U.S. Supplement/Issue 47/Text

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Failure or Success in World Crusade Now Hinges on Financial Support

In periods of crisis, plain speaking is called for. Time is of the essence, and a sense of urgency the keynote. The American Bahá’í community is facing such a period right now, a financial challenge rarely equaled in magnitude or importance. The extent to which it is met will determine our success or failure in the World Crusade.

In the U.S. Supplement to Bahá’í News for October we reported that contributions for the first four months of the current fiscal year had amounted to only twothirds of the budget, and had resulted in a deficit of $62,456. Unhappily, this message seems to have had little or no effect, for with the addition of figures for September, October and the first half of November, total contributions for the 61/2-month period total only 65% of the budget, and the deficit has increased to $104,218. Following are the month-by—month figures.

% of 1961 Contributions Budget May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . ..$ 33,988 . . . . . . . ..72%

June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,224 . . . . . . . . .57

July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 34,193 . . . . . . . ..72

August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 26,472 . . . . . . . ..57

September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 26,879 . . . . . . . ..59

October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 32,697 . . . . . . . ..67

November (1/Q) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13,250 . . . . . . . ..58 Monthly Budget Requirement .. 45,833 Total Budget Requirement

for 6%/2 months . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 297,921 Receipts for 61/2 months . . . . . . . . 193,703 . . . . . . . . .65 Present Deficit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 104,218

Clearly we are in trouble. Expenses are running close to the budget and cannot be curtailed without seriously jeopardizing vital Crusade goals. Yet, less than five months remain to push monthly receipts up to $45,833, plus make up the already accumulated deficit of $104,218. This is truly a formidable task, and the maximum dedicated effort of every believer in this country will be required to accomplish it.

The Hands of the Cause have clearly defined the problem and have shown what is necessary for its solution in their magnificent message of November 5, 1961. They point out that the three paramount remaining

tasks are to bring the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to the masses, to achieve the goals on the home front, and to complete the Frankfurt Temple, all of which require substantial sums of money. As a matter of fact, they state that the construction of the Temple, the most costly of the three, is “the pivotal one at this point of the Crusade, and comprises the heavy, pressing, inescapable duty of every single believer to assist in providing an uninterrupted and greatly amplified flow of that ‘life blood’ of material resources without which construction of the Mother Temple of Europe and other vast undertakings now gaining momentum all over the world, in old and new Bahá’í communities alike, will either cease to go forward, come to a standstill or, in important areas of mass conversion, stand in danger of losing the precious ground won through so much heroic effort and sacrifice. There can be no doubt that the discharge of these three paramount duties at this time can alone provide a suitably strong and unshakable foundation for the future activities of that glorious and august institution, so soon to be elected, Bahá’u’lláh’s long anticipated Universal House of Justice.”

Subsequently they refer to the year of austerity imposed in the past, and conclude: “It has become apparent that a far greater effort must be made during the next eighteen months, and that the austerity and self-sacrifice we voluntarily imposed upon ourselves must continue and be intensified until every goal is won, every prize protected, every achievement maintained.

. . The financial requirements of the Cause at this critical hour call, not only for the offering of a greater proportion of the income of every loyal believer, but also the sacrifice of capital in such a manner that no Bahá’í will have cause for regret that he or she failed to respond to the Guardian’s plea ‘unhesitatingly to place, each according to his circumstances, his share on the altar of Bahá’í sacrifice, lest, on a sudden, unforseen calamities rob them of a considerable portion of the earthly things they have amassed.’ ”

These strong words underline the urgent importance placed by the Hands of the Cause on the financial requirements of the Faith at this critical time, a view shared by your National Spiritual Assembly. We truly

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believe that if every Bahá’í really understood and appreciated this importance and urgency, he would gladly and immediately respond in a manner which would assure victory. Our problem is to awaken this understanding before it is too late.

It is therefore prayerfully asked that our financial needs be made the subject of earnest consultation at all Feasts, and at the business meetings of all local assemblies and groups; further, that every individual believer ponder the gravity of our situation and, through deep soul searching, decide what his or her response to it should be. Such personal and group consideration of the problem can galvanize the entire American Bahá’í community to action and result in an outpouring of funds that will assure complete and total victory—a victory which will truly be a shining page in the history of American achievement in support of our precious Faith. On the other hand, lack of generous, self-sacrificing, country-wide response could well mean an eleventh-hour catastrophe for the great World Crusade of beloved Shoghi Effendi.

