The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahai Community Part 121

?ASAN M. BALYUZI, Hand of the Cause of G.o.d

He was first elected to the National Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is of the British Isles in 1933 and served continuously until 1960, when he retired in order to devote his whole time to the work of the Hands of the Cause. He served at the World Centre, and travelled to South America and throughout Canada in 1961. Mr. Balyuzi was Secretary of the first Summer School Committee in 1936, on the National Teaching Committee in 1940 and Chairman of the National a.s.sembly almost every year from 1942 until his retirement. He was elevated to the rank of Hand of the Cause in 1957, and has made invaluable contributions to the literature of the Faith with his trilogy, "Baha'u'llah", "'Abdu'l-Baha" and "The Bab"; his "Edward Granville Browne and the Baha'i Faith", his pamphlet on "Baha'i Administration", and "Mu?ammad and the Course of Islam". (See page 490)

FRANK HURST

An early worker in the Trade Union Movement in Britain, Frank was an outspoken sympathiser of the Faith for over twenty years before actually accepting it in Bradford in 1939. He died in Leeds in 1949.

MRS. MARY BASIL-HALL (PARVINE)

Daughter of Lady Blomfield, she was active in the Faith from her youth, particularly during the visit to Britain of the Master Whom she served with such devotion, and Who bestowed upon her the name "Parvine" on His first visit in 1911. She served for five years on the National Spiritual a.s.sembly and for a short time on the National Teaching Committee of the Six Year Plan. At her pa.s.sing the National a.s.sembly cabled the Guardian, "PARVINE GLORIED IN SUCCESS PLAN Pa.s.sED TO ABHa KINGDOM MORNING 28TH"

(April 1950).

ALBERT AND JEFF JOSEPH

a.s.sociated with the Faith from the very beginnings of the Administration in the British Isles, the Joseph brothers gave long and outstanding service to the Cause. Jacob (later "Jeff") was Chairman and Albert (then Ibrahim) a member of the first "Spiritual Council" of the Baha'is of Manchester. Jacob was a member of the first "All-England Baha'i Council"

in 1922 and of the first National Spiritual a.s.sembly in 1923. Both were mentioned in and received some Tablets from the Master and both were warmly regarded by the Guardian for their services to the Faith. Jeff died in August 1969 in Manchester and Albert in August 1978.

RICHARD ST. BARBE BAKER, O.B.E., LL.D., FOR.D.I.P. (CAMBRIDGE)

On his return from Kenya in 1924 where he had served as a.s.sistant Conservator of Forests since 1920, R. St. Barbe Baker was asked to speak on the faiths of the Kikuyu under the t.i.tle: "Some African Beliefs" at the 'Conference of Living Religions within the Empire', and was approached afterwards by Claudia Stewart-Coles who exclaimed "You are a Baha'i". He subsequently accepted the Faith and has introduced it to many thousands of people in all walks of life in many lands, for more than half a century.

The Guardian became the first Life Member of the Men of the Trees in Palestine in 1929. Later, for twelve consecutive years, he sent an official message to St. Barbe's World Forestry Charter Gatherings attended by Amba.s.sadors from up to sixty-two countries each year. St. Barbe took an active part on the Committee celebrating the Centenary of the Declaration of the Bab in 1944. After his first Sahara University Expedition carrying out an ecological survey of 9,000 miles in 1953, and in response to the Guardian's desire, St. Barbe attended the First African Conference in Kampala. In 1975 St. Barbe was called upon to advise on tree planting of the site of the ?ihran House of Wors.h.i.+p in consultation with Quinlan Terry, architect. Afterwards, in collaboration with architect Hossein Amanat, he recorded his observations for the Universal House of Justice for the landscaping of their site on Mt. Carmel and for tree-scaping at Bahji. St. Barbe attended the Intercontinental Conference Nairobi, in October 1976 and still (1979) at almost 90 is introducing or teaching the Faith in many lands and would be content to "lay down his bones in service to the Faith" in his beloved Africa.

