U.S. Supplement/Issue 103/Text

Universal Participation Through Prayer and Fireside Teaching

The Universal House of Justice in its message to the Bahá’ís of the world at Riḍván 1965 called on all believers “to raise the intensity of teaching to a pitch never before attained” for the vast increase in membership and institutions of the Faith necessary to achieve the Nine Year Plan. It said: “Universal participation and constant action will win this goal.”

Daily prayer is one of the essentials in universal participation. This is why the National Spiritual Assembly is asking each and every Bahá’í to recite the prayer for his region daily beginning no later than September 16 and continuing through Riḍván 1967. It is believed that by making this effort the bounties will be so obvious that everyone will recognize the wisdom of continuing until all the goals of the Nine Year Plan have been won. '

This date precedes by one week that of September 23 marking the anniversary of the first mention made of our beloved Faith on this continent. This occurred at the World's Parliament of Religion in Chicago, September 23, 1893. On this date seventy-three years later every Bahá’í is being asked to hold or attend a Bahá’í fireside. As the Guardian has written:

“. . . it has been found over the entire world that the most effective method of teaching the Faith is the fireside meeting in the home. Every Bahá’í, as a part of his spiritual birthright, must teach, and the one avenue where he can do this most effectively is by inviting friends into his home once in nineteen days, and gradually attracting them to the Cause.” *

For the many Bahá’ís who are already holding regular firesides every nineteen days or more frequently, this is an extra opportunity to teach, and surely there will be a great potency if every Bahá’í'will participate on that day through both prayer and attendance.

The fifty-one State Goals Committees are all participating in this program heartily recommended by the National Goals Committee and the National Spiritual Assembly. In California this plan has been carried out with outstanding success. On September 1 last year a goal of 500 firesides was exceeded. Once started a regular schedule has been easily maintained.

To facilitate the recital of the regional prayer as given to us by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in The Tablets of The Divine Plan, they have been printed on cards for each of the four regions. These are being made available through the State Goals Committees to all believers.

' Bahá’í News, #292 June 1955, p.9. A discussion of Fireside Teaching written by the NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEIVIBLY is in the U.S. Supplement #101, July 1966, p.2.

United Nations Day October 24. T966

A Special Event for Proclaiming the Bahá’í Faith fo the Public

Theme: U.N. — Focus on the Future

Suggested Materials: Material suggested by U.N. Committee; Tomorrow and Tomorrow; Bahá’í'. Peace Program from Bahá’í Publishing Trust.

Reports: Good photographs and reports of outstanding meetings should be mailed immediately to the Public Information Department.

Functions of State Service Representatives

Transferred to State Goals Committees

As of August first the newly appointed State Goals Committees absorbed the duties and functions performed by the State Service Representatives during the past two years. Henceforth, the State Goals Committees—one for each state and electoral district—wfll report new enrollments, changes of address, and transfers of isolated and group members, and carry out all the functions of these committees as described in the U.S. Supplement, No. 101, for July. The membership of the State Goals Committees and the addresses of the secretaries are to be found in the Bahá’í Directory, Part II mailed with this issue of Bahá’í News.

Pioneer Couple Needed for Thailand

The Universal House of Justice has requested that a couple from the United States go as pioneers to assist with the teaching in Thailand. The request reads that this couple should, in addition to the usual qualifications, be well grounded in the teachings of the Faith and should understand Bahá’í administration. Preferably they should be self supporting so that they will be able to travel and teach. The Universal House of Justice, in making this appeal, states that they will offer their prayers at the Holy Shrines for the success of this project.

Any couple who can volunteer for this project should be in touch immediately with: U.S. Foreign Goals Committee, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.

[Page 2]The True Character of Consultation

The attention of the National Spiritual Assembly has been called to an anonymous letter recently sent to local assemblies and American believers. In each instance where a copy of the letter has been forwarded to the National Assembly it has been accompanied with a protest against that type of individual action.

Many years ago the National Spiritual Assembly recorded and published the view (Bahá’í News #83, May 1934):

“. . . first, that anonymous communications are not in conformity either with the spirit or the letter of the Bahá’í Teachings, and secondly, that the general distribution of any letter, whether anonymous or otherwise, by an individual believer to members of the American Bahá’í communities is an improper method of Bahá’í consultation.

