GROWTH OF ELECTIVE AND APPOINTIVE INSTITUTIONS: NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES ESTABLISHED DURING THE LIFETIME OF SHOGHI EFFENDI
1923
1. The National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles
The preliminary stage to this Assembly was the formation on 6 June 1922 of the "All-England Bahá'í Council". The National Spiritual Assembly was first elected by delegates chosen by proportional representation in 1923 and held its first meeting 13 October 1923. It is interesting to note this Assembly contained 10 members. There had been a tie in the balloting for 9th position and the decision was made to include both persons on the Assembly. This matter was later clarified by Shoghi Effendi and future Assemblies were limited to 9 members. The Assembly was incorporated in 1939
2. The National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria
This Assembly was forced to dissolve by the Government of Germany in June 1937. It was re-established following World War 11 in 1946 and was incorporated in 1947
3. The National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma
This Assembly included the area later to become Pakistan. It achieved incorporation in 1933, the second National Spiritual Assembly to be so recognized
1924
4. The National Spiritual Assembly of Egypt and Sudan
In 1956 the following territories were added to this Assembly and it became known as the National Spiritual Assembly of North-East Africa: Abyssinia, Libya, Eritrea, British Somaliland, French Somaliland, Italian Somaliland and Socotra Island
1925
5. The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada
This Assembly was the outgrowth of Bahá'í Temple Unity", which had been established in 1909. Prior to 1925, Shoghi Effendi addressed several messages to the "National Spiritual Assembly", but it was not formally constituted until it was first elected by proportional representation in 1925. While the number of delegates assigned was 95, only 70 were elected. In 1929 this Assembly became the first National Spiritual Assembly to incorporate, and its Declaration of Trust and By-Laws became the model followed by all subsequent National incorporations. The legal name was changed when Canada formed its own Assembly in 1948 and at a later date it became the "National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States of America, except Alaska and Hawaii, Inc.", although this long title was not normally used
1931
6. The National Spiritual Assembly of Iraq
1934
7. The National Spiritual Assembly of Persia
From as early as 1922 the affairs of Persia were guided by a "Central Assembly" in Tihran. It was 1934, however, before the National Assembly, as we now understand the term, was elected by electors chosen by districts which were made up of a number of Local Spiritual Assemblies
8. The National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand
1948
9. The National Spiritual Assembly of Canada
This was the first instance of a National Spiritual Assembly being separated from a parent body. The now National Spiritual Assembly of Canada became legally incorporated in 1949
1951
10. The National Spiritual Assembly of Central America
1953
The National Spiritual Assembly of Italy and Switzerland
The twelve National Spiritual Assemblies listed above were those entrusted with the execution of the Ten-Year Plan. They were each assigned specific global goals by the Guardian
1956
13. The National Spiritual Assembly of Central and East Africa
This Assembly was incorporated in 1957. It represented the following territories: Belgian Congo, Comoro Is., French Equatorial Africa, Kenya. Rwanda, Burundi, Seychelles, Tanganyika, Uganda and Zanzibar
14. The National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa
Angola, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Madagascar. Mauritius, Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Reunion I., Southern Rhodesia, South West Africa, St. Helena, Swaziland, Union of South Africa and Zululand
15: The National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa. Algeria, Ashanti Protectorate, British Cameroon's, British Togoland, Canary Is; Cape Verde Is; French Cameroon's, French Morocco, French Togoland, French West Africa, Gambia, Gold Coast, Liberia, Madeira, Morocco (Inter'l Zone). Nigeria, Northern Territories Protectorate, Portuguese Guinea, Rio de Oro, St. Thomas Is., Sierra Leone, Spanish Guinea, Spanish Morocco, Spanish Sahara, and Tunisia
1957
16. The National Spiritual Assembly of North-East Asia
Formosa, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Macao
17. The National Spiritual Assembly of Pakistan
18. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Arabian Peninsula
Aden Protectorate, Ahsa, Bahrayn I., Hadhramaut, Hijaz, Kuria Muria Is., Kuwait, Qatar Saudi Arabia, Trucial Sheikhs, 'Ummin and Yemen
19. The National Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia
Borneo, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaya, Mentawei Is., Philippine Is. Portuguese Timor, Sarawak and Thailand
20. The National Spiritual Assembly of Scandinavia and Finland
21. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Benelux Countries
22. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Iberian Peninsula
23. The National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina. Chile, Uruguay. Paraguay and Bolivia
24. The National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil, Peru. Columbia. Ecuador and Venezuela
25. The National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico. Costa Rice, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama
26. The National Spiritual Assembly of Haiti, Cuba and The Dominican Republic
