To the friends residing in Bahá’í Electoral Unit 205, You are cordially invited to attend the Unit Convention for 169 B.E. The purpose of the annual convention is to elect our delegate for the next National Convention and to consult on matters related to the broader community. Please join us in carrying out our sacred duty and high privilege, ever mindful of these words from Shoghi Effendi: “On election day, the friends must wholeheartedly participate in the elections, in unity and amity, turning their hearts to God, detached from all things but Him, seeking His guidance and supplicating His aid and bounty.” And, “The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold.”
Important information Registration A valid Bahá’í ID is required to register, and all must register. Registration begins promptly at 1 pm. Please be punctual. Refreshments and reunion There will be light refreshments & social time mid-afternoon. Children and youth Please RSVP for our young community members so we can plan age appropriate activities: hillarychapman@gmail.com
Convention Unit 205 When: Sat., Oct. 6, 1-5 pm Where: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center 4805 Edgemoor Lane (Downtown Bethesda) http://unitconvention.usbnc.org/
Bookstore Based on low interest in previous years and availability of books online and at local Bahá’í centers, there will not be a bookstore at convention this year.
Directions and parking By Metro: The center is behind the Bethesda station. Walk towards the back of the bus depot and cross the street. Driving: From the Beltway, take the Rockville Pike exit south towards Bethesda. Continue onto Wisconsin Avenue. Veer right onto Woodmont Avenue. Cross Old Georgetown Road. Parking garage entrance is on your left. Parking is free on weekends, but could be limited. Take the elevators from the garage to the Plaza level (P). The building is located at the center of the plaza, marked by flags and a Montgomery County seal.
Free parking.
Bahá’í Elections
Aims of Unit Convention Planning • Foster a spiritual atmosphere and attitude • Observe and preserve the sacred nature of Bahá’í elections • Provide social time for the unit “family” to bond together • Enhance general attendance and participation • Invite friends to serve in capacities that match their talents, interests and strengths
Unit 205 Communities Bahá’ís of Alexandria, VA Bahá’ís of Arlington, VA Bahá’ís of Montgomery County " South, MD Bahá’ís of Washington, DC
Absentee ballots Please send absentee ballots by October 1, 2012 to: Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Washington DC Attention: Secretary 5713 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20011
If you have questions or would like to volunteer to serve, contact: Gigi Alford, (202) 643-1612, gigi.unit205convention@gmail.com
A spiritual obligation, and a right
Confidential and pure
“The aim should always be so to educate the friends during the year that they consider their participation in Bahá'í elections not only as a right they exercise, but as a spiritual obligation which, when discharged in the proper Bahá'í spirit, contributes to the health and growth of the Bahá'í community.”
“One's vote should be kept confidential. It is not permissible to make any reference whatsoever to individual names. The friends must avoid the evil methods and detestable practices of the politicians. They must turn completely to God, and with a purity of motive, a freedom of spirit and a sanctity of heart, participate in the elections.” Shoghi Effendi January 16, 1923
The Universal House of Justice June 18, 1980
Ways to prepare for Unit Convention There are several sources that believers can study, including a seminal letter from the Universal House of Justice dated March 25, 2007, in which the Supreme Body describes participation in Bahá’í elections as “a sacred task unique to this Dispensation”.
What is Unit Convention? Unit Convention is the first phase of the electoral process to select the National Spiritual Assembly and eventually the Universal House of Justice. Thus, each adult Bahá’í has the privilege to indirectly participate in the election of the highest Institutions of the Faith. See below for more.
March 21, 1909: First Baha’i Temple Unity Convention in Chicago.
Worldwide Baha’i Electoral Process to Select Leadership of the Faith
"The manner of participation by all adult members of the community in these elections is a distinguishing feature of the System of Bahá'u'lláh; for it is a bounden duty that confers a high privilege upon every Bahá'í to select, as a responsible citizen of the new world being brought into existence, the composition of the institutions having authority over the functioning of the Bahá'í community. In this regard, indifference and neglect on the part of any believer are alien to the spirit of the Cause...When called upon to vote in a Bahá'í election, believers should be aware that they are carrying out a sacred task unique to this Dispensation."
The indirect selection of the National Spiritual Assembly uses an electoral-unit delegation method. The nation is divided into voting units. Each unit elects one or a few delegates who will represent the unit at the annual National Convention, and who will vote for the members of the National Spiritual Assembly. No input is provided to the delegate on whom to vote for in the national election. The number of local delegates per country is determined by the Universal House of Justice according to the size of the national community, and the National Spiritual Assembly determines the geographic area covered by each unit. Every five years, the nine members of the National Assembly attend the International Convention as national delegates to elect the Universal House of Justice.
The Universal House of Justice March 25, 2007