# Guidance for Bahá'í Groups

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

---

> Table of Contents
> 
> Foreword    iii
> Introduction     1
> Importance of Bahá'í Groups  1
> Group Formation and Officer Election    3
> Group Organization     4
> Lapsed Assemblies      5
> Consultation     7
> Protection  8
> Publishing and Distribution of Bahá'í Literature   9
> Community Membership   10
> Teaching/Consolidation 13
> Building Distinctive Bahá'í Communities 16
> Bahá'í Holy Days and the Nineteen Day Feast  19
> Bahá'í Funds     21
> Bahá'í Education 23
> External Affairs 23
> Properties  25
> Application of Bahá'í Law    25
> Marriage    26
> Divorce     28
> Burial Law, Wills      29
> Contact Information    31
> Appendix  A  --  Basics of How To Be a Treasurer   39
> Appendix B  --  Federal Tax Identification Number  41
> 
>                                 1.2 Foreword
> 
> Guidance for Bahá'í Groups is intended  primarily  for  the  use  of  Bahá'í
> groups and individuals.  Unlike Local Spiritual  Assemblies,  Bahá'í  groups
> generally have no administrative functions other than maintenance  of  their
> membership  lists.    Despite  any   similarities   in   general   community
> activities among both group and Assembly areas, there can  be  no  confusion
> between the role of a Bahá'í group, which  is  a  community  of  individuals
> endeavoring to establish a Local Spiritual Assembly, and a  Local  Spiritual
> Assembly, which is a legally recognized institution of the Faith.   Detailed
> guidance  for  Local  Spiritual  Assemblies  may  be  found  in   Developing
> Distinctive Bahá'í Communities: Guidelines for Spiritual Assemblies.
> 
> 1.3 1.4 Introduction
> 
> (DDBC notations  at  the  start  of  each  section  refer  to  corresponding
> sections  of  Developing  Distinctive  Bahá'í  Communities:  Guidelines  for
> Spiritual Assemblies, 1998 Edition,  which  is  available  from  the  Bahá'í
> Distribution  Service.   Both  Guidance  for  Bahá'í  Groups  and  DDBC  are
> available on the Internet for word searches  and  downloading  at  the  U.S.
> National     Spiritual     Assembly's      administrative      web      site
> [http://www.usbnc.org].  The American  Bahá'í  and  the  administrative  web
> site are additional sources of current  news,  information  and  references.
> The suggested  readings  listed  at  the  end  of  each  section  should  be
> available through the Bahá'í Distribution Service.)
> 
> A Bahá'í group exists wherever two or more Bahá'ís reside and where the
> Bahá'í community has not formed a Local Spiritual Assembly.  The main focus
> of a Bahá'í group should be fellowship, community building, and teaching in
> order to strengthen the community so that it may eventually form a Local
> Spiritual Assembly.  While it is suggested that Bahá'í groups register with
> the National Spiritual Assembly, a group is not an administrative
> institution of the Faith and, therefore, does not have the same duties and
> responsibilities as a Local Spiritual Assembly.  Registered Bahá'í groups
> have certain privileges that unregistered groups do not, which are referred
> to in the section titled Group Formation and Officer Election.  The
> following guidance is intended to assist individuals and members of Bahá'í
> groups in understanding their responsibilities and in knowing what matters
> should be referred to a nearby Local Spiritual Assembly or to the National
> Spiritual Assembly.
> 
> Development of Bahá'í groups well-grounded in Bahá'í principles and
> patterns of community life is essential to the establishment of new Local
> Spiritual Assemblies that are strong and vital, capable of serving the
> interests and needs of their communities from the outset.  Therefore, the
> energies of Bahá'í groups should be centered in cultivating a spirit of
> loving fellowship, teaching unceasingly, and becoming trained and adept in
> the art of Bahá'í consultation, which is the primary skill for Bahá'í
> community life.  Creation of communities that are loving, unified, and
> diverse will attract and hold the hearts of seekers, as such communities
> embody the qualities of the divinely promised refuge for which all humanity
> is seeking.
> 
> 1.5 Importance of Bahá'í Groups
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter 1)
> 
> 1.6
> 
> Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, states that the principal
> importance of Bahá'í groups is that they will eventually develop into Local
> Spiritual Assemblies whose destinies are vital to the establishment of the
> World Order of Bahá'u'lláh:
> 
>       Furthermore, I cannot too strongly emphasize the vital necessity for
>       all the Bahá'í groups, scattered throughout these forty-two countries,
>       to brace themselves, and make a supreme effort, during these
>       intervening two years, to achieve assembly status,...contributing,
>       through this act, to the broadening and strengthening of the
>       foundations of these projected pivotal institutions, destined to play
>       so prominent and vital a part in ushering in the last phase in the
>       gradual establishment of the structure of an Administrative Order that
>       must needs slowly evolve into the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, and
>       which in turn will give birth, in the fullness of time, to a world
>       spiritual civilization, which posterity will hail as the fairest fruit
>       of His Revelation.
> 
>                  (Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahá'í World: 1950-1957)
> 
> When the membership of a group includes nine adult believers in good
> standing, it becomes eligible to form a Local Spiritual Assembly on the
> date of the following Ridván.  According to the Guardian, the formation of
> a Local Spiritual Assembly should not be delayed for any reason, as each
> new Spiritual Assembly becomes a link strengthening the world encircling
> Administrative Order.
> 
>       It is of the utmost importance that in accordance with the explicit
>       text of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book, in every locality, be
>       it city or hamlet, where the number of adult (21 years and above)
>       declared believers exceeds nine, a local "Spiritual Assembly" be
>       forthwith established.  To it all local matters pertaining to the
>       Cause must be directly and immediately referred for full consultation
>       and decision.  The importance, nay the absolute necessity of these
>       local Assemblies is manifest when we realize that in the days to come
>       they will evolve into the local Houses of Justice, and at present
>       provide the firm foundation on which the structure of the Master's
>       Will is to be reared in future.
> 
>                              (Shoghi Effendi: Bahá'í Administration, Page:
>                        37)
> 
> Furthermore, the establishment of a Local Spiritual Assembly draws a share
> of divine bounty to the entire locality in which it is formed, not merely
> to the Bahá'í community:
> 
>       The community must become imbued with a sense of mission and the Local
>       Spiritual Assembly grow in awareness of its role as a channel of God's
>       grace not only for the Bahá'ís but for the entire village, town or
>       city in which it serves.
> 
>                             (The Universal House of Justice, Dec 26, 1995,
>                             letter to the Continental Boards of
>                             Counsellors)
> 
> It sometimes happens that a community's membership list contains the names
> of believers who are not known to the community or who have, in the past,
> indicated that they are unwilling to serve on an institution.  When a group
> realizes that it will have an opportunity to form a Local Spiritual
> Assembly on the coming Ridván, it should endeavor, well in advance, to
> clarify any uncertainties concerning the willingness of individual members
> to participate in the election or joint declaration.  When it is confirmed
> that there will be enough members to form a Local Spiritual Assembly,
> election notices should be mailed to every member at least fifteen days in
> advance of the election with instructions for absentee voting.  The
> necessary election forms and instructions can be obtained from the Office
> of Membership and Records at the Bahá'í National Center.  Following the
> election, if the Local Spiritual Assembly formation is accepted by the
> National Spiritual Assembly, the Local Spiritual Assembly will be mailed a
> packet of information to assist it to begin functioning.
> 
> 1.6.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi
> 
>            The Local Spiritual Assembly, compiled by the Research
>            Department of the Universal House of Justice
> 
> 1.7 Group Formation and Officer Election
> 
> (DDBC, Chapters 2 & 3)
> 
> A Bahá'í locality is an area in which a Bahá'í community is situated.
> Generally, the boundaries of Bahá'í localities follow those of the smallest
> unit of civil jurisdiction, such as the boundaries of an incorporated city,
> or, outside of a city, the boundaries of a township or county.  Whenever
> the boundaries for a locality are uncertain, boundary clarification and/or
> guidelines for establishing boundaries should be requested from the
> National Spiritual Assembly.  Bahá'ís residing in localities that do not
> yet have enough members to form Local Spiritual Assemblies are encouraged
> to register as Bahá'í groups.
> 
> Bahá'í groups are established through the believers meeting together and
> deciding to register as a group in order to receive mailings, develop
> community life, promote teaching and prepare for the eventuality of Local
> Spiritual Assembly formation.  Larger groups are encouraged to elect
> officers such as a correspondent, chairman and treasurer in preparation for
> the time when they will become Local Spiritual Assemblies.  Small groups
> need not hold an election, but may simply designate someone to serve as the
> contact person to receive the group's mail.
> 
> Every group should submit a "Bahá'í Group Registration Form/Officers
> Election Report" to the Office of Membership and Records at the Bahá'í
> National Center on an annual basis.  This form can be obtained by
> contacting the Office of Membership and Records.  The group will then be
> registered and will receive correspondence from the Bahá'í National Center.
>  Registering a group will ensure that it receives periodic mailings, Feast
> letters and newsreels, and allows it to establish a local Bahá'í Fund.
> 
> Although a group may form and elect its officers at any time during the
> year, it is recommended that, after the first formation, it reform each
> year on the First Day of Ridván at an annual meeting.  Preferably, all
> believers should be notified of the meeting at least 15 days in advance.
> 
> 1.7.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Bahá'í Elections, compiled by the Research Department of the
>            Universal House of Justice
> 
>            Electing Bahá'í Assemblies, National Spiritual Assembly of the
>            Bahá'ís of the United States, 1997
> 
> 1.8 Group Organization
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  3)
> 
> In principle, registered Bahá'í groups regularly meet and consult together
> regarding such matters as the observance of Feasts, the development of
> children's classes, if needed, and the planning of teaching events.
> Decisions in Bahá'í communities are achieved through consensus in
> consultation, but if consensus cannot be achieved, then they are carried by
> majority vote.  While Bahá'í groups may consult on issues of community
> development and teaching, they cannot perform the legislative duties of a
> Local Spiritual Assembly, such as, performing Bahá'í marriages or handling
> cases involving the violation of Bahá'í law.  Nor should Bahá'í groups be
> concerned, other than maintaining their membership lists, with such
> administrative duties as taking minutes, distributing an annual report
> (although one may be needed to preserve incorporation for a lapsed Local
> Spiritual Assembly, see Lapsed Assemblies), and so forth.  Groups should
> particularly bear in mind Shoghi Effendi's warning against over-
> administration and place their primary focus on fellowship, community
> building, and teaching.  Should an issue requiring the attention of a Local
> Spiritual Assembly arise, the group should turn to a nearby Spiritual
> Assembly or contact the National Spiritual Assembly for assistance.
