In a cable to the Bahá’i world, 9 January 1951, the Guardian stated, “PROCLAIM NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES EAST WEST WEIGHTY EPOCH MAKING DECISION FORMATION FIRST INTERNATIONAL BAHAI COUNCIL, FORERUNNER SUPREME ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTION DESTINED EMERGE FULNESS TIME ..Shoghi Effendi went on to explain, ‘PRESENT ADEQUATE MATURITY NINE VIGOROUSLY FUNCTIONING NATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT BAHAI WORLD COMBINE INDUCE ME ARRIVE THIS HISTORIC DECISION .. No names appeared in this message but Shoghi Effendi had already begun, about two months previously, to summon its members to the World Centre, the first was Dr. Lotfullah Hakim (Lutfu’lláh Hakim), then in Britain, through a cable on 14 November 1950, addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles, which simply stated: “KINDLY ARRANGE DEPARTURE LOTFULLAH HAKIM HAIFA FOR NECESSARY SERVICES”; the second cable, of the same date as I recall, was addressed to the American National Spiritual Assembly and with equal brevity and simplicity stated: “APPRECIATE EXTEND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE REVELL SISTERS COME HAIFA REQUIRE THEIR SERVICES.” On 22 November they themselves received a confirming cable: “REVELL SISTERS, WELCOME YOUR PRESENCE HAIFA. SHOGHI.” Early in December, Mason Remey and Amelia Collins were likewise summoned by the Guardian to the Holy Land; both planned to arrive later that month. By 2 March 1951 Shoghi Effendi was able to cable the Bahá’í world: “GREATLY WELCOME ASSISTANCE NEWLY FORMED INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL PARTICULARLY ITS PRESIDENT MASON REMEY AND VICEPRESIDENT AMELIA COLLINS THROUGH CONTACT AUTHORITIES DESIGNED SPREAD FAME CONSOLIDATE FOUNDATIONS WIDEN SCOPE INFLUENCE EMANATING TWIN SPIRITUAL ADMINISTRATIVE WORLD CENTRES PERMANENTLY FIXED HOLY LAND CONSTITUTING MIDMOST HEART ENTIRE PLANET.’ A year later the Guardian, in his Naw-Rúz 1952 message to the Bahá’í world, cabled: “… ANNOUNCEMENT ENLARGEMENT INTERNATIONAL BAHAI COUNCIL. PRESENT MEMBERSHIP NOW COMPRISES AMATULBAHA RUHIYYIH KHANUM CHOSEN LIAISON BETWEEN ME AND COUNCIL. HANDS CAUSE MASON REMEY, AMELIA COLLINS, UGO GIACHERY, LEROY IOAS, PRESIDENT, VICEPRESIDENT, MEMBER AT LARGE, SECRETARY GENERAL, RESPECTIVELY. JESSIE REVELL, ETHEL REVELL, LOTFULLAH HAKIM, TREASURER, WESTERN EASTERN ASSISTANT SECRETARIES.” Three years later, on 4 May 1955, the Guardian announced to all National Assem- blies, “... NUMBER MEMBERS INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL RAISED NINE THROUGH APPOINTMENT SYLVIA IOAS.” When one contemplates the above shaping of Bahá’i history and realizes that two of the nine ultimate members of the Council were the modest, humbly employed, relatively uneducated Revell sisters, it gives one pause to think and causes one to rejoice.
- Hand of the Cause Ruhiyyih Khanum (‘The Baha’i World’, vol. 19, 1983-1986)
