the friends have found that these people still consider themselves Bahá’ís and are willing and even eager to serve on Local
Amoz Gibson, a member of the Universal House of Justice (with microphone), addresses Native American believers at a unity conference August 12-13 in Hardrock, Arizona. Seated at the left is Auxiliary Board member Ernest Bruss; seated in the rear is Auxiliary Board member Nancy Phillips. (Story on Page 4)
On the Inside...[edit]
SOUTHERN ARIZONA campaign helps form five Local Spiritual Assemblies. Page 2
FIVE NEW MEXICO communities pool their resources to conduct a successful intercommunity Bahá’í school. Page 2
THE OFFICE of the Treasurer presents the fifth in a series of articles on “Materialism in America.” Page 3
THE NATIONAL Youth Committee shares its thoughts concerning the needs of Bahá’í youth in the U.S. Page 5
THE SECOND in a series of articles on children and learning is presented by the National Education Committee. Page 6
BOSQUE FARMS, one of the smallest communities in New Mexico, launches the largest teaching project held in that state during the Five Year Plan. Page 8
Teaching Effort Opens Every County in S. Illinois[edit]
Victory parties were the order of the day in southern Illinois on November 12, the anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, as a teaching effort that began in August was successfully completed.
The three-month campaign led to declarations in every county in the southern Illinois District, and aided in the formation of two new Local Spiritual Assemblies.
“It was primarily a weekend effort,” said Mary Kate Yntema, secretary of the Southern Illinois District Teaching Committee, “aimed at opening four counties each weekend until the Five Year Plan goal of opening every county in the District was achieved.
“We intend to go on teaching,” said Ms. Yntema, “working with those who have expressed an interest in the Faith, consolidating the gains we’ve made.
“We’ll be concentrating on Pulaski and Alexander counties, where we hope soon to form three new Assemblies—above and beyond our District goals.”
Teaching in Pulaski County has been especially fruitful. In two recent weekends 14 new believers were enrolled, 36 others declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh, and an additional 55 interest cards were collected.
The District Teaching Committee is confident that new Local Assemblies will be formed soon in Mounds, Mound City, and Cairo.
Southern Arizona Forms Five New Assemblies[edit]
A new wave of teaching victories has been reported in southern Arizona, where teaching teams helped form Local Spiritual Assemblies in five localities—Douglas, Patagonia, Nogales, Pinal County and Casa Grande—from October 28 to November 19.
These new Assemblies were formed both in former “mass teaching” areas and in new areas in which no large-scale teaching was done before.
PLANS FOR the campaign were formulated at meetings in Phoenix and Tucson between John Cook, a member of the American Indian Teaching Committee; members of the District Teaching Committee, and Bahá’ís in the district who are interested in mass teaching.
Mr. Cook had attended a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, early in October at which Continental Counsellor Hidáyatu’lláh Aḥmadíyyih outlined a teaching method used with great success in Central and South America. Mr. Cook returned to Arizona eager to try the method there.
Teaching began in earnest the weekend of October 28-29 in Douglas where there were enough declarations to assure the formation of its Assembly.
The teaching teams concentrated on Patagonia and Nogales the next weekend, and in a few days there were enough new believers to assure new Assemblies in both localities.
PINAL County was next, and its Assembly was formed November 15. Four days later, the Assembly in Casa Grande was formed.
“The teaching effort has focused on forming new Assemblies,” says Mr. Cook. “We’ve concentrated on areas where there are large extended families, and when we’ve taught and enrolled someone in the Faith, we’ve also taught the rest of their family and their neighbors.
“We anticipate forming many new Assemblies in this area, and the fulltime teaching team has pledged to continue its efforts at least until the end of the Five Year Plan.”
Bound Sets of ‘Star of West’ Available in Limited Quantity[edit]
The Bahá’í Publishing Trust has announced that a limited supply of bound sets of Star of the West, the first Bahá’í magazine in the West, is now available.
The eight-volume sets are priced at $96 ($90 plus $6 postage, handling, and insurance), and full payment must accompany each order.
Star of the West was published from 1910 through 1935, when it was superseded by World Order. The magazine will always be an irreplaceable source of valuable material for the historian, the student, the lecturer—for any Bahá’í interested in the growth of the Faith in its earliest days in the West.
The bound volumes include exact reproductions of all the issues for the years 1910 through 1923. The eight volumes, cloth-bound in blue and stamped in gold-metallic ink, contain about 4,000 pages. Each book measures 6¼ x 9½ inches.
The period 1910 through 1923 covers the final years of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Ministry, including His historic visits to the West, and the first two years of Shoghi Effendi’s Guardianship. During this period the magazine was not only a vehicle for articles and discussions but also a vital journal of record, preserving for history countless significant events, both in reports and photographs.
Individuals who ordered bound sets of Star of the West before June 1, 1978, received their sets via United Parcel Service in November.
To order Star of the West (Catalog No. 7-70-30), see your Bahá’í librarian or send a $96 check, bank draft, or money order to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.
Some of the younger participants enjoy a snack during Mount Airy, North Carolina’s first Interracial Conference and picnic October 8. The conference was co-sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Mount Airy, the Bahá’í Group of Surry County, the Surry County branch of the NAACP, and the Minority Affairs Committee of Surry County.
Interracial Conference Held[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Mount Airy, North Carolina, and the Bahá’í Group of Surry County were among the sponsors of an Interracial Conference held October 8 in Mount Airy.
Other sponsors were the Minority Affairs Committee of Surry County and the local branch of the NAACP.
The conference included a picnic, a welcome from the mayor of Mount Airy and representatives of the sponsoring groups, fellowship and games. About 80 people attended.
Participants were divided into four groups to discuss the following four questions:
- What is the present state of racial harmony and cooperation in Mount Airy?
- What gains have been made in the past year toward improving these relations?
- What problems now stand in the way of racial harmony?
- What problems are likely to arise in the future, and what steps can be taken to avoid them?
A document, prepared by the organizing committee from the responses to questions, is to be presented to city and county officials and published in local newspapers.
Brownsville Opens Campaign[edit]
The three-member Brownsville, Texas, Bahá’í Group launched a teaching project designed to raise the community to Assembly status with a teaching institute October 14-15 attended by approximately 20 believers.
The friends spent the mornings deepening, and went street teaching in the afternoons, meeting late in the day for a de-briefing. During the weekend the group received 15 interest cards.
