THE FEDERATION MEETINGS.

The outstanding event of the year's work was the visit of the Burns Federation to London. This visit was to have been made in September, 1914. All arrangements were then made for the meetings, but the outbreak of war necessitated their abandonment. To London, last September, 95 gentleman came as delegates from the various federated Burns Clubs, and the series of meetings which were arranged for them kept their time well occupied with work and entertainment.

To inaugurate the proceedings, on Friday evening, 3rd September, the delegates accepted my invitation to dine with the members of the Council of the London Robert Burns Club at Vintners' Hall, and a most enjoyable evening was spent. The speeches were homely and hearty, and the music was good. The fine old hall of the Vintners' Company, which was kindly placed at our disposal through the good offices of Mr Powell, the senior warden, was an object of great interest to the delegates.

On the following (Saturday) morning, the delegates met members of the London Robert Burns Club at the Burns Statue on the Embankment, and Mr Duncan M'Naught, as president of the Federation, placed a wreath at the base of the statue.

The company immediately proceeded to the Scots Corporation Hall, Crane Court, Fleet Street, where the annual meeting of Federa. tion delegates was held. Our club was represented by myself, Sir William Noble, vice-president, and Mr M'Farlane, hon. secretary. In the course of the meeting a cheque for £100 was handed to the treasurer for Federation purposes by an anonymous donor.

On the conclusion of the business the company lunched at Anderton's Hotel. After luncheon it was announced that in connection with the visit to the Caledonian Schools at Bushey, a member who wished to remain anonymous had presented a cheque for £100 to the schools.

The visit to the schools-the journey was made in motor busses —was one of the most enjoyable parts of the programme arranged for the entertainment of the delegates. The happy boys and girls in their neat uniforms, marched past to the music of the bagpipes ; they swam, danced, ran races, and generally showed themselves a healthy, happy, and athletic band of children. The delegates were so greatly impressed with the excellence of the institution that during a high tea, provided by Mr Peter D. Graham, secretary, a collection of £55 was made. After tea, a concert was held in the hall, at which the children provided part of the programme. Here I would like to say how grateful we were to Mrs Price (Miss Bessie

Fraser), of Australia, for her kind services in singing at our various functions.

The delegates during their London visit enjoyed themselves heartily, as will be seen by the report in the Burns Chronicle, 1920-21, and many of them sent expressions of their grateful thanks to Mr M'Farlane, our hon. secretary.

THE BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL.

The Club's 52nd Celebration of the Poet's Birthday will be remembered as one of the most successful and certainly the bestattended in the history of the Club. 451 members, friends, and club guests, sat down to dinner in the King's Hall, Holborn Restaurant, and an attractive programme of speeches and music was carried through.

After a word of welcome by the President, Miss Annie S. Swan proposed The Press," to which Sir Andrew Caird replied. Mr Edmund Gosse, in his address in proposing" The Immortal Memory," paid his tribute to the work of Burns as a Scottish song preserver and restorer. In his speech on Burns Lovers Abroad, Sir Harry Lauder told of the heart-hunger of the Scot abroad for his native land and for the songs and poems of Robert Burns.

THE VERNACULAR CIRCLE.

A movement which has already attracted a deal of attention, and which is bound to have a great influence on the future of the language of Lowland Scotland, although inaugurated during the year 1919-20, concluded its first session during the year just ending. Begun with the blessing of many of the professors of Scottish Universities and of Oxford and Cambridge, the Vernacular Circle has secured the support of many schoolmasters, literary men, and other patriotic Scots who love their mither tongue, and who lament the fact that it is dying on the tongues of the people. The Circle hope by their efforts to do a good deal to arrest the decay that is all too apparent. The Vernacular Circle Committee have prepared a full report of their work for the session and their programme for the future, and this relieves me of the necessity of referring further to the matter.

DOMESTIC MATTERS.

As the members are aware, our Club has a particularly strong domestic side. As the annual reports of the Past Presidents will disclose, we take special interest in the life and work of our members outside the actual Club work. In keeping with this tradition, I wish on my own and my wife's behalf, to thank the members for their kindness on the occasion of our daughter's wedding to Mr Donald Mackay, by sending us congratulations, and presenting to our

daughter a beautiful wedding gift. For your kind thoughts and gift we are all grateful to you.

We congratulate Dunfermline and our brethren there on receiving, at the hands of one of our members, Sir Alexander Gibb, G.B.E., C.B., the great Burns Collection known as the Murison Collection, one of the finest collections of Burnsiana in the world. Sir Alexander Gibb, the honorary president of the Dunfermline Club, most generously purchased the collection and handed it over to Dunfermline. While congratulating Dunfermline, we wish to thank Sir Alexander Gibb for his great public spirit. Sir Alexander's action has most probably prevented the collection from being purchased for America, where so many valuable Burns books and collections have gone.

During the year we have lost the services as honorary treasurer, but fortunately not the membership or support, of our old friend and past president, Mr Wilkinson-Pimbury, who has rendered great service to us, and who for these services the members conferred on him life-membership and a beautifully bound copy of the Poet's works. Happily, Mr Wilkinson-Pimbury has been succeeded as hon. treasurer by an able accountant in Mr J. Spence Leslie.

