As its name implies, the HPTTS’ job is to advise and assist would-be travel teachers and pioneers from within, or coming to, the United Kingdom.
THE ROLE OF THE HPTTS
Put briefly, the role of the Travel Teacher and Homefront Pioneer Advisory Service (the HPTTS) is to:
- assist the four Bahá’í Councils in their promotion of travel teaching and the settlement of pioneers,
- in doing which, develop a close working relationship with the Auxiliary Board members and their assistants,
- inform communities of potential travel teachers and put travel teachers in touch with communities who may wish to have them,
- ensure that Bahá’ís are aware of possible travel teaching opportunities and needs outside their own part of the country, as well as within it,
- encourage and promote the vision of travel teaching until it is a concept widely embraced and understood by the British Bahá’í community.
THE AIM OF THE HPTTS
The aim of the HPTTS aim is to assist in achieving the goals of the current Plan by encouraging the friends generally to
Travel Teach within the United Kingdom – irrespective of their skills and experience:
"If the friends always waited until they were fully qualified to do any particular task, the work of the
Cause would be almost at a standstill! But the very act of striving to serve, however unworthy one may feel, attracts the blessings
of God and enables one to become more fitted for the task."
(Shoghi Effendi)
We recognise that no two travel teachers are the same: some are better at firesides, some at deepenings. Some can give talks at
a meeting for 200, others might prefer visiting an isolated believer for a friendly chat and a cup of tea. But all can play a part – for,
"The movement itself from place to place, when undertaken for the sake of God, hath always exerted, and can now exert, its influence in
the world." (Bahá’u’lláh) This movement is like the circulation of the blood in the body of the Faith.
HPTTS provides general advice to travel teachers and pioneers and to the communities that receive them.
In addition to encouraging travel teaching, HPTTS can advise those friends seeking to pioneer in the UK as to which are the areas which have the greatest need
for pioneers – taking into account the individual requirements of each guide_pr. We also have been given the authority to advise LSA's on the eligibility of
pioneer moves (should there be some query) with regard to formation of Assemblies at Ridván.
HPTTS can also offer assistance and advice to other committees (such as the Arts Co-ordination Service) who are planning visits by Teachers with special skills
or qualifications.
WHAT ELSE?
In certain cases we are able to arrange for funding to assist Travel Teaching
and Pioneer Settlement, particularly for travel to the more remote areas of
the country. This is possible, partly through our budget – only a small part
of which is used for administration, but mainly through our allocation of moneys
provided through the sacrificial efforts of those friends who donate to the
United Kingdom Deputisation Fund.
HPTTS is always seeking to receive feedback (both positive and negative) on the effectiveness of travel teachers – both from the receiving communities and from
the travel teachers themselves. Happily, to date these have all been in general extremely positive.
Despite the fact that we have several loyal stalwarts among the UK community who regularly make travel teaching trips, the majority of our travel teachers and pioneers
have been from overseas. We look forward to our workload increasing many-fold during the current Plan, particularly with regard to the movement of UK Bahá’ís
within the UK, as the friends become more aware of the vital role travel teaching must play in the growth of the Faith – the forgotten Third Condition.
CONTACTING THE HPTTS
If you have any queries regarding Travel Teaching or Pioneering, you can click below to contact the
HOMEFRONT PIONEERING AND TRAVEL TEACHING SERVICE
The HPTTS is run by Rocky Grove on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the UK. |