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From the Mashriqu'l- Adhkar, ordained as a house of worship by Baha'u'llah in the Kitab- i- Aqdas, the representatives of Baha'i communities, both local and national, together with the members of their respective committees, will, as they gather daily within its walls at the hour of dawn, derive the necessary inspiration that will enable them to discharge, in the course of their day- to- day exertions in the Haziratu'l- Quds-- the scene of their administrative activities-- their duties and responsibilities as befits the chosen stewards of His Faith. (340:1) Already on the shores of Lake Michigan, in the outskirts of the first Baha'i center established in the American continent and under the shadow of the first Mashriqu'l- Adhkar of the West; in the capital city of Persia, the cradle of the Faith; in the vicinity of the Most Great House in Baghdad; in the city of Ishqabad, adjoining the first Mashriqu'l- Adhkar of the Baha'i world; in the capital of Egypt, the foremost center of both the Arab and Islamic worlds; in Delhi, the capital city of India and even in Sydney in far- off Australia, initial steps have been taken which must eventually culminate in the establishment, in all their splendor and power, of the national administrative seats of the Baha'i communities established in these countries. (340:2) Locally, moreover, in the above- mentioned countries, as well as in several others, the preliminary measures for the establishment of this institution, in the form of a house, either owned or rented by the local Baha'i community, have been taken, foremost among them being the numerous administrative buildings which, in various provinces of Persia, the believers have, despite the disabilities from which they suffer, succeeded in either purchasing or constructing. (340:3) Equally important as a factor in the evolution of the Administrative Order has been the remarkable progress achieved, particularly in the United States of America, by the institution of the summer schools designed to foster the spirit of fellowship in a distinctly Baha'i atmosphere, to afford the necessary training for Baha'i teachers, and to provide facilities for the study of the history and teachings of the Faith, and for a better understanding of its relation to other religions and to human society in general. (340:4) Established in three regional centers, for the three major divisions of the North American continent, in Geyserville, in the Californian hills (1927), at Green Acre, situated on the banks of the Piscataqua in the state of Maine (1929), and at Louhelen Ranch near Davison, Michigan (1931), and recently supplemented by the International School founded at Pine Valley, Colorado Springs, dedicated to the training of Baha'i teachers wishing to serve in other lands and especially in Latin America, these three embryonic Baha'i educational institutions have, through a steady expansion of their programs, set an example worthy of emulation by other Baha'i communities in both the East and the West. Through the intensive study of Baha'i Scriptures and of the early history of the Faith; through the organization of courses on the teachings and history of Islam; through conferences for the promotion of inter- racial amity; through laboratory courses designed to familiarize the participants with the processes of the Baha'i Administrative Order; through special sessions devoted to Youth and child training; through classes in public speaking; through lectures on Comparative Religion; through group discussion on the manifold aspects of the Faith; through the establishment of libraries; through teaching classes; through courses on Baha'i ethics and on Latin America; through the introduction of winter school sessions; through forums and devotional gatherings; through plays and pageants; through picnics and other recreational activities, these schools, open to Baha'is and non- Baha'is alike, have set so noble an example as to inspire other Baha'i communities in Persia, in the British Isles, in Germany, in Australia, in New Zealand, in India, in Iraq and in Egypt to undertake the initial measures designed to enable them to build along the same lines institutions that bid fair to evolve into the Baha'i universities of the future.
(340:5)
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