 | The text below this notice was generated by a computer, it still needs to be checked for errors and corrected. If you would like to help, view the original document by clicking the PDF scans along the right side of the page. Click the edit button at the top of this page (notepad and pencil icon) or press Alt+Shift+E to begin making changes. When you are done press "Save changes" at the bottom of the page. |
National Assembly Announces
New Teaching Structure
Following long and thorough consultation on the work still to be done in completing the tasks assigned to the American Bahá’í community by the beloved Guardian in the World Crusade, the National Spiritual Assembly has decided to make certain changes in the national teaching structure that will mobilize all teaching resources into a strong and unified homefront program aimed at achieving total victory by Riḍván 1962.
One of the major changes is the incorporation of Bahá’í youth activities and the teaching of youth in the functions of the American National Teaching Committee and the area teaching committees. To accomplish this, the membership of the American National Teaching Committee has been enlarged to include two members of the outgoing National Bahá’í Youth Committee, whose special function will be to stimulate and encourage all Bahá’í youth activities and their integration into the total teaching activities of Bahá’í communities, groups, areas, and all teaching conferences.
Recognizing the great contributions that Bahá’í youth themselves can make to teaching the masses and winning new souls for Bahá’u’lláh, the National Spiritual Assembly has also appointed youth members to the area teaching committees in areas where Bahá’í youth are already active or where there are potentialities for developing effective youth teaching programs.
Both the American National Teaching Committee and the area teaching committees have been urged to develop panels of youth speakers and teachers, to be used in circuit and other teaching work to whatever extent is possible; local spiritual assemblies and Bahá’í groups are now expected to assume greater responsibility for integrating their own youth members in their total local teaching activities, as well as to initiate special programs aimed at attracting youth.
News and announcements of activities involving youth will be included in BAH’Ai News and area bulletins.
It is the firm conviction of the National Spiritual Assembly that this action will greatly strengthen the unity of the entire American Bahá’í community, as well as both the adult and youth teaching work. It will also eliminate some of the duplication of effort, and in general will make maximum use of the capacities and energies of the younger segment of our Bahá’í community membership.
A second change in the teaching structure adopted
News
JUNE 1960
by the National Spiritual Assembly is in the area of child education. Instead of one single committee being responsible for preparing child education material, conducting classes for children in Temple Foundation Hall, and publishing Child’s Way, there will be one committee whose functions are to conduct the children’s school in Temple Foundation Hall and to develop curriculum and material for the different age groups which will eventually be made available to the entire Bahá’í community through Child’s Way and such other media as may be approved by the National Assembly from time to time. A second committee will focus its attention on soliciting and publishing articles, stories, suggestions, and other teaching material for children and teachers of children for publication in Child’s Way.
Carrying out two related recommendations adopted by the annual convention, the National Spiritual Assembly has also appointed an ad hoc committee to study the whole problem of child education in the American Bahá’í community, with a view to developing effective curricula for different age groups as well as to make recommendations to the National Assembly for a coordinated curriculum for Bahá’í summer schools, for children, for youth, and for adults.
In order to reduce some of the problems of distance and communication in certain areas of the country where there are still only a few assemblies and groups, the geographic area has been changed for three of the area teaching committees. The South Central States area will now consist of Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. Oklahoma and Texas are now combined in an area to be designated as the South Plains States, and the Gulf States area now consists of Louisiana and Mississippi. The membership of these and all national and area committees will be published as soon as possible.
In order that the American National Teaching Committee and its area committees may concentrate on their major task of bringing into being the remaining eighty local assemblies to complete the homefront goal of 300 assemblies, the National Spiritual Assembly itself will assume responsibility for strengthening the existing new and small communities. However, it is imperative that all local spiritual assemblies utilize the resources of the area teaching committees and cooperate closely with them to the end that they may themselves contribute to the World Crusade by raising up one or more new assemblies by sending out settlers and carrying on extension teaching.
The National Spiritual Assembly hopes that under this streamlined structure every teaching resource will
JUNE ‘1960
be utilized to the maximum in insuring complete victory on the home-front. ——U.S. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
List Dates, Rates for Summer Schools
Davison Bahá’í School announces the following schedule of sessions for the 1960 season:
Junior Youth—July 11 to 24, with special programs for the two week ends.
Family Sessions—July 25 to August 28, with special programs for the week ends.
Senior Youth—August 29 to September 2.
Homecoming Week End—September 3-5.
