[AC3-general] , was called upon to fulfill, when the city of Ba_gh_dad was sw

[Treadwell <arr...@sa...>]

Ent attitude, should regard it his sacred duty to take part
conscientiously and diligently, in the election, the consolidation and
the efficient working of his own local Assembly. National Assemblies
Regarding the establishment of "National Assemblies," it is of vital
importance that in every country, where the conditions are favorable and
the number of the friends has grown and reached a considerable size,
such as America, Great Britain and Germany, that a "National Spiritual
Assembly" be immediately established, representative of the friends
throughout that country. Its immediate purpose is to stimulate, unify
and coordinate by frequent personal consultations, the manifold
activities of the friends as well as the local Assemblies; and by
keeping in close and constant touch with the Holy Land, initiate
measures, and direct in general the affairs of the Cause in that
country. It serves also another purpose, no less essential than the
first, as in the course of time it shall evolve into the National House
of Justice (referred to in 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will as the "secondary House
of Justice"), which according to the explicit text of the Testament will
have, in conjunction with the other National Assemblies throughout the
Baha'i world, to elect directly the members of the International House
of Justice, that Supreme Council that will guide, organize and unify the
affairs of the Movement throughout the world. It is expressly recorded
in 'Abdu'l-Baha's Writings that these National Assemblies must be
indirectly elected by the friends; that is, the friends in every country
must elect a certain number of delegates, who in their turn will elect
from among all the friends in that country the members of the National
Spiritual Assembly. In such countries, therefore, as America, Great
Britain and Germany, a fixed number of secondary electors must first be
decided upon (95 for America, including the Pacific Islands; 95 for
Germany; and 19 for Great Britain). The friends then in every locality
where the number of adult declared believers exceeds nine must directly
elect its quota of secondary electors assigned to it in direct
proportion to its numerical strength. These secondary electors will
then, either through corresponde