MISS JESSICA YOUNG

Historically was the first British pioneer to arise when she went for a short time to Bristol.

KATHLEEN BROWN (LADY HORNELL)

Was elected to the National a.s.sembly in 1936 and served until 1945. She pioneered to Nottingham in 1946 where she later married Sir William Hornell. Her next pioneer post was in Belfast in 1952, then to Venice (19601965) and later to Sardinia (19651968). She returned to London to live at the home of her son-in-law, Hand of the Cause, H. M. Balyuzi. She pa.s.sed away in September 1977 and the Universal House of Justice cabled: "Pa.s.sING LADY HORNELL ROBS BRITISH COMMUNITY ONE OF FEW REMAINING LINKS EARLY DAYS FAITH. HER UNWAVERING FAITH CONSTANT DEDICATED SERVICES PIONEER TEACHING ADMINISTRATIVE FIELDS OVER SO MANY YEARS a.s.sURE HER HIGH STATION ANNALS CAUSE PROVIDE s.h.i.+NING EXAMPLE PRESENT FUTURE GENERATIONS. ADVISE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL MEETING. a.s.sURE ARDENT PRAYERS SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER LOVING SOUL ABHa KINGDOM."

URSULA SAMANDARi (nee NEWMAN), Knight of Baha'u'llah

First served on the British National a.s.sembly in 1945 and pioneered to St.

Ives in the same year. Ursula became pioneer member of the first Dublin a.s.sembly in 1948 and pioneered again, a year later, to Belfast. In Belfast she became member of the first Local a.s.sembly and worked with pioneer Dr.

Mehdi Samandari, whom she married. They subsequently pioneered to Nairobi in 1953 and later to Somalia, where she was a Knight of Baha'u'llah and became a member of the first Spiritual a.s.sembly of Mogadiscio, on which she served from 1954 until 1971. In addition to these experiences, she served on the National a.s.sembly for North East Africa (19611970) and on the National a.s.sembly of Cameroon since 1972, where she still serves (1979).

MRS MARION HOFMAN

Came to Britain in 1945 to be married to David Hofman, after having served the Faith in America with great distinction as a teacher, writer and administrator. With her husband she pioneered during the Six Year Plan in Northampton, Birmingham and Oxford, and during the Ten Year Crusade in Cardiff and Watford. She served on the National Spiritual a.s.sembly and National Teaching Committee and as an Auxiliary Board member. Since David's election to the Universal House of Justice, Marion was solely responsible for the family publis.h.i.+ng business of George Ronald.

MISS UNA TOWNSHEND, Knight of Baha'u'llah

Was the first of Hand of the Cause George Townshend's family to embrace the Faith which her father had espoused many years previously. She was an active Baha'i youth and on 16 September 1946 became the first pioneer in Ireland where she opened the 'pivotal centre' of Dublin and was on its first Spiritual a.s.sembly in 1948. She pioneered to Malta and was the first Knight of Baha'u'llah in that island in October 1953.

JOSEPH LEE

Accepted the Faith in Manchester in 1932 and was active on committees and in the teaching work for over thirty years. He served on the National Spiritual a.s.sembly from 1933 to 1940 and pioneered to Brighton, Torquay and Exeter, sacrificing material prosperity over many years in the interests of teaching and pioneering. He pa.s.sed away in May 1966 at the age of 55 years.

MRS DOROTHY FERRABY (nee Cansdale)

Became a Baha'i and was active in the London Youth group in the early 1930's. She was elected to the National Spiritual a.s.sembly in 1941 and served continuously as either Secretary, Treasurer or Recording Secretary for the next twenty years. She retired when her husband, Hand of the Cause John Ferraby, left to serve at the World Centre. That the small and scattered British Baha'i community was held together in the 1940's is generally recognised to have been due to the dedicated work of Dorothy as Secretary of the National a.s.sembly working indefatigably in war-torn London. She became an Auxiliary Board Member in 1954 and was appointed to the European Board of Counsellors in 1968.