> 
> Should a group disperse and no believers remain in the community who are
> able to responsibly store whatever archival records may exist for the
> community, they should be sent to the National Bahá'í Archives.   Only
> actual community records, such as important correspondence, local
> bulletins, financial records, local publicity material, and other
> historical information, such as community photographs and scrapbooks should
> be sent.  Do not send any of the community's library, including back issues
> of The American Bahá'í and Bahá'í News.  Books and other such printed
> matter may be given to a nearby Local Spiritual Assembly or registered
> Bahá'í group to use as they wish.  Certain types of records having no
> permanent value, such as routine mailings from the Bahá'í National Center,
> routine advertisements, etc., from non-Bahá'ís, and so forth, should be
> disposed of locally.  If a dispersing group has a local Bahá'í fund, it may
> send the remaining balance to any other Bahá'í fund before the group
> dissolves.  An individual believer may not hold funds on behalf of a
> registered Bahá'í group in the hope that it will reform.  If Bahá'í funds
> remain following the dispersion of a registered Bahá'í group, advice should
> be sought from the National Treasurer's Office.
> 
> 1.8.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Lights of Guidance, A Bahá'í Reference File, compiled by Helen
>            Bassett Hornby, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India
> 
>       1.9 Lapsed Assemblies
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  3)
> 
> In an area served by a Local Spiritual Assembly, if the number of
> registered believers in possession of their administrative rights falls
> below nine, it may lose its Local Spiritual Assembly status.  While this is
> unfortunate, it is sometimes unavoidable due to the size of a community and
> the circumstances of its members.  Job transfers or layoffs, marriages,
> divorces, illness, death, and other factors naturally produce fluctuations
> in the size of communities.  When the communities are small, minor
> variations in the number of believers often make the difference between
> maintaining or losing Local Spiritual Assembly status.  Records indicate
> that there is a real correlation between general population density and the
> size of the Bahá'í community.  Therefore, in many areas, particularly those
> less populated, the challenge of establishing and maintaining a Local
> Spiritual Assembly requires a long-term commitment on the part of the
> believers.  In these areas, opportunities abound for true homefront
> pioneering.
> 
> Believers in an area that has lost its Local Spiritual Assembly status
> should not become discouraged and allow the loss to consume their spiritual
> energies.  They should not feel that they or others have, in some way,
> failed in their obligations as Bahá'ís, but should realize that, in the
> natural ebb and flow of events, it is inevitable to experience setbacks.
> In due course, the community will again achieve Local Spiritual Assembly
> status and become stronger and more firmly established than it was
> previously.
> 
> When a Local Spiritual Assembly community reverts to group status, it
> should report immediately to the National Spiritual Assembly.  The National
> Assembly may, at its discretion, appoint a temporary administrative
> committee for the purpose of maintaining the life and vigor of the
> community.  In addition, there are a number of issues pertaining to the
> change in status that may need to be considered:
> 
> Bahá'í Funds:  The names of bank accounts should be changed, if necessary,
> to reflect the change in status.  Automatic contributions may be continued,
> if the group wishes, and the amount adjusted, if necessary.  However, the
> group should file a name change with the Internal Revenue Service to
> reflect its change in status for its Federal Tax Identification Number.
> 
> Postal address:  If the Local Spiritual Assembly had a post office box and
> the group wishes to maintain it, the name associated with it should reflect
> the status of the community.
> 
> Disposition of Local Spiritual Assembly records:  The outgoing Local
> Spiritual Assembly should determine whether a reliable member is willing to
> hold the Spiritual Assembly records.  If someone is willing, the National
> Spiritual Assembly should be informed of the location of these records and
> the name of the person holding them.  If not, or if the Local Spiritual
> Assembly is not re-formed after two years, the Spiritual Assembly records
> should be forwarded to the National Archives at the Bahá'í National Center.
>  Only the actual Spiritual Assembly records, such as minutes, important
> correspondence, local bulletins, financial records, publicity material, and
> other historical information, such as community photographs and scrapbooks,
> should be sent.  Do not send any of the Spiritual Assembly's library,
> including back issues of The American Bahá'í and Bahá'í News.  Books and
> other such printed matter should, if possible, be given to a nearby Local
> Spiritual Assembly, registered Bahá'í group, or responsible individual
> willing and able to hold it in trust until the Local Spiritual Assembly can
> be reformed. Certain types of records having no permanent value, such as
> routine mailings from the Bahá'í National Center, routine advertisements,
> etc., from non-Bahá'ís, and so forth, should be disposed of locally.
> 
> Insurance:  Activities and events organized by Bahá'í groups are not
> covered under the National Spiritual Assembly's general liability insurance
> policy.  However, they may be covered if a nearby Local Spiritual Assembly
> can be found to sponsor them.
> 
> Incorporation:   The incorporated status of a Local Spiritual Assembly is
> not necessarily lost if it is unable to re-form.  The corporation created
> has a legal existence apart from the actual Local Spiritual Assembly that
> it represents.  It can continue to exist even if the Local Spiritual
> Assembly itself is lost, as long as the legal requirements for maintaining
> corporate status continue to be met, including filing the annual report
> with the Secretary of State in the state of incorporation.  The Local
> Spiritual Assembly's incorporation can and should be maintained as long as
> there are one or more believers in the area who are willing to do so.
> 
> Bahá'í Properties:  If the Local Spiritual Assembly holds real estate,
> appropriate measures should be taken to ensure the proper management of the
> property.  With the approval of the National Assembly, a local or regional
> committee may be established under the auspices of another Local Spiritual
> Assembly to manage the property, or the property may be transferred to the
> National Spiritual Assembly to hold in trust or to dispose of as indicated.
> 
> 
> 1.10 Consultation
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  4)
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh says, "No welfare and no well being can be attained except
> through consultation."[1]  `Abdu'l-Bahá called consultation "one of the
> explicit ordinances of the Lord of Mankind."[2]  The Universal House of
> Justice states that the skill of consultation will lead to "new paths of
> human corporate action."[3]   It may be said, therefore, that the most
> important skill for believers to acquire in their development as members of
> a Bahá'í group is that of effective Bahá'í consultation.  Individuals and
> Bahá'í groups are encouraged to attend workshops offering training in
> Bahá'í consultation skills, including those offered through the National
> Spiritual Assembly's Office of Assembly Development, in addition to those
> offered through Bahá'í schools and training institutes.
> 
> Groups will wish to consult on developing plans for the growth of their
> Bahá'í community in anticipation of the time when they will function as a
> Local Spiritual Assembly.  A primary concern of the group will be to foster
> the development of the Faith in its locality by deepening its believers and
> by attracting new souls, so that when a Local Spiritual Assembly is
> eventually formed, it will be firmly grounded in the teachings, principles
> and spirit of the Faith.  Since a group is not an administrative
> institution, consultation within it does not cover the wide range of issues
> that may be considered by a Local Spiritual Assembly, such as marriage,
> divorce, personal problems, status of believers, and so forth.  Should such
> concerns arise regarding any of these issues, they should be referred to a
> nearby Local Spiritual Assembly or to the National Spiritual Assembly.
> Nonetheless, as the principles of consultation are universal, group members
> will obtain valuable experience in preparation for becoming Local Spiritual
> Assembly members by endeavoring wholeheartedly to understand and apply the
> principles and practices of Bahá'í consultation.
> 
> The principle of consultation, which constitutes one of the basic laws of
> the Administration, should be applied to all Bahá'í activities which affect
> the collective interests of the Faith, for it is through cooperation and
> continued exchange of thoughts and views that the Cause can best safeguard
> and foster its interests.  Individual initiative, personal ability and
> resourcefulness, though indispensable, are, unless supported and enriched
> by the collective experiences and wisdom of the group, utterly incapable of
> achieving such a tremendous task.
> 
>                             (Shoghi Effendi, Consultation:  A Compilation,
>                             p.  15)
> 
> Individuals may also wish to know that the Universal House of Justice has
> noted that:
> 
>       Any Bahá'í, whether an isolated believer or a member of a local
>       community or group, may convey his suggestions and recommendations to
>       the National Spiritual Assembly at any time and thus take part in the
>       consultative aspect of Bahá'í community life.
> 
>                  (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of
>                  Justice to an individual believer, dated July 23, 1985)
> 
> 1.10.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Consultation:  A Compilation, Extracts from the Writings and
>            Utterances of Bahá'u'lláh,`Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and The
>            Universal House of Justice,  compiled by the Research Department
>            of the Universal House of Justice
> 
>            Consultation, John Kolstoe
> 
>            Channels of Divine Guidance: Consultation, Part I & II, National
>            Spiritual Assembly, Office of Assembly Development
> 
> 1.11 Protection
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  5)
> 
> Protection of the Faith primarily involves maintaining the unity of the
> friends, upholding the principles and standards of the Faith, and
> encouraging obedience to the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh.  If problems of
> disunity arise within a group, and sincere attempts at consultation do not
> resolve them, the matter should be reported directly to the National
> Spiritual Assembly or to the Auxiliary Board member or assistant for
> protection for that area.  Contact information for Auxiliary Board members
> can be obtained through a Local Spiritual Assembly or the National
> Spiritual Assembly.
> 
> Problems of opposition, which originate with people outside the Faith, or
> of Covenant-breaking, which afflicts only Bahá'ís, should be reported
> immediately to both the National Spiritual Assembly and to the Auxiliary
> Board member for protection.  As Covenant-breaking is something that occurs
> only rarely, it is important to understand what it is not.  Those who break
> Bahá'í law, who withdraw from the Faith, or who reject Bahá'u'lláh's claim
> to be a Manifestation of God are not Covenant-breakers.
> 
> The following passage from the Universal House of Justice explains what
> Covenant-breaking is:
> 
> Every Bahá'í is at liberty, nay is urged, to freely express his opinion and
> his understanding of the Teachings, but all this is in a totally different
> category from that of a Bahá'í who opposes the clear Teachings of
> Bahá'u'lláh or who asserts his own opinion as an authoritative and correct
> interpretation of the teachings, and attacks or opposes the very
> institutions which Bahá'u'lláh has created to protect His Covenant.  When a
> person declares his acceptance of Bahá'u'lláh as a Manifestation of God he
> becomes a party to the covenant and accepts the totality of His Revelation.
>  If he then turns round and attacks Bahá'u'lláh or the Central Institution
> of the Faith he violates the Covenant.  If this happens every effort is
> made to help that person to see the illogicality and error of his actions,
> but if he persists he must, in accordance with the instructions of
> Bahá'u'lláh himself, be shunned as a Covenant-breaker.
