July 3

...it is establishing a dangerous precedent to allow Assemblies to put a time limit on non-attendance of their members at meetings of the S.A., beyond which that person is automatically dropped from the Assembly and a vacancy declared... There should be no time limit fixed by Assemblies beyond which a person is dropped. Every case of prolonged absence from the sessions of the Assembly should be considered separately by that Assembly, and if the person is seen to not want to attend meetings, or to be held away from them indefinitely because of illness or travel, then a vacancy could legitimately be declared and a new member be elected. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, published in "Bahá'í News" 208, June 1948; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, The Local Spiritual Assembly)