4. To repair, renew, and where advisable mark with suitable inscriptions any buildings, tombstones, etc., interesting from their association with Burns.

5. To encourage and arrange School Competitions in order to stimulate the teaching of Scottish History and Literature.

RULES.

1. The Headquarters of the Federation shall be in Kilmarnock, the town in which the Federation was inaugurated and carried to a practical issue, and which contains the only properly organised Burns Library and Museum in the United Kingdom.

2. Properly organised Burns Clubs, St. Andrew's Societies, and kindred Associations may be admitted to the Federation by application in writing to the Hon. Secretary, enclosing a copy of Constitution, Rules, and list of members, which shall be submitted to the Executive Committee at their first meeting, and the Clubs shall be enrolled if there are not more than two dissentients.

3. The Registration Fee is 21s, on receipt of which the Diploma of the Federation shall be issued, after being numbered and signed by the President and Hon. Secretary.

4. Members of every Burns Club or kindred Association registered by the Federation shall be entitled to receive a pocket Diploma on payment of ls. These payments are final-not annual.

5. The funds of the Federation shall be vested in the Executive Committee for the purposes before-mentioned.

6. A meeting of the Executive Council shall be held annually on the first Saturday of September, at such place as may be agreed upon, when reports on the year's transactions shall be submitted by the Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer, and Office-bearers elected for the ensuing year.

7. A meeting of the Executive Committee shall take place some time before the Annual Meeting of the Executive Council to make the necessary arrangements for the same.

8. All nominations for the office of Vice-President must be lodged with the Hon. Secretary two months before the Annual Meeting.

9. Each Federated Club shall subscribe 10s 6d per annum towards the fund for the publication of the Burns Chronicle. Clubs failing to pay this subscription for two consecutive years may be struck off the Roll of the Federation. Any surplus profits resulting from the sale of the Chronicle shall be added to the general funds.

10. Notice of any amendment or alteration of the Constitution or Rules of the Federation to be considered at the Annual Meeting must be lodged in writing with the Hon. Secretary not later than 30th June.

BENEFITS.

1. Registered Clubs are supplied free with copies of newspapers containing accounts of meetings, demonstrations, etc., organised, conducted, or attended by the Executive Council of the Federation, and of the Annual Meeting of the Kilmarnock Burns Club.

2. Exchange of fraternal greetings on the anniversary of the Poet's natal day.

3. Members of Registered Clubs who have provided themselves with pocket diplomas are entitled to attend meetings of all Clubs on the Roll of the Federation, they being subject to the rules of the Club visited, but having no voice in its management unless admitted a member according to local form.

4. Members are entitled to be supplied, through the Secretaries of their respective Clubs, with copies of all Works published by the Federation at a discount of 333 per cent.

5. A list of Lecturers, Essayists, and Judges for Children's Competitions will be supplied to Clubs on application.

Copies of the last four vols. may still be had on application to

the Hon. Treasurer.

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING

OF THE

BURNS FEDERATION.

BURGH BUILDINGS, GALASHIELS, 6th September, 1913.

THE Annual Meeting of the Executive Council of the Burns Federation was held here to-day, Mr D. M'Naught, J.P., presiding. Two hundred Delegates, representing the following Clubs, were present :

