National Convention

Writings about

• Research Department memorandum about: https://bahai-library.com/uhj_national_convention
• National Convention (compilation) (here)

Topics

• Independent and temporary status of conventions
• Delegates (duties outside of Convention)
• Elections
  • Electoral districting
  • Tellers
  • Consideration of minorities during elections
  • By-elections
• Outgoing Assembly duties

The Functions of the National Convention

To elect and to recommend

"The assembled delegates at a National Convention have two basic functions--to elect and to recommend...."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, June 8, 1967, in Lights of Guidance, no. 52)

The Convention's function is purely advisory, but it should have full freedom without pressure even from the National Spiritual Assembly in exercising their function

"...The function of the Convention is purely advisory and though the advice it gives is not binding in its effects on those on whom rest the final decision in purely administrative matters, yet, the utmost caution and care should be exercised lest anything should hamper the delegates in the full and free exercise of their functions. In discharging this sacred function no influence whatever, no pressure from any quarter, even though it be from the National Assembly, should under any circumstances affect their views or restrict their freedom. The delegates must be wholly independent of any administrative agency, must approach their task with absolute detachment and must concentrate their attention on the most important and pressing issues."

(From letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, August 18, 1933: The National Spiritual Assembly, pp. 23-24)

Consultation between delegates and National Spiritual Assembly

Need for full, frank, and unhampered consultation between delegates and the National Spiritual Assembly

"I fear this letter will reach you after the closing of the convention, but I hope that it will serve to assure you of the necessity of adopting for future conventions the essential method of a full, frank and unhampered consultation between the National Assembly and the assembled delegates. It is the vital duty of the delegates to unburden their hearts, state their grievances, disclose their views, and explain their motives. It is the duty of the National Assembly to give earnest, prompt and prayerful consideration to the views of the delegates, weigh carefully their arguments and ponder their considered judgements, before they resort to voting and undertake to arrive at a decision according to the dictates of their conscience. They should explain their motives and not dictate; seek information and invite discussion."

(From a postscript to a letter dated April 13, 1927, written by the Guardian to the Spiritual Assembly of Montreal, Canada: Extracted in Bahá'í News, No. 18, June 1927, p. 3, in Lights of Guidance, no. 59)

Delegate attendance

Preferably Delegates Attend Convention in Person

"...It should, however, be made clear to every elected delegate--who should be continually reminded--that it is a sacred responsibility and admittedly preferable to attend if possible in person the sessions of the Convention, to take an active part in all its proceedings, and to acquaint his fellow-workers on his return with the accomplishments, the decisions and the aspirations of the assembled representatives of the ... believers."

(From a letter written by the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 24, 1925: Bahá'í Administration, pp. 91-92, in Lights of Guidance, no. 61)

If Delegate Cannot Pay Own Expenses

"...In the matter of attendance of delegates at Conventions, the desirability of the friends themselves being self-supporting should be pointed out by the National Assembly. If a delegate cannot pay his own expenses in attending the Convention, the Local Assembly or the believers in the electoral unit from which the delegate comes should be encouraged by the National Assembly to defray such expenses, so that only when funds are unavailable from those sources, the National Assembly is approached to consider offering financial assistance. The same principle holds true about other activities, such as attendance at Institutes, Conferences and Summer Schools."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a number of National Spiritual Assemblies, February 9, 1967, in Lights of Guidance, no. 62)

Replacement of delegates

Replacement of delegates left to each National Spiritual Assembly

"There is no provision in the National Bahá'í Constitution for replacement of a delegate and this is, therefore, a matter left to the decision of each National Spiritual Assembly. In general, one of the following procedures is followed. If a delegate dies or becomes unable to serve before Convention, the believer polling the next highest number of votes may replace him, or another election may be held. If a delegate ceases to be able to serve after the Convention and there is need for a by-election to the National Spiritual Assembly, you may decide whether or not the delegate should be replaced, and if so, how. In the event of an elected delegate removing to another place, either before or after Convention, you may decide whether to replace him or allow him to continue as an elected delegate. Whatever procedure is adopted should be uniformly followed in all such cases."

