In regard to your question about qualifications of delegates
and assembly members: the qualifications which he outlined are really
applicable to anyone we elect to a Bahá'í office, whatever its nature. But
those are only an indication, they do not mean people who don't fulfil them
cannot be elected to office. We must aim as high as we can. He does not feel
the friends should attach so much importance to limitations--such as people
perhaps not being able to attend assembly or convention meetings, because if
they do, then the fundamental concept of everyone being willing to do Bahá'í
service on administrative bodies will be weakened, and the friends may be
tempted to vote for those who, because of independent means or circumstances in
their lives, are freer to come and go but less qualified to serve.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a
letter dated 24 October 1947 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the
National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles, published in "Unfolding
Destiny: The Messages from the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith to the Bahá'í
Community of the British Isles"; The Compilation of Compilation, Vol. III,
Sanctity and Nature of Baha’i Elections)