> 
>                                   (Letter from the Universal House of
>                                   Justice, dated March 23, 1975, to an
>                                   individual believer)
> 
> A Bahá'í who violates the Covenant is declared a Covenant-breaker only
> after every effort has been made to help that person see the illogicality
> and error of his actions.  Only the Universal House of Justice can declare
> someone a Covenant-breaker.  Since Bahá'u'lláh has stated that Covenant-
> breaking is a highly contagious spiritual disease, for the protection of
> the community Covenant-breakers are cut off from all association with the
> Bahá'í community both in their personal and public lives.
> 
> 1.11.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>       Overcoming Barriers to Unity, Steven E. Ellis, The Alaska Bahá'í
>       Bookshop
> 
> Issues Concerning Community Functioning, compiled by the Research
> Department of the Universal House of Justice
> 
> The Covenant, compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of
> Justice
> 
> Opposition, compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of
> Justice
> 
> 1.12 Publishing and Distribution of Bahá'í Literature
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  5)
> 
> The National Spiritual Assembly, through the following agencies, publishes
> and distributes the sacred and authoritative texts, teaching literature,
> introductory and historical works, literature for children and youth,
> audio/visual materials, and periodicals:
> 
> The Bahá'í Publishing Trust publishes sacred and authoritative texts and
> other works to support the teaching and consolidation efforts of the
> National Spiritual Assembly.
> 
> The Bahá'í Distribution Service distributes Bahá'í publications and special
> materials through mail order and Bahá'í bookstores.
> 
> Bahá'í Media Services provides media production services to both the
> national and international Bahá'í community, produces videos and
> audiotapes, provides photographic services, and maintains an extensive
> media library.   It also produces The American Bahá'í, a newspaper covering
> domestic and international news of the progress of the Cause.  The American
> Bahá'í is provided free of charge to all U.S. Bahá'ís in good standing.
> 
> Bahá'í Subscriber Services offers subscriptions to Bahá'í periodicals
> including Brilliant Star, a bimonthly magazine for children and youth;  One
> Country, the Bahá'í International Community newsletter;  Art Matters, a
> triannual magazine focusing on the importance of teaching and the arts;
> Herald of the South, a full-color quarterly magazine from Australia;  and
> World Order, a quarterly journal featuring scholarly articles.
> 
> The National Spiritual Assembly is responsible for the reviewing of
> material intended for nationwide publication.  Local Spiritual Assemblies
> review material intended for publication or distribution within their own
> communities.  Bahá'í groups may not review works for publication.  All
> works produced for public distribution that mention the Faith, its Central
> Figures, history or teachings must be submitted to the Office of Research
> and Review.  In addition to written materials, videos, music, play scripts,
> souvenir items, greeting cards, and so forth, that mention the Faith must
> also be reviewed.
> 
> Bahá'í groups may not set up book sales outlets, but may establish
> community lending libraries and may open accounts with the Bahá'í
> Distribution Service.  Individuals in any locality are free to order Bahá'í
> books directly from the Bahá'í Distribution Service.
> 
>       Suggested Reading:
> 
> Writers and Writing, compiled by the Research Department of the Universal
> House of Justice
> 
> 1.13 Community Membership
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  6)
> 
> Groups are asked to maintain their own membership list and to inform the
> National Assembly of address changes for those believers moving into or out
> of the community.  Forms for reporting address changes may be obtained from
> the Bahá'í National Center's Office of Membership and Records.
> 
> Communities render an important service to the National Assembly by
> maintaining current membership information.  As there are significant costs
> associated with undeliverable mail, changes in the community's membership
> list should be reported as soon as possible.  Twice a year, the National
> Spiritual Assembly, through its Management Information Services department,
> sends a revised Community Membership List to all Local Spiritual Assemblies
> and registered Bahá'í groups.  Three general categories appear on each
> list:
> 
>    1. Believers with known addresses:  Mail is deliverable at the listed
>       address.
> 
>    1. Believers who have had their mail returned:  Mail does not reach the
>       addressee and is returned to the post office.  The community should
>       try to verify the addresses of these believers.  When a community has
>       verified that a person does not live at the last known address, and no
>       forwarding information is available, that finding should be reported
>       to the Membership and Records Office of the Bahá'í National Center so
>       that person's name can be removed from the local mailing list.  While
>       names of believers whose addresses have been verified as unknown do
>       not appear on any community membership lists, the person's name is
>       retained on the National Spiritual Assembly's membership rolls with
>       their last known address.
> 
>    1. Believers deprived of their administrative rights, institutionalized,
>       or imprisoned:  Since these people are still members of the Bahá'í
>       Faith, their names are retained on the local list with notations about
>       their personal status.  These individuals do not receive The American
>       Bahá'í, nor should they receive routine mailings such as newsletters
>       from local communities.  (See section on Community Membership.)
> 
> Printouts of the community membership mailed to the group's correspondent
> are confidential, and obsolete lists should be shredded or burned.  Bahá'í
> mailing lists or directories are to be used for the work of the Faith only
> and may not be used for promotional or advertising purposes, or for
> business solicitation.  Furthermore, as the names and addresses of
> individual Bahá'ís are confidential, the lists should not be given to
> individual Bahá'ís outside the community of their residence without the
> prior consent of each community member.  The National Spiritual Assembly's
> policy is that such information is private and confidential and thus should
> not be made available without the person's consent, unless it is requested
> by a Bahá'í institution for official business purposes only.
> Correspondence and messages should, of course, be forwarded to the person
> that the inquirer wishes to contact.
> 
> Since Bahá'í groups are not administrative institutions, they do not have
> the responsibility of enrolling new believers, handling requests for
> withdrawal from the Faith, or issuing Bahá'í credentials.  This does not
> mean, of course, that a group may not accept a Bahá'í declaration card;
> only that the countersigning of the card should be done by an institution
> of the Faith.  This will usually be the nearest Local Spiritual Assembly,
> Auxiliary Board member, or Regional Bahá'í Council.  All requests for
> withdrawal and requests for Bahá'í credentials should be referred to the
> National Spiritual Assembly.
> 
> Bahá'í parents may complete a Bahá'í registration card for each child and
> forward it to the Bahá'í National Center.  Registration cards can be
> obtained from the Office of Information Services.  When the child's card is
> received at the Bahá'í National Center, the child will be assigned a Bahá'í
> identification number and the child's name will be added to the national
> computer records.  After the child's name has been recorded on the
> computer, the child will receive an acknowledgement letter in care of the
> parents.  The letter will include the child's Bahá'í identification number,
> which the parents should refer to when making address changes for the
> family.  Parents may register their children at birth or any time before
> they reach the age of fifteen.  Bahá'í birth certificates are available
> from the Office of Information Services for a small fee.  On attaining the
> age of fifteen, registered Bahá'í youth receive a letter of recognition and
> a Bahá'í membership card from the National Spiritual Assembly.  If the
> youth do not wish to remain registered as Bahá'ís, they may return the card
> at that time.  After reaching the age of 15, any youth who was not
> registered as a child must complete a Bahá'í Declaration card to have his
> or her name entered on the membership rolls.
> 
> Bahá'ís in possession of their administrative rights may attend Nineteen
> Day Feasts, vote and be voted for in Bahá'í elections, participate in
> activities reserved for enrolled members in possession of their
> administrative rights, contribute to the Bahá'í Funds, go on pilgrimage,
> receive publications intended for Bahá'ís only, be appointed to service by
> the institutions of the Faith, be married in the Faith, and enjoy the
> blessings conferred through obedience to Bahá'í law.
> 
> Bahá'ís whose administrative rights have been removed do not share in the
> above privileges.  Nonetheless, since their spiritual commitment is not in
> question, their continuing Bahá'í life can include loving fellowship and
> friendship with other believers, worship of God through the prayers of the
> Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, and `Abdu'l-Bahá, and observance of the Fast, of the
> Bahá'í Holy Days, and of all the personal and family occasions of the
> Faith.  They have access to the literature of the Faith and, unless
> specified otherwise by the National Spiritual Assembly, may attend any
> meetings and Bahá'í school sessions that are open to the public.  They may
> subscribe to Brilliant Star and World Order magazines and other general
> publications, but cannot receive The American Bahá'í.  Bahá'ís deprived of
> their administrative rights cannot attend Nineteen Days Feasts, contribute
> to the Bahá'í funds, have a Bahá'í marriage, or go on pilgrimage; nor may
> they receive mailings intended for Bahá'ís only, such as newsletters and
> bulletins, participate in administrative affairs, vote or be voted for, be
> appointed to committees, or serve as teachers or speakers in programs
> sponsored by Bahá'ís.  At the discretion of the National Spiritual
> Assembly, an individual's rights may be limited rather than removed
> completely.  Bahá'ís who have lost their administrative rights may recover
> them through working with a Local Spiritual Assembly to correct whatever
> condition resulted in removal of their rights.
> 
> Bahá'ís who are transferring into the United States from another country
> should complete their Bahá'í transfer through the Office of Membership and
> Records as soon as possible.   If they have current credentials from their
> previous country they may participate fully in the life of the community,
> pending transfer of their membership into the United States Bahá'í
> community.  If they do not have current credentials from their previous
> country, they are not eligible to participate in Bahá'í-only activities
> until their status has been verified and their transfer completed.  They
> must contact their former National Spiritual Assembly and ask that their
> credentials be sent to the U. S. National Spiritual Assembly.  For some
> believers, particularly Persians, the transfer process may take many
> months.  Until then, their participation in the community is restricted to
> activities open only to non-Bahá'ís.  Believers in the process of
> transferring into the country without current credentials are ineligible to
> vote or to be elected, to contribute to the Bahá'í funds, to attend Feasts,
> or to have access to any of the other privileges accorded Bahá'ís whose
> good standing is known to the National Spiritual Assembly.
> 
> From time to time it becomes necessary to provide letters of introduction
> to federal or state authorities, or to other National Spiritual Assemblies,
> to confirm that an individual is or is not a Bahá'í in good standing.  All
> such requests should be made to the National Spiritual Assembly, which
> reserves the exclusive right to introduce individuals as Bahá'ís to federal
> or state government authorities and to other National Spiritual Assemblies.
