1921. Oct. HELENSBURGH BURNS CLUB. SYLLABUS FOR SESSION 1921-1922. 7. Annual General Meeting. Oct. 31. Hallowe'en. 66 Nov. 21. Essay : 'Oliver Goldsmith "-Mr Findlay M'Kichan. Hat Night. Dec. 5. 1922. Jan. 16. Essay : "Tannahill "-Mr Matthew Allan, with Musical Illustrations by Choir and Soloists. Jan. 25. Anniversary Célebration. Feb. Concert in Victoria Hall (date not yet decided). BUCK'S HEAD BURNS CLUB, ARMADALE. REPORT FOR SESSION 1920-1921. I have the pleasure and satisfaction to report another successful year of the Buck's Head Burns Club under the able Presidentship of Mr John Mack. The Annual Meeting of the Club was held on the 18th of September, 1920, with a large turnout of the members. The reports of Secretary and Treasurer were submitted, and showed the Club to be in a very flourishing condition. Our Hallowe'en Nicht of tatties and herrin', with a social and dance following, was a great success. A free New-Year's Day treat to the members' children brought a fairly good turnout of future Burnsites. The New-Year's Night social and dance was one of our most successful events, there being 110 couples present. The Annual Dinner in honour of our National Bard was held on 28th January, 1921, and proved to be a great success, there being 250 ladies and gentlemen present, while deputations from three sister clubs were present, viz., Newarthill, Whitburn, and MidCalder. Mr William M'Alpine proposed the "Immortal Memory," and Mrs J. Peden, a lady member of the committee, replied to " The Lassies." We have held meetings throughout the county to get an association of the county clubs formed, and in the near future we see hopes of our work getting rewarded. Owing to the coal strike some of our most enterprising features had unfortunately to be abandoned, our school children's competition did not come off, and our annual outing, which had been fixed to take place on the first Saturday of June, 1921, to Dumfries, had also to be cancelled for the same reason. Seven of our lady members have now got their membership cards, and others are desirous of having theirs. We are greatly indebted to the lady members of our Club for a special voluntary donation of £8 14s to the funds of the Club. This was raised by a series of presents brought to the Club and sold by auction, and I take this opportunity of thanking the ladies on behalf of the Club for the great interest and hard work performed in pursuance of the Club's interests. The success of the session is due to the energetic work of our worthy President and his committee, and also to Mr Samuel Lambie, Musical Director of the Club, and I take this opportunity of thanking all who have worked in harmony for the welfare of the Buck's Head Burns Club. SYLLABUS-1921-1922. Dec. 17. “Burns and the Common People "-Vice-President Mr Wm. M'Alpine. Jan. 16. Paper-Mr John Strang. Jan. 29. Anniversary Dinner-As arranged. Feb. 20. Musical Evening (Ladies' Night)-Mr Samuel Lambie. JOHN STEVENSON, Hon. Secretary. YE CRONIES BURNS CLUB (GOVAN). SECRETARY'S REPORT, 1920-1921. I am very pleased to report that the session just closed has been a very successful one. The Annual Meeting was held on Saturday, the 12th June, 1920, when there was a large attendance of members. The reports submitted by the Secretary and Treasurer were of a very gratifying nature, and showed the Club to be in a very flourishing condition. During the session there have been ten ordinary monthly meetings and two special lectures, which were all very well attended by the members. In the M'Lennan Bowling Competition in August, 1920, the Club entered five rinks, but all failed in winning the coveted trophy, although all the players enjoyed the afternoon's outing and hoped for better luck. next year. The Annual Outing took place on Saturday, 28th August, 1920, to Hamilton Palace and Mausoleum, when there was a large turnout of members and their lady friends, dinner and tea being provided inside the policies. A large programme of sports was carried through, and handsome prizes awarded to the winners of the various events. Our best thanks are due Mr Wilson, Secretary of the Hamilton Junior Burns Club, and his committee, for the perfect arrangements made for our comfort. The President, VicePresident, and Secretary attended the Annual Meeting of the Burns Federation in London on September 4th, 1920, and reported the great interest and pleasure the meeting afforded them and the princely hospitality extended to the delegates by the members of the London Robert Burns Club. On Saturday, the 23rd October, 1920, Mr Amos, the genial Secretary of the Burns Federation, gave us a lecture in Men's Clubroom, Pearce Institute, Govan, when there was a very large audience, Mr Amos's subject being " Dunbar, the Pre-Reformation Burns," which he handled in a masterly manner, everyone present being delighted with the lecture; and Mr Parker, Musical Director, submitted an excellent programme of music. At November Monthly Meeting Mr L. M'Laine, Treasurer, gave the members a very interesting address on Burns Clubs, pointing out where the activities of clubs could be greatly increased and show to the public that our admiration for the Poet was sincere. At the December Monthly Meeting Mr Parker addressed the members on "Burns's Works," several members assisting Mr Parker in illustrating his address. The Anniversary Supper was held in M'Leod Hall, Pearce Institute, on Saturday, 22nd January, 1921, and proved a great success. Mr