Since that weekend, three people in Brownsville have declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh. Other Bahá’ís in the area have committed themselves to assisting Brownsville each weekend by visiting seekers, holding deepenings, and introducing the Faith to people in parks.
The Brownsville Group plans to follow up these efforts with an eight-day teaching project January 12-19 to assure its being able to share the joyous news that Brownsville has formed a Spiritual Assembly.
5 N. Mexico Communities Form Co-op Bahá’í School[edit]
Five Bahá’í communities in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area have followed a nationwide trend and joined together to conduct the first intercommunity Bahá’í school there.
Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Albuquerque, the school is attended by about 30 children from within a 40-mile radius of the city.
Classes are held Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 11 o’clock. The school is operated with the help of interested adults.
PARENTS of children who attend the school spend two hours a month in some helpful way, such as making school materials, driving for field trips, substitute teaching, or working as a classroom aide.
The school was organized with the assistance of area Child Education Consultants of the National Education Committee.
The Albuquerque school is one of 15 intercommunity Bahá’í schools that have sprung up in the U.S. in the last three years. They have appeared in response to a growing awareness in Bahá’í communities of the need for high quality child education programs.
“The Faith is reaching a point in its development,” says Mary Taylor, a member of the National Education Committee staff, “where there are enough children and adults in an area to carry on a successful school. Single communities often don’t have enough people to sustain such a program.
“PARENTS are realizing that Bahá’í children need to spend time with other Bahá’í children to form a solid Bahá’í identity. When a child sees many other children who are learning and experiencing the same things he is, he thinks, ‘I’m a part of this. These kids are like me.’ He looks forward to being with his Bahá’í friends at school.”
The Albuquerque school is organized in three broad age levels. Children at each level concentrate on a different area of study.
The 3- to 5-year-old group has activities that teach its members about the kingdoms of God and the quality of courtesy. The 5- to 7-year-old group learns about the Central Figures of the Faith, and 8- to 13-year-olds learn about the oneness of mankind, with emphasis on applying to everyday life the virtues they learn.
The school year is divided into three eight-week blocks with a one-month vacation period between each block. This has proved to be quite successful.
RECENTLY, the parents at the school decided to meet three weeks out of each month during children’s classes for informal talks and socializing. On the fourth week, they will attend a class session.
The school is a joint effort of the Bahá’í communities of Valencia County, Bosque Farms, Sandoval County South, Bernalillo County, and Albuquerque.
“Originally, we had two schools in the area—one in Valencia, the other in Albuquerque,” says Barbara Bruss, a Child Education Consultant and active participant in the school.
“The children in Valencia grew up or moved away, and there weren’t enough children there to make a school work. Communities began bringing their children to Albuquerque, so we decided to make it a cooperative venture.”
Local Spiritual Assemblies in the area are beginning to contribute to an education fund for the school. One Assembly recently gave $100 for school supplies.
Participants in the Albuquerque school look forward to an exciting and productive year. Bahá’í schools are evolving, and the people at this New Mexico school hope to profit from the experience of others.
U.S. Must Rise Above Its Materialism[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth and final article in a series on materialism in America prepared by the Office of the Treasurer.)
In previous articles, we have discussed the glorious future that the American people have been promised by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. According to the Guardian, if the American people are to realize their high destiny, they must rise above the excesses of materialism so dominant in their society.
We also learned that the Bahá’í community cannot avoid materialism’s negative influences. In The Advent of Divine Justice (page 17), Shoghi Effendi outlined the necessary steps Bahá’ís must take to combat the excesses of materialism:
“HOW GREAT, therefore, how staggering the responsibility that must weigh upon the present generation of the American believers, at this early stage in their spiritual and administrative evolution, to weed out, by every means in their power, those faults, habits, and tendencies which they have inherited from their own nation, and to cultivate, patiently and prayerfully, those distinctive qualities and characteristics that are so indispensable to their effective participation in the great work of their Faith. Incapable as yet, in view of the restricted size of their community and the limited influence it now wields, of producing any marked effect on the great mass of their countrymen, let them focus their attention, for the present, on their own selves, their own individual needs, their own personal deficiencies and weaknesses, ever mindful that every intensification of effort on their part will better equip them for the time when they will be called upon to eradicate in their turn such evil tendencies from the lives and the hearts of the entire body of their fellow citizens.”
Shoghi Effendi makes it clear that we are still too small a community to change society at large. Therefore, he calls upon us to concentrate our energies on our own spiritual transformation.
He tells us to “weed out” the faults, habits and tendencies we have acquired from our culture. He then tells us to cultivate the distinctive characteristics of Bahá’í life.
Personal transformation is not an easy job! How are we supposed to accomplish it? Bahá’u’lláh provides the key:
“The corrosion of ungodliness is eating into the vitals of human society; what else but the Elixir of His potent Revelation can cleanse and revive it? ... The Word of God, alone, can claim the distinction of being endowed with the capacity required for so great and far-reaching a change.” (Bahá’í World Faith, p. 113)
IN THIS series of articles, we have explored the ways in which materialism influences our lives. Excessive materialism is the primary cause of the suffering that engulfs mankind today. In The Advent of Divine Justice, Shoghi Effendi shows how its destructive forces are reflected in racism, in nationalism and social injustice.
As American Bahá’ís, we know that our country has the capacity to lead all nations spiritually as well as materially. This nation has been endowed with great blessings.
It is our duty to help our countrymen understand that it is not the philosophy of materialism, but the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh that will ensure our society’s fulfillment of its glorious destiny. The Word of God alone has the power to transform the hearts of men.
Therefore, we have a lot to do! Even though the Guardian told us that we live in an excessively materialistic society, he also indicated that we cannot withdraw from it.
WE ARE called upon to be active, productive participants in American society. We must demonstrate to our neighbors, friends, and co-workers the redemptive power of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings.
To do this, we must be actively engaged in our spiritual transformation, and in the building of the New World Order. We must weed out the negative qualities we have acquired and cultivate the attributes of God in our lives.
We can accomplish this by praying, deepening, and living the life. By working, maintaining a home, raising a family, or going to school, we are productive members of society.
And we help build the New World Order by being firm in the Covenant. Being firm in the Covenant means following God’s purpose in our personal lives, obeying His Laws and supporting His Institutions.
The Fund is an Institution of the Faith. In our next series of articles, we will examine the relationship of the Fund to the Covenant. We will learn how an individual’s relationship to the Fund can support spiritual transformation. We will discover why Shoghi Effendi calls the Fund “the indispensable medium for the growth and expansion of the Movement.”
