Jean Hutchinson-Smith

Jean Hutchinson-Smith
Born	1886
Died	July 20, 1979
NSA member	Australia and N.Z. 1945 - 1947

Lily Jean Hutchinson-Smith (1886 - July 20, 1979) was an Australian Bahá'í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand.

Life

Jean was born to Scottish parents, John and Margaret Lauder, who emigrated to Australia in 1880. She studied at Sydney Girls' High School and then the University of Sydney. She married and had a son and a daughter, Alicia, but her husband passed in 1933.

She was introduced to the Faith by Stanley and Mariette Bolton, declaring in 1941, and Alicia also declared in 1947. In 1944 her son fell ill and she wrote to the Holy Land, receiving the following in a letter written on the behalf of Shoghi Effendi in reply:

"He deeply regrets the intense suffering you must be passing through due to the uncertainty surrounding your son's condition. He will certainly pray ardently for his protection, and that this period of trial may be safely passed and leave him spiritually more mature and ready for our beloved Faith to sink into his heart."

She was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand in 1945. In 1948 she was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Hunter's Hill, but she resigned due to disagreements with the Assembly in Feburary, 1949. She received the following in a letter from Ruhiyyih Khanum in October, 1949, and was re-elected to the Hunter's Hill Assembly in 1951:

"Your letter dated September 23 has been received, with its enclosures, and the beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.

He is sorry to hear you resigned from your Local Assembly as he feels that in spite of how much an individual may suffer over conditions he feels are not as they should be, he should nevertheless stick it out for the sake of serving the Cause, and showing a firm example of endurance and willingness to serve to the newer believers. He knows this requires courage and self-sacrifice, but he feels you are capable of both.

The Guardian was not satisfied with some of the changes made in the By-Laws, and he wrote (recently) the N.S.A. and in detail pointed out what could be changed and what was too great a departure from the original model. He feels, therefore, that you and other friends who were justifiably disturbed about this matter, can now rest assured that the matter is clarified and the necessary action has been taken."

In 1948 Jean was invited to give a teaching tour of the UK by the British National Spiritual Assembly, and she went with Alicia to Europe from February 1948 to February 1949 and taught the Faith in the Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ireland. She and Alicia served as tellers at the establishment of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Dublin while in Ireland. Jean and Alicia moved to Germany in the early 1950's and lived there until returning to Sydney. Shoghi Effendi approved of their time in Germany, with Ruhiyyih Khanum writing the following to Jean on his behalf:

"He was most happy to see you are able to assist the German friends there, and hopes you will travel about, to the various centres, as much as possible. They need the loving help and stimulation of friends from other lands after all their bitter years of separation from the rest of the Bahá'í World."