October 19. On this date in 1966, Malcolm King, who had been named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for British Guiana, died in Jamaica.

 

October 19. On this date in 1966, Malcolm King, who had been named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for British Guiana, died in Jamaica.

Malcolm King became a Bahá’í in March 1931 and was elected a member of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 20, 1931 and served on that board for nine years

He left Milwaukee to pioneer in the first Seven Year Plan set forth by Shoghi Effendi (1937-1944), and he remained a pioneer for the rest of his life, serving also in the Second Seven Year Plan, the World Crusade and the Nine Year Plan.

Malcolm King pioneered to Nicaragua, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Antigua, British Guiana and Jamaica. Shoghi Effendi appointed him a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh in October 1953 when he set out for British Guiana at the beginning of the World Crusade.

In 1961 Jamaica became his last pioneering post, where he died at approximately eighty-one years of age on October 19, 1966.

What has always struck me about the designation of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh is the arbitrariness with which the "virgin territories" were defined. For example, the Cook Islands and Tonga Island, both part of the Realm of New Zealand have distinct sets of Knights, while Niue and the Chatham Islands, also part of the Realm of New Zealand, are Knightless.

Several islands off the coast of Alaska have distinct Knights, like Baranof Island , Kodiak Island, and the Aleutian Islands. Yet other Alaskan islands, like the Pribilof Islands are Knightless.

The Brazilian state of Amapá has its own Knights (for Portuguese Guiana), while the other Brazilian states are Knightless.

Crete and Rhodes have Knights distinct from the Knights of mainland Greece, yet other Greek islands, like Santorini and Samos, are Knightless.

Key West has its own Knight, yet the other Florida Keys are Knightless.

Tiny islands, like Grand Manan, have their own Knights. St. Thomas Island has its own Knight, yet the remaining Leeward Islands have one set of Knights, representing numerous politically and geographically independent islands. Similarly, the Windward Islands have one set of Knights, representing numerous politically and geographically independent islands.