ALBANY BURNS CLUB.

Owing to the war no meetings of members of the Club have been held during the sessions 1914-15, 1915-16, and 1916-17. The Directors have held a number of meetings so that the Club may be kept in touch with all matters connected with Burns work. The Anniversary Dinner has been suspended until the end of the war.

The Annual Singing and Reciting Competition from the Works of Burns by the children of Provanside Higher-Grade School, was held on Saturday, 20th January, under the auspices of this Club. Owing to the lighting restrictions the competition was held in the afternoon. The large hall of the School was filled by the parents of the scholars and members of the Club. It is to be regretted that a large number were unable to gain admittance. The chair was occupied by Mr A. C. Riddall. The medals and volumes, which were the gift of Librarian William Dall and Past President T. M'Bride, were handed to the winners by Mrs Riddall. The winners of the medals were :-For Reciting, Agnes Berry and Alexander M'Lennan; and for Singing, Ernest M'Dougall and Mary Still. Great praise is due Mr Marshall, the headmaster, and the Teaching Staff of the school for the high degree of efficiency shewn by the children in their rendering of the songs and recitations.

The Annual Bowling Match of the Officials of the Albany was played on Willowbank Green on Saturday, 25th August. The game resulted in a win for the rink skipped by Past President M'Bride, the score being 14—13.

No Summer Outing of the Club was held this year. The affairs of the Club-fiancially and otherwiseposition.

-are in a sound

ROBERT CARMICHAEL, Vice-president and Acting Secy.

TAM O' SHANTER BURNS CLUB.

The year has been an uneventful one, but the usual meetings have been maintained. The Directors regret to record the death of a prominent member, Mr Peter Glasse. The Annual Dinner took place as usual, and was a great success. The Immortal Memory was fittingly proposed by Mr Andrew M'Callum, Pollokshields News, and a collection was taken for Mauchline House. Mr Gerard Morrison has been called to the Colonies. The Club took part in a Burns Anniversary Religious Service in St. George's

Parish Church, on 28th January, which was very successful. The Club also played in the Burns Bowling Competition.

A most successful Summer Outing took place on 2nd June, when a visit was paid to Castlemilk House, Carmunnock Church and Churchyard, great kindness being shown to the members by Mr Crawford Stuart, Rev. Mr Smart, and others.

Messrs Anderson, Ballantyne, and Renfrew represented the Club at the Burns Federation Meeting on 1st September, which was a very successful function. Messrs Anderson, Thomson, and Renfrew represented the Club at the Burns Clubs Association. The Club joined in the general protest of Burnsians against the proposed desecration of Highland Mary's Grave at Greenock.

J. JEFFREY HUNTER.

HULL BURNS CLUB.

SECRETARIES' REPORT.

We have pleasure in submitting our Annual Report for the Season 1916-1917. The Headquarters of the Club have been re-instated at the Grosvenor Hotel.

It is with great regret that we have to announce that death has removed two members of the Council in the persons of Mr D. C. Adam and Mr C. H. Kirton, two indefatigable workers for the welfare of the Club. We have also lost in the same way a very old member, Mr T. J. Bell.

In view of the still existent European Crisis, the Council followed last year's precedent and arranged a somewhat restricted Syllabus. The following papers were read :—

Hiram P. Bailey, Esq.-" Humour."

Mrs E. J. B. Kirtlan—“ Irish Poets and Poetry."

W. Bolton, Esq.- Glimpses of Gounod's Life and Work."
Rev. J. Hanby-" Humour in War Time.'

The Club is greatly indebted to the lady and gentlemen mentioned for their excellent services in connection therewith.

This

At our last meeting a paper entitled " Glimpses of the Past," by the late Mr W. Barry, was also read by Mr R. Spiers. paper, practically a history of the Hull Burns Club, proved most interesting, and was greatly appreciated by the members present. It was decided by the Council to have this paper printed and a copy sent to each member.

The Burns Anniversary Celebration took the form of a Whist Drive, which was held at the Metropole. A collection was taken

for the British Red Cross Fund, and realised a sum of £12 13s 6d. The toast, The Immortal Memory of Burns," was sympathetically proposed by Councillor Hubert Johnson, J.P.

Eight new members were elected, and the membership now totals 226, against 243 last year. Twenty-nine members are with His Majesty's Forces.

The thanks of the Club are due to the members who have in various ways assisted the Council and Officers towards the success of the Session, and particular mention must be made of the Local Press, who have generously reported the proceedings at all the meetings.

LEO. S. HENRY,
R. A. SPIERS,

}

Hon. Secretaries.

GOVAN FAIRFIELD BURNS CLUB.

