Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand Part 4

Our able and indefatigable co-worker Mr. Siegfried Schopflocher is on a tour to Australia, India and the Near East, and by the time this letter reaches you he may be already in your midst.

The Guardian wishes your N.S.A. to arrange for him to visit all the centers in Australia and if possible in New-Zealand too, and to make every effort to render his stay amongst you as abundant in its results as possible.

Mr. Schopflocher is surely known to you and to many friends in Australia.

He is truly one of the most distinguished believers in the West. He has a deep knowledge of the Cause, and specially of the Administration, and has contributed a unique share towards its establishment and consolidation in the States. For many years a member of the American N.S.A., he revealed such great qualities of heart and mind as very few of his fellow-members were able to manifest. He supported valiantly and generously, and through both moral and financial means, the various inst.i.tutions of the Cause, and in particular the inst.i.tution of the Baha'i Fund which, as you can well realize, is the foundation stone of every phase of Baha'i activity.

In this connection it should be remembered that it was mainly due to his unfailing and most generous a.s.sistance that the Temple in Wilmette was built. The friends owe him indeed a great debt, and can never be too grateful for what he has accomplished, and is still so splendidly accomplishing, for the Faith in the West.

The Guardian hopes, nay he feels confident, your a.s.sembly, as well as all the friends will extend a most cordial welcome to this dear and distinguished Servant of the Cause, and will fully avail yourselves of this splendid opportunity that has been offered you to further enrich the field of your experiences in the Faith.

With warmest greetings,

Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani.

LETTER OF NOVEMBER 17TH, 1936

November 17th, 1936

Dear Miss Brooks,

On behalf of the Guardian I acknowledge with deepest thanks the receipt of your letter of the 17th October, and wish also to thank your a.s.sembly for forwarding to him the photostatic reproduction of the registration certificate of the a.s.sembly of Auckland. He fervently hopes that the formation of the Declaration of Trust of the N.S.A. will also be completed very soon, and that the difficulty you have encountered in this connection will be satisfactorily met and settled. He also trusts that the delay caused in registering the Sydney local a.s.sembly will be overcome, and that you will immediately proceed with the formation of your National Declaration of Trust. It is splendid, and a matter of deep satisfaction to our Beloved Guardian that in all these steps that you are taking for the administrative development and consolidation of the Faith in Australia and New-Zealand you are closely and faithfully following the example of America which, it should be admitted, occupies a pre-eminent rank among its sister communities in both the East and the West.

As regards the problem facing the N.S.A. in connection with the representation of Perth at the next Annual Convention; the Guardian believes that the fact that a certain a.s.sembly or community is not in a financial position to defray the expenses of its delegate or delegates does not const.i.tute sufficient justification for depriving it from its sacred right of partic.i.p.ation in the national elections and other activities of the Convention. Every a.s.sembly, no matter how poor, is ent.i.tled to take part in the Convention proceedings by sending one or more delegates to that meeting. It is absolutely essential that this principle be clearly understood and faithfully applied by the friends. Financial considerations can under no circ.u.mstances invalidate it, or allow the least compromise in its application. It is the duty of every N.S.A. to ensure that it will be carried out whenever the Convention elections are held.

With loving greetings,

Yours in the Guardian's Service, H. Rabbani.

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-worker:

I would be very pleased to receive two more copies of the registration form of the Auckland a.s.sembly and three copies of the form of the Adelaide a.s.sembly some of which I shall place in the Mansion of Baha'u'llah at Bahji. Will you also send me three copies of the registration form of every a.s.sembly which will be incorporated in the future. The foundations which your National a.s.sembly is now laying with such a.s.siduous care and exemplary loyalty const.i.tute a service that is truly historic and is highly meritorious in the sight of G.o.d. I feel deeply indebted to you for such splendid achievements. Persevere and never lose heart.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi.

LETTER OF DECEMBER 1ST, 1936

December 1st, 1936

Dear Miss Brooks,

The Guardian has just received the first issue of the newsletter published by the N.S.A. of the Baha'i's of Australia and New-Zealand, and has read it all through with deepest pleasure and satisfaction. He wishes me to ask you to transmit to your fellow-members in that body his warmest thanks for this new step they have taken for the further consolidation of the Administration in their country, as well as his most hearty congratulations upon the ever-increasing success that is attending their labours in this field.

It is his fervent hope that this organ your a.s.sembly has initiated will fully serve its purpose by intensifying the spirit of cooperation between the N.S.A. and all local a.s.semblies, groups and isolated believers throughout Australia and New-Zealand. Such a medium, if properly utilized, can be of inestimable value to the believers, by further enriching their knowledge and understanding of the principles and actual functioning of the Administrative order of the Faith, and by maintaining alive, nay intensifying in them the desire to promote and safeguard its interests.

He would, therefore, earnestly appeal to every believer in Australia and New-Zealand to make full and continued use of this bulletin, and consider it as a most effective means to closer fellowship and to a deeper understanding of his duties and responsibilities as builder of the New World Order of Baha'u'llah.

He is ardently praying to the Almighty to ever bless and guide your a.s.sembly's endeavours in this connection,

Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani.

LETTER OF FEBRUARY 4TH, 1937

February 4th, 1937

Dear Miss Brooks,

I am instructed by the Guardian to inform you of the receipt of your letter of the 2nd January, and of the enclosed reports of the Adelaide and Auckland spiritual a.s.semblies, and to renew to you, and through you to your fellow-members in the N.S.A., his grateful appreciation of the warm welcome you have so lovingly extended to that dear and distinguished servant of the Cause Mr. Siegfried Schopflocher during his visit to Australia and New-Zealand. It is his fervent hope that the spirit his visit has released will long serve to sustain the friends in their heavy task of expanding the foundations of the Administrative Order throughout that continent.

Regarding Mr. Bolton's question as to whether the Guardian has given any instructions to the friends as to the best way to make their investments secure during the coming world crisis; I am instructed to inform you that no such directions have been given either to any individual believer or to any a.s.sembly. The only advice which the Guardian wishes to give is that whatever investment the friends make they should do it with the utmost caution, as economic and financial conditions are at present most unstable and even precarious.

Shoghi Effendi has been very deeply grieved to learn of Mr. ...'s resignation from both the N.S.A. and the Sydney local a.s.sembly, and of his request to leave altogether the Cause. He wishes me, however, to a.s.sure your a.s.sembly not to feel discouraged at this truly sad happening, but to confidently strive to bring him back into the community. Should he persistently refuse to return, the best thing would be to leave him to himself, and to pray for him that Baha'u'llah may, in His infinite mercy and love, open again his eyes, and lead him out of the state of spiritual lethargy into which he has so sadly fallen.

With the a.s.surance of the Guardian's best wishes, and of his continual prayers for you, and for your distinguished fellow-members in the N.S.A.,

Yours Sincerely in His Service, H. Rabbani.

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and prized co-worker:

I am delighted with the progress of your activities and with your splendid achievements in both the teaching and administrative spheres of Baha'i service. The National Spiritual a.s.sembly is laying a firm and una.s.sailable foundation for the administrative Order of the Faith, and I wish to congratulate all its members and committees on the marvellous progress thus far achieved. I will continue to pray for them from all my heart. I will specially supplicate for the success of this coming Convention. May your hopes be fulfilled in every respect.

Gratefully and affectionately, Shoghi.

LETTER OF MARCH 18TH, 1937