CLUB NOTES. [COMMUNICATED.] SUNDERLAND BURNS CLUB. ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting of last year was not so well attended as some of its predecessors. At the outset the President referred to the loss the country had sustained by the death of His Majesty the late King Edward VII., and the following telegram was forwarded to King George V. : To His Majesty the King, Marlborough House, London. "The Members of the Sunderland Burns Club desire to express their deep sympathy with your Majesties, with Queen Alexandra and the Members of the Royal Family in the great loss sustained by them through the death of the late King Edward.” M. MACLENNAN, President. The reply received was :-- Buckingham Palace, London. To M. MacLennan, President Burns Club, Sunderland. "Their Majesties sincerely thank the members of the Burns Club for their kind sympathy." The various reports submitted were encouraging. EQUERY. The alteration of Rule XI. to admit all admirers of the Poet, etc., was adopted. This is a step in the right direction. Why should we confine ourselves to Scottish descent ? Burns belongs to the world. welcome to our midst all enthusiastic admirers. DINNER. Let us therefore The Anniversary Dinner of 1911 was most successful. We were honoured by having as our Guest Dr G. Roy Fortune, Newcastle. It is somewhat unique to have a father and son in this position. You will remember how ably in 1907 David Fortune, J.P., of Glasgow, proposed the Toast, and certainly Dr Fortune upheld the traditions of his worthy father. CONCERT. The Annual Scottish Concert of the Club was held in the Victoria Hall on Wednesday, February 1st, 1911. Twelve months ago we decided to sever our connection with the Scottish Concerts Association and endeavour to join in with some of the larger towns. While the Association had done excellent service in the past in arranging a series of Concerts we felt we were being hampered owing to the limit placed upon us by the smaller Societies. The action taken has been fully justified in that we have had a very pleasant and successful concert. A feature of the Concert was the excellent Highland Dancing display given by Miss Lillian Ward Locke, to pipe music provided by our Hon. Piper, Mr George Murray. We owe a special debt of gratitude to Mr Murray for his gratuitous services so freely given in the interests of our Annual Concert. The number of readers remain the same as last year. It is unfortunate that we cannot get beyond the score, which seems to be our limit. The present issue has again, by the careful work of the Editor, been made quite interesting and attractive and quite up to the high standard of excellence reached in former issues. The question of the future of the Chronicle will come up for consideration at the Annual Meeting of the Federation in September. The very We understand that Mr D. M'Naught has intimated his intention of relinquishing the Editorship at this meeting, a duty which he has faithfully discharged for upwards of twenty years. Let us hope that suitable arrangements will be made for a continuance of this most important part of the Federations' work, nay! the most important, for who that has read the Chronicle would be without it? essence of all that is interesting is served up for you in this valuable work, and I am certain that generations yet unborn will value what a present-day generation seems to play with. A man's greatness and goodness is only appreciated after he has passed away. the case with our Chronicle. Let us value and appreciate a good man's work while he lives and can enjoy our appreciation. MEMBERSHIP. Let this not be We started the year with fifty-six active members. During the year two new members have joined, one has resigned, five have left the district, two have been struck off, leaving us with fifty active members at the close of the year. We have to again draw the attention of members to the closing of the financial year at the end of April, and trust that the suggested alteration of Rules will have the desired effect. 1911. Oct. SYLLABUS-1911-1912. 12. President's Address-Mr W. A. Culshaw. Oct. 26. "The Highlands of Scotland "-Mr G. Murray. Nov. 9. "Dr Blacklock, the blind poet "-Mr W. H. Turner. Nov. 23. Visit from Gateshead Burns Club. Dec. 14. By the Roman Wall" (illustrated)-Mr W. A. Culshaw. 