++ Contents National Spiritual Assembly Huq£q'u'll h - a source of benediction and prosperity Senior appointment for National Assembly member Bah '¡s in Iran Scottish Council - Vision for the Faith in Scotland Bah '¡ Information Office - Can we help make the hundred per cent? International Goals Committee - Deputisation "Waiting upon the Blessed Beauty" Anniversary of the Birth of the B b UK Community News Visit to the North East Teaching project Oh, what a night! World News Spain celebrates 50 years of Bah '¡ Faith A real Spanish experience Letters Youth camps, Darren Howell Incorporation - a positive experience!, Joan Birch A Most Enjoyable Experience, Alan Cox Serve the Faith in Orkney, Rosemary McLaughlin ++ NSA + Huq£q'u'll h - a source of benediction and prosperity There are numerous references in Bah 'u'll h's sacred literature to the effect that paying Huq£q'u'll h has on the prosperity of the believer, his offspring and his community as a whole. The benedictions are not just of the spiritual kind. The discipline, which the observance of this law requires, cannot fail to act as a factor for material prosperity. In Bah 'u'll h's words: "There can be no doubt that whatsoever hath been revealed from the All-Glorious Pen, be it ordinances or prohibitions, conferreth benefits upon the believers themselves. For example, among the commandments is that of the Huq£q'u'll h. If the people attain the privilege of paying the Huq£q, the one true God - exalted be His glory - will of a certainty confer blessing upon them. Moreover, such payment will enable them and their offspring to benefit from their possessions. As thou dost observe large portions of people's wealth are lost to them as God causeth strangers, or heirs in comparison with whom strangers would have been preferable, to lay hands on their possessions." National Assembly conveys our sympathy to Princess's family Following the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the National Spiritual Assembly sent messages of condolence on behalf of the United Kingdom Bah '¡ community to Her Majesty the Queen, their Royal Highnesses Prince William and Prince Harry, care of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Earl Spencer, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Mrs Shand Kydd. "In a world where "consumerism" is people's price and prestige, Huq£q'u'll h introduces new ethics." (excerpt from an article by Dr Shapour Rassekh translated from French) + Senior appointment for National Assembly member Mr Hugh Adamson, Secretary General of the Bah '¡s of the UK was recently elected Chairman of the World Congress of Faiths (the Interfaith Fellowship) following the retirement of the Rev Marcus Braybrooke. The World Congress of Faiths is a very long-standing and prestigious body and Bah '¡s have had connections with it for many years. + Bah '¡s in Iran We have recently been informed by the friends in Iran that the following believers have been released from prison: Messrs Babu'll h Far¡i, Nas¡r Haqtalab, Akbar Purhussayni, Bihnam Rida'i, Mahmud Shahidi and Mahmud Sharifi. The friends have also reported the recent arrest of Mr Nasir Iqani in Simnan and Mr Hushang Mazlumiyan in Aliabad, Gurgan. The total number of Bah '¡s known to be imprisoned in Iran by reason of their Faith is now twelve. + Scottish Council Vision for the Faith in Scotland In its first year the Scottish Council formulated its "vision" for the Faith in Scotland. The vision it had at the time included the following headings: The Islands of the North Sea "awakening the entire continent" This quote came from a letter from the Universal House of Justice to a European Teaching Conference in July 1996, where it said "...reinforce strongly the heroic band of pioneers in the islands of the Mediterranean and the North Sea - islands which are to play such an important role in the awakening of the entire continent..." The Islands of the North Sea were each mentioned by name by Abdu'l Bah  in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. The Guardian of the Faith referred to their importance on numerous occasions and included them in the Ten Year Crusade, and the Universal House of Justice has also alluded to them frequently. As part of the Seven Year Plan the Universal House of Justice set the United Kingdom the goal to "Acquire or rent modest Bah '¡ Centres in the Orkneys, the Shetlands and the Western Isles." (1). Orkney, at the moment, is the only island group where this particular goal has been achieved and maintained. Since the early days of the Knights of Bah 'u'll h on these islands, we now have flourishing communities on quite a few of the island groups. We have five island Local Spiritual Assemblies and two other islands