The rates, including meals, are as follows: Adults from $4.25 to $3.75 per night, depending upon accommodations, and from $4.00 to $3.50 per night if there are two or more in the party. Youth 12 to 15 years $3.25 and $3.00 per night; under 12 years $2.25 and $2.00 per night. For reservations write to: Registrar, Mrs. Mae Mallory, 543 E. Breckenridge, Ferndale 20, Mich. For information about the program write to Mrs. Elta Herider, 4685 Gertrude Ave., Dearborn 9, Mich.
Geyserville Bahá’í School offers seven weeks of regular sessions, one preliminary week for work projects with one study class in the evenings, and one week devoted exclusively to activities of youth. The work session is July 3-9; the regular sessions run through August 27, and the youth session is August 28-September 3.
The adult department will offer courses on three levels at each regular session, and there will be seminars for those who wish to carry on advanced, intensive research. The youth department will include courses for junior youth as well as for senior youth, and the children’s department will include the nursery, primary, and low and high intermediate age groups.
Rates: Adults, weekly—$23.00 in the dormitory, $38.00 in Collins Hall; daily—$5.20 and $6.20. Children, weekly—$18.00. Reservations or inquiries should be addressed to: Geyserville Bahá’í School, Geyserville, Calif.
Green Acre Bahá’í Institute opens July 2 and continues through August 29. The rates for adults vary from $45.00 per week for a single room to $30.00 per week, depending upon the type of accommodation desired. Rooms in Rogers Cottage, with kitchen privileges, are $10 per week for adults and $5.00 per week for children. Daily rates are also provided and include breakfast, luncheon and dinner. For information and reservations write: Mrs. Irene G. Miniutti, Green Acre Bahá’í Institute, Eliot, Maine.
Southeastern Bahá’í Summer School, Penn Community Center, St. Helena Island, Frogmore, S.C.—August 13 (evening meal) to August 19 (noon meal). Rates: In dormitories, adults—$5.00 per day; children under 10 years—$3.50 per day. Tent rates—$2.00 per tent site (furnish own tent and linens), meals for adults $3.50 per day, children under 10 years $2.50 per day.
Reservations must be made between July 1 and August 1. Write to: Mrs. Corinne Bowman, 4515 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale, Md.
Southwestern Bahá’í Summer School, 25 miles north of Dallas, Texas, at the Soroptimist Club Crippled
Children's Camp—August 20 through August 28. Weekly rates: Adults—$35.00; children—$l9.00. Reservations should be sent to: Mr. Leo Squires, 6941 Lakeshore Dr., Dallas, Texas.
Intermountain Summer Conference, Sterling, Utah July 1-5. This conference is the outgrowth of the Utah Summer Study Session, which has been held during this period the past three summers. Costs for the fiveday period are as follows:
Lodging for adults—$11.25 in the main house, $5.00 in the dormitory, $2.50 for children. Board—$11.25 for adults $5.50 for children under seven years. Rates per night will be one-fifth of the total conference rate plus 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. Trailer space is available. Linen, towels, soap, etc., must be furnished by each individual.
For further information and reservations write to: Mrs. Marcia F. McCormick, 1408 Laird Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ontario Summer Conference, Geneva Park, Ontario Can., July 16 to July 23.
National Assembly Members and Officers
Announce Meeting Dates for the Year
The members and officers of the National Spiritual Assembly for 1960-1961 are: H. B. Kavelin, chairman; Dr. David S. Ruhe, vice-chairman; Charles Wolcott, secretary; Charlotte Linfoot, assistant secretary; Edna M. True, recording secretary; Arthur L. Dahl, treasurer; Ellsworth Blackwell, Amoz Gibson, and Mrs. Florence Mayberry.
The schedule of meetings for the balance of the year is as follows:
June 17-19 December 20-January 2 July 29-31 February 10-12 September 2-5 March 24-26 October 14-16 April 26
November 25-27 Local spiritual assemblies and national committees wishing to present matters requiring consultation by the National Spiritual Assembly are requested to have their communications in the hands of the secretary at least ten days before the date of the meeting. —NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
ln Memoriam
Mrs. Anna M. Barnes
Salem, Ohio November 1958
John Wm. Carrot
Taylor, Missouri February 8, 1960
Ziaollah Fazlollah
Detroit, Michigan March 24, 1960
Miss Farrukh Ioas
Washington, D.C. April 14, 1960
Mrs. Mary S. Lee
St. Petersburg, Florida April 1, 1960
Daniel Mungin
Flint, Michigan April 7, 1960
Mrs. Clara Pahl Milwaukee. Wisconsin March 22, 1960
Mrs. Marjorie Pardee Gallup, New Mexico March 18. 1960 Mrs. Clara Simpson Winnetka, Illinois March 24, 1960 Mrs. Nellie Swain Portland, Oregon March 22, 1960 John Torok, Sr. Tampa. Florida February 16, 1960
