U.S. Supplement/Issue 89/Text

Fifty-Nine American Pioneers Needed for 1965-1966

This issue of BAHA'I News carries a commentary on the Riḍván, 1965 message from the Universal House of Justice with particular reference to the call for more than 460 pioneers to arise this year to open the remaining virgin areas of the globe and to resettle those once open but now unoccupied.

No sooner had this message arrived than the National Spi1‘itual Assembly of the United States received from the .Universal House of Justice a specific list of countries for which the American Bahá’í community is to furnish the pioneers or financial aid to others than Americans, or both. Undoubtedly other areas will be added from time to time as the Nine Year Teaching Plan progresses.

The areas where American pioneers are needed as of July first and the minimum number for each place are shown on the accompanying chart, published here to aid

the believers in selecting and planning for their posts. It should be explained that the areas referred to in the "note” are not open to United States citizens, hence other National Assemblies have been called upon to furnish pioneers with the required nationality and passports for these particular areas. However, since the goals have been assigned to the United States, the American Bahá’í community is expected to furnish financial assistance unless the pioneers are self-supporting. These areas are: Reunion Island, French Somaliland, Bechuanaland, Cape Verde Island, Cayman Island, Bonaire Island, Sakhalin Island.

Any Bahá’ís contemplating response to the call from the Universal House of Justice, and who are not yet in communication with the pioneer committee responsible for providing information and assistance, should write at once to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.

United States Goals

Number Needed

CARIBBEAN: Turks and Caicos Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1

Barbuda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1

St. Kitts-Nevis . . . . . . . . . . 1

Dominica . . . . .

Saba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1

St. Eustatius . . . . . . . . 1

St. Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1

Number Needed

ASIA: Kazakhstan (circumstances permitting) 1 EUROPE: Ukraine (circumstan ces permitting) . . . . . . . . . 1

Inter-Assembly Collaboration Goals

U.S. must furnish pioneers:

AFRICA: B_urundi . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 2

Gabon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Liberia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Nigeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Senegal . . . . . . . . .

Southern Rhodesia . . . . .. 1

Togo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2

CENTRAL AMERICA: Ecuador . . . . . . . . . . 1

Guatemala . . . . . . . . ... . .. 3

Honduras . . . . . . . . 1

Nicaragua . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2

Panama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

TOTAL NUMBER OF PIONEERS NEEDED . . . . . . . . . . ..

NORTH AMERICA: Canada—St. Pierre &

Miquelan Island . . . . . . . . . 1

Iceland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2

SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4

Bolivia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1

Chiloé Island . . . . . . . . . .. 1

Paraguay . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4

Peru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2

Venezuela . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3

ASIA: Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2

EUROPE: Eire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2

France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Azores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1

Madeira . . , . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..59

Note: There are other areas where the United States is assigned to furnish finances, if necessary. for at least 9 pioneers.

[Page 2]United Nations Films Suitable for Bahá’í Use

While there are many films which Bahá’ís will find useful for meetings on the United Nations or on topics dealing with international cooperation, we can recommend the following three, which are especially appropriate during this year, when the need for international cooperation is so apparent:

“NO OTHER CHOICE,” 161/.» minutes, $5.00 rental price, a film stressing “cooperation as an essential part of human activity and as the very foundation of all progress.”

“THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION,” 18 minutes, $5.00 rental price, “traces the history of international cooperation in the task of weather prediction and describes in detail the function and organization of WMO.”

“FOCUS ON THE UN,” 27 minutes, $7.50 rental price, gives a “visual presentation of the United Nations CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT which met in Geneva recently to

_discuss policies and practices of international trade.” Certain commodities, such as cocoa beans from Ghana moving to the chocolate factory in Switzerland, are followed from source to end-product.

If you desire to use these films for United Nations Day in October or for any other suitable occasion, you should first inquire if your local public library has bought them. If so, you will no doubt be able toé. use them without charge. If not, you can rent them through the distributors: Contemporary Films, Inc., 267 West 25th Street, New York, N.Y. 10001. The rental price is per day that they are in your possession. A small postal charge will be added.

These films, offering awareness, alertness, optimism and hope, will. serve you well as a spring-board to Bahá’í discussion. Please be sure to report their use to this committee.

UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE

Miss Isabelle Silk, Secretary 430 E. 63rd Street New York 21, N.Y.

Proper listing of Local Spiritual Assemblies

in Directories

Local spiritual assemblies are reminded that when they list the Bahá’í Faith in telephone or church directories the proper identification is: Bahá’í Faith. This applies also to listings in the classified sections of telephone directories. Local publishers of the classified directory have their own policies but a determined effort must be made by the local spiritual. assembly not to have the Faith listed under “churches.” If the policy of the telephone company does not make possible a completely independent listing the Faith could be listed under “religious organizations” until such time as an independent classification is granted.