which are at group status. Most of these islands have hosted schools at some point, the most recent being the Shetland Summer School which turned out to be a very international experience with visitors from as far away as Dominica in the Caribbean, Bahrain, the Philippines and Cyprus. The island believers are to be commended on the achievements and the progress made, sometimes in very difficult circumstances over the years and with little support. In 1964 the Universal House of Justice wrote "The great emphasis which Shoghi Effendi laid upon your work in the islands of the North Sea ... and particularly the beneficial results which he said would flow from an outpouring of pioneers and the treasure in the islands bordering the homeland should lead you to concentrate on these vital points when planning the overall strategy of your onward march." (2). The Bah '¡ Council for Scotland is committed to giving its full support to the work being carried out in the islands and encourages anyone who can to visit these unique communities even if just to give the Bah '¡s in these remote areas some moral support. Everyone knows what is going on One of the first objectives of the Council was to have a Scottish Newsletter distributed to every Bah '¡ household in Scotland. There was already an "Island Newsletter" which was well established and this was very ably developed by the editor and helpers who were co-opted to assist. The 10th issue of this small publication which appears quarterly is now being prepared and will be out in the winter. The Newsletter includes special features, regular items such as a report from the Council, Scots abroad and readers's letters as well as other news from Mainland Scotland and the islands. Of course we are always looking for material to be included in the newsletter, particularly photographs, so please remember - we want to hear from you! If you are a Scot living abroad we would particularly like to hear from you. If you would like to receive the Scottish Newsletter, please contact the editor, (details below). The Council encourages individual communities to concentrate on a small number of projects and to develop expertise in those areas rather than to try to spread themselves too thinly doing too many things and achieving very little. In this way we hope to develop a variety of skills throughout the country, which can then be advertised through the Newsletter so that other communities in need of them know who to contact. The same principle can be applied to the Four Year Plan. Council members are in the course of visiting every Local Spiritual Assembly in Scotland to discuss their Four Year Plan with them and the progress being made. Assemblies are being advised to keep their local plans simple and to concentrate on a few goals at a time. Goals can always be adapted or new ones made if they are achieved quickly. If you give yourselves a plethora of goals all at once there is a danger of getting confused or overwhelmed and not achieving any of them! For information about any of the islands contact: Mrs Rosemary McLaughlin, Norvana, Rendall, Orkney Isles KW17 2NZ, tel: 01856 761624, email: rosemary@laughlin.demon.co.uk For a comprehensive compilation of quotes from the Writings about the islands contact: Mr Chris Manvell, 25 Breascais Iosal, Isle of Skye IV42 8QA. Tel/fax: 01471 822317 (manual fax, please call first), email: Chris@baha.demon.co.uk Contributions for the Newsletter in the form of email, photographs (without accompanying letter) and discs should be sent to the Editor: Mr Chris Manvell, 25 Breascais Iosal, Isle of Skye IV42 8QA. Tel/fax 01471 822317 (manual fax, please call first), email: News@baha.demon.co.uk For hand-written, type-written or faxed material and photos accompanying them and Mac format discs contact the Sub-Editor: Mr Tony Henderson, Edelweiss, Stove, Sandwick, Shetland, tel: 01950 431242, e-mail: tony@saxa.demon.co.uk References 1. Letter to the Bah '¡s of the United Kingdom, January 1981 2. Letter to the British Bah '¡ Community, April 1964 + Bah '¡ Information Office Can we help make the hundred per cent? In his speech to the United Nations' Special Session in New York (Earth Summit II) earlier this year, Prime Minister Tony Blair said that some 70 per cent of UK local authorities have now adopted some sort of Local Agenda 21. Bah '¡s in many areas helped with this, and can feel pleased with their efforts. At the UN Session a representative of the Local Government Management Board - an official body which is giving guidance and resources about Agenda 21 to local authorities throughout the country - commented to a Bah '¡ representative from the UK that the work of the Bah '¡s for Agenda 21 was known and appreciated. However