Bahá’í children in Carpinteria, Carpinteria-Montecito J.D., Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara-Goleta J.D., California, added some atmosphere to a recent study class on early American believers by dressing the part. The four-week course was sponsored by the intercommunity children’s class. In the front row (left to right) are Navid Eskandarzadeh, Nadia Eskandarzadeh, Alex Broumand, Corey Toth. Back row (left to right) are Brit Riley, Dariush Broumand, Nika Eskandarzadeh, Jonathan Whitfield.
Letters to the Treasurer
New Bahá’í Office Building Cause for Great Joy[edit]
Dear Friends:
What a pleasant surprise to see the picture of the new Administrative Building, in a recent issue of The American Bahá’í!
I worked in that building for two years while I was a member of the Wilmette Bahá’í community. From September 1967 to August 1969 I was employed by the National School Boards Association which rented half of the first floor. It is truly a beautiful building and should certainly make a lovely home for the Bahá’ís.
Incidentally, another Bahá’í worked there for a while also—Randa Avis, daughter of Florence Avis who works at the World Centre. I said many noonday prayers there, as I am sure she did, and we frequently held mini-firesides there with our co-workers. Little did I think that the Bahá’ís would one day purchase that building!
Please accept this modest contribution toward its purchase. I was overjoyed when I read the news!
Amherst, Massachusetts
Dear Friends:
Greetings and ‘Alláh’u’Abhá! A few days ago I declared my belief in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh and so I have begun my privilege of regularly contributing to the Fund. I am just 15 and have a long time to go forth and serve.
I have found that as a youth, I am now officially part of the organization. I feel that I must contribute, for the situation of the Fund is nothing to be proud of.
I think that, if possible, the National Treasurer’s Office should write a letter to all youth emphasizing youth participation in all aspects of the Faith—including giving to the Fund. This may arouse the youth, and help the American Bahá’í community.
Thank you for considering this.
Villanova, Pennsylvania
Dear Friends:
It is with great pleasure that we enclose a check as repayment of just over one-half of the funds advanced to our District Teaching Committee for its recent teaching campaign.
As you know, this North Texas Victory Plan was most successful, and, for the most part, was financed from our own resources. Additional contributions from local believers enable us to return this sum for the use of other districts.
Dear Friends:
I am writing to express my love for Bahá’u’lláh and the great love that He has for mankind.
I have loved God for some time, but I have not seen anything like the love expressed by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Boy, I can sure see now that everything springs from the love of God. This is God, praised be God!
My wife and I are new to the Bahá’í Faith. How I love His beautiful Writings. Enclosed is our first contribution to the National Bahá’í Fund.
John Day, Oregon
Mayor James Lodato of Bergenfield, New Jersey (seated center) signs a proclamation designating the week of September 17-23 ‘Bahá’í Week’ in Bergenfield as members of the Bergenfield Bahá’í community (left to right) Mary George, Lionel Gonzales, Patricia Kinney, Donald Kinney, Roger Harrison and (holding book) Sanford Kinney look on. At the right is Councilwoman Dolores Butler. The Bahá’í communities in Bergen County observed the week with concerts, public meetings, picnics, street teaching and firesides. It was culminated with a formal banquet at which awards were presented to prominent citizens whose life and work have exemplified Bahá’í principles.
World Peace Concert Hosted By New Canaan, Connecticut[edit]
New Canaan, Connecticut, one of New York State’s nine goal towns, commemorated World Peace Day with a September 16 concert that was attended by 50 people including 30 non-Bahá’ís.
Concert performers included members of the Bahá’í musical group, “Earthrise.” Bahá’ís Larry Hosack, Leona Hosack and Steve Caswell of New Canaan rendered a number of musical selections that reflected the theme of world unity.
A brief fireside followed the concert. Several people expressed an interest in attending weekly firesides in New Canaan.
New Canaan, which presently has five adult Bahá’ís, is expected to reach Assembly status by next Riḍván.
Three Bahá’ís, including two members of the musical group ‘Earthrise,’ presented a concert in September at a World Peace Day observance sponsored by the Bahá’ís of New Canaan, Connecticut. Shown here (left to right) are Larry Hosack, Leona Hosack, Steve Caswell.
‘Lights for Bahá’u’lláh’ Arise To Assist California Campaign[edit]
The California Regional Teaching Committee, assisted by the state’s District Teaching Committees, held six special meetings from October 21–November 5 for “Lights for Bahá’u’lláh”—people who have made a commitment to be homefront pioneers in California during the Five Year Plan.
The meetings, designed to generate interest and identify homefront pioneers, were held in San Fernando, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, San Diego, San José and San Francisco.
Approximately 30 Bahá’ís voiced their willingness to become “Lights for Bahá’u’lláh” and are making plans to relocate.
A special plaque inscribed with the names of those who arise to homefront pioneer in the state will be sent as a gift to the National Spiritual Assembly.
The meetings featured a new slide show prepared locally entitled “All Bounties—No Fuss” that demonstrates with humor the benefits of homefront pioneering.
The Regional Teaching Committee plans other such meetings later this year.
Also in California, the town of Fillmore, the site of one of the state’s new Bahá’í teaching centers, has been opened to the Faith.
A woman who drove past the center became so excited when she saw the name “Bahá’í” that she made a U-turn and drove back. She has a relative who is a Bahá’í, and was quite happy to be able to find out more about it. She was enrolled a short time later.
In other areas of the state, teaching projects initiated before and after the recent visit of Continental Counsellor Dr. Hidáyatu’lláh Aḥmadíyyih are continuing at a steady pace.
Central District No. 2 has formed a dozen mini-teams that have taken on specific assignments to help raise communities to Assembly status and open new localities.
The Spiritual Assembly of Sacramento M.C.D. has reorganized its jurisdictional area to form three new Local Spiritual Assemblies covering smaller-sized areas—Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, and Sacramento South.
[edit]
Amoz Gibson, a member of the Universal House of Justice, conveyed the warm and loving greetings of that institution August 12-13 to a unity conference for Native American believers on the Navajo Indian Reservation at Hardrock, Arizona.
Also present at the conference were National Spiritual Assembly member Franklin Kahn, Auxiliary Board members Nancy Phillips and Ernest Bruss, and Native American Bahá’ís from the Navajo, Hopi, Sioux, Cherokee, Oneida, and Nez Perce Indian tribes.
CONDUCTED in Navajo and English, the conference included consultation on plans for a teaching institute to be built on or near the Navajo Reservation by local believers under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly.
