PU,BLISHED BY THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES FOR CIRCULATION AMONG BAHA'IS ONLY No. 414 BAHA'I YEAR 122 SEPTEMBER 1965 It is estimated that almost 700 persons attended the fortieth annual Unity Feast under the renowned "Big Tree" at Gey­ serville Baha'i School in California, held this year on July 4. That the Baha'i Faith is indeed a World Faith was demonstrated by the presence of per­ sons from as far away as Greece, Turkey, Rumania, Persia, and Africa. Auxiliary Board member William Max­ well, the guest speaker, addressed the gathering on the subject: The Oneness of Mankind. The first Unity Feast at Geyser"..·ille was held on August 2, 1925 in celebration of the seventieth birthday anniversary of Mr. John D. Bosch who donated the property which has been occupied by the Geyserville Baha'i School since 1927. 2 SEPTEMBER 1965 Universal House of Justice Announces Passing of Leroy loas "GRIEVED ANNOUNCE PASSING OUTSTANDING HAND CAUSE LEROY !OAS. HIS LONG SERVICE BAHA'f COMMUNITY UNITED STATES CROWNED ELEVATION RANK HAND FAITH PAVING WAY HIS­ TORIC DISTINGUISHED SERVICES HOLY LAND. APPOINTMENT FIRST SECRETARY GENERAL INTER­ NATIONAL BAHA'f COUNCIL PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE GUARDIAN FAITH TWO INTERCONTINENTAL CONFERENCES ASSOCIATION HIS NAME BY BELOVED GUARDIAN OCTAGON DOOR BAB'S SHRINE TRIBUTE SUPERVISORY WORK DRUM DOME THAT HOLY SEPULCHER NOTABLE PART ERECTION IN­ TERNATIONAL ARCHIVES BUILDING ALL ENSURE HIS NAME IMMORTAL ANNALS FAITH. LAID TO REST BAHA'f CEMETERY CLOSE FELLOW HANDS. ADVISE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL SERVICES." -UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE H E hearts of countless Baha'is throughout the world rest in the Baha'i cemetery in Haifa close by His fellow T are saddened by the passing of Leroy Ioas, Hand Hands of the Cause from the United States, Mr. Horace of the Cause of God. The entire Baha'i world has tasted Holley and Mrs. Amelia Collins. A memorial service of the fruit of his labors for the Cause that was the wil be held for him at the Baha'i House of Worship in supreme object of his endeavors and upon which he Wilmette on October 16 at 8 p.m. spent a lifetime of prodigious talent and energy. Most Prior to going to Haifa, Mr. loas was known through­ of all he is remembered for his close association with out America and especially in the western states for the beloved Guardian, after he was called to Haifa by his intensive and constant teaching activities. He was Shoghi Effendi in 1952 to assist in the overwhelming active in the establishment of Geyserville School, in burdens of the work at the World Center. Here he be­ the organization of race unity conferences, as chair- ~ came Assistant Secretary for Shoghi Effendi and was charged with the supervision of the construction of the dome of the Bab's Sepulcher, a service which culmi­ nated in the Guardian's naming one of the doors of the • •• ] I Shrine itself the Bab-i-Ioas, as a tribute to his work. He later performed a similar service in the construc­ tion of the International Archives building. Leroy Ioas was eievated to the rank of a H and of the Cause on December 24, 1951. In April of 1952, he was appointed by Shoghi Effendi as Secretary-General of the first International Baha'i Council, which office he held until the election of the second International Ba­ ha'i Council in April of 1961. In February 1953, Mr. Ioas was sent by Shoghi Ef­ fendi as his personal representative to the African In­ tercontinental Conference in Kampala, Uganda, to "elucidate the character and purposes of the impend­ ing decade-long World Crusade and rally the partici­ pants to energetic, sustained, enthusiastic prosecution of the colossal tasks ahead." In September of 1958, he performed the same mission in Singapore at the last of the five similar Intercontinental conferences planned by the Guardian before his death. Hand of the Cause Mr. Leroy Joas by the door named Though frail in health, Mr. Ioas came to the United for him at the Shrine of the Bcib. States as the representative of the Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land to attend the 1964 National Conven­ man of the National Teaching Committee for many tion. Following this, he spent several months travelling years and also served on the first European Teaching across the southern part of the country on a teaching Committee. His membership on the National Spiritual trip that was a spiritual enrichment to those privileged Assembly from 1933 to 1945 and from 1949 to 1951 was to hear him and a source of much joy to Mr. Ioas a vital contribution to the Faith, where he served for whose heart had always been dedicated to the teaching a number of years as treasurer. ,.