> 
> 1.13.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>       Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities: Guidelines for Spiritual
> Assemblies, Chapter 6
> 
> 1.14 Teaching/Consolidation
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  7)
> 
> As proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh himself, a fundamental precept of the Bahá'í
> Faith is that every believer has a responsibility for spreading and
> strengthening the Cause of God:
> 
>       To teach the Cause of God, to proclaim its truths, to defend its
>       interests, to demonstrate, by words as well as by deeds, its
>       indispensability, its potency, and universality, should at no time be
>       regarded as the exclusive concern or sole privilege of Bahá'í
>       administrative institutions, be they Assemblies, or committees.  All
>       must participate, however humble their origin, however limited their
>       experience, however restricted their means, however deficient their
>       education, however pressing their cares and preoccupations, however
>       unfavorable the environment in which they live.  "God," Bahá'u'lláh,
>       Himself, has unmistakably revealed, "hath prescribed unto everyone the
>       duty of teaching His Cause."  "Say," He further has written, "Teach ye
>       the Cause of God, O people of Bahá, for God hath prescribed unto
>       everyone the duty of proclaiming His Message, and regardeth it as the
>       most meritorious of all deeds."
> 
>                        (Shoghi Effendi: The Advent of Divine Justice, Page:
>                  45)
> 
> The main focus of Bahá'í groups should be on developing Bahá'í community
> life and teaching the Faith in their locality so as to raise their status
> to that of a Local Spiritual Assembly as soon as possible.  In their
> efforts to achieve their goals, groups are encouraged to develop local
> teaching plans in cooperation with nearby Local Spiritual Assemblies, if
> any are available, and to seek assistance from the National Teaching
> Committee and their Regional Bahá'í Council.  Groups may also call upon the
> services of their Auxiliary Board members or assistants for propagation to
> assist them with these efforts, whether or not they have been adopted as an
> extension teaching goal by a Local Spiritual Assembly.
> 
>             However, in those many communities where no organized activities
>       are taking place, whether or not a Local Spiritual Assembly has been
>       elected, more basic challenges have to be addressed, and in this the
>       Auxiliary Board members and their assistants must play a fundamental
>       role. Concerted effort must be made to help the individual believers,
>       men and women alike, increase their love for Bahá'u'lláh and His Cause
>       and to bring them together in the Nineteen Day Feast as well as
>       periodic meetings aimed at raising their awareness of their identity
>       as a community.
> 
>                        (The Universal House of Justice, Dec 26, 1995, letter
>                        to the Continental Boards of Counsellors)
> 
> The responsibility for local teaching activities rests with the individual
> members of the each community.  Attendance at local or regional Bahá'í
> training institutes can assist individual believers increase their
> understanding and develop skills for teaching and consolidation.  Whatever
> the identity, background, or means of the believers, each soul that has
> received the bounty of knowing Bahá'u'lláh has their own special part to
> play in the development and growth of the community.
> 
>       In principle, the initiative and responsibility for electing a Local
>       Spiritual Assembly belong primarily to the Bahá'ís in the locality,
>       and assistance from outside is ultimately fruitful only if the friends
>       become conscious of this sacred responsibility. As progress is made in
>       the training of human resources and in the development of the entire
>       range of Bahá'í community life, the capacity of the friends to elect
>       their Local Spiritual Assemblies on their own will certainly grow.
> 
>                        (The Universal House of Justice, Dec 26, 1995 letter
>                        to the Continental Boards of Counsellors)
> 
> The work of teaching has three aspects: proclamation, expansion, and
> consolidation.  Proclamation involves raising public awareness of the
> existence of the Faith and its teachings.  Expansion involves attracting
> individuals to the Faith, expanding their knowledge of it, and eventually
> enrolling them.  Consolidation involves continued deepening in the
> teachings, increasing firmness in the Covenant, and development of skills
> needed in Bahá'í community life and administration.  Each is important and
> a balance among them is essential for the healthy development of the
> community.
> 
>       Expansion and consolidation are twin processes that must go hand in
>       hand.  The friends must not stop expansion in the name of
>       consolidation.  Deepening the newly enrolled believers generates
>       tremendous stimulus which results in  further expansion.  The
>       enrollment of new believers, on the other hand, creates a new spirit
>       in the community and provides additional potential manpower that will
>       reinforce the consolidation work.
> 
>                  (The Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance, p.
>                  33)
> 
> Bahá'í groups are encouraged to participate in the National Spiritual
> Assembly's national teaching plan, which is currently using the powerful
> medium of television broadcasting to proclaim and teach the principles of
> the Faith all over the country.  Links to the 1-800-22-UNITE response
> system, available to Bahá'í communities at no cost, distribute seeker
> inquiries directly to a local community nearest to them.  Media campaign
> videotapes are also available for communities to use on local cable TV
> channels.  Detailed information is posted on the National Spiritual
> Assembly's Administrative Web Site and may also be obtained by calling the
> National Teaching Committee office.
> 
> In areas where there are concentrations of minority populations the
> believers should strive to make themselves aware not only of the needs and
> interests of those populations, but to be respectful of their cultural
> practices and sensitive to the effects of their immersion in the dominant
> culture.  The National American Indian Teaching Committee has prepared a
> booklet, Protocols for American Indian Teaching, which has been adopted as
> policy of the National Spiritual Assembly for teaching American Indian
> people.  Questions concerning teaching this and most other minority
> populations may be directed to the group area's Regional Bahá'í Council.
> Requests for assistance and questions concerning Southeast Asian teaching
> should be directed to the U. S. Bahá'í Refugee Office under the Office of
> the Secretary for External Affairs.
> 
> Believers who wish to fill a homefront pioneering goal should contact the
> Regional Bahá'í Council for the area in which they are interested.
> Believers who wish to pioneer internationally, either long or short term,
> or who wish to contact a Bahá'í community outside the United States should
> first consult the Office of Pioneering at the Bahá'í National Center.
> 
> 1.14.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            The Power of Divine Assistance, Extracts from the Writings of
>            Bahá'u'lláh, `Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, compiled by the
>            Research Department of the Universal House of Justice
> 
>            Promoting Entry by Troops, The Universal House of Justice
> 
>            A Special Measure of Love: The Importance and Nature of the
>            Teaching Work among the Masses, Messages from Shoghi Effendi and
>            the Universal House of Justice, National Spiritual Assembly of
>            the United States
> 
>            Effective Teaching Workbook, National Teaching Committee
> 
>            Protocols for American Indian Teaching, National American Indian
>            Teaching Committee
> 
> 
>       1.15 Building Distinctive Bahá'í Communities
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter 8)
> 
> At the heart of every successful Bahá'í community is the love and unity of
> the believers.  Activities and relationships within the community which
> promote fellowship, provide opportunities for service, increase
> understanding between believers of diverse backgrounds, and develop the
> spiritual life of the community are all essential to the development and
> expansion of every Bahá'í community.  These principles apply to
> intercommunity relationships as well as local community relationships.
> 
> The people of the world not only need the laws and principles of the Bahá'í
> Faith‹they desperately need to see the love that is engendered by it in the
> hearts of its followers, and to partake of that atmosphere of tolerance,
> understanding, forbearance and active kindness which should be the hallmark
> of a Bahá'í Community.
> 
>                  (Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, dated December
>                  5, 1942, to an individual believer, in Lights of Guidance,
>                  #1345)
> 
> Bahá'í communities should strive to be characterized by harmony among the
> believers and by freedom from prejudice, by embodying the principle of
> unity in diversity, and thereby demonstrating, once and for all, the unity
> of mankind.  Building distinctive Bahá'í communities results in the
> transformation of collective human life and the attraction of others to the
> Faith:
> 
> It is in the local Bahá'í communities that the most widespread presentation
> of the Faith can take place....It is here that the power of Bahá'u'lláh to
> organize human affairs on a basis of spiritual unity can be most apparent.
> 
>                             (Letter from the Universal House of Justice,
>                             dated Ridván, 1985, to the Bahá'ís of the
>                             World)
> 
> Development of spiritual characteristics, improvement of moral character,
> firmness in the Covenant, and striving to live up to the high ideals of the
> Faith are among the essential responsibilities of individual believers in
> developing distinctive Bahá'í communities.  Since a community is a group of
> people with relationships to one another, the achievement of unity depends
> upon successful relationships among the Bahá'ís.  According to the
> Universal House of Justice:
> 
> ...where love, respect and courtesy are genuinely and mutually expressed,
> estrangement finds no accommodation and problems become soluble challenges.
> 
>                        (May 19, 1994, letter from the Universal House of
>                        Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the
>                        United States)
> 
> For spiritual characteristics to create unity among the believers, they
> must find active expression in equality between women and men and in
> elimination of all manner of prejudice.  The full participation of
> minorities, whether they are African American, American Indian, Hispanic,
> Persian, Southeast Asian, or any other minority, can be achieved through
> sincere and sustained efforts to understand one another, to accept
> differences in perception and styles of communication, and to extend a
> degree of hospitality and kindness which may normally be reserved for
> family and close friends:
> 
>       Unless and until the believers really come to realize they are one
>       spiritual family, knit together by a bond more lasting than mere
>       physical ties can ever be, they will not be able to create that warm
>       community atmosphere which alone can attract the hearts of humanity,
>       frozen for lack of real love and feeling.
> 
>                        (Written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, The Individual
>                        and Teaching: Raising the Divine Call, pp. 25-26)
> 
> Most people of other cultures are accustomed to establishing bonds of
> friendship and trust within the context of family relationships, and in
> general, prefer personal contact to maintain their relationships with the
> Bahá'í community.  The social aspects of community life are likely to be
> most attractive to them and many may enjoy hosting unity Feasts or Holy Day
> observances in their homes.   The customary Western practices of using
> bulletins and flyers to advise them of community events and of scheduling
> meetings to sustain their interest in community life may fall short of the
> desired results.
> 
> In reference to hospitality, however, a word of caution is in order.
> Because it is generally known that Bahá'ís are kind, generous and
> sympathetic by nature, training, and conviction, it is not uncommon for
> them to receive appeals for financial and other kinds of emergency help
> from itinerant Bahá'ís and others who claim to be Bahá'ís or friends of the
> Faith.  While it is left to the discretion of individual believers to
> respond as they see fit, it should be remembered that the Bahá'í community
> is not a traveler's aid or social service agency prepared to assist the
> needs of itinerants, other than in some selective and discriminating cases.
>  Although Bahá'u'lláh has told us to "be a home for the stranger . . . an
> answerer of the cry of the needy," no Bahá'í should presume that the
> hospitality of his fellow Bahá'ís is his due.  Bahá'u'lláh also states, "No
> man should enter the house of his friend, save at his friend's pleasure,
> nor lay hands upon his treasures, nor prefer his own will to his friend's,
> and in no wise seek advantage over him."  Thus Bahá'u'lláh makes
> hospitality the prerogative of the host and not of the guest.  Common
> courtesy demands that an individual should not impose himself upon anyone
> without prior invitation, and Bahá'ís should be far more courteous than
> others in this respect.  Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that a person
> will contact a Local Spiritual Assembly or individual believer, claiming to
> be a Bahá'í but having no Bahá'í credentials or other forms of
> identification.  If you do not know the person asking for hospitality,
> before offering aid to such a person it is advisable to check with the
> Office of Community Administration and Development at the Bahá'í National
> Center to verify that he or she is indeed a member of the Bahá'í Faith.