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina, July 3, 1973, in Lights of Guidance, no. 57)

Timing of Convention

National Convention Must Be Convened During Ridván

"Concerning the dates of your National Convention, the Convention must begin, and the election of the National Assembly must take place, before sundown on 2nd May. It is permissible to extend the Convention beyond May 2nd, as long as it is convened during Ridvan."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Paraguay, June 22, 1986, in Lights of Guidance, no. 69)

National Teaching Conference and National Convention Should Not Be Held at the Same Time

"In response to your letter of 25th June 1982 asking whether or not it would be permissible to hold a national teaching conference either simultaneously with the National Convention or in the days immediately before or following the Convention, we have been asked by the Universal House of Justice to inform you that the National Convention, for whatever number of days it is arranged, should be independent of a national teaching conference. They should not be held simultaneously, but whether the conference is held before or after the Convention is left to your discretion."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador, July 22, 1982, in Lights of Guidance, no. 71)

Timing within the Convention

Election of National Spiritual Assembly to be Held at Midpoint in the Convention

"It was noted that although you held a Convention of two days' duration, the election of the new National Spiritual Assembly was scheduled to take place immediately after the election of Convention officers; that is very early in the program. You should know that Shoghi Effendi stated that the election of the National Spiritual Assembly should be held as nearly as possible at the midway point of Convention."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, July 17, 1983, in Lights of Guidance, no. 70)

(Non-)Division into groups within the Convention

Workshops During National Convention Not Suitable

"He does not feel that workshops are suitable at the National Convention, the time at the disposal of the delegates is short, and the whole purpose of delegates to a Convention is that as a body they should take up the affairs of the Cause presented for discussion and air ideas and make recommendations. No doubt the workshop itself is a good technique and should be used at summer schools and even if found desirable, at Conferences, but for the Convention it is out of place."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, August 25, 1949: Bahá'í News, No. 226, December 1949, p. 2, in Lights of Guidance, no. 73)

Not to take time away to divide into smaller groups as delegates have administrative duties to perform as a body

"The delegates have specific administrative duties to perform as a body and to divide them into smaller groups to consult upon matters which are the business of the Convention as a whole is not correct, particularly as the time of the delegates is limited."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, August 25, 1949: Bahá'í News, No. 226, December 1949, p. 2, in Lights of Guidance, no. 74)

Who may address Convention

Members of incoming and outgoing National Spiritual Assembly may fully participate in Convention discussions

"Concerning the status of members of the N.S.A. at Convention sessions, the Guardian feels that the members of both the incoming and the outgoing assemblies should be given the full right to participate in the Convention discussions. Those members of the N.S.A. who have been elected delegates will, in addition to the right of participation, be entitled to vote. The Guardian wishes thereby to render more effective the deliberations and the recommendations of the national representatives. He feels that the exercise of such a right by the members of the N.S.A. will enable them to consult more fully with the assembled delegates, to exchange fully and frankly with them their views, and to consider collectively the interests, needs and requirements of the Cause. This, he believes, is one of the primary functions of the Convention."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, December 25, 1933, in Lights of Guidance, no. 60)

National Spiritual Assembly Present as an Institution at the National Convention

"The National Spiritual Assembly is present at the Convention as an institution, and its members are present as individual participants in the consultations. These two facts are not incompatible. All the delegates and the members of the National Spiritual Assembly should take part in the Convention in the spirit of free, frank, loving Bahá'í consultation. Most Bahá'ís perform many different functions in their lives. Very often a member of the National Assembly is also a delegate, a member of a Local Assembly, a member of one or more committees, and possibly also an assistant to an Auxiliary Board member. These multiple functions should not prevent him from expressing his views frankly and courteously in any consultation."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, October 26, 1983, in Lights of Guidance, no. 66)

Non-Delegate Can Be Permitted to Address Convention--Permissiveness Not to be Abused

"If a suggestion that a non-delegate be permitted to address the Convention is approved by the delegates, this is in order. The National Assembly, however, should be careful that such a permissiveness is not abused, as it will defeat the original purpose of stimulating the delegates and deprive them of the limited time at their disposal to engage in their vital deliberations. The delegates should bear in mind that they have business to attend to, and in all such cases the benefits of the Convention should be considered."

