Public meeting
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In Bahá'í biographies, there are frequent references to public meetings. Before the time of television and the multitude of other forms of home entertainment, public meetings were a common thing in some countries. An organisation - in this context, the local Bahá'ís or a visiting travel teacher - would hire a public hall for an evening, at which it/they would present to the public a question of concern or interest. As the matters discussed at public meetings were generally of a serious content, those in attendance would normally be adults only. Similarly, the meetings would be attended by single persons or groups of friends, rather than by married couples. In the twentieth century, when proclamation was one of the chief concerns, merely having held the meeting would in itself constitute a success. There would also be the hope that one or two interested persons might be found. A major consideration would then be a means of follow-up for such people, even if it were by correspondence.
A "typical" Bahá'í public meeting might consist of a welcome by one Bahá'í, who would then introduce the speaker for the evening. This would often be a person recognised for their speaking skills and a reasonable knowledge of the Faith. There would probably be a table at the front, perhaps with flowers and a photograph of 'Abdu'l-Baha. The meeting might also open with a prayer, supervised by the master of ceremonies.
In many countries, the public meeting as a means of presenting the Bahá'í Teachings to the public, has largely been discontinued, as so few people will attend such a meeting unless it concerns something which they consider a threat to them, such as the building of a dam just outside the town.