The friends had an opportunity to see part of the special fund for the institute that was collected in coin at this year’s National Convention.
The purpose of the institute, the style and dimensions of the building, and the purchase of land were discussed, and a task force was appointed to study these matters.
At the close of the weekend gathering, the friends shared prayers and music while Mr. Gibson presented each person with a flower petal from the garden of the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Tehran.
Bahá’ís who wish to contribute to the Bahá’í teaching institute on the Navajo-Hopi Reservation should send their contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund earmarked “Navajo Teaching Institute.” Such contributions should be over and above one’s regular support of the National Fund.
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“Say, when’s the next Nineteen Day Feast?
Join the club! In a society where nearly everyone uses the Gregorian calendar, it’s not easy to remember the date of each Nineteen Day Feast. Not to mention other important dates like Naw-Rúz, the Festival of Riḍván, the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, and Race Unity Day! The 1979 Bahá’í Wall Calendar features a duotone (two color) photograph of the architect’s drawing of the new Mother Temple of India. Because of the calendar’s improved design, it is now easy to see at a glance when each Bahá’í month begins and ends. The 1979 Bahá’í Date Book, with a blue cover, provides a full Gregorian calendar for the thirteen months from January 1979 through January 1980. Space is provided for making note of meetings, appointments, and other dates especially important to you. The 1979 Bahá’í Pocket Calendar fits conveniently in purse or billfold. Why not buy extra pocket calendars to inform your employer or your children’s teachers of Bahá’í Holy Days? 1979 Bahá’í Wall Calendar 1979 Bahá’í Date Book 1979 Bahá’í Pocket Calendar To order: Order through Community Librarians if possible! Personal orders: enclose full payment plus $.75 handling charge for orders under $5.00. Bahá’í Publishing Trust 415 LINDEN AVE • WILMETTE, ILLINOIS 60091 • 312/256-5854 |
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Lafayette, California, which was first formed last March 26, held its Recognition Ceremony on Saturday, August 12. Members of the present Assembly are shown with Mitra Dickson (seated, second from left), who was a member of the original Lafayette Assembly. Members are (seated left to right) Jeanee H. Hill, Mahrokh Samimi, Manijeh Quinn, Ruhangiz Tavakoli, and (standing left to right) Joyce Samimi, secretary; Eugene H. Hill, treasurer; Shamseddin Tavakoli; Robert C. Quinn, chairman; Mehrdad Samimi.
Bosch Slates Winter Session[edit]
“Source of Our Strength” is the theme of the first winter session December 21-25 at the Bosch Bahá’í School near Santa Cruz, California.
Classes for all ages are included. The theme class will be conducted by Auxiliary Board member Eunice Braun. Dr. Ronald Gilpatrick will present a class on the new book, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh.
Classes and special afternoon activities are being arranged for children ages one through 15.
The second winter session, December 28-January 1, is limited to those who are 15 years of age or older. Mrs. Braun will teach the theme class, “From Strength to Strength.” A workshop on Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh will be conducted by Mrs. Ruth Somerhalder.
Both sessions will feature other classes, opportunities for research at the Bosch School library, recreational activities, and special evening programs.
The Bosch Bahá’í School, in the mountains 15 miles from Santa Cruz, has comfortable cabins nestled among redwood and fir trees. Meals are served cafeteria-style in the central lodge.
For more information contact the Registrar, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
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VANGUARD Youth News |
Youth-Related Issues Deserve Serious Concern[edit]
To the American Bahá’í Community
Recently the National Spiritual Assembly wrote to the entire Bahá’í community about the quality of Bahá’í life provided to our Bahá’í youth. We would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of our thoughts concerning the needs of youth in the United States.
During the last few years it has become increasingly clear to the National Youth Committee that we must make a concerted effort to deal with the fundamental issues of concern to every Bahá’í community with youth among its ranks. These issues pertain to developing and nurturing a strong Bahá’í identity, fostering an environment that develops strong character, and assisting youth to become deepened in the Faith. We need strong youth leaders who will continue to carry forward Bahá’u’lláh’s ever-advancing civilization.
What environment will best contribute to a strong Bahá’í identity, strong character, and deepened leaders? What youth-related issues should command most of our attention?
• To begin with, we feel it is very important for adults to make sacrificial efforts to assist their youth. These efforts, together with genuine concern and encouragement from members of Spiritual Assemblies and other adult believers, will provide the support that will help them handle the outside pressures of a world that has “gone completely astray” from the Divine Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
• In their community, youth need to feel part of a loving environment where they and their non-Bahá’í friends can feel comfortable.
• As is the case with every individual, Bahá’í youth want to enjoy life today and in the future. Special efforts to provide entertainment, both social and recreational, will help provide a much-needed balance in their Bahá’í lives.
• At present, some youth do not have the strength (that springs from experiences with many Bahá’í friends, a broad Bahá’í background, and deepening in the Sacred Texts) to overcome the shortcomings of communities; more collective activities need to be provided to develop such strength.
• We also believe youth appreciate having their opinions sought and their concerns and views aired.
Efforts to meet these needs of Bahá’í youth will benefit the Five Year Plan and the Two Year Youth Program. Adults can further assist youth by becoming familiar with the goals of the Two Year Youth Program and participating in a supportive way to help win these goals. One way to address the points raised above would be to have a community meeting to discuss each of them. A “spirit of unity and cooperation” must exist if progress toward solutions to each point is to be realized.
We pray that each community will endeavor “to search for effective means by which the potentialities of Bahá’í youth...can be further realized.” We hope that youth, adults, and Local Spiritual Assemblies will respond to the National Spiritual Assembly’s letter and this editorial, and share some of their ideas. All of us must ensure that youth will continue to play the prominent and vital role in the progress of the Faith often envisioned by the beloved Guardian:
“What impressed him most in the account of your services was the statement that the old and the young Bahá’ís are firmly united and cooperating in bearing the burdens of the Faith in that locality. Nothing will attract God’s blessings and grace more than the unity of the friends...” — Bahá’í Youth: A Compilation, p. 21. (From a letter dated October 11, 1952, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Teaneck, New Jersey.)
If you would like to receive a copy of the Two Year Youth Program, please write to the National Youth Committee. We thank you for your continued efforts to assist and encourage our youth.