1912. Jan. 11. Musical Evening-Mr A. W. Semple. Jan. 25. Anniversary Dinner (Palatine Hotel)-Dr G. R. Fortune (Newcastle). Feb. 1. Scottish Concert (Victoria Hall). Feb. 22. "Scottish Sports and Pastimes "-Mr H. MacColl. Mar. 8. Visit to Gateshead Burns Club. Mar. 22. Songs of Tannahill "-Mr G. Mackay. Apr. 12. Business Meeting. Sept. 13. Business Meeting. Election of Officers. Before closing let me, in a word, thank all who have assisted us during the year. To the gentlemen who have prepared papers for our regular meetings we are much indebted, and to those who have charmed us with their songs. To everyone who has given a helping hand in our work we are thankful, and express the hope that even a greater number will do so in future, for their own good as well as for ours. M. NEILSON, Hon. Secretary. THE LONDON ROBERT BURNS CLUB. THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL. The Birthday Festival was attended by nearly 200 Members and friends, and was pronounced by one and all a great success. Sir George Reid's dramatic announcement that, under certain notimpossible circumstances, he might have stood before us as a grandson of Robert Burns, created something like a sensation, and added an interest to the speaker's already interesting personality that made a marked impression upon his audience. THE ENTIRE SUITE OF ROOMS. It has been decided by the Committee, in view of the increased numbers expected, that at two of the future dances the entire suite of the Portman Rooms be engaged. That means that the present supper-room can be used for a retiring-room, and that the supper will be served in a larger room beyond. As some extra expense is involved in this arrangement, it is to be hoped that the attendances will not only be maintained, but will increase. ROLL OF MEMBERSHIP. The membership has increased by twenty-eight (including five Hon. Members) during the year, and it has to be noted with satisfaction that the class of Members we are getting is the kind that adds strength and stability to any association. NO MERE FIGURE-HEADS. The attendance of Members, apart from guests, at most of the functions has reached an unheard-of percentage. Many associations have on their rolls a large number of members who are members in name only. The Members of the London Robert Burns Club are Members in reality, and show by their presence that they are no mere figure-heads. They are also paying Members, as is shown by the fact that at the close of the financial year on April 30th the subscriptions of only four Members remained unpaid, and two of these were new Members just elected. FEDERATION. The annual Convention of the Burns Federation is to be held this year in Glasgow, and it is my intention to be present on the occasion to help to represent Club No. 1-our own. I expect to have for company on that interesting occasion the President-Elect and the Hon. Treasurer as delegates, and Messrs Thomson and Durham as ex officio Members. The London Robert Burns Club should, therefore, be well to the front. FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS. The Hallowe'en Festival, at which I shall have the pleasure of installing Mr M'Donald in the chair, will be held at the Holborn Restaurant; but before then (or at all events in November) it is hoped that we shall have a Smoking Concert, supported entirely by amateur talent, supplied by Members and their friends. NEXT YEAR'S BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL. The Anniversary Festival will be held in January, 1912, in the Connaught Rooms, Great Queen Street-a fine suite of rooms, recently rebuilt when the new President will be afforded the opportunity of distinguishing himself, and I have no doubt he will rise to the occasion. CONSTITUTION AND RULES. The Constitution and Rules, as revised, seem to embody the aims and objects of the Society, and to make plainer some points of procedure which hitherto were somewhat obscure. The wording is now more concise and the arrangement more systematic. AN INVITATION. I have mentioned the Burns Federation, and in that connection I think the time has now come when this Club should extend to the Federation an invitation to hold the Conference of 1912 in London. I have no doubt a reception worthy of the occasion could be organized by the London Robert Burns Club. If the Lord Mayor were approached in time, the chances are that he could be induced to arrange for a Civic reception at the Mansion House. BURNS NEVER IN LONDON. Burns was never in London in the flesh, so far as is known; but his statue is here, and that might be made a rallying-point for the delegates to meet. They might crown him with a laurel wreath, and some prominent statesman might be got to pronounce a memorial oration at his shrine. This would serve to show Londoners that the Burns cult still lives, and would, at the same time, draw attention to this Club as the centre to which all admirers of the Poet should gravitate. I throw out the suggestion for what it is worth, and should welcome some expression of opinion on the subject from the members. LITERATURE AND DEBATE. I sometimes think the Club is lacking in what might be called the intellectual side. We have dinners, concerts, dances, and whist dr ves, but few meetings devoted to a study of Burns's works. I believe it some Member were selected to read a paper on some specified phase of Burns's life and works, followed by a discussion, that some very profitable evenings might be spent. I believe in the earlier days of the Club one evening at least every session used to be turned to pro |