MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING OF BURNS FEDERATION. BURGH HALL, MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, THE Annual Meeting of the Executive Council of the Burns Federation was held here to-day at 10.30 a.m. Mr D. M'Naught, J.P., the President of the Federation, presided over a record meeting of three hundred Delegates from Scotland, England, and Ireland. The following Clubs were represented : No. 0, Kilmarnock; No. 1, London Robert Burns; No. 2, Alexandria; No. 3, Glasgow Tam o' Shanter; No. 5, Ercildoune; No. 7, Glasgow Thistle; No. 9, Glasgow Royalty; No. 14, Dundee; No. 20, Airdrie; No. 21, Greenock; No. 22, Edinburgh; No. 33, Glasgow Haggis; No. 34, Glasgow Carrick; No. 35, Dalry; No. 36, Glasgow Rosebery; No. 48, Paisley; No. 49, Glasgow Bridgeton; No. 50, Stirling; No. 53, Govan Fairfield; No. 56, Muirkirk Lapraik; No. 57, Thornliebank; No. 62, Cupar; No. 63, Glasgow Mossgiel; No. 67, Glasgow Carlton; No. 68, Glasgow Sandyford; No. 71, Carlisle ; No. 74, Glasgow Mauchline Society; No. 75, Kirn; No. 76, Brechin; No. 83, Glasgow Co-operative; No. 85; Dunfermline United; No. 86, Cumnock Winsome Willie; No. 89, Sunderland; No. 91, Shettleston; No. 92, Kilbowie Jolly Beggars; No. 96, Jedburgh; No. 97, Kilmarnock Bellfield; No. 98, Lanark; No. 99, Barlinnie; No. 100, Hamilton; No. 105, Rutherglen Cronies; No. 108, East Calder and District; No. 112, Dumfries Burns Howff; No. 113, Vale of Leven Glencairn; No. 118, Glasgow Albany; No. 121, Hamilton Junior; No. 123, Auchinleck Boswell; No. 124, Edinburgh Ninety; No. 125, Blackburn on Almond; No. 126, Falkirk; No. 127, Cowdenbeath Haggis; No. 128, Cowdenbeath Glencairn; No. 129, Gorbals; No. 132, Riccarton Kirkstyle; No. 133, Newarthill; No. 135, Partick Western; No. 139, Glasgow National; No. 140, Pollokshaws: No. 145, Glasgow Central; No. 148, Greenock Cronies; No. 150, Kilmarnock Jolly Beggars; No. 151, Old Kilpatrick; No. 152, Hamilton; No. 153, Scottish; No. 155, East Stirlingshire; No. 157, Baillieston Caledonian; No. 160, Whitburn; No. 163, Gateshead and District; No. 164, Kinning Park; No. 168, Riccarton; No. 169, Glasgow and District; No. 170, Larkhall Thistle; No. 173, Irvine; No. 175, Meikle Earnock; No. 176, Renfrew; No. 177, Prestwick; No. 178, Kilmarnock Begbie's; No. 181, Glasgow Primrose; No. 182, Stane Mossgiel ; No 183, Londonderry; No. 184, Blairadam Shanter; No. 186, Kilmarnock Glencairn; No. 187, Galashiels; No. 189, Clydebank Barns o' Clyde No. 191, Moorpark; No. 192, Ayrshire Association: No. 193, Rutherglen Jolly Beggars; No. 195, Shiremoor Blue Bell; No. 198, Gorebridge Jolly Beggars; No. 199, Newbattle and District; No. 200, Stonehouse Jolly Beggars; No. 202, Govan Cronies; No. 203, The minutes of the last Annual Meeting were read and approved. THE SECRETARY'S REPORT. To-day the Burns Federation holds its twenty-sixth annual meet ing a meeting which is an many respects the most remarkable in the whole series. We have present at this conference no fewer than 300 delegates representing 92 Burns Clubs in Scotland, England, and Ireland. As far as I know, this is one of the most representative gatherings of Burnsians that has ever assembled. Again, we are to-day the guests of the Lord Provost and the Corporation of Glasgow, and we are grateful for the recognition and hospitality of this great city. During the past year the Federation has made steady progress. There are now on our roll 206 clubs. Since our last meeting the following clubs have affiliated: Rutherglen Jolly Beggars, Middlebie, Shiremoor, Mid-Argyll, Winnipeg, Gorebridge Jolly Beggars, Newbattle and District, Stonehouse Jolly Beggars, Carlisle Newtown, Govan Cronies, Dennistoun Jolly Beggars, Dundalk and District, and Paisley St. Mirren. Since our last annual meeting the principal events in the Burns world have been the unveiling of a monument to Burns's Stewarton relatives, the publication of the Chronicle, the death of James Glencairn Thomson, and the opening of the Scottish National Exhibition. On the 24th September, 1910, our President, Mr M'Naught, unveiled in the churchyard of Stewarton a monument in memory of "Poor Uncle Robert and other relatives of Burns who lie beside the old Parish Church. The funds for the monument were collected by the local Literary Association, which deserves the greatest credit for so successfully carrying out its undertaking. The monument may justly be called a tribute to the memory of our National Bard, and is an instance of the Scottish local pride which forbids any association with the Poet to remain unmarked. A large and interested audience, including many members of the Federation, gathered round the monument during the ceremony, and listened attentively to an able and eloquent address by Mr M'Naught. In the month of January, after many delays, the twentieth number of the Burns Chronicle was published. It was, like its predecessors, a literary and commercial success, but there still remains very much to be done by the members of the Federation to extend the circulation of this their own publication. Our best thanks are due to the veteran editor for his untiring and unselfish efforts on behalf of the welfare of this magazine. Quite recently there passed away the last survivor of the grandchildren of Robert Burns. No fewer than 115 years had elapsed between the death of James Glencairn Thomson and that of his immortal grandfather. It is pleasing to know that the latter days of this genial and kindly old man were much brightened by the friendship and generous help of some of the admirers of our National Bard who are with us to-day. The movement on behalf of the Chair of Scottish iterature and History has, during the past year, been in a state of uspended animation. Last