There is something about travelling to a national Bahá’í event that really gets the adrenaline going. Even the testing experience of driving along unfamiliar roads in the dark and rain, late on a Friday evening did not dampen our spirits as we made our way towards Scarborough for this year’s National Conference - "Connecting with the Covenant".

When we arrived at the Spa Centre there was only time to quickly velcro and display the ever-increasing Bahá’í Journal UK exhibition of front covers and hug a few people before it was bedtime. We had missed the opportunity to become "Spiritual Millionaires" with John Parris and would have to compensate in some other way. Perhaps by making an early start the next day and taking a close look at ways of "Connecting with the Covenant".

The UK Bahá’í community was well served with good spirits, hard work and true dedication by many individuals, as well as our dear National Spiritual Assembly, and the conference organisers.

Saturday morning began in the Ocean Room with Tom Fox’s Multimedia Devotional. Breathtaking slides on two projection screens took us on a visual journey through the kingdoms of nature; mountains, deserts, seas, fields and forests to the Holy Land and the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. While we were feasting our eyes, passages from the Writings were read from the stage. Tension seemed to be lifted and disperse from the audience and the room was graced with a collective smile.

Viv Craig, Auxiliary Board Member followed with her warm enthusiasm for the Covenant. She encouraged us to ask "What might we gain from this conference? The Covenant requires of us that we think deeply about the wishes of our National Spiritual Assembly - what does it want us to gain?" Viv suggested that we could select a course of learning for ourselves looking at what was on offer: time together, art, study, presentations, booths, books, devotionals ... and that we should leave the festival more closely connected to the Covenant. She shared some ideas of how we might try to be changed by the experience ...

more aware of the station of Bahá’u’lláh and more in love,

more deeply knowledgeable about the Covenant,

more loving,

more united, and a more uniting influence in our community,

more committed to our daily acts of worship and study of the Word,

more obedient to God’s laws,

more responsive to the plans of the House of Justice and the Assemblies,

more in love with our administrative institutions,

more able to offer criticism through the correct channels,

more generous and sacrificial in our giving,

more mature and thoughtful as Bahá’í voters,

more enlightened and responsible LSA members,

more determined to grow spiritually,

more joyful,

more at peace in our hearts,

more welcoming of diversity, and more able to love those who are different from ourselves,

more able to see the best qualities in others,

more detached from our own opinions,

more humble.

"If we are not happy and joyous at this season, for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look? This is the time for growing; the season for joyous gathering! Take the cup of the Testament in thy hand; leap and dance with ecstasy in the triumphal procession of the Covenant!" - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith, p351

Next, Shahriar Razavi, Auxiliary Board Member for protection and Kishan Manocha, member of the National Spiritual Assembly, addressed the issue of freedom of Bahá’ís in their relationships with the institutions of the Administrative Order and within the life of the community in the context of the Covenant. It focused on the challenges that confront us.

The presentation reviewed the "covenantal arrangements" referred to by the House of Justice which provide the only vantage point from which such fundamental issues as individual freedom and rights of expression can be viewed in the proper perspective. Bahá’u’lláh’s concept of freedom is an invitation to our higher selves to grow. Whilst we can see that a major purpose of His proclamation was a call to freedom from tyranny and want, the freedom envisaged in the Writings in the context of the Covenant indicates an organic relationship between the internal and external realities of man such as has never before been attained.

An essential aspect of freedom is that of expression. Speech is a powerful phenomenon and both the limitations and the excess of it can have detrimental effects. Within the Bahá’í administrative system there are the checks and balances which safeguard the beneficial aspects of freedom of expression but are also governed by the principle of moderation that befits a society which is coming of age. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the process of consultation - the practice of humility before one’s fellow human beings.

The freedom of expression in relation to criticism was treated in depth, including the need for the proper expression of criticism in a manner that preserves and indeed strengthens our unity.

Finally the concept of obedience was explored, the highest motivating force for which is love. It is this love, expressed as devotion to the Covenant and its institutions, that has preserved the unity of the Bahá’í community and maintained our organic oneness in the face of adversity.

While the adults were listening to the talks and presentations in the Ocean Room, browsing the books and exhibitions or catching up with friends, the rest of the family were being catered for in youth and junior youth sessions, children’s classes or the crèche. There seemed to be no reluctance to head off to studies and activities, based on understanding the Covenant. Whatever age, however long you had known the Bahá’í Faith, there was an opportunity for growth and fulfilment. The only problem was time, the weekend rushed by so fast and we probably all felt we’d missed something good because there was so much going on at once.