the Prime Minister went on in his speech to give a goal which was also a great opportunity. He committed to raising the figure from 70 per cent to 100 per cent by the year 2000. This has brought the question of Agenda 21 back to the attention of local authorities and is a cue for Bah '¡ communities to make further contact. If your council was not terribly interested in the past, or does not seem to be doing anything for Agenda 21, we suggest that NOW is the time for your Spiritual Assembly or group to get back to them. Ask what plans and progress they are making in the light of what the Prime Minister said. Are they involving the wider community, as called for in Agenda 21, and not just making the decisions themselves? And is there something which the Bah '¡s, with their resources and experience can do to help them with it? Even if you feel you did not make progress before, this is your chance - courtesy of Mr Blair - to try again. + International Goals Committee Deputisation The time has come for the friends ... to think not as to how they should serve the Cause, but how the Cause should be served'. (1) 'Upon our efforts depends in a very large measure the fate of humanity'. (2) Amongst the United Kingdom International Goals for the Four Year Plan is the raising up of 40 Pioneers and 600 Travel Teachers. In the first year of the Plan 26 adults and 5 children arose and pioneered abroad and we recorded 94 travel teachers of all ages, shapes and sizes. The response of the National Community to the international goals of the Four Year Plan has been exemplary and our heartfelt thanks go to all those valiant souls who have arisen to serve the cause of Bah 'u'll h. Some of the friends who arise need financial help and we have assisted them as far as possible. Where do these finances come from? The main source is from those friends who, unable to go pioneering or do travel teaching themselves, have contributed to the "International Goals Committee Deputisation Fund" - they remembered Bah 'u'll h's injunction: "Centre your energies in the propagation of the Faith of God. Whoso is worthy of so high a calling, let him arise and promote it. Whoso is unable, it is his duty to appoint him who will, in his stead, proclaim this revelation" If you wish to help deputize those UK friends who are willing and able to arise then please send your contribution (payable to the NSA of the Bah '¡s of the UK) to the Treasury Department, National Sub Office, 2 River Walk, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1DT. Please indicate that your donation is for the International Goals Committee Deputisation Fund. Income tax payers may wish to covenant their contributions. Be assured that all money contributed will be put to excellent use. ++ "Waiting upon the Blessed Beauty" Motivated by Lou Turner's excellent article (Bah '¡ Journal, March/April '97) which described an education, previously directed towards intellectual and personality development serving an aggressively competitive society now, turning to the development of the qualities of man's spiritual nature, I should like to share some further thoughts and practical suggestions. We have now been given a mandate from the National Spiritual Assembly through the Community Schools Service and Trevor Finch in the form of our National Bah '¡ Curriculum. The mandate is to put Divine Education, and this is true education, exactly where it belongs, first and most important, as 'attainment target number one' in our education process. The timely appearance of this document, written as it is in state education parlance, puts into the hands of every follower of Bah 'u'll h, a tool through which we can contribute to the spiritualization of education, possibly in some of the following ways: Increasingly spiritualize the individual parenting of our own children, possibly offering Bah '¡ guidance in parenting programmes. As prospective parents or grandparents, attending parenting programmes thereby taking up the role of the first educators. Encouraging, as parents, PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) or schools governor members and teachers to bring divine education to our children. This is presently being accomplished in schools by some RE teachers and also under the headings of Personal and Social Education, Peer Education; especially Peer Counselling and Whole School Policy Development. It could be very empowering to many teachers to share our Bah '¡ National Curriculum as an evolution of the State National Curriculum. Contact local health and youth workers who are involved in health promotion schemes which bring moral education into schools and share our new curriculum or the Virtues Project with them. Extend our