elopment. From this vital, this ever-present need, attention must at no
time be diverted; nor must it be, under any circumstances, neglected, or
subordinated to the no less vital and urgent task of ensuring the outer
expansion of Baha'i administrative institutions. That this community, so
alive, so devoted, so strikingly and rapidly developing, may maintain a
proper balance between these two essential aspects of its development, and
march forward with rapid strides and along sound lines toward the goal of
the Plan it has adopted, is the ardent hope of my heart and my constant
prayer.

Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.

LETTER OF AUGUST 22, 1949

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia and New
Zealand.

August 22, 1949

Dear Baha'i Friends:

Your letters dated February 23; March 14, 16; April 4, 5, 11; May 2, 13,
27; June 1, 7, 21 (3 of this date), 24; have all been received, as well as
their enclosures, and the material sent under separate cover, and our
beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

He has gone over the copy of the By-Laws of a local assembly which you
sent him, and he approves of the slight changes you have made in the
wording, as well as the additions at the very beginning, providing you
consider the addition essential in order to secure the government
recognition you are going to seek in the future. However, he feels that
Article VI is not correct in the form you have given it, because you state
"all persons resident ... who have attained the age of 15 years". The
original New York By-Laws are more correct, because they differentiate
clearly between all members of the Community and voting members who are 21
years of age or more. In other words children under 15 are Baha'is
according to the New York version, which is correct, but according to your
version only people over 15 years are Baha'is which is not correct. He
thinks you should go back to the New York version. The declaration of
faith by children when they reach the age of 15 in the United States is in
order to enable the American Youth to apply for exemption, under the
American laws, from active military service. It has no other purpose, but
in that country is expedient. It is not necessary to add such a clause to
your By-Laws.

Other points which he feels are not necessary and should be deleted are
those heavily underlined portions in Section 5 of Article XII and Article
XIII.