Completed Listing of U.S. Bahá’í College Clubs[edit]
Bahá’í College Clubs in the U.S. are listed here alphabetically by state from Minnesota through Wyoming. Please review them and let the National Bahá’í Youth Committee know if there are any other College Clubs in existence that are not on this list. And please let the committee know if a club listed here is no longer functioning:
Minnesota—Bemidji State University, Macalester College, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Moorhead State University, Rochester Community College, St. Cloud State University, U. of Minnesota, U. of Minnesota at Duluth, Winona State U.
Missouri—Central Missouri State U., Florissant Valley Community College, Jefferson College, Lincoln U., S.W. Missouri State U., University of Missouri at Rolla, U. of Missouri at Columbia, Webster College, Washington U., Northeast Missouri State U., Lindenwood College.
Mississippi—Jefferson Davis Jr. College. Montana—Montana State U., U. of Montana.
North Carolina—Appalachian State U., Duke University, North Carolina State U., North Carolina School of Arts, Pembroke State U., U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, U. of North Carolina at Greensboro, U. of North Carolina at Wilmington.
North Dakota—Mary College, North Dakota State U., U. of North Dakota, Minot State College.
Nebraska—Doane College, U. of Nebraska at Lincoln, U. of Nebraska at Omaha. New Hampshire—Keene State College, Plymouth State College, U. of New Hampshire.
New Jersey—Drew U., Glassboro State College, Princeton U., Ramapo College, Rutgers U. at New Brunswick, Stockton State College.
New Mexico—Eastern New Mexico U., New Mexico State U., U. of New Mexico.
Nevada—U. of Nevada at Las Vegas, U. of Nevada at Reno. New York—State U. of New York at Plattsburgh, Columbia U., Cornell U., New York Inst. of Technology, Queens College, Rochester Inst. of Technology, School of Visual Arts, State U. of New York at Binghamton.
State U. of New York at Buffalo, State U. of New York at Oswego, State U. of New York at Albany, State U. of New York at Fredonia, State U. of New York at New Paltz, State U. of New York at Stony Brook, State U. College at Geneseo.
U. of Buffalo, U. of Rochester, Lehman College, State U. College at Brockport, Poly Inst. of New York, New York U., C.W. Post College, Eisenhower College.
Ohio—Bowling Green State U., Case Western Reserve U., Central State U., Hiram College, Kent State U., Oberlin College, Ohio State U. at Columbus, Ohio U., Sinclair Community College, U. of Cincinnati, Wright State U., U. of Toledo, Shawnee State Community College, U. of Akron. Oklahoma—East Central U., Oklahoma State U., U. of Oklahoma.
Oregon—Clatsop Community College, Lane Community College, Lewis and Clark College, Mt. Hood Community College, Oregon State U., Oregon College of Education, Portland State U., Southern Oregon State College, U. of Oregon.
Pennsylvania—Bucknell U., Drexel U., Pennsylvania State U., Temple U., U. of Pennsylvania, U. of Pittsburgh, Westchester State College.
Rhode Island—Brown U. South Carolina—Clemson U., College of Charleston, Friendship Jr. College, Sherman College of Chiropractic, U. of South Carolina.
South Dakota—Black Hills State College, U. of South Dakota. Tennessee—U. of Tennessee.
Texas—East Texas State U., Lamar U., North Texas State U., Pan-American U., Prairie View A&M U., Rice U., San Jacinto College, Southwest Texas State U., Southern Methodist U., Tarrant County Jr. College, Texarkana College, Texas A&M U.
Texas Tech U., Texas Southern U., U. of Houston, U. of Texas at Arlington, U. of Texas at Austin, U. of Texas at El Paso, U. of Houston—C.L.C., West Texas State U., U. of Texas at Dallas.
Utah—Brigham Young U., U. of Utah, Utah State U., Southern Utah State College.
Virginia—Madison College, Northern Virginia Community College, U. of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth U., Virginia Polytechnic Inst. State U. Vermont—U. of Vermont.
Washington—Bellevue Community College, Central Washington State College, Eastern Washington State College at Cheney, Evergreen State College, Fort Wright College, Highline Community College, Seattle Community College, Tacoma Community College, U. of Puget Sound, U. of Washington, Washington State U., Whitman College, Western Washington State College, Yakima Valley College, Olympia College.
Wisconsin—Carroll College, Marquette U., U. of Wisconsin at Green Bay, U. of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, U. of Wisconsin at Stout, U. of Wisconsin at Madison, U. of Wisconsin at Parkside, U. of Wisconsin at La Crosse, U. of Wisconsin at Whitewater.
U. of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, U. of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, Wisconsin State U. at River Falls.
West Virginia—West Virginia U. Wyoming—U. of Wyoming.
The first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was elected October 15. Members are (standing left to right) Mrs. Ruhiyyih West, James West, Thomas Geller, Mrs. Louann Geller, Mary West, and (seated left to right) Amy Black, Virginia Mair, Charles Springer, Thomas Weir.
Human Development: Complex, Wonderful Process[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a series of articles on children and learning written by Deborah H. Christensen of London, Ontario, Canada.)
Human Development
Every gardener knows the steps involved as a seed develops into a mature plant. He can even predict roughly when these steps will occur.
As the gardener nurtures his plants in different ways at different stages, parents should support their child’s learning according to the child’s particular stage of development. This requires a basic understanding not only of the principles of learning but also of the process of human development.
Development is the process by which a person’s potential becomes actualized. A healthy new-born infant has the potential to walk. As he matures, physically and mentally, he will actually walk, usually between the ages of nine and 15 months.
SAID another way, development is a change from a simple state to a more complex one. There are two parts to this process: biological maturing, and learning (supported by contact with one’s environment). Nutrition, upon which biological maturing depends, is discussed in a separate article.
Although a child’s development is marked by stages, this is somewhat misleading, for the changes are gradual and continuous. They are also happening on several fronts at once, and growth in one area often sparks growth in another.
For example, while an infant is developing the necessary physical skills to walk—holding up his head, getting up on all fours, crawling, pulling himself up, standing—he is also acquiring the mental skills necessary to sort out his world and its many requirements, to say nothing of the emerging social sense of his own self.
GROWTH is also orderly and sequential, moving from simple to complex. All children go through the same stages, but each child has his own timetable (as well as a different environment). This is why developmental “norms” (“the average child will walk between 12 and 14 months”) can be misleading.
With this caution in mind, we can consider several rather general stages at the beginning of human development.
