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THE IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE
The Universal House of Justice has stated as our immediate objective the holding and consolidating of existing local Spiritual Assemblies— “an essential preparation for the launching of the new plan.” To comply with this directive, it is imperative that a new legion of dedicated believers arise. There is an acute need for homefront pioneer teachers to move to, and remain active in communities where a local spiritual assembly is in jeopardy. There is an equivalent need for Bahá’í settlers to be placed where a new local spiritual assembly may be formed. We urge you to write the National Teaching Committee, Suite 206-207, 8460 Watson Road, St. Louis, Missouri, 63119, advising of your availability for such an assignment.
Believers are again requested not to move if to do so will place an Assembly in jeopardy.
TREASURER'S STATEMENT TO STATE CONVENTIONS
Dearly Beloved Friends:
The National Spiritual Assembly faces a dilemma. Frankly puzzled and seriously worried, we present the problem openly and freely to the American Bahá’í Community, and ask that soul-searching thought and consultation be given to it by all Bahá’ís at the State Convention, at Assembly meetings and Feasts, and in individual discussion. Then we hope that ideas, suggestions and solutions will be offered which will lead to the actions needed to solve the problem once and for all.
The difficulty lies simply in the wide and consistent gap which exists between the regular month-in-andmonth-out contributions to the National Fund and our financial needs as exemplified by our current $725,000 budget. Our monthly requirements are $60,417. The extent to which we have fallen short is shown in the following table of regular monthly contributions for the past six and one-half months:
% of Mo. Budget
May $19,628 32.4 June 24,489 40.5 July 33,995 56.2 August 43,087 71.3 September 33,568 55.5 October 32,238 53.4 November
1st to 15th 16,332 54.6
During this period we have received some very heartening large nonrecurring gifts, as well as some substantial bequests from estates. In addition, there was an encouraging response to the appeal for special contributions to make up last year’s deficit and the Frankfurt Temple allocation. However, we have been put so badly in the hole by the consistent inadequacy of the regular contributions that these added means of support have only partly made up the shortage, as shown by the following cumulative figures for May to November 15th:
Total regular contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$182,285 Total special nonrecurring contributions . . . . . . . . .. 37,860 Special appeal for deficit and Frankfurt Temple . . . 21,150
Total receipts before Estate Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$241,295
Received from Estates . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 18,888
TOTAL RECEIPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$260,183
Pro-rated budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$392,708
Deficit before Estate Funds . . . . . . . . .. 151,413
Deficit after Estate Funds . . . . . . . . .. 132,525
Our puzzlement comes from the inconsistency between these results and the professed awareness of the Bahá’ís in America of the meaning of the glorious challenge we face in this dynamic, epoch-making period in the history of our beloved Faith, when the Bahá’í world has just elected a Universal House of Justice which is steering us into an era of unprecedented growth and development. The opportunities for service and accomplishment are endless. We know that next April we will be given a new and exciting plan, a set of goals which will stretch our capacities to the utmost. We face joyous, exciting assignments. There will be rich opportunity to demonstrate our capacity. Why, then, are we now falling so far short? Can you tell us?
The budget is not an abstract, impersonal entity devoid of human meaning. It is flesh and blood help to the Universal House of Justice and the Hands of the Cause, without which they could not function to guide, protect and advance the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. It is concrete and glass for the Frankfurt Temple, the last of the Houses of Worship specifically called for by our beloved Guardian. It is daily support for more than 100 pioneers staying at their posts to preserve in Europe and Latin America the goals won with such magnificent and sacrificial effort during the World Crusade. It is crucial assistance to the teaching effort on the home front, financing circuit teachers, conferences, proclamation efforts such as the thrilling public meeting in Baltimore in September. It is the daily activity of the national secretariat and the treasurer’s office, the publication of Bahá’í NEWS, the conduct of summer schools,
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the maintenance of the Temple at Wilmette and the
Bahá’í Home, our first dependency, the work of numerous vital national committees. It is what makes the
Faith tick.