JULY ‘1965

British Boolc on Administration Available

Principles of Bahá’í Administration, a Compilation by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the British Isles is available in a revised edition. While much of the material in this compilation is from Bahá’í Administration, Bahá’í Community and a few passages from God Passes By, it also contains statements by Shoghi Effendi previously published only in Bahá’í News or in the out-of-print collection once called Bahá’í Procedure. Bahá’ís will find this a useful supplement to their information on administration and a conveniently arranged reference work. (The Articles of Association in final section of book relate only to the legal status of the national and local assemblies of the British Isles.) Available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 600.91.

Per copy (cloth edition only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$2.25 NET

Organized local Effort Saves Funds for Publishing Trust

Bahá’í Communities, whether Assemblies or Groups, are urged to appoint a local librarian and/or literature representative to handle the ordering of books from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust for their entire community. Not only is this a responsibility that should be carried out cooperatively on the local level, but it is also a tremendous time and money saving factor for the Trust. Instead of many small shipments, taking much time and packaging material, a single shipment can be made. The greatest saving of all is effected by being able to ship under special postage rates, allowable for most types of printed material, that apply to a nonprofit organization, but which do not apply to shipments to individuals.

An example of the amount of saving involved can be seen in the following: A shipment of Ebony reprints to 6th zone weighing ten pounds mailed to an individual costs $1.66 in postage. The same shipment to a Bahá’í library account would cost 13 cents. A book shipment of the same weight to an individual costs $.55, but the group rate would be 13 cents. If funds are truly the lifeblood of the Cause, this is surely a very small effort that can have a big result.

—Bahá’í PUBLISHING Tnusr 110 Linden Avenue Wilmette, Illinois 60091

Manual for Treasurers Distributed in June

The manual for Treasurers announced at the National Convention was distributed in June to all treasurers elected by local spiritual assemblies for the year 196566. Included are suggestions for the keeping of accounting records and sample account pages. The material is in a durable 19-hole binder which will permit the treasurer to keep in one place his accounts and all material distributed by the National Office which relates to the Funds, such as the annual budget messages, etc. The manuals have been distributed by the Office of the National Treasurer without cost to the local assemblies. Additional accounting paper can be obtained at a small cost through the Bahá’í DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois (S0091.

[Page 3]U.S. SUPPLEMENT

The U.S. National Bahá’í Fund How it Assists at the World Center

Many of the friends have expressed an interest in having more information concerning the various uses made of the money contributed to the National Bahá’í Fund. To meet this need, the National Spiritual Assembly plans a series of articles dealing with the major categories of expense in the budget. It is hoped that these analyses will bring home in more specific, human, understandable form the many vital tasks performed and the solid accomplishments achieved by the dollars which are regularly and sacrificially sent by the believers to this Fund.

In order to begin with the $100,000 allocated to the World Center Fund, the Universal House of Justice was requested to furnish some background information concerning the various purposes achieved with the money made available to them. They offered the following, and permitted its quotation:

“As the contributions from the United States Bahá’í Community to the Bahá’í International Fund is comingled with the contributions from other communities, it

is not possible to specify exactly what it alone is used for, but the friends will undoubtedly be interested to know the type of work it goes towards financing.

“The largest single use is undoubtedly assistance to those National Assemblies whose work, particularly in the mass teaching areas, greatly exceeds their possibility of raising funds from their own communities.

“In the Holy Land funds are used for the care of the gardens and for their expansion as befitting settings for the two holiest spots in the world; .the repair and maintenance of the various Holy Places and buildings (there are some twelve of these, many of them about a century old); the living expenses of the believers serving at the World Center; hospitality to pilgrims; and the office and secretarial expenses of the House of Justice.

“The International Fund must also meet the needs of such emergencies as the Moroccan case, and has to assist in such international undertakings as the holding of oceanic and intercontinental conferences and the erection of Mashriqu’l-Acgikars.”

What‘ if the Books Were Not There?

A newly enrolled Bahá’í has related this story to the U.S. National Bahá’í Library Service Committee:

This young woman (we will call her Miss Dee) had been born into one of the Christian sects. When she reached early maturity she began to search for truth in other teachings and finally found what she considered “a pearl of great price.”

Because she is an avid reader, Miss Dee haunts the section of libraries where religious and philosophical works are found. One day she happened upon a Bahá’í book, and was struck by what she considered sentences lifted from Christian Science works. She began to read, and eventually felt the urge to investigate. The next step was to seek out a meeting. A public notice brought her to a Bahá’í gathering.

