al supervision.

These local Spiritual Assemblies will have to be elected directly by the
friends, and every declared believer of 21 years and above, far from
standing aloof and assuming an indifferent or independent attitude, should
regard it his sacred duty to take part conscientiously and diligently, in
the election, the consolidation and the efficient working of his own local
Assembly.

National Assemblies

Regarding the establishment of "National Assemblies," it is of vital
importance that in every country, where the conditions are favorable and
the number of the friends has grown and reached a considerable size, such
as America, Great Britain and Germany, that a "National Spiritual
Assembly" be immediately established, representative of the friends
throughout that country.

Its immediate purpose is to stimulate, unify and coordinate by frequent
personal consultations, the manifold activities of the friends as well as
the local Assemblies; and by keeping in close and constant touch with the
Holy Land, initiate measures, and direct in general the affairs of the
Cause in that country.

It serves also another purpose, no less essential than the first, as in
the course of time it shall evolve into the National House of Justice
(referred to in 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will as the "secondary House of Justice"),
which according to the explicit text of the Testament will have, in
conjunction with the other National Assemblies throughout the Baha'i
world, to elect directly the members of the International House of
Justice, that Supreme Council that will guide, organize and unify the
affairs of the Movement throughout the world.

It is expressly recorded in 'Abdu'l-Baha's Writings that these National
Assemblies must be indirectly elected by the friends; that is, the friends
in every country must elect a certain number of delegates, who in their
turn will elect from among all the friends in that country the members of
the National Spiritual Assembly. In such countries, therefore, as America,
Great Britain and Germany, a fixed number of secondary electors must first
be decided upon (95 for America, including the Pacific Islands; 95 for
Germany; and 19 for Great Britain). The friends then in every locality
where the number of adult declared believers exceeds nine must directly
elect its quota of secondary electors assigned to it in direct proportion
to its numerical strength. These secondary electors will then, either
thro