Origins

The Order began, as most enduring institutions do, by accident. A meeting had been called. It was expected to last ten minutes, and the room in which it was held happened to contain a sofa of unusual depth and softness. Those present sat down on it. Nobody remembers what the meeting was about, and this, the members agree, is the first and most important fact of the Order's history.

The discussion that followed touched on a great many subjects: the correct temperature of tea, whether a biscuit may be dunked twice, the probable intentions of pigeons, and a proposal of considerable ambition that was agreed by everyone and carried out by no one. At some point the original agenda was mentioned, and the company fell silent in respect. Then somebody asked whether anyone wanted more tea, and the conversation resumed.

The First Session

The meeting did not end so much as dissolve. Its participants drifted away one by one, each promising to follow up, and none of them did. A week later the same people found themselves on the same sofa, and one of them observed that they appeared to have formed a society. The motion that they had was put to the sofa and carried without objection, largely because the only person who might have objected had gone to put the kettle on.

That evening is now remembered as the First Session. It is not dated. The founders felt that a date would imply a schedule, and a schedule would imply that something was meant to happen next.

The Founders' Sofa

The sofa itself is held in the highest regard. Its exact whereabouts are not recorded, and members are discouraged from asking. It is said to have three cushions, one of which is always slightly lower than the others, and that whoever sits on the lower cushion is obliged to speak first. Whether this is a rule of the Order or simply a fact of upholstery has never been settled.

Growth and Restraint

The Order has grown slowly, and on purpose. A sofa seats only so many, and the founders resolved early that the Order should never be larger than a long conversation can comfortably contain. New members have been admitted from time to time, always by invitation and always after they have shown, in some unguarded moment, a real gift for not getting to the point.

The Order has never held an election, published a report or reached a decision, and it intends to keep it that way.