About
Florence Mayberry
Florence Mayberry Bahá'í School is a seasonal Baha'i school, one of many located throughout the United States sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States. Each year we offer a weekend long conference which includes vibrant children classes, engaging youth courses, dynamic adult workshops, and uplifting activities for friends of all ages which is designed to support individual spiritual growth and community life.
Florence Mayberry was initiated to help promote positive individual and community development and outreach in the Midwest region through spiritual teachings, unity, and fellowship.
Florence Mayberry is open to ALL who wish to attend!
Who was Florence Mayberry?
Florence Virginia Foose Wilson Mayberry (September 18, 1906 – April 8, 1998) was born in the Missouri Ozarks region of the United States. At 3 months of age, she was brought by her parents to Conway, Missouri. She lived in Conway until she was 7 and was raised primarily by her grandparents. In their later years, Florence and her husband David would eventually move back to Conway.
In 1954 Florence Mayberry, along with eight others, was appointed to the first Auxiliary board that would serve the Western Hemisphere. Her area included western Canada, two-thirds of the United States from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, plus Alaska and Hawaii. While serving as an Auxiliary Board member, Florence was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States in 1959.
Florence and her husband David pioneered to Mexico in 1961, where she was also elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico while still serving as an Auxiliary Board member in the United States. Later in 1963 she voted in the first International Convention to elect the first House of Justice. She also attended the World Congress in England.
In 1968, the House of Justice appointed Florence as member of the North American Board of Counselors, which was then part of the newest of developments in the Faith. In 1973 she was appointed as one of three Counselors of the newly established International Teaching Center. For Florence, this was the beginning of 10 years of service at the Bahá'í World Center in Haifa, Israel.
(The Hands of the Cause with Counsellors of the International Teaching Centre, 1973: (front row, left to right) Mr. Ali-Akbar Furutan, Mrs. Florence Mayberry, Madame Ruhiyyih Rabbani, Mr. Abul-Qasim Faizi, (back row, left to right) Mr. Paul Haney, Mr. Aziz Yazdi, Mr. Hooper Dunbar.)
In her service to the Faith, Florence made 18 trips to Alaska, plus every continent except Antarctica. She went around the world, visited Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Africa, Iran, London, China, Russia, and many more places. She traveled by covered wagon, on foot, by horse, buggy, train, car, ship, jeep, two-passenger planes, and even jet liners.
For further information about the life of Florence Mayberry, it is recommended to read "The Great Adventure", as authored by Florence Mayberry herself.
Who may attend Florence Mayberry Baha'i School?
All are welcome!
The aim of the Baha'i Faith is to unite all peoples and religions in one universal cause and one globally minded mission to further the betterment of humanity, making attendance and participation at the school open to all.