--.._ work. Following his return to Haifa, his health steadily Leroy Ioas was born into a distinguished Baha'i fam· declined and finally after a lengthy period of hospitali­ ily, his parents having been active supporters of the zation he passed away on July 22. He has been laid to Faith before the Master's visit to America who greeted BAHA'I NEWS 3 'Abdu'l-Baha in 1912 when He came to Chicago. Many pioneering, all must become channels; until he does, of the Baha'i friends have heard him speak of the pro­ he cannot do full service to the Faith of Baha'u'llah." found effect the presence of the Master had upon him, These words followed Mr. Ioas' tribute to Shoghi Ef­ even though he was very young at the time. It brought fendi at the Conference in Singapore, one of the most much happiness to him that his own family served the inspiring word pictures ever drawn of the beloved Faith wholeheartedly. His wife and lifelong companion, Guardian. [B.AHA 'f NEws, December, 1958] Sylvia, sustained him in a!l his efforts and herself was At this same Conference, he spoke of an evening in appointed to the first International Baha'i Council and Haifa when the Guardian, weary and pressed from elected to the second Council. Both of their daughters, work and not far from the time of his own passing, Anita and Farrukh, pioneered in America and abroad, spoke entirely on spiritual things, saying, let us enter Farrukh having passed away following a five-year pe­ the door of heaven and forget for a few minutes. "It riod of pioneering in the World Crusade in Europe. was the most beautiful I ever heard," said Leroy Ioas. When Leroy Ioas spoke about the beloved Guardian To those countless friends who loved him, it is enough whom he had served so many years and whose call he to know that this faithful soldier who bore a lifetime had answered with such a ready loyalty, he evoked in of cares and labors in the Cause of God, has entered the hearts of his listeners a spirit of love and a deter­ that door of heaven to join his beloved leader; and that mination to serve that was not easily forgotten. That he has reinforced that heavenly army that gives he had the power to lift the individual to that spir­ strength to those of us who remain in the arena of itual plane and stir him to action in the path of God, earthly action. This helps to assuage some of the grief in a way that was not only deeply moving but pro­ and loss we feel at the passing of this "lion" of the foundly dignified, was further proof of the capacity of Faith of Baha'u'llah, this revered Hand of the Cause this servant of Baha'u'llah to be a channel of His in­ who was to have been the representative of the Univer­ spiration. sal House of Justice at the Intercontinental Conference "Every Baha'i must tum and give themselves to in October of 1967. in Wilmette, to commemorate the God. It makes no difference what the responsibility is, centenary of Baha'u'llah's proclamation of His Mes­ national spiritual assembly, local spiritual assembly, sage to the kings and rulers of the world. First Baha'i Enrolled in Grand Turk Island Dan Conner, Baha'i youth of Chicago, Illinois, on July 19 reported the enrollment in the Baha'i Faith of the first member of the Turks Caicos Island group in the British West Indies. He is Mr. Joseph Astwood of Grand Turk Island. Mr. Connor arrived in Grand Turk Island about July 1 for two months and within a week had made many friends, had made two speak­ ing engagements with local churches, and started plans for a public meeting. Delegates attending the recent convention in Panama. The Nati onal Conv ention of the Baha'is of Spain with the n ew ly elected National Assem bly show n at right: (left to r i ght seated) Isidro Torrella, Jose Lopez Monge, Ramon Escartin and Anton io Ji menez; (left to right stand­ ing) Carlos Chi as, M i gu el Medina, E milio Egea, F ernando Sanz, R ouhollah M ehrabkhani. 4 SEPT EM BER 1965 Embryos of Mighty Institutions of the Future In its RiQ.van 1965 Message to the Baha'i world, the fore, has made the erection of the House of Worship Universal House of Justice, placed before the Ba­ in Teheran one of the goals of the Nine Year Plan, ha'is of the world four " challenging and immediate and added to it is the building of a Temple in Panama.