Infancy, from birth until a child can walk, is (from the child’s point of view) a time of overwhelming physical needs and complete dependence on figures who appear and disappear, who seem to be extensions of himself. From the Bahá’í parents’ perspective, the infant is a gift from God (albeit a mixed blessing!) whose body and soul have been developing from conception.
Parents, especially mothers, understand that infancy is a critical period for developing trust and security. Infants whose physical needs are met by a warm, loving figure develop positive feelings about the world.
Another important job for parents is to provide stimulation for their babies, interesting things to look at and eventually grasp and explore.
BURTON White offers some good suggestions in his insightful book, The First Three Years of Life. He points out, for instance, that toy manufacturers, who are selling to parents, demonstrate very little knowledge of children or their development!
To take only one example, mobiles are a fine idea, but they are designed so that all the baby sees is the thin, uninteresting bottom of the figures. White suggests attaching attractive shapes to the bottoms of the mobile figures, where a baby can see them.
The infant’s need for a strong bond with one adult, who gratifies those overwhelming needs and brings delight to the child, cannot be overstated.
The same bond is further strengthened and developed through toddlerhood and beyond. Current research has shown that placing children under three years old in schools or day-care centers is less desirable (although sometimes necessary) than leaving them in a good family environment.
‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ says that children should not be gathered in groups for formal education until the age of five. However, He also says that many concepts should be made clear to them in the nursery—through play and amusement.
Traditionally, of course, establishing the bonds of security has been the mother’s responsibility. She is identified in the Bahá’í Writings as her child’s primary educator.
This does not and should not exclude a strong relationship between father and child, which is also important to development. It is also important for the child to develop ties with many other people.
The Guardian has confirmed, however, that the mother continues to have primary responsibility for child rearing:
“THE TASK of bringing up a Bahá’í child, as emphasized time and again in Bahá’í Writings, is the chief responsibility of the mother, whose unique privilege is indeed to create in her home such conditions as would be most conducive to both his material and spiritual welfare and advancement. The training which the child first receives through his mother constitutes the strongest foundation for his future development...” (Shoghi Effendi, in Dawn of a New Day, page 202)
Another general stage in human development is toddlerhood (walking through talking). A child’s life at this point is focused on mastering walking, language, and a sense of self—a pretty tall order, to say the least!
In this period the child’s developing bond with his mother changes a bit. She, with the help of other adults such as the father, becomes the buffer between the child and his ever-expanding world—encouraging, stimulating, praising, cheering his attempts to master walking and talking.
He is still dependent on her for food, diapering, warmth, love, and the provision of new experiences with objects and places. His world needs to be both stable and changing—a world with a few clear “no-no’s” and lots of “yes-yeses.”
MOST children, given reasonable freedom and encouragement, teach themselves to walk. Learning a language is far more challenging. It is one area where parents’ help can really make a difference.
Children learn what is repeated and reinforced. We now know that infants begin to learn language long before they can speak. Parents who provide a rich language environment for their children (in other words, who talk and read to them) are, therefore, helping those children learn even though the infants cannot yet talk back.
This parental assistance should continue into toddlerhood. Between a year and two years children begin to put recognizable words with objects, usually beginning with nouns, then moving on to phrases, and finally sentences.
Learning language gives children power over their world. They can manipulate it by substituting words for objects, which develops into imagination, fantasy, projection, and rational thought. It is a highly individual process.
How and when a child talks is not necessarily a measure of his intelligence; many factors are involved in this complex, miraculous achievement. What does make a difference is having adults to talk to, listen to, and read to their children, and who applaud their experiments with language.
The toddler has a growing awareness of his own individuality. One day, either outwardly or inwardly, he will point to himself and say his name and know his uniqueness.
This is a most exciting discovery. It brings with it joy and pain—joy because he’s utterly delighted with the prospect of being and growing, and yet pain, too, because he’s caught up in the ambivalence of it. He wants to be independent, but he is also quite dependent still, trying to make choices but being stymied by indecision.
This is a very important struggle. With the support of loving, patient parents the child emerges as the victor, very much aware of his good feelings about himself and his mastery of the world.
Next: The Pre-School Years
Bahá’í Films an Effective Teaching Medium[edit]
Motion pictures have a magical way of capturing the spirit of the Bahá’í Faith like few other media can. Now that the teaching efforts of the Five Year Plan are gathering momentum, why not show a Bahá’í film to the seekers and new believers in your area?
Eight 16mm color films on the Bahá’í Faith are available for rent from the Publishing Trust. Most of the films are appropriate for seekers learning about the Bahá’í Faith for the first time as well as for new and veteran believers.
Rental rates vary according to the length and newness of the film. New rates recently announced by the Publishing Trust range from $15 to $29 per three-day (three-showing) rental.
Among the $15 films are “Have You Heard the News, My Friend?,” “It’s Just the Beginning,” “A New Wind,” and “The Dedication” (“El Alba” in Spanish).
Two films available for $25 rentals are “And His Name Shall Be One” and “Step by Step” (“Paso a Paso” in Spanish).
The newest and longest films, “Invitation” and “Retrospective,” are available at $29 per three-day rental.
All of the films are fully described in both the Bahá’í Publishing Trust catalog and a free information sheet titled “Films Available from the Publishing Trust.” (To rent films, send a letter separate from orders and payments to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Give your first, second, and third choice of dates desired, and enclose full payment with your order. Order through Bahá’í librarians if possible.)
For immediate film rental information, call the Bahá’í Bookstore at 312-256-4400 Sunday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (CST).
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Hanover Park, Illinois, was formed Saturday, September 30. Assembly members include (left to right) Ray Rodriguez, Shirley Holmstrom, Maggie Rodriguez, David Rodriguez, Sherry Percic, Carmen Rodriguez, Frank Maxwell. Not shown are Karen Bodan, Mary Roath.
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Cassettes for Youth
Peer Pressure In this new cassette specially taped for youth, Dr. Daniel C. Jordan discusses the effects on Bahá’í youth of group pressure. The talk stresses the importance of developing Bahá’í standards that will help an individual grow up in today’s society and still hold to a course of spiritual development. Recommended for Bahá’í youth and adolescents, their families, and communities. 58 minutes. 6-31-41 cassette...........$4.25
Highlighting the 4th Bahá’í National Conference held in Champaign, Illinois, in 1977, The Time Is Now features excerpts from inspiring talks on living the Bahá’í life, careers in the Cause of God, Bahá’í marriage, and other subjects of particular interest to youth. Also included are musical highlights by England Dan and John Ford Coley, the Summers Brothers, and other artists. For all Bahá’í youth. 63 minutes. 6-31-75 cassette...........$4.25
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[Page 7]
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Jacksonville, Arkansas, was elected September 21, thus winning the first of that state’s six Assembly goals. Members are (front row left to right) Mary DiPasquale; Jeannie Culbertson; Angie Griggs, secretary, and (back row left to right) Dale Hawley; Linda Hawley; Joe DiPasquale, chairman; Lisa Wheeler; Fil Griggs, treasurer; Billy Wheeler, vice-chairman.
