Fabian Society , 22 and the Average Attendance Was 5
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FAB IA N SOCIETY 75th A n n u al Re po rt l s t j U L Y ne w 1 0 3 ot h j U N E u s e INTRODUCTI ON ’ HI ha m m m S S R eport shows t t the o entu , scale and quality of the ociety s m work have been well aintained throughout another year , and despite familiar financial pressures . I n our 74th Report we noted that national m em bership had shown its T first increase for over ten years . his increase has since continued and , in T mem . addition , the decline in local bership has been checked his is a m f r m S considerable achieve ent , o , except in warti e , the ociety has never had a rising national m embership o f over A rising membership is m partly the result of a renewed interest in politics , especially a ongst younger B r people . ut it is also clearly a token of the high egard in which the ’ Society s current work is held . The demand for Fabian pamphlets from non - Fabians is another m Fo r m easure o f success . pa phlets were once again extensively reviewed , r The and the orders fo them show the influential public they reached . sale of pamphlets outside the United Kingdom and the several hundred m embers living overseas— North America has the largest number— testify to the ’ Society s high international reputation . The E xecutive Comm ittee is greatly indebted to the many individuals who have generously written and lectured for the Society during the year , m all without pay ent of any kind . The change of name from Fabian Colon ial to Fabian Comm on wealth Bureau during the year was a sym bol of a change to which the Bureau has itself so largely contributed . Bu f r m f t success is no excuse o co placency , least o all in politics where T m mm fortunes change so rapidly . here was , for exa ple , in the i ediate - n m m post war period , a tendency to treat ab or al warti e conditions as perm ane nt and to extend already contracting resources over too large a I t m E mm field . is necessary at all ti es for the xecutive Co ittee to consider m fo r The f ost carefully the changing priorities work . views o the member ship o n this have been m ade known through the closer contact and con a sult tio n which has taken place . As A m the ccounts indicate , we spent slightly ore than we received during the year : the balance between incom e and e xpenditure is as pre of m carious as ever . Despite the continuing generosity any donors , including f m The m m trade unions , we are a long way ro financial security . e bership , s has the directly and indirectly , till largest part to play in helping to achieve h t is , ) x fi FABIAN S OC IETY MEMBERSHI P Fo r the second yea r in succession individual mem bership showed an e T m l l mm incr ase . here was a s a l oss of subscribing bodies and Co onwealth B m m f ureau e bers , but this was insu ficient to change the general picture of a slow but steady upwards trend . As in the previous year , a high proportion of new mem bers was under 30 and recruiting eff orts were especially directed towards the Universities . m m 1952 The fall in local society e bership since was also checked . This is the first year sinc e 1946 in which n either n ational nor local a m embership h s fall en . Members hip Fig ures at 3 oth June 1958 Chang e NATIONAL INDI V IDUAL ME MBE RS Full Members Associates 2 3 303 503 . 03 . To al 0 . 6 t . New Members 9 9 3 8 23 109 269 86 50 14 74 224 Resignations , etc . — Net gain 13 12 9 3 5 45 S UBSCRIBING BODIE S 1958 Chang e - C P C o . T 1 4 Labour arties , ops , rade Unions 47 Libraries and miscellaneous bodies 92 5 BUREAU' MEMBERS Commonwe alth Bureau I nternational Bureau LOCAL FABIAN SOCIETIE S Local Societies (total at 3oth 86 90 Membership of Local Societies 2573 2579 A 9 — h 19 58 ( pril , 1 57 Marc . ) 75TH ANNUAL RE PORT 3 GENERAL E 'E CUTI VE COMMITTE E T and Mem bers E lected : John Diamond (Hon . reasurer , unopposed) m A e S . R (in order of ballot) R . H . Cross an , itchie Calder , nthony W dgwood ‘ ‘ k n n A A u A R . B M A S efli to . enn , argaret Cole , rthur g , usten lb , C Crosland , B A -S m E P R o H . D . Hughes , rian bel ith , irene White . John arker , y Jenkins , A Blenkins o G G T m B M S e rthur p , erald ardiner , ho as alogh , ary tewart , D nis Healey . - F P M Members C o opted : Lord aringdon , eggy Jay , John urray , G eorge P m T . Thomson , Philip Thur an , eter ownsend 1 FFI CE R S W P the S as . For the sixth successive year the resident of ociety G . D . H P . m E mm R o M . y Jenkins , , was elected Chair an of the xecutive Co ittee - P P . V m . h . P . E . M and irene White , M , ice Chair an Jo n arker , , was elected h m Honorary Secretary . Jo n Dia ond had already been returned as Honorary Treasurer in the annual ballot . COMMITTE E S Members of the Committee s appointed by the E xecutive Committee d A ‘ ’ are liste in ppendix A. DE LE GATES P : T . R . Labour arty Conference W . odgers P A Sk effi n to n P London Labour arty Conference : rthur g , M . P E mm A Sk efii n ton . P . London Labour arty xecutive Co ittee : rthur g , M STAFF There were ten full - time and five part - time members of the Staff and m there were no ajor change s during the year . V OLUNTAR Y AS SISTANCE The E xecutive Comm ittee would like to thank those m embers who A gave valuable voluntary assistance during the year , in particular , . E . m ffi and Hol an for regular work in the general o ce , Charles Cannell and s or m Mr . Pease f regular help in the Com onwealth Bureau . Ma ry Winchester continued to give part - tim e help in the Commonwe alth Bureau a nd members of th a F l e Centr l London abian Society a so gave assistan c e . ANNUAL G E NE R AL M E ETING The A G M was x m nnual eneral eeting held at Ca ton Hall , West inster , The 30th m 19 57. A on Saturday , Nove ber , nnual Report and Statement 4 FA BIAN S OCIETY A . P . e of Accounts were accepted vote of thanks to Messrs egg , R ob rtson A m and Co . for their services as Honorary uditors was carried unani ously - and they were asked to serve again for 1957 58 . Th f m m R e m the E e ollowing a end ents to the ul s , oved by xecutive Committee , were agreed : ’ m s u s t tute 1 R ul 14 i 4 : ele . er a er d . e , l ne D te l s p ye r p ember an b i ’ 2s er a er m mb . p ye r p e er - i 1 elet . e a er m m nd s u bs itute By L aw 4 (d) . L ne D e l s p r ye r p e ber a t ’ er a er m m . 2s . p ye r p e ber ‘ ‘ ’ — i 3 e e ia o a w . t afiil ti n fee for a m m By L 4 (f) L ne : D l e l s . e ch e ber ’ i m e affi ia fee for ac m . an d s u bs titu te 2s . l t on e h e b r - L a ws an An n ul nd re- u e the B - i 2 . By 1 d 5 : a n m b r y Laws accord ngly ‘ I n s rt af e m a be c R u le 9 : e ter the second sentence , No p rson y ele ted or c o - Opted to the E xec utive Comm ittee u nless he or she is a full m ember of ’ the Soc iety el igible for individual m em bership of the Labou r Party . w ule : I af R u 10 The A ua a M i a A Ne R nsert ter le , nn l Gener l eet ng sh ll n m n a n i be held on the last Saturday i Nove ber or o the ne rest co ven ent date , i u u u m a da a an d m a f A . M m the y , pl ce t e to be nno nced be ore l st g st e bers y send in res ol utions at any time befo re 15th Septem ber and these shall be e M m m a n am ndm publ ished to the memb rship i n Oc tober .