--Issue No. 5 May-June 1925:
“I am deeply convinced that if the annual Convention of the friends in America, as well as the National Spiritual Assembly, desire to become potent instruments for the speedy realization of the Beloved’s fondest hopes for the future of that country, they should endeavor, first and foremost, to exemplify, in an increasing degree, to all Baha’is and to the world at large the high ideals of fellowship and service which Baha’u’llah and the beloved Master repeatedly set before them.”
“I am deeply convinced that if the annual Convention of the friends in America, as well as the National Spiritual Assembly, desire to become potent instruments for the speedy realization of the Beloved’s fondest hopes for the future of that country, they should endeavor, first and foremost, to exemplify, in an increasing degree, to all Baha’is and to the world at large the high ideals of fellowship and service which Baha’u’llah and the beloved Master repeatedly set before them.”
- Shoghi Effendi.
Dear Baha’i friends:
By a thousand avenues, visible and invisible, the reality of
the heavenly kingdom is rapidly entering the arena of human action and thought.
Even those who know not its manifest source have become aware of what mighty
powers are striving to regenerate humanity in this day, and there is not one
soul, no matter how unconscious it may be, but has become an instrument either
for the destruction of the old evil or the promotion of the new, divine good.
So resolutely have liberal minds the world over taken up the
task of establishing the fundamental Baha’i principles that it is possible even
for the sincerest believer occasionally to ask himself what the little company
of Baha’is can accomplish comparable in importance with the effort of these
well-endowed and noble men and women. But no group or association of
individuals anywhere in the world has our special and unique privilege of
creating that complete, unbreakable unity which is born of God. Clearly before
our feet we may from day to day perceive those paths of conscious faith leading
upward from the darkness of earth’s sad battleground to the heavenly dwelling
place of the Most Great Peace. Pass though they may dire places and grievous
tests avoided as calamities by the spiritually ignorant among mankind,
nevertheless, we know that these paths were marked by the feet of the True One,
and none who treads them to the end will miss the cup of abundant joy.
The foundation of conscious service which we are
constructing now must be firm enough to uphold in future those gracious and
majestic institutions which Baha’u’llah ordained for humanity as guardians and
protectors of the supreme law of love. First and foremost comes the
relationship one to another of the members of the same local Assembly; next,
the larger relationship of the local Assemblies made possible by their National
Spiritual Assembly -- last of all, the keystone of the entire arch, the
world-wide unity which shall come into being on that blessed day when the
National Spiritual Assemblies are so developed that the Guardian of the Cause
can summon an international Baha’i Conference.
Surely, the vision of what is to be is the all-sufficing
inspiration to hasten our steps onward, and the fixed standard by which we can
truly realize the significance of those little and often too blind efforts we
are now making to serve the Cause.
The deepening wisdom that has come to us since the first
National Baha’i Convention was called by the Baha’i Temple Unity seventeen
years ago, and above all, the clear and penetrating instructions received during
the last three years from Shoghi Effendi, enable us to approach the Convention
this year with a new spirit of self-sacrifice, of ardor and of resolution. It
is from the National Convention that will flow out those spiritual forces
determining the power and guidance of our elected representatives throughout
the months to come. Any inharmony, misunderstanding, or hesitation that exists
among the body of the delegates will inevitably hamper the progress of the
Cause long after the Convention itself has come to an end. On the other hand, a
body of delegates truly penetrated by the spirit of faith will give to the new
National Assembly a reinforcing power far greater than their individual
capacities alone could possibly draw upon. A united, a vigorous and an inspired
National Assembly born of a true Baha’i Convention will be able to revitalize
the smaller and weaker Assemblies, inspire the strongest Assemblies to new and
greater attainment, and send out to all the working committees a constant
thrill of joyous action, creating for Shoghi Effendi a means of promoting the
Cause capable of bringing into manifestation spiritual resources yet hidden
behind the veils.
Reading again that letter which Shoghi Effendi wrote to all
the friends in America on March 12, 1923, we perceive that his ideal is to
establish a Convention of 95 delegates, an ideal we have not yet been able to
fulfill. In that same letter Shoghi Effendi also laid down the principle of
proportional representation -- that is, one delegate for every nine or other
fixed number of believers; a principle assigning to each Assembly a delegate or
delegates in exact ratio to its numerical strength. Needless to say,
proportional representation is the fairest method that can be devised. We know
that it would bring joy to Shoghi Effendi if the Convention this year could
bring this principle into effect. While, under present conditions, it may be
impossible for 95 delegates to be assembled in this way, nevertheless let us
all strive to make at least a decisive move towards Shoghi Effendi’s ideal by
understanding very clearly what he would like to have us accomplish and by
straining every resource to give his instructions effect.