contribution to the spiritualization process by supporting Bah '¡ National Curriculum inclusion in community schools. Support out of school activities such as the 'Woodcraft Folk' who practice education for social change and whose motto is: "Span the world with friendship". these groups have developed many practical activities which I feel could valuably be introduced to the community schools. With the full power of Bah 'u'll h's Revelation and the world wide network of the Administrative Order behind us and with "Waiting upon the Blessed Beauty" as a focus through which to form a unified vision, I feel that we are being offered a significant opportunity to accelerate educational spiritualization; enhancing the process whereby the child's soul is trained and to put the Bah '¡ contribution to state education on the national agenda. Congratulations to the CSS for the timely production of this significant document. ++ Anniversary of the Birth of the B b The B b, whose name was Siyyid' Ali-Muhammad, was born in the city of Sh¡r z, on the first day of Muharram, in the year 1235 AH (20th October 1819). He belonged to a house which was renowned for its nobility and which traced its origins to Muhammad Himself. The date of His birth confirmed the truth of the prophecy traditionally attributed to the Im n 'Al¡: 'I am two years younger than my Lord.' ... In His early childhood He lost His father, Siyyid Muhammad-Rid , a man who was known throughout the province of F rs for his piety and virtue, and was held in high esteem and honour. Both His father and His mother were descendants of the Prophet, both were loved and respected by the people. He was reared by His maternal uncle H j¡ M¡rz  Siyyid' Al¡, a martyr to the Faith, .. ++ UK Community News + Visit to the North East Teaching project The Tidswells; Angela, Robert, Elisa (aged 16) and their seven-year old foster child Shaun were privileged to join the North East Teaching project in the second week of August. Angela sent us this taster of life up there: On Sunday evening we joined two bus loads of children and youth for a trip to the seaside. We arrived with winds blowing and a sea mist coming in. Nonetheless the Northerners stripped off and ran into the sea, whilst us Southerners huddled in our cardies on the beach, joining "Mrs Motivator" (their newest adult Bah '¡ Lynn) in warm-up exercises. On Monday we were taken to meet some of the Bah '¡ friends and their neighbours on the High Ridge estate. We also attended the team's regular meeting and were particularly impressed by the speed and ease with which they made their decisions. On Tuesday evening thirty of us descended on Burnlaw farm for a 3-day service project. This was an emergency decision to help integrate and deepen the children and youth that had just declared their Faith in Bah 'u'll h. One boy could only come if his Dad came over to check it out - Dad stayed for the whole project, thoroughly enjoyed himself and has since declared. Service was given on the farm by felling, scything and weeding, and preparing a children's play area. Many helped with the cooking and cleaning and activities including art classes. In the afternoons the organisers arranged fun! One memorable day all the youth and many adults hiked over the countryside, designated by English Heritage as 'an area of outstanding natural beauty', to a local beauty spot led by someone who will remain nameless and who later was reported to have little sense of direction. Hills were to be climbed, bogs to be sunk into, and streams to be conquered. According to our guide it was far quicker to follow the stream and everyone ended up in it, some waist deep and swimming! The weather was glorious and the kids spent much of their time playing in the water, including team member Susan in her best dress! The same evening, our last together, a camp fire was made in the meadow. We enjoyed a barbeque and then sat in a circle around the fire to hear the story of Anis, the young man who died, tied to the breast of the B b. The story was punctuated with songs. All joined in the singing and prayers. A lovely Dutch family, also camping on the site sat with us and drank in the atmosphere. The young people, from housing estates in the outlying areas of Newcastle, were generally very polite and well behaved and had respect for others and the place they were privileged to visit. Lynn said that she had spent hundreds of pounds going abroad on holidays but this was the best time she had ever had. When Marion presented Lynn's son Johnny with a wonderful 12th birthday cake we all sang happy birthday. Mum had tears streaming down her face, and Johnny said after that he felt like crying too. The prayer sessions were the manna all thrived