The plain fact of the matter is that if the level of regular contributions to the National Fund does not pick up substantially and at once, and maintain itself at a level close to the monthly budget, the great momentum the Faith has generated in recent years must inevitably slow down, even before we are given the new plan by the Universal House of Justice. To finance our efforts so far this year we have already drastically reduced our reserve funds. We have been living upon our capital, and our working capital has been seriously depleted. We cannot continue much longer, nor each month can we count on large special gifts and estates.
What is asked is not unreasonable. $100 a year on the average from two-thirds of our membership would put us over the top. A substantial increase in membership would help tremendously. But in one way or another there must be awakened in the heart and mind of every American Bahá’í a realization that we are in a new age, and have been handed enlarged and heightened responsibilities. The future of the Faith is in our hands. The opportunities are enormous, but we must see them in their proper perspective and assign them first priority in our lives, first call on our time, our energy, our devotion and, not least, our money. Only by doing this can we achieve the great results visualized by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Divine Plan, which now is within our grasp.
December 1, 1963
New Procedures For Enrolling Isolated Bahá’ís and Members of Groups
With area teaching committees no longer in existence it has become necessary to make certain changes in the procedure of enrolling Bahá’ís who live in localities where there are no local spiritual assemblies. The following instructions are therefore to be observed, and the full cooperation of local spiritual assemblies as well as groups and individuals is requested. These procedures supersede those in The Bahá’í Community and any others formerly distributed. '
Only one form of enrollment card is now to be used, and it will be referred to as “Bahá’í Registration” card. These cards will be available from local spiritual assemblies, the National Office in Wilmette and the National Teaching Committee. The important point to be remembered in using this new card is that it must be countersigned by the proper administrative body.
When the teacher is assured that the applicant for enrollment fully understands what it means to accept Bahá’u’lláh, and assuming that he has been informed of the basic principles and laws of the Faith, the teacher should present the facts to the nearest local
JANUARY ‘1964
spiritual assembly, asking that it enroll the individual in the same manner in which it enrolls members who live in its own community.
The assembly takes the necessary action, and upon acceptance of the application the secretary or chairman countersigns the registration card and forwards it to the National Spiritual Assembly with a Bahá’í Membership Report form giving facts under “remarks” as to whether this new believer lives in an isolated center or in a community having a Bahá’í Group, who presented him for enrollment, etc.
If the new believer is enrolling in a locality where there is a Bahá’í Group, the group requests a card from the National Teaching Committee, witnesses the signature and sends the card with its recommendations to the National Teaching Committee for countersignature and transmittal to the National Spiritual Assembly.
Where there is neither a nearby local spiritual assembly or a Bahá’í Group, the teacher himself has the applicant sign the card in his presence and forwards it to the National Teaching Committee with a report on the background of the applicant, and the National Teaching Committee in turn countersigns and transmits the card to the National Spiritual Assembly.
The above instructions do not apply to enrollees who are American Indians living on a Reservation. The American Indian Service Committee has the responsibility for approving, endorsing and forwarding registration cards for all American Indians living on Reservations.
It is important that requests for Bahá’í membership be handled promptly and with much love and understanding. There should be no unnecessary delays in assisting declared believers to become active voting members of the Faith. Deepening in the Faith must come after enrollment, and assemblies, groups and individual teachers must make the necessary provisions for the deepening of new believers as soon as their enrollment has been accepted.
Reference is made to the section on enrollment of believers in The Bahá’í Community, and the following parts deleted on pages 26 and 27:
“A local Spiritual Assembly is responsible for the enrollment of members residing within the area of its jurisdiction, and area teaching committees have been given the responsibility of enrolling believers living outside of Assembly jurisdiction, with the exception of American Indians living on Indian Reservations who are enrolled through the American Indian Service Committee.
“The National Spiritual Assembly provides on request of local Spiritual Assemblies and area teaching committees the necessary forms for reporting the enrollment of new members and the transfer of membership from one locality to another.
“Assemblies have one form of enrollment card and the area teaching committees are supplied with another form.”
Notation should be made in The Bahá’í’. Community that these deleted paragraphs are superseded by these new instructions.