"Frankenstein’s Monster Returns"

Saturday afternoon was packed with workshops which had such tempting titles as "How to set up a Tranquillity Zone" and "The Covenant: All you need to know on the back of a postcard". It was difficult to make a choice but I opted for "Frankenstein’s Monster Returns", by the Community Schools Service, subtitled: "Our children, our Covenant and our future".

Together with facilitator Trevor Finch we drew up an audit of the national community’s general success. We judged it to have scored well in areas of external affairs and public perception of the Faith, but badly in terms of enrolments and withdrawals. Training was looking up thanks to the formation of the Training Institutes, the Bahá’í education of our children was patchy and the state of the fund was pretty dismal.

We looked at the consequences of not nurturing our children and youth and kindling the light within them into a fire of love for the Faith. Who was responsible for doing this? The whole community, not just the parents. Trevor shared a disturbing analogy of how, left to the changes and chances of life, children could become like Frankenstein’s monster - made up of bits and pieces of dead things. We only have to look around to see how desparately people grab at ideas and fashions and cobble them into a belief system. Did we really want this for our children? Frankenstein’s monster was unloved, uneducated and had no identity. We can offer so much more, but we have to be positive, determined and organised!

This workshop, run by Kay Hughes with her usual good humour and particular slant on life demonstrated to us that it is actually OK to criticise. In fact, backed up by quotations from Shoghi Effendi, we learnt that it is a spiritual duty, as loyal and intelligent members of a community, to share our unique view in order to improve and remedy existing conditions. We discussed various scenarios and appropriate situations for bringing forth our opinions, such as at the Nineteen Day Feast, in consultation with our Spiritual Assemblies or by calling on the assistance of the Auxiliary Board. Purity of motive was a factor, as was courtesy. Deep and memorable, well done Kay.

On Saturday evening the Main Theatre was packed as we were treated to two excellent presentations. The first was "A parallel journey through time" - a multimedia presentation depicting social, technological and political changes in tandem with the Bahá’í Faith over the past 100 years, produced by Tom Fox and the Norfolk and Waveney Arts Group. The stage was set with a huge clock which ticked off the years and a projector screen showing a visual journey of people and events. Kay Hughes and Iain MacDonald took us through some of the century’s events with Kay proving to be a steadfast suffragette in her role.

The second presentation in the Theatre was that of Carolyn Sparey-Gillies’ dramatic production "Threads" portraying the interwoven threads of three people’s lives in different continents as the world enters a new age. The audience was endeared by the characters of William Miller, Joseph Wolfe and Mulla Husayn played by drama students from Edinburgh University. This was a captivating history lesson. The audience was hushed as Mulla Husayn recounted his meeting with the Báb. I hope it proved as memorable for the actors as it was for the Bahá’ís watching.

Spiritual Transportation to the Ridván Garden

What a joy it is to pray and meditate together! In all the hustle at the Conference there was time and opportunity for worship and quiet reflection. Swindon Bahá’ís joined forces with Bahá’ís from East Anglia to set up a beautiful Tranquillity Zone in the Music Room using a replica of the Ridván Garden fountain and blue benches as a centre piece. The splashing sounds of the water, the flowers and candles could aid transportation to a spiritual dimension. Special 30-minute devotional sessions were offered throughout the weekend and the junior youth had the chance to pay a group visit.

"Wayfarer’s Journey" - the Seven Valleys

Sunday morning started with the extraordinary multi-media rendition of the "Wayfarer’s Journey", the Cheddar Gorge Caves experience which took place last August (see October’s Bahá’í Journal), choreographed by Jeremy Herbert. The CD recording of these extracts of Bahá’u’lláh’s "Seven Valleys" and the music and singing of the Bahá’ís who took part will surely enrich our spiritual lives further when it becomes available. (The Journal will let you know)...

On Sunday morning the National Conference saw the launch of the United Kingdom Persian Choir and Orchestra. They paid a moving tribute to the Martyrs of the Faith in Iran. The names of the 206 of our dear brethren, put to death since 1978, were presented before us. A huge bouquet of red roses on stage throughout, was later taken to the Guardian’s Resting Place.

"Look at Me, Follow Me, Be as I am" These words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá provided a backdrop for the Committee for International Pioneering and Travel Teaching to appeal to the hearts of the friends assembled at Scarborough.