“In this connection reference is made to the Guardian’s instruction on page 23 of Bahá’í Administration: ‘Not only with regard to publication, but all matters without any exception whatsoever, regarding the interests of the Cause in that locality, individually or collectively, should be referred to the Spiritual Assembly, in that locality, which shall decide upon it, unless it be a matter of national interest, in which case it shall be referred to the national body.’

“And to the Guardian’s further instruction of November 18, 1933, published in BAX-IA’lT News of February, 1934: ‘Shoghi Effendi firmly believes that consultation must be maintained between the N. S. A. and the entire body of the believers, and that such consultation, while the Convention is not in session, can best be maintained through the agency of the local Assemblies, one of whose essential functions is to act as intermediaries between the local communities and their national representatives. The main purpose of the Nineteen Day Feasts is to enable individual believers to offer any suggestion to the local Assembly which in turn will pass it to the N. S. A. The local Assembly is, therefore, the proper medium through which local Bahá’í communities can communicate with the body of the national representatives.’ ”

Conditions for Restoration of Voting Rights

From time to time individuals and local assemblies inquire how reinstatement of Bahá’í membership may be achieved by those persons who have been deprived of their membership and administrative privileges.

The initiative for reinstatement must be taken by the Bahá’í whose voting rights have been removed for any reason whatsoever. He may appeal directly to the National Spiritual Assembly for the restoration of his membership and voting rights, but his appeal must be accompanied by an expression of sincere repentance for his actions which deprived him of his membership, and a statement of his willingness to rectify the matter as may be required by Bahá’í law. The judgment of the National Spiritual Assembly will be based on the merits of the individual case.

—U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL Assmvuarv

SEPTEMBER 1966

The Guardian’; Statement on

Leaving One's Body to Science

(Reprinted from U.S. Supplement No. 43, September 1961, p. 3)

The following excerpt from a letter to an American believer from the beloved Guardian through his secretary, dated March 22, 1957, is published here because in a few words it answers the increasing number of inquiries coming to the National Spiritual Assembly from individual Bahá’ís and local spiritual assemblies on these subjects:

“There is nothing in the Teachings against leaving our bodies to medical science. The only thing we should stipulate is that we do not wish to be cremated, as it is against our Bahá’í laws.

“As many people make arrangements to leave their bodies to medical science for investigation, he suggests that you inquire, either through some lawyer friend or through some hospital, how you could do this, and then make the necessary provision in your will, stipulating that you wish your body to be of service to mankind in death, and that, being a Bahá’í, you request that your remains not be cremated and not be taken more than an hour’s journey from the place you die.

“The spirit has no more connection with the body after it departs, but as the body was once the temple of the spirit, we Bahá’ís are taught that it must be treated with respect.”

— NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

Operation Bootstrap Lifting Up the National Center

With the growth of the Faith in numbers, in prestige and in general activity level, the growth of the institutions necessarily is also increasing. One highly, essential and useful form of homefront pioneering is to serve for a short term of years at the National Center.

Currently the National Center offices in Wilmette are in need of skilled secretaries who are also (preferably) veteran Bahá’ís. From time to time other types of positions are available. Lacking detailed and comprehensive resource files on the national Bahá’í community, we must rely upon your volunteering of information on your skills and availability. Detailed personnel records will be sought on each volunteer, with interviews etc., in order to determine the fitness of volunteers for the several specialized tasks.

Compensation is of moderate level, in accordance with the strong spirit of sacrificial service which impels the Bahá’ís. Work is demanding but usually not arduous. A special experience awaits those who come to live and work in the shadow of “the Most Holy House of Worship” and who can share in a rich Bahá’í life. Pioneering will be a natural development after service at the National Center.

Innovations of a New Community

The newly formed Local Assembly of Howard County Maryland has developed an excellent idea for the efficient distribution of literature in the community. A special order book is made available at each feast and all those requiring literature have an opportunity to

[Page 3]U.S. SUPPLEMENT

write in the items they wish to have ordered under the combined service of the community librarian.

The first issue of their monthly newsletter, June, 1966, also carries a one-page calendar chart for the whole month with every community activity written into the squares. This is a convenient way to keep the community informed of all Bahá’í events.

