Counsellors include directing the Auxiliary Boards in their area, advising National Spiritual Assemblies, keeping the Universal House of Justice informed of conditions in their area, and "stimulating, counseling and assisting" individuals and local and national Spiritual Assemblies. In addition, advising the regional Baháʼí councils became part of their duties when they were created in 1997. Auxiliary Boards The Auxiliary Boards were created in April 1954 by Shoghi Effendi to assist the Hands of the Cause. The first group of Auxiliary Board members were organized on a continental basis, similar to the Hands themselves. The first boards continued focusing on teaching work and a second set of boards were created in October 1957 to focus on the job of 'protection', that is, maintaining unity and responding to attacks by enemies of the Baháʼís. The boards were transitioned in 1968 to the jurisdiction of the Continental Counsellors, appointed to a geographic area. Unlike the Counsellors, Auxiliary Board Members are designated as either "protection" or "propagation". Those dedicated to protection focus on responding to or preventing opposition, while those dedicated to propagation focus on encouraging Baháʼí communities in their teaching work. They are generally not permitted to be members of any elected institution. If they are elected as a delegate to the national convention, or to the national spiritual assembly, they must choose between that role or being a board member. If elected to the Universal House of Justice, they must join the House of Justice and cease to be members of the board. Initially in 1957 there were 72 Auxiliary Board members appointed. 50 years later, there were about 1,000. Assistants Due to the rapid growth of the religion around the world, the Universal House of Justice in 1973 allowed Auxiliary Board members to appoint their own assistants to maintain adequate contact with assemblies and individuals in their areas. In 2008 there were about twelve thousand such assistants worldwide. Unlike other members of the Institution of the Counsellors, assistants to the Auxiliary Board may serve on Spiritual Assemblies, and are sometimes youth. Notes References Bahá'í institutions