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NSA Acts on Recommendations Adopted by Fifty-Fourth National Convention
At its first meeting immediately following the FiftyFourth Annual Convention, the National Spiritual Assembly acted on the several recommendations adopted by the delegates during the three—and-a-half-day sessions. These recommendations and the actions taken are as follows:
1. Recommendation: That the delegates and visitors to the Convention on returning to their home communities put it on record that the Convention voted that all Bahá’ís study the messages received at the Convention from the Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land and of the Western Hemisphere.
Action: The National Spiritual Assembly heartily approves this recommendation and urges that this study be made by all believers at least once during the coming months.
2. Recommendation: That the National Assembly publish a list of all local spiritual assemblies that have been lost since 1944, and that the restoration of these assemblies be included in the goals to be accomplished in the final year of the Ten Year Crusade.
Action: It is the view of the National Assembly that many of the lost assemblies have been superseded by other new assemblies, and, inasmuch as these lost assemblies do not constitute part of the goals which were given to our national community by the beloved Guardian for the Crusade, their restoration is not necessarily essential. What is essential is that local assemblies that have been lost in states where no assembly exists at present either be restored or that at least one new assembly be established in such states, so that at the end of the Crusade every state will have at least one assembly.
3. Recommendation: That at least some of the quotations referred to in Invitation to Learning be included in full to facilitate the study and use of this publication.
Action: The National Assembly will carry out this recommendation when the next edition of Invitation to Learning is published. In the meantime, a supplement will be prepared at an early date that will include some of the quotations which are not easily available to the newer believers.
4. Recommendation: That all .Bahá’ís be urged to acquire a deeper appreciation of the importance of observing Holy Days.
Action: The National Assembly wishes "all communities, groups and individuals to familiarize themselves more fully with the Bahá’í Holy Days and their significance, in order that a more widespread observance of these important days may be carried out. The American National Teaching Committee has been requested to prepare a statement on this important subject to be supplied to all circuit teachers and for publication in the bulletins of the area teaching committees.
5. Recommendation: That the American National Teaching Committee assist small communities in obtaining publicity for the Faith.
Action: The National Assembly approves this recommendation and has requested the American National Teaching Committee to deal with this matter.
6. Recommendation: That whenever a public proclamation program is given, a Negro or a member of another minority group in the area be included on the platform.
Action: The National Assembly heartily approves this recommendation and urges that wherever possible a member of a minority group participate in a program of proclamation, either as a speaker, as a chairman, as one who reads a prayer, or in some other capacity that will demonstrate that the Bahá’í community truly upholds the principle of the oneness of mankind. The importance of this matter cannot be overemphasized.
7. Recommendation: That the United States United Nations Committee, not later than August 15, supply an article for publication in Bahá’í News concerning United Nations Day and Human Rights Day, so that the believers may begin at that time to make appropriate plans for the observance of these events.
Action: The National Assembly approves this recommendation and has instructed the United Nations Committee to act accordingly.
8. Recommendation: That the area teaching committees sponsor groups of four or five youth to teach in the areas surrounding the summer schools following their attendance at these schools.
Action: The National Assembly encourages all local assemblies to invite the youth in their communities to offer their services to teach, and that the youth themselves inform the area teaching committees of their availability for such services, either before they
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attend the summer schools or following their attendance. This will enable the area committees to organize and coordinate an effective program of teaching
for the youth.
9. Recommendation: That Negro and white circuit teachers flood the South, with assistance from the budget of the American National Teaching Committee, with special instructions to live in Negro homes and teach the Negro population.
Action: The National Assembly is of the strong opinion that this type of teaching should be carried out, not only in the South but throughout the entire United States to whatever degree is possible. The Assembly urges all Negro believers who are free to offer their services for such activities to inform the National Spiritual Assembly of their willingness to participate in such circuit teaching teams.
10. Recommendation: That any believer who wishes to do circuit teaching in the South offer his services to the American National Teaching Committee with a special notation of his preference for assignment in the South.
Action: The National Assembly approves this recommendation.
11. Recommendation: That the National Spiritual Assembly once more implore the Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land for the services of Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, even if for only two months, to travel through the South this last year of the Crusade.
Action: The National Assembly approves this recommendation and has already requested the Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land to permit Mr. Olinga to come to the United States for this purpose.
12. Recommendation: That the National Spiritual Assembly arrange a special Bahá’í prayer day in which all the believers will unite in individual or collective prayer for the building of a strong spiritual foundation for the winning of the remaining Crusade goals in this final year of the Ten Year Plan, so that this may be one of the outstanding years in our Bahá’í history.
Action: The National Spiritual Assembly approves this recommendation and sets the anniversaries of the Martyrdom of the Báb and the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh as the two days on which the Bahá’ís throughout the country should join together individually and collectively to carry out this worthy objective. The Assembly points out that on these two days, namely July 9 and November 12, collective prayer means the gathering of as many Bahá’ís as possible in a group to carry out this objective.
Friends Warned about Young Non-Believer
The friends are hereby cautioned regarding Barry Russel True, who has been cashing checks in the United States, using as references his parents—Mr. and Mrs. George True—pioneers in the Canary Islands. It should be noted that Barry True is not a Bahá’í; also that his parents will not accept responsibility for any debts incurred by him.