> 
> Group activities characteristic of a distinctive Bahá'í community life may
> include spiritual gatherings such as dawn prayers, devotional meetings,
> Nineteen Day Feasts and celebration of Bahá'í Holy Days; a wide range of
> socialization and fellowship that draws on the cultural diversity of the
> community; the practice of Bahá'í consultation for solving problems of
> every sort; deepenings and firesides; fund raising events; the support and
> promotion of unity in family life; support, encouragement, and education of
> children and youth; and service projects for the betterment of the
> community.  According to the Universal House of Justice:
> 
>       A community is of course more than the sum of its membership; it is a
>       comprehensive unit of civilization composed of individuals, families
>       and institutions that are originators and encouragers of systems,
>       agencies and organizations working together with a common purpose for
>       the welfare of people both within and beyond its own borders; it is a
>       composition of diverse, interacting participants that are achieving
>       unity in an unremitting quest for spiritual and social progress.
> 
>                             (1996 Universal House of Justice Ridván Message
>                             to the Bahá'ís of the World)
> 
> For youth in the community, the National Youth Committee can provide
> assistance with a variety of youth activities, including the Bahá'í Youth
> Service Corp (Year of Service), Bahá'í Youth Workshops, Bahá'í Campus
> Associations, and more.  In addition, each Regional Bahá'í Council has
> established youth committees and desks in each region to assist with
> organizing and coordinating youth activities in each of the regions.
> 
> All believers are strongly encouraged to attend their annual Unit
> Conventions for election of delegates.  These annual conventions are an
> integral part of Bahá'í community life and were stressed by the Guardian as
> particularly important for Bahá'ís to attend as a means of becoming better
> acquainted with other believers in the unit area.  They are also the means
> by which every adult Bahá'í in good standing has a voice in the annual
> election of the National Spiritual Assembly and, periodically, of the
> Universal House of Justice.
> 
> Believers are also encouraged to attend local, regional, national, and
> international Bahá'í conferences.  Such conferences enable the believers to
> develop broader and more inclusive views of the Faith, as they often
> include large numbers of participants from a wide variety of backgrounds.
> 
> 1.15.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            The Divine Art of Living: Selections from the Bahá'í Writings,
>            compiled by Mabel Hyde Paine
> 
>            The Power of Divine Assistance, compiled by the Research
>            Department of the Universal House of Justice
> 
>            Issues Concerning Community Functioning, prepared by the
>            Research Department of the Universal House of Justice
> 
>            Spiritual Foundations: Prayer, Meditation, and the Devotional
>            Attitude, compiled by the Research Department of the Universal
>            House of Justice
> 
>            Unrestrained as the Wind: A Life Dedicated to Bahá'u'lláh, the
>            Bahá'í National Youth Committee and the Bahá'í Publishing Trust
> 
>            The Power of Unity: Beyond Prejudice and Racism, compiled by
>            Bonnie Taylor, National Race Unity Committee
> 
>            Women: A Compilation, compiled by the Research Department of the
>            Universal House of Justice
> 
>            The Pattern of Bahá'í Life, compilation of extracts published by
>            the Publishing Trust of the United Kingdom
> 
>            Living the Life, compiled by the Research Department of the
>            Universal House of Justice
> 
> 1.16 Bahá'í Holy Days and the Nineteen Day Feast
> 
>  (DDBC, Chapter  9)
> 
> The Nineteen Day Feasts and Bahá'í Holy Days are central to the life of the
> community, no matter how large or small the community may be.  'Abdu'l-Bahá
> describes the spirit that should permeate such gatherings:
> 
>       You must continue to keep the Nineteen Day Feast.  It is very
>       important; it is very good.  But when you present yourselves in the
>       meetings, before entering them, free yourselves from all that you have
>       in your heart, free your thoughts and your minds from all else save
>       God, and speak to your heart.  That all may make this a gathering of
>       love, make it the cause of illumination, make it a gathering of
>       attraction of the hearts, surround this gathering with the Lights of
>       the Supreme Concourse, so that you may be gathered together with the
>       utmost love.
> 
>             Each one of you must think how to make happy and pleased the
>       other members of your Assembly, and each one must consider all those
>       who are present as better and greater than himself, and each one must
>       consider himself less than the rest.  Know their station as high, and
>       think of your own station as low.  Should you act and live according
>       to these behests, know verily, of a certainty, that that Feast is the
>       Heavenly Food.  That Supper is the "Lord's Supper"!  I am the Servant
>       of that gathering.
> 
>                             ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Lights of Guidance, #796)
> 
> It is preferable that Feast be observed on the first day of each Bahá'í
> month in the period between sunset of the preceding day and sunset of the
> first day, although it may be held on a later day, if necessary.  The
> program for each Feast should consist of three parts.  First a devotional
> portion, followed by consultation on matters of importance to the community
> including the sharing of news and messages, ending with a social portion.
> Of course, the believers are free to gather before the Feast for fellowship
> and meals also.
> 
>       'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi after Him have gradually unfolded the
>       institutional significance of this injunction.  'Abdu'l-Bahá
>       emphasized the importance of the spiritual and devotional character of
>       these gatherings. Shoghi Effendi, besides further elaborating the
>       devotional and social aspects of the Feast, has developed the
>       administrative element of such gatherings and, in systematically
>       instituting the Feast, has provided for a period of consultation on
>       the affairs of the Bahá'í community, including the sharing of news and
>       messages.
> 
>                                               (Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pg 202)
> 
> Small groups and isolated believers are encouraged to come together among
> themselves and with larger communities for increased diversity and
> fellowship both in observance of the Nineteen Day Feasts and celebration of
> the Holy days.  While larger groups are encouraged to observe the Feasts in
> their own community, according to the same principles followed by Local
> Spiritual Assemblies, they may join with neighboring communities for other
> observances.  According to the Universal House of Justice:
> 
>       In reply to your letter of November 8th we feel that all friends,
>       whatever their circumstances, should be encouraged to observe the
>       Nineteen Day Feast. Obviously it can only be an official
>       administrative occasion where there is a Local Spiritual Assembly to
>       take charge of it, present reports to the friends, and receive their
>       recommendations.  But groups, spontaneous gatherings of friends, and
>       even isolated believers should certainly remember the day and say
>       prayers together.  In the case of a group it may well hold the Feast
>       in the manner in which a Local Spiritual Assembly would do so,
>       recognizing of course that it has no official administrative standing.
> 
>                   (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the
>                  National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles, December
>                  1, 1968, Bahá'í Journal of the British Isles, No. 190,
>                  March-April 1969)
> 
> Other observances should be held at the times indicated according to
> standard time.  Bahá'í Holy Days are an important aspect of Bahá'í
> community life, whose observance was repeatedly encouraged by the beloved
> Guardian:
> 
>       "He wishes the Bahá'ís to press for recognition of their right to
>       observe their own Holy Days, and to observe them whenever possible in
>       strict accordance with our teachings."
> 
>                        (Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, pg.
>                        30)
> 
>        "He wishes also to stress the fact that, according to the Bahá'í
>       laws, work is forbidden on our nine Holy Days. Believers who have
>       independent businesses or shops should refrain from working on these
>       days. Those who are in government employ should, on religious grounds,
>       make an effort to be excused from work; all believers, whoever their
>       employers, should do likewise. If the government or other employers
>       refuse to grant them these days off, they are not required to forfeit
>       their employment, but they should make every effort to have the
>       independent status of the Faith recognized and their right to hold
>       their own religious Holy Days acknowledged."
> 
>                        (Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, pg.
>                        37)
> 
> Letters from the National Spiritual Assembly explaining the importance of
> Bahá'í Holy Days can be obtained from the Office of the Secretary to use in
> obtaining recognition from schools for these important religious
> observances.  A copy of this letter may also be printed out from the
> National Assembly's administrative web site.
> 
> 1.16.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File, compiled by Helen
>            Bassett Hornby
> 
>            Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities:  Guidelines for
>            Spiritual Assemblies, Holy Days, The Nineteen Day Feast, and
>            Special Events (Chapter 9)
> 
>            Days to Remember,  a compilation by B. Forghani
> 
>            The Nineteen Day Feast, compiled by the Research Department of
>            the Universal House of Justice
> 
>            The Ayyám-i-Há Camel,  Cher Holt-Fortin, 1989 (Children's book)
> 
>       1.17 Bahá'í Funds
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  10)
> 
> Only registered Bahá'í's in possession of their administrative rights may
> contribute to the Bahá'í funds.  There are four major funds that believers
> may support according to their own discretion:
> 
> The Bahá'í International Fund supports the vast array of the work of the
> Universal House of Justice.  It is used to finance, among other things, the
> operations of the Bahá'í World Center, assistance to various National
> Spiritual Assemblies, subsidies for Bahá'í social and economic development
> programs around the world, and work with United Nations organizations.
> 
> The Continental Bahá'í Fund supports the propagation and protection work of
> the International Teaching Center, the Continental Boards of Counselors,
> and the Auxiliary Boards and their assistants.
> 
> The National Bahá'í Fund supports the work of the National Spiritual
> Assembly.  It is used to assist the national proclamation, expansion, and
> consolidation of the Faith; to maintain national properties, including the
> House of Worship in Wilmette; to promote external affairs work; and to
> support the international institutions of the Faith.
> 
> The Local Bahá'í Fund in each Bahá'í locality supports the work of the
> local community and may also be used to support other the Bahá'í Funds.
> 
> Registered Bahá'í groups may choose to elect a treasurer and to establish
> and maintain a local Bahá'í Fund, using the procedures outlined in Appendix
> A, but are not required to do so.  If a registered Bahá'í group chooses to
> establish a Bahá'í fund, its treasurer must be of legal age, usually at
> least eighteen years of age, in the state in which the group is formed.
> Groups that are not registered with the National Spiritual Assembly should
> not undertake the establishment of a local Bahá'í Fund.
> 
> Contributions to the Bahá'í funds are sacred and confidential, and must be
> handled by the local treasurer with the utmost discretion and
> trustworthiness.  Non-Bahá'ís and Bahá'ís who have been deprived of their
> administrative rights, as well as believers whose international transfers
> have not been completed, may not contribute to the Bahá'í funds.