T. M. Walker, M.A., proposed "The Immortal Memory," and in doing so paid a high tribute to the genius of Burns. Greeting cards were exchanged with a large number of federated clubs. At the February Monthly Meeting Mr C. B. Moodie addressed the members, his subject being "The Life and Songs of Baroness Nairne." Mr Moodie had a thorough grasp of his subject, and pointed out had Lady Nairne wrote no more than the three songs, The Rowan Tree,' "The Auld Hoose," and " Caller Herrin'," she was entitled to a high place in the lyric minstrelsy of Scotland. On Tuesday, 22nd March, 1921, Dr J. H. Steel, M.A., D. Litt., Headmaster, Allan Glen's School, Glasgow, gave us a lecture in Men's Clubroom, Pearce Institute, before a very large and attentive audience, his subject being "Tam o' Shanter," which he handled in a brilliant manner for over an hour, which proved the Doctor to be one of our foremost lecturers and able to hold any audience by his fine oratory. Mr Parker again submitted an excellent programme of music. The Annual Meeting was held on the 11th June, 1921, when all the reports submitted were of a satisfactory nature, and showed the Club to be still progressing. In the M'Lennan Bowling Competition, the Club entered five rinks, and the one skipped by Mr D. Fisher were successful in winning the cup and badges, being 36 shots up. The President, VicePresident, Secretary, and Past President (Mr Stirling) attended the Annual Meeting of the Burns Federation in Dunfermline on Saturday, 3rd September, 1921, and reported the great pleasure they had at being at the conference and the great hospitality shown to them by the Dunfermline Club, Sir Alexander Gibb, and Lord Elgin, who did all in their power to make the delegates feel at home. 66 The Dunfermline meeting will long he remembered by those who had the privilege of taking part in the proceedings. IN MEMORIAM. It is with sincere regret I have to record during this session the deaths of five of our most esteemed members, and our Club will be much the poorer by their passing, and their presence will be greatly missed at our Club meetings. I refer to Bro. Robert Coutts, a past Secretary of the Club, who died on 17th August, 1920, after a long and serious illness; Bro. John Brown, the genial manager of our Clubroom, who died on the 13th September, 1920, after a serious operation; Bro. Robert M'Kissock, who died on 29th September, 1920, from the effects of gas poisoning received while serving his King and Country; Bro. Nathan M'Kelvie, a past Vice-President of the Club, who died very suddenly on the 5th March, 1921; and Bro. Lauchlan M'Laine, Treasurer of the Club, who died with tragic suddenness on September 9th, 1921. Deputations of the members attended the funerals of the deceased Brothers, and floral wreaths were sent on behalf of the members of the Club, also letters of condolence to the relatives of deceased. Much of the year's success has been due to the untiring energy and enthusiasm of Past President Stirling and Committee, who have always been ready to do all in their power to further the Club's interests, and who were very regular in their attendance at all meetings and committee meetings, which were very numerous. Our new President, Mr J. Hutchison, seems assured of a very prosperous session, as all our members are taking a very active part in the work of the Club, which augurs well for its future success. JAMES RELLIE, Secretary. SINCLAIRTOWN BURNS CLUB (KIRKCALDY). Following the Annual Dinner in January last, the Sinclairtown Club has pursued a career of social and edifying activity, and at the present moment is inundated by applications from many prospective members. Early in March the first President of the Club, Councillor Tom Laing, gave up both his office and membership, but in October he was prevailed upon to take his place in a group showing the original office-bearers of the resuscitated Club, which group we have pleasure in reproducing. Next to the Annual Dinner the most successful of the Club's functions is the Annual Drive, which took place in June, and in which the ladies participated. Callander was the venue, with a considerable halt at Stirling, and the drive was voted a complete success, notwithstanding an unavoidable mishap in the latter part of the day caused by a transport difficulty. Delegates from the Club attended the conference of Burns Federations in Dunfermline, and reported to general meeting their impressions of the proceedings, their conviction being that this conference is an undoubted stimulus to lovers of the Poet and his works. At the annual meeting in October office-bearers for the ensuing year were elected as follows:-Hon. President, Mr James Roberts, Sinclairtown Hotel (the Club's headquarters); Hon. Vice-President, Mr Henry W. Hogarth; President, Mr William Crombie; Vice-President, Mr Robert Keddie; Treasurer, Mr D. Harley; Secretary, Mr Thomas Hunter, Dryburgh House, 181 St. Clair Street; Members of committee-Messrs John Innes, David Brown, Alexander Justice, William Kidd, Robert Blyth, James Brown, and William Mackie. It has now been arranged to hold general meetings of the Club in November, January, and March. A very healthy tone pervades the Club all through, and every effort is being made to provide the members with those social opportunities which do their part to hasten the day of which the Bard wrote so hopefully "When man to man the world o'er Shall brithers be . . . ." THOMAS HUNTER, Secretary. 1 |