An Invitation from Alaska

The National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska urges that all Bahá’í teachers traveling the polar route to Asia and to Europe stop over in Anchorage and other places in Alaska if possible. The invitation states: “If Bahá’ís traveling through Alaska could make a teaching stop here, it would be a tremendous boost to our teaching

efforts . ”

St. Louis Youth Club

Conference Announced

The St. Louis Metropolitan Youth Club will sponsor their third annual conference October 28 through 30 at Trout Lodge, a Y.M.C.A. camp in Potosi, Missouri. All Bahá’ís are invited to attend and bring their friends. Registration begins Friday evening, October 28, and the conference closes Sunday afternoon, October 30. Classes for children are scheduled. Among the conference leaders will be Mrs. Jane McCants.

Reservations: Write to: Miss Peggy Wattles, 6531 San Bonita, Clayton, Missouri 63005. A deposit of $2.00 must accompany each reservation.

NATIONAL BAHA'l FUND Monthly Income: ‘1966-‘1967

Thousand

Monthly Budget >‘r.'i§c-i:>'ozrn' n=‘. Esaaagasaga

E I Regular contributions

Special contributions & Miscellaneous

Estates

A Lifetime of Service

Mr. Willard McKay who, with his wife Doris, was among the first group of American Bahá’ís to respond to the call for pioneers to Canada under the First Seven Year Plan, passed away at his post in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on June 4, 1966 after nearly a quarter of a century of valiant and continuous service in this one locality. Mrs. McKay remains to carry on as one of the original members of that community Whose first local Assembly was formed in 1944.

In Memoriam

Mrs. Marta P. Bunz John C. Inglis

Edison, N.Y. Birmingham, Alabama June 6, 1966 June 6, 1966

Lee 0. Day Mrs. Katherine D. MacPhee

Daly City, Calif. Calistoga. Calif. May 18, 1966 June 10, 1966

Mrs. Emma Flynn Raymond Robinson

Eliot, Maine Chicago, Illinois May 17, 1966 June 11, 1966

Mrs. Amanda Love Smith Cleveland, Ohio June 19, 1966

Ernest W. Van Meer, Sr. Chicago, Illinois May 27, 1966

Mrs. Carrie Fuhrman Suitland, Maryland May 31, 1966

Miss Ida Hiltunen Chicago, Illinois June 11, 1966

Local Assemblies Contributing Each Month

MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT . NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR

[Page 4]In Memoriam

Dr. Louella K. Beecher Lima, Ohio June 3, 1966 Mrs. Anna B. Cooper Fremont, Ohio June 28, 1966

Miss Blanche Corliss Portland, Maine June 6, 1966

Roy Davidson Caldwell, Idaho June 1966

Treat Davis Muskegon, Michigan June 16, 1966

W. Howard Eaket St. Louis, Missouri June 24, 1966

Mrs. Clara B. Haley Marysville, Wash. March 19, 1966

Jerome Kuperberg New York, N.Y. May 20, 1966

Mrs. Katrina K. Mathewson Newark, New Jersey July 16, 1966

Francisco Perez Houston, Texas June 26, 1966

Mrs. Martha Richter San Diego, Calif. July 6, 1968

Mrs. Vera Lou Scott Huntington Beach, Calif. March 18, 1966

George H. Shetlin Los Angeles, Calif. June 2, 1986 Mack Turnbow Chicago, Illinois June 25, 1966

‘ Frank E. Winegar Houston, Texas July 7, 1966

Mrs. Alethe H. I-logberg Auburn, Calif. June 9, 1966

Bahá’í Marriages

Riverside, Calif.: Mrs. Edythe Frances Jackson to Leonard John Schmahl on June 12, 1966

San Francisco, Calif; Mrs. Chariesetta D. Vaughn to Bernard L. Fishman on June 12, 1966

San Jose, Calif; Miss Lori Rousseau to William Cothran on June 10, 1966

Wilmette, Illinois: Mrs. Jean M. Kantola to Herbert Tatrow on May 21, 1966

Wilmette,» Illinois: Miss Karen Welin to Lambert W. Sindelar on February 13, 1966

Winnetka, Illinois: Miss Janet Kramer to Orm Aniline on June 11, 1966 (non-Bahá’ís)

