6 Convention

Hail with joyous heart the delegates of the American Baha'i Community
assembled beneath the dome of the Mother Temple of the West in momentous
Convention of the first year of peace. The souls are uplifted in
thanksgiving for the protection vouchsafed by Providence to the preeminent
community of the Baha'i world enabling its members to consummate, despite
the tribulations of a world-convulsing conflict, the first stage of
'Abdu'l-Baha's Plan. The Campaign culminating the Centenary of the
inauguration of the Baha'i Era completed sixteen months ere the appointed
time the exterior ornamentation of the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar, laid the
basis of the administrative order in every virgin state and province of
the North American Continent, almost doubled the Assemblies established
since the inception of the Faith, established Assemblies in fourteen
republics of Latin America, constituted active groups in remaining
republics, swelled to sixty the sovereign states within the pale of the
Faith.

The two-year respite, well-earned after the expenditure of such a colossal
effort, covering such a tremendous range, during so dark a period, is now
ended. The prosecutors of the Plan who in the course of six war-ridden
years achieved such prodigies of service in the Western Hemisphere from
Alaska to Magallanes are now collectively summoned to assume in the course
of the peaceful years ahead still weightier responsibilities for the
opening decade of the Second Century. The time is ripe, events are
pressing. Hosts on high are sounding the signal for inauguration of second
Seven Year Plan designed to culminate first Centennial of the year Nine
marking the mystic birth of Baha'u'llah's prophetic mission in
Siyah-_Ch_al at Tihran.

A two-fold responsibility urgently calls the vanguard of the dawn-breakers
of Baha'u'llah's Order, torch-bearers of world civilization, executors of
'Abdu'l-Baha's mandate, to arise and simultaneously bring to fruition the
tasks already undertaken and launch fresh enterprises beyond the borders
of the Western Hemisphere.

The first objective of the new Plan is consolidation of victories already
won throughout the Americas, involving multiplication of Baha'i centers,
bolder proclamation of the Faith to the masses. The second objective is
completion of the interior ornamentation of the holiest House of Worship
in the Baha'i world designed to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of
the inception of thi