In connection with the institution of the National Fund and the budgetary
system set forth in the minutes of the National Spiritual Assembly, I feel
urged to remind you of the necessity of ever bearing in mind the cardinal
principle that all contributions to the Fund are to be purely and strictly
voluntary in character. It should be made clear and evident to every one
that any form of compulsion, however slight and indirect, strikes at the
very root of the principle underlying the formation of the Fund ever since
its inception. While appeals of a general character, carefully worded and
moving and dignified in tone are welcome under all circumstances, it
should be left entirely to the discretion of every conscientious believer
to decide upon the nature, the amount, and purpose of his or her
contribution for the propagation of the Cause.