on. Sung prayers were an attractive and easy to remember way of praying. At the last devotional together each of the children and youth were presented with a small gift with a card containing a virtue that the team felt was particularly suited to that individual; like happy, friendly, kind, lively. They were so happy to receive these small, thoughtful gifts.The bus carried off a very happy crowd of new believers on Friday evening with promises of visits and phone calls to new friends. The area covered by the teaching team is vast. They drive around 800 - 2000 miles per month. Their travels involve going from place to place giving children's classes, deepenings, addressing meetings, nurturing new Bah '¡s etc. It costs about œ700 per month to run the project, with help from various sources, but much of the contributions come from individuals who are really truly sacrificing - in other words, they are going without for the sake of the project. One of the team said that when two of them were travelling from one venue to another, grabbing food to eat in the car on the way, she began weeping and saying that they just didn't have the strength to carry on. suddenly she felt the presence of 'Abdu'l-Bah  and heard him assuring her, "I will give you the strength you need". Entry by troops is happening here and the small teaching team need help spiritually, physically and financially. Spiritually, they need your prayers and thoughts. The effect of prayer and meditation is invaluable. Physically, they need the manpower of friends who will benefit the project. Financially, they need assistance. Anyone may deputise and taxpayers may covenant a regular amount to the National Assembly which can be earmarked. Please friends, think hard about what you can do to help. + Oh, what a night! September 9th. The house was a tip - still suffering from the after-effects of the long summer holiday, the constant camping trips with our newly declared youth and the absence of my cleaning lady! The meeting to be held that evening was special and was to follow our Feast. Ian Holland of the Council for England and Auxiliary Board member Semira Manaseki-Holland had asked during their visit to Iran in May for prayers to be said for the progress of the Cause in the North East region. Our beloved brethren responded by arranging for the request to be included in the monthly prayer meeting programme to be followed by the entire Iranian Bah '¡ community - all 300,000 of them. We in turn decided to hold a 12-hour prayer vigil to link up with them. We had tried to hire a hall for the occasion but to no avail, so our house was offered instead. The cleaning began in earnest that afternoon. Flowers and food were bought, candles arranged and beautiful natural decorations brought in. The physical transformation process was under way. Suddenly it was time for the Feast and they arrived. The minibus we now need to hire to transport our unbelievably extended community pulled up and out they got. They streamed down the path and into the house in a seemingly never ending file of bodies. I was hit immediately by all kinds of emotions - anxiety, concern, momentary panic but overriding all of that was a really deep love for these precious young souls who have taken Bah 'u'll h into their hearts in such a determined and steadfast manner. The Feast was beautiful. We were crammed, all twenty-three of us, into our very average sized living room; seven adults and sixteen children and youth. The remaining sixteen members of our community could not make it that night. The consultation suggestions showed such care for the community that we were overawed. They were summed up by one five-year old who said he would like to see us caring for and visiting the sick and building a Bah '¡ tree house for us to play in! At 8.45 pm the visits for the children to the prayer room began. We had strived to create as close an atmosphere to that of the Shrines of Bah 'u'll h and the B b as we could. Flowers, candles and the scent of roses filled the room. The children all removed their shoes and with incredible respect, filed in five or six at a time, sat quietly on cushions around a central area containing dishes with petals from the Holy Shrines and said their prayers remembering the Bah '¡s in Iran. They were each given a piece of crystal sugar like the ones used by Bah 'u'll h and 'Abdu'l-Bah  for drinking tea, to remember the experience. The children eventually left around 9.30 pm, just as a fresh wave of believers was arriving for the prayer meeting. How can I describe the prayers? Simply put, I can't, except to say that it was probably the single most moving experience I have had in this country as a Bah '¡ yet. Two souls kept vigil all through