The Club has had a very successful season. The place of meeting is now changed to the Masonic Hall, Burndyke Street, Govan. The membership, which is limited to 100, is almost full. The Annual Supper was held in the Masonic Hall, the meeting being confined to members of the Club. The Immortal Memory was proposed in masterly style by the President, Mr Wm. Boyd. The Club is at present arranging for a Competition among School Children of the sixth standards, in a number of schools in the district, for the best Essay on Burns. The essays to be received by the first week in January, 1918. We intend giving three prizes. The first prize essay will be read at the Annual Supper, to be held in the Masonic Hall, on Friday, 25th January, 1918. At the Annual Meeting, held in June, Mr Boyd was re-elected President, and Mr Steele was elected Secretary in succession to Mr Hair. The ensuing season still promises well for the success of the Club.

THOS. FULLERTON, Secretary.

VICTORIAN SCOTTISH UNION.

I have pleasure in informing you that at the Annual Conference of the above, held at Geelong, on 20th September, the following resolution was carried unanimously :—

"That the Union offer strong protest against any proposed

extension of the Greenock shipbuilding yards involving

demolition of the Auld West Kirk and destruction of the grave of Burns's Highland Mary, unless it is found impossible to secure any other suitable site."

Might I say that forcible expressions were made as to the frequency these old historic and sentimental landmarks are being assailed by those who cannot, or will not, realise what they mean to the Scottish race.

Wishing your Federation every success, and with fraternal greetings. W. D. LECKIE, Secretary.

HAMILTON JUNIOR BURNS CLUB.

REPORT-1916-1917.

Our Club has had a most successful season, and is still progressing under the guidance of our esteemed President, Mr W. Ferguson. We have continued to hold our regular meetings, and the attendance has kept up well, although the social side of the Club life has been greatly curtailed. The Treasurer, in submitting his annual statement, showed that the Club was in a good financial position.

Our Burns Choir gave two very successful concerts during the past winter, from which we were able to hand over £40 on behalf of the War Funds. On the invitation of Ye Cronies Burns Club twelve of our members spent a very pleasant social evening in Glasgow, at which we were treated to a very high-class entertainment. Our Annual Outing was to the High Parks, when about 80 ladies and gentlemen took part, including representatives from the Burns Choir. Lunch was served at Cadzow Castle, and the afternoon was pleasantly spent amid the delightful surroundings, while several Burns songs were rendered by members of the choir. Our meetings are held on the first Monday of each month, at 7.30 p.m., at 1 Union Street, Hamilton, when we will be pleased to welcome any member of a Federated Club.

W. WILSON, Secretary.

YE CRONIES BURNS CLUB, GOVAN.

ANNUAL REPORT, 1917.

Once more I am glad to report a very successful session, notwithstanding the fact that we are still in the midst of the most

terrible war the world has ever known, the worst feature of which is the low-down, below-the-belt tactics to which the enemy stoops. in order to gain his ungodly end of might and power; and yet, in the face of it all, pacifists would have us stop the fight, to sit at the same conference table with men who cast aside great National agreements as mere scraps of paper. Though all of us long for peace, I am sure no real Burnsite would like to see our brave young lads come home to a patched-up peace with such scoundrels. Thank God there are no pacifists in Ye Cronies Burns Club, at least I don't know of them.

We are very proud of our Roll of Honour, for it now contains over thirty names of members, members' sons, and brothers who have gone forth to fight and defend the glorious principles of liberty and peace. Most of these brave lads have been in the thick of the fight. Some have been home wounded and are still in hospital, others have recovered and gone back again to endure the hardships of life on the battlefields. But there are others-five-who have made the supreme sacrifice, one of which I feel in duty bound to mention, for he has truly left a vacant chair in our Club, as he was a most energetic, willing, and active member of our committee. I refer to Bro. A. M'Kinnon, who voluntarily joined the Army, and after training, was sent out to Salonica. There, while attending to a wounded comrade who lay in the danger zone, he was shot by a sniper, thus giving his life to save a brother soldier. and all who have fallen we reverently bow our heads.

To him

During the year we have been in touch with many of the Clubs of the district, and have been visited by representatives of no less than seven different Burns Clubs, and I think, without exception, all have gone away with a good impression.

We have also been well represented at the meetings of the Burns Federation and the Glasgow and District Burns Associations, and our members have been well posted up in the business of the Burns world by taking advantage of the Burns Chronicle and our Delegates' reports. We have had two outstanding functions in connection with our Club, the picnic being dropped again owing to present conditions. The first was a Smoking Concert and Lecture, when Mr J. Jeffrey Hunter gave us a very interesting half-hour on A Lawyer's Reminiscences," and a fine array of artistes contributed to a very successful night, the proceeds providing funds to send parcels to the boys at the front.

The Annual Supper, held on Saturday, 22nd January, 1917, was really a great success. Again we were indebted to Mr J. Jeffrey Hunter for the eloquent manner in which he proposed the "Immortal Memory."