JULY 1962
NSA Explains Time for Short Obligatory Prayer
In view of the fact that the short obligatory prayer is to be used at noon, the question is frequently asked whether meetings, conventions and conferences should be interrupted exactly at twelve o’clock to enable the friends to recite it.
Some years ago this question was asked of Shoghi Effendi, who stated that the prayer may be said at any time during the noon hour, so it is unnecessary to recess gatherings at twelve o’clock for this purpose.
Correction
Intermountain Bahá’í Summer Conference, Snow Pine Lodge, Alta, Utah; July 28 through August 4. Rates: $5.00 per day for both adults and children. For reservations write: Edward Parker, 1998 Siggard Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Bahá’í Marriages
Berkeley, Calif.: Dr. Janice Button to John Shafer on April 15, 1962
Kauai, Hawaii: Mrs. Dorothy A. Morrill to Domingo Laranio on May 12, 1962
Waterloo, Iowa: Miss Astrid A. Rof-Y to Gary Black on May 5, 1962
Eliot, Maine: Mrs. Sandra Ruth Steiner to Raymond Shepard on August 18, 1961
Portland, Oregon: Mrs. Elna-Dawn Tann to Berlin J. Mathis on April 22, 1962
Tacoma, Wash.: Miss Souad Dallal to Thomas Albert Reed on April 14, 1962
In Memoriam
Arnold Bruesewitz Mrs. Anna Nielson
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin April 29, 1962
Mrs. Mary Coristine Eliot, Maine May 6, 1962
Mrs. Gene Crist Charleston. W. Virginia May 6, 1962
Mrs. Anna L. Duffy Norwich, Connecticut April 30, 1962
Miss Mary Georgia Binghamton, New York May 12, 1962
Sebastopol, Calif. March 7. 1962
Mrs. Laura Robarts Phoenix, Arizona May 2, 1962
Carl Scheffler Evanston, Illinois May 17, 1962
Mrs. Dessel Suhm Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 28, 1962
Robert L. Thompson Battle Creek, Michigan April 28, 1962
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1962-1963 Special Events
For Proclaiming the Bahá’í Faith to the Public
Date and Event
May-November, 1962 50th Anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the United States
September 16, 1962 World Peace Day
October 24, 1962 United Nations Day
November 12, 1962 Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh
December 10, 1962 U.N. Human Rights Day
January 20, 1963 World Religion Day
June 9, 1963 Race Amity Day
Theme
The Promised One Has Come
Giant Step toward World Peace
United Nations — Prayer for Peace in Action
The Promised One Has Come
United Nations — Prayer for Peace in Action
Discovering Unity in Religion
Man: One Family
Material Recommended
- Special invitations
- Prestige folders
- POHC poster
- Book easel poster
- The Foundations of
World Unity
- Radio & TV releases
- TV slide of WPD poster
- WPD poster
- The Destiny of America
- Bahá’í Peace Program
TPrayer for Peace program material
- Pattern for Future
Society
- Bahá’í Peace Program
- (See 50th Anniversary listed above)
“Lord of the New Age
“The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh
'l"Prayer for Peace program material
- Bahá’í Declaration of
Human Rights “Faith for Freedo.m
- Radio & TV releases
- TV slide of WRD poster
- WRD poster
- 50 Years Ago prestige
folder
- Bahá’í Teachings for
a World Faith
- One Universal Faith
- Bahá’í: World Faith
for Modern Man
- Radio & TV releases
- TV slide of poster
- RAD poster
“Man One Family
- The Oneness of Mankind
- Order from National Bahá’í Headquarters, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Ill.
“Order from Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 110 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Ill. TTo be supplied by the Bahá’í United Nations Committee.
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Guidance for Proclaiming ihe Faith +0 +he Public
The EVENTS listed on the other side represent the minimum which the National Spiritual Assembly desires every Bahá’í center—local assembly, group and individual—to use in proclaiming the Faith to the public and in establishing relations with a larger circle of contacts as a means of attaining our national objective of 10,000 new believers by Riḍván 1963.
These are the events for which the National Assembly, through its various committees, will offer special materials and assistance. All such events should be directly sponsored, announced and conducted under Bahá’í auspices, and their Bahá’í identity is not to be submerged in any interorganization arrangement. As in the past, many centers will also use occasions other than those listed to pro claim the Faith in their communities.
Clippings of all newspaper publicity properly identified as to paper and date, along with circulation and column inches, are to be mailed to National Bahá’í Headquarters, 112 Linden Ave., Wilmette, Ill. Reports and good photographs with appropriate captions of outstanding observances should be sent within ten days to Bahá’í NEWS. The United Nations Committee would appreciate having dupli cate copies of the reports on United Nations Day and Human Rights Day.
Preserve and refer to this sheet so that all events can be carefully planned well in advance. In addition to the materials listed above, the U.S. SUPPLEMENT to
Bahá’í News will carry additional information from time to time.
Wilmette, Illinois NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
June 1962 Bahá’ís or THE UNITED STATES