the night whilst others of us caught brief snatches of sleep in all parts of the house before being drawn like a magnet for more spiritual sustenance. We had thirteen believers staying in the house overnight and a further two or three who joined us for periods of time including one very close seeker. What have been the results of this amazing night? Other than a distinct reluctance on my part to dismantle the prayer room and reclaim my working space, the results have been transformatory in nature. Our newest adult believer (Bah '¡ only eleven days at this point) has been so transformed by the Faith in the three weeks he has known about it, that his friends and neighbours are astounded. He rang me only two hours after arriving home from the prayer meeting to say that he had contacted his local school to make enquiries about hiring space there for our Bah '¡ activities. I rang the headmistress myself to make an appointment to see her and she told me "I'm so glad Tommy has found something in his life which is making him so happy. I'm sure this will be really good for him." Thank you again, Ian and Semira and of course all our brothers and sisters in Iran for helping us to experience so full a measure of the outpouring of Bah 'u'll h's love in this area. Sue Finn How can I choose to sleep, O God, my God, when the eyes of them that long for Thee are wakeful because of their separation from Thee; and how can I lie down to rest whilst the souls of Thy lovers are sore vexed in their remoteness from Thy presence? Bah 'u'll h, Bah '¡ prayers, p46, ++ World News + Spain celebrates 50 years of Bah '¡ Faith The Hand of the Cause of God, Amatu'l Bah  R£h¡yyih Kh num delivered the opening address at the Second National Bah '¡ Congress of Spain, celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the establishment of the Faith in the Iberian Peninsula. The opening ceremonies, held on 25th July, welcomed the participation of the Ministry of Justice and high-ranking representatives of the country's Jewish and Evangelical communities. Representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Portugal and the Canary Islands were also present. Participants paid homage to the spiritual mother of this community, Miss Virginia Orbison, who, guided by the hand of the beloved Guardian, established with her exemplary effort and sacrifice for the Cause of Bah 'u'll h, the Faith of God in the Iberian Peninsula. 'Entire area very promising and I believe, ripe for entry by troops,' Amatu'l Bah  stated. "I sincerely hope a far greater effort will be made to arise and convey the Message of Bah 'u'll h while opportunities are propitious and prospects most promising." (Extracts from a report: BINS 15th August 1997) + A real Spanish experience Pauline Senior travelled with her daughter, Adele Stevens-Cox and Malcolm and Parvin Lee, 2,400 miles by car to Madrid to participate in the celebrations. She writes: There were about 2000 people present from roughly fifty different countries. The conference was held in the magnificent Palacio del Congresso, a great marble and glass palace of quite new construction, housing four auditoriums. One very moving presentation was dedicated to the Iranian Bah '¡ community who had lost their lives for the Faith. There was music and prayer and a narration. In the centre of the stage a persian rug had been placed with a pedestal upon it where a vase stood. As each member taking part in the presentation came on stage they carried a white rose which was placed in the vase until finally there was a huge bunch of pure white roses. Also very moving was the presentation to the audience of the first Bah '¡ gypsies and the first Bah '¡ Basques. Early Bah '¡s and pioneers were each presented with a book and stood on stage to the acclaim of the audience. One really knew this was Spain, having one's evening meal scheduled for 9.30pm (in reality it turned out to be 10.15pm!) and the night session started at 11pm. In the evenings there were yet more musical and dance presentations and of course the one that brought the house down was the group performing Flamenco singing - guitar playing and dancing. The Spanish people can be very noisy and the Flamenco was really in their blood and they were standing clapping, whistling and shouting, it was very exciting. Everything from start to finish was very well arranged, every session started on time, people taking part on the stage dressed beautifully, there was lots of participation from different individuals, each session had a different presenter. The children who performed had been well trained. It was a magnificent celebration of the first 50 years of the Faith in Spain and I am glad I was able to attend, it was an honour and a