We have recently congratulated Dr J. M. Bulloch, one of our members, on having had conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. by his Alma Mater, Aberdeen. Dr Bulloch has done much literary work for Scotland, and his hosts of friends inside and outside this Club are proud of the honour conferred upon him. Dr Bulloch has just undergone a serious operation, and we all wish him a speedy and complete recovery.

Among what may be considered as domestic events, I wish to refer to the recovery from his period of illness of our worthy hon. secretary, who has given such great service to the Club. Mr M Farlane, at the Federation Meetings, at the Hollowe'en Dinner, at our great Birthday Festival, and at our Committee meetings, has been the life and soul of our Club, as he has been since he took up office. His illness cannot altogether be separated from the work that he has done for the Club; and often when he might have claimed exemption on account of illness, he has stuck to his work with the cheerfulness and joviality that make association with him so pleasant.

Among minor matters to be recorded are the facts that the Club assisted with the visit of the Orpheus Choir; and with the petition for securing a Civil List Pension for Mr Scott Skinner, the eminent Scottish composer and violinist.

During the year we have lost several of our brethren by death. Among these are :-Mr Peter Bonthron, a life member, a gentleman whose interest in the Poet's works was most intelligent, and who

attended our gatherings consistently.

Mr Robert C. Annand, who was elected to membership only in December, one of the leading manufacturers of printing machinery of the present time; Mr G. Simpson, an old and valued member of the Club; Mr A. D. Ferguson, Mr J. Campbell Walker, and Mr D. Scully, whose presence we shall greatly miss from our gatherings.

FUSION OF BURNS CLUBS IN LONDON.

The most important matter that our Club has had to consider during the past twelve months is the proposal to unite the two Burns Clubs in London. In 1917, I may recall, this Club made an effort to effect a union, but the time apparently was not ripe and the negotiations failed. In March last, as the result of informal conversations, the London Burns Club (Scots), made overtures to our committee. These were heartily welcomed by us, and the result may be-we hope it will be-that to-night the two clubs, having similar ideals, will be united under the title, "The Burns Club of London." With a united body of Burns lovers in London the good work on which we have all been engaged will go forward with increased zest.

IN CONCLUSION-THANKS.

In conclusion I would like to thank the Officials and Council for the enthusiastic support they have given me during the past year. I have already referred to the extraordinary hard work of Mr M'Farlane, and while emphasising his good work, I do not overlook the work of the members of the different committees who have given excellent service to the Club; and in particular I wish to refer to the support given to me by our Vice-President, Sir William Noble.

We have had a year of great interest, and I feel sure of great good to the Burns cult. We have reached an important point in the history of our Club; and should the fusion of the two Clubs actually follow the negotiations, much more can be done for the literary and charitable sides of our work. We shall go forward in the expectation of doing great things together.

My last words are words of gratitude to you all for the support you have given me in the chair. L. G. SLOAN, President.

ROSEBERY BURNS CLUB.

The past session's work, it is pleasing to note, has been markedly progressive. All the meetings have been largely attended, and it is evident from the number of ladies present that it was a wise move on the part of the Club to admit them as members.

Probably one of the most interesting meetings held was on 17th August, 1920, when Mrs Gribbel was duly elected our first Honorary Lady Member. A splendid evening's entertainment resulted, and will long remain a pleasant memory in the minds

of all present.

The Syllabus was quite up to, if not better than, its predecessors, and to judge from the titles of the lectures, we had quite a " Poetic Session," addresses being delivered on Tannahill, Cowper, and Burns," as well as on The Poetry of Business."

All the social functions were well partonised, and a large and appreciative gathering heard Prin. Chas. S. Dougall, M.A., of Dollar Academy, give the oration on the 25th January.

The Ladies' Night consisted of a Whist Drive on 23rd December, and a high tea on 31st March. At the latter function an Auction Sale was held whereby the Infirmaries benefited to the extent of over £30.

The School Competition at Bluevale Public School proved an unqualified success, and while the members of the Rosebery provided the incentive, we cannot allow the occasion to pass without recording our appreciation of Mr Lucas, the Headmaster of the School, and his well qualified staff, who took such pains with the children. As a result of the competition and the whole-hearted enthusiasm of the children, it is pleasing to record that a goodly sum was donated to the Bellahouston Hospital.

As all Burnsians know, the Rosebery, in co-operation with the Carlton Burns Club, had taken in hand the publication of Burns Works in Braille and Moon type, so that those of our brethren who had not their sight might be able to appreciate and enjoy our Bard's literary masterpieces. This grand work is now completed, and at the parting of the ways of the joint committee a balance of nearly £62 was donated to the Scottish Institution for the Blind, whose headquarters are in Edinburgh.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the Club is in a flourishing condition, and we anticipate continuing our forward march in the session now started. So far, everything augurs well for this hope being realised. JOHN M. ALEXANDER, Hon. Secy.

TAM O' SHANTER BURNS CLUB, GLASGOW.

ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1920-1921.

The Annual Report was submitted at the meeting on 25th October.

The Club has met three times during the session, the Committee seven times, and the Sub-committee four times.