> 
> Bahá'í funds should never be co-mingled with personal funds.  Bahá'í funds
> for a registered Bahá'í group should be deposited in a separate checking
> account under the name of the local Bahá'í community.  For example, if the
> name of the community is "Bahá'ís of Union Township", the group account
> should be opened under the name of "Union Township Bahá'í Fund."
> 
> Tax exempt status for registered Bahá'í groups may be established by
> applying for a Federal Tax Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal
> Revenue Service, as explained in Appendix B.  The group's EIN should be
> reported to the National Spiritual Assembly's Office of the Treasurer as
> soon as it is received from the Internal Revenue Service.
> 
> An annual audit of the local Bahá'í fund is recommended, especially for
> larger groups, as a prudent safeguard and a means of evaluating the uses of
> the funds.  Treasurers of registered Bahá'í groups are encouraged to study
> Stewardship and Development 2nd Edition, available through Bahá'í
> Distribution Service, for detailed information pertaining to handling
> Bahá'í funds.
> 
> Contributions to the local Bahá'í Fund are entrusted to the local
> treasurer.  Personal contributions to the National Bahá'í Fund may be
> entrusted to the local treasurer to be forwarded to the national Office of
> the Treasurer, or may be sent there directly by the believer offering the
> contribution.  Personal contributions to any of the international funds can
> be entrusted to the local treasurer, to the national Office of the
> Treasurer, or sent directly to the Universal House of Justice.
> 
> Information regarding the details of the sacred law of Huqúqu'lláh, the
> Right of God, which pertains only to personal contributions, can be
> obtained from one of the trustees or representatives of the Board of
> Trustees of the Office of the Secretariat of the Bahá'í Huqúqu'lláh Trust.
> 
> 1.17.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Bahá'í Funds: Contributions and Administration
> 
>            Ridván letters from the Universal House of Justice, dated 1988 &
>            1989
> 
>            Huqú'qu'lláh, Extracts from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, `Abdu'l-
>            Bahá, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice
> 
>            Stewardship and Development 2nd Edition
> 
>       1.18 Bahá'í Education
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  11)
> 
> While Bahá'í groups have no specific responsibilities concerning the
> education of children, other than those that devolve upon individuals to
> promote education and learning, any group may establish youth and
> children's classes according to the needs of their community.  Adult
> deepenings should also be held in response to the needs of the community
> and its seekers.
> 
> Bahá'ís are encouraged to attend local and regional Bahá'í schools and
> institutes whenever possible.  The various Bahá'í schools, offering on-site
> facilities, offer a wide range of programs for children, youth, and adults.
>  For distance learning, the Wilmette Institute offers opportunities for
> mature youth and adults to undertake in-depth study of the Bahá'í Writings
> at both the introductory and intermediate levels.  College level credit is
> available for some courses.  Scholarship funds for various aspects of
> Bahá'í education may be available through Local Spiritual Assemblies.
> 
> 1.18.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Foundations for a Spiritual Education, prepared by the National
>            Bahá'í Education Task Force
> 
>            Scholarship, compiled by the Research Department of the
>            Universal House of Justice
> 
>            Summary of the Core Curriculum for Spiritual Education
>            (available through the National Teacher Training Center at the
>            Louhelen Bahá'í School)
> 
>            Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File, compiled by Helen
>            Bassett Hornby
> 
> 1.19 External Affairs
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  12)
> 
> As groups are not administrative bodies, they should adhere to the
> guidelines for individuals when dealing with external affairs matters.
> Bahá'í individuals and institutions must first obtain the permission of the
> National Spiritual Assembly's Office of the Secretary for External Affairs
> in Washington, D.C. before contacting the following on matters directly
> pertaining to the Bahá'í Faith:
> 
> Agencies and officials of federal or state governments
> 
> National or state offices of national organizations
> 
> Prominent people
> 
> Examples of official contact on behalf of the Bahá'í Faith include
> invitations to Bahá'í community events, presentations of Bahá'í statements,
> and expressions of Bahá'í support for or positions on particular policies
> or issues.
> 
> The policy does not apply in cases of informal contact with friends or
> family members who happen to hold public office or who may be publicly well
> known. The National Assembly would very much appreciate being informed,
> however, if a Bahá'í has a personal relationship with a prominent person or
> government official, because such relations may facilitate official contact
> should such contact be required.
> 
> A Bahá'í group may contact officials in their locality and local chapters
> of organizations under programs approved by the National Spiritual
> Assembly, using materials and guidance made available through offices or
> agencies of the National Assembly.  In any communication with local
> officials, the friends should proceed with the utmost moderation, tact, and
> wisdom, keeping in mind the importance of preserving the dignity and
> reputation of the Faith.
> 
> Individual believers are free to contact government representatives, sign
> petitions, or participate in nonpartisan campaigns to express their views
> on non-Bahá'í matters, but they should not identify themselves as Bahá'ís
> or convey the impression that they are representing the Bahá'í Faith unless
> encouraged to do so by a Bahá'í institution.  They also may associate with
> local chapters of national organizations whose goals are consistent with
> Bahá'í teachings, and in this case may share their personal Bahá'í beliefs
> when appropriate.  However, before taking any action or becoming involved
> in issues or campaigns that may have national or international
> implications, advice should be sought from the National Spiritual
> Assembly's Office of the Secretary for External Affairs in Washington, D.C.
> 
> Questions concerning contact with national or regional media should be
> directed to the National Spiritual Assembly's Office of Public Information
> in New York City.  Contact with local media is governed by the same
> principles as contact with local officials, and questions concerning such
> contact may be directed to the Office of Public Information.
> 
> Questions about United Nations related activities or advocacy on United
> Nations issues should be addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly's
> U.S. UN Office in New York City.
> 
> Questions dealing with refugees and immigration should be addressed to the
> U.S. Bahá'í Refugee Office under the Office of the Secretary for External
> Affairs.
> 
> 1.19.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities: Guidelines for
>            Spiritual Assemblies, Chapter 12: External Affairs, National
>            Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, 1998
> 
>            Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities: Guidelines for
>            Spiritual Assemblies, Chapter 13: Social and Economic
>            Development, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the
>            United States, 1998
> 
>       1.20 Properties
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  14)
> 
> Bahá'í Groups may not acquire or lease property, nor should they refer to
> privately owned property as "Bahá'í Centers".  The use of the word "Bahá'í"
> for naming of properties is reserved exclusively for Bahá'í institutions
> under the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly.  In the event of a
> group having the opportunity to obtain property for the Faith, e.g.,
> through donation, the matter should be referred to the National Spiritual
> Assembly.
> 
> 1.20.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities: Guidelines for
>            Spiritual Assemblies, Chapter 14: Properties, National Spiritual
>            Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, 1998
> 
> 1.21 Application of Bahá'í Law
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  15)
> 
>       "... he feels it is his duty to explain that the Laws revealed by
>       Bahá'u'lláh in the Aqdas are, whenever practical and not in direct
>       conflict with the Civil laws of the land, absolutely binding on every
>       believer or Bahá'í institution whether in the East or in the West.
>       Certain laws, such as fasting, obligatory prayers, the consent of the
>       parents before marriage, avoidance of alcoholic drinks, monogamy,
>       should be regarded by all believers as universally and vitally
>       applicable at the present time.  Others have been formulated in
>       anticipation of a state of society destined to emerge from the chaotic
>       conditions that prevail today.
> 
>                        (Shoghi Effendi: Directives of the Guardian, Pages:
>            3-4)
> 
> Every believer is encouraged to obtain a copy of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas,
> Bahá'u'lláh's book of laws, familiarize himself or herself with its
> passages, and strive to apply its precepts in their life.  A detailed list
> of laws that are not currently binding on Western believers is published in
> Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities: Guidelines for Spiritual
> Assemblies and may be obtained from any Local Spiritual Assembly.
> 
> Believers should be aware of the Bahá'í laws on marriage and divorce and
> that violation of these laws may result in administrative sanctions.
> Bahá'í marriage consists of a legally recognized union between a man and a
> woman with the expectation of chastity on the part of both men and women
> outside of marital relationships.
> 
> Bahá'ís who are sole owners of businesses are obligated to conform their
> practices and dealings to the laws and teachings of the Faith.  For
> example, a restaurant owned by a Bahá'í should not serve alcohol or feature
> entertainment that is inconsistent with the teachings.  In addition, stores
> and establishments owned by Bahá'ís should be closed on the nine Holy Days,
> even though they may have non-Bahá'ís in their employ.  According to the
> same standards, individual Bahá'ís should, if possible, avoid employment
> that would involve a compromise of their principles, such as serving
> alcoholic beverages.
> 
> Flagrant violations of Bahá'í law that may be damaging to the reputation of
> the Faith should be referred either to a nearby Local Spiritual Assembly or
> directly to the National Spiritual Assembly.  The National Spiritual
> Assembly may then assign the matter to a nearby Local Spiritual Assembly to
> handle.
> 
> 1.21.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>       The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh
> 
>            A Chaste and Holy Life, Shoghi Effendi
> 
>            Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World Order of
>            Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi
> 
>            1.22 Marriage
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter  16)
> 
> Bahá'í groups do not have the authority to officiate Bahá'í marriages.
> Bahá'ís living outside the jurisdiction of a Local Spiritual Assembly who
> wish to marry may contact any nearby Local Spiritual Assembly to assist
> them.  While they may also contact the National Spiritual Assembly
> directly, it will normally appoint a nearby Local Spiritual Assembly to
> take responsibility for the matter.
> 
> In preparation for marriage, Bahá'í couples would be well advised to attend
> workshops together in the practice of Bahá'í consultation, as the following
> extract from a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
> indicates its importance to the success of Bahá'í marriage, which it
> characterizes as:
> 
>       ... [a] relationship of mutual respect and equality enjoined by the
>       Bahá'í writings‹a relationship governed by the principles of
>       consultation...
> 
>                  (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of
>                  Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia,
>                  dated April 12, 1990)
> 
> It will be helpful for everyone involved if the friends who wish to be
> married are aware ahead of time of what will be expected of them and what
> they may expect from a Local Spiritual Assembly.  The essential
> requirements of Bahá'í marriage are as follows:
> 
>      1. Consent of both parties
> 
>      2. Consents of all living, natural parents
> 
>      3. Proof of divorce, if there were prior marriages
> 
>      4. Compliance with local civil marriage laws
> 
>      5. Performance of a Bahá'í ceremony under the prior authorization of a
>         Local Spiritual Assembly
> 
> Two Bahá'ís who wish to marry each other must have a Bahá'í ceremony.  A
> Bahá'í who wishes to marry a non-Bahá'í must have a Bahá'í ceremony and may
> also have a civil or another religious ceremony to satisfy the needs of the
> non-Bahá'í party.  When more than one ceremony is planned, the Bahá'í
> ceremony may not be commingled with the other ceremony and the Bahá'í may
> not make commitments which are not in keeping with the principles and laws
> of the Bahá'í Faith.  If more than one ceremony is to be held, the order in
> which the ceremonies are held is not important.  However, both ceremonies
> must take place on the same day, that is, a night should not intervene
> between one ceremony and the next.