ARTHUR L. DAHL

National Treasurer

Greater Care in Quoting and Displaying Literature of the Faith Urged

The National Spiritual Assembly has noted an increasing tendency on the part of Bahá’ís, including teachers and committees, to refer to secondary sources when quoting from the Bahá’í writings. The beloved Guardian repeatedly stressed the importance of quoting, and accurately, from authentic and original sources and not from compilations. For example, very frequently the source of a statement of Shoghi Effendi is given as “Guidance for Today -and Tomorrow, by Shoghi Effendi.” This book was not arranged by Shoghi Effendi, but is a British compilation of selections from his original works, such as Bahá’í Administration and The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, the original source of each quotation being given in the back of the volume.

The National Assembly requests that henceforth the believers give the original sources of their references, and not compilations in which they may be found. (An exception is Bahá’í World Faith, a comprehensive work which brings together in one volume a large, representative selection of the Bahá’í Sacred Writings.)

It has also been noted that book displays of the works of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, and other authors, are sometimes not arranged in accordance with Shoghi Effendi‘s instructions that the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh must always be given pre-eminence, whether in a series of quotations or in displays. The beloved Guardian was meticulous in this respect in all of his own writings. The sequence of the quotations in The Advent of Divine Justice is a specific example.

The National Assembly urges that all those having anything to do with exhibits, displays, or listing of quotations follow the example of the Guardian. The order in which the literature of the Faith is listed in the catalog, entitled Bahá’í Books, is an excellent guide in this matter.

JANUARY ‘1962

National Assembly Plans Nineteen Special Human-Relations Conferences

Following much consultation over a period of many months on how to implement the repeated appeals of the beloved Guardian to bring more Negroes into the Faith—appeals reiterated by ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum in her letter of March 9, 1961—the National Spiritual Assembly has come to the realization that the members of the American Bahá’í community, both colored and white, need greater understanding of the importance of this field of teaching endeavor, and knowledge about how to attract and confirm the Negroes. Therefore, with the cooperation of the Bahá’í Interracial Service Committee, the National Assembly is arranging for a three-hour Short Course in Human Relations to be held in nineteen cities on Saturday, February 24, or Sunday, February 25, from 1-4 p.m., for study of this vital subject.

The Bahá’í Interracial Service Committee is preparing certain helpful materials, not only for the conference leaders but also for use in individual and community teaching among the Negroes, particularly in the South. It is very important that all believers within travel distance of any of these cities make plans now to attend. Please watch your area bulletin, or write to the secretary of the local spiritual assembly in the host city nearest you, for information regarding the date and place of the conference.

Following is a tentative list of cities where the conferences will be held:

Miami, Florida

Atlanta, Georgia Birmingham, Alabama Jackson, Mississippi

New Orleans, Louisiana Baton Rouge, Louisiana Memphis, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Louisville, Kentucky Greensboro, North Carolina

Baltimore, Maryland New York, New York Lima, Ohio Milwaukee, Wisconsin St. Louis, Missouri Houston, Texas

San Antonio, Texas Denver, Colorado

Los Angeles, California

Warning Issued Regarding Prospective Visitor

The Bahá’ís of the United States are warned not to extend any Bahá’í courtesies to Mr. Dundiza Chisiza of Nyasaland, Africa, should he make any attempt to present himself as a Bahá’í.

The National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa has found it necessary to remove the membership and voting rights of Mr. Chisiza because of his political activity, in spite of the fact that he had been named by the beloved Guardian as a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh and had once written an article on the Faith which was published in “The Bahá’í World.”

Mr. Chisiza is the Minister of Finance in Nyasaland and is reported to be coming to the United States, possibly on a political mission for his country.

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Home Front Pioneering—1962

More ./4m YOU ghing?

Twelve Added to Preferred Goals

Twelve additional groups have been added to the list of Preferred Goals (see August 1961

Bahá’í NEWS U.S. SUPPLEMENT) as follows:

Florida

Sarasota County F"““T’0"

New Jersey

Michigan

South Carolina Florence County

Illinois Jer,-sey city Washington Deer-field Ohio South Pierce County Quincy Akron Comm. Dist. #3

Kettering _ _

Massachusetts pennsflvania Wisconsin

Palmer West Chester Monona Village

DISPERSAL CENTERS

Albuquerque, N. Mex. Atlanta, Ga.

Chicago, Ill. Cleveland, Ohio Detroit, Mich.

Los Angeles, Calif. Milwaukee, Wis. Nashville, Tenn. New York, N.Y.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Salt Lake City, Utah San Diego, Calif. Seattle, Wash. Washington, D.C.

dispersal.

