BahÃĄâ•Žuâ•ŽllÃĄh and the New Era - Knowledge Rush

488 Baháâuâlláh and the New EraThe local Spiritual Assemblies of a country are linked togetherand co-ordinating through another elected body of nine members,the National Spiritual Assembly. This body comes intobeing by means of an annual election held by elected delegatesrepresenting the local Bahá’í communities.... The National Conventionin which the delegates are gather together is composedof an elective body based upon the principle of proportional representation....These National Conventions are preferably heldduring the period of Ridván, the twelve days beginning April 21stwhich commemorate the Declaration made by Bahá’u’lláh in theGarden of Ridván near Baghdád. The recognition of delegates isvested in the outgoing National Spiritual Assembly.A National Convention is an occasion for deepening one’s understandingof Bahá’í activities and of sharing reports of nationaland local activities for the period of the elapsed year.... The functionof a Bahá’í delegate is limited to the duration of the NationalConvention and participation in the election of the new NationalSpiritual Assembly. While gathered together, the delegates are aconsultative and advisory body whose recommendations are tobe carefully considered by the members of the elected NationalSpiritual Assembly....The relation of the National Spiritual Assembly to the localSpiritual Assemblies and to the body of the believers in thecountry is thus defined in the letters of the Guardian of theCause:Regarding the establishment of “National Assemblies,” itis of vital importance that in every country, where the conditionsare favorable and the number of the friends has grownand reached a considerable size ... that a “National SpiritualAssembly” be immediately established, representative of thefriends throughout that country.Its immediate purpose is to stimulate, unify and coordinateby frequent personal consultations, the manifold activities of