It should be the aim of each local Assembly, therefore, to
send one delegate to this year’s Convention for every nine recognized believers
enrolled in its list. We appreciate the financial and other difficulties that
will stand in the way of this goal in the case of many Assemblies, especially
those located at a distance from Green Acre. To off-set these difficulties it
will this year be permitted any local Assembly to send as their delegate or
delegates recognized believers not members of the Assembly, but in order that
such proxy delegates shall represent the local Assembly as truly as possible,
these proxies must be selected from the same regional division in which the
local Assembly itself is located. For example, an Assembly in the Southern
States Region can only be represented by a proxy delegate or delegates from the
Southern States Region. An Assembly in the Western States Region can only be
represented by a proxy delegate or delegates from the Western States Region,
etc.
It is also understood that no Baha’i group of less than nine
recognized believers will be entitled to send a delegate to Green Acre this
year. These decisions are based upon the cablegram sent to the National
Spiritual Assembly by Shoghi Effendi on April first, 1925: “Less than nine no
representation. Proxy question left decision National Assembly. Praying
guidance.”
In order to provide representation for the Baha’i groups of
less than nine believers and also for the isolated friends, the National
Spiritual Assembly have requested the chairmen of the five regional Teaching
Committees to attend the Convention as delegates-at-large, and meanwhile to
enter into communication with the various small groups and isolated believers
in their respective regions in order to report in their behalf at the
Convention. This provision makes the five Regional Chairmen an important link
between the isolated groups and individuals and the National Baha’i
organization. We urge individual believers to keep their regional Teaching
Chairman fully informed at all times.
Each Baha’i Assembly qualified to send a delegate or
delegates to the Convention this year should hold a special election for this
purpose as soon as possible, and inform the National Secretary officially of
those who have been chosen to serve as delegates and alternates. We feel sure
that there is no need to stress the importance of attendance at the Convention
and Congress by every individual believer who can possibly come.
In order that all the friends throughout the country may
receive an immediate, full and authorized report of the proceedings of the
Convention, the National Assembly will appoint an official reporter to prepare
a resume of the proceedings for publication in the July number of the News
Letter.
With this News Letter we enclose two recent letters from
Shoghi Effendi, one of which refers to the National Convention and throws fresh
light upon its significance. It is a great privilege to quote also from the
notes taken by Mrs. May Maxwell during her visit at Haifa last year: --
“In many different conversations with us, Shoghi Effendi
made it clear that the Baha’i Organization is not political and bears no
resemblance to a political system.
“It is a Divine Organization, the Institute of God for the
establishment of His Kingdom upon earth. Shoghi Effendi said that this
Institute is perfect, although its functioning and operation is necessarily
imperfect in our present state of development and understanding, but as the
Baha’is become matured and perfected, it will be found to be the most perfect
Institute the world has ever known.
“He said that in all elections, whether of local Spiritual
Assembly, of delegates to the convention or in electing the National Assembly,
the believers must be entirely free from personality, basing their choice on
the spiritual qualifications of those whom they elect according to the explicit
instructions of Abdu’l Baha. They must have no prejudices, no preconceived
ideas, they must not discuss these matters previous to election with anyone nor
even breathe the name of a single person in connection with the possibility of
their election; thus they will purify the Cause of every trace of human
politics.
“Shoghi Effendi said that during the Convention previous to
the election of the National Spiritual Assembly the delegates could all come
together and consult as to the National requirements of the Cause of God. At
such consultation, he said, every delegate should be present and entering into
a spiritual attitude without mentioning a single name, they should look deeply
into the body of the Cause and its requirements, taking into account the
geographic problems, considering those souls possessing spiritual, luminous and
distinctive qualities necessary for such function and responsibility,
eliminating every personal or financial consideration. He said that it was
unthinkable that any one should be elected for this important service because
they were in a financial position to attend the National Assembly meetings, as
the most humble and simple soul in the Cause might be endowed with gifts and
graces for this particular work. Shoghi Effendi suggested that if necessary a
sum might be appropriated from the National Fund for the traveling expenses of
anyone elected who might not possess sufficient means to travel.
“When the delegates are gathered in convention at the time
of election they must turn their faces to the Holy Land supplicating for divine
guidance. Then He added, “Do the believers in America realize that the friends
of God are the only people on earth to whom He has promised to guide their
deliberations and confirm their decisions?”
Yours sincerely in love of 'Abdu’l-Baha,
National Spiritual Assembly,
By: Horace Holley,
Secretary.