REPORT OF THE VERNACULAR CIRCLE COMMITTEE.

It was inevitable that for the first session the work of the Vernacular Circle should be explanatory, that is, that while many conflicting opinions had to be reconciled, it was necessary for us to carry out a first-session programme that would provide entertainment and instruction, and at the same time help us to form some idea of the volume of support that we might expect, in London and at home, for more extended educational work. Although this Circle was formed as an appendage of the London Robert Burns Club, not one of us would have been satisfied had ordinary club work -the reading of papers and delivery of lectures to our members -been the beginning and end of the Circle's activities. Had there been nothing else before us, the Circle in a few years would have gone the way of all such things. Our real work lies outside London.

The end of our first session's programme will form but the jumping-off ground for the educational work which has now to be undertaken. We are certain that here in London those of the Lowland Scottish people who know of our work sympathise with it, and are ready to support it. We know also that we can show the Scottish education authorities a great volume of opinion in favour of the more extended use in schools than hitherto of the Vernacular Language of Lowland Scotland.

DR CRAIGIE AND COL. JOHN BUCHAN'S LECTURES.

It can be no reflection upon those of us who have contributed to the session's programme to say that the outstanding contributions were those of Dr W. A. Craigie, Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University, and Colonel John Buchan, novelist and historian. Dr Craigie gave the work of the Circle a direction that it needed. His knowledge of the renaissance of other languages similarly placed to our own gave great heartening, and the lecture attracted considerable attention in Scotland. Colonel John Buchan's lecture also was of great value to the Circle. No man living would have put the subject more eloquently, more lucidly, or more pawkily; and while it had not the particular reference to the work of the Circle that Dr Craigie's lecture had, it was of great value to the

patriotic Scots whom we are anxious to interest in our work.

Colonel Buchan warned us that if the decay of our language continued, Scots people would be identified by their accent rather than by their language.

WORLD-WIDE APPEAL TO Scots.

Now that the work of the session is over, we have already turned to the future. First we are appealing for the co-operation as corres. ponding Associations of Burns Clubs and other Scottish organisations throughout Scotland, England, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India; indeed, wherever Scotsmen gather.

Professor Craigie proposes visiting India and the United States next winter, and he is prepared to address Scotsmen on the work of our Circle and what we are doing to arrest the decay of the Scottish language, and how they can help. We are communicating with Scottish organisations in those towns which he will visit, asking them to arrange for lectures by the Professor.

OUR OBJECTS.

It is undesirable at this stage, even if it were possible, to lay down a hard and fast programme; but generally our work may be indicated as the encouragement by every means possible of the use of the Vernacular Language, oral and written. Naturally, the first

attention will have to be paid to the children, who are fast losing their grip of the Lowland tongue. We have evidence of the sympathy of many schoolmasters, and we will support them by the presentation of prizes for singing and reciting of pieces of classical Scots, and for the composition of prose and verse, leaving to them and the education authorities the fixing of conditions that will secure the greatest possible educational advantages.

The presentation of prizes in Primary, Secondary, and Continuation Schools and Universities is bound to have a great influence on the future of the language.

SCHOOL PRIZES.

Until we are able to raise a Scottish Language Fund, which will have to be undertaken sooner or later, it is suggested that individual members of the Circle, and through them non-members, should give prizes annually to their mither-schools for singing and reciting, or composition in verse or prose, or all of these things.

PRIZES IN UNIVERSITIES.

As was suggested when this Circle was founded, an important matter to be considered is the presentation of annual prizes in Scottish Universities for the best poem for the year in the Lowland Vernacular. This was suggested for more than one reason. As we are aiming at killing the false pride that is choking the use of

the Scottish Vernacular, we know of nothing better calculated to assist us than the approval of the authorities of a Scottish University. Aberdeen University has already accepted Sir William Noble's prize, and when the Senati of St. Andrews, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Universities accept prizes for the best poem or prose piece in the Vernacular a great step forward will have been taken.

OUTSIDE SCHOOLS: SINGING CONTESTS.

It will be the aim of the Circle to form four great centres-Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen-and invite entries at these four centres, and award four prizes (probably medals) for soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass at each centre.

COMPOSITION IN POETRY OR PROSE.

Under the auspices of the Circle, with a committee of Scottish literary men and women that would command national confidence, there should be two annual prizes, one for a poem or play and one for a prose piece. These two competitions would be open to the world, and would be advertised through the corresponding or affiliated members and the Scottish newspapers. The recitation or reading of the successful poem, play, or prose piece will be arranged for a Hallowe'en meeting or concert.

ABERDEEN'S EXAMPLE.