privilege. ++ Letters + Youth camps This summer I went to my first Bah '¡ youth event at 'Camp Banana' in Wales and I was blown away by the sheer professionalism, team work, hard work, love and care that the Bah '¡s gave to the young people at camp. From early morning until midnight, there were non-stop activities, discussions and loads of fun in the Welsh countryside. I have been a Youth Worker for 6 years in both the public and private sectors and I have worked on quite a few outdoor activity centres for children. The Bah '¡ Youth Camp leaders (who include ex-teachers and Scout leaders) know exactly what they are doing, this has been the best Bah '¡ experience of my life and has motivated me beyond words to serve the Faith! After six years of slowly growing in the Faith I now feel that I'm a Bah '¡. I felt this so strongly, that I was holding back tears while driving home. I described my experience to a Bah '¡ at Sidcot Summer School and he summed up my experience in a quotation! 'Abdu'l-Bah  said that "the longest journey is from the head to the heart". After this camp my life changed totally, all of my material wants and dreams just diminished and my love for the Faith grew day by day. I had to do something for the Faith, so after being inspired by Shoghi Effendi's writings about the importance of the youth and with my experience as a youth worker, I decided to set up the 'Gloucestershire Bah '¡ Youth Club'. Although there are only a handful of Bah '¡ youth in the area, they can bring their friends along. The club will consist of discussions, activities, trips and community projects. With the blessings of Shoghi Effendi, it will grow, so that the youth have the opportunity to meet and establish the 'Bah '¡ Youth Club' as a recognised youth organisation in Gloucestershire. Darren Howell Cheltenham + Incorporation - a positive experience! Home readers might be interested to hear about one ordinary person's experience of their local Spiritual Assembly's incorporation - a person with no business experience and no desire for any, and who happens to be the Assembly Secretary! Incorporation really surprised me. When our Assembly was incorporated earlier this month I think we all sat and walked a little taller, conscious of our new status and sense of responsibility for our community. We are already aware of being/trying to be more 'business-like' and professional in what we do - hopefully the beginning of the framework for welcoming many new believers and for a future local House of Justice. Prior to our incorporation I had received dire warnings about what befell incorporated Assembly Secretaries! In fact, the National Spiritual Assembly organised the whole procedure on our behalf, and for all of us it could not have been simpler, leaving us to appreciate the significance of the occasion. Warmest greetings, Joan Birch + A most enjoyable summer school There are many Bah '¡s who beaver away in the background. One such group organised the Northern Ireland Summer school. This school effectively cancelled in May, was resurrected and held in Portrush from the 20th - 24th of August at the Catering College. This was the most enjoyable Summer school I have ever attended. The combination of the people, the facilities offered by the venue and the area of outstanding beauty (the North Antrim coast,) made this an exceptional school. I hope it is held here next year. With Bah '¡ love, Alan Cox + Serve the Faith in Orkney The Orkney Bah '¡ community is looking for people to give valuable service to the Cause in the islands. If you are thinking of doing a year (or even a few months) of service, are unemployed or retired it could be you we're looking for! We have a beautiful Bah '¡ Centre, a large detached house, with a two bedroomed flat which we normally rent out. For the past year this has been vacant. The rent has always been used to improve and maintain the building and cover running costs. Since that income stopped we are getting increasingly worried about future bills. Apart from the financial burden on the community, we don't like to see the building empty for such a long period. This provides an excellent opportunity for anyone who has the time or the inclination to pioneer to Orkney, even short term, be part of a dynamic local Bah '¡ community and provide valuable service to the Cause in doing so. If you think you could come to Orkney, even if not immediately, then please contact either the secretary, Mrs Sumathi Dilling, Heliascarth, Evie, Orkney Islands KW17 2PJ. Tel: 01856 751490, e-mail: jdilling19@aol.com or myself, Mrs Rosemary McLaughlin, Norvana, Rendall, Orkney Islands KW17 2NZ, Tel: 01856 761624, e-mail:rosemary@laughlin.demon.co.uk Rosemary McLaughlin ++ End of document