The Recognition Ceremony for the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Kalamazoo Township, Michigan, was held September 9. Members of the Assembly include (front row left to right) William Parker, Diane H. Nevill, Lenard Williams, Constance Alexander, and (back row left to right) William Nevill, Rene Meave, Joan Williams, Carol Steen. Not pictured is Louis Steen.
Boston Bahá’ís In Workshop[edit]
Klysler Yen demonstrates Chinese music on the two-stringed wu-chin during a ‘Chinese Cultural Awareness Workshop’ October 14 in Boston’s Chinatown sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Boston, Massachusetts.
As a part of its Five Year Plan goals, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Boston, Massachusetts, sponsored a “Chinese Cultural Awareness Workshop” October 14 at the Chinese Wushu Research Institute in Boston’s Chinatown.
Twenty-three Bahá’ís and friends from greater Boston attended the afternoon-long workshop that included a talk by Peter Chan from the Boston Little City Hall/Chinatown, musical selections on the two-stringed Chinese wu-chin by Klysler Yen, paintings, films of Chinese arts, refreshments, and a walking tour of Chinatown.
In his talk, Mr. Chan pointed out that there are some 20,000 Chinese-Americans in the Boston area, 7,000 in Chinatown proper (the fourth largest in the U.S.), and that perhaps 80 per cent of the Chinese in Chinatown do not speak English.
Bahá’í prayer books and other literature were available in English and Chinese at no charge.
Some of the 23 Bahá’ís and friends who attended a ‘Chinese Cultural Awareness Workshop’ October 14 at the Wushu Research Institute in Boston’s Chinatown with Peter Chan (standing fourth from right) of the Boston Little City Hall/Chinatown, who was the featured speaker.
In Memoriam[edit]
- Mrs. Mae Anderson
- Beverly Hills, Calif.
- September 3, 1978
- Mrs. Jean Marshall Ball
- South Bend, Indiana
- September 22, 1978
- Miss Dianna K. Banks
- Malvern, Pennsylvania
- September 29, 1978
- Mrs. Maggie Brown
- Summerville, S.C.
- Date Unknown
- Louis Butler
- Copeland Florida
- Date Unknown
- Ernest J. Cameron
- Sarasota, Florida
- Date Unknown
- Mira R. Coffin
- San Luis Obispo, Calif.
- September 30, 1978
- Roger Elstrot
- DeSoto, Missouri
- September 2, 1978
- Mrs. Lilly M. Ferguson
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- September 28, 1978
- Mrs. Claire Fricke
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- September 23, 1978
- William Gardner
- Hobbs, New Mexico
- September 17, 1978
- Mrs. Evelyn I. Haffner
- Friday Harbor, Wash.
- August 24, 1978
- Mrs. Carabelle Hoyan
- Copeland, Florida
- Date Unknown
- Raynard Johnson
- Yonges Island, S.C.
- Date Unknown
- Miss Antoinette Judell
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- August 16, 1978
- Earl Loomis
- Sparks, Nevada
- August 1978
- Gene Mallard
- Oglethorpe, Georgia
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Esther Matthews
- Los Gatos, California
- October 4, 1978
- Mrs. Afaq Muhajir
- Potomac, Maryland
- September 1978
- Mrs. Mary Robison
- San Carlos, Calif.
- June 1, 1978
- Miss Terri Schulte
- Bismarck, Missouri
- August 22, 1978
- Alexander J. Shaw
- Evansville, Indiana
- September 21, 1978
- Joseph Smith
- Yonges Island, S.C.
- Date Unknown
- Willie Thurman
- Griffin, Georgia
- August 27, 1978
- Mrs. Mattie Wimbush
- Griffin, Georgia
- Date Unknown
- Willie Lee Wimbush
- Griffin, Georgia
- Date Unknown
- Mrs. Edith Inez Wininsky
- Hermitage, Pa.
- October 7, 1978
Careers for Youth
Pioneering Requires Careful Preparation[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The ninth in a series of articles on careers for young people was written by Dr. Robert L. Gulick Jr., dean of admissions, American Graduate School of International Management.)
Bahá’í youth and others who want to go pioneering abroad need more than a knowledge of that country’s language and a desire to serve the Faith and the people of the country.
Prospective pioneers do need to know the language, however. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá clearly stated that teachers traveling to other places must know the language of those people. A representative of a large corporation once told me that an international multi-million dollar project failed because his people knew only English and communications broke down.
The Guardian, too, emphasized proper preparation for pioneering. He said it is important “to acquire a certain proficiency in the languages spoken by the inhabitants of those countries, and a knowledge of their customs, habits, and outlook.” (Advent of Divine Justice, p. 41)
Making an effort to speak someone else’s language is an act of respect. Every professional person can be a force for change, especially when there is cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. We need also to have the vision to see the potential of the “disadvantaged” nations.
THE NON-BAHÁ’Í world also sees the need for this. President Carter has established a Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies. The commission will investigate means for “the improvement of communications and understanding with other nations in an increasingly interdependent world.”
Opportunities in Business
Since nationalism has increased and probably will continue to do so for some time, there may be fewer opportunities for jobs in other countries. However, we can predict continued growth of international business travel.
Between 1970 and 1976 the number of U.S. passports issued for business travel increased about 700 per cent (from 40,000 a year to nearly 275,000).
Though the opportunities are shrinking, it is still possible to obtain overseas jobs in certain fields.
EXPERIENCE has shown that it is generally better to secure employment while still in the U.S. Those who get a job while overseas are more likely to be given second-class status and not given certain fringe benefits such as home leave.
Therefore, while knowledge of the language and a desire to serve are essential for pioneering, they are not all that is necessary.
The second part of this article will discuss the importance of good grades, advanced degrees, and opportunities in specific fields of employment.
Small N. Mexico Village Mounts Ambitious Drive[edit]
On October 14-15, one of the smallest communities in New Mexico launched the largest teaching project held in that state during the Five Year Plan.