The Circle's prize scheme has had a splendid start, As has been said, Aberdeen University has accepted Sir William Noble's prize of ten guineas per annum for the best poem in any dialect of braid Scots. It is open to all matriculated students, and to graduates in any faculty, provided not more than seven years have elapsed since the date of their first matriculation.

Into the matter of Sir William Noble's prizes to Primary and Secondary Schools in Aberdeen, the Aberdeen Education Authority have entered enthusiastically. A Secondary Schools Noble Prize Committee has been appointed, with Professor Gilroy as convener, and the prizes for recitations have been divided into two classes -for Secondary and Primary Schools. The prizes in the Secondary Schools will this year be given to scholars in the High School and in the Grammar School, and the winner of the first prize will have an opportunity of giving the piece at the School Prize Distribution. In addition to the mere recitation, each candidate will be examined as to his or her knowledge of the subject matter prescribed.

THE DECAY OF THE LANGUAGE.

For the Primary School Prizes thirty-three schools are interested, and the competitions will be begun this year. The subjects will be prose or poetry in the Scots Vernacular or one of Burns's poems.

The Burns Club of London offer no excuse for the formation of their Vernacular Circle. There are those who profess that there is no decay in the spoken language of Scotland, but evidence continues to come to us from all parts of Scotland as to the need for a combined effort to promote the use of the language.

THE ACTIVITY OF WRITERS IN SCOTS.

Notwithstanding these signs of deterioration the outlook is bright. At present in many parts of Scotland, young and old men and women are writing verse and prose in the Vernacular, amateur playwrights are writing local plays or playlets in the Doric, and generally there is great activity in these departments of literature. The work of the Circle, by encouraging in every way the development of the Vernacular, can help the efforts of those authors, and it will be surprising if there do not emerge from our activities some great figure or figures that will revivify the Auld Scots tongue, and assist us in forming a great defensive wall around the language of our beloved land.

Since the above report was framed, the Circle has the gratifying announcement to make that Mr L. G. Sloan, the past President of the Club, has most generously gifted the sum of £500 for the establishment of prizes at the University of his native city of Edinburgh and at the University of St. Andrews, for the encouragement of the use and study of the Vernacular Language of Lowland Scotland. These prizes will give a further great impetus to the movement which has been so successfully inaugurated.

JOHN DOUGLAS,

Chairman, Vernacular Circle.

WM. WILL,

Hon. Secy. Vernacular Circle, "The Graphic," Tallis St., E.C.

COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO SIR ALEXANDER Gibb,
G.B.E., C.B.

Sir Alexander Gibb, who recently purchased the Murison Collection of Burnsiana and has presented it to Scotland, is one of our Life Members, and the Council at their last meeting on the 8th inst., unanimously agreed to entertain Sir Alexander and Lady Gibb to dinner.

The Dinner was held at the Victoria Hall, Hotel Cecil, Strand, W.C., on Friday, 8th July, at 6.30, and was attended by a large and appreciative number of members and friends.

LONDON ROBERT BURNS CLUB.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT, 1920-1921.

In presenting my report for a year of great activity. I am able to say that the Club is in a most healthy condition, and that its work is so greatly appreciated that although death and other causes have robbed us of nine members, 54 life and ordinary members have joined, thus leaving an addition to the membership of 45.

Thanks to a consistent policy that has necessitated active, unostentatious work, and continuous effort to keep the Burns movement strongly humanitarian and literary, the London Robert Burns Club retains its position as one of the most important in the Federation. Its work for the Burns movement is known throughout the world, as is evidenced by the fact that services of many kinds are required of our members from all over the habitable globe. Our work is known in Southern and Tropical Africa, India, in America, and in Australia and New Zealand. As an example of the work that our members are sometimes called upon to perform, I may mention the fact that only a few weeks ago four of our number acted as a committee to supervise the preparation of a Burns statue-the replica of the Ayr statue by Lawson-which a Burns Club in the United States of America have ordered for erection in the States.

Our Birthday Festivals are recognised as the most important literary gatherings in the Burns movement, and so anxious are we to retain this position that already preparations have been made for the 1922 celebration. Professor Grierson, professor of Rhetoric and English Literature at Edinburgh University, one of the greatest living literary critics, has consented to propose "The Immortal Memory," and applications have already been received for tickets.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHARITIES, &C.

This Club has never made it a practice to hold any considerable sums of money. All surpluses from subscriptions and concerts have been disbursed for charitable and other objects, so that our exchequer at the end of the year never shows a big surplus, if any. This year the Club and its members have raised considerable sums for various deserving objects, among them being :