...It is for the National Assembly to exercise its judgement as to what extent
the resources at their disposal enable them to aid financially the individual
undertakings of the friends. Should the response of the friends and Assemblies
to the appeals made on behalf of the National Fund be prompt, sustained, and
generous, the National Assembly will, I am certain, justify its sympathy,
goodwill and genuine co-operation with every individual Bahá'í enterprise. I
would, however, at this early stage of our work, strongly urge, nay entreat,
the friends not to dissipate their efforts, but to seek, after frank, mature,
and continuous deliberation, to arrive at a common conclusion as to the most
urgent requirements and needs of the hour, and having unified their views to
strive to uphold and enforce them with promptitude, whole-heartedness, and
understanding.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a
letter dated 26 November 1923 to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States and Canada, published in ‘Bahá'í Administration’, The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. I, Baha’i Funds and Contributions)
