Who is Members from The Age of Wire and String and what is their importance?

Members are people, but the author never explains their membership. In his roundabout, stilted style of expression, he refers regularly to members but never identifies the group or groups to which they belong. They could be members of society, of families, or perhaps members of some special organization that has gone unnamed throughout the book. It is quite likely that they are simply members of humanity, or people. Calling them members makes them seem special and a little mysterious, which is certainly true of people.