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Bosque Farms, a village of some 3,000 people 20 miles from Albuquerque, opened the campaign with a weekend of teacher training and other preparation.
The event launched the Victory Teaching Team, a group of full-time and part-time traveling teachers sponsored by the Northern New Mexico District Teaching Committee. The team will travel and teach throughout the northern part of the state until next Riḍván.
Auxiliary Board member Ernest Bruss spoke of the rewards of direct teaching, and cited successes such as that in Taos County, New Mexico, where direct teaching recently helped raise a four-member Group to Assembly status.
Vahid Hedayati of Wichita Falls, Texas, explained direct teaching methods and shared inspiring stories of recent teaching victories throughout the U.S.
On Saturday and Sunday afternoon, Bahá’í teaching teams invited about half the residents of Bosque Farms to firesides. Ten people signed interest cards requesting more information or teachers to visit them.
The New Mexico Victory Teaching Team was formed the weekend of October 14-15 at a meeting in Bosque Farms, New Mexico. The teaching team, sponsored by the Northern New Mexico District Teaching Committee, will travel and teach throughout the northern part of the state until next Riḍván.
Eastern New York Teaching Campaign Gathers Momentum[edit]
In less than five days in early November, nine people were enrolled as Bahá’ís in eastern New York suburbs as teaching in that part of the state gained momentum.
An intensive teaching campaign the first week in November in Ossining, a village of some 25,000 about 30 miles north of New York City, resulted in 20 people signing interest cards.
The teaching work was given added impetus with the spirit generated by three of the Westchester County Teaching Center’s five full-time teachers who returned to New York after several days of working with teaching projects in North Georgia.
While in Georgia, the three New Yorkers—Claire Segue, Mark Foster and Gregg Suhm—learned the street teaching methods encouraged by Continental Counsellor Hidáyatu’lláh Aḥmadíyyih.
During their visit, an average of three Assemblies a day were being formed in North Georgia.
Returning to New York, they put these teaching methods to work immediately, and found people to be generally receptive to the approach.
The teaching effort in eastern New York is centered now on raising Assemblies in Ossining and nearby Rockland County.
Meanwhile, two people became Bahá’ís recently at New York University in New York City after talking about the Faith with members of its Bahá’í College Club.
Classified Ads[edit]
CLASSIFIED ADS in The American Bahá’í are intended as a service to the U.S. Bahá’í community and are printed free of charge.
WANTED: A BAHÁ’Í FAMILY, preferably one with several children, to pioneer to Boone, North Carolina, whose Spiritual Assembly is in jeopardy. We feel that a family with children would greatly strengthen our community that includes four single men, one single woman, two teen-agers, and two elderly women. Boone is a university town in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with many popular ski slopes for wintertime fun and cool mountain breezes to beat the summer heat. For details, write to the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Boone, P.O. Box 506, Boone, NC 28607, or phone 704-262-1630.
RICHLAND, one of the booming tri-cities in eastern Washington State, can fill a Local Spiritual Assembly goal with only one additional adult Bahá’í. Located in a rich agricultural area at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia rivers, Richland is a leading center of the nuclear power industry. Work of almost any kind is plentiful in Richland, Kennewick or Pasco. Housing is somewhat more difficult to obtain. For more information write to Jean Johnson, 106 Chaparral, Richland, WA 99352, or phone 509-783-0268. Samples of newspaper employment ads will be sent upon request.
AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY for Bahá’ís who are scientists, engineers, or professional people to disperse from larger cities, live and work in a city of 30,000 and fill a goal of the Five Year Plan. A large company in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is hiring experienced and inexperienced technical personnel in many disciplines. The city has an outstanding public school system, and is in a beautiful setting with a large metropolitan area only a half-hour away from forest and farmland. There are four adult Bahá’ís in the city. For more information, please contact David Bird, 102 Newell Lane, Oak Ridge, TN 37803, or phone 615-482-6431.
YOU ARE NEEDED. If you can give a few years of your life to teach the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh in a different culture and among beautiful people, the Navajo-Hopi District Teaching Committee and the American Indian Teaching Committee invite you to come live and teach in Arizona and New Mexico. Navajo and English spoken here! Employment is available in teaching and in the health professions, as well as in tribal, federal and private agencies. Most employers provide low-cost housing. Two junior colleges are here for youth and other students who wish to continue their education while serving the Cause. Please direct all inquiries to the Navajo-Hopi District Teaching Committee, c/o Jan Herbst, P.O. Box 701, Ganado, AZ 86505 (and please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope).
WANTED: BAHÁ’ÍS to help a small Group reach Assembly status by the end of the Five Year Plan. Amityville is a lovely little incorporated village on the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is within commuting distance of New York City as well as many fine colleges. A racially-mixed area provides many opportunities to teach the Faith. There are three strong Assemblies nearby, plus one newly-formed Assembly and another on the way. Won’t you help form another in a goal state? For more information write to Linda Laurenzi, secretary, Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Town of Huntington, P.O. Box 3061, Huntington Station, NY 11746, or phone 516-368-0830 weekdays.
Teaching[edit]
Continued From Page 1
Assemblies.
WHILE enrollments also have increased, the number has not been in proportion to the number of Assemblies formed, as many of the new Assemblies in the South are composed largely of those who already were enrolled as Bahá’ís.
According to the National Teaching Committee, enrollments for the three-week period ending November 16 were running more than three times higher than the same period a year ago.
The committee also reported that for the first time since the start of the Five Year Plan, the number of U.S. localities in which Bahá’ís reside has exceeded 6,000. The figure as of November 17 was 6,015, with a goal of 7,000 by the end of the Five Year Plan next April 20.
| 2 Year Youth Program | ||
| CURRENT | GOAL | |
| Homefront Pioneers | 11 | 150 |
| 1. To unopened counties | 6 | 20 |
| 2. To unopened localities | 9 | 90 |
| Domestic Travel-Teaching Trips | 1119 WON! | 1000 |
| 1. Trips of Two Months or More | 19 WON! | 15 |
| 2. Trips to Indian Reservations | 91 WON! | 50 |
| International Pioneers | 27 | 30 |
| 1. Filling Specific Five Year Plan Goals | 12 WON! | 10 |
| International Travel-Teaching | 100 WON! | 95 |
| 1. Trips of One Month or More | 43 WON! | 20 |
| Local Youth Clubs | 151 | 200 |
| College Clubs | 371 | 400 |
| 1. At Colleges with Highest American Indian Enrollment | 2 | 5 |