The Kindred of the Kibbo Kift

“Designing Utopia: John Hargrave and the Kibbo Kift” is a colorful book about a colorful organization, the Kindred of the Kibbo Kift. I admit that I bought it mostly because of the strange name of the organization (which is never really explained). Almost forgotten today, the Kibbo Kift was one of several “alternative” groups active in Britain during the interwar years.

Formed in 1920 and originally projected as a broad, progressive alternative to the Boy Scouts, the Kibbo Kift quickly became the private turf of John Hargrave. Socialists, pacifists and Theosophists left the movement, and around 1924, Hargrave was the undisputed “Head Man” of the Kindred. The supreme leader´s eclectic personal philosophy makes it difficult for an outsider to fully understand the purpose of his activities – this book emphasizes Hargrave´s artistic contributions. His aesthetic strikes me as a combination of William Morris, medieval LARP-ing and fascism. But then, many movements both left and right had a “fascist” aesthetic during the interwar years, so the Kindred were hardly unique in this regard. Indeed, if looked at in context, the Kibbo Kift probably didn´t stand out as much as they do today – the early 20^th century was the high tide of innovative utopian schemes of various kinds.

What perhaps makes Hargrave´s brainchild different is the bewildering mix of many seemingly disparate elements, from Anglo-Saxon pageantry and Nature-worship to “globalist” dreams of universal peace and a fascination with modern technology. Add to this secret lodges and an interest in esotericism! But then, with the exception of the universal peace and brotherhood thing, nationalist and fascist movements probably came pretty close even to this eclecticism. Had I been a Marxist, I would mockingly accuse Hargrave of a “typically petty-bourgeois belief in Socialism without Workers, Equality without Feminism, Modernity without Industry, and indeed, Fascism without the Fascism. Like all petty-bourgeois, he `solves´ and then reproduces all societal contradictions in his abstract mind, being unable to solve them through concrete praxis”. Most members of the Kibbo Kift were lower middle class by today´s standards, while some were workers. Most were men (the KK was explicitly patriarchal and anti-gay), but women were allowed to join, and in practice seems to have had as much freedom as the male members, including leadership roles in women-only activities.

Originally, the Kinsmen (and women) resembled a re-enactment society with a strong interest in scouting and woodcraft. One of their more original acts was a “pilgrimage” to Piltdown in honor of the Piltdown Man! An inner core probably studied “Rosicrucian” esotericism. During the Great Depression, Hargrave radically changed the movement, making it more obviously political in nature. Under the new names “the Green Shirts” and “the Social Credit Party”, the Kibbo Kift embraced the theories of C H Douglas. I admit that I haven´t studied Social Credit, but judging by this book, it´s a utopian quasi-socialist panacea based on ideas about cheap credit, anti-banking legislation and a “national dividend” made possible by complete automation of production. It was never embraced by the socialist labor movement, and represented a kind of farmer-based populism with Christian traits during its brief hay day in Canada. In Britain, Social Credit was promoted by several “alternative” groups and publications, most notably A R Orage´s “The New Age”. 

Hargrave´s version was more unabashedly activist, with Kinsmen dressed in green uniforms taking to the streets, sometimes even vandalizing property and clashing with fascist Black Shirts and Communist Red Shirts. Several times, they tried to interrupt the deliberations in the House of Commons by shouting about Social Credit from the public gallery! Hargrave´s views on the fascist threat isn´t entirely clear. The book claims he hotly denied any association with Mosley or Hitler, but his movement nevertheless paid tribute to the Duke of Windsor (the former Edward VIII), often accused of having pro-German sympathies. The Kindred of the Kibbo Kift disintegrated during World War II, ironically because many members were drafted into the military! After the war, Hargrave returned to his more occult interests, apparently becoming a faith healer.

I´m not sure if “Designing Utopia” really clarifies the mysteries of Britain´s most peculiar youth organization, but at least it contains a lot of colorful artwork and handicraft…