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina, September 18, 1968, in Lights of Guidance, no. 75)

Auxiliary Board Members present at National Convention do not have privilege of floor unless deputized by Counsellors Board or given privilege by convention

"Auxiliary Board members present at a National Convention do not have the privilege of the floor unless deputized by the Continental Board of Counsellors or given the privilege of the floor by the Convention."

(To all Continental Boards of Counsellors from the Universal House of Justice, March 25, 1969, in Lights of Guidance, no. 76)

Counsellors at Convention (or their deputized 1-2 Auxiliary Board Members) have same freedom as Hands of the Cause at Convention

"We ask you to extend a cordial invitation to the Continental Board of Counsellors of your area to attend each of your Annual Conventions. All Counsellors present at a Convention should be accorded the same freedom of the Convention as is given to the Hands of the Cause. If no Counsellors can attend a Convention, they may appoint for that Convention one or two Auxiliary Board Members to act as their special deputies, who should be warmly welcomed and given the courtesy of taking part in the Convention as representatives of the Board of Counsellors."

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies, November 25, 1963, in Lights of Guidance, no. 78)

Who may vote

Only Delegates May Vote in the National Convention

"Only the delegates may vote at the National Convention, whether it be in the election of the National Spiritual Assembly or in arriving at decisions. Some decisions at the Convention can be implemented immediately, such as a decision to send a cable of news or greetings to the World Centre or to another Bahá'í body, but most are decisions on whether or not to make a specific recommendation to the National Spiritual Assembly."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, October 26, 1983, in Lights of Guidance, no. 67)

Members of the National Spiritual Assembly who have been elected delegates may vote

"Those members of the N.S.A. who have been elected delegates will, in addition to the right of participation, be entitled to vote. The Guardian wishes thereby to render more effective the deliberations and the recommendations of the national representatives. He feels that the exercise of such a right by the members of the N.S.A. will enable them to consult more fully with the assembled delegates, to exchange fully and frankly with them their views, and to consider collectively the interests, needs and requirements of the Cause. This, he believes, is one of the primary functions of the Convention."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, December 25, 1933, in Lights of Guidance, no. 60)

National Spiritual Assembly's information to delegates

Desirable Auxiliary Board Members Be Left Free from Administrative Duties

"National Assemblies in whose areas of jurisdiction Board Members reside, should point out to the delegates at Convention that whilst teaching and administrative duties are not mutually exclusive, it is desirable that Auxiliary Board Members, whether for teaching or protection, be left free to concentrate on the work allotted to them.... The following extract from the Guardian's letter, written through his secretary, could be shared with the delegates for their guidance when casting their votes:

'Teachers of the Cause can surely become members of any Assembly or Committee. There should be no incapacity attached to them. But, Shoghi Effendi would just prefer to see them devote all their time to teaching and leave the administrative functions for those who cannot serve as teachers.' (Bahá'í News, October 1932)"

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies, November 25, 1963, in Lights of Guidance, no. 77)

Attendance Record of National Spiritual Assembly Members May Be Provided to Convention Delegates

"In the matter of reporting to the delegates to the National Convention on the attendance record of the outgoing National Spiritual Assembly, the House of Justice confirms that this is entirely within the discretion of your National Assembly. You could, if you wish to do so, include this information in the National Assembly report to the Convention. The same guidance applies to providing information to the believers in a local community about the attendance record of the members of the outgoing Local Spiritual Assembly."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico, July 26, 1981, in Lights of Guidance, no. 72)

See also

• Convention
• National Spiritual Assembly