November 1, 1963 —NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
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U.S. SUPPLEMENT
TRANSFERS OF MEMBERSHIP
Since the area teaching committees are no longer in existence, it is the responsibility of the individual believer living outside the area of jurisdiction of a local spiritual assembly to process his own transfer.
The procedure for transfers of membership as given in The Bahá’í Community, page 30, is now changed and the following supersedes the instructions numbered 2, 3 and 4. (Instructions numbered 1 and 5 on pages 29 to 31, remain the same.)
No. 2. From a Bahá’í Community to Isolated or Group.
a. The individual member reports to the secretary of his local spiritual assembly.
b. The secretary makes certain a current identification card has been issued.
c. The secretary reports the transfer to the National Bahá’í Administrative Headquarters, giving the new address, if possible.
d. If the new location has a Bahá’í Group, the National Bahá’í Administrative Headquarters will notify the individual member of this fact.
No. 3. From Isolated or Group to a Bahá’í Community. a. The individual member notifies the National Bahá’í Administrative Headquarters and his Group Correspondent if in a Bahá’í Group, giving his old and new address.
b. The individual member requests a current identification card if he does not have one.
c. The individual member notifies the secretary of his new local spiritual assembly.
d. The secretary of the assembly reports this addition to the community membership list to the National Bahá’í Administrative Headquarters.
No. 4. Changes within Isolated or Group Membership.
a. The individual member notifies the National Bahá’í Administrative Headquarters and his Group Correspondent if in a Bahá’í Group, giving his old and new address.
b. The individual requests a current identification card if he does not have one.
c. If the new location has a Bahá’í Group, the National Bahá’í Administrative Headquarters will notify the individual of this fact.
November 1, 1963 —NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Opportunity For Teacher-Pioneer
Unalaska, a small community on one of the Aleutian Islands where there is a small Bahá’í Group, is urgently in need of an elementary school teacher for the first and second grades in a sixty—pupi1 school. The salary starts at $6,450 for one having a B.A. degree with no training but consideration will be given to applicants without a degree with three years of training, at a lower scale.
Teaching in any small Alaskan town presents a challenge and the teacher must win the respect of the native residents.
Qualified Bahá’ís who are interested may write to the Unalaska School Board, in care of Mrs. Elaine Caldwell, Unalaska, Alaska 99685.
Isolated Believers and Groups May Receive LSA Bulletins
Local spiritual assemblies which are producing bulletins or newsletters for their community members are not only permitted but are encouraged to enlarge their mailing lists to include isolated believers and Bahá’í groups in the immediate vicinity and such other adjacent local spiritual assemblies as may request them. These bulletins are to be produced with the resources of the local community and are to be confined to news items. They should be designed to foster dissemination of information among the believers concerning Bahá’í activities in that area; therefore they may include appropriate news items and announcements sent in from the nearby groups and isolated Bahá’ís.
The mailing lists are to be collected by the bulletin editors and will not be supplied by the National Spiritual Assembly. It is to be clearly understood that such mailing lists are to be for the use of the assemblies involved and are not to be distributed to individual believers.
Isolated Bahá’ís and small groups are being encouraged to request that their names be put on the mailing lists of nearby assemblies to receive notices of meetings and other activities in which they may participate.
Committee on Music
Solicits Manuscripts
The National Committee on Music is now collecting songs composed by the friends for Bahá’í functions, to be distributed and tried out in American Bahá’í communities. The committee welcomes your original compositions. Send to: Mrs. Margaret Jensen, Secretary; 600 Ash Street; Winnetka, Illinois.
Special Conferences for
Assemblies and large Groups
The N ation'al Teaching Committee has been -authorized by the National Spiritual Assembly to conduct a nationwide series of conferences on Sunday, January 12, 1964, involving only local spiritual assemblies and large groups approaching assembly status. These conferences will be held in all localities where there are assemblies and large groups and -are open only to assembly members and to all of the members of each of the groups.
The program is being planned by the National Teaching Committee which will furnish all assemblies and the large groups with full details at an early date. The underlying purpose is to assist each and every assembly, both new and old, to review its own functions in order to determine how it can assist in fulfilling the goal as enunciated by the Universal House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly this year, and in preparation for the program which the Universal House of Justice will release during Riḍván 1964.
