LSA members to abdicate after a while?

[AdibM]

Hello friends,

Would anyone happen to know if there is a quote by The Guardian or anyone else recommending that LSA members eventually resign after a long term of service so as to bring a spirit of freshness into the community? Not in those words, but you get the idea. I've been wondering about this for a while now. Thanks!

[BritishBahai]

I dont mean to clutter the thread, but a "breath of fresh air" would happen anyway because each LSA only lasts for one calendar year. Before the elections, voters will be able to judge for themselves whether an elder person is still suitable or whether they are facing more limitations in their life. Youre smart so im sure you already thought of this before.

I have a useful e-Book; If I come across anything relevant i'll post it...

[AdibM]

I did think of that but some communities have a tendency to re-elect the incumbents. Ours is an example.

[coatofmanycolours]

Friends; I think that the whole process, of participating in the Baha'i community way of life,
requires a highly refined set of skills, development of character and trust in Baha'u'llah. It will,
probably, take dozens of generations before these prerequisites become well established in
our culture. None of our ancestors, in my opinion, had this combination of skills because this
way of life was not yet known to them.

To address the point of this thread, the skills of the electors, at the grassroots level of Baha'i
society, will develop to a point where each one is capable and practiced at make sound electoral
judgments. These will depend on trust in Baha'u'llah and appreciation of divine qualities reflected in
the human being. They will also depend on deliberate investigation into the needs of the community
and those qualities of mind which will best address those needs.

This can be likened to building an excellent ship to cross the oceans. However, in the final analysis,
the confirmations from God are the main factor in determining our advancement. A crude ship,
assisted by God, can cross the raging sea. A magnificent ship, deprived of confirmations from God,
might very well sink to the cold, black depths of the sea.

-Peter

[brettz9]

Here's a quote that is similar to what you describe:

He was very happy to see that changes had been made in membership of the N.S.A. this year, not from any reasons of personality, but because change itself is good and brings a fresh outlook into the discussions of any assembly. He was also pleased to see that these changes involved more younger people being on the N.S.A.; with the tremendous amount of work which this . . . Plan is going to involve, this will be a great help to the older members of that body.

(Written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in The National Spiritual Assembly, p. 18, cited in Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities)

So, in the above at least, no one is asked to step down (and indeed that would be a restriction on the rights of the electorate), but the general idea for having new blood is encouraged. (There is this quote which suggests an age limit on the National Youth Committee, yet also suggests a way for older members to supervise them.)

It is also worth pointing out that reelecting incumbents is a huge issue everywhere, not only in the Baha'i community. In some elections, some people who died get elected anyways because of name recognition (and some politicians have taken advantage of that by using such a name in a district where the name was seen favorably).

I also think that the following recent letter is well worth bringing to the attention of communities. To take one excerpt from it:

While there should be no mention of personalities in connection with Bahá'í elections, it is quite appropriate for believers to discuss the requirements and qualifications for membership in the institution to be elected. Shoghi Effendi offers clear guidance on this point: "I feel that reference to personalities before the election would give rise to misunderstanding and differences. What the friends should do is to get thoroughly acquainted with one another, to exchange views, to mix freely and discuss among themselves the requirements and qualifications for such a membership without reference or application, however indirect, to particular individuals." Among the "necessary qualities" specified by the Guardian are those "of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience". With a heightened awareness of the functions to be performed by the elected body, the believer can properly assess those for whom a vote should be cast. From among the pool of those whom the elector believes to be qualified to serve, selection should be made with due consideration given to such other factors as age distribution, diversity, and gender. The elector should make his choice after careful thought over an extended period before the actual election.

(at http://bahai-library.com/file.php?file=uhj_2007_3_25#2 )

I might add that this letter was put forth not too long after our Assembly raised the question (prompted by a question of a believer not on the Assembly) of the meaning of the above-cited quotation of the Guardian to our National Spiritual Assembly (the latter gave a quite different answer, perhaps prompting the letter from the House)--a sign perhaps that when one goes through the recommended channels (the LSAs are the believers' recommended means of communication with the NSAs when the Convention is not in session), results may also be more readily forthcoming from a busy administration. This is one automatic mechanism our institutions have for knowing what the Baha'i populace in general (more than just any individuals who write to them directly) are thinking about.

best wishes,
Brett

[CasaDeFlores]

Yes in my opinion the question is a valid one, perhaps a renewal for communities to discuss this issue in this century is needed.