> 
> All Bahá'ís wishing to marry must first contact a Local Spiritual Assembly.
>  It is not possible to have a Bahá'í marriage ceremony without a Local
> Spiritual Assembly's prior authorization.  There are many different
> circumstances that may affect how the Bahá'í marriage law is applied, and
> the Local Spiritual Assembly will be able to assist the couple in
> clarifying how it applies to their particular situation.
> 
> When a marriage is planned, the Local Spiritual Assembly selected to
> officiate should be informed far enough in advance that it can review and
> approve the parental consents and ensure that arrangements for the Bahá'í
> ceremony are in conformity with Bahá'í principles and the requirements of
> both Bahá'í and civil law.  Failing to give a Local Spiritual Assembly
> adequate time to fulfill its responsibilities may lead to a delay of the
> wedding, as it cannot take place until the administrative requirements have
> been met.  If difficulties arise in obtaining consent, the Local Spiritual
> Assembly should lend whatever help it can.  A couple is not considered to
> be engaged to be married until the consent of all living, natural parents
> has been obtained by the Bahá'í institutions.  Accordingly, a couple should
> not make marriage plans, and certainly should not set a date for a
> ceremony, send invitations, and so on, until the consent of the parents is
> obtained.  By delaying their plans until consent has been obtained, the
> couple will not only show proper respect for Bahá'í law but will also avoid
> the awkward situation of not having the required consents as the planned
> marriage date approaches.
> 
> Individuals should be aware that breaches of the Bahá'í marriage law may
> result in removal of administrative rights.  As Bahá'u'lláh has placed such
> emphasis upon the importance of marriage as the foundation of society, it
> is crucial that believers become informed about the laws pertaining to it.
> It should not be assumed that all the believers in a community are fully
> aware of the Bahá'í marriage law.  As opportunities arise, whether at the
> Nineteen Day Feast, at community deepenings, or in local newsletters, the
> community should make an effort to ensure that all of its members are
> familiar with the basic requirements of this fundamental Bahá'í law.
> 
> 1.22.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Bahá'í Marriage and Family Life:  Selections from the Writings
>            of the Bahá'í Faith, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís
>            of Canada
> 
>            Family Life, Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb, `Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi
>            and the Universal House of Justice.  Compiled by the Research
>            Department of the Universal House of Justice
> 
>            Marriage: A Fortress for Well-Being, National Spiritual Assembly
>            of the United States
> 
>            Marriage and Family Life (available through Core Curriculum
>            program)
> 
> Women, compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of
> Justice
> 
> 1.23 Divorce
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter 17)
> 
> Just as registered Bahá'í groups do not have the authority to officiate
> Bahá'í marriages, they do not have the authority to initiate a year of
> waiting or to grant Bahá'í divorces.  A year of waiting is an application
> for Bahá'í divorce that must run for one full year before a Bahá'í divorce
> can be granted and cannot begin until the couple have established separate
> residences.  Bahá'ís living outside the jurisdiction of a Local Spiritual
> Assembly who wish to apply for a Bahá'í divorce should contact any nearby
> Local Spiritual Assembly to assist them in establishing a year of waiting.
> While they may also contact the National Spiritual Assembly directly to
> initiate a Bahá'í divorce, it will normally appoint a nearby Local
> Spiritual Assembly to take responsibility for the matter.
> 
> A couple experiencing difficulty in their marriage would be wise to seek
> the guidance and assistance of a Local Spiritual Assembly well before the
> situation has deteriorated to a point where one of the parties feels
> compelled to seek a year of waiting.  Consultation with an Assembly should
> be entirely confidential and might help to provide the couple with a more
> balanced perspective about their concerns, increased clarity about the
> spiritual principles involved, and one or more possible courses of action
> to resolve their difficulties.
> 
> When a couple or a partner to a marriage approaches a Local Spiritual
> Assembly with the intention of starting a year of waiting, they should
> expect the Assembly or its representatives to review the Bahá'í teachings
> on divorce with them and explain the requirements pertaining to the year of
> waiting.  It may be pointed out that divorce is condemned in the Bahá'í
> teachings and that a condition of aversion, antipathy or repugnance must
> exist to justify the extreme measure of dissolving the marriage.
> 
> Since the Local Spiritual Assembly has the responsibility to determine
> whether irreconcilable antipathy exists and the duty to try to reconcile
> the couple, it is important that it meet with both parties, if possible.
> If one of the parties is not a Bahá'í, the Local Spiritual Assembly may
> extend an invitation for the non-Bahá'í spouse to meet with the Assembly or
> its representatives, but should not pursue the issue if he or she seems to
> have no desire to meet with the Assembly.
> 
> To obtain a Bahá'í divorce, a civil divorce must be granted in addition to
> the completion of a year of waiting.  The date on which a Bahá'í divorce is
> granted will coincide with either the date of the completion of the year of
> waiting or the date of the civil divorce, whichever occurs later.
> 
> 1.23.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>            Bahá'í Marriage and Family Life:  Selections from the Writings
>            of the Bahá'í Faith, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís
>            of Canada
> 
>            Family Life, Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb, `Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi
>            and the Universal House of Justice.  Compiled by the Research
>            Department of the Universal House of Justice
> 
>            Divorce:  Writings Discourage Divorce, Compiled by the Research
>            Department of the Universal House of Justice.  Published by
>            Bahá'í Publishing Trust of the United Kingdom
> 
>       1.24 Burial Law, Wills
> 
> (DDBC, Chapter 18)
> 
> According to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, every adult Bahá'í is obligated to prepare
> a will but the form and content is a matter of individual discretion at
> this time.  Believers may make gifts of property or funds to the Faith
> through their wills and are encouraged to engage the services of a
> competent attorney, if they wish to do so.  They should include in their
> wills provision for Bahá'í burial and would be wise to inform non-Bahá'í
> family members of their wishes in this matter.
> 
> As personal papers are an important source of information for historians
> and Bahá'í administrators, these may also be included in estate bequests to
> the Faith.  The National Bahá'í Archives is trying to acquire a wide
> variety of collections to document the diversity of the American Bahá'í
> community.  The Archives is interested in correspondence, photographs,
> personal recollections and manuscripts.  Even a small collection of papers
> can be a valuable resource for future Bahá'í scholars.
> 
> Bahá'í groups are not officially responsible for conducting funeral
> services or carrying out arrangements for interment but may, nonetheless,
> find themselves called upon to do so in the absence of a nearby
> institution.  All believers should be familiar with the Bahá'í burial law,
> as the following requirements are binding on believers in the West:
> 
>    1. The body must be buried, not cremated
> 
>    2. The Bahá'í Prayer for the Dead is to be recited for a believer of the
>       age of 15 or over.  This prayer appears in the Bahá'í Prayer Book and
>       also as number CLXVII in Prayers and Meditations by Bahá'u'lláh.
> 
>    3. The body must not be transported more than an hour's journey from the
>       place of death.  The method of transport is not specified, but the
>       journey must not take longer than one hour.  The place of death can be
>       taken to mean the civil boundaries of the town or city in which death
>       occurred.
> 
> Although the following additional requirements are not currently binding on
> the Western believers, they are binding on the Persian believers, and
> Western believers may observe them, if they choose to do so:
> 
>    1. The body should be wrapped in a shroud of silk or cotton.
> 
>    2. A burial ring should be placed on the finger of the deceased before
>       interment.  (Burial rings can be purchased through the Bahá'í
>       Distribution Service.)
> 
>    3. The coffin should be made of crystal, stone or of a hard, fine wood.