Kilmarnock, No. 0; London, No. 1; Glasgow Tam o'Shanter, No. 3; Earlston, No. 5; Glasgow Thistle, No. 7; Glasgow Royalty, No. 9; Dundee, No. 14; Greenock, No. 21; Glasgow Haggis, No. 33; Glasgow Rosebery, No. 36; Stirling, No. 50; Thornliebank, No. 57; Cupar, No. 62; Mossgiel, No. 63; Glasgow Carlton, No. 67; Carlisle, No. 71; Glasgow Mauchline Society, No. 74; Brechin, No. 76; Dunfermline United, No. 85; Sunderland, No. 89; Shettleston, No. 91; Uphall, No. 94; Jedburgh, No. 96; Bellfield, No. 97; Lanark, No. 98; Barlinnie, No. 99; Hamilton Mossgiel, No. 100; Jolly Beggars, No. 108; Vale of Leven Glencairn, No. 113; Glasgow Albany, No. 118; Hamilton Junior, No. 121; Auchinleck, No. 123; Falkirk, No. 126; Cowdenbeath Glencairn, No. 128; Newarthill, No. 133; Glasgow National, No. 139; Kilmarnock Jolly Beggars, No. 150; Glasgow Scottish, No. 153; East Stirlingshire, No. 155; Old Kilpatrick, No. 157; East Whitburn, No. 160; Gateshead, No. 163; Wallsend, No. 165; Glasgow and District, No. 169; Larkhall Thistle, No. 170; Irvine, No. 171; Meikle Earnock, No. 175; Kilmarnock Begbie's, No. 178; Glasgow Primrose, No. 181; Stair Mossgiel, No. 182; Londonderry, No. 183; Blairadam, No. 184; Kilmarnock Glencairn, No. 186; Clydebank Barns o' Clyde, No. 189; Ayrshire Association, No. 192; Shiremoor, No. 195; Gorebridge, No. 198; Newbattle, No. 199; Carlisle Newtown, No. 201; Govan Cronies, No. 202; Dennistoun Jolly Beggars, No. 203; Dundalk, No. 204; Cambuslang Wingate, No. 207; Greenock St. John, No. 209; Larkhall Cronies, No. 211; Portobello, No. 212; Melrose, No. 214; Thorniewood, No. 215; Rutherglen Royal Burgh, No. 216; Eskdale, No. 217; and Prestonpans, No. 220.

CIVIC RECEPTION.

Provost Sutherland, on behalf of the Magistrates and Town Council of Galashiels, extended a warm and hearty welcome to the Federation. Mr M'Naught thanked the Provost and his colleagues for the high honour they had conferred on the Delegates, not only by this civic reception but by the kindness which they had already experienced and the hospitality which they were to receive later on in the day.

The minutes of the last Annual Meeting were read and approved.

SECRETARY'S REPORT.

Mr Thomas Amos, M.A., Kilmarnock, the Hon. Secretary, submitted his Annual Report, which was in the following terms:

"To-day the Burns Federation holds its Annual Conference for the first time in the land of Scott. Very few parts of Scotland are richer in literary and historical interest than the country that lies round the busy town in which we have met. From the far-off misty form of Thomas the Rhymer to Andrew Lang this Borderland has given to Scottish literature names of which we are proud. But above them all towers the name of Sir Walter Scott; and we who are followers of Robert Burns wish to-day, in this land which he loved so well and in which he lies buried, to pay our homage to the great Wizard of the North.

During his Border tour with Ainslie, Burns visited this district, and most probably passed through Galashiels, which was then a hamlet. He has dowered the district with the well-known song, ‘Braw, braw lads o' Gala Water,` and in justifiable pride and gratitude the inhabitants of this town three months ago erected a handsome bust to his memory. The unveiling ceremony took place before an immense audience, and an eloquent address on the Poet was thereafter delivered by a true disciple of the Bard, Mr Henry S. Murray, President of the Galashiels Burns Club. To show the pride

the Borderers have in their association with the name of Burns I have also to mention that in January of this year the Burns Club of Jedburgh inserted a memorial tablet in the house where Burns slept during his brief visit to that ancient royal burgh, and quite recently a similar memorial was erected at Innerleithen by the local Burns Club.

During the year that has elapsed since our meeting in Carlisle the following thirteen clubs have joined the Federation :-The Auld House, Duntocher, Larkhall Cronies, Portobello, Glasgow Kingston, Melrose, Thorniewood, Rutherglen Royal Burgh, Eskdale, Bannockburn Empire, Uddingston, St. Louis, U.S.A., Prestonpans and Hull. There are now 223 clubs on our roll, but of these a number are now dormant or extinct. The question of purging the roll has been raised, and might be undertaken by a committee appointed for the purpose.

