The History of the Fabian Society | Page 9

formulate then and there the spiritual basis of
the Society, and after several suggestions had been made a new
committee was appointed. Resolution No. 1 had already been deferred.
The next meeting was held on December 7th, when only fifteen were
present. Hubert Bland occupied the chair, and Dr. Burns-Gibson
introduced a definite plan as follows:--
"THE FELLOWSHIP OF NEW LIFE
Object.--The cultivation of a perfect character in each and all.
Principle.--The subordination of material things to spiritual.

Fellowship.--The sole and essential condition of fellowship shall be a
single-minded, sincere, and strenuous devotion to the object and
principle."
Further articles touched on the formation of a community, the
supplanting of the spirit of competition, the highest education of the
young, simplicity of living, the importance of manual labour and
religious communion. Nine names were attached to this project,
including those of Percival Chubb, Havelock Ellis, and William Clarke,
and it was announced that a Fellowship would be formed on this basis,
whether it was accepted or rejected by the majority. These propositions
were discussed and no decision was arrived at.
Up to this point the minutes are recorded in the writing of Percival
Chubb. The next entry was made by Frank Podmore, and those after
that by Frederick Keddell.
We now arrive at the birthday of the Fabian Society, and the minutes of
that meeting must be copied in full:--
"Meeting held at 17 Osnaburgh Street, on Friday, 4th January, 1884.
"Present: Mrs. Robins, Miss Robins, Miss Haddon, Miss C. Haddon,
Messrs. J. Hunter Watts, Hughes, Bland, Keddell, Pease, Stapleton,
Chubb, Burns-Gibson, Swan, Podmore, Estcourt, etc.
"Mr. Bland took the chair at 8.10 p.m.
"After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read and
confirmed Dr. Gibson moved the series of resolutions which had been
read to the Society at the previous meeting.
"Mr. Podmore moved as an amendment the series of resolutions, copies
of which had been circulated amongst the members a few days
previously.
"The amendment was carried by 10 votes to 4.

[Presumably the 4 included Burns-Gibson, Chubb, and Estcourt, who
signed the defeated resolutions.]
"Mr. Podmore's proposals were then put forward as substantive
resolutions and considered seriatim.
"Resolution I.--That the Society be called the Fabian Society (as Mr.
Podmore explained in allusion to the victorious policy of Fabius
Cunctator) was carried by 9 votes to 2.
"Resolution II.--That the Society shall not at present pledge its
members to any more definite basis of agreement than that contained in
the resolution of 23rd November, 1883.
"Carried unanimously.
"Resolution III.--In place of Mr. Podmore's first proposal it was
eventually decided to modify the resolution of 7th November, 1883, by
inserting the words 'to help on' between the words 'shall be' and the
words 'the reconstruction.'
"Resolution IV with certain omissions was agreed to unanimously, viz.:
That with the view of learning what practical measures to take in this
direction the Society should:
"_(a)_ Hold meetings for discussion, the reading of papers, hearing of
reports, etc.
"_(b)_ Delegate some of its members to attend meetings held on social
subjects, debates at Workmen's Clubs, etc., in order that such members
may in the first place report to the Society on the proceedings, and in
the second place put forward, as occasion serves, the views of the
Society.
"_(c)_ Take measures in other ways, as, for example, by the collection
of articles from current literature, to obtain information on all
contemporary social movements and social needs.

"Mr. Bland, Mr. Keddell, and Mr. Podmore were provisionally
appointed as an Executive Committee, to serve for three months, on the
motion of Mr. Pease. A collection was made to provide funds for past
expenses: the sum collected amounting to 13s. 9d."
It appears that Mr. Bland on this occasion acted as treasurer, though
there is no record of the fact. He was annually re-elected treasurer and a
member of the Executive Committee until he retired from both
positions in 1911.
Thus the Society was founded. Although it appeared to be the outcome
of a division of opinion, this was scarcely in fact the case. All those
present became members, and the relations between the Fabian Society
and the Fellowship of the New Life were always of a friendly character,
though in fact the two bodies had but little in common, and seldom
came into contact.
* * * * *
A few words may be devoted to the Fellowship of the New Life, which
continued to exist for fifteen years. Its chief achievement was the
publication of a quarterly paper called "Seedtime,"[9] issued from July,
1889, to February, 1898. The paper contains articles on Ethical
Socialism, the Simple Life, Humanitarianism, the Education of
Children, and similar subjects. The Society was conducted much on the
same lines as the Fabian Society: fortnightly lectures were given in
London