Winnetka, Illinois: Miss Kathy Lee to Daniel Boyd Reimer on June 11, 1966

Santa Fe, New Mexico: Miss Rebecca Bogart to Craig Ginn on April 3, 1966

Raleigh, North Carolina: Miss Bettie Jean Brodie to Ozie Tidmore on May 28, 1966

Berkeley, Calif.: Miss Laurie Elmlund to Farzam Arbab on June 25, 1966

Glendale, Calif.: Mrs. Marlene C. Wright to Robert G. Wood on July 2, 1966

Oakland, Calif.: Miss Janeen L. Koch to Clinton R. Boyd on July 9, 1966

San Diego, Calif.: Miss Ruth Ann Tarpley to David Donaldson on June 18, 1966

San Jose, Calif.: Miss Rosemary Maude Allen to Gilbert A. Somerhalder on June 25, 1966

Springfield, Il.l.: Miss Janet M. Boehner to Howard M. Switzer, on June 22, 1966 (non-Bahá’ís)

Detroit. Mich.: Miss Eleanor Fikes to Richard W. Sweatt on June 25, 1966

Teaneck, N.J.: Miss Diane Savage to William A. McLaughlin on June 13, 1966

Albuquerque, N.M.: Mrs. Rosemarie Smith to Ralph Garcia on June 3, 1966

Albuquerque, N.M.: Mrs. Mary F. Beary to Charles William Smith on June 4, 1966

New York, N.Y.: Miss Marie Shure to John W. McNair on June 4, 1966

Lima, Ohio: Miss Mary Ann Stahl to Joseph J. Tordiff on July 3, 1966

Salt Lake City, Utah: Miss Lore Herbert to Walter M. Rothaar on June 29, 1966

SEPTEMBER ‘1966

BAI-|A'l DIRECTORY CHANGES ASSEMBLY SECRETARIES

Arizona Klagetoh Trading Post: % American Indian Service Comm., 6549 W. Medlock Dr., Glendale Pine Springs: % American Indian Service Comm., 6549 W. Medlock Dr., Glendale

Northern California Auburn J .D.: Mrs. Enola Leonard, 241 Tierra Way, Auburn Berkeley: Mr. Farzam Arbab, Chairman, 1300 Delaware St., 94709 Hayward: Mrs. Bernice W. Anderson, 22722-6th St., 94541 Mountain View: Mrs. Fannie West, 61 Murlagan Ave. (permanent Secty.) San Francisco: Mrs. Anna Stevenson, 1801 41st Ave. (per manent Secty.)

Southern California District No. l

Antelope J .D.: Mrs. Lois Hill, P.O. Box 947, Lancaster 93534

Glendora: Mrs. Jean F. Villasenor, 1138 LaFlora Lane, 91740

Santa Barbara: Mrs. Jeanette Beachner, 1774-A Prospect Ave. 93101

Southern California District No. 2 Garden Grove: Mrs. Marie Wright, Treas., 11542 Garden Drive

Georgia Richmond County: Mrs. Mary Bowers, pro-tem, 117 McElmurray Dr., Augusta

Northern Illinois Glencoe: Mr. Robert Desatnick, Chairman, 1016 Forest Ave.

Kansas

Lawrence: Mrs. Laquette Ann Karch, 1535 New Hampshire Louisiana

Baton Rouge: Mrs. Rashel P. Rosen, Box 1861, 70821

Eastern New York North Hempstead Twp.: correct zip code no. to: 11030

Western New York Geneva: Mr. Henry Miller, 68 W. Genesee, Clyde 14433

Oregon Washington County: Mrs. Marguerite Earle, 4730 S.W. Oleson Rd., Portland 97225

South Carolina Greenville: Miss Willie Mae Ellis, Treas., 9 Elm St., 29605

Western Washington Everett: Mrs, Hazel Wing, pro-tem, 2923 Rockefeller North King County Commissioners Dist.: Mr. Clyde Johnson, Chairman, 1510 N.E. 170th, #3, Seattle 98155

Important Notice

As of January 1, 1967 all second and third class mail in the United States will be required to carry the ZIP code number of the person to whom it is sent. If you have not already done so, please supply us with your ZIP Code number. If you do not know what it is you can secure the information from your local post office.