It is pleasing to report that No. 22 of the Burns Chronicle has been a literary and financial success. The volume was of more than average merit, and articles by a Swede and a Dane, dealing with phases in Burns's character, were of special interest as indicating the far-reaching power of our National Bard. We once more offer our best thanks to Mr M'Naught for his untiring and unselfish work as editor.

The good work undertaken by many of our Clubs in fostering a love for our national song and poetry among children continues to spread, and each year sees a further extension of this excellent

movement.

At our Club Meetings the quality of the literary papers submitted also shows signs of advance, and the general tendency in Burns Club life is towards an ideal which not so very long ago would have been considered quite impracticable.

The greatest credit is due to the joint committee of the Rosebery and Carlton Clubs of Glasgow for the successful manner in which they have accomplished their task of providing an edition of Burns for the blind, who will now have the privilege of reading the whole of

Burns's Poetical Works. An interesting episode in to-day's proceedings will be the presentation of a copy of the Braille Burns to Provost Sutherland of Galashiels.

A fairly liberal response has been made to the call for funds to provide a Presidential chain as a memorial to the founders of the Federation, but I think the lists might lie open for some time longer, as we should all desire the chain to be a credit to the Federation and a fitting memorial to the men who did so much for the movement.

After having held the office of Treasurer for seventeen years Mr Joseph Brockie has tendered his resignation. Mr Brockie has been an ideal Treasurer, and the sound financial state of the Federation is largely owing to the careful manner in which he has nursed our funds. We very much regret Mr Brockie's resignation, and we thank him most gratefully for the many years' patient and laborious work he has freely given to the Burns Federation.

To the recently appointed Professor of Scottish History and Literature in Glasgow University we offer our sincere congratulations, and we desire that the work Professor Rait is soon to inaugurate will fully realise our hopes of many years.

Since the threatened destruction of the Auld Brig o' Ayr nothing has caused so much indignation in Burns circles as the sale of the Glenriddel MSS. by the Liverpool Athenæum. As soon as the sale was made known meetings were held in Glasgow by well-known Burnsians, who were strongly backed by the Scottish press in their endeavours to prevent the MSS. leaving our shores. In the newspaper controversy, which has lasted for two months, the main points of discussion have been (1st) the rightful ownership of the MSS.; (2nd) the right of a semi-private body like the Athenæum to sell gifts which have obviously been presented for safe preservation. However varied opinions may be regarding the ownership of the MSS., there is only one opinion regarding the action of the Liverpool Athenæum. As this matter is to engage our attention to-day I do not wish to anticipate the discussion which will take place, but I am sure we all hope some means may be devised whereby the MSS. may be retained in our country.

This

Each succeeding year shows the Burns Federation growing in importance and usefulness. Our meeting to-day is attended by 200 Delegates from Clubs in Scotland, England, and Ireland. fact, and the reports of the excellent patriotic work that is being successfully undertaken by our Clubs, show the wisdom of the men who twenty-eight years ago founded the Federation, and who were able at that time to see the latent power in Burns Clubs.” The report was unanimously adopted.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Mr Geo. A. Innes, F.E.I.S., on behalf of Mr Joseph Brockie, submitted the annual financial statement. This showed that the income for the past year amounted to £193 Is Ed, and the expenditure to £96 5s 4d, the balance on hand being £293 15s 7d.

Mr M'Naught submitted his report on the Chronicle, which showed that the publication had maintained its circulation, and a substantial sum out of the profits had been added to the funds. On the motion of Mr Philip Sulley, F.S.A., the editor was awarded a hearty vote of thanks for his work, and it was agreed to renew the grant of £25 towards the production of the Chronicle.