27. The National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska
This was the first instance of a political subdivision of a sovereign notion becoming a National Spiritual Assembly. It attained incorporation in 1957 prior to the death of the Guardian
28. The National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand
Since the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of Central America and South America were dissolved in 1957 upon the formation of smaller regional spiritual assemblies, there were a total of 26 National Spiritual Assemblies in existence at the death of the Guardian. Of these, 7 had achieved national incorporation
APPOINTMENT OF THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD BY SHOGHI EFFENDI
APPOINTED POSTHUMOUSLY
No Date: Haji Abu'l-Hasan, known as Haji Amin
1939 Martha Root
1946 Muhammad Taqiy-i-Isfahan
1951 Louis Gregory
1925 John E. Esslemont
1943 'Abdu'l-Jalil Bey Sa'ad
1951 Roy C. Wilhelm
1952 John Henry Hyde-Dunn
1933 Keith Ransom-Kehler
1945 Mustafa Rumi
APPOINTED WHILE LIVING FIRST CONTINGENT-DECEMBER 24, 1951
'Ali-Akbar Furutan
Horace Holley
Taraz'u'llah Samandari
Dorothy Baker
Ugo Giachery
Leroy loas
George Townshend
Amelia Collins
Hermann Grossmann
William Sutherland Maxwell
Valiy'u'llah Varqa
SECOND CONTINGENT-FEBRUARY 29, 1952
Musa Banani
Dhikr'u'llah Khadem
Siegfried Schopflocher
Shu'u'allah 'Ala'i
Clara Dunn
Adelbert Muhlschlegel
Corinne True
APPOINTED INDIVIDUALLY
Jalal Khazeh-December 7,1953
'Ali-Muhammad Varqa-November 15,1955
Amatu'l-Bahá' Ruhiyyih Khanum-March 26,1952
Paul E. Haney-March 19,1954
Agnes Alexander-March 27, 1957
Last Eight-October 27. 1957
Abu'l-Qasim Faizi
William Sears
John Ferraby
H. Collis Featherstone
John Robarts
Enoch Olinga
Rahmatu'llah Muhajir
Hasan M. Balyuzi
DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL BAHA'I COUNCIL (THE FORERUNNER OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE)
1951 January 9. Appointment of:
Amatu'l-Bahá Ruhiyyih Khanum-liaison between the Guardian and the Council
Jessie Revell-Treasurer
Charles Mason Remey-President
Ugo Giachery-Member-at-Large
Amelia Collins-Vice President
Ethel Revell-Western Secretary
Leroy loas-Secretary
General Lutfu'llah Hakim-Eastern Secretary
1955 Sylvia loas
PUBLICATIONS AND COMPILATIONS OF WRITINGS BY SHOGHI EFFENDI
BOOKS
1944 God Passes By
STATISTICAL COMPILATIONS
1944 A World Survey: The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1944
1950 The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1950 [online at
bahai-library.com/shoghieffendi_statistics_1844-1950]
1953 The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1952
The Work contains the "Ten Year International Teaching and Consolidation Plan"
LETTERS PUBLISHED IN COLLECTIONS AND BOOKS
1925 Letters from Shoghi Effendi (1922-1924)
1928 Bahá'í Administration
1929 The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh
1930 The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh-Further Considerations
1931 The Goal of a New World Order
1932 The Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh
1933 America and the Most Great Peace
1934 The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh
1936 The Unfoldment of World Civilization
1938 The Advent of Divine Justice
1940 Messages from The Guardian
1941 The Promised Day is Come
1942 Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi
1946 Messages to America
1952 World Order Unfolds
1953 Guidance for Today and Tomorrow
1958 Citadel of Faith
1958 Messages to the Bahá'í World
1965 Messages to Canada
1970 Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand
1970 Dawn of a New Day
1973 Directives from the Guardian
1976 High Endeavors
1977 Call to the Nations
1981 Unfolding Destiny
1982 Arohanui (Messages to New Zealand)
1982 The Light Of Divine Guidance: 2 Volumes To Germany and Austria
MAJOR TRANSLATIONS INTO ENGLISH BY SHOGHI EFFENDI
1923 Prayers of Bahá'u'lláh
1923 Prayers and Tablets of 'Abdul-Bahá (booklet)
1923 Words of wisdom (Revealed by Bahá'u'lláh
1923 Tablet revealed by 'Abdul-Bahá'í to Dr. Auguste Forel (September 21, 1921)
1925 The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh ( Revised 1932)
1931 The Kitab-i-Iqan ( The Book Of Certitude by Bahá'u'lláh)
1932 The Dawnbreakers ( Nabil's narrative of the early days of the Bahá'í revelation)
1933 Tablets revealed in honor of the Greatest Holy Leaf by Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá' with an introduction by Shoghi Effendi
1935 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
1938 Prayers and Meditations by Bahá'u'lláh
1941 Epistle to the Son of the Wolf by Bahá'u'lláh
PLANS FOR EXPANSION CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI
1937-1944 The First Seven Year Plan (USA and Canada)
1938-1944 The Six Yew Plan (India, Pakistan and Burma)
1944-1950 The Second Six Year Plan (India, Pakistan and Burma)
1944-1950 The Six Year Plan (British Isles)
1946-1950 The Forty-Five Month Plan (Persia)
1946-1953 The Second Seven Year Plan (USA and Canada)
1947-1953 The Six Year Plan (Australia and New Zealand)
1948-1953 The Five Year Plan (Canada)
1948-1953 The Five Year Plan (Egypt and Sudan)
1948-1953 The Five Year Plan (Germany and Austria)
1951-1953 The Three Year Plan (Central and South America)
1951-1953 The Nineteen Month Plan (India, Pakistan and Burma)
1951-1953 The African Campaign (British Isles, Persia, Egypt and Sudan, USA, India
1953-1963 The Ten Year Spiritual Crusade (12 National Assemblies)
1956-1963 Subsidiary Seven Year Plans (31 African National Assemblies formed Ridvan 1956)
1957-1963 Subsidiary Six Year Plans (13 National Assemblies formed Ridvan 1957)