Cancellations due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak
Dear friends:
In regards to the COVID-19 virus world-wide outbreak, our National
Spiritual Assembly has left decisions about whether or not to host
meetings to the local and regional Baha’i institutions. At the
national center, the NSA has cancelled the National Convention and has
instructed delegates to cast their votes by mail. The Baha’i school
sessions at Bosch, Green Acre, and Louhelen have been canceled through
the end of May. No decision has been made yet on holding the Annual
Choral Festival. These decisions were made after guidance from
experts and the advisories published by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
Due to our need to safeguard the health of all, especially our many
elderly Baha’is, and to do whatever we can to slow the spread of this
disease, the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Milwaukee has
decided to cancel our Naw Ruz celebration and some upcoming Feasts as
well as the annual meeting.
We will not meet on March 20th for Naw Ruz or March 21st for the
Feast. Two 19-Day Feasts that would have been held in April will not
be observed at a community-wide gathering. Until we can host meetings
again, we plan to send you some Feast readings, the NSA’s Feast
letter, and links to Baha’i music so that you can hold a Feast in your
homes, either by yourselves or with a small group of friends. Can you
help? We need people to prepare sets of Feast “readings” and music
that can be sent out as we hold our in-home Feasts.
The annual meeting: Every year on the first day of Ridvan (April 20th
this year), we elect our Local Spiritual Assembly. This year,
Milwaukee will hold an election by mail-in ballot. If you are an adult
voting member residing in the City of Milwaukee, you will receive your
ballots and our Annual Report during the first week of April. Please
exercise your sacred right and responsibility to uphold the
administrative pillars of our religion; send in your vote and share
your thoughts.
In it’s recent letter to all LSA’s and registered Baha’i groups, the
National Spiritual Assembly offers encouraging words:
“Perhaps our best response to what we may face in the days ahead is to
meet it with the confidence, the positive attitude, the loving concern
and care for our spiritual sisters and brothers that our teachings
inspire…. Let us reach out to those around us to the extent that we
can and find ways to assist them; let us use the time to engage in
prayer, in reflection on the Word of God, and in meaningful
conversations with family members, friends, and neighbors. Let us show
them by our attitude and actions that bright hope and true shelter and
asylum from every dire adversity can only be found under the wing of
the ‘protection, preservation, guard and custody’ of the Divine
Physician, Baha’u’llah.”
Warm Baha’i love,
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Milwaukee
lsamilwaukee@gmail.com