> 
> 1.24.1.1 Suggested Reading:
> 
>    The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh
> 
>    Open Door
> 
>    The Writing of a Will
> 
>    Unto Him Shall We Return, compiled by Hugh Motlagh
> 
>    Death: The Messenger of Joy, Madeleine Hellaby
> 
> Bahá'í World Center
> 
> P.O. Box 155                                    Pilgrimage Office
> 
> Haifa 31 001, ISRAEL                      Email:
> pilsched@bwc.org
> 
> |Bahá'í International Fund   |Office of the Secretariat     |
> |Phone:  011-972-4-8358185     |Phone:  011-972-4-8358358     |
> |Fax:  011-972-4-8358129       |Fax:  011-972-4-8358280       |
> |Email:  finance@bwc.org       |Email:                        |
> |                              |secretariat@bwc.org           |
> 
> Bahá'í World Center Public Web Site:               http://www.bahai.org
> 
> Bahá'í International Community Public Web Site:
> http://www.onecountry.org
> 
> Institution of Huqúqu'lláh
> 
> Office of the Secretariat
> 
> 21300 Avalon Drive
> 
> Rocky River, OH  44116-1124
> 
> Phone:           (440) 333-1506
> 
> Email:           ddh999@aol.com
> 
>       Board of Trustees of Bahá'í Huqúqu'lláh:
> 
>       Dr. Amin Banani                   Mr. Stephen Birkland
> 
>       2320 Alta Avenue                  1192 Benton Way
> 
>       Santa Monica, CA  90402-3154           Arden Hills, MN  55112-3756
> 
>       Phone:           (310) 394-5449        Phone:           (651) 484-
> 9518
> 
>       Fax:       (310) 394-6167         Fax:       (651) 490-7521
> 
> Email:           banani@ucla.edu        Email:            sbirkland@aol.com
> 
>       Mrs. Sally Foo                    Dr. Daryush Haghighi
> 
>       106 Ketterer Court                     213 Avalon Drive
> 
>       Trenton, NJ  08648                     Rocky River, OH  44116-1124
> 
>       Phone:           (609) 671-9125        Phone:           (440) 333-
> 1506
> 
>       Fax:       (609) 671-0740         Fax:       (440) 333-6938
> 
>       Email:           HSFoo@aol.com         Email:
> ddh999@aol.com
> 
>       Mrs. Elizabeth W. Martin
> 
> P. O. Box 178
> 
> Winnsboro, SC  29180-0178
> 
> Phone:           (803) 635-9602
> 
> Email:           elmartin@infoave.net
> 
> National Spiritual Assembly
> 
>   of the Bahá'ís of the United States
> 
> Office of the Secretary-General
> 
> 1.24.1.1.1.1.1.1 Office of the Assistant Secretary
> 
> 536 Sheridan Road
> 
> Wilmette, IL  60091-2849
> 
> Phone:           (847) 869-9039
> 
> Fax:        (847) 869-0247
> 
> Email:              secretariat@usbnc.org
> 
> 1.24.1.1.1.1.1.2 Office of the Secretary for External Affairs
> 
> 1320 19th St NW, Suite 701
> 
> Washington, DC  20036
> 
> Phone:           (202) 833-8990
> 
> Fax:        (202) 833-8988
> 
> Email:              usnsa-oea@usbnc.org
> 
> |Office of Public Information |U.S. Bahá'í Refugee Office |
> |866 UN Plaza, Suite 120      |1233 Central Street          |
> |New York, NY  10017-1822     |Evanston, IL 60201-1611      |
> |Phone:  (212) 803-2500       |Phone:             (847)     |
> |Fax:  (212) 803-2573         |869-9039                     |
> |Email:                       |Fax:                 (847)   |
> |usopi-ny@bic.org             |733-3545                     |
> |                             |Email:                       |
> |                             |usbro@usbnc.org              |
> |U.S. United Nations Office   |                             |
> |866 UN Plaza, Suite 120      |                             |
> |New York, NY  10017-1822     |                             |
> |Phone:  (212) 803-2500       |                             |
> |Fax:  (212) 803-2573         |                             |
> |Email:                       |                             |
> |usun-ny@bic.org              |                             |
> 
> Bahá'í House of Worship
> 
> 100 Linden Avenue
> 
> Wilmette, IL  60091
> 
> Phone:           (847) 853-2300
> 
> Fax:        (847) 853-2396
> 
> Email:           how@usbnc.org
> 
> 1.24.1.1.1.1.1.3
> 
> 1.24.1.1.1.1.1.4 Bahá'í National Center
> 
> 1233 Central Street
> 
> Evanston, IL  60201-1611
> 
> Phone:           (847) 869-9039
> 
> 1.24.1.1.1.1.1.5 Administrative (Bahá'ís only) Web Site:
> http://www.usbnc.org/
> 
> United States Bahá'í Public Web Site:        http://www.us.bahai.org/
> 
> |The American Bahá'í          |Bahá'í Media Services       |
> |Phone:  (847) 853-2373         |Phone:  (847) 853-2352        |
> |Fax:  (847) 256-1372           |Fax:  (847) 256-1372          |
> |Email:          tab@usbnc.org  |Email:    media@usbnc.org     |
> |Bahá'í Subscriber Services   |Management Information        |
> |Phone:  (847) 733-3453         |Services                      |
> |Fax:  (847) 733-3453           |Phone:  (847) 733-3456        |
> |Email:                         |Fax:  (847) 733-3543          |
> |subscriberservice@usbnc.org    |Email:    mis@usbnc.org       |
> |National Bahá'í Archives     |National Teaching Committee   |
> |Phone:             (847)       |Phone:  (847) 733-3498        |
> |869-9039                       |Fax:  (847) 733-3502          |
> |Fax:                 (847)     |Email:    ntc@usbnc.org       |
> |869-0247                       |                              |
> |Email:                         |                              |
> |archives@usbnc.org             |                              |
> |National Youth Committee       |Office of Assembly Development|
> |Phone:  (847) 733-3499         |                              |
> |Fax:  (847) 733-3502           |Phone:  (847) 733-3484        |
> |Email:    us-nyc@usbnc.org     |Fax:  (847) 733-3486          |
> |                               |Email:                        |
> |                               |oad@usbnc.org                 |
> |Office of Education and Schools|Office of Human Resources     |
> |                               |Phone:            (847)       |
> |Phone:  (847) 733-3492         |733-3427                      |
> |Fax:  (847) 733-3502           |Fax:                (847)     |
> |Email:    schools@usbnc.org    |733-3430                      |
> |                               |Email:                        |
> |                               |hrm@usbnc.org                 |
> |                               |                              |
> |Office of Membership and       |Office of Persian American    |
> |Records                        |Affairs                       |
> |Phone:  (847) 733-3438         |Phone:  (847) 733-3528        |
> |Fax:  (847) 733-               |Fax:  (847) 733-3486          |
> |Email:                         |Email:    persian@usbnc.org   |
> |is-membership@usbnc.org        |                              |
> |                               |                              |
> |Office of Pioneering           |office of research & review   |
> |Phone:  (847) 733-3508         |Phone:             (847)      |
> |Fax:  (847) 733-3509           |733-3548                      |
> |Email:    pioneer@usbnc.org    |Fax:                 (847)    |
> |                               |733-3463                      |
> |                               |Email:                        |
> |                               |research@usbnc.org            |
> |Office of the Treasurer        |Office of Women's Affairs   |
> |Phone:  (847) 733-3472         |Phone:  (847) 733-3529        |
> |Fax:  (847) 733-3471           |Fax:  (847) 869-0247          |
> |Email:    finance@usbnc.org    |Email:  usnsa-owa@usbnc.org   |
> 
> 1.24.1.1.1.1.1.6 Bahá'í Distribution Service             Bahá'í Publishing
> Trust
> 
> 4703 Fulton Industrial Blvd.                 415 Linden Avenue
> 
> Atlanta, GA  30336-2017                      Wilmette, IL  60091-2844
> 
> Phone:           (800) 999-9019 or                 Phone:           (847)
> 251-1854
> 
>             (404) 472-9019              Fax:       (847) 251-3652
> 
> Fax:        (423) 843-0836              Email:               bpt@usbnc.org
> 
> Email:               bds@usbnc.org
> 
> 1.24.1.1.1.1.1.7 Permanent U.S. Bahá'í Schools and Institutes
> 
> |Bosch Bahá'í School        |Green Acre Bahá'í School   |
> |500 Comstock Lane            |188 Main Street              |
> |Santa Cruz, CA  95060-9677   |Eliot, ME  03903-1827        |
> |Phone:  (408) 423-3387       |Phone:  (207) 439-7200       |
> |Fax:  (408) 423-7564         |Fax:  (207) 439-7202         |
> |Email:  bosch@usbnc.org      |Email:  greenacre@usbnc.org  |
> |Web:                         |Web:                         |
> |www.bosch.org                |www.greenacre.org            |
> |Louhelen Bahá'í School     |Louis G. Gregory Bahá'í    |
> |2308 S. State Road           |Institute                    |
> |Davison, MI  48423-8603      |Route 2, Box 71              |
> |Phone:  (810) 653-5033       |Hemingway, SC   29554-9494   |
> |Fax:  (810) 653-7181         |Phone:  (843) 558-5093       |
> |Email:  louhelen@usbnc.org   |Fax:  (843) 558-9114         |
> |Web:                         |Email:  lgi@usbnc.org        |
> |www.louhelen.org             |                             |
> |Native American Bahá'í     |Wilmette Institute           |
> |Institute                    |24-Hour Info:   (847)        |
> |830 Burntwater Road          |733-3595                     |
> |P.O. Box 3167                |Registrar:          (847)    |
> |Houck, AZ  86506-0167        |733-3415                     |
> |Phone:  (520) 587-7599       |Email:                       |
> |Fax:  (520) 587-7599         |info@wilmetteinstitute.org   |
> |Email:  nabi@usbnc.org       |Web Site:                    |
> |                             |www.wilmetteinstitute.org    |
> 
> Regional Bahá'í Councils
> 
> |Regional Bahá'í Council      |Regional Bahá'í Council    |
> |for the Southern States        |for the Central States       |
> |4100 NW 16th Ave, Suite 9      |11100 Timberline Dr.         |
> |Oakland Park, FL  33309        |Rolla, MO  65401-8128        |
> |Phone:              (954)      |Phone:              (573)    |
> |202-9421                       |364-9618                     |
> |Email:                         |Email:                       |
> |secretary@rbcs.usbnc.org       |secretary@rbcc.usbnc.org     |
> |                               |                             |
> |Regional Bahá'í Council      |Regional Bahá'í Council    |
> |for the North East             |for the Western States       |
> |675 Eastern Court              |266 Casitas Ave.             |
> |Ridgewood, NJ 07450-3510       |San Francisco, CA 94127-1604 |
> |Phone:              (201)      |Phone:               (415)   |
> |652-6385                       |759-1996                     |
> |Email:                         |Email:                       |
> |secretary@rbcne.usbnc.org      |secretary@rbcw.usbnc.org     |
> |                               |                             |
> 
> 1.25
> 
>       Appendix  A  --  Basics of How To Be a Treasurer
> 
> I.    WHAT DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?
> 
>      1. Apply for a Federal tax identification number, known as an Employee
>         Identification Number (EIN), if your group does not have one (see
>         Appendix B).
> 
>      2. Open a community checking account (see page 25) and learn how to
>         use it.
> 
>      3. Purchase a duplicate receipt book.
> 
>      4. Buy pocket file folders for paid and unpaid bills.
> 
>      5. See that contribution goals are established for the group.
> 
> RECEIVING OFFERINGS FROM THE FRIENDS
> 
>      1. Prepare duplicate receipts for all contributions.
> 
>      2. Keep abreast of tax changes that affect all aspects of giving and
>         the documentation required for receipting gifts.
> 
>      3. Distribute receipts to the contributors.
> 
> PUTTING THE FUND TO USE
> 
>      1. Contribute regularly to the Bahá'í National Fund and the other
>         Bahá'í Funds.
> 
>      2. Pay all bills promptly.
> 
> MAKING REPORTS
> 
>      1. Make regular reports to the community on total income and expenses,
>         community participation, money  in the bank and bills to be paid.
> 
>      2. Make regular reports to the community at Feast including:
> 
>         3. Education on the spiritual nature of giving and sacrifice.
> 
>         4. The status of the community's Fund contribution goal each Bahá'í
>            month.
> 
>         5. The percentage of the community giving to the Fund each Bahá'í
>            month.
> 
> THE ANNUAL AUDIT
> 
>      1. Arrange in order by month all bank statements, canceled checks,
>         deposit tickets and paid bills.
> 
>      2. Have the community appoint two individuals, other than the
>         Treasurer, to audit the community's financial records, as described
>         in Stewardship and Development.
> 
> 
>            1.26 Appendix B  --  Federal Tax Identification Number
> 
> -----------------------
> [1] Consultation: A Compilation, p. 3, #2
> 
> [2] Consultation: A Compilation, p. 7, #14
> 
> [3] Wellspring of Guidance, p. 96
>
> — *Guidance for Bahá'í Groups (Used by permission of the curator)*