May 27. On this date in 1967, Mildred Eileen Clark, named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Lofoten Islands, died in Turku, Finland.

May 27. On this date in 1967, Mildred Eileen Clark, named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Lofoten Islands, died in Turku, Finland.

Born in Manchester, Illinois, on May 24, 1892, Mildred Clark chose pioneering as her field of service from the earliest days of her conversion to the Bahá’í Faith.

In the first Seven Year Plan (1937-1944) assigned to the United States she pioneered to Denver, Colorado, and there married George Clark. In 1946, at the inception of the second Seven Year Plan (1946-1953), she offered to go to Europe and was requested by the European Teaching Committee to settle in Norway where, in 1948, she assisted in the formation of the first Spiritual Assembly of Oslo.

In January 1950, she pioneered to the Netherlands and in 1952 she was asked to go to Luxembourg to assist in making the necessary arrangements for the European Teaching Conference held there in September 1952. Following this she returned to Oslo and actively resumed her service there.

While attending the European Intercontinental Teaching Conference held in Stockholm in July 1953, Mildred Clark volunteered to serve in Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands. She was one of the first to arise in the Ten Year Crusade, arriving at her post in August 1953. For this service she was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by Shoghi Effendi. She remained at this distant post for more then ten years, later returning to Norway. When the need for pioneers became apparent in Finland, she moved to that country, her final pioneering goal.

On May 27, 1967, Mildred Eileen Clark died in Turku, Finland.

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.

March 1. On this date in 1972, the Universal House of Justice wrote concerning minors "we can accept a child of the age of 15 and over as a Bahá'í even if his parents do not consent and this remains true even though according to the law of Finland they cannot be officially transferred to the Bahá'í register. You should not, therefore, exclude such believers from the Nineteen Day Feasts."

March 1. On this date in 1972, the Universal House of Justice wrote concerning minors "we can accept a child of the age of 15 and over as a Bahá'í even if his parents do not consent and this remains true even though according to the law of Finland they cannot be officially transferred to the Bahá'í register. You should not, therefore, exclude such believers from the Nineteen Day Feasts."

Concerning the declaration of young people under the age of 18, " we can accept a child of the age of 15 and over as a Bahá'í even if his parents do not consent and this remains true even though according to the law of Finland they cannot be officially transferred to the Bahá'í register. You should not, therefore, exclude such believers from the Nineteen Day Feasts. However, although such believers should not be swayed from their belief by their parents' objections, they should, in view of the stress that the Teachings place upon the respect due to parents and in view of the law in Finland, obey their parents as far as taking part in Bahá'í activities is concerned. Their aim should be to gradually awaken in their parents' hearts the same love for Bahá'u'lláh that has fired their own and not to antagonize their parents needlessly or contribute in any way to disharmony in their families at this crucial point in their development.
(1 March 1972 written by the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Finland)

December 17. On this date in 2017, Hartmut Grossmann died in Germany. He was born into a prominent German Bahá’í family in 1933. His father, Hermann, was a Hand of the Cause of God and both his parents served on the German-Austrian NSA. Hartmut Grossman served on the NSAs of Germany from 1963 to 1969 and Finland from 1977 to 1980. He was appointed a Continental Counsellor in 1980 and in 1988 was appointed to the International Teaching Centre where he served until being elected to the UHJ in 2003. He served in the UHJ until retiring in 2008.

 

December 17. On this date in 2017, Hartmut Grossmann died in Germany. He was born into a prominent German Bahá’í family in 1933. His father, Hermann, was a Hand of the Cause of God and both his parents served on the German-Austrian NSA. Hartmut Grossman served on the NSAs of Germany from 1963 to 1969 and Finland from 1977 to 1980. He was appointed a Continental Counsellor in 1980 and in 1988 was appointed to the International Teaching Centre where he served until being elected to the UHJ in 2003. He served in the UHJ until retiring in 2008.

May 27. On this date in 1967, Mildred Eileen Clark, named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Lotofen Islands. died in Turku, Finland.

 

May 27. On this date in 1967, Mildred Eileen Clark, named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Lotofen Islands. died in Turku, Finland.

Born in Manchester, Illinois, on May 24, 1892, Mildred Clark chose pioneering as her field of service from the earliest days of her conversion to the Bahá’í Faith.

In the first Seven Year Plan (1937-1944) assigned to the United States she pioneered to Denver, Colorado, and there married George Clark. In 1946, at the inception of the second Seven Year Plan (1946-1953), she offered to go to Europe and was requested by the European Teaching Committee to settle in Norway where, in 1948, she assisted in the formation of the first Spiritual Assembly of Oslo.

In January 1950, she pioneered to the Netherlands and in 1952 she was asked to go to Luxembourg to assist in making the necessary arrangements for the European Teaching Conference held there in September 1952. Following this she returned to Oslo and actively resumed her service there.

While attending the European Intercontinental Teaching Conference held in Stockholm in July 1953, Mildred Clark volunteered to serve in Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands. She was one of the first to arise in the Ten Year Crusade, arriving at her post in August 1953. For this service she was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by Shoghi Effendi. She remained at this distant post for more then ten years, later returning to Norway. When the need for pioneers became apparent in Finland, she moved to that country, her final pioneering goal.

On May 27, 1967, Mildred Eileen Clark died in Turku, Finland.

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 Great 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.