There is more to the story of how she became a Bahá’í, but the point is: What if the new books had not been there? Fortunately she found them on the open shelves in a small city where there is a new Bahá’í community. Later she went to the much larger library in a large city where the Bahá’í community has been in existence a long time. and here she found an entirely different situation. There were no Bahá’í books on open shelves and when she asked for some was

told that there were some in storage vaults. She did not know the names of any, so she just asked the attendant to bring three or four. “The ones he brought,” she said, “were very old and queer-looking.”

What does this story point up? First, what if the Bahá’í books were not there to attract and awaken the interest of this receptive soul? Second, are the Bahá’í communities and groups overlooking the great importance of keeping current Bahá’í books on the library shelves so that others like Miss Dee may also chance upon them? Do the believers themselves take the books out of the library from time to time and thus keep them in circulation and on the open shelves, or are they relegated to the storage vaults where they serve no useful purpose in the homefront teaching campaign?

Let us remember that our public libraries are maintained for individuals who read and investigate, and that often those who see publicity or announcements about any unknown organization or program go to the library to learn something about it. Thus the public library frequently becomes the'seeker’s first means of contact with the Bahá’í Faith and the truth for which he has been searching.

(Reprinted from Bahá’í News, January 1960)

[Page 4]Third Annual Council Fire

Scheduled at Neah Bay, Washington

The All-Indian Bahá’í Group of the Makah reservation at Noah Bay, Washington invite Bahá’ís to bring their friends to the Third Annual “Council Fire” to be held on the Peace Grounds at Neah Bay, August 14 and 15.

Bahá’ís are requested to mail advance registration fees, in order that all pre-Bahá’í Indians can find themselves guests upon arrival. The registration fee remains $1.50 for adults and 50 cents for children under twelve.

Bring bedrolls, warm clothing, camping equipment and food for all except the Saturday evening meal. which will again feature the traditional “Makah Salmon Bake." Indian friends and guests are encouraged to bring tribal dress, songs and dances.

For those who are unable to camp out, modern motels are available. However, since this is the busiest time of the year for this fishing village, we would suggest that reservations be made early. A list of the motels will be furnished upon request.

Advance registration fees are to be sent to: Council Fire, P.O. Box 135, Edmonds, Washington 98020.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Foster A. Mudd

Council Fire Planning Chairman 16016 21st Street Southwest Seattle, Washington 98168 Phone: CHerry 2-3291

World Peace Day Approaching

On September 19 the Bahá’ís will be celebrating World Peace Day and this is an excellent opportunity to undertake the project of procuring a resolution on World Peace Day from the Governor of your state. Last year more than 30 state Governors proclaimed World Peace Day. The assemblies responsible for initiating this action will be receiving instructions from the National Teaching Committee. It is suggested that these assemblies try to get this done in plenty of time so that the other communities of the state will be able to benefit from any publicity that might result from the proclamation.

Memorial Service

for Mr. Louis Gregory

The Bahá’í Community of Eliot, Maine, will hold a memorial service for the beloved Louis Gregory, first Hand of the Cause of the Negro race. The service will be held at Fellowship House, Green Acre, Eliot, Maine, on Saturday, July 31, at 3:30 p.m.

JULY 1965

Opportunities for Bahá’í Service Unlimited

Every Bahá’í is needed, at some time in his life, for national and international service to the Faith. At this time the new Foreign Goals Committee, which fuses all former pioneering committees, the National Teaching Committee and the Community Development Committee wish to survey the national Bahá’í community for a very few groups of persons with specialized training. This is only a first step in a more systematic discovery of the varied but often hidden talents of our American believers.

All Bahá’ís who are or have been teachers at any level in the school systems of our land, doctors and nurses (including those presently in training), architects, engineers, workers in the physical sciences, business administrations, please fill out a postcard or address a letter to the N.S.A. immediately upon reading this note. Please give brief facts about yourself. We shall return a questionnaire to you thereafter on a selective basis. Naturally, all is voluntary; but we wish to know, segment by segment, the composition of the American community, so that all may serve the Cause of God during this day of promise.

BAHA'| DIRECTORY CHANGES

NSA-STATE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES

Nevada. Delete name of: Mr. Harry C. Hambley

New Mexico Mrs. Amy B. Dwelly, 413 Sosaya Lane, Santa Fe 87501

Western Washington Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Eklund, Jr., Box 135, Edmonds 98020

INDIAN SERVICE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE

Mr. Vinson Brown. Healdsburg, California — for California

in Memoriam

Mrs. Marjorie Ann Chodak Rockford, Illinois About May 15, 1965

Allyn Morgan Kelsey Warsaw, Indiana March 30, 1965

Mrs. Cora Dyer Birmingham, Alabama April 14, 1965

Mrs. Amelia Lovejoy Macy, Nebraska April 11, 1965

Dr. J. S. Roy Francis Birmingham, Alabama May 17, 1965

Miss Emma Marks Rockford, Illinois May 13, 1965

Henry Moline Springfield, Illinois May 3. 1965