Planet Bahá'í

On Friday, August 18th, I was joined in our chat room by Eric Horton, Director of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States's Office of Youth Affairs. The subject of our conversation was Bahá'í college clubs. In the course of the discussion, Mr. Horton presented an exciting vision for the future of these clubs, but before we get to that let's look at what a Bahá'í college club is and what it does.

There are, of course, many kinds of clubs and campus associations to be found at any given college. These clubs bring together students who share a common interest, religion, hobby and so forth. Colleges have varying requirements for the formation of these clubs. "Bahá'í clubs," Mr. Horton states, "must have at least two people, according to the constitution approved by the National Spiritual Assembly (NSA)." Also, clubs must be sponsored by a Local Spiritual Assembly (LSA). If there is no LSA in the college's home community, the nearest LSA can sponsor a Bahá'í club.

It's hard to say just how many of these clubs there are in the U.S., let alone around the world. The Office of Youth Affairs had Bahá'í contacts at about 200 campuses, but not all of these represented official clubs. There are certainly more. Why the incomplete information? Youth Affairs is a relatively new agency, formed to take over some of the work of the former National Youth Committee. Most of the Committee's work is being regionalized, so that Bahá'í college clubs will be "recognized" by the National Youth Committee but will increasingly receive guidance and encouragement from regional youth agencies. An effort is underway this year to systematize data acquisition and reporting so that better information will be available on the state of the clubs.

So, what do Bahá'í college clubs do? Several things:

• Sponsor on-campus activities (lectures, informal discussions, etc.), often using the arts, music and drama
• Run information booths
• Work with other organizations that share common ground with the Bahá'í Faith

"Some clubs try to have large proclamation events, while others stick to smaller things," Mr. Horton remarked. "I personally think that in terms of spreading the message of the Faith, smaller events like firesides [informal discussions] are most effective. Large events take lots of energy! Of course, a balance between the two can be very effective."

What about providing a sense of Bahá'í community for students who have left their homes and find themselves in unfamiliar territory? "I suppose it has that effect in some cases," he said. "Sometimes the clubs do not meet very often, [members] don't really know each other, etc. In other cases, the Bahá'ís rely on each other for their primary social outlet."

One reason many Bahá'í clubs don't provide a tight-knit social unit is that they are often small. While a few of these clubs may have from 20 to 70 members, most are much smaller, with less than ten members. The active core is typically between two and five. Another reason, according to Mr. Horton, is that "as Bahá'ís we need to be outwardly focused, so my vision for the clubs is that they will foster a warm environment for all peoples."

With the start of the school year just around the corner, Bahá'í youth bound for college and LSAs near colleges may want to know how to start a Bahá'í club. The process is fairly straightforward, Mr. Horton says. "First of all, you could contact our office and get basic materials. Next, find out the offical regulations for your university, then seek sponsorship from the LSA. Finally, register back with the youth office once all the formalities are in place." Here are some useful resources for anyone thinking about launching such a club:

• The Office of Youth Affairs can be reached at Youth@usbnc.org.
• The Campus Activism handbook at the U.S. Administrative Web site (go to NSA Departments-->Youth Desk to download the handbook) offers administrative information for clubs. You'll need your U.S. Bahá'í ID number to sign on.
• The Bahá'ís, the official presence of the Faith on the Web, is a great all-around resource and should be advertised, too.
• The U.S. Bahá'í Community's site is another good all-around resource that should be advertised.
• Fertile Field is a great online magazine for and by Bahá'í Youth.
• Mr. Horton also recommends that youth bookmark CNN and other news sites in order to keep up on what's happening in the world.
• My own list of college club Web sites is also a good place to look for information on the whereabouts and activities of Bahá'í college clubs.

Next week: We'll look at the future of Bahá'í college clubs. What opportunities lie ahead, and how can they become vital forces for the diffusion of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh?