Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith in Canada

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Date 1937, ascending — sort newest first

date event tags firsts
1937 (In the year) The publication of Sunburst by Lorol Schopflocher. It was published in London by Ryder & Co. (This scanned copy made available courtesy of Kurt Asplund.)
    The author, prominent socialite and wife of the Hand of the Cause of God Siegfried Schopflocher, recounts her own life story and her many travels on behalf of the Bahá'í Faith. [BEL 7.2349 p139]
 Lorol Schopflocher; Siegfried Schopflocher
1937 (In the year) John and Audrey Robarts became Bahá'ís in Toronto. [OBCC151] John Robarts; Audrey Robarts; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; - Hands of the Cause; Toronto, ON
1937 Apr 1938 The Vancouver community developed a series of 12-minute radio programs broadcast on CJOR radio. The subject was "World Order". Along with an accompanying brochure on the 12 principles and study classes for the public, the program attracted from forty-five to sixty interested persons. The programs were heard in Victoria, Comox, Armstrong and Vernon. [OBCC215] Radio; Vancouver, BC; Victoria, BC; Armstrong, BC; Vernon, BC First use of a series of radio programs in teaching the Faith in Canada.
1937 25 Mar Shoghi Effendi married Mary Maxwell, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. [PP151; UD115]
  • For a description of the simple wedding see GBF68–9 and PP151–2.
  • Shoghi Effendi stressed that the marriage drew the Occident and the Orient closer together. [GBF69–70; PP153]
  • The American Bahá'í community sent $19 from each of its 71 Assemblies as a wedding gift. [GBF70; PP153]
  • An extension was built onto Shoghi Effendi's apartment on the roof of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's house in Haifa to accommodate the couple. [BBD107; DH152]
  • See also MA89.
    		•  Marriage; Mary Maxwell; Amatul-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum; Haifa, Israel
    1937 May Fred Schopflocher contributed and additional $100,000 (see 16 March, 1929) to the goal of $350,000 to complete the exterior ornamentation of the House of Worship. For his dedication to the construction the Guardian designated him as "Chief Temple Builder". [LoF 388-390, BW12p664] Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Wilmette; Fred Schopflocher; Wilmette, IL
    1937 May The First Seven Year Plan was launched in North America. [BBD180; BBRSM158; BW7:17–18; MA9]
  • For the role of individuals, local spiritual assemblies and the National Spiritual Assembly see MA11–12.
  • The Plan called for:
    • the completion of the exterior of the Wilmette Temple. BW7:17–18; PP385]
    • the establishment of a local spiritual assembly in each state and province of the United States and Canada. [PP385]
    • the establishment of a centre in each of the republics of Latin America. [PP385]
  • At this time there were 2 local spiritual assemblies and eighteen localities. [OBCC307]
    		•  First Seven Year Plan
    1937 (Fall) Mabel Rice-Wray Ives (1878-1943) was the first Bahá'í to initiate a systematic teaching campaign starting in the Fall of 1937 in Moncton, NB. She was assisted by Rosemary Sala of St. Lambert. [TG102, 108; OBCC153] Mabel Rice-Wray Ives; Teaching; Rosemary Sala; Moncton, NB first use of a systematic teaching campaign
    1937-1938 Because of restrictive travel conditions, Emeric Sala was one of only two pilgrims to visit the Holy Land in 1937. He had unrestricted access to the Guardian for 3 hours for over five evenings.

      One night, Shoghi Effendi asked me a question, which I could not answer, nor did I understand its significance at the time. Shoghi Effendi asked me: "Since after the martyrdom of the Báb the authority of the Faith was passed on to Bahá'u'lláh, and after His passing to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, to whom was it transferred after the ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá? I answered, of course, Shoght Effendi. He said no. I then said, the Guardian. He again shook his head. I then ventured the Universal House of Justice. He again said no, and I could see from his expression that he was disappointed with my inability to answer his question. Then he asked, are the friends not reading my letters? The answer he said, is clearly stated in The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh. It is divided into four parts: Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the fourth part is entitled "The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh", which is the answer to his question". [TG72]

    Note: In actual fact, the fourth part of The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh is entitled "The Administrative Order" The explanation is in The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, (BPT-Wilmette 1970) page 55-56.

    		Emeric Sala; Pilgrimage; Tending the Garden; Emeric Sala; Haifa, Israel

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