In addition to cities listed, all other communities having more than fifteen should encourage

Appeal Made to Members of Goal Groups and Small Communities

In View of the urgency of achieving our goal of 300 assemblies by Riḍván 1962, in addition to maintaining those that were in existence in April 1961, the National Spiritual Assembly particularly appeals to every present member of a goal group or a community with less than fifteen members not to move from the community without first consulting the National Assembly or the American National Teaching Committee. Should business or health reasons make it compulsory for you to move, and if there is any freedom of choice as to the new location, do give first thought to the other preferred goal cities.

The importance of remaining at your post cannot be overemphasized. Far too many small communities have lost their assembly status because one or two Bahá’ís have moved away without regard to the effect this would have upon continuing the assembly.

Status Report

As of the first of December seventeen groups had attained a membership large enough to assure the formation of an assembly next Riḍván.

However, there were sixteen local spiritual assemblies with less than nine members.

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JAN UARY 1962

World Congress Travel Information to be Announced

The National Spiritual Assembly has appointed a special jubilee committee for the purpose of gathering information about transportation and accommodations for the 1963 World Congress to be held in London. The committee has not yet had the opportunity to complete any plans but when this is done announcements will be published in the Bahá’í News U.S. Supplement. In the meantime, the friends are asked to be patient and not write to the National Headquarters about this matter.

Aliens Reminded to Register

The United States government requires all aliens to report their addresses in January. Forms for this purpose may be obtained at any Post Office or Ofl‘ice of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Willful failure on the part of any alien to comply with this requirement carries a penalty of possible fine and deportation.

Bahá’í Marriages

Fresno, Calif.: Miss Ernestina Marino to Ivan Edward Walker on October 6, 1961

Honolulu, Hawaii: Miss Cesaria Cabico to Teodorica Reyes on October 20, 1961

Reno, Nevada: Mrs. Esther Chapin to Walter Peacock on October 18, 1961

Reno, Nevada: Mrs. Deloris G. Barnes to Giovanni Drago on October 21, 1961

Tacoma, Wash.: Miss May Collins to Manucher Kanany on October 13, 1961

World Religion Day

January 21. 1962

A Special Event for Proclaimlng the BaIId'l Faith to the Public

Sponsored by the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly

Theme:

Faith for an Evolving World Suggested Publicity Materials:

Press, radio, TV releases, WRD poster, and TV slide of WRD poster from Bahá’í Public Information Service

Bahd’z': World Faith for Modern Man from Bahá’í Publishing Trust

Reports:

Newspaper clippings from U.S. communities are to be sent immediately to Bahá’í Public Information Service.

Written reports and photographs for publication in Bahá’í NEWS are to be sent by February 20 to the Bahá’í News Editorial Committee.

National Convention Bahá’ís of the United States April 26-29. 1962

In Memoriam

Mrs. Ruby Bentley Augusta, Georgia November 3, 1961

John Mathias Sunland, Calif. October 16, 1961

Mrs. Amelia Feiteira La Jolla, Calif. October 28, 1961

BAHA'| DIRECTORY CHANGES

ASSEMBLY SECRETARIES

Northern California Sunnyvale: Mrs. Lucile Jensen, 1232 Parkington Ave.

Florida Broward County: Mrs. Violet Johnson, 4950 N.E. 29th Ave., Pompano Beach

Iowa Waterloo: Mrs. Virginia Finch, 1010 Fletcher Ave.

Michigan Dearborn Twp.: Mrs. Eulie Horne, 5635 Whitefield, Z 6

Mississippi Jackson: Miss Emmy Lou Patton, 636 Pennsylvania Ave.

New Mexico Santa Fe: Mr. Theodore Claus, 805 Galisteo St.

Oregon Astoria: Mrs. Betty Dempster, 1064- 14th St.

COMMITTEE SECRETARY

Area Teaching Committee—NortI1ern New England States Mrs. Gladys Weeden, Sec’y., PO. Box 178, Henniker, N.H.

ADDITIONS TO COMMITTEES

Area Teaching Committee—East Central States Mr. Marion Finley, Jr.

Bahá’í College Bureau Miss Mary Sawyer

RESIGNATIONS FROM COMMITTEES

Area Teaching Committee—South Atlantic States Mr. Raymond Headrick

Area Teaching Committee—South Central States Miss Beulah Magruder

Bahá’í College Bureau Mr. Gary Morrison