Selected prayers and readings had been chosen by the Committee to create a loving and spiritual atmosphere by which souls would turn to the Centre of the Covenant and infuse into their hearts the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá concerning the noble desire to pioneer and travel teach to other countries. The Committee’s spokeswoman was Nina Robarts, daughter of the late John Robarts, Hand of the Cause of God. She reminded the friends present of the UK’s wonderful response in the past to the calls of the beloved Guardian for pioneering and to the calls of the Universal House of Justice to arise and serve when we can. She congratulated the Bahá’ís of this country for having exceeded its minimum goal for sending out pioneers in this Four Year Plan. 40 overseas pioneers were asked for at the beginning of the Plan and over 130 pioneers have so far gone out from these shores.

Nina emphasised the spiritual nature of pioneering and travel teaching, mentioning the blessings which such service attracts to those who render it. Pioneering is love in action. Pioneering is an act of love for God, for Bahá’u’lláh, for our Faith. It is an act of love for mankind. It is the noblest deed in this Day in service to that divine civilisation that is at once the dire need and the most magnificent destiny of mankind.

Many hearts were touched as Nina spoke and afterwards nineteen offers of pioneering and travel teaching were made to the Committee. Over 200 more travel teachers are needed to complete UK goals in this Plan and we have also been asked to provide a further 67 pioneers in Europe. If you can help please contact the CIPTT.

Four members of the National Spiritual Assembly addressed the Conference on Sunday morning. John Parris spoke about the 4-fold theme of the rainbow -

as an ancient emblem and reminder of God’s Covenant;

as an image of the Arc, which is our Ark;

as the flag behind which we multiply our powers in collective action

as a symbol of unity in diversity of action. There is and will always be a multitude of different ways to render effective sacrificial service to Bahá’u’lláh. We need to make teaching Bahá’u’lláh’s Cause the "dominating passion of our lives".

Barney Leith highlighted some of the exciting progress in the area of external affairs at national level. All the hard work done by local communities over the years has laid a solid foundation for the recognition and good reputation of the Faith in these Isles. Barney emphasised that weaving bonds of friendship through involvement with Interfaith and other groups and organisations helps to protect the Faith.

Wendi Momen thanked her fellow National Assembly members for their dedication. She explained that local boundary changes in 2001 would probably result in the loss of some local Assemblies - but what an opportunity to travel teach to adjoining areas and combine to assist one another! Wendi advised us to be of good heart and work harder as we face this challenge.

Carolyn Wade said that for once she was not going to talk about the National Fund. No, she was going to talk about the International Fund...We were reminded/informed that donations that are earmarked for the Arc Fund can be used for nothing else, and this means that they cannot be used for the upkeep of the existing buildings, such as the Mansion at Bahji, which has recently received some renovation. Carolyn gave us a glimpse of some of the things the International Fund is used for and reminded us of how the House of Justice had loaned the UK community £60,000 from this Fund for the refurbishment of the National Centre. More recently the House of Justice has come to our aid with a gift of money to enable the National Assembly to set up the Office of External Affairs. The message was clear - please don’t earmark for the Arc and remember that the International Fund needs our support.

The story of the life of the Hand of the Cause of God, Dorothy Baker was brought to life in a touching play written and performed by Maureen Melville with some help from her husband Michael, playing the husband of Dorothy Baker. With a simple but effective set, Maureen shared with us a glimpse of this very human being who acheived great things and travelled far and wide for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. This is a lovely work of drama and could be an excellent way to share a life story from the Faith with friends who are not Bahá’ís.

All too soon it was time to go home. Andrew Goodwin thanked everyone on our behalf and summed up the weekend. He remarked how he had looked in on the Children’s Class and found they had made lovely rainbow Covenant mobiles in true Blue Peter style from wire coathangers. Andrew reminded us of all the opportunities for learning we had enjoyed and took us back to Viv Craig’s list which we could use as individuals to check our own firmness in the Covenant.

Dear Suzanne and Kingsley Swan had gathered about them a One World Rhythm choir and they treated us to a few familiar and favourite songs to keep in our hearts on the journey home.

Many thanks to Viv Craig, Shahriar Razavi, Kishan Manocha, Thelma Batchelor, Charlotte Chapman and Joshua Bryan for their help in compiling this report and supplying photos. Anne Maund