September we were told that the sum of £5000 had been promised for this object. Since then there has been a universal halt to see whether the eagerly expected balance from the Scottish National Exhibition can make up the £15,000 required to complete the sum necessary to endow a University Chair. In the meantime we would strongly advise the delegates present to keep this movement prominently before the members of their clubs, and to give it their wholehearted and most generous support whatever the balance may be. We are certain that our clubs will carry out any responsibilities undertaken by them on behalf of the movement, which was first brought before the public at the annual meeting of the Federation held in Dumfries twelve years ago. The Scottish National Exhibition has the very best wishes of the Federation for its success. We heartily sympathise with the object of the Exhibition, and hope that it may be as great a triumph financially as it has been from a spectacular point of view. The presence of such a unique and valuable collection of portraits of our famous countrymen, along with the antiquarian treasures housed in the Historical Buildings, is bound to have a stimulating effect on those who are working for the foundation of the Chair. We are pleased to see a section set apart for our National Bard. Though small, it is select and most instructive. None of the articles shown have been exhibited before, and they demand the special attention of all true followers of Burns. Of the Burns pageant, which caused so much pain and indignation among our members, all we need now say is, that it is a great pity the author chose to present to the public in such a form an alleged incident in the Poet's life which rests on absolutely no foundation. The manner in which the author was taken to task by some of our most prominent members gave the liveliest satisfaction to the Federation. It is most encouraging to note at the present time the increased vitality in Burns Clubs throughout our land. They are no mushrooms of yesterday-three of the clubs on our roll are more than one hundred years old. They have survived the sneers of the superior person and the jeers of the unco guid," and it is pleasing to report that never in their history have Burns Clubs been doing better work than to-day. Scattered all over our land, and filling no small part in our national life, we find them, in addition to fostering a friendly, social feeling among our fellow-men, doing excellent educational work by encouraging, through competitions among school children, a knowledge of our national song and poetry. Instead of being purely social clubs, meeting once a year to celebrate the Poet's birthday, we find them now in many instances patriotic Scottish Literary Societies, meeting frequently during the winter to discuss poetical and historical subjects of a national character. As long as such work is being carried on, we have no need to fear the decadence of Burns Clubs. We are proud that the knowledge of our Bard's works is by no means confined to our own country, but that it is yearly spreading all over the world. Winnipeg Burns Club, which joined the Federation during the past year, is at present subscribing to raise a monument to Burns which will be a magnificent testimony to the love our brethren in Canada have for the poet of humanity. From St. Louis, U.S.A., I lately received a little book published by the local Burns Club, which contains a number of addresses full of appreciation of our National Poet and his work. But what interested me even more than these excellent lectures was a poem by a Chinaman, Chang Yow Tong, a few verses of which I propose, in concluding, to read to you— "O, kindred soul of humble birth, Divine, though of the lowly earth, Thy cottage-home hid from the proud, Nor changed its homely, rugged lines, Thy life and work and destiny Thy splendid fame shall ever rise I am a foreign, unknown bard, Whose devious course is rough and hard; Like thee, I'll toil with manly hand, Shall wait for verdict at the grave." On the motion of Mr Hugh Mayberry, J.P., the Secretary was thanked for the report. In the absence of the Hon. Treasurer, his annual financial statement was submitted by Mr G. A. Innes. It showed that the income for the past year amounted to £99 7s 3d, and the expenditure to £98 0s 5d, leaving a balance of £1 6s 10d. To this there fell to be added arrears amounting to £23 7s 3d. The total funds at the credit of the Federation were shewn to amount to £301 5s 7d. The statement was unanimously adopted. Mr F. C. Anderson, Brechin, suggested that the financial statement should be published annually in the Chronicle. On the motion of Provost Smith, Kilmarnock, it was agreed that this was unnecessary. Mr M'Naught, in submitting his annual report on the Chronicle, said there was a small profit. He also expressed his willingness to continue as Editor if the Federation desired to continue the publication. On the motion of Mr W. H. Turner, Sunderland, seconded by Mr Philip Sulley, Galashiels, it was agreed to continue the publication of the Chronicle, and to express the thanks of the Federation to the President for his excellent work as Editor. It was also resolved to renew the grant of £25 towards the cost of carrying on the Chronicle. In his report on the proposed Chair of Scottish History and Literature, the Rev. Jas. Forrest, M.A., Kirkcaldy, regretted there was no increase in the fund during the past year. They were looking for the bulk of the money from the Scottish National Exhibition, which had been a great financial success. He reminded the meeting that it was due to Burnsians entirely that there was a Scottish Exhibition. He trusted that by next year they would be able to report not only a |