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NSA Reports Actions
of Assembly Meetings
At its September 1963 meeting the NSA voted to make brief reports from time to time on actions taken at its meetings that will be of interest to the.Bahá’í community of the United States. This is the first of such summaries -and it covers the three meetings held between August 30 and November 24.
The agendas for the meetings since May when the present NSA was elected have included more than 800 items for consultation, exclusive of many matters having to do with the State Conventions, maintenance and operation of the Bahá’í House of Worship, the appointment of national committees, and the several trusteeships. During the Bahá’í year ending with Riḍván 1963 the Assembly took 1,461 actions as compared with 1,074 during the previous year, and it is apparent that this year the number will greatly exceed those of last year.
A steady stream of directives and communications is now coming to the National Assembly from the Universal House of Justice reflecting vigorous and efficient functioning of administration at the World Center. All items from the Universal House of Justice intended for the Bahá’í community as a whole will be disseminated as quickly as possible.
Some of the actions of general interest taken between September and November 24 are as follows:
1. Appointment of a special committee to formulate long range plans and recommendations to the Green Acre Trustees for the development of the Green Acre Bahá’í Institute.
2. Preparation of the statement, “The Most Challenging Issue,” for distribution to all the Bahá’ís with the October issue of Bahá’í News.
3. Approval of the production of a new pamphlet on the subject of Race which dispels many myths about race and makes the Bahá’í position clear.
4. Approval of a statement on the Bahá’í position on the racial issue to be sent to the appropriate Senate and House bodies.
5. Mapping out of plans for 38 NSA-sponsored conferences to be held October 26 and 27. Review at the November meeting of the reports and recommendations from these conferences which were -attended by more than 1,900 believers.
6. Approval of plans for NTC-sponsored conferences on consolidation to be held on January 12 by all local assemblies and Bahá’í groups approaching assembly status.
7. Approval of a general principle for the development of informal patterns of communication among Bahá’í communities, groups and isolated Bahá’ís through wider distribution of local Bahá’í newsletters.
8. Appointment of program committees for Green Acre Bahá’í Institute, Davison, Geyserville, Southeastern, Southwestern, Rocky Mountain, Intermountain, Southern California, and Northwest Children’s Bahá’í Schools, certain winter sessions, and Green Lake, Wis JANUARY ‘1764
consin, and Monmouth, Illinois, Bahá’í Institutes.
As usual a great number of actions were taken in regard to problems or recommendations received from other national assemblies, local assemblies and individuals. Of particular concern was the number of cases involving the violation of the Bahá’í marriage laws.
A wide range of actions was called for in regard to budgets for the maintenance and operation of Various Bahá’í properties, particularly the summer schools, the Bahá’í Home, and the Temple.
Adoption of a new trusteeship structure for the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
Decisions with regard to In Memoriam and other items related to completion of the material for The Bahá’í World, Volume XIV.
Actions related to the movement and support of various pioneers all over the world.
Study of reports from the Hands of the C-ause and Auxiliary Board Members in regard to activities on the home front, with action taken when necessary.
Study and action on reports concerning the work of the UN Committee, the Bahá’í International Community Committee, the American Indian Service Committee, the European Teaching Committee, the Western Hemisphere Committee, and the National Teaching Committee.
Appointment of a special committee on music to receive and review original manuscripts.
Determination of the Bahá’í status of a number of believers.
Because of the rapid acceleration in all aspects of Bahá’í activity, the year-end meeting of the NSA has been extended an extra day for special consultation on administrative efficiency in the hope that provisions can be made for the incredibly prodigious workload falling on both the National Assembly and the National Secretariat.
Aliens Reminded to Register
The United States government requires all aliens to report their addressesin January. Forms for this purpose may be obtained at any Post Office or office 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.
Information Regarding Fund-Raising
Inasmuch as there seems to be a misunderstanding on the part of some believers concerning fund-raising projects in order to contribute to the Bahá’í Fund, this is to remind them that the principles of the Faith do not allow soliciting funds in any manner whatsoever, and no individual believer nor Bahá’í institution should engage in fund-raising projects in the name of the Faith.
