way of telling them what they were doing, and so enlist their sympathies in that great work, which was a national one, and which was one of the best possible ways of doing honour to the memory of the great Poet.

II.

At the Conference on Saturday the President moved"That all affiliated Clubs be requested to continue their efforts to stimulate an interest in the Scottish Vernacular, and that, where possible, medals or other prizes should be offered to that end, for competition in their local schools." In submitting the Resolution, Sir Robert Bruce said

Happily it is not necessary that I should say much this year upon the question of the encouragement of the study of our Vernacular.

The movement commenced a few years ago by the Burns Federation has been more successful than seemed possible in the early days. Much prejudice and more apathy were expected. To a large extent we have got rid of both, and if the Federation and those other agencies which are moved by a like earnestness remain steadfast they will not return in strength to hamper progress.

Twelve months ago I spoke of the attitude of the Scottish Education Department. Following our Edinburgh Conference, we had further correspondence with Dr. George Macdonald, and subsequent events which have come to our knowledge have shown how useful the sympathy of the Department has been and how completely we have enlisted the assistance of the teachers in our secondary and elementary schools.

At Edinburgh I suggested that groups of our affiliated clubs might follow the example of the London Club and form Vernacular Circles. Within a few weeks a strong Association was formed in Glasgow. We called it an Association, rather than a Circle, for the reason that we

desired to rope in all the bodies having similar literary aims who had no connection with the Burns Federation. This policy of inclusiveness has been amply justified and, as many of you are aware, there is now a large membership, and an interesting and very helpful series of public lectures was given throughout the winter months. A second series is now being arranged. It is gratifying to know that this example is likely to be followed in other centres during the coming winter.

At last Conference it was suggested also that a Certificate suitable for presentation to successful pupils in the school competitions should be prepared. This suggestion has been carried out. The Certificate bears the seal of the Federation and is signed by the President and the Hon. Secretary. A large number have been issued, and the demand during this coming winter is likely to be much greater, for the popularity of these school competitions is spreading rapidly. Thus the good work goes on. But just because our propaganda thus far has been so successful there is a danger of a slackening of interest in the clubs themselves, and my sole reason for placing this Resolution upon the agenda to-day was to secure an opportunity of requesting, as I now do, all those affiliated with us to maintain their enthusiasm unabated.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. J. M. Bulloch, LL.D., (London) expressed the great pleasure it gave him to second the Resolution. It seemed to him, he said, that the study of the vernacular was really the foundation of their appreciation of Burns. Without a knowledge of the vernacular they could not appreciate what Burns did himself, and without a knowledge of what had been subsequently done they could not see how enormously great Burns was. When they came to think of it, it was very difficult to go on saying anything new about Burns himself. Burns was only the middle of a time; he was not the beginning or the end

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of it, but he did give a tremendous force to our very vivid vernacular. The value of the vernacular as an asset could not be overestimated-it was very powerful, and to him it was really a shocking thing that children in Scotland at the present day did not know their vernacular. The Burns Clubs could give enormous help to this movement. No other journal could have done what the Chronicle had done and was doing, and he would like if every member of every Burns Club throughout the world would buy a copy of the Chronicle, even if they had to miss going to see Rudolph Valentino or escape the reading of a novel by Ethel Dell.

Mr. A. L. Brown (Galashiels) gave details of a scheme proposed by Mrs. Craig, widow of Mr. Archibald J. Craig, under which seven schools in Galashiels may participate in Burns competitions for prizes. (See pp. 36-8.)

Mr. Mutch (Aberdeen) suggested that the Executive should draw up a small list of pieces that might be useful to put before the children. In Aberdeen they had carried on these competitions for a few years, and they had left the choice of pieces entirely to the teachers, but they found that some of the pieces were not at all helpful for the preservation of the doric in the way they wanted. Perhaps an article in the Chronicle suggesting suitable pieces would be very helpful.

President The suggestion is an excellent one, and the Executive will certainly take notice of it.

Mr. Sloan (Ayr) said that all boys and girls were not endowed with gifts for singing and reciting, and he thought they might institute competitions for bouquets of wild flowers, to which quotations from Burns and other poets might be attached. That would cause children to read the works of Burns and other Scottish writers, and he thought that such a competition would be a most interesting one for any school.

Rev. P. R. Landreth (Perth) suggested to Burns Clubs the advantages that would accrue from giving