| date |
event |
tags |
firsts |
1925 (In the year)
192- |
The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada was established. |
National Spiritual Assembly, election of |
first National Spiritual Assembly in America. |
1925 4 Jul - 9 Jul
192- |
The Seventeenth Annual Convention of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada was held at Green Acre. [GAP117; SBR94]
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada was elected for the first time. [GPB333, SETPE1p107]
Like the previous attempts at electing a National Assembly in 1922, 1923 and 1924, the delegates didn't fully understand the Bahá'í election procedure. Nine members were elected as well as nine alternates whose purpose was to replace absent members at meetings. [SETPE1p108]
The members were: Alfred Lunt, Harry Randall, May Maxwell, George Latimer, Louis Gregory, Elizabeth Greenleaf, Mariam Haney and Keith Ransom-Kehler with Horace Holley becomes its first full-time secretary. [BW13:852; SBR233, SETPE1p108] |
Alfred Lunt; William Harry Randall; May Maxwell (Bolles); George Latimer; Louis G. Gregory; Elizabeth Greenleaf; Mariam Haney; Keith Ransom-Kehler; Horace Holley; National Spiritual Assembly; National Spiritual Assembly, election of; Green Acre, Eliot, ME |
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada was elected for the first time. |
1925 Dec
192- |
"A Plan of Unified Action to Spread the Bahá'í Cause Throughout the United States and Canada January 1, 1926-December 31, 1928" was formulated by The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada in response to Shoghi Effendi's message to the annual National Convention. [BA86-89; BN No 10 February 1926 p1]
It can be found at [Plan] The goals were (1) to unify the American Bahá'í community's efforts, (2) to increase the number of Bahá'ís, (3) to "penetrate the consciousness of the public with the spirit of Bahá'u'lláh", and (4) to raise $400,000 so that the construction of the first unit of the Temple's superstructure could begin. [SBBR14p160, BFA1p110]
This was the first of two Plans developed by the North American National Assembly in the years from 1926 to 1934 the second being "A New Plan of Unified Action To complete the Bahá'í Temple and promote the Cause in America (1931-1934)". [SBBR14p155-197]
The above two plans were the first to have the expansion and development of the Bahá'í community as a primary goal and it is likely that they provided the model for other plans organized by Shoghi Effendi and other National Assemblies. [SBBR14p155]
The first Plan of Unified Action indicates the ascendancy of those Bahá'ís who supported a centralizing authority over those who wanted a more amorphous system or no organization at all.[BiW177-8]
- For an essay on this subject see "Some Aspects of the Establishment of the Guardianship" by Dr Loni Bramson-Lerche in SBBR5p253-293
During the years of these two plans the National Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada developed practices commonly used in subsequent plans, organized propagation, a central budget and the modern form of the Nineteen Day Feast. [SBBR14p160] |
- Teaching Plans; - Teaching Plans, National; National Spiritual Assembly; Canada |
first teaching plan |
Canada
